Do You Ever Get Bored With Yourself?

This is something that I go through all the time. I get bored with being me. Sigh.


I wish I was different. I wish I could take a few weeks and completely re-invent myself. 


There is nothing stopping me, I guess. I could revamp my clothes, change my hair, get some new make-up things and talk about new {and more exciting} things.


But, who do I want to be?


I bought a navy and white striped t-shirt a while ago. I bought it because it was cute. I really liked it. This is the third time in my life that it has been 'in' and I have loved it every single time. I thought my new shirt was so hip:  I wore it with my skinny jeans, red beads and little ballet flats. But, sigh, when I dropped Miss A at school and saw how many other mummies hopped out of their cars dressed in exactly the same way {pretty much} I felt like a bit of a fashion victim.


Now, I looked nice, and so did all the other mummies. But what set me apart? What made me stand out from the crowd?


Then I check into 'BlogWorld' and think the same thing. Sigh. What am I doing that is anything different? What am I doing that is special? Unique? Funky? Sigh.


Then the dreaded question that comes up all the time in the dark little lonely corner in the back of my mind, 'Why on earth are you blogging anyway? What have you got to say? What can you offer the Blogosphere?' And then my mind rattles off all the dumb things I do, the errors I make and the failed attempts at creativity.


I just want my blog to be something different. I want it to be something unique. Something special.


When I was a teenager thoughts like these wrought me constantly. I drove myself crazy wondering what I could offer the universe. I wondered what I could do that would make any difference. I looked forward to being an adult and seeing an end to these tormenting questions.


But here I sit. My two beautiful girls are watching television eating bananas and laughing at the Wot Wots, BabyCool is asleep {fingers crossed} and I am blah-ing out my current emotional state into the Blogosphere. Sigh. It feels as if nothing has changed. I am still tormenting myself.


But, there is another part of my brain that has a door that is hard to open and I find it hard to remember where I keep the key. Behind this door are all the positive comments and encouraging words that people have passed on to me. Kind words from friends who believe in what I am doing. Laughter from my family about the silly things I have said. Comments from strangers who have left lovely, helpful, encouraging comments.


There is a little nook in this room that has some reminders written on sticky notes for me to read. Things like:

• not everyone is able to write about things the way I am able to
• not everyone feels the need to be so open and honest about things
• not everyone has the time or space to put their thoughts down on paper a screen
• not everyone wants to share tips and tricks and thoughts and funny stories with strangers
• not everyone sees the internet as a place to meet like minded people who like the same things {while all keeping their clothes on (I hope), don't want to spam you or get your credit card details}
• not everyone wakes through the night with hundreds of blog ideas and story ideas running through their heads and then cannot sleep again until these thoughts are captured and written down

I don't let my mind into this nook very often. I tell myself that this nook is not somewhere I should be snooping around in. It would be bad for me to have all that goodness seeping into my brain. I would end up being too self-confident. However, I need to remind myself that I am not 'everyone' and all of the above things are very much me. 

So, now I am back at the beginning. Wondering how I can either - re-invent myself or how to be happy being B.  Sigh.

Just yesterday I went to a lunch with a whole heap of bloggers. I came away with a mixed bag of emotions... What I am doing is unique and I am certainly moving in the right direction but I have soooo much to learn. I loved actually talking to other bloggers and hearing why they blog and why they started and how they get their ideas. It has given me lots of things to think about...


I think the biggest stumbling block is me. 

200th Post....

I love to celebrate milestones.... any excuse is good enough. This here, is my 200th 'post'. I can't believe it! I have written so much stuff! I have listed every 20th 'post' I have written just to give a bit of an idea about the kinds of things that have inspired me... 

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20th Post - The one I wrote/spliced about tips on being a cool person, I really should re-read that one....

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40th Post - The one where I thought it was totally uncool to say that you have nothing to wear and told you all to go shopping in your wardrobes. I didn't use many pictures at the beginning of this journey...

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60th Post - The one where I did a photography challenged and blogged everyday, this is day 10 - I wrote about a childhood memory with a great photo of a porcelain cat on a wardrobe my mum painted....

