Blog This Challenge 63 - Christmas List

He's making a list,
And checking it twice;
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town.

So seeing as though the fat red man is making a list, I guess I better too! So, without further ado, here are the five things I want most for Christmas

1. I have actually received my top gift already, a very much wanted pregnancy! So thanks Santa (or husband, which ever ;) )

2. This Oroton Medina large hobo bag

3. A Pandora Breast Cancer leather bracelet. I am not a huge fan of charm bracelets, but I quite liked this bracelet as is.

4. A Suburu Forester XT

5. A money tree

So there you go, that's what I want for Christmas this year. Some might come true, others, well, a girl can dream!

Head on over to Blog This and enter the top five things you want for Christmas this year. Pin It

My favourite holiday

Holidays, they are the type of thing you are forever looking forward to, and as soon as you get back from one are planning the next.

Throughout this year I had grand plans on a lovely holiday somewhere, but unfortuantly bills, renovations, work and now being pregnant got in the way of that. Boo hiss to all but the last, but I guess that is life. So now I am left with the fond memories from my favourite holiday: our honeymoon.

The husband had never been overseas before we got married, so an overseas holiday was assigned. We debated between Vietnam and Thailand for many weeks, eventually deciding on Thailand as Vietnam was a little more forign to us and I wasn't too sure how the the very western westerner would cope. We were away for just shy of 2 weeks, and enjoyed every minute of it, however my favourite part of the trip would be when we spent days lazing in the sun in our pool side room, ordering room service, and ducking through the garden for more cocktails. It was pure relaxation.

If I could do it, I would happily book ourselves onto a flight and happily head back over to Thailand for a relaxing mini-break, god knows we could both do with it!


This was part of Blog This's challenge about holidays. Head on over and tell me about your favourite holiday, but hurry, as you only have a few hours. Pin It

iPhone App: iBook

Picture from here

This is a simple App, and from what I can remember, a free one too. iBook is just that, a book on your iPhone (or iPad, whichever way you swing), that you can take anywhere with you.  Originally released for the iPad, to rival the other E-Readers on the market, iBooks had a slowish start. Release it onto an iPhone and you have a much wider market. Wise move Apple.

I personally have a US iTunes account, as they have better content that the Australia store, and apparently this is very true for the bookstore. Whilst in the US store I can buy majority of new release novels (I am currently reading The Carrie Diaries), the same can't be said for the Australia store (fix this please Apple). Books are reasonably priced, I think I paid $15 for The Carrie Diaries, which was cheaper than I could find it on eBay, plus I don't have to lug around a heavy book.

This App has saved myself from boredom many times: being stuck on a train, waiting in doctors surgeries, and even the odd lunch break at work, I just open iBooks and away I go, I never loose my page thanks to the handy bookmarking system, and how it syncs with my computer when I remember to connect my phone.

Oh, and the husband loves it as it means I don't have nearly as many books laying around the house!


This is a Blog This challenge. Head on over and submit your review, but do it before 8pm tonight (Sydney time)! Pin It

Blog This Challenge 56 - The Sky

Time for another Blog This challenge.

Our sky doesn't look like this every day, just on the days where there are bushfires in our area. From memory, these fires were in the bush reserve over the road from our place and burning towards us. Thankfully, the weather changed and it rained.

What does the sky look like at your place?
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Blog This: Challenge 50 (with Prizes)

Images from here (Pretty sure the husband is using some of these lines on me to avoid moving house...I'm onto him!)

Over at Blog This We are upto our 50th Challenge! This is a bit of a milestone, so we're hoping to make it our biggest yet. If you have never entered a challenge before, then get started!

All you have to do is make a list of 50 things. Whatever things you like, from '50 things you want to do in your life', to '50 things you wish you had said at a certain time!'

Head on over and enter. But be quick, entries close on Wednesday at 8pm(AEST)


PS - there are prizes too! Being a moderator means I got a sneak peak into the prizes, and trust me, you want to win this one!!!

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Blog This Challenge 37 - My Favorite View

Blog This asked what my favourite view was. And I got thinking (as you do) about what was in my favourite view. And there was only one thing that popped into my mind.

As long as I have my husband (who is highly likely to want a divorce after I have published a photo of him crying on the internet) in my view, it will always be my favourite! I love him more than words can describe
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Blog This: Comfort Food

'Blog about your comfort food.  What is it?  Do you make it?  How did you stumble upon it?  Is it at your favourite restaurant?  How does it make you feel ?  Share a recipe,  restaurant review or about the last time you ate it!'

My comfort food is a basic one: ham sandwich on slightly frozen bread

Oh yeah, really living the high life there. But let me explain.

My great gran was always the one constant in my topsy turvy childhood. It was only my mum and I growing up, so I spent school holidays with my grandparents, much to my delight! I loved my Gran dearly, and the day she passed a big part of me went with her.

