New House, New Start

So tomorrow we finally move into our new house from the rental property we've been living in for the past 4 months.

When we moved back to the UK from Australia in August, the last thing on our minds was buying a house. We wanted to wait a year to see how we felt about being back before making such a huge decision. I had my eye on the UK housing market, but nothing too serious. In Australia we had a very large house, as do a lot of Aussies, so I knew that finding a house to suit our new Aussie ways was going to be rather tricky and it was going to take some time to find a suitable property.

However....... I kept driving past a house on the way to school that had a For Sale sign up and I couldn't stop thinking that it looked just perfect for us. It looked big, detached, next to a cemetery (quiet neighbours!! Yes, I've heard that one a few times!) walking distance to High School for my eldest who starts next September and would cut a good seven minutes off my current school run. It was also just a stones throw from the house we were currently renting and we were loving living so close to town.

I googled the house every day for 4 days on the trot, worried that it would be way above our price bracket, but the house didn't actually go onto the internet until 5 days after I initially saw the sign.

As soon as I saw it, I excitedly clicked on the link, dying to see inside the house and was gobsmacked to see that not only was it the perfect house for us, but also that it was within our price bracket, if not way below!!! It also had plans in place for us to do an extension on the back, meaning we could also add value.

Fifteen years of watching Phil and Kirsty obviously didn't go to waste on me!

Before I could stop it, I found myself calling the agent and booking an appointment into seeing the house that very day. The very next day we found ourselves sat in the car speaking to the agent and hearing that our rather cheeky and determined offer of 10k below the asking price had been accepted!!!

Fifteen years of watching Phil and Kirsty REALLY didn't go to waste on me!!!!!

So with a crazy year just about to get even crazier, we set off on the path of purchasing a house after only a month of landing back in the country!

Tomorrow is moving in day and our shipment of all the rest of our "stuff" from Australia finally arrives next Tuesday. It feels like such a long time ago that we packed all our belongings and sent it off back in July/August. It will be so nice to sleep on a proper bed for the first time in months and for the girls to get to play with their toys again.

Here are a few pics of the house and we can't wait to start turning it into our first UK family home. I think we might wait a while before starting a reno (do you say reno in the UK?? I can't remember??) but knowing us I wouldn't be surprised if the builders were knocking on our door on New Years Day!! LOL!!

Dougal and the girls loving their new outside space.

Escape to the Country - That show has a LOT to answer for!

Someone asked me a while back if I would write down my thoughts and feelings about my BIG year. At the time I thought, what a great idea, but as I sit down now to put it all into words, I'm thinking, crikey, it's going to be one hell of a long blog!! Whatever.....here it is!

Here's my story condensed!

If you don't know me or much about me, I'm Ali. Many moons ago I studied Textile Design at University in the UK. I'm English. After finishing my degree my husband (boyfriend then) and I did a fair bit of travelling and I put my design career on hold whilst we "had fun." We continued to have fun for many years :)

After having our first child, we decided to give Australia a "go" for a year. We had never fancied Australia before, but we thought it would be a great place to bring up babies. And it is!! We were oh so innocent and very carefree back in those days. We dreamt it and made it happen. Easy!

This is a pic of me on the first weekend we arrived in Aus.

The first year we were there, we had a ball and decided that it was a much better place to be whilst our child was little, so decided to stay a while longer. I was then working as an Aerobics instructor and we had a great life. Little girl number 2 was born and we were then caught up in crying, nappies, kinder then school....you know how it is!!Life was busy, but life was good, very good.

We bought a house and spent the next few years doing it up and the years just flew. We never missed the UK at all and in nine years we didn't return to old Blightly, not even for a holiday.

This was our house back in Aus. We spent many years renovating it.

But in year nine something happened to my husband and I. All of a sudden we started to feel home sick. It was a very gradual feeling, but one that neither of us could shake. All of a sudden we were glued to the TV and we couldn't get enough of all the British programmes; Escape th the Country (after speaking to a few Aussies, it seems that they were hooked on that one too!!) Location, Location, Location and Downton Abbey.
What did we miss?
The green countryside, the lovely old villages, the people, the humour, the frost on a winters morning, the old buildings, the history, the cobbled streets, Boots, Tesco!!! LOL! You name it, we missed it!

