Hellloooo Inner B!  I jumped at the chance to try out their Mum Organiser*.  Here are 5 things I LOVE about it:

1. It’s robust.  I give my things a pretty good workout, and this diary is in and out of my bag several times a day. It’s really well made, the binder is strong, and I’m confident it will go the distance!
2. It’s refillable.  Next year’s diary will only set me back $16.95 which is the cost of the 2013 refills.
3. It’s pretty.  I know that sounds shallow, but a visually appealing diary does help me to approach daily tasks more positively.  The Mum Organiser comes in three fresh shades.  No cutesy cartoons or tacky taglines here. Just good design and happy colour.
4. It’s well thought out.  I really like the monthly dividers, and the monthly overview at the start of each section. I also appreciate the week to a double page layout.  I cope with my insanely ridiculously busy schedule much better when I can easily scan a month or a week at a time.   The business card pockets at the front are great, plus I’m glad there’s space for a pen to permanently live in my diary.
5. It’s made for me.  Well, not me exactly… but it is made for mums, with special consideration for things mums tend to write in their diaries.  And it is made for those Down Under, with Australian and New Zealand school holidays and public holidays marked. (Yay!)

The only small criticism I have for the Inner B Mum Organiser is that it is a little tricky to write close to the binder rings – but then again, without the binder it wouldn’t be refillable.  All in all I think this is a great product, particularly for mums like me who juggle part time work with full time parenting.

To celebrate Mothers Day this weekend, I have one Mum Organiser to give away valued at $44.95 thanks to the amazing Valerie Petersen at Inner B.  All you have to do is leave a comment sharing why YOU need a Mummy Organiser!  

Competition is open to Aussie residents only. One entry per person please. Winner will be drawn at random on Sunday 20/5/12 8pm Qld time.

If you’re interested in other great products from Inner B, check out the notepads, planners and journals here. You can also find Inner B on facebook and twitter.  You’re welcome

*I received an Inner B Mum Organiser free of charge for review purposes and the usual admin fee applied to this post.

The start of the day can be harrowing, especially if you have kids of different ages who need to get to different places!  The only way I know of getting everyone out of the door on time and with everything they need, is to establish good routines and stick to them.  Routine charts can be incredibly helpful for a child’s growing independence.  Young kids who can manage a few steps independently in the morning, become kids who are responsible for their own school materials, and then become teens who are capable of managing their own timetables.

I chatted with Liam, Robbie and Jo on air this morning about routine charts on Brisbane’s 96Five.  If you missed it, check out the podcast!

Summary points:

• Don’t confuse reward charts with routine charts
• Move from photographs, to pictorial symbols, to words and symbols, then finally to timetables
• Keep it age appropriate (a 4 year old can probably manage a 4 step morning routine… a 6 year old can manage 6 steps)
• Remember that the aim is independence! Let them be responsible for their tasks.

There are three ways to go about starting off a new routine chart for your child.  You can make it yourself from scratch, use one that others find works for them, or buy a ready-made one.  The advantage of making your own is that you can truly personalise it for your child.  Photos are especially effective for young kids.  Take a photo of the breakfast cereal, the kindy bag, the school uniform, the sunscreen… whatever!

If you’d like to use a routine chart from other mums, try one of these:

Childhood101 – I highly recommend Christie’s FREE printable routine cards for young kids. Photos ready to go!

Living Locurto – This simple set of 4 FREE routine cards for young ones is print-ready.

The Organised Housewife – Print out Katrina’s FREE morning or evening routine chart for primary school kids.

Buttoned Up – Try this FREE weekly schedule for kids in middle school. Laminate it, then fill it out together at the start of each week with a fine whiteboard marker.

Little Billies – I reviewed these charts a couple of years ago but sadly they are no longer available

(Photographic routine cards from Childhood 101)

Do you use routine charts in your home? What works for you? Know of another printable worth sharing…?

Doing it for the Kids package includes:

• Complimentary upgrade to a Two Bedroom Deluxe Ocean Residence
• Full buffet breakfast for the family
• Family pass to Skypoint Observation Deck
• Two Games for the family at Strike Bowling
• Two hour use of the movie theatre to watch your favourite DVD from home or from our library, or connect the Playstation 2! Includes pop-corn and soft drinks
• Complimentary milkshakes at The Food Store after your movie

(*We were delighted to be invited guests of The Hilton and trialled the Doing It For The Kids package free of charge. We were not paid for this review.)

