March 2012Life Love and Hiccups: March 2012
Life Love and HiccupsLife Love and HiccupsLife Love and HiccupsLife Love and Hiccups

Saturday 31 March 2012

A Book Review "Putting Alice Back Together Plus YOU can Win a Copy AND $500!

Pin It
Reading books is a luxury that I don't often indulge in these days. I want to - trust me I really do. But hiding in the bathroom to devour a book in peace and quiet is just not my ideal picture of relaxation. I guess that's why you are more likely to see me (in those rare free moments) with my nose in my iPad reading blogs or curled up somewhere with a magazine (if you happen to spot me, don't mind the rocking back and forth part, that's just me blocking out the noise so I can concentrate).


Every now and then though I get my hands on a book that just grabs me in every way and I become so attached to the character and the story that I find myself grieving when I reach the last page ( I do this with my favourite TV shows too and I still miss some of my favourite characters that have left....but anyway I digress). What I was trying to explain to you was how I felt about Alice from the book Putting Alice Back Together by Carol Marinelli.

One of the things I love about reading blogs is you really get to know the writer and you share with them the good and the crap stuff in their life. They are open and honest about their thoughts and fears and you find yourself relating and connecting on so many levels.

I found Putting Alice Back Together a bit like reading some of my favourite blogs. Alice on the surface is a fun and happy 27 year old who's job has passed its use by date, has a secret stash of credit card bills and a secret so huge that when it becomes known she has no idea how to begin to put her life back together again.  For those who like a visual description of the book as in comparing it to a TV show (or am I the only one who does that???) it would be like a cross between Offspring and Bridget Jones.

You cant help but more than like Alice, you will love her and you will be glued to the pages as she battles with her desire for acceptance, her crush on her gay best friend and the fallout from her secret being put out in the open. You may relate to her realization that Valium and red wine can only fix so much in life.

Carol the author has penned this book with so much honesty and through Alice you will explore anxiety and depression, career troubles, debt, relationships issues, broken hearts and alcohol and substance abuse. You will laugh with Alice and you will cry for Alice and you most likely will miss Alice like I did when you have finished reading her story.


"Putting Alice Back Together by MIRA is available for purchase now - online at Harlequin books or in store nationally RRP AU$29.99."

WIN WIN WIN
 
If you would like to win a copy of Putting Alice Back Together, leave me a comment below and I'll use Random Org to select a winner.

If you would like to read the first chapter of this awesome book and have the chance to win a $500 preloaded debit card, check out this link. Read and win $500
 
As someone who has an interest myself in writing a book, but am still trying to figure out where to start and how do I find the time, I was excited to have the opportunity to interview the author Carol Marinelli. In the coming week I will be sharing that interview with you where I quiz her on how she balances life with her 3  children and writing a book, and she shares her tips on something us bloggers are constantly trying to find the magical answers for.
 

Terms and Conditions
1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me how you make the time to read a book.


Competition is open to Australian residents only
The winner will be selected by Random Org.com
Competition is open now and closes at 5pm 07/04/2012. 
The winner will be announced on this post right here on my blog and Facebook and will have 48 hours to contact me to claim their prize.


Disclaimer* I wasn't paid for this review, but I managed to take some time out for myself to read a fabulous book and the kids left me alone cause I was 'Working'.

WINNER
Congratulations to Jen - you have won a copy of Putting Alice Back together. Can you please email me your address so we can send you your prize. Congrats again and happy reading. xx
 
I have to wait till bed time, I need quiet to absorb it, like you Sonia I get right into a story and grieve the end too and miss those charecters that reach your soul!

Friday 30 March 2012

I've been to Bloggy Heaven and I like it! PLUS an Unfortunate Incident With a Dunny

Pin It
I had a completely different night planned out for tonight. I intended on relaxing in bed with a nightcap and watch Revenge that I recorded the other night. Instead I am pulling apart my iPhone, immersing it in rice and googling the success rate of rescuing iPhones after they have been dropped in a toilet.

