Taking Stock

At the end of each month Fleur at Our Urban Box does a taking stock post. Taking stock is where you take a moment to reflect on your past month and write it down. Pop over and read her answers Taking Stock: November.

I've decided i would like to give this ago... infact i think i need a moment. Can i get a moment?? Jess Mauboy's song just popped into my head!

Making: Christmas cards for family

Cooking: Banana choc chip muffins (my banana bread recipe)

Drinking: Icy cold water

Reading: Adore Annual Magazine

Wanting: A spa pedicure, i want a change of colour

Looking: At photos of my kids this past year. Miss S has grown so much

Playing: FMS Photo a day, you must come join in the fun

Deciding: What to put on next week's meal plan

Wishing: The 19th December would hurry up... Julian flies home!

Enjoying: Chocolate..... need i say more?!

Waiting: For replies to emails

Liking: The new friends i have made in blog world

Wondering: If we will finish our backyard next year

Loving: The excitement for Christmas this year

Pondering: What do i want for Christmas

Considering: What style furniture for the parent retreat

Watching: Nothing, most my shows are finished

Hoping: For new opportunities to just appear

Marveling: My Fiddle Leaf Fig has new leaves... i thought it was close to death

Needing: A cleaner. Im a bit over cleaning at the moment

Smelling: Peppermint, just cleaned desktops with Kleen Mint spray

Wearing: New Jeanswest goodies

Following: Instagram, im visual so i love pretty images

Noticing: How quick 2014 has gone, year is almost over

Knowing: I have a lovely little community, makes me happy

Thinking: Never stops. Most my ideas some to me as im trying to fall asleep

Admiring: How confident some ladies are

Sorting: Plans and ideas for 2015

Buying: Too many sneaky treats when food shopping

Getting: Lots of parcels... too much retail therapy

Pinning: Christmas crafts, wrapping ideas and washi tape creations

Disliking: Unsupportive people

Opening: More Sonny Angel dolls

Giggling: Miss S's story telling... so much expression

Feeling: Like i dont have enough time in the day

Snacking: Orange Chocolate Muesli Bars

Coveting: So many gorgeous items i see on instagram

Helping: Friends and family

Hearing: Sofia the First... all day most days. Miss S can't get enough!

Christmas Handprint Crafts

Christmas crafts with the kids are great fun, it makes them even more excited! The best thing about the handprint crafts if you can use them for cards for grandparents, aunties, uncles and friends.

1) Reindeer Handprint

2) Snowmen Handprint

3) Christmas Wreath or Tree

4) Santa and his reindeers

Otherwise a more simple but just as cute and fun are fingerprint crafts
5) String of Christmas Lights

6) Snowmen

7) Candy Cane

Here is the one my kids did the other week for my Gran in the UK. We added some extra decoration with Christmas stickers after and i got my kids to draw a picture inside too.

This one isnt Christmas but Miss S and I made this card for her dance teacher... it made her tear up. Inside was a drawing by Miss S, a nice message and a photo of Miss S in her dance concert dress.

*** Click images for original source

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Lilly Pilly Arts
Kirsty at Lilly Pilly Arts creates amazing wooden block names/words. They are all crafted and hand painted by her. I have wooden name blocks in both my kids bedrooms and you would have recently seen my new 'Lime & Mortar' + pineapple blocks in my study. They are closed until January but do check out the items and get your order ready!

Our Urban Box
Fleur has recently given have blog a little make over. The new colour scheme is pretty! Fleur is building her urban box in the future and im looking forward to following her home build planning. She shares with us her life as a mum with some great tips. Get her recipe for her best ever brownies.



CLI - Cats, Lifestyle, Interior 
Miriam's page features modern mid-century furniture, design inspirations, cats and all the little things that keep life interesting. She also talks about food, shopping and her travels. I like her DIY post for
Christmas Tree Decoration for Small Spaces.


Life At Number Five

Lauren is a lovely lady who shares her life with us.. from her travels (she has been on some fantastic holidays), to her thoughts, ideas and also some recipes too! See 28 things she would like to do before she turns 28 - HERE

Gee You're Brave

Michelle is packing up her life and moving interstate to Melbourne. Follow her new adventure in 2015 as they set up their new life. Read about Choosing a Suburb when moving interstate and how Sharing a Room works for her kids and family.


Designed For Life

Myrline is a Melbourne based interior design graduate. She shares with us many gorgeous photos of interior spaces and some fantastic DIY ideas.

Recipe: Candy Cane Rocky Road

I wanted to give my friends a box of homemade treats this Christmas. I did plan to do my Cookies & Cream Rocky Road but i decided to make up a whole new rocky road. The feedback has been full of 'amazing, yummy, sooooooo good'. I have even included the labels i made so you can give this as a gift this Christmas.

