Procrastination

I should be writing an essay.... instead I am writing here. Quite possibly I am the queen of procrastination when it comes to academic writing!

Going back to university as a post grad student has been interesting. Getting the old grey matter working again has been fun. Juggling a young family with academic study and a job has been a bit more of a  challenge! I can't just take myself off to the library for a day like I did as a carefree undergrad, rather I have to try and fit it all in between the hours of 7pm-10pm. Sometimes I think I must have got a little bit mental thinking I could fit it all in... maybe I have! haha.

Being a post grad student is kinda like being a under grad only you get all the responsibility and stress of study with none of the fun. Because lets face it, motherhood and toga parties really just don't go together.

Honestly though, I have managed to waste the last hour reading everyones lovely blog posts and checking my facebook page. I have successfully wasted most of the evening but alas I  must get back to writing about dyspnea (look that one up and then I am sure you will understand why I am procrastinating!)

Tick Tock

Tick tock, tick tock.... How did so much time pass without me writing here?!

Isn't it funny the twists and turns life takes, that move us and pull us in different directions. I have learn't  as an adult that we just need to go with it, after all, life is just one fabulous huge journey and who knows where we are going to end up!

Last year, I returned to the workforce. I had largely been at home with my girls for the majority of the previous 4 years. so making the decision to return to work was scary, exciting, frightening and fabulous, all rolled into one. I saw a job advertised one day in the paper and it jumped out at me. I cut out the advert and over the next few days, kept coming back and reading it. I decided to make the big leap, submitting my CV and the rest, as they say, is history. 

So now I work 3 days a week. I co-ordinate the care of patients with a terminal illness living across my region. It is a job that brings me much personal satisfaction (surprising as that may sound) and is a hugely rewarding role. It challenges me intellectually too, which I love. 

My girls have adjusted well to the changes which come with me working again. For Holly the changes where minor as she was already at pre-school 3 days a week. For Isla, it was a little more of a change, but she adjusted with remarkable ease and is now at kindy which she has taken to like a duck to water. She proudly tells people how she is 'a big kindy kid'.

It amazes me how time keeps marching on, we have moved into another phase of our life now and I have to say, I am enjoying it. 

Autumn's Nature Table

I have been a bit slack about getting the nature table sorted out since we moved into our new wee house. However, today at a junk shop, I spotted a lovely wee mid century style table (more about that in another post!) and decided it would make a perfect nature table for the wee ones. 

I was lucky enough to win the autumn fairy who graces our nature table, a couple of years ago from Morning Sun Rae. The toad stools where made by my amazingly talented sister, she makes all manor of amazing things from roving and felt (I keep telling her she should be selling them). The leaves, Holly and I collected a few weeks back and flower pressed. The acorns where from a day trip Isla and I took to Cromwell recently. Lastly, the little mouse was knitted by me. 

I am so pleased to have our little nature table set up again, it adds a little magic to our living space.

Natures Playground

There was a time in my life when I could not imagine living anywhere else but in the city. The countryside held little appeal. I loved the bright lights, the hustle and bustle that the city life provided. In my 20s, I lived in an apartment smack bang in the centre of Melbourne. I loved that anytime of the day or night, there was always something happening, somewhere to go, something to do. 

After I had my girls, those thoughts and feelings slowly began to change. I wanted to take a slower, more gentle route than the usual roundabout many mothers step onto. Constantly engaging themselves and their babies in organized activities. Rather, I preferred the quiet, gentle rhythm of our life at home. Of simply enjoying my little ones company.

Living here, adjusting to a rural mountain lifestyle, has been an easy transition for us. I love how close our girls live to nature here. They don't admire nature from a far, rather they live within it. The lakes, the mountains, the forrest are all within our immediate environment. We wake to the sound of a bellbird. We know where and when the sun rises and sets. We appreciate it all and we are grateful that we are lucky enough to live here, in our little corner of paradise. 

My Creative Space- Rag Rug

This project has been stuck in the 'almost complete' basket for months, but finally, I got round to finishing  this one off. I am so pleased I did as I just adore the finished look of it and the girls are overjoyed to have it in their bedroom at long last.

It was made using old woolen blankets, platted and then sewn. A long, and at times tedious job but in the end, well worth the effort. It makes the perfect warm play spot for the girls as the weather starts to cool and they begin to play inside more and more. 

Simple Skincare

In my quest to simply my life, I have been looking at ways to reduce the amount of skincare products I use. So many people have a bathroom full of soaps, liquid body wash, scrubs, moisturizer for the face, the body, cleanser, toner... the list goes on. A few months back, as we where preparing to move house, I decided to part with all of those things and instead use a few simple multi purpose skincare products. I was searching for products which where as natural and chemical free as possible but at the same time effective. My solution came in the form of 2 simple products. A compressed olive oil soap and a natural oil to moisturize.

I used an olive oil soap, you can buy many different brands from any health food shop. The whole family use it as a face and body wash. Followed by an oil to moisturize both face and body. To many the idea of using oil on their face seems odd but in all honesty, my skin has never looked better. My skin is far more balanced and smooth . I doubt I will ever go back to using a traditional moisturizer. I am particularly a fan of busby pure tissue oil, which is a mix of avocado, grape seed and rosehip oils. Another draw card for me is it is affordable, meaning I can also use it as a body moisturizer, which I would not feel I could do with some of the smaller, more expensive oils.

So now, rather than a whole cupboard of products I just have two, good quality, multi use items. And that, in my mind, has got to be a good thing. 

Things I Am Loving Today

Don't you just love autumn? The mornings start cold but then the days are amazing. Big blue sky days, still and sunny and perfect. This was the view out my window this morning, just one tiny little cloud peaking over the hillside.

 And running with the autumn theme, my sweet girl made me this card at preschool yesterday. She stuck the leaves on herself, wrote inside her name and drew a ton of love hearts.... just for me!

Her drawing and writing skills seem to have grown exponentially in the last few weeks since she turned four. She is drawing people, flowers, fairies and rainbows that require no explanations. She is writing her name on everything too, and her sisters, and mine. It amazes me that this little person is becoming so capable.

Linking up with Paisley Jade for things I am loving.