Are you planning for Christmas already?

It is official. Christmas has hit the shops - Coles, Myers, K Mart and even Ikea. Christmas has arrived.

As I walked through Ikea (my favourite second favourite shop) perusing the decorations and Christmas styling I started to think about what my family will be doing for Christmas this year. Events to host, advent planning, presents to buy, decorations, carols, teacher appreciation gifts, travel and holidays... My mind started to spin and I had to take a moment. Am I ready for all of this yet? I feel like I only just packed away last years tree!?!?!

I took a deep breath and said to my husband 'I think it's time to plan for Christmas' Arghhhhhh

Once I got over my initial freak out I calmly grabbed a cup of tea and sat down quietly with the calendar.

Let's start with the big and the basics first:

1. Where will we be for Christmas?
2. Have we put in leave from work?
3. What big events do we have on around this time?

This year we will be travelling to Melbourne for a family wedding on 28th December so that was where I began.

Once I worked out the logistics of travel, accommodation and timing everything else seemed easier.

As a mum of 2 that works pretty much full time I need to ensure that I am super organised. I hate feeling overwhelmed and out of control so I do live by my trusty schedule as much as possible.

I love Christmas and all that it brings. I also love to relax and enjoy my family and have an actual holiday too. I can achieve a nice balance between work and play if I plan a head.

A few more things to think about:

4. Start a gift list now
5. Set a budget for food, gifts, travel and events
6. Plan your Christmas card list. Collect addresses, emails and start making your cards if you like make them yourself
7. Start writing a Christmas ideas list for activities your whole family would like to do in the lead up to the big day and put it on the fridge for everyone to contribute to - Santa photos, Carols by candlelight, fairy light drives and end of year parties.

Starting early will help to avoid the rush and panic of last minute shopping and organisation. 

Now I think I am off to have a glass of wine to calm my nerves. Christmas is 12 weeks away and I think the count down has already begun. Eeek!

11 ideas for birthday traditions

As a mum I love the build up, anticipation and hype we give our children when it comes to their birthday. I love watching Miss B count down the days on the calendar and informing me each night how many sleeps she has until the big day. You can’t help but get swept up into the excitement!

Birthdays are very special in my family and we like to celebrate them with fun and flare. I am all about experiences and making memories, so when it comes to a birthday we have a couple little traditions to ensure each is special.

There is always a birthday breakfast and a special homemade cake usually chosen by the birthday boy or girl in advanced. We always take a family snap shot, and we finish with a family dinner. Up until now, my hubby and I have filled out a birthday book on each child each year. It’s just 2 pages of quirks and facts about that child at that time. This year Miss B is turning 5 and she will fill it out with us for the first time. I will continue this with my kids each year and present them with a collated birthday book when they turn 21. (I will always keep a copy for myself too of course.) I would love for you to share this with your family too.

As you know, I am a huge lover of Pinterest. It is great for searching ideas and for inspiration. Here are some birthday ritual suggestions that I have found. They are budget friendly, meaningful and of course lots of fun for the whole family.

1. Fill the bedroom floor with balloons while the birthday girl is fast asleep. When she wake up she will have a grin from ear to ear.
2. Tape some streamers across the bedroom door. The birthday boy can have fun breaking through them.
3. Make a special care package of fun activities to do together.
4.  Have a hide and seek present hunt.
5. Write special messages in letters or post it notes and display them.
6. Write a message on the bathroom mirror.
7. A birthday hat for the day.
8.  Put some birthday treats in the school lunchbox.
9. Choose your own adventure day.
10. Queen or king for the day.
11. Write an entry in the Birthday book together

Birthdays can be so much more than opening presents and blowing out candles. I have discovered that by having a simple tradition associated with a birthday it makes the whole experience so much more special for everyone. We spend more time together as a family preparing and celebrating. And we have lots of silly fun and even more giggles.

How do you celebrate birthdays with your family?

Do you have a special tradition or something fun you like to do each year?

Please share your traditions below.

Have a fabulous day

12 School Readiness strategies - Are you ready for school?

My daughter Miss B is fast approaching the end of her pre school years. In just 4 months my little baby girl will be begin her journey into big school.

Now as bitter sweet as this is, we need to be practical for a minute. There are a few things that our gorgeous little munchkins need to learn before they hit the big time. Yes I am talking about School Readiness.

Now is a great time to start preparing for what will be one of the biggest changes to their little lives so far.

Most people get confused and overwhelmed about how they can help their kids prepare so here are a few tips to get you started.

Whilst knowing how to write your name and count to 10 is important before you begin school, it is not vital. However, ensuring that your child has the emotional and physical maturity to cope with the day to day experiences that school brings is.

Below is a checklist for you and your child to work towards as you prepare for Primary School. 

    1. Can I dress and undress myself including taking a jumper on and off?

    2. Can I put my shoes and socks on and off?

    3. Can I confidently go to the bathroom by myself and wash my hands?

    4. Can I follow 3 sequential instructions at a time? – Miss B can you please take your PJs off, choose your clothes for today and put you PJs under your pillow or Mr J Can you please set the table for dinner with cutlery, placemats and cups.

    5. Am I practising looking after my own property? Or am I always losing things like my hat, lunchbox or jumper?

    6. Am I responsible for a number of chores at home? – Taking my plate to the kitchen after dinner, Putting my dirty clothes in the washing, packing up my toys before bed, carrying by bag inside.

    7. Am I a good listener? – Can I sit on the mat and listen to a story for 5 minutes? Or do I listen when mummy asks me a question?

    8. Am I good at sharing and taking turns?

    9. Am I patient? – Can I wait my turn most of the time?

    10. When I get cranky or frustrated, I try to calm down without crying, yelling or having a tantrum.

    11. Am I good at using my words to communicate with others? –  Can I have good chats with adults and other kids? Am I good at expressing my needs and wants using words?

    12. Do I have a good bedtime and morning routine?

As you can see, the checklist is written in the forms of questions that your child can ask themselves over the next few months. This will help to give more ownership and responsibility to your child.

The idea of this checklist is not for you to turn your life upside down and change everything you do overnight. That would cause A LOT more stress! No No No! The idea is to choose one item and work on adding it in to your daily routine slowly and carefully.

So how can you add this into your daily routine?

• Chat to your child and establish a big boy/girl job list together. Write it down and display it somewhere your child will see it everyday. This will form a basis for a good routine.

• Ask your child if they would like to choose their clothes for the day and ask them if they would like to dress themselves. Giving your child a little responsibility at a time will encourage them to actively look for more. (That’s where we as parents need to learn to let go a little).

• Help prepare your little ones for more structured activities by sitting on the floor together quietly for 5 minutes or more doing only one thing such as reading a book or playing a card game. Allow your child to explore this quiet time with you in a positive way. Build the time up slowly until you forget you’re even watching the clock. This will help to build their concentration and get them used to quiet, adult lead activities.

Just remember that this is a guide to help you prepare. You know your child best and you know what will work for them. Even adding one of these routines into your daily life will assist in building a good foundation for your child.

I am currently working on the undressing task. Miss B can get her clothes on but has so much trouble getting her Tshirts off! Her arms seem to get so stuck.

Once we have mastered dressing including her swimmers (eek) I think we will move on to putting things in their place as Miss B is ALWAYS losing her things.

School mums, what did you do to help prepare your munchkin for School?

What work?

What didn’t?

If you could give us newbies one tip for big school, what would it be?

Have a fabulous day