stepford dreams

Up, up and away!

2010-05-26T08:03:00.002+10:00

Farewell for now my friends. As much as I love blogging and catching up on all the blogworld has to offer I have decided to take an indefinite break.

After many months of ill health and surgeries, I have decided to spend more time getting super healthy. I'm not sure if I'll be back to this blog or not, will play it by ear.

My darling Tinker is amazing as always. She adores preschool. She attends two days per week from 9 til 3. She absolutely loves it. From the very first day she has adored it. Never a tear or a "don't go Mama" she just loves playing with her classmates, learning from the teachers and she even loves the food. Who'd have thought my fussy eater would be one of the best eaters in the class?!

At 2 and a half she speaks like a 5 year old. Clearly and fluently and she continues to raise eyebrows with her quirky sense of humour and wit. She tells jokes and can read numbers 1 through 10, most of the alphabet and continues to love learning Mandarin. She is such a little star< I couldn't be more proud of my girl.

She often asks for a sibling so that is another project for Mama and Papa right now. Our lives are full, we are very lucky.

Take care everyone.

xx Carolyn

Hope & Cells

2010-04-12T20:03:00.005+10:00

It is the eve of my little Tinker's first day of pre-school so I thought I'd pop in and update you instead of spending any more time fiddling nervously with her little backpack for tomorrow!

Yes I survived last week, and yes I know I owe you some tales and pictures from our fabulous trip. Alas, real life has the audacity to get in the way of my blog posts.

Someone who read last week's post sent me an email asking me about my miscarriage. They made the point that "in the first trimester it isn't really a baby" and suggested I think not of it as the death of our child but rather a mass of cells.

I appreciate the thought, I take it this particular reader thought their advice might console me in some way, however I couldn't help but share their thoughts with you all. Especially after receiving so many emails from other readers who had suffered similar losses and said they found little understanding from their friends and families.

Everybody is different, and if I am to share with you my feelings about this, it would be to point out that a loss is a loss. It is the sudden end to a lifetime of hopes and dreams for a special little person. Whether that little person resembles a salamander in a sac of a fluid or looks a lot like your Uncle Ned, it doesn't matter. An unborn baby represents hope. From the moment you are blessed with a pregnancy your heart fills with dreams for this little person. If the baby dies before he gets the chance to meet you, he takes all of those dreams with him.

In my case, I had put a lot of weight on the fact that our baby was due around the one year anniversary of my dear friend Alli's death. It warmed my heart knowing that our special little baby would bring so much joy and hope to everyone remembering Alli a year after her death. So for me, losing this baby represents a lot.

It comes at a time when some people are moving on with their lives without Alli and for others, the 6month mark has been a very sad one. I'm in the latter group and after this happening, I am feeling a kind of double-grief. Missing so much, my beloved friend and soul mate and missing also, the hope of this new little life that represented so much for so many of us.

Tomorrow

2010-04-06T22:24:00.005+10:00

"Tomorrow can be a wonderful age."

That's what Walt Disney said when referring to Tomorrowland, one of the Magic Kingdom lands he created for his theme parks. We "did" the Hong Kong Disney on the first leg of our trip and then we finished off the Disney experience with a week at Disneyworld in Florida on the way home. Tinker is now Disney-mad.

In the photo above she is meeting Mickey for the first time. Would you believe she actually got tears in her eyes when she realised we were actually going to meet him for real? It was adorable.

The week before we left for Fiji we found out that little Tinker was to become a big sister in October. Such magical news. October will be one year since the passing of our dear Alli and what better way to brighten a tough month with the arrival of a new baby?

Sadly, it wasn't to be. I suffered some complications, a subchorionic hemorrhage that lasted a week and horribly ended in the passing of our dear little baby when we were in London. People are hesitant to talk about miscarriage. I'm not really sure why. I guess the term implies some sort of negligence. I miscarried my baby. I carried my baby badly so he died. That sort of idea? It's a stupid word isn't it- miscarriage? Anyway, I'm not one of those people. Death is part of life and it serves nobody to pretend it doesn't happen.

For me, tomorrow will be a tough day. It marks the 6th month since Alli's death and it is also the day we close the chapter on the pregnancy that wasn't to be because I am having to undergo a surgical removal. Graphic terms really, don't you think? Not as stupid as the term they used on my pre-admission form today - "retained products". What? Products of conception. Oh I see.

Nice.

Anyway, tomorrow IS a new day and tomorrow can be a wonderful age.

I'll be back. xx

Jetsetters

2010-04-04T21:13:00.002+10:00

What kind of sneaky blogger says they are back and then vanishes for 6 weeks?
Me!

My husband left his job after 14 years and we decided to take the Fiji trip I mentioned in my last post. A week later, on a bit of a whim we booked a 5 week round the world trip. So that's where I've been. The three of us arrived home today, and gosh I have loads of stories and pictures to share.

Life returns to normal in two days time. My husband starts his new job and I'l be back to bang on about my nutty little life.

See you all then.

Three Bs

2010-02-21T21:38:00.003+11:00

Back. Bigger. Better.

Ok so I achieved 1 out of 3 of my promised Bs. I'm Back. Not bigger nor better, but I said I'd be back in February and we have a week of February left, so here I am.

I'm so out of the blogging loop that I'm not even sure where to begin today.

Thank you to everyone who sent me emails of support, kindness and friendship after my last blog post following the passing of my beloved best friend Alli. I'm sorry I couldn't reply to all of you, I did read them all and it was so touching to know that people from all over the world had sent their love.

I have enjoyed my time offline but I'm pleased to back sharing my stories and cruising the blogosphere again. In the past five months my life has bounced up and down and up again. Constant, has been the love of family and friends and the really wonderful times I have with my little Tinker.

Here we are below last week in Fiji enjoying a little family escape. My husband captured such a peaceful moment, we had a really relaxing time. Unless you count the feral hyper child on the plane. That sweet little redhead of mine is a hideous plane traveller!

I'll be back soon with more news. So much has happened, I'm not even sure where to begin blogging again. I will put my thinking cap on with regards to achieving the other two Bs as promised.

Stepford Dreams News Flash!

2010-01-18T22:16:00.002+11:00

News flash! My blog will be back, bigger and better than ever in February.

I've missed you all and can't wait to catch up again soon.

Til then, that's all folks!

xCarolyn

Alli Crane 1981 - 2009

2009-10-07T09:15:00.000+11:00

In loving memory of my beloved best friend, Tinker's adored Godmother.

Alli passed away yesterday after a long and courageous fight with cancer.

Now she can finally rest peacefully.

I will miss her always, forever my best friend, soulmate, Tinker's Godmother.

This photo was taken just a few weeks ago. Special memories.

ring ring Anyone there?

2009-09-08T22:27:00.003+10:00

Hi *big daggy wave* remember me?

My surgery had to be cancelled because of an annoying infection in my lungs and now what was to be one little op is now going to be two little ops so I'm taking a little more time out while we work out the schedule of those and fuss about with phone calls to my favourite people ever.

Hope you don't mind? I promise I'll be back soonish. I'll try to update my twitter account as well.

My beautiful best friend Alli is in the hospital and she is very very ill so if you are the praying type I'd ask you to please get your prayers on and if you are not the praying type then please keep our beautiful girl in your thoughts.

xxCarolyn

image credit www.mauronne.com

Farewell for a Fortnight

2009-08-28T11:02:00.001+10:00

This beautiful image is courtesy of etsy seller lynndavis. Stunning isn't it?

My friends I bid you farewell for a very short while. I will be back on the 14th September, bigger and better. Ok well I'd prefer to be thinner and better but with all the genius inventions going on at my place I reckon I'll be double my size in 2 weeks.

I am having an operation and I'll be out of action for a wee while. Don't worry I'll be just fine and I'll be back soon. I have a few exciting projects to share with you all on my return. Take care and I'll see you soon.

Just don't ditch me for any of those perfect glamazon super mum blogs while I'm gone will you?

x Carolyn

It's Time for Another Winner!

2009-08-28T10:19:00.006+10:00

This week's amazing giveaway had me wishing I could enter myself! I adore Gingerlilly Sleepwear, the fabric, the colours, the sexy but comfy designs and of course the gorgeous matching gift boxes...

Someone is about to feel very very lucky. The little Tinker picked the winner first thing this morning under the watchful gaze of Henry and Beatrice. So, who won?

*click pictures to enlarge*

The 5th entrant. Who was that? Quick go back and count down...

Simone you lucky duck, you are the winner!! Shoot me an email with your size and address and I will forward the details on to the lovely Vanessa so she can send out your prize.

Thank you all for entering and providing such great comment about sleepwear design I think they will really be interest to Vanessa and her team.

Of course the biggest thanks goes to Vanessa, thank you again for supporting Stepford Dreams with your amazing Gingerlilly Sleepwear. We love your store! xx

Fast Friday Funny - Tinker's Pick

2009-08-28T09:03:00.003+10:00

The little Tinker is mad about funny animal videos on YouTube. I made the mistake of showing her one video of a swimming cat and ever since, she demands a new video once a day. Today's video is this silly fat cat dancing. She howls laughing and says "ok now watch it again please" over and over again. So you can thank Tinker for this week's FFF.

Have a great Friday and a great weekend!

My kind of Kingston

2009-08-27T13:21:00.005+10:00

Not one to blow my own horn, well not too loudly anyway... however on this occasion I feel that it is warranted. I have invented something so spectacular, something so ingenious that I may have to shut down this blog to keep up with the hoards of fans I'm likely to get once I tell you about my latest feat of brilliance.

For the non-Aussies, it may not be clear why this is so fantastic but if you have ever tried a Kingston biscuit you will know that it is impossible to keep a packet in your pantry for more than oh 12 hours. Right?

Well yesterday in a flash of creativity I created my very own Kingston biscuit only it's better. Seriously. Masterchef watch out because I am now the champion. Those two blonde bogans with the patronising piercing voices from QLD who are famous for 4 ingredient recipes also need to watch out because this brilliant invention requires only 2 ingredients.

ANZAC biscuits and Nutella. Genius.

Get 2 ANZAC biscuits and put 2 spoonfuls of Nutella between them. That is all you need to do. Now, step away from the computer, go to your pantry and try it. What kind of Aussie mum has a pantry lacking ANZAC biscuits? Now get your Nutella and get going.

All those size zero glamazon mummies with your 26 children in matching outfits, your perfect show homes and your handmade, home made fancy pants everything can go and sulk in the corner with your pipe cleaners and home made spelt pretzels because this invention trumps everything.

I dare you to come back here and tell me I'm not not a genius.

edited to add:

I've had quite a few emails from some of my overseas readers. Now don't panic. You will not miss out on my genius because the ANZAC spirit is lacking in your "cookie" aisle. Yes we say biscuit and you say cookie. Click here for my previous ANZAC post, if you scroll down you will see I have a really dead easy recipe for you to make the ANZAC biscuits at home. Even I can't ruin them, easy easy easy.

Tinker's Threads - Clown is Cool

2009-08-27T07:17:00.002+10:00

So the little cheeky one chose the top today, can you tell? She loves it.
If you are interested in buying one let me know and I'll fish out the link. I bought this top when I was pregnant they have such fun prints there. Such a sweet little design as well.

She also loves shuffling about the house in her little leather elephant slippers from NZ. Tinker is big fan of elephants after visiting an elephant rehab farm in Chiang Mai. If anyone is interested I will post up some snaps from that holiday.

*click to enlarge pictures*

Ahoy there!

2009-08-26T11:23:00.003+10:00

image credit PeppermintDaydreams via etsy

Don't worry I'm not lost at sea.

I've received a few very kind emails asking where on earth I've gone. Hey it's only Wednesday people!!

Anyway I'm not lost at sea somewhere I'm still here and thank you for asking after me.

We have an outrageous number of things on this week. Nothing thrilling though just tedious errands mainly. Little Tinker is finally on the mend which makes things easier. I'll be back shortly to update you all on the happenings at StepfordDreams.com.

In the meantime have a happy Wednesday and don't forget this week's lovely giveaway!

xCarolyn

Monday Giveaway - Gingerlilly PJs For YOU!

2009-08-24T04:19:00.002+10:00

I am thrilled to be offering my second giveaway of Gingerlilly Sleepwear, only this time the pjs are not for the little one in your life, they are for you! Perfect pick me up for the start of the week, don't you think?

Gingerlilly Sleepwear is a fabulous Australian company founded by the very gorgeous Vanessa Sofia who has worked in the fashion industry for 15 years both here and overseas. She knows what women want when it comes to sleepwear, I love her store. There is something at Gingerlilly for everyone. Babies, kids, men and women. Stylish, high quality pjs are a must for everyone.

Last time so many of you mentioned how much you loved the look of the Claudia set and the very lovely Vanessa from Gingerlilly has kindly offered a set of Claudia Pjs for one lucky Stepford Dreams reader. These are super stylish, super soft and definitely sexy. Perfect pyjamas, no?

Valued at $89.95 this is an awesome prize!

To win, all you need to do is this:

1. Check out Gingerlilly's online store here and tell me what you love about it and

2. Tell me what you love when it comes to sleepwear. Is it the fabric, the cut, colour, style... Tell me your favourite features. Easy as that!

This gorgeous boxed set of Claudia Sleepwear could be yours!

As always the winner will be drawn by the Tinker on Friday morning. Entries close at 5am Sydney time on Friday and you can only enter once. If you are the lucky winner you will have until 5pm Monday to claim your prize or the next lucky duck in the pond gets it! Spread the word, everyone can enter. You don't need to be an official follower of my blog. Everyone is welcome it doesn't matter where you live in the world. Good luck!

A winner in a cocoon? Yep!

2009-08-21T17:55:00.004+10:00

I'm afraid my trusty sidekick is out of action today. The Tinker has the flu. She is awfully unwell and has spent most of the day snuggled under a blanket with saying nothing but a sad little whimper. Even a jelly bean and a yellow snake lolly couldn't coax her to sit up. She really has it bad, poor little lamb.

Anyway the show must go on so I managed to score a really amazing supermodel to stand in for Tinker. Strange coincidence... the supermodel actually owns the same pink cardigan and the same Ikea apron as I do. Weird that.

Here we have the supermodel using Tinker's cup to pick the winner of our outrageously cute cocoon giveaway from Megan at Edan Rose.

*click to enlarge*

**Amy** it is YOU!

Please shoot me an email with your address and colour choice and I will pass your details on to Megan so she can send you your gorgeous prize.

Thanks again to Megan, I love supporting other mummies and I wish your fabulous store lots of luck!

Now, I must get back to my poorly bear. I'll see you all again on Monday. Bright and early for another amazing giveaway. Please tune in, you won't want to miss this one I promise. xx

Fast Friday Funny - I've found my match

2009-08-21T02:20:00.000+10:00

So my husband and I often joke that Tinker may end up having an amazing singing voice. It will go one of two ways. Both my husband and I have HORRID singing voices, possible the worst two in Australia so our procreation could result in the world's worst singer or maybe just maybe it will work the other way. The Tinker could be very gifted...

For me, there is no hope. I cannot sing. I've always been hopeless and I always will be but this girl here, this young Chinese girl has potential. Ok I'm being facetious. She is possibly as bad or maybe even worse than me. The difference between us is that I know I can't sing. Very funny. Watch and see:

I'll be back later today to draw the winner of our giveaway. My Tinker is really sick so I don't know how helpful she will be I may need to rope Henry or Beatrice in her place.

