All posts tagged life

{Wordless Wednesday} Melancholy.

April 3, 2013

I am a  mess today. After a fairly eventful long weekend spent having mostly fun with my Fab 2, you’d think I would skip, jump and happy dance my way to the next weekend which is now technically just 3 days away.

Instead, I am miserable. And moping.

And melancholic.

Quite simply, I miss my family. A part of me wants to pack out and be with them ASAP, that’s the emotional, sentimental part of course. The one that knows no reason.

I want to banter with my siblings, not on skype or google talk or whatsapp but in real life. I want to share meals with everyone. And monsoons. And mangoes. And all other seasonal fruit.

I want to hang out in mum’s lounge room post dinner, sip on green tea and have mindless discussions on the benefits of Apple versus Samsung.

I want to stay up late with my sister way past when everyone else is asleep nibbling on whatever we can find in mum’s pantry and make fun of old bollywood films.

I want to close my eyes and just silently hear my parents talk. Soak up all that love.

Tomorrow , I will probably get over it but today I am melancholic, today, more than anything, I want to be family.

family

Taken at my brother’s wedding back in 2010. Its a favourite.

Clockwise : Yours truly, younger brother and his wife and baby sister :)

Image Credit – This picture was snapped by the lovely Madiha of  Moments By Madiha.

Linking up for Wordless Wednesday with the awesome Trish from My Little Drummer Boys

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Savvy Spaces Returns – More On Simple Decluttering

March 26, 2013

Our very own savvy queen of organisation, Miss K is back on the blog today continuing with the keep those benchtops clean with some very simple but handy tips on keeping the clutter in check. Over to you, Miss K.

Savvy Spaces Returns – More on simple declutering.

Today, I will share some of the ways I try to keep my kitchen bench top area only 15 mins away from being tidy.  The key message to focus on is that clearing a space, clears the mind.   No one wants to become a slave to housework or spend their days cleaning.  With the right systems and storage solutions in place, finding that clear space should only take you minutes.

kitchen bench

Your kitchen will have items that live on the bench top.  However, we want to avoid getting into the trap of STORING items that don’t belong here.  STORING more often occurs when items don’t have a designated ‘home’. 

My kitchen does become a temporary holding zone for many items entering into our home.  This is made worse by the fact that we enter via the kitchen door.  It is therefore imperative that there are some storage solutions in place to help with a quick tidy up.

My Personalised Storage Solutions:

KEYS – Do you find keys get placed onto the benches?  Do you ever get frustrated trying to look for your keys?  I have our keys hanging on a mug holder.  You could consider a key tree or other solution so that they are always placed into the SAME spot when you walk in the door.  No more searching for lost keys!!  Due to security issues, I am not advocating having your keys in a prominent place in the kitchen.  However, these ideas could still be used in your “Hiding Spot”.  The main point is PLACE YOUR KEYS IN THE SAME SPOT ALWAYS, wherever that may be.

key tree 2key tree 1

 

 

PAPERS – I have a communication station in my kitchen area.  I have a calendar pinned open on the current month, as well as a weekly planner and I also pin important school notes, birthday invites, extracurricular activities notices and any other important upcoming info to the pinup board.  Even if you don’t have a large space, you can set up a pin up board on the back of a cupboard door or in the pantry.  Cork boards are commonly available from many stores or you can also use cork tiles to create the same effect.

comms station

INCOMING MAIL  - Do you tend to bring and drop your mail in the kitchen area?  We are very guilty of this in our home.  To ensure a quick tidy up, I have this box system that looks like a book.  This cost me $10 in a variety store and it’s a great way to stash away clutter creating mail.  A cute little basket would work equally well.  The key though is to ensure you set a regular time to move your mail for processing or filing.

junk mail

I love how I can throw all the mail and paperwork into this book in 1 minute, creating an instant tidy look.  Great for when unexpected guests arrive.

