Use elbow grease

Before you do anything, get out the old toothbrushes, scrub brushes and soapy water, and clean anyway any grime in your rental property. Check around light switches, bathroom corners, and the laundry in particular. Think about getting the carpets cleaned (there are some great voucher deals out there), and give them an extra-thorough vacuum. Wipe down sinks and tiles with a little eucalyptus oil for a fresh smell, and open up windows to air musty rooms. Reed diffusers, scented candles and incense can all make a new property feel more like home. Give the garden (if you have one) a good tidy too; mow the lawn, trim edges, blow/sweep leaves and trim back hedges.

Hang artwork

Even if you are not able to hammer hooks into the walls, you can still hang all your favourite artwork and photos. Simply use a wall-safe adhesive like 3M Command hooks and velcro tabs to hang frames. Pay careful attention to the weight levels that each hook can hold.

Change door knobs

If your bathroom or kitchen cabinets are a little dated, or just not to your taste, you can easily replace the door handles and door knobs with your own. Keep the original knobs in a safe place to replace when you move out, and take your own handles with you to your next rental property too!

Change light fittings

If that old chandelier in your rented property clashes with your slick furniture, change the light fitting to suit your taste. Many light shades can be easily switched, but if the hanging light requires electrical work, bring in an expert electrician to do the job for you. If you are faced with a lamp shade that is a great shape, but an unattractive design, try covering it with fun wrapping paper or your favourite fabric. You can try an industrial-style enamel light shade, which looks particularly great over a kitchen bench. Or you can try out the latest trend of a caged or bare bulb with coloured pendant lamp cord, alone or grouped.

Create ambient lighting

Lamps are a renter’s best friend. Ambient light in any room will add a welcoming, home-y feel to your property. Make sure you have a combination of overhead and lamp lighting to provide enough coverage.

Bake a cake

There’s nothing like the smell of baked goods to kickstart the good feelings in your new home.

Bring in the flowers

Raid your garden for flowers and add them to vases or pop individual stems into a grouping of mini milk bottles to bring the outside in. Who knows what treasures your rental house may have lurking outside.

Add potted plants

As well as flowers, you can also bring in more permanent potted plants to add greenery to your indoors. Zanzibar Gems are particularly hardy plants that exist with any level of light and little watering. Yucca and aloe plants are stylish and great indoor and outdoor plants too. Fiddleleaf Figs are great indoors and can grow quite large to make a real statement in a room. Add potted plants and herbs to your balcony and garden for colour and personalisation. Potted bamboo can create an excellent screen against an unattractive wall. Beautiful pots can look stylish and add a modern touch to a less-than-exciting exterior.

Create a photo wall

The ultimate in personalisation, a photo wall stamps your home with ownership and personality. Keep frames a similar colour for no-brainer uniformity, and space evenly on a wall that you (and your visitors) will see a lot. They are a great talking point, excellent for children, and will bring all the love of your friends and family into your home.

Cover up with a rug

If the carpets are stained or worn, or the floor boards have seen better days, cover up unsightly areas with an area rug.

Use wall decals and wallpaper

You can’t paint, but you can use removable wall decals and removable wallpaper to jazz up your rooms. Removable wallpaper is a fantastic option for completely covering a wall that doesn’t appeal.

Enjoying making your rental house a home and your apartment a sanctuary – a personal place that reflects your personal taste, whether you own it or not.

It is important to establish a good brushing routine with children as well as introducing healthy tooth snacks throughout the day and reducing the amount of acidic and decay producing snacks.

Children should be brushing their teeth (assisted until about age 7) twice a day: after breakfast and just before bed.

Tooth friendly snacks:

• Low fat milk
• Low fat natural yoghurt
• Low fat cheese
• Banana smoothie
• Wholemeal crumpet
• Vegetable sticks with dips such as hummus, avocado, salsa
• Fresh fruit
• Tinned fruit in natural juice
• Fresh raw vegetables
• Boiled egg
• Peanut butter
• Handful of mixed nuts
• Plain popcorn
• Savoury muffins

Not so friendly tooth snacks: (anything acidic and sweet)

• Lollies (even if they are labelled natural, they still are made of sugar)
• Cordial, fruit juice, soft drinks
• Dried fruit, contains a lot of sugar
• Flavoured milks
• Dairy desserts
• Sweets biscuits and cakes
• Sweet jams and chocolate spreads
• Breakfast cereals with added sugar
• Ice-cream, icy poles
• Potato chips, twisties, they tend to stick to teeth

Helpful Healthy Hints:

• Fresh fruit should be consumed everyday, 1 -2 serves per day, although too much fruit eaten in between meals can cause damage to teeth as they can be sweet and acidic.  Water or milk can be consumed afterwards to minimise any tooth erosion
• Healthy breakfast foods are wholegrain rolled oats, weetbix or wholegrain toast.
• Other healthy breakfast options are eggs/baked beans with toast or fruit with natural yoghurt
• Food rewards should be avoided, acknowledge good behaviour with praise, games or playing in the park with friends

Here’s a low sugar Carrot & Zucchini Muffin recipe to try as an occasional treat

Carrot & Zucchini Muffins

Makes 12 

Ingredients

• 250g plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Splash of vanilla
• 160g combined grated zucchini & grated carrot (smallish carrot & zucchini)

Method

• preheat oven to 160C/180C fan, line muffin tin with cupcake papers
• sift flour, spices, baking powder and bicarb soda together in a small bowl and set aside
• mix oil, egg, brown sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth, add dry ingredients and stir to combine
• add grated zucchini and carrot and stir just until combined
• spoon into cupcake papers
• bake for 25min, test with a skewer, skewer should come out clean

What are your healthy tooth snacks?

Do you have any recipes to share with us?

*Info gathered from dental information

It’s true. We need to keep well hydrated in order to perform our best, and we need water to keep our energy levels high, prevent headaches, and maintain body function. Fizzy drinks, coffee and alcohol don’t count – they can all contribute to dehydration. Water has no calories, is readily available for free, and neutral-tasting. So how to make sure you drink enough water during the day?

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Appearance

Keep an attractive water bottle or jug on your desk and a tumbler that you enjoy drinking from. Avanti makes some elegant water pitchers. Fill the bottle or jug up before you get started at work and aim to finish it by the end of the day.

2. Taste

If you just can’t stomach plain water, add natural flavours to it with slices of lemon, lime and mint. Try a fruit infusion water pitcher. Try to avoid juice and cordial which have a high sugar content.

Use a water filter to remove any mineral or chlorine tastes in the water.

3. Temperature

Feeling a little chilly? Brew up a big mug of herbal tea. The lack of caffeine means no dehydration, and chamomile and mint teas can be soothing and help relieve stress and aid digestion.

4. Monitor Consumption

What works for toddlers, can work for you too. Create your very own version of a reward chart for water consumption; add a tick to the number of bottles you drink over every day of the week. Try and achieve a personal best each week!

5. Caffeine Rule

Double up when making tea or coffee. Pour one glass of water for every one cup of caffeinated beverage and keep them together on your desk as a reminder.

No matter which method you use, remember that drinking more water than you did before will make you more efficient, contribute to clearer skin, flush out toxins and help boost your metabolism too. Definitely worth a try.

But then my own life became busy with the never-ending flow of family, work and school commitments, and suddenly I got it. They weren’t just giving you a fantastic smelling bath product. What they were really giving you was the chance to slip into the tub for half an hour, and revel in the peace, the quiet and the warmth, relaxing amongst the bubble for a precious few moments and letting the door close on the constant demands of the world outside.

With this in mind, I decided to make my own bath bombs. It’s easy and fun, and it has finally dawned on me that it makes a terrific gift! That is, of course, if you can be convinced to give them away. You might decide to keep them as a present for yourself!

For this project you will need the following household items:

• A glass or metal mixing bowl (plastic may retain the scent of the essential oils)
• Plastic gloves
• A water spritzer
• Moulds – you can use anything sort of mould, from chocolate moulds as we did, to ice cube trays. The smaller and more shallow the mould, the quicker the bath bomb will dry out and be ready to use
• A sieve

Ingredients:

• 2 cups bicarbonate of soda
• 1 cup citric acid (found in the baking aisle of the supermarket)
• 20 drops of your favourite essential oils
• OIive oil (to add a moisturising effect)
• Food colouring (optional)

1. Sieve the bicarbonate of soda and citric acid together in a bowl, mixing well and ensuring there are no lumps.

2. Add the essential oils, olive oil and food colouring, and quickly mix them in using your gloved hands. Break up any lumps that might form.

3. Very carefully spritz a tiny amount of water onto the mixture, and quickly mix it in using your gloved hands before your mixture can start fizzing on you. The mixture is ready when you can mould a shape with your hands and it doesn’t fall apart. Don’t over-wet the mixture – you want it to still be a bit on the crumbly side.

4. Press into the moulds, and allow to dry, preferably overnight. Once dry, carefully remove from the mould. Voila – a finished bath bomb. Time to run that bath!

There are so many number books and games available to help your children learn how to count. Whilst many are great resources, there are some other simple options that can help without you spending a lot of money.

And here are some of the things that we have decided to try with our own girl:

Playing board games – we love playing family board games and by playing ones that require players to count their moves is a great way for little ones to learn how to count. Our favourites are Snakes and Ladders, Trouble and Mouse Trap.

Playing cards – we use playing cards to match pairs and do simple additions. Using the cards, Ace to five, we put them in a row (not in order) and help our little Miss put them in order.

Songs – singing songs like “Five little ducks” and “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, once I caught a fish alive” has helped our little one quickly learn how to count to five.

Count everything – we count everything – when we’re baking, we count how many cups of flour, how many eggs, and how many tablespoons of other ingredients we need. When we’re folding laundry, we count how many odd socks we have. That game never ends!

Playing games – old favourites like Hopscotch, and What’s the time, Mr Wolf? Remember them?

How do you help your kids with learning their numbers?

Ideas for the whole family, Grandma included! 

1. Brunch at home

Brunch means you still get to sleep in, then wake up just in time to skillfully combine breakfast and lunch into one. Whip up your favourite breakfast and/ or lunch recipes and serve with fresh juices, coffee & tea and champagne for extra decadence. Think eggs benedict with salmon or ham, or quiche/ tortilla with a side salad. Here’s a tip: transform your frozen bread into a french toast casserole. Just layer the bread in a casserole dish, whip up some milk or cream with eggs and sugar and a pinch of cinnamon, pour mixture over toast so it’s covered evenly (get the ratio right or it will go soggy, say 7-8 eggs per loaf of bread), cover and leave overnight in fridge. The next day, place in medium oven for half an hr or until puffed up and lightly golden. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with maple syrup (and bacon if you dare!).

Don’t miss our Cinnamon Scroll Recipe - perfect for brunch, best served warm!

2. Picnic in the park

Buy a bbq chicken or… roast your own a day ahead using your slow cooker (just throw the whole chicken in, season with salt and pepper and stuff with garlic, half an onion, some sprigs of rosemary and half a lemon, then slow cook for 6-8 hours, doesn’t need any liquid). Serve the chicken cold with a couple of salads or your usual picnic/ bbq favourites. Potato, rice, pasta or cous cous based salads can be prepared the night before.

3. Photo shoot

Now that the family is together, it’s a perfect opportunity to get some portraits taken to remember the moment. Give grandma the best ones so she can show off her beautiful grand kids to the world. Here are some tips for Taking Perfect Portraits. Once you’ve had your film developed, transform the snaps into Photo Blocks - a great gift idea for grandma, or your own home.

Just the girls

1. Pamper

Book yourself and mum in for a massage and or a mani/ pedi. If you’ve missed the boat for an appointment, tell the boys you’re going anyway then enjoy your free time together by doing something else instead. Shopping and lunch perhaps?

2. High tea

If you’ve left your booking too late for high tea out, bring it in! Get your traditional tea set out and dress the table with pretty lace napery and freshly picked flowers. Serve up crust-less cucumber sandwiches on white and poached chicken & mayo on brown, some scones with jam and cream and any other sweet treats you fancy, presented on a tiered cake stand.

3. The Movies

Head to your local theater and treat yourselves to a guilt free girly cinema experience, popcorn, choc top and lollies are a must! Latest romantic flicks include: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Five- Year Engagement, The Lucky One, What To Expect When You’re Expecting and of course Titanic in 3D.

If you’re looking for something a bit more relaxed then head to the cinema at home instead! Raid the video store or your dvd stash for your favourite romcom, get that microwave popcorn popping and some Ben & Jerry’s out of the freezer. Girls only!

