Emma's Lunch

S'mores Hot Chocolate Recipe

2013-01-10T10:51:00.002+02:00

Its freezing cold in Cyprus. And what better way to warm up then Hot Chocolate! And not just any hot chocolate... S'mores Hot Choc!!

If you've been to The States or are from there you will know exactly what I mean, if not, you must try it. Its a twist on the original S'mores. Melted marshmallows chocolate Graham crackers. We don't have graham crackers in Cyprus so regular Morning Coffee biscuits will do.

I came across this recipe on the Minimalist Baker site, go over there for the recipe. Delish!!

Enjoy and keep warm.
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Welcome December!

2012-12-01T09:00:00.000+02:00

Here we are.....weeks away until Christmas. Its countdown time!

Create this amazing Advent calendar with your kids. Its a great way to help them count down to Christmas. Take a look at the instructions and printables.

Another thing that marks the beginning of December is creating Advent wreaths. My friend Veronika got us really into it last year, when Lia and I created a wreath for my mom. This year, I've been crazy busy with the opening of our new shop, but Veronika was so generous to make a perfectly gorgeous Advent wreath matching the colors and the theme of the shop.

I can't thank her enough for this gorgeous and beautifully smelling creation.

How are you spending the days before Christmas?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2012-11-22T22:02:00.000+02:00

Happy Turkey day to everyone who's celebrating. I really like this holiday because you still get your family to visit but its so much less commercialized.

It would be nice if this holiday was celebrated world wide. Cyprus for one doesn't celebrate and I always miss our days in New York when we got to create fun meals for our closest friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a lovely day!

Thanksgiving and Fall Activities for Kids

2012-11-14T21:54:00.000+02:00

We've got about a month left until December and there's a whole bunch of great fall activities to do with your kids.

The thing I love about fall are the amazing colors all around us. In Cyprus we don't see that as much and I really miss seeing the change in seasons.

Here are some of the fun activities you can do with your kids in the fall and for Thanksgiving.

Have fun creating! :)

Giveaway - Baby Baby Diaper Creations

2012-10-17T22:36:00.000+03:00

I'm very happy to start the newest giveaway. Baby Baby is giving away one of their unique diaper creations in the value of 40 euro!

Baby Baby creations are not only unique but also inovative. Their designs are a perfect gift for new mothers, ideal for baby showers, their smaller items can also be used as favours for christenings! These beautiful creations can be themed to match any event or party.

So how does the giveaway work?

You can enter to win by logging in below and clicking the "DO IT" button after you have done some of below actions or all of them. Each wins you points.

Fans of Baby Baby on Facebook get an extra entry, you're welcome to become a fan.
Fans of Emma's Lunch on Facebook get an extra entry, you're welcome to become a fan.
Follow Emma's Lunch on Twitter
Tweet about the Giveaway - DAILY ENTRY for Extra Points
Share on Facebook by sharing this post - DAILY ENTRY for Extra Points
Leave a blog post comment below

Once you've done all or some of these tell us about it by collecting your points below (by clicking the DO IT buttons). All entries will be verified.

Some actions can be done daily and some may carry more points than others. The more points you have the more chances to win. This giveaway ends on November 17th 2012 when we will be announcing the winner selected randomly.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

Halloween Preparations!

2012-10-11T11:56:00.000+03:00

I love Halloween! Dressing up, organizing parties and crafting! Halloween themed foods, and desserts!

On Halloween anything goes!

Last year we created these gorgeous Ghost Footprints, it still a keepsake for us, Lia was only three months old and we still have her little ghost as well :)

Enjoy the preparations! They're half of the fun because when the day's over, all you're left with is the candy! Hmmmm now that's not such a bad thing! :)

Summery Greeting Card Craft

2012-09-12T07:47:00.002+03:00

Emma and I have been busy creating!

She loved this activity especially because it gave her some one on one mommy time. We made a great end of summer greeting card made of hearts for her friends. We created Fish greeting cards! I do realise its September, but with this heat its still summer in my mind.

