1. Vanilla almonds. How good are they? I wanted to show you a pic of the packet, but I ate them all and threw it away. I’ll never be a food blogger, but I can tell you they are in Coles and they are delicious and salty-sweet. Do yourself a favour.

2. Tupperware lunchboxes. Do you have them? They are grouse because they have all of the little compartments so you don’t have to use any Glad Wrap or anything like that, but unfortunately, like all kids things that leave the house without your supervision, they get chucked around. Usually by Term 4 the lid will have cracked a bit. But because they are Tupperware, they replace them for you. For free! We just got two new ones from my local Tuppy lady. Such a good thing. Don’t waste any more money on the stinky other brands: go the Tuppy.

3. Al-Lani’s Angels. A group of unreal ladies, giving up their time during this silly season to make softies for the Mirabel Foundation, to make sure some little kids who are going through some tough times, will have something to cuddle this season. In all of your rushing around this December, in the buying and the organising and the splurging on stuff, it would be really nice if you could think of something that might help out a child who doesn’t have a lot. You know what to do. Perhaps put aside a little time today to set that up. It’s worth the effort.

4. Rain. FINALLY we got some to help us through this heatwave. On the downside, that meant frogs. Croaking. I mean REALLY croaking. In our down pipe. Near my bedroom window. ALL NIGHT.

5. Basking in my own virtuous glow, cos I’ve gotten all my Chirstmas shopping done and wrapped. I love all things Christmassy, but I get a bit antsy if I have too many outstanding tasks at this time of the year, because fun things to do always pop up. Getting it done and dusted is a massive relief. A special thank you (as always) to Sprinkles, the local cupcake and hamper specialists. I always get them to make me up some delicious things that I like to try and palm off as my own (it doesn’t work of course- my reputation precedes me).  All that remains now is to procure some Ugly Christmas Sweaters for our jaunt to America. Anyone in SE Queensland know where I might find such a thing???

I hope you had a fun week too, and have been able to have some time to sit quietly before it all really gets going.

What are your hits? Are you a Christmas shopping nerd like me?

…From The Ashers

Here are the hits of the week…

1.  Booking tix to go to the US for Christmas. This it the first Chrissy we will all have together since my Dad was crook, and almost gone. It was lucky thing to have us all together like that, but it was a horrid time. Watching him deteriorate day by day by day. This time there will be no impending death. Just laughs and bad Christmas sweaters. Bittersweet times. Bitter and Sweet. In equal measure.

2.  The big fuck-off bowls of pasta Nath has ready for me after I finish my late nights at work. They’re bloody big and bloody good. Just what the Doctor ordered. Thanks Nato. You rock.

3.  These grouse new cushions from Alisa of Plump Homewares. Not only has she donated a shitload of fabric for my Softie Sew-a-thon Wednesday (7-9pm at Noosa Christian Outreach centre if you are a local), but she gifted me two of these cushions today. What a legend. How fresh are they? You can visit her at Eumundi Markets every Wednesday and Saturday, or shop online here. She has a brand new range coming out this Saturday- go check it out.  *Not a sponsored post, but she did give me these cushions for nix. (She meant them as a gift, not as a blog post.)

4.  The hottest weekend in the world (well in my part of the world anyway) scheduled for Friday and Saturday. I’ll be spending a fair bit of it safetly ensconced in this seat, looking at this. Hopefully with a couple of small people, and one big one in the pic too. Weekend,  you’re looking good from here….

How’s the serenity?

5.  A special delivery I got from Uberkate this week. I can’t tell you much more just yet, as it’s a surprise, but let me tell you the lady doesn’t disappoint. Thanks Kate, and thanks BabyMac. May lovely things come your way. You are both such beautiful people. I’m grateful for you. And I promise pics will be posted once the cat is out of the bag.

**This is not a sponsored post either; I won a competition. But I do want to share that I saw on Uberkate’s website that if you spend 250 smackers you get a free ring. Good incentive for a Chrissy gift with some meaning, I reckon. Love your work Kate.

So what were your hits of the week? Do you have plans for Christmas yet?

…From The Ashers

Here are the hits:

1. This little beauty. I’m doing these for All Hallows this year, instead of those thirty-five buck carving pumpkins the supermarkets are trying to sell me. And they come with the added bonus of providing ingredients for all the Pina Coladas I shall be making to survive the trick or treating. (I’m only doing it to get rid of the fruit you know)  Anyway, with pineapple and coconut, a Pina is practically a health drink!

