Aussie Mum

Mandarin Magic

2014-08-05T21:50:00.007+10:00

Late on Saturday night (or maybe it was in the wee hours of Sunday morning) whilst I was editing photos from one of the gorgeous newborn shoots I had in the previous few days, I came a cross a Facebook post about mandarin picking around Wisemans Ferry. As you will know from previous posts, we really enjoy picking our own apples.

So on Sunday morning we loaded into the car and headed to the Watkins Family Farm for some DIY Mandarin Picking. It was set in the most beautiful valley and the weather was divine! I was a little concerned that we were late in the season and perhaps there wouldn't be many mandarins left for picking. I needn't have worried. I was concerned that whist Kyah would enjoy roaming free in a orchard, she may get frustrated at not being able to pick the mandarins herself. I was even worried the boys wouldn't be able to reach the high fruit if all the low ones had already been picked. I needn't have worried.

We had an absolutely fabulous time. Everyone got to pick a heap of fruit! And eat it too! There were also mushrooms to pick, and chickens, goats and sheep to feed, and best of all, a tractor to sit on. We ended the day with lunch down at Wisemans Ferry and the boys loved watching the cars being driven onto and off the ferry and seeing it go across the river. It was a wonderful Family Funday Sunday.

Here is my photo essay.

The Details:
Watkins Family Farm
1006 Singleton Rd, Laughtondale (Near Wisemans Ferry)
You only pay for the mandarins and mushrooms that you pick. No entrance fee.
Imperial Mandarins
$10 per bucket for Mandarins
$10 per bag for Mushrooms
Honey and eggs also available for purchase
It took us 1.5 - 1.75 hours from Sydney's Northern Beaches.

Apple Picking

2014-07-15T01:34:00.000+10:00

After the success and enjoyment spent apple picking in Bilpin last year, we decided to go again this year. So following the Easter Long Weekend we went back to Bilpin at the foot of the Blue Mountains and once again visited the Bilpin Springs Orchard to pick a few baskets of delicious apples fresh from the tree.

It was a little more crowded than last year but the apples were still delicious, plentiful on the tree and the kids loved racing around eating the fresh apples and enjoying the space and fresh mountain air.

We bought home enough apples for several apple salads, a few apple pies, a heap of apple sauce and a quite a few lunchbox snacks! Delicious!

Here is my photo essay.

A Day With The Tim's

2014-05-19T19:57:00.000+10:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of spending the day with Tim Pascoe and Tim Williams talking, learning, living photography.

Shooting, editing, work flow, tips, tricks, lessons learned. It was a hugely fruitful day learning and listening. Meeting new friends. Feeding my already growing passion.

Light. The story. Creating drama. Clean lines. Finding and creating clean backgrounds. Using the hand-light-finder. Shadows and highlights.

Not to mention the wonderful models we had to shoot at the beautiful location, McCarrs Creek. I can't believe the wonderful captures I was able to create it bright bright sunlight and also under the shade of the beautiful Mortan Bay Figs.

I learnt so much!

Thanks Tims!

The Details:

Tim Pascoe ~ Photographer

http://www.timpascoeweddings.com/workshops/

Workshop, May 2014

Location: Warriewood, NSW Australia

"After 14 years of shooting professionally I have realised that not only do I love to be the one taking the photos, but I love seeing people passionate about photography and grow as a photographer. Over the years I have seen the industry change dramatically and have had to adapt as it changes. It's my desire to see people who are passionate about photography in it for the long haul and able to stay relevant, but true to yourself.

If you are wanting to make a career of photography or are already a professional photographer and wanting to equip yourself for the journey ahead, then I hope we will see you at the next workshop."

Octonaut's to the HQ - Take II

2014-05-15T14:46:00.000+10:00

Beau Turns 3!

After seeing his brother have an Octonaut's Party back in December, there was no denying Beau his own Octo-themed celebration when he turned 3 in January (I know I am very tardy with writing this blog post).

After all the work that went into making the decorations for the first party, I was more than happy to get some more use out of the 3 foot high Octonaut characters and the schools of jellyfish we had made! But after all the hard work of hosting parties (Ruby Wedding Anniversaries and Octonaut Parties) I was feeling too tired for another huge extravaganza at the house. So we headed to the park, secured a cabana early and set up the Octonaut decorations around the playground.

It was fantastic. I didn't have to spend a week before the party cleaning and tidying (& cleaning & tidying & cleaning & tidying &…). The kids could run wild and they were not in fear of break anything in our house. We had fruit, croissants, cheese and an Octo-Alert cake. We had the Octonaut party game which we had created for Noah's party - "Peso's Rescue Mission" where all the kids were given "creature cards" and had to rescue their animal from a huge fishing net . Once again it was a huge Octo-success.

We had beautiful weather and the kids exhausted themselves! Happy Birthday Beau!

Time on the Farm

2014-05-01T11:15:00.002+10:00

At the end of March, we travelled down to the Southern Highlands for a long weekend of family time. We stayed just outside of Robertson on a farm called, Brenchley Farm. A 4 bedroom house with all the necessities - bunk beds, a sandpit, a huge undercover circular verandah (perfect for scooters) and a football field for the children and a large modern kitchen, BBQ, large lounge area and a central log fire for the adults. My parents and my sister and her boyfriend came along and we took turns cooking meals, providing a weekend of culinary delights and quality family time.

But better than the food or the house, was nature. Two gorgeous horses, some cows, wide open spaces, an apple orchard, citrus and fig trees, sunrises and sunsets. And time. Time to make wishes on dandelions. Time to feed horses. Time to stand and watch for the fairies in the sunbeams through the forest canopy at the nearby Carrington Falls. Time to sit by the fire. Time to smell flowers and find toadstools and early easter eggs.

Here is my photo essay.

Details:

Brenchley Farm

A Modern Farm House in Robertson, NSW

Brenchley Farm is perfect for families, friends or couples looking for a special getaway.
It's your country retreat in the heart of the Southern Highlands offering peace and tranquility, comfort and convenience.

4 Bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

Prices range from $310-$650 per night.

