It's been one of those days...

I'm loving it. The sun,

I'm loving it. The sun, the casual days, the wandering over to the neighbours for a quick drink and wandering home as it falls dark about 9pm. The sleeping in until 8am because we were all awake til 10 or 11 the night before. Even the kids.

I'm not loving the fact that my inbox is totally neglected. I'll get to it - I promise. I'm not loving the fact that Christmas food was designed before calories were invented and so it all is the most sinful food out there. But that doesn't stop me. I'm not loving that the work is piling up but the thing I'm not loving the most?

The broken collarbone on the eve of braden's birthday - a trip to the wave pools planned for his big day. X-rays at 8pm and trying to keep a 'slink' on a 3 year old while trying to keep her off the trampoline and out of the wave pools. Those are the biggest challenges this summer so far.

Who knew little bones broke so easily. The story behind the collar bone breaking wuld go well on an episode of "When good piggybacks go bad". Funny thing - when we went into the A&E and I suggested she might need an x-ray (one look at the fact that one of Abby's shoulder was hanging way lower than the other and that it hurt really bad ..they sent her straight through...) they assumed that it was a trampoline injury!
"no" - I said - "Piggy back incident".
"oh.. that makes a change!". She said.

So it's a quick drive-by post this evening. No scrapping pics to share. Hopefully after tommorrow. I have around 20 people here tomorrow for the annual Howard scrapfest... About 12 ladies and 7 guys.. we are sending the guys off to the local shooting range to get rid of a bit of testosterone before they come back and cook us dinner. Perfect.

Laters

We had a rough night

We had a rough night on Thursday night. Like a responsible homeowner and mother I have probably twice the smoke alarms I probably need in this house, which is good. Except when the batteries start to go flat. Why does this always happen at night?

I was fast asleep when I heard the first 'chirps' of a failing smoke alarm battery. I was dreaming crazy dreams - you know how the dream always incorporates the crazy sound somehow - but finally I woke and realised what it was.

So I do the half-alseep-trying-to-find-the-smoke-alarm-that-is-chirping thing. I cross fingers it is not in one of the kids rooms. I don't want to wake them trying to get the battery out. I tip toe around, staying motionless everynow and again waiting for the next random 'chirp!" that it sends out. Eventually I find it. I still half asleep, balance on a chair, take the alarm down, take the battery out and creep back to bed. Crawl in, glance at the clock, it's only taken me 30 minutes to find the freakin thing, and close my eyes ready to drift back off to sleep.

Chirp.

You are freakin jokin. I'll cut the long story short by saying that apart from freaking myself out standing in the dark, on a chair with the moonlight streaming in on the scary looking Santa thing that I was sure was going to turn it's music on really loud and it's head would start spinning physco style while I desperatly tried to get the alarm down off the ceiling, it all went well. 1 hour and 15 minutes after the chirping first woke me, I crawled back into bed.

It seems that once one of them starts to warn the low battery thing, they all follow suit pretty soon after. Only a crazy woman would have gone to bed the next night without replacing all the batteries in all the smoke alarms. But guess what I did. I had a rough night last night too. Luckily last night I didn't have to go into the room with the scary Santa thing though. I swear he looks so friendly during the day. At night. Scary.

lesson learnt.

Anyway - I love that so many people put up their hands and said they'd love to have a copy of my book!!! I have a copy here all ready and here are some pics of the way I picked the winner. Yep I printed out all the comments - here is Braden jumbling them up, and then holding a winner, which he picked by closing his eyes and rumaging through.

So the winner is Alison Molumby - I have emailed Alison and YAY!! I'll be sending it off soon!

Oh - as a note. (And I'm only mentioning because I was asked in the comments several times). If you are in Australia, you can order the book at Scrapboxx and you can join in on the challenges they run in the forum based around my book.
In New Zealand you can buy it at Kiwiscraps or Scrapbook Outlet .
If you are anywhere else, it sells at Amazon it runs for about $13.00 USD on there so is super mega cheap.

Thanks for entering everyone - this girl is off for a nana nap.
laters.

