Hello readers! Sorry I have been so busy I haven't been able to post for a while!! In the lead up to Christmas (can you believe it's only 6 weeks away???!!!) I have no doubt I will be even busier!! But as usual, I digress so I will get on with the topic :)
We've all heard the question " Are we there yet?"....
What do you think your kids would do if you suddenly pulled over in the middle of nowhere (or the middle of somewhere depending on where you are going!) and said "Right, this is where we are going - out you get!"...
A few weekends ago, I went on a mini road trip with one of my besties and our three kids (one was missing in action)...I'm pretty sure about twenty minutes in we got an "are we there yet" from the backseat, which was quickly followed by an "I'm hungry" (please feel free to read previous post discussing children and their never ending hunger)... It's not like we had been driving for days, and the trip only took a bit over an hour at the most!
The most amusing part of this whole mini road trip was the children inspecting each others armpits for hair!!! So funny, I nearly ran off the road laughing!!! These kids are 10, 10 & 8 and that's all they have to worry about! Just priceless :)
I remember when I was a kid, getting bundled into the car on the weekend and going for a "family drive". We would spend hours driving around other people's neighbourhoods checking out houses and gardens, and going to other suburbs and towns, stopping in at quirky roadside markets and little corner stores! Mind you back then when you went to the Service Station to fill up, you actually got "service" and petrol wasn't $50 a litre (ok slight exaggeration), and the other thing was we didn't seem to spend so much time in our cars...
I guess we take it for granted now and just drive everywhere and our lives are all so busy and our kids all seem to have the shortest attention spans in history......
Well I'm off soon on an interstate roadtrip with the same friend and the same kids and this time we will have NO car and have to get trains & buses everywhere! What an experience I'm sure that will turn out to be! Fingers crossed we all have a good time and don't get too many "are we there yet"s because, well let's face it, we won't know!!!
Until next time, beware of bears in cupboards xx
Thursday 17 November 2011
Friday 21 October 2011
Happiness Is.....
To me happiness is so many different things on so many different levels.
What's made me happy today? Well the list is quite long!!! Hugs from the Bear, smooches from our kitty cat, the sun shining on my washing, the smell of dinner cooking, the sounds of my friends laughing while I'm chatting with them on the phone.....
Lots of small, seemingly insignificant things that I think we all can take for granted.
There's so much in my life to be happy about, so I consider myself extremely fortunate :)
The best thing I have done to make someone else happy?? I paid for my mum to come with me and my daughter on a trip to Disneyland in California. My parents had been doing it tough for some time as their business had been affected by the floods, so this was something that I didn't think twice about, I just offered....
The look on the Bear's face when she found out back on Christmas Day that we were going to Disneyland was so incredible and made me so happy (and her) that we both cried!!
Let's see what else makes me happy?? Getting 50% off a designer handbag that I was admiring...Going back to the same store 2 weeks later and still getting the same discount on another handbag (naughty I know!!)...Getting $50 off my car service for being a new customer...Getting to see my brother awarded as Coach of the Year for basketball after his tireless efforts all season...
Helping out whenever I can at the Bear's school (also helps with the working mother guilt, but that's a whole other blog post!!)....
Watching the dolphins play in the ocean right in front of us....The fact that we live right at the beach and are so lucky that we can go pretty much all year round....Helping out my friends and family with whatever I can....The Bear's laugh from my tickles makes me happy......Reading a good book.....Having a hot bubble bath.....Enjoying a glass of wine at the end of the week....Cooking a meal (or just treats!) for my friends and family....Getting another Owl for my collection.....
There are so many things that make me happy - I would love to hear from you to find out what makes you happy!!! Feel free to comment and share your happy thoughts...
Until next time - Beware of Bears in Cupboards!! xx
What's made me happy today? Well the list is quite long!!! Hugs from the Bear, smooches from our kitty cat, the sun shining on my washing, the smell of dinner cooking, the sounds of my friends laughing while I'm chatting with them on the phone.....