For more details see: http://www.stayz.com.au/accommodation/nsw/southern-highlands/bowral/94471?gclid=CJq8wraQ0L0CFYHhpAodn0MAxw

A Ruby Wedding Anniversary - A Photo Essay

2014-03-26T13:39:00.004+11:00

Way back in November, my sisters and I hosted a surprise 40th Wedding Anniversary party for our parents. We invited 30 of their nearest and dearest family and friends and created a 3 course sit down feast. For months beforehand we met and talked and planned and trialled and created dishes and scoured Pinterest and made decorations and deceptions {it is no easy feat to keep a secret from ones parents for several months}.

The theme was easy. Ruby. We added a hint of blackboard chic, and simple elegance. I created a "blackboard" poster with facts about our parents and their 40 years of marriage. The table was decorated with personalised black bonbons - which contained trivia questions, and a black and white photograph of each guest with our parents taken some time in the last 40 years. We set up a Photo booth for the guests including some vintage frames, a few "ruby" accessories and fake mustaches for guests to don.

The tables were set up outdoors and we decorated the back yard with glass jar lanterns which my brother-in-law made. Some were dyed red and others left clear. These made the garden look truly magical. We inserted black and white photographs of our parents into all the photo frames in my sisters house, making every room a little tribute to our parents and their marriage.

The menu centered around our parents favourite dishes. Starting with a tomato and a watermelon gazpacho amuse bouche, the entree was a prawn cocktail (Heston style), the main was a slow roasted lamb shoulder, and for dessert my sister created a spectacular ice cream and affogato bar.

With a lot of preparations, I think it was an amazingly successful and special night for our parents.

No "No's" Parenting

2014-01-14T22:11:00.000+11:00

Today I was talking with a friend on Skype when my adorable little 10 month old, teething, sick daughter bit me hard on the shoulder. "No!" I yelped. "That hurt Mummy! Don't bite."

There are 2 possible reactions to this scenario from my daughter:
1. Her bottom lip starts to tremble and big crocodile tears well up in her eyes, or
2. She giggles conspiratorially.

Today she did the later. Clearly, she was trying to thwart my meagre parenting prowess to my friend who was observing from the other side of the computer screen. Upon observing all this, my friend then told me how they recently had guests who have made a conscious decision to never, yes NEVER, use the word "no" with their children.

I believe at this point, my jaw dropped open and my daughter took the opportunity to bite me again. For a split milli-second I contemplated not saying "no" to her. But what else does one say to a 10 month old when they bite you?

"I would appreciate it if you didn't bite me…"??

I am not convinced that at 10 months of age my daughter would have grasped the full extent of the message I just conveyed to her.

But I did try with my sons, ages 3yo (on Saturday) and 5yo, to use more positive language and eliminate "no" from my parenting vocabulary. I was unsuccessful.

"No Beau! Do not sit on your sisters head!"
"No Beau! Do not crash tackle your sister when she stands up in the bath! Even though you know that she is not supposed to stand up in the bath."
"No boys! I will not read you another story. It is way past bed time and Mummy just needs a time out! All this trying to not say "no" has done my head in!"

Ok. Well I am sure if I had put more effort into that last one, I could have found a way to eliminate the "no" from the message - though it would have still been there in the semantics, just not in my spoken words.

So tonight, after they were all in bed, and feeling pretty lousy about my failed attempts to not use the word "no" for an afternoon, I googled "Parenting trend don't say no" and first up on Google was none other than Dr Sears. Here is what Dr Sears had to say about "no":

"“No” is a power-packed word, quick on the lips, easy to say. Your child will hear you use this word often, and you will hear it from your child as well. It’s necessary for a parent to say “no” to a child so the child can later say “no” to himself. All children—and some adults—have difficulty delaying gratification. “I want it now” is a driving desire, especially in toddlers. Learning to accept “no” from someone else is a prelude to saying “no” to herself."

From this little introduction I take away that in fact saying "no" to my children is an important parenting technique, helping them develop a healthy internal dialogue and ability to delay gratification. Dr Sears did suggest 18 ways to say no positively and these I did read and take some comfort in them - I have definitely mastered "the look" and "the voice". Perhaps some I could take more heed of, and try to practice a little more. But "no" is definitely part of my parenting practice and parenting vocabulary.

What about you? Do you say "no" or are you a no "no's" parent?

Old Fashioned Egg-Flip

2014-01-10T01:22:00.002+11:00

Six days of strep throat, roaring fevers and extreme lethargy has left my poor boys with no appetite. Even when they are hungry, everything except milk and water hurts their throats. I have been watching the weight slide of their already slim little frames and been increasingly concerned about getting some food into them given all the panadol, nurofen and antibiotics they are consuming.

Enter my wise mother who suggested an egg-flip. I remember always having egg-flips when I was sick as a kid, and also before our 5am ice-skating lessons. What is an egg-flip - milk, an egg, vanilla and ice-cream.

The kids loved it (though I didn't tell them it had a raw egg in it - I thought that may turn them off). I just told them it was a milkshake. Win! They loved it. And I got some protein into them without a fight and without their little throats hurting. Double Win!

The ingredients:
Milk
Egg
Vanilla (or caramel works well too)
Vanilla Ice Cream

The Recipe:
Combine all ingredients in a Tupperware Quick-Shake Container, and shake. Make sure you shake REALLY well to ensure the egg is thoroughly broken up and mixed in. You don't want a slimy string of egg white rolling into your mouth!
Serve.

The Result:
Today it was a win! Frothy, milky, vanilla shake with a hidden egg. Sssshhhh! Don't tell them.

What have you found successful to get food into your kids when they are so sick?

Family Fun - Vikings & Vessels

2014-01-02T21:26:00.001+11:00

Today was Nathan's Birthday. We had planned a family fun day of bike riding and swimming, but with the mercury soaring into the high 30's we decided indoor activities would be more comfortable for everyone. And whilst the children voted for the Tyrannosaurus exhibition at the Australian Museum, the Australian National Maritime Museum was the winner as we have been to see the dinosaurs quite a few times in the last 12 months!

So after a leisurely early morning breakfast at Girdlers on Dee Why Beach, we headed into the Australian National Maritime Museum, and the "Vikings - Beyond the Legend" exhibition. The boys were excited to see what real Vikings were like being that they watch their animated counterparts on "Mike The Knight".