Local honey - that seems

Local honey - that seems to be the consensus on the Hay Fever thing. Although there are many many remedies there that I will continue to refer to, and if you suffer hay fever and want to know some natural remedies, check out the comments to my last post. Thanks ladies! Ironically it has calmed down over the last few days. Fingers crossed it stays away. And ain't that Murphy's Law?

We have a winner for the rub-ons, I randomly chose 'Siobhan' 10.09am and I have no way of getting hold of her - hopefully someone will direct her this way :o) I'll pop this lot of rubons in the post ASAP if youi can email me your address! (Email link in my profile).

So. I have a book to giveaway.

'That's Life' has been a huge part of this year for me, from the release mid-year, to the classes I taught at Crafting Connection, to the upcoming classes I will be teaching on Big Picture Scrapbooking in the new year, 'That's Life' has been integral to it all. So I'm givin that sucker away. lol.
So here is a copy. Ideally I'll be able to give this away to someone in time for Christmas but seeing how I want this to be open to everyone the world over and seeing how the guy in the big red suit comes in 6 sleeps, this may not be possible :o) Miracles happen at Christmastime but I don't think NZ post believes in them so we will call this a new years pressie.

So, leave me a comment and in a few days I'll randomly pick one and send this book off. If you already have a copy, leave your name anyway, I'll send it to a friend as a gift. With a happy New Year's message in it. Or something.
It'd be awesome if you spread the word too - shamelessly admitting it's a great chance to promote the book.

2 days left of school. I can't wait. I will therefore not be responsible after tomorrow for getting anyone anywhere on time with togs and towel washed and dried, lunches made, drinks prepared and frozen from the night before, homework done and clothes not on backwards. Thankyou to the God of School Holidays for blessing us with 8 weeks holidays. Yes. I'm serious.
One son sent off with teacher gifts yesterday and one son being sent off with a prized Venus Flytrap plant for his teacher today, I'll make sausage rolls and deliver them hot for shared lunch later and apart from making sure they get home today and back to school tomorrow. I. am. done. hello summer.

Just a quick layout share today. This one was in SM, it was a product challenge so I was only allowed to use this product, although I did sneak in the blue cardstock as everything else was 7 gypsies Black & White?! Journaling says how much Abby missed her Nannie and Grumpr when they were away in July. She used to "Ring Canada" and ask for them to be sent home now. lol.
I have this in my 2peas gallery also if you'd like a closer look.

laters

Hayfaver. Enough already. Antihistimines make

Hayfaver. Enough already. Antihistimines make me doo-lally. Hayfever makes me grumpy. I have the Christmas spirit to get into but hayfever is hindering that somewhat. Although hubby tells me that if I drank the Christmas spirit I might forget the hayfever. So thoughtful. And so wise. And so happy. Because he went fishing twice at the weekend. He asked me to post this photo for Vaughan to see. Reason #254 that you should come home, Vaughan... (reason #1 being that we miss you and #2 being that the lollie jar is full of purple lollies).

The latest issue of Scrapbooking & Cards today is out, it's a Canadian mag and it's fabulous. I have an article inside this issue - simple, detailed expert - using the same pics in different 'levels' of scrapping (meaning time spent and product used etc!) using the same products. I used the BAsicGrey Figgy Pudding, which I love - but didn't use it in a Christmas sense.

Here is one of the pages from the mag - there are 2 more in the article, you can see it all online here They have the whole mag available online - how cool is that!, my pages are in the 2nd download.

Prima has a DT call I see - I'm loving their products lately, I especially love the Iron Orchid Designs stuff, Prima is essentially known for their flowers but they do wicked-cool paper, ribbons, rub-ons, stamps etc. Anyway, DT call - including internationals! That alone earns them a tonne of respect. Details here!