For the kids to do for you

1. Breakfast in bed

Make sure a sleep-in is included in this one! Snooze away whilst your hubby and kids prepare breakfast in bed for you. Simple recipe ideas are pancakes, scrambled eggs on toast, fresh fruit and yoghurt, granola berry parfait (alternate layers of granola, berries and yoghurt in a pretty parfait or martini glass). Otherwise, a quick trip to the bakery for some fresh croissants (toasted with ham and cheese perhaps?), danishes or muffins served with some freshly brewed coffee or tea wouldn’t go unnoticed.

2. Do the chores

How nice would Sunday be without the cleaning and tidying up!? Sit back and cosy up with a new novel (or trashy mag!) whilst your family works on beautifying the house.

3. Play nice

No fighting today! Get the kids to play nice with each other and focus their attention on showering you with compliments and cuddles all day (or at least until midday).

Any other ideas?

For now, let’s fill the house with a sweet cinnamon smell with these delicious scrolls.

I know what you are thinking, it takes forever to make, but I assure you, once you make these they will become a regular treat in your family.

Cinnamon Scrolls
makes 12

ingredients
• 100ml lukewarm milk
• 60g caster sugar
• 7g dry yeast or 20gr fresh yeast
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 500g plain flour
• 50g partially melted butter

Cinnamon filling
• 80g butter, room temperature
• 100g brown sugar
• splash of maple syrup
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Coffee icing
• 200g icing mixture
• 1 tbsp freshly brewed espresso, hot
• 20g butter, room temperature
• splash of maple syrup

method

1. combine milk, sugar and yeast in a jug, if using dry yeast, allow to stand for about 5 minutes to activate, it should froth a little. if it doesn’t it may not be active so best start again
2. place yeast mixture in a bowl of a mixer with a dough hook and start mixing
3. add eggs and a pinch of salt and continue mixing
4. add flour whilst mixer is still going and then slowly add the butter and mix on low until mixture is well combined
5. increase speed and allow the dough to knead for another 5 minutes until smooth and elastic
6. take dough out of bowl, spray bowl with oil spray and place dough back in and cover with plastic wrap
7. allow to stand in a warm place for about 2 hours or until doubled in size
8. in the meantime, make your cinnamon filling by whisking butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon until combined. Set aside
9. take dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 30 sec
10. roll out to a rectangle, 30 x 60cm with the longest side facing you
11. spread your cinnamon filling leaving a few centimetre border all around
12. roll dough from the longest side to form a long thin roll, cut into 12 even pieces and place in a greased 20x30cm pan allowing room for them to expand (as shown in picture above)
13. preheat oven to 180C/160C fan and bake until golden, about 20-25minutes, you may need to check half way through baking time and rotate pan
14. make coffee icing by placing icing mixture in a little bowl, add hot espresso and mix to dissolve. Add butter, mix well then add maple syrup and mix until well combined. If your icing is runnier than you’d like, add some more icing mixture. It should be thick enough to pour onto scrolls
15. pour over slightly cooled scrolls and enjoy

*If you don’t have an electric mixer with a dough attachment you can knead it all by hand, about 8-10 minutes until it’s elastic and smooth

Now invite some friends round and enjoy!

So, what do you think, will you give it a try?

I have lists for everything.

And I don’t think I could get through my day without them.

If you had a look in my day planner, some of the lists you would see are…

My daily to-do list – this list is purely for what I need to get done in regards to the kids and the household. Doctor’s appointments, who has to be where at what time, the list of chores that I NEED to do and can’t hold off any longer and phone calls I need to make.

This list is rewritten each night, ready for the next day. And as each thing is completed, I draw a red line through it. There’s something satisfying about making things off a to-do list, don’t you think?

Blogging to-do list – this list is for everything blogging and freelance writing related. I write a fresh list each Sunday night with articles and blog posts that need to be written for that week.

Christmas list – With five kids, I like to plan for Christmas well in advance. I keep a running list of things that the kids mention they would like, what I have bought and where I have put it away (because I have a tendency to forget my “safe spot”) and how much I have spent.

Grocery list – I would love to be one of those people who can just go into the supermarket and fill their trolley with everything they need for the week and not forget anything. Even with a list, I still find that we have to pop down to the supermarket because we have forgotten something.

My to-read list – this one is my guilty pleasure. I keep a list of books that I would like to read. When I come across a title of a new book, I add it and when someone asks me what I would like for my birthday or Christmas, I refer to that.

All of my lists are hand written on pages in my day planner.  There are so many pretty printables available online but I’m old school. I like writing my lists by hand.

Are you a list maker? Do you find that it makes your day easier?

Mum loves photos so I made her a personal photo block from recycled bits of wood.

Would you like to have a try?

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Wood
• Saw
• Sand paper
• Varnish, wood stain
• Paint brush
• Paper cutter/guillotine or ruler and Stanley knife
• Mod Podge
• Roller or Craft sponge

As my partner tends to collect wood off cuts we had quite a few bits to choose from, otherwise pop into your nearest demolition yard/recycled timber and buy what suits you

Sand back your piece of wood either by hand or with a machine

Start with a coarse sand paper and finish off with a fine sand paper

I like to have a square block, so measure the width of the timber (usually around 90-100mm), mark this distance and cut square

Cutting on a drop saw will give you a perfect result otherwise mark with a set square and cut by hand

Sand paper the rough bits with a fine sandpaper

Finish the wood with your choice of either a stain or varnish; I used an oil enriched varnish with a matte finish. Leave to dry a few hours or overnight

Cut chosen photo to size using a guillotine or paper cuter

Apply Mod Podge to your block using a roller or craft sponge and stick your photo on then seal the photo by applying Mod Podge to the front of the photo and the edges. I used a matte finish Mod Podge to avoid glare you may get from a glossy finish

Allow to dry and apply another coat after a few hours

Recycled timber was used for this project but if you prefer you can pop into your nearest hardware store and buy some timber and ask them to cut it for you.

Hope you get to try it, if you do please let us know; we’d love to see your creation.

Happy creating!!

Firstly, it pays to remember that resiliency can be acquired by anybody. Some people are naturally born with better resilience resources than others, but no matter what type of child you have – extroverted, introverted, sporty, bookish, earnest, rowdy or a combination of all of the above – they can learn the skills required to deal with life’s ups and downs.

One of the best ways to do this is to foster good self-esteem in your child. A child who has a healthy sense of self esteem will often be more confident, and that confidence will enable them to handle new, stressful or unpleasant situations.

Here are some tips for fostering self-esteem, self-worth and confidence:

• Praise the child’s own unique talents or skills. Make them aware that their special abilities are something to be proud of, and encourage them to have positive thoughts about their own competencies.
• Spend special time alone with your child, doing something that matters to them. This will show the child that you value them as a person, and encourage a sense of self-worth.
• Offer encouragement when your child is trying something new, and provide positive feedback.  Celebrate the achievement made and the new things learnt.
• Show them that it’s ok to make a mistake, and that it’s not the end of the world. If we never make mistakes, then we never learn. Get them to think about how they might tackle the problem differently next time, and encourage their perseverance in overcoming the challenge.
• Set boundaries for your child, and stick with them. If a child understands your family limits (i.e. what is acceptable and what is not) then they will feel secure and confident in their own environment, and have a strong sense of belonging, which is vital for self-worth.
• Be available to your child, and always make time to listen to their problems or worries, no matter how trivial they may seem. Offer advice and strategies if necessary but let them know that you believe in their ability to make things better for themselves.

A child who has faith in their own abilities will be able to use that confidence to solve problems, confront challenges and handle criticism from others. Which is good, because the playground can be a pretty tough place!

Most of all, teach them that it’s ok to be YOU! Not everybody is a star on the football field, or the best dancer, or a champion speller. And thank goodness for that, for it would be a dull old world if we were all the same. Our different talents and skills are something to be celebrated, and no matter what our children are good at, we love them just the way they are.

“What do you want to do this weekend?”

“Meh. I don’t know”

And then you end up doing nothing apart from bumming around the house.

Here are 7 ideas for things you can do this weekend that won’t break the budget and don’t require excessive planning:

1. Go on a picnic – sometimes we pack a picnic lunch, jump in the car and drive until we find a nice spot to have our lunch. I love doing this because we are always discovering new places to go back to.
2. Play tourist in your city – I love driving around our city and looking at it for the first time like a tourist would. Visit all the attractions and learn more about the history of the city you live in.
3. Go on a photography walk – Grab your cameras and go for a walk. Not only is it good exercise, but you’ll come home with some great photographs.
4. Have a slumber party – do you remember sleeping in the living room, watching movies and eating popcorn as a kid? How about joining your kids for slumber party? Grab your pillows, sleeping bags and favourite movies and camp out in the living room for the night.
5. Do a household clean up – this always seems to be the last thing my children want to do on a weekend. But I think it’s really satisfying going through the whole house, decluttering and moving furniture around.
6. Have a bake off – This will require a little planning, but go through some recipe books and find some biscuits, muffins and slices that you want to bake, grab your ingredients and bake! The benefit of this one is that you will have the kids’ school snacks organised for the whole week.
7. Go to the library – when was the last time you read a REAL book? I’ll admit that I don’t read as often as I used now that our world is so digital. But a trip to the library, browsing all the  books, picking out a few that look interesting is still fun.

What are you doing this weekend?

To make your life easier, we’ve prepared a gift guide to inspire you. Of course, for all you time poor mummies, all these brand new products can be found on eBay.com.au so you can get shopping right away from the comfort of your own home.

For The Stylish Mum

1. The Witchery Allison Leather Tote will become mum’s new best friend. Also available in black and caramel, $103.95

2. The Witchery Ribbed Knit Scarf is a classic glamour, just like mum! $59.95, also comes in black

3. Let mum sparkle with these Witchery Pitted Crystal Studs, $39.95

For The House Proud Mum

1. For the lady with everything, she will love showing off all her memories with this Elegant Wire Photoboard, $59.95

2. To keep lollies handy when the grandchildren visit, this Rooster Glass Canister does the trick, $39.95

3. Take this White Ceramic Carafe filled with a bunch of wild flowers to mum, $24.95

4. Let mum add a bit of feminine flair to her favourite room with this French Provincial Cushion Cover, $14.99

5. Give mum’s house a new signature scent with a luxurious Glasshouse Candle. A range of fragrances available from $37.95 (Gardenia pictured)

For The Foodie Mum

1. Delight mum with the Donna Hay Cake Dome, hopefully she’ll get the hint (i.e bake more!), $89.95

2. Classy mums deserve classy silver like this Marie Clair Hostess Set, $59.00

3. The Luke Nguyen Mortar & Pestle allows mum to let out some anger and let in some wonderful flavours, $39.99 (includes bamboo board)

4. Even though mother knows best, she could still learn a thing or two from the cooking masters. The Cook’s Companion by Stephanie Alexander, from $77.00, Maggie’s Kitchen by Maggie Beer, from $35.00, Nigella Kitchen by Nigella Lawson, from $25.00. For more cookbooks, see our 5 Favourite Cookbook Authors Voted By Australian Mums article.

Please note, items are available at the prices listed at time of publication.

Tell us, what are you getting mum this year?

My desk became so cluttered that I moved “my office” to the lounge and did my blogging from there, which made it look, to my family, like I wasn’t really working and just fluffing about on my laptop.

I found that the messy work space was having an impact on my time and productivity so I had to get stuck into it and give it a good clean.

I tossed – I went through bits of paper and old magazines that I didn’t need any more and threw it all out.

I filed – I had a pile of paperwork that I hadn’t gotten around to filing and it kept growing and growing. Instead of filing at the end of every other day and only taking a minute or two, this took me a good half hour!

I dusted – The printer under my desk and the shelves above it gather dust quite quickly and anyone who knows me knows that I would pay for someone to come into my home each week just to dust. I won’t be getting any “housewife of the year” award any time soon.

I opened the curtain! – Because my desk is so close to the window, and this window is at the front of the house, if I open the curtain and blind, it’s quite easy for people coming up to the front door to peer through the window and see that mess. So I usually keep it closed while opening the rest in the room. Now that the desk is clean, I don’t have any problem with people sticky beaking.

And now, I have room on my desk for my laptop, and I found my diary,  so I can sit there and get my work done and not get an embarrassing email reminding me that I am forgetting something.

How’s your work space looking?

Light: It doesn’t matter whether you’re inside or out, it’s still all about the light. Check all your good-sized windows throughout the day for the one or ones that get the best light, and at what time of day. For me, it is the large north-facing glass doors in our lounge room for the most part or sometimes I head to the south-west facing window sill of my son for some lovely afternoon.

