Christmas Wishes 2014

I for one cannot believe just how quickly 2014 has flown - can you?!

 

And what a year...

 

The year definitely started out with one SUPER huge surprise, our gorgeous Miss C (who I was 100% convinced was a boy) arrived in January.

 

 

 

After quite a number of struggles to get here, I just feel so blessed to have two gorgeous kiddies in my life.

Adjusting to two kids was definitely challenging at times this year, but I definitely think that this was also compounded by the fact that we embarked on a 4 month extension project that took almost double that time to complete!

 

 

 

The extension definitely zapped a lot of time and energy this year, but it has definitely been worth it as we put the finishing touches on our family home over the summer holidays. I cannot wait to share with you all of the final progress shots and the room reveals next year, what a project it has been!!

 

It was definitely a year for BIG birthday's this year, Mr B turned 3 this month and my Mum is 70 next week - happy birthday Mum!!

 

I spent many, many hours this year planning a big surprise party for my Mum, which we held earlier this month and boy was it worth it to see her face. Not sure if it was sheer terror, or a big surprise, but she definitely wasn't expecting the soiree that she had.

 

This is likely to be my final post for the year, so I wanted to thank each and every one of you for checking in and taking the time to read my blog, follow my Facebook or Instagram accounts this year. I cannot tell you just how much it means to be to have you here!

 

I started out this blog as a way of having some contact with the 'outside' world, after leaving the workforce in 2011 (to have Brodie). In that time, I have 'met' the most amazing readers and I absolutely love reading your emails, comments, shopping buys and your questions each week. It really has lead to so many different opportunities and friendships, and I thank each of you for being part of that.

 

I sincerely wish each and every one of you a safe and happy Christmas and New Year, and really hope that you will stick around to see what 2015 has in store.

 

Til then....

 

 

 

Miss C's Christening: Part 2 - Touch of Glitter & Lace Dessert Table

As I prepare to finish up blogging for the year, I knew that I had to finally get the post out for part #2 of Miss C's Christening. After all part #1 made it debut on the blog waaaayyy back in October.... so blaming the extension for that!! 

 

If you have forgotten what the heck part #1 looked like, then you can read up on it here.

 

Now on to part #2, a look at the Dessert Table that I put together for the day.

 

 

After doing events for my little man for the past 2 years, I was a bit excited to finally be able to plan a girly event for our baby girl!

 

 

 

I adore polka dots (no secret there!) and pink and gold, so the theme was super easy for me to decide upon for our baptism celebration.

I teamed pink and white with accents of gold glitter and lace for a soft but feminine baptism table.

Our intimate family event was scheduled for Morning Tea time, so we had a selection of morning tea sweet treats for our close family and friends who came along to celebrate.

 

 

Of course it is never too early for candy, and we had some on the table to thank our sweet guests for sharing our day!

 

Vendor Credits

 

All Cake Stands, Tables, Cloth, Candy Jars, Props and Vases are available to hire through my little Event Hire business - Utterly Organised Events.

The stunning cake is by Jessie Lee Cakes

The Chocolate Éclairs, Cookies, Mini Cupcakes and Cakepops are by Sweet Creations by Sharms

The Macarons are by Bespoke Cakes - Viv seriously makes THE BEST macs in Melbourne!!

All other food items were created by me (or good old fashioned Coles in the case of the doughnuts!!)

Printed Material by Memories are Sweet.

Styling, set up, photography and flowers also by UtterlyOrganised Events

 

And with January just around the corner, I am madly working away on Miss C's 1st birthday party (can you believe it is one year already?!) with the amazing Ally from Mint Imprint. I cannot wait to share this with you - promise not to make you wait 3 months like this time - haha!! 

 

dish'd Food Store Review and Giveaway

{This product talk is brought to you by Nuffnang and dish'd}

 

Gourmet Frozen Food?!

 

Frozen Food that is Gourmet?!

 

It is definitely not often that you see the terms Gourmet and Frozen Food thrown together in the same sentence is it?! Well dish'd Food Store is a new and super exciting brand in the market place that is set to change the way we (and our tastebuds) think about frozen food.

But this is not your average frozen food I might add. The dish'd menu is extensive and features a range of high quality frozen meals, meats and desserts. All items have been frozen fresh to retain their nutritional and flavour credentials, and you can taste it!

 

Servicing Melbourne and Sydney (Metro) areas, you simply order online and have your food conveniently delivered to your door the very next day - simple! 

