Last Post

Thank you everyone for all of your kind words about the new site : ) Today's post will be the last one coming up on blogger so please come on over to the new site tomorrow for a sneak peak post on nursery organising. I have some fun stuff planned for new week on the refreshed blog.

The team will be doing a wonderful link soon so if you come here you will be sent right on over to the new site : )

We have been working really hard to get this site up and working but please be patient whilst we get the links etc working !! All of my old posts and photos are now on the new site and are categorized to make it really easy for you to search for old posts !!

Menu planning

Whilst spending some time this past few weeks updating things around the house for the new year I also gave our little menu planner an update : ) I am thinking this will be something I do every year along with changing the planner routine and making a new calendar. I touched a little on this planner in my very first blog post back in June, since then this great download has become available on the Becky Higgins website in an word document so you can edit it which is even better!! It will not let me link the exact post for some reason but it is the November 10th post.

I have been using this simple planner for most of last year and our family LOVES it. Simon said it is one of the best things I have implemented in our home recently- so I was pretty happy with that : ) I love not hearing the "What's for dinner" question all day long as that we all know what we are having for the whole week. I love that it has gotten us into a great little routine of sitting down on a Sunday night at some stage and spending 10 minutes talking about the up and coming week and what we have on. Under each day of the week there is a what's going on section- this is where you can write a basic message about what is happening on that day. I have all of this info in detail in my planner but it is just a reminder in reference to dinner plans.

We then chat about what frozen meals we have pre prepared and what meats we already have in our freezer to make meals out of- this cuts down unnecessary trips to the shops and extra cost. And that is really it. There is not a lot to it- it's a pretty easy system to work with and we love it. The meals often change depending on the day of who feels like cooking etc so it really is just a guide but it is every so helpful- as is looking back through the previous months meals for inspiration. I hope that explanation helps those of you that asked.

Documenting a pregnancy

I decided when I fell pregnant that I would refuse to fall into the trap of doing nothing for baby boy #2 as he is out second child. I want him to have the same documented memories as Flynn did and so I have made sure that we did the same weekly pregnancy shots as we did for our first pregnancy. Something I am doing a little differently is I am also journaling a little each week, this will be great to look back on over the next few years as you tend to forget so much once the baby comes along.

I try to keep up to date with this project every Monday night and then when I get my photos developed I put it all together in the album. Sorry in advance for the terrible photos but these were the best I could get. So here are a few of the layouts I have completed, this would also be a great project to do for a new baby or as a beginner scrapbooker as a little book like this (6x6) is really easy to put together.

Looking forward to receiving my kit.

I know a lot of you ordered a Project Life kit and I was so excited to received the update email last Friday to say that the kits were on their way !! I am so looking forward to receiving my kit and getting started on this years amazing journey. I loved doing the project last year but there are a few things I want to do differently this year in an attempt to tell more stories about what we are doing. This year I journaled when I got my photos developed and put them in the album, this was ok but it meant that the stories were not being told in the moment and as I would usually do 1-3 weeks at a time.

So I am going to change a few things for this year.

1. I am going to take the journaling cards with me and journal throughout the week- in the moment. I am hoping this will help me to tell my stories in more detail and more in the moment.

2. I am going to put my entire album together when I get it as I am going to be really busy this year so this will be one less thing to do : ) Dating the weeks gives me one less thing to do during the year.

3. I am going to try and do some multiple photo 6x4 prints (you can get these done at Big W) instead of thinking I have to choose one favourite photo per day.

I hope you are all coming on this exciting journey, I can absolutely guarantee you that you will not regret one minute of participating in this project. The end product is something you will treasure forever.

Here is one of my shots from last week. Just Flynn creating some Australis day art, you can't see it in this photo but there is a die cut of Australia tapped to this paper that Flynn is "colouring" on. I am going to make these into some little cards which I will be sharing soon.

New website

So the news !! Some of you noticed last night that when you came to my blog it looked very different !! For a little while last night you were auto directed over to my brand new blog site Here . Doesn't it look awesome? I was approached by the wonderful owners of Beyond the Baby a few weeks ago with and idea/ proposal to move my blog across to their amazing sight.

