Merry Christmas

Christmas Eve

Hope you all are having a great Christmas eve.

Here is Rona's favourite Christmas song at the moment :)

Another apology

Rona is sick, and covered in spots..... so I haven't had a chance to bathe, let alone blog.
But here is a youtube clip I found while distracting Rona from being sick

 

Rona and I are reading an advent book and gearing up for Christmas :)

The book is My First Countdown to Christmas. It is really good, you should check it out if you have toddlers or young school children

Jesse Tree

You should really check this link out

It is Ann's Jesse tree devotional, I love it, can't wait until Rona is old enough :)

Pinteresting

I recently found this

source

So I made one for Rona :)

Sorry

Sorry I have been spotty with my posts of late, the last few weeks have been really busy.

I will make some time to write soon..... but not tonight, I have a migraine :(

Ooooh a new ebook

Come check out this book!

Oprah's spirituality

This book is about Oprah's spirituality - which is not good, by the way - and that spirituality's influence upon America and the world.

This is the story of Oprah's life, the good, the bad and the ugly. 

Beginning with the truths of her birth, chaotic upbringing and also a look into the many blessings that she has had that aren't often mentioned by her. Once she was a professed believer in Jesus Christ and then you begin to see some of the things that shaped her turn to making her own "religion". 

Stephen Mansfield did his homework thoroughly. There is a lot of information in his book but it is necessary to build his case. He was fair, clearly showing when something he wrote was his insight; which I found very interesting in the way he did it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Close Enough to Hear God Breathe

I was drawn to the book by the title: Close Enough to Hear God Breathe sounded like just the sort of book I was looking for.

I found this book hard to start, but once I got into it; I found his writing fresh, engaging and worthwhile.  It is presented in five parts with three chapters in each part.

Highly recommended for those seeking a deeper intimacy with God.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

30 Days of Giving - Wishing Tree

Rona and I went to the shops and picked out some presents to buy for the Target Christmas Tree. I like giving back and the idea that I am making someone's Christmas a little better.

So Rona and I will wrap the presents tonight and I will drop off the presents tomorrow :)

30 Days of Giving - Donating blood

I haven't been able to donate blood for over 2 years now, while pregnant and breastfeeding.

But fortunately they have changed the guidelines, so you can be breastfeeding and donate blood, as long as it isn't the child's main source of food.

It is a little ridiculous how excited I was to be able to donate blood again.

So while Rona was babysat by my Mum, I went and donated blood. I have tiny veins (apparently) so I usually take forever for the right amount of blood to be donated, but today I set a new record; 5 minutes!

I think it is an important thing you should do (if you can) so I encourage all of you to think seriously about donating blood

30 Days of Giving - bits and pieces

Today I drove my brother around, as his car was in the mechanics. It was hot and Rona got cranky, but we managed.

I also put up some inspirational posters at my local shops noticeboard, to make someone smile.

30 Days of Giving - People to give to

Here are some great charities to give to:

Compassion, I sponsor a lovely child called Axel. It is great to know we are making a difference in his life.

Embrace Baby Warmers, what a fabulous invention, keeping lots of little babies alive and warm. Do go check them out.

And Mercy House, a great house for pregnant women in Kenya, started by Kristen from We Are that Family. Another great place to give to.

30 Days of Giving - Expo and Charity

We went to a baby expo recently and while waiting in the line for a promotion, I ended up chatting with two ladies behind me in the line. They had only just arrived at the expo, and so I let them know where some really good freebies were. Usually I don't speak to strangers like that, but I thought they would like to know where the good freebies were.

And on Sunday, I put some extra tins in the Anglicare Tin Bin, I usually forget to buy the tins at the shops and forget to bring them to church when I do, but I remembered this week :)

30 Days of Giving - In the grocery store

Today I went to the grocery store and thought I should give to random strangers.

I collected some trolleys and put them back in the trolley return, then when we were waiting in the line, I let a lady go in front of Rona and I.

30 Days of Giving - Thank you notes to friends

Today I wrote and posted some cards to my two best friends, thanking them for their many years of friendship and just plain being wonderful.

I often think it, but I don't often tell them.

30 Days of Giving - Heart Sister

Lately people in a forum I frequent have organised something called Heart Sisters, which you send anonymous gifts and letters to someone (which you are set up with).

