Fight the Funk!:: 5 Easy Tips To Shake The Blues

Do you ever find yourself in a bit of a funk?

I do. I totally do. But I've got it down to a fine art to fight the funk. I know how to beat the blues and kick them to the kerb. I've put together 5 ideas to put a pep in your step and bring back the business of being happy!

1. Did you know 57% of women would choose awesome hair over gaining 10 IQ points? Weird huh? But the psychology stacks up. I was treated to a blow dry at the Blow Dry Bar last week and I'm living proof good hair can change the way you feel. Seriously. I went in feeling a bit flat stanley, had a chat, had my hair washed and coiffed, asked for fat curls, got fat curls - et voila, walked out feeling like a million bucks. And for just $40, it's a good treat that lasts a few days. When I'm next going on date night - I'm going to the Blow Dry Bar and getting my hair done. 

2. Wear colour. Over the last few years I've eradicated black from my wardrobe. I have very few black pieces because it washes me out and makes me feel a bit blue. I love pumping up the volume with colour. Whether it's a bright top, printed jeans, or some ace accessories, you can't feel down when your accessories are so up. And if you want to wear black - paint your nails. Do something fun. You can hardly be cranky when you've got these beauties on your nails. 

3. Meet up with some friends. Or even phone a friend. When I'm low, talking to someone can - a) distract me from whatever it is that's got me down, and b) remind me that I'm not alone. 

4. Music! I am a mad fan of cranking the tunes and doing some car karaoke or kitchen dancing. I especially love belting out the (out of) tunes with the smalls. I'm loving this and this (STILL stuck on this) for good moods ahoy. 

5. Do something for yourself. Go see a movie. Take yourself for a coffee. Go for a walk. Do something that gives you something - just for you. 

What are your best feel-good tips?

I Am Still Swinging

The other day I wrote about the simple joy that is swinging.

Swing high. Swing low. Just swing.

And then I found this video and I thought to myself: "Gee whizz, what a beautiful and simple concept that has brought so much joy to so many different people."

Clever, clever Montreal for bringing a simple happiness to everyday swingers.

A BIG and BRIGHT Day!

Tomorrow is a big and beautiful day. My awesome Dad retires after 48 years. That's a huge achievement I do believe. Congratulations Dad!

I've been thinking about how very few people nowadays will ever be able to say that they've worked 48 years in one place. I certainly can't.

And I've been thinking about how... odd retirement must be. But also like a fresh breath of air. A new and fresh adventure awaits you.

Tomorrow is also my birthday. As Nan so eloquently stitched on to this crown - Let the wild rumpus start!

What shall one wear on one's birthday? Besides a birthday suit. Inspiration, puh-lease.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day mamas!


I hope everyone enjoys a cold cup of tea in bed, some lukewarm toast, and my favourite - the hand-made cards. They melt my little heart. Every. Single. Time. 


I'm hoping for snuggles in bed, sticky kisses and a very low-key day. 


Have a wonderful day - see you on the flip-side, and hope the sun is beating down on your back. 


And a very special Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful Mum. She's taught me so much, loved me so much and supported me so much, if I can be half of what she is, I will be a good woman! 


very cool and cute card from Wit & Whistle

Happy Christmas

Peeps, have a wonderful Christmas. Enjoy the day with friends, family, enjoy the day full stop.

Thanks for stopping by my little space and keeping me company.

Have a wonderful day. x

Hip Hip!

It's Anna from Rummey Bears birthday today. It is! High fives to birthdays because they always make me so full of fun and silliness. She will probably knee cap me if she sees this post.

But Anna, let's have a big fat slab of cake when next we rendezvous. No more sharing a muesli biscuit. It's cake or nothing! Capiche?

As for me, I'm nervous about my first day at work tomorrow. I have a to-do list to get through tonight - squeak! What the heck was I thinking? I didn't even do the cooking I was planning to get through to do. Yowsers.

Anyway - back to Birthday Girl - say hi and wish her a very happy birthday - won't you?

image via Martha - Anna, maybe I'll make this for you?

Perhaps You and Me? Yes. We Should Catch Up

When we moved we celebrated Matt's birthday on the same day of moving (happy birthday Matt - here's the removalist truck with two hot removalists to boot). And the Doctor's 5th birthday was celebrated in the first week.

