I hate ironing.  I avoid it like a plague.  I detest ironing.  I go for the crumpled look.

Yep, this is me, expect my waist is not so small and my iron not quite so vintage.  To those people who iron underpants, what planet are you from? Just saying.  lol

Would you believe it?  I actually enjoyed ironing today in the name of fun for my girls.  We customised plain t-shirts with iron-on transfers.  There’s an endless range of designs available from shops like Spotlight or Lincraft.  We used old t-shirts but plain shirts can be purchased from somewhere like Best & Less for under $10. 

The girls picked out the transfers they liked; I’m all for promoting individuality.  The activity was easy and mess free – gotta love that.  Do some enjoyable ironing for a change.

Here are my designers.

from Kelly: Be A Fun Mum

I would like to take a moment to say thank you for joining me on my journey.  Posts may be few and far between over the next couple of weeks; I have to move house.

Watch this space: 2010 is going to be an amazing year.

Card by InkPink Designs

On a recent family getaway, my husband and I found a beautiful child-friendly rainforest walk to do with our four children.  The Mary Cairncorss Scenic Reserve is on the outskirts of Maleny on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. Here are some of the highlights:

• Wheelchair and stroller friendly walking tracks
• Ecological Education Centre
• Read about the rainforest’s history
• Guided walks available
• Coffee and food available in the cafe-Kiosk
• Playground, BBQ and picnic tables

The duration of the walk for our family (slow) was 1 hour.  The track is flat and smooth so even my 2 year old was able to walk most of the trail.  We all enjoyed the sounds, textures, colours and beauty of the rainforest.  Here are some of the colours and textures I captured.

If your family is looking for a fun family day out this school holidays, I highly recommend the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve (Queensland).

148 Mountain View Road

Maleny

PH: (07) 5429 6122

I LOVE chunky beads but they are so expensive.  When I found foam beads from Lindcraft for under $10, I did a little dance – well, on the inside.  There are heaps of beads in the jar so enough for plenty of projects.  The children and I made necklaces by threading the beads onto scoobies.  This activity is brilliant for fine motor development.

I’ve been totally sucked in by some great advertising by Golden Circle in the forms of juice cans.  Aptly named LOL, the online way of saying, “Laugh Out Loud,” the slimline cans are filled with lightly carbonated 99% fruit juice.  I rarely buy juice – it’s milk or water at our house – but in the holidays I like to keep things exciting.  Exciting is was; the children loved it and the treat was relatively healthy for them. You can buy the cans in the drinks isle at the local supermarket.  Some may be are uncomfortable about the energy drink look of the cans; however, I think it’s clever and fun.

LOL all round.

I’m blogging today as part of Childhood 101′s Everyday Glamour Challenge.  I love everyday glamour.  Before I start my list of tips, the question has to be asked: what is everyday glamour?  According to the Oxford Dictionary, glamour is an attractive and exciting quality.  I think there is often misconceptions about what glamour really is.  It’s not being physically beautiful or dressing in expensive clothes; and it’s not wearing a lot of make-up or wearing high heels with short skirts. Rather glamour is the attractive quality of a person who has the ability to be themselves; whether that be causal, elegant, funky or dressy.

I love to dress up.  That’s just me.  I love wearing high heels, red lipstick and mascara.  Over time, I’ve developed my own sense of style; style that says, “This is who I am.”  The trick is to stay true to who God made you to be and do the best with what you have.  I have three sisters and they are all glamorous in their own way.  My big sister is a funkalicious girl who looks amazing in white pants.  Sister number two is as crisp and fresh as white linen; she never has a hair out of place.  My little sister is a country gal who is a lilt in her step and the most gorgeous beauty spot you will ever see.  I think they are all absolutely gorgeous.

Finding your everyday glamour

Be prepared to experiment and make mistakes.  Finding your everyday glamour takes time.

Every now and again, try on something different; something you would not normally take from the rack. BE BRAVE!

Find a signature piece that has a personal defining quality.  You might wear a belt with a large buckle or wear flowers in your hair; you may like check shirts and jeans or chunky necklaces.

Above all, be yourself.

Applying everyday glamour

I think balance is a key to everyday glamour. 

If you are wearing black, add a red belt (and red shoes) or a long silver necklaces, not both.

When wearing red lipstick, keep the eyes soft and vice-versa.  Don’t do dark eyes and dark lips; it looks tacky, not glamorous.

If you want to make jeans glamorous, wear them with a plain white top and gold, white or red shoes.

Invest in a good bra – really, like really.  And when you are wearing strappy dresses and tops, it’s best to wear a strapless bra. The dress will look so much better.

