10 Reasons to Make Your Bed Every Morning …

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What’s the first chore or job you complete in the morning? For me, I always make the bed when I get up (unless, of course, hubby is still asleep) and open the curtains. I suppose it’s a habit that I developed from a young age, so here are ten good reasons to make the bed every day: It’s a simple task. It’s not difficult to make the bed and a smooth, made bed just feels so much nicer and cleaner. Simply pull up and straighten the sheets, blankets and bedspread, plump and tidy the pillows and your done … so simple even the kids can do it! It saves time. It’s … read more

Party Invitations … Little Monsters … Free to Download …

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Perfect for an upcoming party for a small child, I’ve created this cute birthday invitation that’s available for you to download and print (just click on the download button below or visit the “Free Downloads” tab on the right-hand side of this page). In the coming weeks, I will create more gorgeous invitations for you to download for free. That’s right, totally free, so stay tuned! Simply click on the link below, download and print. Each invitation will print in A4 size. Please remember to visit frequently, as more invitations will be added all the time, or … read more

A Letter to My Girls …

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Today, I thought I would share a letter I wrote to my beautiful daughters a couple of years ago … To my Darling Girls, The road you travel through your teenage years can be full of potholes and obstacles, destined to trip you as you walk this difficult path. But with a positive attitude, a big smile and a guiding hand along the way, your journey need not be so tough. Reach out and take our hands and we’ll tread this path together. You don’t ever need to walk alone and, remember, we will always be there to catch you should you stumble and fall. So here are some … read more

Chilli Con Carne …

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This is a favourite in my house and I cook it quite often. Chilli Con Carne is basically a stew containing meat (usually beef), capsicums, tomatoes and beans. While the name suggests that this will be a spicy dish, it’s really up to you whether you make it mild or hot. This recipe is for quite a mild version that my kids gobble up and for anyone who likes it a bit spicier, I simply add sweet chilli sauce to their individual serve. It’s so simple to prepare and is suitable to freeze. And the thing I love most about this dish, it’s perfect for sneaking in extra … read more

How to Organise the Bathroom Drawers (Part 1) …

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Bathroom drawers can get very messy, especially if you have teenage girls living in the house and they have a particular fondness for makeup. Raise your hand now if you know what I’m talking about! Miss 21 has claimed the main bathroom as hers, which is okay because hubby and I have an ensuite and Miss 15 uses the powder room. Everyone has a bathroom, so everyone is happy! But I will own up to being frustrated at how messy the drawers can get, so it was time to take some action. Here are my top tips for how to go about cleaning out the bathroom drawers. I … read more

Chocolate Raspberry Muffins …

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Okay, so a muffin isn’t necessarily going to be the healthiest snack out there but this recipe is definitely an improvement on one of my old favourites. I’ve added apple puree, which reduces the quantity of butter used and I also used low fat or skim milk, which I do in most of my recipes. These two things add up to less saturated fat and also fewer calories (or kilojoules). Try these little gems and see what you think. My verdict … yum!! Chocolate Raspberry Muffins …   Print Author: Mrs Organised Ingredients … 1 ¾ cups plain flour (I used … read more

An Attitude for Gratitude …

An Attitude for Gratitude

Let’s be real … life can be tough … very tough! You only have to watch the nightly news for evidence of the stuff that’s happening, not just in our own backyard but indeed all around the world. It would be so easy to let fear take hold and to hide in our own safe little homes never going outside but who wants to live like that? And sometimes, we don’t even have to look outside our own homes to realize that challenges are everywhere. Some days just feel like an endless rerun of the day before as we all search in vain for this thing called “domestic bliss”. And … read more

Party Invitations … Elephant … Free to Download …

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Last week I shared with you the “Two Little Owls” invitation that I created and that is available for you to download and print (just click on the download button below or visit the “Free Downloads” tab on the right-hand side of this page). I’ve been busy again this week and have created another lovely Birthday Party Invitation featuring two cute little elephants. In the coming weeks, I will create more gorgeous invitations for you to download for free. That’s right, totally free, so stay tuned! Simply click on the link below, download and print. Each invitation … read more

Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup …

Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

As a young teen growing up, Mum and Dad would take us to our local restaurant for a treat, the Oriental Chinese Restaurant. It was located in Southport and had been there as long as I could remember. If memory serves, it only had room for around eight or nine tables and each one was complete with a red and white vinyl tablecloth, a small vase of plastic flowers and little white salt and pepper shakers. Ahh, the memories! And, of course, our dinner always started with a familiar bowl of hot Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup, so I’ve always had a soft spot for this soup. … read more

Sumo Wrestling in Tokyo …

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We have been fortunate to travel to various parts of Japan and, without a doubt, one of the highlights of our first trip was to attend a Sumo Wrestling match in Tokyo. Timing is important if you wish to attend a match as there are only six major tournaments held each year: three at The Sumo Hall (Ryogoku Kokugikan) in Tokyo in January, May and September; one in Osaka in March; one in Nagoya in July and one in Fukuoka in November. This is a simple sport: the sumo wrestler who first touches the ground with anything other than the soles of his feet, or who leaves … read more

How to Organise the Bathroom Cupboard …

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Although our main bathroom is actually quite small, the bathroom cupboard is a reasonable size. So to make the most of the space available, I decided to declutter the cupboard and give it a good clean. Here’s how I did it, along with my top tips: I removed everything from the cupboard so that all that was remaining was glorious empty space. I wiped down the sides and bottom of the cupboard (including any shelving) with a damp cloth using Spray and Wipe. For marks or stains that are a bit harder to shift, I would use something like Gumption. I gave the … read more

Party Invitations … Two Little Owls … Free to Download …

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The first step to hosting a fantastic party is a fantastic party invitation! Whether it’s a birthday party or some other special occasion, nothing creates excitement more for young children than a great invitation. In the coming weeks I will be making available to my readers a lovely selection of invitations for you to download for free. That’s right, totally free! So let’s get started with this cute invitation, Two Little Owls. Simply click on the link below, download and print. Each invitation will print in A4 size. Please remember to visit frequently, as more … read more