My darling sister

On Friday, I went to my sisters for lunch. She is a meat eater, yet she goes to SO much trouble to make a vegan meal for me that it just makes me emotional. It's so caring and so supportive of my choice. She says that she feels bad for eating meat and doesn't blame me for judging her. I said I don't - not really. I have moments but I realise everyone is on their own path and that you accept and go to such effort for me is a show of support in itself.

She really laid on a feast, too. We had fruit in dark chocolate sauce, stuffed olives, cannellini bean and vegetable soup, a yummy salad and chickpea burgers and sausages. Then she showed me that whilst passing a bakery, she had seen vegan cupcakes for sale so had brought me two red velvet vegan cuppies. Bless her! How kind is that?!

I got she and my mum to taste the cuppies, both were floored when I explained the cuppie had beetroot in it, and the icing was tofu and lemon zest. You'd never guess it!!! DIVINE. My sister is awesome. My birthday is Friday so she even stuck a candle in the cuppie and they sang to me.

This is my beautiful sister with her lovely 'Squeak' who she has raised from an egg!

Red velvet vegan cupcake!

How good does this soup look? Tasted amazing.

BBQ - Vegan style!!!

Courage & Confidence

So, how does one get them? I would really like to know, is there a formula I can follow? There must be. I need this stuff.

Do you know how many courses I have agreed to, often paid for, and then not gone because of shyness? A lot. Likewise parties and social engagements and things of that nature. Because I am so freaking shy that it is painful. People sometimes laugh when I tell them I am shy. They don't believe me. Thing is, if I know you, then I am not at all shy! I am comfortable and loud and secure. But getting there takes enormous courage and it often fails me.

I was just invited to a friends birthday party next month. It's at a funky bar in Melbourne, and it sounds like a lot of fun. I'd love to go, I really would. But already I feel nervous and scared of not knowing people aside from the birthday girl who will be busy, of not knowing the bar or where I am going, of what to wear, of how to act... Already I feel fear. I don't want to back out of these situations all the time. I need to challenge myself to step outside my comfort zone more often. What am I scared of?? :(

How on earth do I even begin to work on this? I want to be more social, I want to meet new people and have new experiences. I just don't know how. I don't know that I can. Help?

Harry Potter party

So the boy asked for a Harry Potter themed party for his 9th birthday. The internet is a trove of ideas for such an event and I nabbed some fab ideas from all over the place and set about making them into a reality. I started several weeks before the event and pottered about making fel ties, bertie botts boxes and wands long in advance. The party went off without a hitch, and there were some very happy wizards about the place.

Yes I made butter beer. It was like a spider, sooo good!

The sorting hat sorted each kid (thank you iphone app!)

The entry to the party! I made this using an old sheet, a square sponge and some brick colored paint. Nothing flash but looked effective.

A collection of creepy things! On the end are wands made using dowel and hot glue gun and paint. Each has a tag stating what it is made of (eg elm with phoenix feather), felt Hogwarts house ties, and gross things... Bloodworms, hippogriff gizards, blind cat eyes, gillyweed etc (spaghetti in tomato sauce, smoked oysters, cocktail onions, weeds in green water!)

The polyjuice potion and Elixir Of Life bottles were filled with water for those not wanting butter beer. My funky broomstick is a Martha Stewart knock off!

Finn made the Wizard Collector cards to go with these himself!

I wrapped truffles in gold foil and attached white wings to each for snitches. So cool!

These were chocolate coated licorice sticks, dipped in melted white chocolate then sprinkles.

Wizard hat cupcakes.

Cheeseymite scrolls.

Hogwarts house cupcake tower

Each child took home their wand, one of these fabulous cookies from Crumbs of Yum, a spellbook and a Bertie Botts box of beans. 

It really was a fantastic success and a lot of fun!