Each dish has been thoroughly tested and many researched in consultation with professional chefs such as Chef Jacques Raymond (seriously!). Dishes are from various cuisines from around the globe, with a heavy feature of our family favourite - Italian!!

 

I was given the opportunity to try these for myself and boy oh boy, it was hard not to order everything from the menu - take a look for yourself - it will make your mouth water!

 

Here are my thoughts on the food and the experience...

 

 

The Website...

 

First up was trying out the website - this was a cinch!

Someone has put a lot of time and effort in to developing a site which is completely user friendly.

Absolutely love being able to read the reviews on the various dishes/products as well as the ingredients, nutritional information and how to prepare at the same time.

 

Score: 10/10 - Website was flawless. Only issue was mopping up the drool from my keyboard while I browsed!

 

The Delivery...

 

I placed my order very late (close to midnight) one night fully expecting to have missed the cut off for 'next day' delivery. In spite of this, I was able to check the box for next day delivery.

 

If you want to order items for a special event or occasion (and don't have the room in your freezer to store), you can nominate a future date as well - how great is that for Chrissie time or for events?

When I woke up the next day I received a text message advising me that my goodies were on board with a driver for delivery that day.

What I love about dish'd is that you don't need to be home to accept the delivery. I provided authority to leave my dish'd goodies on my porch so I didn't need to wait home all day - so convenient if you are at work during the business day.

I was actually not at home when the delivery arrived, but instead I received an sms to alert me to the fact that these had been delivered.

When I arrived home (very excited I might add!), I found the items to be safely popped out of the shade on our front porch. Items were well packaged in a container with dry ice. The contents were perfectly frozen when I went to unpack.

Score: 9/10 - Delivery was great. So prompt and loved the SMS updates.

With the packaging materials, would be great if there was a next day service where you had your container/dry ice collected. It is quite bulky and hard to dispose of. They do offer a collection with your next order, which is a great recycling initiative!

 

And the Food...

Well as you can see, I ordered quite the little haul here! But I placed my order with Christmas in mind, the sweet treats and desserts (Baked Lemon Tart and Chocolate Ganache and Salted Caramel Tart) are going to save me a bit of baking come 23rd of December - cannot wait to try these out!

So far we have tried:

Mozzerella and Pesto Pizza: This was a HUGE hit! Full of flavour and didn't taste at all like the cardboard variants that you usually find in the freezer aisle.

Perfect to serve up with your Sunday Spag Bol!

Vegetable Lasagne: I found this to be a little bit salty for my liking and the hubby complained about the mushrooms, probably wouldn't order this one again.

Castella and Mascarpone Ravioli: Loved this! Full of flavour and tasted just like homemade fresh pasta. Mr B woofed it down and asked for seconds!

Ricotta and Spinach Tortelli Mezzaluna: This had to be my favourite! Loved the butter and sage sauce and the Tortelli was so tasty.

The portion size was generous too.

Potato Dauphinos: This is a fancy word for a fabulous potato bake. So easy to bake - literally pour the packet below in a dish and bake.

Perfect for Chrissie day - why peel potatoes when you can sip bubbly and pop this in the oven instead? Exactly!!

This will definitely be making its' way back in to a meal at our house soon. Was amazing served with roast chicken and veggies.

Score: Overall 8/10. The taste was definitely what you expect from your average frozen meal. The portion sizes were good. All (apart from the lasagne), I would gladly have on my plate again.

I cannot wait to try the rest out over the festive season - especially that Chocolate Tart which is taunting me each time I open up our freezer door!

 

Would I order again?!

Absolutely! We have never been big freezer eaters, but I can totally see how convenient it is to stash away some high quality meals like these for hot summer nights when you don't want to be slaving over a hot stove or just to give yourself a well earned night off from the kitchen!

The extensive finger food range would be perfect for parties and festive occasions such as Christmas - which is when I plan to whip out that Salted Caramel number (if I can hold out that long!!)

Price wise the meals were comparable with what you would get at your local Coles or Wollies, but far more superior in quality.

dish'd also have a brilliant introductory offer on at the moment, whereby orders over $50.00 receive a $30.00 saving and free delivery too. This is such a great opportunity to try it out and stock the freezer for the holiday season at the same time!

 

Want to try dish'd too?

 

Now for your chance to try it out yourself, I have a $50.00 gift voucher for one very lucky ready. Simply follow the Rafflecopter prompts below and be sure to leave a comment below telling me what you would add to your cart from the dish'd range if you were the lucky winner.