Diffusion: This is two-fold. Where possible you want to use natural light but sometimes a flash will be necessary. To combat its harsh light, use a specially designed diffuser or try this simple business card trick. But sometimes your window light source might also be too harsh or yes, too bright. Grab some tissue paper or light muslin and hang across it to even out and diffuse the light.

Shadows and reflection: These will be your two photographic mortal enemies inside. Make sure to move your subject around to avoid any harsh or distracting shadows. Make sure one object isn’t literally overshadowing another. Also look out for reflections,which can come from everywhere. Windows, mirrors and glass frames are obvious ones but also look for shiny objects and surfaces that can add a distracting focal point in your photos.

Boost it: Sometimes there is never quite enough light, or it is in the wrong spot, or shining the wrong way. Time to bring in the reinforcements. Boost your light sources and keep it even with lamps. Those that shine upwards and bounce off a light-coloured ceiling are ideal. White card or foam board, as large as you need or can handle, are an essential tool in your indoor photography toolbox. A couple of pieces, set strategically around your subject, will help bounce any available light onto your subject and help to eliminate shadows. In a pinch, placing your subjects on white shelves for close-up work can also help.

Backgrounds: Sometimes your perfect light source is not in the perfect place. No one wants to see your dodgy carpet or cracked floorboards and backgrounds are easy to find and not everybody has the perfect rustic table to shoot on. My favourite portable backgrounds include painted boards – think sample paint pots and MDF board – or for smaller objects, pick up a range of scrapbooking paper.

Settings: There are a couple of things you can do in camera for better indoor photos.

• Set your ISO at a minimum of 400. A simple fix for boosting the amount of light without trading off for too much noise in your image. The better the camera, the more you will be able to push this number higher. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
• Open your aperture wide – remember the smaller the number the bigger the opening.
• Watch your shutter speed – anything below 1/60 is going to start to show some camera shake. If you find yourself in this position a lot, invest in a tripod.

Don’t tell them that doing a jigsaw helps increase problem solving and spatial relation skills. Don’t tell them that it’s a marvellous tool for teaching perseverance. Don’t cite the latest study that claims doing jigsaws keeps the brain healthy and active, and may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.  Just watch as they idly stand by and observe you putting a few pieces together.

Then smile quietly to yourself as they pull up a chair and begin to separate the edge pieces from the body pieces. Hide that squeal of delight when normally warring siblings begin to work together to join up that tricky section in the corner.  And when they are reluctant to leave the puzzle to eat dinner, because they have almost finished it and are loath to leave it incomplete, congratulate yourself on finding an activity that has brought your family together. Happy days!

On a more serious note, jigsaws are great toys to have on hand. Besides the skill enhancements mentioned above, they don’t require any special gadgetry, can be played by anybody as long as the puzzle is not too challenging for the age group doing it, can aid in developing logical thinking and are a fun social experience when you do it with others.

If you want to find your own terrific jigsaws, then use the following search terms in eBay, making sure to select the Toys and Hobbies category: jigsaw, puzzle, children, games. With lots of eBay stores selling great brands such as Heye, Djeco, and Disney, just to name a few,  you’ll be sure to find one that the whole family will love! The best part is that good quality puzzles will last a lifetime – so you can enjoy them with your children now, and then in later years with generations to come.

It can be a bit fiddly but having your own bottled sauce is simply delicious.

No need for preservatives or added flavours, just a bit of salt to help with the preserving and the flavours are added when you cook your sauce for your pasta. We have been making tomato sauce for the last few years and always make a large batch that lasts us for the year. Now that the kids are a little older they love to help and I hope it’s something they will enjoy experiencing for years to come.

Let’s make some sauce!

Ingredients

• Tomatoes
• Salt

Equipment

• Large pots
• Wooden spoon, ladle
• Funnel
• Metal strainer or Mouli
• Jars, recycle jam jars or pasta sauce jars
• Lids

Method

• Wash and chop tomatoes

• Put tomatoes in a big pot. No need to add any liquid as tomatoes have so much water that they need to be boiled down to reduce as much as possible.

• Simmer in large heavy based pot for about 30 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced. No need to overcook the tomatoes, just on a slight simmer will be enough to cook them down. The cooked tomatoes will break down, making it easier to pass through the sieve later

• Sanitise jars with lids by putting them in the dishwasher, no need to add soap powder. Do this whilst preparing everything else so jars are ready to fill when your tomatoes are done. If you don’t have a dishwasher then put the jars and lids in a large pot and bring to the boil

• Take tomatoes off the heat and pass through a mouli or sieve, discarding seeds and skin, into a large clean bucket

• Add 1 tablespoon of salt to every 5 litres of sauce, mix until combined

•  Fill the jars with sauce using a ladle and a funnel within a few centimeters from the top, close with lids

• Put the filled and closed bottles into a large pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Allow to simmer for about 30 minutes (we use a large drum)

• Allow to cool in the pot of water then remove and store in a cool dark place

Tomato sauce should last for about 12 months

Equipment can be found :  Onlyonline, MavenSupplies

What do you think, would you try making your own sauce?

1. Be Clean. Before starting, make sure your work bench is clear and only have what is needed on it.
2. Be Prepared. Ingredients should be brought to room temperature before starting, especially milk, eggs and butter.
3. Be Conscientious. Dry ingredients such as flour, spices, baking powder and baking soda should be sifted together unless stated otherwise.
4. Be Precise. All ingredients need to be weighed or measured; guesswork is not a good thing in baking.

Here’s a list of basic baking essentials for your kitchen:

• Mixing bowls
• Spatulas
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring jug
• Digital scales
• Cupcake/muffin trays
• Cupcake papers
• Wire cooling rack
• Skewer for cake testing
• Baking paper
• Spray oil
• Spring form cake tins in a few sizes, i.e. 20cm, 22cm
• Loaf tin
• Timer
• Fine grater for zesting
• Big metal spoon
• Sieve
• Cookie cutters
• Palette knife
• Piping bag
• Rolling pin
• Tart tin

Where to buy

For a one stop shop in affordable baking essentials, try Kitchen n warehouse or Vogue Street for more stylish utensils.

It’s all in the presentation! Enhance your baking with some colourful wrappers and decorations. CNC And Cupcake World has lots of pretty things!

We’ve all participated, and they are great fun for everyone. But did you know that most blog giveaways are actually run illegally (without the owner realising)? And that the blog owner could face a heavy fine for running it?

I know!

So let’s go through a method to host your own giveaway, while still following the rules and keeping out of trouble. The first place to start is your State’s Office of Gaming. They will have a specific set of guidelines for running a giveaway. Make sure that you also adhere to the guidelines for the States in which the promotion is being run (ie all States if it is an Australia-wide giveaway).

In Australia, a trade promotions (or promotional games) involves a product or service that is given away to an entrant in order to promote a product and/or company. The general rule is that if the giveaway is a game of chance (ie a random draw, or lottery), then some strict conditions apply, and the Australian giveaway host must apply for a permit from all the applicable Australian States’ Offices of Gaming (if the the giveaway is open Australia-wide). Permits take time to process and cost money; neither of which is conducive to the everyday blog giveaway.

The easiest way to circumvent the need for a permit is to ensure that the giveaway winner is selected via skill. In other words, the winner is chosen by a pre-allocated person or team, for the quality of their entry. You could require entrants to answer a question, provide a thought, come up with an idea, or otherwise express themselves in a way that you can judge their entry. I like to use the terminology “this is a game of skill and the winner will be chosen by xyz based on the most interesting comment”.

Secondly, you need to provide a thorough set of terms and conditions for the giveaway on your blog. Check your own Office of Gaming’s requirements, but to be thorough, your terms should state:

1. The name of the giveaway

2. Who is hosting the giveaway

3. The prize and value

4. How the prize can will be judged

5. Who is eligible to enter

6. The opening and closing dates of the giveaway period

7. The date that the winner will be selected, and how and when they will be notified

See this giveaway on Bondville for an example of the terms and conditions. You then need to adhere to these terms completely. If you are choosing the winner yourself, considering whether you need to put in a condition barring entry by friends and family. There are also requirements for maximum value of prizes, and specific rules for re-drawing and delivering prizes, so please make sure you check your Office of Gaming’s regulations for trade promotions.

My other major recommendation for giveaways is to keep the requirements for entry firmly on your own blog. By offering entries for participants sharing the giveaway on external sites and social media platforms, you are subject to the rules and regulations of those platforms. For example, Facebook’s Guidelines For Promotions explicitly states “You must not use Facebook features or functionality as a promotion’s registration or entry mechanism. For example, the act of liking a Page or checking in to a Place cannot automatically register or enter a promotion participant.” Unless you understand all the guidelines in place and can adhere to them correctly, it’s best to keep your promotions on your own site.

I have certainly made mistakes with my own giveaways over the years, and have spent a fair amount of time educating myself to improve my procedures. I highly recommend doing a little reading on the Office of Gaming websites, to keep your blog activity above board and keep you out of trouble.

Good luck!

Nowadays, these biscuits are readily available in commercial supermarkets but you just can’t beat the taste (and smell!) of freshly baked cookies. Anzac biscuits are so simple to prepare and bake, the recipe is a fun, get-your-hands-in-there kind of activity that will get the kids excited about cooking… it could even become an Anzac Day family tradition!

Ingredients

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 – 1 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (or 1/2 cup if you have a sweet tooth!)
• 1/4 cup castor sugar
• 125 gm butter
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 2-3 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda mixed with 2 tbsp boiling water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
2. Line 2x rectangle trays with baking paper or silicone baking sheet.
3. Mix flour, oats, coconut and sugars into a bowl.
4. In a small saucepan, combine butter and golden syrup and heat until butter is melted. Add bicarbonate and water mixture to saucepan and stir (mixture will froth up a little).
5. Pour heated mixture over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.
6. Roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on lined trays, flattening the balls with a spoon or fork.
7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Allow biscuits to cool a little before eating (if you can!).

For some extra decadence, add some chocolate chips to half or all of the mixture.

Gluten-free version

For a gluten-free alternative, replace the plain flour with rice flour and swap out the oats for quinoa flakes.

Ideas for leftovers

If you are able to resist not eating them all in one sitting, pound the biscuits into crumbs and use them in the following ways:

• Sprinkle over fresh fruit and yoghurt for breakfast or an after dinner treat.
• Topping for stewed fruits: stew some stone fruits, place in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle over crumbs and bake for a few minutes until golden and crispy.
• As crumble for classic apple crumble .
• Simply over ice cream.
• As an addition to your biscuit base for slices and cheesecake.

Enjoy!

All children learn at their own pace but with some help at home we can make their learning more enjoyable.

As I now sit with my six year old and she reads her books to me, here are a few tips I have learnt along the way.

• Encourage your child to guess what the story is about from looking at the pictures
• Ask them questions like “What do you think will happen in this story?”
• Read from the pictures and encourage your child to build a story before reading the print
• Give your child praise when they use a word that is in the story
• After discussing the story see if your child is ready to read to you
• Read it for them first if they want you to
• Leave out the last word in every few sentences and let your child detect what it will be
• Talk about what happened in the story, the start, the end,  the characters in it
• Give your child praise
• Do not compare your child’s performance with that of  other children

Things to do at home

• Play word games by describing things around the house e.g describe the cat – fluffy, small, slow
• Talk about words that describe what people are thinking e.g wonder, think, know, understand, imagine
• Share a story with your child and ask them to change the ending or guess what may happen next
• Give your child opportunities to tell you about their day
• Use  photos from an event or a holiday and get your child to write about what happened

Correcting Mistakes

• If the mistake makes sense, allow your child to continue the sentence and then go back and ask “What was that word?”

• If it does not make sense, allow your child a moment to self correct

• If it doesn’t make sense, re read it and ask them if it makes sense to them

• If the meaning is not clear, look at the word and find familiar sounds in other words

Activities to do using high frequency words

• Make words by cutting out letters from an old magazine or newspaper and gluing them into an exercise book
• Search through magazines or newspapers to find words and circle them
• Draw a picture and write the word
• Use different colours to write words
• Play a memory game with the words
• Display words near the breakfast table

Activities to do to encourage listening

• I spy, something beginning in C – car, D – dog
• Rhyming , one person says a word, next person says one that rhymes with that word

Shop – mop – hop

• Odd word, give your child a few words and ask them to choose the odd one,

Fork – spoon – bucket

• Riddles, describe a certain thing and ask your child to guess what it is

It has four legs, a long tail, hair and barks – Dog

I hope this has given you some new ideas on how to help your child at home.

Most importantly give your child praise and encouragement and make reading FUN!

What do you do at home? What have you found works, doesn’t work? I would love to hear your tips as well.

*Information has been put together from school  education resources

Why? Well, I think because they already come well-worn with character and a story.