Cookies from: https://www.facebook.com/crumbsofyum 

Printables from: http://justsweetandsimple.blogspot.com.au/2011/07/harry-potter-party.html 

Butterbeer recipe from: http://bakingdom.com/2010/11/butterbeer-oh-yes-friends-butterbeer.html 

Bertie Botts Box template from: http://61098.deviantart.com/art/Bertie-Botts-176610553 

Jar labels from: http://www.ivillage.com/12-easy-ideas-wizard-worthy-harry-potter-birthday-party/6-b-139571#139574 

Broom craft: http://www.marthastewart.com/272757/witchs-broom-favors

Partyin. Wizard style.

Finn wants a Harry Potter party this year. I dare you to google 'harry potter party' and see how many hits you get. And for many of those hits, the work, effort, time and money involved has been INSANE. It's a touch stressful, but inspiring too. I've already spent too much money at spotlight on crafty stuff (one has to make wands and house ties and fancy invites and such after all). There are still 6 weeks to go. Today the hot glue gun I got (I know, me, a hot glue gun - it's so funny!) is getting a work out. I had NO idea how one worked but I seem to have figured it out. Then J took it off me and he's doing it. We're making wands. As you do. Hot glue on dowel makes patterns, then painted and distressed a bit and voila. Mega cool. I'm even gonna attach cards saying what each wands is made from (e.g. vinewood and dragon heartstring). YES I AM.

I KNOW - I am the coolest Mum evah.

I am even making butterbeer. For real. Non alcoholic though I may slip rum in my own... And various other Harry themed foods (snitch truffles wrapped in gold foil and with feathers stuck on, herbology crudites etc.)

I am even planning to make these cool floating candles - battery powered tea lights in the ends of empty loo rolls, hung with fishing wire. SO COOL. I even found a template for Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans to whip up. Should keep me us busy over the school hols anyways.

Anyway, must go, am up to my elbows in Gryffindor ties.

Palooza 2012

A break from the vegan posts today to talk about palooza! WHOOP! Do you remember last years trip? You can read about it here, here and here. And see pics here. That's how epic it was, it took 4 posts to communicate. FOR REAL.

Anyway, annual trip is here again! We waited until May this year because Feb was kinda hot last year and we didn't enjoy the sweatbox Sydney became. The time has come!! This Thursday night we fly out, Anna, Fleur and I on the prowl again. We come home Sunday and we have a billion plans to fulfill in the middle there. I want to check out some vegan stuff, we'll hit Zumbo's again, and we are soo going to Madame Tussauds in Sydney, maybe a skywalk, definitely a massage (already booked, thank you Scoopon!) and I cannot wait to catch up with my Sydney mates again on Friday night!!! We're also considering karaoke Sat night (which means I am considering a bottle or two of vino to myself Sat night...)

I cannot wait to spend some time with my besties again, I love these trips. Fun packed into awesome. BRING IT ON!

Random thoughts on our young women/ Challenging the stereotype of drunken men.

What's up with the young women of today? You go into the childrens clothing section of any major department store and for girls as young as 5 and 6 there are mini skirts and navel flashing shirts. Really?? Do we really need to sexualise them so young? I know I sound old saying this... but, when *I* was a preteen, holding hands and peck kisses were a massive deal. We weren't skanky and trying to win the approval of guys in skimpy clothes and promises of sexual attention. What is going on??

In fact, this growing notion of disempowerment in favor of male approval infiltrates so many areas of pop culture that it's no wonder young women behave this way more often. I read the Twilight series. I read a similar series recently, minus vampires, add in angels. In both of these, the female protagonist is a simpering, ditzy, twit, who will give up her own beliefs, wants and strength, all "for love." Seriously? Where the hell are strong female young women who tell a guy that does them wrong to bugger off? Who have chutzpah and self respect and value themselves?? I worry about raising a daughter in our current society. I hope that she has more guts than the common portrayal of a 'popular' and/or loved teenager.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whilst I am on stereotypes and the like, I wanted to challenge one. What do you think of when you imagine a drunk guy? Do you think creepy, sleazy, violent or gross?? That's what we are led to think right? That's the common image presented to us by media most of the time.

