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Rachie Rach
Rachie Rach is a fun loving, dynamic mum. Follow her as she travels the parenting rollercoaster and tells us about her experiences.
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Camping in a *gasp* tent!
Fishing with my little girl!
Having never been keen on camping, the idea of camping in a tent never struck me as particularly appealing -until now. With the addition of a mortgage and children, camping is becoming more and more appealing. Our first introduction to the camping life came with a holiday trip in a camper trailer (read all about it here) which sparked the camping flame :0
The appeal for me with camping is that you can tailor your experience to give you a ‘back to nature’ or ‘comfortable camping’ experience based on where you go, the amenities and what you take with you. I’m all for having the mod cons! So how would we go in a tent?
As mentioned I am keen on being comfortable so we decided to purchase a 7 man tent (see review here) for a number of reasons. Firstly it gives you two main sleeping rooms/areas and a middle area. I liked the idea of having the bigger tent as we currently have 2 children (hoping for 3 altogether) and I like the notion of them having their own space in one room and us having our own space in the other. If we are considering camping for holidays and are thinking of being somewhere for a week, the first thing I want is comfort….so having space to sleep properly is ideal. Then the middle area can house the clothes, toys and be used as a play area – great when you need shade and if it rains.
It took us around an hour to set up and I would recommend that you arrive at the same time as friends (we didn’t) so that one person can be the designated child watcher (and appeaser) which will make the set up experience much easier and quicker. (This does depend on the ages of your children.) Then we set up our air mattresses and I have to say thank you to the Coleman Air Mattress (see the review here)that self inflates, taking only five minutes both to inflate and deflate making the set up & take down so much quicker! We have two queen mattresses, so the children share one which they think is so exciting.
The first thing I noticed with the tent is the lack of shade and kitchen facilities compared to our camper trailer which had a big annex and the pull out kitchen table top. Luckily we had brought a fold out table; however the desert I had brought melted in the hot weather during set up 
so next time I will bring our Coleman CPX6 Lighted Shelter (see the review) to provide shade for the food supplies.
The biggest thing I love with camping has been the ability for the children to go out and ride safely while we do other things and just keep checking on them. After the set up and once everyone arrived we went across the road to the beach. We were camping at the BIG4 Narrabeen facility and I found myself feeling as though I was a million miles away from home even although I live in Sydney! It was a fantastic way to get away from it all without going too far. The facilities in the camping site included well maintained bathrooms, BBQ facilities, secure pool and a children’s play area.
As we approached night time I wondered what the children would be like when we put them to sleep in the tent. We had issues on our first camping trip which I had reassured hubby was because it was a new experience etc, so I had all my fingers crossed that the children would prove me right. We tired them right out with their two uncles, an aunt and a good family friend and got them ready for bed later than usual. I was elated when they asked their aunty to read a bedtime story (yay! I got a night off) and after that we put one of our lanterns inside the tent to give them light, crossed our fingers and went outside. To my relief they went straight to sleep! 
We spent the next day fishing in the lake next to us and the children were elated as they were able to catch some fish, play with sand and eat chips! When it was time to leave, I regretted that we had only booked for one night and not longer.
So far we have been on two camping trips and I have found both to be a fun, family friendly experience that it is easy to enjoy. I have learnt new things each time to make it more fun and it has gotten easier each time. In our next camping experience we will be trialling an expandable camper trailer (like a caravan) as hubby is obsessed with this idea thinking it looks so simple to pack and set.
Have you been camping recently? We would love to hear about your experience.
Posted in Family Travel
January 2012 – we have progress!
What a year 2012 is turning out to be! So much has happened already. But am I staying on track with my New Years Resolutions (NYRs)? In all honesty I haven’t checked yet. My NYRs were:
1/ To sit back and smell the roses a little more
2/ To do a cake decorating course
3/ To contribute more to the community and to causes that are close to my heart
4/ To create as many wonderful memories to put into my Project Life 2012
5/ To be the best I can be in regards to Health, Fitness, and Weight
So how am I tracking so far ……….
