Living the good life

Amazing Cinnamon Rolls

2010-10-15T20:54:00.000+11:00

I found this recipe for Cinnamon Sticky Rolls on a blog called Dinner with Julie.

They are pretty easy to make - and I've never made anything like this before. One afterschool afternoon, the two little ones scrambled and played, while Yasmin and I threw this together. Twenty minutes later, our house smelled like a bakery. These were simply, AMAZING. Next time we have a brunch, I'll throw this in the oven. We enjoyed them for several days after, but nothing came close to eating them out of the oven.

Here's Julie's recipe.

Cinnamon Sticky Biscuits

Stickiness:
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. honey or corn syrup

Biscuits:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil

Filling:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup raisins and/or chopped pecans (optional)
Put the butter, brown sugar and honey into an 8”x8” pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, put it in the oven and turn it on to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the milk and canola oil and stir by hand just until you have a soft dough. Do not overmix!

On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough into a 9” x 14” rectangle. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins or nuts. Starting from a long side, roll tightly jelly-roll style into a log. Cut into 9 biscuits using dental floss or a serrated knife, and place cut side down in the pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Invert onto a platter while still warm.
Makes 9 sticky biscuits.

Here's our before and after shots.

They won't disappoint you!

Welcome back...to me

2010-10-14T17:02:00.000+11:00

I've been AWOL for a couple of weeks, busy with girls in school holidays, away in Queensland and then back into the swing of things.

I saw this rocking chair idea on Design Mom and LOVED IT! And then immediately wondered...do these sorts of projects photograph better than they look in real life?

Photo from Design Mom

I will have my own DIY project soon on a shadow box I bought for a steal on ebay which came from the States.

I'm planning to strip and paint it and use it in our holiday house (on track for being ready in December YAY!). I love the idea of shadow boxes - it gives a special home to display small objects or nick nacks which kids seem to love (but otherwise lose).

I'm hoping my AFTER picture looks a little like this....

And on the home front...these three little girls are growing up, getting bigger, wiser and older.

Love to your house too.

2010-09-22T20:23:00.000+10:00

It's been a busy few weeks. Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, a couple of lingering viruses, and now, our Term 3 School Holidays. However, I am happy to report:

1. I am finally on the mend, thanks to resting and LOTS of vitamins and herbs.
2. The girls have been (mostly) lovely these holidays, playing well, enjoying being together and fighting far less.
3. My Urban Outfitters package arrived and my $40 jeans fit PERFECTLY!
4. Layla has FINALLY, FINALLY said goodbye to her dummies. It was far less traumatic than ~~last time~~ I anticipated and I spent a few days both immensely proud of her and shocked that she'd actually done it.

We celebrated with my first ever batch of meringues, as requested by Layla.

Finally, inspired by my lovely friend of 15 years from halfway across the world, we've been getting busy with FIMO making alien creatures. If you haven't used it before, FIMO is modelling clay that you bake in your oven to harden. So, after showing Yasmin Meri's blog featuring her own Alien Army, we set to work. It was fun for the girls and I. It's always great to find an activity that all three girls (2.5, 4.5 and nearly 7 years) can do.

Hope you've got a happy house too.

xxx

Australia: Meet Urban Outfitters

2010-09-11T20:24:00.000+10:00

Have you ever seen a toy somewhere that you know your kid would LOVE, so much that purchasing it becomes a quest to secure their long term happiness? Well, you know what I mean.

And so it was with the vintage Fisher Price Record Player. For months I've been scouring Ebay to get one - and they were either crappy condition, or way too much to justify spending on something second hand.

Until I discovered that Fisher Price are re- releasing the Record Player.

And Urban Outfitters stock them online. For $40.

And they ship to Australia!

FOR FREE! (Ok, well you do need to spend over $150 to get free shipping, but still....)

And so, one little devilish two year old and four monther is about to get the most gorgeous little present that I JUST KNOW she will love.

And I just know I'll love this gorgeous Birdcage Duvet Cover too...

Etsy love part 53

2010-09-09T09:24:00.000+10:00

I stumbled upon these gorgeous prints on Etsy, via Charlotte's Fancy. Even better, they're on sale! I think the Paris picture with the balloon might be gorgeous in a contemporary bathroom or girls bedroom.

The Red Balloon, by Irene Suchocki

Looking for Love, by Irene Suchocki

You can find more here at Irene's Etsy shop.

Shana Tova and a little craft for a gorgeous Wednesday

2010-09-08T16:38:00.000+10:00

We have a few days off school in honour of Rosh Hashanah. The table is set, the apples and honey are ready, and we're (mostly, mostly I say) taking it easy. I took the girls on a long walk and play in the park today, to celebrate a gorgeous spring day. The older two were on their scooter and the little one in our Radio Flyer wagon - all this resulted in two long naps and one long rest for three girls. Check!

I'm going to try this crafty little project - looks perfect for 2, 4, and 6 year olds. Check out Sunset Skyline Art Project.

Here's a snap of our festive table. The placemats are actually scrapbook sheets I got from my local art shop for 25c, and the placecards are handmade by me.

Warm greetings to you all.

xx

2010-09-05T20:20:00.000+10:00

As I've mentioned before, I'm an avid reader of the Nie Nie Dialogues. And I've oohed and aahed at their gorgeous, vibrant and love filled family shots by an American photographer husband and wife duo called Blue Lily. So, when I read on Nie Nie's blog that Blue Lily are coming down unda! Wowza, I went straight to their link and booked in....for next April. I already can't wait.

Here's their photos of the Nielson family. Beautiful I'm sure you'll agree. You can also see some more of their shots on Design Mom's blog.

PS. If you are looking for someone local in Melbourne, we used Tea and Jam Photography and loved their shots too. Highly recommended and fun to work with.

Hope you've had a lovely weekend. We've been passing bugs round between us so it's night night for me.
xxx

Our inaugural visit to holiday house

2010-09-01T19:35:00.000+10:00

Our lovely abode in the mountains is now official, and we took the girls on Sunday for an adventure to look at the house again.

I quickly made some banana bread in the morning as well as some hot chocolate because it is COLD up there!

Our first stop - Bunnings. This is a loved Aussie tradition, complete with the morning sausage sizzle outside the store. By 10.30, we were in Bunnings, eating our sausages, white bread and ketchup. Yum. We bought our gumboots in anticipation of some serious mud, and a little while later the girls were gleefully jumping in the muddiest puddle they had ever come close to. They loved it.

We were joined by a kookaburra landing right next to us, some ducks grazing on grass, some rozellas, peered at some funny looking alpacas (belonging to the neighbours), and watched the cockatoos soaring in the sky. I do love it up there.

The girls were SUPER excited in the house. It's spacious, well laid out but needs a little facelift. They literally played for about 30 minutes tackling, wrestling, laughing and rolling on the floor. I couldn't believe they could entertain themselves for so long in an empty house while we discussed ideas, layouts and such, but as my insightful husband commented, 'they have nothing to fight over.'

It's been busy organising all the things needed to renovate a house - tiles, cabinet makers, carpets, furniture etc, but what an exciting project. I can't wait for it to be ready. Here are some gorgeous bits I found (from Simply Seleta) that have inspired me.

Strawberry Jam Slice

2010-08-25T20:47:00.000+10:00

I've been looking for a recipe to make lately as a good standby for lunchboxes, snacks and the 8.14am-just- -buckled-all-three-girls-in-the-car-reversing-out-the-driveway-chorus: "I'm hungry."

And, after a big shop on the weekend, I challenged myself to make all our meals from scratch this week using whatever is in our pantry, fridge and freezer. So...back to Pioneer Woman I went, and found this recipe which I tweaked by swapping apricot jam with strawberry jam (because that's what was in our pantry).

I made it with Layla which was great. It's essentially an oat crumble with jam in the middle. I took the butter out a little earlier so she could cut it which she loved doing. Then she smooshed and squished the butter, oats, flour and sugar to her hearts content. She pressed half the mixture into a baking tin with a small spatula, poured and then gently spread the strawberry jam around, followed by the remaining mixture. Delicious! It's quite rich from the butter so for us, this is more for kids. Once cooled, I cut it into kids servings and put into the freezer. Easy and yummy.

I'm pleased to say things have been far more settled and relaxed on our end - no more wailing about tummy aches upon waking, less fighting and more calm, settled people in our house. Phew!

The Happiness Project

2010-08-24T20:10:00.001+10:00

If you are looking for a book to give you some direction, get you a little spiritually energised and thinking about your life, The Happiness Project could be the one for you. A New York Times bestseller, this book is interesting, accessible and engaging.

One day the author has a sudden jolt of realisation - the time to be happy in life is NOW. Not in two months, not on vacation or in 12 months time. THIS. IS. IT.

She decides to research how she can get happy, and begins a 12 month project she calls, The Happiness Project. She reorders her life, values, behaviours and frame of mind to see if she can make herself happy. She exercises. She declutters her house. She stops nagging her husband. She is more patient and loving with her kids. She acts as if she has more energy to feel more energised. And so on. It's a great read. Here's Gretchen Rubin (the author)'s blog for more information.

Here's what I've taken away from it (so far):
1. Act how you feel.
2. Stop looking for gold stars.
3. Be yourself. Your true self.
4. Take up new challenges.
5. Recognise your kids' feelings instead of arguing or disputing them (ie. you can't be hungry! Come on, stop crying.)
6. Be lighter.
7. Do what ought to be done.
8. Kids - the days are long but the years are short (I love this one).

I'm not finished yet but I'm loving it.

And closer to home, here's what's making me happy...

A late note...

2010-08-22T21:07:00.000+10:00

Things have been so hectic lately - parent teacher nights, a craft night, illnesses, followed by being soundly asleep at 9.20pm etc...so it's true my blogging has fallen behind. Anyhoo I'm back!

If you haven't read this blog already, Design Mom is an amazing resource. is a blog written a mum of 6 (!) who combines design and kidstuff. It's a great blog and keeps my fascination with mums of many kids and how they blog/shower/think/get dressed/function going.

We saw Mary Poppins the musical today and it was amazing! I took my 6.5 year old and we both LOVED it. If you live in Melbourne, I highly recommend it.

I'll leave you with some pics of two new purchases (because I can never resist a sale...). A Radio Flyer trike and wagon. They were officially broken in this weekend!

Weekend wrap

2010-08-15T19:51:00.000+10:00

A little of this....

a little of that....

and a little of this.

Mix together....lovely.

Tomorrow is a student free day at school so I am taking my two older girls to see this exhibition, Amazing Bodies at the Docklands. I think we saw this in London years ago pre kids and it was a little gross but so captivating. My kids are fascinated by blood, wounds and all that stuff so I'm sure they'll enjoy it.

Hope you had a gorgeous weekend too.

xxx

I made something!

2010-08-14T09:54:00.000+10:00

After attending a sewing workshop last week, my hands were ready to make something. I had bought some fat quarters from this gorgeous shop where I attended my workshop, Amitie. I bought a hoop from Spotlight, and finally, inspired by this post, made my very own fabric wreath.

Now I know it's not everyone's cup of tea (it's got that shabby chic look to it), but I love it. I chose some warm colours and patterns, and set to work. It's really very simple. It essentially involves cutting lots of strips of fabric (11inches long, 2.5 inches wide), deciding a pattern or order, and then tying them tightly around the hoop. I love how it looks. It's colourful but soft an I love the idea of it adding some texture on a wall of prints.