I disagree. Strongly. Every time my friends and I have had a night on the town in the last year, we have encountered a huge number of drunk guys. None of us have ever found them to be anything other than friendly, fun, and happy. I went out last Saturday night, I spoke to a few drunk guys and had some good chats. Many others would courteously allow me past with a smile and a step back. Some would randomly hug me without speaking a word as they made their way through the crowd. Clearly drunken behaviour, but lovely all the same. Those who flirted did so without being pushy or rude. When we left, a group of guys gave up their cab so that we could put our drunken friend in first and get her home safely. That's gentlemanly. It's generous and its kind. It gives me hope. Give the 'drunk guy' label a change. I think it's surprisingly and happily wrong in most cases.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do you think of these issues? Let me know with a comment.

Palooza photo post

As promised! This is the view of Hyde Park from the balcony of our room. One day, we saw a guy sleeping down in the park for ages, until some old guy came and got close in his face and woke him and they talked for ages then left together. We couldn't decide if it was a homeless guy and a case worker, or a seedy proposition... Either way, it was intriguing.



This is the jetboat we rode on. So much fun! So much water. Goodbye Kelly's good sleek hair. :/



Obligatory Harbour Bridge shot.



Obligatory Opera House shot. Both taken at Circular Quay.



Fleur, Kell, and Anna - all soaked through after the jetboat ride.



See? Seriously, there was a body painted Native at Westfields in Bondi. I know!!!!



Ohhh yessss. First of many shots for the night.



"Shake whatcha Mama gave you!"



Cardboard Megs gets fresh...



Group shot after yum cha. Including cardboard Megs.

Post Palooza. Part 3.

Sunday... Home time :(

Waking up on Sunday was a painful experience. I think the first words from my mouth were "are you still drunk?" and Fleur replied "yep." It took a while for the room to stop spinning. The headache and sickly feeling lasted far longer. We took stock of the night before, realized how much we spent, cringed at how intoxicated we were, and despaired at the far too early checkout time of 10am. It was so hard to get up, shower, and pack up. Fleur summed it up best: "This must be what Lindsay Lohan feels like every day."

At 10am, we were almost ready, but still packing the last of our gear up. The phone rang and Anna answered. The person said it was reception and we needed to be out NOW. Anna was apologising and freaking out when the caller started to laugh. And that pretty much sums Michelle up perfectly. Shes a ratbag. I've known Michelle for almost 10 years or so. We met online, and stayed friends through so much. Both of us had a lot of trouble getting pregnant, and we bonded over it (and our mutual feisty) to become really close mates. I was so excited to finally meet her in person after so long. And she was more awesome than I expected.

Chelle had volunteered to be our chauffeur for the day, and she drove us to yum cha where we were meeting up with some of our closest and oldest mates. There was 10 of us (11 including cardboard Megs who finally got out of the hotel room and saw some of Sydney). Dear friends who had shared my IVF journey (and I their own struggles): Sarah, Erin, Siew, Jo, Mez, Nat, and Chelle. Yum Cha was a scary prospect so hungover, but it actually went down really well. So yummy! And it was great to meet these girls in person, and hang out as friends. I miss them already. Whilst i was hungover and quiet (for me!) I valued that time so much. It was not enough. I really hope they follow through on the idea of coming down to Melbourne for their own palooza later this year.

We then took Megs about the city, being photographed with a random street performer and so on. I think real Megs enjoyed our attempts to include her in our adventures. We wanted her to come so much, and she was missed. This was the best we could do! Chelle dropped us off at the airport, and we checked our bags and far more subdued than our flight to Sydney, we flew home. I napped a little on the plane, but it took me well over a week to recover from the weekend properly. I'm old!

So that was palooza. One of THE best weekends I've experienced. Photos coming next post! We have made a pact to make it an annual event, so... we'll be back! Until then, we are already planning Megs bday bash next month. Sure to feature are Japanese food, burning the floor, and drinking. Oh la!!!!

Post Palooza. Part 2.