What you'll need:
At least 3 different colors paper
Glue
Scissors
Googly eyes
Pencil

Fold the paper in half and cut out half a heart, quite large. You'll have a symetrical heart when you open it. This will be the main body.

Do the same with all different color papers and then cut small hearts out of the remaining scraps

Using the main big heart for fish body, glue smaller hearts for the tail, fins and mouth. Glue the googly eye and you're finished!

Once done with all, open the card and write a nice message for a friend or a family member.

Emma loved creating these cards, especially because she got to write inside the card herself, like a big girl!

Take a look at some other summer activties we've done:
Summer Crafting with Beach Stones
Sand Crafts
Beach Stone Art

Simple Sensory Activties for Babies

2012-08-21T00:53:00.000+03:00

Emma is four and a half and Lia is one. There are only so many things they can do together; and when they do play together its only a matter of minutes before Emma declares that Lia is "ruining everything" and Lia starts snatching anything Emma looks at!

Needless to say, its difficult finding a balance and having them both happy and occupied.

Today I finally made it work. For about half an hour. Which in baby time is like three hours so I couldn't be happier!

I got my trusty box of pompoms! There were all different types, colors and sizes. Soft ones, hard ones, spiky ones, bumpy ones. So what did we do with them??

Lia loved moving them from one container to the other
I named the colors and the sizes for her (That's a small ball, it is red.)
I named the feeling (Is it soft? Yes it is soft!). She was really intrigued.
She touched them
Tasted them
I tickled her with them.
She ended up spreading them all over her worktop and finally they finished on the floor.

I picked them up for her a few times as well and provided some different containers. I love how with kids even the simplest activity can be so entertaining.

She had a great time and it also gave Emma and I an opportunity to make play-doh cookies and cakes together! Emma came up with most delicious looking creations!

On top of it all, we managed to find a derivative activity for Lia! Once all the pompoms were on the floor she got to place the play-doh containers back in their box! Another activity she loved and couldn't wait for the next available container so that she could put it in its place. We ended up taking them all out so that she could put them back again.

I'm happy with this development, Lia is growing and it gives me hope that things will change soon, the kids will be able to play together harmoniously...... well at least some of the time.

What's for Bedtime?

2012-08-10T02:06:00.002+03:00

We're on holiday, and although all routines have changed this one has remained the same. We read. We read books, stories, we even listen to interactive stories on the tablet. Don't worry I will share the apps we use. As a matter of fact is a new blog feature What's on your Tablet? so watch this space for some really cool child friendly apps.

So what have we taken with us this holiday?

Surprise, surprise its Julia Donaldson! How could it be anyone else!? We're away from home, familiarity are what kids crave.

The Snail and the Whale is such an amazing book. With her usual rhyme Donaldson makes this book such a fun read. The snail with "an itchy foot" wants to leave the rock he's been stuck on his whole life. He hitches a ride from a friendly hunchback whale and together they explore the world. Until the whale gets into trouble by swimming too close to shore and its up to the little, tiny snail to help him.

The story is wonderful because it teaches, at the very least, that even when we are small we can be of great help. Its also a story about friendship and curiosity.

I know I owe you a Greek & Serbian book review. But since we're on holiday, we're slacking a little!

If you have any books to suggest please let us know. We love to read!

Related articles:
Take a look at the What's for Bedtime? section of our blog for more book reviews.

Giveaway - LavenderField Summer Crochet Earrings

2012-08-08T02:41:00.000+03:00

I'm really excited to start this new giveaway. LavenderField is giving away a gorgeous pair of hand made crochet earrings.

From the very first time I saw this amazing jewelry I was in love! Its hand made, original, incredibly beautiful, prepared with so much care and packed in gorgeous hand made pouches which are a work of art in their own right. Since then I've bought a few pieces for myself and a few as gifts for others.

You should definitely head over to her lens where you can learn more about how it all started, find many more jewelry ideas and educational links on crochet.

So how does the giveaway work?

You can enter to win by logging in below and clicking the "DO IT" button after you have done some of below actions or all of them. Each wins you points.