The boys were fascinated by the Viking boat moored in Darling Harbour and the boat inside the exhibition. They were able to try on heavy Viking helmets, hold a Viking sword and try their best at picking up the 20kg Viking armour (as it weighs more then they do, they were very impressed).

There was even a "real Viking" to talk to and ask questions of. However the boys were so frightened of him, they were rendered speechless when he came around the corner in full Viking costume and armour. Whilst they eventually posed, albeit reluctantly, for a photo with the Viking, they didn't utter a single word to him (though he has been the topic of much discussion between them since).

We ventured into the Kids on Deck section of the museum but as it was over-run with vacation-care children we made a hasty retreat and the boys decided they didn't want to make craft anyway. Besides the Viking Exhibition, we also wondered through the core Navy exhibition and the boys enjoyed trying out the bunks which submariners have to share, captaining a submarine and seeing a giant engine at work. Highlights for Nathan were the beer boat and the naval exhibition, and for me the Tasman Light.

In truth, the Maritime Museum was not an entirely perfect choice on such a hot day - as the lure of large ships moored in Darling Harbour was hard to resist for the boys and their dad despite the heat. There was HMAS Vampire, HMAS Onslow - the submarine, Barque James Craig - the tall ship, and the Viking Vessel. They only managed to clamber aboard the Viking Vessel before they got too hot and came back inside to the air conditioning. Thankfully, we took them onboard some of the Navy Ships during the Fleet Review in Sydney back in October.

With the heat, we didn't make it out to the Viking Wetworld before the heat of the day got too much for everyone and we headed home, but we did enjoy sitting in the air-conditioning and watching "Asteriks and the Vikings" animated film whilst Kyah had her lunch. We ate down at the Yots Cafe which was family friendly and had nice food. The kids ate fish and chips and a cheese melt, and we had a BLT and a Wagu burger - totaling $60 (including a Viking Golden Lager).

All up it was a good day. The boys were able to wonder and explore a lot of hands-on exhibits as well as watch an animated movie. It wasn't too busy, and we didn't have to queue up to see anything. Basically, large boats, fast boats and things that go in general are always going to be a winner with our boys. The highlight for the boys was definitely the "real Viking" even if they didn't talk to him.

My Tips:
Buy your tickets online to save the queue at the door.
With a 5yo, 3yo and 9mo we couldn't dwell on detail, just wonder through and get some visual highlights (I think Nathan would have enjoyed more time reading the dearth of information provided by the museum at the various exhibits).

The Details:
The Australian National Maritime Museum, Darling Harbour
anmm.gov.au
Open daily except Christmas Day from 9.30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Galleries Admission - Adult $7, Child (4 yrs- 15 yrs) $3.50, Family (2 adults + 3 children) $17.50
Big Ticket (Vikings, Galeries, Vessels, Kids on Deck) - Adult $27, Child (4 yrs - 12 yrs) $16, Family (2 adults + 3 children) $70

Family Fun - A Trip to Thomas Land

2013-12-30T13:49:00.000+11:00

Last Christmas (i.e., Christmas 2012) the boys were the fortunate recipients of 2 gift vouchers for The Train Shed (in our house a.k.a. Thomas Land) in Luddenham. Embarrassingly, it has taken us 12 months to make it out there.

From the Northern Beaches of Sydney, it was a long drive to Thomas Land at just over an hour. With the incessant "When will we get to Thomas Land" coming from the back seat from 10 minutes into the journey, that hour seemed like 3! Our vouchers gave the boys unlimited rides (worth $35 each) and we decided to buy Kyah 2 rides at $6 a ride. We were able to ride for free with 2 younger children.

We waited no more than about 5 minutes for a ride (with the exception of the final ride on Percy, who was charging his batteries whilst the boys waited). Each ride lasted about 8-10 minutes and there were 4 trains running - Thomas, Percy, Toby & James. The boys were in Thomas & Friends heaven!

Although it was only around 27 degrees, it was hot and dry, and we were all glad for our hats and sunscreen as there was very little shade. We packed our own lunch and snacks, though the cafe was not too over priced. It sold pies, sausage rolls, nuggets and scones, as well as ice creams, chips and other snack items. They also made a fairly decent espresso coffee. The gift shop on the other hand was very pricey and we steered the boys away from that. Thankfully they were happy with watching the little electric railway cars and engines zoom around the track at the entrance to the gift shop.

All up we were at The Train Shed for about 2.5 hours. The Train Shed is co-located with the Vicary's Winery, and had the children not been exhausted, we may have ventured into the cellar door to purchase a couple of bottles of wine. Next time maybe?

My Tips:
Take a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water.
Pack a picnic lunch or plan to eat pies, sausage rolls or nuggets from the cafe.
Arrive at opening (10am) to benefit from a few quick rides and less queuing time.
Prepare your children that some of the trains may not be available.
Prepare your children for a long car ride (if you are heading there from the Northern Beaches as we were).
Allow time for a stop by the Vicary's Winery Cellar Door.
It was well worth the trip for our 5yo and 3yo boys.
One of the best bits? The whole place is Non-Smoking! Family Win!

The Details:
The Train Shed (a.k.a. Thomas Land).
Located at Vicary's Winery, The Northern Rd, 2km South of Luddenham.
Open 10 am - 4 pm Every Saturday and Sunday.
www.thetrainshed.com.au
$35 for unlimited rides or $6 per ride. Adults ride free with children under 2 yrs or children with special needs.

Octonaut's to the HQ! A Photo Essay

2013-12-10T00:53:00.000+11:00

Noah Turns 5!

Way back in February, just a couple of weeks into the school term, Noah announced he was having an Octonauts birthday party this year, and that he had already invited his entire class. His Birthday is in December!

Well, over the course of the year, and a fair bit of too-ing-and-fro-ing on Noah's part, we managed to whittle him down to inviting only his cousins and 5 of his "crew" from school for his Octonaut's party. We spent countless hours making a Giant Kelp Forest, Giant Jelly Fish, Baby Octopus', Sea Anemones, and Paper Plate Fish for decorations - the best part of the decorations was that they used up all the leftover decorations from previous parties, whether that be paper lanterns from the Baptism, Hungry Caterpillar Party and the Mexican Fiesta, or paper plates and cupcake holders from the same.

