Laura Bentley | Just for fun

Laura Bentley

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25.01.2022 353 days until Christmas

24.01.2022 Two ingredient dough! This is the most simple recipe you’ll ever lay your eyes on. Honestly. I like to mix up the toppings to keep them interesting with the kids and husband. ... This week was butter, cheese and vegemite (can omit the butter but I find it helps make them moist). Other topping ideas are - Tomato paste and cheese Tomato paste, thinly sliced deli meat of your choice and cheese Peanut butter and jam BBQ sauce, salami and cheese Cheese and mixed herbs Cream cheese and cinnamon sugar Tinned Apple and frozen blueberries The options are endless! The recipe is as follows - 1 cup of greek yoghurt 1 1/2 cup of self raising flour + more for rolling. Mix the two together and knead with your hands until combined. If it’s too wet add a little bit more flour. Dust your rolling surface with flour before placing dough down. Roll flat to approx half a cm thick. Try to make a rectangle but don’t worry too much. Rustic and messy is totally a thing. Add toppings of choice and roll it up like a sleeping bag, nice and tight. Cut 2cm thick slices and place on your baking sheet. Leave about 1 cm between each slice on your tray to allow for growth. Bake for approx 18-20 minutes at 180 until golden brown. When I am doing a savoury scroll with cheese I will remove the tray and sprinkle the tops with cheese before putting it back in to brown the cheese on top. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack. These little rolls of deliciousness are also freezer friendly! What’s your favourite toppings on a scroll? @ Gold Coast, Queensland

23.01.2022 Victorian Residents Giveaway It’s so easy to feel disconnected from what is happening down south so a few weeks back I asked my community in Victoria how they were feeling. The answers hurt my heart. I didn’t fully comprehend what life was like for our stage 4 lockdown Aussies. It honestly feels like we are in separate countries and it’s like the divide grows bigger every week. ... I was trying to think of a way to show my support, spread some cheer and bring a smile to someone’s face. I didn’t think sending nudes would cut it so instead I asked for gifts that my community could send to those in lockdown. To enter head over to my Instagram. I have over 40 gifts to giveaway. They include craft kits, paintings, room decor, wine, store vouchers, handbags, items for babies, items for new mums and 10 gift packages that are made up of cosmetics, essential oils, earrings and more! BLOWN away by the generosity of my community, you guys are incredible! See more

23.01.2022 It’s so easy to lose yourself in motherhood. Especially with your first. You’re thrown in to a whole new world that wasn’t perfectly explained in any class you attended or any book you read. Your focus shifts from going out to staying in. You accidentally learn how to become selfless to make sure your baby sleeps, eats and poops on time. You say no to a morning coffee date because it might interfere with morning naps. You say no to dinner plans because you don’t think anyone... else would be able to get your baby to sleep. You begin to function solely to keep the baby alive. I did all those things. I cancelled the plans. I timed his sleeps, his feeds, his crying. I lost myself. I also lost an entire friendship circle because I had a baby at 23 and they didn’t. Turns out babies and nightclubs aren’t really a thing. For all that I lost, I gained so much more. I found my person. Never underestimate the significance of a good girlfriend. It means your kids have a back up mum, your husband has a back up wife and you’ve got someone in your corner to help you through your highs and lows. If you’re as lucky as me you might even find your ESPN soul sister. My love cup is filled all the way up after a brief but beautiful reunion with my best. So if you’re after a favour, now would be the time to ask. Except if you’re my husband, the answer is no. @ Gold Coast, Queensland

23.01.2022 GIVEAWAY I’ve teamed up with my fabulous friends at @stephpaseplanners to give away FOUR magnetic planner sets valued at $79.95 each. This set is the perfect way to kick off your family organisation and help take control of your kitchen again! I am a bit of a backwards meal planner. I shop based on the specials, then on my shopping list I will write my protein ingredients and will plan from what’s in my pantry. ... Everyone in the family has their own coloured chalk marker for the calendar and thankfully it’s so easy to wipe clean as things are forever changing when you’re juggling 4 kids, 2 businesses and a dog. Another use suggestion for the Don’t Forget List is to do a pantry stocktake on there so you know EXACTLY what you’ve got so you’ve no need to over shop! The magnetic planners are so versatile, you can use them for whatever purpose fits in with your needs. Entering is simple, head to my Instagram to enter! See more

