Author: Caroline

Biannual Blogathon Bash

It’s that time again – the Biannual Blogathon Bash. I love doing these as I (usually) get heaps done over the blogathon weekend. You can read all about the blogathon here and check out all my previous blogathon posts.

Biannual Blogathon Bash JanuarySo this is my kick off post for the January blogathon.

My list of what I want to get done over the weekend (yay it’s a long weekend here)

  1. Take part in the Instagram list (my photos – 1,2,3,4,5)
  2. Network over at the blogathon Facebook group
  3. Clean out my inboxes – delete, respond or file as needed
  4. Print blog planner & get in my planner
  5. Do a couple of blogathon mini challenges
  6. Check post SEO
  7. Make sure all images & links are there and working

Keeping the list smaller this year. 🙂

Oh and hello to anyone who is new to the blog via the blogothon 😀 Leave us a comment so I can say hi

In the Den Kitchen: Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake

One of the series I’m bringing back in 2015 is In the Den Kitchen. Each Friday I’ll be sharing one of my favourite recipes. Some will be Thermomix, so will be normal recipes, sometimes it’ll be a Thermomix conversion with the normal recipe as well.

The first recipe of the year is a Thermo conversion. It was Dad’s birthday this week and I made him his favourite cake (& a family favourite) – Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake

Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake

[yumprint-recipe id=’5′] 

and the Thermo conversion

[yumprint-recipe id=’6′]

And starting 2015!

Well here we are, one week into 2015(!) and I’ve got soo many things planned already.

I’m really hoping to start a couple of new series here on the blog and maybe even bring back a few old ones.

I’m finishing off my 2014 December Daily/Journal Your Christmas album as we speak and will be sharing it all soon.

There’s quite a bit of my 2 Project Life albums to finish and share, along with my mini from when I was pregnant with Miss A.

Planning is well underway for Scrap Teal You Drop 2015

Currently I’m taking part in Heidi Swapp’s Capture 30 class and loving it. I’m such a planner junkie. I pre-ordered the Webster’s Pages one and have decided I want to get Heidi’s planner now too :/

Simple Scrapper are also running the Start Fresh 2015 event so I’m getting organised for all my 2015 scrapping.

What else? Busy planning Miss K’s 5th birthday, Frozen themed of course, and getting her ready to start kindy – when the hell did that happen??

I think that’s it. Bit of a what I’m planning/brain dump post tonight 😉 Hope your 2015 has started ok.

Finishing off 2014

Disclaimer – links are affiliate

Well here we are. The first day of 2015. I’m sitting here in my pjs watching Monkey Magic on SBS & surfing Pinterest.

Anywho, as I’ve done in years past I’m spending the next few days with my Life workbook but first to roundup my list from 2014.

As with previous years bold is started, strike thru is finished & red isn’t done

So here we go

  1. Increase my social media following
  2. Go to a blogger meet up in Tassie
  3. Get more Twitter followers (Jan 1 – 626   Dec 31 – 658)
  4. Get more Facebook followers (Jan 1 – 127   Dec 31 – 150)
  5. Organise my Pinterest boards
  6. Blog everyday for 1 month (March #30Lists)
  7. Learn a new recipe each month. Blog about it.
  8. Get a ProBlogger event digital pass – looks like this isn’t happening this year Image
  9. Attend more Brand meets Blog Twitter chats #bmbchats
  10. Use twitter more, especially for my blog
  11. Sort bookmarks (not really a bloggy one but it does need doing)
  12. Do the June blogathon
  13. Create a back up of my blog monthly
  14. Try something I’ve pinned and blog about it.
  15. Finish garden beds and start to use them
  16. Get a garden shed
  17. Set up a gazebo/outdoor dining area
  18. Do HabitHacker –Nest
  19. Get front yard finished
  20. Finish custom recipe book – this is a work in progress but all my recipes are now typed up & in a binder
  21. Finish laundry – need to paint
  22. Finish lounge – need to get curtains
  23. Finish kitchen – need curtains
  24. Start our bathroom reno
  25. Organise RPG room (aka the garage) so hubby & mates are out there by August
  26. Re-organise K/bub’s room
  27. Re-organise our bedroom
  28. Pull up carpet in lounge/dining room ended up being ALL the carpet
  29. Start a garden journal
  30. Work thru Creating your Goddess Haven e-course
  31. Redo the pantry (needs doing again)
  32. Sort linens and make less cluttered
  33. Have a candlelit dinner
  34. Birth a healthy bub in August
  35. Tattoo for J
  36. Family holiday to Qld or Melbourne
  37. Have parents and in-laws over for dinner more
  38. Go to the Dawn service but did do the Anzac Service
  39. Get a family photo of me, mum, dad & bro done
  40. Get a family photo of me, J, K & bub done
  41. Have a dirty weekend away with hubby
  42. Put min. $5 a pay into Christmas club account
  43. Write a letter to Miss K to open on her 18th
  44. Have a family movie night (complete with popcorn & choc tops)
  45. Write a letter to bub to open on his/her 18th
  46. Spend a day at the beach
  47. Go on a picnic
  48. Go for a drive somewhere for no reason other than getting out
  49. Spend a rainy day in PJs watching TV/movies
  50. See more of Tassie
  51. Work on family tree
  52. Go to the Botanical Gardens
  53. Visit QVMAG
  54. Get some guinea pigs for K (got chickens instead)
  55. Get BAS in on time
  56. Keep up to date with work accounts
  57. Get office sorted and start using it!
  58. Work thru Business Goddess e-course
  59. Finish work portfolio
  60. Upgrade laptops
  61. Make laptop & pc better organised – less double ups of files
  62. Setup server
  63. Find an inspirational quote & make it into a piece of artwork
  64. Finish JYC 2012 & 2013
  65. Scrapbook with mum more
  66. Art journal once a week
  67. Finish wedding scrapbook
  68. Do #30Lists (March, September, December)
  69. Organise all my paper scrapbook supplies
  70. Organise & cull my digital scrapbook supplies
  71. Scrapbook with others more
  72. Organise a scrapbook day
  73. Complete a cross stitch
  74. Work thru Creative Goddess ecourse
  75. Project life date one weekend a month
  76. Do some more classes & finish them
  77. Do Before your story class
  78. Create a scrapping binder
  79. Apply for more design teams
  80. Get dt work done before it’s due
  81. Actually DO some of the things I’ve pinned
  82. Create more pages about me
  83. Start bub’s PL book
  84. New tatt for me
  85. Get my L’s
  86. Rejoin the biz & life academy
  87. Raise at least $1000 at Afternoon Teal (we’re up to about $500 so far before the event!) raised $1738
  88. Do Frocktober
  89. Watch sunrise & sunset in the same day
  90. Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years
  91. Keep a gratitude journal every day for a month (0/30)
  92. Do Habit Hacker’s Create
  93. Get a massage
  94. Get a manicure
  95. Make a list of 30 books I want to read & then read those books (0/30)
  96. Exercise every day for a month (0/30)
  97. Create a mini Goddess altar
  98. Meditate more
  99. Enjoy life
  100. Live a more spiritual life

