30 Day Photo Challenge - Getting back into blogging!

So myself and 2 good friends ( Kiwi Kellz and Stefany ) felt that our blogging updates were severely lacking. We needed something to get us back into the land of blog.


We have seen many other challenges like this and thought we would come up with our own one. So. Starting on Monday we will each post a photo a day with a quick blurb about it, in the hopes we will get back into it.


Wanna join us? The photo topics are below, feel free to put links to your posts on the bottom of our ones if you want to join in, the more the merrier!!!


I'm currently saving up to buy myself a new, fan-dangle camera for my 30th in October, so may very well do this again, but we thought it would be a fun way to get some bloggy inspiration back.
Nikki

30 DAY PHOTO CHALLENGE

DAY 1 - You with someone you love

DAY 2 - Your favourite place

DAY 3 - A creative project

DAY 4 -  Black & white

DAY 5 - A Pet (past or present)

DAY 6 - Clouds

DAY 7 - Flowers

DAY 8 - Sunshine

DAY 9 - You with some of your favourite things

DAY 10 - A nice view

DAY 11 - Water

DAY 12 - Wheels

DAY 13 - Your favourite colour

DAY 14 - A hobby of yours

DAY 15 - Before & After

DAY 16 - Childhood Memory

DAY 17 - Sand

DAY 18 - Grass

DAY 19 - Happiness

DAY 20 - Your hometown

DAY 21 - Your letterbox

DAY 22 - Close up

DAY 23 - Something random/quirky

DAY 24 - Favourite food or favourite recipe

DAY 25 - Your latest purchase

DAY 26 - The shoes you have on today

DAY 27 - Eyes

DAY 28 - Todays outfit (yours or the kids)

DAY 29 - A Parent/Grandparent

DAY 30 - A self portrait

Some big and exciting changes are ahead

Ok, so here I am. And I actually have something to write about for once!! So here goes, a big update and hopefully a promise (one that isn't empty) to continue to blog more regularly now that life is starting to (temporarily) calm down.


First up, the biggest news, I am currently 13 weeks pregnant with baby #2 YAAAAY!! "Sprout" as we have named him/her, is due 23 January, although given that I had an elective C Section last time, and the health reasons for that have not changed, it is likely to be another c section, so probably earlier than 23 January.
It really is true that you "pop" earlier with your second. Gooollly. I looked like I had eaten all the pies from about 8 weeks! At least now it is starting to look more like a bump and not just fatty boom booms. (Although, if I am honest, a large part of it is)


So here is "sprout"

I am already pretty attached :)


Next is not that interesting, but when you add it to being pregnant, it is a little more so. I broke my big toe in 2 places just over a week ago. Who knew that you use your big toe so much? I never noticed until I couldn't put any weight on it whatsoever. It was done in what can only be described as a sleep deprived preggy moment. It was stupid and I am embarrassed!


And since also just over a week ago, Master D has had firstly, a yucky tummy bug. His first ever, and although the vomiting only lasted maybe 12 hours at most, the other end is still going, over a week later. On the Sunday just gone we took him to the doctors, he had been up and down all weekend but his temperature had been 38.4 on Saturday, came down to 37 and he cheered up so we were happy, then all of a sudden on Sunday it was 39.4! He was absolutely miserable so off to the Doctors we went and had to strip him off, sponge him down, give him popsicles etc. He is now on a cocktail of medicine, turns out besides the residual tummy but AND nasty teething (those last big-boy molars coming through) he also has a really bad ear infection. Poor wee poppet. He has just had one of his longest day sleeps ever though, 2 hours 50 minutes. I was very impressed. This is him last weekend in full tummy bug mode.

He's normally such a smiley wee man, it was horrible to see him so sick. But he does appear to be getting better now, and as much as I hate him being on antibiotics and pamol etc, it's only his second time on antibiotics and they are helping so worth it if the end result is a happier, healthier chappie.


That's enough for one post I feel. I have so much more to tell you, but I wouldn't want to do it all in one hit and have you reading forever, so more in a day or so :)


Miss you all, hope to "talk" to you more often again now


Nikki xx

A meal of incredible inaccuracy - Dennys on Hobson Street, Auckland

By: The Spy at The Undercover Bloggers

So. Hubby, myself and our 22 month old boy hit Denny's on Hobson Street in Auckland, after going to "Walking With Dinosaurs" (An EXCELLENT SHOW, but that's another story!)

We have been to this and other Dennys Restaurants in the past and had both good and bad experiences, however it is usually quite good at this one.

I orderered a Hawaiian Chicken Roll meal, Hubby ordered a Mushroom Cheese Burger and for our boy we ordered a Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Curly Fries (That's how the menu said that they come.)

So. What did we recieve? First the Manager came out with a plate with two pieces of ham and said he was sorry, but his cook had forgotten to put the ham in my roll. That was ok, mistakes happen. Then we realised Dex's Curly Fries were not curly fries but in fact normal fries (which were not very nice anyway).

And then. Yes. There was more.

Hubby bites into his Mushroom Cheese Burger only to find...... no mushroom. A tiny bit of cheese. He couldn't get the attention of any staff, and we didn't have one of the push buttons at our table that are at many others, so he had to go and wait at the counter while heaps of people were served/seated, while his meal got cold. Then when he finally gets to the counter and says what the problem is, the Manager says, get this, "Oh, well is it ok like that?... (after some silence) Oh, would you like me to get the mushrooms for it?" Well.. um. Yes Thanks, seeing as I ordered a mushroom cheese burger.

