School ready

Parents let's all breathe a sigh of relief as kids all over Australia went back to school this week. We survived the school holidays, hooray!
Rejoice in getting to palm them off to their fantastic teachers.

I hope to keep Kobe's first year of full time school low key. I just know he will be whingey tired by Friday as he adjusts to full time hours.
I won't be enrolling him in every after school activity, just a quick play with friends. Swimming lessons and life saving water awareness term 1. With a splat of drownings with kids under 5 lately I really want to hone it into Kobe the importance of water safety. It can take less than a minute for a toddler to climb a pool fence which leaves me paranoid with my lil ones around water.
As per last year, I left stationery order to the last minute. Note to parents, go first thing (8am) to avoid getting crushed in the lunchtime panic. Also bring your school list to OfficeMax so you get the quoted price not the retail price (which can be double for some items). Definitely I'm ordering as soon as the school list comes out for 2018.
I was organized with school uniforms (bar 1 shirt which I'm trying to find preloved) & found 4 pairs of pants (2 Permapleat shorts brand new with tags still on, one long pair of pants & one navy boardshorts) all preloved for $14.50 in total. Saving over $30 if I bought new. I'm hoping Kobe keeps them in great condition so can handball onto Dylan. I will be laying out uniforms the night before. And laundering mid week & weekends so we are always uniform ready (I find by hanging them wet from the machine onto a hanger it saves me ironing the shirts). I dyed his faded school hat to save buying a new one.
I picked up some Reflex sandals half price in the after Christmas sales a couple sizes too big. I found these the best casual sandal for active boys, the quality is great & lasts the whole year thru rough play. Kobe's pair from last year will be his normal everyday summer sandals (as he wore these as both school & casual wear last year).
I remember every year of school getting a new school bag (& the old one binned regardless even if still good quality) & so Kobe will be reusing his Trashpack bag which is still in good condition this year (I found it brand new at markets beginning of last year for $5, saving me $20 buying a generic school bag).
School lunches bar fruit cut up will be packed the night before. To save me rushing in the morning.
I am also allocating a day of baking when Kobe is at school to get both boys snacks organized for the week. Excess baked goods I will freeze (sausage rolls, apple carrot cake etc) so not to waste. Plus Dylan needs this day as his downtime, he tries so hard to keep up with his energetic big brother but is exhausted. I will also be continuing with bake swap weekly which saves me some baking time.
The only thing I did to get Kobe school ready was getting him to practise his reading; with books about school like Miffy, Curious George, Spot, just incase there were any nerves about going back to school. Turns out I needed worry as he "was excited to get a break from mummy" (his words lol).
I should of got him to wear him his new sandals in to save blisters which I have a feeling he will get (bad mum I am).

I would love to hear any tips on preparing your kids to school:)
Or even easy to make lunchbox snacks as we stay away from tetra juice cartons, packet cookies in our house.

Happy Wednesday friends!
Grace

Living on a tiny budget

It's another year of me tightening the purse strings of this family of 4 on 1 income so that we can save for a holiday & also be able to dine out where possible. Here's a few pointers if your also reevaluating your budget. And I would love to hear your tips!

Food
*I will be meal planning lunch, dinners & snacks every 2-3 days to elimate bought lunches or impulse buys at the shops.
*Using whats in my pantry. Basing recipes around ingredients I already have. Food wastage is the number 1 item binned in our house.
*Eating leftovers or freezing them for another day. I definitely need to work on getting creative with leftovers.
*If we dine out at a restaurant or cafe, I will pack a take home container incase I have leftovers. Instead of wasting food if we don't finish a meal, we may have lunch sorted for next day. It's also worth it to see in getting an entertainment book or going in with a friend or family member to receive discounts at eateries.
*Attempting to grow more herbs and vegetables. We sadly only got a small amount of beans, potatoes, silverbeet & tomatoes last year. I have a brown thumb but maybe 2017 is my year...
*Gifting excess produce, we were lucky enough to receive excess passionfruit, lemons & mangoes last year from family & friends.. I also plan to go here to this produce swap to check it out.