Here is our Hilton holiday in pictures…

Revolving doors at the hotel’s entrance.

 Riding the lift up, up, up to our amazing room.

A special welcome waiting for us on arrival!

Really good coffee. Happy Mummy.

Spectacular views from the Sky Deck of the Q1 building.

Breakfast. Oh how we loved the breakfast.

Cereals, yoghurt, fruit, pancakes, waffles, eggs-to-order, hot food, cold cuts and more.

Even a babycino for the bear! We L-O-V-E-D the breakfast!!!

Wonderful staff who completely charmed our children.

Watching real chefs prepare real food (in a really clean kitchen!)

Our first trip to a bowling alley!

Milkshakes at the uber stylish “Food Store” in the hotel’s foyer.

Best of all: just hanging out together.

__________________________________

The verdict?  All four of us thoroughly enjoyed our stay at The Hilton on the Gold Coast.  The suite we stayed in was gorgeous, with superb finishes and beautiful views.  Staying with two kids under 5, I was grateful for the well equipped kitchenette and decent sized bath!  With only a double bed in the second bedroom the kids had to share – which was a novelty for our munchkins, but could be difficult with older kids.  The service was impeccable and breakfasts were a real highlight of our stay.  I would love to see the Hilton add a few little extras for families, like child friendly toiletries (such as bubble bath) and a small packet of wipes for messy fingers!

What’s your idea of a luxury family holiday? 

So, while the girls were doing this:

… the Boy and I opted for plan B: a City Cat ride!  It was quite poignant really.  One year ago today, the Brisbane River was a mess. (You can read my posts written during the disaster here and here.)

A year ago, the CBD was evacuated as rising water inundated the city.  Today it was business as usual, bustling with cars and people.

A year ago the sky was grey, and an ominous, eerie feeling loomed in the air.  As more reports from Grantham, Toowoomba, and other areas came to light, a rising sense of panic was palpable in the inner Brisbane suburbs.  Today the sky was big and blue and full of hope.

A year ago, a “mud army” of over 20, 000 Brissy locals turned out with gumboots and shovels to help those in need.  Talk about community spirit!  A year ago, there wasn’t a whole lot to smile about.  Today we were all smiles… especially when the Captain invited the kids on board to help him drive the boat!!

We got to go up into the cabin, steer the big silver wheel, sit in the Captain’s seat and check out all the buttons and levers.  Captain Jack answered all of the kids’ questions happily, including my son asking “How do we go F-A-S-T?!”   It was such a wonderful, unexpected experience.

A year ago, the Brisbane River was a disaster.  Today, it was an absolute delight.

One of us came down with the flu, just as the other recovered.

One of us flew away from Brisbane, just as the other returned.

One family said hello to us, just as we say goodbye to another.

One friend welcomed a new baby, while heartbreakingly another will bury hers this week.

When the going gets tough, priorities are stripped back to the barest essentials.  Social media seems unimportant when friends nearby desperately need a meal.  Keeping up with my reader comes second to keeping up with the housework.  And when we need to spend time as a family, talking about the big things of life and processing our feelings – the blog and everything else can wait.

I value my readers highly, and I love sharing with you all, but the truth is that you don’t need me.  My children and my husband, and close friends do.

I didn’t start this post with, “Sorry I haven’t blogged for a while…” and I never will.  I’m not sorry.  Prioritising my family is the right thing to do.  I cannot possibly blog, speak or write with integrity about parenting if I don’t practise what I preach!  So please bear with me during the times I am less active online.  It simply means I am doing double-time offline; nurturing, loving and caring for those who truly need me.

And I know you understand that.

xx

A friend of ours was recently discussing diamonds with us, after proposing to his girlfriend  It’s been over ten years since we went engagement-ring-shopping but I still remember learning about the 4 Cs – cut, clarity, colour and carat!  Our friend laughed about the fact that synthetic diamonds are often of equal beauty to natural diamonds… the only problem is that they are too perfect!

Too perfect. It’s something I’ve been thinking about ever since.