CANDY CANE ROCKY ROAD

INGREDIENTS:
300g Milk Chocolate
100g Chocolate Ripple Biscuits
150g Marshmallows
2 Peppermint Crisps
Candy Canes for decoration

METHOD:
1) Chop marshmallows in half and roughly chop the chocolate ripple biscuits and place into a bowl.
2) Using food processor (or rolling pin) blend peppermint crisp bars. Add to marshmallows and biscuits.
3) Unwrap and break candy canes into food processor. Blend to make small chunky bits
4) Melt the chocolate over boiling water, add to the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined
5) Tip mixture into a lined tin and push around with spoon to fill out the tin.
6) Sprinkle crushed candy canes on the top

PACKAGE: If you are giving as gift line a box with some tissue paper and pop some pieces inside. Alternatively you could use paper or cellophane bags and stick on label. I printed my labels onto sticker paper but you could also make tags using card.

Right Click and Save. Insert into word document and set the size you want. PERSONAL USE ONLY

To save this recipe click title and pin this image

What Are Your Christmas Colours?

Do you prefer traditional Christmas colours such as red, gold and green or do you prefer some different colours? Do you keep the same scheme each year or rotate through different themes?

In our house the colour scheme is bright and colourful most consisting of purple, pink, lime and blue. I think its a fun colour scheme whilst the kids are young. In a year or so id like to change to white, silver & lime combo but who knows i may change my mind. Lime on a white christmas tree would look really pretty.

I don't go too overboard with Christmas decorations just a few items, like the rest of my house its simple with a pop of colour.

Decorated by the kids.. i just did top bit. I think they did a fantastic job!

Kids got some decoration in their playroom too (looking forward to getting fruit salad banner to fill that space in the middle)

Once i change my colour scheme i think a pom pom garland would look great hanging on this mirror

I designed this print for the frame in my study. You can get this print for FREE in two different sizes. If you do use this print in your home this Christmas i would love to see some photos! Either send through email, pop on our facebook page or tag me on instagram @limeandmortar

8x10" Print or 6x4" Print - PERSONAL USE ONLY

Colour Pop: Coral

Coral is a mix of red, orange and pink, i think its a lovely alternative to red which i personally wont use in my home. It suits coastal theme perfectly and adds warmth to the room. You can bright corals or more muted tones.

a) Freedom - Tilda Table Runner
b) Adairs - Santona Candy Cushion
c) Country Road - Eton Large Frame
d) Country Road - Fergus Cushion
e) Adairs - St Louis Tea Towels
f) Lime Tree Kids - Chevron Vase
g) Target - Wall Word
h) Freedom - Mode Mug
i) Adairs - Paraguay Throw
j) Freedom - Coombes Floor Rug
k) Domayne - Tutti Pineapples
l) Freedom - Manning Bath Sheet
m) KitchenAid - Watermelon
n) DTLL - Endless Love Cushion
o) DTLL - Carved Wall Clock
p) Pillow Talk - Zig Zag Throw
q) kikki K - Monthly Planner
r) Domayne - Aura Crosses Towel

Christmas Guide: Teen Boy

Teen boys seem to be the hardest to buy for, males in general can be hard to buy for. I have never had to buy a gift for a teen boy so I've selected a wide range of ideas to suit different personalities.

Click image to enlarge

a) Target - Lynx Gift Pack

b) Target - Lego Technic Hot Rod

c) Typo - Gumball Machine

d) Typo - Fan Pen

e) Typo - Activity Journal

f) Adairs - Flagstaff Ocean Beach Towel

g) Havaianas - Rubber Logo (many styles)

h) Typo - Black Light Box

i) City Beach - Dexter Laneway Sunglasses

j) Kmart - Tabletop Football

k) Adairs - Underwater Camera

l) Adairs - Anywhere Table Tennis

m) Target - Sony Extra Bass Headphones

n) Myer - Design Your Own Yo-yo 

o) Target - Bluetooth Speaker Box

p) Kmart - Retro Laser Tag Challenge

FMS Photo-a-day: November

Yay i completed another full month of FMS Photo-a-day. I really enjoyed this month and will continue doing it for December. It's nice being able to be a little creative by coming up with what you will take a photo of that day.

Have you taken part? See below for December's list and come play on instagram. Follow Lime & Mortar, comment below your user name if you'd like me to follow you back!

Finish the year with a 'snap, bang, pop'. Download Little Moments App to add cute quotes, text and designs. You can also see daily prompts and get sent a reminder each morning.