Raising L

Don't over cook it

2011-04-19T04:28:00.000-07:00

Has Nigella Lawson gone to far with this head to toe swimming costume? I fear so......

Snapped on Australia's famous Bondi Beach Nigella is taking part in Australia Master Chef series.

Are mushrooms the new plastic?

2011-04-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

Eben Bayer and his team in the USA have come up with a wonderful range of packaging and insulating products which are grown not manufactured. ecovativedesign.com is his website and shows you how this amazing growing process takes place.

His idea replaces Styrofoam one of our worlds biggest waste problems with over 25% of landfill being taken up by it. Styrofoam is not biodegradable at all and eventually works its way back into our food chain and is made from known carcinogens.

Eben Bayer talks mushrooms at TED 2010

A warm embrace that saves lives | Video on TED.com

2011-04-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

Jane Chen: A warm embrace that saves lives | Video on TED.com

This is one of the most amazing inventions I have ever seen. Jane Chen and her team wanted to come up with a product that would replicate the humidicrib idea for a fraction of the cost and most importantly be accessable to remote communities within our world.

At over $20,000US humidicribs are not an option for the majority of health care services within our world and at $25US the Embrace baby warmer comes in at 0.01% of the cost. It is reusable and can be sanitised and the revolutionary warming pad can be used over time and time again.

20 Million babies are born prematurally each year and of this 4 million die due mostly to the fact that they exert most of their energy in the first 4 weeks on growing - nit heating themselves.

This truely is ingenius, I always say every single one of us is capable of great things, and Jane Chen has certainly shown us here.

embraceglobal.org - Visit their site today and donate what you can. You never know it could save the life of someone you love.

Tantrum Three's

2011-04-04T21:29:00.000-07:00

You know how they call them the "Terrible Two's" well I am going through the Tantrum Three's with Lil L. This morning we were all ramped up for a fun morning at play group. The easter bunny was coming, the hat parade was lined up and there were eggs a plenty to be found.

But no none of that for us as Lil L hit 10 on the naughty richter scale not long after arriving. It all started over the sharing of a dinky bike, I know important stuff right. This was followed by another parent leading Lil L inside to divert her attention from her child riding one of the bikes. Lil L obviously didn't want to make a easter bunny basket and just started winding up. I could see a tantrum looming so set about trying to divert her attention again but no, we ended up with yet another Oscar award winning tantrum in the middle of the whole play group.

Now with 2nd Lil L strapped to my chest I tried to calm her down but she just wound up even more, so we left, her kicking and screaming me trying to stay compossed. Shit a stick I was embarrased. None of the other kids ever carry on like this. What have I done wrong as a parent to end up with a sometimes crazy maniac for a child.

Well nothing apparently. All the books and websites I have read and studied suggest the same things, divert their attention, encourage the good, deny the bad. But it is not getting us any where. I ended up in the car in tears with Lil L screaming her lungs out.

This is not what I had in mind when first thinking about raising children, and I don't think anyone does. If people knew what it was like they would never have kids I assure you. It is all the baby propaganda that gets you hooked. All the cute clothes and toys and all the nice things to decorate the babies room. It is all just a trick, a facade to get us in. Raising kids is a gruely 24hr a day job with no rest. Don't let anyone else tell you different. But at times it is the most rewarding time in your life and you wouldn't have it any other way.

Sometimes I think dealing with a bunch of anarchists on pub crawl would be easier than bed times. But I wouldn't have it any other way.....I must be sick in the head right!

Kid Friendly Relaxation

2011-04-01T02:46:00.000-07:00

Child-friendly meditation and relaxation is what Lil L's teacher suggested we look into doing after day 2 at preschool. At first I though WTF but hey it is the year 2011 so I will get with the program. Where would I find out anything about this....where else but Google.

So off I google and wow what did I find, a virtual world of groupies dedicated to relaxing our children and making them more centered beings.....far out. So I have ordered a book and downloaded some info, but I do recommend kidsrelaxation.com they seem to keep things relatively simple and fun.

