And the winner is......

All of your honest moments were humbling and beautiful. I couldn't decide so I put all your names in a jar and picked out.....

EMMA JANE

Send me your details and I send the gorgeous Family Rules your way! I would LOVE to see a picture of these hanging proudly in your home. X

Testing the friendship....

We are under house arrest at the moment due to Baby Moo being exposed to chicken pox a few weeks ago. Obviously, I don't want Moo to infect all our little friends in town so we have been staying home to wait out the 'incubation' period (21 days) and trying to entertain ourselves. Did I emphasise on the TRYING?!

After 14 days at home - we are going CRAZZZZZZZZZY!

Moo is getting SO annoyed with me - you can just see it in her eyes that all she wants to do is get out of the house, go to town and play with all our gorgeous friends. Doing the groceries doesn't cut it - she wants to PLAY!

Yesterday was a day where both Macie and I both cried. I cried from just sheer frustration of being torn between doing what's RIGHT and then doing what we just want to do! Macie cried from a severe case of cabin fever.....

So today - we spent the morning in the garden, played with the hose, visited the chooks, and even had a very special visit from our neighbour! Hooray - we got to speak with someone other than Mr H!

Anyway - another couple of days at home should give us the all-clear and then it will be visits to town, swimming lessons, playdates and lots of other things to look forward to.

That is....if she doesn't actually get the chicken pox....then it will be another 2 weeks at home....

actually....i don't even want to think about that.

Do any other Mama's out there feel this frustration?

Too fast?

I have mentioned before - and I will mention again - my love of the Womens Weekly. It is the one and only magazine (give and take a trashy mag here and there) I get each month and I love reading it from cover to cover.

This month has not failed to impress me and also to get me talking about some of the great articles with intense interest and debate! Poor Mr H always seems to be dragged into the debate with me - god I love him!

One article in particular grabbed my instant attention - 'Are our girls growing up too fast?' (page 82)....obviously I was interested - since I am now a Mama to a very beautiful daughter.

The article talks about the modern-day pressures on little girls and all the absurd items on the market which are targeting them and ripping their childhood away from them. It goes on to mention the padded-bra outrage, the news headlines about a beautician turning away a woman who bought her 9-year-old daughter to have her legs waxed and then the party planners who organise a Day Spa for 10 year olds to have a manicure, pedicure, their hair done and THEN have their makeup done - all while travelling to and from in a bright pink hummer or limo!!

Needless to say, I felt like I was living under a rock - I had NO IDEA that this was all going on. I had no idea that in 2006, parent groups pressured the Federal Government into conducting a Senate inquiry into the sexualisation of children. Along with that, I was shocked to read that 'its not uncommon these days to find kids as young as eight and nine engaging in oral sex and simulated intercourse'. Consequently, the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show in the period of 2007-2008 the number of teen pregnancies rose by 10 per cent....and they are saying that it all starts at such a young age - when our little girls are feeling pressured into growing up too soon?

Obviously I am aware of most of the commercial items available for children - you only have to walk through the 'tween' section of Target and K-Mart to really realise what is available for our daughters.

To be honest with you - I really don't know what to think about this article. Sometimes I believe that there are too many statistics, too many 'groups' and too many researchers that are ready to blame something or someone. Sadly, I believe there is no 'accountability' anymore. No-one is willing to take responsibility for their own actions.

Don't get me wrong - I do think that SOME of the products out there for our little girls are absolutely ridiculous and should not even be offered on the shelves at our shopping centres (especially the PADDED bras...OMG!). BUT shouldn't we as parents be making the right choices for our daughters? Shouldn't we know the difference between what is right and wrong to ensure that our daughters grow up to be happy within themselves and FEEL beautiful no matter what?

We can CHOOSE what we want our children to be dressed in, play with, etc etc - and should feel liberated that we aren't feeling 'pressured' into buying mini-skirts and padded bras for them. We can CHOOSE whether or not to buy them the teeny magazines with all the rot in them, and we can CHOOSE to be in touch with our children to make sure they aren't feeling pressured or depressed.

We can CHOOSE to create a happy environment for our daughteres to feel free, happy and BEAUTIFUL. Not to compete to be the MOST beautiful girl in the class - but to teach our girls that each and everyone of them are beautiful in their own special way.

I am a firm believer that life is all about choice and accountability. If we make a choice that may be wrong - then we need to take accountability for our actions?

