Good Shopping And A Late Afternoon Walk.....

Bonsoir....I hope everyone has had a good day today and got lots done or found some bargains or if you're sick then I'm hoping you got lots of rest and were able to rest up......I'm still unwell but slowly on the mend thank goodness.

Today I had some followers who came to Target with me...namely Luke and Bec....normally Bec would be at Bumble Bee and Luke would be at intework but both decided they wanted to skip their social scene and see what I get up to on a Wednesday when I would normally be home alone. They both thought the idea of going to Target was a great one, in fact Luke asked me if I go every Wednesday when he's not home...to which I told him no....Bec thought it was just great that she was going to Bunbury and could sing to the cd player the whole way up.......40 minutes to be exact!!

We arrived at Target just after 10:30am, a little later than I'd planned but that was simply because we'd all slept in until 8:30am....I have to admit I had a very well behave 3 and a half year old today and a very helpful 18 year old as well.......having Luke with me sure did come in handy getting all those big boxes in the trolleys. We were shopping for bub and although I've got 8months to go Target just had some really good specials I couldn't pass up and it's most of the big stuff that bub will need.....

First of all we were after a bed for bub and we got this..(I actually saw all this on the weekend with Chris but just went back for it today)

I had a bassinet like this for Lauren 17yrs ago....argh when I say it like that I feel old...lol..

Secondly we were after a change table/bath all in one....save on space, convenient and the height is brilliant for saving my back....

I love this change table it has so many compartments and storage space....

Thirdly we were after good transportation for bub....I'm really fussy with prams and it had to have reversable handles....Chris and I checked a few out Saturday and in the end we decided this one was the best for us....

I love the deep basket at the back, the height of the handle is perfect for me as I'm short and the hood has a zipper you can undo to make it come down further for protection from sun and rain....

And lastly for today's shopping trip I was looking for a change bag that would hold all those nappies, wipes, bottles (later on), changes of clothes, my purse......and my sanity........

This bag has so many compartments it's not funny, the pouch for the bottle is insulated, the change mat is built in and I won't need a separate hand bag for at least two years......I got this in a nice dark red though as the navy was too drab for me....even a boy has to have some colour.....

So that was my shopping trip and I have to say that although there are still the same basic products out there that I bought 17yrs ago when I had Lauren they have all improved so much and are just much more practical and easier to use.....I really enjoyed investigating all these things and how they work differently from when I had my kids....the main difference was how much the prams have changed.....they're so much easier to work out now....got to love progress.....It turned out to be a productive day and we had some lunch while in Bunbury and although I thought my helpers might be more hindrance than help it really was great to have them along and share this part of shopping for their baby brother/sister with them....(I'm convinced already it's a boy hehe)

We came home and Bec went down for her usual nap, Luke went and fed the chickies, I let Lady out for a run and then Luke just helped me get a few things done around the house.....Chris was home before we knew it and we all went for a walk up to the beach then home......

The late afternoon sun over the ocean today....

Chris with Lady....

My boy even enjoyed his afternoon walk...

Bec being a dag in the pram...

So all in all we had a good day and finally managed to start and get our afternoon walk in....though it has been a bit hard to get them going when we've all been sick....that's why Bec's all wrapped up in my scarf....the wind here is very cold in the afternoon and as lovely as our walk was it was good to get back to the warmth of the house......Now it's just time to relax and veg out, Bec's asleep, Luke's in his room and Chris is reading the paper.......me I'm just trying to stay warm and thinking of seeing what movies are showing on foxtel.......Take care everyone and have a good night, I hope you all are keeping warm and cosey and have a great day tomorrow......I'll be back tomorrow and hopefully my day is as smooth as it was today...xo

Good News, New Cups And Not Well.....

Bonjour mon amis and how are you all doing on this cold, wild, windy day?? Well I can't believe it's been a week since my last post, where did that time go I'd like to know. So what have you all been up to?? I hope you're all keeping well and the flu is leaving you alone, unlike here where it just seems to keep lingering on with all of us...

Today I'd like to start this post by sharing some very good news with you all.....as most of you know Chris and I have been trying to have a baby over the last twelve months and finally we have success....

A definite positive....