 

Enter Here

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Terms and Conditions

 

- The giveaway will be hosted by Rafflecopter and is open to Melbourne and NSW (Metro) residents only
- There will be one lucky winner of a $50.00 gift voucher

- dish'd currently only service Melbourne and Sydney metro areas, so recipient must live within these areas
- Winner MUST leave a blog comment below as a condition of entry (mandatory)
  - The announcement of the lucky winner will be made on the Utterly Organised Facebook Page and displayed on the Rafflecopter widget above
- 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
- Any questions on the competition can be directed to utterlyorganised@gmail.com

 

 

Good Luck!!

 

Merino Baby Review & Giveaway

{Post brought to you in conjunction with Merino Baby}

I was recently given the opportunity to select and review items from the gorgeous and extensive Merino Baby range which includes all the baby essentials you could wish for - dresses, bodysuits, cardigans, coveralls, hooded tops, pants, vests, mittens, hats, wraps and sleeping bags.

Let me tell you, picking a few favourites was not easy - so many gorgeous things that I adored.

In the end I opted for their beautiful dresses, in a few different colours, and a cardigan in the range.



When I opened the parcel, my heart literally skipped a beat - they were divine and so super, super soft!

 

Living in Melbourne Merino Wool products are perfect - they are light and breathable for the warm weather (which is not often at the moment, it has been so cold!) and perfect to keep the heat in when it is chilly (which is most of the time).

 

Most people associate wool with itchiness and abrasiveness on the skin, but let me tell you pure Merino Wool is anything but. All Merino Baby products are so soft and cozy on a babies sensitive skin. Miss C is prone to rashes and execma, but this did not cause any irration on her precious little skin.

The products are also very comfy and non-restrictive, so as you can see bub can move around with the greatest of ease. Miss C is starting to crawl around everywhere as you can see!

 

The stunning navy and grey dress pictured on Miss C is sized as a 1 (12-18) months and Miss C is 10 months (tomorrow), and this is a great fit for her. Not only does it look pretty teamed with her ballet flats, but will look great layered with tights and leggings for the cooler weather as well.

I love the classic, timeless style of this dress so much (wish it came in my size!), that I couldn't resist ordering it in a few different colours in a size 2 (18-24 months), which will suit her for next Autumn and Winter time.

As a busy Mum, I absolutely love just how easy Merino Baby products are to care for, all are machine washable. I usually pop mine in a lingerie bag and pop in a normal cycle (with like colours) and it is washed to perfection!

Dying to try the range too? I don't blame you! For one lucky reader, I have one gorgeous Hat and Mitten set to give away! Perfect for newborns or for that ultimate new baby or baby shower gift, the lucky winner is going to love this (in their choice of colour of course).

Simply follow the Rafflecopter prompts below for your chance to win this set, total prize value is $29.95.
 

 Enter Here

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Terms and Conditions

 - The giveaway will be hosted by Rafflecopter and is open to Australian residents only
- There will be one lucky winner for the Hat and Mittens Set

- Winner will be able to select the colour and size
 - The announcement of the lucky winner will be made on the Utterly Organised Facebook Page and displayed on the Rafflecopter widget above
- 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 the Utterly Organised Facebook Page
- Any questions on the competition can be directed to utterlyorganised@gmail.com

 

Feel free to share with any friends or family that you think may enjoy this prize too :-)

 

 

Pottery Barn (and Co!) comes to Melbourne at Chadstone Shopping Centre...

Today was a day that I had been counting down to for a LONG time. It was the opening day for the very first Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids store here in Melbourne.

 

It also so happens that it opened up at Chadstone Shopping Centre, which is where you will frequently find me doing my groceries or shopping (window of course!) on a frequent basis. I know, having a store SO close to me is going to be very dangerous.

 

As the opening day drew closer, I did debate whether or not I would go. But in the end, the emails and Facebook hype got to me and so I went...

 

Chadstone Shopping Centre was sheer madness today. I don't know whether it was the Pottery Barn stuff, the VIP Day or the fact that Hi-5 were there, but it was out of control. Much like the hysteria of 23rd of December or Boxing Day sales, this was on the same scale of crazy.

 

Once I finally got a park (and walked for miles, passing Livinia Nixon on the way), I was actually surprised that there was no queue or crazy crowds in the Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, West Elm or Williams and Sonama stores.

 

I could have spent HOURS in these stores, they all interconnect to one another. But alas two grizzly kids definitely doesn't afford such luxuries, so it was a quick zoom around - not an easy task as these have not been set up in the most pram friendly fashion.

 

I actually didn't love Pottery Barn as much as I thought, but West Elm was divine and the prices weren't too out of control - on par with say a Freedom store I would say.