So it is no suprise that she is in majority of my favourite memories. Every christmas she would buy a ham on the bone, and for majority of January we would eat ham. She was never one for fresh bread, but always brought wholemeal Buttercup bread and had two loaves in the freezer. She would defrost it ever so slightly on the sink, and then make me a sandwich.

Now, when ever I need a pick me up, I eat ham from the bone (seeing as though I don't eat bread now).

What is your comfort food? Blog about it, and enter at Blog This Pin It

Blog This

I can now be found over at Blog This on a Tuesday and Thursday.

If you are an Australian blogger, head on over and check us out
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Challenge 22: $200 shopping spree on Etsy

You've got $200 USD credit at Etsy.  What do you buy?  Who for?  Why do you love it?

Banana Bear Boutique $7.00 for my nephews

Exclusively By Maritza $22.00 for our office

Wapa $35.00 for our outdoor area.

Designs by Nancy T $16.00 for my cat loving mummy (who is possibly allergic to her own cat :( )

Home Centric $20.00 (for our spare room)

Home Centric $28.20 for our room

Kuklak $20.00 for my niece

Vintage Coquette $24.00 for my iphone

Lewas Designs $12.00 for my new computer

Check out BlogThis

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Pearls of Wisdom

I was walking down memory lane in the car the other day, and I got thinking about our wedding. Specifically the 'Wishing Tree' we had at our reception. We asked our guests to give us a tip to have a happy marriage/life.

Anyway, we had a great laugh reading at the 'wisdom' we were given (ok, so it wasnt the brightest idea to give this to drunk people, there is some wisdom for brides to be) when we returned from our honeymoon. There were the usual "dont go to be angry", "always have one hobby that is your own", "don't forget your friends" and "remember that sex fixes everything" (that might have been from a drunk friend who is single). But something rang true from one of our guests: "Never expect husband to do things to your standard. He can't. He isn't wired that way. That is why you love him"

Now, it isn't anything profound, but it has sat with me in the last 18 months or so, and it is true. Far too many times have I heard myself say "Urgh, why couldnt you do it my way" because he doesnt fold towels the way I like, or because he can turn a blind eye to Mt Washing in our loungeroom.

These are the things that make me feel like I am needed at home, that I have a purpose, and that I make a difference to our lives. He is himself, which whilst at times, annoying, he is the man I fell in love with 5 years ago, and who I still love today.

Ok, before I get too soppy, check out Blog This and enter your pearls of wisdom

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What I can go without

I live quite a privleged life compare to some. And I am extreamly thankful for this.

In the last week I have felt so lucky to have a relativly easy existance. A friend of mine, Stepford Dreams has been telling myself about her best friend who has cancer. A terminal cancer. To a beautiful young woman named Alli. The love she has for her best friend is amazing. Both women are so very strong in such a hard situation. They have both given me a new perspective on things, and on life.

So, I am going to make a conscious effort to go without complaining about the little things in my life, and to just be thankful that I am alive and healthy. I think we all get bogged down in the little, trival, dont really matter in the grand scheme of things, sh*t from time to time. I know I do, and I need to get out of it. I can go without complaining about my brother/boss/work/husband/renovations .

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Blog This: Meet the Parents

Sorry about the blurred faces, my stepdad asked to not be identified

Parents: like them or lump them everyone's got them!

share with us your favourite memory of your mother or father or another parent-figure in your life. It may be a wonderful mother-daughter experience you had with your mum, or something special you've done with your children... inspire us!

My parents divorced with I was around 3 years old, and my mum remarried when i was 19. My stepdad is an amazing man, who understood that to be a family member, you have to be a friend first (and that bribery is the best way through to a 13 year old)

When the husband and I decided to get married it was always a big worry about how to include all 3 of my parents in the wedding ceremony. My step father and I are quite close (much closer than I am with my real dad) so it was important to me that he was included. And my mum HAD to feature somewhere as she was the one who raised me to the exceptional person i am (not that I am biased ;) ).

So when we chose our wedding venue, rather than take the short walk down the aisle, I chose to walk up a gravel path, 20 something bluestone steps, and then down the aisle. A process that was quite tiring in my wedding dress. But well worth it when my dad walked the first part with me, until he was joined part way by my stepdad. They both walked me up the stairs, where my mum greeted us. She walked me the final distance and gave me away.

The photo above is one of my favorites, as it is completely random, but captures the emotion of our wedding. I am disappointed that all of the ones that feature my mum look shocking, but least I have my memories. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, there was no 'pow' moment, but when I look back at the photo I realise how lucky I am to have three amazing parents, who are good friends, who all love me so much to not complain that they didnt get a traditional role in my wedding.

