Shakin’ All Over.
We had a bit of excitement this morning. And by excitement I mean white knuckled terror. Christchurch experienced a 7.1 magnitude earthquake. I won’t try to offer factual evidence other than to say it was SCARY! Being woken up at 4:30 in the morning to a bed that’s moving from side to side, a thunderous roar that masked the sound of smashing vases & framed pictures and a house that swayed like it was riding a massive wave, was the most frightening thing I’ve ever experienced.
The house we’re living in right now has a few more cracks and the floor has sunk in some parts but other than that, it’s intact and the most important thing is that we’re all safe. On our drive around town today, we saw things like roads that had buckled upwards and soil ‘liquefaction’ (the hubby had to explain that one to me) where it had acted like a liquid and become a mini mudslide, water bubbling up from underground, collapsed brick chimneys on quite a lot of houses and some beautiful heritage buildings that had crumbled into the street.
It’s a complete miracle that it all happened in the wee hours so noone was around to be crushed under any of the debris. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if Aspen was older and woke up to the scary confusion of all of that. As it was, I stood over her crib and held my arms out (completely ineffectually) as the room swayed from side to side to protect her from falling debris (which was pretty spazzy considering the only debris would have been the roof falling in and I’m pretty sure my wobbly arms wouldn’t have been able to hold that up). In typical Aspen fashion, she slept through the entire thing. Probably dreaming dreams of being some sort of gargantuan baby decimating small Japanese cities. That girl thrives on chaos.
So, yes, we are all safe and the house is still standing but this has shaken me to my core. You go through your life with certain principles guiding you. I breathe the air around me, the sun comes up every morning and the ground is solid beneath my feet. It’s a major blow when the ground beneath your feet can’t be counted on. You start to wonder what other strongly-held beliefs might turn out to be untrue. At 4:30am, I seriously doubted that the sun would come out that morning.
The worst thing is that we’ve been getting aftershocks constantly since the event which, although don’t do any damage, further reinforce the lack of trust you now have in the world around you. We’re all a bit shellshocked around here. Glad to be alive and have each other and also a little more wary of what Mother Nature is capable of.
Image source: Monsters and Critics.
Sponsor Meet & Greet: Cuckoo for Coco.
I’ve admired Shannon from Cuckoo for Coco’s delicate paper mobiles ever since I spotted them on her Facebook page a few months back but didn’t realise you could buy them online. Turns out you can get them pretty much EVERYWHERE! (see stockists below) The range seems to be growing at a rate of knots – everything from sweet softies, hair clip holders, and of course her lovely mobiles in paper or felt. They all would make lovely additions to a nursery or kid’s room. I have to say those birdie cushions look very huggable!
Find Cuckoo for Coco here:
OZ: Made It | Trifle Shoppe | Paper Scissors Rock Stationery | Rudy and the Dodo
Mini Style | Stylish Bubs | Elk Homewares NZ: Unique Boutique.
Polkadot Sundays Colourful Papier Maché.
I know Deb from Kickcan and Conkers is smiling and nodding right now because she knew I’d fall in love with these papier maché creations by London-based Etsy store PolkaDot Sundays. Those monkeys are fabulous and I love her take on the flying swallows wall decorations.
Water Cube Transformed.
World Expo 88 was the biggest thing that happened to Brisbane (Australia) when I was a young’un and I never thought it would be possible to improve on the space when it was over but then they bulldozed all the cement and created the beauty that is Southbank – a huge man-made beach, markets, cafés and lush rainforests in the middle of Brisbane City. Equally, the transformation of Beijing’s Water Cube from Olympic pool to fabulous waterpark just makes my jaw drop. It looks like it was always meant to be a fun, sea themed paradise for families! See a video of the space here. Olympic Pool image from here. (via Design for Mankind)
Mum&Kid: Fun with Kitchen Utensils.
Fine Little Shop – Cutting Board Stage $32……………….Wooden Spoon Puppet Theatre $37.95
Binny’s illustrated wallpaper.