We had planned to stay for dessert but after them getting 3/3 meals wrong, we figured there wasn't a lot of point, as we were bound to get the wrong thing. So we went up to the counter, paid our bill and left, with no apology for the amazing lack of ability to manage even one correct meal at a table.

Needless to say, that's us done with Denny's in the CBD. Except maybe for their Oreo Shakes/Sundaes as those are still usually pretty good!

Yep. Me again. Been awhile.

I really don't know what has happened. One day I'm posting like a serial poster, these days I'm lucky if I get in one post a month!
Life has taken over is about it. And I have been busy trying to (half heartedly, if I'm honest) revive The Undercover Bloggers and keep building up my NZWAHPs Site. Keeps me busy, as does my crazy lil tornado Dexter.
I have hardly even been reading everyone elses blogs these days and haven't had any pretty pictures to add to my posts so figured I would just wait until I had some cool stuff to put up.

But I still don't.


It's ok though, I know you still love me. I am sure that in the next wee while I will have something to tell you about that is a bit more interesting. :)


Nikki xx

Poor neglected wee blggy

My poor wee blog. I keep saying I will get back into writing in you more regularly but I am just such a busy girl that I keep running out of time!
I am keeping well up to date on NW Work at Home Parents Showcase and at The Mummy Diaries but this blog, well, it's not that I have nothing to say, I just keep forgetting to write!

Anyhoo, have been quite busy since getting back from holiday. I had meant to make another tutu, this one for my cousins little girl, back in April, but ran out of time. She has just turned 3 and is starting ballet lessons so what better time for a funky purple tutu? Her dad (my cousin) comes up to see her this weekend, so I thought if I can have it ready by then, I will shoot over and give it to her.

I better go rescue my grizzling child, will update properly with pics of latest creations over the weekend

Nikki xx

Back into "life and other projects" after a week away

Hi Bloggy Family!

Cutie pies Dex and Adam

I have just had a week away in Wellington with my lovely hubby and my cute (if not currently in the throes of toddlerdom) wee man, Dex. Prior to going away I was getting pretty stressed out and worked up, and over the stupidest little things. 

The Desert Road

So I have decided on a couple of initial things that I want to change. There is more than a couple, but it will be a long post so I will spread it out over a couple of posts.

My wardrobe, mid clearout

Problem:
I have waaaay too many belongings. Items. Stuff. Before leaving I had been reading up on minimalism. Now any one who knows me would agree that the thought of me downsizing all my stuff to a "minimalist" level, is pretty damned hilarious. We are a 3 person family with a 3 bedroom plus garage house, and we are still bursting at the seams. 


Solution:  Even if I am the worlds most unlikely minimalist, that's not to say that I can't get rid of a whole heap of stuff. I had started before we went away but now it's time to get ruthless.

The beginnings of "Crafty Corner"

Problem: Housework. Many of you who are Stay at Home Mums, or work part time like me, will agree that although you in theory have a whole day to do the housework, this is not the case. I have struggled with getting everything done since Dex was born. I go out too often, I spend too much time on the internet, and some days, Dex is having a bad day and I just won't be getting anything done. Then the Mother in Law came to look after Dex for 3 hours while I went to work. I came home and she had done the dishes, swept and mopped the floor, cleaned the bathroom top to bottom, cleaned the stove top and done the dishes. When I said I struggle to even get the dishes and washing done some days, I was told that it is easy, just give Dex a cloth and he will help. Maybe when he has nanna/daddy to play with which is a novelty. Not so much when it's mummy, who he sees all day every day. So my response was to cry. After she left. But still, as nice as it was to have a clean house, it made me feel INCREDIBLY INADEQUATE. 


Solution: Continue as I had started before our holiday, turning off the computer more so I am not tempted to sit down and waste away my morning facebooking, blogging etc. Revise the routine now that I have new work hours and stick to the routine! Go out less.

My first attempt at a tutu, made for Miss A

Problem: My goal I had set at the start of this year to complete 2 of my crafty projects each month this year. So far I have completed 3 projects in total. So a bit of catching up to do there.


Solution: I am in the process of setting up "Crafty Corner" in the laundry corner of our shed. Hubby has his man cave in the garage also, so it will be a shared space. This is a space that is further away from Dex's bedroom and so will be easier for me to work on crafty stuff/blog stuff when he is in bed at night, rather than wasting hours just watching tv.


So that is my first 3 problems and their solutions. There are more, but this is already a long post so will leave it  for next time.

Chilly Sunday at McCafe

This afternoon Hubby and I decided to have a break from cleaning out the house and take Dex to McCafe. We ordered our $6 Combos - Trim hot choc and a berry cheesecake for me, a Cappucino and Cheese cake for hubby, and ordered a mini muffin and a fluffy for D. The fluffy was only 50c so we were expecting something tiny and ridiculous. Well, in the picture below, the fluffy is the bottom drink. It was the same size as our drinks!! Crazy. So all up, everything we bought cost just over $13. Stoked.

Then we took him out to the playground, and timed it just right, there was no one else out there, so he got to play in the big kids part, not just the toddler area! He loved it. We were expecting him to have a big sleep when we got home, but alas, no, he hasn't slept a wink. **sigh** at least he had fun though.