Weekend Rewind: Linking up with Maxabella & Co Right Here!

Yay, Friday, my favourite day of the week. This Friday is even more awesome than usual because (among other things) tonight I'm a guest host on Maxabella Loves' most excellent linky Weekend Rewind!

Weekend Rewind is one of the very few linkies that seem to be still alive and kicking these days (and the only one I still link up with), so when my favourite blogger and fellow-party-nut Maxabella emailed, inviting me to be a guest host, I was like, I am there.

Actually, thing is, at the moment I am not actually there (or should I say here?)
I'm having to let auto-post do its magic because right now as you read this I am actually up North in Whangarei, eating dinner with some fellow bloggers, after spending all day learning how to decorate cupcakes FANCY (at a workshop with my lovely party partner, Sandra, from KiwiCakes). Just one more reason this Friday is even awesomer than usual.

I'll tell you all about our adventure next week - and I promise pictures, lots of pictures. I am REALLY looking forward to learning how to do those fancy icing techniques - I do my best but I'm no pro. And I really want to know how to do those roses!
I'm also very excited to get to hang out with a bunch of lovely blog pals and I'll FINALLY get to meet my blog-friend Neetz in person. I bet there will be some hugging.

[Cross Country is a very serious race, obviously]

In the meantime, I've got pictures from today's fun episode of The School Cross Country. This event has always (in the past) provided ample blog-fodder. There have been stories about running while injured, coming in first (and second) place unexpectedly, and stories about what you do when you fall down (um, you get up and keep running, in theory).

[See? Serious.]

But this year? Well it was a bit of a story washout.
Miss Fab (Ten Year Old Girls) made a pact with her pals to jog round the route and try their best to avoid getting a place and therefore having to run again at InterSchool Champs (last year's torture).
So no drama there.

[One of the youngest in the group, sure, but still one of the tallest]

Meanwhile Scrag (who is still six) had to run with the Seven Year Old Boys, and while meeting with no disaster, and finishing a respectable 15th out of 50, was also unhelpful anecdotally.

So I'll just leave you with the pictures, and a round up of my latest posts and an admonishment to drag out you best post of the week and come link up on the awesome linky as soon as it opens (just scroll past the pictures of the little children running...)

IF YOU'RE VISITING FROM THE LINKY (Hello! and Welcome!): You can find out more about me on my About Me Page OR you might wanna go straight for the good stuff...

• Parties: All my ideas and tips (including Parties for No Reason and Theme Dinners)
• Printables: All my free party printables in one place. How convenient!
• Recipes: For people who like things simple, easy and delicious
• Blog Tips: Tips and freebies for beginners, code-phobes and bloggers of all kinds
• Parenting: Confessions of a lazy mother and other gems...

FROM THIS WEEK:

• The Power of One (plus One plus One): My thoughts on the XFactor NZ bullying debacle. Obviously everyone was fed up hearing/talking about it by the time I posted; the comments didn't exactly flood in!
• Ninja Turtle Party Printables: I shared the Free Printables I've designed for Scrag's upcoming TMNT party. No-one ever comments on those posts. It's OK. I'm used to it. (It would probably help if my comment system was mobile friendly, but there ya go)

And if you haven't met Maxabella yet, you should. Go there right now and say hi from me, OK?

While you're at it the other Linky co-hosts are also pretty Awesome: Life Love & Hiccups (looks like my kind of blogger); Sonia Styling (if style is your thing) and Kelly Exeter (has written a book about living Life Less Frantic).

OK HERE COMES THE LINKY...

(***WARNING: I am a bit crap at figuring out time zones and/or following instructions, so it's highly likely that this post will go up before the linky opens. Don't worry, just roll your eyes at my daftness and check back in an hour or two...)

Guest Post: Mothering from Scratch

Meet my friends Kathy and Melinda at Mothering from Scratch...

Kathy and Melinda met on a Little League baseball field. The coach — Melinda’s kids’ paediatrician — also happened to be Kathy’s husband. They discovered their shared passion for writing, as well as a common desire to serve and encourage other mothers.
Kathy (the redhead) mothers four kids ranging in age from late teens to early elementary years. Melinda (the brunette) is mother to a middle-school-aged son and a  teenage daughter. They blog over at Mothering from Scratch, and come at things from a Christian perspective.

I've been blog-friends with Melinda since my very early days blogging. I've always found her to be super-encouraging and supportive. It's been my pleasure to make Kathy's acquaintance though Melinda, and now I am privileged o be a guest "Momtor" over at Mothering from Scratch on a regular basis. I invited them so share some of their thoughts with my readers here at Greatfun4kids, and this is what they came up with...