We have known for about three weeks now but have only just told family and friends as we wanted to wait until I was a little further along before letting everyone know....I'm about six weeks along now and have my first doctors appointment today which I'm sure will just be as routine as it was with the other three....I should say Chris and I are over the moon about this little one and are already thinking of names and looking for furniture and deciding how to set up the nursery..hehe....Chris keeps saying we're getting ahead of ourselves but I like to have things organized and sorted out well in advance.....I guess I can take my time though as I do still have eight months to go...lol.....oh and I'm due the 10th February 2013 which is three days before our wedding anniversary....timing or what.....hehe....So that's my good news for the day.....

It was a quiet weekend here as Bec went to Perth on Friday instead of Saturday as she went on the coach with her Nan and enjoyed every minute of it.....why is it when your kids leave home even a day sooner than planned it seems even more quiet...?

My little traveller....

So with Bec gone a day early and Chris finishing work at lunch on Friday it felt like a very fast day....Once Chris was home we went to town and did some shopping where I just happened to pick up these gorgeous coffee cups from house....

I don't usually go for polka dots but really liked these....

After instagramming them one of my lovely followers said 'ooo I love the sprinkles range' and I'm thinking 'huh' and sure enough when I took the stickers off the bottom of the cup there was the word Sprinkle.....she's obvioulsy a House shopper, so welcome to my world as I love House....and they love me too hehehe...I was also lucky enough to get my new Samsung Note Tab/Phone Friday and I'm so in love with it......If anyone else has one what do you think of it??

Not the best pic but a great combination of phone and tab....

And as the weekend went on I continued getting sicker and sicker with this darn flu that Chris and the kids have passed on to me......there's been no fever but the chills, and I have just been coughing and coughing and coughing....even in my sleep....so much so it's wearing me out more than being pregnant......It seems to be easing up the last couple of days and I'm hoping it won't hang around for too much longer....I have things to do........

So that was my weekend really....and this week seems to be flying by very quickly.....tomorrow I'm off to Target to layby a few bargains we found for the baby......so have a good day everyone and I'll be back tomorrow....take care...xo

And if you'd like to read about The Baby Journey..... you can do so here....xo

And I'm Back.....

Bonsoir Home, Love & Life friends....well I'm back from a stint over at wordpress......for me personally I found wordpress just wasn't working....wordpress is tricky to use and not so easy to find your way around...I got feedback today that some of you weren't getting my posts in your news feed and had to subscribe via email to follow......I had other feedback that told me it was harder to comment at wordpress and I found for whatever reason I wasn't getting my lovely worldwide readers like I do here at Blogger.....so taking all things into consideration I decided I would come back to Blogger where I feel more at home, I know you will all get my posts and my readers from Russia, France, America, Spain etc can still find me.....so here I shall stay though in time I may have my own domain but it will still be with blogger......Let me just say, if you're considering the move to wordpress don't let my experience deter you, go and try it out for yourself it could be right up your alley but for me I really prefer it here at Blogger......

Now onto my day (not that it was majorly exciting).....today started off with the usual routine after Chris left for work which involves me going back to bed these days for an extra hour to an hour and a half sleep, then woken up by Bec to get her breakfast, have breakfast myself, shower, fold washing, do dishes (with Luke's help) make beds, put a loaf of bread on, then head into town only to remember it's seniors day and there's no parking as all the seniors are in town doing shopping.......so I take Luke and Bec over to Macca's for morning tea where we know it will be reasonably quiet to enjoy a Chai Latte.....I haven't had one for ages and totally enjoyed it....

Chai Latte...got to love them....

Then it was home to take one load of washing out of the dryer and put another load in, feed the chickies, let the dogs out for a run around, assess my white paint craft that's at a slight stand still, have a chat to a friend who's been sick, make lunch, attempt to get Bec to have a nap while putting my feet up for a bit......Then Finally at 3pm I took Luke back to town so he could do his shopping as I knew it would be a lot quieter at this time of day and this time we were successful in getting some parking, came home got Bec afternoon tea, had a chat to another friend and then Chris was home...yey...

The chicks are living outside permanently now and loving it...