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Post Palooza. Part 1.

I have to break palooza into three parts. We really did that much. Firstly, TL:DR - Best weekend ever. I have not had such a fun time in ages, it was fantastic! We crammed a heap in, and it was nowhere near long enough.

Thursday night, Anna picked me up and we headed in to Andrews Airport Parking along with cardboard Megan. We were so sad Megs couldn't come with us, Anna made a cardboard version and we took her along with us. So funny.

So we got driven to the airport, the driver warning us of the dangers of drinking too much. Heh. As we were checking in, Fleur joined the line and told us she had been about to go and get on the shuttle to get to the airport, when some guy had accosted her offering a $15 limo ride instead. Along with a bunch of other strangers. So she took it up and arrived in style. Lol!

We grabbed a bite to eat, and got caught up in a random argument about donuts when some guy decided to join in on our conversation. "Donut king are the best!" he shouted with fervour. Um. Okay then!?

On the plane we were those passengers. We're sorry. No we're not really. We were chatting and giggling the entire flight. Since it was an after 4pm flight, there was a free piccolo of wine. Score! We downed that and the stewardess returned after Anna told her we were on a girls weekend with another piccolo each. Mid way through that, she came back again with an enormous bag of mini packs of pretzels and another 3 piccolos of wine. "Take these back to the hotel! Just don't tell the cabin manager!" she said. What a lovely woman she was. We were so stoked. So, on a slight buzz now, we arrived in Sydney. My god it was hot. Humid as hell. It was 11pm at night and we were sweltering. We grabbed a cab to the hotel and checked in. We stayed at The Hyde Park Inn, and it was a good room. We kicked back and eventually went to bed sometime around 1am.

On Friday we woke up and had breakfast and headed to circular quay on the double decker wacky trains. Whilst waiting at the station, we heard quacking. Some guy on the opposite platform, was quacking. WTF??? It was so bizarre. We all got the giggles and fell onto the train laughing. At Circular Quay we got some gelato, and took the obligatory photos of the bridge and opera house. Then, it was time.

We had booked a jetboat ride through Spreets a few weeks back, for a bargain. We decided to brave the no poncho required, and jumped in. Oh. My. God. That thing could move!! He would wave his hand in a circle and we'd all count down to an awesome 360 degree spin. All of us ended up soaked through. Such a salt water drenching! God it was fun though! The Thunder Jetboat ride was well worth it. We met some odd character in Sydney. Whilst we were waiting for this ride, a cruise operator next to us was trying to sell a cruise to Korean tourists. When they walked off, he turned to us and said: "well that was a waste of time. You know what they were? Energy vampires. Seriously. They suck your energy out. Like a prune. He will live longer now and I have a year off my life. I feel just.. drained.. you know? Have you ever seen the movie cocoon? With the old people? And the alien thing sucked their youth? It's just like that. Only energy. They are energy vampires. You really have to watch out for them because they will come..." and on and on he went. Fleur and Anna lost it and were laughing their arses off. I was nodding and empathising with the poor crazy man and trying to escape onto the boat...

After that, we decided to jump straight on a ferry, still soaked, and head to Manly. We walked around and found an outdoor restaurant where we had King Prawns and wine for lunch. Fleur had to teach me how to peel the prawns, which was... an adventure. Eww. They tasted damn good though! Then we walked to Adriano Zumbos patisserie , and indulged in fancy cakes and macaroons. I had something called a Craigie Bam cake - chocolate dacquoise, chocolate sabayon with salted caramel debris, chocolate caramel creameux, caramel mousse. Soooo yummy.