When I first received this email I quite literally read it over and over about 4 times nearly fell off my chair and ran and got my husband who was as surprised as me!! Someone reads my blog and really likes it LOL!!!! Anyway the idea was that I would move my blog and all of the existing work over to their lovely site where I would have access to their great team to help me make the blog look amazing- I am really website challenged to the more help the better and also to have the opportunity to bring to you my readers some great resources : )

The other reason I felt that this was the right decision was the owners of Beyond the Baby love the blog just the way it is, so rest assured the content you have been reading for the last 7-8 months will not change : ) Another great opportunity was the idea to have a forum linked to the blog with an organizing section where you could all chat about organization an share photos and ideas : ) How great is that !!

And so in about a week or so when the blog looks just right (we have had a few issues with some photos not transferring over etc) you will be auto directed over to the brand new site : ) So in the meantime come on over to the forum (click on the word forum to take you there) and join up into our organizing section and come and say hello !! I look forward to seeing you over there.

Changes...

Expect some super fun blog changes coming over the next few days : ) I will explain in further detail VERY soon but for now I will keep you in suspense !! Please don't panic if the blog goes down for a little while at some stage whilst we are getting everything in order.

Weekend fun at the Lake

We had such a fun time over the weekend : ) We went up to a Lake about an hour away from our home to have a picnic and go for a swim. Flynn had such a great time, he had this gorgeous smile planted on his face all day, it was so sweet. I love doing family activities where we just all hang out together, it was a day of family and friends and I couldn't think of a better way to spend our Saturday. These are the days that enrich your memories as a child and the ones I want to make sure we create with Flynn.

Doesn't this place just look like heaven : )

Someone was getting a little tired by here ...

And we can't go out anywhere without baby brother making an appearance- as embarrassing as it is he has to actually pull my top up to talk to his new friend!! It is a little bit cute though : )

On the blackberry ...

I think it is so cute that at 2 1/2 Flynn loves talking on the phone to everyone : ) Whoever I am talking to he wants to have a chat to and he is getting better and better and having conversations on the phone. I often wonder what kinds of technologies he will have available when he is all grown up !!

Cutting up fruit

I love summer fruits : ) There is so much variety and every time I do the shopping I am able to get something different, you can never get bored of the fruits in summer. I find the same with fruit in our house as I do the vegetables- we are much more likely to eat them if they are washed and cut as as soon as we get home. I spoke about cutting up your vegetables a little while ago in this post but I just wanted to post this photo of this very yummy fruit salad as a reminder that this system works really well in summer as well for your fruit.

You are much more likely to pop some on your breakfast, take some to work, feed some to the kids for lunch if it is all already done for you. A lot of people commented in last Thursdays post about how I do it all and I honestly find it is simply habit now. You have to do something over 10 times for it to become habit- so if you think this would suit you make an effort for the month of January to decanter and chop up your fruits and vegetables as soon as you get home and before you know it you will be doing it without thinking!!

Timing your food shop is also key everyone is different but I have found afternoons work really well for us to do a food shop. So I do it when I get home from work and Flynn has just woken up from his nap. I take a myriad of snacks and quiet toys like cars, books etc to make the trip enjoyable and then when we get home I put a movie on whilst I unpack to keep Flynn occupied. It might work better for you to go in the morning but Flynn is way more active in the morning so it doesn't work for us. Timing this effectively will means less stress at the shops and more time to unpack properly when you get home.

Now I am off the eat some of that fruit salad : )

New Routines

For the start of the new year you might want thing think about establishing a new routine- consider what worked for you last year and what areas you really struggled in. If the mornings are hard for you make a morning routine checklist and include a list of the things you would be able to get done the night before to help alleviate that extra stress. I made up one of these last year you might remember this post. I put this sheet together 6 months ago and since then our circumstances and routines have changed a lot and so with the start of the new year I have made up a new list for the mornings.

With the help of our previous list we have have become a lot more efficient in the morning and there is a lot less stress involved in getting out the door now but there is still room for improvement. I still want to get more done the night before when I have more energy. Once you have decided what area you struggled most in last year write up a routine of how you would like this to work in your ideal scenario. Consider buying a clipboard and either magnetizing it for the fridge or sticking it up elsewhere in the kitchen where it can serve as a daily reminder for you. Review the Routines throughout the year and re-write them if you feel like they are not working for your family.