Want to have a whale of a time? Get your jugs out!

2009-08-20T08:55:00.008+10:00

So I was sitting down enjoying a cup of hot tea this morning. Why do I mention the fact that my tea was hot? Because lately I have been drinking lukewarm tea thanks to the constant interruptions of a certain engaging redhead. Anyway I was enjoying my break while her Grandad took her out on a walk and Viv's latest post featuring a nice jug reminded me of a post I wanted to write.

I have a thing for jugs. Get your filthy minds out of the gutter, you know who you are! I am talking about jugs usually called pitchers by my yank friends. I can't explain what it is about this piece of tableware but I'm a big fan.

One of my favourite wedding gifts was a pewter water jug by South African sculptor Carol Boyes. Here is a similar one:

My friend Glen received an awesome jug for his birthday last week and I thought I'd share it with you. It is a piece by American pottery guru Jonathan Adler.

Now I'm sure all you cool American readers know this fellow already but I'm slow off the mark and I must say I've totally fallen for him. He can be my new gay-husband. He is fabulous I love his work.

I don't know where to find Jonathan's pieces here in Australia but I will keep an eye out and maybe I'll just have to fire up that American post office box again. You know the secret shopping one I leased and successfully hid from my husband for almost a year? Now that was a cunning covert operation let me tell you!

This is the whale jug that Glen's sister bought for him and I have decided that I absolutely need one of my very own.

They also have a gorgeous matching butter dish. Again a piece of tableware I have a freaky fascination for. How can you not love a butter dish? I also love butter knives.

Freak alert. I know. But it could be worse couldn't it? It's not like I'm Angelina that time she revealed her love for knife throwing and bondage is it?

Anyway girls, get your jugs out because they are gorgeous not just for drinks but for holding a bunch of cute flowers picked fresh from your very own garden. Tinker is obsessed with picking the nastertions from our weed infested garden. They actually have a really beautiful scent. The ones we have here are bright orange but otherwise identical to this one pictured below.

Have a very happy Thursday, I will see you all again tomorrow. Please make sure you enter my giveaway today. Tinker will be drawing the winner tomorrow. Who doesn't love a cute baby gift? These little cocoons are ideal as gifts for baby showers and new babies. So sweet, so snug. xx

Tinker's Threads - Choc & Mauve

2009-08-20T01:44:00.000+10:00

Well the little Tinker sure has her favourites. When it comes to accessories she really loves her owl hairclip and her brown knitted vest. At least they go well together I suppose, but she has so much choice, why the repetition?! With me the reason I keep wearing the same things over and over again can be blamed entirely on the fact that I'm still sporting about 8 kilos of baby-weight that I just can't shake & I refuse to go shopping in my inflated size. My old clothes don't fit so I am stuck with a rather limited wardrobe. Stubborn? Stingy? A bit of both I think. Either way I need to snap out of it and lose the spare tyre before her 2nd birthday or I'll completely lose my mind. Or my fashion mojo.

**click pictures to enlarge**

Red, mauve and brown all working well. Who'd have thunk it? That said, the Tinker looks cute in any combination of colours. Well, that's what I think anyway. Stay tuned for more trend tips from the Tinker. xx

What's for Dinner Wednesday? Curry!

2009-08-19T12:28:00.007+10:00

Chicken curry and a confession.

I am a thief. I stole this recipe from Australian Good Taste magazine but that isn't even the half of it. I stole the magazine from the waiting room at my doctor's office. Horrified? I couldn't leave it behind I had to have it. I'm sorry universe.

So you know what I did? I swapped it for my current Vogue magazine. I had it in my bag ready to read while I was waiting. I made the ultimate sacrifice. I exchanged style for sustenance. It says a lot about who I am these days doesn't it? Ok so it says I'm a thief but it also says that when you become a mum your priorities totally shift. Amen to that. Bye Anna Wintour, hello Donna Hay.

Thai Chicken Curry

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp vegetable oil

300g chicken tenderloins halved crossways

1 tbsp yellow curry paste

1 onion, halved and cut into thin wedges

250ml (1 cup) light coconut milk

80ml (1/3 cup) water

150g green beans, topped and halved

1 red capsicum thinly sliced

1 zucchini thinly sliced

fresh coriander to serve

steamed rice

METHOD

1. heat oil in wok over medium heat til smoking. Add chicken cook 2 mins til golden.

2. Add curry paste and onion. Stir fry til onion is soft.

3. Add coconut milk and water, bring to the boil. Cook 3 mins. Add beans, capsicum and zucchini cook for 2 mins. Beans should be bright green and chicken cooked through.

4. Divide into 4 bowls serve with rice and top with coriander.

EASY mid-week meal and cheap too $3.79 per serve!

Parenting Blog Envy

2009-08-18T21:14:00.006+10:00

Strange topic, I know, but I wonder if anyone can relate. The more I blog and discover other blogs (addictive isn't it?) I find myself feeling a rather familiar but unpleasant sensation. Envy.

At university I was always envious of those super chic girls who managed to look fabulous AND win every law school medal all at the same time. While I fumbled with a bulky bag and sneakers and hovered on a credit average. Seriously how did they manage perfect blow dries and heels for 9am lectures? Did they all have cars and parking spots while I schlepped in on the train?

In high school I was envious of the girls who always had the cool clothes and the boyfriends... It wasn't until year 12 that I snagged a boyfriend and even then he was definitely a freak. What was I thinking? Yes I realise that in retrospect a Timberland sweatshirt and bootleg jeans really were hideous but that didn't stop my turning green wishing I owned my very own set.

Now here I am almost thirty, a mother and I'm meant to be all mature. My outlook should be laid back and wise, my feelings tempered and virtuous yet I find myself green with envy again. So what sends me into an emerald hue these days? Well you know those blogs written by other mummies, the really perfect ones? The thin and pretty ones who manage to post these amazingly styled photos of their many children while juggling crafting and cooking and whatever else these supermums manage to fit into their days? And here I am with only one child and I can't manage a tenth of that. Maybe I take the easy route with my daily activities? I don't like chaos. I'm a big fan or order, I like everything to be just so...

Seriously on a practical lever I want to know HOW they do it? While they are gluing pipe cleaners onto egg shells and baking bread from scratch where are their kids? Who is wiping noses, changing nappies and playing pretend with the good cutlery? Who is folding the washing, walking the dogs, making the beds, reading Bumbletum and replying to emails? Who? I just don't get how they do it all?

Does everyone else have armies of staff they just don't mention on their blogs? Or is it just me? Am I just a hopelessly inefficient, chubby, sloth of a housewife? What's going on? I only get 24 hours in my day does everyone else get more? And while I'm there, am I the only blogger who has no web design capabilities? All I see these days are fancypants blogs, stunning bloggers with oodles of time to craft and sew and I can't seem to get my act together to handle more than one play date a week let alone find my sewing machine or get my husband's shirts washed on time. I feel like there might be a conspiracy and nobody is filling me in.

Job Interviews

2009-08-17T22:19:00.004+10:00

I'm lucky Tinker likes me because if I had to go out and interview for a new job I think I'd have to top myself on the way there. You cannot imagine how much I despise job interviews. It might have something to do with my hatred of HR people in general or maybe it is my aversion to team sports and musical instruments? Either way I make for a lousy job applicant. I always have.

Back when I was at university and I joined the manic rush for a summer clerkship at a prestigious corporate law firm, I sold my soul for a day and went to an interview at the firm made famous in Sydney for its unscrupulous document shredding.

At the interview high up in the Wintergarden overlooking our beautiful city sat me, about 20 gallons of lipgloss (what was I thinking?) some HR twit and one of the partners from the M&A team. The partner seemed to like me, we made some lame small talk about how his sons went to Riverview and how I kicked their school's pansy ass in a debating comp in tenth grade and I think I may have spun a story about playing the violin or was it the cello? It had strings anyway.

He seemed to be coming to the end of his questions when he flicked through my application again and asked "so Carolyn you said here that our firm is progressive. What exactly did you mean by that?"

I don't think I even stopped to take a breath. I wish I had. My instant reply?

"Progressive? Oh that's just an HR catchphrase I threw in there."

The coiffed cow from HR dropped her clicky pen. It rolled across the jarrah table towards the partner. It may have hit one of his pieces of paper, I'm not sure. I was too busy swallowing my own tongue and praying for terrorists to fly a plane into the building. "I'm sorry?" he asked. But it was too late for a second chance then. I knew I'd blown it so I gulped, smiled and said "that's right. It's just an HR catchphrase I used to bulk up my application. I'm not sure I can really think of anything that makes this firm progressive to me."

And with that, I was ushered out, never to return.

I have pages and pages of similar tales but the bottom line is that I don't interview well at all. It's just not something that works well for me, I'm brutally blunt and not at all good when it comes to talking myself up. I hate it so much that I become a defiant mouthy little rat. So, just another reason why I love love love being a housewife. Please house, don't ever divorce me? No more interviews!

So tell me, do you have any shocking interview blunders?

Is this your lucky day?

2009-08-17T21:19:00.004+10:00

Ok it's redraw time, this is your second chance to win something gorgeous from Honeybunch Designs and Ivy Designs!
My able helper is very busy catching up on her beauty sleep so I have turned to a far less pretty helper. Mr random.

So, here we go the winner of the Honeybunch Designs giveaway is:

The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator.

#4 so that means Cloth Paper Stitches, you are the winner of our Honeybunch Designs prize.

And the winner of the Ivy Designs giveaway is:

The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator.

#9 So that means Mrs Clarkson you are the winner!

Shoot me an email to claim your prizes! xx

Ok so I have just looked at these pictures and for some reason (probably something to do with my technostupidity) you can't see the winner generated but I can. You will have to trust me on those numbers! Meh. The Tinker does a far better job than the silly random generator.

Monday Giveaway- Baby Cocoon

2009-08-17T01:46:00.004+10:00

Top of the morning to you all! It's Monday again *groan* but that also means it is time for another great giveaway here *cheer*. So cheer up Charlie the working week isn't all bad.

The very lovely WAHM Megan from Edan Rose contacted me recently to tell me about her very clever little baby cocoons. Now, Tinker and I have moved on from all the soft cuddly newborn things and onto the loud, fast, bouncy delights of toddlerhood but I am still partial to a great newbie gift idea and I think Megan's baby cocoons are fabulous.

Edan Rose Cocoons are handkitted pieces of glowworm goodness! All little babies love being swaddled nice and tight just like in the womb. Perfect in the pram or out and about to keep bubby warm. Made of a acrylic, wool and nylon blend so they are durable and soft. Megan recommends using a light wrap under the cocoon for sleeping so that little fingers and toes don't escape through the knit (although this is very cute!)

Cocoons prevent the newborn startle reflex from waking baby. You know how I love anything that promotes more sleep!

To use, simply roll the cocoon down and place baby in feet first and then roll the cocoon up and over baby making sure babies head is exposed.

Photographers will love these for new baby photo shoots as well! Valued at $35 they are a great gift.

I love to support other Aussie mums, and with three little ones at home and a successful craft business I think Megan deserves a Stepford Dreams gold star. You can find her here.

To win your very own Edan Rose cocoon all you need to do is check out her Madeit store for Aussie shoppers OR her Etsy store for OS shoppers. Leave a comment below telling me what you love about these adorable cocoons. Easy! Tinker will draw the winner on Friday.

***************

Now, while we are on the topic of giveaways I thought I might mention a few NEW conditions for my weekly giveaways. Entries will always close at 5am Friday (Sydney time) and the winner must check the winner announcements to see if they have won. I'm too cool to chase unless you are Jude Law then maybe I'll shoot you an email. Winner must email me by 5pm Monday or the prize will be forfeited and redrawn on Monday afternoon.

I have two redraws to do this afternoon so stay tuned!

Little Boy Bedding- By Request

2009-08-16T20:57:00.007+10:00

Last week Simone left me a comment here asking about my tips for funky bedding for little boys. Something perfect for her toddler, not too babyish but not too grown up. Something stylish? I think so. How about these, Simone?

Red & Blue Stripes with a hint of Cowboy

This stylish ensemble is from one of my favourites- Red Plum Linen. Red and blue stripes will outlast the toddler years and the cowboy print makes it fun. Made in Australia, beautiful quality, stylish prints and lots of custom features you really can't go wrong.

Robot chic with a touch of Orange

Robots are cool. Just ask Tinker, she has a crush on Plex from Yo Gabba Gabba. This gorgeous bedding is from The Land of Nod. An American online store (they ship here don't worry) with really funky bedding, toys and furniture. Tinker has some beautiful cot bedding from here and some really well made toys as well. Big tick from me!

Chesnut Hill in Deep Water

Now this IS cool. Etsy seller Tiptoe Studio creates custom listings for your baby or toddler. So many fabrics to choose from, these feature some of my personal favourites from the very clever Joel Dewberry range. This is perfect for an ultra stylish little boy's room. Once you add some cute toys and little boy furniture I think this is the kind of bedding to last him a very long time.

Cheap & Cheerful Cars

This funky car bedding set is from our favourite bunch of Swedes. IKEA. For $30 you can't go past this cute ensemble for great value for money. Not too heavy with the primary colours and team it with some bespoke cushions and maybe a folded quilt and this will be a bed fit for a prince. Tinker loves cars and trucks, you all know about her funny knock knock joke!

It's Winner Day Again!

2009-08-14T15:46:00.007+10:00

Such a fabulous response to our Cookshop Plus Giveaway. Thank you again to the lovely Caroline who now has a great blog which you can find here. Who doesn't love amazing things in their kitchen? This was such a fabulous prize I am sad to pack it up and send it off! Anyway let's draw the winner, Tinker style. I used a Pyrex jug, my try-hard attempt at keeping the theme kitchenish. Shut up I know creativity has never been my strong suit.

Complete with cookie crumbs and crayon under her nails the little Tink picked a winner...

Permanently Twenty Three it's you! Please shoot me an email with your address and I'll send your prize out to you. While I'm talking about prizes, last week's winner has not yet emailed me. I am going to start a new rule on MOnday that people have 3 days to make contact otherwise Tinker redraws!! So Digella you'd better get your skates on my friend!

I really hope everyone has a great weekend. Here in Sydney we are expecting summer weather for this strange winter weekend. I think I heard 28 degrees C on Sunday! It's August, hello! Lucky people us Sydney-siders. Make sure you all return on Monday for ANOTHER great giveaway. xx Carolyn

Fast Friday Funny - Telemarketers

2009-08-14T01:40:00.002+10:00

Usually I say "no thank you" and hang up on telemarketers but I think I might have something really special up my sleeve after seeing this amusing video below. Check it out. I think this Fast Friday Funny will definitely make you smile. For the non-aussies, turn the sound up because the accents are rather broad Australian ones so you'll want to hear it clearly.

I will be back later this afternoon. Yes, I know you are all itching to hear who wins the amazing giveaway this week!
As some of you know I have managed to secure an appointment with the famous neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo for my beautiful best friend Alli. We are headed there today. Please continue to pray for her, cancer is evil but Alli has a fighting spirit, with all of your good thoughts she will get through.
xx

Tinker's Threads - Aqua Eclectic

2009-08-13T05:33:00.000+10:00

So today the Tinker went for a cute combination of chocolate brown, pink and aqua with a hint of white. As always she is outrageously hip and amazingly cute. Yes I am allowed to say so because she is not me so I don't think singing the praises of one's child is akin to buying tickets on oneself... least I hope not because all I do is bang on about how she amazes me with her cuteness.

