silent saturday project

I thought today I would see if I could get some inspiration from my readers. I find silent saturday to be a nice post day for me as I can choose one of my images and share it with you all and wish you a nice weekend. But today I thought I would ask if you could give me a theme or themes for the remainder of the year. I was thinking it can be anything from a colour theme, what craft projects we do for the week, my children, the week that was with little pinwheel, the beach, the season (we are coming into autumn)...anything really! Depending on how many I get I can do one theme per month and make it my project for the week to capture images that reflect the theme.

I cannot wait to hear what ideas you have! Have fun with it, give me a challenge!

thank you kenziepoo!

Today I would like to take the time to thank a lovely friend and fellow blogger for sending Keely a lovely gift for her birthday.

Rachelle from Kenziepoo is an amazing blogger and a blog you will keep returning to. Please take the time to go and say hi, have a look around and see what an amazing job she does. Kenziepoo has had a makeover with a new logo design and she also has a fabulous magazine coming next month!

Thank you Rachelle! xoxo

the search update

It has been a while since I spoke about the search for my biological father, and yesterday to my surprise I received a phone call with the progress on the search. Last I had heard was that I needed to write a letter to him, including some recent images and once they found where he was living they would post this with a formal letter that they write to him.

The phone call was received late in the afternoon when I had the little ones down the beach. It was super windy and the kids were having a great time kicking the soccer ball around on the concrete. The lady introduced herself and we got talking in general and she then told me that my biological father had his name down on the reunion registry. This meant that if I ever put my name down that we would then be in contact. When you fill out all the forms to start searching for your biological parents there is a form that you can tick and sign to say you would like your information to go on the registry and if a match is found they will contact you. I guess with it being so long since I first started the search I was not expecting this call. I thought they would have known this information instantly.

As I said it was super windy and the lady commented at how windy it was and it was hard to hear me. She asked if she could ring me when it was easier to talk. I then told her I could hear her fine and she was not allowed to ring me with this news and then call me back later! Seriously, would you hang up when someone had told you that there was hope you would be meeting your biological father?

Having a terrible childhood with my adoptive father, this was the news I had been waiting for and to know he had his name down shows that he does want to meet me. I also need to not get too excited as his life may have changed since registering and he may now not want to meet me. I do have hope though, you just have to. I know I hope a little for the perfect father, but really who wouldn't after having their childhood innocence taken away from them?

From here they get in contact with him from the address he had left them. They send him a letter informing him that they have found me and that I would like to be in contact and then we wait and hope that he then contacts them. It will be within the month. Yes, only a short 4 weeks and I will know if he wants to be a part of my life. As you could imagine the emotions I am feeling are overwhelming. There is excitement, fear and a lot of hope. I am thinking about my mum so much right now as I know she wanted this to happen for me. I wish she was here in real life to be with me as it all unfolds, but I know she is still here holding my hand.

I was allowed to tell him a few things, well they tell him for me in the letter that they post him. I of course had to mention that I have two children. I now have hope that I will be in contact with him.

My father's name is Robert!

I wonder if he is known as just Robert, or Rob, or Bob?

people watching wednesday

This week I thought of doing a bit of a fun people watching column, one that I know I do quite a bit and I would do a lot more if I was a "checkout chick."

You guessed it.... this week I watched how people shop, what they put in their trolleys and baskets. I have always thought you could tell a lot about someone by the way they shop. Firstly I will tell you how I shop and how over the years it has changed. Not only what I put in my basket, but how often I shop and how I fit it in my day.

Throughout my life I was always a weekly shop girl, I would buy what I needed for the week from my pay and then after all the bills were paid I would use the remainder of the money to spend on myself.... always been a shopper! Love retail therapy, hence why I have been in it for such a long time and why I started Little Pinwheel. After having children my way of shopping changed. I know it is probably more convenient to shop weekly with little ones, but there really is no time for me to go on my own to do this. I cannot see how I would carry bags and bags of shopping while holding a baby and also having a 4 year old in tow. So I do a daily or every second day shop. I must admit at first it annoyed me as I felt there were times that there was nothing in the house, but now I am very much into the swing of things. I also love the fresh veges and fruit in the house! (With this in mind, I get a lot of time to watch people shopping and to figure out what sort of people they are).