In fact, I think it will go beautifully next to these prints I ordered from an Etsy designer in my own hometown, Melbourne.

The Love Tree, from the Love Shop

Love print, from the Love Shop

You are Beautiful print, from the Love Shop

Weekend Wrap

2010-08-08T20:01:00.001+10:00

What much better weekend we had! Might have something to do with me stealing some time for myself, a little winter sunshine, some company with other kids, a party, a ballet show (Yasmin saw Swan Lake) and some fresh air and outside play.

Yesterday I went to a beginner's sewing workshop I found through Notebook magazine. It was a great way to get my sewing up and running again. And I even made a little skirt for Zahara. OK, the hem was a little crooked, my stitching a little slanted, but Zahara was delighted with it.

Alas, I will always remain what my husband has dubbed, a 'rough chopper.' I can't cut, draw or chop a straight line. I have to admit I find sewing very difficult, it doesn't come naturally at all but it's something I've always wanted to learn, so I can make little cute things for my girls.

I also finally got started on my fabric wreath which is also a little bit of trial and error. I started on a heart shaped frame and I'm not sure how this will look...

The girls played happily this morning for about an hour together, making up games and using lots of imaginative play. This continued in the evening too. Even little Zahara joined in a game of mums and sisters (because no girl ever wants to be the dad).

Zahara and I played at the park this morning, and even better, this tired her sufficiently to have a super nap later on. The older girls were at a bowling party, came home for lunch, and then went off with their daddy for a long bike ride and play at the park.

Dinner tonight was homemade pizza accompanied with rocket (from our garden), sliced pear and parmesan salad. The girls were a little confused to the presence of pear in the salad, but all three loved it. The balsamic vinegar, pear and cheese offset the 'spicy' taste of rocket. I found a quick and easy recipe to make pizza dough (no rising needed) which was a thinner and much better base for our pizza maker. Simply topped with pasta sauce and grated cheese - yum.

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

xx

Good times?

2010-08-05T20:54:00.001+10:00

Just when you think afternoons couldn't get worse...they got better! We had a lovely afternoon today...might have something to do with Layla chucking a sickie from kinder and having a lovely 2.5 hour sleep, therefore eliminating her post kinder slumping/wimpering/crashing on the couch and general hyper sensitivity, a huge bag of new library books, and a little encouragement from the universe that sometimes, things go OK.

The girls ate so well - salad, fish and quinoa and corn salad.

Tonight we tried some quinoa and fresh corn (steamed and buttered). For quinoa, I use a recipe from this book, The 10 Things You Need to Eat: And More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Ways to Prepare Them. Quinoa is a super healthy food, it's a grain actually packed full of protein. You use 1 cup quinoa to 1 1/4 cup of water, bring to simmer, then cover and cook on lowest setting for 20-25 minutes. It actually comes out fluffy and light. But I won't lie to you - it takes a little getting used to. The sweetness and familiarity of the buttered corn seemed to make it tastier.

I roasted some rockling fillets in the oven for 25 minutes at 200 degrees celsius, just simply drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper. It's a really mild fish that's not fishy. Layla actually gave me a thumbs up for the fish. Somehow ketchup becomes the final addition to the fish, but hey, it's organic and if they're eating fresh fish I don't care what they put with it.

This was finished with a natural icy pole which is a huge treat for them. Things got a little crazy when the girls started shoving their icy hands down my back. Suddenly the ice cubes were flying and man we laughed and screamed.

Here's wishing you a little miracle too. To happy afternoons!

Oy the kids are killing me

2010-08-02T21:05:00.000+10:00

We temporarily lost our mojo this weekend. Probably a combination of cabin fever on a rainy wintery Sunday, too much red cordial at a kiddie party (Yasmin + overstimulated = disaster) and tired parents.

The weekdays are so very intense and non stop for both of us that come Saturday, when we start to slow down, we tend to fall into an exhausted heap with three kids running circles around us. Add some silly fighting, whingeing and whining, and well, I almost put the kids on Ebay.

And so it's very encouraging to read this mum of five, Shawni from 71 Toes, write about her family's grumpy moment too. I constantly think with our level of busyness and so many moments of chaos, how do mums with 4 or 5 kids do it? I have no idea. And I'm not sure I want to find out!

Yasmin sang with her school choir on Sunday night for a fundraising concert.

The excitement was palpable.

I'm in love

2010-07-28T20:34:00.000+10:00

..with this new blog I found, Pioneer Woman. It's amazing, so funny, and full of great stuff. And the writer is a city girl turned homeschooling mum of four living on a ranch. There are some great recipes too, I'm making this Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce on Friday night for dinner. You will love it, I promise.

This week I'm also loving:
- Layla's questions about robbers, God, whether we are allowed to talk on mobile phones in the car and "Mummy, how do you write dot com dot au?"
- this real life Summer Table Settings, some gorgeous inspiration in the thick of our Australian winter
- this Printable Alphabet Bunting - beautiful colours. Just click, print and cut.
- watching all the differences emerge in these three girls

- our Sunday night garden bonfire with toasted marshmallows

Hope you've got some lovin this week

Etsy love

2010-07-23T20:52:00.000+10:00

As I mentioned, I have a hankering for the country. You'd be shocked if you knew me to hear me say that. You see, I am an unabashed creature of comfort. My love for glossy magazines and a spot of shopping is well known. But now that I'm a little older, and a mother of three children, a part of me yearns for the simplicity of the country, the clean air and the lack of distractions here in the city.

I'm pleased to say we are getting closer to realising this little dream of ours. But in the mean time, I have started a little stock pile of sweet, gorgeous and things for this country patch of ours.

Where from? Etsy of course.

These little babies are on their way to me, as I type. Aren't they lovely? They make me want to snuggle in the couch with a cup of tea and a magazine. (A girl can dream can't she?)

Abstract Flower Cushion, from Olive

Heart Pillow, from Olive

Colorful Afghan Blanket, from AtelierAfra

Coaster, from AtelierAfra

Keep Calm and Carry On Archival Poster, from Cut Paste Print

Enjoy
xx

Fabric Wreath

2010-07-19T21:35:00.000+10:00

Image from Ready 2 Quilt via Etsy

I am daydreaming of a little place in the country, and while biding some time on Etsy the other day, came across this lovely little fabric wreath. My first thought was, "oooooooh I want it!', quickly followed by, 'Hang on, I think even I could make that!'.

After googling 'fabric wreath', I found this easy tutorial. I do have some fabric from my shortlived (ahem) stint with my sewing machine, and once I find a wreath frame, am going to give this a go. I love the idea and look of a wreath on a door.

See what you think....
xx

Some fun

2010-07-18T11:34:00.001+10:00

Image from Made by Joel

Here's something so fun and simple you could do with your kids - and best of all, you only need to click and print and your own little paper city is ready to colour in and make. It's from Made by Joel's blog and it's a gorgeous little paper city he created. I've never seen a dad quite like him! What a blog (bordering on depressing) - full of the MOST creative things this dad makes for his twin toddlers.

Thanks Meri for the link to Made by Joel's. My lovely friend Meri has a great blog too, called Meri Cherry, full of fun crafty stuff to do with kids.

Hope your weekend is fun and relaxing (ish).
xx

No banana bread today

2010-07-15T19:57:00.001+10:00

Ever have those weeks where you hear so much bad news around you, it makes you really stop and think. It shakes you, makes you hug your kids a bit tighter, or go back in after you've said goodnight to say 'I love you' again?

A terrible accident involving a young teenager from my girls' school, and some I discovered in the blog world. Well, it just seems a little trivial today to be posting about banana bread or dress ups. I'll leave you the links so you can read yourself. One involves a gorgeous mum called Marija whose blog, Holding Court, is about design, family and interiors. Suddenly her husband has posted informing his wife's readers that his wife has been killed in a car accident two days earlier.

At the very least, these terrible things always make me stop, take a breath and appreciate what we have. Our health, our family, our little sweet people and a pretty good life. And knowing that what seems to be so steady, even mundane at times, can be turned upside down in an instant. So, hug each other a little tighter, say your I love you's and be happy.

Wishing you only happy days.
xx

Best tips for surviving (and maybe even enjoying) school holidays

2010-07-11T20:19:00.000+10:00

It's the night before we go back to school, and I always give myself a little (invisible) toast - you made it! I always get to this point with the same mixed feelings - relief and anticipation of some time to myself again, a sense of accomplishment that we had a mostly (I say, MOSTLY) nice time, and a little 'aawwwwww I'll miss them tomorrow' (quickly replaced by my brain working to create 10 lists of things I'd like to get done tomorrow).

We travelled, swam, saw, explored, rode, flew, drew, painted, made, read, sculpted, cooked, ate, snacked and most importantly, PLAYED.

Here's my top tips for getting through school holidays:

1. Planning
Firstly, plan ahead. A few weeks before the holidays, look online or in your local children's magazines for shows, workshops or activities you want to do with your kids. Book tickets to what you want early. Once you've done that, you have a loose schedule to work around. Spread out your activities so you have some quiet days interspersed with the busier ones.

2. Surrender
Accept that for the next few weeks, your time to 'get things done' is being suspended. In fact, you can kiss your 'me' time away for the time being. You simply cannot get as many errands done as normal. I always feel like a kindergarten teacher during the holidays (but without the lunch break). Your focus has to be on the kids. Having a quiet cup of tea and making dinner is sometimes it for the day.

3. Stock up
Before every holidays start, I go to my local art and craft shop and stock up on supplies we need, plus some extra things that will be fun for the girls. Paint, new textas, paper, glue, glitter etc. I do a tidy up of the play room so things are more easily accessible and bring out some old stuff that hasn't been played with for a while.

4. Get inspired
Use the internet for easy, quick printables when you need to give your kids something to do. Colouring in pages, word mazes for older kids, dot to dots - these are all great. I source these in the evenings and keep them in a little folder when needed.

5. TV is your friend
During holidays, when the days can seem awfully long and the kids can get a little sick and tired of doing stuff or being home by afternoon, or to keep older kids quiet while little ones nap, there is nothing, and I mean, NOTHING wrong with some TV. I'm not talking about hours in front of the TV, but an hour here or there will restore a little calmness and can give you a chance to have some peace and quiet too. (My older girls love The Parent Trap, Mary Poppins, Toy Story and Annie.)

6. Make some time for yourself
This is critical. I have found some time away from my kids always rejevunates and refreshes me, and that makes me a better Mum(my). Use a 15 year old neighbour, family, babysitter, whatever you can afford. It will be good for everyone. Plus, I'll admit, being with your kids all day every day can be boring sometimes. Go for a walk, go to the supermarket, whatever just GET OUT!

7. Keep some perspective
Know this is only temporary. We all have bad days where the kids drive each other and us nuts. I've had days where I've felt like the worst mother in the world, shouting at her kids and just not 'feeling it'. We all have those days. Try to stay positive, keep it light and fun. Know this is all normal and part of motherhood. I still feel lucky to be able to be home with my kids and to be making their childhood memories with them.

Hope you have managed these holidays too and had some fun along the way.
xx

Stuff to do at home

2010-07-07T21:52:00.000+10:00

I am loving all the kids art and craft activities all over the wonderful American blogs I read - isn't it funny that half way across the world, other mums are also doing the universal 'gotta keep my kids busy scramble' during their long summer break while us mums in Australia are doing the same in our mid year (but shorter) winter break.

Here is a lovely blog I found by an American mum of five now living in Israel, called Creative Jewish Mom. We'll be trying the homemade watercolours tomorrow.