*click to enlarge*

Yesterday my mum heard the Tinker telling herself a knock-knock joke and chuckling. Apparently she was knocking on the lid of a box saying "knock knock" and in a high pitched voice she asked who was there and then in her normal voice replied "cargo" and then in her high pitched voice said "cargo who?" and she replied "car go broom broom" then proceeded to chuckle.

I've never taught her that knock knock joke so I was a bit bemused, until Mum says it is on one of the children's shows the Tinker watched once when Yo Gabba Gabba wasn't on. There you go, kids watching TV isn't all bad. Not only does it mean you can have a wee without an audience, it also means your children learn hilarious knock knock jokes. An oxymoron really. Does anyone find knock knock jokes funny?

Anyway it is Thursday and you know what that means? Tomorrow is Friday and I will be drawing the winner of my giveaway on Friday. Today is your last chance to enter. I will close entries at 9am Friday ok? Tinker will draw the winner in the afternoon. Good luck. Click here to enter.

What's for Dinner Wednesday? Nothing!

2009-08-12T10:46:00.004+10:00

I don't have a recipe for you today because I'm back on my cooking strike. Don't ask. It involves schnitzel. Again.

So that you don't think I'm totally slack I have a double dose of Tinker's Threads this week. One today and one tomorrow. What more could you ask for? Ok so you'd probably ask for a lot more than to know what some weird blogger's kid is wearing but that's all I've got this week.

So here is my Tinker today I hope you have a brilliant Wednesday. Please keep Alli in your thoughts. xx

*just click on the image to enlarge it*

Tuesday Snapshot- Gingerbread

2009-08-11T12:53:00.007+10:00

One photo to describe an entire day?

Since today is only half done I can only say that this picture tells you enough about my morning. One word. Food. Some people when faced with stress & sadness, find it impossible to eat. They lose oodles of weight. The only oodles going down at my place are oodles of noodles. When stressed I eat. And eat. And eat. And eat. Oh why couldn't I be to the too stressed to eat type?

This morning on my way out to visit Alli at the hospital with Tinker my friendly postie delivered a small box. I was so excited to find a box of homemade gingerbread men inside. My wonderful friend Cazz sent them to cheer me up.

Now lets not even start on the fact that she manages to juggle two kids a demanding part time job and a husband and a home AND bakes and decorates armies of gingerbread men in her spare time.

So tell me, what cheers you up? Are you another unfortunate type like me who can never tire of sweets?

Oh and I'm sorry posts are a little light on the ground this week my plate is huge but perhaps not quite huge enough for all this food! Please keep praying for Alli she needs your thoughts and prayers right now. xx

Monday Giveaway - Cookshop Plus!

2009-08-10T02:36:00.000+10:00

Following last week's mega giveaway I am pleased to report that I can brighten your Monday morning with an equally fabulous prize!

From the very fine people at Cookshop Plus in Bowral particularly one of their most brilliant staff and one of my dearest friends- Caroline, we have for you a fabulous box of goodies.

From Zero Teapots, Japan's leading teapot manufacturer we have the ultimate in solo tea-lover's gadgets. Forget those fugly bulky things you add to the top of your clunky mug. This single person teapot is stunning. If you are like me and you love your tea but nobody else at home does then this flawless porcelain teapot is ideal. Sometimes the Japanese do create some really wacky things but come on, this teapot is clever and cute. It has a removable stainless mesh strainer that covers the opening on the inside of the pot where the spout joins the body. Allowing your tea maximum contact with the water so the leaves are strained as you pour. Genius! Go on, stop buying your daggy teabags and go back to leaves! You know you want to. RRP $54.95

As well as your beautiful shiny red teapot you get this adorable red trimmed natural fibre oven mitt. This isn't just any old oven mitt. This is fit for a queen. THE Queen. Seriously. You know you've got yourself a fancypants oven mitt when the label is stamped with this, the Royal Warrant:

This is clearly the only oven mitt a true devotee of Stepford Dreams would be seen wearing. Plus, it matches your teapot. What more could you want? RRP $14.95It doesn't stop here. From the Barefoot Contessa's kitchen we have her famous Outrageous Brownie Mix. This isn't any old packet mix. If you are not familiar with Ina Garten you must google her, she is an amazing cook. Of her brownie recipe she says “I tested this recipe so many times that I am positive it is the best brownie recipe you will find.” These brownies are rich, dark, chewy and with just the subtlest hint of coffee…these brownies are incredible! And this box mix makes them easy to bake. Great to have on hand to make a fabulous dessert for guests or when you’re craving a sweet treat. RRP $17.95

Cookshop Plus is one of Australia's premier kitchenware boutiques. They stock all the major kitchenware brands, plus a new range of exclusive imported products from America, including an extensive range of Stonewall Kitchen. After a move and a major renovation, the shop has undergone a transformation into homeware heaven, with everything from Conran towels to Mauviel Copperware, and (just arrived) one of Australia's most extensive ranges of Nordic Bakeware. Located in the gorgeous Southern Highlands of NSW, Cookshop Plus is a fabulous shopping experience for the home chef (and Stepford Dreamer).

To enter all you need to do is visit their online store HERE or if you are local, pop in and have a look around in person. Leave me a comment below telling me what your kitchen needs from Cookshop Plus. I don't think you will have any trouble, I am lusting over everything from the Lintex napery to the Zyliss Salad Spinner and the Soulfood Liquid Smoke. I love this store!

As with all my giveaways, the Tinker will draw the winner on Friday and everyone can enter. It doesn't matter where you live or if you are a follower or not. You know I hate blogs that make you jump through hoops for giveaways, so go on enter this week!

A Winner- Ivy Designs Giveaway

2009-08-07T14:51:00.006+10:00

What an overwhelming response to my beautiful Ivy Designs giveaway. I'm pretty sure Wynona was blown away with all the wonderful feedback you gave her! Thank you all for entering, I hope you will all try again next Monday when I announce another massive giveaway.

Ok I'll stop talking and start posting... I know you all want to see who won!

Digella, It's you! Email me your address and I'll post it today.

Have a great weekend everyone, make sure you tune in again on Monday for another amazing giveaway.

Fast Friday Funny- Breast Feeding Doll

2009-08-06T14:57:00.007+10:00

image credit berjuan

Okey dokey so there has been a fair bit of uproar about this Spanish dolly Bebe Gloton. She is a little baby doll who comes with a set of almost-breasts for your child to strap on and use to breast feed the dolly.

Ok so by "almost breasts" I am referring to the crop top with two flowers on the front in place of nipples. When the child holds the dolly up to the flowers the dolly begins to make sucking motions.

Seriously!

People have been horrified by this. Frankly I find it quite amusing and I'm not sure I'm upset by it at all. We have dollies who do little poos and pees in little fake potties. We have dollies who come with bottles of milk, we have dollies who come with fake solid food and we have dollies who swim in the bath. Why is this any different?

Not saying I'm going to buy one puh-lease, but I don't see what the furore is about? How is breastfeeding a sexual thing? That's perverted! It's a feeding issue like the bottle.

I can't even link you through to the doll's official website because it has collapsed due the pressure of a gazillion more hits than ever anticipated, but believe me it's a real doll!

Here is a link to a demo video of Bebe Gloton on youtube.

Anyway it is my fast friday funny for this week and stay tuned I will be back later with the winner of our massive giveaway.

For those who follow me on Twitter, thank you for your prayers and support. Keep on praying for Alli. If you or someone you know has contact with Dr Charlie Teo please email asap thanks x

Ivy Designs Update

2009-08-06T08:20:00.004+10:00

For those slow coaches who haven't caught onto this week's giveaway you'd better hurry because Tinker is drawing the winner tomorrow. Just click here to enter, it is as easy as ever. There has to be a winner, shouldn't it be you? Give it a try!

You know I hate those stupid giveaways that make you jump through hoops. I saw one last week for a dog's lead I think it was. To enter would have taken at least 20 minutes and you'd need to follow this and that tweet this, comment here, read this. Blah blah. I promise never to do that.

It is a particularly good time to check out my giveaway link because Ivy Designs is having a massive sale. Wonderful winter stock is making way for some seriously cool summer stuff so get in quick and stock up for next winter while you can.

Just click here to shop shop shop. You know you want to!

Tinker's Threads- Some Early 80's Cool

2009-08-06T08:00:00.004+10:00

For those who follow me on Twitter you'll know it's been a bit of a rat rat ratty week so forgive me if posts are little light on the ground.

To bring a little smile to your dial I have a couple of cute pics here. The little Tinker modelling something I wore for most of 1980-81.

She is so fashion forward my kid, she rocks whatever she wears doesn't she? Especially my *ahem* vintage gear. Seriously am I that old that my baby clothes are now vintage? Surely not?

*Just click picture to enlarge*

What's for Dinner Wednesday? Easy Steak

2009-08-05T13:58:00.008+10:00

With all of yesterday's dramas I have been feeling rather exhausted today.
Didn't help that the poorly Tinker was up for a few hours in the night with a fever.
So I have not gone to any trouble at all with today's Wednesday recipe.
I searched for something that allowed me to make a quick and easy dinner without a trip to the supermarket this afternoon.
This is what I found:

Thanks to the clever folk at Taste.com today's recipe is:

Beef Fillet with a Quick Red Wine Sauce

If you don't have all of these ingredients at home I'd be surprised. It will take you a few minutes and if you are using great quality ingredients even a meal this basic will be delicious. Unless you turn to watch Yo Gabba Gabba while cooking and supervising some hard core crayon action by the toddler and then maybe you will overcook your steak. Not that I've done anything like that lately... *wink wink*

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil
4 x 180g beef fillet steaks, trimmed
2 onions, halved, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g small button mushrooms, trimmed
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tsp plain flour *Actually I would recommend corn flour instead but it's up to you.*
1 cup (250ml) dry red wine
1 1/2 cups (375ml) good-quality beef stock
Mashed potato and watercress, to serve*

*I haven't got any watercress in the fridge so I am using fresh spinach leaves tonight*

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Heat 1 tbs oil in a frypan over medium-high heat. Season steaks and cook for 2 minutes each side. Transfer to a tray and cook in oven for 2-3 minutes for rare; 5 minutes for medium.

Heat remaining oil in same pan over medium-low heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and mushrooms and stir for 1-2 minutes. Stir in paste and flour. Add the wine and stock, then bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5-6 minute or until well reduced. Season.

Remove pan from heat and return steaks to pan to just warm through in sauce. Serve steaks and sauce with mash and watercress or salad.

It's all about teal...

2009-08-05T13:13:00.007+10:00

*click on pics to enlarge*

A few people asked how our bedroom makeover was getting on so I thought I'd post some progress shots. Don't get too excited, I'm no Ish & Chi or Twin 2 Trip but I try!

So this is what our bedroom looked like before we bought it. This is NOT our furniture, this picture was used for the marketing of the house prior to us buying it.

When we moved in here the first thing we did was restore the ornate ceiling and repaint the walls. Then we recarpeted and we removed those revolting light fixtures from the wall above that fugly bed and we added our black Venetian glass chandelier to the ceiling in place of the hideous ceiling fan that hung there.

Then we had wardrobes built into the wall where the previous owners had their bedhead and we had a window seat with drawers built into the bay window.

After that we started working on the colour scheme. This is picture of the fireplace in our room and with it's unusual shade of teal I decided that the fireplace was to be our feature item and I used a teal palette to complete the decor with cushions and wallpaper.

In these pictures it looks more blue than teal but in real life it is a very vivid teal colour.

So this is what we have done so far:

So what do we have left?

Under the smaller window the one to the side of the fireplace we are hoping to have a beautiful mirrored glass console. We have found the one we want, just have to get some spare cash. Also those hideous stripey curtains on the window will go as will the awful timber Venetians on our bay window. We hate timber Venetian blinds. They will be replaced with white plantation shutters.

Also we have the lampshade issue that I am meant to be sorting out with my *ahem* clever crafting and we are going to replace the stainless handles on the new wardrobes with black venetian glass to match the chandelier. I have found the ones I want, just have to get out and buy them.

Also we will be having our bed reupholstered in a light grey suede and the window seat will also be upholstered in the same fabric. Our bed is a cream leather at the moment and I'm sick of that I think grey suede will be better.

So that's all we have left, not must really I hope to have it all done by early next year. Will update you as changes happen!

P.s My husband wants me to tell you that we have pillows/cushions in our room. He thinks I have an addiction but I think it looks fine! See:

Tuesday Snapshot - Wee & Wallpaper

2009-08-04T15:11:00.010+10:00

What does your Tuesday say about you?

I know it is hard to capture an entire day in one photo, especially if you are as creatively challenged as I am but I've tried my best as I do every Tuesday with this funny little segment of mine.

So here is my Tuesday snapshot, lets see what it says about me and my unusual day.

It is a roll of Laura Asley wallpaper, Marciana Teal to be precise and a specimen jar. Noice.

What for? Well the wall paper was hung today, on a wall of our bedroom and this is the leftover bit that I have stupidly decided will be used by my craft-challenged self as a lampshade. Shut up, stop sniggering.

Yes it is true that every other crazy craft project of mine has ended badly like the stupid chair that sits naked with 3 legs on my balcony and has been there since I did that post back in April.

This one, my friends is different. This project will work! Ok so I'm full of it and the truth is that I'm 99% sure that the project will progress no further than me sitting here telling you about it but it is worth mentioning at least to further perfect my stepford image to brand new readers who have no idea that I am so hopelessly removed from Martha it isn't funny.

As for the bedroom makeover, if anyone is interested I can post some pictures tomorrow?

The specimen jar is an entirely unrelated matter. The little Tinker has been unwell again, a high grade fever for 4 days with no obvious source of infection. The doctor has ordered blood and urine tests. Try getting a non-potty-trained baby to take wizzle in a jar! I have been chasing my pantsless child around the non-carpeted rooms of our house all day. She thinks it is hilarious.

Anyway, that's my day. How has your Tuesday been? If you had to take a photo of your day, what would be in it?

**edited to add we got the wizzle! Awaiting results**

Monday Giveaway - Ivy Designs!

2009-08-03T01:56:00.000+10:00

Today is a marvelous Monday! Why? Because I have a massive giveaway from my gorgeous friend Wynona at Ivy Designs that is sure to cheer even the grumpiest of Mondayitis sufferers.

Wynona has long been a friend of mine and she is the most modest but talented mummy on the block. How she manages to juggle half of what she juggles, I'll never know but she does, and she does it with style!

Ivy Designs stocks the most stylish but playful childrenswear made right here in Australia. Wynona and her sister Anna both mummies to gorgeous little ones spend their time designing and creating these beautiful little works of art. Unlike some childrenswear, Ivy Designs is made to be washed and worn and definitely made for play. Tinker has so many gorgeous little gifts from Ivy Designs but her very favourite is a long sleeved top that she calls her "Winnie Deer Deer" because of the deer printed fabric that Wynona sourced from Japan.

Today's giveaway is a bag of goodies from Ivy Designs! The bag itself is gorgeous, printed with original Ivy Designs' illustration. 100% heavyweight cotton. It comes with a handmade fabric badge and grosgrain ribbon. Great for shopping, beach, daycare bag etc. RRP $20.

