Sort of Random Thoughts

This great post is bought to you by (and nicked from) Roxanne and her amazing sister Shelly. Check out their blogs ... so so interesting and inspiring.


So just in case my kids one day want to look back and know a bit more about me (at the moment they both wish David and I would shuffle off to the retirement Village and leave them alone).


 ... here goes



11 Random facts about me..

1) If you had an unlimited amount of money to spend at any store of your choice, where would it be?
Flightcentre.com.au. I dream of taking the family to Bali.  

2) Where's your favorite place to eat?
www.bavigo.com.au     or    www.guzmanygomez.com

3) When not blogging, what do you do for fun?
Going  to the beach with the family and friends .

4) Favorite print magazine?
Weekend Australia magazine or the Q Weekend Mag in the Courier Mail. I can't stand fashion or gossip magazines.

5) Your life is going to be a script for a movie, who would you want to play you?
My life is way too boring to be on the big screen.  

6) Coffee or tea?
Both ...Coffee in the morning but I LOVE a well made ice tea.

7) Book or movie?
Both ... love going to see a flick with my Bestie Vyc but I also read everydayand look forward to jumping into bed each night with my book.

8) Camping or a luxury hotel?
Both ....I loved our last camping trip but who wouldn't love to stay in a luxury hotel?

9) What is the worst gift you've ever received?
Gifts are my love language so I LOVE all gifts that I received.
I just love some a lot more than others :-)

10) If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
Vegies

11) What smell do you like the best?
What ever perfume I am obsessed with at the moment. Guess Seductive is my current fave (and Vyc gave me a bottle that she didnt like. Such a score!)

Specific questions

1) What's one thing you're currently looking forward to?

Spending Christmas with my family.  

2) What is your favorite post on your blog?

  NONE! Haha I think its all mindless dribble.

3) Who is your best friend and why?

David, because we spend the most time together and he supports me 100%. I am also lucky to be surrounded by sisters, sis in laws, girlfriends and work mates who I love dearly and lean on when I need to. 
 

4) Are you a spender or a saver?

Ever since David and I built our first house, I have stuck to a budget. But that is by necessity and I suspect if I could, I would be more of a spender. I think we should save more and its a huge goal for me.

5) What's your favorite joke?

 Anything that comes out the mouth of Judith Lucy

6) What's one hobby you'd like to learn but haven't?

Bush walking
 

7) What's your favorite part of the day?

 Early morning -  just me, my coffee and the quiet house.

8) What's your favorite dish to order at a restaurant?

 I like to order things I dont cook at home, so seafood pasta or salmon.

9) You can go back in time and change one thing without negative consequences. What would it be?

 My Mum

10) Who is your imaginary celebrity bestie?

Caroline Hutchinson ... I managed to stalk her on FB and become her "friend"... I'm nearly there! 

11) What's the one movie you could watch over and over again?

 Dear John and Black Hawk Down

YOUR TURN
 

4 things

About Bear

 

1. He got his Learners permit to drive (hence the cough enthusiasm cough  to wash the car).
 
2. He got a job!!! We are the proud parents of Coles Supermarket newest Checkout chicky.

3. He still likes to argue with his Dad about anything and everything. Its fun NOT.The list of things he is currently debating with us include, consuming protein powder (we say no) having three showers a day (we say no) booking his schoolies holiday (we say no) cleaning up after himself (he says no) doing more study/homework (can you guess who says no).

4.He has purchased himself a home gym. He is very diligent and loves working out (his preferred workout music is 90's grunge and rock ... I hated it the first time around).

5. Just thought of number 5 ... We love him truly, deeply and fiercely (and he, us I suspect).

Showing you his fabulous customer service...

 

About Lulu

1. She is a Winner, her Rugby Union team came first in the Grand Final (undefeated the whole competition).
 
2. She love shopping and clothes and then taking selfies with the clothes she purchased at shopping.
 
3. She wont get out of bed unless David comes in and wrestles her and drags her out into the living room (it drives me crazy but they seem to like all that fuss at 6.30am).
 
4. She purchased new bathers on the weekend ... they are gorgeous (here's a pic of me modeling them). 

 

 





About Lizzie

1. I cut all my hair off  (and I love it).

2. I keep dressing like my workmates (its a gift).

3. I got an extension on my appointment until June 2015 (yay not going to be destitute just yet).

4. I am hanging out to go on holidays to Byron and see Krys and Sooty soon.

The Gorgeous Miss Sooty (Alexis Maragaret)

 



Still married then.

