Happy Friyay! Another week, another… week. I overnighted in Adelaide on Sunday night for a shoot on Monday, collapsed exhausted on Tuesday following major work announcements, spent Wednesday night laughing at a home BBQ with my soon-to-be-ex colleagues and spent Thursday night baking into the wee small hours. Hello working Mum. Here’s what I learned along the way…
1. When asked to bake something for a school event, you will be up until waaaaaay past your bedtime (8pm) (not really) (8.30pm) putting together a sweet batch of 24 cupcakes with smiley faces only to find that most people just bring in store-bought stuff on a paper plate. Sigh.
2. People harshly judge mothers who travel for business.
3. There is this really fantastic site called Creative Muslims that brings together Muslim artists, graphic designers, photographers, etc. What I love about it is that it’s been a great way for me to get to know a completely different (and, for whatever reason, controversial) culture and religion and appreciate the way that religion works in a lifestyle quite similar to my own. Finding a common platform to start is a great way to appreciate another culture.
4. Blog Years: For every minute you spend in the Blogosphere, 25 minutes will have elapsed back on Planet Earth.
5. Drugwars is still around and is just as addictive as ever. Have you ever played it? I spent hours at work in the UK with my trade finance colleagues* lost in drug running. Play if you dare – you might not come back out again for many, many months.
* Do remind me to tell you about the time I landed a job in international trade finance while temping as a secretary in London.
PS – Head to Lori’s for showcase your amazing blog on Flog Yo Blog Friday…
[Image (and cupcakes – mine looked nothing like this good!) by hello naomi]
Cate says
I have to homebake given one my kiddos millions of food intolerances so I’m endlessly jealous of mums who just pop down to the bakery. Although I do love to do it and it is my way of showing my kids how much I love them. But dammit, I would come up with another way if I had the option! 🙂 xxx
Cate says
Oh, BTW – are they the cupcakes you made? They are divine!!! sooo cute 🙂 xxx
Notchka says
Ha – your kids get bragging rights on the cupcakes (homemade rulez!). Judgements on travelling Mum’s come from those who wish they could. You still have time to make cupcakes for goodness sake(!!)
I don’t know any Muslims – don’t know why, but I agree with your estimation on real world/blog world time ratio… on that note.
(p.s. I haven’t played Drugwars, but do have hazy memory of a card based game along those lines played in my first boyfriend’s bedsit for hours on end many moons ago – days would roll by).
Joni Llanora says
I say people still appreciate home-baked goodies like cupcakes. So much so that sometimes I lie and say I made ’em when I take some to a gathering when actually I just picked ’em up from a bakery. Guilt.
Raine and Sage says
I prefer things to be home made, but get why people choose store bought. With your busy week, I’d probably be ready to buy some lamingtons from the bakery. Those smiley faces you can not buy. Priceless. I’ve learnt this week that when a 2 year old tantrums for things like ‘me go bakery’, ‘me want lami (salami)’ or the like, that it’s best to breathe and let her ride it out. And breeeeeeeeeeeeathe. 🙂
Being Me says
What a week!
Thing I learned: my daughter LOVES your cupcakes 😀 She just fell about in fits on the couch, asking if they were made from “Pink and yellow and smushsmellows” (marshmallow… no I’m never going to correct her and besides, I’ve tried!)
BabyMac says
I learnt that I am not as young as I once used to be. That bonds hi top undies cannot, in fact, hide the fact that my stomach is waaaaaay too fat and will not be contained! I learnt that a gardener coming here to help me out with the garden actually meant I slept more soundly at night and that I am obsessed with washing. Oh and that a link from your blog to my blog brings many nice new readers…thank YOU!
Home made wins every time in my book but get why peeps go the store bought option. You just don’t know the kind of week/day they have had.
Happy Weekend Maxabella!
Miss Kitty-Cat says
For a school cake stall I think you really do need to go home baked… I get that parents are busy but a batch of bikkies or some cupcakes take 10 minutes to whip up and then some icing time… And home made tastes so much better than store bought!
Maybe when I have babies of my own I might not have the time or might change my opinion but I know my mum worked, had three kids and still home-baked everything. I guess it depends what your priorities are.
I learned this week that when Mr K says it will take half an hour to replace the mesh in our back door you can write off half a day…
life in a pink fibro says
I love those cupcakes! I like to bake, so I bake, but I totally understand that a lot of people (including you, seriously) don’t have the time. It’s about the contribution, don’t you think? Something’s always better than nothing. 🙂
Shannon of ** Happiness Is...** says
HA – #4 is SO true!! 😉 xo
Anonymous says
Beeeutiful cupcakes! then I read the small print – ha ha – never mind sure yours are equally delicous. I spent hours 2 Christmases ago baking SPARKLY Christmas cupcakes for school, the kids loved them and then I found one a teacher had in the bin not even licked!!!!!!!!!!! and was devastated all my creative bling was trashed…..oh well too bad.