22.01.2022 Hashtag grateful. How fun are school holidays.

22.01.2022 Frugal February is here! If you’re serious about paying off some debt this year or saving for something special, you really need to be honest with yourself. I always tell my husband that we need to spend money as if we don’t have any. So here is my top list of things we stopped doing to see our savings go up. Take away coffee. I know. It’s a treat. But keep it like that. 5 take aways a week will cost you around $30. Getting a muffin, croissant or cupcake for the kids too? ...So maybe it’s just jumped to $60 a week. That’s over $3k a year. Invest in a good coffee machine at home and a fantastic travel mug. Decorating your rental property. If your goal is to buy a house, stop spending money on things to make your temporary accommodation pretty or on trend. Think throw pillows, artwork, decorations etc. Pretty much anything from Kmart. I understand wanting to make your house a home but these are short term gratifications. There is no need to style your place because there is no guarantee your style will suit the next place. Keep that in your back pocket to invest in items for the long term. Buying brand new. We live in a disposable society. Trends come and go, people desire having new flashy things. Best bit about that is that means for budget conscious people, the second hand world is our oyster. Visit your local op shop, hit up the weekend garage sales. One mans trash is another mans treasure. Why spend 2 weeks wage on a new tv for it to be worth half that in six months time? Marketplace (UGH worst) and gumtree are great for bargains. Be sure to check out your schools fb page for second hand uniforms too! Paying late fees This is super simple. Overdue fees are simply wasted money. If you’re in a spot of trouble and you can’t make the entire payment, call the provider and talk about your payment options. Plastic bottled water How often are you spending $4 on 600mls of water? Did you know tap water from your home is around 1c per litre! So fill up at home before you go, or ask for tap water at your table. Let’s not even start on the environmental impacts of 7million plastic bottles What is your best money saving tip? You in for Frugal Feb? @ Gold Coast, Queensland

21.01.2022 I thought I’d feel done but I don’t. I’d love to go again, I feel like my heart could fit an endless amount of children in. My uterus and husband both disagree though Do you feel like you’ve finished procreating? Or are you secretly hoping for just one more?

20.01.2022 I blinked and now she’s three. Just incredible how her hair grew like that over night. Time for another one

20.01.2022 The more debt you’re in, the easier it is to try and bury your head in the sand and pretend it isn’t really there. At our lowest I stopped checking the bank account. I didn’t answer the phone, I refused to read the emails. I just wanted for it to all go away. It felt like a big black fog was constantly hovering over me and I didn’t know how I’d ever breathe again. ... We had a $600k mortgage on a house worth $200k. Husband eventually called the bank and asked to be placed on hardship. We gave them our projections of loss and showed them how quickly we were going backwards but they stood firm that until we had missed multiple repayments they wouldn’t help. So because we kept a good credit rating we couldn’t be helped. The mind boggles! After multiple dead ends we conceded to bankruptcy. It wasn’t ideal but bankruptcy also doesn’t have quite the same scary ramifications as it did 20 years ago. Our final call was to our bank, we gave them two options. Allow us to sell, claim against our LMI and pay a lump sum or we fold and the entire debt is yours to wear. It was a lengthy process. The bank wouldn’t talk to us about LMI because the policy wasn’t with them but they wouldn’t let us talk to the insurer because we hadn’t yet made a claim. After months of negotiations they finally agreed to a pay out figure + the sale price of the house. It took every last cent we had to finalize the debt BUT it was gone, as was the worry. At 30 years old we were back at zero. That’s where our frugality kicked in, we had no other options. In a few short months we will hopefully be home owners again. We reached a huge financial milestone last week and seeing those numbers in the bank was enough to reduce me to tears again. If you’re currently with your head in the sand and it all feels too much let me tell you that the first thing you need to do, is try. What might seem like a mountain right now will eventually be nothing more than a bump in your road. And as always, if you haven’t already, I implore you to read the barefoot investor. See more

19.01.2022 I was sure one day my mum and I would become the best of friends again. We were so close for so many years. I loved her in spite of all her short comings. I loved her in spite of her actions towards me. I loved her in spite of her verbal and mental abuse. She was my mum. ... I always felt like she wanted me more than my dad and his wife did. She used to tell me i was better with her than with them. She would often give me permission to move in with her but my dad always said no and together we hated him for it. She used to tell me my siblings didn’t like me because I wasn’t anything like them. The divide for me and the family i lived with was huge. I didn’t fit in and i knew the largest crack was that i wanted her and the life she promised me more than i wanted them. It’s easy to be manipulated when you’re a child. To be honest though i am still not sure she even knew she was doing it. At every stage of my children’s life i think about what my life was like at the same age. I feel sad for 4 year old Laura that only remembers parts of her mum living at home because of the screaming fights between her parents. I feel sad for 7 year old Laura that cried when her mum burnt her arm with a cigarette at her school fete. I feel sad for 12 year old Laura that was told by her mum that she was a slut because she was talking to a boy. I feel sad for 22 year old Laura that wanted nothing more than her mum by her side when she birthed her first child but her mum bailed last minute because it was too hard for her. That’s when it all changed though. I had a chance to rewrite my story and stop feeling sad for myself. I had my own child to look after and I swore I would be everything she wasn’t. I am so proud of who I am now. Sure, I still have my shortcomings (just ask my husband) but my children don’t ever doubt that they are loved, needed and worthy. I love my my dad, my sister and my brother and couldn’t be who i am today without them. It’s funny how life turns out. I don’t think I would even be half the mother I am without the experience I had growing up. I had to learn that the only person in control of my happiness, is me. See more

