Xmas cookies

It's a wet wet wet Sunday in Brisbane, I have to work this afternoon and I have a 2 yr old stuck inside (because it keeps raining and storming!) So we printed some Christmas colouring ins for her. Googled cookie recipes and we made http://www.marthastewart.com/338471/basic-sugar-cookies.
Used our Christmas cookie cutters and had my little apprentice help me!

Cloud sand!

After a nasty storm this morning, fun under cover play is needed! Bring on cloud sand - 6cups plain flour, 3/4 cup baby oil. Mix together until its clumps and stays moulded.

We played with ours in the water play table!

Fizzy colours

Bicarb + vinegar + food dye = fizzy colours!
Sadly this activity was shorter lived than I  hoped for! after realising using a spoon was too slow, Lumpy decided to just tip the colours into the bicarb and mix! She did love that it fizzed and reacted, so atleast she noticed that!

Lumpy decided to just dump the bicarb into the colour!

Plane trip fun....

The past 10 days were spent in cold but amazingly beautiful New Zealand. The holiday was amazing. We will be going back at some stage to see the North Island.
The return plane trips with a 2.5 yr old lumpy were a little stressful even with careful planning and organising!
Little snap lock bags of activities, food, and inflight entertainment all helped. I either got new toys/ borrowed finger puppets, or hid old toys for a month or so before our trip.

Worlds most beautiful ballerina

Lumpy has been doing pre ballet gentle movements since July. She loves it!

Free water play ground

Rocks Riverside park (info here)   Is a great park for kids. It has a water area, a few different play grounds with equipment aimed at different ages and stages of development (you try and tell Lumpy she can't climb the huge rope structure!) Parking is free, making it a cheap and fun day out.


We got there just before 9, and by 920 the place had filled up!

having a swim.

walking in on of the little pools

After a swim, we decided it was time to go on a pixie hunt! sadly no Pixies were found. We did how ever find ducks and a vegetable garden!

Add caption

All this swimming and pixie hunting makes us hungry!

Have a great week.

Jelly ice blocks

With a 29°  spring day approaching I looked for great ice block ideas and found one where you used jelly crystals and ice block molds.
I don't have ice block molds so used silicon dinosaur cake shaped molds and craft ice block sticks!
These ice blocks do not melt easily either so less mess for mummy!

Ice block sticks in the molds

Jelly crystals

Adrady for the freezer

These worked very well, tasted great (just like jelly on a stick!) and didn't melt all over the floor.

Arts and crafts

Sick mummy + active toddler + well stocked craft supplies = a few moments to relax.

Using glue for feathers and ice block sticks

Our new organisation, tidy supplies yet inviting to Lumpy.

June run down!

The start of June saw us off to see Play School Live. Very exciting day!

Daddy and Lumpy ready to go in

Mummy and Lumpy excited that Humpty Dumpty came out!

We then took a trip to Serendipity farm (info here. What a great place! they take in neglected/abandoned animals and open their "farm" up on weekends and school holidays, all for a donation

Patting the pony! she was also able to brush it.

Feeding time for the calf.

We finished off the month with a camping trip to Bribie Island (Yes i know, middle of wainter, beach camping, in a camper trailer! NUTS!)

It was warm enough at mid day to play in the lagoon.

<3

Will try and do a July run down later this week! x

VERY VERY SORRY!

Ok it has been a long time since posts!
I have had a lot going on in that time - personal health issues and family health issues.
So I will now start doing some posts!

Very busy week!

Ok, So there was a 6 day period in May!

Started on the friday with checking in to the Seaworld resort, heading to Movie world. Followed by Saturday at Seaworld, Tuesday Mor ing we were on a 6am flight to Newcastle! very early morning for us.
We got into Newcastle and drove to Sydney, where we stayed in Darling Habour for a night and back to Newcastle for a 445pm flight home!

We squeezed SO much in while in Sydney! Drove the scenic route from Newcastle airport to Sydney,  Lunch by the Harbour, a loop on the monorail, arvo tea in the Botanic gardens next to the Opera house, Dinner at Start city Casino, a trip to ths Aquarium and back to Newcastle for lunch, a visit to a beach for coffee and then back to the airport! We had a very exhausted Lumpy who was incredubly well behaved on the flights!

Checking in at Nara

Heading in to Movie world

Daddy and lauren on the Merry go round at Seaworld!

Daddy and Lauren on teh plane ride at Seaworld

Mummy and Lauren at the Opera House

Arvo tea at the Gardens! <3 beautiful girl!

Morning tea at the Aquarium Cafe - she announced her "Congue likes cake"

Daddy and Lauren at the Aquarium <3

We will be going back to Sydney as a familyto spend more than 24 hours!!!

Don't throw it....

Grow it... here are some photos of things I have grown instead of thrown. Potatoes very easy however apparently due to chemicals used on store purchased ones I will only harvest about 5-7 spuds from each plant.

Also spring onions I don't have a pre planting photo sorry

only one is really doing well.

Hello!

Sorry! I know it's been a while between posts. Lumpy and I are getting our vege patches up and running while the weather is cooler. We have a busy busy week coming up, i will take lots of photos and post next week!

A little while a go i read somewhere "why grow grass, when you can grow food?" This has really made me think, and now I'm doing something about it!! - i am increasing our edible plants - we had Mandarin, paw paw, blueberry and strawberry (had tobuy 6 more plants as dog vs berry patch... you know who won) and garlic chives.
We now also have leeks & rosemary seedlings. With passionfruit seeds and cayenne cilli seeds to raise! as well as a wish list as long as my arm. BUT baby steps, and we will get there. (OH we also have our neighbours lemons hanging into our yard)

Yet again the wonder Homemade Mumma has shared her knowledge and ideas with me - don't throw it, grow it! makes sense now that you have heard it, right?!? this has lead to me regrowing shallots, potato (just waiting for them to sprout a little more before planting out in the big bad cold world) and experimenting with pineapple top (it is 18-24 month before we can pick a pineapple tough).

Yummy, cheap, healthy treat!

I saw a pic somewhere this week (and i truly can't remember where) of yogurt ice blocks. So when I saw a 4 pack of Activia yogurts reduced to clear at $1.35 I grabbed them and knew what to do!



What you need-
Yogurt tubs (as many as you want)
Paddle pop sticks (same number as yogurt tubs)
Freezer.

no idea what that streak is?!?!

Next time you do that late night supermarket trip keep your eyes out for discount yogurt!