Fans of LavenderField on Facebook get an extra entry, you're welcome to become a fan.
Fans of Emma's Lunch on Facebook get an extra entry, you're welcome to become a fan.
Follow Emma's Lunch on Twitter
Follow LavenderField on Twitter
Subscribe to Emma's Lunch RSS feed
Add LavenderField to Etsy favorites
Tweet about the Giveaway - DAILY ENTRY for Extra Points
Share on Facebook by sharing this post - DAILY ENTRY for Extra Points
Leave a blog post comment below
Add Emma's Lunch to Google+ Circles

Once you've done all or some of these tell us about it by collecting your points below (by clicking the DO IT buttons). All entries will be verified.

Some actions can be done daily and some may carry more points than others. The more points you have the more chances to win. This giveaway ends on September 7th 2012 when we will be announcing the winner selected randomly.

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Good Luck!

Summer Crafting with Stones

2012-08-06T17:57:00.002+03:00

Its summer time, swimming, playing in the sand, collecting stones, looking at fish, travelling, meeting new people, seeing new things, exploring new places. That's what summer is all about.

Its also about siesta, and napping, relaxing and summer crafting.

We're on holiday, so besides the many activities, Emma and I collected various stones from a local beach and came up with a great new craft.

What you'll need:

Markers

Glue

Card paper

Beach stones

Create a painting, a kind of a stone collage. Take a few stones and arrange them into a shape you like on your card paper.

It can be anything; a sun, a flower, butterfly, a tree, a boat, a car, anything your child might want to create.

Before you glue, colour all the stones needed and arrange again into the desired shape.

Then take the glue and glue each stone to its intended location. You'll be left with a gorgeous beach stone collage and your child will love to look at her creation.

For other summer crafts ideas take a look at these links:
More Beach Stone Art
Sand Crafts
Potato Stamping

Pasta Necklaces

I hope you're having a wonderful summer!

Princess Crown Craft

2012-07-10T23:30:00.000+03:00

What girl doesn't want to be a princess?

I know Emma certainly does! She is enthralled with princesses, fairies, tiaras and wands. So when I suggested a princess crown craft, she jumped at the fact.

What you'll need for this fun craft?

Card paper

Glue

Scissors

Pompoms

Glittery stickers

Glitter glue

Coloring pencils

Take the card paper and loosely measure the circumferance of your child's head, cut it to that length and cut about 15cm width. Cut into the long part of the cardboard to create ridges like on a crown.

Have your child decorate the crown as she pleases.

Emma used glittery stickers, she glued colorful pompoms and drew butterflies which she decorated with glitter glue.

She was so happy with herself in the end. Once the artwork has dried, glue the two edges together and let your little one go off into her imaginary kingdom.

The great thing about this craft is that it can be adapted for both boys and girls. Choose brown, green or blue cardboard for a boyish crown and have him be the king.

Suplement this craft with a wand craft for a girl or a sword craft for a boy. Watch this space for those in the near future.

Fun 4th of July Dessert

2012-07-04T14:48:00.003+03:00

Happy 4th of July!

Throwing a 4th of July party? This would make a fun dessert or favor for that event.

These are so delicious and make a great impact. Try out this red velvet cake pops recipe but any cake pop flavor would be fine for this dessert.

Happy 4th everyone!

Giveaway - Greek4Kids One Month Free Lessons or Learning Materials

2012-06-03T23:56:00.000+03:00

Here we are with a new giveaway! I realise that this is what this blog has been about lately. This is mainly due to how busy we've been with our cake pops! Luckily however, Emma and I have been doing quite a bit lately. Crafting, painting, reading, the time I'm missing is the time needed to post about it all. Happily, I am getting there... all in due time.

But lets move on with our newest giveaway! Greek4Kids is giving away one month free of classes in any of their currently available locations or one educational booklet from their series of educational materials. In addition, anyone who participates in this giveaway will receive a one time 20% discount on the first month of lessons when they register for the programme or on any educational material purchase.

