What's in your handbag?

Today's prompt what's in your handbag? Do you carry all the dinosaurs from the toybox, or spare socks? What weird things are buried in the bottom of your handbag?

Once upon a time, I used to horde handbags. I'd change bags every single day, depending on what I felt like, and they rarely if ever matched my outfit. These days, the idea of hundreds of handbags makes me cringe. It would be just one more thing taking up space in the house/our room, never put away and people constantly tripping over them.

I do have two bags, though. The first, a handmade carry-everywhere type bag rarely has much in it. Is tarted using it when I was juggling a newborn and toddler just after Sophie was born, and needed something I could grab quickly that was just big enough for wallet, water, keys and a nappy if needed. This week, I'm also carrying my big camera.

My second bag is the Jo Totes Gracie camera bag {first image}. I've had it for just over a year now, and love it to bits. I don't use it every day (in fact, some weeks could pass before I actually pick it up), but it is the perfect size for camera, wallet, water, and the few bits I need to carry for Sophie. I was actually quite surprised at some of the stuff that I found buried in the pockets! 

Starting across the top, there is - 

hair from Sophie's first haircut, a reusable shopping bag, water, mini camera from last year's ProBlogger conference, Nat's tooth that came out last week, car keys, lip balm and pens

Along the bottom -

a handmade pen Steve bought me at the local show last year, a clip that holds the hood on Sophie's pram, hand sanitiser, Sophie's sunglasses, and mine, business cards I collected at ProBlogger, lens cap from camera, peaches and cream lolly I took off Sophie over the weekend, Simpsons Monopoly game piece, sunny sister bracelet from swap, a marble, another board game piece, phone, wallet, Sophie's socks, and a swap card from Woolies.

I have actually put it all back in the bag, so I don't lose it. One day I'll find proper homes for things like teeth and hair, but meanwhile it's safe where it is.

What's inside your bag?

Tomorrow's prompt day in the life Share 5 photos from one day of your week. If you joined in last year, has anything changed, or is everything the same?

linking with Essentially Jess

Hello Monday

Today's prompt hello Monday Tell us five things you're looking forward to this week.

hello pillow as much as our unexpected getaway was relaxing, absolutely nothing in the world beats getting home to your own pillow.

hello week in the life™ I mentioned last week that I was going to be taking photos this week as part of the Week in the Life™ project hosted by Ali Edwards. I am still first and foremost a memory keeper at heart. And as much as blogging has taken over a little bit of the physical work of scrapbooks, every now and again I stumble over a photo album that I started filling in 2010, and I'm reminded that an album to flick through is an amazing thing. The key to the whole project will be actually printing and putting them in an album (as I sit at my desk, I can see from the corner of my eye a packet of photos that I printed out in 2011. After skimming the posts earlier today, I'm going to slip the photos in an album before the end of the month and call it done.)

hello birthday Chloe is 18 this week, Thursday to be exact. I've spent a bit of time reflecting on that over the last few weeks, and remembering this time 18 years ago.

hello cool nights as the nights start to cool down, hopefully that means the days will be not far behind.

hello backyard cleanup Steve has taken some time off later this week, and with his regular days off, he's got the next 12 days at home. The current plan is to spend some time in the backyard, tidying up; a project that we started almost 8 months ago, but is still on-going.

hello, Monday, a new start every week.

Tomorrow's prompt what's in your handbag? Do you carry all the dinosaurs from the toybox, or spare socks? What weird things are buried in the bottom of your handbag?

linking up with One Mother Hen and My Home Truths.

behind the scenes

Today's prompt behind the scenes - what isn't instagramable? So much of social media is sharing the highlight reel. Today, I want you to share a photo (and the story behind it) that isn't perfect.

The dog snuck into the kids bedroom, and found herself a comfy pile of sleeping bags to rest her head on.

~~~~~~~~~~

This is Molly. She's over 15 years old. Born on December 23rd, 2000.

And now she's gone.

~~~~~~~~~~

Every time I walk past the stairs, I look for her pillow.

Every time I walk up the stairs, I start to yell at the kids to put her water bowl back.

Then I remember she's gone.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was about dinner time on Saturday night that we realised we hadn't seen her for awhile. Usually, she sits downstairs with the kids, sleeping while they watch tv, but Saturday afternoon was filled with the last Harry Potter movies upstairs with us.

