Inspiring Deliciously
This handsome little man is my younger son aka Fabulous Son 2. Contrary to FS1, he hates posing or having pictures taken. So I just go ahead and do the next best thing any mum would do, capture him at his natural best. Here I give you Moods.
A child’s smile is one one of life’s greatest blessings.
Linking up with the very wonderful My Little Drummer Boys and Twinkle In The Eye Blog for Wordless Wednesday.
00I found this picture of me with my eldest from earlier this year on my phone and the moment I saw it, I knew it had to be shared. My second thought was I don’t share nearly enough stories or pictures of FS#2 as I do of FS#1 so that will definitely have to change this year! Imagine, the poor lad being scarred for life for lack of mention on mum’s blog … just in case Mumchic becomes a big deal…. a girl’s gotta be prepared for all eventualities you know!
Back to Fs#1 for now though, he has a striking personality that is very much beginning to come into its own. Among his many wonderful traits, here are some. He is headstrong, righteous, kind, confident, intelligent and stubborn. He has a generous, giving heart…a crab like tough exterior but beautifully tender on the inside. FS#1 has a thinking, perceptive mind, some times too perceptive for his my own good. Like me , he too has big dreams.
And that is where I will leave you. With a precious moment and with words that best speak his story.
There is more to a boy than what his mother sees. There is more to a boy then what his father dreams. Inside every boy lies a heart that beats. And sometimes it screams, refusing to take defeat. And sometimes his father’s dreams aren’t big enough, and sometimes his mother’s vision isn’t long enough. And sometimes the boy has to dream his own dreams and break through the clouds with his own sunbeams.
- Ben Behunin
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Growing up, I absolutely LOVED picking out fresh stationery for the new school year. From what I gather, not much has changed! Kids (and their parents if you are anything like me) still get all excited when it comes to buying new stationery and getting organised for the year ahead! Fabulous Son 2 has already declared we will be covering all his books with Batman contact this year!
Speaking of individualising stationery for back to school in 2013, we were absolutely delighted to receive our little package to review from Budons. Their uber cool range of stationery ticks all the boxes for a fun and funky back to school experience for the kids. Available in a large variety to pick from, the adorable and vibrant clip-on characters are the highlight of Budons stationery. They can be clipped on to pencil cases, lunch bags, backpacks, folder and notebooks to create a customised look to suit your child’s mood and style. The clip-on characters can even be bought as a cool eraser and are totally affordable at $1.50 a piece.
Never lose or mix up school or gym bags with colourful good-sized bag tags, infact they would be great for kids’ luggage too! Budons A5 notebooks make great writing journals for the tweens in the family(perfect as a birthday present too!) .And if that’s not awesome enough, the yummylicious smelling scratch and sniff notebooks and sticky notes are absolutely gorgeous and will be a sure-fire hit with the jotters and scribblers!
To get your own Budons fix, head over to your local Target store, this unique range is now available nationally or to win a prize pack similar to the one featured above, enter our giveaway now!
This giveaway has now closed. Winner will be announced on January 28th 2013.
And the winner is :
~Michelle V~ Your creative poem on headlice infestation totally rocked my boat!
Congratulations Michelle V and well done 
Please email me on mumschic@gmail.com with your address to receive your Budons prize pack.
a BIG thank you to everyone who took the time to enter this competition.You are all fabulous !!!
To make back to school a breeze in 2013, the generous folks at Budons are giving one Mumchic reader a chance to win a Budons prize pack valued at $40. Here’s how to enter!
1. What is the one thing you don’t like about the kids getting back to school? {Please leave your answer in the comments below}
2. Follow our Faceboook page here or our Twitter page here or follow this blog via email and let us know that you did!
And you are in! It is as easy as that.
The most unique answer wins a Budons pack worth $40.
Good Luck!
T&C’s
*only one entry per person
*you must be an Australian resident with a valid Australian postal address
*all entries will be verified for all of the above steps
*ONE prize pack only. Valued at $40
*contents of this prize pack may vary from those shown in this post
*entries will close at 10:30pm on Tuesday, the 22nd January 2013
*winner will be notified via email & will be announced on the blog
*judge’s decision is final
*prizes are not transferable, changeable or redeemable for cash
*prizes will not be replaced in the event that they are stolen, lost or damaged in transit
*prize will be sent by a third party, Mumchic accepts no liability for the prize in any way
Disclaimer : No cash was received for this post, however Budons provided us with product to review.
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Ah great! I have managed to catch your attention? Good! Now tell me, do you follow Mumchic on Facebook and Twitter? No? Ok follow now {hint : click on links above}
Done? Yay!
Aren’t you wonderful?!
So for those of you who have been following us on Facebook and Twitter, you might have read the stream and seen the pictures floating around from our big adventure trip to Sydney last weekend courtesy of the uber awesome folks at Countrylink. Oh what a trip it was !
