Moving to the country.

Crazy week. Exciting week. Flat out week.

It is said that moving house is one of the most stressful events in life. Golly, I can see why! My stress levels peaked this afternoon but they're just fine now, thanks for asking.

Yes, we have made the decision this week to move. But not just within the same town like we did 6 years ago. No, we are moving to a town 5 hours away. That I haven't even been to yet. Yes, I have agreed to pack up our whole family & move to somewhere that I have never seen. Except online. Thank goodness for google maps, where you can place the little yellow man on the street and walk up & down and round & round.

I've been quiet on the blog front for a while now because I was scared I was going to let the cat out of the bag. The job application was submitted a while back. We have been living in limbo, wondering if it was going to come to fruition. I've slowly started clearing out stuff in case we were moving. I haven't committed to stuff in case we were moving. Just 2 weeks ago, somebody (that I know) at a school fete meeting volunteered me to run the book stall in Nov because I do it every year. I deliberately hadn't attended the meeting so that I wouldn't have to say that we may not be around.

But now it's happening. Crazy exciting. Crazy energy. Crazy stress. But all for good reason. When we are in our 40's we need to take offers that we may not get again.

So the BIG cull started today. And will continue every day until we leave. In about 4 weeks. Lots of donations, lots of dump trips, no time for a garage sale. Fed up with people not picking up items that I've advertised for sale online.

Rental properties are scarce where we are going. Nothing available for us to view when we take a whirlwind trip next week. The company is giving us access to a furnished place for a month if we need, and I'm thinking it will be easier to secure a rental once we are actually there. Just trying to get a property manager to return my call is hard enough! I realise they have lots of enquiries but we need somewhere to live.

Grown ups are keen, kids are keen. Even though we are leaving everything we have ever known. I have been in this area since I was 10. Ray was born locally. I met him when I landed in the same class as him in Year 5 in 1980, having moved from interstate. Our kids attend the schools that we went to. Our church is the same one we were married in & our kids were baptised in. We have a big history here.

But we are brave people. We will make friends, we can integrate. I am not afraid of that. I know we are doing the right thing for us as a family. Nobody has given us a negative comment over it yet. We will miss our friends and family of course, but they have phones, they are online, and this is our time.

But that doesn't mean that I won't stress out in the process!

I'm off to find my new village.

Would you ever consider uprooting your family like this?

Karen xx

I've been married 20 years today!

20 years. Oh. My. Goodness.

Yes, today is our 20th Wedding Anniversary. We married in the same church we attend now. Our photos were taken at the harbour at Shellharbour, which is one of the places we still like to take the kids.

Thought I would share a couple of photos from the fastest day in my life. (a warning to all you photographers out there - these are photos of photos, not scanned). And one of the most fabulous days of my life. We had SO much fun.

We were 22. We've known each other since we were 10, but didn't start going out until 20. Engaged at 21, married at 22.

Mortgages, kids and various jobs, cars and pets have seen us through the last 20 years. I wonder what the next 20 will bring?

Happy Anniversary Ray. I love you dearly and am proud to be your wife. xx

Karen.

Sexy Older Men?

So there's a 4 CD set of Rod Stewart's music just been released in the shops. I'm a bit of a fan of the ol' Rod Stewart. He's in the category of men who get sexier with age. He can leave his boots under my bed!

These guys can too, although not at the same time:

* Tom Jones

* Sean Connery

* Jon Bon Jovi

* Antonio Banderas

And, JUST scraping in at being older than me is Simon Baker

Hmmm.....I could become quite a floosy in my old age......


What do you think? Do you agree with my selections? Did I miss anyone?

Leave me some comment love & tell me who would be on your list!

Karen xx





Rod from here.
Tom from here.
Sean from here.
Jon from here.
Antonio from here.
Simon from here.

Orgran Itsy Bitsy Bears - an allergy friendly giveaway.

Edit: 20 May 2012 at 11pm. This giveaway is now closed and has been won by Marybelle, who has been advised by email. Thank you for entering.