2.  This tasty little morsel.

Sorry. I ripped it open before photographing.
What happened to ‘Tweet it before you eat it’?

I know it’s October, and I know I shouldn’t encourage the Mulit-National Money Sucking Machines by buying seasonal promotional items when the season is nowhere to be seen, but they are only ONE DOLLAR. And they say “Merryteaser” on them (what does that even mean?). Nobody knows, but how can I refuse when they beckon me from the counter with their cheery red packaging and their enticing and cooling snow graphics? And when they are only ONE DOLLAR? So, in a moment of weakness I purchased two, one for me and one for the love of my life. I popped them high up in the fridge, away from prying little eyes ‘for later’. Well, later was much, much later, say around 11pm when Nath had fallen to slumber, and I snuck out to the kitchen and ate mine. And then Nath’s. Sorry Nath.

But never fear, a patient gave the “kids” a giant chocolate Freddo each today. I’ve hidden them in the fridge. For the “kids”. Of course.

3. The Spring Spectacular at school tonight. I managed to sit through it all, even though there were TWO count them TWO renditions of ‘Let It Go’, and not a one Monkey Wrench cover. And my ears aren’t even bleeding. For serious.

So, well played kid’s school, well played.

As you can tell, Coco is a very talented musician.
Liam was also there, clarinetting along, but we didn’t get a pic that didn’t feature other kids.
So just imagine you can see him too. For balance, like.

4.  Did  you see Harry Potter on Jimmy Fallon? I’m not sure if I like Daniel rapping, or Jimmy grooving along and trying to keep up, the best. Something about that man just makes me laugh (Jimmy, not Daniel). Check it out, and watch it through to the end. It’s fun. I shared on FB my version of ‘The Black Widow’ for Edenland’s lip sync competition, but I’m thinking I might have to pop the real thing up here. Or maybe “Ice, Ice Baby”. Nath does a killer version of “Bust a Move”, so the possibilities are very exciting.

5.  Getting some of your feedback on the blog this week. I love your comments, shares and retweets. You might not realise it, but when I’m sitting here, being the little keyboard warrior, it’s hard to imagine that anyone else even reads this drivel.

I can, of course look up Google analytics and see how many of you play along, but it’s much nicer to actually get some feedback. So thanks to all of you who do comment, and then share the love around. It makes a difference to me.

I’ve got a few little writing plans for next year (see, I am following Matthew’s rules from the book I mentioned this week, and telling you about some of my goals) and this blog was created to see if anyone would like to read my stuff. It seems some of you do, and that, quite frankly, is BLOODY AWESOME. Writing stuff has always been a little secret and fragile thing that I’ve held in my heart, too frightened to let it see the light of day, lest it wither and turn to so much dust. Giving it some air, here on my little space on the internet has been both confronting and freeing in equal measure.

So thanks you lot. You make an old bird’s heart zing.

So how was your week? What were your hits?

Did you have any big wins?

…From The Ashers

Here are the hits of the week:

1.  A short school week, so I got to have a grouse day of bike-riding and chocolate-cafe-ing with these two dudes. The little one surprised me with her ability to ride and ride, and the big one surprised me with how supportive he was of his little sis, with cries of “Come on Coco, you can do it”, and “Just one more hill.”  Sometimes they can be quite nice.

2.  Did I mention CHOCOLATE SHOP? How long has this been going on, and why haven’t I been informed? There is a chocolate shop in Noosa Junction, in plain view, and 1. It is not sold out of chocolate and 2. None of you have told me about it. (So now 1. will soon be a fallacy.)  Frankly, I’m shocked and dismayed at you all. I thought we were friends…

Anyway, I’ll give you all the benefit of the doubt, and assume that you, also, did not know about the CHOCOLATERIA. It is opposite Coles and it is delicious. They have some other pretend foods there as well, but don’t worry about that silly facade- it’s the chocolate you are here for. So here it is:

Enter quickly

You can eat ALL of these

They will serve your kids this kind of stuff..

..And then their faces will look like this. (And you will be the best parent in the world..Badluck Nath.)

Go there now.

3.  Grandparents Day at school today. I feel so lucky that we have a grandparent both living and living close enough to go and be with the kids. It is days like these that I miss my Dad acutely. I wish he was here to see these little champs grow and grow. I think he would be proud of the people they are. But HOW LUCKY are we that Mum is still as awesome as ever. The little lady is a dynamo.

4.  Hello boiling hot weather! It’s going to be in the 30s this weekend… YAY! Summer is here (at least in temperature). Bring it.

