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.

Busy Multi-Tasking Mummy

Dex meeting his "cousin" Anna for the first time.

So I just realised it has been over a week since I last posted! And that post was a blah post too. Oops. Sorry bloggy friends. I will try harder.

So what have I been doing?

Well, I have been busy over at The Mummy Diaries, we had our first giveaways, one for the blog and one for the Facebook Page. The birth stories keep rolling in too, which is great, please feel free to send yours in, with pictures if you like. Email them to us here.

Trying to do "surprised" faces. I don't think Dex got it.

On Friday last week, I set up a new blog page called www.nzwahmshowcase.blogspot.com. The idea of it is to give free advertising to Work at home parents. It was initially WAHMs but I decided that was a little sexist of me and so changed it. Of course I will support WAHDs as well! So anyway, the idea is that as WAHPs can join up and as they post new articles to their blogs advertising their products/services, I will have them added to mine, to increase the traffic to their pages, and hopefully increase their business. At some stage I would like to have paid advertising on there also, but for now, the site is totally free and I am doing it from the goodness of my heart :) Cos I'm nice like that. So if you want to be on board, please email me. There is only 4 followers so far, but I hope that as it builds up a little, there will be more people wanting to advertise their products/services and more people to read about them!

There is also a permanent page which will eventually have a proper built up directory that you can go to to find particular services in your area, as there are more people to put in it!

No, he didn't drink the bourbon (so daddy tells me)

Moving on!

I made my first tutu! Not too bad for a first attempt I think. I have another under way now. This one is for a 9 year old, and the new one I'm making is bright blue and is for a 6 month old. As you can see I changed the ribbon, the pic with 2 ribbons is what it looks like now.

I have been working, walking and weight watching. 300g down last week, which is better than gaining weight, which I was doing for the few weeks before this one.

Besides that, I have been trying to spend lots of quality time with my 2 favourite boys.

So that's me! The last 9 days of my life. Now I have to go feed the cat before she...
A. Wakes up Dex with her constant meowing.
B. Drives me to insanity with her door scratching.

And then it is bed time. Night Night all!

Sunday Blues

So I just had a few pics of me posted on Facebook, and I have to say they are TERRIBLE! Not that the person taking the pics did a bad job, but I look bloody awful. Puffy, fat, regrowth, double chins. Not good.

That said, this is what I had for dessert last night... (only one of the bowls) Choc Icecream, Choc mousse and choc chips. We felt like chocolate.

So I guess back into stepping up the exercise, being good with my eating again and back on the de-frumpyfying mission, cos I was not happy seeing those pictures!!

On a happier note, I had a pretty good weekend. A friends little boys 1st Birthday party yesterday, here's his birthday cake...

Had a friend over for dinner, dessert, pina coladas and to watch Burlesque. A great movie, but then I love movies like that, with awesome dancing and singing. 

Had my first flea market stall this morning. I only made $28 profit, hubby made $75. Not bad for someone who only decided at the last minute that he wanted to join in. Here's all the stuff I was selling....

I'm going to the Papamoa market next weekend. I am going to try and knock out a couple of tutus and see if there is any interest. Must finish the other ones I'm making for friends first though!.

So that's my weekend. Lots of fun was had, back to being good again tomorrow though.

Nikki xx

I'm baaa-acck!

Hi Bloggy World.

It's been awhile. I have been so super busy and also feeling like complete crap lately I haven't bothered to write much as it would have been boring and woe-is-me.

But here I am! And I have been doing a bit of shopping lately and thought I might share with you my purchases.

First up - Friday's attempt. A new (very girly) scarf, from Pagani. New boots from Hannahs. (Courtesy of my mummys wallet), and a stack of fabric from my secret fabric buying place. All that fabric cost me $2.70!!

Saturday - I didn't get pictures of them, but I got Dex 2 pairs of pants and a pair of shoes from Zero-Five at the Mount, for $11 all up.

Sunday - Went to the Papamoa Flea Market and got all these succulents for $10. I have given up on flowering plants in my front garden as it is too dry and sunny. Also on Sunday we picked up our new hiking carry pack. We have another one to pick up in Auckland, but hubbs decided to bid on a few to ensure he won one. (He won 3). Anyway, Dex loves it!

Today (Monday) - Went to the Waipuna Hospice Shop and got all of these toys for $3 and then Dex's first ever pair of gumboots from the Warehouse, normally $22.95, but got them for $3.97. Buzz Lightyear and all!

So yeah. A bit of shopping has been done by moi. But it was all cheap shopping so I'm ok with it!

Nikki xx