Here He Is..

Thank you so much everyone for your beautiful messages. What an amazing, Full-On, most rewarding and most beautiful and possibly the toughest 19 days of mine and Shane's life ...:-) We are so in love with our little man.

I have alot of ideas for future posts on organising with a newborn- especially in regards to what IS important and what is NOT important in the early days!

IS- wonderful family coming around, cleaning and bringing food, and visiting us in the hospital, buying bits and pieces for us that we needed
IS NOT important- having wondersuits etc beautifully folded

Ah so many lessons learned, so many things put into perspective and so much love has filled my heart until I feel it will explode.

Many thanks and love from the 3 of us
Xoxox

Responsibilities

I've been contemplating certain responsibilities of being a parent. No longer can I pretend I'm still a teenager "playing house"- I am married with our first baby very, very much on his way (any day now in fact). Shane and I are looking at things such as life insurance, making sure our superannuation accounts are consolidated, private health insurance, car insurance, and making sure our dental and health checks are up to date. We will have more than ourselves to think of from now on- and I want to make sure that our futures are as secure as possible, for the sake of our little Peanut.

Post-irrelevant, but wanted to show you very thoughtful and gorgeous gifts from my sister Benita who has arrived from the UK and NZ- cutest bear, and wireless headphones- so TV noise doesn't bother Mum & Baby. Very thoughtful eh?? Also Benita suggested the headphones would be great for me to wear to listen to music if I get stressed about Peanut crying- I can hold him and still stay calm. SUCH a good idea eh? Thanks so much Aunty Benita! Xx

Of course there's also everyday parenting responsibilities as well- making sure our baby is safe and secure at all times, making sure our home and car are safe, and making sure we are happy and live a stress-free lifestyle(as much as possible-), as stress can be the biggest killer. I am ashamed to admit I have never had any form of insurance, I've never thought it worth the expense up until now. I have also been pretty slack with getting regular dental and health checks, but now I have our son to think of. I have to make sure Shane and I are healthy so that we will be around for a long, long time to care for our son and to still be there for him when he is a grown adult.

I am booking Shane in to the dentist this week, and I will do the same for myself in a month or two after I am settled in with Peanut. We will strive to keep on top of age- and sex-relevant health checks, and others such as diabetes and skin cancer checks; as we are all told time and time again early detection is the best way to survive such things. We also need to organise our wills, with God parents named in the unlikely event that both of us should die.

I have mentioned before my dislike of paper work, but in this case I need to bite the bullet and knuckle down and get these important things done. There is more than myself to consider here, and these things are possibly the most important tasks I should have on my To-Do list over the next few months. Don't worry- I won't put pressure on myself to get all of this done with a new-born- I will just make sure they are completed when we are settled in with Peanut.

What kind of things have you organised in your life, to make sure your parenting responsibilities are taken care of? Or if you don't have children yet, what other life responsibilities have you organised for your own future?

Hope you are having a great week :-)

If you're not Completely Sick of reading about my Birthing Plans...

Thanks to everybody's great suggestions I have added a few things to the Bag. Lis had a fantastic idea to break the bag up into 2 bags- one for if all goes to plan and I give birth without complications in the Birth Centre (located within the Gold Coast Hospital, on the same floor as normal delivery); the other for if I am transferred to normal delivery, and stay 3 or 4 nights.

If I am in the B. Centre I will be sent home 4 hours after giving birth, if neither Peanut nor I need medical assistance. This is because there are only two B. Centre rooms, and these two rooms are in high demand. However they will only take on a certain number of mothers in the B. Centre. I believe there are 6 midwives, split up into two groups of 3, and each group takes on one mother in waiting per week (the week the mother is due). Of course there is the chance that a few mothers may go into labour at the same time; if this happens its basically first in, best dressed (the unlucky mother would go to normal delivery).  But this rarely happens. This is why there is a waiting list to get in, here on the Gold Coast there is a very high rate of births for some reason. I guess due to the density of population but also apparently because alot of mothers come here from afar to give birth and have a holiday at the same time! My midwife told me. I thought that was fascinating; I can't imagine going away from home to have a holiday and give birth! But that's me :)

I am hoping all goes to plan and I have my room. It is very large spacious room on the third floor of the hospital, there is a huge spa bath for pain relief and/or birthing, a double bed, a large bathroom and various things to aid birthing such as those big bouncy exercise balls, bars to help with squatting, shower stool, mats for kneeling on the floor, and a birthing stool.