It was a big and exhausting week and only now do I feel as though we are settling in. Phew. We still have boxes to unpack, but we're slowly getting there. Slowly.

I really just wanted to put this photo (taken on my phone) of my smalls for posterity. The Doctor's birthday and he's off to preschool wearing his Rummage crown, given by my sister.

Sore Neck. Sore Back.

Well we carved up the dance floor at my friend's wedding. I now have a sore neck and sore back to prove it. Thankfully no sore head. Next time I'll have to work in some pre-dance stretches.

It was such a beautiful, memorable afternoon. The bride was a knock-out and looked so glamorous. It's so funny to think back the fifteen years or so we've been friends and remember how horse crazy she was at school. And our days working at McDonald's together (we were super naughty and used to get separated on our shifts together we talked too much!). We had late night slumber parties and used to ring up randoms from the phone book and ask if their fridge was running. Wildly funny stuff. Trust me. It was!

Being part of their wedding was such an honour. I managed to take some nice shots - though damn fool, I didn't realise my batts were dying.

Such a happy, happy day. x

PS - Just drew the winner of the Le Creuset baking dishes - it's number 40 - Little Eagle. If you're wondering how I came to number 40 - I had to take out two Australian commenters! Congratulations Little Eagle please email me your address.

Ramblings of the Christmas Kind

I am so way behind in my Christmas jobs, I haven't even sent any cards. I usually am so well organised and have them sent out at the beginning of December. Not this year! Today I will madly scratch out some messages and madly chase the postman to deliver them, hopefully before the 25th.

Speaking of mail, last week I received a postcard congratulating Matt and I on the birth of our baby boy. The Doctor was born 4 years and seven months ago. It's taken Indonesia post that long to deliver our mail. Wow. It must have circumnavigated the world a few times in those years? The tales that wee postcard could tell!

It's also Tiny's birthday this week, as well as the wrap up of pre-school, and I've also scheduled a wee meltdown for the tail end of the week too. Just for kicks.

I am also getting super excited about Christmas! We saw my Mum and Dad this weekend for a little pre-Christmas festivities, which was fun to the power of fun. We didn't want to leave.

We've had a French family staying with us for a few days. Now it feels like there's a great big hole since they've left this morning. The Doctor had a wonderful time playing with the boys, each morning busting to go in to see them (at 6am, non!), and staying up well past his seven o'clock and calling out 'Bon soir!' at bedtime.

I've been making Suffolk Puffs, or yo-yos. It's easy. It's cheaper than therapy. I likey.

Today is for making sense of where we are at. Where are we at? Can someone tell me? I'd really love to know. And while you're at it, can you tell me what to do next? Merci beau coup!

Blogtoberfest Day 14: In Pursuit Of Happy-ness

image via

Lately I've been thinking. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt.

I know being happy is an important factor in life. If asked what is important to most people, I am sure 'being happy' is in their top ten, if not top five. But when does seeking happy-ness turn into a futile search? And while people are seeking their happy-ness, do they factor in the hurt or stress they might be causing other people?

While washing the dishes, Matt and I discussed a seeming emerging trend of men leaving their partners and children because they 'don't want this lifestyle and they're not happy'. It frightens me how often I am hearing this. Is it an epidemic? Is it our society? The perpetual search and focus on being happy, rather than 'being' and 'loving' and 'living'.

Or it could even be happy-ness in the simple guise of buying, 'oh I just had to buy this because it made me happy.' Accumulating makes you happy? Uh HUH?!

But it's the messages we're receiving.

TV shows focus on being happy,they show happy families, or what happens to people when they're not happy. Commercials provide products as answers on how to become happy. Buying this that, and whatever else is apparently going to make me happy. But has our society lost the way and rather than focussing on all the good things, all the things we need to be grateful for, have we usurped all of the importance of family life, living and the simple things (for instance enjoying a special home cooked meal, really hearing a song for the first time, watching the light change in the day or seeing your children grow/learn/love - or maybe just being) - isn't this enough? Is happy-ness becoming a cumulative thing? Do I have to keep moving to be happy?

For me, the answer is no. I can experience the dives, the dips, the wallowing and the sadness, but still feel grateful, a glimmer of happiness lurking in the shadows of a grey day. I know I don't need to be happy all the time. I know I don't need to seek it out, because it seeks me out in the most curious of ways.