Greek4Kids is a company dear to my heart. My daughter Emma has been attending these classes from the very start. Lessons are held in small groups of 5 or 6 kids which allows Eri (the brains behind this project) to concentrate on each child individually. Each child is challenged individually based on their own knowledge level while all the time learning Greek through play, crafts, stories, games and other age appropriate activities.

Greek4Kids is an original and creative way for children to learn Greek. Classes are also available for adults as well as native speakers and advanced learners. The programmes offered are carefully designed to suit different age groups and language needs.

In addition Greek4Kids offers educational materials on their website and they have just launched an educational booklet series to enhance learning at home.

How does it work?

You can enter to win by logging in below and clicking the "DO IT" button after you have done a minimum of three compulsory actions or all of them - seven in total. Each wins you points.

Go to Facebook and Like Greek4Kids
Go to Facebook and Like Emma's Lunch
Leave a comment at the bottom of this post with your name, city, your child's age and the way you like to be contacted. ***MAKE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR NAME*** (even when commenting under anonymous setting)
Subscribe to Emma's Lunch RSS by entering your email in the top right corner of the blog.
Add Emma's Lunch to Google+ circles
Tweet about the post on Twitter make sure you add "via @vanrad" to the tweet
Share on Facebook and tag @Emma's Lunch in the post (for checking purposes)
Like on Facebook

Once you've done all of these tell us about it by collecting your points below (by clicking the DO IT buttons). All entries will be verified.

Some actions can be done daily and some carry more points than others. The more points you have the more chances to win. This giveaway ends on June 30th 2012 when we will be announcing the winner selected randomly.

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Our next giveaway is from MyMemories.com a digital scrapbooking software! I am really looking forward to telling you more about it. This giveaway starts on July 1st 2012.

Giveaway - Suncuddles.com UPF50+ Children's Swim Suit (ends May 31st)

2012-05-08T11:00:00.000+03:00

I'm very happy to offer our second giveaway, right here on Emma's Lunch. Suncuddles.com - sun protective gear for children is giving away a children's swim suit UPF50+ to one lucky winner! Just in time for the summer!

When I first came across Suncuddles I was so extremely happy to have found a company which is concerned with my child's sun health as much as I am. I am quite a bit of a sun freak, to be honest, and have not allowed Emma to roam around the sun unprotected. Suncuddles was god sent! I had ordered Emma's first full body swimsuit last year and have already bought this year's swim suits for both girls.

Suncuddles.com provides high quality products that protect babies and children from sun's dangerous UV radiation. Their product range includes swimwear made with materials of highest protection rating (UPF 50+), sunglasses and accessories for babies and children. Suncuddles is the exclusive distributor of world known Australian brands Baby Banz and Stingray and UK brand Sunsplash for Cyprus.

So how does it work?

You can enter to win by logging in below and clicking the "DO IT" button after you have done a minimum of three compulsory actions or all of them - seven in total. Each wins you points.

Go to Facebook and Like Suncuddles.com
Go to Facebook and Like Emma's Lunch
Leave a comment at the bottom of this post with your name, city and the way you like to be contacted. ***MAKE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR NAME*** (even when commenting under anonymous setting)
Subscribe to Emma's Lunch RSS by entering your email in the top right corner of the blog.
Tweet about the post on Twitter make sure you add "via @vanrad" to the tweet
Share on Facebook and tag @Emma's Lunch in the post (for checking purposes)
Like on Facebook

Once you've done all of these tell us about it by collecting your points below (by clicking the DO IT buttons). All entries will be verified.

Some actions can be done daily and some carry more points than others. The more points you have the more chances to win. This giveaway ends on May 31st 2012 when we will be announcing the winner selected randomly.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!

Our first giveaway has not ended yet! If you haven't joined already you still have time, check out the Little Kickers 6 weeks free giveaway.

Our next giveaway is from Greek4Kids and it starts on June 1st.

Neuro-linguistic Programming workshop by LPN

2012-05-07T23:22:00.003+03:00

Last week Larnaca Parents Network organized their first workshop. It was held at Larnaca Municipality's Civil Marriage Office and it was really a perfect venue. Compact and personal, perfect for discussion with other parents.