So I have joined and been sending parcels to a lady who is having a hard time.

I have been "stalking" her posts to see what is going on in her life and what kind of things she would like.

I have send her an extra nice parcel in the mail today. :)

30 Days - another thank you note

I wrote a thank you note to our armed forces, because they are people that I don't really think about that much, except on ANZAC day and Rememberance day, really....

So I made time and I wrote a note, well, email actually and thanked the service men and women for their service. I used this link

The note was like this:


Because I am not in your shoes, I know I will never fully appreciate the sacrifices you make for me, your family, your friends and your country every day. However, I am especially reflective of my gratitude this holiday season. I realize your sacrifice is made even greater during this time away from your loved ones.
It is because of your sacrifices that I am able to enjoy our freedoms. So with a great degree of sincerity and humility, I say simply, “thank you” for all you’ve done and continue to do for me, my family, my friends and our country.

An Amish Wedding

I enjoyed these novellas, as I have enjoyed the other stories I have read by the same authors.  I do recommend An Amish Wedding to readers who enjoy Christian, and specifically Amish, fiction.

These short books were simple and easy to read. I quickly fell in love with the characters and wanted to see their individual stories play out. I did enjoy how the books incorporated the same people and allowed you to see different sides of the same ongoing story played out in the three books.

I received this book free of charge from Booksneeze in exchange for my honest opinion.

30 days - church garage sale

My church had a garage sale last weekend, so Rona and I helped out.

Rona had lots of fun "trying out" all the toys and charming the customers.

We were  there from 8am until 2pm. It was a fun day, and very tiring.

Church raised I think around $1500 dollars, which is great.

30 days - driving around

Todays and yesterdays giving was a little impromptu.

Stephen's car broke down and he needed a lift from the mechanics in the morning and then back to the mechanics in the afternoon.
Then it turned out that his car wasn't fixed yesterday, so he borrowed Mum's car, so now I have to pick her up from work.

I don't mind helping people out, I just hope Rona copes with all the driving, we will probably end up in the car for at least an hour to pick Mum up and dropping her back home.

Gotta go!

The Love and Resepct Experience

I love the Love and Respect book by Dr. Eggerichs, it is a fabulous book. So I recently ordered the Love and Respect Experience by Dr Eggerichs.

This book is good, it is nothing new to those who have read the original book though. This would be a fantastic devotional to do with your spouse, a definite must-do.

In case you don't know, the Love and Respect message is based on Ephesians 5:25, that men should love their wives and wives should respect their husbands. And the main point being that God wants us to love and respect each other unconditionally, whether they have earned it or not.

I prefer the original book to the devotional, but if you are looking for a good couples devotional, you should get this one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

30 days - A letter back

I got a letter back from the local police station, thanking me for the thank you note :)
It was really lovely to receive a letter back, it made my day.

Rebecca, my sister, her washing machine broke down and as she has 4  kids, she really can't afford to be without one.
So I went over to her house and picked up a couple of loads of washing and took them home and washed and dried them.

I am glad that I could find something meaningful to give today.

30 Days - Cake

My sister has done it again, she asks me to make her a birthday cake.

So I have done it, I made her a Nyan cat cake.

I made her a rainbow cake, like the one I made Husband for his birthday, with a Nyan cat on top

Here is the Nyan cat

He doesn't look quite right, as he is still damp in this photo, but I am quite happy on how he turned out

Reluctant Queen

I recently received the e-book A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf.

It was a decent read, nothing unexpected from a fictional account of a famous bible story.
It was mediocre, but that isn't to say it was not enjoyable.

The best part was the characterisation, Haman wasn't entirely two dimensional and evil (like in so many other books) and same for Aherserus.

If you are looking for an easy, light read, then this is the book for you.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

30 Days - Writing thank you notes

The first thing I thought of to "give" was thank you notes.

I wrote notes to the local police station, fire station and ambulance (station?). This is because I feel that a lot of people take these services for granted.

Then Rona helped me by drawing a picture for each of the letters, which is about how far she can help me in this :)

In Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado

I have loved this book from afar for a while. Working in a Christian bookstore for most of my working life, I know good books from bad.

And this is an excellent book, a must for every child's library.