I heard on the radio today that 1 in 10 children these days have some form of food allergy. That's a massive 10% of kids that are restricted in what they can eat. That's a pretty alarming statistic. With three kids of our own we were fortunate to not have any allergies. I know plenty of kids who do though. I know how to use an Epi-pen.

I know our primary school is nut free. And foods that are primarily egg are discouraged. Like mini quiches or meringues, due to egg allergies. I know there are other allergies around the place too. We have photos of the kids near the serving window inside the canteen so we can reduce the risk of the kids being served something they are allergic to. Although I tend to find that the kids with allergies bring their own food, or some of the Mums have even checked out the canteen & let us know what their kids CAN buy. Thanks Mums!

Wouldn't it be great to have a lunchbox treat that was allergy friendly?

Well now you can! Or, your kids can lol!

Orgran is a brand I see a lot, being one who packs supermarket shelves for a living & all.

We received a box of their Itsy Bitsy Bears in each flavour (choc berry and choc chip) to taste and review. Being a label reader, I was curious about their nutrition info as well as their taste.

Here's where I sound like a commercial, but the info is important:

* Each 175g box is equal to 10 servings, at only 70 calories per serve (that's snack happy in my book!)

* Oven baked, not fried. (I must not eat fried food, I must not eat fried food.......)

* Rich in complex carbohydrates (from my own untrained dietary knowledge, this means longer lasting, slower released energy, rather than a quick burst that would lead to cravings)

* Contains psyllium for added fibre. (my kids are not vegetable fans, so this helps avoid constipation).

So, what did we think about them?

CHOC CHIP FLAVOUR:

Liam (9): "Delicious". Came back for seconds.

Zac (16): "Average. A bit powdery. Missing something". Ah, yes kids, I didn't tell you they are gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, yeast free, soy free, nut free & vegan.

Megan (4): "Yep", when asked I asked if she liked them.

Me (old enough lol): they are biscuits, they taste like biscuits. (Which is probably what Orgran want them to taste like).


CHOC BERRY FLAVOUR:

Liam: "These are delicious, I'm having more."

Zac: "These ones are better."

Megan: "These ones are yum."

Me: "Back away from the box. These are mine."


So, now you know what we think of them, why not give them a try for yourself? You can find them in Woolworths/Safeway, Coles, IGA, Foodworks, Franklins and leading health-food stores. (I know in Woollies that are in the health food section). RRP $3.75 for a 175g box in either flavour. Break that down to your 10 serves per box & it's only 37.5 cents for a lunchbox snack. Cheaper than some of the other snack foods out there.

BUT, if you can't bear to buy before you try, enter my giveaway. One lucky reader will receive a box of these deliciously allergy free Orgran Itsy Bitsy Bears in choc chip AND a box of choc berry flavour too. Winner!

Now, for you App Happy people out there, here is some great news:
A Free App!  Orgran Gluten Free Foods Recipe App. There are over 300 recipes, making catering for gluten free eaters easier. Simply select an Orgran ingredient or two, tell it if you want sweet or savoury & voila! A selection of recipes using those ingredients at your fingertips. Stress be gone! Save the recipes you like in the favourites section. A handy app when shopping too, nothing worse than getting home & finding you have forgotten a crucial ingredient. Now, I have to tell you this app is iPhone and iPad friendly, so I haven't actually tried it because I have Android. But if you have an iPad you could sit it on your kitchen bench to make it easy peasy to follow the recipe whilst you are cooking. And it has a photo of the finished product (a MUST for culinary challenged people like myself), shareable on social media (Facebook & the like). You can download the app free from iTunes.

To enter my giveaway, tell me if you have any experience with food allergies, it could relate to yourself, your kids or someone you know.


Giveaway is open to Australian residents only & will close at 7pm on Sunday May 20. So get your entries in quick smart!

Karen xx


Disclaimer: We received a box in each flavour for review purposes.

It seems Mum was right all along.....

I was brought up on plain breakfasts.