Here are some simple vintage finds you can source to cosy up the corners of your home, without breaking the budget.

I’m a tad biased in this area but I love vintage cameras – working and not working. A collection on a shelf or one sitting nonchantly on a stack of books makes an interesting focal point in a room. Imagine the things it has seen over the years. You can pick up a variety of cameras in all prices ranges, you might even have one tucked away in your garage. A simple search will throw up lots of possibilities.

Vintage crockery, china and ceramics are easy to find for the novice or the serious collector. They will range in price depending on their popularity and their manufacturer. The colours and patterns available could soon spark you on a treasure hunt for life. This store has an interesting array of vintage items.

My grandmother gifted me a small collection of tiny vintage teacups. They make an interesting and colourful display and are also handy for keeping little items like earrings organised.

Small bowls and plates make for an interesting display or function for keeping bits and bobs organised. And you can never have enough vases and jugs to showcase your favourite blooms. Pick items that you like and fit your decor, rather than on their collectablity.

Other items to make interesting vignettes in your home include old books - look for the classic golden books for the nursery – clocks, lamps or glassware. Try fat shack vintage for side tables or perhaps a set up a vintage bar trolley, Mad Men style.

Be warned, once you start on a vintage treasure hunt, it may be hard to hold stop. Happy hunting!

This is one of my favourite recipes of all time because the flavour and consistency of the pudding is so perfect you would swear it’s a recipe that demands a lot of preparation time. But in truth, it takes about 15 minutes to whip together, and there is no need to get out the electric mixer!

Cherry Chocolate Puddings

Serves 6

3 tbsp margarine

½ cup brown sugar
1 egg lightly beaten
¾ cup self-raising flour
1 tbsp cocoa
150g dark chocolate chips, or chopped dark chocolate
425g tin of stoneless black cherries in syrup, drained, reserve syrup

1. Blend margarine with sugar in a bowl (I use the back of a spoon to mush it together into a paste). Stir in egg, flour, cocoa, chocolate chips and ¼ cup reserved syrup.
2. Grease 6 half-cup dariol moulds. Place 4 cherries in the base of each mould and top with chocolate mixture.

Place four cherries in the base of each mould

Top with chocolate mixture

3. Cover moulds with oiled aluminium foil and press firmly to seal edges.

4. Steam puddings in a steamer basket for 20 minutes over simmering water. Remove carefully from the steamer with tongs or oven mits. Set aside.

5. IMPORTANT: Let the puddings stand for 10 minutes before turning out, otherwise they may collapse! Loosen edges with a knife and turn puddings onto serving plates. Serve just as they are or with a scoop of ice cream. YUM!

However, beware – the boundaries between work and home duties can all too easily be blurred. If you want this new phase of your career to be a success, then it pays to set some rules in place. So follow my top tips and you’ll be a working from home success story in no time!

1 – Set a working schedule and stick to it. When I started working from home I created a timetable on an A3 piece of paper. I then laminated it, and filled in the activity for each hour with erasable marker pens. This schedule enables me to plan my working time around my family/home commitments. Yes, it’s a bit daggy, but that great big poster on the wall really works – it’s a constant reminder of what needs to be done, and when. I’ve found my most successful days are the ones when I have stuck absolutely to my schedule, and not gotten sidetracked. It also means that work time doesn’t bleed over into precious family time – a common trap.

2 – Create a working space. Ideally this would be a separate room that is used only as your office, but not all of us have that luxury. However, try and create a space that is solely yours, and keep it as clean and as organised as you can. A tidy desk means a tidy mind, so that when you are sitting down for the day, you are ready to start working.

3 – Eliminate distractions. It’s kinda hard to be productive when you are checking your email or Facebook updates every few minutes. I’ve found the best solution for me is to actually turn the internet off when I don’t require it for work purposes, and to turn my phone to silent. Then, every 2 hours I give myself a 10 minute break – I make a fresh cuppa, go to the toilet and check for any new messages. But once that break is over then the internet and phone are switched off once more and I am ready to again focus with a clear head.

4 – Network. It’s all too easy to fall into a safe cocoon at home, but this isn’t necessarily good for your business or career. Make a point of networking with others in your industry, and get out to industry events. You never know who you might meet or what you might learn that will help you and your work get further ahead in the future, and it’s always a good idea to keep abreast of current industry happenings.  Also keep an eye on online forums – another good way to create industry contacts.

5 – Organise Your Equipment.  Make sure that you have a good quality computer, internet connection, printer – whatever tools you need to work successfully. Consider investing in a website and business cards – you need to make it as easy as possible for people to find you and your business, and it’s always useful to have information to hand out to people you meet who are interested in what you do.

Best of luck!

What you will need is:

• Air dry clay
• Rolling pin
• Cookie cutters
• Baking paper
• Straw
• Skewers or ice-cream sticks
• Letter Punch
• Twine, ribbon
• Roll out your clay on baking paper in between a pair of ice cream sticks so you get an even thickness
• You can imprint your clay with a textured fabric like a doily or even a leaf, whatever you think of really

• Use your cookie cutters to cut out shapes
• Use letter punch to stamp a message on your tag or leave blank

• Make a hole with a straw to thread your ribbon or twine through
• You can decorate your clay tag with a toothpick or a straw and add some patterns to it
• Allow to dry may take 24 – 48 hours
• Can be painted after it has dried or left white

• Use on your gifts and spread the love

Clay tags can be used on so many things

• Gifts
• Baked goodies
• Bottles of homemade jam
• On vases of flowers
• Write a note on it and give it to someone just because
• Make personalised name tags for your dinner party
• Decorate the Christmas tree with the family names
• Hang it on a door handle

The possibilities are endless and not just limited to gift boxes.

Have fun and if you make some we’d LOVE to see.

But then I got to thinking – what would it be like if this happened on a bushwalk or a rail trail, far from home and services, rather than a few streets from our house? Since we were about to go on a two day rail trail holiday with our daughter, it became quite obvious that we would need a decent first aid kit to take along with us, lest any accidents happen whilst we were out enjoying the great outdoors.

So we put our thinking caps on, and came up with the following list of supplies you should take when heading off on a kid-friendly adventure, such as a day bush walk or a rail trail ride. The items listed below should be enough to treat most minor injuries:

-          Heavy duty crepe bandage, for sprains or bandaging up any wounds

-          Waterproof island dressing, for larger cuts or grazes

-          Bandaids – both regular and extra wide sizes

-          Antiseptic, in either liquid or gel form to treat cuts or grazes

-          Medical wipes, to clean wounds

-          Tweezers, to remove splinters

-          Small pair of scissors, to cut bandages etc

-          Pain killers – both for adults and children. Check these before any trips to make sure they are not out of date

-          Topical cream, for burns, bites, superficial wounds etc. I quite like paw paw cream, which is also good for chapped lips

-          Safety pins, to secure bandages

-          Lollies – helps little ones get over the shock of the accident, and is a good reward for putting up with the pain of the treatment (especially applying the antiseptic!)

Your basic first aid kit should be kept in a waterproof container, and be easily accessible at all times.

Anybody who has a pre-existing medical condition that requires medication should bring it along too. So, for example, if anybody in your party suffers from asthma or high blood pressure, make sure they have their Ventolin or pills with them.

Another useful thing to take along is an emergency first aid book, which will give you instructions on treating a wide range of ailments, from snake bites to concussions.

Don’t forget to let family or friends know where you are going, and how long you expect to be away, so they can raise the alarm if you don’t return when you should.  And always remember to take your mobile phone along with you – especially useful if you suspect an injury may be serious, in which case you should not hesitate to call for professional medical assistance.

Another option is to purchase a pre-assembled first aid kit rather than make your own. There are some great ones available, for every situation, from EMTS Fire and Safety eBay store. Once you have your kit ready, it’s time to start exploring the our wonderful natural environment. Happy adventuring, and stay safe!

1. PURGE

There is a reason why “purge” has been written with capitals. Getting rid of extraneous items in your life is the most important step to emotionally (and literally) lighten the load when moving.

First there is the cost. If you think that every box costs you money (both to buy and to move), you’ll learn to evaluate whether you want to pay to keep that pair of shoes that are gorgeous but always rub your heels. Then there is the time. Each item takes time to pack, and time to unpack, and time to find a home or storage for in your new abode.

And then there is the stress. The more you own, the bigger the burden – both physical and emotional. Less ‘stuff’ means less to insure, less to store, less to keep clean, less to weigh you down. Luckily there are a lot of great options for getting rid of unwanted items including:

-      eBay (of course). Consider a pick-up only option if you feel that going to the Post Office will be difficult whilst moving. Start early so that you are not dealing with pick-ups on moving day. This option is particularly good for brand-name items and baby products.

-      Freecycle. Join your local Freecycle group to give away your unwanted items. Again, start early to avoid pick-ups while you are packing.

-      Goodwill. Give your pre-loved items to charity. Note that many items such as TVs and baby products may not be accepted (check charity websites for details).

-      Skip pick-up. Hire a skip to be dropped off at your house, fill with your unwanted items and schedule a pick up.

-      Garage sale. If you start early enough, a garage sale can be a fun way to get the kids involved in the purging, and teach them a few lessons in retail sales. You will need to be organised and to set your prices low; expect heavy bargaining.

Food is another item that you won’t want to pay to move. Eat as much as you can from your pantry and fridge before moving day. Consider giving away jars with only a small amount of food remaining, and keep an esky and ice block to fill on moving day with essential items.

2. Changing your address

Redirect your mail with Australia Post at least 3 days before you move. Change your address with all organisations mailing you. Your address change checklist includes: RTA (driver’s license and registration), Electoral role, Medicare, Insurance (Car, House, Medical, Roadside assistance), Bank (visa card, bank account, PayPal), Telecoms (mobile phone, home phone), Superannuation and Financial institutions, Membership associations (Zoo, Alumni, etc), Subscriptions (magazines, newspapers), Doctor, and Dentist. Don’t forget to let your friends and family know too!

3. Moving Your Internet Connection and Utilities

Be warned that it can take 10 days for your new internet connection to be made. Think about alternative methods of internet access for the in-between period, such as the local library, internet hotspots such as cafes, or using your mobile phone 3G connection as a hotspot. Call your electricity and gas companies before you move to ensure your account is finalised and that you have utilities connected before you arrive at your new house.

4. Start packing early

The earlier you start packing, the less stress you will have on moving day. Pack yourself a suitcase with clothes and essentials for a few weeks, and then pack everything else into boxes that you can stack. Start with the items you use the least (books, blankets, trinkets, towels, sheets, seasonal clothes, etc).

You will need cardboard moving boxes (double-walled for strength) and packing paper to wrap individual items that need cushioning. Split heavy items such as books up between boxes to ensure they are not too heavy. Secure each box with packing tape and a tape gun. Use a permanent marker to note the contents – indicate the room they need to go into, and then a simple description of the contents. Keep a few boxes marked “KITCHEN – unpack first” for all the essentials that you will need on your first night. Don’t forget a utility knife to open boxes.

5. Keep Your Cool on Moving Day

If you have small children, it’s a good idea to find care, or a good friend or family member who can mind them while there are heavy items being moved and vehicles backing up. Make sure that they have their favourite toys with them, and that there are a few familiar items in the “unpack first” box, ready for their first night.

Don’t forget to eat and hydrate yourself. Pack a lunchbox of food and a water bottle for moving day so that you are not running on empty. Maybe even a treat for all the hard work.

Lastly, try to embrace your lighter, neater, more organised life. Think about the fun you will have with a new area to explore and new rooms to make your own. A change really can be as good as a holiday.

P.S. There are also some great children’s books available that address moving house that might be helpful for the little ones.

Here a few gardening jobs that are best done now, before the cold Winter weather sets in.

1. Re-pot

If you have pot plants that have out-grown their current pot, now is the best time to re-pot them. It only takes a few minutes and your plants will thank you for it! Water them in well with a liquid seaweed fertiliser afterwards, to give them a good kick-start in their new home.

2. Grow some Winter vegies

Greens such as lettuce, spinach, silverbeet and pak choy all grow best during the Autumn and Winter months. It’s not too late to sow seed of leafy greens. If you haven’t got the patience for seeds, grab yourself a few punnets of seedlings and get planting! You can even grow your leafy greens in pots if you are short on garden space. Water-in your little seedlings well with a liquid seaweed fertiliser, and do this every couple of weeks for super healthy and delicious vegies right throughout the cold months. Your seedlings should be ready for harvesting in 6-8 weeks. Winter vegies can also make a gorgeous display in a pot or a garden bed. Try planting some frilly lettuce in front of a taller crop like silverbeet or kale for a pretty display.