Because of a family situation my husband had to go back to the UK in the September of year nine and he decided to take our eldest child with him. Even when he'd booked the flight I had no intention of going back. One it was too expensive for us all to go and two I really didn't want to. It wasn't until he was calling me up from the UK and telling me all about it that the pining to go back really started to kick in.

On holiday in Queensland

When he returned we talked about going back to the UK to live, but it was very light hearted. When you feel homesick you don't really know what it is you are homesick for. Is it friends and family? Is it the green countryside? Is it the humour and the people? Do you really want to go back for a few weeks and then your homesickness will go away or is it something deeper?? It's all the unknown and thinking about moving back after 10 years is very, very scary, especially when you have a 10 year old, 7 year old and a dog in tow!! But you know deep down that the only way you will get to find out all the answers to your burning questions would be to actually do it. But did we have the balls, that was the big question.

So we continued to pine, knowing that to make the decision to move back was just too huge for us to contemplate. So we carried on with our daily lives in Australia and tried to push it to the back of our minds.

One of the big problems was that we really loved Australia; it was our home. The house we bought and lived in for the last 8 years was the longest we had ever settled in one place, EVER. So we felt that we really had roots there. Also Australia itself; you really can't fault it to be honest. Yes the weather is great, the beaches are stunning, but more importantly the people are just ace! They are so positive, friendly and just lovely. I can honestly say that in ten years I have only come up against a few grumpy Aussies.

What is there NOT to like?

At some point decisions just have to be made

Everything came to a head on Christmas Day. Having no family in Australia, we always felt rather sad and alone at that time of year and Christmas 2014 was probably the worst we'd ever felt. When the kids are small, you can get away with having no family around, but as they get older, you do start to feel bad that you have taken them away from their family. So we sat there all day (in our PJ's) and talked and talked about what we should do. In that 24 hours we talked about moving to Brisbane, changing jobs, running a business together....anything but what we knew we really should be discussing and what was in our hearts. And that was to go back home.

At the end of Christmas day we finally admitted that what would really make us happy would be to move back to the UK, but the reality was that we were scared silly. How was schooling going to work? What if we hated it after a month? What if we wanted to come back? Nothing other than our guts and hearts were telling us that it was the right thing to do.

We spent the rest of Christmas day googling the ex pat sites (we had never been on any of them before) and reading horror stories about "ping pong" pommes. How they return only to ping pong back after 6 months because they hate it so much. It was hard, but we read every single story, good and bad. We researched the schooling system differences and how hard it would be for the kids to catch up. We did an online grocery shop to see if we'd be better off. We researched jobs, holidays, utility bills. You name it, we googled it!! Going back is a much harder decision than coming out in the first place to be honest.

We were so nervous, but also excited about the fact we had finally (almost) made a decision. The next step for us was to go back to the UK for a few weeks to make our final decision and look at places to live and schools.

We booked flights for Easter 2015 and excitedly started to research moving companies, rental agencies, jobs etc all ready for if/when we finally made the decision to go back. We jumped on the plane, nervous as hell, knowing that the next two weeks would be the catalyst to what happens in the next stage of our lives. ALL of our lives.

The tea rooms in Chester

So many friends wanted to catch up but we knew we had to stay focused. Schools was the main research project for us. If we couldn't make that work, then we weren't coming back, that was final. We had held our youngest back a year and so when I tried to work it out, I realised that when she was in Year 1 in Australia, she would (because of her birth date) be put straight into year 4 in the UK.