Then we just caught the ferry in time to head back to Circular Quay, and back to the hotel. The humidity meant none of us had dried out from the jetboat ride, so we changed before heading out to meet our lovely friend Marisa for an after work drink at the Darlo Bar. When we walked back into the hotel, Anna asked the receptionist if she knew somewhere we could go and get a manicure and pedicure. She disappeared to the back office, and we assumed she was getting us information. Instead, she returned with the manager who asked us how much?? We looked at her a little confused. "err.. I don't really know..." I said. She asked the other girls who replied similarly confused. "SO none of you know how much?" she said accusingly. Anna said "we just want to know where we can go to get a pedicure!!" "ohhhh!" the manager replied, as the receptionists hands flew to her face and she bolted out to the back office. Fleur had had it. "What on earth is going on? What is the big deal?" she asked, frustrated and confused. I started to giggle. "I think she thought we were offering the mani/pedis" I said. "Yes. That." The manager replied. We were in hysterics. How very odd!!!

So, we caught a cab to the Darlo Bar, and the taxi driver asked us what we were up to. We told him a girls weekend. He then told us if we had husbands, they'd cheat on us because all men do, none can be trusted, he knows, hes a man and they can never be trusted, and anyway, if they DID cheat, it was deserved because we had gone away. As we left the cab (me biting my tongue to not argue), he says "Hope your husbands are still there when you get home..." What is with the weird people there, Sydney?! Anyway, we sat there in the Darlo Bar waiting for Marisa, having a few drinks and people watching. Let me tell you, if it is people watching you are after, this is the place to go. Oh my. Some very, very odd characters. And almost certainly a gay bar. We had a good time chatting with Marisa, who was glowing in her pregnancy, and then we all walked down toward Kings Cross to get some dinner. We decided on a Japanese restaurant and Marisa introduced the three of us to the wonders of edamame. So. Freakin. Yum. We spent ages just talking and laughing and having a good meal. My idea of heaven! Afterwards, Marisa's lovely husband drove us back to George Street where we had tickets to a movie at Gold Class. We ordered 2 cocktails and a super sundae each to devour throughout the very odd movie. Classic crude line: "It's like there's a crime scene in my pants!" Ooookayyyy. After that, we walked back to the hotel, there were people everywhere. I know it was a Friday night and all, but the place was pumping. People everywhere. I know we were up fairly late this night chatting, and we decided we'd hit the town the next night to burn the floor. And boy did we.

And this was just the first 24 hours!!! Stay tuned for post palooza blog part 2! (after part 3 I will do a photo post of the entire trip!)

Pre-Palooza Post

I am not sure that I coined the term palooza (as I did prezactly and awkwidity) but I am certainly helping popularise its usage. A palooza is a party. With Alcohol. Or just an awesome time. With alcohol.

My first true palooza was last year, a hotel room, many bottles of alcohol, and good nosh. WIN! There've been a few since. There is an enormous one in my future. Next month, 2 friends and I are flying to Sydney for the weekend. 3 nights, much fun. I see a cocktail night on the horizon, and oh so many good times. One of my friends has also conned the other two of us into going on this jetboat on Sydney harbor, and we are also considering the skywalk (268m/880ft off the ground!) as well as hooking up with some of our lov-er-ly girlfriends up there. I think they are also insisting we hunt down Adriano Zumbo's patisserie, after seeing his creations on MasterChef. We may roll home...

It's definitely going to be a massive weekend. Keep your eyes peeled for the post-palooza blog post in late February!

Are we there yet?!

I am exhausted. Seriously, I am dead on my feet. School holidays are killing me, one week to go, he goes back next Tuesday. That said, I am going to miss him like crazy when he is back there, and so is little RJ who seems to have established a real relationship with him having had him around so much the last 13 days (7 days to go, 7 to go people, that's 7, yes 7). But who knew a child could talk that much!? Impressive really, the way he natters on almost non stop, how can he breathe? How is this possible?

He has been sending me emails, which honestly, crack me up. They are complete nonsense half the time, which is why they are funny. For example:


(Q) What do you call a crazy mum? (A) mamma!!!!

You are... CRAZY AS A COCANUT!!!! that is why YOU'RE the
best.

I'll give you huh!

(Q) tbhnbg nfngmhg cchncfcnhej gncnncencwmemjkmlm?
(A) a baby.