Hope your day gets better.
Barbiboo
http://barbiboo-bea.blogspot.com/
Jacki says
Damn girl! Homemade cupcakes are the bomb! And I know what you mean about blog years, it’s devastating when you realise you’ve just spent 3 hours on the computer and the laundry is still waiting for you!
Melbourne Mumma says
If a Mum has to travel for work, means kids get to spend more time with Dad. Not a bad thing at all.
I always get sucked into baking something for kinder events.. I don’t do the store-bought thing very well. I think effort counts. And homemade cupcakes are much better 🙂
I learnt this week that I love gardening, and tending to the outside of my house more than the inside (much, much more..) x
Lucy says
I am just running over to tell you that I am giffling at your Bill Withers Lovely Day choice for one of your wedding songs. SAME. Andrew and I had that track too….
xx
PlanningQueen says
My eldest son quite often trades my home baked good for prepackaged stuff. I sued to be offended, but I have learnt that kids just like to see and taste the other side!
Mira Narnie says
I’m not sure which i find harder to believe – that you really go to bed at 8.30 or you that you really think we will judge you for being a travelling mother…or was that other people judging you? methinks you should not care of those who pre-occupy themselves with judging the lives of others.
ps – loved that you made cupcakes. me i love to bake so i would’ve done the same.
xx
Posie Patchwork says
My trick, to make the batter while you’re cooking dinner & coordinate it with a casserole (or baking garlic bread, whatever reason the oven is on) & by the end of eating dinner, da dah, cupcakes don!! Well if you’re really in a rush, do muffins, no icing required!!
Love the baking, i bake recess twice a week this way!! Love Posie
DancingInTheRain says
I too like to bake but understand that that is not everyone’s thing. They will like doing something else that I dont like doing so it all works out.
Glowless says
Looove the cupcakes. And the blog years bit is so true!
This week I learned not to tell people when my baby reaches a milestone (starts crawling) because he will never do it when they watch 🙂
HeartBabyHome says
>blog years
lol!!
http://www.mamapedia.com/article/homemade-treats-in-school
Our school district has a strict policy against homemade treats due to an unfortunate hepatitis incident…
_vTg_ says
Blog years- definitely!! (oops…)
The baking reminded me of this interview with the female Nobel laureates last year- look for the “Bagel Bites story” towards the end…
http://blogs.sciencemag.org/sciencecareers/2009/10/a-conversation.html
Not that I necessarily agree, but it’s a perspective!
_vTg_ says
Oh yeah, and enjoy the freedom to create cakes if you so desire- our future kinder only allows commercially made cakes, bought within 2 hours of delivery at the school. Sorry kiddos, you’re going cakeless next year!!
sasha says
these are really adorable. i hope my mom makes them for me!
Thanks for sharing,
– Sasha
http://www.diaperstylememoirs.blogspot.com
Christie - Childhood 101 says
Those cupcakes look adorable, if only I had the ability to fashion anything even remotely similar!!
The KitchenMaid says
Mums who travel for work = lucky. Mums who travel because their work is drug running, hmmm, not so sure about that!
Thanks for this post, made my day (as usual)!
Jess says
Yes! Blogyears! Love it…. and so so true. I have spent so much time wondering where the time goes when blogging.. thank god for Maxabella Learnt…!!
Relyn says
That picture is adorable!!
Julia says
hats off to you for staying up to make cupcakes! I’m feeling *mildly* guilty for taking a store-bought pie to the Thanksgiving Potluck at baby’s daycare tomorrow. But she’s only 15 mo. and won’t be too terribly embarrassed, will she? I learned that I am much more relaxed with baby than I was with #1 ten years ago. I laughed as she kicked her cereal bowl upside-down today! Now that’s progress. Julia momlifetoday.com
Tubah says
hey there,
I’m the founder of the Creative Muslims blog! Wow!!! I had no idea you name dropped us but for some reason my site decided to pick up the ping today. It’s been offline since this Summer. I’ve been working to get it up and running again with a fresh new look but have been super busy working a full time job. Look out for us in 2015! (fingers crossed)
Thanks for the support and wishing you the best.
Maxabella says
It’s so hard to fit it in, isn’t it!? I love your blog and I’ll look forward to seeing some fresh content in 2015. x