Based in Sydney, Binny’s beautiful hand-drawn illustrations are a perfect fit for childrens’ room wallpaper. I would love a wall in this pattern. (via Mini Must Have)
A letter to the Mother I thought I’d be
Dear Calm and Contented Earth Mother,
I hope you’re enjoying your camping trip of long hikes and meals made over the fire while the little one plays in the grass. While I sit here at the computer, you are encouraging your child to explore the world and teaching her the names of all the flowers and trees.
You didn’t have any problems breastfeeding. No months of excruciating pain and ineffective feeding that lead me to at first use a breastpump and then after much anguish, to feed our daughter formula. You rallied through four months of three hour long scream sessions and found solutions to the colic while I struggled and resorted to long car drives and a pacifier to calm the baby. You did it all with a smile on your face.
While I work to my child’s routines and fit them into my life, you boldly move through your days with your own schedule and your child follows in tow. Your meals are made with care and are nutritious and always prepared ahead of time. You’re always showered, beautifully dressed and ready to host playdates and attend cafés with friends at a moment’s notice instead of having to plan an outing in advance.
When your child reaches that milestone, you feel a sense of success and when she struggles to catch up to the other children, you don’t blame yourself for not being a better Mum. You are never plagued with self-doubt and rarely need to seek help from others. In short, you are together in every way. Not hastily rushing out the door with a child covered in marmite to take the dog for a walk, not to mention your own dishevelled appearance hidden under a hat.
I envy you constantly so I’ve decided it’s time to part ways. Having the image of you in my head all the time isn’t helpful – it just makes me feel so much less even though I pour my heart and soul into my new and imperfect role as Mother.
From now on, I won’t think of everything you do to raise a perfect, well-adjusted child. Instead, I’m going to remember that whatever may come, noone will love my child as much as I do and work as hard as I do (however much I may stumble on a daily basis) to keep her healthy and happy. I will ask for help from others – I realise having never done this job before, there will always be things I can learn.
Thankyou for everything. Knowing you has made me push myself to be better but it’s time to just be the Mum that I am. Warts and all.
Goodbye from Maddie, Disorganised and Imperfect Mummy
A bevy of bookends.
I don’t know about you, but we’ve got books coming out the wazoo these days so I thought I’d look up some fun and stylish ways to keep them under control. (Shops are in OZ & NZ)
James the Bookend – Iconic $58.95
Pencil Bookend – Kidzspace $45 | Kitten Bookends – Hart & Heim $44.95
Giraffe Bookend – Urban Baby $55.95 | Pirate Bookend – Allium Interiors $85.90
Cupcake Bookends – Allium Interiors $85.90 | Zane BOOK Bookend – Kidzspace $30
Squirrel Bookend – Things for Baby $89.95 | Lion Bookend – Urban Baby $69.95
Drooooooool.
A colourfully muted nursery.
I’d been thinking grey for Aspen’s next room but I’ve seen so many lovely blues lately, I’m really tempted to go a turquoise blue instead. This room on Ohdeedoh is a beautiful example of incorporating a whole lot of colour into the room but in a more muted palette. I totally want that pale yellow locker.
Wonderful Woodmouse Blocks.
I love the slightly imperfect, brightly coloured blocks by Woodmouse. The smooth and quirky shapes have me itching to pick them up and play with them!
DIY FYI: Printable Superheroes.
I can’t believe these are free! These printables by Paper and Pomegranates would be a great colouring-in activity for kids; as a superhero-themed party invitation or even just as a cute calling card – the Wonder Woman card is clearly made for Mums!
The coolest babywearer for Dads.
