Change of Heart....

Do you know that feeling when you find out you are pregnant with your next baby before the memories of the last long and arduous labour have faded?

Well that was how I felt this week when I saw the recent television advertisement for the newest lot of stickers to collect at Woolworths. Instantly the memories of the still too recent animal card collection came back...and I was too strongly reminded of the whole ordeal...trying to collect the whole series, the pain of trying to find an album, oh and not to mention the 'f bomb' hiding in the find a word too....it was still all too fresh in my memory so I tuned out to the television commercial adamant that I was not interested.

The next day I find myself at Woolworths and when I was lined up at the checkout I caught a glimpse of the Jamie's Garden albums....oh my gosh I had to have it...well 2 in fact!  This is a quality book, hard covered and spiral bound...I loved it!  So there and then I had a change of heart...!!

Inside it is full of vibrant images...each page just grabs you!  There are details on how to grow your own herbs, fun facts about veggies, great recipes with easy to follow instructions, there are even games to play.  There is so much information I was amazed.  

And I love the fact that everything has been well thought out...for example if you cut out the cards to play the memory game the back of the page has been left free of information so you don't lose any great content!

The stickers come with a number printed on then which corresponds with where to stick them in your book.  Miss 5 has loved doing this on her own and it is simple enough for her to do it easily.  Her favourite so far is the scratch and sniff pineapple sticker!

I honestly love the whole concept and the product. Miss 5 has even taken this as her news today!  And I have sent messages to everyone I know whose children are either too old or too young for this collection and have asked them to collect stickers for us!

Miss 5 is not a good eater and hasn't been for the past 2 years or so, so I am hoping that a little something might rub off on her from being part of this fun and informative collection.

If you haven't got yours yet be sure to check it out when you are at Woolworths next (which is probably almost daily if you are anything like me!!).  By the way this is in no way a sponsored post...it's just ramblings from a crazy mum who loves the Jamie's garden collection and had to share !!!

Hope you like it too !

Are You Being Served??!!

Yesterday I experienced two very different extremes of customer service.

Here's a little background information on the first story...

Last week I went to our local Hot Dollar variety store to purchase a few extra gifts for our school Mother's Day stall.  This store would have to be one of my favourites as it always seems that when I have looked all over for something I go there and they have it (you think I'd figure out to go there first wouldn't you !!)  So I spent up big buying multiples of various items for the stall.  I was in a rush, as usual, so when I saw a cute little melamine tray for $2.50 I just picked up the whole bunch of them together and added them to my shopping.

Well when I arrived at the school for Mother's Day wrapping I realized that one of the trays was broken...which then led me to take a closer look at the remaining trays and I saw that a dozen of them had a tiny crack near the handle....in fact you would never have seen it if you weren't specifically looking for it.

So yesterday I went with my receipt in hand to return the damaged trays....only to be met with the barrage of abuse from the shopkeeper...okay so most of the conversation was to her son in another language but seriously the tone and volume she used indicated that she was none too happy with my suggestion that the items were damaged when I bought them.  Seriously I would not waste my time returning a dozen trays for the sheer fun of it.  I tried to reason with her and her son as you could only see the crack if you were really analysing the trays.  Whilst I'm pretty sure that her son believed my side of the story there was no way that the lady was having it and she simply concluded the shopping experience by loudly accusing me of dropping the trays on the ground and trying to bring them back for a refund.

I have been shopping there for years, I have purchased in bulk for the past few Mother's Day and Father's Day stalls, birthday parties and the like but I will not be returning to that store again....yep that is my teeny tiny personal protest!!

So much for the customer always being right!!  I can appreciate that people would possibly try to return things that we broken after purchase etc.. but it is up to the shopkeeper to use their discretion...and at least be civil.

So then came shopping experience number two...

At about 3.40 pm Miss 16 informed me that she needed one more board game to finish her Design and Tech project that is due this week...and she needed it...well basically now!  

We had purchased the other board games from Salvo's so I said I'd try to get to the local one as soon as I had dropped Miss 5 off to dancing at 4.00 pm.  

I dropped Miss 5 off to dancing, got caught up with her needing to go to the toilet, then with her not wanting to do dancing today...thankfully the teacher prised her off my leg and I made my escape!