This was a no brainer as far as I was concerned and it was just not going to happen. They HAD to keep her back a year. It would be crazy not to!! But rules are rules in the UK and God forbid anyone who challenges them. Well I did (three months of emails to the local council) and I won. I was told that if I could find a school that was happy to hold her back, then they would agree to it. Yay!! Now I just had to find a school that is nothing but excellent and then had to get them to agree to holding her back. I wasn't feeling too positive to be honest, but we'd come all this way. It had to work out for us. We looked around lots of schools, many of which refused to hold her back. But finally we found one and it was perfect in every way. They were more than happy to hold her back. In their words "parents know their child better than anyone". So we'd found a school, we'd found a stunning area to live it. It was a small town, surrounded by the most beautiful, green countryside. It really did feel like we were Escaping to the Country!!!

Our new local cafe

So that was it. Decision made.  

It felt so good to have finally made the decision to head back home. We'd decided to return in the August so that the girls could start a new school year in September. We headed back to Australia in a really positive frame of mind, but also slightly apprehensive at the task that lay ahead for us; finding work for my husband, selling/renting out our house, relocating our furniture, leaving our lovely big Australian  house in exchange for a little house back in the UK, what to do with the dog, UK passports, costs etc.

Deciding to move to the other side of the world is not for the faint hearted.

I look back now and wonder how we actually did it, but we did. We decided early on that the best thing to do would be to sell almost everything we owned. Houses in the UK are small (compared to Aussie houses) so most of our furniture wouldn't fit, plus we had so much.....where on earth would it all go?! So we sold the lot.....which took ages!

We were still extremely nervous about turning our lives upside down, so we decided the best thing all round would be to rent our house out for a year, meaning the move would feel less final. That way if we wanted to come back, we could. Thankfully the house was rented out straight away to a really lovely English couple, so that was one weight off our minds.

My husband landed a job and all of a sudden things started to slot into place. I applied to sell with a popular online selling platform in the UK and was surprised and utterly delighted to be accepted. Looking back I was so stupid to have applied so early, because all of a sudden I had a deadline to meet (they give you six months to set up shop) when I already had a ridiculous to do list with the move and two kids to settle into their new life and new school.

Day trip to Lyme Park

So many times from the time we made our decision to the day we left, we thought of stopping the whole thing. It was such a huge thing we were doing and things like the girls finishing up at school (many tears) and last coffee dates with friends (more tears) closing bank accounts and our last visit to the beach were enough for us to just scream STOP, WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING!!!
We had a great life, why on earth were we turning it upside down?? So the way we got through it was to say, let's try it for a year and if we don't like it, we'll come back. We hoped we would love it as the cost of returning would have killed us, but we just kept that in our minds to keep us moving forward.

The last week in Aus was a bit manic and I'll never forget the last day. The removal men came in and worked like a whirlwind. I manically ran around cleaning and throwing out so much stuff. It's amazing how many last minute things you find when you think you've got rid of the bulk of stuff. We jumped in a taxi and drove away from the house, our home. The house that the kids had spent most of their lives in and that we had renovated and sweated over. We were leaving behind so many beautiful memories. It's a weird and very sad feeling to drive away from somewhere (a home, a country) that you have spent so long, thinking that you may never, ever go back again. It's also weird not knowing for certain if you are doing the right thing. Even when we were sat on the plane, we still didn't know.

Our new local park in the UK. We love autumn!

Going Home

We arrived back in the UK and pretty much knew straight away that we had done the right thing. We've been back almost three months now and LOVE IT!!! My husband loves his job. His working hours are better, the stress is less and he's once again having a laugh at work. I've never seen him this happy to be honest. The kids started school and in one term I can see a massive change in their work and their general happiness. Little one struggled to settle at first, but is now loving it. My eldest has made some lovely new friends and she has settled beautifully. I'm super busy getting ready to go live on the popular selling platform. It's literally like starting my business from scratch; finding suppliers and manufacturers. It's been a massive job, but I'm almost there. Phew!!  (I so wish I'd waited before applying!! Silly me!!)

Every weekend we are off into the hills going on walks, something that we really love to do and most Fridays we pop into our nearest pub for a quick drink..... Dougal in tow. Yes, it cost us a small fortune, but we decided to bring our gorgeous dog home with us. SO glad we did too.