5.  Coco has just came in and gleefully delivered me some bad news: that little lady I was talking about ^^^ up there was playing a brain-teaser game we have on the iPad with the kids last night. I have been the long-reining family champion at 55.

Until last night.

She got 88. So much for being old, with slow reflexes and a cloudy mind. How annoying- now I have to waste the rest of my day playing it until I beat her score. Damn.   **This is NOT a hit.**

6.  So the REAL last hit is all the generosity people have shown for Liam’s Golden Garage Sale cause. I mentioned how he got a lovely letter and donation from Tiff, and since then he also got a donation from Sue and another from Michelle. Thank you so much you lovely ladies.

I was also blown away by some of the donations on the day, many from unlikely sources. We had a various lone young blokes pop in, lured by our excellent sign-waving on the street I suspect, and I will admit I groaned internally as they arrived in their hotted up cars and muscly-tattooed arms (yes, it seems I have become that kind of old lady). Every single one of them opened their wallets and made donations, even though we didn’t have anything they wanted to buy. Restored my faith in ‘the yoof of today’.

The money is going towards establishing a safe boarding house for Year 9 girls in Ethiopia who have to travel to school, and who usually just drop out because the travel is so dangerous. Apparently the girls are often harmed, and many end up pregnant, and so the cycle of low-education continues. We see this as a wonderful initiative that will make long term changes, breaking the old patterns. And as Liam said, “If they are getting pregnant at 14 then the need to stay at school and learn a little bit about human reproduction.”

Here endeth the Hits.

I showed you mine, what are yours?

…From The Ashers

Here are the hits of the week from ’round these parts:

1. My new YouTube channel. You may have heard that Edenland has started a lip sync competition in honour of her little brother, so I did one, then another, and now I think I’m getting a bit addicted. Lookout internet world, I know* the words to lots of songs….

2. Liam, for organising a “Golden Garage Sale”. The kids have cleaned out their cupboards and collected some other bits and pieces to have a garage sale this weekend. The money is going to World Vision, and the items won’t be priced, we will just hope people are generous with their gold. I’m proud of them for giving up their stuff and their time to raise some money for other kids.

3. Coco for performing a solo violin piece this week. It was reputedly “Mary had a little lamb”. Regardless of how much my ears were bleeding, I was proud of her for being able to get up in front of an audience to play. No chance I could have done that at seven. Or now.

4. Nurse Jackie. As usual, I’m probably late to the party regarding this tv stuff, but I saw my first episode this week. I’m not sure what it’s all about, but it wasn’t reality television, and it wasn’t a crime show. It was gritty and grotty and I hope I can find it again to see what it’s all about.

5. Painting the house. How good is it? My office was looking a bit tired, so we painted it last weekend, and then I accidentally kept on going, to some other walls, then some balustrades and some skirtings. It’s bloody marvellous- much better than cleaning.

How was your week? Any hits?

Have you done a song for Eden yet?

*Possibly not the correct words.

…From The Ashers

Here are the hits from a full week (see what I did there?):

1. The full moon.

We had a great view from our deck until the clouds came over at the vital moment of eclipsing. As far as we could tell there was no “blood”- moonie looked the same colour as usual to me- but we still had fun sitting up there and talking about what things we were going to release from our lives.

Liam said he wanted to get  rid of bullying, in all of the world, not just for kids at school. I like the sound of that. Not a bad plan for a better world.

Coco said she would release herself from PKD and homework.

I, of course had a list of limiting beliefs and things I want to improve on.

Nath, as is his wont, said nothing.

2. This little blackboard jotting by Coco. Cool huh?

3. Fun on the Top Deck (also known as Bar Up by the so-called gentlemen, but I didn’t say that) with these two.

It’s always a laugh. They are our ‘pre-kid’ friends, so we have a history of misbehaviour and funny, funny nights together. Life is good when you have dudes like these two in your circle. Cheers B and S. (I haven’t called them that before, but I think I may start.)

4. This from my Instagram feed. I like it.

5. The kid’s school. We love the school holidays, the lazy days, the lack of schedules, all of the fun things we get to do together and don’t seem to have time to do during the normal week. As usual I was sad to see them go off on Tuesday morning, and wanted them back, but it is a relief and a balm to have such a lovely place to send them to. They both have gorgeous, caring and motivated teachers who really do look out for them and are helping us shape and guide them on their paths. Cheers to you school, and to you teachers.

What are your hits this week?

Did you see any bloody moon? And if so, can you send me a pick of it actually red?

…From The Ashers