Rushing back to the car I called the closest Salvo's store to ask if they had a lot of board games at the moment...she informed me that they did but that they closed in 20 minutes so I'd have to be quick.

I was there within a few minutes, quickly made my way to the back of the store where there was a range of board games but not the kind that we needed...we need the type of board that when you put two together you will end up with a cube....if that makes sense!

I rushed back to the car, called the next closest Salvo's, which just so happened to be the one where we purchased some of the games previously, so I was kicking myself a little for not just going straight there!  They informed me that they too closed at 4.20pm.  Now I was at least a good 10 minutes drive away and that would be if the traffic lights were all kind to me!  

I started driving in the direction of the store but hit traffic straight away.  I thought about turning around and hoping that Kmart or Target had board games on special this week!  At that point I realized I had left my purse at home....a quick look in the centre console found a $5 note and I figured I might be able to find a few gold coins if I was lucky so I kept on in the direction of the Salvo's store like a woman on a mission!

At the first chance I pulled over and called the Salvo's store again to tell them that I desperately needed to get there to buy a board game....to which they replied that they were closing in 10 minutes.  I told them I was on my way, probably 10-15 minutes away so would there be any chance they could wait til say 4.25 pm?  They guy replied that they'd be counting the cash so if I was quick enough that should be okay.

Well every red light later...and the fact that they are located on the other side of the road to the way I was travelling which required driving past to the next set of lights and turning around...I pulled up in their car park at 4.24 pm and could see the lights just being turned off...I ran...yes I actually ran...to the door, thanked them a thousand times, ran to the back of the store, grabbed a box of Trivial Pursuit, checked that the board was in good enough condition and then made my way to the counter.

At this point I remember that I only had my $5 note and one gold coin that I'd found under the car seat.  Seriously I sounded like a crazy lady going on about needing a board game, leaving my purse at home, finding some change in the car...blah blah blah!!  

The gentleman gathered up my money and said that for today that could be the price of a board game...aah the relief!!!

Oh my gosh, I was so thankful for the Salvo's store just waiting those extra few minutes!!


So there you have my two opposing experiences of customer service in the same day. Now to find myself another variety store to frequent!!!!!

eBay Collections....totally loving it!

A few weeks ago I was introduced to eBay Collections by Nuffnang Blog Community....I got to be among some of the first people to pop over to eBay and build their own Collections...and I must say that I am loving it!

The premise is that you can set up your own themed collections and add items from eBay to these.....it's a bit like having a themed mood board (I have mood boards on the brain with three daughters in high school....it's one of the first projects that they have to complete!!) ...but this is even better because you can click on the items and actually buy them!

Creating the collections is easy...when you are looking at an item on eBay just click on 'add to collection'  then either name your collection or add the item to an existing collection...it is that easy!  

You can take a look at my eBay collections here and while you're at it...why not pop over to Explore Collections and take a look at all of the other wonderful collections....be prepared to lose a few hours....it is wonderful!  It is easy to follow the collections that take your fancy too.

The concept is great...it is like having a wishlist created for you!  I think these collections will definitely come in handy when shopping for birthdays and Christmas etc...

There's interior decorating, fashion, stationary, wedding ideas...the list is endless...go on... take a look and if you find some great collections to follow why not come back and share them so we can all have a peak!!

A Little Catch Up on Where I'm At...

Well the school holidays came along and thankfully gave me a break from the daily school routine and the seemingly never ending after school activities.

Mornings were overlooked in favour of sleep ins, routines were thrown out the window and the days had no feel at all...no Monday-itis or Sunday afternoon blues!

There were a few relaxed shopping trips, a couple of workshops for the girls and a huge highlight was the Royal Easter Show....my feet are still recovering!!

During the holidays my blog turned 1...woo hoo!!  In actual fact I had signed up to Blogger about 2 years earlier and was waiting for inspiration to hit!!  I eventually realised that that wasn't going to happen so I just jumped in the deep end and started writing blogs....some bad and some okay but hey it keeps me out of mischief!

We have been focused on turning the second bedroom into a room for Miss 16...progress is slow as hubby has a much higher sense of perfection than I do...but we will get there eventually!

So school has today returned...and along with it the routine and activities.  

