I was left pregnant without a man, gave birth without a man, raised a child without man. This doesn’t mean that I’m alone though!
After enduring all the put downs from the birth-dad (BD), not receiving nor requesting a cent of child support, BD didn’t even want to know my little girl,
He only talks to me to say “Wow, I didn’t think you could do it”… well yeah I did it.
Marjorie threw her daughter a big 1st Birthday Party!
To celebrate my daughter’s first birthday, we threw one epic party with all our friends and family.
Then we flew out to Cairns to spend time with my little one – even after getting her vaccination shots, we still had a good holiday.
Marjorie took her daughter on a trip to Cairns
One thing I’ll be sure to teach my daughter, is never to rely on a man’s opinion to identify who you are. ❤❤
Marjorie Fahey
Single mum, and member of the Australian Single Mum Support Facebook Group.
If you’ve ever thought of some kind of celebration to mark the end of your marriage, this Aussie single mum has totally nailed it!
Thank you, next! My Australian single mum divorce party!
I celebrated the end of an error with a Divorce Party last night, it was such a laugh and so much fun.
My friends and I had picked and booked a stripper but half an hour before he was due to arrive he messaged us and said he could not make it but was sending a replacement. And who should walk in the door but my trainer from the gym.
He performed the Magic Mike routine. I was gushing with embarrassment through out the entire show but he was such a great sport. I still don’t know how I’ll ever face him at the gym again after that!
I’m so glad I did this, it gave me an opportunity to celebrate with all my friends and family who supported me through the hardest 2 years of my life. If you are recently separated or divorced I highly recommend doing this. It was just the kick start I needed before the next chapter of my life begins.
Spare time is something single mums rarely have, and time-saving tips can be a single mum saviour! One of our Facebook single mum support group members came up with a list of some fantastic time-savers that we thought really deserved to be shared so that all could benefit!
Read on…
Single mum savvy time-saver cheat sheet!
Hey mummas 🙂 I am a single mum of 3 and I work. I wanted to share some things that have gotten me through when I haven’t had the time to even scratch myself!
1. Buy longlife milk and keep in the cupboard at all times, just in-case
Keep long life milk in the cupboard
2. Have a spare loaf of bread in the freezer!
Keep a loaf of bread in the freezer
3. Keep money, even if just coins in the car, just in-case.
Keep money in the car just in case
I’m forever getting caught out without cash on me!
4. Use a calendar!
Use a calendar to plan
I have a calendar on the inside of my pantry door for all events, birthdays etc.
5. Have a rewards chart for yourself!!
My star chart!
I know this sounds crazy, but it keeps me going and feeling like I’m still accomplishing things even the little everyday things. My rewards chart has – school lunches, pack toddlers day care bag, preps reader, feed animals, dishes, etc and I tick it off every night.
6. Do a mid week wash!!
Do a mid-week wash
I used to wait for the weekend to do a mid week wash but now I smash it out through the week! When I get home from work I throw a load on. While dinner is cooking it’s washing and when I’ve put the kids to bed I hang it while watching tv… life saver in this house!
7. Get the kids bathed and showered before dinner!
Get the kids ready for bed before dinner
I used to have dinner then do the bath/bedtime routine but now I put dinner on, bath and dress the kids, pack school lunches etc and then sit at the table for dinner. I’ve found this saves soooo much time! Once dinner is done it’s teeth, reader and bed.
8. Alternate kids bath and showers
My kids find ways to argue even when in the shower so my 2 youngest bathe together one night and my eldest has a shower in privacy the next night. ( he’s 11 )
9. If dinner isn’t ready by the time the kids are bathed and in PJs, once their room is clean they have free time
Kids’ free time as a reward
🙂 since they’re checking their rooms every night now they’re actually staying clean! Crazy right?!
10. Have a white board with weekly meals on it each week that you stick to.
Use a meal planner
I have a white board with weekly meals on it that I stick to each week.
If it been a crazy day and I’m out of whack, tacos are my go to meal! Quick and easy and I just throw all the ingredients on the table and let the kids self serve. Cut up tomato, capsicum, cucumber, carrot, Canned corn, lettuce, a tub of Greek yoghurt with a spoon and bam! Dinner done 🙂
Quick and easy dinners
11. I’ve heard meal prepping is amazing!
But I am yet to do it. But I have found now that I’m doing a mid week load of washing 1 or 2 nights, and have my checklist, the kids have time to clean their rooms each night etc I’m now not wasting my weekend cleaning anymore so I could easily meal prep one day over the weekend.
12. Greek yoghurt!!!
Greek yoghurt go-to
Greek yoghurt has been a little gem in my household! It’s so versatile and you can buy the big tubs. I use Greek yoghurt with fruit for the kids as a snack or in cooking as a healthy and cheaper alternative.
Meal ideas: * quick spuds. Spuds in the oven in foil and served with cheese and Greek yoghurt. * home made pizza with Greek yoghurt and flour as the base. * instead of sour cream on nachos, tacos, burritos… * cream pasta dishes, stroganoff etc… 1 tub can last me a few meals!
Spuds served with cheese and Greek yoghurt
I hope some of these tips have helped someone as we all grow and learn/adapt. Please add something below in comments that you’ve found has helped get you through and changed your life for the better 🙂
Self-care may seem like the impossible dream for many single mothers, but one of our Facebook single mum support group members came up with a hilarious (and many mums say ingenious!) solution to finding some single mum me-time. Read on…
Single mum step-by-step guide to a kid-free weekend!
Self-care is the single mum unicorn
Step 1 – Don’t pay the Telstra bill
Don’t pay your bill…..yet
Step 2 – Feign sympathy that because of no internet no one can play Fortnite/Watch Netflix or YouTube
Feign sympathy over lost wifi
Step 3 – Act shocked that Spawn 4 & 5 (10 & 13 yrs) want to go to their Dads for the weekend. (They say there’s nothing to do at Dads and internet is slow but at least there IS internet.)
Dad has wifi
Step 4 – Pay Telstra bill on the way home from work on Saturday afternoon.
Time to pay the bill!
Step 5 – Watch reruns of Lucifer on Netflix.
Netflix binge time!
Step 6 – Do not feel guilty about anything you’ve done and eat as much damn ice cream as you can handle!!
Actual ice cream gorge photo
Step 7 – If you start feeling guilty, remind yourself that you work damn hard doing this parenting gig on your own and then drive your ass to the servo for a big box of Maltesers.
Servo snack top-up time
Nikki Caldwell
Single mum, and member of the Australian Single Mum Support Facebook Group.
I celebrated the end of an error with a Divorce Party last night, it was such a laugh and so much fun.
My friends and I had picked and booked a stripper but half an hour before he was due to arrive he messaged us and said he could not make it but was sending a replacement. And who should walk in the door but my trainer from the gym.
He performed the Magic Mike routine. I was gushing with embarrassment through out the entire show but he was such a great sport. I still don’t know how I’ll ever face him at the gym again after that!