Inside your adorable canvas bag you will find these:

1. Headscarf: SIZE LARGE for adults - polka dot (pink). 100% cotton. RRP$19.95

2. Headscarf: SIZE MEDIUM for child - polka dot (blue). 100% cotton. RRP$14.95

3. Genuine leather bag: lined with Japanese cotton print. Beautiful buttery soft leather. It comes with ivy leaf key ring and a detachable handle - adjustable for adults and children. RRP $119

To win this amazing prize from Ivy Designs all you need to do is check out the store here and leave me a comment below. Tell me what you love about Ivy Designs- it is that easy! As always my little helper will draw the winner on Friday. It might just be YOU this week so why not give it a try, someone has to win.

Happy Monday!

A Little Pudding for my Little (Picky) Pudding!

2009-08-02T20:25:00.003+10:00

I have one of the fussiest children ever when it comes to meal time. It takes me forever to find something she likes and then she usually goes off it very quickly anyway so I am always trying new recipes on the Tinker.

She isn't a huge fan of rice and doesn't like custard so I wasn't confident when I tried one of my favourite pudding dishes out on the Tinker and to my surprise it was a real hit. I thought I'd post my recipe here just in case you might like to try it.

I use soy milk but it works fine with regular cows milk. There are few things I hate more than soy milk, that awful nutty chemically flavour. Yuck. I hate it. That was until I discovered this soy milk from a Japanese recipe called Bonsoy. Honestly it tastes like regular milk, I like it so much that I have stopped buying dairy milk all together now. I can't believe I drink soy. I feel dirty just typing it. As thought I've become some sort of freak who doesn't ever eat hot chips and only uses that beige enviro toilet paper...

Ok so I'll stop waffling about bloody soy milk and share my recipe. This is my take on a basic rice custard that Stephanie Alexander writes about. I've changed quantities and added some brandy and my own favourite crust. Feel free to leave the brandy out and if you hate sultanas just double the rice and ditch those. You can ditch my walnut crust if you prefer a more traditional pudding but I really like the sweet crunchy crust at the top, it is nice when you break through to the soft pudding.

Tinker's Pudding

Ingredients

Pudding:
Butter
2 1/2cups of milk
1 1/2 cups of sultanas
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons medium grain rice
1/4 cup castor sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 tablespoon brandy

Crust:
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons soft brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
3 tablespoons self raising flour
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C, lightly butter a 1litre ovenproof dish and sit the buttered dish into a larger baking dish which will act as a basin.

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and cook the rice for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, vanilla and brandy. Then add the rice & sultanas.

Stir in the milk.

Pour into your buttered dish. (for the dairy free folk I think if you use say a glass pyrex dish then the pudding is going to be ok without buttering, it may stick just a touch but no big deal)

Now add some boiling water to the large baking dish that is acting as the basin. Fill up to halfway.

Bake for 30 minutes.

While the pudding is baking you need to prepare your crust.

Mix the crust ingredients in a bowl or in your mortar & pestle. Once the pudding has been in the oven for 30 minutes, carefully take it out and sprinkle the crust on top.

Don't panic if it sinks into the pudding a bit, it will come back up and form a nice crust!

Bake for a further 15-20 mins. Check on your pudding, it should have a crunchy slightly gooey crust. Take it out and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes to cool and set a bit more.

Serve with some cream if you are feeling thin or serve it on its own if you are feeling fat.

It's winner day!

2009-07-31T14:08:00.005+10:00

Not sure about you, but for me this week has flown by! So it is fitting really that our prize is a set of adorable flying critters. The gorgeous mama and baby owl set from the very clever Jac from Honeybunch Designs made for a very popular giveaway. Thanks again Jac, this week's giveaway was such a lot of fun.

Now for the winner...

I decided that since I got my cooking mojo back this week I'd put the names in a mixing bowl!

Tinker had a little bit of help this week from her older brother Henry.

Bri, it's you! Shoot me an email with your address and I will pass it along to Jac so she can send out your beautiful prize.

As for everyone else don't be sad, you can always head over to Honeybunch Designs and order your own gorgeous softie!

Please stay tuned because WE HAVE A MASSIVE GIVEAWAY on MOnday. Something I think you will love love love. Have a great weekend. xx

Fast Friday Funny - Wake n Bacon

2009-07-31T01:11:00.001+10:00

No, your eyes are not deceiving you. This is an alarm clock that wakes you with the scent of real bacon cooking. Really. Now for my kosher and halal readers, may I suggest some "turkey bacon" instead?

For the rest of you, here is your big chance to do some damage to your credit card with what has to be one of the funniest inventions on my blog yet. Don't you all want one?!

The creator Matty Sallin says No one likes to wake up, especially by an alarm. This clock gently wakes you up with the mouthwatering aroma of bacon, just like waking up on a Sunday morning to the smell of Mom cooking breakfast.

Here is the link to Matty's website you can check out more of his interesting ideas if you like. TGIF people, the weekend is here!

I'll be back later with the name of this week's winner!

Good News and Bad News

2009-07-30T11:33:00.011+10:00

I was lamenting the lack of good news stories this morning after reading this article about the female journalist in The Sudan who is to be subjected to 40 lashes (and a monetary fine) for wearing trousers. Seriously.

No we are not talking about *gasp* fugly velour tracksuit pants with JUICY written on the bum or even those hideous harem pants everyone in Manhattan is sporting right now. No. We are talking about this pair of "moss green slacks worn under a flowing top and headscarf" pictured to the right.

Ok so they aren't trousers Rachel Zoe would choose, they are pretty daggy but COME ON PEOPLE what kind of Godloving person whips another for their choice of pants? You all know that I am all for cultural sensitivity, hell I'm all for women wearing the bloody burkha if they choose, but really who is going to stand up to these ignorant bullies?

What kind of God gives a toss about fashion? Doesn't he have better things to think about? Is he that petty, seriously? I just don't get this at all. It really depresses me that anyone would think lashing someone for wearing trousers is something God would high-five.

So I sat here for a few minutes thinking about it and wishing we had more good news in our papers and then I found this article and I smiled and maybe just maybe I got a little teary.

Muffy here went missing 9 years ago when her owner Chloe was only 8 years old. The little girl adored her dog and she has slept on her bed right until she vanished. The girl, now 17 still talked about Muffy and was elated when she was told a few days ago that Muffy had finally been located some 2000km away after all this time.

Anyone who has lost a pet will relate to this story, even I had to blink back a few tears reading it.
Don't you love good news stories? Such a shame that we are so often told that good news doesn't sell. I love good news. I wish we got more of it. Don't you?

photos borrowed from the articles linked above.

Something new from The Tinker?

2009-07-29T11:32:00.005+10:00

Let me know what you think of my latest idea, ok?

I have noticed that so many blogs feature a weekly or a daily outfit post.

Since I'm sitting here in a pair of aqua velour trackpants and an orange cashmere cardi with a hole in the sleeve you can be sure I won't be posting pictures of my outfits.

However I thought it might be fun to show you the little outfits my Tinker wears since she is so amazingly cute and I just love love love kids clothing. What do you think? Boring? Lame? Tell me your thoughts.

Often when I post pictures of her I get a few emails asking where I found her top or her dress etc so I thought this might be a fun segment. She was quite a good little model this morning gladly covering her face a la Michael Jackson kid fashion. You know I don't want her face pimped on my blog so you won't be seeing that, but her outfits are too cute not to share. So let me know if you think this is a fun idea or not.

Here is today's trial post:

Tinker is wearing a Yo Gabba Gabba long sleeved t-shirt from Myer, some Crazy8 straight leg jeans, a knit vest from Purebaby and her pink moccasins with brown bows are from Janie & Jack. The pink beret with little brown scotty-dog is from Gymboree. Cuteness- all her.

*click on pics to enlarge*

What's for Dinner Wednesday? Mirin Glazed Salmon

2009-07-28T23:22:00.010+10:00

Mirin Glazed Salmon with Rice

I've borrowed the recipe and the picture from the amazingly clever but annoyingly flirtatious Nigella Lawson.

I know I often go for a simple glazed meat/fish dish on a Wednesday but there is a good reason for it. For anyone who is new to my What's for Dinner Wednesday segment, let me explain. Wednesday is for me a rather tedious day in the kitchen.

I've usually lost a bit of steam and I'm usually dreaming of the weekend already. Mid-week I like to go for the simplest of recipes with minimal ingredients and minimal washing up. Healthy meals are often boring and mean more work than comfort food so I tend to be picky but I think that a glazed fish/meat dish usually ticks those boxes. Hard to ruin, easy to make.

Ok so this is what you need to get started:

INGREDIENTS

60ml mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
50g light brown sugar
60ml soy sauce
4 x 125g pieces salmon, cut from the thick part of the fillet so that they are narrow but tall rather than wide and flat
2 x 15ml tablespoons rice vinegar
1–2 spring onions, halved and shredded into fine strips

Serving Size : Serves 4

METHOD

1.Mix the mirin, brown sugar and soy sauce in a shallow dish that will take all 4 pieces of salmon, and marinate the salmon in it for 3 minutes on the first side and 2 minutes on the second. Meanwhile heat a large non-stick frying pan on the hob.

2.Cook the salmon in the hot, dry pan for 2 minutes and then turn the salmon over, add the marinade and cook for another 2 minutes.

3.Remove the salmon to whatever plate you’re serving it on, add the rice vinegar to the hot pan, and warm through.

4.Pour the dark, sweet, salty glaze over the salmon and top with the spring onion strips.

5.Serve with rice or noodles as you wish, and consider putting some sushi ginger on the table, too.

Give it a try and let me know your thoughts. I don't think I could have found an easier recipe this week. Perfect for me with my annoying injury!

Tuesday Snapshot - Brushes

2009-07-28T12:36:00.007+10:00

See, I told you I lead a very exciting life. Every time I use my makeup brushes (after yesterday's post you might have been thinking I walk around makeup-less all the time, well I don't) I sit them in some hot water and baby shampoo.

The Tinker calls it a "face brush bathie" and that is what she said this morning when I was wandering about the kitchen with her looking for something to feature for this week's Tuesday Snapshot. So here it is. I never promised these pictures would be thrilling.

We don't have much on today at all, thankfully my parents are about to play with the little one because I'm still hobbling around after Friday's injury. How one manages to trip and fall while fiddling with a baby carseat buckle I do not know, but however I did it, I managed to sustain what the doctor at the Bone & Joint Clinic said was an "annular tear" in my lower spine. It is a disc issue apparently. It is most inconvenient, means I can't sit down for long periods and I can't lift anything except maybe a block of chocolate... or two!

Thank you all for the kind thoughts about the little Tinker as well, we saw a wonderful paediatrician on Friday (yes it was outside his office that I had my rather embarrassing fall) and the little one has now been given the all-clear. What a relief.

Have a lovely Tuesday, just think, you are one day closer to the weekend than you were yesterday and that's gotta be good!

P.s I've been thinking up some new ideas for a fun segment on the blog and I hope to post it up later today or perhaps tomorrow. Stay tuned. x

That cooking mojo

2009-07-27T21:55:00.007+10:00

So those of you who follow me on Twitter will know that a few weeks ago I lost my cooking mojo after a few failed dishes. Well I think I found it again. Either that or the strong painkillers I'm on have sent me loopy and I dreamt up these dishes...

The little Tinker has taken more of an interest in cooking lately so I let her stand on a chair and help me make a batch of fairy cakes.

I thought fairy cakes would be more fun than regular iced cupcakes because they are just a touch more fiddly and I think for toddlers that makes it a little more fun, plus the Tinker really likes anything with wings at the moment so when I explained that the bits on the top were wings she was fascinated.

Ok so you start with your basic cupcake recipe. I always use the Nigella food processor recipe and I use lots of vanilla bean scrapings. Ditch the icing and all you need instead is some cream and some jam or lemon curd and a teaspoon of icing sugar.

Tinker loved these little cakes and they were so easy and fun to make. Only problem with making them in the afternoon is that I had so many hours til my husband came home, it was hard not to eat them all. I managed to save him one so he should feel honoured really.

Have I let MYSELF go? Or THAT self go?

2009-07-27T11:26:00.004+10:00

Last week I stumbled on upon the blog of SuperKawaiiMama. I must admit my first thoughts were; wow she is so gorgeous and such a great writer. Not often you get that combination. How does she manage to look so good and be a full time mama?

Then, coincidentally the following day I read her post “Why Do Women Let Themselves Go?” and it got me thinking. Instead of bombarding her blog with my essay of a reply I have answered her question here and I’ll link it through.

SuperKawaiiMama is very gorgeous and very glamorous. From her photos I see that she has a lot of beautifully applied makeup, her hair has been set and her clothes are brightly coloured, perfectly cut works of retro art. Her section entitled daily outfit provides readers with a glimpse into her pretty world.

To SKM I’d be her poster girl for “women who have let themselves go” what with my dark coloured clothing, bits of beige and taupe here and there. My often washed but not set hair, my scuffed ballet flats and my scruffy tops and jeans. I certainly don’t wear makeup most days and I never wear heels during the day anymore.To me, I still look maybe a tiny bit stylish but I certainly would fall into SKM's definition of letting myself go. Yes often, I wear whatever I can grab quickly before the little one starts tearing things off shelves or emptying my makeupbox.

So, have I let myself go? No, I do not feel that I have. I think I have let “that” self go.

Which self? The one who valued appearances so highly. The one who got up early to set her hair in hot rollers, apply makeup and squeeze into gorgeous outfits and high heeled shoes. That was not MY self but rather, my appearance. To me the sense of self is a complex thing.

It runs deeper than MAC Mineralize foundation and glittering Jimmy Choos. It is who you are to you, to your friends, your family and the world. What you love, what you value and what you think… for me, it isn’t what I wear or how many heads turn when I enter a room.

Sure, having a baby has meant that even if I wanted to spend 40 minutes on my face and another 40 on my hair, I couldn’t. Why? Because I get so little sleep as it is, I refuse to get up at 4am to apply makeup and blow dry my hair and Tinker won’t sit still long enough for me to do it while she is awake. As for my clothes. Well if I am honest, there are 3 reasons for my glamourless outfits:

1. When I became a mum, fashion, glamour, entertainment seemed to pale in comparison to the depth of feelings I have about life, babies and love now. I’m just not that bothered.
2. Having always been super thin I went from 45 kilos on the day I announced my pregnancy to 73 the day I gave birth, I guess to me no matter how gorgeous the outfit is, I won’t love my appearance until I am back to my old shape. Sure I’m no oompah loompah but to go from an Aussie size 6-8 to 10-12 is a big change and if I am honest I don’t think I’m that worried about it. With my best friend having cancer and my beautiful daughter growing up and amazing me every day, fitting into a teeny tiny dress isn’t really on my radar. Life is short.

3. Practicality and comfort. Painting, cooking, playing in the sand, at the park… none of these things lend themselves to dry clean only outfits and Gucci heels. I do love nice clothes but I don’t enjoy getting dressed up every single day.

So have I let myself go? What do you think? Have you let yourself go? I suppose looking like a million bucks and having heads turn when I enter the room just doesn’t do it for me anymore so in my mind I have moved on. I think of the frum women and the Muslim ladies who wear very modest dress. Have they let themselves go or are they just asking the world to value them for who they are not what they look like?