So we walked the neighbourhood in the drizzly rain. Then we drove the streets in the drizzly rain. And Sunday morning saw us back out there again, in the drizzly rain.

But we didn't think to check the pound listings until after they closed.

We ignored the listing, knowing in our hearts it was her, but hoping it wasn't, because money is so tight. The pound was closed until Tuesday, so we didn't have to make a decision until then.

I cried. From frustration, from annoyance, and because I knew that no matter how broke we were, we would be heading to the pound on Tuesday morning.

~~~~~~~~~~

Except that the pound didn't open until lunch time.

There was a photo now. It was her.

~~~~~~~~~~

We arrived at the pound before the gate opened. So we waited.

Then we waited while other people wanted to choose a puppy or a kitten.

We just wanted our senior dog.

~~~~~~~~~~

"She's not well," they said "has she seen a vet lately?"

"no, we didn't realise."

"Well, our vet saw her this morning, and she's got a couple of tumours. She's been in pain."

We were at the cage by then, not the first time she's been in this pound, but the last.

She's snuggled in the corner of a dog bed too big for her, and her bowels are loose again.

"The vet gave her a painkiller this morning, but we decided if someone didn't come to claim her by tomorrow, we would put her down, it would be better for her."

~~~~~~~~~~

The tears started flowing again.

The lady we spoke to was so kind and compassionate.