Tonight I had a hankering for fish and chips and we decided to try the place up the road for the first time....their prices were pretty good but sad to say most of dinner was too oily and soggy.....we had a few pieces of fish, a couple of squid rings, a couple of butterflied prawns, a couple of crab sticks and some chips....the squid, prawns and crab sticks were done nicely however the fish was very, very oily and the chips were over cooked........so safe to say we won't be going back there for dinner again....Chris said he would have preferred baked beans on toast and that's saying something.......So any way after dinner we get Bec to bed and just sit down to watch t.v (Chris watching his sport) and blog (me naturally) when we heard and almighty scream coming from outside. Straight away we new it was Milly so we both flew out the front door to find her and make sure she was ok...it took a little while but she eventually came out of hiding and came to us....there is a big ugly cat across the road and I'm pretty sure it was him who attacked her......thankfully she must have got a few scratches in herself because she's ok and now she's back inside where it's warm, asleep on the couch next to Chris and enjoying the heater......we were mostly concerned because we're pretty sure she's pregnant, so I don't think there will be any more night time trips outside for her from now on.....

My beautiful girl Milly...

So there you have it that was my day today, tomorrow I'm kid free so who knows what I'll get up to.....for now though I'm going to go sit with my hubby and steal some of his body heat as I'm freezing and suffer through some sports news.....(save me!!) So take care and enjoy your night and I'll catch you all tomorrow....Au revoir....xo

Lyn's Visit, Paris Prints And Not So Well...

Bonjour Mon amis and how are you all today?? Well as most of you would have noticed I've been off line all weekend and with good reason....My closest friend Lyn came down from Perth for the weekend on Saturday and we had an excellent time catching up, talking all night and going to the meeting together...it's just a pity that it's a three hour drive from Perth and the weekend just isn't enough time to get much done really....However Lyn did bring Chris and I a lovely belated wedding anniversary present....some framed Paris prints which I'm totally in love with and just need to find somewhere to put them....

My Paris prints Lyn gave Chris and I for our anniversary....

As you can see the print on the left is the Eiffel Tower and on the right is The Arc De Triumph.....anyone who knows me knows I absolutely love Paris and will get there one day.....Lyn was over there last February while Chris and I were getting married and she had a ball, it's also the reason she wasn't able to make it to the wedding...Any how we had a great weekend and she's coming back in the summer to spend maybe a week here and we will be spending lots of time at the beach and  lots of driving to markets etc.....and in a few months we'll be heading to Perth for the weekend and Lyn has invited us to stay with her so I'm looking forward to that...

Lyn and I a few months ago catching up for lunch in Bunbury.....

So yesterday afternoon I said goodbye to my dear friend and wished her a safe trip  home then a little later in the day I started feeling unwell and by the evening I knew I had gastro!!....I really wasn't happy, I'd had a good weekend and to finish it I was now sick.....I'm still a little off today but feel ok within myself.....I even made a massive pot of pumpkin soup this morning for dinner tonight and am looking forward to that.......also we have a kid free weekend coming up this week so it'll be nice to just spend some time alone with Chris....

Well that's all from me for today Home, Love & Life friends....I will be back tomorrow hopefully to show you my finished white paint craft....I finally made a start last week and then ran out of paint...go figure....so off to Bunnings tomorrow for more paint and to get these things done.....take care and Au revoir for now...xokj

Computer Freak Out, A Hot Lunch & A Little Visitor....

Well have you ever had one of those moments when your computer does something completely stupid and you freak out?? Well that's exactly what happened to me this morning....I was doing the usual blog check and email check on the computer and then my screen went blue with a little sad face on it and turned itself off....it kept saying it was updating and all sorts of stuff then restarted itself and then.....my password apparently was wrong even though I tried it several  times. I was really starting to freak out and thinking 'noooo my computers been hacked and I won't be able to blog or do my banking or check emails or do my blog....argh!!!!' I took a deep breath and tried my password again and it worked and then I remembered that the number nine key was sticking earlier this morning and that's why it was saying my password was wrong because obviously the 9 was still sticking. Once I was in I was relieved to see everything was fine and working just as it always does but it did make me think just how much we rely on technology......sometimes I think we really do rely on computers and other technology too much and I wonder what we'd do if we lost it on a permanent basis? My bet is most of us would freak out at first but for those of us who didn't grow up with all this technology I think we'd adjust pretty quickly.

My computer....a love/hate relationship at times...

So after a major freak out with the computer and the rain coming down hard outside I decided it was time for a hot lunch to warm up with being as the weather had turned horrible again and the rain was coming down by the bucket loads...So left over casserole and some bread for lunch it was and it was good if I do say so myself...why is it certain meals always taste better the next day...?

A nice hot lunch...