Lots of small, seemingly insignificant things that I think we all can take for granted.
There's so much in my life to be happy about, so I consider myself extremely fortunate :)
The best thing I have done to make someone else happy?? I paid for my mum to come with me and my daughter on a trip to Disneyland in California. My parents had been doing it tough for some time as their business had been affected by the floods, so this was something that I didn't think twice about, I just offered....
The look on the Bear's face when she found out back on Christmas Day that we were going to Disneyland was so incredible and made me so happy (and her) that we both cried!!
Let's see what else makes me happy?? Getting 50% off a designer handbag that I was admiring...Going back to the same store 2 weeks later and still getting the same discount on another handbag (naughty I know!!)...Getting $50 off my car service for being a new customer...Getting to see my brother awarded as Coach of the Year for basketball after his tireless efforts all season...
Helping out whenever I can at the Bear's school (also helps with the working mother guilt, but that's a whole other blog post!!)....
Watching the dolphins play in the ocean right in front of us....The fact that we live right at the beach and are so lucky that we can go pretty much all year round....Helping out my friends and family with whatever I can....The Bear's laugh from my tickles makes me happy......Reading a good book.....Having a hot bubble bath.....Enjoying a glass of wine at the end of the week....Cooking a meal (or just treats!) for my friends and family....Getting another Owl for my collection.....
There are so many things that make me happy - I would love to hear from you to find out what makes you happy!!! Feel free to comment and share your happy thoughts...
Until next time - Beware of Bears in Cupboards!! xx
Tuesday 4 October 2011
The Power of Friends
I am lucky. Incredibly lucky. I have such a wonderful group of friends, who over the years have come into my life and I've been lucky enough to keep them - or them to keep me!! lol ;)
All of these friends are in their own ways very different people, but all love me for me (i think!), even though I am the first to admit that I must not always be an easy friend to have....
I have tried to pass this gift of friendship onto The Bear, and to show her that you don't have to try and be someone you are not to have your friends be true to you and accept you for who you are. I have also tried to explain to her that it's not always important to be the most popular or to have the most friends, but it is the ones that you do have who would do anything for you (and you for them) that you should really hold on to.
I have a lovely fridge magnet that says "I don't need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends I can be certain of"...This is so true....
My reason behind this particular blog is that a friend of mine recently lost someone they know to suicide. We got to discussing how we couldn't imagine being in that situation, which made me even more grateful for my friends.
Thankfully I have never been in a situation so bad or had a time in my life where I felt I had to end it all. I would also like to think that maybe, just maybe, I have been a good enough friend to have made someone perhaps rethink their situation and realise that even though they might think no-one cares or is there, that there definitely is....
I certainly didn't post this to be morbid or depressing either, in fact I posted this so that if any of us think any of our friends (or children even for that matter) are feeling like this, we can reach out to them and let them know someone, somewhere is watching over them...
Until next time - Beware of Bears in Cupboards
All of these friends are in their own ways very different people, but all love me for me (i think!), even though I am the first to admit that I must not always be an easy friend to have....
I have tried to pass this gift of friendship onto The Bear, and to show her that you don't have to try and be someone you are not to have your friends be true to you and accept you for who you are. I have also tried to explain to her that it's not always important to be the most popular or to have the most friends, but it is the ones that you do have who would do anything for you (and you for them) that you should really hold on to.
I have a lovely fridge magnet that says "I don't need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends I can be certain of"...This is so true....
My reason behind this particular blog is that a friend of mine recently lost someone they know to suicide. We got to discussing how we couldn't imagine being in that situation, which made me even more grateful for my friends.
Thankfully I have never been in a situation so bad or had a time in my life where I felt I had to end it all. I would also like to think that maybe, just maybe, I have been a good enough friend to have made someone perhaps rethink their situation and realise that even though they might think no-one cares or is there, that there definitely is....
I certainly didn't post this to be morbid or depressing either, in fact I posted this so that if any of us think any of our friends (or children even for that matter) are feeling like this, we can reach out to them and let them know someone, somewhere is watching over them...