Aha .... the toilet! I had been engrossed in a game of words with Friends when nature came a calling, so I shoved my precious pod in my back pocket and attended to my business.

It wasn't until I stood up I heard the plop. No its not an indecent plop I am detailing here, though I suppose in many ways it is. No it was the iPhone falling out of my back pocket and into the loo kind of plop, closely followed by a symphony of some equally disgusting language spewing from my mouth.

Now my iPhone is iScrewed and I am more than a little iSad. *ahem* sorry about the bad joke, I'm a little sensitive right now.

Here's hoping the rice does the trick and I don't have to explain this one to my boss.

image source

On to brighter and way happier things.

I have been busting to share this with you guys but we have been sworn to secrecy. Now however I am totally free to babble and babble I will if you so kindly indulge me.

Someone was totally awesome enough over the past few months to nominate this little blog of mine for the KidSpot Top Bloggers competition, and somehow through some complete freakish act of the universe, Life Love and Hiccups has made it into the Top 50 Bloggers.

I cannot tell you how grateful I am to whoever that awesome someone was and I also cannot stop this cheesy grin from totally taking control of my face.

To be honest when I first got the news I almost had myself a little panic attack as I seriously could not work out what to be more excited about at that precise moment, the fact that I had been nominated or that the email informing me of the news came from none other than the beautiful Chantelle from Fat Mum Slim. If ever I had a weak bladder moment my friends, this was it.....Big Time!
 
I am totally beside myself with excitement and you know the best part? Last night I got to go to the Special Announcement evening that was held at The Pavilion in the city and rub shoulders with total blogging Goddesses.

So many of my favourite Bloggy Crushes were there and were just as wonderful and genuine and gorgeous in every way that I imagined. You know when you read a blog and you wonder if the people are just like they are in their blog, in real life? Well let me tell you, everyone I met was so true to themselves. Maxabella Loves, A Baby Called Max, Mrs Woog, BabyMac, Suger Coat it, Lovely Living, Crash Test Mummy, Edenland, Good Golly Miss Holly, My Little Drummer Boys.....to just name drop a few he he, were *sigh* just awesome.

If you want a list of fabulous reads, you HAVE to check out the list of Amazing bloggers I was lucky enough to be listed with - you will be reading for days!

I'll be telling you more over the coming weeks about how you can vote for your favourite blogs AND win yourself $5000 Buckeroos!! ARGGGGGGHHHHHHH I know right! $5000 big ones just for voting. And you know what, you guys totally deserve it, because the truth is our blogs are nothing without you the readers.

Anyways I will leave you with a couple of pics from the night, I didn't take too many cause I was totally star stuck and way to busy stalking and squishing all those fabulous woman with cuddles.

This was me all frocked up and ready to party. Excited but nervous.

OMG this was a Kill me now I'm already in bloggy heaven moment, Big Cuddles with Cherie from A Baby Called Max and Bron from Maxabella Loves who both totally towered over me like the true Goddesses they are. Don't be fooled, I am so kneeling on a stool here.

The beautiful Laney from Crash Test Mummy and the stunning Christina from Hair Romance.

And a total Slap Me Silly and Call Me Billy moment where I completely threw myself at one of my idols the Fabulous Mrs Woog. When she said "call me Kate", I nearly peed my pants as to me that was like having Barack Obama tell me to call him Bobby or Oprah doing the 'Call me' symbol with her hands.

I did have more photos I wanted to share with you from the night but alas they are sadly trapped inside my soggy little iPhone. These were the only ones I could rescue off Instagram on my iPad.

Anyway enough of my star struck ramblings, I just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to you guys for supporting me and encouraging me and if you were all in sprinting distance (not that I really can run) I would so Squish you all in a massive cuddle.

Have you ever met a crush an idol or been Star Struck? Tell me about it .....pretty please!

Wednesday 28 March 2012

Wanna See My $1300 Winter Wardrobe???