About David

1. He is finally coming to the end of the upstairs work on the house so he has started landscaping downstairs.

2. He has had both sets of parents come and stay over the last month, he loves hosting his family now we have the space and room.

3.He is not enjoying work that much.

4.He is about to start his cricket season and has been asked to play Firsts!

 

Instagram and being sane has wrecked my blog

I sort of stole that title off Brooke (I nick all her good ideas).

If you really want to know what I am doing ... follow me on instagram (bearlulu) I can't seem to find the motivation to blog ... or maybe I am no longer batshite crazy and need to constantly be poring out my inner most thoughts on this blog... hmmmm.



Anyhoo this is a snapshot of what we have been up too.

I did a development and leadership course for work... and it was held at Mooloolaba Beach. It was stunning!(and I learnt a lot and shock horror I put some of the learning into practice and guess what it works).

David and I took a road trip to help his Dad and Joy pack up and clean their Bay house as they are off overseas for six months. 6 hours alone with David, the BeeGees and Kenny Rogers was ace and sort of like a mini holiday.

I have picked out some paint to paint our dinning room chairs ... see below for inspiration.

David went on a boys fishing weekend and the kids and I hit the beach. We also had tea out. It was a relaxing and good day. The peeps behind us are having their wedding reception on top of a fish and chip shop... I have no words.

 

 

 



We went camping! It was so much fun (until I got a splinter... but even then it was good fun). We went with our neighbours who have baby twins and little boys. It was so good.

 

 

 

 

 

Lulu loves the babies and Selfies. She's great at both.








As we were clearing up the kids rooms, Lulu found some baby clothes. Time and humidity have not been kind to them :-)

 

 

 

Andrew came down from Cookers and we went celebrated by dropping a cash bomb on the Spirit House. 

 

Other things that are possibly only of interest to me (and my Dad lol). This is my work colleague Meegie... I love her so much ... she thinks I'm stalking her... and judging by our work clothes I am!

My gorgeous boy was out of his cast for a week and he hurt his arm at Rugby. This face sums it up. He is on the mend but David had to do the Dr and the hospital... I couldn't face the fracture clinic one more time (listen to me anyone would think I had the break!)

 

Riley also performed in the school Musical - the Seussical.  He devoted A LOT of time to practice and on the night we were so so so proud of our all singing all dancing monkey.

 

 

Hope all is great in your world :-)
Exxx

Short As

Its official ... I am the shortest memeber of the Crew now!

 

 

Tight As

I hate money... actually I quite like the stuff it gets you but I hate thinking about it or stressing about it. My lowest opinion is reserved for tight ungenerous people ... cant stand them.

Anyway what with not winning lotto and paying for two high schoolers at Siena and living our extravagant rock star lifestyle... money is somewhat thin on the ground at the moment.

After Christmas David and I did the soul destroying  awesome task of looking closely at our budget. We have always had and followed a budget but I realised this year that I was going to have to trim some areas to make up for other expenses. Grocery shopping, food buying, and clothing shopping for me all got the chop in some way.

These are my new rules and practises.

• I menu plan for 14 days and then buy to the menu.
• I grocery shop online ... its ALWAYS cheaper and we never miss the random stuff that ends up in the trolley when we shop in store.
• I try to come up with dinner ideas with the food I have in the pantry and fridge freezer (and google the ingredients to make something).
• I cleaned out all the bathroom cupboards and gathered together all the half empty shampoo and conditioner, mouse, gel, face creams etc etc that get shoved away when I buy a bright shiny new bottle. I haven't purchase a bathroom product (apart from toothpaste) for THREE months as we are using up what we have. 
• I am not buying any new clothes or shoes for me. I do not need them. I would also rather go to the movies with David or Vyc than buy another top (and its one OR the other this year).
• I have a list of clothes that David, Riley and Lucy need and that is all I am buying. Lucy needs a new school uniform winter jumper and David needs work socks. Riley needs everything because he has grown 3 sizes...
• I don't go shopping as a leisure activity  and if I do I always have a bit of a think about what I really NEED vs what looks shiny and new at the shops. 
• We don't go out to eat unless its for a special occasion.
• I have also taken on extra research work for a project at work to earn some $ for a trip to Darwin in the dry (this is still very much a work in progress).

I realise after reading these rules how pathetic it all seems but its working for me and that is the main thing. I am prepared to live a bit of a frugal life for the next two years (until Bear finishes High School) to make sure all the bills are paid and all our money is going on the stuff we need.

