Happy New Year

Yeah, all right I am a little late.  But I have a good excuse.  Hubby and I went back to Tasmania to visit our folks over Christmas for a week.  It was lovely to have a break and let the grand parents look after the kids for a while ;-).  But when we returned we discovered that our freezer had been unplugged.  I am not even going to describe the smell that eminated from the freezer, but you can only imagine.  Remember it is summer here and we have already had 40 degree temperatures (104 degree Fahrenheit).  Anyway, yuck.

I should take this opportunity to warn you that this in not a post with pretty pictures.  It is about the tasks I have under taken in the past week, and I am yet to finish.  These are the ugly before photos.

The freezer got moved outside and emptied and cleaned (several times).  Below is the space left behind with me testing out the colour on the wall.

Meanwhile, Hubby decided to look at some of the post Christmas catalogues for any freezers on sale.  What he did find was a 50" plasma, and he tells me, they were vurtually throwing it away.  Apparently you are only robbing yourself if you leave it in the shops.  After a bit of research, we purchased a 50" plasma for the lounge room and still had a smelly freezer for the laundry. 

Off course this presented an opportunity to update the lounge room.  Take a look at our current tv cabinet...

I needed a new entertainment cabinet for the tv to sit on.  I ended up using the cabinet I bought for the kids playroom (see below picture), and bought another (from the post christmas bargains found at the local charity shop) to go in the kids room.  I was under strict orders from Hubby to not paint it white, as it wouldn't match anything in that room, and maybe I should paint it brown.  (I almost listened to him, and definately would have in the past).

Finally, after the laundry was painted and looking much brighter and fresher, the tiles were the wrong colour. So they needed to be changed up.

So there are the before pictures of my projects I have been tackling over the last few days. Oh and by the way, yesterday I ended up buying a freezer.  I was prompted by Little Angel, who opened the freezer (which is turned on but empty), and said "eeewww, that smells awful", enough said.

In short, because the freezer smells bad we need a new tv.

I will be back with the finished projects as they get done.  Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Christmas Wreath for under $10

No, wait, it gets better.  All the items I bought brand new at Spotlight (a haberdashery and craft store here 'down under'), the only items I had at home was my hot glue gun (and glue of course) and a few extra baubles.  I guess Spotlight was having a sale or something 'cause I got everything C.H.E.A.P.

Wreath $7  $3.50
2 metres of ribbon $0.96
16 pc ornament set $2.50  $1.25

Total cost $5.71

I should re-label the heading as Christmas Wreath for a tad over $5.00

I am loving the customised look for much cheaper than mass produced.

This was a project I did with Little Angel.  And when you're three, there is no time to wait, so I didn't get great photos of the during - who am I kidding, I didn't get any.  Here is a rushed before photo.

Little Angel picked the ornaments to glue, I applied the glue to the back of the ornament, and with Little Angel being very careful, she applied the ornament to the wreath (with a little guideance from me).

We measured the ribbon length and tied and glued it to the wreath (the knot is hidden at the back of the wreath). 

We then made a bow, and glued it to the front. 

We installed it to the door using an upside down Command hook on the inside of the door.

By the way I picked up some 12 clear glass baubles for $5.00. I am not sure what to do with them yet, but I love some of the looks that people are coming up with in blog land.

Linking here to these awsome blog parties

Advent Calender

To say that I am not prepared for Christmas is an understatement.  In fact, it has taken me a week to post about it.

Last Wednesday night I decided I would do an advent calender for the kids this year.  Then it dawned on me that I had only several hours to make that idea a reality.

I had to use what I had on hand.  Brown paper bags, jute string, and silver ribbons.

This is what I created.

What did I put in the bags I hear you ask.  Well I wasn't very organised with that and so I didn't have any treats for the kids.  I ended up writing them a letter and each day we do a christmas task.  Because the kiddies are little this is working well - I can space things out.

So far we have:

1. Bought a tree
2. Put up the tree
3. Decorated the tree
4. Visited Santa
5. Hung Candy Cane on the tree
6. Put up the remainder of the decorations (I realised that I don't have that much).

I have about exhuasted every form of decorating the tree hehehe.

We will also be:

• Seeing the Christmas lights in the neighbourhood
• writing Santa a letter
• Catch a train into the city and see the Myer Christmas windows
• Open 1 present
• Pack our bags and catch the ferry to Tasmania (little island state of the mainland)
• See Grandma and Grandpa (after our overnight ferry ride)
• Give a gift to a less fortunate child
• Help with some Christmas cooking
• Help mum with some Christmas craft
• Be read the story of Christmas
• Visit Nan and Pop

Much of this list will be doubled up and adjusted as necessary.  Now I just need to think of a craft or two that a 3 year old could do ... hmmmm any ideas??