Now is the time to be planting garlic too. I think garlic is one of the most rewarding crops, and everyone should try to find some space for it! Very little needs to be done once you have planted the cloves. Just make sure your soil is full of lovely organic matter and that it isn’t too acidic. Give them a liquid seaweed feed now and again once they start to shoot, and you will be rewarded with a lovely tasty garlic crop in early Summer.

Other vegies than can be sown now are carrot, potato and pea.

Bloomsdale Spinach 200 seeds $3.50 and Rainbow Chard 60 seeds $3.30 from Heritage Seeds International

Lettuce ‘salad bowl mixed’ 100 seeds $1.00 and Red Pak Choy 50 seeds $1.00 from Boondie Seeds

3. Prune

Get out those secateurs and shears! Prune away any old, dead or diseased wood. Trim untidy perennials that have finished flowering. Give your hedges a tidy-up. Trim any burnt foliage that may have been damaged during the heat of Summer. Different plants require different amounts of pruning, but as a general rule, never cut off more than one third of a plant. Always use sharp tools to avoid messy cuts that will take longer to heal. Also dip your blades into a disinfectant or bleach solution and wipe with a rag before moving onto the next plant. This will help prevent disease spreading from plant to plant.

You can use your prunings to create wonderful mulch with the help of a mulcher. I have just spent my Sunday morning feeding prunings into a mulcher, and I’ll be composting the shredded material with some cow manure for a gorgeous, rich compost I can spread around my vegies.

4. Rejuvinate the lawn

Aerate the lawn either by jabbing it all over with a fork, or walking over it with aerating shoes. Loosen the soil in areas that have become bald or compacted and sprinkle lawn seed over. Feed your lawn with a slow-release lawn food.

Or, why not try turning your lawn (or a small part of your lawn) into a wildflower mini-meadow? Now is the time to sow wildflower seeds. Try scattering a mix of Poppy, Cornflower, Alyssum, Queen Anne’s Lace and Nigella seeds to transform your lawn into a beautiful, romantic wildflower mini-meadow for Summer. The kids will think it’s great you’ll have a plentiful supply of beautiful cut flowers all Summer long.

Aerating shoes $14.95 from Country Living Homewares

Poppy ‘Flanders Red’ 1000 seeds $1.00 from Boondie Seeds,  Cornflower mix 50 seeds $1.10 from Petnmore, Queen Anne’s Lace 200 seeds $3.20 from Australian Seed

You’ve started a blog, got on Facebook and have joined the Twitterverse. You are in the long haul and now you have to stay on top of it all.

Now along with your trusty computer, paper and pens for brainstorming and your smart phone that never leaves your side, here are 5 tips and tools to keep you on that path to world domination, or whatever your goal may be.

1. Google – not just a search engine

While also helping you at the local trivia night and remembering the theme song of you favourite childhood TV show, Google has a range of apps that it will let you use for free.

Grab yourself an email account, set up a calendar with reminders and keep notes and spreadsheets on the run with Google documents. And if you have a website, then make sure you login to Analytics to track your visitors and content.

2. Sharing is caring

If you have colleagues or collaborators, perhaps all over the world, then you might need to share files. Never fear thereís an app for that. Try Dropbox and CloudApp for collaborating or You Send It or Filez for sharing large files or for collaborating on files. More visual – try bookmarking sites like Pinterest or Dropmark.

3. Don’t be ticked off by your to do’s

A list is the perfect way to stay on track – whether it is your daily list or a someday list, visual reminders are integral when they is a lot going on in your head.
You can take the old-fashioned route of a notebook, or perhaps the chaos of scraps of paper, or jump into the digital age with apps like To Do Tomorrow and the Minimalist To Do or web and app application Teux Deux which also has a handy SomeDay list included.

4. Stay in touch
You can use social media – like Facebook and Twitter – to keep in touch with your customers. But the real value is in an email list. Give customers more detailed information and exclusive deals straight to their inbox. Mail Chimp or Aweber have simple, inexpensive (in some cases free), easy-to-use newsletter and marketing tools. But be sure to follow the spam regulations.

5. Bonus bookmarks – some handy dandy tips.

• Evernote – the grand-daddy of organisational tools. Take notes, grab web clips, store photos, sort by folders, Evernote can do it all.
• Urli.st allows you to share and create lists of website
• Every Time Zone - gives you a quick and visual references of timezones around the world.
• Time and Date – quickly find the time in another part of the world and use their reference tools to set up meetings across time zones.
• Skype - for web chatting and conference around the world straight from your computer.

Got a favourite tool or app you use that we’ve missed. Feel free to share it in the comments.

However, despite the innovation, the basic workings of the camera remain the same. And this post is a quick primer which will hopefully demystify some of those elements and hopefully help you improve your photo-taking.

Aperture

If the eyes are the window to the soul, then the aperture, or f-stop, is the window to your image. It is essentially the opening that lets the light in to create your photo. Basically, the lower the number, the bigger the opening. The aperture will also control the amount of details in your photo. For example:

• 1.8 f-stop: is at the lower or wider end of the f-stop scale and lets lots of light in but will mean a shallow depth of field, blurring your background. Great for portraits and still life.
• 16 f-stop: means a narrow opening, it will need lots of light to expose the image correctly but it will mean a lots of sharper detail. Great for landscapes.

The actual numbers available to your camera will depend on the lens.

Shutter speed

Think speed equals movement. And not only the movement you want to capture but also your own movement. With shutter speed, the smaller the number the slower the speed the shutter will fire at, essentially the click you here when the camera takes the photo.

Fast shutter speeds grab detail and freeze frame your action while slower speeds soften the detail of your action – think those smooth flowing waterfalls.

But beware, slower shutter speeds – a good rule of thumb is anything below 1/60 – is susceptible to camera shake from your own slight movements.

ISO

There is another way you can control the light for your image. And it’s much easier than in ye olde days of film. The ISO, which is short for the ether boring term International Organisation of Standardisation, measures sensitivity to light. In the film days it was known as the films speed and referred to the was the amount of emulsion on the film that the light had to penetrate to form the image. So you bought and used your film, based on your shooting conditions. Now you can just flick the ISO dial as it suits. One common problem is the higher the ISO, the more “grain” or noise that enters your photo, which is something to watch out for. As a general guide:

• 100 is for those lovely, sunny days or instances where you have lots of light
• 400 is for those less than favourable conditions, when you need more light, and when there is a bit of action
• 800 and up can start to push the envelope for noise but is a good pinch for more light. It is also great for capturing action.

Ready made on your point and shoot

Point and shoot cameras may not all have these bells and whistles but they have an array of presets to replicate these effects.

• Sports mode – great for action, this mode usually works to increase the shutter speed and focus to snap all the action.
• Landscape mode – will narrow the aperture and widen the depth of field to increase your detail. Great for any wide-angle shots.
• Portrait mode – will open up the aperture and allow a more narrow focus, softening the background and putting one subject in focus. It’s called portrait mode but that doesn’t mean you can’t think outside the square and use it for anything you want to capture.
• Macro mode – You know what they say, it’s not the size, it’s how you use it. Small point and shoot cameras and their lenses have a size advantage when it comes to macro. Use it and and get up close and personal for some amazing shots.

Here’s my favourite recipe:

Hot Cross Buns

Makes 12

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon dry yeast

• 1 1/2 cups warm milk

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 4 1/4 cup plain flour

• 2 teaspoons mixed spice

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 cup dried fruit

• 1 egg

• 50 grams melted butter

Method

• Mix warm milk with yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar.

• Let sit for 5 minutes somewhere warm until frothy, indicating that the yeast is active.

• In a large bowl add the sugar, flour, mixed spice, cinnamon and dried fruit, mix until combined.

• Make a well in the center and add the melted butter, egg and yeast mixture.

• Use a butter knife to mix then tip out onto a lightly floured bench and knead for 8 minutes till smooth and elastic. (add more flour or water if the dough is too sticky or dry)

• Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 45 min or until doubled in size. Take dough out and knead lightly then cut it into 12 segments of equal size.

• Roll them into balls and arrange on a greased baking tray

• Allow to rise in a warm place for another 40 mins.

During this time preheat the oven to about 200 degrees and make up a mixture for the crosses

Crosses: mix flour and water till it is a wet paste and pipe over the buns

Glaze mixture: 1/4 cup hot water 3 tablespoons of caster sugar

• Bake for 10 mins then turn down oven to 180 degrees and cook for another 20-25 min or until springy to touch

• Brush glaze over them as soon as they are out of the oven and allow to cool

Now enjoy the beautiful smells and definitely enjoy the taste of these yummy hot cross buns.

What about you – do you like hot cross buns all year round or do you wait till April to have them?

To top them off, I have created some free printable Easter gift tags that you can use if you wish to give these cookies as an Easter gift. Just pop the cookies into a cellophane bag, tie with pretty ribbon and attach your tag – too easy!

* Download your FREE printable Easter gift tags here

Chocolate Freckle Cookies

makes about 18 large cookies

250g plain flour
125g butter

125g caster sugar
2 tbsp cocoa

1 egg

1 ½ tbsp milk (add 1 extra tbsp milk and omit egg if making egg-free version)
150g dark or milk chocolate, melted
hundreds & thousands

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C. In a medium mixing bowl, rub butter into flour until it resembles fine bread crumbs.

2. Mix in sugar and cocoa. Mix in egg and milk (or just milk if making egg-free version)
3. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll out to 3-4mm thick and cut into desired shapes. I’ve used a cute sitting bunny shape.

4. Place onto a tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15-20mins or until firm to touch.

5. Place on a wire rack to cool. When completely cool, spread with melted chocolate and sprinkle with hundreds & thousands (see tip below).

TIP: When it comes to decorating your cookies, I find it easiest to work with one cookie at a time. Spread the melted chocolate on, then place into a shallow, flat-bottomed container (I use a plastic food storage container). Have your hundreds & thousands in a jar and sprinkle them over the cookie straight from the jar. After you have decorated a few cookies you can tip the excess hundreds & thousands from the container back into the jar and keep sprinkling!

Cute Easter cookie cutters at Riches n Realms.

These cuddly toys are super easy to put together, plus a great way to teach children basic sewing skills (such as threading a needle, hand stitching and using a sewing machine under supervision). But best of all they are crazy good fun to make! Every since my girl and I made some, she’s been begging to make them again. And again. And again!

So what are you waiting for? Let’s hop to it! (sorry, couldn’t resist!)

Materials required:

Calico
Textas or marker pens in lots of bright colours (we used Crayola Pip-Squeaks)
Cream coloured thread, to match the calico
Polyfil/toy stuffing
Sewing needle

Step 1
Draw your bunny! Sit the kids down, and get them to draw a bunny rabbit onto the calico using the textas. If they decide to draw more than one bunny, make sure there is enough space left around each rabbit to cut them out.

Step 2
Cut out your bunny picture, leaving a couple of centimetres spare for the seam allowance. Cut out another piece of calico the same shape – this will form the backing piece.

Note: if you want to further decorate your bunny i.e. like adding buttons or trims, now is the time to do so.

Step 3
With right sides together, sew around the edge of the bunny and the backing fabric, leaving a gap at the bottom. Once you have finished sewing, trim the seam allowance off, close to the stitching. This makes the shape of your bunny much smoother, and less likely to have big wrinkles.

Step 4
Turn your bunny the right side out, fill him with stuffing, then hand sew the hole shut. Voila – one snazzy bunny to cheer your Easter holidays! And don’t forget – the sky is the limit when it comes to decorating your bunny. You could add extra pizzazz with buttons, googly eyes, ribbons, sparkly fabric paint – the options are endless. There are some terrific crafty supplies available from the following eBay stores: Playdex Toys, Active Brains Busy Hands and The Kazbar.

1. Bake and make Easter bunny and Easter chick cupcakes

You will need:

• your favourite cupcake recipe
• cupcake wrappers
• cupcake tray
• assorted lollies such as cachous, milk bottles, gum drops, snakes
• sugar sprinkles
• toothpicks
• mini Easter chicks

Take your favourite cupcake recipe, and get the kids to help make the batter – they can measure out the ingredients, crack eggs, mix and stir together. Kids also love to line the cupcake tray with cupcake wrappers, and pour the batter into each hole.

Wait until the cupcakes have cooled, and then get stuck into the fun part – decorating! We used our favourite marshmallow frosting recipe and created Easter bunny faces with milk bottle lollies, silver cachous, red gum drops and toothpicks. For added fun, you could secure a cotton wool ball or small white pom pom on the back.

The Easter chick cupcakes were even simpler – top the frosted cupcakes with sprinkles and perch a mini Easter chick on top. Cute!

Provide your own selection of lollies and let kids design their own. Even the little ones will have fun!

