It's coming I promise.

Just a quick update to tell you where I'm at. So holiday adventure stories are coming. I have been snowed under with work and one sick Miss Midget (It seems the moment we hit the county her immune system protested).

We also have had birthdays to celebrate with My 30th happening while we were away and Miss Midget's 4th Birthday happening the week we were back.

For the Birthdays we had an afternoon tea for Miss and drinks for me (Very poor effort on my part, I was in bed by 12am, thanks to Mr E deciding it was a good idea to feed me shots - Shots are never a good idea!!!! When will I learn?).

Anyway to tide you over for a little while heres a couple that I haven't posted on Facebook - This should keep the masses happy until I can sort the rest out (Monday hopefully).

I think we got a tad wet on this ride at Sea World

Miss Midget making friends at Noosa National Park

Mr E having a turn on the didgeridoo in Cairns - He's pretty good

"King Kong & Pippi Longstockings"
Mr E and myself Jungle Surfing (Flying fox kinda thing or Zip Lining) at Cape Tribulation in Cairns

Woohoo Holiday

Woohoo we're going on Holiday.
The final countdown has began (All I have running through my head is "It's the final countdown") as we're off on Friday down to the M.I.L's house and then leaving on a jet plane to jump the ditch on Saturday to have a Austrailia Adventure (Cliche much? haha).

I'm so looking forward to it. I'm praying that it's a hell of a lot warmer there than it is here (looking at the temps it's a given yay).

I've made it to almost 30yrs old without leaving the country I can't wait to see what Australia has in store for me.

So heads up for everyone this is your official warning that I won't be on the net much come Saturday next week unless I find internet access somewhere (Not really planning on looking too hard) so both this blog and Lost in a Book will be a little quiet for at least a couple of weeks as we're gone till 25th/26th of August.

Right now to get off the computer and go continue figuring what on earth I'm packing.
According to Miss Midget she is only taking toys and her bag's all packed. When asked about her clothes she informed me that she was gonna rock around Australia in her pj's. Hmmmm something tells me this one takes after her Mummy in the fact that pj's are the most comfy thing owned :)

Take care and will talk when I get back (I'll have lots of photos to show you hehe)

Important Life Lessons for Miss Midget

So this morning tragedy struck and i was greeted with tears when I went to get Miss Midget up this morning.
Her poor long suffering Barbie has lost her leg just below the knee.



We are hoping Dr Daddy (Mr E) will be able to fix Barbie (Glue should work I hope).
This got me thinking about life lessons Missy has learnt in her 3 almost 4 years.

I would say this is a important one. Barbie's legs may bend but it doesn't mean they go that way. Also this could be a lesson on the fact that Mummy and Daddy may not be able to fix everything.

Another lesson she's learnt a few months back (I won't go into to much detail about it) - She has found out the hard way that if she swallows the likes of Barbie's little bracelet that while we may see it again we do not get to keep it and we count it as GONE.

Another one she's learnt is that yes we can give our toys haircuts but they are not like us and it won't grow back. This one she learnt after silly Mummy left a pair of scissors within reach and Miss had friends around. Really it's all Mummy's fault but still Miss has learnt a valuable lesson on that one.

I know there are more life lessons coming for her. Things like "We don't cut our own hair" and the like of so I guess I have things to look forward to. Feel free to let me know other fun life lessons I may not be aware of.

So I guess now we wait for Dr Daddy and figure out whether today's life lesson is about Barbie's leg or the fact Glue is a wonderful invention.

Will let you know how Barbie's surgery goes :)

Well cheers to a uncertain future

Well this week more uncertainty has crept into my life.

I have been made redundant. 

While I'm not overly happy about the prospect of leaving the job I have held for the last 4 1/2yrs, I can honestly say I just don't have the fight left in me to try again to keep it.

So now with the uncertainty I have a world of possibility in front of me of what I can do next. While in theory this all sounds wonderful I'm not overly happy about this either as there is no structure, control, planning in place on what I am to do next.

Also with the possibility comes "new", I'm thinking about the concept of this now and while it is pushing me out of my comfort zone I'm actually kind of looking forward to it.

So I guess I plan the best way I can. So I'm to start with the job websites and ringing round trying to update my references etc.

So far I have applied for 3 jobs and I have 2 more I am still contemplating. The next "right job" will be just around the corner I'm sure. So for the time being it's a matter of holding on to the handlebars and let the roller coaster take me where it may.

Well wish me luck people and lets see where I end up next :). 

Oh and if you hear of anything in the admin department that you think I might be interested in please feel free to send it my way. The more people helping me look the better.

