Kony 2012

I know Kony 2012 has caused much debate and criticism. The issue is complex and has been shown too simply. But I just want to view my thoughts on why I support this movement.

Firstly it has grabbed global attention and woken many people from their long sleep on Child Rights. It has started the discussions. It is using social media for a human rights cause. And all of those things rock me.

For too long celebrities and brands have been in the spotlight and attention of our people. Celebrities twitting about what they just bought or did. People Face Booking and liking brands. Everywhere we turn we are bombarded by images, symbols and products of celebrities and brands.

Now one organisation is the using the same social media tactics to gain attention for the plight of disadvantaged children that are enslaved for sexual servitude or to become child soldiers, forced to kill their loved ones and communities. Putting aside all the criticism towards the organisation I think working for the rights of humans with passion is worthy. I also don't see it as a competition of one organisation is better then another organisation. Instead I see one man who had the vision and passion to do something instead of nothing. And that I applaud.

What I also find formidable he has targeted his audience well. Youth. Many have disposable income, passion, time and ready to act. They also form cliques and group quickly. They are our tomorrow and will need to clean up our world mess with fierce determination. They are my hope for a better future for my daughter and our planet. I'm a dreamer but dreams can become reality.

I hope when my time comes, I go to dust with pride and satisfaction in how I spent my time on this earth. Right now I don't feel that, but I am making changes to get back to what is important to me because somehow I forgot in the daily grind.





Do you have any people or organisations that inspire you to do better?

In Peaceful Activism,

Stephanie at Frugal Down Under.

Finding My Long Lost Motivation

Saving For Travel recently commented that I seem to be very motivated at present. I sure am!!! Much of this has to do with Dolly being in big school and arriving home exhausted. This means we have been keeping everything low key, eat early and in bed by 6:45 for 20 minutes or so of bedtime stories.

The Rambling Expat and I both lie in bed with her taking turns reading books. Once done she has been falling in a deep sleep by 7:15pm. I read my own books until 8:00pm (Current bedside book is - 7pm Bedtime) and then get up for a relaxing shower and tidy our home for 30 minutes. The chaos is slowly reducing as I rid of clutter and organise.

By 9:00pm I am sitting at my desk going through my paperwork, finances, bills, to do lists and so on that have been neglected for months. Each day something gets finished off and I feel amazingly energised and satisfied by the advancements I am making.

At 10:00pm I may work on a craft project or read my FREE magazines I have picked up from the library or giveaway shelves. At the moment my pile is high with investment, mortgage, gardening, home and money magazines. I tag articles I want to re-read, action or copy. I place copies in a folder I have named Frugal. I cut out real estate or jobs I'm interested in and paste them into a old 2007 work diary for future reference and knowledge building.

Getting Organised.

By 11:00pm I'm checking emails, blogging and visiting blogs until 1:00am. It's a new routine and I never stick to routines. But I would like this one to stick as I've been on it for 9 days and it's moving me forward. There is still a long way to go in my disorganisation but I'm hopefully getting to where I want to be.

So thanks to my sweet Dolly being so exhausted, I have uninterrupted hours to catch up with months of neglected TO DO LISTS.

How about you? Any new routines moving you forward? Any thing you want to share?

1st Day of School Ends With Barramundi

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for all your visits and lovely comments.

Dolly was sooooo excited this morning going to big school. She squealed with excitement at seeing all her old friends. One of her favourite BOYS who she's in LOVE with came running up yelling out her name. Once they were together to shy to hug, he asked her boldly "Did You Miss Me?" She went coy and didn't answer - so me - the big embarrassing mama that I am, said "She sure did, everyday and she still LOVES you!" Dolly quickly hid herself under my shirt. Oh sweet young crushes at the love weary age of 4!

After work I arrived home to cooked Barramundi Fish baked in the oven with limes and basil (Freshly caught on Sunday). When I tasted it, it was very sweet. We then realised the Rambling Expat had also added mandarins in error instead of just limes. Creative gourmet style :-)  We ate well. Once the large baked fish was cool I pulled it all apart to save all the left over flesh. I hate the sticky icky job of picking it apart, bone by bone, skin and scales, however the end result is lovely versatile fish flesh ready to be used in various meals.

Barramundi - We all love it in our home.

What do you do with left over fish? Any interesting, easy to make, inexpensive meals to recommend?

FREE 2012 Simple Savings Calendar!

Here's the link to the FREE Simple Savings War On Debt Calendar. I printed mine out and am ready to tackle 2012 with more fabulous frugalness and saving madness.