Easter bunny cupcake by my 4-year-old daughter

Design-your-own cupcake by my 4-year-old daughter

Design-your-own cupcake by my 2-year-old daughter (just before it was thrown on the ground)

2. Dying and decorating Easter eggs

You will need:

• raw eggs
• food colouring, or for naturally-dyed eggs, onion skins, rasberries, blueberries, spinach, and/or ground turmeric.

Even if you don’t have food colouring in the house, you can still create lovely naturally-dyed Easter eggs. Make a pin hole in the top and bottom of a raw egg, and carefully blow the contents out into a bowl to discard. Older kids might have a lot of fun doing this. Then let the kids go to town decorating their eggs. They could paint them, draw on them with markers and glue on sequins, dye them with food colouring, or naturally. We used raspberries for red, blueberries for blue, spinach for green (not so successfully), and ground turmeric for yellow. Simply submerge your natural die source in boiled water, and add the eggs. You will need to spin them around frequently to ensure even coverage.

3. Make Bunny Tails (aka chocolate balls)

You will need:

• muesli
• sugar
• desiccated coconut
• cocoa powder
• butter
• vanilla extract
• milk
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• mini cupcake wrappers

My 2 and 4-year-old girls made these cute bunny tail chocolate balls with only a little help. The recipe is adapted from the chocolate ball recipe by Sarah Hingle in the excellent Frankie Afternoon Tea book.

Mix 3 cups of muesli, half a cup of sugar and one cup of desiccated coconut in a bowl. The kids can do this!

Then melt in a saucepan 125g butter, 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, half cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pour the melted mixture into the dry mixture and let the kids have a ball getting sticky hands as they create balls. Roll the balls in extra dessicated coconut to finish your bunny tails and place on a baking sheet on a baking sheet/cookie tray. Place the tray in the fridge until the bunny tails have set. Then pop the finished bunny tails into mini cupcake wrappers for cute presentation.

4. Make sweet Easter macarons

You will need:

• macaron packaged mix
• white chocolate
• red and yellow food colouring
• baking sheet
• baking paper

Macarons are so on-trend right now, and you can wow your friends and family by making your own pretty pastel Easter macarons with the kids! The trick here is to find a good-quality macaron packaged mix, and to customise the colour and ganache to suit your tastes.

Get the kids to follow directions on the macaron package to create the egg mixture. At this point (before sifting in the almond mixture), you can alter the colour of your macarons using food colouring. To create soft peach-coloured macarons I added two drops of yellow food colouring and one drop of red food colouring. Carefully fold in the almond mixture as per instructions, drop tablespoons of the mixture onto several baking paper-covered trays, and bake in the oven for the specified time (this might be an adult’s job). Cool the macarons and find matching pairs of similar size.

You can use the packaged mix ganache, or create your own by mixing melted dark, milk or white chocolate with cream (100g of chocolate to 50ml of cream). You can also add food colouring to white chocolate ganache for a contrasting colour. Cool the ganache in the fridge until it is a spreadable consistency and carefully dollop on the flat side of one macaron shell. Top with the matching shell to sandwich the ganache. Then devour!

5. Make Dad’s favourite Rocky Road

You will need:

• chocolate
• turkish delight (chopped into chunks)
• marshmallows
• cashews (chopped into chunks)
• loaf tin
• baking paper

For some reason, Dads (and Grandads) always seem to love chocolate-y Rocky Road. Even the smallest members of your family can make this special treat. My 2-year-old daughter made this Rocky Road with very little help.

First the part for the nearest adult: line a loaf tin and melt good quality chocolate (in the microwave on low power, stirring frequently, or in a heatproof bowl on top of simmering water). Then pour half the melted chocolate into the lined tin, and let the kids sprinkle on chunks of turkish delight, cashews, marshmallows. Top with the remaining melted chocolate and cool in the fridge to set. Remove from fridge, remove baking paper and cut the Rocky Road into small squares or rectangles to wrap and gift,  or serve straight away.

PLUS! Easter Egg hunt with Easter Bunny garden clues

No Easter weekend is complete without an Easter Egg hunt! Make the hunt easier for little ones with signs (clues) from the Easter Bunny. Use any Easter icon (bunny, egg) and attach to skewers to mark the general area of hidden Easter Eggs. Arm the kids with Easter baskets (or lightweight sieves) and let the hunt begin. Happy Easter!

We don’t have that much storage space and we need to be picky with what we keep. And if I bring home a new appliance, something needs to be culled in it’s place. So every six months or so, we do a big clean up and I thought I’d share with you what we do:

• First, we grab our supplies – cleaning supplies, and a few garbage bags and boxes.
• Next, working through one cupboard or drawer at a time, we pull everything out and give the cupboard or drawer a good wipe over.
• Going through the items we’ve pulled out, we (and it’s a joint decision because the husband does most of the cooking in Chez Gray) decide what we use regularly and what we haven’t used in awhile.
• The things we want to keep will be replaced in the cupboards and drawers, keeping “like with like” – for example, the coffee cups will be kept in the cupboard right above where we keep the kettle and coffee making supplies.
• When we have replaced all the items we want to keep, we go through the pile of things that we don’t need and decide whether they are still in good condition and can be sold, given to charity or if they need to be thrown out.

I find it hard to get rid of appliances – so much so that I had the hubby put up a shelf at the side of the fridge. But some of those haven’t been used in a while, so with some encouragement from the hubs, they’ve been offered to friends and the things left over will be sent to the local charity.

Once you’ve got your kitchen in order, here are 5 items that will help keep things tidy (until the next clean up!):

1. Grocery Bag Holder

Keep all your plastic bags in one place with this adorable plastic bag holder, in a range of colours and fabrics from Natcessories. With fabrics this cute, you won’t mind having your bags on display (and within easy reach) in your kitchen.

2. Baskets

Using baskets in the kitchen cupboards and drawers is a great way to keep things together. I use them in my cutlery and utensils drawers and in the baking cupboard to help keep everything organised.

3. Canisters

If you like to have those everyday items out on the kitchen bench, then this canister set certainly does the job – both stylish and practical!

4. Jars

Control the chaos – store all your kitchen ingredients in glass jars. Save by buying in bulk.

5. Tiered Shelves

These tiered shelf racks create extra (and much needed!) space within your cupboards.

How often do you do a culling in your kitchen?

That’s where the slow cooker comes in.

Whether you are at work, after afternoon practice, or just want to tone down the evening craziness, slow cookers are a way to have a hearty meal on the table with little fuss. And who can resist the smell of a home-cooked meal wafting through the house on a cold evening. Practically anything can be prepared in a slow cooker ~ from casseroles, thai curries, soups and roasts right through to desserts.

There are a variety of slow cookers available in all price ranges ~ from the very simple to some with special cookings programs. Now you can even get them with a built-in searing plate ~ no more having to brown your meat on the stove before transferring to the cooker.

Some of my family favourite slow cooker recipes include:

• Roast chicken ~ yep, bung the whole chook in, I rub mine with a little oil and salt and pepper, maybe sprinkle over some herbs. Alternatively you can rub it with melted butter and sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Don’t forget to include your favourite stuffing. Cook for six to eight hours on low or three to four hours on high. The slow cooker keeps the chicken juicy and tender.
• Beans for nachos ~ a cup or so of uncooked kidney beans, tinned tomatoes and some spices, add water to stop it drying out and in the evening you’ll have warming beans to make up plates of nachos.
• Beef stew ~ based on Stephanie Alexander’s recipe from The Cook’s Companion, it includes cubed beef tossed in flour and paprika and browned, tinned tomatoes, a glass of wine, onion, garlic, a stick of celery, several carrots and some potatoes. Cook on high for three to four hours or on low for five to six hours.

If you are looking for inspiration, there are a myriad of cookbooks dedicated to the subject. Humphreys has a selection here.

Have you got a favourite slow cooker recipe to share?

Doesn’t that sound great! Well, you can manage your small business entirely in The Cloud. And that means not having to shell out for expensive hardware or software licenses – and that means more money in your own pocket. You are not tied to your desk and can manage your business applications at a cafe, at lunch, during a meeting and (heaven forbid) on holidays. Not having to rely on a (sometimes erratic) hard drive also means peace of mind when it comes to keeping your data safe from disaster.

If you have a blog and use Blogger or WordPress.com, you are already working in The Cloud! You create your content online, and it is saved to the Blogger or WordPress.com servers, where you, or your other authorised users, can access it.  Flickr is another tool for saving your images online in a central depository, and all those social media conversations on Twitter and Facebook are in The Cloud too.

I run my own small business in the cloud with a few simple tools, available to anyone for free or for a fraction of the cost of the software and hardware normally required. Here’s a run through of some of the best tools and applications out there in The Cloud:

1. Documents

Spreadsheets, presentations, and more can all be created using free applications online. I use Google Documents for nearly all my document needs, saving the data to Google’s huge repository, and accessing them from any internet-connected device. Google Documents are easy to share and collaborate with other people, and are well integrated with the powerful Gmail email application. With Google Plus, Google Documents, Google Calendar, Contacts and Gmail all in one place on your dashboard, you might not need any other business application.

(As an aside, I also use the excellent open source business productivity software suite, OpenOffice.org. OOo offers great functionality, and documents can be saved as .pdf files or in formats compatible with their Microsoft counterparts, to ensure that they can be accessed and shared with others not using OOo. It’s free and a brilliant resource for small businesses. It’s not exactly in The Cloud, but it’s a great tool to use as an alternative to the big software brands.)

2. Accounting

There are also financial applications available in The Cloud that can integrate beautifully with your Google applications, such as Wave Accounting and myERP.com, a free (for two users) application that provides functionality for accounting, invoicing, customer resource management, expenses and inventory. We use Xero for our accounting needs, which has been excellent for collaborating over budgets and cash flow.

3. Data storage

Have you ever used a back-up external hard-drive only to discover that it was faulty, or that not all the data backed-up? Or maybe it was destroyed by water or crushed moving houses? The solution is in The Cloud. (Another lesson that we learned the hard way). There are several companies offering off-site data storage, so that all your files can be saved via the internet to a server elsewhere. We use SugarSync which has a yearly fee and we sync regularly to back-up all our data. (note: you may want to have multiple back-up sources, to reduce the risk of losing your data due to insolvency – a different kind of natural disaster).

4. Photos and Images

Maybe you need to manipulate images or photos, but don’t have the funds for a Photoshop license. There are also great online photo-editing applications, that provide all the functionality that a basic Photoshop user requires. Google Plus offers photo editing online, after absorbing the functionality of popular photo-editing site Picnik, with images saved to your Picasa account (in The Cloud). Search online for more photo-editing applications, and save to your online image repository.

Of course, you could continue to use your desktop or laptop, running software and backing up using hardware (particularly if you have already paid to use these products), but if you are looking for more flexibility and to streamline your work, The Cloud is ready and waiting for you.

P.S. I offer a digital coaching service for small businesses at Bondville Media in Sydney, Australia.

So I put together a homework box that contains everything they need to get their homework done and each year before school starts back, I refill it with fresh supplies. In it, we usually keep (some items missing from the photo because they were being used):

• Textas
• Coloured pencils
• Lead pencils
• Pens
• Erasers
• Liquid Paper
• Sharpener
• Calculator
• Ruler
• Note paper

Homework is done on the dining room table each afternoon so the homework box is kept on the shelf of the buffet in the dining room, and pulled down onto the table as needed. It’s reduced the time taken to search for a lead pencil and has reduced the excuses of not remembering to bring pencil cases home.

Works for us! Do you have something similar in place in your home? Can you think of anything that should be included in the homework box?

Easy enough to say, but what if you are recovering from a caesarean, have a baby who refuses to sleep and another small one running around? I don’t know about you, but preparing nutritious fresh meals might just start to slip down my priority list when all I want to do is close my eyes for two minutes to catch up on some sleep.

That’s where friends and family can help, by providing meals for those first few hard weeks. Sure, cute new baby clothes make nice gifts, but there truly is nothing better than a friend arriving with a casserole or bake that can be put in the freezer and pulled out on those days when cooking just seems a task too much.

From my own experience, both from having my daughter and checking in when cooking for expecting friends, anything that can be frozen is a winner. So pasta bakes, casseroles, pasta sauces, lasagnes, soups, pies and stews are all fantastic options. They can be pulled out at a moment’s notice, and heated through in the oven or defrosted in the microwave, which is a godsend when it’s all gone catawampus, and that visit to the supermarket just didn’t happen!

Another good tip is to provide the meals in disposable plastic containers or foil trays. That way there’s no need for the poor overwhelmed mum to worry about returning baking trays or crockery. The key is to make this as hassle free as possible!