Ok down to the nitty gritty, I'm giving some stuff away with it being Christmas and all - so share the love by linking others to this giveaway post... I'll be giving away a copy of my book later in the week, but for now I have this small pile of rubons, they include some from 7gypsies, Rouge De Garance, Fancypants, Deja Views, some acrylic letters from heidi Grace and some imagination Project stuff. Leave me a comment - any old thing, any comments that have cures for hayfever that don't include antihistimine are favoured, lol.
Anyway. Say Hello. I'll pick a winner in a few days and send this stuff out.
One can never have too many rub-ons.

laters

An Ode to the Cranberry

Yes, this post is an ode to the cranberry, sales of dried cranberries must have tripled in Pukekohe. My family has never seen me in the kitchen so much as I find it neccessary to try all and each recipe that has been posted - "What's for dinner tonight Mum?!" "Oh - Julie's Apricot, White Chocolate & Cranberry Slice, and for breakfast we get to have Trace's Chrismtas Cranberry bars..." It was met with enthusasim for the first day, now... not so much. I'm kidding of course, but I have to say I have enjoyed printing out each recipe - thanks so much for those of you that posted recipes - they are printed out and just waiting ... there has been no Christmas shopping done, the ingredients for 'White Christmas' sit and stare at me longingly as I prepare the next cranberry recipe..

Here is the first one I tried, basically melted choc with thickened cream heated through, crushed arrowroot biscuits - note to self, get all air out of bag before crushing the biscuits under the car tyre, seemed so logical at the time - chopped apricots and cranberries. I'll be wearing trackpants and a large jersey yo Christmas day because that is all I'll fit. lol.

Clustermaps - fun to see where the people are logging in from, but perhaps embarrasing that Jacob knows where more of those dots are than me. What continent is what? Look of disgust from my hubby at my total geographical ditziness.
So I'll treat this as an educational aspect to the blog. If you don't know what I mean, scroll down to the bottom of the right sidebar to see the world map. So interesting. Vaughan I wanna see a dot from England.

Tarisota Gallery - the kit this month had a door hanger in it. We figured Santa didn't need a door hanger to tell him we want him to leave pressies, as if the big flour circle on the lawn with the carrots and can of Steinlager in the middle won't be a clue on Dec 24th so I decided to make a door hanger for Jacob. He already had a note on his door that said "Please do not disrupt, knock before entering" so I made him a hanger that said the same thing.

According to Trina we need to sign up for the SBO newsletter because something big is happening soon?

BIG news for some NZ ladies, joining the Fiskars team - the post is here on the Fiskars blog which has regular comps running all the time I found out. So anyhow, congrats to those NZ ladies!! It's incredibly cool that the market is there in NZ to have such a fab team of ladies out and about promoting Fiskars and Scrapbooking. THAT is very cool in itself!

Thanks for the congrats on Big Picture Scrapbooking - I'm excited and it's anothe example of scrapbooking in NEw Zealand growing, as we have a NZ retailer involved, which means it's being catered especially for US. Go us. It's a long stretch from 9 years ago when I started scrapbooking and would have climbed Mt Everest if there were Pooh Bear stickers at the top and they were Acid Free.

And now I have too much stuff. Apparently. Because over the next few days I'll be doing a post to give a few things away. Including a copy of my book which has been sent to me for promotion. Heck, I'll give that away too... Check back in the next few days for details.

laters

Addiction is a funny thing

Addiction is a funny thing - stay at home Mums being some of the worst candidates for alorts of addiction, mainly stemming from the pantry. I mean. It's right there. And so is boredom. Or in my case I'm too busy to be bored but it's good to procrastinate. When I can't figure something out on my layout I get up, walk to the pantry and stare longingly, which is silly because rice bubbles and pasta don't scrap and really can't give me the answers to where to put the cool felt embellishment or where to place the photos. So I sigh, grab something to eat and leave, disappointed in the pantry's unwillingness to give me the answers.

And yet I go back.

As a weight watchers lifetime member (yes I'm proud of that one!) you'd think I'd know better. But I have a neigbour that makes great toffee. And it's Christmas, right? And Paul told me this morning, noticing the sigh as I stood on the scales, "Don't you dare start counting points again before Christmas and our trip to the beach - It's the time to eat and be Merry!". Looking down at the scales apparently this is true.