 

 

 

Pottery Barn Kids was just as I had always imagined - FABULOUS. It was amazing to see all of the products I have lusted over online, come to life in the store.

 

The rugs were amazing quality and so many gorgeous designs

These chairs are even more amazing in person!

I tell you what, this place is going to be a complete money pit for me - so many things that I adored and wanted for the kids. I will be definitely coming back here (on a quieter day with no kids) to look at some things for under the Christmas Tree and the kids birthdays too.

 

Sheets, Sheets and more Sheets!

The selection of kids bed sheets and linen was beyond gorgeous. I don't think you will get the same range, quality and gorgeous designs anywhere else and poor old Adairs Kids up the road was looking a wee bit quiet....

How cute is the tulle bed skirt?!

This will definitely be a regular stomping ground for me, so if you want me to check anything out for you in the flesh, please drop me a line - happy to assist with info or pics for those of you who don't have a store in your state and will be ordering online.

 

Did you venture to the opening day? What did you think?

My Coles Little Explorer Nappy Review on the BubHub!

Eeek!!! I am a published author... well... sort of!

 

A little bit excited to see that the review I did recently on the Coles Little Explorer Nappies has just been published over on the BubHub website right here. The BubHub is such a fabulous online resource for Mummies, so if you haven't checked it out, definitely worth doing so.

 

 

Thank you to the readers that have already contacted me to let me know how they went with the range since my blog review a few weeks ago.

 

Anyone else take the 5 Day Nappy Change? Love to hear how you went if you did....

 

 

Our Trip to Santa's Magical Kingdom and Win a Family Pass to Go!

Last night we were so fortunate to be invited to the opening night of Santa's Magical Kingdom here in Melbourne.

 

When the invite arrived in the post a few months ago (from Santa), I wasn't sure who was excited more...

 

 

We have been literally counting down the days (and been doing a bit of Santa bribing 'if you don't stop annoying Mummy you won't go see Santa etc!!) until we could go.

 

This year Santa's Magical Kingdom is located at the Caulfield Racecourse which is a fantastic venue, easily accessible by the freeway and the train line. Living a wee way out of the city, we tend to give activities in the heart of the City a miss, so this was just perfect for us.

 

It is so hard to capture how amazing this is when you walk in (and just wait until you see your little ones face light up), it truly will take your breath away with so many beautiful lights, decorations and Christmas characters to greet you at the door.

 

 

With so many activities to see and do - it was hard to know where to start!

 

Being the ultimate sweet tooth, we headed for the Gingerbread Making area first up. Mr B loves helping me cook in the kitchen, so he absolutely loved this one - and he wasn't the only one...

 

 

Next stop were the rides - so many to choose from and these were all included in the ticket price. There was a giant slide (we had to do this so many times, great exercise though!), a Ferris Wheel, Merry Go Round, Jet Planes, Dinosaur Ride and a Magical Train that we all ventured on. There were another few rides, but Mr B was just a bit small for these just yet. You get to go on these as many times as you like, which is fantastic value! Although we tried to tell Mr B that there was a limit of two turns on each ride, otherwise we would have literally been riding these ALL night!

 

After a few rides (a few times), we headed in to the Circus tent. Included in the admission ticket is a 30 minute Circus spectacular (just the perfect length to keep kids amused for!).  The show featured Santa and a whole host of magical tricks, displays and illusions.

 

After the Circus Show we headed back for more rides and a walk through Snowland, the Lego Brick Zone and met a few Christmas characters along the way!

 

If Mr B (and Miss C) are anything to go by, your little ones are going to LOVE this as a special Christmas treat they won't forget. Tickets are priced at $39.50 for adults, $35.00 for kids aged 2-12, teenagers and seniors. There are also family tickets available for $130.00 (2 adults and 2 kids). Definitely worth every penny as you get so many amazing inclusions with your admission ticket.

 

For one lucky Melbourne family, I have a family pass worth $130.00 to be given away which is valid for any Friday evening session in December. For your chance to win, simply follow the Rafflecopter prompts below....

 

Enter Here

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Terms & Conditions

- The giveaway will be hosted by Rafflecopter and is open to Australian residents only
- There will be one lucky winner of this prize

- Prize includes 1 x Family Ticket for 2 adults and 2 children (aged 2-12 years)
- Ticket is only valid for a Friday evening session in December 2014 (no other sessions or dates available)
 - The announcement of the lucky winner will be made on the Utterly Organised Facebook Page
- 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 the Utterly Organised Facebook Page
- Any questions on the competition can be directed to utterlyorganised@gmail.com

 

 

Good luck everyone and thanks again for having us Santa's Magical Kingdom - we had a ball and will be back again in 2015 for sure!