A Mother’s Mission Field
by Kathy and Melinda [Mothering from Scratch]

We all have dreams within our hearts. Desires to change the world. Blaze a trail. Alter the course of mankind.
As we’re buried beneath a mountain of laundry or drowning in a sink full of dirty dishes, it is difficult to believe that those dreams will ever be fulfilled. As we take our kids to soccer practice for the 400th time, we may be tempted to think those goals will be left to someone else. Someone more dynamic. Energetic. Available.
Guess what? We are changing the world. We are blazing a trail. We are altering the course of mankind. Everyday. With each heartfelt hug. With each sloppy kiss. In the midst of folding underwear and helping with homework. Almost without notice, the gospel is being preached, lives are being changed, and Christ’s love is shared.

When I (Melinda) was a little girl, I was terrified that God would call me to be a missionary. I didn’t want to disappoint him. But I didn’t want to live in a hut in Africa either. As I got older, I realized that He did call be to be a missionary — not in some exotic location, but as a mother in my own home.
He’s called you, too. We all have a mission field and we wake up inside of it every morning.

How to maximize the impact on our mothering mission field:

Don’t do it alone. There’s a reason Jesus sent up his disciples two-by-two. Isolation leaves us vulnerable and ineffective. Support comes from a variety of sources — husbands, teachers, coaches, other mothers, extended family. We can’t just look for support, though. We need to be the support for other moms, too. No mom left behind.

Make sure we’re equipped. Spend time with God everyday. It is the fuel that will enables us to weather the trials, chaos and stress of motherhood. It gives us the divine wisdom and passion we need to pass on to our children. Ask others to pray for us. It serves as a hedge of protection around us as we are in a vulnerable territory as mothers.

Don’t neglect our own needs. Our usefulness depends on our own mental and physical health. Sacrifice is admirable. Martyrdom is optional. It is not selfish to care for your own needs even in the midst of motherhood. It is essential.
We may not be able to change the world. But we can impact our corner of it.

..............

Melinda and Kathy are doing a special series over the next month or so to help reduce the stress of the Christmas season... so head on over to check out their awesome tips and words of wisdom...

Guest Post: Nikki Dreams in Magical Malaysia

Introducing Nikki from Life's Wonderful Happenings: Since right now I am away from my desk somewhere deep in the heart of China, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to  my friend Nikki. Nikki is a gorgeous young twenty-something teacher from Wellington who is currently on her OE in London. Along the way she is experiencing the magic of travelling to other points of the compass, most recently a life-changing trip to Malaysia. Nikki's photos are always beautiful and quirky; her words often poetic. I've gotten to know Nikki behind the scenes of her blog, as we email encouragement to each other. Once she even sent me some chocolate all the way from London when she heard I was having a rough week. She's a sweet soul, and I hope you'll leave her some comment love (and maybe visit her blog and even *follow*...?)

Now here's Nikki...

I want to dream. I want to immerse myself into a magical land.

A land where you can tiptoe across the bridge, in the hopes that it will remain a secret; 

and as you reach the end, your tiptoes quickly turn into skips as you approach the tree, 

ready to take the force of the endless possibilities in a new realm...

Once you're through, they're there waiting for you. 

For you to perch on their wings whilst they guide you around this new land.

First stop is collecting the leaf of life.

Once you have that, you will be able to drink all the happiness, love and wisdom you need. 

The special wands? They're there to help fight off baddies; the anxiety, the stress, the worry.

The baddies disappear with one swift swipe, and erupt into beauty.

Beauty that makes us stronger.

Beauty that wants us to be loved and to love harder, and be happier than happy.

The journey isn't over yet. It's only just begun.
But this is a slice of what I want my safe place to look like.

It's my safe place. I call the shots. I make the rules.

It can be a long road, but lets make it a good one; a positive one; an empowering one. 

It's whatever you want it to be. 

And the best thing of all? 

You can stand up at the end and say I did it. 

~

Beautiful. Thanks Nikki!

Guest Blogger: Marketing to Milk on Craft & Baking

Welcome to this week's guest blogger, my lovely Henri from Marketing to Milk, all the way from the UK. Henri has the distinction of being one of the only bloggers I read who "doesn't do pictures"... which means that her words are enough to draw me in and keep me coming back. It was this post {or one very much like it} which got me hooked on Henri's blog at a time when I was wrestling with my own aversion to baking and craft. A kindred spirit. {Really. When I do it, I post about it. You do the maths.} So here's Henri... complete with some photos I managed to find of her, plus of a few of some cakes I baked - which Henri wanted in her post as the condition of her being a guest blogger. Hehe.
Enjoy...

This is a subject that bugs me a lot.

Just how much craft, baking or other happy family activities are most mothers doing with their children?

The thing is, I don’t. Well I do, sometimes. But it’s usually in short, guilty bursts.