If you or someone you know are pregnant and may be interested in "active birth", I recommend you find out if there is a Birth Centre nearby. I'm only saying this now because before I was pregnant I had no idea that these places existed, and only found out from my friend Dana. She had a wonderful water birth with her first son, and was so excited to share with me her amazing drug-free birthing experience, at a Birth Centre in the Royal Women's Hospital in Brisbane. I too am hoping for drug-free birthing (I won't go into my reasons here but if you are curious or would like some links for reading materials please feel free to email me).

In my other bag packed for in case I am transferred and stay a few nights, I have added more clothing and tracksuits (suggested by Chrissy), more underwear of course, more baby clothing, tissues (suggested by Jamie), my own soft non-hospital toilet paper (as suggested by Kendall), pen and paper for thank you cards (suggested by Archer's Mum and Joolz), and Ural (thanks Julia). Also have thrown in a robe and extra slippers, socks etc.We got a great bag of goodies too, muesli bars, powerade, boiled lollies, and blue cheese like I mentioned earlier :-). I will also be hanging out for a strong coffee but alas, that is not recommended with breast feeding either. I guess another year or two wait is in order, unless I am going to pump...

We now have our new (old) car, handed down to us by my very kind brother and his girlfriend. They bought new cars each and wanted to help us. How lucky are we?? It needed a little work but not nearly as much as expected so it hasn't cost us much at all. It is a '98 Holden Barina and its fantastic! I absolutely love it, as it has power steering, air con and is automatic (unlike the Ute which my father in law very kindly sold for us).  So today I rang RACQ to book in to get the baby car seat installed. They are calling me back on Monday and hopefully we can have it done on Wednesday. It's only $25 and I think it's worth it as Shane and I know nothing about installing baby seats and of course its very important it is done properly.

There is really only one more thing on my To-Do Before Peanut Arrives list, and that is to take some final documents in to Centrelink to finalise the family payments application. I tell you, I have been in there 3 times now to get this done and each time I was told to bring something else in. And I did research this before I started the application, the first time I went in I felt very prepared but of course, not prepared enough. It's not very straight forward, as most dealings with Centrelink aren't, I've found. Fingers crossed this last visit next week will enable me to cross this To-Do off the list.

SO now we just play the waiting game and try to patiently wait for our precious little Peanut to arrive...
:-D

A Change Is Coming

This morning I hope you don't mind if I share with you some personal thoughts about this current time of change in my life. I am in the midst of the circle of life- with my impending first baby's birth and also the sad news that my Grandma may not have much time left. My head is spinning with all the emotions, it is such a happy and sad time and I really feel the need to write my feelings and memories here and share them with you. 

I am now close to 38 weeks pregnant, and I may be wrong, but I feel like Peanut is getting ready to meet us. The aches and pains are changing and the Braxton Hicks are coming on stronger and more frequently especially through the night. While uncommon its not unheard of for a first-time mother to go a little early. I am so excited, nervous, apprehensive and just cant wait until the first sign comes; I will be thinking "Is this it??"

Sadly, my dear Mum has had to fly over to New Zealand as my Grandma is fading and they don't think she has much time left. Mum left yesterday at very short notice, she was lucky to get a flight last minute because of all the drama with the volcanic ash cancelling flights. Mum felt terrible to be leaving me at this late stage in my pregnancy, and doesn't know when she will return, it will depend on Grandma's condition. I assured her that it would be alright and that I doubt the baby will arrive in the next few days.