Until next time - Beware of Bears in Cupboards
Wednesday 28 September 2011
The Things You See....
I'm fairly certain that some people live in houses with no mirrors....
You know the people I mean - we've all seen the "people of Wal-Mart" emails. But if you look around, you will find these Wal-Mart people everywhere!!
Take this afternoon for example - here I was just waiting at the traffic lights and across the crossing walks a teenage girl in shorts that I swear were 3 sizes too small...Not a good look with her belly squeezed together in the front (look like a butt in front above her shorts)..Then of course there was the muffin top. Well, there are just no words....
Now it might seem critical of me as I'm certainly no supermodel, nor do I consider myself uber glamorous.
I just don't think it's that hard to make an effort to put together a nice outfit to leave the house, especially if you are going to work, or going to spend hours at your local shopping centre.
Just to clear things up a little here.....
- SLIPPERS are not shoes that you wear to the supermarket people!! I'm not talking ugg boots, I'm talking hot pink granny slippers!
- IF your muffin tops are rolling over the top of your pants/shorts/skirts, they are TOO small!!! Not the muffin tops, I meant the pants!
- JUST because your friend (who is the size of a twelve year old) looks great in denim cut offs with a midriff top does not mean they will look good on you (please refer to notes above about muffin tops)
-Bras and knickers are called UNDERwear for a reason...They go UNDER your clothes!! Guys, same goes for you with your jocks hanging out of your pants.
- BELTS, crazy invention I know! Who would have thought that 38 inches of leather could actually hold up your pants!!
Someone told me recently that the "trend" of guys wearing their jocks above their jeans originated in prison..It means you are available to be someone's bitch!! So guys, unless that is you - pull your damn pants up!!
Anyway as I said, I am not the worlds biggest fashionista but I'm pretty sure it's not that hard to look in the mirror before you leave the house.
The great Coco Chanel once said "To make an outfit perfect, take one thing off before you leave the house". I'm pretty sure she didn't mean to go out looking like a sausage squeezed into shorts you have had since you were 10 with a bikini top and ugg boots, so you take the belt off that holds up your pants!
Until next time - Beware of Bears in Cupboards!!
You know the people I mean - we've all seen the "people of Wal-Mart" emails. But if you look around, you will find these Wal-Mart people everywhere!!
Take this afternoon for example - here I was just waiting at the traffic lights and across the crossing walks a teenage girl in shorts that I swear were 3 sizes too small...Not a good look with her belly squeezed together in the front (look like a butt in front above her shorts)..Then of course there was the muffin top. Well, there are just no words....
Now it might seem critical of me as I'm certainly no supermodel, nor do I consider myself uber glamorous.
I just don't think it's that hard to make an effort to put together a nice outfit to leave the house, especially if you are going to work, or going to spend hours at your local shopping centre.
Just to clear things up a little here.....
- SLIPPERS are not shoes that you wear to the supermarket people!! I'm not talking ugg boots, I'm talking hot pink granny slippers!
- IF your muffin tops are rolling over the top of your pants/shorts/skirts, they are TOO small!!! Not the muffin tops, I meant the pants!
- JUST because your friend (who is the size of a twelve year old) looks great in denim cut offs with a midriff top does not mean they will look good on you (please refer to notes above about muffin tops)
-Bras and knickers are called UNDERwear for a reason...They go UNDER your clothes!! Guys, same goes for you with your jocks hanging out of your pants.
- BELTS, crazy invention I know! Who would have thought that 38 inches of leather could actually hold up your pants!!
Someone told me recently that the "trend" of guys wearing their jocks above their jeans originated in prison..It means you are available to be someone's bitch!! So guys, unless that is you - pull your damn pants up!!
Anyway as I said, I am not the worlds biggest fashionista but I'm pretty sure it's not that hard to look in the mirror before you leave the house.