My girls were content today doing our old favourite, making playdough, and then cutting and pasting pictures from old magazines and catalogues. A no brainer.

A lengthy kiddie disco ensued after dinner (although it was rather testing to wind Yasmin back DOWN) which was fun - and I got to play my favourite music (with one Chicken Dance request).

Hope you are having a little peace during these busy times.

And to paraphrase a quote (because, um, I couldn't remember where I read it...)

Life with young kids can be summed up - the days are long but the years are short.
xx

There's no place like home

2010-07-04T22:02:00.001+10:00

We flew in today and it's sooo good to be home. I always love coming home if it's been 2 days or 2 weeks away.

We had a (mostly) fun week away, lots of swimming and sunshine which is a real treat in the middle of winter. Travelling with three young kids is a continual juggling act - it's regular toilet stops, snacks, drinks, sunscreen etc - you get it. They can also melt down pretty quickly after a day playing in the pool but we are always prepared with early dinners and a couple of DVDs from home to give everyone time to rest.

One highlight of our trip Yasmin made a friend from Sydney at our hotel in Bali and they swapped addresses after I explained to her what a pen pal is. Cute.

I always really clear my brain on holidays and use my empty headspace to think about things I want to achieve when we get home (hellooooo Extreme Makeover!) and do some mental planning. This time I continued to mull our choice of school for our kids (hmmmm), how to be healthier and some fun things we can do at home. I've been reading that although school is important, we shouldn't forget that kids really get their grounding and values from home. This is something we all need to hear sometimes because we can all get a little too caught up in day to day running around, playdates, TV etc, but it's good to be ask ourselves - what am I teaching my kids at home?

One thing I thought of after reading Steady Days which will help fill those sometimes dreadful afternoons after school is to make a Country Board. This will involve a simple bulletin style board where we can hang up any artwork, drawings, words or pictures related to that particular country. After the girls will choose a country, we will do fun little stuff like drawing that country's flag, learn a couple of words, some very basic customs and of course, try the local style food . This is all easily available online and I think this will be fun for all of us. As I've mentioned before, we have several books about kids living around the world, and this as well as their travels has given them a real interest in places around the world.

We had some serious sleep deprivation today after our overnight flight but as we are still in school holiday mode it's not such a big deal. This week we the girls have a couple of shows - Luigi Zucchini at the Melbourne Magic Festival in Northcote (random!), Circus Oz, a magic workshop at Gasworks and a local production of The Magic Hat. In between that will be a trip to our local Prahran Market (my favourite place to food shop) and continued generalised chaos and malarkey.

In the mean time, please drool with me at this gorgeous kid's pencil scarf (not to mention the rest of the items) I spotted in the recent edition of LMNOP, an online kids style mag.

Singapore and Bali, one noodle at a time...

2010-06-30T18:21:00.001+10:00

I ran out of time before we went away to say, I'm going away! We are in Bali after a four day jaunt with my parents in Singapore. Think - Zara, Universal Studios, Marc Jacobs (drool), playing, swimming and my favourite, watching Zahara eat noodles with one chopstick. Memorable stuff.

Now we are relaxing, unwinding into that slow, easy pace of not doing much poolside. Oh and thank heavens for Kids Clubs. Just one hour is magic. And reading Steady Days, which while my mind is relatively clear, could set me on a path when we come back home.

xxx

Weekend wrap

2010-06-22T20:17:00.001+10:00

Where possible, we try to create fun, new but wholesome experiences for our girls. We try to impart an appreciation of 'the simple things' in life. And so, a trip to local hardware chain Bunnings several months ago produced....

the outdoor firepit!

Around $60, it's basically a steel bowl on legs that you put in your garden and make a little bonfire in. Now that it's winter, we light it some weekends in the late afternoon while the kids play outside. Then dinner is eaten outside in a bowl. Always followed by toasted marshmallows.

The fire is soothing, warming and is a real novelty for kids. They scurried in the garden and down the street to collect fallen branches and twigs to throw in the fire. It looks beautiful too. Although admittedly, my heart is in my stomach for most of the time watching three kids walking, stumbling and moving constantly around it.

The face paint was from an African festival the girls went to on Sunday. They watched African singing and dancing, ate African food, and even got an awful red braid put in their hair. Zahara didn't speak for the three hours she was there.

By the way, these books (A School Like Mine, A Life Like Mine , Children Just Like Me) by DK Publishing are also great to expose your kids to other cultures, nationalities and lifestyles. (I've put some in the sidebar linked to Amazon.) We have a few in the series and they are probably one of their most frequent requests for reading at bedtime. Layla and Yasmin really enjoy them and talk about that some of the kids have no shoes or toys but big smiles on their faces. And the ones that do housework and cleaning and cooking at home. Here's to hoping it may rub off on them...

Some inspirational reading

2010-06-19T20:23:00.000+10:00

If you haven't heard of the Nie Nie Dialogues you'll no doubt be moved, saddened and inspired all at once. I've been following Stephanie's blog for some time now, as well her sister CJane.

Stephanie is a gorgeous mother of 4 young kids in the States, and was in a horrific light airplane crash with her husband last year. She almost died from her burns, but survived. On her blog, which she started before the crash, she wrote witty, sweet and honest posts about life with her kids and her Mr Nielson. Stephanie was also a guest on the Oprah show and has a huge following of blog readers.

You can watch a video if Stephanie here and here.

At the very least, you'll be reminded how lucky most of us are and how we take all the little things for granted.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend.
xx

In our kitchen

2010-06-14T20:01:00.000+10:00

When my kids aren't around or when Zahara is pretending to sleep, you will often find me, apron on and cookbook open, in my kitchen. This is where I love to be - feeding my family. I have had lots of years practicing my cooking now, and I have really come to enjoy it.

Luckily, my kids are also pretty good eaters. They love to try new foods as well as eat a variety of foods. Cooking is also one of the things I love to do with my kids at home. They are always up for some cooking, and it's great to give them practice and confidence in the kitchen. They'll need it eventually! I've also found (as I'm sure many of you have) that they are more likely to eat what they cook.

And so, inspired by Amanda at Soulemama, here's what we've been eating in our kitchen.

Banana Bread, Donna Hay kids 2008
I made this last week with Zahara and Layla and it was easy, great for kids to make and really tasty. It was great for after dinner desserts, lunchboxes and general snacks. The girls really enjoyed the novelty of using a knife to cut up their bananas. If you are visiting from the States, Donna Hay is our version of Martha Stewart. She has a magazine, cookbooks, homeware products and an annual kids issue that is great.
1. Oven on to 160degrees celsius.
2. Grease long tin and line with baking paper.
3. Beat 130g butter with 1 cup brown sugar and 1teaspoon vanilla till pale brown and creamy.
4. Slowly add 2 eggs and beat till well mixed.
5. Mash approx 3-4 bananas to make 1.5 cups and add to batter.
6. Sift 1.5cups plain flour, 1tsp baking powder and half tsp of bicarb soda over batter.
7. Add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon (we used more) and 1/4 cup of maple syrup.
8. Beat until mixed.
9. Bake for one hour.

Shepherd's Pie
I've made this countless times, it's a great, hearty meal perfect for winter and I pack it full of vegies. The layers of meat, potatoes and peas look gorgeous in a big glass casserole dish. I use this Annabel Karmel recipe as a base, adding in lots of vegies in the meat sauce. For the mash, I replace most of the potato with sweet potato which is more nutritious but still really tasty. Add some dollops of Worcestershire sauce, HP sauce and ketchup to the meat sauce will also make it delicious.

Pikelets for breakfast
I used a Donna Hay kids' recipe for this as well. I made the mixture the night before and in the morning, it was ready to cook.
1. Place 2 cups SR flour and 1/2 cup caster sugar in bowl, make well in centre.
2. Place 3 eggs, 30g melted butter, 1 cup milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in well.
3. Stir with wooden spoon until combined.
4. Allow to stand for 10-15 minutes.
5. Heat lightly greased non stick pan on low. Spoon 1tblespoon of mixture on pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes till you see bubbles appear.
6. Flip and cook 3-4 minutes until golden.
7. Serve with jams, maple syrup or fresh fruit.

These are easy and best of all homemade. Enjoy!

Weekend wrap

2010-06-14T19:34:00.001+10:00

It was a lovely end to a long weekend (today is a public holiday in Victoria). For the first time in months, Zahara napped yesterday....for 3.5 hours! What a lovely treat that was. While she slept, we watched Mr Bean on Holiday with our two older girls. We lit the fire, ate popcorn, drank tea and snuggled together. Heavenly. Then, the older two went to a playcentre while Zahara continued to sleep. I continued to snuggle (alone) on the couch with the paper. Double heaven.

Today, Zahara went to creche and Daddy took the girls to Werribee Zoo with their cousins. The girls are always excited when Zahara is not there, as much as they love her, a 2 year old is tiring on everyone sometimes! And as you may recall, some adventures are just not made for little ones. They had a great time, played, walked and saw some animals. You know, just some lions, zebras and giraffes.

In the mean time, I tackled our study. A mess of papers, bills and crap...all gone thanks to some serious filing and a visit to Kikki K. A great shop filled with gorgeous desk organising stuff, pens and labels - especially motivating when you are organising your study! Perfect timing. I also bought this recipe journal as my old one is getting tattered from all the clippings I cut out or print online.

But the quiet, the peace, was amazing. I think it was the first time in years I have had the day ALL TO MYSELF, even if I was tidying up for most of it. And just before I started to enjoy my aloneness a little too much, a little reading of my book, The Gift of an Ordinary Day, reminded me that these years are indeed precious. As draining as it can sometimes be to be needed by little people constantly, one day we will miss it terribly. And when that day comes, we will have to let go as our little people go out into the world making their own plans, choices and judgements. And suddenly, I ached for my three little people. For their warm, chubby bodies that snuggle perfectly into mine. For their funny little teeth, little fingers and soft kisses on my lips. For their little faces, wide eyes, smatterings of freckles and squishy bums.

Once everyone regrouped at home, we actually enjoyed a lovely afternoon together(and you know I tell it like it is!). We had BBQ'd lamb cutlets for dinner, brown rice and peas, corn on the cob, salad, asparagus, artichokes and orange for dessert. We chatted. We talked. We joked. We really enjoyed our meal and most importantly, our time together as a family.

At shower/bath time, the older girls sang for Zahara while she sat back in her laundry tub that she now loves to bathe in. She joined in happily. Layla brushed Yasmin's hair while they continued singing. Am I making you sick yet? Because I was amazed at the peace, contentment and simple happiness in my kids. Thank the lord for public holidays! Here's hoping you had some peace and happy times in your weekend. 'Cause I know we used up our lot...

Dontcha hate...

2010-06-10T21:08:00.000+10:00

Don't you hate reading blogs where the kids play together so beautifully, pick up after themselves and write thank you notes to their mum? And the mum is so, so happy, relaxed and positive that you are left thinking something is wrong with you/your kids?

Well, this is NOT one of those blogs. Man, I am tiiiiirrrrred! This winter is cold already, and we need some sunshine. Another two weeks till end of term and we are off for a much needed trip and warm weather. In the mean time, my kids are tired and cranky after school. My 2 year old would rather serenade me through the baby monitor with nursery rhymes than sleep, and my older girls need a little TLC after school which is near impossible while holding the by then tired and cranky 2 year old. Add in one stretched out mother and it's not pretty. Minor meltdowns are tossed around like a hot potato between all of us. Which leads me to declare....."Help! I need help. "

I like to do things myself when it comes to looking after my kids, but I can't go on like this. NOT. ONE. MORE. DAY.