1/ My gratitude journal is going well. Every Sunday night before going to bed I reflect on the week and decide on at least 3 key things to write into my gratitude journal. This is already getting easier. I have also managed to find a far less stressful job which will allow me to keep the boys in Day Care and me having a little adult time to myself each week. I wasn’t even looking and this job just fell into my lap. Sometimes things are just meant to be. As of March 2012 I will be a fully qualified Swim Teacher at our local pool!! For the moment I don’t have that much time to actually sit back and sniff the roses. I am way too busy finishing of work assignments from my previous work and completing the training for my new job. I don’t mind though – the craziness now is only temporary!!
2/ I am booked in to do a local cake decorating course starting in March, YAY!! It may not be the Planet Cake course I lie in bed dreaming about but I am so excited!! Can’t wait to be able to unleash my new found skills on the boys birthday cakes!
3/ My new job also has me giving back more than I was previously. I have also volunteered to be the President of the Community Centre Committee and have already got grand plans for how we as a centre are going to start contributing more. Can’t wait to get started! I just have so many ideas!!!
4/ I have been doing the Photo a Day challenge over at Fat Mum Slim. The photos have been pretty basic but they have been moments in my day. I haven’t actually printed anything off to put into my Project Life but I have made a start on the folder. I am planning on printing photos off once a month then taking my time to put them in and to write out the journal cards. If you haven’t heard of Project Life before and have no idea what I am talking about have a look at the Becky Higgins website for more information. The products are as gorgeous in real life as they are on her website and it really is all as easy as she makes it out to be. I just don’t have a good quality printer at home – and couldn’t justify the cost of printing out my own photos anyway not when you can do it so cheaply online and delivered to my door through Snap Fish.
Last but not least -
5/ This has been a little hit and miss. As I finish up my corporate work and start my new job I have had alot of training to do, jobs to finish off and general ‘stuff’. Believe me when I say I have a million excuses. Absolutely NONE of them are good enough to be a true reason why I should be neglecting myself – but here I am not looking after myself. Too busy looking after everyone else. So this month – this will be my focus! I am off to Vietnam for 10 days this month which is something I have always wanted to do. I am hoping this trip is enough to revitalise my mind and spirit so that I can return knowing that I am worthy of the care and love that I often neglect to give myself.
So here come February. I truely wonder what it has instore for me … well apart from my 10 days in Vietnam!!!!! Im so excited!!!!!!
So far 2012 has been amazing and has provided so much more than I ever thought it would in such a short amount of time. 2012 is going to be AMAZING!!
How about you? How is 2012 treating you so far? I would love to hear how are your NYRs going!
RachieRach
xox
Posted in Rachie Rach
Best Laid Plans ……….
I hope you all had a very Happy Australia Day.
I am a very proud Australian. I love our country and feel very grateful that I was fortunate enough to be born here. Being Australian means that my children will get a good education. They will get to experience so much and have so many opportunities that we often take for granted. Australia day is a great opportunity to reflect on everything we are lucky enough to have.
We are all still recovering, unfortunately not for the reasons you may think, it has been a long 48 hours.
Master M spent from Wednesday afternoon – couch ridden – vomiting and feverish. Which in turn meant that I have spent that time cleaning up after him, trying to keep Master S happy and away from his big brother for fear of and feeling a little ill myself, because when ever there is illness around me for some reason I automatically feel a little ‘off’ too.
I’ve tried to keep the house as respectable as possible for the guests who had traveled all the way here to spend the day with us. Hubby kept them entertained all day while I looked after our very sick son.
Obviously it just wasn’t the Australia Day we originally had in mind.
I had plans of making Anzac Biscuits, yellow and gold streamers to fly on the windows and letter box, the pictures the kids were going to colour in from the www.australiaday.org website (which is a GREAT resource for Australian themed activities for children) and the JJJ Hottest 100 that we were going to listen to while the BBQ sizzled away and we watched the kids run outside under the hose in the evening.
But instead we stayed indoors – with the TV stuck on ABCKids with the sound turned right down, although Master M wanted to watch ABCKids he didn’t want to listen to it, trying to keep his temperature down and as much vomit as possible off of the couch!
If you find any member of your family the victim of Gastro remember these basic steps:
- Offer your child small amounts (a few sips at a time) of ‘clear fluids’ such as water or flat lemonade often (a mouthful every ten –15 minutes).
- Make sure your child has plenty of rest.
- Do not give your child medication to stop the vomiting or diarrhoea.
Master M is now back to his usual self – you would never know that he was so sick just a little while ago. Our visitors have left and I am now feeling like all I got out of their visit is even more washing to do and dishes to clean! We are hoping to have a quiet weekend now so we can all fully recover.