I received this from BookSneeze on Kindle, so I will be reading this to Rona quite often now :)

The story begins by telling the child "long, long ago God made a decision...a very important decision...one that I'm really glad He made. He made the decision to make you."
The story truly expresses what we as parents all want our children to know: they are very special, unique and have our hearts and this will never change.
"...As you grow and change, some things will stay the same. I'll always love you. I'll always hug you. I'll always be on your side. And I want you to know that... just in case you ever wonder."
The ending is perfect; it talks about heaven.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

30 days of Giving challenge

Last year, I participated in the 30 days of giving challenge. It was truly a challenge, and a wonderful thing to do.

So I have decided to do my own 30 days of giving again this November.

I started making a list of what to do last month, and I am looking forward to what I am going to do this month.


This is a great verse, what will be my motto for the next month at least.

Wish me luck!

The Blessing by Trent and Smalley

Another great book from 2 fabulous Christian authors. Smalley and Trent cleverly tie Christian values to modern psychology.
The book helps us to see that how we were raised has a complete influence on how we are today, without blameshifting the responsibility on our family.
This book is a blessing. Wow! A definite need to read for just about everyone. The time is now. Be a blessing. The importance of the blessing is seen throughout scripture and in the observation of individuals.

I recieved this book courtesy of Booksneeze, in exchange for an honest review

source

Another Pinterest Project

I know, I know, I am a little addicted to Pinterest.....

But here is a great project I saw:

source

I thought it was such a great idea, little book shelves for Rona to have :)

So I have done this at my house:

Rona absolutely loves it, and constantly pulls her books off the shelf to read :)

Miss Austen Regrets

I just saw this movie: Miss Austen Regrets

This was a quietly passionate movie, one that is based on what is known of Jane Austen's life.

Olivia Williams is fabulous as Jane Austen, witty and unassuming.

As a big fan of Jane Austen and the movie adaptions of her novels, I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys the same.

The most fabulous Etsy find

I found this fabulous print on Etsy

source

It is I love you in binary!

So geeky and cool, I really must buy this for Husband!

A Pinterest crafty project

 I recently found this wonderful idea on Pinterest

source

I thought it was just so lovely, very crafty and would be so easy to re-jig whenever the mood hit.

It was also a perfect idea to decorate the plain wall in the bathroom, where there is very little colour (except for Rona's bath toys).

So I bought some embroidery hoops from an op shop (thrift store) for a very reasonable price, I think $4?

Then I went through my fabric stash, which I did have a little bit of trouble finding appropriate material, as I keep delving into my stash for all my projects.

Then, when Rona was at my mum's place for a couple of hours, I went to work.





And the result was this

 So, what do you all think?

Yet another Rona post

I thought I would put in what milestones Rona is up to at the moment, as I had to work out what they all were for the child health nurse visit.

At the moment, Rona is 12.4kgs (and she was 10kg at 6 months) and 82 cms tall.

She knows over 200 words (and more everyday, it seems)
She can climb up stairs with one or both hands held, can get up stairs by crawling, down stairs with hands held.
She speaks two or three word sentences frequently.
Seats herself (will even climb up on lounge etc)
Builds towers of up to 13 blocks
Has great problem solving skills (works out houw to open doors, get things out of where she should not be able to get them etc)
Follows directions (when she wants to LOL)

She has also started to play with other children, instead of just parallel playing.

I love seeing how much she has achieved, she is a real little girl now, rather than a baby.

now I just have to teach her not to paint on tables :)

Rona is 18 months!

Wow, I cannot believe that Rona is 18 months already!

It has been a womderful, tiring and amazing journey, she has changed my life in so many wonderful ways.

6 hours old

Every day is an adventure (even if it is an adventure seeing how many loads of washing you can possibly get through in a day)

I love you my beautiful baby girl

Parenting humour

5 a day books - Play School

This week, Rona and I will be reading all Play School books. Play School is an Australian television show that has run for 45 years. I love how educational and fun it is, and they have quite a few books.

We will be reading the books in the Play School Pocket library this week

The books are:
Animals
Colours
Numbers
Words
Jemima gets dressed
and There's a bear in there

Love that multiplies - the Duggar Family

I was recently lent this book by my sister, and it was an intriguing read.