We set about creating Octonaut Invitations and making paper Octonaut hats for all the guests. For the food we made blue bowls of jelly with fish swimming in them, marshmallow pops and chocolate dipped Oreo cookies with the Octoalert symbol on them.

My amazing Sister-in-law offered to help with decorations and did she deliver?! 3 foot Octonaut figures complete with all the details and nuances that make the characters come to life! My boys were blown away. So we used these as a backdrop for an Octonaut photo booth.

We booked a reptile show, Walkabout Reptiles, which was a huge success and all the kids were so brave holding lizards and snakes and even a salt water crocodile! We played a "Peso's Rescue Mission" game where all the kids were given "creature cards" and had to rescue their animal from a huge fishing net, and we had a treasure hunt for Calico Jack's hidden treasure.

Here is my photo essay of how the day went.

Anybody need any Octonaut Decorations?

A Month of Photo A Day Challenge

2013-11-04T20:30:00.002+11:00

In October, my husband and I decided to do the Fat Mum Slim Photo A Day Challenge. I have done the challenge before and blogged my photos each day. This month I decided I would wait to do a round up of the shots at the end of the month on here, but I posted everyday on Instagram and Facebook.

The daily prompts for the month were:

And here is my month worth of photos!

I was very honoured to have my photo on October 16 chosen in the Facebook FMS Photo A Day Fab Four for the prompt Leafy. Many of the photos submitted each day are amazing and I do not envy the admin's who choose 4 each day to feature in the Fab Four. Just look at the amazing photos featured alongside mine in the grid below.

I missed a couple of days but we had a lot of fun finding something to fit the prompt each day and it gave us something else to do other than watch tv...

Not sure I will be able to keep up with the November challenge, but I may do a photo here or there. What a fun community Fat Mum Slim has created!

Have you participated in a fun photo challenge on instagram or facebook?

First Pet

2013-10-31T21:08:00.002+11:00

Noah has been on a "when-can-we-get-a-pet" campaign for some time now. We had a trial-run with minding the neighbors fish, but as predicted the kids interest lasted all of 1 day. Then it was Mum and Dad who were feeding the fish (in their defense the fish were extremely boring tetras-type fish, not even goldfish).

Still Noah continued on his when-can-we-get-a-pet campaign and finally he had us cornered in the Flower Power Pet Shop a few weeks back. We gave in and bought not 1, but 10 pets!

Silkworms.

We had 2 happy little boys on our hands. And their interest has endured through the whole metamorphosis! Gathering mulberry leaves, watching the worms eat feverishly through leaf after leaf. Absolute wonder as they spun their silk cocoons.

I admit that during the cocoon-phase the container started to collect dust after a couple of trips to preschool for news. But then the first moth (silk-butterfly as the boys call them) hatched and absolute wonder returned. Releasing the moths was also a huge highlight.

So far 4 of the 10 have hatched and the boys have released the fury little moths into the garden (though thankfully not too close to the veggie patch given how quickly those worms devoured the mulberry leaves we picked for them).

What an awesome pet. The food is free (& meant we got an excuse to eat mulberries), the animal changes and so keeps the children's interest and curiosity peaked, and then we get to let them go at the end! Win!

What pets have you had that required little maintenance but kept the kids interested?

International Fleet Review at Dawn

2013-10-06T23:26:00.000+11:00

A Photo Essay

Early on Friday morning, 5.30am actually, we bundled the sleepy-eyed children into their dressing gowns and ugg boots and set off for Dobroyd Head. Why this insanity? The International Fleet Review is taking place in Sydney this weekend. Navy ships from all over the world are coming into our beautiful Harbour. The first 3 boats entered at 6am. There were more entering at 8am and 10am, but we wanted to be there early, see the dawn and have Dad with us before work.

Boys love boats! Especially big navy boats. It was worth braving the cold and the dawn. We saw ships from China, Malaysia and Singapore enter through The Heads into Sydney Harbour. Spectacular.

Then on Sunday afternoon we headed out to Garden Island to board some of the International Navy Vessels that have come into Sydney Harbour for the Fleet Review. The weather was a sweltering 31 degrees (Celsius) and it was HOT! Once again we had tired kids, but they really managed so well in the heat and the crowds.

There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people on the wharf to board the ships, but in true navy form, everything was under control and well organized. We did have to queue to board the ships and with tired kids we only managed 2 ships - the Japanese and Thai. But it was still worth the whopping $3 entry fee!.

There were boats from New Zealand, Australia (HMAS Darwin and HMAS Sydney), India, Japan and Thailand. The highlights for the boys - rocket launchers, 79mm gun barrels, and getting taken through a "secret" hatch because Noah was overheating on deck. The highlights for Kyah - her first taste of banana and being allowed to drink water from the boys water bottle (you don't take much away from such an event at only 6 months of age).

It was a lot of fun being part of this International Fleet Review. Boys love boats. Esepcially gigantic navy boats. Boys love helicopters and fighter planes. The Harbour was a-buzz with helicopters and fighter jets. Boys love buses and trains. We got to ride on 2 buses and saw lots of trains. Boys love going over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and seeing the Opera House. We went over the bridge twice and saw the Opera House. It was all win-win. We even saw giant snails!

What have you braved the cold and the early morning dawn for? Did you see any of the ships entering Sydney Harbour this morning?

What have you braved crowds and sweltering heat for? Did you make it on board any of the Navy ships in town this weekend?

Behind the Scenes of a Red Nose Kids Cuts Photo Shoot

2013-10-03T21:22:00.002+10:00

My cousins are opening a children's hair salon here on Sydney's Northern Beaches. And they asked us if our children would be on their advertising materials (given how cute and adorable they are).

So a few weeks ago we set about taking some photos of the kids after Kelly had done their hair. Now what's that saying...never work with children or animals? It should definitely say never work with multiple children at the one time - especially when they are your own!

There was the poking of the baby by the 2 year old (and general slumping of the 4 year old)...

Then there was more poking of the baby by the 2 year old...

Then there was that dreaded moment when I heard myself say, "Now just smile".... (I think Kyah looks as appalled as I was when I said that)

Never tell children to smile!