Where was I going with this? Dried Cranberries. My latest addiction. The last one being salt and vinegar flavoured rice crackers. Dried Cranberries. Oh my gosh they are so yummy. So yummy in fact that if anyone has recipes for a loaf or muffins or anything else with these, I'd appreciate it. THAT is where I was trying to get to.

Crafting Connection has been over for a little under a month but I have news - the 3 classes featured at Crafting Connection , Conversations, Confessions and Constant Reminders will live on!!!! YESSS!!!
Watch for them, probably during January or February on Big Picture Scrapbooking, as I am one of BPS's newest instructors. If you haven't had a look at BPS yet, I urge you to go take a look. There are a whole tonne of resources there that I didn't know about until I registered and a lot of free stuff can be had :o) We like that. My classes will be held with easy access to supplies in NZ and Australia through Kiwiscraps, with Scrapbook.com being the link in the USA. BPS encourages you to use your stash though, so it'll work in all sorts of ways.
Keep an eye out for those classes and hopefully lots more in the future!

Also - those of you that saw me in Wellington or Sydney and saw the stamps I designed specifically for my classes, they are now for sale through Kiwiscraps.

Here is the set designed for conversations, but they can be used in alosrts of ways... those words can all be cut from the sheet seperately and used as subtitles etc, perhaps words in journaling or whatever. I love my set and use them for tonnes of things. Kiwiscraps has them for $18 NZD (for those in Aussie or USA, the conversion makes them way cheaper)

Then there is the set I designed for Confessions - again all those words can be cut apart and used as seperate stamps - I love the versatility of Acrylic stamps for this reason.the journaling block is the size of a shipping tag - like 12cm x 6 cm shipping tag, so perfect for hidden journaling.. These ones are $23.

Also Kiwiscraps have the Acrylic albums I used in Constant Reminders for sale. At $12 each they are a bargain.

Leaving you finally with an image from the Tarisota gallery which is amazing again this month, BTW, this is a few of the Christmas cards I made and sent out... I made 52 in all... which is crazy because I can barely find time to breathe and I have people screaming out for stuff for deadlines all over the place, but I made 52 Christmas cards. lol. Perhaps coming to a mailbox near you soon ;o)

Laters.

Growing up is a funny

Growing up is a funny old thing isn't it? We crashed a party last night - an old friend was having a birthday BBQ - so we heard, and we hadn't been to his place for a good 7-8 years. So we turned up. He was rapt, it was all very cool. We gave them heaps for not inviting us anyway and their answer? Well we stopped inviting you to stuff when you stopped turning up. Ahhh so true. It was about the same time we had babies. Or toddlers that quickly stopped the flow of conversation as we ran after them making sure they weren't touching something they shouldn't or weren't finding a hazard in a home not designed to house 2 year olds. It's just not the same when everybody is chatting and drinking in the sun on the deck and I spend my time following toddlers around the back yard. And so the socilising slowed or limited itself to kiddie safe zones. Finally though - finally. We went out last night and didn't have to worry about the kids so much. Even Abby. I think we have turned a corner. It was such a good feeling.

So that was one milestone and as I heard a little conversation between Brady and Paul today I realised there are many in our lives - the conversation...
Braden: "Dad, will you play in the sandpit with me"
Paul: "and um, how do I do that?"

Now I'm sure once upon a time Paul was a 7 year old boy and he spent hours in sandpits - he was bought up on a farm so no doubt there were dams to catch water and drains and fallen trees to climb and play... so when exactly was it that we forgot how? Kinda sad.
But still I'm revelling in the happiness of going out last night and not having to follow babies around :o) So it's OK.

Proud mother moment - Prizegiving on Wednesday night, here is Jacob with the 'Moorhouse Memorial Trophy for Speech'. LOVE IT! Jacob, with all the things that could possibly limit him, is such an articulate amazing kid. He speaks so well, in front of hundreds of students. When I was his age I could never speak publically. So here is a kid that faces way more challenges than I did when I was young and he can turn around and earn awards like this. Oh yea. I am a proud proud mother.

And I created this layout the very next day for Tarisota gallery - it's called super amazing boy. It's the kind of name he'd give himself if he were a superhero. And he is :o)

Ok - small details for something fairly exciting for me just being ironed out - excited to tell you about that in a few days.