With summer in full swing here I am doing the shopping once Taj wakes up from his sleep, dropping it home and then going straight to the beach for the afternoon. I then come home and get dinner organised. It works well with Little Pinwheel commitments and also with our lifestyle. I want the kids to enjoy the beach and have time with their friends and the shopping is something they enjoy doing too. They know the people at the Growers and the kids love all the attention! Plus personally I was never a fan of food shopping so this makes it more fun for us and less a chore.

I had the best time, watching, following (stalking), and photographing people doing their shopping. I loved watching what they bought, trying to figure out if they were single, if they had children, what kind of lifestyle they lived. I am one that believes the person who buys all the ready-made dinners is one that is either super busy with their careers, or they are on welfare payments and cannot afford to shop for your everyday meats and vegetables. I know as I have grown up the prices of fresh food has gone up. I remember being able to do a weekly shop for $60, and that included fruit, veges and meat. Now it costs me almost $60 a day, depending if I need the toiletries, and the other household things we need to keep a home running. It is amazing how times have changed!

The best experience I had this week was taking the camera with me to Woolworths. I am sure you may have an idea of what might have happened with a large cooperation and a lady with her baby in a trolley and a digital SLR camera in the other hand! I did think about asking the manager if I could take images of people shopping, what they had in their trolleys, or even what they had at the register. But it dawned on me they would say no and it would put a wall up for my column this week. I was snapping away, taking lots of images of Taj in the trolley and every now and then taking photos of people shopping when I could do it subtly. When I got to one isle, I found a shot I had to have, until I heard someone with an announcement over the speakers, it was a code ?? in isle 9, near the Huggies nappies; that was me! I was near the Huggies nappies, with my camera ready to shoot. So as soon as I heard that I turned to Taj and snapped away! He was my cover and it worked. No one approached me and I left the store with limited images, but I had a fun experience!

I am learning to be a detective, or part of the people watching paparatzi is hard work!

Wow, this post is huge! I am really enjoying this column and thinking about other peoples lives a lot more. (I hope you are too)! I think food does shape a person, what they are like and it gives for an interesting shopping trip if you can think about the people around you and what they are taking home to put in their mouths. Life is busy and I can see that by how we all shop. I spoke to a lady at the Growers and she was telling me that you can tell the shoppers like myself that shop every day to the people that shop every week. The every day shoppers will buy a lot more variety and the weekly shoppers buy more from a list, there really is less impulse buying. They come back during the week to top up their milk and bread supplies. She enjoys seeing what people buy, what they put in their mouths and also analysing what sort of people they are.

People watching is nice; it allows you to dream, to think about others, and to reflect on your own life. It is nice to think that your life is pretty good and then to also dream of it being like what you think their lives would be like.

Do you look at what others buy or were you ever a "checkout chick" and analyse what your customers life was like?

the little kidz closet

Being the full beach bum and shaping my children into being beach bums, I needed to find a bag that was cute and fun to take to the beach, and one that would fit all of our beach accessories. So when The Little Kidz Closet joined the Little Pinwheel blog and told me all about her exclusive Australian label, Jacob & Bonomi I had to have have it. Well I couldn't buy all of the Jacob & Bonomi range, but I did manage to buy the new beach bag and a lovely sheet set for Taj's bed.

The bag is perfect, a great size, not too big and not too small. The inside of the bag features an open pocket on the inside to put all your keys, money and phone in to minimise the sand invasion and them getting lost, (although for me it never matters as everything is always covered in sand and I can never find my keys). Today will be the first day we use our new beach bag down the beach!

I thought it was time to shop for some lovely sheets and blankets for Taj's cot; sets that were not too baby like and more about the little boy. (Not that I had baby inspired sheet sets, mine are all plain block colours). The sheet set that I chose from The Little Kidz Closet are from the same designer, Jacob & Bonomi. The set comes with a fitted sheet, flat sheet and a pillow case to fit one of those cute "first" pillows. There is also a blanket in the same design, which I have on back order to arrive next month. I am loving the red apples with the grey details. The cotton knitted blanket is divine with all the apples knitted in grey to contrast with the sheet set, and then on the reverse they are white with a grey background. Oh, and to make them even better, the sheets are super soft and I have not even washed them yet!