BITS AND BOBS – Whilst most bits and bobs (B&B’s) such as childrens toys, crayons, pencils, you name it, should be relocated to their proper homes, it really isn’t practical to be going back and forth all day long and let’s be honest, who has the energy or motivation to be constantly picking up and packing away?   So create a storage solution where you specifically stash these.  YES it may become the Bermuda Triangle with items never really resurfacing again but it is a much simpler solution that gives your space the clarity it deserves.   As you become more organised, you will find that you will dedicate a time to empty your B&B Stash at periodic times.

basket

 Focus on getting your kitchen working FOR you and not AGAINST you!!  We look forward to hearing some of your very own tips, ideas or questions and would LOVE to see some photos if you are willing to share.  Until next time, have a fabulous week.

What is your biggest challenge with keeping benchtops clean and clutter free?

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digital parents conferece 2013

Someone Pinch Me Please – Am I Seriously Going To DPCON13?

March 20, 2013

DPCON 13 – Digital Parents Conference 2013

I was never meant to go to DPCON this year. There were several constraints – the day job, finances…life.

Then almost like it was meant to be, one day while lurking on the Digital Parents website, I noticed Jane of Java Jane had put her ticket up for sale as she couldn’t make the conference and wouldn’t want the ticket to go to waste. I cold emailed Jane as it was a fair few hours later than she had initially posted thinking the ticket would definitely have been snapped up.  Jane responded straight back and said it was still available, it was a sign. I explained to Jane that I was a single parent and would appreciate any concession possible. Jane happily obliged for which I am eternally grateful, Thank you Jane.

So I was in luck but there was still another hurdle. You see,  this year DPCON is happening on a Wednesday and a Thursday which means being a solo parent, I would have to ask the boys’ dad to look after them on 3 week nights. I wasn’t sure if he would be okay with that but more importantly, I wasn’t sure how the kids would feel about the change in their routine . It has been 3 years since the split, they have never spent a school night with their father. Fs2  at one stage said “ But Daddy doesn’t know how we do our homework”  You can trust Fs2 for telling it like it is, you really can ! More than FS2 though, it has been FS1 who hasn’t been entirely okay with the idea.

Once I had an okay from their dad, I took the bold step of buying my ticket. Bold because I was doing something out of my comfort zone, leaving the kids behind, trusting everything would be okay… In parenting world, that is a big ask, in single–parenting world, it is a monumental ask… a large part of you is always ensuring that the children have an extra cushion wherever possible, you try to soften the blows every step of the way. To somehow make up for the relationship you couldn’t work out with their other parent. I am not advocating that it is the best way but quite often, that is how it is.

Now the next step would be to find accommodation within an affordable range close to the venue. While I was still considering my options and the official DPCON hotel seemed out of range, I saw an FB update by Rhianna over at A Parenting Life wondering if anyone wanted to share a room. Genius! Why hadn’t I thought of this before? It was a sign. I messaged Rhi and put both hands up for sharing. Rhi was keen , I was keen –  And in no time I had myself a DPCON roomie. Yay!

The weeks leading up to DPCON have been busy at home, at work and on the blog. I haven’t kept very well for the past few weeks so that hasn’t helped either. The excitement though hasn’t dulled at all, I can’t wait to learn more about the craft, perhaps gain a better sense of direction moving forward but most important of all, meet all my fabo new bloggy friends. Yep that’s the bottom line folks! Meeting all the awesome bloggy peeps and the shopping, lets not underestimate the shopping. Infact, there may or may not have been a bit of a shopping spree leading up to the event. Trust me , this is a big deal in the Aussie blogging world and a girl has to look her best, plus really any excuse is a good excuse to shop. Period.

Now lets fast forward because:

a) I don’t want to put you all to sleep and

b) I would ideally like to finish writing this post before I get to Sydney and at this rate, it’s never gonna happen.

Yes, you heard it , as I type , I am on  my way to Sydney for DPCON13!!!!  Okay now that I am done being dramatic, I have to admit my nerves still a little bit frayed from what has been a jam packed day in every sense of the word.

I almost thought I wouldn’t make it to DPCON.

Saturday, FS 1 ( Fab son 1 for new readers) came down with a temperature which meant we were off line for most of the weekend. I thought he would be better by Monday but that didn’t happen , the poor thing felt tired and weak, I’d feel terrible sending him to school that way so we ended up staying home. At this point though, I was gradually heading towards a guilt ridden  panic zone , how could I ever leave my sick child and head over to Sydney for 3 whole days of blogging fun? Where are my priorities? What was I thinking? I was a terrible mum.