Did you see the new leaf I turned over? No? It's the blog-more-often leaf - I really want to write more often - of course anyone that knows me in real life knows I like to talk lots about nothing, so I need the outlet. So look for me to update more often.

I want to remind you once more to really appreciate the holiday season and what you have around you. I'm not the soppiest sentimental kind of chick but I gotta get all soppy with this one. Shauna is doing it tough - thanks SO much to those of you that visit her blog and in turn send her messages of support or just a hello. It's so cool to get messages from NZ! It's like the hope goes right around the world - and I said I wasn't sentimental or soppy?! I'm still in shock that it's all happening. Having stayed in Shauna's home and spent time with her family and esp her kids, I know she is just like you and me...that's the part that really gets me. Again. Hug that family tight and enjoy the Christmas you are able to have. :o)

Laters.

It's a busy week -

It's a busy week - I love it. Each night this week is taken up with different things and it's all based around the kids. Prizegivings, Kindy fundraisers, the Santa Parade. LOVE this time of year. I've probably said it a thousand times. It just gets busier as we get closer to Christmas! I love Christmas!

We said goodbye to Evana today - man I so didn't want to let that gorgeous lady go back home - and I'm just realising right now that we didn't any pics together.
Not so clever.

So when Evana was here we went looking at puppies. I fell in love with them as they are the same breed as the dog I had as a child. Anyone that has read my book would remember the layout in there. I totally feel the need to relive my childhood through my own children and take this puppy home. lol. I even emailed Grumpr and ask if he would babysit my new baby sometime and sent him this pic. (great photo, E!)

His answer? "I don't think so, Mrs Howard".
You are SO no fun, Grumpr.
I'll work on it.

OK important news from Tarisota - Tamar rung me tonight. I think she rang some of the other NZ customers too but had to stop because of time differences, lol. Tamar has had issues with getting through to her xtra customers on and off for a few months now. And anyone on xtra can relate to that... I tell ya, if I hadn't had the same email address for 9 years I would have quit the service by now ... anyway, she wants xtra customers to know that she often doesn't get emails from xtra addresses and she finds that often emails she sends to xtra customers just don't get through. Tell me about it.
Another thing - if you are on xtra - check your spam bubble! Stooopid thing that none of us really need - apparantly a lot of mail is sitting in unchecked xtra bubbles!
And you can always email me if you are trying to get through to Tamar, I have set up anothe email address so I can talk to her - and bypass the xtra thing. I'll pass messages on.

Have I shared this layout? It was in For Keeps a month or so back. ONe of my fav layouts and there is that poncho again. Love this girl!! Prima, Queen & Co, Scenic Route.

The layout is here on 2peas if you want a closer look.

Thanks to everyone that contacted me over the news about Shauna. That woman is amazing. She underwent her first course of chemo today and I know she dreaded it so badly. This course is going to be so hard on her, so thanks so much for the thoughts and wishes that I received. Shauna has recently set up a blog, you can find it here.
Hugs those loved ones extra tight tonight.

laters.

One of those days -

One of those days - this time fairly good one, spent with fab friend Evana and I do have pics to share, but just not today, I'm racing to update before Ms Abby needs her bed.

Abby. Yes, remember I mentioned Abby in the last post as having to have been picked up from kindy crying. Because - in my own words - she is a manipulative toad. Said in the most loving way, of course but I am currently eating those words. I got 2 hours sleep last night and a visit to the doctors early this morning showed she has tonsilitis. In asking how long she may have had this illness, the answer? Ohhh it's well advanced - probably since Wed/Thursday... ooooh I am so now eating my words. Perhaps she just wanted Mummy when she was at kindy.
Sorry Abs!

