Category: Stuff

Wifey’s new clothes

/ Renae / Leave a comment

I don’t mind a spot of clothes shopping here and there, but since I had Chanbe, my body has changed somewhat and many of my old clothes didn’t quite fit right. So I culled. Big time. I donated all the clothes that I hadn’t worn since Chance was born, and many of the clothes I had been keeping “just in case my body morphs again and I fit into them some day.” I figure, in 10 years time after we’ve had our 7th baby (ha ha ha ha ha) I won’t be looking to fit into the clothes I had 10 years before. I’ll want to buy new stuff. So I let them go.

Some of the items hadn’t even been worn, as I had bought them years ago thinking “when I lose weight” blah blah blah. Well I did lose some weight a few years ago, but those things, mainly skirts, never suited my body type. So to Vinnies they went. In the last few weeks, I have been practically buying a new wardrobe. We had some money come in that we had been waiting for, and finally we could relax a bit with our super-strict budget, and splurge a little bit.

I still bought most of my stuff from KMart and Target, and as much as I love op-shopping, it was really lovely to buy some new stuff. I also bought some super-cute dresses on an online store (after trying stuff on at a shop to get my size) and I cannot wait for them to turn up! And it turns out that my complete body shape/type change has worked in my favour in many ways. First of all, I could never before fit into Target trousers, but the other day I bought 6 pairs of pants in the one go! 6!!! And I don’t mind saying, they look pretty darn cute!

This is one of the first times in my life that I have bought a whole bunch of clothes that fit beautifully right now. Not clothes that I buy because they’re on sale and they’re 1 or 2 sizes too small for me and I stash them in my cupboard and they sit there taunting me, waiting for me to lose the weight I keep promising myself I’ll lose. No. I’m buying for who I am right now, which means, also for the first time (maybe just in a long time) I’m accepting myself for who I am, and what I look like. Not just accepting, but loving. I tell you, as a girl who has struggled with body image for a looooonnnnng time, this is a damn nice place to be.

I can’t wait to show you some of the outfits!

blogging blah

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I haven’t been around much lately, I know. I just haven’t felt overly inspired to do much posting, even though I have half a dozen half-finished blog entries. I’m sure I’ll get back into the swing of things soon. We’ve just been traveling back and forth to Wang more than expected, and we have things on for the next 6 weekends, as well as having to go back to Wang regularly for the next 5 weeks. I feel like my time is being spent either packing or unpacking!

On a good note, Hubs has been giving me LOTS of sleep-ins and even a few breakfasts in bed for absolutely no reason (other than my being awesome! :-)) Our (not-so) little Chanbe is going great, and just rolls with our crazy lifestyle. Sleeping is still an “issue” (hence all the sleep ins I’m getting) but we’ll just keep plugging away.

I’ve spent this morning chatting on the phone and shopping on line for fun things, as well as giving our house a much-needed vacuum. I’m about to walk to childcare to pick Chance up and will hopefully meet Hubs for a coffee afterwards.

See? Really not much to blog about 🙂 But always some photos to share…

Chanbe helping Dadda

Father and Son on Fathers Day

Back again

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I’ve been a bit absent from my online life this week, as we have been back in Wang for Hubs’ studies. We had a great time catching up with friends and I had a great visit with my mothers group, and we got back to MB last night. I think the traveling is going to get a bit old (we need to go back to Wang next week from Tuesday night to Friday) but I really do enjoy catching up with my Wang buddies. The down side is, we’re still not settled in our new home! We just haven’t had the time to finish unpacking and shopping for furniture we need (bookshelves and set of drawers mainly) and then there’s the desire to not buy more stuff, which leaves us in a state of almost but not quite moved in to our new place.

Plus, it’s still ski season so I push Hubs out the door to go snowboarding as much as possible. (As if he protests…) He’s up at Hotham today with a couple of friends.

It’s only driving me a little crazy. For the most part it doesn’t matter too much, but this place is not completely child-proofed which means most of my day is spent keeping a very close eye on the little guy. He’s getting pretty quick now so I can’t just leave him and put the washing on without my heart racing a million miles an hour, and hoping he doesn’t find anything that he shouldn’t. He’s currently having a great time in the Jolly Jumper which gives me a few minutes to chill, but I can only leave him bouncing for so long.