And so on, utterly insane he is. I swear he does not get it from me! Such a funny little boy, he really is joy to be around, I just wish that every so often he would take a breath! His school report for last term was pretty damn awesome too, he was so far off the chart for his reading skills he was in an entirely different level, and his maths was exceptional as well. So proud, the only areas lacking were his self confidence in terms of speaking and contributing to group discussions. It's funny how incredibly gregarious he is with family, but how reserved he is at school and how reluctant to have new experiences there he is. But, being the school it is, they play to his strengths and aid his weaknesses and encourage all the right things. Worth every penny, and there are many we give for it!

Also, I changed my mind AGAIN about where to have his rock star party, and went with the play centre. I just cannot be bothered with the pre and post cleaning and organising with RJ so unsettled lately, it just felt too much. So we'll Green Day up his invites, party bags, and outfit and he is happy with that, so much easier having activities, food, cleanup done for us. I know, I know, it's a cop-out, my excuse is a teething 7 month old... Hey, I got him tickets to the concert, thats good for something... right?!

The pitfalls of magnetic letters

AKA Another reason I am a Bad Mother.

Hmm. Yesterday, F and I discussed swear words as I explained he could not play the Green Day DVD at his party because most people don't like swear words. He asked what words were swear words. I said, "the F word, shit, bloody..." (that is plenty to tell!) He said "and.. stupid!" Well okay, yes why not?

He then went off to play. Today I was making breakfast and I paused as I opened the fridge door.

"Umm, F, could you come here a sec?" In he trotted. "What's this about?" I asked gesturing my Vegemite knife at the fridge door.


"Oh, I decided to make you a swear word in case you felt like seeing one."
"Oh right. Well. Thanks?"
"You're welcome. And look, if you move theeeeese... tada! Another one!!"


"Oh so it is... Err.. clever you?"

And off he went. Please remind me to move it after showing J, but well before the party when my house is filled with Montessori parents...

Rockstar party problems!

Oh the headache. This rockstar party is challenging me!

So, the kid is popular, he just got home from his 9th, yes 9th, party this year. It is only June! Therefore, we are looking at an invite list that may require us hiring Rod Laver Arena to accommodate. Our house is wee. Very small. It just fit 8 kids his last party. Realistically, this year will be minimum 12-15 kids, and we just won't fit them, plus any parents who wish to stay, in our house. This in itself disappoints the small man, but what to do!? Parent politics come into this! So I look at a play centre, which is okay... but then the Green Day/rockstar theme is going to be severely diluted, possibly lost altogether. This would also disappoint. So we can half arsed do the rockstar thing at a play centre...

Argh. WHAT to do!? His father seems to think that its all quite acceptable to spend upwards of $700 on a 6th birthday, but to me thats insane. Last year it was a touch less, this includes present and party. (This year we were thinking Nintendo DS and games for the present). The real problem is where how and at what cost do we do this? Less kids does not seem possible. Other venues up the cost a whack and make the theming harder.

Oh please party fairies please wave a wand and solve all my problems here, I am SO not party oriented. Should ask todays lot who held theirs at swisho posh home and included a visit from a real fire engine to complete their fireman theme... Maybe I could ask Green Day to pop along and do a number or two? Sigh...

HELP please?!?!!?

From cool to not so cool...

...in the blink of an eye.

My super cool, rockstar with his 6th birthday going the Greenday punk rock theme, knowing his drummers and his bands and generally being super cool says to me yesterday - "I know what I want my party to be the year after next year!" (note not next year, the year AFTER next year, I don't know why, he baffle sme too and he is my kid!) "Whats that?" his reply - "A Coles party!!!"



Umm. Hold on a sec...



"A what?!"

"A Coles party, you know, like the shop?"



Yes, you read correctly, Mr ImSoCool wants a party based on a supermarket. What the... ?! And what would that even involve!? He was at a loss to tell me. Thankfully, I have two years to work it out :P



ETA - new layout = comments @ post top... WHY?

