Free Money!

What? Free money? Now I know that Americans have the coupon thing down, but here in Australia we are lacking some what. BUT, when you do recieve something in the mail that you know you can spend money on use it.

I got a $40 gift voucher from spot light this week, it came with a spend $100 and get $40 off string attached but $40 is $40. Now it might be the ideal place to buy presents for kids i.e. not many Lego toys there. But...Dean is making some picture frames this year for certain members of the family and our bosses (as they are female). So we got some supplies for him.

I had on my gift ideas list new beach tows for the kids. So guess here I got those. Funny enough all kids beach towels were heavily reduced. For example we got Spider-Man hooded towels for $9 and a camp rock towel for $5 and so on. We got some chains for necklaces dean is making for the boys and to get it up to $100 we got wrapping paper. It all added up to just a few dollars over $100 but when the am swiped my VIP card he said we had to go back and and spend $20!!! Cool hey. So we got a beach mat and more wrapping which was $2 a roll because of my card. Grand total spent $60.67 who's smiling now. I got a press any for all the kids plus some! So message of the day, think outside the box and take advantage of those vouchers.

Let you light so shine

The next step I suppose is to decorate your house. Clean it fort and make everything smell nice. Then dig out the tree. Dean and I bought ours ten years ago, and every year we say we will get a new flashy fandangled one, but then very year we use the $12.50 Kmart one.

So once the house is looking good and smelling sweet. Gather the kids and tell them what a good job they did and then have the chat. You know, the chat telling them what the true spirit of Christmas is and that even though they can expect Santa on Christmas Eve send them to bed with a preyer in their heart that we can find someone else to give Christmas to so on Christmas morning their light will so shine.

Starting with a list

Ok so I think it's important to start with a list. I write lists for everything I started writing lists for everything when I was a little girl and they work. So trough out the year I hve been jotting down what the kid safe into, well their getting very little of that now and what I get for my kids another family will get also. So here we go this is my list of people I HAVE to buy for, why, because I love them and society demands it. Alright here we go


My mum
My dad
Foster brother 1
Foster brother 2
My sister
My brother In law
My nephew
My husband
Jackson
Charna
Kealin
Tyren
Baydan
My nana
My cousin
My boss
Deans boss
The eight single elderly people in my ward

Yep that about does it. I have a rule, I you don't live here you don't get and it goes both ways we don't receive from those not here. And you can throw in the family Going to unwillingly target.

So now that I have the list, I can see it, I can start to work through it. My kids and husband will be last though, mean yes, maybe, I'll tell you this now though. When you give you receive much much more! My kids are going to get the biggest gift that no money can buy!

Gifts for Christmas

So here we go again its Christmas time again, and I have the same internal argument about what to do.

So I'm Christian, and with the holiday season comes with it, for me, the joy of celebrating the birth of Christ. I find it an awkward balance to have the kids be excited about receiving presents, but maintaining the humble beginnings of where the tradition comes from.

So a few years ago we did hand made gifts for everyone and although I believe the gifts had more meaning, because we didn't give out half hearted, thrown together whatever's. we thought and we planned, but, in the back of my mind I still felt as though we were cheating our kids . Last year wasn't so bad. We bought TOMS shoes for the whole family, that actually didn't arrive before Christmas so we rocked up with nothing for everyone. Yes we were embarrassed and were scrambling around to get at least something and ended up paying twice.

With my husband going back to school this year it's been even tighter in this house. I missed the markets for my bags, twice, and now we have nothing.

Whatcha this space though because I am resilient and I am going to show myself and the whoever wants to read this blog how I'm going to make this Christmas work on a shoe string and teach my children a life lesson they can take with them forever. And you know how I'm going to do it...I'm going to give what I have away!! Yep you heard me. I'm going to find a family that has NOTHING!! And I'm going to give them something.

I Can't Believe it!!

So I just realized that there is a blogging app! The thought that there might be one came to me when I was thinking how much I can do from apps. So I searched for it and voila! Behind in time much!