Elena Papadopoulos, the speaker, brought up some interesting ideas and reinforced things we already knew but needed to be reminded of.

Elena spoke about the power words have on our children, and everyone in general. Choosing your words carefully can be powerful enough to change your child's behavior for better.

Modeling is another technique to consider. Children look to us to set an example, and they will do as we do. If you'd like your child to stop a behavior you should ensure you do not do it yourself. You can't get your child to stop shouting by screaming at them "STOP SHOUTING!". Act as you would like your kids to act.

Elena also suggested not to talk negatively about the children in front of them because this will only reinforce the negative behavior, but to mention only positive things when they are listening, thereby reinforcing the behavior we would like to see repeated.

Reframing is trying to look at a situation from a different perspective. So instead getting upset for being cut off while driving consider what situation the other driver might have to deal with. That way, we keep our frustration down and are less likely to explode in front of our kids. A really good example of reframing came from a parent of two small children. She suggested that instead of getting upset for having to always carry the baby, just consider how people who have only one arm live. If they can do everything with just one arm, so can we.

What I liked the most about the workshop is parental involvement. There was a lot of discussion, exchanging of ideas, brainstorming. That is really what stuck with me the most.

Parents talked about the use of the naughty step/time out/skeftoulis (thinking spot - as it is called in our household), they shared fun songs which help them get their children to do things like wash hands or brush teeth, they discussed the ever present phrase "oh he's just shy" and how that just reinforces the shy behavior, they shared their favorite parenting books, I need to get my hands on the The Baby Whisperer, parents also shared ideas on motivating teenagers so it wasn't all baby stuff.

All in all the workshop was a success and I am truly looking forward to the next one.

A big thank you goes out to Sharon Mckinley for being the brains behind the Larnaca Parents Network and for organizing such fun and informative events for us Larnaca parents.

There is a whole site dedicated to Neuro-linguistic programming, go and check it out.

Giveaway: Six free weeks of Little Kickers lessons (ends May 15th)

2012-04-24T14:39:00.001+03:00

I'm very happy to introduce a new Giveaway feature on Emma's Lunch! Our first giveaway is 6 free weeks of Little Kickers Cyprus lessons!

So how does it work?

You can enter to win by logging in below and clicking the "DO IT" button after you have done a minimum of three compulsory actions or all of them - seven in total. Each wins you points.

Go to Facebook and Like Little Kickers
Go to Facebook and Like Emma's Lunch
Leave a comment at the bottom of this post with your name, city and the way you like to be contacted.
Subscribe to Emma's Lunch RSS by entering your email in the top right corner of the blog.
Tweet about the post on Twitter make sure you add "via @vanrad" to the tweet
Share on Facebook and tag @Emma's Lunch in the post
Like on Facebook

Once you've done all of these tell us about it by collecting your points below (by clicking the DO IT buttons). All entries will be verified.

Some actions can be done daily and some carry more points than others. The more points you have the more chances to win. This giveaway ends on May 15th 2012 when we will be announcing the winner selected randomly.

If you participate in this giveaway and do not win, you can still get 1 week free when you register your child for a 6 week course with Little Kickers or 2 weeks free when you register your child for a 12 week course with Little Kickers by mentioning Emma's Lunch and obtaining a special code. This offer is valid until June 30th 2012. If you haven't won after the giveaway ends send an email to emmaslunch@gmail.com to receive your code.

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Good Luck!

Our next Giveaway from Suncuddles.com - Sun protective gear for children starts on May 8th!

Princess Bento

2012-04-19T23:30:00.000+03:00

This princess bento was an absolute hit with Emma! We just received our Lunch Punch sandwich cutters and they are incredible!

I can totally say they are as much fun for 20 somethings as they are for 4 year olds. Emma's aunty Marina came over to play today and got her own special bento!

Emma went for the pink and princess and Marina got the crown. Both got a cheese sandwich with yoghurt on the side. Emma also got some carrots while Marina got organic chips.

What's for Bedtime?

