Hello friends. I’m so glad to be back writing. After taking the summer off and soaking it up with my family (gathering lots of material), it’s time to get back to work. I’ve missed connecting with everyone and look forward to the coming weeks and the exchanges through this column.

Last weekend was the Queen’s birthday long weekend in Australia and like almost every other Aussie, Mannie and I packed the car, stocked up on winter woollies, plugged in our favourite road trip playlist to date and headed south for Philip Island with 12 other friends.

A weekend of too much food, games galore, raucous laughter, exploring, climbing trees, spotlight in the dark with the kids before hot chocolates by the open fire, etc…it was truly a memory making time for all.

Here are some pics of the amazing coast which was about 100 metres from our holiday house at Surf Beach…Australia’s beauty absolutely blows me away…it’s no wonder dreamtime began here…

The filter I’ve used on these pics is MoreLomo which is an iPhone app.

Family road trip suggestions are most welcome…

Image by Sukie

 Recently listening to the hilarity over the phone to my Canadian friends during their Thanksgiving festivities did start me wishing I had a super power like instant transporting.   

Yet rather than wishing and hoping and dreaming to join the fray of fun, I started my own little Thanksgiving evening. Now there was no turkey or guests, but I did have a cute notebook begging to be scribbled in. Accompanied by a storm, some favourite tunes and a cup of coffee it turned out to be a delicious way to spend a few quiet hours indoors.   

I began to jot down a few things I was grateful for…you know the ones you’d be ok for people to accidentally read…like family, friends, health, freedom, etc. And then I decided to actually write down in detail about the moments that I am truly thankful for and the specific people in my life who have meant so much…oh and I may have slipped in a few shops that I was grateful that I lived near or knew of.   

The crazy thing is that I never ran out of material. I only ran out of time that afternoon. Thankfulness can snowball, can be infectious and is somewhat liberating. To fix your eyes on something other than you is a beautiful thing expecially when life is all too overwhelming. My daughter asking for a new notebook to do the same was the cherry on top!   

Knowing I will soon run out of space in my notebook, one thing I am thankful for it the world of blogs that have opened my creative eyes to an underworld of ideas, products and such quirky, imaginative people.   

Here are some notebooks and writing products I have found in my blog travels to get you started…good ideas for Christmas pressents:   

Notebook by Sarah Hough via Papergain. 

 Writing set by Poppies for Grace.

Notebook by Sukie. 

 Pencil Holder by Suck UK.

 Journal by Kikki.k.

Notebooks by Waldo Pancake.

Sticky Notes by D Bros.

Wooden cards by Night Owl Paper Goods.

Enjoy!

Michaela.

Happy Father’s Day!

Wherever this post finds you, whatever you end up doing, with whomever you end up celebrating this great day, do so with all your heart!

Know that there are eyes and ears, young and old, watching and listening to their favourite heroes! That’s you dads!

Give them your all, live in the moment, lay aside old wars, eat like a king, laugh like a kid and enjoy the blessings that have been so generously entrusted to you.

We salute you for the love, sweat and occassional tear that has paved the way for your charges to soar.

Thank you! Never stop.

Watch the video below and be blown away all over again remembering your importance in our lives.

As a work at home mom, in the midst of summer vacation, I had been fretting about how I was going to get any work done and still spend quality time with my kids.

It’s hard enough to balance being a mother, wife, home business owner, and friend when the kids are in school. And although they have been enrolled in a couple of short camps, it really doesn’t not solve my problem of making sure the kids have a fun summer, work gets done, healthy meals are made and the house remains relatively clean.

Recently a couple things happened that made me realize that the most important thing in my family’s life right now is spending time together while the kids are young. It doesn’t last long.

The first thing that happened was that my baby girl turned six and it hit me just how fast childhood passes. Every moment we spend with our kids is precious, yet not all moments are created equal. An hour in front of the computer while the kids watch TV does not compare to an hour when you sit down and really get involved in a craft together. I want as many moments as possible this summer to be memorable and fun with my kids.

A few days before the holidays, I volunteered for a school trip with my son’s class. While walking through the woods collecting soil samples, I asked one of his friends if she had any summer plans. She said she would be in daycare the whole summer and was not looking forward to it. It made me sad to think of the time she won’t spend with her own mother and made me appreciate my own situation. It also made me realize that in order to spend the summer with my own kids I was going to have to make a few sacrifices.

So I racked my brain for creative ways to organize our summer and came up with a plan where I can actually get eight days out of my week instead of seven (technically). By simply waking up a few hours early every day, I can easily add an extra 7-14 hours to my week, without affecting my family. And to top it off, the extra hours would be mine…all mine!

(The key is to also eat well and drink lots of fresh water, because when you do…you have more energy, feel better, and need less sleep.)

So in honour of maximizing my guilt-free, hands-on, playtime with my children during these two months, I am going to continue waking up an hour and a half earlier than normal taking advantage of these quiet morning hours. And although I am known to enjoy my sleep, the sacrifice is worth the rewards.

And I am sure that when we look back at our photos in the future, the reduced sleep will not even be remembered.