Clothes
*I will be trying my hardest & going without buying new the lastest fashion & instead opt for preloved threads (but not underwear). I am being realistic & allowing 4 slips up of new items for the year but I'm hoping I will find a happy substitute on Ebay.
*Upcycling & mending my clothes. Earth Carers hosts every Saturday a crafty mend season for gold coin entry. There is also a craft session at Yangebup with crèche for charge if you need little ones looked after on Tuesday's afternoon during school term.
*I found Kobe some new school uniform shorts at an opshop & saved about $22. I'm hoping I can find some secondhand shirts at the uniform shop.
*Dylan will be wearing mostly hand me downs from Kobe bar some new clothes he received at Christmas.
*At Easter instead of chocolate, I'm asking grandparents for pajamas for the boys. They will def receive chocolate as well.
*We use half cloth nappies & cloth pads (to save buying bulk disposable ones). It's not for everyone & the majority of people cringe at having to launder sh1tty nappies & bloody pads (including myself). But hey it's even dirtier putting your disposables into landfill & letting it sit there for aeons until it disentegrates. Out of sight shouldn't mean out of mind when it comes to your personal rubbish into landfill.

Entertainment
*Embracing the local library- we rely fortnightly to borrow books & dvds. I joined up with 2. Plus I let Kobe watch abc iview or you tube on the free wifi. It's a bonus that there are free workshops & kids events. Instead of buying magazines I borrow titles like Australian traveller, Delicious & Vogue magazines which save me around $150 a year.
*Free kids entertainment; like Froggys on the green & parks. If your kids are into recycling or fire engines def go to this & this (thank you Kym for letting me know about the fire engines).
*Using any coupons from this free kids pamphlet, Lets go kids.
*Buying preloved where possible. Over the years, I have found duplo, activity books, reading books, puzzles all at tiny fraction of what they are new.

(Lastest thrifted bargains are these Teletubby sheets & 3 Teletubbies for $6.50).

*The hardest thing at the moment is teaching the value of a dollar to Kobe as he is going thru a want it now "toys phase" (damn you Grossery gang!!!). So he started a cleaning business for grandparents 😭.Where he wrote down all jobs he can do for a $1 a job (which is the blog header photo). And has boxed up some old toys (mostly Dylan's toys he has outgrown) that "mummy will sell at markets" (at some point).

Home
*I sewed curtains from op shop fabric for my loungeroom a couple years back & lined with thermal lining & when I find enough fabric at the opshop for the boys room I will sew some for them too.
*Placing a bucket in the shower to collect cold water, which will supplement herb garden.
*Sleep timer on tv incase I/Luke fall asleep infront of it . Better yet turn appliances off at wall when not in use.
*Using a fan instead of air conditioning.
*Utilizing the back of paper to write shopping lists, Kobe's recipes/drawings.
*Verge collection; councils usually organize this twice a year. I have seen many a great thing on the side of the road, I have scavenged a booster chair & artists board which both needed a good clean but otherwise perfect working order.

I hope you found some useful tips here.
Happy Friday friends!
Grace

Wasteless Christmas gifts

So many gifts end up donated (with limited need for them, if they can't sell its just clutter in an opshop) or in landfill after Christmas that I try to give thoughtful wasteless gifts that won't hurt the earths resources or the fun won't tire out minutes after opening them. Here is my list of what we are gifting this year.