As promised, here is a full wrap of the trip in words and pictures. Enjoy!
Day 1
We took the Sydney Xplorer train from Canberra’s Kingston railway station – grandpa and grandma visiting from Pakistan in tow! It is a pretty comfy ride especially when you are travelling with the little ones with a lot of room to move around. No getting crammed into little seats. It was a hot day so the cooling helped considerably as we made our way to Sydney! We checked into the very centrally positioned Citigate Central and were greeted with smiles and drinks at the bistro while our room was being prepared.
With a big day planned for the next day, we had an easy night strolling around the Sydney CBD , Chinatown and the Darling Harbour precinct. If you are looking for a great asian meal in the Sydney CBD area, I wouldn’t look past the Golden Century Restaurant with their live seafood and delightful meals, this one can’t be missed! For dessert, we headed to the Lindt Cafe at Darling Harbour. A slice of their St.Moritz cake is absolutely divine {featured}
Day 2
We started off with a yummy buffet breakfast at our hotel in the morning, all set for a big day ahead.{Look out for the picture where FS2 decided to have chocolate sauce with a small drizzle of pancakes for breakfast!}
The ferry ride from Darling Harbour to Taronga Zoo was spectacular taking in all of Sydney harbour’s landmark sights! We were fortunate enough to get up,close and personal with the Voyager Of The Seas – what a grand cruise liner, it was like a mini-city on it’s own -Ah to go on a cruise someday…
After being ferried to Taronga , we took the sky lift up to the Zoo. Truly a wild and unforgettable experience, the zoo is a must-see Sydney attraction. My personal favourites were the Gorillas, you could just watch them for hours , so fascinating they are! The Dinosaurs In The Wild exhibition currently running at the zoo got a massive tick from the boys. We even got to meet T-Rex, does it get any better?! {Look out for the pictures}
Along with the display, there is a lot to learn about these brilliant life-like, life-size creatures and I would highly recommend spending a few minutes at each display getting to know a bit more about the dinos. You can often find zoo staff near the displays who are more than happy to have a little chat about the dinosaurs’ special features.
That night the boys were only too happy to cool off at the hotel pool – perfect way to relax after a long day. If heading to the Zoo these summer school holidays, I would highly recommend packing plenty of cool drinks, nibblies , hats, lots of sun screen and big smiles! Then you’re all set for your big day out!
Day 3
Like all good things, our wonderful Sydney trip too came to an end and we headed back to a still steaming Canberra with countless special moments tucked safely in our memories. A big thankyou to Countrylink for presenting us with this fantastic opportunity!
If you too would like to take a fun and adventurous family trip to Sydney, contact Countylink Holidays online or by phone on 132829.
The Dinosaurs In The Wild Exhibition runs until February 3rd 2012 and is a must visit attraction! For more information , you can find the brochure here.
{This is not a paid endorsement for Countrylink, however an all expenses paid trip to Sydney was provided to the writer and all her guests for review purposes}
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So Fab Son 1 aka R got an Apple iPod Touch 5th Generation for his 9th birthday late 2012 , if you missed the totally cute and watch worthy video from the big day, you will find it here. Pretty cool eh?
Over the Christmas break and school summer holidays, the iPod has become FS1′s best friend and fair enough, he has been waiting for it for TWO whole years after all ! Sarcasms aside, R has waited quite patiently so it is a well deserved birthday present and absolutely no surprise that I have now lost a son to the world of iTunes, iPod apps and games I had no idea even existed. Angry Birds is as far as I will go. But these days, it is all about the technology and cool gadgets. It’s a boy thing too I suppose ( for further explanations, read here).
As with all technology, it can either be a blessing or a menace. Bearing this in mind, I am quite judicious with FS1′s usage of the iPod with strict rules on what can be downloaded and what can not and how much time he spends on it a day. So for example, come the start of school in Feb’13, the iPod will be safely tucked away only to be used on weekends but until then usage within reason is perfectly fine by me.
We are all aware of the dangers of children being exposed to technology but there are some fantastic benefits too! Apart from the fact that he can just about Google everything, he is aware how hot the next 3 days will be but what I love MOST about my son having an iPod is this!
This exchange happened last week while my super amazing parents were looking after the kids so I could peacefully go to work.
I LOVE how I can talk to my son no matter where I am and he doesn’t need to have a phone just yet, a wifi connection is just fine. I like the fact that I can get down to his level and communicate with him in a way in which he can relate to me. Funnily enough, the message hasn’t changed , the modes have, yep rooms still need to be cleaned, toys still need to be packed away and beds still need to be made!
Oh and the other reason is that he takes beautiful pictures! Have you seen this shot?
How do you see parent-child communication changing with technological developments? How do you cope?