Pin It Wanna see my new Winter Wardrobe?

Great! Well here it is........



Yup that is a complete $1300 wardrobe my Chicken Sausage is wearing on her leg. Some could even mistake it for a weekend away at a nice hotel with all meals included.

The sad fact of the matter is our Silly Milly went and dislocated her patella and tore the ligaments after she was jumping around all berserko like on the back deck. Not just a mild injury this one, nooooo she had to go and completely stuff her leg.

The lovely vet broke the news gently to me *Cough Cough Choke*. She said it wold most likely require a specialist to do the surgery and it would come in between $4 and $5 thousand. Yes you read that correctly, I said thousand. I know right!!! I reacted the same way.

After a bit of begging, pleading and super sweet talking, we convinced the chief vet at this clinic that we had great faith in his abilities and that we truly believed with all out heart he could indeed perform the surgery himself. The pay off to this ego stroke was we saved ourselves $3.5 thousand dollars in specialist fees.

I am soooooo in the wrong Profession. Did you know there are even Canine Cardiologists and Animal Oncology Units????

So I suppose I should just suck it up and be grateful for the savings we made this time around, but it is a bitter pill to swallow when the tally to date of Silly Milly's damage is Oh about $3000 (if you replace the new lounge she chewed the corner off and get a tradie to fix the hole in the wall she chewed). Her massacre of my son's favourite Giraffe he has had since day dot however cannot be summed up in monetary terms.

We love her to bits and now obviously we can put a price on our love for this crazy mutt, but I can't help but think this is Karma taking a chunk out of my bum. I should have showed a bit of self control and kept walking past that pet shop cause Chicken Sausages would have been so much cheaper.


Tell me, do you have any crazy pets? What mischief have they gotten up to?

Monday 26 March 2012

A Magical 5th Birthday Party

Pin It
First of all thank you all for your lovely birthday messages for Flynn, I showed him them on the blog and on Facebook and he was tickled.

Well what a doozy of a weekend. And I say that with exhausted elation....can't you tell?

This weekend we had Flynn's 5th Birthday Party at our home.....with 26 kids and their parents!! I can laugh now because it is over and not only did we survive, but Flynn had the "Bestest time ever".

Friday saw me all domesticated and baking and I even wore an apron (give me a sec whilst I shine my domestic halo). I was feeling very Martha like except for the part where I had a complete meltdown over the Oreo Pops that I had seen on Pinterest and tried to recreate. After I destroyed 3 packets of Oreos trying to get them on sticks, I finally admitted defeat and put a photo of my Epic Failure on Facebook for everyone to commiserate with me (cause sharing is caring and all that).



But bless my precious Facie friends, they came to the rescue and suggested a recipe for Cookie pops by Mrs A in The Cove. How did I not know about this awesome blog before??? Leanne is an amazingly talented woman with an incredible story. If like me you did not know about her site, do yourself a favour, grab a cuppa and check her out, it is a beautiful blog.

So with a renewed enthusiasm and a zip in my zing I salvaged my crumbled cookies and turned them into fabulous Cookie Pops. I then went on to bake and create until I was completely spent and I had a fridge full of goodies for the party the next day...... then I hit the Vodka, after all that domesticity I figured I had earned it!

So without further adieu, I present to you Flynn's Magical 5th Birthday Party.

White Chocolate Popsticks..... pure chocolate heaven.

And here are the chocolate Oreo Pops aka Magic Wands.
Vanilla Cupcakes with Butter cream frosting aka Wishing Cakes.

To try and counteract all the sugar on offer and to pretend that I was thinking at least a tiny bit healthy, we had Wizard Kebabs which were just fruit sticks with the watermelon cut out using a heart shape cookie cutter.



These were my hubbies creation, 4 layers of jelly with hidden treasure inside which we aptly named Gobbity Gloop. I have no idea what Gobbity Gloop means, but it sounded kind of magical.


