{Making BIG Boy Rooms}

There have been some emotional moments in our house this week.

My little brother (who moved in with us earlier in the year) started a working holiday journey in UK (tear tear)!

Since we gave him Joshys room for a few months, him leaving meant I got to re-do the room suitable for a little (ok BIG) boy.
We decided to get bunk beds for him and give his 'car bed' to his 2 year old lil bro (who often snuck into that bed anyway he loved it so much).
So since we were boy-ing up the two rooms....insert sad moment # 2.
Collapsing the cot and moving that and the change table out for good. Wow that was teary....there has been a little body sleeping there for the last almost 6 years! I have found a way to do something special with that, and will show you pics when ready (yay!)

In the mean time here are some little touches we added to the boys rooms to make it more personal and boyish.



Enlisting the help of Joshy to paint the initial letters (spotlight for about $3).



The 'famous' bunk beds that we searched around for - thanks eBay! LOVED the doonas I found at target too.



The finished J with my attempt at doing one of those birth detail art works!



A world and Aussie map with destinations we have been too, where Uncle PJ lives etc.... Lots of flags wanted to be added here too!






No more cot 'little man' - hello big boy car bed (although you really can't see the car here).



And little Daniels initial and birth art too!


I had do much fun shopping around for doonas, maps and creating the art for their room. I'm almost finished....a few more touches and we will be done 100%. I would like to somehow incorporate a photo of them
and the meanings of their names into a frame....working on that one.

I can't wait to show you the other project I'm working on too....all in good time!

Lauren x




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{Build-a-Cubby Kit} A great gift idea for "mini men"

I love giving my children toys and experiences that teach them but also develop their imagination. In my humble opinion, too many toys these days hand the experience to them on a 'silver platter' and don't allow them to imagine, create, change and experiment. Thats's why I love things like blocks and lego.

So when Mr. 4 was invited to a birthday party for a friend at prep I thought a bit outside the box. I remeber seeing something simailar ages ago online somewhere (that sparked the initial idea) but it was so long ago and I have no idea where I found it. When I track it down, I will definitley give credit ;)

I put together a very basic draw string bag in a blue fabric from my stash to put it all in and attached this tag:



Here are some pictures of what I used to create the kit:









Enjoy;
Lauren x

{A gorgeous car mat for my gorgeous nephew}

As a mum of two boys, my handbag is often filled with extra's for them like dummys, drink bottles, crayons and of course CARS. My boys are OB-SESSED with cars!!!

So, when I saw some of these (in varying styles) online in my blog roll, they very quickly made it to my "to-do list" of projects. So, a month or so ago I started to put together something and decided to make it for my nephews 3rd birthday.
It is baisically a small quilt FULL of activity and I was so happy with how it turned out. I think I am going to make one for my little man's 2nd birthday in June too. The things that made this car mat so cool for me was the 'parking garage storage' for the cars and the portability of it, making it really easy to pop in the handbag and take anywhere. My boys just loved the ducky's and the petrol pump (the shoelace pump made it functional and a big hit).

A fun project and I can't wait to do it again!!!!

Lauren x

{Mr Magorium and My Bow Tie Boy}

I just love watching children play and imagine and it's so sad that we loose this as we get older. Recently we had family movie night and watched Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium whichh captivated our 4 year old beyond belief. He loved watching the craziness of the toys and the outfits (Eddie's hats and Mr Magoriums suits in particular).
This may have influenced him to put together his outfit for church last Sunday which I am kicking myself I didn't get a picture of. He chose to wear (no matter how I hinted otherwise) thongs, jean shorts his white button up and collared shirt and black bow-tie from his Aunty and Uncles wedding last October. ALL TOGETHER! So gorgeous. So, I found some fabric in my stash that Mr Magorium would swoon over and fashioned a Bow Tie for my boy. I had no idea how to start so I looked at his wedding one and just kinda guessed (helpful i know ;)

The basic idea of supplies was:
*2x large rectangles (mine measured approx 16cm x 13.5cm)
*2x small rectangles (mine measured approx 8.5cm x 11cm)
[NOTE: I would also have cut fusable interfacing if I had the right thickness on hand....it would have made finished product much sturdier]
*1x long piece of the same fabric about 7.5cm x 15.5cm to create the tube around the center of the bow tie (in hindsight this made almost enough for two so length could be much shorter even about half)
*1x length of thick sturdy elastic with enough length to fit around neck of your child


Method (without interfacing):
1. Place the same size rectangles right sides together and sew around with 1/4" seam leaving a few cms on the boarder to turn inside out.
2. Repeat with other rectangles.


