Thursday, 29 November 2012

A look at the Inner-B Mum Organiser and a Special Offer to Buy!

As most of my regular readers will know, I was absolutely thrilled to be sent an Inner-B 2013 Mum Organiser, after practically wishing away the current year just so that I could use one!! As so many of my readers are just so keen to purchase one, but a bit unsure about purchasing it as they haven't been able to see or touch it, I thought that I would answer all of your burning questions and give you a bit of an overview....
 
How does the Inner-B Organiser compare to other diaries?
 
I used to use a Filofax, but this year I have just struggled with it and found that it simply wasn't capable of housing all of the information, appointments and activities for both Mr B and I. For example I would find that if I have a birthday entered in a date, that this would leave me no further room to add any appointments etc in that space.
 
The Inner-B layout is very appointment/activity/event friendly and has loads of room for pencilling in not only your appointments, but those of other family members as well. It is not just a diary, it is a complete life organiser and I have never seen a product that covers 'everything' like this does.
 
What does the page view of the diary look like?
 
 The Inner-B Organiser has a fabulous layout, as you can see below.


There is a section to include your focus/goals for the week and each day is divided in to am, noon and pm sections, making it easy to see at a glance what you have on at the various times of the day.
 
There is also a section for birthdays and anniversaries.
 
 
At the bottom of each page (as you can see above), there are a generous blank 4 sections that can  be used to enter in activities/appointments/tasks for each of your children (and your hubby if he needs it!).

Or if you wanted to, you could use this space to pencil in your weekly meal plan, your exercise or eating diary, information on a project or work or simply information on your well being.
 
What size is the Organiser?
 
The organiser is roughly 17cm x 23cm in height.
 
What colours does the organiser come in?
 
Trust me the hardest part about buying one of these is picking the colour!!

 
The organiser comes in the 6 beautiful colours pictured above- fuchsia, lime green, blue, orange, purple and yellow.
 
I am using a blue one for 2013.
 
How is the Organiser set out?
 
The front of the diary has important information such as school holiday and public holiday dates for the year, year to view calendars, a forward planner for 2014, useful measurements and conversions (such as inches to cm etc).

 
 
 
The diary then has tabs that easily allow you to locate the months. The front of each month has an overall snapshot calendar and a space to write your reminders for the month. I am going to use this little section to set out my monthly goals and blogging schedule for the month in 2013.
 
The back section is a very comprehensive 50 page resource section which covers everything (and I mean everything) from emergency contacts, to my favourite websites and passwords, to items borrowed and lent (such a brilliant idea), immunisation schedule to one of my favourites - an entertaining checklist!!!
 
Can I buy this from a store?
 
You sure can, a list of on-line and physical retail stores can be found here under 'Where to Buy'.
 
Do you have a special offer for me to buy one? Pretty please!!

 
 
I sure do!! From today -Thursday 29 November 2012 until Thursday 13 December 2012, Inner B are giving my lovely readers a very generous $10.00 off any order over $50.00 made online on the Inner-B website. This is the perfect time to pick up an Organiser and why not also pick up a notepad too to take advantage of the offer.
There are so many fabulous notepads in the Inner-B range such as the Weekly Menu Planner, the Babysitters Notepad, the My Sleeps Countdown (which is pictured above and perfect for the Christmas countdown) and so many more that will see you head in to 2013 utterly organised!

Simply enter the code UOC01 in to the checkout code area of the website to reedem.
 
Hope that this covers all of your questions, if it doesn't please leave a comment below or send me an email at utterlyorganised@gmail.com and I will be happy to answer you. These truly would make an amazing gift for yourself or for your girlfriends who you think could do with organising their lives - in style!
 

Sunday, 25 November 2012

Hamptons Style Summer Print Giveaway!!!!

I love summer - I just love everything about it. I love the long days, warm nights, frozen cocktails, trips to the beach, ice cream - gee I even don't mind sand in the car!! The only thing I don't love about it, is knowing that eventually after 3 short months, it has to come to an end.
 