She said "I'll stay with her. We're not licensed for the public, but I'll stay with her. I'm glad you told me her name."

~~~~~~~~~~

We left her behind.

So hard to do. But the right decision for her.

In hindsight, we can see the signs over the last few weeks.

But she was an old dog, and we missed them.

Tomorrow's prompt one tip What one thing did you change that had a bigger impact than you expected?

{You may link up any post you have written today}

 

An InLinkz Link-up

3 things I learnt about blogging from Harry Potter

Today's prompt learn something new every day I'm a big believer in the power of learning. One of my biggest strengths is being a life long learner (although I'll be honest and say I rarely finish classes that I take) What have you learnt recently, that you didn't expect to learn?

I've mentioned plenty of times before that, except for the first book, I've never read the Harry Potter books. Even though I've had the full set sitting on my bedside table for 3 months now, I still haven't read them. And now I've gone and watched the movies without reading the books (something that goes against every fibre in my body.)

As I was watching the sixth movie on Saturday, I realised that there was a lot about Harry Potter that could be compared to blogging. Because what else would I be thinking about while watching?

Experts come and go I noticed as I watched that every year there was a new teacher in Defense against the Dark Arts. Which reminded me of the number of "expert" bloggers I've seen come and go over the last 9 years. The bloggers with big followings that no longer write. The bloggers who made thousands of dollars who can no longer be seen. The bloggers who grew huge, then dwindled away to obscurity again. There are always experts in every area of life, but you can only follow your race, not someone else's.

You know more than you think you do Every time Harry faced a challenge, he thought he wouldn't get through it. Until all of a sudden, he would realise that he knew how to take on the challenge, and managed to survive. If you're like me, you're in lots of facebook groups about blogging, constantly talking, thinking, reading about blogging. Now it's time to trust that you know what you need to know, and just get on with it.

Friends grow together I've got a funny feeling that the movie ending is different to the books, but in the movies, the 3 friends grow old together. In blogging, the best bloggers support one another. They answer questions without expecting anything in return, share blog posts on their pages, and encourage others to keep writing.

I think once I've read my bookclub book I need to actually start reading the Harry Potter books from the beginning.

What did you learn from the Harry Potter books or movies?

Tomorrow's prompt behind the scenes - what isn't instagramable? So much of social media is sharing the highlight reel. Today, I want you to share a photo (and the story behind it) that isn't perfect.

linking with Essentially Jess for #ibot

{link up note - you may add a post you have published today}

An InLinkz Link-up

Top and bottom images used under Creative Commons license
photographer Marco Becerra
 

4 goals for May

Today's prompt hello Monday - 4 goals for the month I started saying hello to Monday, as a way of embracing the good of the week, rather than focusing on Monday being bad. This month, I want to try setting simple, achievable goals for the month.

hello public holiday it's Labour Day in Queensland today. There was a time when I marched in the Labour Day parade, but not any more. I'm still a big believer in supporting the workers, but I'm not sure about the union's role in that any more. So today I'll just take it as a day off, to spend time with the family (although the rainy weather seems to be affecting moods.)

hello blog every day in May my number 1 goal for this month is to blog every day. Setting aside time each evening to write, but giving myself grace if it doesn't happen as planned. As long as each post is published by midday, I'll be happy with that.

hello take more photos I realised as I scrolled through my computer last night that I've fallen into the trap of taking photos with my phone again. So, I'm going to join in with Ali Edwards Week in the Life™ next week, and take at least one photo every hour between 6am and 9pm from Monday to Sunday.

hello bookclub book I've been going to my bookclub for almost 15 years. And as with all things, finishing books each month isn't always a priority. This month's book is The Dressmaker, which I've been wanting to read for ages. But I can already see this month getting in the way of reading time, so I need a conscious goal to actually read. Bookclub meets on May 14th, so I'll have the book finished by Friday 13th. First step, download the book.

hello plastics drawer I've mentioned the dreaded plastics drawer a few times before, but never actually completed it. So I'm making it a goal for this month. And if I had any sense, I'd do it next week, so I had photographic evidence of it's completedness.

hello Monday, a new start every week

Tomorrow's prompt
learn something new every day I'm a big believer in the power of learning. One of my biggest strengths is being a life long learner (although I'll be honest and say I rarely finish classes that I take) What have you learnt recently, that you didn't expect to learn?

Linkup note - you're welcome to link up any post written today

An InLinkz Link-up

Linking up with One Mother Hen and My Home Truths

Us Right Now

Sunday, May 1st us right now If you've been a reader here for awhile, you know that at the start of each month, I take a family photo of everyone together, and individually. If we've got visitors here (usually my mum), I include them, and every few months I convince Chloe to send me a photo too. It's a way of capturing photos of everyone regularly, and sharing snippets of their right now. If you're happy sharing photos of everyone, great, but if not, maybe get creative with the photo you take - a photo from behind, or shoe photos can still share your right now.

we are all in need of a camping weekend

but it will be awhile before we can do it, our camp trailer needs some repairs

we are all in need of new runners

we'll be shopping this week

he got some news at work on Friday

he'll be moving back to night shift from June

he's been helping his sister with some yard work

and loving the chance to take Douglas with him

she has opted not to go to ProBlogger this year

but is heading away for a craft retreat in June

she is finding time to read books again

and always looking for more recommendations
 

he has taken over cooking dinner on Friday nights

but needs to remember to start earlier

he got good reports from teachers at parent teacher interviews

just needs to remember to make some better choices

she is excelling at all her school lessons

but needs to do her homework and return it to school

she is devouring all the books on the shelf

{her teacher has promised a prize for those who read the most}

his best subject at school is maths

