Mar
25
Today I was in an Owl mood and so I created this cute little character. 
She’s available on a range of products from maternity t-shirts, womenswear, girlswear, baby and toddler onesies and t-shirts, baby hat and baby blanket.
Check them out in my store
Mar
11
My little girl loves singing the ABC song, but doesn’t always get it quite right. This bodysuit was inspired by her efforts
Mar
08
I’ve been making a few changes lately. Firstly my blog has moved. So if you’ve been missing your dose of funny please head here
Organic bodysuit with "Fairy Princess" on the front and gorgeous fairy wings on the back
I’ve changed the focus of Wub Boo Designs, and have started a Cafe Press Store where you can buy a range of products featuring my designs. I will be adding new designs regularly so make sure you keep checking, particularly my maternity range which is proving quite popular. Check out my full range for men, women, kids, toddlers and babies.
I haven’t been able to do as much of my own sewing lately, but hope to be able to continue making gorgeous babywear in the near future.
Jan
15
Courier drivers, meter readers and door-to-door salespeople have all caught me in interesting states. Like the day my kids decided to decorate my face with stickers. Or the time I was in full swing doing the special monkey dance I’d created. And of course there’s all the times when my children become budding hairdressers and turn their instruments of torture on my long locks.
I do lots of silly things to entertain my kids, especially if it will divert an imminent tantrum. But sometimes I need to do silly things for me to avoid my own tantrums.
A couple of days ago Susan from The Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva did a post about wearing her new sequinned red dress while doing the household chores. It was popular. So popular in fact, that people started sending her pictures of themselves doing ordinary, mundane things in their finest frippery. And so a new movement has been born; The Glamouring – like planking, only prettier.
My inner silliness begged me to give it a go, so I unearthed the dress I wore to a ball years ago when I was single and perky everywhere. I just managed to squeeze my rump into it, and with music turned up loud was able to flounce around without hearing overstrained seams pinging apart. Mopping the kitchen floor with my killer heels clip-clopping was more fun than I had imagined, and my kids thought it was hilarious.
So if your life as a stay at home mum has become a bit mundane, add a bit of sparkle and start glamouring. I try to do Make Up Monday each week to give me a little boost, and now I’m thinking a Fancy Friday is on the cards.
I’m seriously thinking of heading to some second hand shops to find better fitting glad rags. Maybe I’ll even get something with sequins, although that might prove too tempting for the other half if we end up at the hospital for my daughter again.
Right, I’m off to search through my wardrobe for any more posh frocks I might have. I’m pretty sure the meter reader is due this week…
I love it when you leave me a comment; it boosts my mood as much as glamouring does.
Jan
09
A few months ago I did the caption on this picture and put it on Facebook. At the last count it had 1200 shares and over 1400 comments. It’s almost as popular as the advert that inspired it (okay, that might be a slight exaggeration). If only this blog was as popular.
‘Legend’ – Anti drink-driving advertising campaign from NZTA featuring ‘ghost chips’.
As a paramedic I’ve seen too many deaths and serious injuries from drink driving, so it’s great to see an ad that has really got people’s attention. Perhaps the cows can keep spreading the message too.
Jan
05
A couple of weeks before Christmas we got a kitten. Of course getting a kitten was all about having a furry companion for the kids and nothing at all to do with the fact that my youngest is about to turn 2 and Mummy was feeling a bit clucky. Now in theory getting a fur baby seems like a great idea, but the reality is that you are not getting a baby, you’re getting another toddler. And if you think a toddler is a destructive force where a Christmas tree is concerned, wait until your fur toddler gets in on the action!
At seven weeks old when we got her, Hiccup (yes that’s our kitten’s name) was at exactly the same developmental stage as Miss Almost Two. Suddenly I found myself having two toddlers to toilet train, and increased respect for mothers of twins. Those first few days with Hiccup passed in a blur of anticipating toilet needs, getting toddler and fur toddler to their respective toilets in the nick of time, or cleaning up the many accidents.
And don’t talk to me about the mess. I’m sure you’ve all wondered how adding just one more kid into the mix on a playdate can result in so much mess, well it’s no different with a teeny tiny fur toddler. Seriously, how can such a small creature create so much mayhem and destruction?
An all white kitty is like a blank canvas just begging to be painted on...
I’m not sure what it is about me doing the dishes that suddenly makes my kids become really needy and wanting cuddles, but it seems it’s an issue that the fur population has too. At least with Hiccup I can just pop her on my shoulder and continue with the washing up, unlike having to stop to give the kids cuddles for exactly how long it takes for all the dishwater to go cold.
There have been some jealousy issues between toddler and fur toddler over who got to snuggle up on my lap. Both of them have a penchant for having snoozes on me and neither was willing to compromise initially. After a couple of weeks of pushing by one and scratching by the other they have finally worked out their differences, with both of them opting to sleep elsewhere. [insert sad face here]
Walking out of the room inevitably results in choruses of “Muuuuuuuumy” and a forlorn sounding “meep”, resulting in me having to call out to one or all of them so I can be located. This means I never get any peace.
Ever.
Especially when I’m on the toilet.
Now I have an extra pair of eyes scrutinising my ablutions, and perhaps even scoring my efforts; toddler likes to applaud me for doing wees on the toilet and tells me I’m a “gud gel”, and I swear fur toddler is doing the same when she gives me approving looks and rubs up against my legs purring her little heart out.
At the start fur toddler had night time sleep issues, just like the other toddler, but after being relegated to the laundry she began sleeping through. I know it’s a bit extreme, but I’m thinking if it works for fur toddler then …. *
*No, no of course I wouldn’t do something like that. Maybe…
Hiccup is so used to being carted around in the pram that it's now her preferred place to curl up and go to sleep.