“The wonder of a diamond lies in its unmatchable beauty.  But every diamond, no matter how magnificent, has imperfections of some kind.  These flaws fall into 2 categories: internal flaws are known as inclusions, while flaws on the surface of the diamond are called blemishes.” (source)

The thing is, the imperfections in a diamond are often what makes it unique.  They rarely detract from the beauty of the stone, and they can usually only be seen under 10x magnification!  Maybe diamonds beat themselves up about their internal flaws and blemishes – but the rest of us see right past them.

You know where I’m going with this, right?  What if, as mothers, we are all diamonds?

“The wonder of a mother lies in her unmatchable beauty.  But every mother, no matter how magnificent, has imperfections of some kind.  These flaws fall into 2 categories: internal flaws are known as inclusions, while flaws on the surface of the mother are called blemishes.”

We beat ourselves up about our internal flaws, and our physical blemishes.  Chances are, others see right past them.  We compare ourselves to airbrushed, photoshopped, synthetic images of women portrayed in the media, forgetting that these are unrealistic.  And worse, while we only see snippets of a celebrity mother’s life, we “fill in the gaps” imagining that ALL of her life is equally perfect.

There are no perfect women. No perfect mothers. No perfect children, or families, or homes.  We all have flaws and blemishes that make us who we are.  They might mean that perfection is unattainable, but they don’t stop us from sparkling.

You, my friend, are a diamond mum. Perfectly imperfect.

How do you feel today?

If you’re feeling happy then clap your hands

Feeling happy then clap your hands

Feeling happy then clap your hands

Clap your hands like this.

How do you feel today?

How do you feel today?

If you’re feeling grumpy then stomp around

Feeling grumpy then stomp around

Feeling grumpy then stomp around

Stomp around like this.

We talk a lot about feelings in our home.  Feelings are tricky things to deal with, but it’s much healthier to learn to deal with them than to pretend we all feel happy all the time.  ‘Cause let’s face it – we don’t.  Some days Daddy feels sad.  Some days I am irritable.  Some days the kids are out-of-sorts without any particular reason.  And all of those things are ok.

Without making a big deal about it, I try to give the kids practical tools to deal with their own feelings, and the emotions of others.  It’s important that they learn to name their feelings, and that they feel safe enough to share their feelings.  Of course, this is all good in theory! I can’t say I always get it right, but I am aware that it is part of my responsibility as their mother.  Here are some phrases I try to use, and some I try to avoid when it comes to feelings.

Things I DO say to the kids:

• How do you feel today?
• Would you like to tell me about your feelings?
• I can see that you are sad/angry/etc. Can you use your words to talk to me about it?
• Is anything worrying you?
• It’s ok to feel angry, but it’s not ok to let your anger hurt anyone else.
• It’s ok to feel sad. Is there anything I can do to help?

Things I DON’T say to the kids:

• What’s wrong with you?
• Cheer up.
• That’s not worth crying about.
• Do ___________ and you’ll feel better.
• Don’t be silly.

How do you deal with your children’s feelings? Do you find talking about feelings difficult?  Which phrases work for you and your kids, and which ones do you avoid saying?

Before having children, cleaning the bathroom tiles involved holding my breath and squirting around the strongest chemicals I could find.  Now that I’m a mum I find I am more conscious of what I use to clean our home, and I’m endeavouring to replace many of these toxic products with natural, chemical-free alternatives.  I have actually been rather reluctant to make the change to green cleaning – partly because I was sceptical it would really work, and partly for fear of being labelled.

Yes*. At least, so far so good in our home.  The first green-clean change I made has proven to be incredibly effective, and it’s my number one chemical free cleaning tip.  All I did was switch to using environmentally friendly microfibre cloths.  These cloths have eliminated three quarters of my cleaning products.  There are a few brands on the market, some of which can be purchased off the shelves in the supermarket, and others which are sold through party-plan schemes.  They clean efficiently using only water, and work by trapping dirt in their teeny tiny fibres.  They can be washed and reused many times over too.  We have a lot of glass in our home and I am amazed at how easily I can clean it all with only two cloths and a little water.  And because it’s completely chemical free – the kids can help with cleaning the mirrors, tiles, benches, windows, table and kitchen chairs too!