Ok, so why buy cot sheets when Taj is coming up to the age where he goes into a big bed? I was going to put him in a big bed when he was 2, but he is so tiny and I think he will be totally lost amongst all the big sheets and blankets! I put Keely in a big bed when she was 2 due to her being a really bad sleeper, and to my surprise, or luck she was sleeping through the night for the first time in 2 years! Taj is like his sister and a wakeful child, but honestly he is tiny and as we have the cot that turns into a junior bed I am going to take advantage of it and put our new sheets to good use. I will take some images next month with the sheet set and the new blanket when it arrives.

Hopefully by then I have built up the courage to put the little ones in the same bedroom! (I know I am a chicken, Taj still sleeps in the same room as me)!

no time to cook

Yesterday I was really thinking about my people watching column for wednesday, actually I have been thinking about it a lot. It is interesting how you can get something to become an even bigger part of your life, especially when I need to write about it for the next 3 weeks as promised!

I was out taking images to go with the direction I am heading in for this week and while I was thinking about this I thought I would make something yummy for dinner. Something that is quick and easy, something the little ones will also eat and a meal that you can eat the next day with left overs. I am sure there are some of you that are like me and enjoy cooking but it needs to be something that does not take hours, unless of course you can leave it and walk away. Life is too busy and there is too much fun to have outside of the kitchen.

I am a bit of a cous cous fan and usually it is made with roasted veges, some tomatoes, cucumber, mint, and a lemon yoghurt, but tonight I opted for a similar recipe to Donna Hay's from her No Time To Cook book. (Loving the title as it is very much me)! She has a recipe in there that is a very fresh cous cous, with avocado, mint, lemon and pine nuts. I added a few extras to make it a bit more interesting and a bit more of a meal for myself and the little ones. I poached some chicken, toasted some sesame seads, added some fresh rocket and cucumber. I love the freshness of herbs and the lemon makes it a real summer style cous cous salad. It took no time at all and it tasted yummy!

For the little ones I actually left out the rocket, pinenuts, lemon and mint. Although I know Taj would have eaten it with all the ingredients, Keely would not have! It is nice to share a meal that is easy, especially on a night where you do not have the time to be too creative and to be slaving over a hot stove!

I look forward to sharing my people watching with you on wednesday. This post will make a bit more sense, instead of it being a shared meal idea!

silent saturday

girls only-introducing nellystella!

I am excited to say that Little Pinwheel has received Nellystella, our first international label. The shipment arrived yesterday afternoon and Keely was quick to model it when she got home from pre-school.

I am loving the playsuits and Keely of course would love every colour! It is an item that you could wear with tights, high top converse shoes and a cardi in winter..... too cute!

cried wolf - for the cool boys!

Yesterday I received the label I have been aching to get on my son. I am totally in love with Cried Wolf and I can see Taj wearing it all winter long! Each piece looks fabulous with his Rittenhouse trackies.

You can buy all these cool pieces now at Little Pinwheel and you can still pre order the other half of the range which arrives soon! I don't need to say anymore because the images speak for themselves!

people watching wednesday

It is that time again, week 2 of my people watching! This week has been filled with some interesting people. People that like to make comment on your parenting or even share some grunting and disgraceful facial features, while they watch your every move.

We all parent our children differently, we are all different people, and so are our children. So it goes without saying that I personally may do something for my children that is the same as you do, but it will still be a different experience. There are people out there that like to think it is their right to make comments about how they perceive your parenting skills. I sometimes think these people make this their job in life, they truly have nothing better to do then make judgement on your parenting style!

After deciding to do this column I have really started to soak up all that is happening around me. I must look like a stalker to some people, with my big lens and my note pad and pen! It is interesting to sit back and think like the people that analyse us as parents, those people who make judgement and occasionally let us know what they think. However, I am not making judgement in the way of comments, but I am watching and learning how others might perceive someone as bad parent, (not so good parent; don't like the term bad parent, but I am trying to think how they would think).

