Apr30

I’m A COOL Mum…Apparently!

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I’m A COOL Mum…Apparently!

Well, that’s according to two beauty bloggers I know. I have no idea what the definition of a “cool” mum really is to be perfectly honest and don’t get me wrong, I AM flattered! I know that I’m super strict when it comes to manners, chores and being responsible but I’m pretty relaxed when it comes to their studies and extra curricular activities. I put limits on certain things like playing on the Wii, going on the Internet and on their father’s old iPhone. So what makes a mum “cool”? I have no idea!

Is it because I let my girls play with my make-up (ok not really, just my nail polishes), or that I love going shopping with them? Ok, scrap that! I don’t really enjoy going shopping that much but when we go out on a “Girls Day Out”, I’m happy to say that we do have a blast, even if it’s just to window shop – yep, they know not to ask when I’ve said no. I listen to the songs they listen to, and we even watch certain shows together – Glee mainly. But still, what makes a “cool” mum? I would think that all I’ve been doing was pretty normal.

When I asked the girls if I was cool, their responses were, “Yes Mummy, you’re really cool…now can you take us to the One Direction concert?”  Thanks…that’s really reassuring! Mr. C laughed when I told him that I was termed a “cool” mum. Still, I have no idea what it is?!

Do YOU know what makes a mum “cool”?

Apr24

It’s When You Least Expect It

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It’s When You Least Expect It

Sometimes it takes a little tiny thing, something you wouldn’t have thought that would matter, that actually makes a difference to your day. And usually, it’s the things or people that you take for granted. What happened yesterday re-affirmed this and made me feel that little bit more appreciative of how that small gesture actually helped change situations.

Yesterday started off as a pretty ordinary day. Like any other Monday. There were a lot of things that happened, and emotionally, it rocked my world. Nothing major, just things like loyalty, friendship and trust. It made a downer of a day. To top it off, the weather in Melbourne started to turn – from a brilliantly sunny and beautiful weekend to a dreadful, wet, cold and dark day. Winter was definitely at our doorstep. While it was nice to get out of the house and go to work, get my mind off things, I knew that subconsciously the awful thoughts and feelings were still present. I was distracted. I definitely wasn’t in a positive mood.

3pm came and it was time to head out and pick the kids up from school. After the bell rang, and once I was greeted by my kids, there was the usual ramble of their day – yes, all 3 at the same time. All enthusiastic to share their stories. Once home I joined the kids for a scrumptious snack of nachos – something I haven’t done for a while – sitting and snacking with the kids after school. They shared their stories again, and I sat, listened and chatted with them. And you know what? It hit me. No matter what happens outside of the home, it shouldn’t matter, because this was what mattered. My kids. Such a cliché, I know. But it felt good. It felt amazing to just ignore whatever that was bothering me and just focus on the kids.  Focus on their day. Everything else just melted away. It’s lovely to have that unconditional love from people who don’t really care what you do because no matter what, you’re still their parent. And to them, that’s all that matters. As long as you’re there for them when they need you.

To them YOU’RE the superstar, YOU’RE their knight in shining armour – in my case the Queen of the House! It’s nice to feel loved. It’s nice to feel loved without trying too hard. So I thank my kids for having me and thank you for making me feel better when I’m down (ironically as I’m typing this, someone has just spilled something on the floor…I can hear it but I’m ignoring it). It’s such a blessing to have that kind of love and I do hope that I’m doing them justice with whatever it is that I do for them.

Apr20

Satisfying Woking Noodles at The Noodle Box

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Satisfying Woking Noodles at The Noodle Box

This was the first week back at school for the kids – I can’t say how glad I was that we’re back to some kind of routine. Although the last few days of the school holidays had bee strangely calm and fun, I can’t say the same for the first week. At Day 2 of the school holidays I was already about to throw in the towel and cry, knowing I had another week and a half of bickering, fights and whinging! So, on Day 3 of the first week of the school holidays I decided that we all needed to venture out of the house.

Thanks to the people at Noodle Box, I got some vouchers for the new kid’s meal so I thought we should go give that a try. The one in Chadstone was located on the outside area. It featured an open plan Asian style kitchen, with an Asian chef. The ingredients were right there for us to see the chef prepare the orders. So yes, they were freshly made.