So there you have it, on the biggest day of my life, I realised how much I love my three parents, and how much I cherish them as well as my husband. I can only hope I am as amazing as them when I am a parent

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Blog This: 15 Things About Me

Blog ThisChallenge: Tell us fifteen facinating, far fetched, frightening, funny or frivilous facts about yourself. Those bits of trivia that are floating around in your life.

1. Despite my name being April, I was not born in April, in fact July. I got the name after my mum, grandma, and great grandma (all on the one side) all being born in April.
2. By the age of 18 I had lived in 30 different houses, an been to 9 different schools.
3. My husband and I dated for 2 months before splitting up because I thought he was a dickhead. I didnt see him for 2 years, and obviously changed my opinion on him ;)
4. I classify breakfast cereal as a meal for any time of day, even dinner
5. I love chocolate. it gives me terrible heartburn. But I still eat it.
6. I thrive on trashy novels, the trashier the better
7. I am a nerd.
8. I have a freckle in a secret spot
9. I would love to be an interior designer. I love it
10. I secretly also love renovating. But shhhhh
11. I would love to go on a world tour one day. So many sights to see, so little time
12. I often forget that my grandfather has passed away, and think that I should go visit him
13. I feel like a failure most days.
14. I love my little niece, but it kills me to see her some days
15. I love blogging, but often think I bore you all to tears.

So there you go. Now you know me, well least part of me Pin It

Blog This: Nostalgic moments

Blog This: Challenge 5 - Holiday Nostalgia
If you aren't a member of Blog This yet then you should get over there and sign up. Every week there are blogging challenges, this week - Holiday Nostalgia.

Everyone loves Holidays. Everyone has had a holiday - be it a great big backpacking adventure, a luxury weekend away, a caravan trek as a kid with the family taking in Big Bananas, Big Prawns, Big Pineapples et al, Camping in the neighbour's yard under the stars for a few nights. Elaborately planned holidays, impromptu 'let's get out of here' holidays. Blog about a holiday you've had that stands out - adventure, relaxation, family, friends, disaster, hilarious events! Who were you with? Where did you go? What made it so memorable? Share a photo if you want!

Thailand - 2008

For our honeymoon, the husband and I went to Thailand. Can't remember why we chose it, think it had to do with it being the only place of interest where it wasnt the wet season. Now, the husband is one of the least culturally awear people I know. He finds chinese to be the height of cultural dining, hates not knowing the language, and hates the city. Awesome, clearly I am insane for chosing Bangkok for 4 days. I have the worlds most sensative stomach (I get sick on my own cooking, and I'm not THAT bad of a cook). This could be a disaster.

Instead, it was one of the best holidays I have ever been on. Despite having been awake for some 48 hours before our flight, me having broke out in a rash and being rushed to the doctors, and having only just been able to get into our car with all our luguage when my stepdad lost our keys ALL BEFORE WE LEFT MELBOURNE, it was awesome.

It opened both of our eyes to another world, both one more sophisticated and underprivliged to ours, and gave us something to talk about for many months afterwards. I was worried about our honeymoon, that we would get bored of spending 14 days together 24/7, but we coped for 13 days fine (the last day I was sick and just wanted to go home)

We went on the River Kwai tour, and I have to say, it was a lot more emotional than we thought. I have never been a big one on the war and history, but it really touched us. It was very interesting, and I highly suggest you do it, if in that corner of the globe.

Of course, whilst we were down that way, we had to see the Tigers. I couldnt not see them. So we stood in this sandstone valley for 2 hours waiting to pat the tigers, almost dieing of heat exhaustion. Of course, husband being husband, had to 'tickle' the tiger, like he would our cat, on the stomach. Turns out the tiger wasnt such a fan, and started to growl. I have never seen my 6'4" husband be moved so fast, especially by a little thai man (he was about the size of my 10 year old nephew)!
In Phuket, we went on an Elephant Safari, and whilst it wasnt what I expected (I expected real jungle, not just a tiny farm block made to look like jungle), it was good fun. Our guide took extra photos for us. Here is moi trying to not fall off the elephant, and into elephant poop
Now, this one we sort of hid from our parents before leaving. Everyone said not to go on a TukTuk. They lectured us on the dangers, the risk, and how it would be a really stupid thing to go in. Well call us stupid, as we went on one. And whilst it was dangerous, it was also great fun. We chose to go a short distance to the redlight market (Pat Pong? I forget) one night for a bit of a look see, and thank god it was only a short distance, we were almost killed along the way. Here is moi before my impending trip of doom

So in a quick nutshell that was our honeymoon. The last real holiday we took. The best holiday so far. Nothing profound happened, but it was nice to spend time together and relax after our wedding.

Oh, and the shopping wasnt bad either ;)

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