Now this morning before the computer freak out and the rain returning everything was going well...I got to sleep in for a little while, got up and got Bec and myself breakfast and then tidied up the house...we then headed outside with Luke to let the chickies loose in their pen so they could get used to it and also so I could do another training session with the dogs and the zappy collars......all was going quite well....the chicks were loving being able to roam around in their big pen...the dogs were sticking to their boundaries, Luke and Bec were helping me tidy up the yard and moving a few things and even though it was a bit chilly it was nice to be out in the sun. While sorting out the chickies bedding we spotted this guy in their pen....

A Little Froggy Visitor...

Now I have to admit I'm not really a fan of frogs...well not being up close to them any way...I think it's because you never know when they're going to jump or in which direction they'll go.....however Bec spotted him and wanted me to take a pic of him so here he is.....though I think he was happier when we left the chook pen...We had a good hour outside before the clouds came over and I could tell it was going to rain...so we brought the chicks back inside, as they're too young to be outside in the wet yet and made it just in time.....within five minutes of being in the house the rain pelted down......I've made it a mission that even if I only get half an hour outside during the day from now on I'm out there doing something productive whether it's gardening, training the dogs or getting some painting done...Now I have a question for all my lovely veggie growing friends out there...as you know we planted our veggie garden not long back but I have something eating the tops of the carrots and the cabbages.....any ideas what it  could be??? And no it's definitely not caterpillars.....would love any thoughts.....xo

A Wet, Wild, Windy Week....

So if you've been watching the news this week you would have seen that the South West of W.A has been having some horrible weather....A storm front moved through Sunday night and we had another one move through last night.....As long as I'm indoors I actually don't mind storms and love the sound of thunder....My main problem with this sort of weather is it keeps me indoors and I really don't like being stuck inside all the time..I like to get out and do things whether it be shopping, working in the garden or doing some painting...

Now even though I've been trapped indoor I've still managed to keep up with my photo a day june instagram challenge so I thought I'd share a few of those pics with you...

six o'clock

your view....mine was looking out my back door...

best bit of your weekend.....mine was watching this amazing sunrise..

door...I love these old screen doors...

from a low angle....milly down very low

As you can see even though I've been home all week I've still managed to find things to snap around home....it's amazing what you can find if you look hard enough....I thought today I might be able to get some of my crafty white painting done but it's just too cold and windy outside today..In fact it's only 13 degrees here and it's 2pm....so I'm really hoping the sun is out for the weekend while Lyn is here so we can get out and about a bit and go for coffee and maybe to Margaret River.....

I hope everyone has been having a good week so far and enjoying the weather no matter where you are....keep warm, safe and tucked up if you are having wild weather like we have and if you've got sunshine then make the most of it for those of us who don't as yet......take care and I'll be back soon with some more news from Home, Love and Life...xo

Surprise, Surprise...

Bonjour Home, Love and Life friends and how is your weekend going so far? Sorry for the absence the last few days but there has been a lot going on here that's needed my attention.As most of you know Chris' mum was here last weekend and went home Monday, then I've been getting ready for James (my oldest) to come down for his visit Thursday afternoon for a week and we have Eva this weekend as well and to top it all off one of my closest friends from Perth is coming next week...I'm really looking forward to Lyn coming as it's been so long since we had a proper catch up. But before James, Eva and Lyn got here I got a surprise visit from another close friend Thursday morning on her way to Yallingup....Yes it was Peta...and who did she happen to have with her....her beautiful baby boy Nicholas....Some of you will remember my post dedicated to Peta back when she gave birth....For A Special Friend.. It was so good to see her and although I knew she was on her way down I wasn't expecting her to visit as she didn't think she'd have time but she hit Busselton, gave me a quick call to let me know she was here and headed over. As soon as she had bubby out of the car he was in my arms and there he stayed until they left...I changed his wet nappy, gave him a bottle and had long hugs with him....and I completely forgot how small babies can be.....

So after Peta left I went on with the rest of my day giving Bec lunch, getting some washing done and trying not to fall asleep on the couch....it had been raining all day here Thursday and was just the sort of weather to put anyone to sleep...

We picked James up from the bus depot just before 4pm Thursday afternoon then headed home.....within a couple of hours of being back in Busselton I could tell James had something on his mind. So we had a talk about things and he has decided he wants to move back to Busselton as city life just isn't for him...he's a very sensitive guy and always has been ever since a child and country life just suits  him better...So he'll be heading back to Perth Wednesday to pack up his stuff and sort a few things out then in a couple of weeks he'll be moving back in with us....but only until he finds a job and a place of his own.....

