Website of the Week - Mocka

This weeks website of the week is a website that I have visited frequently since Little B arrived.......

You have to check them out asap if you have kids!! They have gorgeous, quality products for all ages, they are super efficient and easy to deal with AND they have free shipping to anywhere in NZ!!!  Their website is easy to navigate with great descriptions of their products and lots of gorgeous photos (the photos alone would convince me to buy their products!!!)

Mocka is a family run business based in Christchurch and Sunshine Coast (they also have an Australian website if you are in Aussie and want to buy their gorgeous stuff!)

So far our wee family have purchased the following (click on the name of each item to be linked to the product on the website):

Mocka Original Highchair - we love love love this highchair, its really sturdy, easy to clean and not so big it takes up the entire dining room!!!

Kids step stool - this stool is the perfect height for Little B to reach the basin to brush his teeth!

Asta Adult Chair - we also have the footstool that matches- this is such a great breastfeeding chair and we now use it for a storytime chair!!

Mocka Kids Table and Stool set - this is actually Little B's christmas pressie (aren't we super organised!!)

Mocka Urban Balance Bike - we know a number of kids who have Mocka bikes and love them to bits!

Wooden Playgym - I can't find this on their website so not sure if they still sell these, but Little B played with his for hours and hours - it has bells and rings and beads and shapes etc on it

I can't speak highly enough of this company, we have never been disappointed and we recommend them to everyone........also, they have sales quite often so like them on Facebook and you'll know when their sales are on.....

We love Mocka!!!!

Mini Milo Madness

Recently I have picked up the knitting needles again (after a very long period of no knitting whatsoever  - I didn't have much patience for it when I was a kid!!) and I have found the cutest pattern on the planet!!!

Its called Milo by Georgie Hallam - you can find the pattern here on Ravelry.  Ravelry is a fantastic site for knitters and crocheters - it has heaps of advice, groups, patterns (lots for free too!!) and well worth a look at!

Heres my finished project.......

This pattern was really easy to knit and has quite a few different options for the cable part - and seeing as this was my first time doing a cable I think it turned out pretty good!!! (as you can probably tell, I'm pretty proud of myself!!!)

I think this would look gorgeous over a purple top and leggings on a sweet wee girl - just need to find one to give it too now!!!

The options for this pattern are endless and I am currently knitting another one with the same variegated wool on the bodice and plain purple on the body with a different cable too....its looking great so far!

So if you haven't picked up your needles for a while, check out this pattern asap and get knitting!! I'm telling ya......there is so much satisfaction in creating a handmade piece of clothing to give as a special gift!!

I can hear the needles clicking already........

'Courageous' - The Book

Thought I might do a review every now and then of books, movies, products etc just coz I can!!

So here goes.......

Just finished reading 'Courageous' which is based on a screenplay by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick (the novelization is by Randy Alcorn).  

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised!! I read it cover to cover in two days (okay so not much else got done other than the necessities like nappy changing, meals and sleep!!) and I really enjoyed it!! It was an easy read and the story was gripping enough to keep me interested from the start.

This book is an awesome challenge to fathers to step up and be the best fathers they can be to their kids.  Its great to read a story where men (and lets face it most men are not in touch with their emotional side!!) are talking to each other, encouraging one another and showing courage.

This book is definitely worth a read.......I'm looking forward to seeing the movie now.....

Sew Pretty - Website of the Week

There are sooooo many websites and blogs out in the wondrous world wide web that I just have to share a fav each week so here goes...

I discovered this amazing online shop while searching for quilt fabrics and felt for some upcoming crafts..... 

Sew Pretty is such a cute site with amazing fabrics and craft products and..... Washi Tape!!!!  They also have a blog which you can check out here.

I spent a long time on their site and finally (after much ooohhhing and ahhhing over alll their gorgeous products!) I ordered a pile of fabrics and felt and it arrived pretty gosh darn quickly and was even wrapped in plastic and tied with some ribbon!!  Such great service!!

I will definitely be ordering from Sew Pretty again - check them out, you won't be disappointed!!

Thanks Sew Pretty - you are my new favourite online shop!!!

Beautiful Origami Dress Cards

I have two lovely sisters-in-law who both have birthdays coming up soon and I wanted to make them some special girly birthday cards - I love making (and receiving!!) homemade cards, its so nice that someone has gone to the effort to make something special just for me!!

So I came across this really cute idea at A Spoonful of Sugar blog - I had a go myself and here are the results.........

I used white cardstock for the actual card (I love cardstock - it gives a nice textured look and a bit of dimension to projects) and hand wrote the 'happy birthday'.  I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out although I would have loved to put some little clothes pegs on them like the ones in A Spoonful of Sugar blog - will keep an eye out for some for future cards.

The little dresses are so cute and pretty easy to make so have a go - you won't be disappointed!!

Hopefully the recipients will love them as much as I do!!!

A - Z Date Nites

Its so important in this day and age where life is so busy busy busy, to take the time out and go on a date night with your other half, be it once a week, once a month, once every 6 weeks, its really important to have that 'time out' from the rush of life and reconnect.

It shows your kids that 'mum and dads relationship' is important and it also shows each other that you are both important enough to take time out, turn off your phones and spend some quality time together!!

But coming up with ideas isn't always easy, and we usually tend to fall back into the 'junk food and a movie at home' date (which of course there is nothing wrong with but it can get a bit mundane!!).

So.......the plan is to have a themed date night each time (we don't do it once a month or 6 weeks etc, we just do it when we can fit it in - shift work is a pain!!) and each theme will be around a letter of the alphabet - so date 1 will be all about the letter A, date 2 about the letter B etc.

Hopefully this will help us think outside the box and be a bit of challenge (I'm not looking forward to coming up with ideas for Q and X!!) so I guess I'd better start thinking about the letter A to get us started.......

• Apples (hmmmm I'm thinking apple pie)
• Abseiling (not likely as Hubby C doesn't like heights!!)
• Archery (doubt it...i'm not that co-ordinated!)

I think I'd better keep thinking.........  

Puddle Jumping!!

Today was frustrating........... Little B wouldn't sleep even though he desperately needed it, Hubby C was at work so was no help (apart from the fact he was earning money!!!) but I was determined to find a little thing to smile about......

so after a shopping trip, a  yummy lunch, two attempts at a sleep and a long walk with Little B in the pram still trying to get him to sleep, we finally ended up outside............

On went the overalls and the gumboots and straight into the puddles to carry out the childhood ritual of puddle jumping.......actually it was more puddle splashing coz Little B can't actually jump yet (however its very cute watching him try!!)......finally he was happy so I didn't care how wet or muddy he got!!

He was happy, I was happy and we were both smiling!!! Yay!!!

and then I realised that the simple joy of Puddle Jumping was my little thing for today!  Its makes me smile when I think that even though toys have evolved so much since I was a kid, you still can't beat the simple joy of puddle jumping!

So get out there and jump in a puddle, put a smile on your face and feel like a kid again!!!