OK so finally, 'That's Life' has been out for a little while now and I get a lot of feedback over it. A lot of people ask about Shauna, the gorgeous friend that the book is dedicated to, and whom there is a layout about on page 100 about. We just got word yesterday that Shauna's cancer has returned. She is starting a new regime of chemotherapy on Monday, and this time she will lose her hair, eyebrows, eyelashes etc within 14 days. Her local friends are holding a 'hat shower' for her on December 11th - if you are the kind of person that believes on asking the higher powers for help, we'd appreciate it for Shauna. If you are the kind of person that could find it within yourself to send messages of hope and encouragement via the mail, email me.

laters.

I think I need to

I think I need to re-name my blog "One of those days"... it seems to be what I talk about a lot as I blog, but then it's because I think perhaps people out there can relate. And perhaps tell me that the temporary insanity of a mother on the edge of scooping up all the lego and throwing it in the blacksak is normal. At least to a degree. And that it's Okay.

This week I went to a camp meeting. Jacob goes on camp on the 3rd day back at school after the summer break so we are doing all the camp stuff now. Exciting times. If we were to be sure he was going. You see my sweet, innocent, caring, loving boy has been to the deputy principals office twice this week. Ask me how many times I ever went to the principals office. It's ok you don't have to ask - the answer is none. NONE.

The first time he was being innocently annoying. It's Jaocb's current hobby and I let him away with that one. I happened to call in on Mrs Easter that day for another reason and she assured me it was a one-off. He was terrified, she didn't think he'd be back. I asked Jacob what it was like going to see Mrs Easter - he told me he cried. When I expressed my surprise he was quick to tell me that I would cry too, if I was ever sent there. I nodded in agreement with a concerned look on my face - just to further the mythology of the nasty deputy principal.

The second time was different. His teacher was late coming back from the staff room after morning tea and was met in the class by 12 boys rumbling at the doorway to the class. All 12 were sent to Mrs Easter. Jacob, knowing full well that not going to camp was the threat last time he was there, covered his face with both of his hands so Mrs Easter wouldn't recognise him. Oh yes. So clever. So clever.
All 12 boys subsequently wrote letters of apology and it was done with, but in talking to Mrs Easter, she admitted had trouble with the reprimanding. She said that Jacob kept his face covered with his hands the whole entire time, tears dripping out from under his wrists, and occasionally, just occasionally he would part his fingers just enough to peek through - catch Mrs Easters eye and shut them again quickly.
Apparantly the vision of Jacob doing this was enough for Mrs Easter to just about break out in laughter.
That would have totally busted apart the mythology of the nasty deputy principal.

My boy is amazing. He is a gifted kid in so many areas. Literally. It's a shame he seems to have been influenced by the chest beating and territory marking of the rougher boys in his class. Just excuse for a minute the fact that he was responsible for the 12 boy rumble according to his teacher... I know, he isn't all that innocent.

OK.
So this mother is having one of those weeks.

Anyway. There were some good times during the week. Like Abby starting Kindy on Monday. This pic is the compulsory-backpack-on-the-back-on-the-day-I-started-Kindy pic. I will do a better job of it in the next week or so. That thing she is doing with her hands is meant to be a mimic of the sign her older brother does with his hands. yea yea.

(And actually even that didn't go well, I got called in to pick her up on Thursday as she wouldn't stop crying. She had no reason apart from the fact that she is a manipulative little toad - ahhh well. She has her mother's determination).

Scrapping? Yes I scrapped this week. I played with the next Tarisotakit.

I got Memory Makers "Ask the Masters II" in the mail. I had a few pages in there, this is one of them, done in about March, obviously. I love doing this kind of page. Just listing random stuff the kids did. It's been pointed out to me that I won't be able to do this when they are teenagers. lol. (And for anyone that wans closer looks at my layouts, go to my 2peas gallery, most my layouts are there).

Talking of Memory makers - go to their blog for free digi kit...

Ok. long blog post again. I'm going to leave you with one of my favourite mothering tips. Just in the hopes that someone will give me some gems. LOL
This is something I have done for all my kids when they were little
Food colouring in the bath. It works a treat. It doesn't stain anything. Just a few drops. (Although in the pic below I think we were a bit heavy handed)

So the question is not "Will you please get in the bath?"
The question is "What colour bath do you want tonight?"
Abby's answer tonight?
Aqua blue.
I tried.

laters