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My dearest, precious sons; my fabulous 2,
I am sorry I had a meltdown today. I apologise that I was in tears on our ride to school. Instead of the usual positive affirmations followed by humming to your favourite songs, I felt upset and angry. I could tell you felt sad as you walked away from the car this morning, so did I.
I know that you are tired and ready for a break. This term at school in particular has been long especially this week and the hotter days haven’t helped either.I know that you are extra sensitive about the smallest things and with the buzz, excitement and anticipation of the holidays around the corner, it can all get a bit too overwhelming. I want to magically make it all okay for you. Only if.
I wonder if you have noticed…
My nerves have been frayed for a few weeks now , I am anxious, stressed and I too like you am ready for a break. Perhaps that is why sometimes I seem less patient than usual. Bear with me.
I know you think I am super mum, the person who is always in control, calm and strong. The one person who is supposed to make it all perfect.I promise you I am trying.. so very hard to make it all perfect for you.
But I have my moments. Like you, I am tired too.
Today, you are too little to understand but I hope that someday you will look back and appreciate the little thoughts and gestures that went into raising you. I hope that you will see the challenges and the sacrifices. There will be a time when the “nos” make perfect sense.
At many points in life, I may stop you, reprimand you or correct you. I may even do things that embarrass you. You might not think much of me when I do so but I promise you, it is not because I want to hurt your feelings or that I love you any less, it is because I love you more than anyone else ever will.
After all, you are the only ones who know what my heart sounds like from inside.
I Love You,
Mummy
{Too often, we are so caught up in making everything right for everyone else especially over the festive period, we forget to take care of ourselves and we might end up being harsh on those we love the most. This post is also dedicated to everyone out there who is feeling the stress and anxiety of the season. Step back, breathe, take a momentary break if you can and start afresh when you are ready. And that is exactly what I am going to be doing this weekend}
P.S – With 5 days left till Christmas, do not underestimate the power of listing, it works!
How are you coping with the stresses that come along with the festive season? How much shopping do you still need to do before Tuesday?
00You know you love your children unconditionally when after a harrowing and distressful ( the tear your hair and have a complete meltdown kind) morning just before getting to school, you still spend the day thinking of them and feeling guilty for yelling at them. You know you love your children unconditionally when after a hectic and busy week, you get to have a well-deserved break while they visit their father. Instead of kicking back and relaxing the down time, you end up talking about them and sharing some of their funniest moments with a friend.
It breaks my heart each time I have to let them go. It has been two years, it is never easy. I can only imagine how they must feel, split between two homes.I blame myself at times for stealing away from them a chance at a “conventional” childhood. For choosing a path which will always be harder. But I hope that one day they will understand why I did what I did. I hope that that is the day they realise how unconditionally I have loved them.
How about you ? When do you love your child/loved ones unconditionally?
Happy weekend all
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They say a woman never truly knows love until the day she becomes a mother.Truer words have never been spoken. I have not experienced a more fulfilling, unconditional form of love.
9 years ago, I lost my heart permanently. To the boy who’s tiny fingers grasped mine, trusting , innocent, the one who found comfort in my arms and fell asleep to badly sung renditions of my favourite Bollywood tunes. I knew then that I would never be the same again. Motherhood is an expensive trade-off but one so rewarding that it makes all the sacrifices worthwhile. Today, I will not go into a spiel about how motherhood has changed me or share my journey with you (I cannot do this without breaking down into tears so we better save the emo meltdown for another post).
I will let today be about the happy moments. Today, I will celebrate my beautiful eldest child, who turned 9 last week, a little man who is strong, righteous, confident and resilient. Today, I will celebrate moments, memories, love and the gift of life.
Today, I will tell you about the boy who stole my heart and captured my soul.
Enjoy the video and please do leave a comment, I always love hearing from you
00Brothers.
Saturday morning. 7 am.
Fabulous son 2 sneaks out to Fab Son 1′s bed. There is an animated exchange about games, secret moves and other boy stuff. There are no fights.This is rare.
But there is a bond and a banter that you can only share with a sibling. And then unbeknownst to them, there is me, quietly capturing what are not mere pictures, but very special moments.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
00Today I am linking up with a wonderful blog I have only started reading recently. My Mummy Daze hosts a special segment every Sunday called “Windows Of Happiness” where we recollect a moment, a photograph or a thought that has made us happy in the past week. Here’s mine;
Last Saturday was the first weekend of spring and with the temperature looming around 18-20 mark the Fab 2 were thrilled to be able to wear their shorts and short sleeved tees after a winter of multi-layering although with our holiday, we did get away with spending the worst of Canberran winter in Pakistan’s warm July!
Give a pair of brothers a soccer ball and let them go, the result … a lot of brotherly rough and tumble and heaps of photography practice for mum.
My precious sons, happy, smiling I cannot think of a better highlight for my week.
What has been the highlight in your life in the past week ?
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