Rock star party

T-2months and counting until F's 6th birthday extraordinaire. As discussed EARLIER, he wants to have a Greenday party. I like to be super organised and I often mail order stuff so I am thinking ahead now...

PLEASE if you have any great party planning sites that can sell me some kick arse rockstar party type stuff - preferably Australian sites - please link me to them ASAP! I found vinyl record decorations but F looked understandably baffled by them.

He wants posters/pics of the boys, especially BillieJoe around the place he has instructed, and I am thinking guitar cake... But I still need more decorations, favours, other thematic punkrock, Greenday decorations/goods/ideas. I am not the worlds greatest party thrower but if I am organised enough early enough I can usually source some cool stuff to get away with a cool enough party to keep him happy. So, HELP PLEASE! :D

Greenday - 21st Century Breakdown

Today is a day I have been waiting for for 5 long years!!! The new Greenday album, 21st Century Breakdown has been released. Was a big act to follow - American Idiot was awesome - and huge.
Reckon they have done it though. I am only on my second listening but there is heaps to explore on it, and I loooooove that they have done it similar to American Idiot and its story of St Jimmy, this one is about Gloria and Christian and similarly to the formula of AI it has "acts" as well (Heroes and Cons, Charlatans and Saints, Horseshoes and Handgrenades); and has loads of rock, and some fantastic slower stuff too.

Initial favourites for me (aside from Know Your Enemy which I have listened to death the past few weeks!) are 21st century breakdown, peacemaker, 21 guns, East Jesus Nowhere, American Eulogy and See the Light.

I can't wait for F to get home and listen, and there is a special on Channel V at 4pm we want to watch, lol. He is Greenday mad, yesterday on the way home from school he said he wanted a birthday party at home again. "We'll see" was my response whilst thinking no freakin WAY too much work, did that last year! Then he said "I want it to be a Greenday party mum!!" Well now ya talking son, you bet your arse we can do that, rofl. Coolest 6th birthday party EVER. Alissa suggested invites written on cd's, guitar cake, backstage passes on lanyards for all the kids... Cool no!?

I am so worried their concert will be 18+ only, they are rumoured to be touring Dec-Feb ish, and Finn is desperate to go, as am I! Mind you, I did tell him if it was for grown ups only, I would take him and we would sit outside and listen. Obviously, we are not wanting moshpit tix but back in the stands rocking out with my 6yo who would no doubt have his blue mohawk as he often does... cool. Actually the other day as well as wanting to grow a mohawk that he colors bluw with blue gel, I caught him coloring his fingernails in with black texta. I have a 5 year old emo kid. Seriously. teehee. He saw these things on the Greenday DVD (Bible with a bullet) and emulates it all, wnts to BE Billie Joe Armstrong! He plays games with toys where he sets up these toy soldiers as BJA, Tre Cool and Mike Dirnt and holds a concert. Cutest thing ever.

So rock on people, very happy house here today, loving new GD!

The internet is evil (and other credit card traps)

Since discovering our wee baby is healthy and growing strongly, I have been overcome with a desire to shop. I am not really a big shopper at the best of times, I am generally quite conservative and not overly impulsive. But I have spent an astronomical amount of money this week, the mind boggles. I blame tax returns in part, another credit card trap along with the internet that one should be forewarned about. You know the money is coming so you spend up, and then the temptation to just go a bit over... bit more maybe... is just too easy. Oh but the fun!!!!!

So, this week I have purchased and am having imported an entire nursery collection (quilt, bumper, sheet, dust ruffle, nappy stacker, window valance, cushions, wall hanging, mobile, lamp, pram blanket, hamper, rug, basket liners and baskets) from the US all in the most adorable Swan Lake ballerina theme. Nothing I found here in Australia was as nice, and with the aussie dollar pretty much equal to the US at the moment, and no GST to factor in, it cost me the same as the set I had my eye on here in Aus that was gender neutral (and in the end, nowhere near girly enough...)