Apparently next week is International Babywearing Week. I’m big into baby wearing. It was a lifesaver with Aspen in her colic days. Plus it meant I had hands free to do chores while keeping the kidlet happy. I can’t recommend the Baby Bjørn carrier enough. It was used daily with a BIG baby until her ninth month with no back strain and it was so easy to clip on at three in the morning when the screamy screams were happening. I think I lost most of my pre-baby weight in that first month walking at a fast clip around the loungeroom! Also, you can get great covers for them from Etsy to make it easier to keep them clean. But enough about BB, I wanted to show you THIS! How stylish is this carrier? It would definitely make a great first Father’s Day present. Handmade by Australian company Ramalama, it’s 100% leather with suede lining and can carry up to 20kg. FYI, stay tuned next Monday for a great Babywearing Sling Giveaway! P.S Here’s the link to the Aust and NZ Babywearing Week facebook page in case you’d like to keep up to date.
I’m ready for Another Lunch.
A reader sent me a link to this site. She obviously knows me well because I adore Another Lunch already. It’s food, it’s eye candy and it’s eco-friendly! Melissa is a Mum who enjoys making colourful, nuritious meals for her four kids in waste-free bento boxes. Imagine being her kid and opening the lid of your lunchbox for the first time that day to find out what amazing creation she’d prepared! Thanks, Angela. (My Mum used to write little inspiring messages on my brown paper lunchbag when I was a kid. I still remember the ‘Let a smile be your umbrella’ note. Nice work, Mum)
DIY FYI: Make a reversible smock.
This reversible smock by Homespun Threads would be great for craft time or even as a little top to wear to the beach this summer. See also: Reversible Dress
Mum&Kid: Leafy Green Totes.
Green Botanica Envirosax Tote $9.90…………………..Melissa & Doug Garden Tote $36.95
Playful Lunch Punch.
The Lunch Punch means Mum might actually let you play with your food for a change! In a variety of shapes, my favourite is definitely the jigsaw design. Wouldn’t that look fabulous as a tray of sandwiches at a kid’s party? It’s created by Kiersten, a Melbourne Mum of three who seems to have a new invention idea every minute and donates a large portion of profits towards local charities. I love this idea to pieces! (r r r) Available in NZ and OZ (and everywhere else)
Three of a Kind: Handmade Shoesies.
Three talented crafters and three sets of gorgeous shoes. I’m kind of partial to those gaiters.
Sewing with Me : Sneakers Pattern $4.50 | Boots Pattern $4.95 (CAN)
Lou’s Shoes : Penny Loafer $35 | Gaiter $44 (NZ)
Giveaway: The Longest Drink in Town.
Not being of Kiwi origin, I can only speak to the retro awesome that is ‘The Longest Drink in Town’ – an iconic New Zealand brand. Since the late sixties, every milkshake purchased at your local ‘dairy’ (Kiwi for corner store) would be served in a cup graced by the smiling mug of Mr Giraffe. According to my research, “since its inception in 1968, this icon has graced the sides of over 120 million paper cups in New Zealand. Currently 4.5 million are printed and dispatched every year!” I totally dig the funky red and blue retro stylings that go along with this memorabilia and knowing that it’s a staple of Kiwi culture, I think that applying it to a kid’s height chart and tee are totally inspired.
Win a plastic cup set + a height chart + a tea towel!!
Open to New Zealanders only.
To enter: leave a comment telling me what your favourite piece of The Longest Drink memorabilia is. Let me know if you’re a member of The Longest Drink in Town group on Facebook or a follower on Twitter and you’ll receive an extra entry. You can also get extra entries for Tweeting/Facebooking about the competition – just come back and leave a comment to let me know each time you do it.
The winner will be chosen next Monday, September 6th (NZ time) via random.org.
Official Tooth Fairy Records.
Tooth-losing is a serious business. Records need to be kept in order. Accurate and up-to-date notes must be written. Tooth fairies need to schedule their time to ensure each tooth gets the proper consideration and compensation. Luckily there’s this gorgeous letterpress Official Tooth Fairy Kit which will ensure every detail is tickety-boo. Plus it makes a beautiful keepsake. (Thanks, Jessica at Foxes)