17 Day Diet

Well Where do i start.......i have never had to seriously diet before. Not saying this to brag or anything i was just always of the slender build. And very active. I used to be a Camping safari tour guide in the outback of Australia, so that kept me quite fit. As ive mentioned before i have 5 children. Loosing the weight after number 1 wasnt even an issue, i just slipped right back into my old self after a few months. It wasnt untill 5 years later that i had number 2 and a size 8-10 was easy enough again, but number 2 and 3 came close on the heals of each other. So it wasnt until after number 3 that it got to be a little tricky. I suppose i wasnt as active, and i was one of those women that craved alot of food whilst i was breast feeding . So there you go i got to a size 12 and stayed there. It wasn't until i had my 4th and 5th child that i realized that, i had to do something different.
Ok ok so im not that huge and i know alot of people would like to be this size. And (drum roll please) im going to say it..............I am currently now a 12-14 sometimes 16 in my clothing sizes and i thought i weighed, using my $10 scales about 75kgs. And life is good, were not broke, i have a happy family, live in a wonderful country, but i just dont feel myself. So i watch a show here called A Current Affair and a while ago they featured a new diet called the 17 day diet. I looked it up and over the past month or so ive been really thinking hard about it. But as we know thinking about exercize and diet doesnt really equate to anything does it? So on Tueasday this past week i conned my husband into doing this diet with me (because he could loose a  too), and it wasnt until today that i decided to blog about it. So here we go


17 Day Diet by Dr mike Moreno

Day 1

Easy peasy just followed the plan. I didnt crave for anything and didnt want for anything. I was a bit hungry right before it was time to eat the next meal but then i could eat and it was ok. I had lunch mind you at about 11am i just couldnt wait any longer and i had the snack at 2 and then just loaded up on water until dinner, (which i served at 5 instead of 5:30). I actually had breakfast and lunch ingredients already at home so when Dean came home from work we went for the weekly shop together. And truthfully there wasnt alot of difference bewtwee shopping for this diet and my normal shop. I just had to get more fresh veg and more chicken! Turkey mince was on sale for half price this week so we loaded up on that too. Dean had to go away on Wednesday for overnight and so i made up all of his things and packed it up for him. As far as i know he didnt cheat, but who really knows!!!

Day 2

Ok today im hungry. We had yogurt and berries for breakfast, which i used my happy chopper to break down the frozen berries to put through the yogurt. BTW greek yogurt needs a sweeter fruit! I had left over berries and so for the kids afternoon snack i made berry scones. AND MAN it was so hard not to just have one they smelled SOOOO good!! The kids have been great though they were saying "NO mum" alot today. Actually the only thing that got me through was this little mantra i kept repeating to myself "you can make them again" and so yeah i didnt have one!! Not sick of veggies yet either!

Day 3

Today was hard. I dont know what is happening to my body but it feels sluggish. The diet says you can have as much chicken and veg from the free list for dinner and so i have been really loading our plates with mounds of veg just to keep the hunger at bay. But today my body wont work! I made a chocolate cake for Kealin because he likes them, and i needed a sweet to send to school with the kids. And yes i know what your thinking.....Im torturing myself. And yes in a way i am. But my chidren are far from fat and they are all really healthy and im not going to make them diet. I figure this is about self disapline aswell. Ok bend down i am going to tell you a secret. I have tried diets before! Atkins, the soup one, The CSIRO one. And i always give up on day 3. And there have been repeat attempts of these so i know my pattern. Day threee i am always justifying the end. Actually Atkins i stayed with for 5 days but again too restrictive. Dont know how i did it but tthere was no chocolate cake that passed these lips, and to be honest i wasnt really that hungry today!