(Small side note. I started writing this post on Tuesday while waiting for the confirmation. I strategically left it until now to post so I get over all my angry "doom & gloom" and start looking on the bright side. I know this is situation is not forever and I found a awesome quote this week that I think sums it up.)
 

C is for COOKIES

C is for Cookie and I made enough for me :).

Well I have found I have had a bit of time on my hands due to one thing and another lately and I've had a craving for chocolate chip cookies for a long time now. Before you ask no I'm not pregnant I just don't get cookies very often :).

So I had a look at my limited supplies in my pantry and then had a look at my cookbook which didn't have the answers. Good old Google though helped me find a cookie recipe that fitted in with what i had available and I came up with 2 recipes that I have tried. One is for normal Sugar Cookies which I just added chocolate chips to and the other is for Brown Sugar Cookies, this was good as we had lots of brown sugar in the cupboard.

Thought I would share these with you :).

Sugar Cookies (This is the one I added Chocolate Chips to).
1 1/2 cups of butter softened.
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
5 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt.

• Put into a large bowl sugar and butter and cream them together until smooth. Beat in Eggs and Vanilla. Stir in the Flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
  
• Preheat oven to 200 and put cookie dough in lots on baking paper.
  
• Cook for 6 - 8 minutes and then leave to cool. Depending on how you like your cookies. I like mine on the soft side in the middle so mine were in there towards the 6 min mark :).
  
• This recipe makes lots (Didn't count them sorry)

Brown Sugar Cookies
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
If you want spice cookies add in 2x teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (I did not add spices when I made them)

Preheat oven at 200
Mix butter, brown sugar and egg till smooth.
Add vanilla, baking powder and salt and mix.
Mix in flour in slowly so mixture doesn't go lumpy.
Add spices now if required.

Bake till light brown (10 - 12 mins)

I managed to get 14 cookies out of this recipe but this does depend on how big you like your cookies

Have made this recipe 2x this week and this is a photo of last cookie standing lol

I want a refund!!!!!

So I want a refund.

2013 has not lived up to what was originally sold to me and I want a full refund!
Not store credit and I certainly do not want to pick another year as it can not be promised that it won't turn out exactly like this one.

I'm thinking maybe I need to tell "the powers that be" that they have a faulty product and really should look at fixing it.

While it was never stated that I had brought only roses I think I got the product that only had the thorns and fertilizer. I'm still waiting for my roses!!!

Of course when planning for this year no one could expect that it would turn out like this and yes it is "the luck of the draw" but I think a refund is necessary after everything this year.

I think maybe as I push for my refund I could speak to them about their advertising.
Really things like "It can only get better", "This year holds so much promise", "This year is Your year" really shouldn't be used with regards to this year. It's almost false advertising.

I really should've read the "terms and conditions" on New Years day instead of looking at it through hungover eyes first before I went along with all the advertising above. 

If I can't get refund (It's pretty much a given I'm stuck with 2013 isn't it?) I will look into what I can do to get the roses. I have enough fertiliser to sink a ship so I better get some brilliant ones :).

Right now that I have my nonsense rant out of the way I promise I'm fine and we can go back to our regularly scheduled Friday lol.
 

If my daughter makes it to 18.......(Warning Content of this Post is a tad GROSS)

At present we are battling winter illness. So far this winter (Well actually the last 6wks) we've had a tummy bug, strep throat and now we're moving on to a wonderful cold which I won't go into great detail about (it's pretty gross). So again I have found that I have had to take time off work.

I'm now at the point where I'm getting cabin fever and my patience is extremely thin, It also doesn't help that I'm not feeling 100% either. At this point of having her home with me I'm thinking it's going to be a miracle if she makes it to 18yrs old.

My darling daughter when she gets cooped up she tends to go a little like her Mumma with cabin fever. I swear this afternoon was like I'd feed her a whole pile of sugar as she was running round like a crazy person. Was only when she stopped she realised she was still sick as the coughing came and the copious amounts of snot. Her ears must also not be working because everything I said to do (Like stay in the lounge cause it's warm) completely went out the window. Theres is also the entertainment factor that I'm having fun with. Her attention span is not lasting as long as normal.

This post is mainly because I'm frustrated. I know lots of kids get like this and I'm sure I'm not the only mother out there ready to rip their hair out due to not being able to win. I was even informed by the Doctor when we went last time that kids can have 12 sicknesses of a winter (which to me seems ridiculously high).

Be nice to catch a break sometime soon and be able to actually work. Its at this stage of the last few weeks I'm pretty sure I wouldn't last too long as a stay at home mum.

So now I'm going to stop whinging as a) theres not much I can do about the situation and b) having a child was our decision so I'm pretty sure this was self inflicted so time to take the concrete pill and harden up :).