I didn't get a photo of the food table before the kids attacked it, so here is a mid party shot. In addition to the above mentioned delicacies there was also Fairy Bread which was actually pikelets and sprinkles, popcorn, chips and Magic Potion (green Cordial).

And then it was time for Sidini the Magician to take control of the party and entertain our little guests and entertain he did. He had them mesmerized and totally enthralled for a whole hour and did I mention he had those 4 and 5 year olds quiet and in control too? - that was a pretty damn impressive trick in itself in my opinion.





The wonder and awe in the kids faces when he made the white dove appear was priceless and the show was only getting warmed up.

Flynn was sure the bird was going to poop on him so he couldn't stop giggling.

Sidini had many helpers eager to lend a hand.
hmmm what is he conjuring up here?
 



Now if the kids weren't already excited enough by the white dove, the appearance of a rabbit certainly sent them into a frenzy.



Next it was Flynn's turn to work a little magic.

 
 How does this wand thingy work?

"Abracadabra"

 Holy Moly - did I do that???

 Seriously, how did I do that???

Sidini the Magician was just fabulous and I couldn't recommend him highly enough. With over 60 years experience he has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Whilst he is available for kids parties he also specialises in Sophisticated Sorcery for Adult parties and Corporate Functions. If you are interested in contacting him to perform a little magic on your event, here's his details.
Sidini (Sid Juter) 02 9440 7578

(Disclaimer* I wasn't paid for this recommendation, I just thought Sidini was pretty bloody awesome and deserved a special mention)

 
It really was a magical party for one very happy little 5 year old. After the guest were thanked, farewelled and sent home with a magical lolly bag, we collapsed with exhaustion and a stiff drink. Only one drink though as we had a certain trip to the vet clinic to make, which I'll tell you about later this week.

Oh I nearly forgot (yeah likely) the cake. 

We asked Flynn what he wanted for his birthday cake and no surprises he wanted something which would involve me pulling a rabbit out of a hat myself....literally!



A triple layer vanilla cake, with little vanilla cupcakes topped with real chocolate all in the shape of, yep you guessed it, a rabbit in a hat.

We don't normally go this big with our kids birthday parties, but since it was my baby and he was turning the big five, we felt it was worth a little extra something.

My oldest son tells me he wants a Science party for his birthday later this year and he wants it at home too. The anticipation of that just totally sends shivers down my back. But then again I would get to dream up some pretty revoltingly awesome menu ideas for a bunch of eleven year old boys....

So what did you get up to this weekend?

Every Monday the link opens and I would love you to share what you got up to on the weekend. Did you do something special or go somewhere? 
Perhaps you cooked up a storm or got all crafty and clever on me. 
Whatever it is share it with us and inspire us all. 
The link is open until next Friday so you can take your time and link up any time this week.

I am also linked up here


Thursday 22 March 2012

My Baby is Five - Oh Crap I'm Getting Old !!!!!

Pin It See this cute little guy below..... That's my Flynn and today he turns FIVE.

Holy Crap My baby is FIVE!!! If that is not a sobering reminder that I am getting old, I don't know what is (apart from the Loreal in my bathroom cupboard I use to hide the grey, the sagging boobs, weak bladder and my reading glasses I have on my poor old eyes at the moment).

Yup my gorgeous little squidgin is celebrating a very special birthday today, so for the next few days I am going to be MIA.

I have a party to organise for 26 little munchkins that are going to invade my home on Saturday, so I'm gonna be a little busy organising, fussing and creating over the next few days.

I'll be back after the weekend to share all the party details with you. Did I mention it's a magic party with a real "Jition" and all (that's a real magician for those who don't quite understand lisps).

If you haven't clued on around here yet let me tell you now, birthdays are a pretty major event and hey my baby will only ever turn five once so I am going to go and lap up all the cuddles and gorgeousness that I can, whilst I can.

In the meantime, I'm totally going to do the doting mum thing and leave you with a few pics of my baby growing up... you know, just cause I can!

Have a great rest of the week!!!!