So we decided to divide and conquer...yeah right.

We started with the 4 year old, thinking he would be a good role model for the younger two, but he was a reluctant participant...

At one stage he even fiend sleep...

Then there was the 2 year old. He pretended he had no bones in his body and couldn't sit up...

Then he sat up and gave us his best "smile"...

...and his best booger...

...and his best "I am so shy" face.

Even the baby, who really was the star, was more fascinated with her hands than with the camera most of the time...

But in the end we did get some cute photos! And now Red Nose KIDS CUTS is opening on October 14th! And they have some super cute advertising materials too!!

PLUS! They are offering free hair cuts until October 31st! So ring Kelly and book your child in for their free cut! There are novelty chairs, iPads to play and a coffee shop right in Fitness First for Mum, Dad, Grandma or Grandpa to grab a coffee whilst you wait!

And to make the deal even better, Red Nose KIDS CUTS have partnered with SIDS and Kids, helping to save babies lives!

Butterfly Baptism

2013-09-30T23:45:00.002+10:00

For my daughter's baptism I was excited to decorate a party for a little girl (after 4 years of boys parties). I wanted pink and orange to be the colour scheme (that way decorations for the christening could be recycled into decorations in the nursery) and following on from my recent creative outbursts with butterflies I wanted to incorporate them into the theme too.

Of course, my first port-of-call was Pinterest and after injecting myself with a good dose of pinspiration I created this invitation for the christening. The best thing I learnt from making this invitation was that there a entire fonts of butterflies (and many are available for free!)! In fact there a fonts for everything, making creating my own personalised invitations fun (though still very time consuming). I took the opportunity to include a photo of Kyah I took when she was only a week old using a quote from 1 Samuel 1:26-28. It was perfect for her christening invitations.

Next up I had to think about decorations. Paper pom poms, paper lanterns, paper bunting, fairy lights and flowers. The paper pom poms I made myself (a lot cheaper than paying $8/pompom and I could incorporate any color/pattern of tissue paper I wanted/could find - apparently there is not a huge demand for orange tissue paper...). I bought the paper bunting, but it only came in pink, so I inserted some orange flags to tie into the colour theme using orange scrapbook paper I bought for the nursery art works. Lanterns, lights and flowers I bought. The decorations were not over the top, but they looked sweet and made the party feel special.

Then the cake. I decided to outsource this time. And what a spectacular result! White chocolate and dark chocolate layers. Pink and orange butterflies. Just beautiful.

This formed the centerpiece for the dessert table. To accompany this masterpiece on the dessert table, I really wanted to make marshmallow pops after seeing them on Pinterest. They turned out spectacularly and were a huge hit (not just with the kids either). I chose pink sprinkles, pearl balls, sugar butterflies and coconut to decorate the marshmallows with. The coconut were the favorite. Paper straws added some beautiful detail as the sticks and I presented them on the dessert table in a few tall tumblers.

Together with the cake and glass jars of strawberry milk for the kids, the dessert table looked divine - with a wonderful balance of pink and orange!

We had around 70 guests join us for the service for Kyah's baptism. It was so special to have our friends and family with us to celebrate Kyah and our faith. Kyah now has 2 beautiful Godmother's and a wonderful Godfather to guide her through her life. We feel very blessed to have these 3 wonderful children, to have such amazing family, and to have some truly special friends.

After it was all finished, I created this Thank You card to send to all our wonderful family and friends who shared this special day with us and our daughter. It was another opportunity to put Kyah's gorgeous Christening dress on and take some oh-so-adorable photos of her. I couldn't decide on just one, hence the Thank You card has 3 photos! I decided to keep some of the elements the same as the invitation - the fonts and the butterflies but I changed to the peach/orange color to compliment Kyah's dress.

Next party...Octonauts. Stay tuned.

DIY Newborn Photoshoot

2013-08-21T23:56:00.001+10:00

Similarly, to the photos we took of our boys and "the belly" before #3 arrived, I turned to Pinterest for some newborn photo inspiration (or "Pinspiration"). I knew I didn't have the time, money or desire to have a professional capture some of these moments, but I knew I wanted to have plenty of memories of when our last little one was arrived fresh from God, so tiny and precious.

The hospital offered a photography service whilst we were there to capture those early days, but with someone bringing me food, making my bed, no other children underfoot, and a baby who loved to sleep, I took the opportunity to take some hospital shots with some Pinterest photos for inspiration.

Pinspiration

My Shots

I had seen lots of the bump-baby-name photos below on Pinterest but since we didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl, nor were we 100% set on either a girl or a boy name, we ended up taking photos of "the belly" with the blocks spelling out boy, girl, baby and about 5 different names for each! These are the shots that didn't get deleted after our baby girl, Kyah arrived.

Pinspiration

In those early days home there seemed to be a lot of time to take photos - maybe because my husband was home and wrangling the boys. Poor Kyah was posed for a new photo every time the poor little girl went to sleep. My photos are on the right. (Note: I knitted the hat!)

Sibling shots were high on my agenda and there were many that I wanted to capture in those first few days. Sometimes they worked out and sometimes not so much. Everyone was tired and adjusting to a new little person in the house and not always wanting to cooperate for Mumma taking photos. These next photos were taken just on my iPhone (because sometimes I just couldn't be bothered with the full kit-and-kaboodle of the DSLR. As you can see the "stacked-siblings" shot was far more successful on attempt #2 when Kyah was a few months old and not a few days old.

Pinspiration

My shots

There were so many cute sibling photos to try to emulate.

Pinspiration

My shots

And I just had to try for the train-heart shot. I found it difficult to get the complete heart in the shot with my portrait lens, and my #2 boy wouldn't cooperate for the photos. But I still got some cute shots of Kyah and her biggest brother.

Pinspiration

My shots

A dad shot was also high on my priority list and one random afternoon I shuffled the family outside to re-create this Dad-Children-Tower shot. Of course, I loved so many of the photos I took that day, I had to include 3 of my favourites below. I just love the changing expressions on the boys faces.