Rebecca Ness

“I go running when I have to. When the ice cream truck is doing sixty.”

You know those moments, when something flicks your switch, you feel fully alive, you momentarily forget you are a grown-up, you throw your head back and start laughing hysterically, you fall asleep smiling because you feel incredibly blessed, you dive into a breaking wave in the ocean! It is these moments of glee, without-a-second-thought, on any given day… we, put simply, are Celebrating The Everyday! And when it happens, it reminds us that we have ’still got it’ -got what? That spark, that passion, the joy, the shine, we have each other, life is wonderous…. let’s say it’s like ‘magic’.

Life is full, and let’s admit, what happens the majority of the time is not so ‘magic’. Morning breath, rush hour, longs days at the office, raising kids, forgotten library bags, running errands, shopping lists, bad-hair days, walking the dog, scrubbing the floor, baskets of ironing, balancing the cheque book. Leading our preoccupied, predictable lives, and somewhere in all the day-after-dayness we can forget to even notice the ‘magic’ has dissappeared.

We all want to live with a touch of magic dont we? I sure do! I believe the magic is often more simple and real than we figure. It is not what the media portrays or what the unatainable images in the glossy magazines reflect. Rather it is choosing to find, to share, to engage, to create and embrace moments of magic in the middle of everyday life! Let’s not miss it!

Five little ways to bring some magic into everyday life….c’mon let the fun in and capture the specialness with me:

1. Remain a student. Love to learn. Don’t graduate from being goofy, ever. Like I did, take a yoga class or salsa dance class. Go on, get awkward, take yourself somewhere out of your comfort zone! Stretch some muscles, laugh out loud while doing it, this could be some kind of wonderful you forgot you could have, it was for me! Fitness and movement and adventure is fun and exhilarating. Take a ‘leap of faith’ and drag your family and friends along with you! Learn a new recipe, plant a herb garden. Take your children indoor rock climbing, fishing, go-carting. Commit to learning new things, trying new things. Do you order the same dish when you go to a restaurant, deviate from your usual modus operandi. You don’t have to always do what you have always done. Give yourself and others permission to grow and learn. Celebrate new things, new tastes, new adventures and new experiences everyday.

2. Life’s not a crystal glass of Veuve Clicquot everyday! But why not whip out those special linen napkins, the special china dinner set that you have safely packed away. Don’t save things in pristine glory. Too often we save things only for ’special occasions’ but why not decorate your ordinary days with a little bit a magic. Because sometimes ‘later’ becomes ‘never’. I dare you, use your good china tea set, and do it as often as possible. Set the table for meal time with a little extra thought, pick a fresh flower from the garden, make mealtime inviting for your family and friends. It might just create some magic. For me, I never save my special bottles of perfume for the odd date or special nights out, on purpose I use them every day!

3. Spread the love. Lightening the burden for someone else is the most rewarding thing you or I could ever do. I have discovered that volunteering is the biggest heart-swell, warm-fuzzy thing I can do. And it isn’t hard. It just takes a little extra thought and a little practice, and before long you can reach beyond your own life and share some of that magic. Give away a basket of groceries, cook an extra meal, hold someone’s hand, donate clothes to the charity store, buy a box of cookies from the kids fundraising in your neighbourhood, water someone’s garden, sit and listen to an elderly person tell their story. It is by spending oneself, you become rich. Volunteering can be some kind of magic too. I recall the words of Booker T. Washington “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

4. Grow gratitude. Journalling is something I love to do, the exercise of putting feelings into words is magic for me. I like writing my gratitude lists and writing out my prayers, and thankfully God can read my handwriting! But journaling can often be intimidating and all too time consuming. But why not introduce ‘deliberate conversations’ with your children and loved ones. Maybe once a week or at quiet times, like bedtime… take the moment to prompt the question “What are you grateful for?” or ask yourself like I do, “What am I grateful for today?” …whatever it might be. Chose to be thankful and celebrate the wins, to notice the postive things, to say them out loud, it will do your heart some good! You will see the magic in each other’s eyes.

5. Be Serious about fun. Be intentional about fun stuff, plan it, prioritise it. Most games are online on the computer, but I love the tradition of games nights! Old fashion fun around the table with a pack of UNO cards, Balderdash, Monopoly, Scrabble, Billionaire, preferably anything that is rowdy and boisterous. One of our fun family traditions, is watching the dvd ‘National Lampoons Christmas Vacation” ..we quote lines from that movie all year round. Laughing together somehow quietly ties little strings that connect our hearts. Goofing around is wonderful and laughter is like medicine. Smiles glowing on friend’s faces is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. Togetherness and laughter, bring those two elements together and you have magic. Even more magic when you have great snacks on the table along with!

So don’t lose the magic in the grind of daily life. Surely it is the magic moments we all remember and cherish and replay in our memories forever. Maybe you have long given up on the magic in life, or with your family or in your business? I have been there and felt that same ‘hemmed in’ feeling. But with a few conscious decisions, to let the fun in, everyday and suddenly you will feel free as a bird again, you can get a glimpse of the magic once more, and before long people are asking you “Why are you so cheery?”.