On another note, we’re very much looking forward to spoiling Hubs tomorrow on his first Fathers Day! I was going to clean and tidy the place while he was away today and make it all shmicko for him, but that’s just not going to happen. I think I’ll have a little play now with Chanbe instead 🙂

In search of a village

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They say it takes a village to raise a child. I feel like I was just getting my “village people” together in Wang, and then we moved. I had my wonderful neighbour June, who doted on Chance as if he were her own grandson. She was always happy to take him for an hour or 2 while I did some housework/had a long shower/popped to the shops etc. This was so helpful and it helped me feel like I wasn’t alone, and that I was part of the community. Then there was my mum’s group who were always available for a de-brief or a sympathetic ear. Plus Hubs used to come home for lunch sometimes which broke the day up. Plus the weather was actually pretty nice a lot of the time, so going for walks was a pleasure.

I know that it will take time to establish ourselves in our new community, but I want it to happen NOW NOW NOW!! Because we had family and friends staying with us for the first couple of weeks, and then Hubs was still on holidays, and then I spent 2 weeks in Brisbane, this has been our first real week of our new life. And so far it’s a little lonely. We’ve met a couple of the doctors and their families, and I know that it will take (more) effort on my part, and it’s just a matter of time before I’ll have more to do during the day. Oh, and hopefully the weather will warm up soon! It rained all day yesterday which meant we were at home all day. I kept waiting for it to stop so I could go for a walk, but all of a sudden it was 5pm and time to start dinner.

The other thing that’s weighing heavily on my mind is childcare. Why do I feel guilty for wanting/needing to put Chance into care for a couple of half days a week so I can have some time to myself? So I can use that time to get on top of the housework (does that ever happen??) I just need to get over it. I have an appointment at the local childcare centre this afternoon to check it out. I was hoping to find a local family day care but the closest one is in Bright and that’s too far to make it worthwhile.

Wish me luck in my village-building!

It’s times like these…

/ Renae / 2 Comments

… that I wish I smoked.

Okay, so clearly that statement is untrue on pretty much every single level. Except for the fact that I am so restless and fidgety and stressed out at the moment, and I’ve started biting my nails again, and when I see smokers, inhaling deeply, they seem to blow away their troubles with that lungful of smoke.

And smoking is cool. Well, at least it used to be. Let’s not deny it people! James Dean anyone? Carrie Bradshaw? Why else would people smoke, if not to look cool*? I mean, it’s not like it tastes any good, or does your health any favours. Let’s all just admit it. There’s something cool and sexy about smoking. I know that’s why I experimented with cigarettes (I’m such a rebel) while I was at uni. A few of the people I hung out with at uni smoked while we were out drinking, so, being the little sheep that I can be, I gave it a whirl. And it was oh-so-foul, but you know, it was cool. I felt cool. I’m sure I looked like an idiot (I probably scrunched up my face from the yucky taste and didn’t inhale properly!) And it made me sick. I have asthma and I know it exacerbated it. I’m even quite convinced it gave me a horrible old man cough that stuck around for 18 months.

Why did I stop? I tried one while I was stone cold sober. That was it for me. I’ve never touched them since, and have reverted back to my snooty-nose face when I get stuck walking behind someone who is smoking, or when I’m on my way in to the hospital to visit Nanny, and all the smokers (and there are lots) are crowding around the gates to have their cigarettes because you can no longer smoke inside government grounds.

But to have that feeling of blowing all your problems away, into the wind, even if it’s just a feeling and not an actuality… Well. That is certainly appealing.

*obviously, apart from the whole addiction thing

30 hours

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In the last 30 hours, as well as having 7 (interrupted) hours of sleep, I have been busy in the kitchen making the following:

Shepherd’s pie
Bolognaise
Lamb stew (slow-cooked)
Chicken stew (slow-cooked after the lamb)
Pasta bake
Orange polenta cake

Oh yes. I’m taking the next month off cooking. Maybe not baking though. I may whip up a batch of either chocolate or oatmeal cookies tomorrow, depending on time. I still have to pack for Brisbane, as well as send a few emails and run a couple of errands, and spend time with Hubs before we depart early Wednesday morning. Unlike last time, we will drive from Wang to Melbourne airport. The thought of all the “legs” was too much this time around, and I’m relieved about that decision.

So much to do! But right now, it’s sleepy time. And by that, I mean I’ll be sleepy while Chanbe keeps me up 🙂

Thanks!