I really enjoyed watching the man above with his son. It was interesting to see why some people might perceive him as a "bad" father. He spent the whole time on his blackberry while his son rode around on his bike. I however could look at it with a different perspective and see the joy his son was having spending his afternoon at the beach on his bike. When you really think about this you can see why some people may take judgement on you as a parent. Don't get me wrong, he could be a father that is not there for his son the way he needs him, but you also need to look at it in a different light.

I have had a week where I have personally received some judgement on my parenting skills, actually I don't think I have a week where I am not judged! I really do go with the flow with parenting, especially when it is spent by the beach. I am not fussed if my children want to jump under the beach shower fully clothed. Really, does it matter if it is hot and they are having fun? It matters to some people, but it also brings a smile to a lot of others! I have had one woman cringe every time my son would make a noise to communicate with me. He really wanted something, so I guess from an outsider it would have been whinging to them; well an outsider without any children! See now I am judging her and taking her reaction as being a person without any children. I guess this is where my love of people watching comes in; I cannot help but analyse other peoples lives.

I would love to see what you all think as parents, or even readers without children, of people watching. It would be interesting if you took some of what I am saying and doing and put it into your days and see what you come up with. See how you analyse other parents, or just your everyday people walking past you. I love to sometimes think about what their lives are like, what they do as a job and how they live.

I went to the beach last night and took some images of people around me. I was drawn to certain people from their body language, their moments in time and their facial expressions. I have analysed these people, how they may have been analysing me stalking everybody on the beach!

I loved watching these people above. I know they are not parents with young children, but I still enjoyed watching two friends have a great conversation! The lady at first made me wonder if she was lonely, she sat quite content on her own staring out to sea. Within ten minutes she was walking arm and arm home with her husband. I enjoy making up stories about other peoples lives and I love it when they do something that makes my whole story change and evolve into something more!

I look forward to another week of people watching. I also am interested in hearing what comments you may receive during the week about your parenting, what people you personally analyse and how you go about taking on those direct comments.

the everyday forest gump

Early this morning I had no idea what I was going to blog about, until I went for early morning run and swim. I thought about what I did for me time as a mum and wondered what other mothers do to have this time.

For me personally I need to have something that involves not having a child hanging off me for at least half an hour a day. This also gives me the energy to get through the day, although I am sitting here typing this post thinking how tired I am and wondering how I will get through the day! It has started nicely, with my run, swim and coffee while watching the surfers. I have also been down the beach with the little ones for our morning play and now Taj is having his sleep.

I would love to know what you do for yourselves, if it be a run, a swim, reading a magazine, a book, having a coffee or going for a walk.

I have been doing a lot of people watching this week and I cannot wait to share it with you tomorrow!

keely's mood board

I felt the love this weekend with my two beautiful children giving me a wonderful valentines weekend. Keely surprised me with a lovely valentines day card she made at school during the week and then yesterday we finished Keely's mood board we started last weekend. We didn't finish it last weekend as Keely got in a mood!

Last weekend Keely picked out all the elements she wanted to use for her mood board. We sifted through magazines and she found a few favourite things. She is such a girly girl and chose sparkle shoes, a hand bag and lip gloss. Yesterday we put all of the elements together and she created a mood board that reflects her as a person at the age of 4. The things she loves, the things that inspire her and make her happy.

A mood board is something we should all do, no matter what age. We should all be inspired and have something to reflect back on. Something to also inspire us to take that big step forward and continue to breathe.

silent saturday

new arrivals at little pinwheel!

It has been a busy 12 hours at little pinwheel with the arrival of the new chalk n cheese range for winter and also the super soft monte & tex. When the little ones went to bed last night I was able to shoot the flat lays and then when they were up this morning we got into shooting the fashion shots for the website.

This is the part that I love! Keely gets right into it, trying everything on and striking some poses! It was nice to have Taj involved this season. He loved standing near the wall and modeling for me. He copies Keely's moves and has a ball with it. I know I have a new little model on my hands!

The next two weeks are going to be busy for this little pinwheel family with lots of new arrivals coming and landing on our doorstep. Lots of fun and laughter to be had as we get knee deep in new lovely winter clothes!