2012-04-18T23:30:00.000+03:00

Its been a busy couple of months and we've slacked on the blogging front. If you'd like to see what we've been up to take a look at our new site Emma's Lunch Cake Pops or even better our more updated Facebook page.

Although we've slacked on sharing on here, reading with Emma has been a must for us. So here are the books as of late.

We're still very much in love with Julia Donaldson books. They are such a pleasure to read and Emma's first choice of English books. We've been reading the Smartest Giant in Town.
There is really nothing bad to be said of Donaldson's books. This book also has the all expected fun rhyme Emma loves so much. Its also a great story about kindness, sharing, selflessness, appreciation and liking who you are :)
So you pretty much can't go wrong on this one.

In Greek we've held on, for much too long, to a really fun book we borrowed from Greek4Kids - The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark or Η Κουκουβάγια που Φοβόταν το Σκοτάδι. Emma loved it in her class and is also really happy to have it read to her at home. Its a book full of fun cut outs, pop ups, flaps, windows, and even letters from the Moon! Its a book about overcoming fears and building confidence. A fun read indeed.

I'm very happy to have received some new books from Serbia. Emma's granddad sent her a bunch for her birthday. The books are first grade level with no pictures, so that is a big drawback for her at this age, but one of the books Три се Петла Побише, although the same in appearance, is really great regardless of the lack of pictures. These are short rhyming poems, tongue twisters etc most of which I know from when I was a kid but had forgotten. I can introduce them to her during play and have her repeat them back to me and learn them herself. In reality, these are popular folk poems which are shared generation to generation with no one taking real credit for writing them. But for us, being so far away its perfect! And just what we needed.

If you have any books to suggest to us for review, please leave a comment and let us know. We love to read!

Happy reading everyone!

Related Articles:
Take a look at our Book Review section for more suggestions.

Easter Candle Craft (Lambada)

2012-04-13T23:30:00.000+03:00

Easter is almost here, and this is the first year that Emma went to church during this period. She's 4 now and is able to appreciate more what is going on around her. She really enjoyed it. Greek Orthodox celebrations (at least in Cyprus) are very dramatised. The entire Holy Week is almost a theatrical performance.

My husband is the expert on this but as I understand it, on Thursday, women of the village stayed up all night in church dressing an epitaph (which symbolises Jesus' epitaph). They diligently cover it with red and white flowers to have it ready for Holy Friday - saddest day in Christianity. On Holy Friday Jesus is dead and buried. In the evening the epitaph is taken around the entire village mimicking a funeral pocession. There is even a band walking in front of it playing sad music. The "play" continues on Saturday and Sunday. This is the most importand holiday in Christianity.

I am glad that its not as commercialsed as Christmas, although I can see this changing already.

Emma loved all this! When she came back, she was asleep but as I was putting her to bed she was talking about red flowers in her sleep :)

This year, Emma and I created Easter Candles (λαμπάδες). I'm still contemplating whether she'll get to use them herself this year, beacuse that means being in church up at midnight on Saturday waiting for the light once Jesus has risen.

In any case, it was fun to make them... Its is actually a really simple craft with so many possibilities!

What you'll need:

An Easter candle or any large candle will do

Glue (white glue won't work, it should be hot glue or UHU the liquid glue)

Ribbons

Beads

Thin Wire

Start from the top by rolling a ribbon all around the candle. Secure it by gluing it to the candle at the bottom. This picture includes white glue but I found out the hard way that white glue is not really the best to use.

We used the white ribbon to create a decorating base and then we added some of the beads to a thin wire and rolled it around the prepared candle. We next took some more crafting ribbon to add color to the candle and to secure the beads. Stick it to the candle using glue.

That is pretty much it, but there are so many other ways to decorate an Easter candle. You could have ribbons and beads hanging from the candle for a fun effect. You could have any color you like. You could have little tiny animals hang off it, even fun pictures your child drew. Possibilities are endless!

Happy Easter everybody!