The great Coco Chanel once said "To make an outfit perfect, take one thing off before you leave the house". I'm pretty sure she didn't mean to go out looking like a sausage squeezed into shorts you have had since you were 10 with a bikini top and ugg boots, so you take the belt off that holds up your pants!
Until next time - Beware of Bears in Cupboards!!
Tuesday 27 September 2011
Book, Books & More Books
Is reading a novel becoming a thing of the past??
I certainly hope not! There is something to be said for being able to escape into an almost alternate universe.
The Bear loves the library. She loves that it's so quiet (for those of you that know her, I know that this will come as a HUGE surprise!). She loves the library trolleys where she can pile all her books up and proudly push them around...She loves being able to check out the books that she has chosen against her very own library card (just like my mum)...Oh the library card! Remember those paper ones from the good old days that had the date stamps on them? And your own card that had your books on them that you had borrowed??
Anyway, I digress!
I love to read - in fact all of my friends are avid readers. We all like different styles and authors but all of us without a doubt, like the fact that we can escape to somewhere other than our own reality, even if it's only for a few pages....
I've read countless books over the years and enjoyed them all immensely. Some of these I have even managed to..mmm what's the word? inflict? instill? share? with The Bear.
Who didn't enjoy Nancy Drew or Trixie Beldon mysteries? Or the very marvellous Ms Agatha Christie?
What about Sweet Valley High? Oh and lets not forget the classic series "Flowers In the Attic"..
The latest craze of course would have been the Harry Potter books, so incredibly creative, vividly descriptive and makes you so wish you could have gone to a school like Hogwarts!
Then of course there are those great Horror Stories - Stephen King (who could forget "IT") and Dean Koontz, so many to choose from!
Then along came Twilight. Now I will admit, I've never been a fan of vampire stories, but my friend "V" swore I would love these books, so I reluctantly agreed to read the first one, and found that I couldn't put it down. What an incredible love story these turned out to be!
My latest favourite author is Nora Roberts, writing as JD Robb. What a talent! She has created this powerful woman and created a whole series of books around her character (Eve Dallas). Definately worth a look if you can get them.
I'm lucky enough that another of my friends, "L" , has almost the full series of these, which I have now been able to read from the beginning.
At then end of the day, reading is relaxing and I certainly hope that books and libraries for that matter, don't disappear in this age of technology.
Let me know about your favourite books, whether current or some that you may have read and just loved!
Until next time, take care and beware of Bears In Cupboards (especially in the library or you are likely to get shushed!) xx
I certainly hope not! There is something to be said for being able to escape into an almost alternate universe.
The Bear loves the library. She loves that it's so quiet (for those of you that know her, I know that this will come as a HUGE surprise!). She loves the library trolleys where she can pile all her books up and proudly push them around...She loves being able to check out the books that she has chosen against her very own library card (just like my mum)...Oh the library card! Remember those paper ones from the good old days that had the date stamps on them? And your own card that had your books on them that you had borrowed??
Anyway, I digress!
I love to read - in fact all of my friends are avid readers. We all like different styles and authors but all of us without a doubt, like the fact that we can escape to somewhere other than our own reality, even if it's only for a few pages....
I've read countless books over the years and enjoyed them all immensely. Some of these I have even managed to..mmm what's the word? inflict? instill? share? with The Bear.
Who didn't enjoy Nancy Drew or Trixie Beldon mysteries? Or the very marvellous Ms Agatha Christie?
What about Sweet Valley High? Oh and lets not forget the classic series "Flowers In the Attic"..
The latest craze of course would have been the Harry Potter books, so incredibly creative, vividly descriptive and makes you so wish you could have gone to a school like Hogwarts!
Then of course there are those great Horror Stories - Stephen King (who could forget "IT") and Dean Koontz, so many to choose from!
Then along came Twilight. Now I will admit, I've never been a fan of vampire stories, but my friend "V" swore I would love these books, so I reluctantly agreed to read the first one, and found that I couldn't put it down. What an incredible love story these turned out to be!