Pinspiration

My shots

The photo taking may have slowed down now but I am still looking for adorable photo inspiration (or "Pinspiration") and trying to emulate them. I don't always have my beautiful Nikon DSLR and sexy lens handy, and sometime I just have to seize the moment with my iPhone. Sometimes with a little post processing and editing it turns out magic.

Pinspiration

My Shots (via iPhone)

I hope this has inspired you to get snapping some pictures of your kids - they may not be professional and polished, but they still form beautiful memories of these years that are just flying by.

DIY Maternity Photoshoot

2013-08-18T20:26:00.000+10:00

If you haven't guessed from some of my previous posts, I like to dabble and tinker in photography. I especially like taking photos of my kids. When I fell pregnant with my third, I knew I wanted to capture some special moments with my boys and "the belly", especially as we are planning this to be the last baby. I wanted something a little more special than this...

35 Weeks

...which is barely what I managed for Baby #2 (poor neglected middle child - even when in-utero).

Of course, Pinterest provided much inspiration. I was initially thinking we would get some shots done professionally (like we had for Baby #1 - Oh the attention paid to #1 - even in-utero), but as time ticked away I began to realise that wasn't going to happen. So with a Pin-Board full of maternity shots to direct my hubby what I wanted from the photos and pockets full of chocolate to bribe the boys we set out to take some "copy-cat" shots for our family maternity shoot.

Our photos are a little less polished than those that provided the inspiration and the post-shoot processing is fairly scrappy because it was all done in iPhoto. But I still have some great shots of my boys and "the belly". So, here are the inspiration shots next to our shots.

Belly-Hug Inspiration:

Our Version:

Belly-Heart-Hands Inspiration:

Our Versions:

Belly-Peek-A-Boo Inspiration:

Our Versions:

Not too shabby I think.

And here are a couple of the others, of our own artistic creation - and some of my favorites - maybe because they were just beautiful moments and not me trying to control a 4 year old and a 2 year old to hold a certain pose for just one more shot and not trying to dictate to my husband what he should or shouldn't be doing behind the lens.

Stay tuned for DIY Newborn shots (even cuter!)

A Swarm of Butterflies

2013-07-29T20:32:00.000+10:00

On one of my many excursions into the world of Pinterest I stumbled upon this pin, of a gorgeous butterfly mobile. When I looked for more such pins there appeared to be a small market on Etsy for such cute creations, though the price tags left a lot to be desired. So I decided I could and would DIY-it!

I found a paper cutter with a gorgeous butterfly design in Lincraft for $25. I also bought an embroidery hoop for $3 to form the base of the mobil. I decided I would use paint swatches so that I could create an ombre effect. I collected A LOT of paint swatches from various hardware stores around our area (& I mean A LOT)! And I began punching out the butterfly stencils. This was far harder than I had anticipated and left me with a really sore wrist. I also had not thought through the fact that the back of the paint swatch has printing all over it.

So I gathered even more paint swatches and cut out even more butterflies and decided I would stick two cut-outs together for each butterfly on the mobil. This also helped with gluing the butterflies to the fishing line as it formed a sandwich around the line.

Unfortunately my husband was working some extraordinarily long hours and so I had many hours to spend cutting and gluing butterflies to fishing line and hanging the strands to dry on the clothes hoist. I used ribbon from my ribbon-vase to hide the embroidery hoop and wire, tied some tule to the top and it was ready to hang in Kyah's room.

I really love the little hints of pink that are featuring in the beautiful orange nursery we created for her. I love this delicate mobil that hangs between her cot and her changing table so she can enjoy it in both places. And I really loved making this little craft project for her.

Do you want one? I will make you one far cheaper than the $70-$100 I saw them advertised on Etsy for. For full DIY instructions see this pin.

Monday Suppers - Only On A Sunday

2013-07-17T22:07:00.002+10:00

At the organic market on Sunday morning I overheard my husband inviting my Mum to dinner as apparently he was making Bouillabaisse. This was the first I had heard of Nathan's dinner party plans. I even had to ask what Bouillabaisse was - it is a traditional Provençal fish stew for those ignorants like me. I felt tired already and it was only 9am.

The Bouillabaisse!

We decided to also make another dish to accompany the stew, as my Dad is not a big fan of either fish or stew and so the two combined wouldn't make an appetizing meal for him. We settled on a deep fried whole snapper with Sichuan pepper. We have done this dish before and it has been added to the list of approved fish dishes for my Dad. We also thought the kids would like the crispy texture of the snapper (sans Sichuan pepper).

The snapper recipe comes from Kylie Kwong. Ironically, I wrote down this recipe whilst watching a random cooking show in Los Angeles back in 2006. We have made this recipe a few times, always to much acclaim.

Deep Fried Whole Snapper with Sichuan Pepper and Salt

The ingredients:

1 x 850g whole snapper, cleaned and scaled*

Plain flour (we used cornflour as Mum is Gluten Intolerant)

Coriander

Shallots, split lengthways and sliced on the diagonal

3-4 chillies, bruised and cut down the middle but not completely in half

Whole Sichuan pepper corns

Sea Salt, 3 x the amount of Pepper

Lemons, quartered

1 litre of oil

*It is crucial to stress to the buyer-of-the-snapper, to not decline the fish mongers offers to clean, gut and scale the fish.

The recipe:

To make the Sichuan pepper:
Add the pepper corns and salt to a pan and dry cook until fragrant and smoking. Place on a plate to cool before grinding with a mortar and pestle.

To cook the fish:
Pat the fish dry with paper towel and place on chopping board. With a sharp knife, make four diagonal slits into one side of the fish. Turn fish and repeat on the other side. Coat the fish in the flour, dusting off the excess.

Heat oil in a hot wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly and a coriander leaf sizzles when dropped in. Carefully lower fish into the wok head first, so it is completely covered by the oil. Add chillies to the oil. Fry the fish for 3 minutes, then carefully turn fish and fry for a further 3 minutes or until fish is lightly browned and just cooked through or the flesh is white through to the bone. If the flesh is still translucent, cook the fish for another minute or so.

Carefully remove snapper and place on paper towel to drain. Transfer to serving platter, sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and salt, garnish with coriander and shallots. Serve with lemon wedges.