Little Chick Easter Craft

Collage Egg Easter Craft

Decorative Easter Eggs Craft

Decorating Easter Eggs Naturally

Flower Shaped Easter Egg Holder

A Gruffalo 4th Birthday Party

2012-04-04T11:49:00.001+03:00

What can I tell you about Emma's 4th Birthday Party? It was great! Emma has been going crazy about the Gruffalo, ever since they started reading the book at school over 6 months ago. So it was just natural to have the Gruffalo theme.

I came up with the text for the Gruffalo party invite which matched the rhyme in the book. Emma loved it so much that she makes me tell it to her each time we finish reading it. It was personalized to each child that was invited.

There were many activities planned for the day and we started with some free play followed by food! Gruffalo themed, Deep Dark Wood food! We had Roasted Fox Pieces (aka chicken nuggets), Forrest Stone Potatoes, Scrambled Snake (aka bourgouri), Gruffalo Sticks (aka souvlaki sticks), Deep dark wood sandwiches (tree shaped), Forrest Finds (veggie platter), Roasted Fox Sandwiches (sandwiches with roasted chicken).

Entertainment wise, we had a bouncy castle of course - that's always a must with the kids; but best of all this year we had Little Kickers for Emma's birthday entertainment. They were such a hit! The kids loved them, from warm up to shooting goals.

The two coaches, Coach Paul and Coach Andy were so good with the kids. They got them involved, they got them running, playing, laughing all together. I loved that the entertainment was so physical and that all the kids got to enjoy it together. The parents were also excited about it and quite a few expressed an interest to enroll their kids in the program. Which I can honestly say is great! Emma's been doing the lessons since February and loves them!

Besides the hour long activity, in the end, every child received a medal for participating and a Little Kickers certificate. Emma got to give the medals to each child and Coach Paul distributed the certificates. Emma as the birthday girl also got a trophy.

Then it was time for cakes! And Gruffalo theme called for Gruffalo Chocolate cake, The Mouse Kasato Cake, Owl Cake Pops and Snake Cupcakes!

These came out great! They were so delicious, especially the cake pops which disappeared very quickly. The Gruffalo cake was a big hit! Everyone is a chocolate fan!

The birthday girl loved them and this was the first year she actually wasn't afraid to blow her candles! My little girl is growing up...

We really had a great time at the party... Emma is still talking about it. As a party favor all the big kids got a copy of the Gruffalo and Gruffalo's Child DVDs and 2 free weeks of Little Kickers lessons! I hope people call to use them. :)

Happy birthday to my big little girl.

All opinions in this post are my own, I'm not in any way compensated for them. We paid in full for the party entertainment and for the 2 free weeks of Little Kickers lessons.

Related Articles:
Emma Turns Four
A Fairy 3rd Birthday Party
Emma Turns Three Today
Party Ideas

Emma Turns Four

2012-03-27T23:34:00.000+03:00

Today is Emma's birthday. She is 4 years old!

I heard them sing Happy Birthday to her at school today and it is just so emotional for me. I can't believe my little baby is 4 years old.

In keeping with tradition, every year, on her birthday we have a family party. So all the aunts and uncles, grandparents and god parents come over and we have a simple party, without a lot of craziness. Dinner and deserts and presents of course.

This year we had Lia join us, albeit for a little bit.

On Saturday is her big party with all her friends. This year the theme is Gruffalo, of course, in keeping with her newest craze! I'm looking forward to it because its a nice break from princesses and fairies :)

Happy birthday my beautiful, clever, funny little girl. I relish watching you grow.

Baby, Toddler and Christening Exhibition - The Aftermath

2012-03-26T23:30:00.000+03:00

As you know Baby, Toddler and Christening Exhibition was this weekend. I really cannot sing more praises. This was a first exhibition for Emma's Lunch and it really was a success.

We were there to promote our new Cake Pops venture as well as this blog as a free resource for parents. There was a great deal of interest, we've made new connections and found new synergies. We've already gotten many inquiries and made sales due to the fair so all in all I can say it was a success.

There was a lot of traffic from all over Cyprus so it was really good exposure for all the exhibitors. It was a family event with lots of activties for children. Families came and stayed for quite a while.