I guess that is why I just adore the Hamptons Style online store and blog so much. As every time I browse it, I get lost in happy thoughts and summery feelings all year round and can even dream about a summer escape in the Hamptons.
 
If you too love summer and the Hamptons Style of decorating your home -  casual, yet stylish with a little beach rustic thrown in - then you are going to go bananas if you haven't discovered the online delights of Hamptons Style. They have the most amazing pieces in their collection which has absolutely everything from lamps to prints, linen, home wears and the most divine furniture that will leave your home looking - much like the home you wished you owned in the Hamptons!!
 
Some of the amazing range over at Hamptons Style
 
Donna, the face behind Hamptons Style, is one of the loveliest people that I have come across in the on line retailers world and if you are hunting for something not on her site, she offer a free (yes you heard me right) sourcing service to help you find what you are looking for.
 
I was absolutely thrilled when Donna contacted me about offering up on of her amazing prints from her collection to one very, very lucky reader. With summer here only next week, this little print is going to arrive to one lucky readers doorstep just in time to get your home a bit more 'summerfied' (is that even a word? If not it should be!) for the best season of the year.
 
 
The print up for grabs is the Beach Rules Print Trellis Golden Sand which is exclusive to Hamptons Style. The prize is for the print only, but I am told that this little number is a perfect fit for the uber cheap Ribba frames from Ikea.
 
 
Entry to this amazing giveaway is via Rafflecopter, please note the conditions of entry below. 
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
Terms & Conditions

- The giveaway will be hosted by Rafflecopter and is only open to Australian Readers
- The announcement of the lucky winner will be made right here on the Utterly Organised blog
- The lucky winner will have 5 days to contact Utterly Organised and claim their prize
- Failure to claim prize within designated period will result in another winner being drawn
- Entrants must like both the Utterly Organised and Hamptons Style Facebook Pages
- Any questions on the competition can be directed to utterlyorganised@gmail.com
 
Thanks again to Hamptons Style and good luck!!  

Thursday, 22 November 2012

Teddy Treasures $100 Gift Voucher Giveaway...

In case you missed it yesterday, Teddy Treasures are an amazing new sponsor to the blog and I am so excited to have them on board as we just love Teddies and Soft Toys in our place at the moment!! You can read all about Teddy Treasures and see what I am loving from the huge and fabulous range in my previous post here.
 
I am even more excited that Teddy Treasures have kindly agreed to give one very, very lucky reader the chance to win a whopping $100 Shopping Spree Gift voucher to spend over at the Teddy Treasures online store. With the Teddy Treasures prices so reasonable, this is bound to go very far and just in time for Christmas too!
 
 
 
Entry to this amazing competition is by Rafflecopter below and please note the conditions of entry below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions
- The giveaway will be hosted by Rafflecopter and is only open to Australian Readers
- The announcement of the lucky winner will be made right here on the Utterly Organised blog
- The lucky winner will have 5 days to contact Utterly Organised and claim their prize
- Failure to claim prize within designated period will result in another winner being drawn
- Entrants must like both the Utterly Organised and Teddy Treasures Facebook Pages
- Any questions on the competition can be directed to utterlyorganised@gmail.com

Good luck!!!

Wednesday, 21 November 2012

Do you Love Teddies as much as Mr B?!

As you can see I have one little boy that just ADORES his teddies, in particular his Peter Rabbit who he will NOT sleep without at night. He also loves to take Peter with him around the house during the day.
 
 
If you have little ones that love teddies just as much as my Mr B, then you are going to LOVE my newest sponsor - Teddy Treasures.
 
Teddy Treasures is an online retailer that not only sell the most divine range of teddies and soft toys, but have an amazing and diverse range that extends to dolls, ride on toys, puppets and even costumes to name a few things on offer. There are also some Asthma and Eco friendly products in the mix too.
 