Sure it says Australia and New Zealand! But hey! All saving money and the planet tricks and tips cross all borders don't you think. We all work of similar principals where ever we are   :-)

So what about you, are your going to squeeze each cent out of the dollar for a better life?

Are you going to think about all your purchasing actions carefully and see if they are good for your pocket, loved ones and planet?

Are you going to lead a less hurried and more thoughtful life?

Are you going to laugh more and enjoy your short time here on this wonderful planet?

I know I will try real hard, and those baby steps of mine are getting bigger, prouder and more definite. Here's to a wonderful 2012! Happy New Year!

On Holidays and a Cut Back In Pay.

Today I am on holidays for 4 weeks. Yeeee Hahhhh. Then back to work for 2 weeks on my regular hours and then.... DRUM ROLL... my hours are cut back by 25% for a 3 month trial.

That also means a cut back in my pay packet by 25% and a cut back in my Superannuation for retirement. Ouch!   But this is why I'm frugal and have been saving like mad, so that I can have extra time with my daughter.

I will be able to pick Dolly up from school each afternoon, help her with learning and other fun activities. We will have time to cook, craft, garden, read and play instead of me nagging her to eat quickly, brush her teeth and get into pyjamas. I can't wait for the lifestyle change!

We only have 1 car so to do this I will have to ride my bike to work and back each day. 1 hour of riding and as I get fitter this should reduce to 40 minutes of riding each day. Making me fitter, healthier, leaner and more eco. Extra gardening may mean more fresh produce. More time to cook may mean cheaper and healthier home cooked meals. So even though I'm cutting back on money coming in, I hope the change of lifestyle not only brings me more joy but also more time to be organised and savings in fuel, health and food.

Here's to a less hurried life! Bottoms up. Chin Chin. Cheers.

I Dedicate This Post To Dolly's Teacher, Ms Leah.

Dolly's preschool teacher Ms Leah has been the most wonderful start to schooling my daughter could have. She's smart, kind, full of fun, very loving, a great female role model, dances like no ones watching, creates with trash, encourages cultural diversity and speaks to students with respect. Everything that was important to me was enhanced by her.

We Heart Ms Leah.

I feel very sad that she will no longer be part of my daughters life (my tears are flowing). My daughter blossomed under her guidance. Dolly is very energetic but has a gentle heart. She is at times attracted to stronger children who bully her. She tells me she likes them because sometimes they are nice to her. Like all mums I worried on that 1st day of preschool. There were times at childcare my daughter would come home feeling sad and excluded with a tear running down her face. It would break my heart. With Ms Leah, Dolly's confidence grew and she has been made to feel proud of of who she is.

At preschool with Ms Leah, tolerance, difference and acceptance was promoted. The children all felt safe and were all able to grow into children ready to face the challenges of primary school. I always felt comfortable leaving my daughter in her caring hands and can only hope for more teachers like her during my daughters schooling life - however... I have worked in schools for many years and know she is a rare and special indeed. I must congratulate her parents on their remarkable achievement on creating such a special human being. But most of all I must thank Ms Leah for being the generous, kind and beautiful person she is.

THANK YOU MS LEAH WITH ALL MY HEART.

Lovely Readers, Tell me about a remarkable teacher that is/was unforgettable...

Blue the Budget on a Gift

A friend had a baby girl about 4 months ago. And I was slow at delivering our gift. But this is the hamper I created and gave last Sunday. Over our usual budget as baby's mum is the person who hooked me into the community garden and has saved me a lot of money in produce and health costs by eating my own organics and getting exercise. Plus the gardens give me a fantastic mental health boost.

My $3 secondhand basket has:

• A new dress $15 (on super discount), 
• Lovely local hand made soap $4, 
• Op shop (higher end brands) clothes $3 
• A few of Dolly's gorgeous outgrown clothes and books.
• Gift tag is a picture cut from an old diary and glued to a piece of card.

I love the hamper and Dolly was very proud to present it. She made the mum change her baby's clothes 4 times during the morning. I'm currently preparing another baby hamper for another friend. I found a gorgeous baby, designer dress at the op shop for $2. Retails for roughly $180!!! This time I'm going to try to stick to budget.

My frugality has been a bit poor this week as I feel the blues. I feel exhausted from work. I just want to eat junk food and not cook. I want to sookie-la-la. I don't want to buy stuff though (just chocolate). Instead I've wanted to purge and have been able to declutter 1 or 2 small items per night which is freeing up more space. That feels good.