3. Turn them out and top stich around the edge to finish nicely
4. Using your long piece, fold in half length ways right side together. Sew a 1/4" seam along the edge making sure to backstitch along both ends (this helps give seam strength when turning out on itself.

5. Place the small rectangle on top of the large one and center it. Run a little stitch a few times back and forwards in the middle to secure them together.

6. With the 'tubed center piece' place it around both rectangles to 'mask' the finish product and measure how much you need.

7. Sew it into a loop and cut off excess and turn inside out so seam is on inside (you'll have to take care making sure your seams match as closley as possible here for a good finish)
8. Tightly roll rectangles together and feed through the 'tubed centre piece' and then 'fluff out' (for lack of a better term) to reveal the desired look.
9. Using your measured elastic, thread through the tube and then stitch over the ends followed by a reverse stitch (I did this twice as I wanted to make sure it was sturdy).


10. Move the seam on the elastic so it's under the center piece to make the look more finished.




TADA!!! Told you it was easy. When I handed it to him he just loved it, but chose a fabric off the shelf and said "now Mum we need a bag to keep it in because this a very special bow tie". So with his chosen fabric I knocked up a quick carry bag for him to keep his tie in. Maybe he is catching the sewing bug like I have - hahaha!

This is such an easy project and you only need basic sewing skills. I just love the look of this I might just do one for me as a headband with some fabric a little more girly *ideas flooding head as I type* lol ;)

Enjoy;
Lauren x

Bugs, hills and sitting still : Developing masculinity in a feminine world.

Gen 18:19 "For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

As I grew up I had 2 brothers, now I am surrounded by boys again with a husband and 2 little boys in the house. It has become apparent to me that these days that the world is increasingly trending to a society that values feminine characteristics. We have seen how the “metro sexual” movement has affected the perception of male expectations of hygiene, dress code, behaviour etc... I believe the increase of the popularisation and glamorisation of the ‘male gay presence’ on TV has played a role in this being so prominent today (but that’s another story).

I am very aware that although my boys are 1 and 4 years old, I am conscience that I am raising future men and am sowing seeds for them as husbands and fathers and for them in their future friendships and in their careers whatever they maybe.

There is a great juxtaposition involved in raising boys that is becoming more evident to me every day and that is the challenge of balancing masculinity and sensitivity. Part of preparing them for success in life is to teach my boys good manners, how to be kind, to be sensitive to the things of the Spirit and how to have a soft heart for those people God places in their world. However, here is the challenge for parents today, to keep that soft nature but not by emasculating them and keeping that God given strength that was put into them intentionally by their maker.

God made us differently. He placed in men a different kind of strength than he did to women. And He did that intentionally. Sometimes we would love our boys to sit still, be quiet, not see the world as a giant playgym and take risk after risk without seeing the potential dangers that make a mummas heart skip a beat!

If you have EVER had a moment like that with your boy or boys, take comfort by looking at the big picture. God created an inner strength in his boys and this is necessary for them to develop into strong men for them to support, protect and stand up for their future families. I am grateful every day for the man God put into my path and made my husband. He personifies to me this balance of a soft heart for God’s people but a man with strength who looks after his family.
I am beyond grateful for him as a role model to my boys.

So, no matter what age your boys are, help them take risks every now and then. Let them be the hero and climb up that tree or that hill. Allow them to build the Godly characters of courage and strength. Let them run and use their energy and don’t freak out when they touch bugs (even though I can’t stand creepy crawlies). One day down the future, you will have a daughter in law that is grateful your boy will kill the bugs in the house!

Lauren x

Product Review ::: from Boys Germs

Here are a few of my favourite finds from a wonderful website called "Boys Germs". Have a browse and I hope you like these awesome products like I did ;)

Personalised Name Light from mylight from about $140 (different options available).





Not your average blocks from A + R for US$158.

Gumboots from Little Elk $49.95

Dorothy 'mini' lamp from Lilly and Lolly $145

Bubble Clox from Lilly and Lolly $39.95

Tyre wheel and wrench spoon from Wrenchware US$19

Table and Chairs Set from Hip Kids for $110

Enjoy;
Lauren x

Web Review ::: Boys Germs

I have been quite frustrated (and I am not alone) with the gender imbalance in clothing/ accessories on the net and in stores.

There are SOOOOO many tu-tu's, clips, and t-shirts with wings etc....for girls, but why is it so hard to have something equivilant for the boys.

As a mum to 2 lovley boys (1 and 4yrs ) i know thay love to
dress up/ role play as much as the girls do.

The other problem I find is that alot of the clothes/ shows etc.... aimed at boys have a subtle (but not always) violent edge to them. I want to encourage them to be masculine, but don't think we need violence and grotesque scull and cross bones to achieve that. So I have been on a litte quest to find 'BOY STUFF'.