This morning,  my little man looked a lot better (phew) but still didn’t want to go school. I somehow pushed him to go and headed off to work. More guilt, more “bad mother” feelings. I promised, I would come get him if he fell sick again but he had to atleast try. Every ounce of me hoped that he’d get back into the swing of things once he saw his friends. I was wrong. At midday, I had the ominous phone call from the school front office, he didn’t look too well and I would have to come get him. Guilt, guilt and more guilt. At this point, I was going to ready to abandon DPCON altogether. Then I spoke to a dear friend who talked a bit (lot) of sense into me…Stay calm , get FS1 and reassess the situation. Is he really as bad or is it just a case of separation anxiety. Wise girl.

Within 3 hours of being at work, I scrambled calmly managed to finish whatever I needed to do, raced back to the school, picked up both boys and brought them home. FS1 seemed a bit low yes, but nothing major and definitely nothing a few tight cuddles couldn’t fix.  I requested them both to be extra good so mummy could finish packing. After weeks of obsessing over what and what not to pack, I still have a nagging feeling that I have forgotten something or perhaps it’s just the mad rush of it all. Amazingly, there were no fights, no cushion wars, nothing. I actually finished packing an hour before their dad was supposed to pick them up, heck I even did one quick lot of dishes and watered my plants. Eventually, I sat down with the boys for a cuppa. There were kisses, tears and cuddles galore I can assure you.  I knew then that I would miss them terribly, I knew they would miss me too.

They left and soon after, I left home for the bus station. It feels surreal to finally be heading to Sydney, I suppose I am still wound up after the day’s events, anxious and exhausted. I need to deep breathe, let go and trust that everything will be okay. I need to take the next 3 days well in my stride and soak up all the bloggy goodness there is to come. I need to appreciate that I am able to go along this year. Last year I was a blogger who had just begun her journey and avidly watched  DPCON12 from a distance through FB and Twitter streams. I was envious, I wanted to be there.

Tomorrow morning, I will be at DPCON13 rubbing shoulders with some of the best in the Aussie blogosphere, making new friends, finally meeting the bloggers whose words I have admired from a distance. Listen to some amazing stories, perhaps share mine. Dream a little more.

Someone, pinch me please.

Have you been to a bloggers conference ? How did you feel ? What’s your best tip?

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Food, Conversation, Inspiration {Canberra Bloggers Meetup}

March 16, 2013

So as much as I love Canberra , there isn’t a major blogger community presence here. And unfortunately, whenever there has been an event, I haven’t been able to go along due to personal commitments. I decided that was going to change this year. Partly because  as a blogger or any other craft for that matter,  not everyone “gets” blogging and therefore  meeting fellow bloggers is kind of good for your blogging soul. It gives you the reassurance that you aren’t the only crazy one doing crazy things! And partly because I am totally envious of those cool blogger meetups that always happen in the bigger cities  followed by pictures all over social media.

Over the past couple of months, I have been lucky enough to get to know two lovely Canberran bloggers Vanisha from Vanisha’s Life In Australia and Maddy from the newly launched Mummawoosah . Having our own Canberra social was inevitable , so last weekend we met for brunch .

Here is  what followed over the course of the morning in pictures and words.. Enjoy :)

Where there are bloggers, there is food.

foodies

And foodie pictures galore !

Resolutions

blogger resolutions

 Maddy had been tossing up about going live for the past few days, she went away  on the day saying she would. And she did ! Well done Maddy – Read her first post here :)

Conversation and Inspiration

blogger conversations

Great food, amazing coffee and fabulous company. 

One of the things we discussed was how important it was to keep it real when you are blogging. That no one has a perfect life. Vanisha went away and wrote a heart warming post about how she has been feeling these past few weeks. You can read it here :)

Happy Snaps

canberra bloggers

The Spoils

the spoils

Maddy brought along some uber gorgeous Nigerian jewellery to show us.