My much beloved Grandma Joye is 92 years old, and has been unwell for the last couple of years. She has had various health problems and is also often confused and forgetful; but we have seen at times brief moments of recognition and we've been thankful to be able to have a little quality time with her. I just hope my Mum gets one of these precious moments, and is able to spend some quality time with her. I hope that Grandma is aware of how many people love and admire her. She has lived through two husbands, my Mum's dearly loved dad Bill who passed when Mum was a young adult, and my Grandad Arthur who was a prisoner of war. My most fondest memories of Grandma and Grandad are from their visits to us on our farm near Yeppoon, central Qld. They were such gentle and loving grandparents and always had a kind and encouraging word. They would sit in the sun on the verandah having cups of tea and toast- it surprised me as a child to watch Grandad wave his toast in the air until it was stone cold.

Grandad passed away years ago and Grandma continued to visit us every few years, right up until her last visit in 2005 for my sister Cinnamon's wedding. Shane and I made it over to NZ just before our wedding, 2 years ago. I am so thankful that we made this trip and that I got to have quality time with Grandma. She wasn't always sure who I was, but when I showed her a photo of our family and went through name by name, I saw that she knew each and every one of us and she called me Sarndy, her pet name for me. She just loved Shane- she told me peering at him over the top of her reading glasses, in her cute accent "Oooh He's just Lovely!" She was still living with my Aunty Julie then, soon afterwards she moved into a beautiful home for the elderly in Palmerston North. The Julia Wallace Retirement Home is a fairly new establishment, staffed by wonderful people who you can tell genuinely care for the residents. There is a big warm general area where the residents can sit and socialise in comfortable armchairs, and are often sharing a birthday cake or listening to piano music. It is surrounded by beautifully kept gardens and immaculate lawns; Grandma has enjoyed many hours out in these gardens with the help of someone to assist her in a wheelchair. It has been a relief to know she has been so well cared for in her last few years, and has had a beautiful corner room up a few stories with a lovely view overlooking the gardens. A few of her precious things are in  her bedroom- photos of her family, her jewellery hanging inside her cupboard door, a few ornaments and many letters and cards she has nearby in a basket. My Mum faithfully writes to Grandma nearly every week- and has done so for many years. The rest of us would send cards on birthdays and Christmas, just as Grandma did for all of her Grandchildren. It was a sad time when we stopped receiving her beautifully hand written cards when she became too elderly. She just loves to read and it has been such a blessing that she has kept enough of her eyesight to be able to continue reading.

My beautiful Grandma Joye at my sister's wedding in 2005

Even though I know and accept that we all pass away is it still hard to think of a time when she isn't around. I haven't had many experiences with death thankfully and I also haven't had many babies in my life until the last few years. I am still coming to terms with the realities of life; I know that it is my time to be taught these valuable lessons.

Don't Wait 'Til Tomorrow...

I haven't always been an organised person, and I'm still not always entirely on top of things. But I am learning slowly as I get older little systems that keep me organised. One of the things I have had to learn to fight is laziness. Or if not laziness, the desire to "do it later". I try to follow the good old rule- No Time Like The Present.

To keep on top of the housework or life in general, I have had to force myself to slow down and do things properly, right now, instead of putting it off for another time when I might "feel like it". It really helps me in life when I keep up with tasks by doing what I can, right now. I find this way of thinking and acting really enables me to stay fairly organised, especially around the house.

I enjoy some aspects of housekeeping, but I've always had this sense of impatience with things like ironing and putting away the clean washing. A few years ago I'd have brought in the clean washing off the line and dumped it on the couch, and it would have stayed there for a few days or never be put away at all. Or things needing ironing would stay in the basket for weeks. These days I force myself to slow down and finish the job properly, before they turn into enormous jobs. I fold the washing straight off the line into the basket. Once indoors I sort the washing into piles and put the piles away, immediately. If I didn't do this straight away clothes could lie around the place for days. I don't find it harder to do things this way, and I'm not sure why I used to leave jobs unfinished, but again, it probably came down to being lazy or procrastinating.