So, Karolina from Peru is coming tomorrow afternoon to ease the load. I've never met her, but I figure it can't get worse than what it is now.

In brighter news, the girls did enjoy doing this little obstacle course at home this afternoon. Hope you and yours are happy and well.

Weekend wrap

2010-06-06T19:03:00.000+10:00

It was a nice, fun weekend. Our highlights:
- Taking Yasmin to see Rock the Ballet. Fun, great music and high energy dancing. This is time just for Yasmin without younger siblings in tow. I tend to do something one on one with Yasmin every weekend so she can feel special doing something the little ones can't.
- Going out for yummy dinner at Chez Olivier in Greville Street. Highly recommended. Seriously delicious steak and fries followed by chocolate mousse. Heaven.
- Filling our empty Play do container with homemade playdough.
- All the girls in bed by 6.30pm. Sharp. Asleep within 5-10minutes. And now, silence.
- Seeing Gill get tired and grumpy after staying home with two tired and grumpy girls today. Kidding.
- Counting down to a nice, warm holiday in less than three weeks to Bali and Singapore.
- Replacing our melamine and plastic kids ware with this , this and this. No more plastic. Yech.
- Shopping online at Minifashionista's sale with some great kids clothes on SALE people. I love Polka, I am proud to say they are Australian kids clothes and sooooooo cool.
- Waiting for my takeaway Japanese to be enjoyed in peace and quiet.
- Watching Underbelly. Addicted.

Hope you had a lovely weekend.
xxx

An easier afternoon...

2010-06-02T20:44:00.001+10:00

Finally, the afternoons are getting just a little, teensy bit, easier. A little less fighting and bickering (them). A little less shouting (me).

My tactics:
1. Give dinner as soon as we get home from school (about 4, 4.30pm). Yasmin is STARVING after school and needs to eat ASAP. I don't want to fill them up with silly snacks and would rather they eat a proper meal early and snack after.

Yesterday the girls had lentil soup followed by steamed artichoke. They consider artichoke a treat - they love peeling off each leaf to get to the artichoke heart. Even the 2 year old! Then they had a slice I had made earlier in the day with oats, pistachios, dried cranberries and organic dark chocolate.

2. Have a small activity or a 'plan' ready. Yesterday was the first day of winter in Australia, so I had printed out some 'winter' colouring pages I Googled online. This took me 5 minutes but gave them something to get started on. Then Yasmin and I made snowflakes (very easy - trace circle from a bowl or jar, cut out, fold and cut shapes out). Yasmin loved doing this, it's easy, quick and every snowflake pattern is different.

Meanwhile, Zahara was content painting the 'mountains' inside an empty egg carton. Eventually her and Layla joined forces and did some painting together. I taped butcher paper to our blackboard to give them ample room. Then they got totally into adding more and more paint and mixing the colours - about 10 minutes later things got OUT OF CONTROL with the paint and these were quickly put away! But they loved doing a painting together.

3. Have snacks ready and available while playing. Yesterday's was pre cut vegies and tahini to dip. They devoured these too.

4. Take it easy. During this hour, hour and a half of playing post dinner to pre bath, we take our time. This is the one part of the day they can relax and have some free time at home. The girls usually shower instead of a bath which is quicker and less chaotic as they are in and out.

For tomorrow, I have printed out some colouring in pages, mazes and games from the Eric Carle website (we are big fans). There are so many resources and printables online. Hope you're having a lovely week too.

Meatless Monday - dessert

2010-05-30T19:35:00.000+10:00

I recently bought The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook on a health kick sort of whim. We eat quite healthily, lots of home cooked organic food, but I wanted to take it to the next level and broaden our diet. This book is quite full on (recipes like Millet Porridge and Quinoa and Pea Pilaf, if you get my drift), so we are slowly trying new dishes. One that I made, that was a success with the girls and really yummy was the Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies.

Raw Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies
1 cup raw hazelnuts
1/2 cup raw almonds
1-1.5 cups medjool dates, pitted
1/2 cup almond spread
4-6 TBLSP of cocoa powder (you need the high quality stuff)
shredded coconut

Put almonds and hazelnuts in food processor and process until finely ground.

Add all other ingredients except coconut and repeat.

Press mixture firmly into 8 x 8 inch square baking tin. Sprinkle with shredded coconut. We keep our tin covered in gladwrap in the freezer which makes it less crumbly. It's really delicious and satisfies any sweet tooths out there.

Weekend wrap

2010-05-30T19:05:00.000+10:00

It was a lovely weekend, despite some members of the family (including me) still rundown. I went to my trusted naturopath on Friday, and armed with an array of supplements, am hopeful my exhaustion will lift soon.

We took the girls ice skating yesterday, where I quickly learnt some valuable lessons:
1. Some activities are not suitable for 2 and 4 year olds.
2. Ice skating is one of them.
3. Trying to hold on to a 2 year old on ice skates while you balance precariously on your ice skates is frightening stuff.
4. Trying to hold on to a 2 year old on ice skates who is crying, demanding you pick her up and both tired and hungry, while you continue to balance precariously on your ice skates is TERRIFYING!

The up side - Yasmin loved trying ice skating. She is adventurous and loves to try new things. Zahara had about 1 minute of happiness ice skating till she decided she didn't want us to hold her on the ice rink. Luckily I managed to capture that moment on film before things went pear shaped.

Layla, on the other hand, is not interested in trying new things with the same spirit as Yasmin, she is a homebody and creature of comfort who was happy to go to the cafe after 10 minutes of skating for lunch (like me). Layla's take? "Mummy, you, me and Zahara are NEVER going ice skating again." Ice skating is hard enough without trying to hold on to your child. Recommended for 5-6 years and above!

Today I took Yasmin to see Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang which we both loved. We cried and laughed together (I never knew kids could cry from movies!). Also recommended for 6 years and above.

Hope you had a lovely weekend
xxx

What happens when you leave a 2 year old alone... Part 2

2010-05-27T19:18:00.000+10:00

Oh yes, it happened again. This time, perched halfway inside a hallway cupboard that remarkably houses both birdseed and dinner platters, Zahara struck again. With some homemade lipgloss that Yasmin made at a birthday party, Zahara slathered her face until she looked like the bearded lady.

And don't let the bags under her eyes fool you...this 2 year old hasn't had a nap for weeks (except at creche of course). All that cream slathering and no napping makes for a very LLOOOOOOOOOOONNNNGGGGG day.

What happens when you leave a 2 year old alone...

2010-05-25T20:30:00.001+10:00

A little lesson for all of us, even me, a seasoned third time mum. This is what I call, 'the price to pay'. The price to pay for getting your parents to babysit - the kids waiting up for you when you get home. The price to pay for taking your kids on a roadtrip - lollypops and meltdowns.

The price to pay for sneaking off downstairs to finish a lunchbox and leaving your 2 year old unsupervised for 5 minutes? Half a tub of moisturiser on your 2 year old's face and hands. The bonus? A soft little smiling face and two sisters almost peeing in their pants and screaming.

How to look after a little sickie

2010-05-19T21:15:00.000+10:00

We are all a little rundown at the moment, so the mid term school break couldn't have come at a better time. Zahara woke up with low temperature today, and with everyone sniffling and sneezing...well, the emergency chicken soup was already cooking on our stove by 10am.

Here's what we do when we have little sickies in our house:

Drinks and Food
- Lots of Rooibos tea with Manouka honey. Soothing for sore little throats and keeps everyone hydrated.
- Chicken soup, chicken soup, chicken soup. Soothing, warming and nourishing.
- As well, I like to give my kids any other soups when they are sick as they are more nourishing, contain more fluids and easier to eat and digest than food like sandwiches
- Natural juice icy poles are also handy to keep fluids up.

Activities at home
- Keep things quiet. Books, puzzles and low key playing at home.
- I might allow some playing on the computer too if needed. (Yasmin loves Moshi Monsters.)
- If the sun is shining and it's not windy, some fresh air in your own garden can feel nice after being stuck inside all day.
- Play School (or any other kids DVD) is a wonderful thing. Looking after sick kids is draining on mums (and usually involves carrying the sickie all day) so this gives everyone a break. Watching TV has to be one of the few perks of being sick for kids!

TLC
- Dummies and comforters are available when wanted (or needed).
- Give Panadol before each sleep.
- Extra vitamin C and any other supplement or vitamin you can get into your kid. And take some for you too while you're at it.
- Make sure you get plenty of rest too...otherwise you might be next!

Hope everyone is healthy in your house!

Layla's 4th Birthday

2010-05-17T20:05:00.000+10:00

Like I said a while ago, May is a busy month for us. This past weekend we celebrated Layla's 4th Birthday. Our parties are not huge, some friends from kinder and cousins and family, at home with homemade food, homemade decorations and homemade take home bags. This is all lovely as we enjoy the process of preparing for the party as much as the party itself. But now, I am pooped!

It was lovely but truthfully, having Zahara's birthday only two weeks ago, I'm glad it's over.

In any case, here are my party principles:

1. We don't invite the whole class or even just the girls from the class. The girls are allowed to pick 3-6 friends. This plus two siblings and four cousins is plenty.

2. We handmake our invitations, decorations and take home bags. We do this because
- the girls can all be involved in the birthday celebrations and feel a part of it
- their handiwork is proudly displayed during the party
- it gives us something to do after school
- I want to teach them that you don't always have to buy things, you can make beautiful things (that aren't perfect) at home.

3. Parties are in our own home. This is because I like to do things my way and also because it's just nicer and more intimate. It's also probably more comfortable for the girls.

4. Birthday girls are allowed to choose whatever theme they like (or gently guided).

5. Prior to the party, we talk through manners, being a nice host and what we say to our guests when they give us presents and also when they say goodbye.

6. Treats are included in the kids party food, but so is fruit and cut up vegies. I don't go overboard on the junkfood. For Layla's party we had jelly and fairy bread, as well as sandwiches, strawberries and cucumber, carrots and peppers.

7. Give kids a snack right before party so they are relaxed and comfortable. Enjoy, savour and celebrate.

Meatless Monday - Baked potatoes

2010-05-17T19:51:00.000+10:00

Our dinners can be hectic. I often feel more like my kids' waitress to keep up with spilt cups of water, ketchup, and some more of this mummy please. Zahara often wants to sit on my lap at mealtimes which make it harder. All this and trying to keep dinner a pleasant experience with a little conversation shared about everyone's day...

But, I've found that my kids will really enjoy a meal a lot more if they can make it, or even assemble it, themselves. Even though this is not a meal that I really love, it's great for the kids and pretty easy to prepare in advance. I prepare all the toppings in individual bowls during the day, as well as the potatoes to keep it easy and ready to go.

Baked potatoes with toppings
Use washed potatoes, wrap individually in foil and bake for 1.5 hours at 200 degrees celsius in the oven
Unwrap carefully when cooked, cut top off and scoop out filling.
Mix with grated cheese and some salt till a little gooey
Put back in potatoes and let the kids serve themselves with any of the toppings below
- corn kernels with butter (I steam fresh corn first and then cut off)
- sour cream
- grated yellow cheese
- chopped up tomato
- cooked chicken, bacon, canned tuna
- baked beans
- guacamole

Easy, tasty for kids and fills their little tummies on these cool Autumn days. Yum!