How did your plans for your Australia Day go? Hopefully yours was a little bit more successful than mine!!
RachieRach
xox
Posted in Rachie Rach
2012 Resolutions Progress
progress on my 2012 goals
Okay so its been a few weeks and I thought that I would update you on the progress of my NY’s goals.
My 2012 Resolutions:
- Try not to shout at the children as much by determining other methods of discipline through thinking of different ways to achieve my end result when the children talk back and refuse to listen.
I worked with the children to create some Reward Charts. It was actually quite a fun exercise. We walked to the local shops and bought a piece of card board – each child got to pick their own colour and then drew up some charts which we wrote their name on and decorated with stickers and drawings. Everyday before bed we would go through the tasks (only 4 each) and put a sticker on the line next to the activity if they were good that day. I also sectioned off an area which I said is for if they are very naughty – and don’t listen to me, then they get a cross and every cross takes away a sticker. On Sunday’s we will check the number of stickers and they get one smartie for each sticker. Another friend of mine lets her child pick the reward each week. So far I have found this to be working well as they seem to be motivated by the charts and the thought of a cross seems to stop them being too naughty for now. The only problem is that we stoped for a week as I forgot so I have to start again. I did notice an improvement in behaviour (and therefore a lack of shouting) with the chart.
- De-stress. Determine methods that will help me to relax and de-stress within my time limits (= 0 time for me)
I haven’t quite figured this out yet – any suggestions?
- Get more active. Start trying to do some exercise to tone my body and to make me feel better overall and healthier. I can start by walking with the children and I would love to try Zumba.
I bought the Zumba II for Wii and I love it! It is so much fun! I have always liked dancing and wondered about Zumba, thinking I would enjoy it. I have done 3 classes so far – 2 x 1 hour classes and another 30 min class. I don’t think the 1 hour classes are sustainable long term I simply don’t have the time, however the 30min class is fine and I did one while the children were awake one morning and they loved jumping up and down and laughing at mummy. My biggest issue now is to continue to keep the momentum going! HELP keep me enthused by joining in our New Years forum and we can all keep each other motivated.
- Do more pelvic floor exercises. I am aiming to do at least 20-30 per day.
This is still a work in progress. I did well for the first week and since then it has been on the decline. I have done a bit of research and am getting a CD which is about Pelvic Floor exercise and hopefully this will help to motivate and ensure that I am doing the exercises correctly.
Posted in Uncategorized
Tough Christmas
This Christmas was the hardest one ever and I didn’t know how or if we were going to make it!! I have never been in such a hard situation for so many reasons. I love Christmas; I love the lights, the enjoyment that it brings to my children’s faces and the excitement of Santa and the impending presents. What I find very hard however is how to fit the ever growing scale of Christmas gifts and presents into our already much squeezed budget.
I hate that it all boils down to this. It seems to make Christmas so stressful and nasty…I set budgets for the amount that can be spent on each person and keep my eyes open for bargains online as well as in stores. It was also the first year that hubby and I didn’t really buy presents for each other. Santa was very practical this year and brought colouring in books, crayons and other items that the children needed rather than simply a heap of toys. We gave each child one toy (not very expensive) and hoped that the grandparents would spoil them, which they did so that was good.
What it did make me do is reassess our situation and continually run it through my head, trying to work out how we could improve it so that Christmas 2012 will not be so stressful. So I have been searching for a part time position which will hopefully help ease the stress. Fingers crossed.
I think the hardest thing with financial stress is that it causes hubby and I to fight and yet there is likely to be no relief in the short/medium term. It is hard and we have to be very careful not to resent each other or just to be mean to each other because we are stressed.
Have you ever been in this situation? What got you through it and do you have any tips?
Posted in Claire's Chit Chat
Happy Chinese New Year!!
Happy Chinese New Year – Welcome to the Year of the Dragon!!!
I was born in the Year of the Dragon, according to all the charts I was born in the year of the Fire Dragon making me a ‘force to be reckoned with’ 
!
If you are expecting a Bub this year lets see what the Chinese believe will be the key characteristics for your Bub!