So we will see if I can harness my inner turtle and calm down my little dragon.

PS can you believe I actually found this picture...I love google find your inner turtle merch

Failsafe People

2011-03-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

There are some people amongst us that are unable to eat wheat, diary, gluten. It is extremely challanging for parents of children with this affliction to source foods and stay on the right path of diet elimination whilst trying to stay within the weekly food budget.

I am undertaking a new way of eating by following the "Eat for your blood type" philosophy. As an O blood type person I should eat a diet hi in protein (mostly from animal meat - a bit of a challange considering I am a vegetarian) and eleviate all wheat, diary & gluten.

So begins the challange of finding products in the market place that fit my bill. I will keep you all updated with my trials so that you can utilise these products or stay well away from them.

So first up is a company based in Northern NSW which supplies beef.

Honest Beef is an Australian owned and run business offering gate to the plate 100% chemical free beef products to the public. They have a price per kilo option making the package very affordable. Please see their great website HonestBeef.com.au for further information. Friends and family are looking into a delivery so I will fill you in on the result at a later date.

Failsafe People

2011-03-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

Coat Rack

2011-03-31T03:56:00.000-07:00

I just love love love this coat rack. I am going to make one myself, it will be a treat.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66636810/wolf-den-coat-rack?ref=fp_treasury_1

Love & War

2011-03-31T03:38:00.000-07:00

Off to get weekly stat update on Lil L 2. All is going swimmingly and he is growing very averagly. What more can one ask for really. Even though my milk supply and inability to smile through 3 days of screaming baby were questioned, I managed to some how scrape together a smile.

I am always thought of being a strong character, someone who can do and go through anything unscathed. Well this is a true idea of me, but I certainly take baggage with me from almost every experience I have. I am strong, I will do anything at least once, but I hurt behind my walls in the quiet of night. I am the softest of hearts, the most romantic person you will meet, a dreamer, a non-believer.

I can not do everything with a smile on my face and I can not enjoy all the trimmings of life. I know this whole heartedly and in knowing this it sets me free.

SoapBox: Relationships with your nearest and dearest truely are the hardest in your life. Give me a one way ticket to anywhere when someone you love starts at you with no real reason.

What's Cooking

2011-03-29T23:27:00.000-07:00

You can throw great food at your family in under 2hrs if you just think outside the square. Tonight I made in under 30mins a wonderfully delicious fish & veggie laksa.
I had some

great little whiting fillets
a packet laksa paste
a can of lite coconut milk
one onion
half a capsicum
1/3 head of broccoli
one carrot
3 mushrooms
about a cup of water
rice noodles

I threw the onion in a hot wok, fried off, added the laksa paste until fragrant
added the capsicum, water & coconut milk, stirred until well combined and let simmer for about 15mins
threw in the broccoli & mushies and stirred again
placed the whiting on top and just pushed it under the surface of the mixture
scattered the noodles over the top of that and placed a lid on just to finish off for 5mins

Serve up in your most scrumptous asian style bowls. This supplied my husband and I with also some left overs for tomorrows lunch.

Why order take out when you can make asian style food in a flash at home. Not that we could order asian take away...the closest one is around an hours drive away!

Raising L

2011-03-29T23:13:00.000-07:00

I wanted to start a blog to share my trials and tribulations of taking on the most challenging career choice so far...being a mother. My 1st child was raised mostly by my husband whilst I worked full time, now the tables have turned for baby No. 2 and I am taking the reins.

So jump on board and enjoy my always truthful and sometimes painful trip down this path we call parenting.

I am a mother of two beautiful children living in rural New South Wales, Australia. I am at heart a country girl who yearns to live amongst the city lights but escape to the peace and quiet of a country retreat most weekends. I am a dreamer through and through and not a day goes by that I don't have the next great idea to escape the hum drum of this existance.

So let the fun begin