Writing lists and getting things done

G read something to me during the past week about writing to do lists and how it's just as important to have a 'done' list so you can see what you've actually achieved during the week and be motivated to keep on going.  I have always preferred writing my lists on paper because then I can see how much I've crossed off and it works for me much the same way as having a done list.

But lately my to do list was getting ridiculously long and as I seem to be incapable of making decisions lately the long list remained untouched.  It was too overwhelming and I didn't know where to start.  So I've been stuck in a bit of an unmotivated rut not helped by having just under four weeks to go until baby is due to arrive and the revolting humid weather we've been enjoying up here recently.  

This was making me a cranky pants though so I had to do something!  So at the start of last week I sat down and went through my big list and wrote a couple of extra little lists.  Things to get done last week and this week coming.  Having a much smaller list made everything much more manageable and I even included a bunch of little but important things (which bills I needed to pay, emails I had to write etc) so I could cross these off too once they were done and actually feel like I was getting somewhere.

So now, come Sunday night I'm actually feeling pretty good about what I got done in the last week (not everything got crossed off, but definitely lots more than I had been getting through).  And I'm looking forward to getting stuck into the next weeks list and then working out what the plan is for the week after.

I know it doesn't have to happen but I will feel so much better when this baby decides to join us if I have some of those things off the list and am feeling a little bit more organised.  A bit like going on holidays and needing to clean the house first... I'm incapable of leaving for holidays until my house is spotless (which it never is) and often end up staying up most of the night before holidays getting it done.

So amongst paying bills, finally organising a new mobile phone plan and other boring stuff like that I also finally finished a fleur playmat for a friend's new baby, who is already 8 weeks old!  So A, if you happen to read this, just act surprised when you finally get it ok?

And Polly eventually got her sheet bag for day care, only 7 weeks after starting.  No more green coles bag Polly, yay!

Incidentally, it's really hard to make something in different colours to what I'd normally pick for myself, so I hope the recipient like the playmat... I think they're her kind of colours.  Polly, my littlest baby for now seems to like it anyway.  I can't believe how big she looks compared to on her mat and at the same time, I can't believe she will not be my baby for much longer.  She seems so much younger than Matilda did when I had Polly, but the age gap will be the same.

Better Homes and Gardens LIVE Ticket Giveaway (Melbourne)

The friendly peeps at Better Homes and Gardens have offered 10 free double passes to Better Homes and Gardens LIVE event in Carlton on the weekend of February 24-26.  All you need to do to win a double pass is be one of the first 10 people to comment on this post.

I wish I could go, I'm feeling decidedly uninspired lately and could use something like this to get me going again.  But with less than a month before bubba #3 is due, ma weekend trip to Melbourne isn't really on the cards at the moment... so if you go and get some good ideas (dinner ideas and keeping my house organised would be great), you need to share them with me!  That's not really a condition to getting one of the double passes, but I could use the help :)

From Better Homes and Gardens -

"Enjoy a great family day out at Better Homes and Gardens LIVE  24th - 26th February 201 2 at the Royal  Exhibition Building, Carlton.

This fabulous LIVE event brings to life the pages of Australia’s favourite magazine, providing home makers, DIY enthusiasts, keen gardeners and aspiring cooks with inspiring new ideas for their home and garden.

Don’t miss live stage shows from your favourite TV presenters, inspiring ideas, workshops and products for you to try and sensational shopping from over 250 exhibitors. Plus, with plenty of entertainment for the children, this is an unbeatable day out for the whole family!

All your favourite Better Homes and Gardens TV experts will be there and you can see them LIVE!  Graham Ross, Tara Dennis, 'Fast' Ed, Karen Martini, Jason Hodges, Rob Palmer and Johanna Griggs will take to the stage to share their creative and original ideas to help you make yours a better home and garden! Click here to view the stage timetables."

Oh and don't forget to include your email address in the comment, or email me your email address so I can send you the details and get your tickets to you.

UPDATE:
Thanks everyone, the tickets are now all gone! 

Home

We've been home for about a month now (and we were only away for three weeks) but it's taken me this long to finally feel like we're getting back to normal life and routine.

I blame January, I always seem to feel a little bit out of sorts at the start of the new year.  I think because I'm keen to start the new year all organised and efficient but before I can do that I still have to clean up the mess and sort myself out from December which all feels a bit too overwhelming and subsequently takes me about 3-4 weeks before I can get my act together.

So I'd like to suggest that from now on the new year doesn't start til February, I'm about ready for it by then.  Or I could just go with the Chinese new year, at least it would be a bit closer.

Plus, around here we've been starting to get organised for a new baby sister (read: freaking out) who is due to arrive in little over six weeks.  That seems seriously too soon but I guess that's what happens when you find out at 19 weeks!

So Polly's moved into a big girl bed, and she's doing really well thankfully.  Both my girls seemed to make the transition to a big bed really easily (at around 20 months).  I'm not sure but I think it's got to do with the really long toddler rail we have for their beds - they've both seemed to think that they're still in a cot.  It took Matilda a few months to realise she could crawl down to the bottom of the bed and get out and by then she was used to sleeping there.  Polly seems to be following the same pattern (fingers crossed it stays that way).