{in a maths-confused family}

he needs to become more organised

he often forgets to return homework and library books

she doesn't cry when I drop her at daycare

and even spoke to her teacher last week

she is a threenager in the making

{the tantrums are endless some days!}

What's happening in your right now?

{you're welcome to link up any post you have written today}

An InLinkz Link-up

Blog Every Day in May

Twelve months ago, I randomly decided late one evening, as I sat on the couch avoiding another sleepless night in an empty bed, that I was going to write a blog post every day during the month of May. Setting goals like these are always random ideas for me, and I often fail. (Mind you, I'm not much better when I plan, either)

But here we are, almost facing May again, and I'm going to have another go at posting every day.

Every good blogging challenge needs good prompts. After poking around pinterest and checking out other prompt lists, I decided that I was going to completely throw them out the window, and just make up my own again. (You can see last year's list here) The prompts slightly align with the normal themes of my blog, but that leaves lots of space for interpretation by others, so if you see a topic you're interested in, please have a go at writing a post!

Sunday, May 1st us right now If you've been a reader here for awhile, you know that at the start of each month, I take a family photo of everyone together, and individually. If we've got visitors here (usually my mum), I include them, and every few months I convince Chloe to send me a photo too. It's a way of capturing photos of everyone regularly, and sharing snippets of their right now. If you're happy sharing photos of everyone, great, but if not, maybe get creative with the photo you take - a photo from behind, or shoe photos can still share your right now.
Monday, May 2nd hello Monday - 4 goals for the month I started saying hello to Monday, as a way of embracing the good of the week, rather than focusing on Monday being bad. This month, I want to try setting simple, achievable goals for the month.
Tuesday, May 3rd learn something new every day I'm a big believer in the power of learning. One of my biggest strengths is being a life long learner (although I'll be honest and say I rarely finish classes that I take) What have you learnt recently, that you didn't expect to learn?
Wednesday, May 4th behind the scenes - what isn't instagramable? So much of social media is sharing the highlight reel. Today, I want you to share a photo (and the story behind it) that isn't perfect.
Thursday, May 5th one tip What one thing did you change that had a bigger impact than you expected?
Friday, May 6th 5 on Friday - places on your bucket list to visit Would you visit other countries, or explore more of your own backyard?
Saturday, May 7th book review Tell us about a book you've read recently. Would you recommend it to others?
Sunday, May 8th self-care for you It's Mother's Day in Australia. How do you take time out from the world to look after yourself?
Monday, May 9th hello Monday Tell us five things you're looking forward to this week.
Tuesday, May 10th what's in your handbag? Do you carry all the dinosaurs from the toybox, or spare socks? What weird things are buried in the bottom of your handbag?
Wednesday, May 11th day in the life Share 5 photos from one day of your week. If you joined in last year, has anything changed, or is everything the same?
Thursday, May 12th dear Chloe Chloe is 18 today. I'm going to write my annual letter to her, but I'm challenging you to write a letter to your 18 year old self.
Friday, May 13th are you superstitious? If you break a mirror, do you end up with 7 years bad luck? Have you ever walked under a ladder? Do you believe, or not?
Saturday, May 14th something I read online as I scroll through my facebook and pinterest feeds, I read hundreds of articles every week. You probably do, too. Share ten links to things you've read this past week, and tell us why they caught your eye.
Sunday, May 15th me in other places - hangouts We all have places around the internet that we like to "hangout" Tell us about the facebook groups that you enjoy spending time in.
Monday, May 16th hello Monday - share a recap of your weekend did you spend the weekend at home, or away? Was it too busy, or the perfect relaxing weekend?
Tuesday, May 17th from the archives If you've been blogging a long time, like I have, you probably don't look at your archives very often, but today I want you to dig deep, and share an update on something from the past. Make sure your post includes a link to the original, so we can check it out!
Wednesday, May 18th what's on your work desk? Creative projects? Unfinished projects? A mess that needs to be sorted? Tell us what you're working on this week.
Thursday, May 19th what a difference What do you do differently to someone else? Or what do you do differently with lots of kids compared to 1?
Friday, May 20th baking mad I'm always on the hunt for new recipes to bake. Have you got a favourite cake or muffin recipe to share?
Saturday, May 21st blogs worth reading I'm of the "blogs are here to stay" camp, someone will always want to read someone else's story. What blogs have you been loving lately?
Sunday, May 22nd someone said something Inspirational quotes are the quick fodder of social media, but are they really inspirational? What quotes have been inspiring you lately?
Monday, May 23rd hello Monday Tell us 5 things you're looking forward to this week
Tuesday, May 24th words have power What stories do you tell yourself that you should stop? How could you change that story?
Wednesday, May 25th behind the scenes - house tour Do houses really look like magazine spreads? Have you got a room that really needs a bit more love, or a project that is still waiting to be finished?
Thursday, May 26th one question What one thing do you want to change, but you're not sure where to start?
Friday, May 27th 5 shows worth binge watching if time was no issue, what shows would you want to watch all episodes of in one sitting? Have you ever binge-watched a show? Was it worth it?
Saturday, May 28th book report How many books have you read this month? Tell us the titles (and a mini review if you want.) I'm always on the hunt for new books to read!
Sunday, May 29th me in other places - social media Technology has changed so much in my lifetime, but social media has exploded just in the last ten years. Share the places other than your blog that you have a profile, and tell us which one you like the most.
Monday, May 30th hello Monday -  results from 4 simple goals Back on day 2 we set some simple goals for the month. Now the month is over, how did you go? Share your results, so we can celebrate with you.

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Free prompt printable available (no sign up needed)

Phew! That was a huge list to put together! If you'd like to join me on this crazy journey, I'd love to visit your blog and read! Daily link ups will be open each morning from 6am AEST for 48 hours.

I hope you can join me in May!