Thank you SKM for asking this question. It really raises some interesting issues. I like to look nice but I'm not sure glamour has a place in my daily life. It is hard isn't it? To know what to teach our daughters... To value who they are as people not what they wear and what they put on their faces. I have mixed feelings. Tell me yours!

Monday Giveaway - Honeybunch Designs

2009-07-27T05:19:00.000+10:00

Happy Monday!

Did you have a lovely weekend? Are you dreading today? I had a fall on Friday and injured my back, so I've been drugged up to my eyeballs all weekend in complete agony and whining at every opportunity and even I'm not sad about this Monday? Why? I have the cutest of cute giveaways for you. If this doesn't make you smile then I don't know what will!

Jaclyn from Honeybunch Designs creates the sweetest handmade toys. In addition to her beautiful little blog you can find her here on etsy where she sells her stunning little critters. An amazing gymnastics coach by day, the very talented Jac has been designing her soft toys for 2 years now and has only recently set up shop. It's about time! Once you check our her store you will know what I mean. No little child should be without a Honeybunch Designs softie.

Jaclyn has 10 nieces and nephews who gladly test out all of her designs, she hopes to one day sell her patterns so that other people can experience the fun of bringing these little critters to life like she does with the beautiful fabrics and notions she chooses. Jaclyn also accepts custom orders so if there is something special you have in mind then let her know and I know she will make a magical little softie for you.

This week's giveaway is a beautiful Mother & Baby Owl Set by Honeybunch Designs. Perfect for a little boy or a little girl, this adorable pair would make the ideal gift. The Tinker loves owls, she has been hoot hooting at Jaclyn's pictures as I typed this post! To win, all you need to do is check out Jaclyn's store here and leave me a comment below letting me know what you love about Honeybunch Designs. Easy! Good luck, as always the Tinker will pick the winner on Friday. Happy MOnday. x

It's winner time!

2009-07-24T12:10:00.005+10:00

What a week this has been. Next week will most definitely be a good one. I can't possibly have two nutty weeks in a row. I am very glad it is Friday and can't wait for the weekend because my husband will be home and my parents get back from their trip on Sunday as well.

It wasn't all unpleasant, the very exciting part of this week was our brilliant giveaway from Brown Button Trading. Many thanks to Kimberlee for sharing her gorgeous wares with us and for the very fabulous chalkboard chook.

The little tinker was very helpful this morning, she picked a winner right away. Normally she grabs a handful of names and we have to start over but today she was super efficient. Drum roll please...

Paige it's you! Please shoot me an email with your address details and I will pass them along to the lovely Kimberlee.

Make sure you tune in again on MOnday, I will be back better than ever with another great giveaway and hopefully not so sleep deprived. Have a great weekend. x

Fast Friday Funny - Bitten in McDonalds?

2009-07-24T01:59:00.000+10:00

Nope. Not talking about biting a burger.

The Chron newspaper reported earlier this week that some poor bloke reckons he went to Maccas for a burger and left feeling like quite the burger when two female employees bit him and fondled him.

Apparently he is now suing the store and the employees have been charred. I mean charged. Boom tish.

Ok so it's not painfully funny this week.

Bear with me I'm losing my mind to sleep deprivation!

I hope you all have a lovely TGIF, I'll be back later with the winner of our giveaway and then the Tinker and I are off to another doctor's appointment. After that, we will start our weekend. Hopefully doing something fun. I am thinking we might walk to Luna Park. xx

Bad Blogger

2009-07-22T21:30:00.003+10:00

I must apologise to my kind readers for being a bit of a scrooge on the blog posts this week.

With my husband away and my lovely parents also away, it has just been me and Tinker going from doctor's appointment to doctor's appointment to test to pathology place.

So far I don't have much to report, seeing a super duper specialist Friday so please cross your fingers for some good news and an end to this nutty saga.

While I'm off doing these thrilling things, don't forget to enter this week's gorgeous giveaway!

What's For Dinner Wednesday? Greek Chicken

2009-07-22T02:27:00.000+10:00

Ok so my husband crossed the picket line and tempted me out of my cooking strike with the promise of chocolate. Good chocolate. So I am back, baby... but I'm keeping things super simple.

This is just a simple marinade most of us probably do already, I did it last night when the Tinker finally went to sleep at 9.30pm. Took me about 5 mins to prep the chicken and throw it in a ziplock bag in the fridge. I'm doing the singleparent thing til the end of the week so I thought I should try and make things easier for myself (I'll be grilling this inside, bit too cold to venture out and use the BBQ tonight).

Greek Chicken Breast & Simple Greek Salad

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup (250ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1/3 teaspoon paprika

Preparation method

Cut 3 slits in each chicken breast to allow marinade to penetrate. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika for about 30 seconds. Place chicken in a large bowl or ziplock bag, and pour marinade over. Using your hands, work marinade into chicken. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat barbecue for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
Cook chicken on the barbecue until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear-about 10 minutes per side.

courtesy of www.allrecipes.com.au

I like a greek salad, here is a quick recipe if you don't have your own version:

Greek Salad with Walnuts

Ingredients (serves 4)
40g walnut halves
3 small ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 red capsicum, halved, deseeded, coarsely chopped
1 Lebanese cucumber, halved lengthways, thickly sliced
1 small red onion, halved,
thinly sliced
1 bunch continental parsley, leaves picked, coarsely chopped
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
60g reduced-fat feta, cubed
Freshly ground black pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 180°C. Spread walnuts over a baking tray. Bake in preheated oven for 6-7 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool. Coarsely chop.
Combine the tomato, capsicum, cucumber, onion and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and gently toss to combine. Divide the salad among serving plates and sprinkle with walnuts and feta. Season with pepper and serve immediately.

courtesy of www.taste.com.au

Tuesday Snapshot- Little Smelly Brown Thing

2009-07-21T10:30:00.008+10:00

What was I up to at 8am today? Carefully handling this smelly little brown ball.

Human poo? No. Dog poo? No. Possum poo? Nope.

This stinky brown treasure breathes and you can eat it... What is it you ask? It is a very pungent souvenir my parents brought back from their recent Tasmania trip.

I have to take my little smelly buddy out of the container to breathe for ten minutes each day and then it goes back in the box in the fridge. Not sure what I'll be making with it.

Since I'm on my cooking strike it will have to be a really fabulous recipe if it is going to be a strike-breaker isn't it?

Any ideas, suggestions?

P.s It's a truffle

Monday Giveaway- Brown Button Trading!

2009-07-20T07:43:00.002+10:00

This week’s giveaway is from another talented Aussie blogger.

Kimberlee once famed for her gorgeous blog now has her own store, Brown Button Trading. If you adore her blog with all the inspirational pictures and ideas there is no way you can go past a sneaky purchase or two at her store. I love it!

About her gorgeous store, Kimberlee says:

Growing up in the country and now spending my days at a desk, I recognised the need to be able to shop at anytime, anywhere for beautiful things.

Brown Button Trading is an opportunity for lovers of exquisite home wares, quality stationary, perfect gifts and stunning jewellery to shop on line.

This is your chance to win for yourself one of Kimberlee’s favourite things. A chalkboard sticker.

Made in France by Coco Boheme, these A3 sized chalkboard stickers are fantastic for keeping lists, a 'safe' drawing place for a child, leaving messages for loved ones or keeping up with what everyone in the household is doing. Chalkboards are popping up in all style savvy homes. You too can join the chalkboard revolution with one of these stickers which are easily applied to any clean, dry, smooth surface - think the fridge, wall or door. All Chalkboards come blank - ready for your 'to do' lists, messages and favourite sayings.

To enter, all you need to do is check out Kimberlee’s store here and leave me a comment below telling me what you loved the most. Easy! As always my little helper will draw the winner on Friday. Happy clicking… I predict it will become happy shopping!

Enjoy your week. x

How to Give Birth

2009-07-19T23:22:00.007+10:00

From the UK this week we have learnt two things when it comes to giving birth.

1.) We should not have an epidural.

2.) Our husbands should wait outside.

The first point was brought to you by Dr Denis Walsh, a male midwife and the second point was brought to you by Dr Michel Ordent, a male Obstetrician. You can read the full text of the article covering old mate Denis's views here and our buddy Michael's point can be found here.

What are your thoughts? For me my thoughts are simple. Firstly you must do whatever is in the best interests of the little life you are guarding and then secondly you should do whatever makes you most comfortable. In that order. Pain relief, no pain relief. Husband, no husband. I don't have a view. I think you've got to go with your gut and do what's right for you. *Just re-read that. Get out, I'm a poet!*

Not sure I agree with the sentiment that men should not comment when it comes to advising women how to birth their children, that the absence of female reproductive organs renders their opinion moot. That doesn't make sense to me. It would be like saying female doctors can't advise men with prostate cancer. However a funny comment I read was that men who think women should just suck it up and tolerate the pain in order to better bond with their baby should also suck it up and tolerate the pain of a drug free vasectomy to better bond with their sterility. Nice.

What do you think? Is there are right way and a wrong way and should dad wait outside with a cigar and a maybe a relaxing book?

Let's Talk Bad Weekends

2009-07-19T20:33:00.007+10:00

Last week was a nightmare, we were all looking forward to the weekend. It got off to a rocky start when my best friend was told that she didn't win the competition I told you all about here. The consolation prize was haircare products. Nice touch when you are fighting cancer and you have lost all your hair. Don't start me.

Sunday was meant to be spent on a morning picnic before I toddled off to one of Retromummy's sewing classes. Instead it was spent with my heart in my mouth as our baby girl was rushed to hospital in an ambulance after going grey, then blue and losing consciousness for about 7 minutes even though it felt like 70. At the hospital all manner of tests were conducted and they found no apparent cause. We have to take her back for an EEG.

This blurry photo taken on my husband's crackberry shows our brave little Tinker listening as the kind nurse sang all of her favourite songs. She was so lovely and quite the jukebox.

Tinker was impressed, she is never that still when I sing. It isn't humanly possible to be still when I sing, I'm so bad that even my dogs get agitated when I belt out a few rounds of Miss Polly.

Who is that hottie on the left cutting a striking pose in the navy and white trench complete with hands on hips? Why that is me of course. What you can't see is that under my trench I wore animal print flannelette pj pants, bed socks and tan loafers. My hair was clipped back with one of Tinker's polka dot ribbon clips and I had no bra, nor had I brushed my teeth.

Oh yes I totally rocked hobo sloth chic this morning. Even I didn't dare ask the ambulance to wait a minute while I changed out of my PJs. What kind of shamefully vain mother even stops and considers such a request? Ok so maybe I did think about it but only for a super quick split second... or two.

For anyone who follows me on Twitter, you'd know I have been on a cooking strike much to my husband's dismay. It came about after a string of failed projects. I thought I might break the strike with some corned beef in the slow cooker. Ok that worked. And a batch of cupcakes. The neverfail variety. You know Nigella's recipe for the food processor? I added 3 punnets of strawberries and some pricey but yummy vanilla beans.

Failed again. The first 12 didn't rise and remained gooey, the last 12 were like rock cakes. So I think I'm going back over the picket line. The strike has resumed people, the strike has resumed.

So tell me, how bad was your weekend? I'm not up for cheesy smiley stories. Give me some ratty grumpy ones so I'm not the only whinger here. Come on, you know you want to...

Winner Day- Who won the crow pillow?

2009-07-17T08:30:00.007+10:00

Morning! Happy Winner Day aka TGIF.

Thanks again to the lovely guys at Resist Today for donating the stylish Crow Pillow by Eleanor Grosch for this week's gorgeous

Stepford Dreams giveaway.

The poorly Tinker and I had a long night, she woke up crying an hour after I went to bed and it took me all night to settle her again. She only managed to get an hour's proper sleep so we are both a bit dishevelled and delirious today!

Bless her, she was very excited about picking today's winner, as soon as I started writing the names out and putting them in the jar for her she said "Number? Number?" she really likes picking the numbers out. We did names today not numbers, roll up the pictures are below:

Allison Holmes you are the winner! Please send me a quick email with your address and I will send it through to the guys at Resist Today. Lucky you! I love this pillow so much.

My Very Own Poorly Bear

2009-07-16T08:21:00.003+10:00

No blogging today friends, I am looking after my very own little poorly bear.

Poor Tinker has bad tonsillitis. After her terrible night I took her to the ER knowing something was not right with her and although they made us sit there all day waiting and I conducted my own internal triage of every faker in the room we finally got to see a very nice doctor.

He said poor Tinker had bad tonsillitis, my poor little bunny. That explained everything.

This sweet little fellow has been named "Doctor Bear" Tinker was such a good little patient at the ER yesterday that the nice doctor gave her this bear as a gift. So last night Tinker, Dr Bear and I all dined on chicken noodles, watermelon and icecream. She has been awfully brave and managed to have a full night's sleep so I think she will be feeling even better tomorrow.

As you see above, she is being very sweet with her little friends. I asked her what she was doing just now in front of the heater and she said "feel warm babies" she loves her little brood and Dr Bear fits right in. Henry our dog is supervising the little poorly bear and her friends today so we are in good hands.

Have a very happy almost-friday and I'll be back tomorrow to draw the winner of this week's giveaway. Don't forget to enter it is as easy as anything and the prize is fantastic. Just follow this link. xx

What's For Dinner Wednesday? Beef & Carrot Ragout

2009-07-15T03:44:00.006+10:00

It's 4am here, and as I sit here typing this out my little redheaded friend is sharing the sofa while she watches In The Night Garden. Screaming banshee act started at 1am, nothing would settle her so I figured we'd sit on the couch together instead of the fruitless settling we had been trying. Little feral! She is as happy as larry now, chatting away as I type this out.

Ok so for this weeks' easy as pie Wednesday recipe I have gone for the ultimate in fuss free cooking. Anything involving the slow cooker is perfect when you are tired or busy... or both. Just prep in the morning and throw the lot in and hit start. Your meal is ready in 6-8 hours. Perfect.

image and recipe via taste.com.au

Beef & Carrot Ragout with Pasta

Ingredients (serves 4)

1/4 cup plain flour
1kg gravy beef, cut into 5cm cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large brown onions, cut into wedges
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock
3 sprigs thyme
3 large carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
cooked pappardelle pasta, to serve

Method

Place flour in a snap-lock bag. Season with salt and pepper.

Add beef and shake bag to lightly coat beef in flour, shaking off excess.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the beef. C

ook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned. Spoon into slow cooker. Repeat with oil and remaining beef.

Reduce frying pan heat to medium. Add remaining oil and onion to pan. Cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until soft. Add garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in wine. Bring to the boil.

Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until wine has reduced by half. Add stock, thyme and carrots. Bring to the boil. Spoon sauce over beef and stir to combine.

Cover and cook in slow cooker on HIGH for up to 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon over pasta and serve.

Tuesday Snapshot- Laundry

2009-07-14T17:57:00.007+10:00

Today the Tinker and I did a lot of laundry. How thrilling is that? So bloody thrilling that I HAD to capture it for my Tuesday Snapshot post. Don't you love the entertainment on this blog?

See how she sits on the top of the dryer as I pack it? She has to sit there or she runs into the dogs' bedroom and pulls all their biscuits out of the bowl and then attempts to "skate" on them.