Everything is so reasonably priced, and if you need to get a hurry on with your Chrissie shopping - then a visit to the Teddy Treasures website is going to much easier to navigate than a visit to your local shopping centre at this time of the year!!
 
I know one little boy that would absolutely love this Large version of his very best friend (aside from his Mummy of course!).
 
Some of my other favourites from the range include this giant ride on Pony that has over 20 activities to amuse the little ones for hours (so you might actually be able to get dinner or the washing on!).
 
And for Christmas I just adore the Magic Message elf that records wish lists and plays them back to Santa Claus, such a cute idea that will be loved Christmas after Christmas!!
 
And just in time for Christmas Teddy Treasures are offering my readers the chance to win one $100.00 shopping spree voucher. I don't know about you, but this would be a dream come true for me with the purse strings a little tighter this time of the year with all of the Christmas gifts (and birthday gifts) that are on my 'to buy' list.
 
If this would be a dream come true for you too, please pop back to the blog to enter tomorrow!

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Tips to Make Christmas Shopping a Cinch - Yes really!!

Well this time in just 5 short weeks we will be celebrating Christmas - yikes!! So with the date looming closer and closer by the day, I thought that it was timely to share this guest blog post by the fabulous Linda Anderson, founder of  Mums on the Go and principal coach of a2a Coaching.
 
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing tips Linda, I think we could all do with tips to surviving the Christmas Shopping silly season stress free....
 
 
How to make Christmas shopping a cinch

Christmas is but five weeks away. With my third baby having arrived in August, I’ve been determined to get organised early with gift buying this year. Not to mention the fact I have to buy for 13 children, with two loads of presents set to be shipped to UK and interstate relatives. I missed the Sea Mail cut off once and I will never do it again. Not after discovering the cost of Airmail for a big parcel.

Here are my tips for making Christmas shopping easier: 

Tips to make Christmas shopping easier:

Create a plan – I create a list of the children and adults I need to shop for at Christmas. As I mentioned, that includes 13 children. I write down gift ideas, so the shopping process itself is more efficient. Often these are just ideas rather than specific items.

 
Determine a budget – I generally spend about the same for each person, give or take a few dollars. This allows me to see how much I’ll be spending before I launch into shopping mode.

 
Watch for the catalogues – Christmas is one time of the year I’m OK with receiving junk mail in my letterbox. Catalogue browsing can save mums a lot of time and a lot of headaches if shopping with children in tow is unavoidable. While wandering the streets browsing for gifts can be thoroughly enjoyable, getting in and out quickly with kids and babies is preferred here.

 
Shop online – Much of my shopping will be done online this year, as I juggle a new baby in the house. The cost of postage is well worth the time saved driving, parking and the sanity of not taking small kids out shopping. I visited one of the big toy sales online this year, which worked well in whittling down my list. A good tip is to buy as many gifts from one site as you can to minimise postage costs.

 
Not every tip on my list will work for everyone, but if you’re looking to minimise the work involved in gift buying, it’s worth looking at them as an option.

 
Do you have any other tips to share to make Christmas shopping easier?
Thank you so much Linda for being a guest over at Utterly Organised. For more tips and resources, be sure to check out the Mums on the Go website, Facebook Page or follow on Twitter.

Monday, 19 November 2012

Inner-B 2013 Mum Organiser Winner Is....

Thank you to all of you that entered this competition and to Inner-B for allowing me the opportunity to make one very lucky reader happy!!
 
According to the Rafflecopter Widget on the original entry page, that winner is:
 
Entry #088 Christy H!
 
Congrats Christy H, if you can please email me at utterlyorganised@gmail.com with your address and which colour you'd like - Blue or Purple - I will get this on the way to you!!
 
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Because unfortunately there can only be one winner, and I know that so many of you are dying to get organised with a Mum Organiser in 2013, Inner-B are offering my lovely readers a very special offer.
 
Simply enter the code: UOC01 in to the checkout field of the Inner-B website and score yourself FREE shipping and a bonus Babysitter notepad, total saving of $12.45!
But be quick as this offer is only valid until 12:01am on Monday 26 November 2012.
 