/ Renae / 1 Comment

Why thank you for all the compliments for the cake! I really had a great time making it – that’s the good thing about Chanbe going to bed around 6pm. I get the evenings to bake and cook to my heart’s content while Hubs plays studies on his computer. Tonight I spent 2.5 hours cooking meals to put in the freezer so Hubs has a few things to eat while I’m away, and so I don’t have to cook for a week (more like a month!) when I get back from Brisbane and we have to move.

Oh yeah, did I mention Chance and I are going to Brisbane for a week on Wednesday? I thought it would be good for Hubs to get some solid study and sleep done in preparation for his exams. The next month is going to be absolutely chaotic, with my trip to Brizzie, Hubs’ birthday (guess how old he’s turning!?) (and I’ll give you a hint – it’s not 23!), Hubs’ first 2 exams, our garage sale, (I’m SO EXCITED about that!), then some full-on packing needs to start, then Hubs’ third and final exam (yay!) then more packing (and culling I hope) and then we move the week of the 4th of July. That’s only 3 weeks and 1 day away. Yikes! I want to be “settled” in by that Friday – that’s the plan anyway. The thought of it all is giving me a massive headache, and I don’t know if and when I’ll have time to blog in the next wee while, so I’ll just have to play that one by ear. I’m glad I got my 500th post in though!

There is something I do want to share in the mean time. Last week I was going through some of my posts on this blog, reminiscing and reading about our adventures, when I stumbled upon this one. I looked up the movie I had mentioned, The Expendables, and Hubs and I ended up watching it last night.

It was awesome.

I do love a good action movie, and the best thing about this movie? One of the scenes had Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, and… wait for it… Arnold Shwarzenegger!!! I’m not even kidding! Where else can you get Bruce, Sly and Arnie teaming up like this! It was a thousand times better than The A Team movie (2 thumbs down from me) and just a whole lot of fun. 2 thumbs up if you want mind-blowing action and a star-studded cast.

I’m falling asleep at the keys now, so I’m going to call it a night. Looking forward to seeing a few of you while we’re up in Brizzie!

Toothy pegs

/ Renae / 1 Comment

Check out these little chompers!

Not nice to get your fingers (or worse!) caught in there I can tell you!
Pretty cool though hey!?
So I don’t know how it happened, but my 500th post is coming up! After putting so much thought and effort into my 400th, I don’t know that I can live up to my expectations. But you know me – I’ll give it a try 🙂

Cheap skate

/ Renae / 2 Comments

The thing about not having a lot of spare cash is that we tend to lean towards the cheaper “things” just to save a few dollars here and there. Problem is, more often than not we have to end up buying the more expensive “things” down the track because the cheap stuff is… well… it’s cheap. And nasty. We have had cheap buyer’s remorse for the following:

Shoes – cheap pairs that have lasted only 1 year instead of good pairs (e.g. Colorados) on special that will last years and years.
Fibre – yes, I take fibre every day. I’m old okay? I had Metamucil to start with, but the Chemart brand was on special for a huge $3 less so I bought it. And it tastes like cardboard. (Funny about that.) So it’s just sitting there… (pun anyone?)
Shampoo – the last 2 bottles of shampoo I bought were on special for $2.99. When I went to buy new bottle the other day, I splurged on the $5.99 because I’m sick of my hair feeling like straw.
Nappies – We put Chanbe in disposables over night, and I mostly buy Huggies because they seem to be the most absorbent and it means I don’t have to change nappies during the night due to leakage which, if you’re a parent, you know this is a bonus. I’ve bought the cheaper ones and have had a few explosions. Not fun.
Flights – we have bought a few cheap flights and flown in and out of the Gold Coast, in and out of Avalon, and have flown at 6am and 10pm. It’s worth the extra $50 not to have to do any or all of these things.

I think I’m getting better at being a bit more objective and thinking a bit more long-term, or at least the short long-term (long short-term?). I think in the end, it saves us more money if we fork out a little more at the start. This is how I talked Hubs into renting the house that was a bit more expensive, but fully-furnished. This way we don’t have to buy anything (well, not much!) and don’t have to waste time trying to get settled into a place that’s only half-furnished. This was a good decision. Plus did I mention how absolutely fabulous the kitchen is?? Happy Wifey, happy lifey. 🙂