Mad English girl Down Under

Yesterday was Christmas day as I'm sure you all know and don't need telling. We have I guess you'd call it a tradition where no presents are put under the tree until late Christmas eve. This year is no exception, once the kids are in bed I go and get all the presents from their hiding place which I think is universal all over the world, from the wardrobe, right? The miraculous thing is that I, like every other mum I believe, seem to manage to hide all the presents into the smallest of hiding places. Feeling good and chuffed with myself and remembering (or so I thought) all of the hiding places I then can relax. List checked for the millionth time that yes everything I've bought is wrapped and I have bought enough presents. So Christmas morning comes along and the stocking are dragged in to our room by the children (yes I know they're now 14 and 18 but they still get a stocking) We then break from tradition and go straight to the tree to open presents. We agree ...

G'day everyone. It's that time of year again when 3 of the 4 of us go and have birthdays all within a week of each other. Crazy right, but the more people I talk to the more I hear other people are just as stupid! I could firstly tell you about the birthdays but in truth 2 of the 4 of us were poorly on 2 of the 3 birthdays. So that's not what I'm going to do. Instead I'm going to share with you my wonderful cake creations. In my head and I blame a lot if not all of this down to bake off, they make things look easy and when I'm watching it I sit and shout at the telly how hard can THAT be, (amongst other unprintable things) So the theme this year for Ob's cake was some weights. How hard can that be right? In my head as all my creations are, they are marvellous, fantastic and look exactly how they should do. Sadly in truth they end up with me getting the hump and turning the air blue. Like I said this year I made some cakes to look like weights. I was a...

So its that time again when I have a day off so can write about my adventures and yes first I have to go food shopping. Sigh, which results in my fear of will the trolley coin work this time (remember so far it hasn't) As I'm walking to the trolleys I see an abandoned one that's not chained to its siblings, so I do a little fist pump in the air and grab it from the clutches of the old man about to do the same. If he knew my battle with trolleys and Aldi in general I'm sure he would've been sympathetic. So off I trundle and grab all the bits I need, I timed it right, just before all the other annoying mums have got there after dropping off their children at school. So, at the till there is not my normal friendly person whom I chat to, instead it's this half wit, he looks about as impressed to be there as I do, he was NOT impressed when I couldn't remember my pin number and sighed louder than I do, so I told him there was no need for that (everything over he...

So last night I stopped off to Aldi to get some picnic food (more about this later) Struggle yet again with the trolley coin as I have done all the other times I go to Aldi (which fyi is one of 3 as you know supermarkets here in Canberra, Sigh.  Do miss Sainsbury, any how) So after struggling with the trolley coin (they don't have baskets here presumably so you buy more or don't pinch them? I managed to get the trolley with the worse wheels ever and just ever so slightly bumping into some poor person walking past (I had no control over this thing) I manage to get inside. Within seconds of me looking at all the rice cakes (remember the tuna episode ...... it was a bit like that but this time I just opted for barbecue flavour and not one of each) I hear a "miss, miss, miss" I turn around and there is a very small oriental man standing there beaming at me, I felt like a celebrity and thought yup, he's read my blog, he recognises me. In my head I'm mentally th...

G'day.  It's been a while I know. Due to working FULL TIME (have I mentioned that before?) I now have no time to shop, no time for coffee with the lovelies and worse no time to blog. Sob and sigh.  Any how... During my working weeks I have been been building A LOT. ...I am now a master and am pretty very awesome. I still hide in the wardrobes (see attached picture) this was taken this morning while I fitted the trouser pull out hanger to it.  After taking said photo I realised I was being watch by another co-worker so in true Maddi style I just shrugged and said "I'm British" he looked as confused as me trying to find my way around the store. (Getting lost is a daily thing for me). Sigh 😕😣  As you know this is my favourite phrase and excuses me for pretty much every thing (well in my head it does) A few blunders I either said or done over the last few weeks are... During the weekly store huddle (yes we have a weekly huddle, we also have a daily huddle... p...

Evening all. 6pm here and thought I'd spend the next hour writing to you. Sean is in the office / spare room doing spin on his road bike with trusty mac advising him what to do. I went to spin class this morning at 6 am and got shouted at what to do. Which I have to say did get easy then I didn't go for a week because of being in Sydney with work and now I feel like I'm back to square one. Hey ho. So my week last week was erm. ... OK.  The first 2 days I did nothing but pillow fluff which actually after 8 hours of doing I was glad by the 3rd day to be in the wardrobe part. I've found the answer to all the questions asked by customers is simply say "just follow the path and you'll see/get it" works a treat. Sean was not impressed when I told him this. But what does he know. The 4th day I was more prepared and took initiative and shut all the wardrobe doors that were open, even the ones customers had just opened and were looking in. This did actually ...

Hi everyone. I have just had a very amusing experience happen and only felt it right I should share with you lot. So, Sean came back last night (he's been in Sydney for 3 days) and we have a vodka & coke to start the weekend off with. This morning I have to follow him in our car to drop the hire car off. So we're pootling along and suddenly the cars all start to slow down. The police are ahead and they are waving EVERY single car to the side. I start to panic, I had 2 last night but any one that knows Sean, knows he pours his shots like they are going out of fashion. I'm watching Sean and thinking crap we're both for the high jump. He pulls up and then within seconds he's driving off. I'm now shaking and have gone all hot with fear. So... I drive up to the policeman that's waving me to pull up (very slowly I might add, oh and quite typically my hair is frantic as I didn't bother doing it this morning and I have my Willy Wonka sunglasses o...