Tinker loves sitting on the dryer because she gets to shove her fingers into my Jo Malone candle that sits there on the top. No idea why, she just loves the scent I think. Anyway that was my day today. Massive! We did fit a little interlude in between the loads of washing, we went out for coffee and playgroup and then my friend came round for a visit with her little baby.

Tomorrow we are off to the zoo. Very excited about that, it could all end in tears though. Every time I go there I try to convince one of the meercats to come home with me but they never seem keen. They are the cutest little critters!

A gift... Not quite!

2009-07-14T12:02:00.006+10:00

toonpool.com

A few weeks ago I was reading this article about the little British girl who at age 2 has joined MENSA. It got me thinking about giftedness and parenting.

When I was at primary school there was a girl called Despina who had no friends at all. She was arrogant and pushy in the playground and very annoying in class. One day I got chatting to her, I must have been about 9. She told me she was a genius and in a few months her parents were sending her overseas to a special school for extremely gifted children. She knew her IQ and went on to tell me all about the yearly testing she had been having since she was 3. I remember feeling rather perplexed and quite sorry for her when told me that she had no friends because "other children will always be intimidated by my intellect, that's why my mum and dad are my friends instead."

I have never had my IQ tested, unless you count those wacky quizzes on Facebook that end up costing you money and sending you weird text messages. I don't think my score would be very high. In fact I think I'm pretty ordinary when it comes to most things. Except folding towels. I'm quite talented with that. Oh and I'm definitely a whizz when it comes to saying the wrong thing. I've got that down to a fine art. In fact if you looked up "foot in mouth disease" you'd see my pretty picture staring back at you.

My daughter, however, is very bright. She is 18 months old and knows most colours, counts to 10, knows most shapes, shares nicely, shows empathy and learns very quickly. She is very funny, she has a cute sense of humour. She is very articulate and asks the funniest and surprising questions. People sometimes tell me she is gifted. I'm not sure I agree with that. According to my family, I was the same at Tinker's age and I'm no bloody genius. I don't think doing things months before other kids makes you a genius. In fact I don't think being extraordinarily bright is a gift at all.

From what I've read, most true genii become academics, many are lonely, most find school very difficult socially and many suffer from depression. Doesn't sound like much fun to me. I wonder what became of Despina, she was so bright and so very lonely. She was awkward and dark beyond her years. I wonder if her parents are happy with the approach they took to raising her. Ruth Lawrence the hot-housed British girl who went to Oxford at age 12 had a tough time and is now completely estranged from her parents.

Kate Hilpern wrote an interesting piece for the Guardian last year. You can read it here. One of the key points I took away from her piece was simply asking the question why? What is the point of accelerating our children so fast that they enter university in their early teens? How does that help them as individuals? In the end when the 19 year olds have their doctorates aren't they then on par with the 40 year olds? What kind of advantage does it give these kids entering the race early when we all end up at the same finish line eventually?

Parenting magazines are full of adverts for companies offering to test your child for giftedness, early entry to school, they offer various approaches to IQ testing. I don't know, I think I'd be very wary of going down that path with my precious girl. What do you think? Of course I'm not saying we should go all Pol Pot like and cripple the clever, but I wonder if things are going a bit too far?

Now I'm the first person to admit that I want Tinker to have the best education we can afford, I want her to be exposed to as many fun new things as she likes. Knowledge is definitely power. I don't want Tinker to be bored at preschool and I set about to find a really special toddler class for her to attend. She starts Mandarin next month and, and yes I do enjoy teaching her new things all day. I think the sky is the limit as far as play based learning is concerned. This is why I am not a lawyer anymore. This is why I choose to be at home with my little bunny. I love teaching her things and watching her grow and learn. It is fun. Hot-housing isn't fun, making your children do things they don't love isn't fun. I guess that's the issue.

Tell me your thoughts on this issue!

Monday Giveaway - Which Way Does The Crow Fly?

2009-07-13T01:46:00.002+10:00

Groan groan it is Monday again, but here at the happiest place on earth we have a reason to smile. Ok fine, it's not Disneyland and I'm far from your cheesy chipper host but come on, Mondays ARE fun at StepfordDreams.com because we have PRIZES!

I'm very excited about this one. The gorgeous guys at Resist Today have very kindly donated this stunning pillow for this week's giveaway.

Resist Today is an art collective run by two Florida artists, Josh and Dave. They create an outlet for themselves and other artists to sell their work at affordable prices so that everyone can enjoy great images and ideas. They print artists' work on t-shirts, cushions, wallets, posters, pins and stickers.

"With so little public space available for art some of us turn to a street sign, abandon building or overpass; we think shirts and wallets are just as good of an art surface."

Hear hear! I love their online store, it is fabulous and I think you will agree.

The gorgeous Crow Pillow is one of only 45 and features the elegant work of Eleanor Grosch. I did some searching and I found out that she has an awesome blog as well.

You can check that out here if you like.

If you'd like to be in the running for this beautiful Crow Pillow then all you need to do is check out the Resist Today store and leave me a comment below saying what you love and why. Simple! Spread the word! Tinker will draw the winner on Friday.

P.s Re last week's giveaway- Jess can you please shoot me an email with your details so I can get your prize out to you and little Max! Thanks.

Edited: Re Butterfly's comments, please enter! As with ALL of my giveaways it does not matter where you live, giveaways are for everyone. I hate those blogs that restrict prizes based on geography. So far we have had winners from all over the world, so please do enter.

A Winner! A Winner!

2009-07-10T15:32:00.005+10:00

Thank you so much to the lovely folk at fermLIVING Australia for this week's cute giveaway.

Sorry I was slow to draw the winner today. Miss Tinker went on an excursion with her Grandad this morning so I had to wait til she had had her afternoon sleep before drawing the winner!

Not being much of a creative thinker I struggled to come up with a novel way for the Tinker to pick today's winner. So I turned to the clever folk at 3M and I wrote all the names on Post-It Notes and stuck them on the wall above her toys and she picked the winning name.

Tinker might not forgive me for posting pictures of her with bedhair (she had only just woken up when I enlisted her help with this prize draw) isn't she cute in her jammies and overalls. Meg you might recognise the navy blue Pork Chops on her feet!

So our lucky winner is Jessica, Max's Mummy. How exciting! I bet Max will love his mushroom wall decals. You must shoot me through a photo if you get a chance. That goes for all the giveaway winners, I think it would be fun to post pictures of you enjoying your little prizes.

Hint hint lucky winners shoot me some pics if you get time!

I hope everyone has a great weekend, nothing in particular going on here. The last swimming class of the term tomorrow and then Tinker starts her Mandarin school on the 1st of August. We decided to skip the coldest term of swimming since she struggles so much with the cold. Even in her baby wetsuit. Shame! She doesn't have the layer of fat insulation her mother has.

p.s VERY EXCITING GIVEAWAY AGAIN ON MONDAY.

Ask and Ye Shall Receive

2009-07-10T09:25:00.015+10:00

Well, if you ask me that is, I can't guarantee anyone else will deliver just because you asked. Woodles challenged me to find some gorgeous little boy/baby boy clothes that aren't covered in skulls and cross bones. I also hate all the rude slogans on little boy tops and the ugly prints so here are a few cute pieces I'd buy if I had a little boy. No pirates in sight and no camo print either. *I had a bit of trouble with this post because so many of the stores I like for little boy gifts have coded their photos so I can't copy and paste them here for you. It toook some time to find this little bunch but I think Woodles will approve.

This gorgeous little cream jumper (aka sweater for the Americans) is from Krickets, a Canadian childrenswear company (distributed here by old school Aussie company Lyndonkids) I love 100% cotton knits because they are perfect with a shirt and not too warm for our gentle Sydney winters.

The funky zipper gives the jumper a modern look while the stripes are more classic. Forget Bob The Builder polyster, this is one cool top for your little fellow. I love that it has a neat little beanie that matches. This top and hat would work brilliantly with jeans or chinos or the pants featured below.

Also by Krickets, these little corduroy trousers are so sweet. A nice bright navy coloured soft cord, the fabric looks great. I like that they haven't covered them with giant chunky pockets. Come on people, cargo is so 90's give it a rest! These look hard wearing and as with all cord they are sure to wash and wear well.

You can find Krickets at quite a few online retailers but I borrowed these pics from a cute online store called Maddison Lane.

This sweet little raglan top in cream cotton with a white stripe is from Jean Bourget. I love that it has three non matching buttons down the front and the whimsical panda is cute but not too cheesy-girly.

The little cotton trousers have a tweed-plaid look to them, this picture doesn't really show the depth to the pattern.

I think this is a stylish little outfit for a little guy who likes his fashions understated but cute. I borrowed the pic from Shop Baby Trends where it is on sale 40% off, but if you do a search on Jean Bourget you will find it elsewhere.

I mentioned Velvet and Tweed the other day when I was talking about gorgeous trousers for little girls well I don't think you can go past this beautiful green shirt for your little boys.

It has long sleeves (which look gorgeous rolled up don't you think?) and a cute little pocket at the front. Unlike most kidswear these days this stylish little shirt is not made in China. It is made in San Francisco! The fabric is bright and fresh, two shades of green check with a white background. Adorable with jeans or little shorts or my favourite babywear item- overalls!

Be quick, they're having a 40% off sale PLUS the kind people at V&T emailed me and offered my readers free shipping even to Australia. Enter this code at checkout: StepfordFreeShip

This sweet little duffle coat has cute whales printed on the soft cotton jersey lining. I love it! Oobi Baby has some really nice things for little boys and girls. Another Aussie company you mustn't miss, you can find their stuff all over the web and in lots of stores as well.

This image I borrowed from Babys Got Style. Imagine how cute this little jacket would look with some brown cord pants or the jeans I found below.
Rock Your Baby is an Australian kidswear store I don't normally like because they have lots of those loud slogany tops that I hate and those twitty onesies with fake tuexedo fronts.

They do, however, sell a very nice pair of jeans for your little boys! These stovepipe are really cute.

I don't like the whole head to toe trendy punk look so I'd pair them with a nice top and knitted vest if I had a little boy. I think they are fabulous jeans. You can buy them at the RYB online store or at Babys Got Style where I got this image.

Fast Friday Funny- Puked in my Mouth

2009-07-09T23:04:00.004+10:00

Now everyone had seen the Jizz in my Pants video right?

Well this is the girl version, I Puked In My Mouth.

Ok so it is high school humour and I'm oh 10 years out of high school and I have a child and I'm married and I should have better things to do with my time. But I don't. So sue me. I found this quite funny!

It's been a while since the sight of a dorky guy in a nightclub trying out a pick up line has actually made me laugh let alone puke in my mouth but I can still remember some of the most memorable jerks.

Like the time a guy stood on my toe (on purpose) and when I said "ouch, excuse me you are standing on my foot" he replied " I know, I meant to. I got your attention though didn't I? Can I buy you a drink?" Umm no thanks, loser.

Or the time a guy looked me straight in the face and said "my friend over there, he thinks you are really hot, I told him your friend is cuter but I reckon I've got more chance with you, you look more approachable. What do you reckon?"

Uh-huh. Yep. Thanks but no thanks, loser.

Can you recall any failed "pick up lines" losers have tried on you? Gosh I can't believe how old I feel just recalling my "youth", I'm not even 30 yet.

Mushrooms?

2009-07-08T18:26:00.002+10:00

Someone smart (not me) once said "life is too short to stuff a mushroom." I couldn't agree more.

Starting tomorrow I'm on a non-essential meals cooking strike. Tinkers food is the only exception.

So you can be sure there won't be any mushroom stuffing on my agenda this week. There are, however some super cute mushrooms on my mind. THESE HERE.

So whatever you do, don't forget to enter the giveaway this week or you will miss out on your weekly dose of mushroom love! Don't forget Tinker and I will draw the winner on Friday (Sydney time) so get in quick!

What's For Dinner Wednesday? Chicken Pot Pie

2009-07-08T13:09:00.004+10:00

Brought to you by my favourite jailbird housewife, Martha Stewart, this low fat chicken pot pie is easy and perfect for a two dish mid week meal. I have changed it slightly just to save me some time and extra washing up. If you prefer to do things the Martha way, you can find the original recipe on her site.

Hopefully it won't go the way of my ocean trout pie after Sunday's disaster cooking day. Come to think of it, I have had more failures in the kitchen this month than I have had all my cooking life! So maybe I should have a new blog segment keeping score of disasters versus successes?

Ok so today's low fat pie sounds very easy, please let me know if you also give it a go and let me know what yours is like because at the rate I'm going even the most simple recipes are ruinable.

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 large pieces of chicken breast (12 to 14 ounces each)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 carrots, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 filo sheets (each 12 by 17 inches), thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast 20- 30 minutes. Shred meat, and set aside.

While chicken is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium.

Add carrots, onion, and thyme; season with salt and pepper, and cook until carrots are crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add flour, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens.

Remove from heat; stir in peas, lemon juice, and chicken, and season with salt and pepper. Pour filling into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.

Stack filo on a work surface. Using a paring knife, cut out an 11-inch circle from the stack; discard trimmings. Stack 2 circles on work surface, and brush gently with 1 teaspoon oil; repeat with remaining circles and oil.

*I'm using one large square baking dish so I don't have to worry about the fiddly trimming, I'll just whack the ready cut squares of filo onto my pie filling*

Place pastry stack over filling, and press down about 1/2 inch from the edge so pastry fits inside rim of pie plate. Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let potpie cool 15 minutes before serving.

I have not bothered to translate into metric because I think most of us here in the metric world are more used to translating from imperial than they are doing the reverse. Let me know if you can't, and I'll edit this post.

Tuesday Snapshot- Stitches & Chocolate

2009-07-07T20:09:00.005+10:00

So this is my Tuesday. An absolutely massive box of exquisite Laurent Meric's Cacao chocolates and a stunning summer dress for the Tinker made by... yours truly!

Sometimes I need to stop and pinch myself when I think about how lucky I am to have such lovely friends. For the past four days my good friend and sewing guru Theoreticgal has been my house guest. She came to Sydney laden with gifts for the Tinker and all manner of awesome sewing gadgets for me as well as a pattern and some fabric to make the little dress above.

She did a lot of hand holding to get me to make the dress and it turned out brilliantly. I will do another post showing you more detail and telling you how we put it all together. Theoreticgal is quite the house guest. Not only did she have to endure my crazy Griffon Bruxellois dogs as room mates but she had to eat my food.

Last night courtesy of a gorgeous mutual friend with connections to Australia's number 1 restaurant, I made dinner with a kilo of the most amazing ocean trout. I thought I'd whip up a yummy fish pie with Monday being my meat free day as per our new diet. Anyway I made a complete mess of the meal and it ended up being a plate of gruel.

For my most generous and most gourmet friend I served up a plate of gruel. It was a disaster, a funny one in retrospect but a disaster none the less. What went wrong? I have no idea. It tasted fine but the consistency was a nightmare. Lately all of my cooking pursuits have ended in tears. I think it is a sign. So from today forward I am on a cooking strike bar the food I make for my Tinker. Luckily I have my box of amazing award winning chocolates to sustain me for a few days until I hire a full time chef or perhaps invest in a truckload of 2 minute noodles.

Tinker's Trouser Tips

2009-07-07T00:28:00.002+10:00

All Mouth and No Trousers...

Such a funny little phrase, I must use it more. Sounds like a saying that would apply to me I think. Slightly wittier than my woodpecker analogy.