1. Diy bon bons; I finally found a creative solution for those odd small ends of wrapping paper, fill up an empty toilet roll with an activity sheet or sweet, a paper crown & a handwritten joke/fun fact by Kobe (the joke made no sense but hey that's 5 year olds for you lol) then wrap paper around it & tie with wool/string. I'm making these for family & neighbours as it was so easy!
2. Strapped for cash, offer a coupon for babysitting or cooking dinner or any chore. Who doesn't want a hand?
3. Vouchers or tickets are always a winner. Instead of stuff, offer an experience. We gave Kobes swim teacher some homemade (bakeswap) fudge & a voucher for Gelare ice cream. She was so shocked & grateful. She did such a wonderful job of getting a scared Kobe to put his head under water this term. I'm also going in with a handful of parents to give a joint kindy voucher for the teachers. Teachers get gifted with so much boxed chocolate, shower gel or trinkets (which I heard gets mostly donated or regifted thus letting them choose what they actually want/need).
4. Who gives a crap toilet paper. Toilet paper is an essential, plus this brand (sadly isn't easy to find/buy in a shop for me) comes wrapped in pretty paper which can be used for craft & the empty toilet rolls for Christmas bon bons. A portion of profits help build toilets in developing countries.
5. I have had my keepcup for years. It's a must have to take to movies or fairs/festivals to get my coffee fix. Disposable cardboard coffee cups are the second most littered item after plastic bottles & as they are lined with plastic they hang around for a long time. I have been caught out a few times & wanted my coffee fix so I kept the cup, cleaned out & used to plant seedlings & the disposable coffee cup is still going strong 6 months later. They have released a Star Wars range perfect for kidlets/fans. Another idea is stainless steel straws or lunchbox tiffin tins.
6. Homemade treats are my favourite. I received some yummy cookies from my neighbour & it made my day. Luke's family give out bulk box chocolate to adult family members so we are making some gingerbread men, coconut balls, diy cookie jars & lamington to gift out instead. I started hoarding glass jars months ago to gift them in.
7. For the person who has everything; why not gift a goodie box like Jodie did of deodorant, sanitary products, soap, skincare products to the less fortunate. The Kmart wishing tree is a charity we support every year with multiple gifts & we will be including a few gifts for teenage girls (teenagers & the elderly get the less gifts) this Christmas. I asked a couple friends & sister to buy some sanitary products to add to a gift which they were happy to do. Kobe & Dylan did their gifts to children.
8. Lush hair soap. Shampoo without the plastic bottle, hooray! It smells good & cleanses. Win win.

Happy Wednesday friends!
Grace

5 year old's christmas wishlist

 

 

Its that time of year where I sneakily ask Kobe what he wants for Christmas this year. I like to keep it simple & small & be organized by first week of December.

1. No surprises that Wheres Wally was on the list. I managed to find the Santa Spectacular version in Big W.

2.Walker books/Gamebook; Hornpipes hunt for pirate gold. I was lucky to find some of these at the markets. Skill level 1 is perfect for him. I will be putting aside an hour (per book) to read with him the clues to solve the puzzle adventure. I also love the Usborne range with Puzzle castle & Puzzle dungeon. Again I found these at the markets.

3.We try to have a family games night once a week & Cluedo junior where you try to work out who ate the cake is perfect for it. My lovely sister also found him a vintage game of Wheels of fortune.

4. Kobe is a mad fan of Kids spring baking championship on channel 33. These Drommar cookie cutters (that snail is crazy fun!) & Idealish flour sifter will help him bake in the kitchen all those recipes he writes down he wants to make.

5. Last of all, I had to include a toy that he wants. I cant help but cringe but its the Shopkins chef range where all the characters are food. I hope its a short phrase. He has already demanded the grandparents buy him this...if he behaves ofcourse.



Happy Tuesday friends!
Grace

The joy of bakeswaps

Put your hands up if you hate baking/cooking & the mountain of dirty dishes that come with it. Me me me!!! But you need a variety of snacks to feed constantly hungry children. Enter genius idea of asking a few kindy mums if they would be interested in doing a weekly bakeswap where we all bring something to share. Hence sorting my dilemma & only having to bake one thing but getting a variety of goodies in return. I do admit to sneaking some for morning tea while Kobe is at kindy lol but I do remember to put aside some for him. I started this in term 3 I think & have never been happier.

Here are a few snaps of some deliciousness that I photographed before it was devoured.

Muesli bars

Kobe has just started it to eat muesli bars.

 

 

Crumble

 

 

Passionfruit slice

 

Apple carrot cake

(I borrowed Belinda's bakeswap recipe & added some icing. I make this every week for my boys who love it).

 

I must admit on a lazy bakeweek on grabbing my mums homemade springrolls & passing them off as I made them. Shhh... Or my safe option is usually lamingtons as everybody loves that sugary treat. And this week Im being sneaky & using a packet mix but adding fruit to it to look made from scratch lol.