It only takes a couple of minutes to finish a job completely, and for me to make sure things are put back where they came from. If I need tools for some handywork I always make sure I spend that last minute putting the tools back away. It's not hard, it just takes discipline and a mindful attitude. I think about a job from beginning to end, and this helps me to keep on top of the housework. Tidying up is alot easier and quicker when I don't have all these little half-finished jobs to do, as well as the usual cleaning and tidying.

Of course there's always those times when I leave things out that I'm still working on, such as sewing projects. In these cases I need to decide if I am actually going to keep working on the project the next day or sometime in the near future. If that sewing project is still unfinished the following week, and I know for sure I have no intention of getting it completed in the near future, I put it away. Sometimes I need things to go away so I can bring them out again another time with a fresh outlook.

This is a bird mobile for Peanut's room I am working on. It's been here on my sewing table for a couple of days, but I know I will have completed it by the end of the week.

I think when Peanut is old enough to understand, we will try to teach him the value in finishing things from beginning to end. As soon as play time is over, we will pack the toys back into the toy box. As soon as the meal is finished, the plates will go to the sink and be washed. My parents brought me up this way, and even though this way of thinking and acting may not have sunk in til I was in my mid 20's; -it eventually did. And I'm glad I finally got there.

Tax Time

This week I'm starting to get organised to deal with the dreaded Tax Time. Is it just me or does this time of year give everyone the jitters? And I don't even do my tax return myself, both Shane and I take ours to an accountant. It's just one of those paper-work things that I can't stand doing.

We have taken our tax to an ITP office for the last 2 years and I find them wonderful. It does cost, but they take their fee out of the return. They also know all the tricks of the trade to get the most out of my tax return, claiming this and that- things I never would have thought of myself. Even if it costs me about $200 to get my tax done (small business), I still make a profit due to the return I get. Yes I could spend the time to learn how to properly do my own tax return, but honestly I have better things to do and I'm just not interested in accountancy!!

Shane's returns, on the other hand, aren't so predictable. Sometimes he gets a good return, other times he has had to pay tax. I have no idea why there's such a big difference from year to year, but it has something to do with him working in hospitality. We have a little money set aside that we could use for a tax debt if it comes to it, but I really hope this year we won't have to. That money will be much better staying put growing interest, for an emergency; or if we need to buy a new car; a house deposit; or maybe a holiday one day, who knows?

Those of you who came from Rhonda's blog (thanks! :)) will know that Shane and I had planned to go over- seas after our wedding, and were planning to be in Spain at about this time. Obviously pregnancy wasn't exactly on the travel agenda; Peanut was of course planned in our future, but his timing wasn't exactly planned :) SO we've had to put the travel plans on hold, for now. I know that we will still get there, to my Dad's house in Spain, to the UK where my sister lives, and to Germany to see Shane's extended family. But we are just over-joyed at the slight detour in our plans; we couldn't be happier or more excited :-)

Sorry- I always go back to Peanut- even in a post about Tax!! Haha :-)

Back to the Tax. I use those cardboard concertina cases for our paper work such as payslips and previous tax returns, receipts etc, so that I know where everything is when it comes to Tax Time. These are cheap- about $8 from Big W or K Mart. I label the compartments inside, and also put a year label on the front. Shane's payslips are all in there (he gets his in paper format- so old fashioned! BTW he also gets paid with a CHEQUE- can you believe his boss??)

My invoices/receipts from my organising jobs are all stored in folders on my computer. I haven't had to show them yet to the accountant, but they are there ready to be opened, when and if it is required. I always take in to the accountants our previous tax returns from last year as well, in case they want to see those. I've also done quite well with my book-keeping, keeping track of hours worked and every dollar I earnt etc, and all my expenses. I take the book in and the accountant praises me on my organisation :-D I love the little slap on my back!