While I am no advocate of "letting God decide how many children you will have" (no contraception), I have nothing but respect for those who do choose to chose this lifestyle.

This book is partly an insight to the 2 years around when their youngest daughter Josie was born premature, and partly a guide to how they run their lives, and why they do so.

I found this a great book, well written and heartfelt.

I think it is a great read for parents, and for those who are interested to see what life with 19 children looks like.

I love how they articulate and live out their faith.

You know you're a mum when

via Pinterest

There are so many good points to being a mum, but here are some of the odd-er ones

You know you're a mum when:
*you rock the trolley/ pram when there is no one in it
*you say sorry when you drop/step on stuffed animals
*you can sing nursery rhymes in the doctor's waiting room without being embarassed
*realise half way to your destination that you have been listening to children's music.... with no children in the car
*You are "introduced" to other kids when your baby "makes friends" with kids on public transport
*You say things like: What have I said about licking DVDs?
*When you are super excited to get to go to a petting farm with DD, or spend the whole day talking about what you are doing/what you can see... and get strange looks from people as you pass them by

Now that's romantic

I got the idea from We are that family, Kristen recently wrote a list of the little things that her husband does that makes her feel loved.

So I have decided to make a list of my own.

I love when he:
*Brings me a drink of water everynight
*Always checks the house is locked each night and when we leave the house
*Buys the best surprise presents (he is really good at that, he puts so much thought into it)
*Vacuums each weekend for me (because Rona is still scared of the vacuum, so it is hard for me to do it during the week)
*Lets me drive everywhere (I get nauseous whenever I am a passenger in a car), even though he would prefer to drive.
*Always kisses me hello and goodbye each day

And if you don't read Kristen's blog, go check it out, it is fabulous!

A birthday present from Husband

For my birthday recently, Husband bought me a place in a cake decorating course. It was a one night event, to learn all the techniques to make one kind of cake, the Gift Box Cake.

I am not exactly a novice, but definitely an amateur, so I was excited to see what I could learn at the course.

I learnt a couple of new techniques and was quite happy with the end result.

Links for October

Just cause I can:

Pretty cakes

 

Martha Stewart Weddings

brides.com

from the knot

Rona's vocabulary

I was recently reading about language development and toddlers, and found that the average 18 month old has a vocabulary of 20-50 words that they use regularly.

I was curious and started writing a list of what words Rona uses on a regular basis.

I am up to 195.



This is mind boggling. The average 2 year old speaks between 50 and 300 words.
I am quite glad that Rona has a good vocabulary, it helps me know what she wants more easily.

I think that is in at least partly to do with how much reading and the Your Baby Can Read series we have been doing.

5 books a day - That's not my

For this week, Rona and I will be reading our books from the "That's not my" series by Fiona Watt

We have:

 That's not my dinosaur

That's not my pony

That's not my doll

That's not my lion

Okay, I know that is four, not five. But seeing I am going with a theme, I will keep it at that.

Rona loves these books, because they are so touchy feel-y. They are lovely and repetitive, and so descriptive. I think these are great to teach littlies adjectives.

All things purple

I have recently found the All things Purple blog.

I enjoy Laura's whimsical way of expressing things


You should check it out here

A great comic on the use and abuse of english

go here to check out the full list of words you need to stop misspelling

5 a day books from Imagination Tree

Rona loves books, so I will include her 5 favourite books at the moment.

This book Miffy touch and feel book by Dick Bruna. Rona loves the simple words and graphics, she has learnt the word "soft" from this book. And at the end, she always waves goodbye to Miffy.

This Dinosaur is so Big! by Nick Sharratt. This is a lovely, interactive book. Rona loves the magnets, and loves changing the story. She also loves roaring like the dinosaurs.

Baby Bird's Blankie by Margaret Wilde. This is a lovely story, with repitition and the right mix of simplicity and complexity for Rona's age. When the book says "down, down, down, light and lovely as a leaf" she stands then sits down, signifying down.

My first words from the Your Baby Can Read series. Rona loves sliding words to uncover the pictures.

My cat likes to hide in boxes by Eve Sutton. This book is lovely, with great rhyming, but is a little too repetitive for Rona's age, so I cut out the major repitition when I read it to her, and she absolutely adores it!