When cooking for a new mum, keep in mind that they need plenty of protein, calcium, iron, folate and vitamins, as these stores are depleted by pregnancy. The roasted vegetable lasagne recipe, detailed below, checks all of these boxes and according to my sister (proud mum of a new baby boy!) was a life saver in her first week home from hospital.

I’ve also found that a batch of little cakes, muffins or biscuits is usually well received. Not only do they give the mum a much needed energy boost, but it’s also handy for them to have something to offer when visitors pop around.

So next time you know somebody is expecting, don’t ask if they’d like that cute Peter Rabbit onesie – just find out what their favourite dish is, and offer to give them that instead!

Note: www.taste.com.au is a fantastic resource for recipes, particularly their Freezer Friendly collection.

Roasted Vegetable and Ham Lasagne

For the vegetables

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large zucchini, cut into chunks
1 red capsicum, cut into chunks
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the tomato sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 brown onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
800g tin of crushed tomatoes
400g tin brown lentils, drained and rinsed well

Also:

200g thinly sliced ham
3 sheets fresh lasagne
300g fresh ricotta
1 egg
200g mozzarella cheese, grated

1 – Preheat oven to 200 C. Place roasting vegetables in a large baking dish, and drizzle with olive oil, seasoning with a little salt and pepper if you like. Roast for 25 – 30 minutes until just tender.

2 – Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, then sauté the onion for a few minutes until golden. Add the garlic, cook for another minute, then add the crushed tomatoes, and a little water if the mixture seems too thick. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, and set aside.

3 – Turn the oven down to 180 C, and begin layering the lasagne. Oil the base of a lasagne/baking dish/foil tray with a little olive oil, then place in the dish one sheet of lasagne sheets (enough to cover the entire base). Spread out evenly half the roasted vegetables, then top with half the tomato sauce.

4 – Repeat, then top with the ham and then with the last lasagne sheet. Crack the egg into a bowl, and whisk. Add the fresh ricotta to the egg, and mix together. If it seems dry, add a little milk. Spread this over the top of the lasagne sheet, then cover the top with the grated mozzarella.

5 – Bake in the oven for 25 – 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown. Let cool, then give to a grateful friend.

Lemons have a natural acidity, which makes them great for cleaning, and the oil in their skin creates a wonderful fresh fragrance.

Here are a few recipes and tips for using lemons as a natural household cleaner.

1. Microwave Grease Buster

Mix one cup of water with the juice of a large lemon (about 3 tablespoons) in a heatproof bowl. Place in the microwave and cook on high for 8-10 minutes. The solution will boil, and the steam will loosen greasy, grimey bits from the inside of your microwave! Remove the bowl of hot solution with care, then take a damp cloth or sponge and wipe out the microwave.

2. Window Cleaner

Mix the juice of two lemons (4-5 tablespoons), 1 cup water and 1 cup white vinegar in a plastic spray bottle. Spray the solution on your windows, scrub with a cloth and then give a polish for streak-free, shiny glass.

3. Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Mix 2/3 cup borax with 1/3 cup lemon juice to make a paste. Use a damp cloth to apply the paste to the toilet bowl. Leave for a couple of hours, then give a good scrub with the toilet brush. Flush to rinse.

4. Kitchen Sink Cleaner

Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle the cut side with bi-carb soda. Use the lemon to scrub your kitchen sink. The bi-carb and lemon combo will cut through grease and grime, leaving a lovely fresh scent. You can also try this on pots and pans.

5. Wooden Cutting Board Cleaner

Cut a lemon in half and sprinkle the cut side with salt. Use the salted lemon to scrub your wooden chopping boards. The salt acts as an abrasive and the lemon acts as a disinfectant and deodoriser. Rinse and leave to air-dry.

Groovy Joseph Joseph Nest Measuring Cups $24.95 from Bondi Top Sellers

Cute heart-shaped measuring spoons $7.99 from CNC and Cupcake World

Ceramic toilet brush set $24.95 each from Pretty n Practical

Microfibre cloths 4 pack – great for polishing windows $12.95 from Humphreys

Being vegetarians we love our lentils and this recipe is perfect and it can be made hours ahead of time or even the night before.

Lentil And Vegetable Burgers

Ingredients

• 1 cup red lentils
• Olive oil
• 3 potatoes, steamed and mashed
• 2 red onions finely sliced
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 zucchini, grated
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 cup fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs, toasted
• ½ cup wholemeal flour
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Place lentils into a large pot with water and allow to boil and cook for about 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside
2. Peel potatoes, cut into quarters and steam, coarsely mash and set aside
3. Place a large pan over a medium heat, add some olive oil, add onions and cook until soft whilst continuously stirring
4. Add brown sugar and water, stir to combine. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes , remove from pan and set aside to cool
5. Add a little bit more olive oil into your pan, over medium heat, add grated zucchini and carrot and cook for a few minutes to soften, remove from heat and allow to cool
6. Toast a few pieces of wholemeal/grain bread, chop coarsely to make your breadcrumbs or use a food processor
7. Place all ingredients into a large bowl, stir to combine and form patties
8. Roll in semolina to coat
9. Place into the fridge for an hour or so, or even over night, cook on the barbeque or in a non stick pan with some olive oil
10. Serve in pita bread, Turkish rolls or grain rolls with a salad and humus

With it’s magazine layout and clean, easy to use interface, Pinterest is an increasingly popular place for users to “pin” their favourite images online, and re-pin their friends’ images too. It’s one of the fastest growing social media websites in the world, and offers great potential for small businesses to showcase their wares.

How it works
Here’s how it works: someone (you, a client, a visitor) adds a page from your website to the Pinterest platform under one of their “board” categories. They choose one image from the page to represent that page/article/product. The image (let’s call it a “pin”) then sits on their virtual pinboard, for them to revisit and for visitors to their board to see. The social aspect is that the pin also goes into the “feed” of all of their Pinterest followers. If they like the pin, they may re-pin it to their own boards (for all their followers to see), or “like it”, or even comment on it. The most popular pins (with the most re-pins, likes and comments), appear on the “Popular” category of the site, which is the default Pinterest homepage (for anyone not logged in). You can generate a good amount of traffic just through the social network of your followers, but you can generate huge amounts of traffic by appearing on the Popular homepage.

Pinterest works extremely well for products. If your product is pinned, it’s one click through to your website for an interested buyer. The goal for businesses selling products is to have as many of their products pinned (and subsequently re-pinned) as possible.

Pinterest can also work well for service-based businesses. If you work in a creative industry, your Pinterest pinboards become your aesthetics portfolio. Visitors to your boards, and your followers, can get a strong idea of your taste by viewing your pins. For services with a visual element, such as photographers, party stylists, architects, graphic designers, landscape designers, florists, wedding planners etc, Pinterest is a great platform to showcase both your taste, and examples of your work. Clients may find you through an image of your work, and then connect with you via your common tastes.

So how do you use Pinterest most effectively?

1. Pin what you love

Perhaps the most important way represent your personal brand on Pinterest is to pin only what you love. If you like a pin enough to want to revisit it, but not enough for it to represent your brand, you can simply “like” it, and you can then find the pin in your Like section, but it won’t appear in your feed for your followers or on your boards. I recommend creating two profiles – one for your brand, and one personal profile for all the pins that interest you outside your business (such as dinner recipes, kids craft ideas) and to keep your business separate (as you would a Facebook business page and personal profile).

2. Pin your products
Pinterest’s Pin Etiquette suggests that you may pin your own products, but refrain from using Pinterest purely as a self-promotion tool. This is great advice for a small business, as chances are your followers will feel as though they are being marketed to if they are only presented with your products.

3. Use thoughtful descriptions
Many Pinterest users utilise the search function and categories on the site to find products that they are interested in. You can increase the chances of your pins being found, by creating useful descriptions with keywords and searchable terms.

4. Categorise your boards

Make sure that all your boards are categorised so that the pins on each board appear in Pinterest’s overall category pages.

5. Like your own products

You can find out which products/images from your website have been pinned by typing http://pinterest.com/source/yourwebsite address/ in your browser window. You can comment (thank the pinner), “like” and re-pin these pins to your own boards, further giving them the weight they need to make it onto the Popular homepage.

6. Follow users you respect
Pinterest can be a great tool for creating connections with other members of your industry, and potential collaborators and business partners (in the same way that you can use Twitter – see my Mum’s Business article about Twitter here). Follow users that you want to get to know better and when the opportunity presents itself, you can write thoughtful, measured comments, and possibly form a connection with like-minded people with similar interests.

One word of caution: like Twitter, having your pin seen in a feed depends on how many users someone follows and how much time they spend on Pinterest. If they follow hundreds of users, and only visit once every few days, they may miss your pin. As Pinterest grows, this issue will become more apparent (as users follow more boards) and the amount of traffic generated will likely slow down. To counteract this trend but still manage your time effectively, I suggest visiting Pinterest more frequently, and spending less time on it each session. If you’re like me, spending less time is going to be the hardest part!

PS: I also work with small business clients to help them understand how to use online tools effectively to market their businesses. You can find out more about my digital coaching here.

And mother nature generally provides the best backdrops and the best light. So get outside and take some snaps.

Now whether you are aiming for some spontaneous snaps or more formal photographs, here are 5 simple tips to remember.

1. Light and shade

Don’t have your subject facing the sun, they’ll squint and it could be too harsh. Instead, try from the side or use the sun as a backlight, which is also a great way to get sun flare in your shots. If there are too many shadows, use a white board, or even a wall, to reflect the light on to your subject. And don’t be put out by overcast days – you can’t beat the clouds as a simple light diffuser. On a bright, sunny day consider a large tree as your backdrop, to help even out that harsh light. Alternatively, aim for early in the morning or closer to dusk, when the light is even and warm.

2. Zooming in on your subject

If you are using a DSLR, there are two things to thing about – your lens and your aperture. Every photographer has a favourite lens for portrait work. I love my macro ~ it has beautiful bokeh and great detail. A short focus lens with a wide aperture will give you a shorter of depth of field, giving you a bokeh and a lovely blurred background. A fantastic choice for single portraits where you can be close to your subject. But similar effects can be achieved with longer lenses with a wide aperture, while also giving you the advantage of not being right in your subject’s face, which allows them to relax and you to grab some more candid shots. When you have a group shot, a popular rule of thumb is to match the number of people to your aperture. So four people equals an aperture of around 4.0.

3. Don’t be a right angle

The standard shot is from front on but think outside the square and try new angles: from above, get down on the ground, get them to look down on you, shoot from the side. Use whatever you have around you ~ a fence, a hedge, flowers, a tree. Have some fun with your surrounds and let them have fun, too. Not co-operating – not every photo involves a smile. Tell a story with your shot – like the one above, originally titled “waiting for Santa”. Or move about – jumping, running, turning upside down all make good photos.

4. Background

When you are looking through your camera, take a quick check of what you are actually seeing. Nothing distracting in the background, or foreground, nothing sticking out of anybody’s head. You don’t want a perfect picture ruined by a stray branch or hose, the wrong graffiti or a stray limb.

5. The eyes have it

Shakespeare was on the money when he said the eyes are the window to the soul. When composing your shot, focus in on the eyes. It’s human nature to want to make eye contact, making the eyes key to your portrait. Once you have this, the rest will follow. Even if the subject is looking at the camera straight-on, it is still important to train your focus on their eyes.

Remember, sometimes the best portraits follow none of these “rules”. Sometimes, the best portraits are the ones that just happen to catch a perfect moment.

My idea of camping is in a pretty hotel room with a chocolate on my pillow and room service. But that didn’t stop us from setting up camp in our back yard because sleeping under the stars is such fun for the kids.

To set up camp in your back yard, you’ll need:

• A tent – If your tent hasn’t been used in a while, it might be worth putting it up a day before your camp out to air it out for a while. You could pull out the camping beds and hammocks and blow up mattresses but we just used a whole heap of blankets and pillows inside to make it comfy for the little campers.
• A campfire – What’s a campout without a camp fire?! We used some old bricks and pavers from around the yard to build a little camp fire and set up some of our plastic garden chairs. What I didn’t think of was what we were going to do for firewood because we didn’t exactly have any lying around! Note to self – next time BUY a bag of firewood.
• Camp food – we decided to have sausages on buns, garden salad and pasta salad. The best thing about it was that there wasn’t a lot of washing up afterwards. Always a plus, right? For dessert, we made s’mores. Have you tasted s’mores before? I make them using choc wheaten biscuits. You basically sandwich a marshmallow between two choc wheaten biscuits (with the chocolate sides facing in). Wrap them individually in foil and place them near the camp fire for a minute or two. Don’t leave them too long because the biscuits will burn and the marshmallow will end up like gluggy glue!

