Valentines Day has never really been a big deal in our home ... we always exchange small gifts and Scott always buys me roses but that's about it. This year is different however in that I have committed myself to making every holiday a fun one for E (and subsequently us) in 2014 and beyond so with that in mind, Valentines Day is about to become a big deal in our house. Not so much on the present/gifting front but more in the decorations, crafting and themeing.

I have bought Scott a canvas print of one of our favourite photos of us sailing on Tokyo Bay during the trip we took right before we found I was pregnant with E. I can see it hanging on the big bare wall facing our bed so hopefully he agrees. In return, I have 'suggested' he gift me with the new Glasshouse Limited Edition, Hong Kong. He bought me the Kyoto version last V-Day so its really not much of a stretch but I will certainly appreciate and enjoy it.

Presents aside, thanks to pinterest I intend to master the following special Valentines Day meals/treats for E. Its a kindy day for him so we will start it with heart shaped pancakes and then I thought I could send along a small heart shaped cake to share with his class as well as some Valentines fruit pops:




Ethan and I also got crafty on Sunday afternoon as the weather was so dreary and I 'helped' him make some Valentines cards to give to his grandmothers, cousins and beloved aunty 'Kaaaarrrr-keeeee'. They were pretty simple, I just stocked up on some pre-made red cards and let E go crazy with glitter, stickers and the like. We used mostly just double sided tape to stick everything down - safe and effective. On reflection, E is probably a little young for an intensive craft effort like the session we did but he had fun and next time I will stretch it out over a few days.

I attended a friend's baby shower over the weekend and the subject of a shower for me to celebrate B2's impending arrival came up as a result. A few were quite enthusiastic about the idea and assumed it was a given. A few others suggested a Sprinkle instead of a shower. I have noticed the rise of the Baby Sprinkle in recent times for second and subsequent pregnancies - it's basically a baby shower on a smaller scale for those of you wondering.

I'm finally back from a whirlwind break that started on Christmas Eve, included our annual family camping break at Lennox Heads from Christmas Day and a return home on the 5th to truckloads of washing, mountains of gifts and toys to assemble/find homes for and of course, Christmas decorations to pull down. Is there anything sadder than packing all the cheer back into boxes? That's why this year, my focus is on decorating for every season and holiday I can... Hey, I'll be on mat leave so I might as well make the most of it.

1. Make nuts and bolts - it's an Aussie thing involving nutri grain cereal and curry powder amongst other things.

It was my birthday this week... another year passed already. Where do the years go?

As usual, S bought me the perfect gifts without a huge amount of guidance on my part. My wishlist was relatively vague including a new watch and a black leather bag. He surpassed all expectations with a beautiful Michael Kors rose gold watch and the Oroton Alpine Hobo. Both entirely practical and gorgeous. He also surprised me with a drinks urn he knew I had been mulling over to buy for awhile. He picked the perfect style and I can't wait to fill it with water, ice and fruit slices for hot Summer days and entertaining.






I had the pleasure of starting my day with my two boys and Ethan loved getting in on the gift giving and unwrapping. There was something so perfect about having him come running into the bedroom shouting 'mumma mumma mumma' with glee, arms outstretched with my birthday card. It reminded me how truly blessed I am.

Rather than head straight to the office, I attended a morning tea meeting with the Moncrieff women of the LNP at Evergreen where we had coffee and cake while discussing the latest news... a pretty fun way to start work really. When I finally did make it to the office, my very thoughtful boss and assistant had beautiful flowers and assortment of tarts and muffins to acknowledge my birthday and I got to leave a little early too and spend the afternoon with my boys before we headed out for Mexican with my family.

It was a wonderful birthday and I had a lovely day but like I said earlier, where do the years go? In some ways it feels like I was only celebrating my 23rd birthday a couple of years ago, not almost 10 and it reminds me, the days are long but the years are short so make the most of each minute.

With this in mind, I have a few things I want to do before my next birthday:

1. Be thankful - everyday write a list of 10 things in my life I am thankful for and take the time to reflect on those.
2. Take a family holiday - we have two booked already so this one is easy
3. Host a Halloween themed celebration - this is in the works so stay tuned
4. Spend the day at a spa with my mum and sister
5. Have a proper date night every fortnight with Scott 
6. Broaden my cooking horizons by trying one new recipe each week - I used to be good at this but have stuck to what I know the past year
7. Make time to exercise and make healthier food choices
8. Keep striving to be the best wife and mumma possible
9. Go to bed earlier
10. Have baby #2 God willing
11. Challenge myself ... with a new hobby or interest, study ... I'm not quite sure how what or where, this is something to work on
12. Declutter my life in ever area and surround myself with only that which I need or makes me happy

I was spoilt with a long weekend this past weekend. My dad had his Order of Australia Medal presented on Friday at Government House so my mum, sister and nieces made the trip with him to see it presented by the Governor General. It was a perfect day and a fitting ceremony for such an enormous honour followed by an elegant champagne reception complete with delicious cucumber sandwiches.

We also had the pleasure of meeting Casey Stoner, his wife Adriana and their daughter Ally at the ceremony as Casey was being honoured with an AM. As they were the only others in attendance with a child, we kind of gravitated towards each other and the girls played together. I can say they are an absolutely delightful couple. Genuine, down to earth and just really nice people.




Scott had Saturday off this week which was enough to make E and I happy campers but throw in Seaworld and our day started at 6am because E was too excited to sleep ... not really, he always gets up early so I don't think it was Seaworld that did it.

We met Scott's family at Seaworld to celebrate SiL and our niece's birthday. Lots of fun was had watching the animals, going on the kiddie rides and sampling an ice block for the first time. E was in heaven, especially with their new Dinosaur island exhibit given his new favourite word and toys are 'Dinosaur'. He also clapped for the dolphins and was fascinated by the polar bear - unfortunately the cubs still weren't out to play. We capped off the day with a very tired poppet who crashed out before we even left the parking lot.






After Seaworld, we all met at Scott's parents home for pizzas in Father in Law's wood fire oven. I made the dough earlier in the week (my kitchenaid means it takes all of 20 mins for 3 lots equaling 9 bases) and topped the pizzas for everyone when we arrived because I'm a control freak when it comes to topping pairing and placement.


It was a celebratory night of good food, good company and lots of good drink - the in-laws love to sample different wines and beers and always have a good supply on hand. We also had fun correcting Scott with a blindfolded sampling after he told us the aerator was pointless. We converted after our little experiment and he concurred it was a pretty nifty little device.



Sunday was a low key day at home for E and I, catching up on housework, doing some baking and a few errands.