Family life isn't perfect. It has it's ups and downs. As does single life. Or partnered life. Or whatever life. There's no one lifestyle that flatlines at pure happiness. There are days when I am overcome with love and affection for my smalls, when I am astounded at them in awe. And then there are those (rare) days when I tell Matt 'let's switch and I'll go back to work' (and the next day I tell him I was kidding).

But it's something that really worries me. The condemnation of feeling sad, or lonely, or angry, because it seems there's a push to BE HAPPY! I know Bobby McFerrin sang about it all those years ago, but now it feels as though it's running rife. Like there's some crazed happy 'pusher' forcing us to feel the need to be happy. And I don't like it.

How do children ever learn to feel the full range of emotions when all they're hearing is that you should be happy?

I'm going to fight it. I'm going to let my children, myself, my husband run the gamut of emotions. I fear that if you don't, then you can't create, you can't relate, you can't empathise, and it is then that you really run the risk of not being happy. I want them to feel what it really is to feel sad, to feel angry. I'm not going to tell them 'don't worry, be happy' because sometimes you just can't. I don't want to feel bad for feeling angry, after all, the messages I am hearing are - you should be happy, as though I have a duty to that one emotion.

And then you have the question, what is happiness? It's about as airy as the question, what is art? And it's best discussed another day, when I'm off my high-horse.

Boombastic Is Back

Brilliant news to the max. Boombastic is back.

Last night, once the smalls were in bed, I started doing a wee tidy up. I put away a few things, as Mamas are prone to do, and while putting away some coasters, I opened a b(e)arly (sic) used drawer and who should I find? Teddy Boombastic up to tricks and teddy yoga in the drawer. Check him out.

So I popped him into bed with the Doctor (who was fast asleep) with a tag that read:

Hello Doctor,

I am happy to be back from my beary cold holiday.

Love your bear-st friend,
Boombastic x

This morning the Doctor came in while I was still out to it. He said: 'Mum, this bear has the same eyes as Boombastic.' I open my eyes. Barely conscious. Blink. Blink. 'But dear Doctor, that is Boombastic, the one and the same.' Disbelief by the Doctor, questions, where has he been? Where did you find him? Is this really Boombastic?

I explained away Boombastic's absence by explaining his deep penchant for honey and biscuits, and the fact that Boombastic had gone off in search of honey and a holiday. And maybe mugs of bear. Oh I mean bee-r.

The real explanation - I've no idea why he was shoved into a drawer. But it may have the same explanation as Tiny's dolly's clothes being shoved into a teapot in the cupboard. Tiny does like to do these things.

Boombastic is back people. I'm not going to let him out of my sight.

Juicy, Delicious, Watery - Ergh, That's Me...?

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Kindly Mama Mogantosh has awarded me with a Watermelon Award. To be frank, it should be the bananas award. Or the coconuts award. But I'll go with watermelon - apparently my blog is sweet and refreshing. Thanks Rach!

So I must name 6 things that make me happy. And I did do this earlier today, but it's easy to think of things that make me happy, so I'll go hell for leather and hit you with another six, and then I'll pick six blogs that make me feel sweet and refreshed too. Dig?

Six Happy Things

1. Playing 'Wanna Be Starting Something' up loud and getting the Doctor and Tiny to dancey-dance.

2. When Tiny says cat and then does the obligatory 'meeeoow' - over and over again.

3. Selling all my stuff on eBay. Not everything, but just stuff I don't need.

4. Finding new delicious recipes to whip up in the kitchen. Gets me in a frenzy every time.

5. Late afternoon sunshine when the day's been dull and grey. Loving that heat - no matter how weak.

6. For the first time in a long time, lying on the couch and relaxing without the gnawing guilt of thinking I need to be doing something else rather than just 'being'.

Six blogs that are ripe for a-pickin'

1. Tracey from Peppermint Patcher - Tracey's like a warm breeze on a chilly day

2. Kerri from Life and Other Crises - Kerri has a real knack for making me belly laugh

3. Sally at Georgie Love - Sally also makes me laugh, and laugh, and then laugh a little more

4. Michelle from Hugo & Elsa - because I am going to move in next door one day, but Michelle doesn't know it yet

5. Victoria at Earl & Cookie - so creative, so girl genius 'nuff said

6. Megan from The Scent of Water - she's inspiring, she's conspiring, she's wickedly wordsmithy

By no means is this list conclusive. I could go on and on 'til the break of dawn. So play along if you'd like. Six happy things? Hit me up!

