Day 12:: Frocktober - Stop The Frock - I Want To Get Off

You know, it's snowing in Armidale and you can feel the chill in the air from here in Sydney. It's frizzling for shizzle. However cold it gets, I'm frocking up. But you and I both know, right at this moment I am yearning for a big woolly knit and some jeans. 

Oh baby it's cold outside, but in this blog, right here - we've got some movers and shakers who have sponsored me to the sweet tune of over $1600 - thank you so much! I really appreciate every dollar that's donated - and if you're thinking about it $5 is all it takes! You can sponsor me here.

So frocks it is!

Today's outfit:
- vintage Aquascutum trench from the oppie
- vintage dress was my Mum's - hi Mum! I love this dress
- Country Road rollneck. Because it's so freaking cold
- Costume National boots
- MimCo scarf
- Mum's belt. Again.

In Australian one woman dies every 10 hours from ovarian cancer. The key to changing this statistic and giving women with ovarian cancer a better long-term outlook is early detection. Together we can kick ovarian cancer to the kerb. Check out Frocktober here. 

PS - Clearly I'm having a moment with gifs. I'm sorry but I'm not apologising for my gif love. 

Small Babes & Runny Noses:: Giveaway

Recently I purged a whole heap of my beauty products. I know what's in some of these products is bad, bad bad, and then some. So I tossed them. The petro-chemicals, parabens, they put in them - wowsers, I don't understand how they manage to get away with it.

Breathe!

I know you probably already know that there are loads of products out there containing petro-chemicals and parabens. Nasty things they are, so it's nice to come across products that steer clear of such things. Particularly when it comes to the smalls.

Since Winter is promptly upon us, here comes cold and flu season. The only thing worse than having a blocked, snuffly nose, is a wee one suffering the same, with very little relief.

Little Innoscents has an easily absorbed vapour balm that brings warmth to the body and helps with breathing and the alleviation of nasal congestion (no more snuffles for your snuggly). It's safe for babies and is fresh and natural - got to be a winner!

Made by a Melbourne mama it's been made with beautiful natural essential oils such as lemon, spearmint, eucalyptus, lavender, peppermint and rosemary, combined with caressing and natural beeswax and shea butter. Mmm, we likey!

There should be a tub in every family medicine cabinet.. A natural organic alternative to Vicks. It contains no turpentine.

I am lucky to be able to give away to five lucky readers a tub of Little Innoscents Vapour Rub Balm (RRP $10.99) and to ONE lucky winner a complete set of the Little Innoscents range (RRP $69).

To enter, visit the Little Innoscents website, then come back and tell me ONE THING that Little Innoscents does not contain... It's very simple my friends. Go forth and conquer!

You have 'til next Friday to enter. Australians only - sorry dudes.

The Paps Are Following: Less Talking, More Walking

Yesterday, before the sun left the sky, before my breath froze in the air, before my blood froze because oh-yeah-it's-really-bloody-cold, the Doctor, Tiny and I went for our afternoon walk. I've written before about my own personal cheer squad. It being - the Doctor. Well yesterday, he came out in force and told me that I looked like a rockstar. Kudos to you small man. Then he grabbed a few *secret* things and we walked out the door.

I urge you to enlist your own ego-leader, after the Doctor gave me my pep talk I could barely get out the front door because my head was so inflated. I just awaited the flashbulbs, alas they never came, so we just went walking. BUT - not before the Doctor quickly transformed himself with his *secret* sunnies and *secret* 'train-driver' hat and told me he was now a rockstar too.

Together we were going to rock the world.

Instead we went to the nursery, bought some seeds. And then it happened. The Doctor scammed me.

Feigning fatigue (we'd walked a grand total of 100 metres) he told me he was feeling very hot.

Impossible I say - yesterday was close to blizzard temperatures (ok not really, but it might as well have been). If I had left the Doctor outside too long yesterday he would have turned into a snowman. The Doctor then informed me that if we were to continue walking, he really would need an ice cream to cool himself down.

I say just stick your tongue out and you'll grow your own icicles, but that didn't cut it. So the Doctor scammed me. Tiny had a pink fit and wanted a bite. Lucky for Tiny, our little Doctor is a good sharer and loves sharing with Tiny. She scored too.