2012 – The Year of the Water Dragon
People born in the Year of the Dragon are healthy, energetic, excitable, short-tempered, and stubborn. They are also honest, sensitive, brave, and they inspire confidence and trust. Dragon people are the most eccentric of any in the eastern zodiac. They neither borrow money nor make flowery speeches, but they tend to be soft-hearted which sometimes gives others an advantage over them. They are compatible with Rats, Snakes, Monkeys, and Roosters.
Dragon Children are creative, able to entertain themselves for hours on end. They don’t mind playing by themselves, often inventing games and puzzles while doing so. They are responsible children who love to take on and complete as many tasks as possible for it gives them a sense of accomplishment.
For the record – Im really not very energetic, only may have a short-ish temper and Iam only stubborn when I am right! I am so pleased that my husband was born in the year of the Monkey! Would hate to have to leave him because he was born in the wrong year!!
Children who entertain themselves!! I know this is a foreign concept for many parents out there but apparently this is one skill I had from a very early age. I have tried to foster the same in my boys and believe me when I say – if they are happy playing on their own Enjoy it!!!! Truely enjoy it! Enjoy the time to your self – even if it is only short lived.
I know that not everyone believes in this ‘stuff’. But I always find it interesting to read and often find them amazingly accurate for myself and when I was pregnant I loved reading about what my children might be. Amazingly both my boys are VERY different born in very different Chinese years and under very different star signs and already they show many of the traits often listed for them.
I am very excited about this year. MY year. Just another reason for me to make 2012 the year of RachieRach.
I have already made some amazing progress towards my New Years Resolutions. How are you all going – why not drop into the forums and let us know! I’ll have a progress report for you very soon.
For now I would just like to wish you all a very happy Chinese New Year!
Have a fabulous day – I know I will!
RachieRach
xox
Photo courtesty of Kittisak. You can view the portfolio here.
Posted in Rachie Rach
Government’s school uniform tax rebate – keep your receipts.
Half of Aussie primary school parents are at risk of missing out on tax benefits when buying school uniforms this month, according to a survey by Stubbies school wear.
The survey of 983 parents revealed that although the majority of parents (69%) are aware of the Government’s uniform tax rebate, 50% are still unsure if their family is eligible to obtain it this year.
The rebate could see eligible parents receive up to 50% back on uniforms per child at tax time- a benefit that can only be claimed if they know their entitlements and keep the relevant receipts.
For over half of mums, it could also help relieve the stress of trying to source the cheapest possible garments when shopping for the new school year. More than 51% admit that when purchasing school uniforms, the price is put ahead of quality, durability, comfort, and sun protection for their kids. A statistic that climbs to 75% for families with three or more kids in primary school.
The tax break also comes as a relief to growing kids, who in the interest of saving money are often sent to school in oversized uniforms. More than 54% of mums admit they always purchase their kids uniforms a few sizes larger, to ensure they don’t outgrow them quickly.
Josie Mileto, Stubbies Product Manager said:
“It is important families know if they are eligible for the tax rebate this year, so that they can reap the rewards. Cheap garments may give a false sense of savings at the time, but the chances of them lasting and protecting kids from nasty playground tumbles, is unlikely. For larger families the rebate means money can be spent wisely on purchasing quality cost effective uniforms, as opposed to just the cheapest.”
Providing school wear for over 40 years, the Stubbles uniform range is specifically designed with features to handle the needs of growing children, as well as withstand the rough and tumble of the playground and mums that shop online for Stubbies school wear won’t have to worry about losing their receipts come tax time. Stubbies customers have the option of downloading all past receipts from the website at any time.
For more information on the Stubbies range, please visit www.stubbiesschoolwear.com.au
For details on the uniform rebate, visit www.educationtaxrefund.gov.au
Posted in General
MumsDelivery – Insights Survey
Please complete our short 3 minute (Yes-I timed it! ) survey to help us understand and serve you better. Once you have completed the survey you will be given a special code to complete your entry into our Survey Competition.
General
Posted in Uncategorized
School Holidays – Imagine the future
Neither of my boys have started school yet. Master M starts Pre-School this year which he is really looking forward to (so am I).
Because both boys aren’t actually at school I never really paid attention that much attention to school holidays before. But already this year I am feeling like these holidays are too long!!!
I am very sad to say that already Master M is bored with me and my activities. No matter how exciting I try to make them.
