Tag: Working mum

Posted in Lifestyle, Time Saving Tips

Plasticware…

Posted on by Theworkingmum

Everyone has one.. It’s usually ridiculously untidy in my house.. Hopefully in everyone’s! The plasticware aka the Tupperware cupboard! I have. I have been trying to sort out the dreaded lunch box situation for Mr 5. In the last few weeks I have purchased 4 new lunch boxes trying to scout out the best option. It would help if the cooler bag that was chosen (because it had rockets on it!) was a little more spacious. I do believe I’m over thinking the situation!! 😂

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So in order to try sort the best box I had to organise the dreaded cupboard- to fit all these new containers.

what an assortment of randomn lids and containers that didn’t match! Isn’t it amazing how things disappear? Maybe the same fairy that steals odd socks takes lids?! So I played match and ditch and made it all look pretty. I didn’t  keep anything that didn’t match!

Still didn’t solve the lunch box negotiations but at least it’s organised!

 

 

Posted in Recipes, Uncategorized

Vanilla slice- oh so nice!!

Posted on by Theworkingmum

Happy Australia Day! We do live in fabulously free Country where we can be ourselves and do what we want and live the life we dream. Today lots of people are celebrating in various ways, friends are having beach days, bbqs and fireworks. And of course the cricket. The boys are a little obsessed with all things sport at the moment so we are endeavouring to take them to the international 20/20 tonight. We’ll see how that goes!

I wanted to do some ‘Australian’ cooking today.. I looked up lamination recipes and pavlova (which I must say I love a good pav) but decided on my Mums Vanilla Slice. Biscuits, custard and icing- how can you go wrong?!!

Vanilla Slice (Thermomix style)

2 packs of Arnotts Lattice Biscuits

50g of cornflour

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1tsp vanilla extract

500g milk

1 quantity of icing- I choose pink!

coconut for sprinkling on top.

METHOD

-to make the custard I use the Thermomix but of course I can be done on the stove top.

  • place corn flour and sugar in bowl and mill sp9 for 10 secs.
  • Add eggs, milk, vanilla and set at Sp 3 90 degrees for 7 mins. ( using the stove top- continually stir until thickened) it needs to be quite thick.
  • line a slice tray with baking paper, and place a layer of Lattice biscuits on the bottom.
  • Spread the custard out on top of the Lattice Biscuits.
  • place another layer on top of biscuits on top of the custard, and place in the fridge for at Least an hour.
  • Spread a layer of icing on top of the biscuits and sprinkle with coconut.

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My hot tip is to cut the biscuits in half when serving (use a serrated bread knife) so the custard doesn’t ooze to much when you bite into the creamy deliciousness!!

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Posted in Lifestyle

No longer a baby

Posted on by Theworkingmum

Turning 5 (1)Remember that feeling of bringing your baby home for the first time. The pure happiness, the nerves, the joy, the excitement and apprehension? Five years on and its not forgotten, just remembered with happiness. Turning five feels like such a milestone. So independent; no nappies, no naps just negotiations and new adventures. The start of our schooling life, new friends, new skills. It’s a strange feeling to think that it feels like yesterday that we had this beautiful bundle and our lives changed forever, but it also feels like a lifetime ago. As parents we have learnt so much, things we’d do again and things we wouldn’t. It’s an exciting time, turning five, they really are little people now. They walk, talk, play independently (most of the time!), have their own hopes, dreams and visions. Some things are easier now they are five, going to dinner is no longer such a drama however, some things are harder, long walks with the baby in the pram with time for your own thoughts is non existent!

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This is not a blog post about saving time or cooking a meal (although Mr 5 as requested Mexican Monday!) but purely a reflection on life as a parent. It sure has its ups and down, but I wouldn’t change it for the world, although I would love to reduce the brotherly arguments!. It is an emotional time for me having my eldest turn 5. We are so proud fo the person he has become so far. He is emotional, caring, funny, and clever. He is no longer a baby, however will always be my baby..

Posted in Lifestyle

Suds galore!

Posted on by Theworkingmum

imageIt seems like it may never end. Once you’ve finished one lot, sure enough there’s more waiting. With the chaos that is three boys under the age of 5, washing is to say the least.. there! Always! Just before the littlest musketeer was born I got creative and made a roster for all the housework in our house. Mondays was general washing, Tuesday was kids clothes, Wednesday was business shirts etc.. I follow it sporadically but its hard to stay on track when different things pop up. Sick kids, visitors, holidays etc. Once I get behind in the piles of dirt covered, baby spew items it seems to take days to catch up. And not to mention the linen! A friend showed me this article, that blew my mind. It suggests washing your towels after 3 uses! Holy cow! So 5 people, every 3 days…In a week I’d be washing 15 towels. Not to mention hand towels, tea towels and the seemingly thousands of face washers we go through! Here I was thinking that once a week was satisfactory! Well there’s no way I’ll be fluffing towels every 3 days. Who’s got time for that??!!