Day 4

Today i feel wired!  i feel like i have a clear head, but every move i make i can feel it. Not saying that i feel sore or tierd, i can just feel it! I will describe it as this....i feel like my body is actually using something different besides Sugar and carbs from bread, potatoes, rice and pasta, to fuel itself! and you know my mind is feeling alittle more set. I mean, why give up today when i gave up fresh berry scones and chocolate cake right? But i will say when i did my 17 minute workout i got off the stepper and my legs were very wobbly and i felt a little sick. Ok, so Dean went to the shop and got us some $30 scales as my $10 ones broke about 3 weeks ago. I wighed myself........And after 3 1/2 days on this diet and to be truthful i feel like ive lost weight i was dicouraged to find out that i was 76.9 Kilos! which means i was heavier than thought when i started this : ( determind much to keep going YES!!

Day 5

Wow! Today i slept till 9am The Dr says that you should be able to sleep better. And i normally wake at 2am every night. Why? don't know just always have. But last night nothing! Being a Saturday my husband was up making eggs for the kids and was patently waiting for me to fix his breakfast. I don't normally do this but that was the trade off, you do this diet with me and ill fix ALL your meals. He normally can fend for his own breaky and lunch. I had it in my mind that i would go for a walk outside today and so after breakfast Dean and i went for a 20min walk. On our way back we stopped by the farmers market (which is literally across the road) and got the kids some kiss biscuits (which are commonly made in Tasmania and i will post a recipe later as i am going to make some today) and jelly cakes. Yep was tempting but im ok. Tonight is hamburger night (homemade of course) and dean and i will just have turkey burgers and no bread. That is how ive done this actually, the kids eat a similar variation of what we have. But like ive said before we don't actually eat that badly anyway. I needed to do this diet to get over this hump! Weight today 75.6 kilos yep!!!

So if anyone is actully reading this....you may have noticed that i havnt updated it in a few days. so you may be thinking ive cheated or stopped. But alas to my own amzment i have not!.

Day 5

One word to decribe today ENERGY! its really wierd but i feel really energetic! I had to make some cakes for our luncheon today at church, and i wasnt even tempted until................it came time to set everthing out at the chaple to eat. That is when i really started to doubt myself. But i got throught the afternoon with the support of my husband. I packed some left over chicken soup that i made from the night before and so i ate that, and all was well. What did i make for the lunchoen that got me all worked up well..i made pizza, white chocolate and passion fruit muffins, passion fruit cake, choc chip cookies and chocolate cake. now you see the problem?

Day 6

So today i woke up as normal and went to go have my greek yogurt and pear breakfast. I was half way through it when i realalized that i didnt even taste the bitterness of the yogurt this time. Weird!!!! today went on without a problem really and not much worth writing about. Oh except it was the last day of the week and i only had iceburg lettuce left and, well, yuck! but i ate it still with the only tomatoe i had left and a grated carrot. Yes poor me, 75.8 kilos today whoop whoop!

Day 7

Well due to my husbands job i have a box full (25 bags) of jersey caramels. I know right!! so i was forced to serch the net for some recipes.I settled for something called Butterscotch caramel brownies. I know right!!! yummo! I dont know how i managed to get throught the night really. I did find myself taking really long sniffs of the childrens slices. As to how im feeling? Well to be honest today i feel sluggish and unmotivated. I did go for a walk to pick up the kids though and before i started i really thought i was going to feel more weighed down than i did i was quite rejuvonationg : )

Day 8

So today i feel like ive fallen into a nice pattern. I actually came up with a recipe on my own using the list of foods we can have for mine and deans dinner, it was turkey meatballs with fresh basil rolled in them, cooked in passata with some veggies. It was so lovely. Anyway it wasnt until i finished eating that i realazed that i made the recipe up and did it quite natuarally. But it is alarming you want to know why? well it scary because it seems this diet is actually working in more ways than weight loss!

Day 9

So today i think is a flow on from yesterday my wieght is 75 kilos yeah me!! and although i am loosing weight and at a nice pace i suppose, I actually feel normal. No more wierd i feel like im on energy pill moments, or sluggishness. And whilst i was preparing my food today it actually didnt feel like i was preparing diet food. Although i am, i havnt cheated or anything not even a lick of cake batter for me. So what does that mean? I actually felt Like i wasnt doing myself any good by eating the normal amount of food i have been because it felt too natural. Anyway im going to bed tonight dicaouraged.