Walks in the countryside

Walks with Dougal

We are very lucky. We took a huge gamble and it's worked. When you can feel it in your heart that you are making a good decision, then I think you usually are. We decided to rent here in the UK for a year, but have recently put an offer in on a house that we fell in love with. It was accepted and after only being back in the country 5 weeks, we found ourselves in the midst of buying a house!! How did that happen!! Again, it feels like the right decision and  we are waiting very impatiently for our completion date, which should be very soon.

The one thing that I love about being back is the fact that we look at our country with new, fresh eyes.  Being away for so long, really makes you appreciate all the stuff that a lot of Brits take for granted. I'm loving the people and their/our unique humour. I'm loving watching the leaves turn from green to brown, to red and golden. I'm loving the hills, the history (I don't think I've been to a castle before - they were just always there. I now can't wait to visit as many as possible)

We have just booked a trip to York, a stunning historical town. We are going just before Christmas and we can't wait to show the girls what Christmas is like in the UK. The lights, the cold, dark nights, the smell of holly and chestnuts roasting. I'm, so excited!!!

York at Christmas time

So there you have it. That has been my last year and the reason why I haven't had time to blog since last May!! I'm hoping that we can move into the new house before Christmas and that next year will be a little less stressful. But hey, you only live once. Go for it I say!!

Our local pub

Notes to those thinking of doing the same thing

If you are thinking of doing something similar, then I'd say to go with what your heart and gut tells you to do. If you are still undecided, imagine if someone told you that you couldn't do that thing you are thinking of doing. How does that make you feel? If you feel devastated, then that's your answer.

If you are in Australia and thinking of moving back to the UK or wherever else you are originally from, please remember that when you return, you will have NO financial history here. We had to buy our cars outright because we couldn't get a loan, so it's something to be prepared for. Same with buying a house. It's almost impossible to get a mortgage. We used a mortgage broker, but it was still very hard. Just be warned, but don't let it stop you going for your dream. Good Luck!!!

Being Present

Well I suppose it's that time again isn't it? New Year! I must admit I do love a fresh start, a new page to write on and starting over. But I'm not a huge fan of new years resolutions. To me, if you are going to change something, why wait? Do it now, do it today! Maybe it's all those years working as a personal trainer and listening to the many excuses my clients had for me ...."I promise to start a fresh on Monday Ali, promise!" that has turned me into such a cynic, I don't know!

2015 has quietly crept upon me and I haven't even begun to think about my goals for this year. I have a vague idea, but I'm not in any rush to write it all down and start ticking things off. No. It's holiday time here in Australia and my children have nine weeks off school in the glorious sunshine. I was kind of dreading it a little, I mean, nine weeks for Gods sake, that's crazy. But now we are four weeks in I can honestly say I don't want it to end. Gone are the early mornings, the busy rushing into and out of cars, racing to after school activities and gone are those stressed little faces worrying about projects due and having to give talks. We are all relaxed, happy, chilled and just enjoying being together. It's lovely.

So if you were to put me on the spot right now I would say that that is my new years resolution.

Being "present" with my family 

We've all lost the plot a little in todays world and we've kind of forgot what it's all about don't you think? Do we really have to be on our phones all the time? Do we really need to find out what's going on in the world 24/7? Do we have to constantly be checking our FB and the groups we are in- who are those people we are wanting to spend more and more time with away from our families anyway? Yes, I'm not innocent, I do it....all the time and it's a bad, bad habbit!

Yes it's very easy to say all this when I'm on "holiday" and relaxed, but I really am going to try my best to step back a bit from the world a little more often. Take a step back, take a few deep breaths and remind myself that none of it is really real! What is real and what is most important is family. Being present with my family. Well that's my view anyway.

Happy New Year - Ali xxxxx

Trust your gut!

As you know I'm a pretty passionate person. When I was a young Art student back in the U.K, I was very strong minded and some people would say I had a bit of an attitude. Basically, I used to just say what I thought and didn't care about the consequences.

Apologies, but I'm having one of those moments right now!