Hopefully I didn't make you too hungry.
Happy Wednesday's friends!
Grace

PS. The top relish was cauliflower that my lovely mummy friend Kaysey made.

Halloween 2016

Halloween was a lot quieter this year being on a Monday. We celebrated twice by taking Kobe earlier to a Halloween themed disco. His face has 3 different textures of green (2 facepaint & 1 eyeshadow) as he carried on crying (he doesn't like facepaint) for a good half hour I kept having to reapply. I think in future to stick with a mask to limit the drama & stress. I found his top in an opshop the day before. Clearly Im Harry Potter (& for the eagle eyes yes that is a Slytherin robe oops...).

 

When I found this fake knife at the markets, I just knew my ginger haired child would be Chucky. That movie gave me a many nightmares when I was younger. Clearly this costume is so wrong yet so right. Dylan was ready to scare all those tricksters that came to our door (or more like it giggle & wave).

 

 

There were so many awesome costumes out & about. My lovely frined Kym went as a unicorn (how did I not take her photo is beyond me?!?). I also saw an Edward Scissorhands, a giant hotdog & a Barbie complete in toy box.

 

 

 

We only had time for a couple upcycling craft projects so the scary gingerbread men will have to wait for next year sadly. Kobe helped to paint an old doll as a Zombie who we hid in the front hedge to frighten passerbys. Some old dolls heads (sorry Ken & friend) were also used to make spooky specimen jars.

 

I hope you all had a happy Halloween!

Grace

RESTYLE 2016: "After dark challenge"

Im hopping on the RESTYLE "afterdark" challenge as I wore this get up twice in the last few months (ballet show & a date night) & it just works. As I usually don't go out as much at night anymore as I would rather be home with the kidlets I prefer not to spend a lot of dollars on going out clothes but I want clothes that are versatile & I can mix & match to make several outfits & not look cheap.

 

I thought why not share a few preloved shops where I tend to shop if Im looking for fabulous threads.

*The closet revolution- an upmarket boutique opshop (which is an extension of Save the Children charity) specialising in corporate officewear, racewear & formalwear. I spotted Gucci heels, a Thurley belt & some divine Seed heritage pants (that were sadly too big).

*Beleza vintage- Owner Claire is no longer in her Northbridge store, but you can usually find her at vintage markets or Instagram. She has amazing vintage & standout pieces.

*Mercado 32- I have been stalking the Instagram account of this Leederville consignment shop for months waiting for the moment someone offloads their Gorman winter harvest dress (I have been pining over for years...). I do love the curated styling of their shop manikins.

*Salvation Army Belmont- One of my favourite op shops plus there are 3 on the same strip of shops. They have a designer rack & I picked up a lovely Ermis cape & some vintage jumpers for the boys hee hee.

*Salvation Army Southern River (on Ranford Rd)- I love this op shop for great condition preloved boys clothes which are so hard to find, I picked up 3 jumpers for Kobe for $12. My friend Kira scored a bunch of funky boots at this one. Plus there are 2 other opshops on the same shopping strip.

*Redcross Fremantle- is a treasure trove of vintage, eclectic & designer fashion.

*Melville markets- seriously you always walk away with something fabulous here, my last buy was a denim pinafore for $5.

*Belmont markets- it can be hit & miss but I have bought a lovely Olga Berg clutch here before. 

*Cannington Megabarn opshop (55 Bannister road)- its a (Good Sammy Industries) warehouse of clothes chucked into cage trolleys, if your patient to go thru clothes then its worth a look, my arms got sore from sifting thru clothes piles. On the upside, when I visited clothes were weighed at $6/kg. I ended up with 4 items for $6 which was great.

*I previously shared some other shops here.

 

 

 

 

Outfit; Cameo off the shoulder top/ Melville markets, fushia pants/ Melville markets, bug earrings/ Garage sale trail 2 years ago & YSL makeup bag used as clutch/ opshop many years ago.

 

Have you scored any preloved bargains of late? Care to share any other hidden op shop gems in Perth?

 

Happy Sunday friends!

Grace