Do you think you spend more when you are over tired or have the blues? 

Busy And Quiet

Tonight I have spent 3 hours finding and creating items to create gifts for Dolly's teachers for Teachers Day on the 28 October 2011. If I was more organised this would have only taken 1 hour. The searching for stuff has used up my precious hours and frustrated me. And that is why I need to declutter and be better organised!

This is what I've been working on tonight. I'll let you see the finished gifts tomorrow, when they are dry, assembled and ready to go into their little gift bags. I think they are very cute.

Mystery Gifts

Tonight we also ate dinner with our neighbour Mr T. He has a BBQ and we had a barramundi that The Rambling Expat caught over the weekend in crocodile infested waters.

The Rambling Expat and Bara

It was a quiet night for us as our friend Franck passed away this afternoon. He was only 42 but had a heart condition. My mum and I, visited him last week in hospital and he was happy to be getting out this week but he had a turn for the worst. I'm now preparing Dolly for her 1st funeral. She has decided she wants to come and I believe in being gently honest with my daughter about death. Being a mum is not always easy with these decisions.

What did you do tonight?

Tonight We Have A Surfer On Our Couch

Tonight we have another couchsurfer sleeping on our couch as I type this.

Dolly has been thrilled to bits having such a fun, lover of life, energetic hoola hooper staying with us.

I haven't accepted as many people onto my couch lately. But when a gem like this comes knocking it's an opportunity for some goodness on the frugal couch.

Any fun guests at your place lately?

School Outing

Tonight, Grandma, The Rambling Expat, myself and our Dolly headed to her school for 2 hours of fun and feasting. The teachers and teacher assistants organised a evening of active games for kids and parents alike. Fun was to be had.

Each family was asked to bring a plate to share and everything was spread on 2 large tables. (Delicious, there were many talented cooks.) Being time poor, as the event started at 5:30pm and I didn't get home from work until 5:30pm, I made these in a jiffy - they only took me 20 minutes.

Shaped Up - Ham and Cheese Sandwiches.

I had purchased the freshest bread I could find in the supermarket just a few minutes earlier. I filled them with sliced cheese and champagne ham. One side was white bread the other wholemeal bread. I cut a few triangles but mainly stars and hearts for the littlies enjoyment. The ham was expensive as I wanted good quality - this plate of sandwiches came to roughly $12. Just a little over my aim of $10 but super quick to make and my plate came home empty, which is always a relief.

The best bit of the Evening. Dolly and I entered a Piggy Back Obstacle Course Race. I being the loud show off I am, yelled out a few times, as I ran "We are the Crazy Cowgirls". Dolly laughed in loud giddy excitement all the way. That makes my heart very Happy. I wasn't a dainty pretty sight (all that weight piled on in my office job and non stop grazing) but I'm soooooo happy I've got the guts to let loose and be silly with my favourite girl.

We Are The Crazy Cow Girls.

Do you still have the guts to do silly stuff too? Sometimes I forget to just let go and have childish fun :-(

Long Lost Finds.

Once Dolly is in bed and asleep The Rambling Expat and I have been cleaning and sorting every night for 40 minutes. It's making a huge difference in my life. I feel much happier and motivated as the messy clutter slowly finds a place and the dust is swept away. I am also finding long lost documents and feeling much more in control. I also feel that the housework is now becoming more evenly distributed between our gendered divide.

We started this when our Parisian visitors were going to have a sleep over at our place. Once they left for France we pushed ourselves to continue with the nightly routine and it's paying off and saves some more of our hard earned cash. For example I found a pair of sneakers I had forgotten I own. So I don't have to do the big sell on Ebay to pay for them.

Long Lost Sneakers.

Six years ago I had a pair of sneakers for a job serving ice-creams at a market. I wore them only 8 hours a week for roughly 5 months while serving customers. As I didn't wear them much, there was barely any wear or tear. They got caught up in some muddy water when our home was flooded 2 years ago and placed in a  box with other grubby shoes to be forgotten about. With this cleaning and sorting action I stumbled upon them and washed them in the washing machine to see how they would turn out. They look fabulous and now I no longer have to fork out money for new sneakers to go on walks with my neighbour Mr T.

Have you ever found any long lost treasures?

Did you click on the Book link above and read the blurb on Found? - It looks really interesting, unfortunately it's not in my public library so I will hold off buying it until it comes my way in an op shop.

Check Your Docket!

Today I went to work with some chopped fruit for my gluttonous snacking habit.