The worst thing for me is the waiting for Shane's group certificates from previous jobs. I am hoping they will be posted to us promptly this year so I can book in our appoinmtent with ITP as soon as possible. The sooner it all gets done, the sooner I can relax and not think of tax for a whole year!!

How do you deal with your tax return? Do you do yours yourself, on time, or a few months late...or will you pay someone else to do it for you like I do?

On My Mind

As usual, our first baby, due in 38 days, is on my mind. This morning is a little chilly, (what we here in QLD call chilly anyway- about 13oC :-)) so I was imagining what I will be dressing him in. Here you can see a little organic cotton beanie-hat I've crocheted for him, one of the bamboo cloth nappies bartered by Rhonda from (http://www.beansproutbubba.com.au/), warm cotton underclothing, a Bonds cotton wondersuit, and a gorgeous jumper knitted by his Great Aunty Tricia also made from a soft bamboo cotton. I think this outfit would keep him very warm and comfortable in the up-coming winter (and possibly even for a trip to the Arctic- dont worry I have a thermometer :-)).

I just quickly wanted to share with you why I feel organised and prepared for having our first baby. Yes we have all the essentials, cot and pram etc, and a lot of beautiful clothing for him. But that is not what I mean. Shane and I feel prepared because throughout this whole pregnancy we have read up on the natural birth process in wonderful books such as

"Guide To Childbirth" - Ina May Gaskin
"Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering" - Dr Sarah J Buckley

and we have undertaken a course called Calmbirth with a beautiful midwife Sarah Whyte . We have also read a lot on gentle parenting techniques, getting them to feed and sleep etc, so we will at least know what to do when our little boy is first here with us at home.

The Calmbirth course taught us that the female body is designed to birth a baby (I know how silly this sounds but I was shocked to realise this for myself!)- and that there is no need to fear the birth process. It also taught us relaxation and breathing techniques, so we will remain calm throughout the birth without panic or fear, because FEAR = TENSION = PAIN. That is what Calmbirth teaches.

I really wanted to share this with you this morning because this course and all the reading, have been the MOST wonderful thing Shane and I could have done to prepare for our baby; and it has also literally changed my life. Before all this, I had so much fear of birth as so many of us in our culture, that I just thought it would be easier (?!) to elect a Cesarean, or else have as MANY pain relief drugs as the nurses would give me. "Yes drugs please, Dr- and can you erase my memory afterwards as well??!" - Crazy, right?

But I now have the knowledge, the confidence in my body, and the trust, with the support of my amazing husband, that I can actually do this! Of course I am aware that sometimes, medical intervention is necessary, for Baby and for Mother (thank goodness for Dr's in those cases-) , but I feel that I am prepared mentally for anything without the fear that I once had. I am keeping an open mind and an open heart, and I am actually looking forward to the birth!!! I have done a complete turnaround- its true- Knowledge is Power.

If there are any pregnant women out there reading this, who like I was, are afraid of the birth and anxious- I urge you to consider looking at doing a Calmbirth course, or at least read up on natural birth, as it will change your life and you will feel the most prepared you could possibly be.

I have also joined the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) and Shane and I participated in one of their one-day classes, as I am determined to breastfeed our son. They have taught me that yes it can be very difficult but most problems can be over-come with help from either a lactation consultant, or support from an ABA counsellor- they have a help line 1800 686 2686. How awesome is that?? And they told me the more you know about breastfeeding, the greater chance you will have of success. I can imagine if I were alone at home without a phone number to call for help, I too would want to give up and go to formula, as so many women do because they are desperate to feed their babies. But there is help! Thank goodness.