19.01.2022 Do you have a friend OR a child like this? I feel like I am the friend and I have the child.

19.01.2022 For real life though

18.01.2022 How crazy is it to think we once considered divorce. We were in SUCH a shitty place. He was dismissive, I was a bitch. I felt like he wasn’t helping with anything and he felt like I didn’t love him. There was no kissing. No cuddling. No sexy time. In my head I had come to terms with being a single mum again. I figured I’d just move us all in to a two bedroom apartment and bed share with Zahli until she was 21. ... I couldn’t understand how we had fallen so far out of love. It didn’t happen over night. It started around the same time I fell pregnant with Indie. Which was around the time that the intimacy dried up. Which also coincided with the time he was away for tafe and working 70 bazillion hours a week. Sound familiar? It wasn’t an overnight fix. And believe me, we had to hit rock bottom to bounce back up. We still argue. His breathing still annoys me some nights and I fcking hate when he brushes his teeth (loudly) when I’m trying to sleep. But life is good. We understand what the other needs. We talk, a lot. About everything. No decision is made without consulting the other. I actually ask for help when I need it instead of just assuming he will know (men aren’t mind readers, I know, this surprised me too). He has learnt that I need him to prioritize me and tell me I am valued. Having kids changes you. Quite literally. Your body, your mind, your relationships. I think that because I already had Will and we had a HEALTHY intimate relationship he wasn’t expecting it to dry up so quickly when we were pregnant with Indie. It was absolutely the foundation of 95% of our arguments over the last 7 years. If you’re there, if this resonates, just talk to your partner. Have them read this. The mind boggling thing is that all of my lady friends knew this story well, yet no matter how many times I told that to my husband he thought it was just us. But I promise, it’s not. Grateful we stuck by each other, cause I think he’s pretty cool. Let us pray for the renovation stage of marriage. Currently our biggest argument is what to do with this brick wall? White wash, render or paint? OR cover completely with gyprock? What do you think? @ Gold Coast, Queensland

18.01.2022 Happy Father’s Day husbandino. Lucky I’m away today so that you could really enjoy those children I birthed for you. @ Cairns, Queensland, Australia

18.01.2022 The first holiday I’ve taken in a while where I don’t feel the need for a holiday to relax. For every still moment there was full belly laughing and tears that sometimes streamed down our legs. The hotel exceeded expectations and we felt like the luckiest people to have stayed there. Every meal we ate we walked away full and happy. Everyone that served us had a smile and went above and beyond to make sure we were comfortable. ... The hotel we stayed at is part of the Crystalbrook collection. We were treated to a buffet breakfast every morning at Paper Crane, a spa treatment at their on site day spa Eleme, cocktails at their 12th floor bar, Roccos and dinner at CCs Bar and Grill. Very hashtag blessed, grateful and still a little amazed that we were invited. So a giant thank you to the team. The biggest tell tale sign of a good experience is if you’d go back and do it again. Would we come back to FNQ? ABSOLUTELY. Was it hard to leave the kids? Nope. Not this time. I needed a break. I needed sleep. I needed to eat food without sharing. Also if you’re looking for a travel buddy or companion I can highly recommend Kate. She has great banter, laughs as loud and obnoxiously as I do, is good at planning trips and is a nice piece of eye candy. I do apologize that I didn’t manage to help bring in any potential dates. Pretty sure they thought I was your 12 year old daughter every time I opened my mouth and they saw my glistening braces. Can’t wait to get home to squeeze my children. @ Cairns, Queensland, Australia See more

17.01.2022 This was my first day of school in 1990. Is it strange that I want to go back and give me a cuddle? Not to mention my brother is my son Genetics are weird. Head over to my Instagram to enter to be in the running for $1k cash!