I believe every woman looks delicious in a flowly white dress.  Team it with silver thongs and you’ll look like an angel.

Chunky neclaces look fantastic however they can look overbearing if you wear them wrong.  Don’t wear them with busy prints or with halter necklines and keep hair simple.  I think they look the best with a colared neckline.

Dressing for your body shape can go a long way in making you feel glamourous.  Check out this blog.

My favourite everyday glamour tip 

For me, it’s having a few ultra shiny lip glosses stashed in my bag.  I put it on in the car before I get out anywhere; it makes me feel somewhat fresh (for a mother).  Plus lip gloss is inexpensive so I can get afford a few different colours to match my mood and outfit.  My favourite is a soft pink colour like this one.  You gotta love the shine.

Have fun and be yourself.  Find your everyday glamour and make it your own.

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You may like to check out these make-up and hair video tutorials I have done.

Period Drama Hair/Make-up Tutorial

Easy Elegant Hair-Do

Elegant Christmas Hair-Do

Mummy Make-up 

I’m one of those mothers who love, Love, LOVE school holidays.  However, that does not mean the journey is a smooth sail. These are my tips for happy holidays.

1. The three day hurdle

In my experience, the first three days are the hardest.  Everyone is adjusting to the change of dynamics in the house.  The younger children are getting used to having the older ones home all day and the older girls have to adjust to the lack of structure.  I find there are a lot of arguments and ‘what can I do’ comments in the early days.  For some reason, after the third day, things begin to change; my children start playing beautiful games together and I take a deep breath.  I often remind myself that things will get easier after the three day hurdle is jumped.

2. Plan

School holidays can be fun if you plan a lot of activities for the children to do.  The key is trying to balance out these things: cost, keeping things busy and down time.

Cost

I like to spoil my children on the holidays; an ice-cream here and a gift there; however, I don’t have an endless supply of money.  I plan to do a few costly outings each holidays and space them out between weeks.  Activities like going to a play centre or a water park.

Keeping things busy

I believe it’s not reasonable to stay at home all the time and expect your children to enjoy the holidays.  I plan a lot of small and big outings to keep my children active, busy and happy.  Visiting friends, bike riding and shopping are some of my favourite things to do with the children.  See the activity list below for some other great ideas or subscribe to my blog.

Downtime

I try and balance out some home days in-between all the busyness so I can regroup myself and the children can have some rest.

3. Holiday Bag

It’s fun to put together a special holiday bag for each of your children.  This does not have to be an expensive exercise.  Use green bags filled with some special activities.  These sort of items are a good idea: gel pens, colouring book, a toy (I buy a little figurine of a character they enjoy) and a new book to read.  You actually can just go around the house and collect some activities the children have not played with for a while.  These activity bags can be used for car trips or quiet bed time.

Activity Ideas

Kidspot: I often find great school holiday ideas on this site.

Shopping Centre: The local shopping centres often provide activities and shows for children in the holiday period.   Most shopping centres have their own website or you can browse the Westfield and Centro sites for current events.

Play Centre: Play centres tend to be expensive but they are magic!  My children magically disappear for hours so it can be a fun outing to plan.

Public Transport: Instead of taking the car, plan to take the bus or train somewhere; children love that.

Beach: Who doesn’t love the beach?

Museum: Our local museum in Brisbane offers fantastic activities for children.  Click here for more details.

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Have a happy holiday!

From the time your child attends playgroup, there will be an endless supply of artwork to display around the house.  Managing this can be difficult and it multiplies with the more children you have.  I’ve found a reasonable solution to managing all the artwork produced in this house.   My solution is in the form of an A4 Magnetic Fridge-Frame purchased from Officeworks or online here. What I like about the A4 Fridge-Frame is the entire back section of the frame is a magnet so it sits flat on the fridge and doesn’t fall off.  In my experience, the artwork pinned on the fridge with a few small magnets tends to end up all over the kitchen floor (having a 2 year old in the house aids in this destruction).

My children insert thier artwork into the clear slip and any subsequent drawings or paintings are slipped on top of the subsequent one.  Once the frame is full, I cull a few from the back.  At the end of each year I collate a collection of artwork into a folder and make up a book. 

I discovered the best pick-me-up treat: premium orange juice slushy.  And no children, you can’t have any!  Just leave the bottle of orange juice in the freezer for a few hours and follow these steps: shake, pour and enjoy.

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I LOVE YOU. These three words have amazing power.  Girls (and boys) need to hear the three magic words over and over again.    When I have the opportunity to hold my daughter’s hand we do something special; something secret; something just for us: three squeezes.   Three squeezes represent these words: I love you.   It’s a fun way to to tell your daughter ‘I love you’.