We will also have another giveaway kicking off this week - stay tuned!!!

Thursday, 15 November 2012

Free Christmas Printable... by Vote!!

Well it is getting to the pointy end of the year where Christmas and the year 2013 are almost upon us. I am a bit scared about just how fast the year has gone, but also excited as I am viewing this as our first 'real' Christmas with Mr B. You see throughout my whole pregnancy last year I was given a due date of - you guessed it - December 25 of all dates in the year. This was much to peoples amusement, but I don't think anyone forgot my due date!

Mr B ended up taking us by surprise and arriving early (something I think he will be grateful of in years to come!), but I was only out of the hospital for a few hazy and crazy days last year before Christmas rolled around, so it was such a non event. This year I plan to treat it as our first 'proper' Christmas, though in a million years I will never forget last year.

The amazing Karen at Be Design Solutions has created the most divine print it yourself Christmas range this year. I am a little bit in love with this set because it matches the colour scheme that I am 'doing' this year for Chrissie - Aqua and Blue.
 
 

For those after a more traditional colour pallette you also have these amazing options to choose from.
 
The red and green:

 
 
Or the Silver & Red:
 
 
 
Each set is only $25.00 which is an absolute bargain, please feel free to contact Be Design Solutions for more information or to place an order ahead of the Christmas rush.

I recently helped a reader out with a customised chocolate bar wrapper in this range through Be Design Solutions, that my reader is planning to give out to her children's teachers and friends at Christmas time. It is such an inexpensive, yet gorgeous little gift idea and let's face it who doesn't like receiving chocolate?!
 
The fantastic news is that Be Design Solutions have very kindly agreed to provide one of the items from the set to my lovely readers to print off and use - for free no less!!
 
We were having a little debate over on Facebook recently and it is has come down to these two contenders..... 
 
 

So would you like the chocolate bar wrappers which would make amazing gifts for your friends and family, or just look very stylish on your Christmas dessert table?

Or would you like the fun of the Reindeer noses? Simply purchase some little celo bags and fill with jaffas or anything else that takes your fancy and attach this to seal the bag with.
 
Take your vote by commenting below and the printable will be available for free very, very soon!! 