No Coco Pops, Fruit Loops or Muesli in our place. And that was before Nutri Grain or Sultana Bran were invented. It was plain old Rice Bubbles, Corn Flakes or Vita Brits (Weetbix weren't allowed because apparently the company that makes them is tied in with a different religion to my Dad's beliefs). Or toast. Sometimes in winter we had porridge. The other cereals were all "rubbish". Yes, all of them.

I reckon that over the years since I left home, I have tried almost every breakfast cereal in the shops! When I eat breakfast. Which I now do.

Some of them leave me hungry after a recommended serving size, most don't see me through until lunch time, which in my opinion, breakfasts should do. Morning tea shouldn't be needed, it should be optional. I am of the old school - 3 squares a day, sir. But having said that, I do love a nice morning or afternoon tea. And I do tend to pick during the day. And night.

I have also tried countless diets and eating plans over the years. Weight Watchers, Gloria Marshall (remember them lol?!), Sure Slim, meal replacement shakes, low carb, low GI, and I'm sure there are more.

What I am finding is working best for me right now is having good old Weetbix for breakfast. (Weetbix taste better than Vita Brits & I tolerate all religions!). Yep, 2 Weetbix & milk every morning. I love them. By the time lunch time arrives I am ready to eat but not at the "I'm starving" point. A sensible lunch (I have so far resisted the KFC that opened about 6 months ago in my home town), then an awareness of what I'm eating for dinner. I am reducing the carbs, not cutting them out. And I'm writing down what I eat. When I remember. If I can find a pen that works.

So far I have only lost a little over 2kg in nearly a month. But we are still eating our way through Easter chocolate so I don't consider that too bad. I am heading in the right direction. So this time in 12 months, sexy will be back.

And it seems my mother was right all along. Plain cereals are the ones to eat! And eating breakfast is essential.

What have you discovered in your life that your folks were right about all along?

Karen xx

Image Credits : here and here (found via Google Images).

Lest We Forget. Wollongong ANZAC March

Many of us have returned home from ANZAC Day Services today.

After a change of plans, I attended the Wollongong March. Zac, our army cadet son, was marching in it, after participating in a guard party at the Port Kembla dawn service. Which by all reports was cold and windy. But we don't have the right to complain about the weather today. Did the ANZACs get the chance to complain about the weather? Or any soldiers in any war? No, they just had to get on with it.

I have a new phone that I used to take photos & they don't all end up the same size when I download them to my computer. Haven't yet mastered how to change that! But here are some to share with you.

diggers unable to walk the distance

always love the brass band


Lots of groups marching:

26ACU Wollongong (army cadets)

Zac is 2nd on left

 The march wasn't as big this year, however I am proud to see so many of our youth marching as a sign of respect for our fallen soldiers and our veterans. Whether as members of cadets, brigades, scouts or kids marching with Grandparents, they did themselves proud. Good to see such respect being shown.

Lest We Forget.

Karen xx




ANZAC Services

ANZAC Services began in our region today.

I had the privilege of attending two, with Zac participating as part of the Australian Army Cadets.

I feel almost ashamed to admit that this is only the second year I have attended ANZAC services. Remembering and acknowledging our soldiers past and present takes so little of my time, yet over the years I have been too lazy or considered it too hard to attend. Were our fallen soldiers too busy or too lazy to go to war? I don't think so. And I was so busy taking photos that I almost forgot to applaud our diggers as they marched. Self absorbed, maybe?

So I continue to be super proud that Zac chooses to be an army cadet, and volunteers to get involved in community occasions. There were cadets from the Army, Air Force and Navy in attendance and they all excelled. Solemn and respectful. Another example of our youth being showcased in a positive manner.

Here are a few snaps from our day:

last minute practice, that's Zac in the middle

unveiling a plaque for Korean War veterans

that's Zac leading

they stayed in this position for an hour - extremely hard to do

memorial wall at Albion Park RSL

Warilla RSL Sub-Branch

 There are more services all over our region on ANZAC Day (Wednesday). If you attend any, after paying respect to the Veterans, please take the time to notice the Cadets. They are some of our up and coming Soldiers and Officers. Tell them if you think they look great or if they have done a great job by being there. Believe me, it means a lot to them!

Are you attending any ANZAC services this year?

Karen xx