Melbourne Coffee Snob

I think we have turned our kid into a Melbourne coffee snob, or worse... a foodie.

If she's not asking for a Babycino, she's asking to go to a cafe for lunch. Or saying things like "I can have wine when I get bigger".
And when I say "we" ... I mean it. I'm not taking all the blame for this! I'm looking at you Mr Frog.

Tadpoles first Babycino was free. The waitress taking our coffee order apologised as she brought our order to the table. "I'm sorry, she's so beautiful I made her a Babycino." Free drinks at about 18 months. I was so proud.

I used to think Babycinos  were the dumbest thing ever and only for the ridiculous Brighton mums who enjoyed pandering to their children and treating them like tiny adults. Hmm... Perhaps I'm still holding some sort of prejudice. Anyway, once you have kids of your own, or even borrow one for a day, you realise that Babycinos are actually The. Best. Thing. Ever.

First of all, you can bribe kids with them. Don't judge.

Second, they're really cute, and sometimes even come with SPRINKLES!

And third... Well they just make her so happy. Just watching her enjoy something so simple, a cup of frothy milk for goodness sake, is one of life's even simpler pleasures.

It does however become a bit of a habit. A nice, albeit, slightly snooty sounding one.

A few weeks ago I dragged poor Tadpole with me to do the groceries. I usually do them on a day she's at Kinder but I was kinda hoping to save myself a little me time, so a team job it was.

 We head to Aldi first where I do the majority of our shop. She's getting extra attention today because she's wearing a sparkly dress, sparkly shoes, numerous necklaces, bracelets and a ring, plus some beads on her head like a little boho crown. She looks fabulous and hilarious. And she's well behaved. All good. Next we head to Coles to get the bits and pieces they don't have at Aldi. Once we're done she wants to know where we're going next. "Home for lunch"  I say in my best mum voice. ( You know, wildly optimistic and excited about a ham sandwich).

"No, I want to go to a café".

Yeah. I don't blame you kid.

We love to eat out, although it's not a regular occurrence. When we do, we get really into it. We're all about tasting everything in our house so Tadpole is quite happy to eat stuffed zucchini flowers and the like. And while she'll try most things, most of the time, getting her to sit still at restaurants was once one of my biggest fears. She's really very good ( humble brag) but there's only so much sitting still a three year old can do.

And that's how the Art Pocket came about. ( See what I did there? ) As a solution to a fidgety Tadpole. We had gotten into the habit of taking a little pack of Textas and colouring pages in the nappy bag, but the Textas kept falling out  of the cardboard packet and there was nowhere to keep any finished masterpieces. I designed the Art Pocket to have a slightly smaller zip than the length of the pencil case, so the pencils are less likely to fall out, and there's a pocket to slip in a Visual Diary, plus keep the other random colouring pages she gets given when we're out. Sometimes, when I'm feeling like a  super fabulous mum, I slip some stickers into the pencil case as a surprise. Yeah, I know. I'm awesome. *insert eye roll*


We take it everywhere. And I'm pretty bloody proud of my little invention.

Now you. How do you keep children entertained and relatively quiet in "grown up" spaces?

What have you introduced your kid to that you kinda wish you hadn't?

To see how groovy the Art Pocket is (yes, I said GROOVY), check out this little video I made. Or just watch it and laugh at my annoying voice.
To buy one, or many, or to have me create one just for you, go to Madame Clochette.


A bientôt

Sam, Madame Clochette

Motherhood, Creativity and Drudgery

Now that I have the Tadpole in day care one day a week, I have time to do my stuff.
MY stuff.
Not the cleaning, the cooking , the groceries or what have you. (Although let's be honest, the dishes have to at least get done! Does it ever stop?!) I have from about 8:30am until 4:45pm and it's mine to do what I like with. Lately, I'm all business. And although my time is finite, I generally get a lot done in those hours. In Rachel Power's "Motherhood and Creativity - The Divided Heart" many of the women interviewed say that having less time actually made the time they did have, even if it's half an hour, more productive, not less. Now that I've put my business hat on my creative little head, I find the same is true for me.

However, sometimes motherhood, creativity and flu germs collide.

Over the last couple of weeks, we have had a pox on our house. The Lurgy has been hanging around for what seems like forever.
It started slowly.
We barely registered runny noses or phlegmy throats. But it built and even I have succumbed. I'm always the last to go down, and being Mum means no sick days. Poor Tadpole missed two days at Child care (over two weeks), which means I have missed  two of MY days of what I am trying to call "Work", without using quotation marks.

Whats a creative gal to do with a sick family and itchy fingers?
Create, any way she can.

Behold!

I made Lemon Cordial, again.

I made Lemon Salt (a new thing I quite like the idea of)

I decorated and labelled my Preserved Lemons

There are days when even my never ending supply of lemons gets shafted. Some days the only creative thing I get to do is mend.

Mr Frogs jeans, now definitely not for public consumption.

Once in a while, the lemon creations give way to the creation of a birthday hamper.

Because let's share the craziness.

  Often though, motherhood and creativity collide in the sweetest of ways.

Tadpole and our collaborative effort on a floor collage.

Now, we're back into the swing of things.

Tadpole is back at Daycare making Fathers day cards.

Mr Frog is back to work for the end of term.

And I'm starting a new, very exciting, and important project that's a little out there.

Stay tuned.

How do you merge Motherhood and Creativity?

Someday, Soon...

For the last few years, I've had in mind a fabulous scenario....

Something a little like this... (If you own this photo, email me so I can credit you)

I'm working in my studio, a building separate from our gorgeous white weatherboard. I'm working on new designs; I'm on the phone with stores that sell my handmade wares; I'm popping into one of those stores to check on my stock; I'm meeting with a customer about their custom design; I'm home when the kids get home from school; I'm making dinner; enjoying a wine and a laugh with Mr Frog; I'm making a bit of money; and life is good.

Perhaps I'll need a little more room, but could it be any cuter? (Via Pinterest,"Found on Sheerluxe.com)

It's only since the birth of my daughter that that little scenario has been fleshed out in my head, clear enough that I can hear the sounds that go along with it. It's almost a memory.

I thought I had been working hard enough on my little business. I thought I was doing the best I could. And to some degree perhaps I was. The last two years have been hard. I didn't know having a baby and raising that person was going to be so hard. And time consuming. And energy sucking. And did I mention time consuming?

I couldn't possibly know how awesome, and how exhausting, motherhood could be.

A few weeks ago, we put the Tadpole into Family Daycare. It took ages for me to "get around" to arranging it. I kept "forgetting" to check out childcare centres and look into Family Daycare. I felt too guilty. It's not like I'm going back to work. (I'd still feel guilty but that would be different.) It's mostly so I can have a break to do what I want to do. To take some time just for me. Could I BE more selfish?!

It's just one day a week.

Tadpole thinks it's awesome.

She loves it because she gets to do stuff like this all the time!

And I am becoming the business woman I always hoped I really was.

Creative people really struggle with the business side of trying to make a living out of their talents. I really struggle.

But that scene in my head just won't quit.

So neither will I.


What's the scene in your head? What do you want your life to look like?

Tell me!

MC

I made these. And I took the photo, did the editing, made it fancy and even did a photo shoot of the bags in action. I'm the BOSS!