The weather is cooling down as winter is just around the corner...and whilst I say that I prefer winter to summer that does not mean that I can't complain about the cold okay!!

So into May we head....wow already !!!!

Forty-four

Today I turned forty-four.

This was the age that my mum turned a few days after giving birth to me via emergency c-section all those years ago.  In fact her 44th birthday was probably spent still being in the hospital with caesarian births usually seeing the mum in hospital for up to 10 days back then.

Already having four children aged 19, 17, 13 and 8 it was clear to say that I was an unexpected surprise for my parents.

I cannot imagine having to go back to sleepless nights and nappy changes after all those years.  

Looking back I was probably a clingy mummy's girl....and with my youngest having been one of these since birth I now sympathise with my poor mum!!!

I remember growing up with so many people thinking my parents were in fact my grandparents.  My childhood also felt a little like that of an only child as most of my siblings had married and moved out of home before I was eight or so.

When I fell pregnant at 38 I was a tad horrified that my youngest would hear the same comments about hubby and I as I did about my parents. And to tell you the truth the last five years have been exhausting what with financial troubles, raising a clingy baby and keeping up with the other four....some days I feel old enough to be the grandma!!

So it might be time to check out some secrets of staying young.....to search for the fountain of youth.......before the big 5-0 rolls around!!!!

By the way.....I am typing this on my new ipad.....well technically it is hubby's old ipad that he stuck in a new cover and gave to me for my birthday.....but hey, I'm happy with that!!!!

Three months with my Thermomix....my review

Here and there on Facebook I had heard the Thermomix mentioned, seen a few recipes shared around, read a few reviews....and I had seen the price....eeek !

Then when I was with Miss 5 having a play date with one of her friends I noticed that this mum had a Thermomix sitting there on the bench top...!!  Instantly 20 questions....I quizzed her about its functions, it abilities, its usefulness.  I left the play date so wanting a Thermomix but still the price was beyond my means.

A few weeks later miss 5 was invited for another play date and the mum said that I was welcome to stay for a Thermomix demonstration that she was having that day.  What the heck I thought....no harm in seeing the Thermomix in action.

I left that demonstration with a page full of notes and a bowl full of dip to take home.  The dip was devoured by everyone and they didn't believe that it was homemade.  The German engineering was a winner with hubby as was the interest free payment plan that was on offer at the time.  Luckily for me Miss 5 was just finishing preschool which meant that I would have a small amount of cash that I could re-divert into Thermomix repayments.

I ordered my Thermomix the next day!  My Thermomix arrived, the consultant went through its functions and we made a batch of vegetable stock.  Christmas was fast approaching as was our first family holiday in a few years.  So the Thermomix was packed up and put aside to be taken on holidays.

We were away for some 12 days and the Thermomix was used from the very first morning to make boiled eggs til the very last day to make bread rolls for lunch.

The Everyday Cookbook was brilliant and so easy to follow.  By the end of our holiday we had used the cookbook to make boiled eggs, crepes, dips, bechamel sauce, bolognaise sauce, mashed potato, chicken and cashew nut, pizza dough, herb and garlic pull apart, soft butter rolls, creamy traditional ice cream, sorbet, apple tea cake, numerous smoothies, fresh juices, traditional lemonade, hot chocolate and whipped cream.

I was amazed by the Thermomix.  I love the preciseness of it....just follow the instructions and each time the boiled eggs cooked to perfection, the pizza dough came out just right.....

The holiday was over and we came back home to the craziness of work, school, after school activities, weekend sport.  I wasn't sure how the Thermomix would fit in to our mayhem.

But now we are just over three months into the year and the Thermomix is still getting used pretty much daily....usually multiple times a day!

I love that I can pop the boiled eggs on, jump in the shower, and hop out to perfectly cooked eggs for the girls breakfast. Or if time is not on our side for some reason I can have a smoothie ready for them to drink on the go in literally seconds.

Afternoons are crazy with activities, homework, assessments and amongst all of that I have to remember Miss 5's readers.  Again the Thermomix is perfect as I can have the mash potato or the pumpkin soup cooking away whilst I focus on the readers and thanks to the timer there is no chance of burnt offerings for dinner.

We have expanded our use of the the Thermomix since being home and frequently jump online and find new recipes to try.  Cinnamon scrolls are one of the favourites as is garlic and rosemary pizza.