Tuesday, 13 November 2012

Work it Baby!!! Cheap & Cheerful Workwear Finds

Well she is at it again, the very fabulous Chelsea from I Heart Bargains has agreed to come back at the request of some lovely readers to feature some divine Workwear steals for you all for this weeks Cheap & Cheerful Tuesday. There are some amazing pieces here that she has selected to show off, I hope that you enjoy....
WORK IT BABY
If I had a dollar for every woman that says to me, ‘oh, I need more work clothes but they’re so expensive, can you find some bargain corporate wear for me?’  I’d be a desperate housewife of Australia.
It seems that us ladies love to look the part each day but don’t want to spend the big biccies on a corporate wardrobe. And fair enough. A good quality suit can cost into the hundreds.
I understand your predicament because I’ve been working in offices of all sorts for 10 years now. The staples are important. Black pants. White shirt. A pointed black pair of heels. The occasional dressy top.
Are you asleep yet?
A corporate wardrobe doesn’t have to be this boring. It can be spritely and edgy and make you feel really good. And if it’s at bargain prices, even better!
So here’s the low down on some individual pieces that you work in with your current wardrobe and hopefully NEVER get bored of!
THE JACKET
This collarless Riverisland jacket is a step away from black but a step in the classy direction. The grey ‘n’ black works perfectly over a plain dress. And if you choose the pants option go something relatively fitted and shaped to your bottom…we don’t want too much fabric.
THE DRESS
Or dresses. I couldn’t choose between these three. And I’ve staggered the price points so there’s something there for all of you.
Country Road has this look-at-me-now tangerine number for $99.95. It’s fresh and delicious. The twisted look across the front will be flattering and so is the arm length. Place some black or nude patents on your feet.
And for something a little less fitted, be comfortable and set for a serious meeting in this Riverisland shift with edgy side design. High heels, girlfriends. Flats won’t cut it.
This is sharp looking for a big day at your desk. Try and book in a lunch because this black and white number from Target deserves to be wined and dined. It’s striking but understated. Add a belt if you feel the need. I would wear just as it is.
THE TOP
Barkins is doing us proud. You can pick up this pussy bow, striped top for $12 and thrown on with up-hair-do and black pants or navy.
And I just couldn’t resist telling you about this gorgeous little secret. A kimono can be dressed up for day and down for weekends. This one from ids is in sync with the florals and good for those ‘I have nothing to wear over this dress’ moment.
THE PANTS
White. Black. Nude. Any one of these colours would go perfectly. A statement pair of Feathers pants is a fantastic option if you need something cool to put with your white shirt.
THE SKIRT
Stripey. In season. And ridiculously cheap. This $20 Target skirt is a cheeky alternative to the all black or pinstripe skirt you’ve worn non-stop
If that’s way too casual for your hoity toity office then maybe get down to Bardot and try on this totally dominating skirt with quartz print. I know you’re nodding. It’s very cool, isn’t it?
THE ACCESSORY
I like a pearl earring. I love a pearl earring with a difference. And this is it. Can’t beat Diva for your every day jewels.
THE HEELS
Nude with a touch of pink. You know you can do it, IF you do it right. Betts is selling them for $60. The vanilla-rey type colour goes with everything.
Thank you so much Chelsea for sharing some more fabulous bargains with us, these are perfect for summer workwear that is not only on trend but on budget too. Make sure you check out the I Heart Bargains Facebook Page and Website for more amazing buys!

Sunday, 11 November 2012

Inner- B 2013 Mum Organiser Giveaway - Enter Here!

When I announced over on the Facebook page during the week, that I would be offering up one very amazing Inner-B 2013 Mum Organiser, I had more than a few excited readers. To be honest I am not surprised that so many of you want to get yourselves organised for next year with this planner, because I too have been hanging out for the year to end just so that I can use one too!
 
So many of you are curious as to what this is like, so I will be popping up my own little review of it on the blog next week - stay tuned! But if you have any specific questions or information that you would like me to include, please contact me and let me know and I shall try me very best to address it.
 
In the meantime, I now declare this fabulous giveaway - OPEN!  

The giveaway is hosted by Rafflecopter, please enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
Because unfortunately there can only be one winner, if you do happen to miss out on the prize, don't despair as Inner-B are offering my lovely readers a very special offer to purchase their own Mum Organiser.
 
Simply enter the code: UOC01  in to the checkout field of the Inner-B website and score yourself FREE shipping and a bonus Babysitter notepad, total saving of $12.45!
 
But be quick as this offer is only valid until 12:01am on Monday 26 November 2012.

Good luck everyone!!!

Wednesday, 7 November 2012

My Bambini Pronto Review on the Beaba BabyCook Machine

Way back in July, I was fortunate to be asked by Bambini Pronto to try out and review a product from their range of fabulous products. The product that I tried out at home, was the Beaba Baby Cook which was an amazing little machine and just perfect for me as I had Mr B starting his solids and experimenting with food.
 
 
To find out what I thought of the product, head on over and check out my guest blog post over on the Bambini Pronto blog page.

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

The Purely Scentsational Giveaway Winner Announced...

Once again a big thank you to the lovely ladies at Purely Scentsational for offering up one very amazing prize for one very lucky reader.
 
And according to random.org, that very lucky reader is.....


 
Congrats to Michelle, if you can please email me at utterlyorganised@gmail.com with your address details, we will arrange to get your prize pack right out for you!!
 
For those that missed out don't forget that you can still take advantage of the special offer of 10% off on right now to try the products out for yourself or perhaps purchase for a gift for a loved one just in time for Chrissie. To read about the offer and get the discount code, head over right here.