17.01.2022 New year, new me. Quite literally. Coming in at 10kgs heavier from this time last year. I hear you. Oh but Laura, weight doesn’t define you. No, it doesn’t. But having no energy, calling myself unkind names, not fitting in to a single item of clothing that I own and people asking me if I’ve had a boob job? Yeh, that kinda does. Not mad about the boobs though ... I’m not going to show you what I look like naked. I won’t show you my stomach or my bum, I don’t even show my husband. Rest assured that I look just like you under my clothes. Wrinkles. Cellulite. Rolls. I don’t need to sit down, hunch over and grab on to my skin to show you. I can just stand up straight and you’ll see it. I’m not a picture of health. I am absolutely the result of too many calories in and not enough calories out. My face is as round as the Christmas pudding I finished last week and I have more chins than I do children. For the last 6 months I’ve had a strange feeling. I’ve been flicking between thinking fuck it to oh fuck. I’m so much more happy with WHO I am that for the first time since puberty I didn’t really care that I was a little rounder. This week I’ve googled how to lose 5 kgs in a week, how far I need to walk every day to see results, the best type of workout for fast weight loss. I’ve spent hours looking at before and after photos, trying to see what I need to do to achieve those results. My problem is I know all the answers. I’ve yo-yo’d since I was 17. I know it’s about the kitchen. I know the calorie in vs calorie out. I know about macros. I know about meal planning. I know I’ll feel good when I get into the rhythm. I know I know I know. I’ve just had a harder than normal time looking at (what feels like everyone) is pinching their non existent bulge to show me that I should be ok with mine. So here we are, a public outburst. Committing myself to the universe that I will do better for my body. I love her, now I need to respect her. We are cutting out alcohol mid week. That in itself is a bucket load of calories. Also committed to minimum two workouts at my gym every week. Small steps. Baby steps even. Who is with me?

16.01.2022 We have recently tried and fallen in love with the new @supercubes Superfood Purée. Australian made, all natural, dairy free with no added sugar. Perfect for your smoothies or just straight from the tub for an after school treat. The stomach approves (as can be seen as you swipe) and so do I ... You can find them in the frozen fruit section at your local Woolworths. ad See more

15.01.2022 I don’t know why you’re so upset about it See that sentence? That sentence makes my eyes glaze over, my blood pressure increase and my veins pop from my forehead. I’m upset because in the TEN years we have been together this is the billionth time I have had to finish what he has started. Yeh but I don’t care if the bed sheets are tucked in BUT I DO. And because I do, you should too. ... I mean, am I asking too much? I buy the yoghurt he likes, the deodorant he likes, the beer he likes, the milk he likes. I cook the food he likes and make his food with special touches because I know he likes it that way. But for me? I often get close enough, but not the same. For years I’ve hated capsicum but you know what he always cooked with? Capsicum. I’ve made the bed the same way for our entire relationship, but yet it’s never the same when he does. And I get it, it’s how I like things, but shouldn’t that matter? If I can pick up on the small things he likes why can’t he do it too? I appreciate him, but as my equal. I am beyond grateful for him, but no more than he is of me. So when he expects a fanfare because he made the bed, albeit incorrectly, you will have to excuse me as I scream in to my pillow (that he also didn’t put pillow cases on). Why are we all married to the same person though? Is it us? Do we actually have unrealistic expectations or have we enabled them to be this way? He legit thinks I’m crazy, and when he says that out loud it makes me want to sprinkle sand in his sandwiches.

15.01.2022 I’m offended. Offended because it’s true. #applebottomjeans

13.01.2022 Bentleys rule Zoom in on my legs. What is happening?

13.01.2022 Every time I think of how far we have come I get this strange water sensation dripping from my eyes. We have moved 12 times in 8 years. Our kids haven’t ever known a home for longer than two years. They thought that everyone just got a new house every now and then. They don’t know any different and they definitely aren’t damaged from it. Well, we think it shows with Will. He HATES change. You guys saw that in the lead up to this house. Now they know this is our home. That w...e (and the bank) own it. We can hang pictures. We can paint walls. We can knock down walls and build new ones. Unfortunately for Lucie though I also can’t / won’t be painting her bedroom yellow BUT I could if I wanted to. In 2012 we sunk the good part of $700k in to a two bedroom, one bathroom townhouse in the Pilbara. In 2017 we sold that same run down house for $200k. If you have been here a while you will know the story. Short story - We asked to be placed on to mortgage hardship but the bank claimed weren’t in hardship. We were going backwards by $2,000 a month. We were quickly chewing up our savings and the bank said until we missed payments they wouldn’t help us. We resigned to being bankrupt. There was no way out. Eventually we were allowed to claim against our LMI (lenders mortgage insurance) to release us from the mortgage with the tiny sale price of the house plus every last cent we had saved PLUS a small loan from our parents. So four years ago we quite literally were back at zero. We didn’t think we would ever get in to a home of our own. So to be standing in this somewhat lopsided house today makes my heart burst with happiness. She’s not the fanciest house on the street and some days I think perhaps she was meant for the Swiss Alps with all this wood BUT none the less, she’s ours. Owning a house isn’t the be all and end all. But it was our goal and I am so happy to have reached it. If you feel like your finances are out of control I recommend getting in contact with a financial counselor. Take that power back! We went to see someone at Uniting Care and she was the first person I ever divulged all our information to without feeling embarrassed. It was a free service.