My latest favourite author is Nora Roberts, writing as JD Robb. What a talent! She has created this powerful woman and created a whole series of books around her character (Eve Dallas). Definately worth a look if you can get them.
I'm lucky enough that another of my friends, "L" , has almost the full series of these, which I have now been able to read from the beginning.
At then end of the day, reading is relaxing and I certainly hope that books and libraries for that matter, don't disappear in this age of technology.
Let me know about your favourite books, whether current or some that you may have read and just loved!
Until next time, take care and beware of Bears In Cupboards (especially in the library or you are likely to get shushed!) xx
Saturday 24 September 2011
Addictions and Obsessions
Have you ever noticed how suddenly you seem to have a large collection of something, and it's just kind of crept up on you??
I'm not sure exactly whether to call this kind of thing an addiction or an obsession! Both words have such negative conotations, but I'm leaning more towards obsession and it sounds just a little bit more like you might have some control over it!!
My lastest obsession is Owls. Now I have always loved birds and trees, and my decor in my house clearly reflects that, but owls now seem to have a large part of that space!
I think I can relate to Nina from the TV series Offspring....Not only is she slightly erractic and have a hopeless lovelife (yes I could be talking about me here too) she too has a passion for these wide eyed little birds.
I have met a wonderfully talented lady who runs her own business called Sisterhood Sewing (check her out on FB). She has very cleverly designed and hand sews these gorgeous owls, which are now threatening to take over my house (see pics) .....
My daughter - the Bear - has an addiction of her own - Smiggle! For those of you without a "tweenager", Smiggle is the must have stationary for any fashionable young person. Just think bright colours, interesting textures and shapes, animal rubbers (and yes they do smell good) - the list is endless.. And of course there is always "new" stuff out every week, which she simply has to have because "everyone else at school has one"!!
Seriously I think we have spent enough in our local store that I deserve shares in the company!!!
I am not afraid to admit that there are times when you just can't help but get more of the stuff you love (can't you hear yourself saying "I'll just get this to go with that") and before long the obsession/addiction has spiralled almost out of control!
Who doesn't have a cupboard full of Tupperware that they just had to have? Or a pantry full of spices because you got inspired by Masterchef? Or a wardrobe full of platform heels because they are so gorgeous to walk past but impossible to walk in??
What's your addiction/obsession? Let me know! Until next time - beware of Bears in Cupboards!! xx
I'm not sure exactly whether to call this kind of thing an addiction or an obsession! Both words have such negative conotations, but I'm leaning more towards obsession and it sounds just a little bit more like you might have some control over it!!
My lastest obsession is Owls. Now I have always loved birds and trees, and my decor in my house clearly reflects that, but owls now seem to have a large part of that space!
I think I can relate to Nina from the TV series Offspring....Not only is she slightly erractic and have a hopeless lovelife (yes I could be talking about me here too) she too has a passion for these wide eyed little birds.
I have met a wonderfully talented lady who runs her own business called Sisterhood Sewing (check her out on FB). She has very cleverly designed and hand sews these gorgeous owls, which are now threatening to take over my house (see pics) .....
 |
| Just one of my family :) |
Seriously I think we have spent enough in our local store that I deserve shares in the company!!!
I am not afraid to admit that there are times when you just can't help but get more of the stuff you love (can't you hear yourself saying "I'll just get this to go with that") and before long the obsession/addiction has spiralled almost out of control!
Who doesn't have a cupboard full of Tupperware that they just had to have? Or a pantry full of spices because you got inspired by Masterchef? Or a wardrobe full of platform heels because they are so gorgeous to walk past but impossible to walk in??
What's your addiction/obsession? Let me know! Until next time - beware of Bears in Cupboards!! xx
Kids and Never Ending Hunger
Have you ever noticed how HUNGRY kids are all the time??? I don't mean a little bit hungry, I mean "staaaaarrrving"....Take today for example.....