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80th Post - The one where I reviewed an article about being cool in Frankie magazine.

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100th Post - The one where I gave the recipe for cooking corned meat in ginger ale which was a big hit. I was getting texts and FB messages about this recipe. It is a good one!

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120th Post - The one where I took photos of my friend's shoes, simply because they were cool. The shoes, not the friends. Although, my friends are cool too.... 

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140th Post - The one where I gave my top 10 weight loss tips. I need to read these again... and again.

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160th Post - The one where I wrote a stupid long list of things that I wanted to get done that week - but didn't and then felt stupid for publishing pictures of my messy digs

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180th Post - The one where I used the prompt that started with 'I thought I saw..' where I really had nothing to say, but managed to write for 5 minutes anyway.


When I look at what this blog began as and what it is now, it amazes even me! I now link up with at least 4 link-a-do things a week, I publish a recipe, a list, {usually} an 'Anna Says' and then there are the random posts about things like clothes, people and things like that. I know that probably seems like a lot, but it has been a joy - because I love it. 


Now for the next 200 - I wonder what topics I will cover in those posts?

I have been getting awards.... Haha!

I am still such a newbie blogger. There is so much I do not know. Nor will I ever claim to know. However, I do know I love to write. I love to be inspired. I love to share. I love to learn new things. My blog gives me an outlet for all of these things. To have 'followers' is a bonus. To have people approach me and mention my blog is truly cool. To know that there are people all over the world clicking on my links and leaving comments, blows my mind. 

Now, I have been awarded some awards! Check. It. Out!

Firstly, I was nominated for a Versatile Blogger Award, by the lovely Rain over at Iredescent Rain. Rain actually nominated me a while ago, but I had no idea what that meant. Thankfully, the very talented Eloise was nominated and wrote a fabulous acceptance post about it - so I was able to email her and get the low down on it...


Here are the rules {which I read, but still didn't get it - I can be quite dense.}

Then the other day, I was nominated for a 'Special Award' by the lovely 'K' over at Special K.... The rules for this award are quite similar to the VBA, so I will kill two birds with one stone and graciously accept these awards simultaneously.... 

So firstly, I must thank Rain. What a sweet heart. Rain and I do some writing link-a-dos together and we comment on each other's writing - geeky to some is fun for others.... Also a big thank you to Special K, very sweet of you to award me this award....

I am going to do the 7 things first... Because I like to shake things up.... 

7 Things You May Not Know About B...

1. I Hate Celery... Really. Truly. If you try to feed it to me, I will not eat it. If you cut up into tiny peices and try to hide it in food, I will not eat it. I will welcome starving to death ahead of eating it. I hope I have conveyed this emotion strongly enough. I hate it.

2. I am blonde. In every sense of the word. I know my hair is currently brown - but that is simply because I few years ago my sister and I made my hair go kahki green. It was easier to go dark than to maintain any shade of blonde. Most people are genuinely surprised when they hear that I am naturally blonde, I take this to mean that I am not your stereotypical blonde.

3. I am a teacher. I wanted to be a teacher since my first day of grade one. I love to work with kids and watch them learn. I get cranky when students don't accept the opportunity to learn. When I was 5 I thought being a teacher meant you had to draw giraffes well, I was wrong.

4. I am a terrible dancer. Terrible. Appalling. I hated school discos and still hate it when I am required to dance. I would love to have dancing lessons so that I can at least do a simple waltz. My two step shuffle is appalling. Shameful.

5. I am the youngest child of four. This can be both good and bad. I will always be the 'baby' which again, is good and bad. My children are older than my sisters' children, so that throws the whole advice giving chain of command out the window.

6. My favourite colour is red. I didn't think I needed a favourite colour at my age, but, I have a three year old. It is now critical that I have one. 

7. I love to cook. I really do. I relax when I cook, I go to a happy place where things are interesting and ever changing. I rarely use recipes, only for baking, and I rarely make anything that isn't pretty darn good. But, don't ask Miss Z whether she thinks I can cook. She asks me all the time why I bother cooking, when all she likes is wraps and cheese. Sigh.

