threelilprincesses.com

Author: Kellie O’Brien

  • FEATURE: Worst Parent of the Week Award

    FEATURE: Worst Parent of the Week Award

    The victim of my negligence.

    IT IS with (dis)honour I accepted the award for Worst Parent of the Week. At the awards ceremony, I donned a beautiful blue pair of trackies, gorgeous white tracksuit top with Bolognese stain on the front and a dainty little pair of tan-coloured ugg boots with scuffed toes.

    Today, I’d like to share my acceptance speech for the award and share the “Things I Know’’:

    Thank you. Thank you. Please, you can all sit down now. I accept this, the Worst Parent of the Week award. Firstly, I’d like to thank my total negligence. If not for that one moment of distraction this week and my fast-paced eight-month-old daughter, Baby Holly, slipping through my arms and falling off my bed onto the floor, I wouldn’t be here tonight.

    There were tears. Mainly from me. And The Bloke in The Shed – who was on the other end of the phone at the time of the accident. That was the “distraction’’ part. If he didn’t have hearing problems before, he certainly does now. This is aside from the selective hearing, which miraculously appeared about 18 months into our relationship.

    I know the guilt I felt at the moment she hit the floor has yet to leave me. I know this will not be the last time I will feel this guilt, nor see her tears. I know that there’s a reason the progress we were making on her saying the word “mum’’ has now stagnated. I know that I’m sure to receive this award again – although I’d rather not. So thank you. I know that I deserve this award as a reminder to be a better parent. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to find a toilet cubicle to have a little cry – it has free “tissues’’.

    I’m linking up with Shae from Yay For Home‘s Things I Know meme.

    You can follow me and my bad parenting on Twitter at @ThreeLil and @MumPR, along with Facebook.

  • SHED: All from a sneaky kiss

    SHED: All from a sneaky kiss

    THIS week I was honoured with the editorship of The Advocate Newspaper. It’s the paper I grew up reading as a kid (mostly comics and the footy achievements of my brothers). It’s so much more than that though. It’s where I met Princess Kel.

    Despite growing up in neighbouring towns, Kel and I were not destined to meet till that one day I happened to walk into the then Editor’s office as a young cadet to find this pretty little thing sitting there. Kel doesn’t remember that moment. I do. Like it was yesterday.

    In those early days at the newspaper, our lives were heading in different directions… till events made us realise our shared feelings. A sneaky kiss in the newspaper’s file room (which funnily enough is now the IT dept) sealed the deal.

    From then on, while being different individually, we have been almost as one. Our strengths and weaknesses complement each other. There is no doubt my sometimes over-the-top personality helped Kel evolve from a shy, young journo into a confident writer, while I would not be an Editor today without her calming hand and sound, measured advice.

    Yet, our greatest achievement has nothing to do with the newspaper directly. It is the two princesses we have been blessed with – Ella and Holly. Whatever you achieve in your working life is great, but it can never supersede what you have as a family.

    Follow me on Twitter at @Julian_OBrien or the TLP blog on Facebook.

  • PHOTO: Princess and the pea(s)

    PHOTO: Princess and the pea(s)

    WE ALL know the story of the princess and the pea. Well, Baby Holly doesn’t sleep on peas (unless you count having a wet nappy), but she can certainly sniff one out as soon as it hits boiling water. And the carrots and potatoes and anything else she’s able to get her hands on. She loves her food.

    Linking up with My Little Drummer Boys’ Wordless Wednesday. Click on the link to check out more photo posts.

    If your baby is having sleep issues, read through our Sleep Challenge.

  • FEATURE: I’d rather you didn’t all comment on my posts

    FEATURE: I’d rather you didn’t all comment on my posts

    Oh Mum, not more spam!

    WITHIN a short space of time I’ve amassed a bevy of wonderful, loyal readers. Some just pop in, check that I’m still alive and then go about their day. Sort of like my Nan does with the personal classifieds in the newspaper. Except she’s checking the death notices to see if she’s still alive.

    Then there are those who leave warm and fuzzy comments that truly brighten my day or pass on words of wisdom to help me through this parenting maze. It’s the part of the blog I love the most. And you’ll notice, I’m a big one for responding to comments too. I love the whole idea of having a “virtual conversation’’.