Careful (He Might Hear You)

One of my great secret joys. Spying on my smalls. I love watching them when they think they are going unwatched. I love listening to their conversations. I love seeing them interact. Discover. What joy!

Lately I seem to be sitting at my desk and the Doctor is immersed in some TV show or another. No Mummy of the year awards here, but when work has to be done, there are some small concessions. It's not like I'm letting him watch Boogie Nights.

It gives me a sweet thrill to creep up on my smalls (in a very uncreepy manner) and watch from afar. I love these stolen moments. But one must be careful one is not caught (please say that last line in your very best English-speak).

Want to experience more care?

Just Look What I'm Filing This One Under

Today we've been busy despite the omnipresent heat.

We nipped down to the nursery at lunch time to pretty up the front of the house. I was in need of colour. Some pizazz. Unfortunately I neglected to get a photo of our colour. Though it's not been potted up yet - it's going to be - yes, dear reader, I will finish at least one of my projects. Amazing I know.

Tiny kept escaping out our kitchen door. That baby sure loves to get filthy. Rather than the softest of pinks, I should really be dressing her in sand, chocolate and any other natural kind of shade so her escapades are camouflaged. Napisan and I are firm friends.

To keep her in one spot I popped a saucepan of water outside with her, along with mandatory wooden spoon, and her favourite - a pint-sized ball. Kept her still for - oh - two minutes.

My hot weather wear is one of my very favourite dresses that I picked up at the markets yonks ago - just a little cotton number with Steven Seagulls (or if you prefer, they can be Jonathon Livingston Seagull). Thongs - compulsory (sheesh, just realised that if you're a US reader, you may be thinking that I'm saying g-strings are compulsory - for you dear US reader, please read flip-flops).

And here's where I am expecting MENSA to come knocking. Matt, for some reason, felt the urge to buy not one, not two, but four loaves of bread on Tuesday - AND a dozen small rolls. Given this sudden influx of carbohydrates, I am currently going gang-busters trying to use it all up before it becomes at one with penicillin. On the menu tonight - individual serves of garlic bread. Nigella, need a sidekick? Talk about genius.

The First Day

The Doctor had his first day at pre-school today. Well not so much a 'day' but just two short, sweet hours. Enough for me to start missing him, and just a 'taste test' for him. And now he's wondering why he can't go back tomorrow.

For me, this is the beginning of being apart. We do almost everything together, so I've been riding on a wave of excitement for him, to being boom-tossed by the wave and feeling a little sad that my first-born is off the starters so soon - but with so much excitement. It'd be terrible for me to try and hold him back just for my own sake. He is thrilled with this next big step.

Tiny even missed The Doctor today. Chanting his name as we drove away. His name comes out as 'Nang Nang', or 'Nah Nah'. She continued for the entire time.

The Doctor returned home pooped. So pooped he had to have a sleep today. A rare, rare occurrence 'round these parts.

I know we'll hit our stride, and it will all become part of our family's week, but for now, it's new and a little secret tear is shed now and then. But don't tell the Doctor.

Runway To Reality

Last night was week five of sewing classes. I went with a mission. I had to finish some more pj pants for the Doctor and start on my top. The Doctor had been asking for the digger pants since the first week, so I had to give him some bang for his buck.

Given that I was just doing a pair of simple pants and had oodles of digger fabric, I was given the option of doing multiple pairs. At first I declined, in the interests of stitching something for myself, but after I finished the first pair of shorties, I rethought my options. I cut out another pair and got stitching.

It's here where I should let you know I had a few wee hiccups. Well, really not hiccups per se, I'd call them kind of large setbacks. I may have stitched up the legs on the first pair of shorties. I was determined not to do that again, as my friend the quick unpick and I were spending way too much time together. Maybe I did that trick again on the second pair. Yes, I'll admit it, I sewed up the legs on both pairs. Ahem. I did. It's true. Guilty.

So the quick unpick and I are well acquainted.

But I did manage to finish one pair and get a start on the second, and contemplate cutting out the top.

Needless to say, there was one very excited little dude running about our house this morning in new 'pamps'. However, not to be deterred by the fact they are in fact pyjamas, the Doctor's taken to wearing them all the time. Not just night time attire so it seems.