On our walk the Doctor crunched in the carpet of Autumn leaves. We looked and admired our long Wintery shadows. Tiny called the neighbourhood dogs. We played with the 'helicopter' seed pods for a while (I was still walking!). We admired two small boys taking out the garbage. Well, we lauded them at least. For me, walking is a nice way to end the day, talk about what we're going to do the next day. A sort of reconnection. And then whizz home and get dinner on the hob.

No paps, but some pretty snaps.

Cold Feet

french knot sheep

Every Winter is marked by my cold feet.

Matt's solution last year was ugg boots. I wear them. But I still put my cold feet on him when we are in bed.

Ugg boots are not to be worn out of the house a la Pammy Anderson. If I did this, I'd just look like some housewife loosing a war with bad fashion and lack of sleep.

Want more Cold Feet? Looky here.

PS - Pammy is a spokesperson for PETA, right? Well what's she doing wearing uggies? Uh oh.

But Baby It's Cold Outside (Or - My House Is Too Thrify-licious For You Babe)

pretty pillowcase
a dress for me to stitch, though I'm thinking this pattern may be too small for me because it's old skool

a crazy-cool kiddie pillowcase

a cute bell-wreath & outline golden book - just look at Santa's beautiful blue eyes and tell me you don't love him

another golden book and this little musical/doggy clapper thingy

some Royal Albert saucers and cake plates that really are quite darling

It's so cold and rainy here at the moment. We were flirting with Summer, and then kazaam, we're whipped back into our woollies. I don't mind the rain. I don't mind the cold. But when combined, they're not exactly conducive to sifting through other people's bins.

I drove past the house and the bin this week. On a number of occasions. I wonder if they've taken down my number plates and reported me yet. I completely missed the second skip. When I went back - gone-skis. Into thin air. Which is probably a good thing because I was coming home with a few too many things. Matt calls it my junk. I call it my treasures. Tomate-o. Tom-aaaahto. Potate-o. Potaaaaaahto.

There was a hive of activity at the house. Landscapers. A truck. People people everywhere. Is this the beginning of the end?

So tonight, I think I'm going to bow out. For a number of reasons.

• The guy staring at me in the street last week really ruffled my feathers.
• It's cold. It's raining. And I want a night off.
• I don't think I have much adrenaline left.
• I don't have acres of house to store this stuff.
• I got a quick and fruitful spot of thrifting going on this morning. I made a quick and quiet kill.

Are you going to punish me for not going out in the rain? Even if you don't, you just never know, after I watch this, you might find me out there. Braving the elements.

NightWalker:: Day 5

I went walking tonight when the little ones were having dinner. It was just a quickie - 25 minutes. I tuned into The Best of Prince. I found a soccer ball. I was almost tempted to break into a slow jog. Almost, don't get too excited. It was good. Oh so good. But oh so cold.

I was thinking I should get myself one of these.

At least my ears would be warm. Potential muggers might mistake me for a man and not attack. You know, there are merits to being a bearded lady.

Anyway, the bearded balaclava is available from Scandinavian Grace - available in different beard lengths and colours (bespoke beard balaclavas - BINGO!).

Oh - and if you do have facial hair - DO NOT SHAVE! DO NOT WAX! Bleaching is best, baby.

Another Grey Day

It's another one of those grey days here. Too cold to venture beyond our four walls. We're getting into some indoor activities. My big boy and I made up a list of activities to get through today, otherwise I feel like we just float through the day without really connecting for long periods of time. How can that happen? He goes into his room and plays trains - I try and get through some work, feed the baby, put the clothes in the wash. Sure we touch palms every now and then, but not enough. So this is our plan. To really connect.

Our list today:

• set up a new train track - together


• go to playgroup (he vetoed that, so it went by the wayside for today)
  
• craft (we were going to make a snowman out of some of his paintings he made yesterday, but he decided he wanted a 'snap-snap' instead - crocodile, but that's also turned into this collage which I think looks quite cool) - together


• baking (we're still to do - biscuits or cake, not sure yet - but better get cracking!) - together


• books (we picked up a fresh batch of library books over the weekend, so it's nice discovering new stories together) - together


• Muffin Tin Monday - check out Sycamore Stirrings for more ideas!

I had a separate list for myself. I've not done too badly either. I love a good list! But I love ticking things off even more!