I cannot give you 15 blogs that I love, but I can pass on 10, I hope this is okay... 

Friends Who Blog....

1. CraftyMummy - She is tops. Love her work. Although I am not crafty, I do appreciate the genius behind the blog. CraftyMummy gives me all sorts of tips, advice and encouragement all the time. She is so cool. MWAH!

2. Caitlin's Happy Heart - Caitlin has been my friend for a very long time, we went to uni together.  We will always be friends and one day we may actually be able to sit and talk at length about life. Caitlin has just had triplets, she is bravely documenting this. 

3. A Fruitful Life - I get lots of information about lots of things from being more green, to being more content, to painting up things to look pretty over at Lacey's blog. This is a very happy and uplifting place to visit.

Two Of My Fav Bloggy Friends.... 

4. The True Adventures of Eloise - What a very talented writer/blogger/person Eloise is. I like having someone a bit further down the blogging road to link up with. Eloise is funny, thoughtful and a is a war history buff. I am gonna love watching how far this girl will go. 

5. People Don't Eat Enough Fudge - I would like to meet Sarah Mac one day - I bet she is hilarious and funny and witty. Her post about a cat being stuck in an exhaust is still one of the funniest things I have read in a while... 

Blogs I have just discovered and am liking a lot...

6. Kate Says Stuff - Kate is funny, refreshing and real. I am enjoying reading about life with her family and tips on various things.

7. Lillie McFerrin Writes - nice to find another blog written by a writer. I find these hard to come by. I am enjoying reading about the life of someone who is passionate about getting published. 

Big Name Bloggers {who I think would be really nice in real life}...

8. Beafunmum - Kelly is amazing. She writes about all sorts of helpful, gritty and encouraging things. I have been amazed that Kelly has taken the time to reply to my emails and has given some lovely feedback to some hard to write blogs.

9. A Belle A Bean and A Chicago Dog - Liz blogs about all manner of useful things. She is a bit of a blogging legend and shares a lot about life with her kids too. I link up with Liz for an iPhone photo link up. She is a fun gal.

10. Fox In Flats - Andrea is the girl in the know. I love reading realistic fashion tips and trends. I love reading the style guides and the snapshots she takes of real women 'on the street' are great. Her catch cry is 'Navigating Motherhood in Style' - I like that a lot.

Right, so I hope I have done this right... What a world of linking I have just done!

Thanks for the blog love... This is my 198th post... who would have thought? 

Write On Wednesday - I Thought I Saw

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

It is 'Write On Wednesday' time at InkPaperPen again... 

This week I promise to keep to the timer and not add any more. Really. Promise. 

Write On Wednesdays Exercise 20 - Write the words " I thought I saw" at the top of your page. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Write the first words that come into your head after the prompt. Don't take you pen off the page (or fingers off the keyboard). Stop only when the buzzer rings! Do this exercise over and over if you wish. Write beyond 5 minutes if you like, you can link it up as an extra post.


I thought I saw this as an easy task this week. Given that last week the words just flew out of my fingers faster than any story ever has. It was effortless, seamless and so fun to just let my head bubble forth with the story.


But today, it is not so easy. This is my sixth attempt. I have tried to write a story about a man at the end of the lane in the fog - no good. I tried to write about seeing Nigella Lawson in Harrods - sounded too show offy. Sigh. The words are just not flowing today.


That is okay though. That is the nature of writing and the nature of blogging. Some days the ideas bubble and get all fizzy and my ideas book gets loads more entries. Then other days, like today, I sit staring at a blinking cursor wondering what on earth I have to say. 


I have realised that this blog is meant to be fun. And it is meant to be a reflection of me. So, that takes the pressure off. Not every day is going to be about tangerine and birkenstocks. Some days are foggy and rainy and the brain just doesn't fire.


As I write this, I reflect on the last few months and all that has gone on in our household. That I have kept blog posts pumping out is a surprise to me! Last night was another night of crying babies and big girls throwing up in her bunk bed, {my biggest fear in the whole entire world} I am tired today.

RemembeRED - To Blog Or Not To Blog

In “On Writing” Stephen King wrote, “The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.”