I'm a big fan of wearing trousers, my late Grandad is rolling in his grave I am sure. He was more a Deuteronomy man than a Katharine Hepburn fan!

While I am a big fan of classic smocked dresses for little girls I also love trousers on my Tinker and with her being tall but skinny I have done a lot of trying and buying to find the right trousers.

I thought I might do a little Tinker trouser post for you, with some of my very favourite tiny trousers for stylish tots on the market right now:

These little beauties are by Marie Chantal, Beige Classic Twill Skinny Tessa trousers.

They are so stylish and so cute, perfect wardrobe essential for your little fashionista. Understated but beautifully made these trousers can be dressed up with a pretty blouse or dressed down with a cute tshirt.

You won't find colours that rape your eyes or obnoxious patterns at Marie Chantal, this is the home of classic, elegant childrenswear.

Subtle finishes like the button down pockets at the back make this pair of beautifully made trousers a wardrobe staple for the discerning toddler... or her mama.You can find out more on one of my most-hit baby style sites here!

From one of my all time favourite designers for chic little girls, Ses Petites Mains comes this adorable little pair of trousers Lydia in maxim denim.

So nautical, so stylish and perfect for my Tinker because they have an adjustable waist. Never one to wear a boat shoe, but I am a big believer in nautical. Not over the top "yo ho yo hee hee" but a stripe here and a military button there makes for a classic look that I adore.

I wish they made my size in these trousers because I'd buy the whole store. The buttons are so cute, I am in love! They are so pretty with their relaxed wide leg perfect with a tiny pair of twinkling ballet flats peeping out the front, no?

Friends in high places. It's lucky I have such talented friends, or I'd be lost. My dear friend Wynona has created these adorable cord trousers for her label Ivy Designs. Audrey made from pinwale corduroy is the ultimate in autumn pants!

If you are anything like me you will love the feel, look and warmth of corduroy and pinwale is the cheese! The wales are thin and lightweight so you don't look like a chunky Christmas ornament.

I am a massive fan. The rickrack detailing makes the Audrey perfect for the little one who likes a retro touch to her trousers... or the mummy who chooses for her!

Last but not least is this dose of extreme cuteness.

Velvet and Tweed's Sailorette trousers are to die for. The nautical detailing, the funky wide leg, the beautiful blue fabric...

What more could you want? These are the cutest little spring pants.

Imagine them with a sweet little white top and white sandals or even now in winter you could add a chunky navy knit jacket. Just gorgeous.

This is preppy, heirloom chic at it's best. I adore this store as well. *sigh* I love them all!

Monday Giveaway - fermLIVING

2009-07-06T05:51:00.001+10:00

It's Monday again, don't groan- it's ok, I have a great giveaway to cheer you up!

This week's giveaway is from the Australian arm of ferm LIVING -a Danish company responsible for the most amazing graphic lifestyle products.

They sell ferm LIVING's inspired wallpapers, wall stickers, cushions, tea-towels and gorgeous gift cards. They also have an amazing kids range featuring 100% organic cotton textiles and beautiful wall decorations and coming soon, a fabulous carry-along dolls house.

Meredith is not only a fabulous mumtrepeneur, but she used to be a lawyer like me so she gets extra points from Stepford Dreams for that. She is offering Stepford Dreams readers the ultimate kids room accessory.

Mushroom Wall Sticker

These Mushroom stickers will brighten up a room!

Available in Red, Orange, Light Blue and Light Green

Dimensions: 50cm x 50cm, size adjustable

$77.00 ea

Perfect for a nursery or children's playroom or maybe even a casual area of your house.

These wall stickers are simple to apply they come with instructions and a plastic scraper and they are even easier to remove.

To win one of these funky mushroom wall stickers in the colour of your choice, all you need to do is check out ferm LIVING's website HERE and leave me a comment here telling me what you like best and why.

My little Tinker will draw the winner on Friday. See? I promise never to make you jump through hoops for our fabulous prizes. Easy as pie, so what are you waiting for?

Lovestamp- we have a winner!

2009-07-03T15:38:00.006+10:00

Tinker and I put all the numbers into the back of her train and she picked the winner... drum roll...

Number 16

She actually grabbed a handful of numbers but she quickly threw them on the floor and kept hold of this one so that is you DaniV you are the lucky winner of our stunning Lovestamp prize.

Thanks again to the amazing Jo who very kindly donated this most generous gift. I am sure Dani will absolutely love it.

Don't be sad if you missed out, you now know where to find Jo's fabulous work.

Make sure you come back on Monday I have another really wonderful giveaway.

Enjoy your weekend. xx

P.s I decided to give Tempete another few days to claim her prize before I redraw on WEDNESDAY because I'm a softie and I figured maybe she has gone on holiday. Lucky duck if that is the case! I would lurve a holiday right about now. Next best thing to a holiday? A friend coming to stay. My good friend and fellow blogger Theoreticgal is coming to stay for a few days. I am very excited, she arrives tomorrow. We are hoping to get some crafting done. I'll post pics.

Fast Friday Funny- Names!

2009-07-03T06:48:00.003+10:00

I am militant about baby names and I have a terrible time hiding my disdain when friends give their children bogan names or ask my opinion of a possible moniker for their soon to be born baby. What is a bogan name? Well, everyone defines bogan differently but to me a bogan name can be a name that:

*Has been purposely mispelt like "Taylah Jayne"

*Is completely made up, like "Charniqua" or "Beyonce"

*Features often in the Children's Court (ok so I know that there are very few of us who are privy to these details because The Children's Court is a closed court and names are always suppressed, but I can recite a list for you of the 10 most common names in the kids court and the 10 most common names in the care court- i.e the names of the children who are the victims of abuse) #1 name is Jayden and the myriad of spellings that go with it.

*Has become so popular at the Centrelink office that it is now considered "common". Remember that. Popular isn't the same as common.

*Is just plain sillyor cruel like the twins I encountered "Oracle & Miracle" or poor little children of my ex-clients who had these silly names: "Eminem" and "Napolion" yes that was the spelling and no Napolion wasn't a baby boy.

*Sounds like something rude.

The last point on my brief list is the one that I have featured as today's FFF. I have copied this information from the British Telegraph and I think it should give you a little laugh:

Britain's most unfortunate names

(from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics - 25 February 2009)

Jo King and Terry Bull on list of Britain's most unfortunate names They might sound like punchlines to very bad jokes, but real people have been named Helen Back, Jo King and Justin Case, according to researchers investigating Britain's most unfortunate names.
The team also managed to find people whose parents were inconsiderate enough to name them Terry Bull, Mary Christmas, Anna Sasin and even Doug Hole.

A spokesman for online parenting advice service TheBabyWebsite.com, which carried out the study, said: "Parents need to think carefully when choosing names for their children.

"Their name will be with them for life and what may be quirky and fun for a toddler might be regretted terribly when that person becomes older or even a grandparent perhaps."
For Stan Still, 76, living with his name has been a test of his patience.

The retired RAF airman, from Cirencester, Gloucs, said: "My name has been a blooming millstone around my neck my entire life.
"When I was in the RAF my commanding officer used to shout 'Stan Still, get a move on' and roll about laughing. It got hugely boring after a while."

Meanwhile, Rose Bush, from Coventry, West Mids, said the connotations of her name have seldom been a cause of mockery.
The 51-year-old author said: "I love my name. It has caused me no trouble whatsoever. People like it. I always get comments about it but they are always very positive."

The month-long survey also managed to hunt down a Paige Turner, Chris Cross, Barry Cade, Sonny Day, Teresa Green, and Ray Gunn.
Doug Hole of Penrith refused to talk about his name. He said: "I don't want to be involved just because I have an unusual name."
Beyond Britain's shores, the study found Americans called Anna Prentice, Annette Curtain, Bill Board and Carrie Oakey.

Medical professionals also provided some entertaining titles such as Dr Leslie Doctor; Dr Thoulton Surgeon; Dr Payne, a plastic surgeon from Ohio; and Les Plack, a dentist from San Francisco.
While Dr Sumey is likely to invite more than his fair share of lawsuits from disgruntled patients.

BRITAIN'S MOST BIZARRE NAMES

Barb Dwyer
Pearl Button
Ray Gunn
Helen Back
Stan Still
Jo King
Lee King
Terry Bull
Mary Christmas
Max Power
Paige Turner
Sonny Day
Tim Burr
Teresa Green
Will Power
Anna Sasin
Chris Cross
Doug Hole
Justin Case
Barry Cade

Worldwide

Anna Prentice
Annette Curtain
Bill Board
Carrie Oakey
Dr Leslie Doctor
Dr Thoulton Surgeon
Dr Payne
Les Plack
Priti Manek
Dr Sumey

TGIF, have a great weekend folks and make sure you hang about today, when the Tinker is up from her midday nap we will draw a winner!

Inviting a Celebrity to Dinner?

2009-07-02T21:41:00.004+10:00

Thanks to a pair of idiots in Queensland and some boring fellow in South Australia, I did not win the $106 Million jackpot lotto prize this week. They did. The bastards.

I was really cross about it because instead of trying to find my way through the chaos in my house this week I sat here on my uncomfortable but pretty B&B sofa and planned out every last dollar. So to miss out was a double blow. A.)because I've had to cancel my Gulfstream order and B.)because I now have an entire week's worth of washing to fold and put away and I really can't be bothered.

What really annoyed me was the couple in Queensland who said they would still be going to work the next day and really had no idea what they'd do with the money. Go away. How can you not know what to do with the money? I discussed this with Alli today and she agreed they don't deserve to win on that basis alone so they should forfeit their $50M and give it to us because we know EXACTLY what to do with it and nobody will be going to work the next day.

I love setting aside some daydreaming time to imagine what I'd do if I won a huge sum of money. Do you? One thing I don't daydream about is who I'd invite to dinner if I could invite anybody I wanted, dead or alive.

You know those magazine articles that come out on Sundays, they always ask who you'd invite to your last supper. People often say -oh Oprah... Elvis...Dalai Lama... Gandhi. Not me.

I would hate to have a celebrity round for dinner. What on earth would I cook? And what on earth would I talk about? Seriously, I don't have anything clever or funny to say so why would I want some intimidatingly clever/accomplished person sitting here at my dining table eating my uninspiring cooking and listening to my boring drivel? I would hate every single minute of it.

I always cringe when I see that question in magazine interviews. Do you?

Speaking of hanging out with celebrities, lets talk about Twitter. I was late to join that party and I must admit I'm still not up with all the Twitter lingo like follow fridays and what the little # symbol means.

One thing that I find really strange about Twitter is the way you can follow a famous person and make comments to them, and then they can either ignore you or reply via a direct message instead of a tweet which to me seems a bit like the cool kid at school only talking to you when the other cool kids aren't watching.

Another thing I find interesting is that it seems to be the rather low brow/ D-grade celebs who ignore their followers and then the really bright stars are the ones who have the manners to reply. Or that is my (limited) experience of it anyway. You know what is rather tragic but true?

I got a kick about unfollowing certain famous people who ignored my tweets. Objectively I know they probably don't even read my tweets and couldn't give a stuff whether I follow them or not, but there is something empowering about clicking remove on Twitter just like hitting that button on Facebook that de-friends someone. A bit like hanging up on some wally at a call centre, isn't it? I mean let's face it, they don't give a stuff but we feel a teeny tiny bit of power when we slam down that phone, don't we? Or am I the only one who is happy to hang up on rude call centre staff?

Only One More Sleep

2009-07-02T21:28:00.002+10:00

Til the little Tinker gets her winner picking suit on and selects YOUR name for this week's prize!

So you'd better get moving and follow this link to win, it is so easy and the gorgeous prize is waiting for you so wear the love and click here.

oh and I still haven't heard from Tempete so if I haven't heard from her by the mmorning then Tinker will redraw last week's giveaway as well!!

Two chances to win. Can't complain about that, can you?!

Tempete where are you?

2009-07-01T19:21:00.003+10:00

Ok so I haven't heard back from the lucky winner of our last giveaway so I'm going to redraw it on Friday if it don't hear from Tempete before Friday! *hint hint*

Air Stewards Get Naked on Plane

2009-07-01T12:13:00.005+10:00

Every time the Tinker sees a plane she screams "Bangkok! Bangkok!" (she used to say kok kok, thank goodness she pronounces it correctly now!) because the last plane she went on was that NIGHTMARE flight to Bangkok where she reduced me to tears. Anyway, God love her she is so cute with her plane spotting these days.

Not sure if it is the case or whether it just seems like it but there are so many stories of plane crashes in the news lately. It is kind of scary. People often say 'oh you have more chance of being hit by lightning than being in a plane crash" I don't know if that is true anymore?!

In any event, it is important to watch those safety videos... especially if the flight attendants are not wearing any clothes. What? Yes. Naked flight attendants. Air New Zealand now runs a passenger safety video starring flight attendants wearing nothing but body paint. The idea was to get the attention of the passengers. I reckon it will do the trick, don't you?

Let's face it we all tune out when we see those lame videos? Well , not anymore. This is so funny!

See the video here or read the article I read here.

Beautiful Baby Bonnets

2009-07-01T07:29:00.008+10:00

I have mentioned before how much I love dressing my sweet Tinker in pretty little outfits. I love the 'old fashioned' things like smocked dresses and hand knitted cardigans. Another thing I love is the humble baby bonnet.

With my little lamb inheriting my milk white complexion, we need to keep her precious red head out of the sun so she always wears a hat when we leave the house. I love love love bonnets I think they are the sweetest little hats.

Here are some pictures of the Tinker and I in Perth last December. The first time she played in sand, she wasn't so sure about it but she certainly rocked her beautiful bonnet!

So I was very excited to get an Etsy email this morning featuring this gorgeous bonnet:

You can buy this pretty little number HERE at Ub2 A Modern Baby Bonnet, A postmodern twist on an heirloom classic. What a cute store, right up my alley. They say "ub2 Bonnets give a bit of postmodern flair to a classic design! With adjustable straps & truly substantial protection from the elements, they'll protect your little ones from the sun, stay put on their heads & add a bit of funky fashion flair to their wardrobes! For BOYS and GIRLS!"

I love how they make their bonny little bonnets for little boys as well. The fabrics are beautiful and they feature a really wide deep brim unlike some token bonnets you can find. Perfect!

Must. Get.One... Or two!

What's for Dinner Wednesday? Maple Salmon

2009-07-01T05:27:00.002+10:00

After last night's debacle with the chicken I am glad to be returning to normal programming folks. No more fancypants attempts. I'm back to my minimal fuss, minimal ingredient cooking.

Since my husband and I are on this stupid healthy eating diet I have been hunting down low carb recipes and this is what I found. I haven't tried it before but it seems so easy that even I can't ruin it and I'm sure you will agree.

Maple Mustard Glazed Salmon with Green Salad

Just click on the recipe name above and it takes you to a fabulous little video that shows you EXACTLY what to do but in case you can't view videos on your computer here is the recipe:

You need one fillet of salmon per person and some green salad leaves and a lemon.

To make your glaze you just mix together the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon of good maple syrup.

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard.
1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat the Broiler to high. *This is what the Americans call the griller.*

I buy my fish already boned because I barely have time to pluck my own eyebrows let alone get tweezering some piece of dead fish. If you have bought your fillet with bones then get your tweezers ready and prep your fish.