Safta Rachel's Moroccan Meatballs

2010-05-12T20:40:00.000+10:00

This is a delicious and so very tasty all in one dish perfect for dinner. It warmed us up tonight!

It's my grandmother's recipe (she's Moroccan) and my mum taught me how to make it. It's not very hard and it is sooooo delicious.

Ingredients
1kg of mince meat
3/4 packet of frozen peas
1 bunch of celery
2 x zuchinis
2 x small onions
Flat leaf parsley, one handful
Spices - mace, ginger, cloves, turmeric, salt and pepper

Heat a wide pan with about 1 cup of water, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Chop the celery and zukes and simmer on a medium heat in the water with the lid on. (The turmeric will colour the water and the vegies giving it a nice colour.)

While it's cooking, fill your food processor with the parsley, onions, mince meat, salt pepper and the spices. You don't need to have all the spices. I've made this dish with various combinations, and it always tastes good. The amount of spices you use will depend on your preference, but allow about 1/3 - 1/2 teaspoons per spice. Chop in the processor until well combined.

Lift the lid and roll meatballs, gently putting them in a circle around the pan. Close lid, reduce to medium heat and cook for another 10 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, gently turn the meatballs in the sauce. Add your frozen peas, then cook for another 15 minutes or so. Add some salt and pepper to the vegies and sauce. Serve with rice. Yum. Your house will smell amazing and if you're like me, feel good about serving your family a nice hearty meal. Watch your kids inhale and pat yourself on the back.

Did you know I needed a new floormat?

2010-05-11T14:25:00.000+10:00

Neither did I. I have NO CONTROL in homeware stores.

What we groove to...or how to make a Kiddie Disco

2010-05-08T19:42:00.000+10:00

Sometimes it feels like I have six kids, not three. Noise, excitement and chaos reign. Normally, from 4pm to 6pm, kids are running, scootering (indoors), and asking me what's for dessert all at once. Or (more often), siblings pester and annoy each other, kids are tired and grumpy, with some specially left over, reserved just for mummy, energy and exuberance left over from a day sitting in a classroom.

When things get a little too crazy, I often give in, but try and direct their energy to another activity - the Kiddie Disco. We make some space and we have a big dancefest. Often they will decide they want to dress up. They like me to sit and watch, or if I feel like it, I'll join in with them.

It's an instant mood lifter and suddenly smiles are on everyone's faces. It always works. Plus, they love listening to some adult music and learning the words (and it gives me a break from listening to 'kids' music). I think kids can really love and appreciate adult songs. They enjoy 'visiting' our world sometimes, probably more than we realise.

So, we crank it up and listen to:
Magalenha, by Sergio Mendes
Sunchyme, by Dario G
YMCA, by Village People (with actions)
Blame it on the Boogie, Jackson 5
I Gotta Feeling, by Black Eyed Peas
Wanna be Startin Somethin 2008, with Akon
Hey Ya, OutKast
The Chicken Dance, David Shelley
Rock this Party, Bob Sinclar
That's not my name, The Ting Tings
We are Family, Sister Sledge

After, when I need to wind it back, I found a great album on itunes one day, called 100 Best Relaxing Classics. This has beautiful music (but you'd probably never know what the songs are called), and I'll often put it on while the girls are colouring on or playing (semi) quietly.

We all need to remember to lighten up sometimes. Motherhood is not just about wiping noses, preparing meals and chauffeuring kids around town. And normally, kids are the best people to remind us to let loose and HAVE FUN.

Enjoy xx

When you're child number 3....

2010-05-08T19:35:00.000+10:00

...You want to do everything your sisters do. So after you watch your big sister have her teeth cleaned at the dentist, you can't wait to have your turn.

Wasn't that fun?

Happy Birthday Zahara

2010-05-06T20:37:00.000+10:00

Today was a perfectly lovely Autumn day to spend with my newly turned 2 year old girl.

A midweek birthday breakfast, with Nutella on toast for the girls. Excitement reached fever pitch. The wearing of the birthday crown, the birthday table and to Zahara's delight, the reading of her very first, made by Mummy, birthday book. Full of pictures about a tiny baby called Zahara, she loved it.

A day pretty much devoted to her, as she liked it. Pick up new birthday scooter in the morning? Check. Gymbaroo class? Check. Hold Zahara in my arms for half the Gymbaroo class while she refused to participate? Check. Eat two sushi rolls by 10 in the morning? Check. Sing, make a poo and chatter for two hours during nap time? Check.

With my two girls spending some time at their grandmother's after school, Zahara had me all too herself in the afternoon too. Just the way this girl likes it. I tickled her endlessly, blew her bubbles and took for her a walk on my shoulders to pick some flowers.

The day ended with some more singing, choc chip muffins and the final wearing of the 'Z' birthday crown for 2010.

Hope you are enjoying these precious times now too.
xx

Birthday Bash for Zahara

2010-05-02T19:48:00.001+10:00

Wow, what a day. My littlest girl celebrated her 2nd birthday today, surrounded by family and friends in our home. It was fun, easy and comfortable.

Zahara's absolute love and ease with animals was the clincher for deciding her party theme; short of buying her a pet, it was the best present her little heart could want. We had some lovely visitors from Animals on the Move; guinea pigs, rabbits, a piglet, lambs, a calf, chickens and goats. We fed, petted and held animals to our hearts delight.

Decorations
We started preparing party decorations about a month ago. This is always a fun project for the girls, giving some purpose on those after school art and craft sessions. I've also found it gives siblings a chance to share the excitement and feel like they are part of the celebrations.

We made paper chains - my six year old did this almost hypnotically, my four year old learning to handle the loops and sticky tape herself. We also painted animal cutouts (I downloaded from the internet and cut out the shapes myself), using small roller brushes which were fun for the girls - red roosters and pink piggies. These were strung on fishing wire and hung to decorate our party space. Others were blu tacked to our window.

I hired bales of hay for an authentic farm feeling, placing the take home bags on one and a Radio Flyer trike on the other. They looked great (but make lots of mess!)

Take home bags
We also made simple but very sweet (and inexpensive) guest take home bags. I bought some blue gingham fabric by the metre, cut into squares and placed a toy farm animal, bubble mixture and some stickers. These bundles were tied with yellow ribbon and then a homemade thank you card (using a Thank you stamp) with a handwritten message (done by Yasmin) on the back was looped on with string.

Table Settings
These were simple but so effective. I had kept some artificial grass samples from a garden makeover earlier this year, placed these on the tables with a farm animal on top. Cow print cups, gingham tablecloths and farm plates were all purchased in advance. I always start looking for decorations and ideas about two months before the party to allow enough time.

The Menu
For adults - bagels, homemade dips, cut up fruit and vegetables, home made borekas and a feta and caramelised onion tart my mum made. Juices, mint tea and coffee.

For the kids - cut up fruit and vegetables, cheese and Vegemite sandwiches (essential for any kids party in Australia), and brown chocolate cows (using a playdough cutter, I buttered cow bread shapes and dipped into chocolate sprinkles. This was the only 'treat' apart from the cake, as I don't like to give kids lots of rubbish at parties after watching them a) gorge themselves and b) get totally hyper after).

The Birthday Cake
My mum made a chocolate marble cake and then decorated it with chocolate icing and plastic toy farm animals and a fence. Adults and kids gobbled it up.

The Soundtrack
Animal Playground. We LOVE the Putumayo CDs.

Other activities
On the morning of the party I quickly printed off lots of farm animal colouring pages, cleared our play area and table and left jars of textas and pencils for colouring in. This was a hit too. While having a break from petting the farm animals, the kids were colouring in for about half an hour quietly and contentedly. Kids parties can turn to disaster if the kids run out of things to do, and I remember this about 1 hour before the party. Phew!

Post party edit
A great, fun and happy birthday party for my sweet, happy 2 year old.

Little things...

2010-04-28T20:39:00.000+10:00

My older daughter seems to know more about recycling than me these days. Every classroom in her school has recycling boxes, and they are encouraged to bring food in containers not disposable bags. My 4 year old in kinder told me about collecting old phones to save the gorillas (I'm still not sure how that works).

At home we recycle, but I have noticed (as I'm the one constantly restocking them) that we go through packets and packets of paper napkins. My six year old is fastidious about having a clean face and my two year old is, well, a two year old, constantly spilling and dripping food all around her which we are hastily wiping up with a ready paper napkin.

So after reading this post on Soulemama, I knew it was time for a change...time for cloth napkins.

And, another reason to browse Etsy...till I found these and these. These beautiful hand crocheted napkin rings are made in Portugal, not too pricey and easy to use for little hands (that I continually request to set our table, mood permitting), colourful and appealing. I will try them with some neutral linen napkins. I think they'll add some more colour and vibrancy to our table.

PS. I played this game with the girls this afternoon at dinner. Each card had the beginning of a sentence which we had to complete, in turn. Eating with a tired, sometimes cranky team of girls aged 2, 4 and 6 years old can be a tad hectic with occasionaly meltdowns. I'm always trying little things to distract them and create a pleasant time at the table...and this was a little fun today. Questions like 'My mum/dad is good at.....' - Yasmin responded, 'My mum is good during reading time' and 'I like when my family' - Layla 'hug and play with me' put smiles on my dial.

xxx

Top 5 Australian kids books

2010-04-26T13:18:00.000+10:00

I've written before about our love for books in this house - the reading nook is still being used daily, and we continue to frequent our local library every few weeks.

One of the best presents I received when I had my first baby was a bundle of books. Among all the tiny jumpsuits and baby blankets, knowing my tiny baby would grow to be a 'kid' and read books gave me some light at the end of that intense, overwhelming newborn stage. And, what a wonderful idea to help start a baby's book collection from birth.

With now three girls in our brood, our love of books is evenly spread. The older one reading to us, the middle one choosing her own books for me to read to her, and the little one reading (in her special way) to anyone that cares to listen.

So, in honour of Anzac Day, here's a round up of our tried and tested, sure-to-be-a-hit, homegrown Australian kids books.

1. Where is the Green Sheep, by Mem Fox. Each of my girls, turn by turn, has loved this book. You will find it in kinders and schools across Australia. Simple and charming.

2.Window, by Jeannie Baker. Beautifully and meticulously illustrated through collage, this book (part of a series with the same message) shows how over time, the same view from a window changes through environmental degradation. This book has no words, so you can have a nice chat with your child as you are turning the pages. We also have Where the Forest Meets the Sea.

3. The Potato People, by Pamela Allen. This author also writes the Mr McGee series which my girls also love. Less words and big pictures create an easy to follow, but funny, story that toddlers and older kids will like.

4. Chatterbox, by Margaret Niland. Little Daisy wouldn't talk even though her mum, dad, brother and nan coaxed her all day long. Cute, whimsical illustrations and adorable story.

5. Hairy MacLary, by Lynley Dodd. Again, the rhyming words and sweet stories with various animals are loved by kids. While I can't claim this book as Australian (the author is from New Zealand), it's also popular here and there about a dozen books in the series.

Travelling with little people

2010-04-24T14:10:00.000+10:00

We've done our fair share of travelling with our kids; planes, car trips, multi destinations, Asia, Middle East, Australia. I've learnt some tricks (and lessons too) and some must haves. I normally start preparing a week before we go. Here are my tried and tested tips.

