Wow, it has been a while since my last entry.  As far as blogging goes, I am afraid I lost my sense of purpose.  I am pretty sure, it was hidden away with some of the baby clothes, Cap has grown out of.

I did find a few drafts which I had written between then and now, but never published.  Kinda a reflection of life in the first year of parenthood.  I am well into the second year now, and I think I am getting the hang of it.

I am back, A, because I felt it would be good for me personally to start blogging again and, B, because I have had people encouraging me to start writing again.

However, I am back a changed person.  Motherhood has changed me.  I don’t know about other mothers out there, but I feel I have almost had to get reacquainted with myself.  Things I used to care about are far less important and there is also a whole range of new interests I have picked up along the way.

‘Oh Bless Clothiers’ is still ticking away, but I have less time to dedicate to promoting it these days.  And I have come to realise that that is perfectly okay.  There are seasons for building a business and seasons for building a family.

Family is really where it is at for me at the moment.  Raising and cherishing a son, caring for a home, loving a husband and praying for a sibling for Cap.  Needless to say, priorities shift as life unfolds around us.  So, I will be blogging again and from time to time it will be about retro style, it may also be ‘Oh Bless’ related but mostly it will just be a written reflection of life, as it is, in that week, month, season.

Some things I will probably cover in coming posts are:

Family life on a budget – When on a single income, things get tight, so you have to get creative in the budgeting and money saving departments.  It could be something that could get you down, but if you look at it as a challenge to overcome it can actually quite satisfying.

Upcycling – I am really not keen on things going to landfill willy nilly, so I am often thinking of ways I can repair or reuse items that are no longer working or useful.  Also, sometimes needs must!

Kids activities – Fun things to do with a toddler.  Because I am always scratching my head trying to think of things that engage Cap, but don’t wear me out too much.  I assume others may be the same, so I will share my ideas or findings.  Would love you to do the same J

Montessori – I have been following many Montessori methods of early education with Cap since he was 7 months.  I am pretty new to it, so no expert, but have found it a great benefit.  Having a background in education probably makes me even more interested in the educational philosophies of Maria Montessori and I will love sharing those with you.

Sewing projects – When I do get the chance to get productive on the machines I will continue to update you on those items.  Also doing simple sewing, embroidery, crafting tutorials when I can.

Family Cooking – Looking for healthy, easy, budget friendly and practical recipes for a toddler and family meals has been a challenge.  So when I find something I think is great, I will share it with you.  Also any cool celebration food we do over the year.

House organization – Clean and green! Having a desire to minimize our families impact on the environment, keep family life as simple as possible I have adopted and will continue to adopt new methods of housekeeping.  So will touch on these topics from time to time.  I have definitely got on the decluttering train, but found it has its challenges.  So plenty to share about that.

Anything creative – I am sure there will be many other random forms of expression and creativity that will jump out at me and take me on a journey.  I am happy to share these with you also.

So whether it be a brief two liner photo post, a tutorial, a casual paragraph sized chat or a full on essay.  I am back!

A bit different but blogging again and looking forward to building community.

Warm Smiles

Ally