The result:
A shockingly bad photo of the end product - apologies. The fish tasted much better.
Crispy. Punchy. Flaky fish. Everyone loved it. We cooked 2 snapper, which everyone thought was too much but it all went. The kids loved it and devoured their plates. Even Dad had a generous helping.

The Bouillabaisse was amazing too. I just cannot comment at all about how it was made or what was in it. Maybe Nathan will have to write a guest post for me with the details...?

We also made an asian-style salad - again I cannot comment on how it was made - Nathan and Mum conferred to make this little gem materialize. Also delicious!

AND! Mum brought around some of my sisters dessert creation - Triple Chocolate Cheesecake with raspberries. Divine! Heart stopping! She should really be a chef!! (Again a shocking photo sorry - I was really off my A-Game in terms of photography on Sunday. I am putting it down to anxiety about large woks of hot oil and small children in close proximity).

What are some of your favourite fish recipes?

Hand Made Gift Wrap

2013-07-08T21:02:00.000+10:00

In our family there are a flurry of birthdays from May through till August. With so much gift giving, there comes a need for much gift wrapping, and I took the opportunity to let the kids do a little craft. (plus it provided half an hour of entertainment - perfect when I needed to sit down and feed the baby). The hand painted wrap by Beau at Christmas was a lot of fun, but Noah is loving his new-learned writing skills and so we decided on crayons and pencils for this round of DIY-gift-wrap.

There was name writing, hand and foot tracing and Octonaut drawing. Even ambidextrous colouring at one point. It was all alot of fun. The boys were very proud of all their colouring and writing.

The presents looked great and were enthusiastically received by all the birthday people. I believe this wrapping has even been recycled as a wall hanging in my nephews nursery!

Have you done any fun craft activities with the kids laterly?

Gardening from Scrap #2

2013-07-05T09:40:00.000+10:00

Whilst we have been enjoying the spoils of our previous Gardening from Scraps endeavour, we have been waiting patiently for some rosemary sprigs to take root. I read recently (on Pinterest of course) that if you strip away leaves from the bottom inch or two of a sprig of rosemary and place it in water, it will grow roots and you have yourself a new rosemary plant. This seemed like another fun gardening activity for the kids.

In truth, it took a month to grow all the roots you can see in the photo above, and I am sure we could have planted them weeks ago, but life with 3 is busy and the constant rain of late hasn't helped. We also lost a couple of the sprigs when my husband thought I had placed them in a glass jar on the windowsill for his cooking convenience. Fail!

Nonetheless, the rain has finally stopped, the husband has been told not to touch, and we finally planted our little rosemary sprigs in the veggie patch.

What have you been planting this winter?

Monday Suppers

2013-06-25T22:18:00.005+10:00

When I was working in Surry Hills fresh out of university, my husband and I would eat a muffin and a coffee at Bills on Crown Street nearly every morning. Bill Granger's muffins are AMAZING. And no doubt they were responsible for some post-honeymoon-pounds being gained by both of us. As good as those muffins were, we would sometimes really splurge and skip the muffin and have the scrambled eggs, or the ricotta hotcakes, or best of all, the sweetcorn fritters instead.

Heaven.

Given how much I loved those fritters I am amazed it has taken me 7 years since first tasting them to try to make them myself. It wasn't until my Mum told me they had eaten corn balls (a rainy Sunday family facourite) recently, and that my sister had cooked up some sweetcorn fritters on another occasion, that I thought I had better give these a try.

They were so easy! AND they were a hit with the kids - which given the wars waged at the dinner table of late was a huge relief! I was also thrilled to find another meal which serves everyone - not having to make 2 completely separate meals is a win!

Bill's Sweetcorn Fritters with Avocado Salsa

The ingredients:
525g corn kernels cut from 3 large corn (or tinned)
1 small red onion
2 eggs
15g coriander leaves
1/2 red capsicum*
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
EVOO & Butter for frying

For the Avocado Salsa:
2 ripe avocados, diced
15g coriander leaves
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs finely chopped spring onions
1 tomato, chopped
1 dash of tabasco sauce, optional (we didn't add this)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Baby Spinach**

*This was an addition suggested by my sister. I didn't add this into the kids fritters, mainly because my sister didn't suggest it before I made theirs. But I will be adding it next time for them.
** This was my addition to make the meal go a little further and add some more greenery to our diet. It worked great.
***I didn't serve the avocado salsa to the boys - but instead they had some plain avocado and diced tomato on the side - tomato is not a favourite of either of my boys, but I am slowly wearing them down on their resistance (with a little help from their tomato-loving-cousin).

The recipe:
Preheat the oven to 120C.
Place 2 cups of the corn, onion, eggs, coriander, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper (and capsicum if using) in a food processor and process until combined. Place in a large bowl and add remaining corn, stir to combine.

Heat a knob of butter and tablespoon of EVOO in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
Drop 2 tablespoons of mixture per fritter into the pan and cook in batches of 3 for 1-2 minutes each side.

Drain on paper towels and keep warm in the oven whilst making the rest of the fritters and avocado salsa.

For the avocado salsa, place all ingredients in a bowl and stir gently to combine.
Serve the fritters with salsa on top and some fresh baby spinach leaves.

The result:
Divine. Crispy on the outside with soft sweetcorn and coriander in the center. The avocado salsa adds a delicious creamy texture and who doesn't love coriander?! (Well I was shocked recently to learn one of our friends actually hates coriander - I guess we will not cook these for him).

Do you have a menu item from a favourite restaurant you are dying to cook at home?

Monday Suppers

2013-06-21T19:31:00.000+10:00

As part of the beautiful High Tea party my husband threw for my birthday last week, he made his own gravadlax. This is a recipe he has done a few times and it was one of my most anticipated itemso n the High Tea menu. Everyone paid him high compliments. At the morning tea we ate gravadlax rolled up with creme fraiche and chives. Delicious. But my absolute favourite way to eat Nathan's gravadlax is with pickled cucumbers and potato pancakes. This we enjoyed the night after my birthday. It is a simple dish, but takes some forethought as the salmon must cure for four days. Nathan's Gravadlax recipe comes from "Falling Cloudberries" by Tessa Kiros and is a recipe from her Finnish Grandfather.