Packing
1. I pack everyone's clothes into separate small bags. I use those cloth supermarket bags for each person. Easier to pack and unpack, and clothes don't get mixed up. For the kids, I've created little tags to tie on with their name or a picture so they can recognise their things.

2. For kids that may be fussy about their clothes, I show them what we are taking. I explain we need clothes for 'playing' not fancy clothes when we travel. The less you take, the less arguments.

3. Take spare socks instead of slippers or uggies for the mornings/evenings.

4. Pack layers in case of cooler weather.

5. If your bedtime routine includes books at home, take books with you. Mr Men's are good because they are small and light. You will also need books for reading on the plane.

On the Plane/Car Trips
1. Food, snacks and emergency lollypops. Things in small packets are good; crackers, sultanas, biscuits etc. When the kids start to get crazy (and the seat belt button is on), I've been known to hand out the treats. Chewing gum is good too for older kids.

2. Take your own drink bottles. Everyone gets thirsty on planes (and the food tends to be saltier) so bring your own.

3. Bring some spare clothes (for you too) in case of accidents/spillages. I learnt this after Zahara threw up all over my husband at 6 weeks of age on a flight to Queensland. And so on. Take baby wipes with you AT ALL TIMES. Same for disenfecting hand lotion and disposable baby change mats.

4. Keeping the kids occupied will be your greatest challenge. My rule on the plane - you can watch as much TV as you want. Bringing a portable DVD player with some favourites will make your life a whole lot easier.

5. Suggested activities - stickers, playdough, colouring in, colouring books, making a travel journal (older kids), some sticking activities (use a glue stick, not runny glue), beading etc. You can make the kids a little backpack or small bag with made up activities ready. Print out colouring pages from the internet (see this post).

6. Be prepared. Print out everything! Hotel confirmations, itineraries, websites of places you are going to visit, copies of passports etc.

7. Bring some games/activities for rainy day moments too. Depending on your kids ages, games like Uno or board games are great to kill boredom.

8. It will be tiring, but you can still have enjoyable moments. Try to keep your cool. Remember you are pushing your kids out of their comfort zone so cut them some slack if they meltdown. Kids still need plenty of fresh air and running around so make sure you build this in to your daily routine as well.

Letters for colouring in

2010-04-22T14:39:00.001+10:00

I came across these beautiful letters for colouring in. I will often print out various colouring pages from the web before a trip, and the girls always love it. We've done Mr Men, Charlie & Lola and now, I've discovered these. And of course, what's better than colouring the first letter of your name? When you're six? Not much.

Meatless Monday

2010-04-19T20:22:00.000+10:00

Today's menu was simple. Tomato soup with rice and crackers and goat's cheese. Followed by snacking on dips and cut up vegies while doing some art. Followed by strawberries and cream (whipped with some vanilla essence and a little brown sugar).

Tomato soup
1. Prepare full tray of halved tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.
2. Roast for 45mins at 180 degrees celsius.
3. While tomatoes are roasting, grate two carrots.
4. Pick leaves of basil stalk. Finely chop basil stalk.
5. Lightly saute carrot and basil stalk in olive oil.
6. Remove tomatoes from oven. Preferably let cool slightly and remove tomato skin.
7. Add to pot with carrot and basil stalk, add stock and bring to boil.
8. Add tomato puree (or called passata), salt and pepper and sprinkle of brown sugar.
9. Simmer for 30-40 mins
10. Add handful of white rice and simmer till rice is nice and soft.
11. Garnish with basil leaves and enjoy.

We ate ours with goats cheese and crackers. While my head was turned, Zahara decided to moisturise her hands with the goats cheese. Awesome.

Dinner was followed by more party preparation. This time, painting some cut out pigs. These will be strung on fishing wire and hung up to decorate Zahara's little farm party. The two older girls also continued making paper chains. Pink for Layla, and multi coloured for Zahara.

We make as many of the decorations as we can. This gives the girls a sense of purpose leading up to the party and hopefully a feeling of pride when we put all our decorations up the night before the party.

In this way, preparing for birthday celebrations also becomes a shared family project and hopefully, encourage everyone to share the excitement and anticipation of a birthday.

Happy Sunday

2010-04-18T19:20:00.000+10:00

I'm never sure which is more tiring, the Monday to Friday school, pick ups and afternoons routine, or the relentless, intense family time together on the weekends. The weekends are definitely less lonely of course, with a partner to share the load, but still nonstop. I tend to spend more time with my older girls and let my toddler spend some fun time with her Daddy.

Here are a few things we try to do on the weekends:
1. Stay home. Let the girls stay in their pyjamas and draw, paint, play Uno or whatever. They seem to love doing this Sunday mornings.
2. Make french toast Sunday morning with left over Challah from Friday night dinner. Yum.
3. Compare milk moustaches and crazy hair during breakfast.
4. Eat nice, homecooked food together. Today I used my Thermomix to whip up some homemade dips. Tzatziki, beetroot dip and smoked trout dip were served with cut up vegies and crackers. Yum. And definitely going on an upcoming family brunch menu.
5. Play in the garden for hours. Play in the sandpit, water the plants and let the girls be as free as they like.
6. Get pizza home delivered on Sunday afternoons and eat in the garden. Enjoy the unseasonal warm autumn weather.
7. And after all that, put the girls to bed by 6.30. I'm pooped!

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

A reading nook

2010-04-15T19:12:00.000+10:00

When I was a child, I loved books. And now, as a mother of three young children, it's one of the fundamental things I want to pass on to my kids - a love for reading. We read to our kids every night before bed, to all three girls. It's been a long standing part of our bedtime routine. My eldest likes to fall asleep with a big pile of books on her bed too...she reads them after we have said goodnight till she is sleepy enough to tuck herself into bed.

So everytime I came across a display book corner, like this one on OhDeeDoh, I drooled a little and then I sighed...because we have no available corners in our house.

I've realised things have to be at kids eye level for them to access and use toys, arts and crafts and books. And books that are lined vertically with only spines showing fill our bookcase neatly, but don't entice children to lovingly browse their books.

But, one lonely night on Ebay, I came across an inexpensive canvas book display shelf, and it was perfect. A few days later, this little baby was up and running in our study. My two little ones especially have taken a liking to our new little reading nook. They sit together but mostly read separately, and it's lovely to see. We change the books every few days. It works!

Etsy time to shop

2010-04-12T20:42:00.000+10:00

I found some darling prints the other day on Etsy, and am now eagerly awaiting their arrival from the States to our home. I've mentioned my love for Etsy before. Well, I do still love it, even though it can be time consuming to trawl through all the items. But I found these prints and, well....they had me at hello.

I will let you know when these precious little pictures arrive. I'm not sure where they will go yet, but I'm sure we'll find a cosy nook.

Happy Tuesday xxx

Meatless Mondays - Lentil soup

2010-04-12T20:16:00.000+10:00

Here is a recipe for a delicious, hearty and nutritious soup I have made many times before. My kids love it and with today's chilly autumn weather, enjoyed a nice warming dinner.

It's from one of my most used cookbooks, The Greek Cook by Rena Salaman. I've had this cookbook for years and it contains some of our favourite recipes that I have made many times over. Today's was lentil soup. Here is my adapted recipe.

Lentil Soup
Bring 275g of brown red lentils to the boil uncovered, and cook for 3-4 mins. Strain and discard water.
Gently fry one sliced onion and one large clove of garlic in some olive oil. When they start to caramelize, add one thinly sliced carrot, two cans of chopped tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 4 cups of hot water. Season and cover, cook for about 30-40mins on a simmer. (I was out of dried oregano and used chopped continental parsley instead. Just as good). We often eat this with goats cheese and crackers.

Today, soup was served with spinach and cheese borekas.

My little one had her first full day of creche today (2 weeks of school holidays might have made both of us ready) so I cooked for about 1.5 hours today. I try to fill the fridge with as many homemade dishes, soups, salads and dips when I can. These are used for school lunches, lunch for Zahara and I at home, lunch for Gill for work and snacks.

I made another favourite today which is great for brunch. Here's the recipe for a delicious egg dip. I often make it when we have brunch with friends or family. A lot of the preparation can be done the night before to make it quicker. I have also made it with Yasmin and Layla and they can make the whole thing (under instruction of course).

There are only a few ingredients, but they are key.

Moran's Egg Dip
Gently and slowly saute one chopped brown onion in one tablespoon of butter. Stir occasionally. You can leave this for 10mins on a very low heat. The onion will caramelise and taste sweet and delicious.
Boil dozen eggs. Plunge straight into a bowl of cold water to cool down.
Peel eggs and slice in egg slicer. I slice them both ways to get them chopped small.
Add about 2-3 tablespoons of American kosher mayonnaise. Using scissors, snip some chive into your egg dip. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Hold on tight it's birthday season!

2010-04-10T21:21:00.001+10:00

May is a super busy month in our house. Zahara turns 2 on May 6 and Layla turns 4 on May 14. As well as that, we also have my birthday (but no party for me!) plus Mother's Day.

Over the last few years we have created several birthday traditions which are very meaningful but simple in nature.

On the actual day of the birthday, the birthday girl comes downstairs to a beautifully decorated kitchen table, with a birthday banner, monogrammed birthday crown, and birthday ring. A special breakfast is eaten, a little story is told about the birth of the child through the use of the birthday ring, and presents are exchanged. I also prepare a birthday book which is a photobook of the year leading up to the birthday. This is also laid out on the table (and these are reread often).

The birthday girl gets to choose their party theme but parties are kept on the small (ish) size and several friends are invited, plus cousins. Decorations are made by all the girls in the weeks leading up to the party. Ditto the take home bags (we made homemade glittery playdough for Yasmin's magic and witches party, and decorated the house with cut out, glittered paper bats). Birthday cake decorations are chosen from our trusty Women's Weekly birthday party book.

This year, Layla has asked (again!) for a fairy birthday party and after asking her ever so nicely if perhaps she would prefer something else for a change, we are continuing with this theme. The good news is we already have a lot of the fairy decorations from last year's fairy birthday party.

The invitations became a little project for us. I purchased some fairy stencils a few weeks ago and they've been a hit for Yasmin and Layla as they have traced, coloured and pasted many fairies on their artwork. So, using some Japanese origami paper, as well as scrapbooking paper bought from Ikea, I traced and cut out fairy shapes. These were glued on to pink cardstock, and then I hand wrote the invitation details. For a bit of a surprise factor, I wrapped each invitation in pink tissue and ribbon and off they've gone in the mail.

Lovely. A fairy has been booked and the menu will be simple. Fairy bread of course, birthday cake and sandwiches and fruit. We have lots of ceramic little fairies from various $2 shops to adorn our birthday table.

We are in birthday party mode people.

Emergency Chicken Soup

2010-04-06T20:39:00.000+10:00

My girls know that when there is sickness or even a sniffle in the house, Mummy always makes chicken soup. And I know, that while my girls eat a healthy and varied diet, they absolutely devour my chicken soup, often having a second and third helping. It is the most nourishing of foods when you are feeling under the weather, in my opinion.

Here is my loose recipe:
2-3 carrots
1/2 stalk celery
6-8 chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin off
1-2 onions
4-5 cloves garlic
one handful of chopped dill
1 x zucchini
1 x parsnip
1/2 cabbage
1/2 cauliflower

Boil chicken pieces for 30-40 mins, add vegies and gently simmer with lid on for several hours. Skim oil off before serving. Cook egg noodles separately and add into bowl.

All of us here like to add a squeeze of lemon just before eating. It's yum and really brings out the flavour. Inhale and consume.