There’s been a few hiccups (hehe hiccups – geddit?) along the way, but Master 3, toddler and fur toddler have now become very firm friends. They’ve even joined forces to thwart me in the daily battle of sunscreen administration (yep an all white kitty needs sunscreen before she’s allowed outside too).
I have to admit to feeling quite mushy when I watch them playing together, but thankfully the cluckiness seems to have subsided. For now!
Don’t be shy. I love reading your comments and it makes me really happy when people make the effort to leave a message.**
**Yep I’m as needy as my kids, but at least I try to get the dishes done first.
Dec
19
Glitter is the herpes of craft supplies. But at least it adds a festive air to my carpets, chairs, food, hair and the contents of my daughter’s nappies.
At this time of year ‘though, you can’t really get away from using glitter when you’re feeling crafty, so here’s a great idea that keeps the glitter in one spot.
Snow Globes
1 clean plastic jar – peanut butter ones are great
Blue tack
Small plastic model (we used a smurf from a Kinder Surprise egg)
Water or baby oil
Glitter
Place a big ball of blue tack on the inside of the lid. Make sure it comes up high enough so the figurine will be visible above the lid and make sure your figurine is firmly placed in the blue tack. In the jar add glitter and water or baby oil (the glitter will fall more slowly if you use baby oil). Screw the lid on tightly and turn upside down.
Christmas Crackers
Toilet roll inners
A4 sheets of paper
Stickers to decorate
Lollies in a small bag or wrapped in paper
Place the lollies inside the toilet roll inner. Roll up in paper and cellotape down. Twist or squish the paper at each end of the toilet roll inner. Decorate with stickers and copious amounts of glitter, then wander around the house shaking the cracker to spread some glitter cheer.
Another great craft idea is to make your own modelling clay. Unfortunately my step-daughters took their fantastic creations home before I could get photos, (Miss 12′s Santa face was awesome), and the snowman that I made has been spirited away somewhere by Miss 22 months. All we have left are the little blobs made by Master 3 and painted in that lovely grey/brown colour that little kids seem to be so partial to mixing up. Here’s the recipe anyway, and perhaps you could pop photos up of your creations.
Modelling clay
2 cups salt
2/3 cups water
1 cup cornflour
1/2 cup very cold water
Mix salt and 2/3 cup water in a pot and heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add cold water and cornflour and stir. It should look like mashed potatoe. Allow to cool then knead until is is a smooth dough. Add more cornflour if it’s too sticky.
Get creative, and then once you are finished, bake your creations at 50°C for a few hours or let it air dry for 2 – 3 days. This clay is a wonderful glittery white, so the colours are really vibrant when you paint it. Once painted it’s worth popping back in the oven for a little while as the paint can make the clay wet again.
Here’s a few links to some cool craft ideas to keep the kids busy before Christmas:
Kidspot crafts
Enchanted Learning
Craftbits
Wishing you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Nov
23
I have created an auction for this gorgeous retro all-in-one ruffled romper/dress with all the proceeds going to Life Flight Trust The auction is on my home page on the right side so please place a bid for this very worthy cause.
100% cotton retro bunny fabric. Size 6 – 12 months. If you are having trouble with the form that comes up being half hidden, press control and the minus button on your keyboard to reduce the size of your screen so that the whole form shows. Then control and plus key to return your screen to normal size) Sorry for the inconvenience. I’m trying to get it fixed.
Nov
18
The other day Master 3 got a wonderful present from his Grandad; a dinosaur kit where you have to build the skeleton of a T-Rex. I love gifts like this (as my long-suffering step daughters will attest) as they provide wonderful learning opportunities and special time doing something together. I was looking forward to having discussions on dinosaur anatomy (that’s the Paramedic geek in me), and was ready for his questions. We talked about the dinosaurs teeth as the build progressed, and as we reached completion he got really excited. ”Look mummy, it’s got two doodles,” he exclaimed in wonder. ”He can do two wees at the same time!” I tried to explain that it was the pelvic bone, but he wouldn’t have a bar of it and I had to concede defeat.
I’m no expert on dinosaur anatomy and physiology, so until proven otherwise, this household is going with the theory that they had two doodles. Hey maybe they did and somewhere along the evolutionary chain it was decided that one doodle was sufficient.
The theme continued when we made a diorama with the paper dinosaurs that were also in the pack – it was all about their poo and how big they would be. He even wanted me to make some brown play dough so we could make dinosaur poo. Thankfully I don’t have any brown food colouring 
ps: I’ve had to use the word ‘doodle’ (well it’s what my son calls his) because I don’t actually know what the plural of penis is; I mean it’s not like I often use it in a sentence. Penises, penii, penes? Do I actually care? Do you?
Don’t be shy. I love receiving comments so feel free to leave one, especially if you know the answer to the above, because apparently I do care!
Nov
12
A few years ago we bought this big sun shelter for $30 that we hardly ever use, so yesterday I set it up outside for the kids to play in. With them both being unwell, it was a nice way for them to have some quiet play out in the fresh air. Their little fold out couch, lots of books, dolls and some cars went into it and they happily played in there for hours. Then the weather changed and I had two disappointed little poppets, until I figured there was no reason why it couldn’t come inside.
Happiness returned to my house.
And then we had a brilliant idea. Master 3 was most disappointed that he couldn’t sleep in the ‘tent’ last night. Well now they can. They’ve got it all set up already to have their camping adventure…
Best $30 I ever spent and a fantastic play space for kids when you’re on a budget.
Don’t be shy. I love reading your comments. Do you have any great play space ideas to share?