As per usual this week was our road trip morning to pick Eva up for her weekend in busselton and on the way to get her the sun was so bright the clouds were orange in colour and they looked like they were on fire. Bec was just as amazed as I was by the loveliness of the sun...have a look for yourself...taken with my  phone but not too bad if I do say so myself...

Another beautiful sunrise...

Now to keep me on my  toes my week will not be finishing on a quiet note with nothing to do....while I have the usual weekly errands to run, hairdressers Monday to go back to blonde and a few appointments to make we also have another guest coming for the weekend next week...Lyn is finally coming down as she has the weekend free and she'll get to see the new house....so far everyone who's seen the house loves it and what's not to love honestly....I know Lyn will love the way the French/Beach/Coastal theme is going as we like the same sorts of things and have the same taste in just about anything furniture wise......I'm hoping we'll have good enough weather so I can take her to Margaret River for the day and do some cheese tasting and maybe a stop at Simmo's in Dunsborough.....yes you know the one...the one with the Best ice cream in the world....I caught up with Lyn a couple of months ago but it was just for lunch and we really didn't have enough time to have a really good talk being we were out in public and we had the girls with us but we still had a good day...however it'll be great having her here for the whole weekend....lots of girltalk to catch up on....

So as you can see it's been a week of surprises and I'm wondering if there's any  more to come....as long as they're nice surprises that is......And if experience has taught me anything it's that when you have lots going on and people coming and going the time seems to pass even quicker....I do love having visitors though and I love cooking for people so it's going to be either a stick date pudding or a lemon meringue pie for desert while Lyn's here....I'll have to decide as the week goes on...which one would you like??

Lemon Meringue Pie.....or

Sticky Date Pudding....

A Very Quiet Day....

Bonjour....well today was supposed to be a bit of a spray painting day for me as I have a few cane baskets and what not I'm dying to turn white but the weather has decided to turn horrible and put my plans on hold...

So what to do with Bec at daycare and Luke at intework....well first on the list is to tidy up the house a little....I have actually found that moving into a smaller house has made things easier to keep organized....go figure....Once the tidying up is done I plan on having a nice hot lunch and catching up on reading one of my favourite magazines....

So what do you all have planned on this cold grey day..?? If you have sunshine where you are then take advantage of it while it lasts.....

My oldest son James is coming home tomorrow for a visit and it has been a few months since I saw him last so it'll be good to catch up with him and I know Luke will be excited to see his big brother.....he misses James and Lauren quite a bit but has definitely taken Bec under his wing.....

Well enjoy the rest of your day wherever you are and maybe tomorrow I'll get my painting done and be able to share it with you.....take care xo

A Busy Long Weekend And Some White Paint...

Bonjour and how are we all today? I hope all of you who had a long weekend enjoyed the extra day off to relax and have some fun with family and friends.

We had a busy but quiet weekend with Cathy here and it was nice to have her company. Cathy recently had a full knee replacement surgery so while she couldn't walk too far or long and definitely not on the beach she did very well getting around town and we managed to get her down to the foreshore for a lovely Simmo's ice cream. Bec thoroughly enjoyed having her Nan here for the weekend too and wasn't too impressed when Cathy had to go home yesterday but she got over it.

We've spent a lot of time this weekend setting up this 'electric' fence for the dogs as it was more time consuming than we originally thought it was going to be but now it's all in place and today we start with the dogs first training session so they learn their boundaries and where they can and can't go. It's also nice to know that the chooks will be at a safe distance from the dogs as we've zoned off the chook pen which means if they get too close to it they will get a zap. I'm seriously hoping this works and works well.

We also made a start on clearing out the chook pen yesterday so it's ready for the chicks to go into in a few weeks when they're a bit bigger. I have to say I believe whoever had chooks in there before never cleared the straw out as it was so thick that when raked into a pile it came up to my knees. We didn't quite finish yesterday as John came by and we needed to finish the fence for the dogs so we will finish the rest today.....I did however manage to make one improvement in the chook pen. For those who saw a pic of the pen in an earlier post you would have seen that the chandelier hanging in there was a brassy colour as in the pic below...

Now admittedly I know the chickens won't give two hoots what colour the chandy is but too me it was just a bit dull and I almost didn't even see it there when I first investigated the chook pen because it just blends with the roof...but not any more...thanks to Kris at thebouselife and her advice on the best way to spruce things up with a can of spray paint the chandy now has a new lease of life...