Ah well, I can dig it. Boom boom!

All this makes me very happy.

Happy. Yes. Yes I Am.

Whoa Nelly. What a busy, happy weekend. It's almost a case of thank goodness it's almost over so I can get back to routine. What what what? I hear you squark. While I don't dig Mondays, this weekend has left me pooped!

Matt's studying for an exam. I managed to take the two smalls out of the house for the two days and as a result. Pooped is what I am!

Saturday was a 1st birthday party and a garage sale. I offered to make some mini-cupcakes (for the party, not the sale). I made 50 of the little beauties, beautifully iced (butter icing mmm mmm). Unfortunately an incident whereby juggling two small children, a bag, two containers of cakes and the bonnet of our car resulted in half the cakes being tossed upside down. Yes. My handiwork in tatters, I fronted up to the party with a very messy arrangement of cakes. Thankfully they still tasted good, even if they did look like they'd already met a taste test from a tribe of three year olds. Hmph.

When we got home we bribed one of the dogs to play in our circus. He jumped through a hoop in return for a handful of kibbles. We treat our circus animals very well.

Sunday we headed off to meet a good friend in Bondi. We flew a kite for a while, hit the beach for a wee while, had a gelato (our first for the season), went to the skate park, then meandered through the shops. Such a great, tiring day. Headed home to get Tiny down for a sleep, and I headed off to a flea market, and then to Spotlight.

cute little Christmas box I scored at the flea market

Ahhh Spotlight. I chose a new pattern for my sewing class, only to be told they didn't have it. Back to the drawing board, I chose another. Ah they don't have that one either. So third time lucky I picked a pattern, asked someone to show me some fabric only to be told she didn't know anything about fabric. Bingo! How is it that she works in a fabric store and has no knowledge of fabrics? Even I know what double georgette is, I just didn't know where to look. Finally someone came to my rescue and escorted me to the double georgette, which to my disgust was all 100% polyester. Watch out open flames - poof! I'm up in smoke. I wasn't planning on moving to Sweat City for the Summer. Finally after circling the fabrics I found some cottons that I liked. For a moment I did think I was leaving empty handed. I scored some discontinued fabrics and a few others. Watch out sewing class, tonight I'm sewing to glow, I'm going to rock the frock, I won't dread the thread, I'm going to put my pedal to the metal and sew like crazy.
Happy much?

Happy? Moi? Oui!

Did I trick you and make you think I spoke fluent French? Oui? Well, sadly. I don't. But Matt does. But denies it. He's a handy accessory to have in Paris. On the one trip we had there. Four years ago. Hmph.

Today. What's making me happy?

Being on the verge of the weekend.

Sweet. Sleepy. Schlompy. Weekend. Sigh. Smooch. Sit. Sew. Smooch some more.

For more takes on happy - go visit Mikes.

Hap-Hap Hooooray! I'm Happy Today!

the Doctor - Christmas 2007 - eyeing off the gingerbread house

Did you know that there are only 48 sleeps 'til Christmas? I've been looking at the new Inside Out - inspiration ahoy!
The feeling of Christmas coming makes me HAPPY!

I love Christmas.

Being with family. Eating too much. Love. Presents. Love. Eating too much. That heat. Oh that glorious heat that inspires water fights. Did I mention how much I love water fights? Just a little. Ok a whole lot. I know we're in drought, but one small water fight - most of the water lands on the plants, don't be mad. It's all in good fun. I even like the car trips.

I am happy that it's almost Christmas. I'd better get onto my gifting pronto.

A Week of Super Freaky Happy Happy

Mikes is hosting 'A Week of Happy'. Go over, say hi to Pip and join in, beat the grey cloud that seems to be lingering over our pretty world, beat it back with a big rainbow of happy things.

I've got plenty to make me happy. I might have to post a year of happy.

Today. What makes me happy?

My little dude's drawings. We sit and draw together. It's such fun. I always have requests for train drawings, then I can branch off into free-styling. I love asking him about his drawings.

Other things that make me happy:

- seven weeks 'til Christmas - go stock up on super cute presents now!
- it's sunny. It's beautiful. The birds are chirping. The lizards are coming into our house (gulp!) but luckily The Doctor catches them and pops them back out into the garden
- the big fat slab of vanilla cake I baked last night (mmmm)

What makes you happy?