Instant Sharing

sharing instagram

You Facebook it, I’ll instagram it.

And that’s how we roll!

Inspiring stories, Brand new friendships

canberra bloggers 1

It was so refreshing to meet these beautiful, like minded girls and learn more about their life stories. Food, conversation and inspiration, does it get any better ?

Do you ever feel like normal people don’t “get” your blogging ? What has been your best blogger meet up experience?

Image credits : Thankyou Vanisha for sharing your pictures from the day.

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Gone Digital – Is Geek The New Black?

March 13, 2013

Social media, smart phones, tablets and the like have changed the way we communicate with each other forever. Nowadays it’s all about status updates, hashtags, likes, shares,followers and comments. Couples have rapidly caught on to the digital boom too. And if by chance you work in social media or technology, the conversations you may have with your other half are nothing short of geek. After all, geek is the new black.

hashtag

But before I go on , here is a bit of context. The woman is a social media strategist, smart, savvy and on top of everything that’s trending. The man, an online activist, intelligent, aware, well read but thinks social media is a complete waste of time and uses twitter to consume and share news. Here’s a typical conversation :

Him : ” I need to increase my twitter following “

Her : “Start engaging in conversations , use hashtags.”

Him: “Using hashtags is below my intelligence.”

Her: “Well guess what honey, half the world runs on hashtags these days, and the other half is rapidly moving towards it.”

I rest my case.

How do you communicate with your better half in 2013? Is social media a crucial component in your lives?

Linking up with the very awesome Grace from With Some Grace for FYBF

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To Canberra, With Love.

March 11, 2013

Canberra Bashing - noun: 1. the act of criticizing the Australian federal government and its bureaucracy. 2. the act of criticising the city of Canberra or its inhabitants.

Canberra has time and again copped a lot of criticism for being a sleepy city , boring, predictable and political. In other words, “Canberra Bashing” – the word is now officially being added to the National Australian Dictionary. Sure enough, Canberra life is nowhere nearly as fast paced as say a Sydney or a Melbourne but I strongly refute the charges of being boring and predictable. 

The BBC published an article last Saturday, a week ahead of Canberra’s official centenary ; Canberra – Deathly Dull at 100 which has perturbed many a Canberrans. We love our city, how dare someone so flippantly refer to it as “devoid of soul” . The writer is grossly mistaken because our  Canberra is all about soul, thank you very much.

There is so much to love about Canberra and I always say to the nay sayers including my skeptical little sister who went to the ANU , “give it a year, the city grows on you.” 2 years and a masters later, she has converted from “I can’t believe I chose Canberra to study, I am escaping to Sydney every second weekend to have a life ” – as you do to ” I love Canberra, it is so peaceful, no one cares what you do, it’s simple, it’s safe – I was so happy there” Well, thanks for listening to big sis yo.

We have such an amazing, close knit, vibrant community spirit. We are diverse, we are cultural, we are tolerant. People actually stop to say hello and smile at you, yes random strangers will smile at you in Canberra. Majority are public servants which means a relaxed, balanced pace of life with most if not all the trappings of a developed metropolitan. Well architected and thoughtfully set out, excellent schools and universities make Canberra a perfect city to raise a family.  Fine, we don’t have trains yet but then with everything literally 20 minutes away, you can’t really complain can you?

Canberrans experience all four seasons, our autumn and spring are particularly stunning so if you are heading this way in the next few months, make sure you capture some of that gorgeous autumn foliage.

We don’t have beaches but we have beautiful lakes and lovely parks, Bateman’s Bay and the snowy mountains are just a short drive away. And if that’s not enough, Canberra with its panoramic skyline is home to some of the most breathtaking sunrises and sunsets in the world.

What’s there not to love? And mind you, this was just a teaser.

I have lived here for 9 years and have never once regretted it. No, I am not a spokesperson for Visit Canberra , just one seriously happy Canberran.

So all you Canberra Bashers, scram!

Leaving you with a collage of all my favourite shots of locations around Canberra over the past year. While it has been a weekend of centenary celebrations for Canberrans, that too a long weekend – be jealous rest of Australia!,  the city officially celebrates it’s 100th Birthday tomorrow :)

canberra collage

Happy 100th Canberra :)

Much Love.