I really cant wait to meet our boy- I am nearly bursting with happiness and impatience- but at the same time enjoying these last few precious weeks with Shane and being able to sleep when I want Hehehe :-)

Thanks for letting me share a little bit of personal preparation and happiness here today- and I cant wait to tell you how it all goes- next month :-)
Xx

Organising in the Third Trimester

Today I've been working on yet another To-Do list, entitled "To-Do Before Peanut Arrives". There's quite alot on the list, and I'm sure it will grow over the coming weeks. While there's still about 8 weeks til baby Peanut is here, I know that this time will fly by and before we know it we will have this precious little person in our lives.

As the cold weather approaches, I will need to go through my winter clothes and find warm items that I fit now and will continue to be able to wear for the rest of my pregnancy. I'm a little apprehensive; I think this pile will be relatively small... which means I may need to borrow late-pregnancy maternity wear from friends or go op-shopping for some extra stretchy items. I don't want to spend alot of money on things I'm only going to use for a few weeks.

Next on the To-Do list is the dreary Centrelink and Medicare forms which will need to be done soon. In some ways I am a terrible procrastinator; especially anything to do with paperwork. When I was studying at university I would leave all of my written assignments til the very last, stressful minute (I worked better under pressure! or at least that was my excuse). Paperwork is still a challenge for me, it's something I really have to force myself to do. I try to get the tedious tasks such as these over and done with so I can move on to something more enjoyable. Like washing and sorting out the new gorgeous cloth nappies my MIL Rhonda gave us today, from http://www.beansproutbubba.com.au/

So, the list so far- winter maternity wear, paperwork, cloth nappies. Rhonda also gave us a toilet-fitting hose for hosing down the cloth nappies, so we will need to fit that onto the toilet tap. I think I will delegate that task to my husband.

I'm sure there's more to do than this though!! Do you have any suggestions? I would love to hear from expectant mothers what is on your "To-Do before Baby Comes" list. BTW we have already got the baby essentials- a cot, pram, change table, plenty of baby clothing, sling, baby bath, baby bouncer, and a whole lot more! I think we are fairly prepared in that department already :-)

(Not yet) Life with a new-born

A friend's comment has caused me to ponder the question "How will I stay organised once the baby comes along?" And I'm not sure that I can accurately answer that question other than to say to myself, "I probably won't". I have no idea how our lives will be turned upside down once "Peanut" (baby) has arrived, in the most unpredictable and joyful way.

Obviously I am going to remind myself that my priorities will change, and my standards (to do with the house) will considerably drop. The top priorities in mine and my husband's lives will be-
1. Feeding Peanut
2. Getting Peanut changed, happy and hopefully sleeping
3. Repeat 1 & 2 for many years to come.

Also of course, we will have to somehow feed ourselves and get ourselves to sleep now and then. Everything else in life will have to take a back seat.

Alot of mothers and fathers have told me it really helps to have alot of meals already cooked and stored in the freezer, ready to be microwaved for Mum and Dad on the odd occasion that we have time to quickly gobble down some food. I think this is a fantastic idea and we will definitely make the most of the last few days or weeks before Peanut comes along, to do as much cooking as possible. This will only work if I first de-frost and de-clutter the freezer and make adequate space in there to store the new meals. I will, of course, enlist my trusty labeller to make sure we know what is what and how long ago it was made.

Our home is certainly not always tidy and neat; I don't want to be under any false pretences!! But what I have striven to do, and what I help my clients to do, is to create a "home" for every object in the house. For example, when you need a new light bulb, you know exactly which cupboard or drawer to go to. When I am doing my "crafts", i.e. sewing, knitting, crocheting, gift-wrapping etc, I spread out all over the place and make a huge mess. Also there are times when the general house mess gets the better of me, and I just don't have the energy to do anything about it. And thats ok! But when the need to tidy comes along, like when visitors are coming or when I just need to clear the room so my mind is also cleared; I can quickly tidy up because I know exactly where to put things. This helps to prevent shoving everything under the bed or in a cupboard.

