Terrific Tuesdays

2014 has begun, well we are already 2 months down. And 2014 is my eldest daughter's last year home before beginning Prep in 2015 (her first full year in schooling, 5 days a week). 

So this year I decided to make every Tuesday special! Naming it Terrific Tuesday! Each Tuesday we doing something special together, Makeita, Indi and I. 

Week 1- We went to the cinema to watch "Frozen". It was Indi's first cinema experience, and Makeita's 2nd, but her first was when she was just 2. Both girls LOVED the movie, and they loved getting a special treat to eat while we were in there - Makeita chose M&M's and Indi went for the movie classic of Popcorn.

Week 2 - We planned to go Rock Pool Exploring at the Beach, but we found that it was high tide (silly mummy for not checking the tide times), so we then decided to head to the Free Water Park in town, to find it wasn't open, so instead (because we were now running short on time before a play date) we went to the Bakery and got a cupcake or muffin each and had a mini picnic under a big shady tree. Sometimes plans don't work, as a Mummy I quickly learnt this, so back up plans are always essential! And if the back up plan fails too - then improvise :P

Week 3 -  A trip to the Library! Every child loves reading! Who doesn't?! So we went to the library to borrow some books and read a story or two. Libraries are such an under utilised resource in every community! They are FREE! They are full of not just books, but stories, information and hours of entertainment for the whole family! Head to your local Library if you havn't been in a while and see what you've been missing out on!

Week 4 is tomorrow. As yet I have not planned what we are going to do. Maybe a trip to a park, or to the beach while the weather is still warm, or a trip to the botanical gardens to feed the ducks and walk around the gardens, or a trip to Bunnings to buy some flowers to plant in Makeita & Indi's Fairy Garden. The options are endless! I might leave the decision up to Makeita this week and see where she'd like to go, or what she'd like to do. I just love her imagination!

This was a project I thought I'd start with the girls, not just to make Makeita's last year a great and fun one, but to take some time away from the normal every day things, like housework and television, to reconnect with my girls, to have fun and most importantly to just be with them.

Hope you all have a great week, month and year, with your loved ones. Remember, even when life is busy, take a day or an hour out to do something fun, different or just be, with your family. These days are passing very quickly and our children will be grown before we even know it!

Kirra xo

Depression

Last week I was told by my Dr that I have Depression. He prescibed me 7days worth of anti-depressants. I have taken them and due back at the Drs tomorrow. I admit that I started feeling better and happier once I started taking the pills. But I believe the mind is a powerful tool and because I believed the pills were making me 'feel happier', I was starting to feel happier on my own.

I am not going to continue taking the medication, I am planning on beating this naturally. Some excercise, gardening and craft as outlets for my negative frusteration, talking about how Im feeling instead of bottling it up and keeping a diary on the positives in my day instead of dwelling on the negatives. I already eat pretty well and hardly drink alcohol so I dont need many adjustments there. But one major change I would like to make is the time I spend with my girls, making it fun and not yell so much.

I will keep you up to date with how I go.

Kirra

Crafty Me

Hi All!

Well the title of this post could be taken 2 ways - Crafty as in sly, for Crafty as in creative! The one I ment was Creative :) Creative Me!

I love craft! Most crafts that is, Im not very good at drawing or anything, but Cardmaking and Sewing and making different things is what I love!

From my love of craft I was invited to a Party Plan Class from a company called Stampin' Up! and after 1 class I was hooked! Making cards for me was a great way to not only express myself but also to give the recipient a piece of my heart as well. Each card I make is made with love and majority of people LOVE receiving my handmade cards :) I even have a cousin who keeps every card I give her, and throws all the shop brought ones out, it definately makes you all warm and fuzzy inside when you hear that someone treasures your creations so much!

So because I was spending lots of money on my new found craft, I figured, Why not join the company I love buying off so much! Now 'work' is FUN! I love being part of the Stampin' Up! family and I love their products soooo much! 

Have you ever thought about an at home business to help fund a hobby or a bill?? Do you like craft? If you would like more information on Stampin' Up! please pop over to my business blog Kirra's Korner. 

Have a great day!
Kirra

My Favourite Fast Dinner/Lunch Recipe

Here is my all time favourite recipe!