I’m not saying I leave my kids 24/7 to roam the house while i put my feet up and eat muffins. I take them out somewhere every day – indoor play, children’s centre, playground, pub (oops, did I say that?), but when I’m in the house they’re usually either a) watching television or b) playing on their own.

I have visions in my head of all the other mums replete with “kids and hers” aprons, baking cakes, brownies, quiche as the children whoop whoop with delight and lick the leftovers from wooden spoons. That, or finger painting, play dough competitions and vegetable growing demonstrations all before lunch. (which obviously consists of said home grown and home baked food).

The thing is, I’m utterly convinced that this is what all other mothers are up to. While I’m there saying for the 50th time, and oh so innocently “You must be tired darling? How about some quiet time while mummy clears up the lunch things?” As if a) quiet time in front of the tv is a novel treat and b) he hasn’t realised yet that “clearing up” takes mummy at least an hour, and usually involves a lot of time typing on the computer.

Rationally I suspect this is probably another example of me measuring myself up against the “better mums” that I fear I’m losing out to on a daily basis, but that don’t actually exist.

The problem is that when I visit other people’s houses, there is mabel’s artwork on the kitchen wall, out comes the biscuit tin “would you like an apple scone, archie baked them with me this morning”, or there sits impressively a toddler-size car made out of boxes (believe me that has happened to me).

As I mentioned in Get Confessing, I have a sneaking suspicion that some other mums might not be being entirely honest (the biscuits are Annabel Karmel’s and the car was made by dad under duress last night).

Problem is that the rational side of my brain gets overriden by the irrational wonderings of a guilt-ridden mother.

That, and obviously having too much time on my hands to think while I put my feet up and eat muffins.

.........


A deep thinker is my friend Henri.
Short, sweet, to the point. I find myself often snorting, laughing, nodding in agreement... but never ever bored. Even without pictures!


I just wish I could have arranged a bloggy meet-up with her while I'm in the UK. Nothing I would have liked more than sharing a glass of wine and a laugh with this girl. 


♥

Guest Blogger: Project Alicia on Motherhood

Welcome today to our lovely Guest Blogger, Alicia of Project Alicia, all the way from Iowa, USA. Alicia is one of my favourite bloggers and an amazing photographer - she's also the one who introduced me to Photoscape... so you can I bet I love her a lot! Her images often give me goosebumps and steal my breath away. I asked Alicia to share with us a post she wrote on Motherhood that brought tears to my eyes and gave me a serious case of the warm'n'fuzzies. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did... if you're mother, I know you'll relate xxx

... that I could grow as big as a house in 9 short months.



... that labor could last more than 24 hours.

... how difficult childbirth could be.



... that my child and I would both end up in ICU.

... that I would bring home the most beautiful, perfectly sculpted tiny person.



... that I could have cracked and bleeding nipples.

... that I could love another human being this much.



... that I would want to lock myself in the bathroom from time to time.

... to invest in ear plugs.



... that I would put cabbage in my bra to alleviate painful clogged ducts.

... that a baby could cry for two straight months.



... that tantrums would start before "the terrible twos" and last well past the trying threes.

... how much joy I would feel watching those first steps.



... how much I would treasure showers alone.

... that a child could look so angelic after hours of screaming.



... how clingy a child could be.

... that there would be endless photo ops.



... that cutting a bottom front tooth at 24 months may be normal for your kid.

... how fast the years would fly by.



... that no amount of crunches would ever make my old abs come back.

... to cherish every single moment.



... how quickly I would forget all the milestones if I didn't write them down.

... to bring tissues to the first day of kindergarten.



... that I could laugh so much.

... to treasure snuggle time more.



... that a child could have a personality larger than life.

... about all the critters that would greet me unexpectedly.



... that there is a light at the end of the sippy cup/ carseat tunnel.

... that lego would overtake my home.



... that kids really do say the darndest things.

... that I would be a soccer mom.



... what a conversationalist a child could be.

... that there would be moments of pure awe.



... that sleep deprivation would make a comeback for the tween years.

... about the raw unadulterated emotions that would greet me for middle school.



... how much I would live in my car running kids from one activity to the next.

... what a godsend electronics would be for road trips.



... that I'm not smarter than a fifth grader.

... how busy I would be playing.



... how much I would have to bite my tongue.

... how moved I could be trolling through old photos.



... all that I would learn from my children.

... how much being a mom could change my life.









Thank goodness no one ever told me.


...............


*sniff* pretty cool huh?


I hope you'll go over and make yourself known to my lovely friend Alicia {I call her "Lish" cos we are pals}and maybe even join in the Wordless Wednesday Linky that Alicia runs.


Are you enjoying these guest bloggers as much as I am???