Write a memoir post – first-person and true – inspired by that statement.

Word limit is 300.

I decided last week that I was going to stop blogging. That I was done. That there were far better things to do with my precious time. I mean, really, the world would continue to turn, wars would continue to wage, people would get on with their lives without BBeingCool. Really, they would. I decided that that was that. Time to move on to something else. 


And then I remembered the first blog post I spat out into the blogosphere. I wanted to discover and learn about life and fashion and family. I wanted to find a way to be B without being pigeonholed into a box that said, 'Stay at Home Mum' or 'Mother of Three'. I wanted to be a box that said, 'B Being Cool' - that sounded catchy. 


Staring at the white screen, cursor flashing, wondering what I might say that could be of any use to anyone was and is, petrifying. I wrote about twenty posts before I published the first one. Hitting the 'Publish Post' button was and is, one of the most exhilarating and frightening and free-ing things I have done. 


I have struggled at times to think of things to write about. That blinking curser mocks me. I am not exposed to all that many cool things like; galleries, designer clothes, book signings or celebrity spotting. My life at the moment is limited to what I can do whilst keeping three poppets and a cute husband alive and mostly happy*. But, my life is still cool. 


I have learnt so much since this blogging journey began. I have met some amazing people. I have taken some risks. I have discovered that I love to write. I really love it. I may as well continue to write. I may as well continue to blog.


So.... my decision to stop blogging was short lived. It is so great being part of a community of people who live life well and write about it. I love being able to share this crazy journey. 


Life is cool. Live it. Love it. Share it.


* I hope my peeps don't mind that I have used one of their catch phrases, it is too good to keep under wraps!

The To Do List that Didn't....

As you know, I love lists. I write lists a lot.... Today's list was this....

• washing
• folding
• dishes
• bathroom/laundry/loo
• tidy lounge
• tidy bedroom
• wipe down kitchen doors
• ironing

Blah blah blah...Sigh... I had Miss Z home and she had these big hazel eyes and mopsy hair, and she was asking what fun things we could do.... 

Then I read this post by a gorgeous and very sensible, fashionable, thrifty friend....

A Fruitful Life

In this post, Lacey mentions how we are designed to build and create. I love that. I have not been doing this lately. I keep waiting for everything to be done before starting on the 'fun' stuff like; sewing, blogging, writing, reading and cooking fancy things. But with three kids and a Mr Cool - I never get everything done. The conditions are never right to just sit down and do something fun. So...

I decided to change my plans for the day...

This is what I did...

• Went and visited my lovely mum and beautiful sister {the other beautiful sister was missed}
• Baked with Miss Z. We made:
• 80 Condensed Milk Biscuits
• Lemon and Sour Cream Cake
• Vegemite & Cheese Scrolls
• Mustard Pickle & Cheese Scrolls
• Folded washing with a helpful Mr Cool {girls on trampoline having a hoot}
• Vacuumed up the crumbs BabyCool didn't get to on the kitchen floor
• I may or may not have snuck in a couple of games of Angry Birds.... 

I know that was still a lot of work, but just flinging the usual 'To Do List' out of the window was good for my soul.  

I also wanted to get lots done today so that tomorrow I can SEW! Yippeee!  I have set up a new sewing nook for myself - I will show you all when I have finished adding the last touches to it. Can't wait. 

Have you tossed your 'To Do' list out lately? I highly recommend it...

How to Hug A Blogger - Part 3 of 3

Okay - this is the final part in this little series on 'How to Hug a Blogger'....


The first post was about how to become a follower
The second post was about how to receive blog posts in different ways


This post is all about sharing, because sharing is fun and sharing is nice...


There are lots of ways to share when it comes to blogging....


1) Comments - this is a great way to Hug a Blogger. Commenting is a great way for a blogger to know whether blog posts are reaching their audiences. It is a great way to be part of the blogging community, some great discussions happen in comment sections. Comments can be anything from "Hmm, interesting!" to "When I travelled through Provence I ate a bad fig too!" kinds of things. Comments can be witty, sympathetic, advisory or just an other point of view.