So like I said I know the chicks won't care but it just makes the pen a little brighter and cheery and it was so easy to do....just stand back and spray away....thanks Kris...

So now that the weekend is over and we're back to our regular weekly schedule it's time for me to get cracking and get some washing done, floors vacuumed and mopped, beds made, a casserole on for dinner and of course I've put a side a bit of time to spray a few more things white but will share that in another post soon....So have a good day and take care and I thought before I go I'll leave you with this gorgeous pic of this mornings sunrise from my little old porch...

Take care...xo

Photo A Day Challenge And The Weekend.....

Hi there and how was everyone's Friday? Mine was good though for me today has felt like Saturday as Chris had the day off work, so I've been feeling a day ahead of myself all day. We got lots but nothing done today if that makes sense.....first of all we actually got to sleep in until 7am..yey..(we never get to sleep in) then it was a case of get up have breakfast, tidy up, pull out the slow cooker and get the lamb casserole going for dinner tonight, go to town to get a few things and then before we knew it it was time to head to town to pick up Chris' mum who's come to stay for the weekend. The morning flew by and now the evening feels like it's dragging on and it feels much later than what it is, which is only 8:40pm.....

Today is my first day doing the Photo A Day June challenge and I have to say I was pretty happy this mornings shot of morning.....

So what do you think of my shot of this morning? I actually saw the sun coming up as I was opening the lounge room curtains, grabbed my phone, ran out the front door in my dressing gown (it was only just after seven hehe) and snapped the sun shining bright.....I was quite happy with it and think it's one of the best pics I've taken lately.....

I think the Photo A Day challenge is such a great idea as it gives everyone with all skill levels of taking photos the chance to share their pictures....and while I've been using instagram for a few months now this is the first month I've done the challenge and I'm already looking forward to taking tomorrows picture. If you'd like to know more about the challenge pop on over to Chantelles blog at FatMumSlim and read all about it and make sure you grab a copy of June's list.....don't worry if you  missed today's pic just start tomorrow and enjoy the fun.

Now, our weekend looks as if it's going to be a little busier than I originally thought it would be at the start of the week. Like I said earlier Chris' mum Cathy is here visiting for the long weekend and we have John from the RSPCA coming out tomorrow to install the electric fence for the dogs and taking Chris' mum into town so she can take Bec shopping and then Sunday we have the meeting in the morning and then Chris' brother and his family coming up for afternoon tea Sunday afternoon. Monday morning Cathy heads home on the bus and I actually don't know what we'll be doing Monday afternoon.....I think we may make a start on organizing the chook pen....the chicks are two weeks old today and getting so big and lots of feathers now..It amazes me how much they've changed it just two short weeks, even their colouring is changing the bigger they get...I love watching the changes...

Well that's my news for today and TGIF I say....I love the end of week and love knowing that when I wake up tomorrow it'll be the weekend....plenty of time to do whatever takes our fancy....Oh and I know I promised to share those pizzas from last night with you so I've put the pics up and if you'd like the recipes (we made them from scratch....I prefer to make everything from scratch) then leave me a comment and I'll happily give you the recipe....it will on the recipe page when I have some time over the weekend....

I have to admit there is nothing nicer than home made pizza as opposed to store bought....wins hands down every time....well Bonsoir and have a good evening and take care...xo

Organized Chef Or Messy Cook....

Bonsoir Home, Love And Life friends....well as promised I'm back with that Mixed Berry and White Choc Chip Muffin recipe for you.......But first I wanted to ask you, are you an organized chef or a messy cook..? I would have to class myself as a messy cook unfortunately....it doesn't matter how organized I try to be before I start cooking I always end up in a mess....I think too half the time when I cook it's a spur of the moment decision.....I don't plan ahead of time when I'll bake because then if I don't get it done I feel bad so I prefer to bake when I have a spare minute and the moment gets me. Admittedly not only is the kitchen in a state when I'm finished, though I am now getting myself into the habit of cleaning as I go, but I end up covered in all sorts too....namely flour and I always seem to cook when I'm wearing something black....so we all know what happens when flour hits black pants/tops don't we......yep they turn grey. It doesn't really bother me any more because I've been this way for years and even though I own an apron I always forget to put it on until I'm halfway through and by then there's no point hehehe..

So here is the recipe and again it's a very easy recipe to follow....