12.01.2022 Well that holiday was over just about as fast as it begun. How silly of us all to think that 2020 would finish without a bang! Probably for the better though. My stomach has already eaten it’s way through 2 large Christmas days feasts, I’m not sure it could survive another. Plus I never got around to making my Christmas cake or pudding so that’s on the list for tomorrow. Husband has promised to not change his voicemail and remain on holidays for the next two weeks. ... Sending big love to those who have also had a last minute change of Christmas plans. I’ve been on the verge of tears all day, flicking between upset and anger and then understanding and acceptance. I’ve had a few conversations this weekend with people who were about to meet babies for the first time, people who hadn’t seen their parents all year and sadly, people who were flying interstate to say goodbye to a family member. We have our health, each other and a few bottles of gin. Who could ask for anything more? Have you been caught up in the border closures?

11.01.2022 First big holiday in almost 6 years and we spent most of it in gastro isolation. I love that for us. It always happens though. Every time husband stops for longer than two days it’s like his body goes ‘SCHWEEEEEET! LETS MAKE THIS MOFO SLEEP FOR DAYS’. It’s also totally a thing. Workaholics can’t holiday because their body isn’t used to it. How great is that. Google it! It’s proven. Or maybe not proven, but well talked about. Have you experienced this?... Although I’m focusing on being a positive person, so let me tell you the positives. The house we stayed at was mint! It was a house in Moffat Beach and we rented through Stayz. The children were kept occupied for 75% of the time in the swimming pool. I didn’t throw any of my children in the bin for the remaining 25% of the time. No one spewed on the white carpet. I got to eat all of the chocolate muffins, all of the kit cats and all of the ferrero rochers because husband was too sick to enjoy them. This is also a negative though because I’ll need to roll home. Every time I would float the idea of a holiday, husband would shut me down. We are saving for a house, we both have work commitments, the kids have school, we have a dog ETC ETC. I decided it was time to ask for forgiveness instead of permission and I thought F it, it’s 2020 and I’m taking the plunge. Well didn’t 2020 get me good. Turns out this year also wasn’t kind to our holiday BUT it’s brought us one week closer to this year being finished Also, if everyone could please go back to washing your hands and not spreading your germs that would also be great, thanks. @ Caloundra, Queensland See more

11.01.2022 All fun and games until someone loses a tooth So after saying last week that I haven’t been at the dentist in 4 years, the world listened and on Saturday night I met the road with an all mighty thump. This was the last photo I took of the night, where I was purposely trying to get bigger lips. In fact, I was trying to look like a duck. ... So if I can manifest a dentist visit and bigger lips I can manifest anything, right? I AM GOING TO WIN THE LOTTO. (Worth a shot?) Long and short of the story is that I’m a dick, I’d had too many margaritas and fell face first on to the road. Husband raced me to emergency where I spent the next 6 hours having scans and doing tests. I couldn’t stop apologizing to them. What a waste of time I was! Hindsight, my constant apologies were probably more annoying than my injury Spent Sunday filled with so much anxiety that I thought I was actually having a heart attack. Cried on and off for almost the whole day. I was embarrassed, angry and upset that I’d let my husband and kids down. Today is a better day, trying to look on the bright side of life. Grateful that it’s all cosmetic and nothing was broken. As someone said today, lucky I can still wipe my own bum Thank you for all your kindness and thank you to all my friends that have been checking in @ Gold Coast, Queensland See more

11.01.2022 This weekend I was originally planned to fly to London to see my brother but then the Rona hit so I changed my plans to fly to Sydney to see my best but then the borders shut so I changed my plans to fly to Cairns and crossed all my bits that it would be ok! Alas, here I am and I am over the moon. I’ve never been up this far north on the east coast of Australia so when Kate said she was going I basically just invited myself. ... I know it feels like we all live in different countries at the moment and I wish I could wingardium leviosa you all here so you could experience it with us. It’s a little eerie still, it’s not overly busy, so many shops and restaurants have shut. I have Lara Bingle in the back of my brain asking where the bloody hell are you so I hope this weekend brings better news for us all and it that it won’t be long before the rest of Australia can travel again. So grateful to the team at @riley.crystalbrookcollection for putting us up for the weekend and letting us experience what Cairns has to offer to fellow Queenslanders right now. If you’re from the area or you’ve visited before do you have any recommendations on what to do and see? @ Riley, a Crystalbrook Collection Resort See more