In Los Angeles where I live, the month of June in California the weather each day starts of hazy and overcast. The locals call it “June gloom” …I guess life’s like that, it is was you call it! Instead I like to say “its just cloudy with a chance of wonderful.”

Friends, may you feel the magic, chase the ice cream truck, share in rip-roaring laughter, embrace gratitude, set the table with the special silverware, hug your loved ones a little tighter and longer just because its magic, it really is. And in the beautiful words of Maya Angelou “Love life, engage in it, give it all you’ve got. Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it.”

Carpe diem!

As dads and husbands, we have been given a great responsibility. And it is not a responsibility that should be worn lightly. That responsibility is to be providers – but not just in the way that you may be thinking.

I asked a large group of men to tell me what it meant to be a provider. Overwhelmingly, the answer was along the lines of “having the ability to give my family food, clothing and shelter.”

But this is such a small part of what being a true provider is.

I remember as a child, playing cricket in the front yard with my brother. I loved playing with him. But the really special times were when dad came out and played with us. I never wanted those afternoons to end.

I recall that sinking feeling when mum used to call us in for dinner and put an end to our game with dad.

I have my own boys now and I have never seen that ear to ear smile when I put a plate of food in front of them or when they pull on a warm jumper in winter. The only time that I have the privilege of seeing that smile is when I take the time to have some fun with them.

Now, that is provision.

It is so easy as a dad to become so busy providing for our family that we forget to provide for our family.

When we give our children food, they have a full stomach. But when we spend time enjoying them, we give them pure joy.

A true provider does not limit himself or herself to fiscal provision. A true provider gives his or her family the thing that they crave the most – time and attention.

Dads, it is up to us to be active in the upbringing of our children. Despite how we are feeling, let’s resolve to never make a habit of saying to our kids “Dad is too busy to play” or “Dad is too tired to hang out”. To a child, that habit will crush their spirit.

Let’s resolve to be true providers to our families by giving them the thing they need the most – us.

An Avenue…

Blossoms & Ice Cream Bowls…

Blueberries, Hot Chocolate, Clouds & Birds…

Perfume, Beads & Books…

Carousels, Candles & Cakes…

Black and White Photos & Sunshine…

Hula Hoops & Happiness…

Babies & Handmade Blankets…

Wooden Boxes & Twiggy Nests…

Fireflies & Fearlessness…

Falling Leaves & Solutide…

Globes, Globes, Globes & Possibilities…

The REAL You…

The Beatles, Best Friends, Bottles & Babushkas…

The Unexpected…

Kindness & Crowns…

The Ultimate Silver Lining…

Susan recently posted an article title Bedtime Routine in which she outlines the bedtime rituals maintained in their home. It is a beautiful read…click here to have a squiz.

We are currently focussing on celebrating the everyday amongst the fray of our busy lives…to find the silver lining.

For me, as a child, my favourite part of bedtime was by far being read to.

My father would religiously commit to reading me the same story over and over upon my request which was The Princess and The Pea. I even threw a pea or two under my mattress on a few occassions to test the fairytale’s theory waking with slight dissappointment. 

The poor man was most likely way too tired to do this each night, but I never noticed…only years later did I realise the effort put in once it was my turn to do the reading.

For a parent, this will not neccessarily seem like a celebration, yet to a child, it is the perfect way to wrap up their day and create a sense of security.

For our little charges, bedtime stories are part of their silver lining.

Michaela.

I was told long ago that we could pretty much count on a few sets of hands the big events in our lives. That being birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc. They are mostly great, noteworthy and cause enough to celebrate with everyone in our world.

To get to these places however, is a culmination of the effort, focus and value placed on the everyday, the mundane and the usual.

Taking time to find the silver lining in the everyday is, for me, sometimes a challenge…especially as a working, single mother. Yet if I actually stop and glance around at my life, there is much to celebrate and be grateful for.

With a daughter who lives in a dream world much of the time and speaks the love language of time, I am constantly reminded to stop & listen, stop & giggle, stop & embrace and stop & celebrate the little things with her.

Here is a list to get you started on celebrating the everyday. They may seem juvenile, even silly, but injecting a little fun and frivolity into the small moments in a busy day can be just what you and your family need.

Strum a guitar
Light some candles
Break out the hula-hoop
Go for a drive or walk after dinner
Play hide and seek
Turn off the TV
Paint your nails
Get the camera out – capture some memories
Dance
Play loud music
Speak in an accent for the evening – we like to speak Jamie Oliver!
Tell jokes around the table
Buy some flowers
Wear red shoes
Eat from your best china
Have a slumber party in the lounge room
Grab a globe/open an atlas and dream out loud
Bake something
Have a bubble bath
Journal your gratitude
Write a love letter
Read a love letter
Play bingo
Light your fireplace
Phone an old friend
Put up fairy lights
Look through family albums
Read your favourite children’s book
Hug
Hand write a letter
Get dressed up for dinner
Colour code your bookshelf
Write in chalk paint on your windows
Drink from a silly straw
Wear stripy socks
Watch the sunrise
Watch the sunset

Enjoy!