Ingredients
2 cups plain flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup white choc-bits
1 cup buttermilk or milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100g butter, melted, cooled slightly
1 cup Creative Gourmet frozen Mixed Berries

Instructions
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 12 hole x 1/2-cup capacity muffin pan or line with patty cases.

Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Stir in sugar and choc-bits.

Whisk buttermilk or milk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter in a large jug until well combined. Using a large metal spoon, stir mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Gently swirl through frozen Mixed Berries (do not over-mix).

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.

Stand in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Lightly dust with icing sugar if desired.

My Tip: To make the muffins an even sweeter treat I have mixed some cream cheese with icing sugar and have dolloped it on top of the muffins.....when the muffins are warmed the cream cheese melts and just makes it even more delish..

So once again I hope you enjoy the recipe and hope to hear how you all go with it....for all those out there who are gluten or wheat intolerant all my recipes can be made with gluten free flour or spelt flour as this is what I use....just replace what's listed for your preferred flour.....Bonn Appetite....xo

P.s tomorrow I'll be back to show you and share with you our home made pizza's we did for dinner tonight.....I feel as if this is becoming a cooking blog but don't worry there will be some whitewashing soon.....I've just been in a major baking mood and thought I'd share......xo

My First Post And An Update On Molly And Lady....

Bonjour Home, Love & Life friends.....well this morning I'm testing out doing a quick post here on wordpress to see how it goes.....for some reason I feel like I'm betraying blogger by moving across but while wordpress is a little tricky in the beginning I'm getting the hang of it now.

So for those of you who already follow me on blogger I would love for you all to follow me here at wordpress as blogger will be getting closed down though not straight away......I have bought all you lovely ladies over with me so I don't lose your blogs and I'm hoping you don't want to lose mine too....

Well on with some new.....as most of you probably remember I was talking about the dogs the other week and all the trouble we've been having with them since we moved. I've never had this sort of trouble with them before.....killing possums, escaping and running up and down the street barking at night, escaping during the day when no one's home and generally making a big nuisance of themselves. Everything came to a head Tuesday night when they (mostly Molly) went on and on and were out the front barking at all hours......we've tried every sort of discipline you can think of and nothing is working and poor Chris is losing so much sleep because we have to keep getting up in the middle of the night to sort them out...So at my wits end after finding Lady again with another dead possum I thought 'this is it I'm going to have to rehouse them...this can't go on'.......I called the RSPCA to speak to someone about surrendering them so they could be rehoused and after talk to John for a bit he could tell I didn't really want to give the dogs away we just didn't know what to do with them any more.......So John said he'd come out and talk to me and Chris and see how they could help us and the dogs........apparently when you move house it's not the distance that upsets animals but the sounds and smells around them as it's all new.....

Johns visit was great and he met the dogs and saw that really they are great dogs and that we do love them but just have no idea how to stop Lady killing possums and how to stop all their barking.......John gave us some great ideas, the first being to lock them in the double garage at night so they can't escape any more and the possums will be safe and secondly the RSPCA are going to look at lending us a special type of electric fence.....Now don't freak out no one will be zapped or killed.....it's a piece of wire that runs the fence line and the dogs wear a special collar and as they get close to the fence line it vibrates....and if they keep going it vibrates stronger and then if they still keep going they get a small static shock........Now we've all had those and we know it's hurts a little but not enough to cause pain...So John is coming back out on the weekend to help us set up the fence and see how we go with that....Last night was their first night locked in the garage all night and while they (mostly Molly again) did bark and carry on a for a while it wasn't for long and didn't go on all night....So we and the neighbours all would have gotten a good nights sleep for the first time in ages......

So all in all it looks like there was a reason I called the RSPCA yesterday morning as rehousing Lady and Molly really was a last resort and not something I really wanted to do.....so if these small steps of change work and they settle then they obviously will be staying with me, Chris and the kids where they belong.....I really do love my crazy dogs.....

Molly...the noise maker extraordinaire...

Lady....Possum killer and noise maker...

Taken at our old place...We think the reason we didn't have the same trouble as we're having now when we first moved to Busselton is because on the other side of town it's a lot like the environment in Perth and there are virtually no possums over there.....

So there we have it my first post here at wordpress done and the dogs are still with us hopefully for many more years yet......Well I hope you all enjoyed today's post and I'd love to hear what you think of the format over here.....one thing you'll notice is I had to make the banner smaller as it wouldn't allow the same size banner as what's on blogger.....take care and enjoy the rest of your day....xo