This morning I am linking up with our ever patient, super nice blog mentor, Pip Lincolne from the blog ‘Meet Me At Mikes’ who is hosting a little ‘tea party’ in celebration (insert drum roll here please!) of our graduation from her ‘Blog With Pip‘ e-course!
All of us little ‘Pipsters’ or ‘Pip’s Peeps’ as we have become known, are sharing posts today to tell you a few things about our crazy selves! Most of you who follow my blog already know our family pretty much inside out by now as you are either related to us, have been friends – aka have put up with us before – or joined us to be subjected to our ravings over the last twelve months as we planned and headed off on our trip around Oz!
However, if I am lucky enough to have a new visitor today – WELCOME! I made a little audio recording (woot! I learnt lots of new somethings!) at the start of our blog course to share a bit about myself and I’ve included that below as an introduction for any newbies here. If you already know me, you may get a laugh to start your day out of hearing my nervous little voice live on the internet, so have a listen!
You can also read more about us here if you are still interested!
Anyway, today I thought we’d just have a little chat about a few bits and bobs that I have floating around in my head at the moment, you know, just the way we would if I was sitting down with you across the table. We better get one thing straight first though, I don’t drink coffee or really much tea, so soda water and cordial, or a ‘V’ and a banana chic-chip muffin are more likely to be on offer at my place at the moment!
Right, so I’m just going to do a bit of a brain dump – list style and hopefully you will find something of interest in there!
1. I’m feeling very sad that I have just about finished posting about our trip around Oz – reading back on this post and this one, makes me just wish for the open road again! So, Matt is on the hunt for a camper trailer for us now to replace ‘good ole’ Karen. Does anybody have some recommendations for us? We will be buying second hand and our current favourites are the Cameron Campers and the All Terrains. I’d love to hear some thoughts on people’s camper trailer experiences! 
2. I really, really love following Kelle Hampton’s blog, Enjoying The Small Things and she wrote a great post recently on having identity issues at 35 – it is a long read, but definitely gets the brain a-ticking! Do we all have a bit of a ‘what am I doing with my life?’ moment when we hit our thirties? I know we sure did – surely we’re not the only ones?
3. Are you on Instagram? You can find us on there having lots of fun this month following along with this #photoaday challenge set up by another awesome blogger Fat Mum Slim. It’s a great way to make the time to take a snapshot everyday and try to improve those photography skills!
4. Remember I wrote about how this year is the International Year of Family Farming and I said I’d have to think of some ways for us to get involved? Well so far, this is what we have come up with ……………………….
We made sure the Year of the Farming Family got a mention in our recent newspaper article showing!
We’ve signed on to learn how to become Rural Champions with AgForce Queensland so hopefully later this year we may go into the local schools and talk with kids about the careers available in the Agricultural Industry, something we didn’t know much about when we were kids, which seems crazy given that we grew up in a rural community! Have a look at this site for more information about the program http://www.futureag.org.au/resources/rural-champions.html
My sister Beth is showing us up with her awesome shopping efforts at her local produce market, so I have vowed to try to work out where I can buy more direct produce from the farm gate up here!
Good one Beth!
5. It might just be the pregnancy hormones, but a couple of blog posts I read recently were so lovely they made me cry. Check out this one from Seven Cherubs: Fairy Bread and Garden Salad and this Scatter Love Story from Fat Mum Slim.
6. Since we’re having a cup of tea, I should tell you about another great ‘Cuppa With’ that I have had recently! The National Rural Women’s Coalition (NRWC) are running some great free webinars for rural women all over Australia as a chance to network and learn all sorts of things. A few weeks ago I heard all about how to use Facebook for business better and tomorrow night I am hopefully going to get my head around and make the most out of Twitter!
Well, that’s about it on my end! Have you read anything interesting recently? Are you learning something new? Seen anything that made you cry? I’d love to hear about it, tell me about it in the comments, leave a link to a blog post you have written about it, or send me an email! Let’s chat!
Hi Jess. Longtime reader, first-time commenter: I have also been feeling sad that you’ve almost finished posting about your trip around Oz, but happy to see that you’re looking for a camper trailer for future adventures 🙂 My partner and I (along with our kelpie, Banjo) are hitting the road (indefinitely) at the end of May, and we chose a Cameron Off Road Concept camper trailer to be our ‘mobile home’. The ‘no pegs or guy ropes’ and ‘no climbing over each other’ bed design won us over at first sight, and we could have saved ourselves a lot of time and energy if we’d just committed there and then: the ease of set-up is a no-brainer, really! I’ll email you with more details and pics. Cheers, Kim
Kim – that would be great if you could email us some pics! Matt loves the Cameron campers & I was sold after watching the video of the 8 yr old doing the setup! We’re going to have to live vicariously through your trip now – very jealous! Nice to meet you!
I wouldn’t have pegged you as a V drinker. I would have thought of you more as a Mango thickshake kinda gal 🙂
Heike – the v drinking is my very guilty, dirty little secret! So bad!!
Jess, I love reading your blog – it always sounds so conversational – an art I think.
I don’t know how you find the time to write all of these blogs with everything else that you have to do!
One of my goals is to write a book about Mum and her journey with dementia (sounds like a Dr Seuss book). I have penned lots of little anecdotes and I have a title – but finding the motivation and time to write is another thing though.
I am loving the Organised Housewife – as well as organisational tips and lists (which I love), she also has lots of other things such as recipes, motivational quotes etc.
Keep on typing.
xx
Excited you’re getting a camper – have fun shopping 🙂 And what is it about the 30’s? I’ve only been there a little while but I’ve started to think about things so much more deeply and differently than I did my 20’s! I have bookmarked the post you linked for later reading 🙂
Great read. Thanks for sharing a little bit about yourself. Congratulations on your (soon to be) new arrival!!
Great cuppa Jess. It’s been such a delight getting to know you and the family. Can’t wait for the new arrival.
We toyed with getting a camper trailer for awhile, will be interested to see which one you end up choosing. They are an investment so you really want to get it right don’t you!! Did I hear mention that you’re pregnant? I didn’t realise that x
Great post Jess. So impressed you inserted your pod cast…so much braver than me! Good luck with the new arrival!
Hi Jess. That was lovely thanks. The NRWC webinars sound really interesting! I’m off to read the post about identity issues at 35. Then I can stop blaming you and Heike for my itchy feet!! X 🙂
Hi Jess, I’m 34 and am right now off to look at that link for identity issues at 35. I love your blog, North Queensland and Mangos (particularly those funny Mareeba green mangos). Please keep writing. xx Caro
Really enjoyed that Jess, I hope you get your camper van and head off again for more adventures. Love the idea of the photos day challenge, very interesting. And my children are all grown up but I still cry at everything happy or sad lol.
Hi Jess. I admire your activism for agriculture, buying local. It is such a huge issue here in America, too, and something I wish I could do more of. It’s so much easier in the summer when the local veggies come into the farmer’s market and roadside stands. They are just SO much better than grocery store veggies. I wish you luck on your new family member. My mother was 35 when I was born and I had siblings that were 9, 12, and 15! I’m the one who keeps us all together! Thanks for sharing with us.
Hello Jess
Saw a post of yours on myswag and followed it to here
We are in Townsville, recently purchased a 2nd hand Cameron Concept locally. I also loved the idea of the easy setup and not climbing over one another. It has a great kids room attached as well, pretty quick to set up. Hardest bit is putting away all the crap you carry with kids.
I recommend it, the tent frame cover means you can throw a fair bit of crap of top of the canvas as well!
Regards
Peter