So tell me , where do you live? How old is your city now?

Linking up with the totally awesome Jess from Essentially Jess for IBOT.

disclaimer : All images used in this collage are my own. Phtovisi.com was used to designn the collage.

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{Wordless Wednesday} Do You Like White Roses?

March 6, 2013

I love white roses.

They epitomise purity,innocence, honesty and love. Growing up, while all the other girls wanted bright, sensuous , powerful and alluring red, I wanted the simple, the dreamy, the hopeful white. That made me a pretty easy girl to please.

Not much has changed :) Not referring to the easy to please bit.

white rose

While there is life, there is hope.

What is your favourite rose colour?

Linking up with the lovely Trish from My Little Drummer Boys for Wordless Wednesday.

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Happy Birthday Mumchic.

March 1, 2013

Sisters are amazing. I don’t talk much about mine here on Mumchic but quite honestly, I would be lost without her. She is my biggest and most honest reality check.

Sometime back in early February of 2012, clearly under the influence of some delicious meal I had cooked for her, she said

“You have such great recipes, why don’t you start a blog?”

“But I had a blog, remember?”

“Err yeaah in 2006 or something?”

That came with the look that spells “wtf” in not so many words…. it’s a special wordless exchange that happens between sisters, you won’t understand.

Anywho back to the blog suggestion , I have a feeling she had wind of my floundering ways and thought I was wasting too much important brain space on watching melodramatic Pakistani plays and needed to do something constructive with the little free time I had.

You see, this isn’t the first time someone has suggested writing again but this time around the idea stuck with me. Longer than usual.

And thus out of a random conversation with my little sister, Mumchic was born. Once I had decided that that I was going to start a blog, we agonised  over the theme and a name for weeks eventually deciding on Mum Chic – a hub of all things delicious and chic for but not restricted to mums.

And this little baby is exactly a year old today!

Happy Birthday Mumchic.

Nothing worth having comes easy

Nothing worth having comes easy.

What a journey it has been.The highs, the lows, the joy of creation. If there is one thing I have learnt this past year, it is this. When you love what you do, when you are passionate about what you are building, no hour in the night is too late, no dream futile, no vision too big. Yes it takes courage to do something out of the box and a lot of willpower because as with any uncharted path, there are tests.But that is when you persevere, that is when you give it your best shot.The results might just astound you.

I started blogging as a complete rookie, I had the words but I also had a lot to learn about the game I was playing. Scheduling posts, linkies, PR, coneferences, social media… you name it! So much to take in, I felt overwhelmed. As my readership grew, my goals changed too – I now had plans for this blog but I also had a pressing need to understand the space better.  The trouble with the business of blogging is, the bigger it grows, the bigger you want it to grow. I reached out to people asking for mentorship. Some were extremely gracious and generous, some not so much but I learnt from it, either way.

But having said all of that, my greatest take away of all  from the past year has been the beautiful bloggy friendships I have found along the way and all the mind blowing stories I have been able to read. I feel previleged to have been able to share mine with you.

And last but not the least, the love and untiring support of everyone out there : fellow bloggers, readers, followers, family and friends – Mumchic would not have been here without your support :) . Thankyou for putting up with me for a whole year, I promise as I did at the start of the year to bring you better and more exciting things in the year to come.

And before I forget, a special thank you to the person who waved her magic wand and made it all happen!

Thank you little sister. Love you.

P.S I still watch above mentioned melodramatic Pakistani plays, only difference is nowadays the usually play in the background while I write. A girl’s gotta keep up with her plays right?

P.P.S I am writing this post past 1am under a heavy influence of chocolate. If it seems to sappy tomorrow morning, you may blame the chocolate, or the clock or both.

Have you reached a blogging milestone? How did you celebrate?’

Is there something you would like to see more of here on Mumchic over the coming year?

Linking up with the wonderful Grace at With Some Grace for FYBF.

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{Wordless Wednesday} Moods

February 26, 2013

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.

child's smile

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.

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A Courageous Path.

February 21, 2013

Never allow yourself to be bullied.

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them.
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

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