Like the title says here's a few other moments when talking to my darling husband I've had to say oops more than once. The first being when I was offered the job with IKEA I asked him if he knew they were going to offer it, his reply was 'yes of course I knew' He then went on to tell me that my area manager (AM ) had laughingly said this..... AM -'We're going to offer Maddi the job but we're just not sure on her taste of men' When Sean told me this, my reply after gasping was 'but how do they know I love Tom Hardy, I didn't mention him at all in my interview, that's really weird' I went on to say. Sean now looking not as happy at the start of our conversation simply said 'he meant me Mad, not Tom Hardy' Oops Second oops. We have an IKEA social media app that only the exclusive can join. So I joined to see what all the hype was about and it asked me if I wanted to follow anyone in IKEA. So I sat and thought about this for ...

G'day all.  Down to business... did I tell you that when I applied to IKEA I only wanted part time hours? Assumed in my interview I was getting part time as I mentioned it plenty of times... and when I started the first week the HR manager who I know anyway asked with a puzzled face "Didn't you just want part time hours" "YES" I probably said a bit too loud and desperate, She then informed me that my beloved deputy may have had a part in me getting full time hours. GRRRRRR.  Anyway I'm there full time and its not quite the pillow fluffing I expected it to be.  No more to say on that.  I failed to tell you in the last email about the guy at Costco...and that the last time I went there I very nearly accidentally (of course) ran him over. Now this guy by his own admission is not a small chap and also is COVERED in high visibility  attire because of working in the fuel court and presumably so he doesn't get run over on a daily basis....

Morning,  How are we all? Its very windy here and very chilly. I know this because I'm sat in my freezer! I'm sat here with my cappuccino (with milk) and a glass of Berroca (on account of not wanting to get crook again) makes an interesting breakfast don't you think?  Last weekend for those that haven't seen or heard we saw Koala's, I was just a little excited and boy they are super cute looking. The lady at the reserve said we were really lucky to see one out eating as they normally sleep for 19 hours a day. They are beautiful animals. The day after Sean and I drove to the beach and just by chance when we looking out to sea I spotted 4 dolphin fins, I was that excited and jumping up and down that much I gave myself a headache.  We very nearly got cut of by the sea but luckily we didn't. Sean said we'd be OK and we could've climbed the cliff .... my response was "not in my pretty converse shoes, NO way" so we had to run back across the ...

Hi kids. Thought I would type this letter as it's probably easier to read. Firstly thank you for stopping to read this, maybe you haven't actually even stopped to read it. I'm sorry I've interrupted your time as I know you are both very busy people with all that you do. I really just wanted to say how much I appreciate you for letting me do so much for you. I loved getting up at 6.30 yesterday morning to make your lunches for school / college. Because I've seen how very busy you are having to watch YouTube whilst trying to struggle to eat breakfast, if you'd like me to maybe next time make your breakfast as well please let me know it's not a problem. I see how long it takes to straighten your hair and put your make up on, I should really spend more time doing mine but you see that would involve me doing less for you which we don't want. Please don't thank me either because it's really my pleasure. You were both very ingenious watching me h...

I'm currently sat on a log - yes I am actually sat on a log in the day time and I'm under a tree and dare I say not freaking out.  Of course I'm scanning for scaries and I've just flicked an ant the size of a small cat off me but so far all is good.  I'm at the pump track with Ob. There's 3 little bits to it and yes you can probably guess it, when we arrived it was empty, now every lady, dog, child on a wooden trike thing that I'm not sure even has round wheels as all he's doing is screaming and throwing himself on the floor, has joined us. There is a lady on the track with her lovely Pendleton looking bike with baskets rear and front shouting loudly about how much fun this is and how we should all look at her.  Hmm special comes to mind. So, yesterday Ob asks if I'd like to go on a bike ride (he has a new bike with ...... brakes!!!! To say he's chuffed is an understatement not just because the bike has brakes but it has suspension and...

I've just got back from Fat Burning class, it was my favourite instructor taking it, cocktail dress lady. Remember her?! After having a quick emergency drive to IKEA to give Sean his glasses (more on that later) and after a very eventful trip to Costco fuel station (I have avoided it like the plague since the first and last incident, of course you all remember that don't you?!) The fuel is only $1.37 there for the sooper dooper stuff we have to put in the civic which is cheaper than at Woollies where it's $1.47. I actually don't care or mind how much it is because I know it's a lot cheaper than you guys are paying (hehehe) Back to the fat burner story.... I rock up (after driving to the wrong car park... and yes it's easy to do as I came in a different way after seeing Sean) parked up, swiped in, which of course my card has to be the only one that doesn't swipe normally, the girls at the desk always have trouble with mine, typically.  Get in to class d...

Good evening peeps.  Have just got back from burlesque so thought I'd take 5 minutes to say hi and to check you're all OK?  As you know people are here are struggling with my accent, to the point where now I'm known as "That girl there is American" more on that in a bit.  This week I answered the phone at work said the usual spiel, to which the response was "Oh hi, it's Amy" "Hi Amy you OK?' I reply.  "Yeah I'm good thanks, how are you" Amy asks. "Erm good thanks" Me now wondering what does Amy want,  Then I get asked "What Maddi is this?" "Erm, English Maddi, isn't my accent a give away" getting slightly irritated now. "Oh no, I didn't want you. I wanted the other Mady, I couldn't tell which one you were when you answered'. I get told. So I told Amy AGAIN, "I'm the English one, the English one, the only ENGLISH one in the building" then put the ph...