The next green-clean change I am making is to replace the remaining chemicals I use in our home with natural alternatives.  Instead of viewing the remedies my great grandmother may have used to remove mould as outdated, I am starting to appreciate them for their simplicity.  (Mould has been a widespread problem in Queensland following the drenching we received earlier this year.)  I can only wonder what’s in the bottle of spray in my laundry which claims to eradicate mould, and the smell of the chemical concoction is unbearable.  My great granny would most likely have used tea-tree oil, borax or vinegar.

Try these cleaning tips from yesteryear to keep everything from the carpets to the tiles clean in your home.  Always remember to spot test in an inconspicuous area before trying any cleaning remedies.

The NSW Department of Environment and Conservation also has a great pdf you can download and print called The Easy Guide to Natural Cleaning and for further tips on cleaning your home with baking soda check out McKenzies BiCarb.

I wouldn’t call myself a Green Queen yet, but I am definitely making better choices for my family and I am much more aware of the toxins I use in our home.  I still use the odd chemical here and there, which I hope to eventually replace with alternatives that are better both for the environment and for our health.

Are you paranoid about germs?  Are you a self proclaimed Green Queen?!  Or like me, do you fall somewhere in between?  Oh, and if you have another green cleaning idea, share it below so we can all try it out!

*NB:  Mum, if you’re reading this article – please don’t say “I told you so…”

Yesterday afternoon, my 5 year old fell out of her favourite climbing tree.  I was out in the backyard with the kids, saw her fall, and was by her side within seconds. She lost consciousness and suffered an impact seizure, which was scary for both of us. This type of seizure can occur with a concussive brain injury and happens just seconds after impact.  When she came to, she was understandably frightened and confused.

The emergency department of our local hospital saw her immediately.  (I am so grateful for the way Australian medical professionals prioritise children.)  Although shaken, and very overwhelmed by the sights and smells of a hospital – she was alert and cooperative.  I cuddled and reassured her, talked her through what was happening, and stayed as calm as I could.  She was closely monitored for the first hour or two, then checked hourly until the recommended 6hrs had passed.  She was back to her usual self in a few hours though, and spent the last part of her hospital visit bored out of her little brain!

During those six hours at her bedside, I had plenty of time to think about my parenting choices. Could I have prevented her fall? Should I have prevented her fall? Was I doing the right thing allowing her to climb trees? Would I still encourage her to take reasonable risks?  Would I change any of my beliefs about children and nature…?

The doctors helped me to retain a commonsense view.  One doctor reminded me that she could have fallen anywhere… inside or out.  Another laughed about his own tree climbing adventures as a child, and reminisced about the way his mother handled it when he fell.  When we were finally discharged at 10pm, he also encouraged Miss 5 to keep climbing and exploring the world.

Today, she is at home enjoying a quiet day under Mummy’s watchful eye.  Tomorrow, she’ll be back at school with a great story to tell.  Next week, she’ll probably be back up the tree! And me?  I guess I’m a little shaken too.  No parent ever likes to see their child hurt.  There is a little part of my mama-heart that wishes I could wrap my kids up and hold them close to keep them safe.  There is a much bigger part of my mama-brain though that reminds me I cannot parent out of fear, and I cannot protect them from all of life’s falls.

And so, I STILL believe that kids and nature belong together, and I will continue to encourage my children to play daily outside, exploring their backyard and the natural elements in it.  I still believe that tree climbing is one of childhood’s greatest joys.  I still believe that happy kids require both freedom and boundaries.  I still believe children’s environments should be as safe as necessary, rather than as safe as possible.  And I still believe that falling down is a normal part of an active childhood.

“Why didn’t I think of this sooner?”

The simple ideas are always the best. I simply screwed a couple of old brass hooks (which were lying unused in the bottom of a toolbox) onto the fence at child height.  We were already using the two green baskets for outdoor toy storage.  I love them because:

• dirt and sand fall out through the gaps
• rain water doesn’t collect in the bottom
• there are no dark corners so it’s less likely a redback will move in
• the kids can see into them
• they are lightweight and easy to move around
• they were only $2 each

Hanging them on the fence was a stroke of genius (if I do say so myself).  I also added a couple of S hooks to the vine on the fence for the kids’ stilts.  These weren’t getting much use in the bottom of a box, but are much more inviting hanging up like this.  Wonder what else I can attach to the fence…?!

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