I had concerns about the bowl not being big enough for a family of 7 but it surprisingly makes quite large quantities.

Many mention that the Thermomix is quite loud....but in a family of 7 there is seldom silence so I don't notice it too much.....though sometimes I can find the timer sound a tad frustrating when it chimes continuously!!

I love that we are now using fresh herbs from our garden a lot more.  We are using less packaged foods and cooking more things from scratch.

Thanks to the ability of the Thermomix to chop and grind I am able to hide a whole lot more goodness into some of our meals, for example oats and chia seeds frequently make their way into cupcakes, steamed and pureed apples make it into tea cakes, and bolognaise sauce has a whole range of vegetable goodness thrown in.

Sorbet has been one of the favourites with the girls.  Whilst they generally do eat a lot of fruit they are now willing have fruits that they usually don't like if they are added to the sorbet....so that's a win!

I feel like we have a lot less waste as we will now turn fruit into sorbet or smoothies, veggies into smoothies or stocks.  And since meals are so easy to make a day spent in the kitchen with the Thermomix can produce a great range of snacks for both work and school and it can also fill the freezer with some home cooked meals for nights when things don't quite go to plan!

Since I have a tiny old kitchen with only 2 working hotplates the Thermomix is a lifesaver! 

I also prefer to have things cooking in the Thermomix when I can't be in the kitchen the whole time, rather than having things boiling away on the stove....just for safety reasons. 

When you don't have a dishwasher and you are out 4 afternoons a week and both days on the weekend at activities and sport it doesn't take much for my kitchen to be a real disaster...when this happens I find that I can pop dinner in the Thermomix, luckily it doesn't take up too much room, and while that is cooking I can get about cleaning up the kitchen...then dinner can be served and there is only the plates, cups and cutlery plus the Thermomix to be washed!  I have found the cleaning to be quite easy....I think once the risotto did stick a little to the bottom when I tried to cook it without the butterfly attachment...but that was easily cleaned up when I took the blades out and washed it all...since then I have used the butterfly attachment and had no problems.

The Thermomix is so easy to use that the girls have had no trouble using it with great success.  Having the Thermomix has seen them try a lot of new things too which is always good.

I know that a Thermomix is not for everybody but it works really well for me.  I still have a long way to go in using it to its maximum potential but I am really enjoying making different things and it will definitely accompany us on our next  holiday!

Oh No The School Holidays are Coming....

Truth be told I am actually looking forward to these school holidays....a break from the routine of uniforms and lunches, a chance for a few sneaky sleep ins and hopefully some lazy movie days and some fun family games nights.

It all sounds good in theory!!  But no doubt there will be moments where the girls get on each others nerves, where cabin fever sets in and where my patience will be tested!!

So I am planning ahead for those 'I'm bored' moments and I have been doing a bit of internet window shopping checking out a few items that might save the day.


The first item I am considering buying is this kinetic sand....

I have had my eye on it for a while but was sure that there would be mess involved....but after reading some reviews and after watching the little video over at The Coffee Apple I am going to give it a go....  I think all 5 of the girls will get some fun out of this.  You can check it out here...


Also at The Coffee Apple I saw these fabric tangram sets....

Again I have had my eye on these for a while and I think they will be great for getting each of the girls involved as well.  I also loved that they come with a draw string bag and they'd be great for when you are waiting at the doctors or even at Church to keep the younger one happy!  You'll find these great sets here....
  

To be honest I could have listed a dozen more items from The Coffee Apple that could easily make their way into my shopping cart...like the Story Sketcher and the Story Stones....but I had to show some self control!!


I also found some great DIY craft kits....I like the fabric covered button kits from Pack It In...

With this the girls can make a bunch of fabric covered hair ties and hair clips....and believe me with 5 daughters you can never have too many of these!!  You can check out their ebay listing here....


Lastly I would love to have a go at making some beautiful soy candles...I love having them around the house.  So I was thinking that a beginners kit might be in order...like this one

And it would be a great activity to do with the girls.  You can check out these kits from Natural Candle Supply at their website here....


So with only 4 days of primary school and 5 days of high school left before the holidays are upon  me I had better get shopping !!!