The best thing was meeting all the fans and followers of Emma's Lunch. It really was overwhelming and unexpected and such a pleasure.

Our Treasure Hunt was a great success and a lot of people participated. I will be announcing the winner of the 30 cake pops tomorrow.

A lot of people are responsible for making this event a success for all, so I would like to thank my fellow exhibitors who joined forces to create this treasure hunt. Suncuddles.com - protective swimwear, Greek4Kids, Little Kickers Cyprus, Mums in Cyprus, The Maternity Wardrobe, Little Gems Montessori Nursery and Kindermusic Cyprus.

I cannot recomment enough our printer Cosmari Printers, who were so efficient, patient and delivered such excellent product at even better prices.

My super amazing helpers, my husband and sister in law Marina who were there during the fair and helped so much in every way. And my super mom who took care of the kids and so much more while we were MIA.

I was also very glad to meet some other bloggers from Cyprus. Emma from A Matter of Choice, whom I've already met once before but was really pleased to meet once again. And Despina from Μαμά στιν Κύπρο whom I met for the first time without actually knowing it was her at the time!

It was fun and educational and I'd like to do it again.

But now... off to work! Gotta fill those orders!

Baby, Toddler & Christening Exhibition!

2012-03-21T09:01:00.000+02:00

There has been so much buzz about this exhibition and now that it is so near I can hardly believe it!

Emma's Lunch will be there of course showcasing all the fun things you can find on our site and showing mommies and daddies how to pack a fun lunch box! We will also be showcasing our Cake Pops!

But besides Emma's Lunch being there, this is truly an exhibition not to be missed! And definitely bring your little ones.

This year exhibitors will be able to sell directly to customers and some at exhibition prices! There will be first aid classes for parents, baby massage classes, breastfeeding consultations, weaning consultations. For kids there will be mascots to take pictures with, seminar on road safety, arts and crafts, bouncy castles, crawling area for babies, ball pits for toddlers, face painting, balloon creations, Greek4Kids sessions, Little Kickers and much much more!

In addition to the entertainment there are countless competitions:

1. Lucky Baby, where one lucky baby will win a fully paid christening package, all expenses covered.

2. Hospital bag, where a pregnant lady will have a chance to win all the things needed for the hospital

3. Two car seats

4. Lucky Mummy will win a full makeover session.

5. The face of the exhibition was a competition that took place before the exhibition, Emma's Lunch will be giving cake pops as part of the participant gift!

and many more! Go to their facebook page to find out more.

If you do visit you must join our TREASURE HUNT! Take part for a chance to win incredible gifts from Suncuddles, Greek4Kids, Little Kickers, Little Gems Montessori Nursery, Kindermusik, The Maternity Wardrobe, Mums in Cyprus and your very own Emma's Lunch!

We have free tickets to give out! So please leave your contact details in the comments and I'll make sure you get some! (Based on a first come first serve basis!)

I hope to see you there!!

Easter Bunny Craft

2012-03-20T14:05:00.002+02:00

Easter Bunny Craft This is a simple craft to do with your child and can be easily adjusted for any age. It adds a lovely Easter touch around the house.

What you’ll need?

One Styrofoam egg
Two googly eyes
Scraps of pink, purple, white and yellow felt
Small blue pompom
Green ribbon
White paint
Glue
Wooden skewer
Scissors
Paint brush

If your child is older, let them cut bunny features out of felt, otherwise do it yourself. Take the pink felt and cut two circles for cheeks, one semi-circle for the mouth and two curved triangles for ears (about ¾ of the size of the egg). Cut two rectangles out of the yellow felt and cut into each to make whiskers. Cut two smaller curved triangles out of white felt and a bow out of purple felt.

Stick the egg onto the skewer and have your child paint it white. Allow to dry and glue the bunny features. Tie a ribbon into a bow around the skewer and glue the purple bow to it.

You can use the bunny to decorate around the house by adding it to your tulip filled vase, sticking it into a plant or into the garden while the kids hunt for Easter eggs.

This craft was featured in Larnaca News Magazine, March/April 2012 edition.