A few friends have told me lately that they are having trouble commenting on my blog - I am hoping this is a technical hitch as opposed to content that doesn't resonate with my readers..... You may need to look into your Cookies - I did find this article which makes it all sounds SOOOO easy! Anna - go check this out!


Just a note,  I too have had trouble commenting on my OWN blog (what is with THAT!) but, I have found that if I try twice, it works. It is a pain, but... you know... if you have something truly cool to say....


2) Facebook - bloggers are pretty clever people. They have worked out that blogging is all about community, so social networking is actually a great way to get more traffic to a blog. If you have Facebook, it is easy to Hug a Blogger, by 'liking' their Page....  What was that? Do I have a Facebook page? Why, yes in fact I do! In fact, I am now the proud recipient of a 'Vanity URL' which means the Facebook address for my blog landing page is:  www.facebook.com/bbeingcool. Pretty neat huh!? Head on over and 'Like' me there too - the more 'Likers' the merrier!


Facebook is another way to be connected with my readers. I can post things under the name 'B Being Cool Blog' and get comments and feedback. I like having this option, as I can now comment in two different places with two different audiences with two different names. This is bliss for me - I LOVE writing status updates - LOVE LOVE LOVE it....


I have had a few friends who have linked some of my blog posts to their status updates, which is so cute of them! It spreads my blog to a whole new set of people. It is really easy to link blog posts into Facebook - a simple 'Link' selection with a copy and pasted URL for the blog post and 'Voila' it is done - scattered into a whole new social circle...


3) Twitter - I am not going to be writing much about Twitter, as I honestly just don't get it. A very monkish friend described Twitter like this.... {heavily paraphrased}


"Imagine you have walked into a room full of your favourite people. Everyone is talking all at once, but only in phrases of 140 characters. You can't really get a word in edgeways - this is Twitter"


I have just signed up for Twitter, thankfully, I have linked my B Being Cool Blog Facebook page directly to Twitter, so I don't really have to think too hard about what the heck is Twitter really...


My Twitter account is:  http://twitter.com/#!/bbeingcool - you can follow me there too!


You may notice on blogs there are these little widgets lying about....

These are another way to spread a blog post around to Twitter or Facebook or the like... A simple 'click' and you can link that post to your account.... 


3) Respond - You might notice at the bottom of my blog posts (and many others) there is a little do-dad that looks like this....

These are a quick and easy way to respond to a blog post. You can simply click on your chosen response, 'funny', 'interesting' or 'cool'. How easy is THAT!?


Now that you are all experts on following blogs and Hugging the Blogger.... Here are some blogs to check out... 

These are (some of) my friends who blog...

Crafty Mummy - this is a blog I plug a lot. Crafty Mummy is one of my peeps. She is who I call when things go pear shaped and I call her my 'Agent'. If you are inclined to be crafty {in a 'thread and fabric' kind of way as opposed to a 'scheming cheating at Monopoly' kind of way} you should definitely pop over to her blog - you can 'Follow' her, comment on her posts, follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest... Just go to her site and see how a blog should be....


Caitlin's Happy Heart - Caitlin is one of my longest standing friends. She has had such an interesting journey... and {this is so selfless of me as she is now going to get even MORE hits than me} she is about to have TRIPLETS! So, go Follow, Like and Comment on her happy blog....


Killing a Fly with a Ukelele is Probably the Wrong Thing to Do - Mrs De Elba is a great friend. She is sooooo funny and fresh. I love reading her posts,  she is quirky and has the most fabulous way with words. She is quite private, she does not like Trolls, so, if you are a troll - don't visit Mrs De Elba!


A Fruitful Life - Lacey is a sweet heart. And she has a great blog. She blogs about everything from babies to decorating and grocery shopping. She is thrifty, wise and cool. Go Follow, Comment and Share the love....


Keep it Real - Kirsty has been my friend for so long! She writes a blog that reminds that God needs to be in my life. Her message is to see God in all things and to enjoy the journey. A great place to visit to have a heart check-up.