Back in a few days with my list for 2015 🙂

15 favourites before 2015 – photos

Seriously, 3 posts in one day! Happy New Year!!

And the final 5 for 2014. My five favourite photos from 2014. This was super hard.

054 006001 DSC_0105IMG_5691

Have loved shooting photos for TCW this year. Missed 2 shows but looking forward to shooting more in 2015!
Miss K was so attached to her sister before she even knew she was getting a sister.
Miss A! Feature of soooooo many photos from August onwards.
One of our first family photos.
Our social media star 😉 Miss A in the 2014 AFL Premiership Cup during the cups tour of Tasmania.

The LIFE:CAPTURED Project–December 2014

Read more about Life:Captured here.
Catch up with my previous Life:Captured posts

28 Who are the most precious people in your life right now?

My family

29 How did you feel when you looked in the mirror today?

Much better than I have

30 How are you planning to spend New Year’s Eve?

A quiet night at home with hubby. Watching TV, filling in my 2015 Lifebook and scrapbooking.

31 What are you most looking forward to in the new year?

  • Miss K starting school
  • Starting Braehead Crafts properly
  • planning Miss K’s birthday party
  • Miss A’s 1st birthday

15 favourites before 2015 – craft/diy

Continuing on from yesterday’s post, today I’m sharing my 5 fav crafty/diy posts/photos

  1. making cards for my JYC album. I’m trying to make more of my own cards for my albums. Having a collection of awesome stamps helps 😉
  2. 14 days of Thermo. I challenged myself to use my Thermomix for 14 days in a row. Found some new favourite recipes.
  3. Week in the Life 2014. Managed to record a full week! I now just have to put it in my album hehe
  4. Project Life. love it. Love I’m mostly up to date with 2 albums (one for Miss K & one for Miss A)
  5. Scrap Teal You Drop. My Afternoon Teal fundraising event. Lots of crafty fun had by all. Busy planning the 2015 event as we speak 🙂

15 favourites before 2015–pt 1: blog posts

Gotta admit I’m a Kellie Winnell fan girl – love her blog & her stamps. She’s doing a link up at the moment – 15 favourites before 2015. Today is 5 of your own favourite blog posts. So here are mine, in no particular order

  1. Welcoming Miss A (ok so on my other blog but hey)
  2. 2014 Life Workbook
  3. Time to go teal
  4. A little history lesson
  5. 100 Happy Days (not a post but the whole series)

Welcoming Miss A – so a super big thing that happened this year.
2014 Life Workbook – love this workbook and love sharing it with as many people as I can.
Time to go teal – a super important cause. Make sure you know the symptoms ladies!
A little history lesson – loved researching some of the history of where I live for this post.
100 Happy Days – not just one post. Really enjoyed the whole 100 Happy Days concept and look forward to giving it a go again in 2015

The LIFE:CAPTURED Project–December 2014

Read more about Life:Captured here.

21.What feelings does twilight arouse in you?

I’m really not sure. It signals the time that the kids are in bed and hubby & I get to spend some quiet time together, either doing something together or doing our own thing.

22 Write about someone you miss during this time of the year.

My cousin & my grandparents who have passed away.

23 Is there a gift you are hoping to receive this year? What is it and why do you want it?

Kind of cheating with this one – I’m getting a Silhouette Cameo. Actually I already have it. Looking forward to using it for Christmas, my JYC album & my Project Life albums.

24 Write about three things that you are thankful for right now.

  1. my mum
  2. my family
  3. my friends

25 What does Christmas mean to you?

Spending time with loved ones. Eating lots of yummy food. Usually gorgeous weather. Pressies area bonus.

26 Write down five things that you want to remember about Christmas day.

  1. Miss A not really being interested in much
  2. A Frozen Christmas for Miss K
  3. how enjoyable a quiet Christmas can be
  4. driving up to mum & dad’s and the look on dad’s face (I got my L’s again)
  5. how much I hate hayfever 🙁

27 How are you feeling today?

Tired and sick. Hayfever and a headache