And both girls started at a new Day Care centre this year, Matilda for 2 days and Polly for 1.  Matilda is loving it and loving the new centre, she also seems to be enjoying the 2 days and seems to be making more 'real' friendships as a result.  Polly still isn't sure about the whole deal, before we leave home she gets all excited and carries her bag around for about an hour before we leave but once she gets there she's still getting pretty upset about me leaving which feels so awful, but the upset time is getting less and less each week so hopefully she'll start having fun soon.

We also snuck in a couple of little trips to the beach throughout January although with all the bad weather we've been having up here they've been cut short.   So well and truly back to life as usual around here.

Catching up : the rest of our Victorian holiday

A couple of days after Christmas we packed our bags again and set off for Bright with the rest of G's family.


We did lots of swimming in the river and playing hide and seek in the kids pool near the river (eww).

Picnic'ed at Tronoh Dredge Hole, swam in the freezing water, paddled a rowboat and put flowers in our hair.

Had dinner at the Wandi Pub, which is a great place for a meal in the garden (nothing fancy, just a great location and easy with the kids).

Visited Mt Buffalo, although Matilda was very disappointed that there was no snow!

Ate ice-cream.

Waited down the bottom of the mountains while G's brother and girlfriend paraglided.

Had a great ye olde Devonshire tea with homemade jams and lemonade, milkshakes and spiders in Wandiligong.

And eyed-off these cool preserve jar-lights at a cafe in Bright, which I think I need to hang all over my veranda at home.

Then, a bit tired and weary we drove home.

Our Christmas

We arrived home yesterday after a great holiday in Melbourne and Bright.  So nice to be home though.

So a few catch up posts and then on to the new for 2012!

So our Christmas started with G's family celebration on Christmas Eve.  The girls got to wear their special Christmas dresses which I bought ages ago from here and they'd be sitting in their wardrobes ever since.  I have a rule that if I buy clothes for a special occasion they can't be worn before then. 

We had a great dinner and then it was present time.  Matilda was so hyperactive it was ridiculous, she stayed awake for the whole party and didn't even fall asleep on our 30 minute drive back to our apartment in Carlton. She was awake until about 1am!!   Even Polly made it until about 11 and their normal bed time is about 7.30pm.  Luckily we'd left our reindeer food, gingerbread and chocolate milk out for Santa before we left for the party. 

We thought the late night might have bought us a sleep in on Christmas Day, wrong.  We were up around 8am to see what the big man had left behind.  And apparently he went overboard again.

So the kids got straight into it. 

Then we played with the new toys for a little while before heading over to G's cousin's for a pretty low key and lovely Christmas lunch. 

Then we drove home with crazily tired kids and through some crazy Melbourne weather for an early night and a lazy Boxing Day that only required us to get out of PJs for a trip to the local park and some sliding. 

Too tired to even try and convince Matilda that her princess costume was not suitable park attire. 

Boxing Day was our last full day in Melbourne before heading off to Bright for our last week of holidays.  

PS If you're ever in need of a place to stay in Melbourne the apartment we rented on Rathdowne Street, Carlton was perfect.  We'll definitely be staying there again.  Great location and really really spacious. 

Melbourne for Christmas

We've been in Melbourne for about a week... running all over town catching up with family and friends.  It's been really good to see everyone again but today we're happy to just be hanging out in our apartment waiting for G's family's Christmas festivities tonight (G's family are Chilean so Christmas well and truely begins on Christmas Eve).  In fact the kids have just been sitting down checking out the Christmas tree, as you do.

I'm hoping I can get both girls down for a sleep sometime this afternoon before their late night tonight.  Both of them are a bit out of whack with all the new people, places and late bedtimes they've had all week.

Amongst it all we have had a chance to get into the city to check out the Christmas windows (which I had always been led to believe were better than the Brisbane ones, but they are exactly the same!) and the trees in Federation Square.

And we've been still getting through our Advent Calendar.

Making reindeer food

And gingerbread

And snowy scenes (using these instructions from Cakies)

And I have a new favourite wrapped present, for kids. I love these Santa mailing labels from Babelisme.

Hope Santa visits you tonight and that you and your families have a wonderful Christmas together!

Craft Day

Our internet has just returned today after being out of action for about a week, hence the crazy number of posts.  Sorry!! This is the last one, promise.

Although we had our last craft night for 2011 a few weeks ago, we snuck in an extra session during the last week to get some Christmas projects done.  I had a few projects I really needed to get finished for the girls Christmas stockings so I was on a mission.

I made two fabric necklaces, I think the greeny coloured one will be for Polly and the other for Matilda.

And I finally finished my baby oobees that I had cut out about 2 months ago. 

Matilda's -

Polly's -

I still have three things left to make before we go although I don't really like my chances of them actually happening.  We'll see, one late night could knock at least 2 of them over.