Birthdays and more birthdays...

Well I think I went into hibernation with the heat here in Adelaide and now I am finally coming back out. Here is what I got up to in March!
I had a birthday back on 8/3 and was given very practical/frugal presents.
My BF refinished the bench tops in my kitchen which were peeling badly.
New timber on top (I bought some tongue & groove floorboards a few months ago) and then two coats of stain/lacquer and 3 coats of polyurethane later. They look fab - will hopefully post a pic on my blog soon!
My parents got me a torch to put in my car (my request) and it doesn't need batteries! BONUS! It is a wind up one. Also has a built in radio, siren and adaptors to do an emergency charge on your mobile phone. How cool is that! They also gave me some $$.
My best friend had me over her house for dinner and bought me two things that she had, that I had been eyeing off. An awesome circulon dish brush - every time I have used hers I kept asking her where she go it! The other thing is a non-stick Mat for the BBQ - this is like a silicon sheet that you put on the hotplate of your BBQ - especially good when you are cooking marinated items as they don't burn or stick. When it cools down you just remove it and wash it in the sink, ready for next time!
My workmates gave me a cute card and more $$.
Why the $$ you may well ask - well I am taking my family to BALI in August this year - so most people have been giving me money to buy stuff I need for the trip or to add to my savings a/c (I have a separate one) for spending when I get there.
I saw a great digital camera in the K-Mart catalogue last week ($149) with really cheap SD memory cards (1GB for $15) so I put one on lay-by as well as two memory cards.
So there goes all my birthday money
On a side note my other camera which is 4 years old will go to my son so he has a camera for Bali too!

My son's birthday was on Easter Sunday.
All my son wanted for his birthday was a copy of Mario Kart for his Nintendo DS!
I tried to be frugal with my shopping so we ended up with the following:
- Mario Kart for his DS - I finally found a second hand copy for $40 at the local gaming store (after I had walked two larger shopping centres looking for one).
- a small backpack for our holiday and when we go on family bike rides - it was marked down for $16 to $12.
- one of those large "how to draw" folder/collections. There were on special at Big W for $14.95. My son loves drawing and I have realised that even in high school they still need to draw stuff on their assignments.
- some really cool black and white board shorts off the clearance rack at best & less for $5.
So all up I spent about $72 - He was quite thrilled with all his gifts and they were all things I know he will use :)
I made mini choc chunk muffins which he took to school last Thursday - much easier than a big cake.
On the morning of his actual birthday, I made two birthday cakes and some sausage rolls. We had lunch with my parents ( microwave butter cake and sausage rolls) and then dinner @ my ex's house (his Dad) - where we consumed a small part of cake number two - boiled chocolate cake with lashings of cream!
Enough of the calories and birthday - on top of all the Easter chocolate I am trying to inspire myself to exercise more by watching the biggest loser - the trouble is I sit on the couch every night and watch them doing exercise! D'oh!

Food Porn Meme

Katrina has tagged me for this one, which originally started with Rosanne.

Here are the really simple rules.
Answer each of the five questions.
Tag five bloggers you would like to pass the meme to.
Have them link back to you and to this post as the source meme.
You and they can take the graphic from here if they like.

1. What food do you consider the best “date” food? In other words, what meal or food item do you think is sexiest to eat in the company of someone you would like to look sexy around?

I can never pass up a good risotto, cooked by someone passionate about food like say...err Jamie Oliver?? After all he was the "naked" chef :P

2. What well-known person would you like to share a meal with—with or without clothing. (saying whether or not clothes are involved is optional).

Didn't I just answer this in question one?

3. What does your perfect breakfast-in-bed look like? (Food AND the details, please. Candles? Music? Flowers? Hot tub? Dancing girls?

One of those cute tray with legs, a single rose, oozy scrambled eggs on toast, milky freshly brewed coffee in a mug and a kiss from my gorgeous BF. Jammies on of course as there is hot food/liquids involved.

4. What do you consider the best application of whipped cream to be?

If it is homemade then definitely on a chocolate cake or on the side of good piece of cheesecake. Please don't give me the stuff in a can, that isn't whipped cream.

5. Oh-God-No, Biff, the yacht is sinking! You are sent to the galley to retrieve the food. What luxury food items do you snatch first? The champagne? The caviar? Smoked Salmon? Truffles? Chocolate? Or something else?
Water, dry biscuits, anything non-perishable - leave the fancy stuff to sink with the ship!

I tag the following folks, passing on Rosanne's own bit of circulating nuisance nonsense.

Kez

Lisa

Kate

Lightening

Tracy

If you are dying to do this meme feel free to pick it up and run with it.

Has it really been that long?

Wow, when I finally logged in here this morning my blogger tells me that my last post was on 10th February 2008 - 6 weeks ago. So where have I been, what have I been doing...nothing special of note. Celebrated a few birthdays - mine, my dear friend Jo and my son T who turned 12 yesterday. I can still remember the day he was born. I worked full time for a week or two which really threw my life inot chaos! I also helped another friend say goodbye to a very special Lady in her life. She puts it way more eloquently than I ever could...here.
Apart from these things I have basically been living my life, doing things with my family and friends and remembering what is really important to me. Along the way I have still been trying to be frugal and mindful of what resources I am consuming.
I've still been reading all my favourite blogs, but I think I most likely need to update my blog roll a little...anyone want me to add them?
Thank you to those who noticed my absence and left me messages to ask me if I was okay. I appreciate that you all care.
I have some great new recipes to share and I'll try to do that in the next few weeks, unless my life gets all crazy again!
Hoping you all had a safe and Happy Easter. Take care of you all :)