Back from the brink....I mean, Daylesford

2010-04-05T19:21:00.000+10:00

We came home from Daylesford one day early. We had a nice time, but Zahara had fever for days and was thus attached to me like a koala (she is finally better today). We were a little limited in what we could do as we were caring for one sick child, and trying to keep the other two occupied and out of mischief.

Highlights for the girls were definitely visiting the Chocolate Mill (Layla actually told me this before we even went), stumbling on a local market and having a ride on a vintage train, finding a couple of vintage treasures (I will post tomorrow), making it to Lark and a couple of yummy but super quick meals at Cliffy's.

Our accomodation was great, very unique, spacious and practical. Daylesford is a gorgeous town - not too small to feel too remote, and has lots of upmarket vintage stores, great cafes and stores. I would say not exactly designed for kids, but pretty nice all the less. I love the focus on healthy living, fresh farm food, and an apppreciation for lovely vintage objects.

Hope you had a lovely Easter. We are so happy to be home. And for this week....finishing off some invitations for a little girl's fourth birthday party next month. Can you guess what sort of party she has asked for?

xx

Whew

2010-03-31T20:06:00.001+11:00

I am sooo drained. Boy oh boy I forgot how intense school holidays are. On top of that, all three girls have been sick with fevers and coughing so we have had lots of naps, cuddles, tea with honey and panadol. (Although Yasmin is actually a pleasure when she is unwell. Her sometimes over exuberance becomes slightly subdued making her much easier when one of three little ones.)

Amidst this sickness, what has been lovely is seeing a certain 23month old basking in the attention and presence of her two big sisters. All three girls have been getting on so much better and Yasmin especially is showing renewed patience to play with Zahara.

We had a lovely Seder with all our family. The kids had a great time and were so well behaved. They also went to bed at 10pm and the next day were very, very tired and grumpy.

This weekend we are going to Daylesford and staying at a gorgeous looking guesthouse called The Barn. I can't wait for some fresh air and sunshine. We haven't been to Daylesford in years, since before we had kids in fact. The Barn is actually a converted barn, which I think the girls will love. It's also next door to Cliffy's, a locally wellknown food emporium, which I think I will love.

So what's on the agenda?
Trout fishing
Chocolate mill
A visit to Lark . I have my eyes on this, this, and this gorgeous apple vinyl tablecloth. Might need to take a child with me to distract me from buying too much.
We are also paying a visit to the Daylesford Makers Market which is on this Saturday. Lots of handmade gorgeous crafted things.

In other news, I have continued my obsession with decluttering. Have donated more toys and even sorted through variously themed party supplies and decorations. Much better.

Hope you have a lovely weekend.

A glimpse of today

2010-03-28T20:17:00.001+11:00

French toast, painting, pictionary, drawing, pasting, playing in the garden, twirling our ribbon sticks outside, memory game, new outfits for Pesach, trying on almost the entire store (Layla), playdate, supermarket, trampolines, snakes and ladders, swim, dinner, eating left over pretzels found in Layla's room, shower, books and thank goodness, 7pm BED!

These holidays feel so much more relaxed than the summer break. And that alone feels good. Here's to enjoying (and not just surviving) the next two weeks.

Hope you had a lovely weekend too.
xxx

Stuff in the Garden

2010-03-27T20:03:00.000+11:00

Our little garden is growing and coming along nicely. Yasmin is taking note of the little green sprouts making their way up through the soil. I regularly cook with the herbs in our garden (parsley for tabouli, chives for my egg dip, mint for Moroccan mint tea on Friday nights) and occasionally and very politely request from my children that they bring in some herbs to help me. They tell me, Mummy, I don't know which one is rosemary/parsley/chives. So, finally, after a brainwave one day, and with the help of my new best friend, the home laminating machine, Yasmin and I have created garden markers.

It was simple. I cut squares of white cardstock and wrote the name of the herb or vegie with a Sharpie. Then, I explained to Yasmin what the plant look liked, and we both had a practice draw on some scrap paper. When she felt confident, Yasmin drew and coloured her little illustration. The next step was laminating the squares, trimming the plastic to create a pointy end and using a glue gun to stick an ice cream stick on the back. Today, they finally made their way into the garden. Easy, cute, practical and weather proof.

Loving a good read

2010-03-25T20:09:00.000+11:00

When I was young, a trip to the library was so exciting for me. I loved to read (and was always good at spelling as a result) and used to borrow about 20 books at a time. Of course, in those days I only had about three toys and the excitement of so many 'new' books was very real to me.

And so, although my girls have a room full of books each, I take them every few weeks to the local library, attempting to create a love for books and reading. This afternoon at school pick up, after I announced to Layla and Yasmin we were going to the library, I was met with loud groans. Oh yes, they pretended they didn't want to go. They moaned and complained...till we parked the car. They got out in thirty seconds, racing to the return chute and together, unloaded each book(their favourite part). And after explaining to Layla (again) that no, we won't be borrowing DVDs today, they finally spent some time quietly choosing books and making a lovely pile of stories.

We asked the librarian to help us find some Guiness Book of Records books (Yasmin's favourite) but had to settle for Ripley's Believe it Or Not instead. And, then, in a little quiet reading area, my two little girls sat and gawked at some gross photos of biggest boogers or most piercings or something like that. But at least they were reading....

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies - a healthy(ish) treat

2010-03-24T20:51:00.000+11:00

Great for lunchboxes and easy to make with kids, here is a great recipe I came across online one day. It uses 3 cups of traditional rolled oats, which is a great compromise for a healthy treat. We make it every once in a while and normally make enough to make a little treat box for someone too.

Here is our adapted recipe.
Ingredients:
225 grams butter
2 eggs
1.5 cups brown sugar
1.5 cups plain flour
1/2 ts baking powder
1.5 cups dark chocolate chips
3 cups rolled oats

1. Heat oven to 175 degrees.
2. Cream butter until creamy in electric mixer
3. Add sugars, beat until fluffy, 3 mins. Beat in eggs one at a time.
4. Mix all dry ingredients together.
5. Combine with butter and sugar mixture by gently folding with rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
6. Line 3 oven trays with baking paper.
7. Form dough into small balls. Allow generous space between balls as the cookies will spread and flatten while baking.
8. Bake 22-25 minutes on middle and lower trays in oven until cookie edges turn golden brown.
9. Cool on baking paper on racks. Allow 30minutes before gobbling.
10. Enjoy. xx

A little one on one time

2010-03-24T20:28:00.000+11:00

I have never appreciated how nice and peaceful it is to have one on one time with my girls till I had my third child (now nearly two). My eldest, Yasmin, calls this 'Mummy time.' She also probably misses it the most, being at school the longest hours.

Whenever I can, I plan my days to allow some one on one time with each child, even if it's 10 minutes. The dynamics are so different with the other siblings absent; no rivalries, no competition, just some special time together. Layla, my (nearly) four old, has one day off kinder, and we spend half a day together, just the two of us. It normally culminates in going out for lunch (Cooper & Milla's is our favourite) but in between that is whatever Layla wants to play at home. Today it was Uno, Operation, and making chocolate chip oatmeal biscuits (easy, delicious and slightly healthy).

During Zahara's nap time, I decided I would read a little. (I had decided dinner would be soft boiled eggs and cut up vegies, therefore allowing myself some rest time too!) When Layla saw me reading in bed, she asked to have her 'quiet time' with me, which I agreed to as long as she would not disturb me. About 40 minutes later, I'd read some of my book and snoozed a little while this relaxed little girl read her two books quietly and beaded a wooden necklace. Beautiful. We lounged in bed a little while longer while she asked me questions burning her mind like 'Mummy, what's your favourite colour?' and 'do you still have milk in your boobies?'.

Last week, I surprised Yasmin by picking her up from school alone, with no sisters in tow. We went off to High Street and enjoyed a pedicure. You can see the look on her face and how happy she was. (The surprised look on her face is when the chair started to move and massage her back.) And don't six year old painted toes look just so darn cute?

Too much stuff

2010-03-21T19:26:00.001+11:00

With my youngest easing her way into creche this year, I am looking forward in the near future, to a bit more time 'to myself'.

But, before I get to the fun stuff, I have resolved, and pledged to my husband, that my mission in the next few months is to seriously declutter the house. We have many terribly messy areas that have been neglected and now have built up an accumulation of crap. Making our mess worse, we also have too much stuff in the house.

Last week, I had already started clearing small sections of the house when I came across this article. Written by a family psychologist (American, with his own website of course), it very simply states that kids these days have too many toys, creating too much clutter. In the 1950s, children had approximately 5 toys each, yet were able to play independently and imaginatively for hours. Nowadays, most of our kids have way too many toys, yet are perpetually bored and unable to find a direction to play in. Even worse, these toys are mainly crap and rob children of their imagination. He advises getting rid of any toys made after the 1950s and making available only a few toys.

It got me thinking (light bulb moment) - when I was a girl, I also had very few toys. And my parents certainly didn't sit on the floor and play with me for hours. Nor did we have a Wii, DS or Moshi Monsters. No, my brother and I were left to our own devices, and would play on our own. I would ride my bike, invent games, draw and god knows what else. These days, the girls have an abundance of toys in each of their bedrooms, plus a whole play room devoted to them. Yet, they are often too overwhelmed by the clutter and often come to us to play with them or give them ideas of what to do.

Our kids have too many toys!

Just over the weekend, I have donated three huge garbage bags of unused toys to the local charity shop. I have also decluttered Yasmin and Layla's rooms by leaving only books and one or two games in their rooms. A cupboard in the hallway has been designated the games cupboard, now housing all board games and puzzles over three shelves. Much better. I will continue to pare down all the kids toys, and all the stuff in our house, as much as possible in the next few months. I will post some 'after' shots soon.

Getting rid of stuff that feels wonderful. Try here, here, here and here for more inspiration.

Meatless Mondays = Borekas

2010-03-17T09:41:00.001+11:00

I recently came across 'Meatless Mondays', an international campaign encouraging people to cut meat out once a week for environmental and health reasons. We eat organic chicken and organic red meat at least 2-3 times a week and I'm not concerned about our meat consumption. I think meat and chicken are very nutritious if they are organic. But, it was a good reason to prepare a less elaborate dinner, and it was nice to have a lighter, vegetarian meal.
I used one of my favourite recipes to make Spinach and cheese borekas, accompanied by pumpkin soup.

Every time I've made these borekas (probably a dozen times), they have been delicious. They are great because:
- you can use frozen puff pastry and frozen spinach which is always in my freezer
- you can use ricotta or cottage cheese
- they make the house smell amazing
- people think you are really smart for making something with pastry
- they are DELICIOUS

Here's my recipe, amalgamated from several others.
1. Thaw several sheets of puff pastry on your kitchen bench. Lay out separately.
2. Chop and slowly saute one whole onion in a little bit of butter. Cook on low until caramelised.
3. Defrost the spinach (cooktop or in the microwave)
4. Once thawed, mix the spinach with a tub of ricotta or cottage cheese (either are fine).
5. Mix in the lovely caramelised onion
6. You can also add fresh dill which is delicious.
7. Season with salt and peppper, combine mixture well.
8. With a sharp knife, cut each sheet into four squares.
9. Place 1 x tablespoon of mixture into each square. Not too much or it will bubble over while cooking.
10. Roll up into triangle, or I find rectangular shape easier. Pinch edges.
11. Lay each roll on oven tray lined with baking paper.
12. Brush with beaten egg, sprinkle with sesame seeds.
13. Cook in hot oven at 180degrees celsius for about 20 minutes.
14. Allow to cool on rack, these babies will be hot inside.
15. Enjoy!