Pour the Glaze on the Salmon.

Put some foil or baking paper at the bottom of the baking dish and add a teaspoon of oil.

Pour glaze over the fish pieces.

Broil for 5-7 minutes about 6inches away from the heat.

The glaze will caramelise and bubble.

Sprinkle salt on salmon and serve with lemon or lime wedges and green salad.

Easy.

Tuesday Snapshot- Edamame?

2009-06-30T22:00:00.004+10:00

See that thrilling bowl of culinary geniusness? That was my dinner tonight. Yep. A large bowl of soy beans also known as Edamame. Nice. Well, not really. I ate my beans begrudgingly.

Want to know why? Because my house smells like a fart. Yep. It really does and it's not even slightly funny.

It all started with me thinking that because tonight is our second evening on our new healthy eating plan, that I should go to a little bit of trouble with dinner. So I decided to cook this here. Only I was roasting the whole chicken not the Maryland pieces and I substituted the potatoes for grilled capsicum. I was feeling particularly wholesome and stepfordy when I bought a fancy organic, corn fed chicken from the overpriced fancypants meat shop this afternoon.

I lost my cooking mojo when I became a mum. I used to really enjoy cooking but these days it is a chore so I even surprised myself when I was looking forward to making a nice dinner tonight. I was almost smug as I thought about my fabulous stepfordness. Until I got home.

I opened up the packet that the chicken came in and almost immediately I was overcome with a very very bad smell that would make Rotorua seem like a bottle of SJP's perfume. Tinker, my helpful assistant said "fluffy?" (this is what we call a fart) and I said no, no fluffies. "Melly poo?" No, no smelly poos either my darling. That is the smell of $30 wasted and the real death of my cooking mojo. So we wrapped the chicken into two of her nappy bags to contain the scent and we threw it out.

Not long after that my husband called to say he wouldn't be home for hours and had eaten dinner at work. So that is how I came to settle for a bowl of edamame. I was so exhausted after Tinker's bedtime tantrums and so cross about the chicken that I went for the beans. hmmf.

So that is the first of my Tuesday Snapshot posts. I will take a random photo every Tuesday and post it here to show you something remotely interesting about my day. I can't guarantee it will get any more interesting than a bowl of beans but I'll try my best.

Snapshot

2009-06-30T04:21:00.002+10:00

I took this picture yesterday. That's my Tinker on the left and her BFF on the right with Nanny. The girls had the most wonderful time at the Playschool concert. They sat on the table together, hugged, kissed, danced and sung together. It was adorable.

This is such a sweet little age for the best friends, they have had playdates since birth and they have always enjoyed being friends but now they are older it is so sweet to see them loving each other. They do swimming together on Saturdays and poor Tinker has been a bit sad because her BFF has been sick for the past two weeks. It is so sweet they way she misses her and asks all weekend about her.

I have been reading a lot of blogs lately that mention the 365 day photo challenge where you take a photo each day for your blog. I'm not sure I can do it every day but it might be nice to post one each Tuesday. Is that boring? Let me know.

We are heading out early this morning so I'll take the camera and see what I can come up with for you. I see that so many bloggers are really talented photographers. I'm not one of them so you'll have to bear with me.

Have a great morning, I'll be back this afternoon.

What's new kitty cat?

2009-06-29T10:02:00.002+10:00

Thought I should do another little catch up post for anyone who is remotely interested!

Just like your garden variety nutjob, I am asking myself some questions. You know what they say about talking to yourself...

1.What have you bought lately?

Not a great deal because we are on an economy drive at our house trying to save up for the big garden renovation which I will tell you all about soon. I did manage to grab a few bargains on Saturday at Kirribilli Markets. For the little Tinker I bought this sweet lilac cardigan, handknitted from alpaca wool. Isn't it gorgeous? It only cost me $36.50. I love a bargain.

2. What's on the menu?

Well the other day Stella McCartney tweeted about Meat Free Mondays and I think this is going to be something we will do in our house from now on. My husband and I are both fatter versions of our former selves and today we began our healthy new eating plan to lose some weight. I think Meat Free Mondays will assist in that. I promise to keep you updated (bored) about our new diet as it progresses... if it progresses! I'm not great at sticking to new regimes so don't hold your breath.

Tonight's dinner is this hearty vegetable and lentil soup that works out at $1.25AU per serve!

3. What are you reading?

No books at the moment, no time! Two of my friends are now bloggers so I am enjoying reading their posts. I thought I might share the links with you. It's funny because the nature of their blogs couldn't be more different. Both fabulous mummy bloggers, I think the subject matter will appeal to my lovely readers:

Apathetic Housewife

Super Organizer

4. What's new with Stepford Dreams?

Some of you have noticed I now have the http://www.stepforddreams.com/ site. Not sure if it makes any difference to anything but it sounds cool doesn't it?

Also I'm very excited about our Monday giveaways, so far they have been really fabulous and I'm pleased to say we have lots more scheduled.

If you have an interesting product you think other Stepford Dreams readers would love to hear about, please shoot me an email!

5. What's the Tinker been up to lately?

She is now 18 months old and every bit the tinker. She is incredibly cheeky and ever so beautiful. She really amazes me with her memory and her sense of humour.

I can't help but compare her to other children sometimes and I often feel so lucky to have such a bright and engaging girl. She has always been that way, never one to stare off blankly like a lump of child.

Even as a tiny baby she would really engage with people. Now that she is such a fabulous talker it is even more apparent how clever and complex she is.

Here she is looking up at the navy helicopters that fly over our us all the time. She was saying "Touch heycopter mama? Nooo! Too high ha ha. Touch? Nooo, silly!"

I have just enrolled her in Mandarin classes and I'm awfully excited about it. Learning languages is something I have always loved and I hope it is something my little Tinker enjoys.

The classes are held in a playgroup type format for parents and children and run for an hour and a half with painting, songs and stories. 90% of the session is in Mandarin and they are designed for children and parents who do not speak Mandarin at home. I'm so looking forward to it. We will do a trial session first to see if she likes it and of course I'll share our progress on the blog.

She had her 18 month vaccinations this morning and she was so brave because I bribed her with a jelly bean. It worked. I'm off to wake her up now because we are going to see the Playschool show live in concert with her BFF and her mummy. A fun play date. I will pack the camera!

See you later!

Monday Giveaway - Lovestamp... wear the love!

2009-06-29T02:17:00.000+10:00

Alright, nobody likes Mondays but I think I have such a great giveaway today that it cancels out the Mondayitis.

The lovely Jo from Jo Girls Journey has come to the Stepford Dreams party with the most wonderful giveaway.

Her store Love Stamp is your one stop shop for beautifully hand-stamped bespoke jewellery. Like this amazing CHERISH necklace that Jo is giving one lucky Stepford Dreams reader:

A gorgeous little sterling silver 1/2“ pendant. This pendant is hand stamped with any name or word of your choice in either large capitals (one word) or two to four smaller words in my small font (see photos).

This lovely little pendant has antiqued letters for definition, and is domed which makes the dangle sit beautifully inside it.

This pendant comes with either one Swarovski crystal or Swarovski pearl, in the colour of your choice. The one above is this little girl’s birthstone. A beautiful gift for someone extra special in your life or just spoil your self.

This necklace comes to you strung on either a 16” or 18” sterling silver ball chain.
Total value $50.00

To be in the running for this beautiful prize, check out Jo's gorgeous store and let me know what your favourite thing is and why. See? No hoops to jump through, easy as pie!

Jo has two stores, one for the Aussie & NZ folk and another for the OS shoppers, so no matter where you are you can wear the love! Just gorgeous.

I really love being able to feature the work of other mums who manage to juggle everything and do it so beautifully. Jo is a WAHM of two wee ones, Ruby-Star 7 & Hudson 3.

Lovestamp was created out of a desire make simple, lovely pieces that can be worn casually with your jeans and t-shirt or out for a night on the town with your little black dress. Jo endeavors to make each piece meaningful and special to each and every customer.

Jo's custom hand stamped jewellery can be imprinted with your children’s names, a special word or saying, dates, whatever you dream of really. Lovestamp continues to grow day by day because mums, nanas and friends have shared Jo's designs with each other while picking up the kids from school gate, sharing a coffee or standing in line at the supermarket.

France Tells Women What Not to Wear

2009-06-26T21:57:00.015+10:00

Move over Trinny and Susannah. French President Sarkozy now tells women what not to wear.

He has come out in opposition to the burkha. He said last week that "The burka is not a sign of religion. It is a sign of subservience. It will not be welcome on the territory of the French republic."

The burkha is the name of the cloak like garment worn mainly by Afghan women. It is the one with the mesh area over the eyes and you mostly see it in this shade of blue:

cache.daylife.com

I am not sure if president Sarkozy is talking about the burkha or whether he is just using that word to describe any face covering garment worn by Muslim women. The niqab as shown here is a lot more common than the burkha and can be seen on women here in Australia, often in black.

ares-online.com

The BBC actually has a series of pictures describing the different types of dress worn by Muslim women here:

I am not a fence-sitter on this issue.

I feel very strongly that all people should be free to wear what they like.

Be it skanky mini skirts & uggs, burkhas, or sheitels & tiechels.

I am not intimidated or offended by women who choose to cover their hair or their faces.

Jerusalemshots.com

In Australia we are very lucky. Our government does not tell us what to wear. I do feel a great sense of sadness for women who live in other parts of the world where they do not have the same right I have to choose my outfits.

Yes since having my Tinker and becoming a new body shape I have no idea how to dress to look good and I tend to choose some shocking ensembles, but I choose them. Nobody tells me what not to wear. Perhaps they should, I might look better!

On a serious note, I’m disappointed and saddened that the president of a supposedly forward thinking country would make such an archaic statement. How dare he tell women what they can and can’t wear.

Yes I know France has long been the centre of style and what I'm wearing right now is probably a bastardised cheap version of what some designer sent down the runway last season in Paris, but I think Sarkozy is wrong, wrong wrong.

The argument many have adopted against this type of dress is that it isn’t a choice for the women. That they are being told to dress like this. This attitude infuriates me. Just because you do not like the look of the niqab why do you assume other women have been brainwashed or forced into wearing it?

Is it because our culture is all about looks? Why can’t we look beyond our own values and imagine a completely different perspective on appearance? Is it so hard to get our heads around the idea that some women do not want to be seen when they are out and about? Is it so hard to imagine? You might not agree with it, but why can’t you just accept that some women choose this for themselves?

So many people say it is because they are brainwashed. Muslim women are damned if they come out and say it is not their families forcing them because people then say they must be brainwashed. I find that really offensive.

I really hate tattoos. I can’t imagine ever wanting to pay money to have pain inflicted on my body so that I can be stained with ink. I know plenty of women who do pay money for this, they love their tattoos. I find it an awful concept but I do not think they have been brainwashed. It isn't something I could ever choose for my body so shuld it be banned on that basis? No.

I just think women who choose to ink themselves have different ideas about what looks good and what suits them. They want to do different things with their body, and I am so happy that our free country allows women to make these choices.

There are Muslim women who want to get about covered head to toe with only their eyes showing. So what? Their bodies, their right to choose whether to show them or hide them. Yes it can be confronting to walk into a shop and see a lady looking a lot like a ninja but that’s life. We don’t all want to dress the same. Alannah Hill gets about made up like a geisha doll in a frou frou nightmare, that can be confronting as well but it is her body so please let her clothe it as she sees fit.

I guess to me, wanting to tattoo your body is as foreign a desire as wanting to wear a burkha. I love that my society lets me choose. I wouldn’t like to live somewhere that didn’t afford women that freedom.

What about nuns in full habit? Nobody ridicules their choice to cover everything but their hands and faces like images of the Virgin Mary. Would Sarkozy say that the habit is a sign of faith or a sign of subservience by a victim of brainwashing? No. Never. Hypocrisy stinks.

What are your thoughts on this issue?

Another Friday Winner!

2009-06-26T15:23:00.006+10:00

So glad it is Friday, really looking forward to the weekend. My husband has been away a lot this week so it will be nice to have some quiet family time. Tinker has really missed him.

Now, what you have been waiting for... the winner of this week's fabulous giveaway courtesy of the lovely Meg at Pork Chop Kids...

Tinker and I put all the names into her little washing machine and she drew the winner:

La Tempete you are the winner! Please shoot me an email with your print and size preference and your address and I will pass it all on to Meg so she can send out your gorgeous little chops.

Thank you again Meg, we love Pork Chop Kids and I'm La Tempete will love her prize!

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and please be sure to check in again MOnday when I am announcing another gorgeous giveaway!!

Fast Friday Funny- An unusual Tool

2009-06-25T23:59:00.000+10:00

Ok so if you are using your work computer you probably can't see this funny You Tube video recording of an advert. It is for a product called Kush. They have their own webstore here.

The Kush Support is a totally serious product, I thought it was a joke but after some investigating (aka googling) I can confirm that the Kush really is something that women (maybe some men) pay real (not monopoly) money to have in between their breasts.

The picture says it all. I took it from their site. They even have skin tone coloured ones for fair and dark skinned breasts. I guess the idea is for them to blend in. Not sure how any phallic shaped foam covered plastic object could blend in with a woman's bosom...

The Kush is designed to "offer comfort for:

Side Sleepers
C-Cup Breasts or Larger
Breast Implants
Post-Operative Recovery
Pregnancy
Nursing Mothers
Preventing Cleavage Wrinkles
Proper Spine Alignment "

Also on the Kush site Kathinka Chandler (lets not make jokes about her being a big "thinker" now will we?) CEO says that:

A few years ago, I began to notice the appearance of wrinkles in my cleavage area. No matter how much I used creams or exercised, the creases didn’t go away. So I began to research the cause and learned a lot.

Now, as a result of developing her absolutely amazing product our mate Kathinka the Thinker not only sleeps easy at night but she says I feel better about my appearance during the day. Kush is a dream come true.

So there you go ladies. Another fabulous product. It's fair to say this one won't be making it's way over to my weekly Monday Giveaway section anytime soon. So sorry to disappoint, at least I gave you a laugh though. Right? TGIF. Have a great weekend! Back shortly to draw our Pork Chop winner!

Don't miss this bus!!

2009-06-25T21:30:00.003+10:00

Last day to enter my super cute Pork Chop Kids giveaway. All you need to do is click HERE and it is as easy as ever to win the tiny one in your life a really gorgeous little prize.

What's for Dinner Wednesday? Peas!

2009-06-24T05:39:00.001+10:00

wickedsunshine.com

My mother and father-inlaw fly back home this afternoon so we will be having leftovers for dinner. We have an abundance of peas and my mother in law happened to leave me her Delicious Magazine (issue 84 July 2009) and they have a great section at the back for quick recipes for left overs.

They have a quick pea recipe on page 154 and I'm going to try it since we have all of these ingredients here already and after the traffic I'm bound to get on the way to the airport I don't think I'll feel like popping out to get more groceries.

Left-over Pea Pasta (I've named it, you can tell since it is so creative)

Cooked pasta of your choice

2 cups of peas

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1/2 cup fresh mint

Shaved Parmesan

Salt & Pepper

Crush 2 cups of blanched peas with a fork. Season, then mix with ricotta and chopped mint.

Stir through cooked pasta and drizzle with olive oil and add some shaved Parmesan.

Could it be any easier? Come on, could it?!