The Bear and I went and did groceries this morning, and she even picked all the items that she wanted to put in the "snack box" in the pantry, and yet all afternoon all I've heard is "Mum I'm sooooooo hungry". So of course my answer is "go outside and play" or "get a glass of water", or my all time favourite "Well eat a piece of fruit".
Which is never what they want to hear and never what they want to have, which then brings along the other classic line "well you're not really hungry then are you??"...I swear, I'm turning into my mother!!! But in all fairness, I'm pretty sure I never ate during the day when I was a kid, especially on weekends and holidays because we were too busy playing outside or at the beach, or over at so and so's house or dressing up the dog!!! I definately think that kids are too reliant on technology (says mum sitting at the computer typing a blog....mmmm ironic!!??)
Anyway that's my little rant for the afternoon, until next time - beware of Bears in Cupboards (especially if you are trying to sneak something to eat behind the little monster's back!!! lol)
The Bear and I went and did groceries this morning, and she even picked all the items that she wanted to put in the "snack box" in the pantry, and yet all afternoon all I've heard is "Mum I'm sooooooo hungry". So of course my answer is "go outside and play" or "get a glass of water", or my all time favourite "Well eat a piece of fruit".
Which is never what they want to hear and never what they want to have, which then brings along the other classic line "well you're not really hungry then are you??"...I swear, I'm turning into my mother!!! But in all fairness, I'm pretty sure I never ate during the day when I was a kid, especially on weekends and holidays because we were too busy playing outside or at the beach, or over at so and so's house or dressing up the dog!!! I definately think that kids are too reliant on technology (says mum sitting at the computer typing a blog....mmmm ironic!!??)
Anyway that's my little rant for the afternoon, until next time - beware of Bears in Cupboards (especially if you are trying to sneak something to eat behind the little monster's back!!! lol)
An Introduction
Well here I am, on a sunny if somewhat windy Sunday afternoon, writing my very first blog.....I thought I would have a go at doing my own blog, instead of just reading them, so I hope you will join me!
I figured I should give this a try, as I always seem to have so many words, thoughts and ideas going on, that just maybe this might give those words, thoughts and ideas some sort of direction...It's really just an outlet for me to vent my crazy thoughts, and hopefully make people laugh along the way...
So how did I decide on the name for my blog?
Well it's kind of funny (to me anyway)..You see my darling daughter has always been know at "the bear" since she was born...Nothing funny so far right? Well, the bear has quite a wicked sense of humour for a child and takes to hiding in my pantry so that when I open the door, I get the surprise of having a "bear in my cupboard". She loves nothing more than freaking me out, which is the funny part.
Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and say that I will be talking (or rather writing) about a lot of different subjects, whatever happens to take my fancy for the day - books, food, cooking, friends, kids and life in general...
Hopefully you will follow me on this adventure and if I can make at least one person smile, or laugh out loud or look at things differently, or read a new book, or try a new recipe, then I will have achieved what I have set out to do....
Till the next time you join me on my journey of craziness - beware of Bears In Cupboards!!!
I figured I should give this a try, as I always seem to have so many words, thoughts and ideas going on, that just maybe this might give those words, thoughts and ideas some sort of direction...It's really just an outlet for me to vent my crazy thoughts, and hopefully make people laugh along the way...
So how did I decide on the name for my blog?
Well it's kind of funny (to me anyway)..You see my darling daughter has always been know at "the bear" since she was born...Nothing funny so far right? Well, the bear has quite a wicked sense of humour for a child and takes to hiding in my pantry so that when I open the door, I get the surprise of having a "bear in my cupboard". She loves nothing more than freaking me out, which is the funny part.
Anyway, just wanted to introduce myself and say that I will be talking (or rather writing) about a lot of different subjects, whatever happens to take my fancy for the day - books, food, cooking, friends, kids and life in general...
Hopefully you will follow me on this adventure and if I can make at least one person smile, or laugh out loud or look at things differently, or read a new book, or try a new recipe, then I will have achieved what I have set out to do....
Till the next time you join me on my journey of craziness - beware of Bears In Cupboards!!!
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