Kiwi fruit, apple and pear.

I also purchased veggies for a salad. I used 2 zuchinis, 2 carrots, half an avacado, 1 tomato and a dash of left over olive oil from a jar of feta cheese. Similar to yesterday except an extra carrot, only half an avocado and no lemon, to cut my cost down.

Trying to keep it healthy and delicious.

I always try to give myself a moment to check my docket before I leave any store, because there are often errors and today was no exception. My 500gm bag of baby carrots was supposed to be $1 on special - but it scanned for $1.45. When I took them to the service desk I received a full refund for my item due to store error. I love this store policy and I am willing to take full advantage of it.

Free Carrots.

Due to the refund and budgeting; today my Lunch only cost cost me $2.05 and I'm still focusing on getting healthy and happy again as I know food is linked to my physical wellbeing and moods too. I'm Feeling like a Winner already!

Do you check your Dockets before you leave the store?

Bouncing Myself Up.

I Hit 70 followers last week!!! Who would have ever thought people would read my ramblings. Thank you so much for following and also thank you to those of you who don't have blogger accounts and yet read me too. You all keep me encouraged to keep saving my pennies for the good stuff in life.

I also want to say a big Hello and Happy You Are Still Here to my readers from the Irene hit areas. I think we will also be in for big ones this year (cyclones) and can fully empathise when the wind strikes your town.

Now back to ME, the red faced shamed me, the big spender me, the money grows on trees me. Last week was a very bad week for the pennies. I bought pastry, snacks and takeaway nearly every workday from the supermarket and restaurants downstairs from my job. Not only am I overweight and not in my prime of health but really that $10 a day in junk and take out is a HUGE waste of money. Why have I been doing it??? I'll tell you..... It's been bit of gluttony, a feeling of overwhelm at work, dissatisfied here and there, over committed, busy with family, aching back dragging me down and maybe a bit depressed too. But waking up to my negativity is the 1st step to getting off the spend and eat ride I've been on and a new week is here to start afresh and be motivated.

Today being Monday was a fresh start and I got myself together. I wrote a list of manageable things to do. I organised a plan. I decluttered a little at home. I looked at my growing savings (feels good) and I made myself the best lunch at work for only $4.

When I take photos in the lunchroom - I'm sure people think I'm totally wackorama.

My Wackorama Super Healthy and Delicious Lunch.

I'm already feeling better and more in control already. Weight has lifted from my shoulders and I'm going to fill my next few days with healthy food, some exercise, feel good library books and ticks on my To Do list.

Do you feel you loose control sometimes too? Do you anything in particular to get your motivation back?

What About Me!

I have been feeling really quite shitty lately. Grumpy, anxious, tired, sensitive to cluttering noise and in need of time out. Not just for a few minutes but for weeks worth of time out. Not time out from Dolly, but time out from everything else in my life. I wish I had the luxury of working only when I want to, go where I want to and do what I want to, when I want to. I also wish I could click my fingers and my home would be gloriously tidy, clean, harmonious and clutter free. A haven of bliss. I guess it all comes to the life choices I've made and continue making. I could make changes but I'm too tired to think most days. I'm also an amazingly fantastic procrastinator. Jealous?

Everyday feels like I'm part of the rat race at the moment. Day in day out of the sameness. Up, work, cook, eat, bed. Up, work, cook, eat, bed. Up, work, cook, eat, bed. When Fridays come around I get excited that I can live more freely over the weekend and daydream.

Nice pick me ups such as the environmental movies I have been attending Thursday nights this month have been a breath of fresh air for me. Mixing in a social environment of like minded people. Not spending many dollars. Giving a donation to the organisation fundraising on the night. Learning about the ecology of our planet and what to do to protect it has all been a very very nice distraction from bits of my life I don't like. Did any of you end up watching the movie HOME I posted a couple of weeks ago? I thought it was an amazingly beautiful movie. Upsetting yes, but well worth the watch.

Anyway tonight I forced myself to attend alone with my bad feelings and I was surprised that there wasn't an ecological movie. But instead The Movie "1 Giant Leap - What About Me" All about people and the malaise that we feel. It was pumping with great speakers, wonderful visuals and exquisite music from a variety of countries and singers. Absolutely what I needed to try and change my self talk to positive feel good stuff :-) How lucky was I.

Here's a snippet of the doco. There are a few trailers and parts on You Tube and some more on their website. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading my posts, giving me company on my journey of change, self discovery and keeping me on track.