There were three dishes to choose from the Kid’s Meal – Honey Soy Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork and Teriyaki Chicken and besides the box of juice or a small bottle of water, it also came with a pair of chopsticks and a Mr. Men topper. I think the kids were more rapt about the topper than the prospect of having a freshly prepared meal.

Miss 10 with her Mr. Bump chopsticks topper and chopsticks

Miss 10 with her Mr. Bump chopsticks topper and chopsticks

The meal came in a cute Mr. Men box and yes the kids absolutely loved their Honey Soy Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken. The portions were just enough for the kids and the regular sized adult noodle boxes might look small but they were big on taste and proportions! I asked Chris, from Noodle Box the idea behind the the kid’s meal and why the three dishes. According to Chris, they wanted something that will transcend generations, and with these three flavours, which are a lot easier for the kids to get a taste of Asian cuisine, something with not too much spice and relatively familiar. To them, Noodle Box is all about fun and so that is translated through the collaboration with the Mr. Men series. For those who are interested in getting extra chopsticks and toppers as gifts, you can get them separately for $3.95.

Especially for my readers, I’ve got a prize pack worth $63.55 from Noodle box and it the pack are:

  • 2 x Kids Meal Vouchers ($7.95 each)
  • 2 set of x  Mr. Men and Little Miss chopsticks and Toppers ($3.95 each)
  • 1 x Mr. Men LIttle Miss Doona Cover ($39.75)

To win this, simply leave a comment stating what flavours would you like to see Noodle Box create next for their Kids Meal. You can view their “adults” menu here. This closes on the 27th April 2012. Remember to also enter your details via the Raffelcopter box.

 

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Apr12

The “Scheduled” Chores – An Update

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The “Scheduled” Chores – An Update

Remember how I finally succumbed to some kind of “strict” schedule with my 3 kids with regards to household chores? Well if you’re wondering what I’m talking about, you can check it out here.

So, now we’re on week 3 of this idea and so far, here’s how it has been.

Week 1 – FANTASTIC, kids were into their chores, Master 6 loved being responsible and he even started to appreciate that it takes time to make sure shoes were put away properly and the floor swept clean of crumbs – their own crumbs. Miss 10 loved the fact that she got to sit next to both parents. That’s another rule the kids imposed on themselves – the person that sets the table gets to sit in between both parents. It also meant she learned to stop being so calculative when it comes to putting away the spreads or snacks that are on the kitchen benchtop. No more, “I didn’t eat that so I won’t put it away”, type of attitude. Basically, just put everything that’s there because it’s her turn. Miss 8′s job of unloading the dishwasher helped a lot on the days that I’m working. That’s one less chore for me to do when I get back from work, easing the way for other more important things.

Week 2- I purposely got Miss 10 to do the dishes this time. I knew it was the first week of the holidays, and so she can take her time when unloading the dishwasher – she’s not an early riser when it comes to school days. Miss 8 was in charge of the floor. She loathed that and even threw a tantrum when there were too many crumbs on the floor after everyone had eaten some French rolls for lunch. But, she still did it. Master 6 needed some guidance with cleaning the tables and benchtops. His clean isn’t necessarily very clean but still, better than nothing. But he improved by day 3, and even started getting serious about it. This is not to say that we nearly didn’t make it to week 2. Master 6 and Miss 10 tried to get out of their duties by trying to convince me that we should change the chores monthly instead of weekly. Smart – but no…didn’t happen.

Week 3 – So far so good. Master 6 is now in charge of the dishes. He LOVES unloading them – of which I have to help put them away because the cupboards are too high for him – and he loves putting in the dishwashing tablet and turning the thing on. It’s like a toy to him – for now. Miss 8 is going a bit overboard with cleaning the table – once over spraying the benchtops with the anti-bacterial spray. Miss 10 is finding that sweeping is no fun – not surprisingly. But, she’s still doing it.

School starts next week and Miss 8 will be in charge of the dishes again – thank goodness! Yes, that was planned of course. So here’s hoping that they keep at it and learn more about responsibilities…while making my life easier! ;)