Here is a snapshot of our new Family routine we will use this for the next 5 or so months until the new baby is born. When I took down the old one I just slipped it into out 2009 family scrapbook as it is part of our year and will be great to look back on in the later years.

This years has a list of things we need to do the night before to make the morning rush easier. These include-

Lay out clothes for the morning

Pack any necessary bags for work/school

Check menu plan and write shopping list if needed

Pack dishwasher and tidy kitchen

Hang out any washing and put another load in the machine for the morning

Pick up /tidy family room.

We do MOST of these things already but having this list up in our kitchen serves as a daily reminder to us. Down the bottom of the page I have typed out Flynn's weekly schedule so everyone knows what he is doing each day : ) This system works for us at the moment with only one child once we have multiple children doing activities I will looking for a system more like this Family Planner for the fridge by Mom agenda (I LOVE their stuff, so cute!).

An update on baby #2

I went for my 20 week scan this week for baby #2 and I just wanted to share with you a few of the precious photos we were able to get during our scan. We were very happy to hear that we have a very active and healthy baby boy growing : ) He is the perfect size and is growing really well, everything looks perfect. I love that moment when they pop up on screen and especially at the 20 week scan where you get to see so much detail of the little person they are becoming. We were lucky enough to get a 3d shot this time (the photo on the right) even though he was sucking his thumb!! It is amazing how much love you feel for them even at this early stage.

Just as a side note a few people have asked me how I photograph things at home with the backdrops so here is a quick snapshot of what I do. Find some scrapbooking paper, nice tea towel, wrapping paper whatever you love the print of. Then set yourself up on a table/ottoman (like me in the picture below) that is flooded with natural light. Put your camera on the manual setting and play around until you get a photo that you like- on the manual setting and with the natural light you will have no flash ruining your photo. Hope this helps : )

You : )

So with the start of a new year and lots of exciting things to come I want to hear from you, my readers :) I would love for you to drop me an email at superorganizerblog@gmail.com or leave a comment on this post about what you want to hear about this year organizing, recipes, photography etc.

I create a master list every 6 months of things I want to share and that are important to me but I also want to make sure I am covering things you want to know so ask away : )

That Cabinet

So A few of you commented/emailed me regarding the cabinet in my last post so I thought I would post a full photo of the front on and where you can buy it (I am nice like that LOL). The cabinet itself is purchased as individual bookcases from Ikea called Liatorp it is actually 3 bookcases and you get the capping which goes along the top to make it loot like one cabinet so you can attach as many as you like. You then add the doors we did solid at the bottom for messy stuff like vases and Flynn's china and glass at the top for the "pretty" stuff : ) We love it and it works really well for us as extra storage in our living room.

Taking it all down

Taking Christmas decorations down is a little sad for me. It is such a happy and family filled time of the year and packing them all away generally signifies going back to work as well!! So I keep mine up as long as possible and hold out until the very last minute. And so I will do the same this year and by the time it all comes down I will be putting up some bits and pieces for Valentines Day- now that will make me happy : ).

On another note as an organizer all those little white (Ikea) boxes lined up on our cabinet make me very very happy. This is an Ikea cabinet as well and we love it. It provides so much storage and the top and bottom of the cabinet are used for all of our wedding china, large plates and serving dishes, vases and china Flynn has been given. We we assembled it we were a little stumped as to what to put in the middle and so little white boxes it was. They are a great place to store keepsakes, candles and notebooks etc.

The most unhealthy fudge you will ever make

Sorry in advance for this recipe I know a lot of you will be on a health kick for the start of the new year but you seriously have to try this. A girlfriend of mine shared this with me a few years ago and I have been making it ever since.

Ingredients for the base-

180g Butter

2/3 cup Castor sugar

1 1/2 cup plain flour

3 Tbs Cocoa Powder

Melt butter, mix together all ingredients into a slice tin. You will need to press it into the tin quite firmly as it is quite a crumbly mixture. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes on a medium heat.

Ingredients for the top chocolate layer-

1 pkt Dark chocolate drops

3/4 cup cream

1 pkt white chocolate drops

Mix chocolate and cream together in saucepan until chocolate has melted and blended with the cream.

Let this mixture cool a little and then mix in most of the packet of white chocolate drops. Mix quickly and then pour onto the cooled base. Sprinkle the remaining drops on the top of the slice. Allow to set in the fridge and then devour without guilt : )

I don't actually start making the top for this slice until the base is out of the oven and has mostly cooled.

