What a day already!

Today I didn't really have a plan. Was just going to go with the flow. Fridays are usually pretty hectic as all 3 little ones are home and its the end of the week so everyone is a little tired and grumpy. Woke feeling a little blah but soon got my organisation groove on and got stuck into it. Well as much as I could with 3 little ones to help out. I spent most of the morning picking up toys and reminding everyone that you don't need all the toys out at once and you couldn't possibly play with them all (and God knows we certainly don't have the room!). Once I admitted defeat it was time to move on......

I opened the Pantry Doors and discovered something that resembled this...

Pic from {here}

Ok, that's not my pantry but I forgot to take a before photo so that is going to have to do. After pulling everything out, tossing things out of date, finding boxes to use to organise and 2 bags of rubbish later! We ended up with this.....

{after} - its here!

Of course not with out some super help from Zach and Anna and with Mitchell playing with Thomas toys around my feet! There was cereal mess all over the floor and I started to wonder why I had ever started but its done and feel a little better now.

The cardboard boxes I used are not very pretty - yet (although you can't see them very well in the photo). I used chip boxes that I had been saving up for something like this. I plan on covering them fabric and a little mod podge like I did with Mitchell's special books box....and also labeling them.

{made last year to put Mitchell special books in
that we don't want the twins into} - here it is!

I also got into the extra food storage cupboard and tidied that up in the same way. Again using empty cardboard boxes that I will pretty up when I get a chance.

I usually do a bulk shop of most used items when I am in Canberra or going through Canberra as groceries here are sooooo expensive. $4 - $5 for a loaf of bread! Up to $5 for 3 litres of milk! Not to mention all the school and cooking supplies we go through. I also bulk buy my baby wipes - almost $10 for a packet of wipes here that I can pick up at Aldi for about $3. While I use cloth nappies 100% of the time - ok not 100% as I send disposables to Daycare, for now - I still use disposable wipes but I have all the material sitting here to make washable wipes, just need to find the time to sew them! (I currently use flushable liners too but I think I will stick to them for now.) Alright, that may be a whole other post there so more on my cloth nappies later.

My next task is to empty the freezer (the one in the fridge - we also have a chest freezer but that's tomorrows job!) and organise that. I plan on listing everything I find and doing my upcoming meal plans from that. Between the fridge freezer and the chest freezer its going to save me hundreds I tell you!

{ Added: Here is the result of Brett's effort in the chest freezer! I'm quite impressed! Plenty of room now to stock up on meat! Thanks Brett! }

And also a HUGE thank you to Brett for this effort!

Underneath are the baskets I use to store my nappies in, on top of the lowboy.
- they are over flowing a bit at the moment. I need another basket!

In the house we are currently staying in there is absolutely no hanging space in the kids room. All of the things that needed to be hung up were hung in my wardrobe leaving that very cluttered! Then I came up with the idea of adding a hanging rail from the roof! I purchased the wooden wardrobe doubler from Kmart when I was pregnant with the twins - Its hard to explain so this is it (except mine has a wooden rail)

Its brilliant and adds the extra hanging space I needed in the corner of the room. Now all the kids clothes are hung in their room and I have my wardrobe back!

For more Pantry/Wardrobe/Cupboard Organizing checkout Organizing Junkie!

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Yesterday Zach, Anna and Mitchell were all in Preschool/Daycare and boy did I get a lot done!

* Bathroom/Toilet thoroughly cleaned, vacuumed and mopped
* Kitchen cleaned and vacuumed and mopped
* 5 loads of washing done, along with a pretty through clean of the laundry
* Beds made, bedrooms dusted, wardrobes tidied and floors vacuumed
* Lounge room thoroughly cleaned, dusted and vacuumed. Toys sorted and re-organised
* All the sheets/towels etc folded and put away
* Odds 'n' ends that usually end up stacking up on the dreaded piano in the hall put away

By the time everyone got home I had had a few minutes to enjoy my thoroughly clean and sparkling house before all hell broke loose again!

Now I'm off to put anybody under 3 to bed and get the 5 loads of washing off the line and folded before beginning my freezer task. Wish me luck!

It's been tough...

I haven't posted in a while because truthfully.....I haven't felt like it. Things around here have been tough. I'm coping but I'm not if you know what I mean.....

Wednesday March 18th, 11:52am

I started this post the other day and as it says, I just didn't feel like posting at the time. I was sad. Sad because we had just gotten back from our appointment in Sydney with Dr Lowe who told us that in Zachary's future he doesn't see him walk on his own with out the aid of a walker. Why my son, why my little boy?? He is such a happy little man, he doesn't let anything get in his way but why should this be in his future? I've had a few days to process it now and I'm feeling a little better, I guess maybe coming to terms with it all. We will hopefully be getting Zachary's Kaye Walker in the next few weeks but it should be by next week. He had a go of a little boys this week at group therapy and just took off. It is what he needs, it is what I need! Dr Lowe was happy with his hips this time and we are not considering Botox at this time but we are looking into AFO's for the future once he is up and about in his walker.

Today is the first day in a long time that I have gotten up and not had to rush off anywhere. I'm still in my PJ's and it feels great. Although the twins have just gone down for a sleep so I'm planning on jumping through a shower and getting into some house work. Fun, I know......

Also Anna has been diagnosed with Exotropia. Not such wonderful news but treatable. Its has pretty much been a terrible week. First Anna's diagnosis then Zach's long term prognosis then yesterday I was getting wood from the wood pile and the whole lot fell on my leg - OUCH - I'm now sporting cuts and some pretty nasty bruises as well as an extremely sore leg all over. Today I was getting a knife out of the drawer and someone put a knife in that was sharp and I cut my finger. That was a few hours ago and it has only now stopped bleeding......

Some good news to end on though....I'm going to be an auntie! I'm soooo excited! Congratulations to my brother Daniel and his wife Melissa, we can't wait to meet this little one!

I have also been involved (addicted to) the current nappy hunt. I do it every year. I've recently gone back to MCN's and I'm yet again a complete addict! Zach and Anna have out grown all the 'sized' nappies I had so they are going up for sale and I am replacing them. As well as the fitted nappies. I'm not keen on covers anymore. Recently I have brought:

2 x 'Oober Baby' Large AIO - one in this pink and one aqua

This ' Rollicking Rascals' Rainbow Onesize AIO

This 'Rollicking Rascals' Purple Onesize AIO

This 'Caterpillar Cuties' Retro Robots Onesize. Its actually a fitted but I could resist.


These 3 'Whizz Kidz' AIO (one not pictured)

A super cute soaker...by Woolly Bottoms


As well as these 5 'Daddle Doo' AI2's that I love!

Now I have a pretty decent 'stash' again and have cut down a lot of work by eliminating most of my 'fitteds'. All the nappies I have now will fit until they toilet train and thanks to the nappy hunts discount code I have made some savings too!

Buying nappies has cheered me up....lol! Thankfully I'm making back a decent amount of money from the nappies that I am selling. Now just to sort out the covers and get them sold!

Ok enough about that. I best head off and actually do something! Looking forward to getting back into some sewing soon too. I have a few UFO's to get to and some other things I would like to try. I also have some PIF items to attend too - watch out! ( I also want one or two more people so let me know if you are interested!)