    Except there’s a few of you I’m having problems with. A few of you who leave comments and I’d rather you didn’t. I’m talking about you Heather. And let’s not forget Kayden, Polly, Roxanna and Marlie. I don’t want you commenting on my blog, even if it’s to say “Touchdown! That’s a really good way of saying it’’. Then there’s Calinda, who kindly said: “I didn’t realise forum rules allowed such brilliant posts’’. I’m gushing, really, but I’d rather you keep your opinion to yourself.

    Then there’s Bruce, who keeps telling me about credit loans. I’m fine, thanks Bruce.  Then Debrah (strange spelling, Debrah) who “stands back from the computer in amazement. Thanks!’’. Really, Debrah? And let’s not forget Kayln, who said: “it’s spooky how clever some people are’’. Thanks Kayln. But how about you get a real name and a real job. OK, that was harsh.

    To top them all off, there’s Bruce. Bruce told me that what I had written was “a foolish idea’’. And here I was thinking a picture-based `to do’ list for my daughter was pure genius.

    The worst part of it all is having to moderate all 100 of you this morning. And then put you straight into the spam folder. So thank you, but no thanks.

    What measures do you have in place to combat spam and do they work? What’s been your favourite pearl of wisdom from a spammer, either on your blog, Facebook or Twitter?

    Linking up with Where’s My Glow? for FlogYoBlog Friday.
    FYBF

  • FEATURE: We’re making a list and checking it twice

    FEATURE: We’re making a list and checking it twice

    Say “cheese''.

    MY NAME is Kellie and I am a list person. In fact, I write lists for my lists. I know, sad.

    Things have been so incredibly busy around here, with Mum PR picking up at an incredible pace, hubby preparing for his new role as newspaper Editor, Baby Holly becoming mobile and Princess Ella, well, just being her usual busy self. So last week when the housework started to look like it needed a little tender care (actually, probably more brute force), I decided to ring in some help and create a new version of my to do list.

    The help was Princess Ella. And this was the list:

    The list.

    Can you guess what each task is?

    It made house cleaning incredibly fun for Ella, as she got to cross off each job after we completed it. Although, not all duties were performed0 to my usual standard. This was the washing:

    Ella's attempt at hanging the washing.

    It was a good effort. While I’m not into slave labour, I do like to teach Ella new skills, show her that life is about balance (play and work) and give her some responsibility.

    Do your children help with the housework? How do you make it fun?

    By the way, the list (in order) is: wipe condensation off the windows; mop the floors; do the washing; bake biscuits; cook dinner; pay bills; clean bathrooms; clean kitchen; finish the doll’s house; and change the sheets on the bed.

  • WIN: Aussie Giveaway Linkup with more winning secrets

    WIN: Aussie Giveaway Linkup with more winning secrets

    My Sirdar yarn

    ANOTHER week and another look into the secrets of winning 25 words or less competitions. After last week showing how I used nursery rhymes to score a prize, this time I’m showing how I used humour. And regulars to this blog will know, humour is what I (try to) do best.

    This one was for a $500 Paypal credit. Can’t remember what I spent it on now, but most likely knitting yarn. Most definitely from the UK. And certainly Sirdar. I’m obsessed with that brand.

    So anyway, the question was something along the lines of your best buy on eBay. Here’s the answer:

    “Best thing found on eBay was a Dan Seals CD. Someone had the same God awful taste as me. Mind you, they were selling it!’’

    Anyway, that’s all for this week. Don’t forget to link up and/or enter, then pop on over and say hi to my fab co-host Tina from tinagraydotme.

    If you’re a blogger wanting to take part in the Aussie Giveaway Linkup:

    1. Only link directly to the giveaway post/s and include the prize and end date in the linky tool below. Link each giveaway separately.
    2. Giveaways must be open to Australian residents. 
    3. Grab the button to add to your post.
    4. A new list is added each Sunday so bloggers need to add their links weekly. 
    5. Start entering the giveaways!



    Aussie Giveaway Linky
    Hosted by Three Lil Princesses and Tina Gray {dot} Me