Blogs I read regularly....

be a fun mum - Kelly is LOVELY - great tips for fun things to do with your kids, great cooking and she does some great posts about GORGEOUS houses that are family friendly


fatmumslim - great cooking, thoughtful posts, coolness


retromummy - she cooks, she knits, she quilts, she has 4 children, she makes me feel lazy


writing out loud - I like reading Megan's work as she is a freelance writer. I like reading things that she writes so that one day I can work out what kinds of things I might be able to write - when I ever get around to thinking about a job again.... 


Salvation Jane - Just love it. Love design. Love her style. Wish I had more time and $ to make my house funky.




Phew - what a marathon of words! I didn't think I knew much about blogging, but I think I have convinced myself I do! 


Thanks for persevering with me. We shall get back to regular programming soon. Look forward to stuff about boots, and books, and cooking, and old coats and clocks in the coming little while....

How to Hug a Blogger - Part 1 of 3

To me, blogging is pretty normal. A lot of my friends blog to some degree. Most of my friends read lots of blogs. However, to others (like my dear mum), blogging is a strangely odd thing for someone to do. I have been dancing around blogging for only a year or so and still don't get some of the nuances involved. So - I thought I would write what I know (and have Googled) about blogging.


Firstly, what is Blogging? Blogging is essentially a weblog, like an online diary or journal. It can be about anything and anyone can have one. I use a program called 'Blogger' which makes it easier for me to feel as if I am a 'blogger'. Wordpress sounds too hard to me! (That is a bloggy joke - not a good one mind you). Google is the brains behind Blogger and Google helps to promote blogs through their search engines.


Blogging can be a lonely task. There are bloggers all over the planet sitting all alone writing blogs about everything from craft to business and everything else in between. Some bloggers find success and reach the giddy heights of samples and companies scrambling over themselves to sell their wares through their blogs. Others, strive silently along, tormenting friends and family for ideas, experiments and endless feedback, picking up followers in dribs and drabs.


One thing that all bloggers have in common - is that they love a bit of love. A bit of encouragement. A bit of a pat on the back. A bit of a hug. They like to know that they are not alone out there in the blogosphere. But how does one do this? How does one find and then follow the mysterious being that is 'The Blogger'. Here are some ways to 'Hug a Blogger'....

1. Sign up with 'Google Friend Connect' - this is the first step.  This simply involves an email address and a password. Google does not send you any junk mail, you shouldn't get spammed, you can sign out anytime you like etc. If a blog has a link like the 'Google Friend Connect' widget above, just click it and plug in your details. This then allows you to have a Google profile. This is simply, a picture of yourself and some details like; your favourite movie, favourite vegetable and perhaps your favourite colour. Be careful though, don't add your street address or your PIN numbers, this is the internet after all!
2. Then, when you come across a blog you like - you can 'follow' it. What this means is that you can have a cute little picture of yourself somewhere on the side bar of the blog and you are considered one of the faithful. Look out for the little 'Google Friend Connect' widget on blogs you like and simply 'Click' it and 'BoomBa' - you are a follower of that blog!
3. Once you have become a 'follower' - the blogger will feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and will know that some success is being made in the world of blogging. The amount of followers a blogger has is a good indicator of a blog's success. However, numbers aren't everything (I say this as a new friend of mine has more followers than I do, I just don't want to admit my utter jealousy of her popularity - that is too uncool)it is the quality of writing and development of a writer's style that counts.
4. Finally, the best way to Hug a Blogger is by leaving comments. This shows you have read the post, thought about it and felt compelled to comment on it. This can start some fabulous dialogues between readers and it is all terribly exciting! Please note: bloggers do not really appreciate being sworn at, verbally abused, being corrected on punctuation and/or grammar (save that for the inbox) or being told that they are mean, nasty, smelly, ugly, dumb etc. So keep things positive and/or constructive.

Being a 'follower' does not mean you will automatically get any notification that a new blog post is posted. To get blogs in your inbox is another matter, I will explain this in the next exciting instalment of.... How To Hug A Blogger - Part 2 - which I will post tomorrow night...


So.... would you like to Hug a Blogger right now? Really? Well, click the 'Google Friend Connect' Widget above right and go right ahead!