We have baked, created gloop (cornflour and water with a little food colouring – Master S also LOVED it), made a fort out of blankets and boxes in the lounge room, re-created the fort outside, countless park visits, have been countless superheros saving the day, celebrated all of his stuffed toys’ birthdays, painted, playdough’d, created, destroyed and he even helped Dad construct a new Dog Kennel.
But he is lacking the spark he gets when playing with others his own age.
Master M can be painfully shy at times but it is when he is playing with his friends that he truely shines. He often naturally takes the lead when he is playing. He generally plays fair, is inclusive and takes into consideration the other players in the game and what they contribute in a way that makes him seem so much older than he is. The games he plays are imagination filled with twists and turns that I would challenge any science fiction writer to even think of. His confidence amongst his peers always outshines the shyness that he struggles to overcome at other times. He gets himself so involved in the pretend universe he is weaving around himself everything else seems to disappear. I find it magical to watch.
Thankfully his friends are returning from their holidays away and we can start having play dates again. I love to watch him and it is through his imaginary play that I can see glimpses of the amazing man he will one day become. A pilot, a dragon fighter, a dinosaur rider, a Firefighter, a Hairdresser, a bus driver …….. The options are limitless!!
The experts love to tell us that imaginary play is so important at any stage and at any age. I think they are right. I still love to use my imagination to escape the day sometimes. Normally with the help of a good writer (my current escape is the Dark Swan series written by Richelle Mead) and a relaxing environment.
Imagination is also important in the development of new ideas, new inventions and moving forward towards the future. Two of my favourite quotes are:
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
and;
Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.
Albert Einstein
Enjoy the rest of the school holidays and the time you have today with your children. Encourage your childs imagination – it is through their imaginatory play and using their imagination that they too can discover their potential.
Rachie Rach
xox
Posted in Rachie Rach
Benefits of submitting your website to directories
There are so many website directories on the Internet it can seem overwhelming to understand how or why you should list your business in a directory. Essentially a business directory acts as a catalogue of businesses in one convenient location and listing your business can provide in directories can result in a number of marketing/advertising benefits. When determining which directories to submit your website to, it is useful to do a little research and try to find the directories most matched to your target audience (niche directories) or those with good organic search returns and therefore likely to help you reach first page ranking in the Search Engines.
Listed below are some of the benefits to be gained from submitting your site to a directory:
1. Getting your website indexed.
Search Engines like Google and Yahoo sent out robots/crawlers/spiders that search the internet for new information and websites. Getting your link on an established website is a good way for the search engine’s to find your business and start indexing it and the pages within it.
2. Directories offer one way links.
Inbound links to your site help to improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and one way links are looked upon more favourably by the search engines than reciprocal links.
3. The opportunity to add keywords to your link.
It is not easy getting links to your site especially links with your desired keywords. Directories can serve as the easiest medium to get a link to your site with the keywords that best help your SEO and search engine page ranking.
One of the biggest negatives with directories is that it can be time consuming and even costly to submit your website to the many directories available and you may not get the results you desire.
To improve your success rate with directories we recommend researching the available directories to find the ones that are most likely to deliver the results you are after. Here are some tips when trying to determine which directory is the best fit for your business:
- Look for niche directories whose target market is similar to yours. Niche directories are ideal in helping you build your brand and reputation within your desired market. Niche directories are also more likely to send higher quality leads through to your website.
- Look for directories that have a reason for the visitor to visit them and continue to visit them. Some directories provide only a directory where their functionality lies simply in providing a backlink and the subsequent SEO for your website. Other directories are more functional websites where they build up a loyal community and continue to improve their branding and reach within their target market. This is ideal as your listing is more likely to be seen, as more and more people are actively choosing to visit the site and look through its content, rather than stumbling upon it.
- Look for directories with a holistic approach. Look for directories that offer a number of ways to help your business achieve its marketing goals. While some will only offer listings with a backlink, others will promote their members/listers through their social mediums or offer other services such as a free sales advert or a review or competition as part of a member/lister benefit. This could provide your company with a much better exposure rate and a better ability to achieve greater results from your listing.
- Do a Google search on a few of your main keywords. Are there a number of listings popping up in the top 1-2 pages from a certain directory? (e.g. HotFrog) If so, this directory could help you to improve your page rank and search returns for your main keywords.
If you are still uncertain about which directories are the best, contact them and ask for a Media Kit or talk to their staff to determine if their business is the right fit for yours.
Posted in Mums in business, Uncategorized
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