I also want to spend the dollars I save on things like camping, trips away with David and special dinners with the kids.

See ya
Ex

Catherine Comes to Tea

My sis Catherine came for tea last night ... it was ace to see her and I cooked the best tea (if I do say so myself).

 

 

I have been on a very big budgeting curve for the last 4 months. School fees are killing us but they are non negotiable so I am trying to find other ways to save cash (isn't everyone!).

 

I have found a heap of ways to cut down on our grocery bill - I will do a post at some stage!

 

So yesterday I wanted to use up ingredients in the fridge and pantry and not go to the shop (because when I go to the shop to buy a carton of milk ... I spend $50... weird). I turned these ingredients into the yummiest dish.



Curry Lentil and Cauliflower Rice.
1 x onion chopped
1 x Couli chopped
1 x table spoon of curry paste
brown rice and chicken stock.
Cook onion and add curry paste, couli and rice. Add stock and cook until rice is tender and then stir through a tin of lentils. I added mint and lemon at the end. It was delicious (and pretty good for us).

 This was also pretty good for us :-)

 

I hope your weekend was good

Big Love

Ex

Sooty

 I just realised I miss a couple of pics from the wedding weekend.

This was pretty funny (sort of) Cath, Andrew and I were looking at the Chinese supermarket whilst the other waited outside in China Town. When I came out Krys and Sooty were surrounded by Korean tourists! The little girls were especially taken with Miss Alexis. In the end Krys picked Sooty up  as it was getting a bit full on (not too mention all the photos that were being taken of her!)

 

 

 

Two peas in a pod.

Changing

I love this blog but I don't need it as much as I use to. So I desire to post less and less and that is a shame because having a record of everyday life with the kids is so precious.

Back in November, after two very hard years and what really has been a lifetime of anxiety I went on medication. I could write pages and pages of how that decision came about and how it has change my life.

Since then life has been different. In so many ways better, but still different.

Christmas was so so so good  with David's family ... until it completely crashed and burned.

David and I and the kids have never been better... life is challenging, we struggle to pay school  fees and a mortgage, we find parenting two teenagers HARD at times, we would like to go to Bali and relax for two weeks but cant, David's job continues to be in flux, and my job is so wonderful but probably going to finish in June  2014.

From here on in, I am who I am ... doing the best that I can with what I've got (which is all pretty amazing :-)

I need to find some space for forgiveness ... my beautiful Mother in Law Pauline hasn't spoken to me since New Years Day... and after being someones daughter for 19 years ... that's hard.

If you are reading this I love you and thank you for being in my life.

Ex

Weekend in the Valley

My darling brother and sis Joel and Krys flew to Brisbane for a wedding and Lulu and I got to spend time with them and look after Alexis Margaret!!!! 

My pics aren't in order so this is the lovelies all dressed up for the wedding.

We took Sooty shopping ... she loved it. 

Lucy and I pretty much did this for for the weekend. Poor Krys and Joel didn't get to hold their own baby much! And on that note Krys is so good at letting us all hold and carry Alexis. I remember back when I was a new mum... I would have got cranky with my precious bundle being passed from pillar to post. I know Krysy reads this blog sometimes ... so thank you my Darling from the bottom of our hearts for sharing your precious girl with us.

Krys looking very glamorous, getting ready for the wedding.

My sister Cath and Aunty Nutty looking gorgeous. It was so cool to see lots of old friends and in law family (Ashley the Groom is Andrew's brother).

For the actual ceremony Lucy and I were asked to look after Greg and Susie's baby. Greg and I use to share a flat in Darwin before I met David. It was great to catch up with him and Susie (who I haven't seen since Joel and Krys's wedding as the live in Perth). Gracie May was just delightful and we were in our element with two babies to fuss over.

My gorgeous Niece DJ

Sleepy Sooty

Sooty in the Valley

We stayed in an amazing hotel that had lots of restaurants around it. We took Alexis for a walk to the Mexican restaurant and I got the most amazing take away. 

At breaky the next morning. Aunty Cath and Alexis.

Cousins Georgie and Lucy

We spent the day walking around china town and then had afternoon tea at a restaurant Krys was keen to try.

The deserts were very yummy ... the mocha not so much :-)

So stoked to have little Sooty love bites :-)

A big thank you to David who drove to Brisbane and came back after work on Monday to pick us up and save us from the 2 hour train trip home. I love this man!

It was so good to see my family ... Big love and thanks to Joel and Krys for organising it.
Ex