Now the bumper won't go on the cot, but I am wondering if it might not go around the inside edge of the change table, will have to experiment. Any ideas for the window valance thing that won't fit the window in the nursery but came in the pack? No doubt I can come up with some use for it.

I then attempted as reported earlier, to finalise my furniture laybuy, but there is a slight delay, so that should happen in the next 2 weeks. The furniture I posted once before is the Mali Euro cot and changer/robe. God, in 5 weeks I will be setting it all up. Imagine!!!!

I also discovered the EVIL website Janie & Jack - again American, again with far more beautiful clothes than anything I have seen here. Their prices are expensive (ish) but because our seasons are opposite, their end of season sales are perfect for us! So I saved a fair bit, made it a reasonable expedition. But it was SO hard not to get carried away. So many beautiful dresses... Remind myself I have a lifetime of dresses to buy. Must contain self.

I tried to laybuy some spare sheets and blankets, towels, grobag and muslin wraps but the website seems to be defunct so I need to start that again elsewhere. I did manage to score a bargain on a spare cot blanket I loved. RRP $50, it was on sale for $10. Super bargain!

Aside from that, I have also spent $400 on a trampoline for Finns birthday in 3 weeks, and sent off another order for some more party stuff. I still have a couple of little bits to get for the party but then its just the food. Almost organised but I feel tired at the very thought of it. Its only supposed to go for 2 hours, but how do you make people leave after that time?! I have made sure J knows he is going to be the one working hardest that day, its going to be exhausting!

And on top of ALL that, we have term 3 school fees to pay - over 1k - so I really HAVE to stop shopping. At least for a few weeks. Then I can start again. :D

P.S.

The bugs and fossil are from Hullabaloo Parties. Turns out they don't have the T-rex fossil in stock, so we are getting the stegosaurus and they are throwing in a t-rex in a tube (!) to compensate. Great service!

Dino Party - Part 1!

For the first year, Finn is set to have a proper birthday party this year. In the previous 4 years, we have just had a simple family BBQ with the aunties, uncles, grandparents etc. It was all Finn's favourite people and suited his up til now fairly shy demeanour.

This being his second year at preschool though, he has a few good mates, and has been to a few parties himself and so has requested he have one this year. I suggested a few themes, and he chose dinosaur, so dino it is!

Must say, am rather overwhelmed by it all. Its my first time throwing one and its a bit scary! I want it to be perfect... It won't be though! Bound to make some mistakes. Anyway, thus far are my ideas:

Dino cut out footprints leading up the driveway (assuming its not raining and soggifying them); a table of sand play in which I will bury a toy dino for each child to excavate. Pin the horn on the dino, pass the parcel, maybe some cardboard cut into dino shapes and craft things for each kid to decorate... That enough for six 5-year-olds? Finn is getting a trampoline for his birthday, so again, if good weather, is another activity they can do.

These are the invitations I have ordered:


They come with envelopes, magnets and seals. Also, matching cards that can be used as either tags for party bags, or thank you notes:


And matching napkins:


I also got the favor bags from the same collection, though they are not so obviously matching, I just thought they were so cute!


For the cake, we are going to hire a dinosaur cake tin, do a cadbury cake mix in it, and loads of colored buttercream icing. This is incredibly adventurous of us... wanted to order a bakery cake, but J wants to have a go himself... good luck to him I say!!!! For the top, have ordered these cute dino candles:



All the above are from Pink Frosting.

The other things I have already ordered from are a prize for each kid in pass the parcel, these gorgeous little "bug in a nut" things that wriggle when opened like real bugs: http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif


And to go on the food table as a decoration, for Finn to keep afterwards, this cool tyrannosaurus fossil:



Next week I will order the little toys to bury in sand, party hats, the worlds easiest party favours (comes with 2 dino toys, spinning top, activity sheet, and whistle per bag, just add lollies!!) and these really cool dinosaur masks for each kid.

Then its just food, sand to bury things in, balloons + helium, cardboard for craft, and pin the horn on the dino prize(s)... right?! I am exhausted already and there is still almost 7 weeks to go!