Potato Pancakes with Gravadlax and Dill Cucumbers
The ingredients:
Gravadlax:
300g Caster Sugar
200g Coarse Salt
150g Dill, chopped
2 Whole Fillets of Salmon, skin on, cleaned and boned

Dill Cucumbers:
1 Cucumber
1 Tbs Chopped Dill
100ml White Wine Ve=inegar
2 Heaped Tbs Caster Sugar
1 Tsp Salt

Chopped Dill, to serve
Finnish Mustard or Creme Fraiche, to serve

Potato Pancakes:
500g Potatoes, peeled and halved
125ml Pouring Cream
50g Plain Flour, sifted
A Little Grated Nutmeg
3 Eggs, separated
Butter, for shallow-frying
Olive Oil, for shallow-frying

The recipe:
Gravadlax:
Combine the sugar, salt, dill and a few good grindings of black pepper in a bowl. Put a large piece of foil on the work surface and place a third of the mixture. Put one salmon fillet, skin side down, on top of the sugar-salt mix, then top with another third of the mixture. Top with the other salmon fillet, skin side up, and cover with the remaining mixture. Pat down so it is all covered and wrap in foil to seal the salmon. Keep it in a container in the fridge for four days, turning it every day.

To serve the gravadlax, remove the foil and scrape off as much of the sugar and salt mixture as possible. Slice the salmon very thinly, horizontally, and scatter with more fresh dill.

Cucumbers:
Cut the cucumber into very thin slices. Layer them into a bowl, sprinkling the dill between layers. Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt and 2 tablespoons of water, stirring to dissolve. Pour this over the cucumbers to cover it. Keep in the fridge for at least a few hours, and up to a week, before serving.

Potato Pancakes:
Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes in salted water until they are soft. Pass them through a food mill and then stir in cream. Add the flour, nutmeg and some pepper and mix through well. Leave to cool a little.

Lightly whisk the egg yolks and whisk into cooled potatoes. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold those into the potato batter. Add a little more salt if necessary.

Melt a little butter and olive oil to cover the bottom of a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, drop in spoonfuls fo the batter. Cooker for 1-2 minutes until golden on the underside, then flip them swiftly over. Cook until golden, then lift out and keep warm in the oven. Add more butter and olive oil to the pan when necessary and cook the rest of the pancakes.

Serve warm with gravadlax, dill cucumbers and a dollop of creme fraiche.

The result:
Soft, fluffy pancakes; fresh, moist salmon and crunchy cucumbers. Its a colourful and vibrant plate, and so satisfying! A little slice of Finland right here in suburban Sydney.

Do you have a favourite recipe from a far off culture?

High Tea Birthday

2013-06-12T15:04:00.000+10:00

For my birthday we hosted our families at a lovely morning tea. I had envisaged a relaxed and beautiful morning chatting with family over tea and scones. I envisaged the guests arriving to find a table filled with flowers, beautiful bone china tea cups, piping hot pots of tea brewing and dessert towers filled with mouth-watering delicacies.

That wasn't quite what the guests arrived to...

The table was partially set with flowers and tea cups and looked stunning.

However, the towers were empty and the kitchen was a war zone. The baby was screaming, the 2 year old was sheepishly hiding after tipping an entire tea pot of flowers and water all over the freshly laid children's table and having earlier broken a porcelain tea spoon, and the 4 year old was sulking about having to clean up the playroom for our guests. I hadn't brushed my hair, cleaned my teeth or managed to put on any jewelry.

Thankfully the guests flew into action upon arrival. G-G nursed the screaming baby and put her to sleep (the magic touch). Pop finished grilling the vegetables for the sandwiches. Nan and the Aunts stacked the dessert towers with the aforementioned delicacies (most of which they had craftily created themselves) warmed quiches and helped make the sandwiches. Someone put on the kettle and made tea. The cousins distracted the children and ran outside to play. Phew!

The table was set and we finally sat down for the most decadent High Tea! It was exactly what I had envisaged...

I loved picking the different camellia's from my garden for the table decorations and used old tea tins (now residing in the children's play kitchen) as vases. I used these tins as vases when I hosted a High Tea for my sister's baby shower over a year ago and got many compliments, so I recycled the idea. I discovered I have 6 different varieties and colours of camellia in my front garden - white, blush pink, light pink, dark pink, fuchsia, and fuschia with white spots! I am loving my winter garden. We even used the children's play teapot for a vase on the children's table.

My Mother-In-Law has a beautiful eclectic collection of fine china tea cups which looked beautiful on the table, along with some of my sister and mine Limoges Legle tea cups, and my Grandmothers bone china teapot.

The children's table was set with the Royal Dalton cups and plates which my boys received for their Christenings and 1st Birthdays. The children all enjoyed baby-chino's, quiches, gravadlax, chocolate waffer sticks, macaroons and meringues. Not to forget the gingerbread men the boys made with their Dad the morning of (these may, or may not, have been the reason for much of the chaos when everyone arrived...).

All up it was a beautiful day. We stuffed ourselves silly and loved every moment.

So what was on the menu?

A lot of the above was made by my talented mother, sisters and mother-in-law. My husband made the house-cured gravadlax, and my creation was the sandwich.

Char-Grilled Vegetable Ciabatta with Marinated Goat Cheese and Avocado.

The ingredients:
3 Zucchini, sliced thinly
1 Jap Pumpkin, deseeded and sliced thinly
4 Red Capsicum, deseeded and sliced
3 Avocados
Goat Cheese (we used a marinated peppered balls goat cheese which was marinated in lemon and pepper).
Sourdough Ciabatta Load

The recipe:
Toss vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper and lay on grill of BBQ. Turn after several minutes and grill for a further 3 minutes.
Slice ciabatta thinly, spread goat cheese on one slice and avocado on another.
Layer vegetables on top of goat cheese and top avocado slice. Slice in half.
Makes 14 half sandwiches.

The result:
Delicious, fresh and creamy.

I wish I had a photo to show how gorgeous these sandwiches looked but alas I do not - they were eaten too quickly! (Saved by my sister who snapped this photo).

Tune back in for my husbands Gravadlax recipe in a couple of days.

Do you enjoy entertaining? Are you ever prepared when people begin arriving?