Here’s what happened when Mr. 3 decided to help with washing yesterday! I couldn’t help but laugh, he was only trying to help.

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My machine too full of suds to operate!

 

Really all I can say is ‘washing everyday keeps the piles at bay!” Laughing at myself at my poetry! But seriously, chuck a load in whenever you get a spare minute or two and hang it out.. whenever?! I’ll admit more often than not it could be a few hours before I hang a load out! While the weather is warm I’ve been doing heaps at night.. In Winter my house generally looks like a Laundry Room with clothes horses and airers spotted around the place. I used to stress if I had unfolded washing in baskets, recently I’ve come to realise that who cares! If I pull a T-shirt out of the basket and chuck it on.. at least its clean right? Gradually I’m overcoming my obsession for everything to perfect. If people judge me because I have clean washing unfolded, well.. they can go jump! or fold my washing!

 

Posted in Recipes, Time Saving Tips

The Foot Soak

Posted on by Theworkingmum

imageYesterday I posted that I was trying the home made foot soak, and a few readers (excited that I can write that!) commented they wanted to know how it went.

The Original Recipe

1/4 Cup Vinegar

1/4 Cup Mouthwash

1 cup warm water

Well I had to change the recipe a little as I didn’t have any regular vinegar. So here’s my adaptation..

My Version

1/2-1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2-1 cup Listerine (I used green one)

and enough warm/hot water to cover my feet.

At first when I added the Apple Cider Vinegar it smelt so strong I thought I’d smell of rotten apples for days, but after adding the Listerine ( I probably used closer to 1 cup) the mint took over.

Realistically any time I get to sit and stick my feet in a warm bath would be relaxing but this was great. I had my pink bucket, my comfy chair and my Ipad. I settled down for my 10 minutes… nearly an hour later I thought I’d better get my feet out or they may shrivel to nothing! I was quite surprised at how good my feet felt. It was a cheap, easy solution to a foot soak using only ingredients I already had. I gave my PedEgg a good workout afterwards while everything was soft and squishy (eww right?!). I seriously lay in bed afterwards and I really did notice my feet feeling tingly and refreshed. Probably due to the overdose of Listerine but it really did feel good! The advantage of Apple Cider Vinegar is its so fermented that it would kill any germs you had on your precious tootsies.

So give it a go! Refreshed and minty, albeit a bit appley, and ready for another day on your feet!

Continue reading “The Foot Soak” →

Posted in Lifestyle

Being Brave

Posted on by Theworkingmum

BE BRAVERecently I blogged about ditching the guilt and standing strong. A friend had given me advice and her words still stand out..’be brave’. It got me to thinking. How does one be brave, what is bravery and why do I have to be brave? So many questions. The Oxford Dictionary defines Bravery as ‘courageous behaviour’. The first thing that comes to my mind is taking risks. As kids we take risks all the time, jumping off the swing, climbing to the top of the frame, reading a new book. As adults taking risks just seems so much more daunting. I am currently reading Lisa Messengers book;  Daring and Disruptive. It depicts how Lisa took chances, put herself out there and was brave. Some of her risks didn’t pan out, but others did, including the successful magazine The Collective. It’s inspiring reading about someone taking risks. If you haven’t read it- do it! What I’m taking from it though is without taking risks, being courageous and being brave, we don’t get the rewards.

My New Years resolution this year is to be brave. I feel it covers so many aspects. To try new things, to put myself out there, have confidence in my decisions and choices and not to worry about what others think. To buy that treadmill and take up running, to continue blogging and not care if no one reads it! It all takes bravery!

New Years resolutions are made and frequently given up on very quickly. I asked a few close friends if they were making resolutions. All were and they all had a common theme. No one said ‘lose weight, get fitter or go on a diet’ (thank goodness) but all had a common theme about life in general. About feeling confident in yourself and making choices that make you happy. Those are fabulous resolutions and likely to be achievable, way more than not eating chocolate (which I would have failed already!).

I took a big leap by starting this blog a couple of months ago and in 2016 I would love to keep this going. To find useful hints and tips for being organised, to try new fast recipes, to organise my pantry! and bravely share it with the world!