As you get older you tend to mellow out and those things you used to get het up about, you no longer feel is necessary to waste your energy on. However, when it comes down to my kids, things are different. That little red head I used to be seems to pop up from no where and supports my instincts. But as I get older, she is unfortunately getting fainter!

Being a mum, you always wonder "am I doing it right, could I be doing better, is there a different way"? In the beginning you worry and stress about everything, as your kids grow you think it's going to get easier, but it doesn't, the goal posts change and you just have to adapt and change with it. Granted, my girls are now 8 and 5 so I no longer have to worry about nappies, prams, baby food, teething etc. But I now have to worry about education, bullying, self esteem...the list goes on and on!

As you may know, I have had many issues with my youngest and she has seen many professionals over the years, but still I question myself and the judgements I have made and am still making with both my children.

No more. I am right and I am sticking to that from now on!

I'm not a veteran mum, but I have learnt a lot over the years. I see the mistakes that I've made and I've learnt  and am still learning from them every day. I also see that I question myself time and again and this never seems to stop.

However, something has happened this week that has made me stop. I have finally realised that it doesn't matter if you are a first time mum, if your child is in child care, prep or Grade 10. If you have a niggling doubt , an inkling about your childs health or education, you must listen to your gut as soon as it starts to call out to you and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! YOU as the mother are (in my point of view) 100% right in your instinct, so do something now, don't keep questioning yourself. If nobody listens to you, go find someone who will. Don't leave it until it's too late.

And breathe! I'm so glad I got that off my chest!

A New Year

I realise that I don't blog enough. It's not because I don't want to. It's just that my blogs are never short, are they? Come on let's face it. When I say grab a cup of tea, I actually mean grab a POT of tea, a pack of hob nobs and stick the kettle on for round two, don't I?.

So this year I have decided to blog more, yet chat/babble/go on/ramble less! My husband would be shaking his head at this point if he was reading this as he knows that everything I do and say is very long winded! But I am determined.

So here goes, lets see if I can do it...................

Christmas has been lovely and we are really enjoying this break. Hubby took a whole two weeks off work (unheard of) and we all have really relaxed. Lot's of time has been spent at the beach, walking the dog and the bits of DIY that we have done have earned us a few glasses of wine at night time!

Photo by Abi Harrington Photography

We dog sat for a couple of weeks, which has left us wanting another dog. Dougal was SO happy having a friend to play with and he seems so lonely now she's gone. Have a look at this pic, Dougal and his friend Poppy. To the right is a croched version by Suzanne Houghton Designs - Total coincidence, but how bloomin' cute hey!

We have decided after 4 years of "renovating" that this year has to be it. It's now or never Trevor. We will finally finish the house and get it on the market, that's our New Years Resolution I suppose. So all those small jobs that keep getting put on the back burner are now being tackled, head on. We have a goal and we are going for it!

Photo by Abi Harrington Photography

2013 is going to be very exciting. It has some big changes for us, new schools, a new house and a new decade for me (I turn 40 in a few days.....eeeeek!)

                                                      Photo by Abi Harrington Photography

Rules you MUST keep when getting a new dog

Dougal, our gorgeous Cavoodle turns eight months tomorrow, so we have been looking back on a few (hundred!) pics of him today and I thought I'd share a few.

Dougal is extremely cute as you can see and he gets lot's of attention whenever we are out with him. So much in fact that at school I am now known as Dougals mummy and when we are out in town we can hear whispers behind our backs saying "look, mum, there's Dougal!" He is certainly famous around our town

However, before we got him, we set a few house rules that we all said that we would adhere to. Yeah, right! How many do you reckon we kept?

1. Dougal will NOT be allowed on any bed.

2. He will NOT be allowed on the sofa

3. We will NOT buy any of those silly winter jackets for him, however cute he may look in them.

4. He will NOT be allowed up at the kitchen table or in the bathroom.

....and we shall NOT give in to his puppy dog eyes when cooking bacon on a Sunday morning

5. He will NOT give me mothers guilt by whimpering at the window when we leave the house....................

.......or by just looking so damn cute

6.We will NOT give him stupid names like...