09.01.2022 Thankful no teeth were lost in the making of this weekend How are all my southern friends? So many conversations this weekend with people in Victoria and how different our lives are. Feels like we are living in a different country. I hope you’re all keeping well? X

09.01.2022 Something we are trying to be mindful of at the moment is doing things right the first time instead of impulse purchases or quick fixes. This doesn’t necessarily mean spending a lot of money or NOT spending a lot of money, but we are taking our time to research the best options. Having time in the house to see what we need or don’t need, what our actual priorities are. If you have ever renovated, what is the one thing you wish you had spent more money on? Or wish you had re...searched better? Here is the so far progress of our bedroom. German schmear to come this weekend. @ Gold Coast, Queensland

08.01.2022 I love balls, but I loathe the process of rolling them around in my hands to make them perfect. So instead I’ve made Oat and Date Bliss Blocks. Forget rolling! Just press into a tin and you’re good to go. I promised you the recipe weeks ago so here it is. These are perfect with a cup of tea for a mid morning snack. I sub out the peanut butter for coconut oil for the kids lunchboxes but keep it in for mine. If you cut these in to 24 squares they are a fraction under 150 ...cals per block so I’ve also been stealing a few to have with my coffee after the gym I’ve been adding a few heaped teaspoons of the Nutra Organics Super Foods for Kids to give them a healthy boost of vitamins and minerals PLUS it adds a subtle yet delicious flavour. Ingredients - 2 cups pitted dates 4 cups quick oats 1.5 cups shredded coconut 2 tbs cocoa powder / cacao powder 2 tbs natural peanut butter 4 tsp Nutra Organic C Berry Blast 1 - 2 tbs water Add all ingredients except water to food processor in order listed. Blitz until smooth. Mixture will be very crumbly. Add water in slowly as your processor is on medium speed, until your mixture is moist enough to hold shape. You might need need all of the water. Line a baking tin with baking paper or cling film. Press mixture into tin and refrigerate until firm. Once firm, flip tin upside down on to a chopping board. Measure out 24 even blocks (I used a measuring tape) Can be stored in the fridge or freezer. Substitutions - You can use any type of oats. If you use rolled oats you may need to blitz for longer to get that smooth consistency. Swap peanut butter for honey or coconut oil to make them school lunchbox safe. Let me know if you make them, better yet, let me know when you’ve given up on balls and made some blocks! X We know how much I love a discount so I asked and the team at @nutraorganics have been kind enough to give me a 15% off code. Use LAURA at the checkout xx @ Gold Coast, Queensland

08.01.2022 The internet wins again. Well played cartoon, well played.

07.01.2022 I’d like to take you on my face journey over the last 7 weeks. Remember when I tripped and kissed the concrete with my face? Not sure I can ever forget it. Still one of the stupidest things I’ve ever done in my life. As I was sipping my lunch through a straw a few days after the accident, I was reading the back of the Unflavoured Collagen Beauty and saw that it helps with wound healing. ... I felt like I had stumbled on a magic potion. Something that can help my stupidity heal over AND continue to help reduce my fivehead (forehead) wrinkles AND help make my hair grow thick and strong? They had me at hello. I started the collagen powder about 3 months ago for my hair and wrinkles and would just add it in my morning coffee. Now I am enjoying the Fruity Floral and Berry Infusion just mixed with ice cold water. I have been drinking it religiously over the last 7 weeks. The results speak for themselves. I actually messaged the team at Nutra Organics and thanked them for this collagen potion as I truly believe it helped my face heal in record time. From the label - Collagen Beauty is safe in pregnancy and breastfeeding. Clinically proven to reduce skin wrinkles and fine lines, support wound healing, support tissue building and repair and contributes to a healthy gut and skin by supporting structure and function of connective tissue with Vitamin C. So all in all (in my own words) a magic potion that I am forever grateful for. Don’t forget, if you want to give any of their products a try you can use my code, Laura, for 15% off. This and the Chicken Ramen broth are my ultimate recommendations Have you tried any of their collagen products? Also, if you’re ready for it. Swipe right to the end and just call me Cletus. @ Gold Coast, Queensland