Day 10

74.6 kilos. Discouraged? i think not. Wow how can i actually be loosing weight and still feel as though im not dieting? You know there have been plenty of times in my life where things that are being taught to me i put into practice. I do not know what is wrong with me but i just am simply not tempted to cheat on this diet. I always thought i was quite good and changing bad qualities in my life. Im quite stubborn when it comes to that sort of thing. But this is weird. Last night i made chocolate brownie loaded with caramels and it wasn't even a challenge. The 17 day Diet does say that i will start to crave other kinds of sweet tings, and today i sat down to a bowl of yogurt and, you will not believe it, BERRIES!! yes i am tamed and the berries were really quite sweet!. Ive had a hankering to make beef meat pies for the kids for a few days and today i made up the filling and even had my mother taste the mixture!! oh AND!!!! i got out of bed at 6am today and went for a jog to the beach! yep if i do say so myself something is changing in me. OH and by the way Dean is down to 99 kilos he has lost about 6-8 kilos or more, we will never be sure due to the no scale to start with thing. But he is stopping now and going straight to the 4th stage of the diet. My hubby is well over 6 foot and doesn't want to loose mass, but he has lost his muffin lol

(BTW i always do some sort of work out but only up until day 10, for 17 minutes just like the diet suggests)

Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17

Ok Ok so its been a awhile! but this is how i roll really, im a bit scatty with everything. So if anyone out there is reading this besides Anna : ) you probably think i dropped out of my self inflicted strict diet regime. But you will be surprised to hear this i think.......But i actually stayed on track. I didnt waver once from the diet for 34 days. See you do the 17 days in groups of 17. so i was on day 15 of the second round of 17 days and i broke my diet! WAIT there is a good explanation : ) On day 15 i caught a plane to Sydney for the Australian leg of the international tour of A Time Out For Women. Which by the way was excellent. But alas, as per my goal for that weekend i ate whatever i wanted for the weekend. Leaving the shores of Tassi as a 71kilo weighing women and returning as a ....................... ha ha ha lets just say i have to start all over again : )

My Magazines

 Ok so im going to do a confession........I buy too many cooking magazines! When im trying to explain my cooking obsession to people its hard for me to really relay my passion. Now in saying that i am not professing to be the "BEST" cook because im not! i just really like to. I went through a stage where i wanted to find really good one bowl recipe recipes. Then a stage where i did alot of pastries, then i made alot of bagels and pretzels ect ect Really i think i do this to say "i can" or "I have made that before". So i have my actual cook book collection, i only buy the book once ive found a cook i really like or i look at the pictures and know thats what i like to cook. I get given books too which is really good. Im easy to please in this area! Then i have my  magazines which above as you can see i like to make sure their in order. I live in Australia and two magazines i like to buy are Martha Stewart and Racheal Ray. I found out that local news agencies only carry one or two copies over here in The down down under so i have the lovely ladies at the news agency reserve a copy of each every month. OK my USA readers (if in fact i have any) i pay $9.95 for each mag, i know i know that $20 a month. I actually stopped buying the Aussie ones to be able to accommodate this purchase. But in saying that i often am loured in by fancy front cover pictures in the super market. So the picture above is a a sample of the mags i "KEEP" if i dont cook 3 or recipes from them i give them away.

 This is a pic of some of my cook books. I know maany women have moany more than this but i like to only keep what i actually use, and of course i actually do use them!

 Here are some more

 And this is what i keep my Mags of the month in so i dont have to dig for them

 Some samples of what i buy and, Good Taste, recipes plus, better homes, i always take a copy of the free ones at the super markets, Martha, Raqcheal and Good Food!

these are the two current ones im concentrating on right now and i actually do bake or cook from them (so i can justify them) So ill post a Mag recipe review a little later!