* Mr Dougs

*Dougal Wougal

*Dougie Wougie

7. We will NOT chase him around the house when he nicks our clothes, especially our knickers

Ah, yes, Mr. Dougs, sorry Dougal, has come into our lives and pretty much taken over it. Not that I'm complaining one little bit. He's cute, cheeky and a little bit naughty, but he's the family dog and we love him to bits.

I HATE dinner time.......

I have what you would call "fussy eaters" in my house and I'll be totally honest with you when I say that I dread each and every meal time.

But before you all but in with your tried and tested Super Nanny advice (can you tell I'm over it?)

YES, I've tried.....

• Not having a battle at the table
• Saying they must try at least one little bite
• Hiding food within food
• Just cooking sausage rolls for a week, hoping they will get sick of them. Trust me, they don't!
• Making them go without
• Making tiny portions
• Making smiley faces
• Letting them choose what they want. Tomato sauce please mum...yummo!

been there, done that and bought the self help book to boot!!

As modern parents of today, we are bullied and bombarded with a ridiculously huge amount of info with regards to children's food issues and obesity/anorexia/bulimia e.t.c As a result, we are so scared silly of getting it wrong, that I actually think we are nurturing new food problems for our children.

this got me thinking about my childhood.....................

In the good old days (my day) our parents gave us no food choices. It was, sit at the table, use your table manners, eat up, shut up and don't complain, and we got told most nights "do you know there are children in Ethiopia who have nothing to eat" Sounds like tough love, but i'm o.k now and I eat most things that you put in front of me. The only issue I have with the "old fashioned" way is the idea that you must eat everything on your plate. I believe everyone should have the right to say when they are full up.

But back to reality and I really do think that I have exhausted every trick in the book. And do you know what my conclusion is?

it's all my fault...............

I know, I know, you are all queuing up to be nice to me, to cyber cuddle me and be the lovely supporting mums that I know you are, but I have to realise that after 5/6 years of battling over the kitchen table, three times per day with my fussy cherubs, that I should have been much stricter from the get go.

first foods

Now don't get me wrong, I started off being the model parent. When I first introduced food to my little ones, they were served up with only the best money could buy. No ready meals in a jar for my beauties thank you very much. NO! I spent hours loving preparing first taste foods from extremely expensive organic fruit and veg. I cooked up a storm in every shape, colour and texture you could posibly imagine. And they loved every mouthful.

Next came second tastes, where again I lovingly made mouthwatering, homemade meals from scratch, distributing them into Tupperware dishes and labelling and freezing them in batches. Just like a good mum should! I was determined that my crew would eat food even Jamie Oliver would be proud of!

going pear shaped.......

The next stage is where, I believe, it all went a bit pear shaped to say the least. At that time I worked as a fitness instructor. So as my hubby came home from work at 6pm, I would race past him and head off to teach a class at the gym. I had to be very organised as my hubby was a bit useless at getting the kids ready for bed (mmmm....still is come to think about it??) The kids were fed, bathed and PJ'd up all ready for story and bed when he came home. JOB DONE! Well almost, when I got home from work, I would then have to cook my hubby's and my meal.

YES!! I know, I know, madness!!

What we should have been doing was sitting together, eating the SAME meal and chatting about our day (you know, just like the Walton's do!!) But tell me how we manage this as modern parents living in todays world. Work, after school clubs, gym, FB obsessions and not to mention a love for HOT curry that the kids won't even smell!

the light came on..................

It wasn't until I was out recently with some friends that the subject of food and kids came up. Now when you are in the toddler phase of parenting, you are mixing with mums every day and discussing your issues, mainly food. But as the kids grow, the issues change and so do mums discussions. And by the age of 5, most parents have got their fussy food eater under some control and are now thinking about school and how many worry lines that topic can give them. Many, trust me!

So back to the meal out with my friends. As the discussion continued, I was shocked and rather embarrassed to hear about the way these very competent (no kids with food issues in THEIR houses, thank you!!) ladies had their little ones, or rather big ones now, on the most strictest of routines. Home, schoolwork, dinner at the same time every night, bath, story and in bed for 7pm!! 7PM!!!!! That has never happened in my house, or ever will sadly.