Thanks to all of you that entered :-)

Friday, 2 November 2012

3 Minute Cheesecake in a Mug Recipe: Flop or Fantastic?!

I must admit that I tried the 2 minute chocolate mug cake recipe and it was a massive failure. Let's just say the tyres on my car were less of a rubbery consistency than the cake I made - you get the picture!

So when I stumbled across this 3 Minute Cheesecake recipe from Kidspot, I tried not to get my hopes up too much, after all a cheesecake made in 3 minutes just sounded too good to be true - right?!

Well I am delighted to say that this far exceeded my expectations - hats off to you Kidspot as this recipe was divine although a little dangerous. You see I am a huge lover of cheesecake and having a recipe for one this delicious and on my spoon in just a few minutes is probably not good news for my waist line!! But a little treat every now and then cannot hurt can it?!
 
You'll Need:
  • 1 Egg White
  • 6 Tbs Low Fat Cream Cheese
  • 4 Tbs Low Fat Sour Cream
  • 4 Tbs Sugar
  • 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tsp Cornflour
  • 1 Butternut Snap Cookie
  • 2 Tbs of the filling of your choice - Choc Chips, Frozen Raspberries or Jam
Method:
  1. Whisk egg white, sour cream and cream cheese together in a bowl until light and fluffy.
  2. Add in all remaining ingredients (apart from the cookie)
  3. Mix well and pour in to the mug of your choice
  4. Microwave for 2 minutes
  5. Crush the cookie - either by hand, in a zip-lock bag with a rolling pin or zap in a food processor
  6. Sprinkle the cookie over the top of the Cheesecake
  7. Place item in fridge to set (or eat when warm - delish but will be liquid and not set)


This recipe will mug one large super dooper mug, or two smaller teacups - up to you if you decide to share or not!! This recipe is perfect for me as my husband doesn't like cheesecake (I know I cannot believe I married him either!), so I get to enjoy the mug all to myself!

If you need some ideas on how to organise recipes just like this one that you find on the net, be sure to check out the post that I did earlier on in the week.

Love to hear your thoughts on this one....

Thursday, 1 November 2012

How I Organise my Recipe Collection at Home...

I was asked a while ago by one of my lovely readers, Donna, if I could please feature on my blog just how I organise my recipes at home. Okay truth be told it was so long ago (August in fact and I am a little embarassed) that I am sure that poor Donna thought that I must have forgotten!! So here it is.....


I must say that I am an absolute sucker for all things recipes - I love printing, cutting and writing out recipes that I see along the way. So the reason I have so many folders is to accommodate just this!!

I use a very low cost solution of simple display books that you can purchase at K-Mart, Officeworks or the like and the best part is that they only cost a few dollars a pop. I always buy at the same time a stack of extra display pockets and before I start to use, I load that baby up with as many pages as I can fit in so that I can fit in hundreds of recipes in to each book. It is also so much easier to add all of the pages in at the start, rather than mid way though - been there, done that!

I have split my recipes up in to the following folders:
  • Mains, Sides & Soups
  • Cakes, Slices & Biscuits
  • Savoury Snacks & Lunches
  • Desserts
  • Kids/Festive/Drinks
  • Thermomix: Savoury
  • Thermomix: Desserts
  • Thermomix: Cakes, Slices & Biscuits

When I am meal planning or just looking for inspiration, I do a flick through the book and mark with some post it notes. These are great to take and use in the kitchen, because they have the plastic sleeves the recipes don't get wet or soiled if you are a messy cook like I tend to be...

These reside in magazine holders that I recently purchased at Typo for a ridiculous sum of $3 each. I have recently just labelled these as you can see above, so they look a bit more organised on the shelf and we all know that I love a label!!

The spine labelling could do with some work, but this may have to be on my to do list for the New Year, for now I want to get in to some fun Christmas planning...
So there you have it, my cheap and effective way to organise my recipes. How do you organise yours? I would love to hear all about it and see some pictures.
© Utterly Organised. Made with love by The Dutch Lady Designs.