I often make these for a brunch, parcooking them in the oven the night before when the girls are sleeping, and then browning in the oven the next day for 10 minutes. I have also made these with Yasmin and she can make the whole thing, putting mixture on the squares, folding pastry, the egg and sesame etc.

You will be so proud and feel like a real cook!

Blogs I luuuurve....while the kids are sleeping

2010-03-13T21:12:00.001+11:00

I have a long, long list of bookmarked websites. Some inspire me (or on a bad day, leave me feeling inadequate), some distract me, some are just a mental break from ordinary mothering stuff.

My favourite blog that has inspired me and that I read every day, is Soulemama. It's written by Amanda Soule Blake, author of two books, on creative mothering, repurposing, sewing, homeschooling and living a simple, wholesome life. She has a huge following. As a homeschooling mother of four in mid west USA, her life could not be further removed from mine. But she has the calmest and most spiritual, positive take on mothering that I love to read it. And occasionally, makes me daydream about living in the country (for five seconds).

I love Ohdeedoh on Apartment Therapy. It's a great blog featuring all things children online - new products, websites, other blogs, recipes and ideas around the blogosphere. It's full of great stuff.

Of course, you can't go past People magazine (Who's sister magazine in the States) for some mindless celebrity gossip and even better, Celebrity Baby Blog.

A little bit closer to home, The Lark, a gorgeous little blog connected to a shop of the same name in Daylesford, and Hip Hip Hooray, which will give you lots of ideas for kids birthday parties. Enjoy. xx

Where does the time go?

2010-03-13T20:45:00.000+11:00

How did we get from my own little tiny, snuggled, wrapped up third baby to a nearly two year old little girl, wrapping, cuddling and shh-shushing her own little dolly to sleep?

She is my own pudgy, nearly two year old heartbreaker. She always makes me smile, I love the way she plays with my hair, puts both her little hands on my face to get my attention and reaches to put her hand on my face when she gives me a kiss goodnight. And if I could freeze her the way she is now, delicately teetering between babyhood and toddlerhood, I would. I always take a breath when putting her to sleep, remind myself to slow down and savour those moments when, while singing our little bedtime song, she rests her head on my shoulder. I know it won't always be this way, but for now, it's sweet and pure. She makes my heart melt.

DIY Vintage art

2010-03-08T20:14:00.000+11:00

I have developed a real appreciation of vintage children's books, cards and games. I recently purchased some vintage cards from the States. After choosing the ones I loved best, I laid these out on some gorgeous paper from Ikea and then framed it in an Ikea frame.

Added to our little vintage style collection next to the girls bathroom, I love it! The two smaller frames contain pictures from old Little Golden Books bought in a collectables store. The black and white one is from Etsy (you can read more about it here).

Next to the mirror are two more frames with some vintage Chinese flashcards, I hot glued these and they look great too. After three girls, I am sick to death of fairies and princesses, so these make a stylish change while still being bright and colourful for children.

Still loving Etsy!

Quick(ish) dinner

2010-03-08T20:05:00.001+11:00

Here is a one pan dish that is an easy, filling midweek dinner, using leftover rice and some fridge/freezer staples. It was gobbled up by the girls.

Fried rice
Saute some onion and garlic in sesame oil
Add any vegies - I used peas (frozen) and mushrooms. You could also use carrot, broccoli, baby corn, peppers
Beat a couple of eggs, then pour over the vegies
Shake some soy sauce over the mixture
Add the cooked rice, add about 1/3 cup of water, combine gently, then place the lid and cover for a few minutes.
Enjoy and serve!

Purim

2010-03-01T19:49:00.001+11:00

Today was Purim, which in our house, is a day almost as exciting as a birthday. And always eagerly awaited...the choosing of the costume, getting dressed (at lightning speed), the painstakingly applied make up, the over gelled hair.

During December's trip to Singapore, I spotted three Asian style dresses....and quickly bought them with Purim in mind. The girls looked so sweet, and getting ready this morning reached fever pitch in excitement. Zahara literally ran around in a circle squealing she was so excited (she knew something was different today.)

Enjoy the pics. Hope you had a lovely Purim too.

PS. Don't little kids with make up look cute, but also a little freaky? It's sort of like fast forwarding to their teenage years and catching a glimpse of what they'll look like...

A gift of an ordinary day

2010-02-28T20:39:00.000+11:00

To all mothers of young children, please watch this. It gives some real perspective from an older mother whose little boys are now all grown up. It is lovely. (And keep some tissues handy too.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olSyCLJU3O0

A lovely weekend

2010-02-21T20:15:00.001+11:00

It's 8.15, the kids have been asleep for hours already, and it's been a lovely and satisfyingly tiring weekend. We spent much of today in our lovely garden with our lovely (fake) green grass, making bubbles, playing and digging up old plants to make room for new ones. Out with the dead sunflowers and corn. The coming weeks we will plant more parsley, rocket, potatoes, new sunflowers, carrots, spinach and broad beans. All this abundance turns our little burgeoning vegie patch into an instant buffet for our girls whenever we are outdoors. They resemble mice, crouching in the patch, nibbling on strawberries, carrots, green beans or mint.

We also had a visit from a gorgeous, adorable little Sharpei...a little afternoon 'trial' while we deliberate adding to our family with a canine baby. The girls are desperate for a dog, and our voice of reason (husband) is weighing up how much 'extra work' and 'things to do' we will gain. Pros - the giving and receiving of love between the girls and the lucky little pooch, the extra unconditional love my eldest daughter will enjoy, the impetus to maintain and step up an active, outdoor lifestyle. A little someone to play with and fill in afternoons after school. Cons - work work work. Walks, vets, vaccinatons, feeding, scooping the poop....but can you just see that hopeful look in Yasmin's eyes? 'Please Daddy, please can we get one?'

Ooooooh I absolutely love Etsy

2010-02-12T14:32:00.000+11:00

Last year, through reading many American blogs, I discovered Etsy.com. It's a website where you can buy anything that is handmade or vintage. The website is easy to use and full of so many gorgeous handcrafted or vintage things. Here are some things I've bought through Etsy.

Bedtime Bus Roll Poster
I love this. It looks great framed in a simple white frame near the kids' bathroom. Love it.

Secret Love Letter Necklace
Whenever I wear this necklace, at least one person is bound to comment on it. It's lovely and I love the aged look of the gold. My six year old wrote me a teeny tiny note to go inside.

Weather clock wall hanging
A very sweet addition to our nature table (now on hiatus). The girls love to look at and decide today if it's snowing (never).

Melamine
Did I mention I am OBSESSED with melamine? We use these often for picnicking in the garden. It makes a nice change from the Barbie and princess plates.

Enjoy the shopping!

Warriors of Toorak...oops Brazil

2010-02-07T21:36:00.000+11:00

Today we took the older girls to see Warriors of Brazil. A-mazing. Truly incredible. A showcase of Brazilian music, dance and capoiera. It was full of energy and great music and acrobatics. The girls were captivated (except when Layla complained 'it's too loud for me!') and even had a chance to join the performers on stage with other kids in the audience.

While not strictly a children's show, I do love to take Yasmin to see different performances, she is always mesmerised. I always tell her after, 'you could do that, if you trained like they did.' I have no idea where she gets it, but she is incredibly agile, flexible and confidence physically. She has restarted her classes at the National Institute of Circus Arts, and I'm hoping she will continue with it. I have also taken her to see Cirque de Soleil and Circus Oz which she loved. We have Mary Poppins and Burn the Floor booked too.

The show was followed by a serious play in the garden (time to let off some steam) and pizza delivered to our door. Love it - no cooking and dishes to clean up.

Hope your weekend was full of (mostly) fun too.

Homemade play dough

2010-02-06T13:30:00.001+11:00

A great little activity we do when we need 'something to do' is homemade playdough. It's quick, easy and allows kids to be so creative. It's also good if you have children of various ages, as toddlers love the sensory stimulation (and chance to smush something) and older kids can make their own little 'science experiments' as you'll read below.

A quick Google search will give you lots of different recipes. We've used this one several times and it's easy.

Homemade playdough
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1 TBS cream of tartar
1 TBS oil
food coloring

Directions:
Heat all ingredients in a saucepan, slow to medium heat. Stir continuously. Once dough is at the consistency you want, remove from heat. Cool before using.

The girls have had great fun with this. After the playdough cooled, I gave them each some balls I quickly rolled, and then they added food colouring (available from the supermarket). The food colouring box also has a little chart with ratios and combinations needed to make aqua, orange, purple etc. This was great fun for the girls as they added drops of different colours and then mixed the colour through. We watched as the playdough changed colour, and they chose which combinations they wanted.

Then we added smells. We did this by adding various food essence, also from the supermarket. I had mint, orange, coconut and strawberry.

The last part was adding glitter. The playdough looked awesome by now and each girl had their own little stash of creations. They took turnings smelling each others. We have done this also with other kids at our place and it is a hit. The mess factor is a little high, but its a great activity.

In our photos you can see Yasmin created birthday cakes using coloured matchsticks and icy pole sticks from our art and craft supply. (We also made this for Yasmin's birthday party last year and put this in the goody bags. We wrapped the playdough ball in cellophane with some bubbles mixture.)

It's always good to keep things like this in your rainy day list. (And yes I have a list. When I have three restless children literally hanging off me I find it a little hard to concentrate!)

Aaaaaaahhhhhh

2010-02-03T11:59:00.000+11:00

We are on day three of school, and I feel like me again. Feeling a bit more human, a bit more free and enjoying the break from my kids which is allowing me to enjoy them more!

Grade 1 is going well, and 3 year old kinder started today. Lots of smiles, reassuring sisterly hugs and hand holding. Finally, a big hug, a shy smile to her new trusted teacher, and the first day of kinder begins.

I can slowly start to see the light at the end of this tunnel, as my youngest one will attend a small little creche for two mornings a week run by some lovely girls. And another couple of years, it will be her turn to bid farewell. But for now, I will smooch and smother her as much as I can. And try to get through those chaotic, sometimes testy afternoons with as much patience and gentleness as possible. (Sometimes, not so possible.)

Living the good life...I think

2010-02-03T10:04:00.000+11:00

I feel like celebrating. The last day of our 8 week summer holidays. School is back tomorrow. The 'back to school treat' orange choc chip muffins are made, the tabouli is ready, the backpack is suitably updated and decorated, and now I must set my alarm for 6am.

It was a mostly fun, definitely tiring, sometimes boring school break. Eight weeks with three little ones at home....it was difficult sometimes to find a bit of air, some peace and quiet and a chance to restore myself. Someone I admire very much and is so knowledgeable about children said to me....'at this age, their holidays are your horror. You are just tired and sometimes we don't want to be with our kids.' And it's OK.

In between, there was our inaugural camping trip (Cumberland River Holiday Park), a lovely warm holiday in Koh Samui, some fun in Singapore, some playdates, parks and swims. Lots of colouring in, playing in the garden and some art programs. And for me...a couple extra savoured glasses of wine in the evening, retreating on the weekends and swapping stories of frustration with misbehaving children with friends.

So now, having made it, it will be back to the rushed mornings, packing lunch, and getting out the door. And to all the mothers feeling the same feelings tonight....We made it!