07.01.2022 Well after yesterday’s poll results, it seems we all love brownies. Personally I’m a crusty corner sorta gal, I don’t enjoy the middle at all! Are you a crust or a middle? ... Or, like the person I was when I was pregnant with Will, are you a why cut the brownie when you can just break pieces off until you’ve eaten the whole thing sort of person. And I wonder why I cracked 95kgs with Will So here you have it, my go to brownie recipe. This is right up there with the Betty Crocker box brownies that my best friend makes for me. Let me know if you try them x * 1 1/4 cup sugar * 3/4 cup plain flour * 2/3 cup cocoa powder * 1/2 tsp corn starch * 1/2 cup milk choc chips * 1/2 cup dark choc chips * Pinch of salt * 2 eggs * 1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil) * 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence 1/ Preheat fan forced oven to 165. Line a lamington tray with baking paper. 2/ Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix well. Use a fork to press out any lumps. 3/ In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla. 4/ Mix dry and wet ingredients together in the larger bowl. Fold the mixture together until just combined. 5/ Pour the brownie batter into prepared tray. Tap the tray on the bench a few times to ensure the mixture is even or use a wet spatula to smooth it out. 6/ Bake for 40-50 minutes. Stab the middle of the brownies with a knife to see if it’s ready. Too wet and it will need an extra 10 minutes. 7/ Once cooked, allow it to sit in the oven pan for at least an hour before slicing. This allows the brownies to set. If you can wait that long. Little notes - use as many choc chips as you want. You can also use whatever chocolate you’ve got in the pantry (or fridge). You can be super adventurous and use crushed nuts or cranberries. I personally love white choc chips with cranberries. Delish! See more

06.01.2022 Someone asked me yesterday if I was embarrassed about being so openly frugal. At first I was offended and saw red. Then I realized this was most likely a reflection of their own insecurities towards money and had nothing really to do with me. ... I’m here to tell you that being frugal doesn’t mean you’re broke. Being frugal means you’re being mindful with how you spend your money. You buy things with purpose. You spend time researching the best way to spend your money and how to make your money work for you. Everyone has money and everyone wants more of it. The easiest way to have more, is to spend less. I know that seems like a really simple sentence but so many of us spend outside of our means. The more debt you’re in the easier it is to try and bury your head in the sand and pretend it isn’t really there. At one point I just stopped checking the bank account. I didn’t want to answer the phone, I refused to read the emails. I just wanted for it to all go away. It felt like a big black fog was constantly hovering over me and I didn’t know how I’d ever breathe again. I still spent like we had a 6 figure salary coming in because I was embarrassed that people would know we were struggling if I stopped having all the nice things. But now I do breathe easy. I know where every cent of our money goes and I’m here to have a conversation about it with whoever needs to hear it. So no, I’m not embarrassed. I’m proud of how far we have come and I’m proud that now we have the money to do what we want but instead of upgrading our shitty old car or buying new throw pillows we are watching our savings grow. See more

05.01.2022 INTRODUCING THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF OUR FAMILY! Here in our hot little hands we have the Australian themed Christmas memory game and the Traditional Christmas memory game. These started as a thought way back in May and the fact we have reached this stage is both terrifying and ridiculously exciting. I know you will love them as much as I do! ... Each picture on the cards was thought up by my team of elves (children) and seeing their faces when their ideas came to life is something I won’t ever forget. Memory is by far their most favourite game to play, and the one with the least amount of arguing. We hope that some of our Christmas sparkle can be added in to your family too with these games. They are a PRESALE item, so shipping will begin November 30. Not to be forgotten are the beautiful and delicious candles that quite literally have my sweat and tears in them. (Not really, wax and water do not mix and would ruin the candle, found that out the hard way) I’ve chosen the candles to match a recipe that I love to cook at Christmas. We know how I feel about my Christmas baking! Nanna’s Trifle, Cinnamon Shortbread and Plum Pudding. Included with each candle purchase will be a recipe card to match. Each scent has been given the nod of approval from my overly sensitive nose. My website is ready to go! So tell me, are you going to buy one for yourself or one as a gift? Don’t forget to tag any of your Christmas loving friends below! @ Gold Coast, Queensland See more

05.01.2022 Hands up if you’ve ever been personally victimized by a small human with a small trolley?

05.01.2022 When was the last time you gave yourself a financial health check? Not just a quick scan of your monthly statement, I mean actually going through line by line to determine where your money is going? I understand some banking apps do this for you but my understanding is they just group them in to certain categories. What I suggest doing, and what we do, is to print out your last 2 months of bank statements and go through each line, tallying up your spend at each business.... It’s confronting, overwhelming and if you’re doing it with a partner you might even feel attacked when you start to realize where the money is being spent. It’s not an exercise for arguments, but to better realize where every hour of your hard work is being spent. Are you saving for a particular goal? Do you have debts that you’re trying to move or are your credit card repayments half of your rent each week? It’s not a new thing but it sure is simple. The best way to save is to simply reduce your spending. That’s your first step. Once you have your existing financials under control you can start to look at how to make more money on side hustles. I was SO embarrassed when Husband and i did this. I did feel attacked. I spent nearly every day at the shops because i had nothing else to do. Kmart and Coles were like my friends. $27 dollars a day is $10,000 a year. Read that again. How much do you spend a week on takeaway? How much do you spend at Kmart on cute new home wares? How much do you ACTUALLY have owing on your after pay account that your other half doesn’t know about? We aim to have a financial health check every 4 months. Sometimes I avoid it for as long as possible because i know I have had blow outs and truth be told, a lot of the time I cant even remember what I bought! When was the last time you really paid attention to where your money was being spent? I promise if you change your habits for just two months you will have changed your mindset going forward. Once you see those dollars adding up in your savings you wont ever look back. I’m thinking perhaps it’s time for Frugal February again? Maybe October Ocsaverfest? Who is in? See more