Shane loves it, the girls love it and I love it! It is truly a whole family pleaser!

Just a note, I dont measure ingredients, I cook from the heart 95% of the time :)

Macaroni & Cheese - Kirra Style

Ingredients
~Macaroni
~Bacon
~Grated Cheese
~Onion
~Tin Tomatoes (Crushed are best)

Method
1. Boil Macaroni until cooked
2. Fry off diced Onion and Diced Bacon
3. Add Tin Tomatoes to Onion and Bacon mix and heat through.
4. Combine the Onion, Bacon and Tomato Mix with the Macaroni.
5. Stir through the Grated Cheese.
6. Serve and ENJOY!

Now there are many ways you can alter this - this is my basic one, I also add Chicken and Mushroom id I have it.

Hope you give it a try and enjoy!
Kirra :)

Less Is More

Hi Again!

Lately I have found the saying 'Less is More' to be so true! In today's society everyone wants everything and they have little appreciation for what they already have and they also get caught up getting 'things' they forget to live a little without the 'things' they 'need'.

So for this reason Shane and I decided that this is NOT how we wish to raise the girls.  We would like them to care for the few belongings they have, cherish them and live life hassle free without the pressure of having so much 'stuff'.  

We began with Christmas last year.  Normally Christmas is filled with many many many presents! And instead of spoiling the girls with lots of toys and other gifts, instead they only received a few - a homemade doll (barbie) house (made by Shane) filled with second hand furniture to share (total cost was $5.20 for the furniure as the house was made from off cuts from Shane's work), a wheel barrow with tools each ($25 per set from Aldi Supermarket), a barbie doll each ($7 each from Woolworths Supermarket), A Chocolate Stocking each ($5 each from Target), a Pillow Pet outfit ($9 each from Big W Toy Sale - Waste of money and was a total impulse buy!) and 1 other gift each Makeita got a Skateboard Pack ($19 Big W Toy Sale) and Indi received a Hand Tool Gardening Kit ($14 from Aldi Supermarket).  

For me not buying much was hard, but Christmas morning became less hectic and the girls actually played with their items they did receive, showing Mummy that Less is More!

We are now onto cleaning out their toy boxes. They have soooo many toys (many were hand me downs from friends and family) and I have learnt you CAN have tooo many toys! I have been watching the girls play over the last couple of weeks and have found they only play with specific toys over and over again! So why keep so many??? Instead I am planning on selling what I can and putting the money into the girls Savings Accounts and whatever doesnt sell I will donate to the local Op Shop or Daycare Centre :) 

From doing these few things I hope the girls will start to play outdoors more, and enjoy the beautiful nature they have around them instead of being inside with 'things'.  Doing is much more pleasing! I like them outside doing kid things, like exploring and jumping and running and hiding. Isn't that much more fun than an item that gets boring after 5 minutes??

See Less IS More :)
Kirra :)

Welcome to Our Life - The Way We Like It!

Hello everyone and welcome to 'Our Life - The Way We Like It'.  

This blog is a journey of my little family, we have just brought our first house and are raising our family in it. So in this blog you will find me post about the following things plus anything else that happens in our life - Our family, Meals, Gardening, Home Renovations, Animals/Pets, Party Planning, Wedding Planning (when the time comes), Kids Activities, Family Raising, Home Hints & Tricks and much more!

So really this is basically just like a big online diary that I hope someone will read and maybe gain some knowledge from and pick up a couple of handy tricks along the way!

A quick run down on us! I'm Kirra and Ill be the person posting all the time! I've got a wonderful partner Shane and he's a Cabinet Maker. Together we have 2 daughters - Makeita who is 3 1/2 years old and Indi who is 15 months old. They are great girls, but like all children, they have their terrible moments too, I wont lie, and you may get a post here and there about their mischief making!

Together we live in an old Queenslander House (that we have just recently brought) in a small community just outside of where Shane and I grew up. We are loving owning our own place, being able to do as we please (hang pictures, put up shelves and add gardens haha) and have somewhere big enough for the girls to run around and grow with nature. 

Ok, I think I've bored you enough for today.
So Catch-ya!
Kirra :)