My first reaction was ARMY. Where was the fun, the cuddling, the chilling out watching Octonauts together. My little darling had been away from me for 61/2 hours and I'd missed her. But my next reaction was that they were of course right and I had...

been doing it all wrong..........................

I didn't have the best of childhoods and so I think that mothers guilt plagues me a little more so than others. From the very start I wanted to be the BEST mother. I, to put it bluntly, had a rubbish mum and I certainly didn't want to be one of those.

But you can't be the BEST mum.  But you certainly can try your very damn best. Being the best mum is an impossibility and will only lead to you wrangling and tearing your hair out with mothers guilt as you come up against each and every step and obstacle when bringing up your children. So I realised that I had to stop trying to be the perfect mum. I was letting the children basically rule the roost and it had to stop! I had to make some changes to the way I was mothering.

things were about to change big style.........................

So I went home a little shell shocked, but energised (kids fussy eating can wear you out like nothing else known to man!) I went home and decided that things were about to change BIG STYLE in my household. There would be a strict routine implemented. The kids were going to sit at the table at the same time every night, with me (hubby works until 8 most nights) use their table manners and we will all eat the same thing. Come what may!

now does this sound a bit similar to you?

Too right! It sounds just like the good old days! Maybe our parents generation did know a thing or two and maybe we should be putting the many self help books down, stop trying to sneak goji berries and wheat germ  into out kids food (!!!) and just go back to cooking basic meals, make the effort to sit together, teach our kids some manners and then let them go and run off some energy at the park!

my kids like chicken korma........hooray!!!!

And do you know what?? It was/is still very, very hard to get my kids to do all those things, but within a couple of weeks of the new rules, I had both my children eating things like chicken korma and chicken byrianni. Now that's a miracle.

What do you think? Agree that if we tweak the old ways a little, they are better for our children? How are meal times at your house? A battle or a scene from the Waltons? Would LOVE your feedback.

Cheers - Ali xx

Finally a day off and the most perfect day out.....yippee!!

As you know, I have been crazily preparing for Christmas markets for the past month. I have solidly worked every minute that I could, to stock up for the busiest time of the year. With only eight solid child free hours per week, I never thought that I would manage it. But I did, and even though I do still have a few very busy markets to come, I know that I can now ease off  a little. 

I had my first big market on Saturday and it was a huge hit. I met lot's of Facebook "likers", new customers and some lovely old friends. I sold lot's of stock, (which is always good, right!) and had a really fantastic day! 

Even my husband couldn't spoil my day when at one point he texted me saying "Please come home, I can't cope with the girls. I have flu, MAN flu!"

So with market number one ticked off, I told my family that I was having Sunday off. "Hooray" everyone shouted. 

We left behind the dirty dishes, the toys strewn across the lounge, the pile of ironing, the homework to do, the DIY, the school lunches to prepare, the orders to catch up on...............and last but no means least, we left behind our PHONES!!! 

And this was number 2's reaction!

It was completely my choice of day out for a change. It's usually my husband who is the day trip King in our household. However, his idea of fun is certainly not mine. His little jaunts usually entail a five hour round car trip, a stop for coffee and home again! But I was in charge today......

My idea of a good day out is to keep it as simple as you can. So we headed up to Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula (just a 20min drive from our house) and went to one of my favourite cafe's. Great coffee, simple food and positioned up in the trees with a very relaxed atmosphere. PERFECT. 

The girls stuffed their cute little faces with ice cream, while we relaxed with a coffee. To be honest, I actually think it's the first time I've relaxed and really talked to my family in a long time, without having something else to do. Why is there ALWAYS something else to do!

By chance the school over the road was having a country fair and it was brilliant! Great fair rides for the kids, pony rides, animal farm, rock climbing, show bags, sausage sizzle....What more could you ask for, for the most PERFECT day out :)

And today......well it's back to work as usual. But at least we all have a smile on our faces! Well maybe not my youngest daughter, who seems to have caught man flu!