Be Brave, take chances, feel confident, be happy. That’s my hopes for 2016. x

 

Posted in Recipes

It’s officially hot!

Posted on by Theworkingmum

watermelon

Its hot here! Forcast for 44 degrees tomorrow! Summer is officially here. Keeping the three muskateers entertained in this weather is certainly a challenge. The boys decided to create their own library! They piled books, set up rugs and cushions and made signs. The best part was they were passionate about being quiet in a library! It was a short lived bliss, but take them when I can!

We made iceblocks today, perfect for this weather

Watermelon iceblocks

-watermelon,

-2 oranges

-splash of water

Blitz until smooth then freeze in iceblock containers. I have these Ikea Iceblock Moulds. Super yum, healthy and the kids love them on a hot day!

A scorcher here tomorrow, we’ll see what the boys invent tomorrow!!

Posted in Time Saving Tips

A trolley full of kids!

Posted on by Theworkingmum
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Waiting for the Woolworths truck

One running down the isle, one demanding food and one trying to grab everything in reach. This is my reality! Grocery shopping with 3 young kids in like an obstacle course designed for the pro athlete.

I find it ‘easy’ enough to pop in and grab one or two items, but any more than that and the littlies lose interest. So every fortnight I do my big shop online. I use Woolworths online but all the big chain supermarkets do it now. Before having kids online groceries was a novelty I’d use when we were hosting a large party. Now its a god send.

A lot of people find it difficult manoeuvring the website and finding the groceries you need… nope! My big tip is to have a list going on the fridge. We have one of the magnetic ones that we just add to each day when we need something, so by the time the fortnight is done we have a long list!! its especially convenient when you need large items like nappies and washing powder (two kids in a trolley does not leave much room!).

I use the search feature at the top of the website and type in what I’m looking for, I have found this easiest and quickest way to add things to your online trolley.

One reason I like the Woolworths site is that if I order things in the mornig before 10 they are delivered that afternoon! I mean really, why would I bother dragging the carnivores around the shops when I can click away while they eat their breakfast and have it delivered. Its also not crazy expensive, when you think about the stress and frustration of the shopping and chasing kids around the store.. $9-10 is nothing!

And the absolute best thing is that the boys love waiting for the truck to come (see photo!) and bring the shopping and they love putting it all away.. not always in the right spot but that’s a different issue! I saw its  win all round.

 

Posted in Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Last day of Preschool

Posted on by Theworkingmum
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End of preschool emotions! 

Emotions were running high today as my eldest finished Preschool! I was teary before I even got to the building. It’s such a big milestone in their lives isn’t it? I know we don’t remember much of our kindy year or even Junior Primary but as parents we witness the growth in our children. The confidence, self awareness, new skills, new friends, new adventures. Their brains are soaking up all they see and do and when they’re in the right environment they are like little sponges! The early years of education are so important and provide the groundwork for years to come. Not only in their learning but they really develop a sense of self and an identity. No tricks for time saving tonight, more of a reflection of time. It sure does go fast, they said it would but you don’t realise it until it’s actually upon you.

Posted in Lifestyle

The Perfect Bath

Posted on by Theworkingmum
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Relaxing Bath Tips

Having a long, hot, bubbly bath is the holy grail of relaxation for many. Once the kids are all tucked up and quiet I try to have a long soak once in a while! I take a glass of Red and my book and enjoy the solace while it lasts!! I thought I’d investigate various ‘ingredients’ to add to a bath to enhance the relaxation.

Here’s what I found..

No big surprise here- Epsom salts help aid muscle relaxation. I use both the liquid and crystal ones.

Green Tea- Add 4-5 Green Tea bags to your bath to ale your skin soft. Green tea is recommended to help with anti aging.. so I say dunk away!!

Milk Bath- well it worked for Cleopatra right?! Simply add a cup full of milk powder to your bath and float away.The lactic acid in baths helps to soften your skin. It’s also soothing on sunburn!

Lemon Bath- I found this one to be quite interesting! Apparently of you squeeze lemons into your bath water ifmts helps to tighten and refresh skin. I knew it reduced pores so it makes sense! I think it would be super refreshing!

Sea Salt Bath– Using Sea salt not the iodised cooking salt this is great for detoxing your body. Found this great recipe for DIY detox scrub here.

Lavendar Bath- Sprinkle some lavender into your bath and boy it smells fabulous and helps with getting to sleep afterwards!!

So give one of these a try and let the bubbles melt you away! As a working Mum, or a Stay at Home Mum getting some valuable ‘me’ time is important. Try to schedule some time in this week. X