03.01.2022 Probably yelled more than I should have tonight. Got so frustrated that no one came for dinner when I called. Got even angrier when Zahli stood 10 cms from her bath towel, crying for me to put it on her. Lost it when Will talked back about having to help set the table and almost walked out when Lucie threw the tomato sauce on my foot. Burnt the dinner I was reheating on the stove. Swore loud enough for the neighbours to hear. ... Didn’t have enough food to go around so I made myself some cheese on toast and as soon as I sat down everyone wanted my dinner and not theirs. Some days are testing. Not all giggles and smiles and funny interpretive dances. Four kids is a lot of kids when they are simultaneously barking their orders at you from different points in the house. Tonight it was four kids too many. Throw in the mix a dog with a fetish for turning undies in to crotch less panties, a husband that works more than he sleeps and an overwhelming sense of anxiety about the looming dental bill and it’s safe to assume today was a shit show, and I was the star. Of course I know tomorrow will be better. Of course I’m grateful because hashtag blessed hashtag love my kids hashtag perfect but right now I just want to tell you that you’re not alone. Yelling doesn’t make you a bad parent. Wanting a time out doesn’t make you a bad parent. Crying in the toilet as you wedge the door closed but the baby continues to try and work her way under the door doesn’t make you a bad parent. It just makes you a parent and some days are just shit and challenging and the only that makes it feel better is a big old ugly cry. It’s so easy to feel alone in this gig. Being a human filing cabinet is a hard work but just know the mum next door has those days too. The people telling you to enjoy your kids have had those days too and Karen/Sharon/Beatrice/Nancy on the Internet has had those days too. Now excuse me please whilst I sit on my phone and scroll through all cute videos I took of the kids this weekend because I miss them and I’m sad that I yelled. See more

02.01.2022 Want to win an iRobot Roomba just like my Rosie here? Head to my Instagram to enter!

02.01.2022 Today someone asked me if Lucie was a little boy or a little girl. I smiled politely and told her we haven’t yet decided. Does your child still get mistaken for the opposite gender? I thought by 2 we’d be well past that stage. Guess the purple shoes, fluffy pink jumper and cute pony tail weren’t a give away.

01.01.2022 I don’t love my body. I don’t really even like it. But I’m working hard on appreciating it. I’ve been hanging out for an after photo. It’s been in my plan. To get super fit and shock the world with how far I’ve come. Anyone else scroll hashtags on Instagram to see how many weeks they need to completely transform their bodies? No? Just me? ... Well, this is my after photo. Or maybe my work in progress photo. It’s a little bit different. I mean first thing you’ll recognize is that I’m fully clothed. No six pack on display here. Maybe just a six pack of muffins. This after photo is of my mind. Who knew moving your body was actually this good for your brain! Well, I knew. I know the fitness people knew. I know anyone that’s moved their body religiously knew. It’s just a very hard message to hear when you’ve got one hand in my packet of Darrel Lea licorice bullets and my other hand is smoking a wafer stick. Thanks Alanis. I’ve learnt recently to shut out the mean girl in my head that calls me names. I’m learning (still at 35) that food isn’t the devil and that not eating is actually detrimental to my health and just makes me hangry. So no, I don’t have an inspiring photo to show you but just know that if you start to show up, it will get easier. Know that in every workout I do I am legit dying, waiting for that timer to run out. Know that I absolutely drop a couple of reps here and there when I feel like my muscles are about to burst out of my skin. And you’d best believe I still give myself a chocolate every other day so I don’t restrict myself too severely. Four weeks in and I still don’t dig my reflection BUT I am happier, I am less anxious and I haven’t needed to do any nervous bathroom breaks before the gym! Now that my friends, is called progress How are you getting on?

01.01.2022 I’ve teamed up with my friends at @kellective_by_nikki to give away one of their beautiful new travel jewellery cases AND $100 voucher to two lucky winners. That’s right, TWO winners. Head to my Instagram page to enter!