I came across one website that I loved called boys germs. Dedicated to all things 'boy', you will find every thing for bed time, bath time, party time, play time and also furniture, gadgets, and clothes too. If you have boys or boys in your world.....check out BOYS GERMS HERE!

Lauren x

Patterns With Buttons - Incidental playing/ learning :)

While my little man was napping the day before last, I cooked dinner and some cookies with my (almost) 4 year old boy. Whilst cookies were in the oven, I took the chance to have some teaching/ playing time with him. I got out a sheet that I quickly whipped up that looked like this and got a jar of buttons from my craft room. Then we spontaniously "played button games" (which I made up as we went). Some examples of these games are below:

* First I used the grid and put a red button in the first square, then a yellow one then red again (making a pattern of 2 colours: RED/YELLOW/RED/ YELLOW). Then we said the colours aloud together and he told me which one came next. Then I said "finish the pattern" and taught him what that meant. He placed buttons in the RYRYRY pattern to fill the grid.

* Then I did a pattern of three colours BLUE/YELLOW/ORANGE. So I put into the grid BLUE/YELLOW/ORANGE/BLUE......then he figured out he had to fill in the pattern by putting in the yellow then orange buttons squares and he kept it going to fill the 10 space grid.

* The circles we used for early addition skills. E.g. I have one in my circle. (1) How many in your circle? (1) Lets ADD them together 1 plus 1 = 2 buttons together.

* (CATEGORY/ ATTRIBUTE LEARNING). Choose your favourite button and put it into the circle (they might pick a green/ shiny/ big one). Ask them "why is that your favourite?" Whatever reason they state is the attribute they have notified in their button. So, lets see if we can find any other green buttons and put the others in the different circle.

The sky is the limit with this activity and there are so many things you can teach but because it's fun, they think they atre playing!!! I could fill this page with activity ideas, but I will spare you :)

Lauren x

Too cute for words ;)

I am a sucker for vests for boys....and I love the hat too!

The bows on the gloves - do they make this in grown up size??? cuuuute ;)

The scarf and the jacket - what a gorgeous outfit!

What girl doesn't just love the details....like pom-pom's - awwwww!

Found Seed on facebook first and just love their classic and sophisticated clothing looks for little ones! Hope you enjoy them and I cant wait to get my hot little hands on their gear soon :)

Amazing Kids Bedrooms

Another wonderful snippet of interior design inspiration from Design Dazzle. Check out some of these beds and bedroom designs....just so precious! What kid wouldnt love a built in bed or a sippery side from their bed :)

INSPIRATION POINT: Decorating ideas

Although this room is a girls room (which is stunning) SO adaptable - I love the stripe on the wall and also the ikea furniture.....LOVE IKEA!!!!!

I Love the colours here and the canvases (i guess thats what they are) with the name. Loving stripes and polka dots at the moment, but its subtle, which i like!

The colour pallette here is so cool for boys and yet so modern!

I just love the big accent of the letter in this one.

Design dazzle is an amazing blog with AMAZING ideas for kids rooms of all ages and playrooms too.....makes you want to do something different and personalised in your kids rooms. It has been great for me to start dreaming about ways to decorate the boys rooms in our new place (that we will hopefully be in 6 months from now). Hope you are inspired to add some special touches to your place that give you that WOW factor and make you all smile!

Boys Custom Clothing

I am quite a fan of supporting good local small buisness, where would we be without it after all! A lovely lady who lives local to me runs a company that i am just in love with. As a mum with 2 boys, it can be trickey finding a good variety of clothing for boys that are both modern, boy-ish without un-nessesary skulls and cross bones - all at a good price! Well, i stumbled across Quinn Macool who do a whole bunch of cute slogans for your little boys on everything from baby onesies to jumpers and t-shirts. I have bought many shirts from them and have even had her design matching custom tees for my boys for christmas!
Have a look at their stuff for the little man in your life - i know you will be as inpressed as i was with their range, prices and the quality!

There's a first for everything!

Here we go - I am new at this blogging thing and have been inspired to give it a go. As a stay at home Mum of two boys (3yrs and 8 months) I am busy and always have a lot of things on my plate. Confession time.....I am a bit of a 'foodie' and just LOVE cooking and for my family and am hoping to share some of my recipes here on my blog.

My daily reality is also all things baby and preschooler, so when I find little gems will share things that relate to my motherhood journey too.

So in the spirit of being a foodie and sharing some yummy recipes, here is the yummy falafel recipe that we made for dinner recentlyt from a favourite website of mine : taste. We turned them into wraps with mountain bread and homemade hommous with tabouli and salad...YUMMMO!!!