So, if you have a beautiful daughter, do yourself a favour and go and purchase the Womens Weekly to read this article. It may make you think twice about your actions and your purchases and more importantly - it may save your little girls childhood.

(Quotes from 'Are our girls growing up too fast' October 2010 WW Edition)

Each and every one

I have been reading all the comments to my 'Honesty' Giveaway and each and every one has blown my breath away.

Thank you for sharing so much with me. Each and every one of you are so amazing in your own individual way. Thank you for teaching me how precious life is and to treasure every single moment.

And if you are wondering what I am talking about - read the comments to my 'Honesty' post....it is guaranteed to make you take a step back from 'your' world and give you an insight to how many amazing, brave and strong mamas are out there.

Each and EVERY one of you are amazing. I feel honoured that you read my blog. X

Harvest time....

Harvest time for the wheat and chickpeas is just around the corner but we had our own little harvest of our vege garden over the weekend....

Would you believe that our 'Rocket' went literally nuts! It overtook the whole vege garden and consequently our poor little onions and chives didn't survive. The carrots are still growing along with our cauliflowers!




The rocket has been evicted from the Vege Garden and given to the chooks who loved it!

Talking about the chooks...they are back to their gorgeous QUIET selves after the dog massacre! So quiet that one particular lady loves to peck our toes! I absolutely love letting them out and seeing them interact with Macie. They absolutely love her and she loves them too. She is not one bit scared of them....if anything I flinch more than she does! What a little farm girl in the making!



I particularly LOVE this photo - every afternoon they all bolt for the pen when they see Mr H heading over there!! You can just see them going 'WAIT FOR MMMMEEEEEE!!'

Honesty GIVEAWAY! Don't miss out!

I always credit myself to be a honest person....perhaps sometimes a tad too honest!

But today it paid off!

Recently, I purchased our gorgeous Dalli Cottage rules from ministyle.com.au! It was taking forever to arrive so I contacted the lovely Penelope - to be told that she would send out another one immediately.

Within days I had received not one but TWO packages from Ministyle both being the fantastic print! It appeared that with the floods around Queensland - our mail had been delayed.

So without hesitation I told Penelope that I have received an extra and would post it back immediately!

And guess what....? For MY honesty....Penelope told me to keep both prints! HOW LOVELY is that!

So....I have decided to do a giveaway of my extra print! Leave a comment about your most 'honest' moment and be in the draw to win this gorgeous print! Entries close on 10th October 2010.

Be sure to visit Penelope and her team at Ministyle....they will guarantee you a terrific shopping experience. X

the latest with Dalli....

My little business has been going nuts lately....much to my delight! I have been receiving orders left, right and centre and have been keeping the postie fit with all my fabric arriving in the mail!

My latest creation (which I had so much fun making) has been a 'one-off' dress to be placed in a raffle for The Jillian Cupples Bursary.



The Bursary is a very special cause which I hold close to my heart. My dear friend Georgie who I went to school with since Year 3 (I think!!) lost her beautiful sister, Jillian, in a horrific car accident. Jillian was such an amazing lady - only 28 years old when the accident occurred. She was the most loving daughter, sister, friend and teacher. After the accident, they promised to always ensure that they would keep Jill's passion for education ALIVE!

So this is how the Bursary has come about...

This Bursary is to assist families wishing to send or who have their daughters enrolled at Fairholme College Toowoomba (the school both my sister and I attended from Years 1 - 12). We know a child’s education is very important; however it can be costly for parents. Parent’s will always find away to provide their daughters with the best education they can by finding the tuition and boarding fees, however it is the extras that often parents find hard to afford. Example new uniforms, sports coaching/equipment, music lessons, extra tuition fees this list is endless.

The bursary recipient will be decided by the committee from the recommendation of Fairholme College staff, to be given to the young lady on the Fairholme College Founders day each year starting 2011.

Fairholme College was chosen as the recipient school as it was Jillian’s alma mater. This is where Jillian discovered her love of learning and helping friends and fellow school mates achieve their full potential anyway she could.

There are so many terrific prizes in the raffle along with a Dalli creation!! Be sure to visit their Facebook page to order tickets and support such a fantastic cause. At the end of the day, our children are our future.

Further contact details: If you would like to purchase raffle tickets please contact Georgie Cupples: 0400 493 449 or if you would like to make a tax deductible donation to the Fairholme College Fondation/The Jillian Cupples Bursary: 07 4688 4688