Enjoy : )

For the love of all things plastic

I love Tupperware : ) I love plastic containers and all of the lovely bright colours and different sizes. I have a lot of Tupperware- more than any one household could ever possible need and when friends come over they over leave with bits and pieces as I am always trying to get rid of the stuff. In fairness I was previously a demonstrator and stopped somewhat suddenly and so I ended up with lots of extras.

Anyway enough with the Tupperware ramble and onto the point of this post- Containers. Important/necessary in my opinion to stay as organized as possible when it comes to family and food. Some of my favourite containers are the lunch style containers as I use these a lot. They are great for leftovers and for pre-cutting up snacks for lunch boxes in advance. The products I would recommend as essential for lunches would be-

Sandwich keepers- these are the perfect sizes for holding a sandwich or crackers.

Snacks Cups- the market these for little kids but I think they are fantastically versatile for adults as well.

Small microwave containers- Shown in my pregnancy snack posts these are great for storing left over dinners/ smalls snacks etc.

Although expensive buying good quality containers is worth the money as the lifetime guarantee it provides means it will last all through your child's school years. There are lots of cheaper alternatives on the market though that you can buy at the local supermarkets that would make a great start- Nude food movers are a new brand onto the market and are available in Coles and Woolworths. I think companies like this show a shift in the public perception on plastics and using glad wrap etc.

I was thinking about the concept of school lunches the other day and how hard it must be to get up in the morning and have to think about what to pack. My idea of pregnancy snacks could be adapted to school lunches. Pre-packaging food into containers could be done at the start of the week and then packed each day into lunches. It is much easier to decanted in bulk than to have the motivation to do this every day especially in the morning.

So as your kids get ready to go back to school considering a few things to make this year more organized in the morning- buy adequate containers and pre- pack as much of the kids lunches in bulk at the start of the week, it will make the mornings a lot less stressful : )

Starting Early

So I know we just had Christmas but I like to start thinking about each Holiday super early- I LOVE this time of year as there is always so much going on and so much to look forward to. I know a lot of people dismiss Valentines day as a commercialized Hallmark style holiday but I love it : ) We have never done the gifts/ going out for dinner etc thing in this house it is more about time and appreciation for us than presents.

For me and us as a family it has always been a holidays to celebrate and express our love for those closest to us. For us thats means crafts, cards and baking to show those special people how much we care. So in me research here are a few of the baking ideas I have found-

I hope these photos give you a few ideas of your own of things you can bake with your kids this holiday : )

Thinking ahead ...

I love January. It is a great time to reflect on the year that was and to think about what is to come for the year ahead. Here are just a few of the things we are thinking about starting 2010-

*As a family we have a lot to be grateful for and I want to make sure I remember that every single day.

*As we organize and anticipate the arrival of our second child many many questions swirl around in our heads as to how we will cope with this change in our household.

* I have created my yearly Project List which is mainly related to scrapbook/crafty type projects and I will be sharing this over the coming weeks.

* Planning out a weekly chore list to help us stay on top of our household stuff.

* Continuing to menu and diary plan weekly

*Participating again in the photo a day concept.

*Re-organizing the garage to make room in our spare room to move Flynn into his big boy room.

* Continue out family fun list tradition of making season list of fun things we want to do as a family and then working through them.

These are not so much resolutions for us as lot of these things we do already but more Project lists for our family. I can't wait to jump right in and get started.

I will be sharing my pregnancy album over the next few days along with that year in review album I spoke about a few days ago. These mini albums showcase a great easy way to document the year/pregnancy ahead and just been. But for now I am signing off for the day to make a start on some of my list and to have an afternoon nap : )

Project LIFE- Day One

For those of you starting this project this is a timely reminder to make sure you take a shot of something you did today : )

We had a fabulous New Years Eve with some friends at home which was great as I could just fall on into bed when I got really tired!! Today we started off 2010 with a family trip to the beach, start how you want to year to continue is our philosophy and we couldn't think of a better way to spend the morning together, now after an afternoon nap we need to think of any easy summer dinner- I am thinking quiche.

But before I do that after sorting through today's photos there are to many I want to use for use for my POTD!! I might just have to include a few : )