I think I will try to keep my already-set-in-place system working after Peanut comes along, at least to a certain degree. I may not be able to neatly fold the clean towels, but perhaps when Peanut is here I will try to quickly throw them unfolded, onto the right shelf so at least I know where to look for a clean towel the next time I need one in a hurry.

We will be using cloth-nappies as much as physically and mentally possible, thanks to a supply donated to us by my beautiful mother-in-law and Blogger-extraordinaire Rhonda Hetzel (Her blog, down---to---earth, has won Best Aus/NZ blog! And she is in the midst of having a book published by Penguin! Stay tuned, I will post more on the up-coming book another time). Rhonda did a very generous thing and swapped advertising on her blog (which has had about 4 million hits) for a huge pile of beautiful bamboo and cotton cloth nappies made by Booroi http://www.booroi.com.au/
and distributed by Bean Sprout Bubba http://www.beansproutbubba.com.au/


We will somehow need to stay on top of the washing, drying and putting away the cloth nappies. I'm not sure how we will go with this, but the good thing about modern cloth nappies is they no longer need to be soaked. I will be getting a bucket with a tight-fitting lid for what is called "dry-pailing", to put the dirty nappies in. The excess waste is washed off into the toilet with a high-powered hose that fits onto the toilet tap. My husband and I will have to have somewhat of a system, of dry-pailing, hosing, washing and drying (hopefully most of the time in the sun; on rainy days the dryer will have to be used). I think the way modern cloth nappies are made these days will make the whole process alot easier and time-efficient. Also, there is no need to disinfect the nappies unless the baby is sick with a stomach bug or something nasty. The nappies only require a half-dosage of normal enviro-friendly laundry liquid. We will have enough cloth nappies to make sure we will only have to wash every second day instead of every day.
Obviously to do this, you need double the amount of nappies used in a single day (one set being used; one set being washed/dried). Initially this could be expensive to purchase that many cloth nappies, but over the course of a nappy-wearing child, (about 3 yrs?) you will save approximately $2000 compared to using disposables!! That in itself is enough incentive for me to use the cloth system. And of course, my baby will have the lovely soft feeling of bamboo on his bottom :-D

I would love to hear any suggestions from you about systems you use in your home to help you stay organised, or at the very least, sane, with a new born and/or toddlers. Please do contribute; I think we will need all the advice we can get!

Labelling- I'm an addict

Our unit could look as if a foreign exchange student learning English lives here, with the amount of little labels scattered throughout the premises. Yes it can look a little daggy, but it makes mine and my husband's lives, much easier.

A label maker is an essential item, if you are striving for more organisation in your life. I bought my Dymo from officeworks for around $50, a very worthwhile purchase. It has so many uses, where can I start?

In the kitchen, I store most of the pantry items in tupperware (I don't mean the expensive Tupperware brand, I just use that word for small containers for storing food :)). I love the look of an organised pantry with food stored neatly in containers. Also it minimises cockroaches, and therefore the need for nasty chemicals to kill the cockroaches, helping to keep my life eco-friendly. I label the tupperware containers with what is in them, and sometimes the date if it is a perishable item. I also label the shelves in the pantry. Yes I am a little OCD about labels. I find unpacking groceries so much quicker and brainless (and face it, most of us ARE brainless after a few hours grocery shopping), when you can easily see where to put the particular item. My husband loves the labels as well, as my kitchen system may not always come naturally to him, and the labels prevent tension in our relationship :-D

Labels have many more uses than just in the kitchen. I have recently labelled the drawers in our baby's room. We were kindly given a pile of hand me down baby clothes, of all different sizes. Knowing that I will be extremely busy with him when he is born, I organised all of the clothes into sizes from 0000 to 1, placed them in order in the drawers (smallest up top and bigger down the bottom) and labelled the outside of the drawers. I know this will make putting away the washing and "quick grab a fresh babysuit" much easier when we are busy new parents.

What do you use labels for? Please share your tips as well :-) I have many more uses for my label maker that I will share in the future, with photos as well.