Project Extension: The End is Near, but SO Far!

These has been SO much happening in the world of Project Extension, I really don't know where to start...

 

When I last updated you, I was waiting on the bricklayer to start... well he started and is still going... This guy seems to come and go as he pleases and lays at the rate of two bricks a day - so it seems! So the brickwork is still going, much to our frustration... 

 

Looks a bit ugly at the moment, but we will have all of the outside rendered over the next week or so (if he ever finishes the job).

 

The inside has seen massive progress, at long last the plastering has been done. I had forgotten just how hard plaster dust is to contain - boy!

The new Lounge - the air con was where the old wall finished

 

 

A few hiccups, areas that required them to come back again (and again) to fix up, but we are almost there now.

 

The skirtings/architraves have been popped on - another drama which saw us a few days behind because they couldn't get the right style for us.



The new 4th bedroom

The much anticipated Walk In Robe!!!

 

 The doors have also been put on in the rooms, cupboards etc.

 

Looks like another HUGE week this week. We are madly trying to paint EVERYTHING in readiness for our carpets and flooring going down.

 

The roof is getting sprayed next week - finally goodbye to that horrid Terracotta!

 

I have selected the blinds for the new spaces, which are getting made at the moment.

 

We have ordered a new front door as ours just wasn't letting in enough light in the entrance way as you can see from the below.

The Old Door, just a wee bit dark!



The new entrance hall - the door ahead is the mud/storage room. Where the carpet stops is actually where our front door used to be, hard to believe!

The new door should go in this week too, I hope it makes a BIG difference with the light factor.

 

I have ordered a new couch and dining table - these get delivered on Friday and the old stuff has been sold and goes out on Saturday.

 

I need some advice on finalising an entry hall table and a mirror - so expect to see some posts very soon!

 

We have been busy trying to design our front landscaping. So many plans on that we need to finalise and book in so that we get it all done for Chrissie.

 

We have come so far, but I still feel like we have so long to go. We are all still sleeping in Mr B's room (on a mattress on the floor), tired and cranky with one another. I cannot wait to get our lives back, it has been 4 months and we have had enough!

 

And Mr Bricklayer if you are reading this - GET MOVING!!!!!

Project Cubby House: Win some Stylish Decorative Pieces for your Cubby or Playhouse!

Well folks, this is the very last post in my Project Cubby series!

 

I truly hope that you have enjoyed reading this series, and if looking to buy your own one for Christmas time, I hope that this has made things a teeny bit less confusing for you.

 

Don't forget if you do buy a cubby come Chrissie time, I would love for you to share your pictures over on my Facebook page.

 

What better way to finish the series than with a giveaway?! None? I agree! 3 very lucky readers are going to have the chance to win some of the fabulous handmade pieces that I have in my very own cubby house!

 

Prizes

 

Prize 1:

Waterproof Bunting  from My Wonder Wall Art

 

My Wonder Wall Art is on Etsy for any orders, information and to check out the range

RRP $30.00

The winner will have the pleasure to work with Nicole and select patterns and colours that suit their scheme!

 

 

Prize 2:

Crochet Ikea Mammut Stool Cover x 2 from Coco and Scotch

 

Coco and Scotch are on Etsy  for any orders, information and to check out the range

RRP: $30.00 for two covers

I had mine made up in a mix of Mint and Pink, but Lea has these in a variety of colours in her Etsy store - you can select your favourite if you are the fortunate winner!

 

Prize 3:

Felt Ball Garland from Mint Imprint

 

Mint Imprint are on Etsy for any orders, information and to check out the range

RRP: $20.00
Ally has a gorgeous range of colours (as you can see above), so you can be sure that you will create the perfect garland for your special space!
 

Enter Here

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Terms and Conditions

- The giveaway will be hosted by Rafflecopter and is open to Australian residents only
- There will be one lucky winner for each individual prize (3 individual winners in total)
- The announcement of the lucky winner will be made on the Utterly Organised Facebook Page
- 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 the Utterly Organised Facebook Page
- Any questions on the competition can be directed to utterlyorganised@gmail.com

 

Good luck everyone!!!

 

Now that the Project Cubby series is done, I will be back in the swing from next week with our Project Extension updates. My golly gosh do I have a LOT to update you on as well embark on the final few weeks - yay!!!