I wasn’t expecting the kids to sleep in the tent because they’re scaredy cats like their mother *ahem* so we just hung outside for a while, roasting marshmallows on sticks, trying to keep our dog from stealing the sausages.

And then we got rained on.

It’s probably a good idea to check the weather forecast before setting up camp!

Do you go camping? Have you ever camped in your back yard?

But one thing I will not give up on having is a clean house. I want my house to sparkle and shine! However, I am not willing to compromise my green standards in order to achieve this. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need an arsenal of environmentally damaging heavy duty chemical products in order to clean your home – not when common household items will do the job. So here are some handy ways to clean your home in a chemical free way – and the fact that it’s very easy on the hip pocket is a bonus!

Bath Cleaner:

Mix 1 cup bicarb soda with 2 tablespoons of tea tree oil and enough boiling water to make a paste. Smear over dirty areas (like the bath ring), leave for 10 minutes and then scrub off, leaving your bath gleaming. It really makes the taps shine, too.

Window Cleaner:

Mix 2 cups water, 1/3 cup white vinegar and ½ teaspoon of liquid soap in a spray bottle. Mix well, and then spray on the windows, cleaning off using old newspapers.

Disinfectant:

Mix 1 ½ cups of water with 5ml each of lavender and eucalyptus oil in a spray bottle. Shake well in order to disperse the oils before using to wipe down tables, counter tops, sinks or toilets.

Clearing out blocked sinks:

I must say that this is one of my favourite household jobs to perform – I just love a bit of fizzle and pop! Pour 3 cups boiling water down the sink in question. Then pour down a cup of bicarb soda. Leave it to sit for a minute then pour down a cup of vinegar, and stand back to watch the reaction! Leave for a few more minutes then flush with 3 cups or so of boiling water. Doing this every couple of weeks will keep your drains clear and smelling fresh.

Sanitizing Your Cutting Boards:

Make the most of lemon’s antibacterial properties by rubbing a cut lemon over your wooden or plastic cutting board. Leave the juice to do its work for 10 minutes, then wash thoroughly with hot water.

Essential oils such as lavender, eucalyptus and tea tree are available from eBay store Pure Sensations. Bicarb soda, white vinegar and lemons are available from your local supermarket.

If anybody else has some green cleaning tips, we’d love to hear them! Share them in the comments section below.

What an easy and delicious way to jazz up a simple bowl of ice cream on a lazy Saturday night! For special occasions, why not try creating a ‘Sundae Bar’? Lay out the ice cream, sauces and various toppings such as chopped fresh fruit, toasted nuts, sprinkles or crushed cookies on the table and let the kids make their own delicious creations.

Chocolate Sauce (with or without liqueur)
makes 1 ½ cups

• ¾ cup thickened cream
• 200g good quality dark chocolate, broken up
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• Optional: 2 tbsp liqueur such as Tia Maria, Frangelico or Cointreau

1. Place the cream, chocolate and sugar in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Heat on medium-high for 2-3 minutes until chocolate is smooth and melted. IMPORTANT - stop to stir the mix every minute! If you don’t stir it at least every minute your chocolate may burn.
2. Once chocolate is melted, stir in the liqueur if using.
3. Serve warm over ice cream.

Keeps up to 3 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

To reheat, cook in microwave on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

Funky ice cream scoops $14.95 from Home & Kitchen 2U

Caramel Sauce
makes 2 cups

• 1 ½ cups caster sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup water
• 300ml thickened cream
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

1. Combine both sugars and water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
2. Increase heat and bring to the boil, then turn heat back down and simmer, without stirring for about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cream and vanilla extract. Return to heat and cook, stirring until smooth, about 2 minutes.
4. Serve warm over ice cream.

Keeps up to 3 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.

To reheat, cook in microwave on medium heat for 30-60 seconds.

Sweet little dessert bowls set of four $24.97 from Kitchen One

Berry Sauce
makes 2 cups

• 500g fresh or frozen berries of your choice (try plain strawberries, mixed berries or even pitted cherries)
• ½ cup caster sugar
• ¾ cup water

1. Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir until sugar has dissolved, about 3 minutes.
3. Increase heat and bring to the boil, then turn heat back down and simmer, without stirring for about 10 minutes until berries are soft. Remove from heat.
4. At this point you can either leave the sauce as is for a chunky berry experience, or you can give the berries a quick mash, or you can whiz it all up with a stick mixer for a smooth berry sauce.
5. Serve warm or cold over ice cream.

Keeps up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Cuisinart stick mixer in a range of fun colours $64.95 from Dallimore’s

Here’s what you need to transform those plain t-shirts or singlets into something beautifully unique.

• Plain t-shirt, singlet
• Iron on interfacing
• Fabric scraps, (I love that!)
• Buttons
• Embellishments
• Sewing basics
• Sewing machine

First thing you need to do is iron your fabric scraps onto some iron on interfacing. Iron on interfacing comes with a backing paper, your fabric scraps go onto the shiny side with the backing paper on the wrong side of your fabric.

Cut out your shapes, I used a heart cookie cutter, you can use anything you like, make it simple or design a fabulous masterpiece. Decide where your shapes will go, peel off the backing paper and iron your shape, with the sticky back onto your t-shirt

Now all you need to do is do a zig-zag stitch around your design in whatever colour thread you like. It can be the same as your fabric colours or something bold that will stand out.

I hand sewed on a yoyo as well, remember we made those last time

Boys t-shirts can be made the same way using car shapes, rockets, planes, trains, anything boyish.

Another idea is to hand sew buttons onto your t-shirt in a shaped design or even randomly.

It really is very simple to make and they are the perfect little friend gift when you have absolutely no idea what to buy.

Hope you try it and let us know what you think.

Make

1. Bunny finger puppets

2. Crochet eggs

3. Fabric Easter basket

4. Cute carrots

5. Easter egg wreath

Cook

6. Easter cake pops

7. Easter bunny cupcakes

8. Easter bunny cupcake wrappers

9. Hot Cross Buns

10. Marshmallow treats

Craft

11. Egg carton chicks

12. Origami Easter bunnybox

13. Easter Bunny papercraft

14. Easter bunny mask

15. Envelope bunnies

Table

16. Bunny fold napkins

17. Eggshell votive candles

18. Easter place cards

19. Paper bag bird’s nests

20. Easter egg topiary tree

{images from their respective sources}

First up, you’ll need to find a conveniently located swim school with accreditation. Convenient is important, to keep you returning each week. If you have a choice of schools, consider whether the pool is indoors or outdoors (and how you will feel about classes during winter). Also check out public transport, or whether parking is convenient (and if it costs money to park).

Ask about the swimming school’s class size (usually around four children per class) and how busy classes are. You might have to go on a waitlist for a class, or you could ask about the least popular times, to increase your chance of a smaller class size (and therefore more one-on-one time for your child).

Check on fees, contracts or month-to-month payment, whether make-up classes are available, and policies for postponing classes if you child is unwell, or has an ear infection. Ask whether the instructor is in the pool with the child (important!) or just pool-side. There may be a trial class for your child to try.

Look for well-regarded schools and Swim Australia registration; this government body registers and inspects swim schools to ensure that they meet criteria such as ASCTA accredited teachers and abiding by national ASCTA guidelines

If you have two children, ask whether it is possible for them to swim at the same time (saving you valuable time at the pool). This is especially important if one of your children is under two-and-a-half years old and requires adult supervision in the pool. Your swim school may be able to schedule your children in adjoining classes so that you can keep an eye on both.

Now that you have your school chosen and timetable worked out, it’s time to prepare your children for swimming classes. Here is some equipment that they may need:

1. A packed swimming bag with passes, towels, goggles, change of clothes.
2. Kids’ swimming goggles
3. Swimmers for girls and boys

• Loose, long-sleeved rashies and board shorts may make learning strokes more difficult for the older kids, many schools suggest a one piece for girls and fitted swimwear for boys.
• Speedos brand swimwear sizes can often run on the small side for girls – my two-year-old wears a size 4 Speedo one-piece. To get more use of your child’s bathers, you could try a tankini style where the top and bottom are separated (not a bikini which requires too much adjusting for swimming classes)
• Swim nappies are essential for children that are not yet toilet trained. You can choose to use disposable nappies, but a more economical option is to buy a swim nappy that can be washed and reused
• Make sure that you rinse the chlorine out of your child’s swimwear in the shower and wash as soon as you can, drying in the shade, to prevent the lycra breaking down and fading too quickly

In most cases, adults participate in the class with their children up until around two-and-a-half years of age. This can be a fun experience for both parent/carer and child, providing 30 minutes per week of uninterrupted one-on-one interaction and lots of cuddles. For some babies, there may be tears for a few weeks; our youngest daughter screamed for two whole weeks! We helped her adjust by spending time at the swim school pool on weekend with floating toys and playing in the shallow water. By her third class she couldn’t wait to get to the pool and is now a true water baby.

Once children are around two-and-a-half years or older, they may be able to attend a swimming lesson without a parent in the pool (usually in groups of up to four children per instructor). Parents are generally expected to be within supervising distance, and are required to assist the child into and out of the pool. As mentioned, if you have two children attending classes in different age groups, you may be able to schedule classes next to each other at the same time.

If your child has never attended classes before, talk to them about what to expect in their first lesson. They will need to know that they need to listen carefully to their instructor at all times, that they need to wait their turn and keep their head above water to hear the instructor. Classes are generally 30 minutes, so if your child is anxious to play, you could negotiate some free playtime in the pool after the class. Explain to your child why they are learning technique and how important water safety is. Ask your child if they need to use the bathroom before class starts, so they don’t waste time leaving the pool during the class. They will soon get used to the routine and may even make some friends in their class. And you might too! I still spend time with some of the “swimming Mums” that I have met at swim school while watching my child’s class.

Whether you start classes with your child at three months old, or once they are preschool age, try to be consistent and persistent with attending class (barring illness of course!), and let them know how proud you are of their achievement. Yes, pools need fences, but it’s our responsibility as parents to help our kids survive when it comes to water safety. Swimming classes are a great first step.

Water-saving devices

You could save 50% or more of your water use (and water bill), and cut down expensive electric hot water re-heating by using a water-saving shower head. We love the feel of the shower using our shower head.

Worm farm

Save money on plant fertiliser and cut down on landfill by adding kitchen waste to a worm farm. We have had so much success with our worm farm; the kids love to see and feed their pet worms and learn about the process of worms turning food into fertiliser. Our pot plants are thrilled with the high quality, rich fertiliser, and we make fewer trips out to the bin.

Microfibre cloths

Ditch the expensive paper towels and use microfibre cloths. Highly absorbent and long-lasting, simply wet a cloth with cold water and wring out until damp, then use to clean dirt, oil, and scum from surfaces (not oiled wood). Wash in hot soapy water,

Lunch bag and reusable sandwich bag

You don’t need to spend money on brown paper bags or plastic sandwich bags with a resusable (and super-cute) lunch bag and sandwich bag. There are some great designs available and many are washing machine and dishwasher-friendly.

Energy meter

Do you know which appliances in your house are sucking up the most electricity? Plug the appliance into an energy meter to find out exactly which household products use up the most energy. You’ll be saving on your electricity bills in no time.

Stapleless stapler

Cut back on your consumption of staples with a nifty stapleless stapler. The stapler punches a hole and tab to attach a small number of sheets together (usually 3-6). Everyone will want to know where you got this one from.

Water filter

You really don’t need to buy expensive bottled water. You can get a benchtop water filter (or Brita-style filter) at a really reasonable price, and fill your own stainless steel bottles. You’ll never have to worry about running out, or nasty BPA leaching into your drinking water.

There are many more ways to reduce your energy and material consumption, and save money at the same time. Please feel free to add your ideas in the comments section! I’d love to hear them.

Here is a recipe for a delicious, versatile finger food you might like to try next time you have a special occasion. These basic little risotto cakes can be topped with anything that takes your fancy, but I have included two of my favourite toppings in the recipe below. These little hors d’oeuvres look really impressive and taste just as good as they look. This recipe can be started the day before the event and finished off on the day, so you can spend less time stressing and more time socialising!

Mini Risotto Cakes

Makes about 24

Ingredients

Risotto cakes
30g butter
1 small onion, very finely chopped
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, crushed
¾ cup uncooked Arborio rice
650ml chicken stock
50g parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper

1 egg
olive oil for frying – about 2 tbsp

Topping
(make up your own or use mine as a guide)
½ cup ricotta cheese
3 tbsp finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (I use parsley, basil and garlic chives) plus extra for garnish

salt and pepper
1 smoked chicken breast, very thinly sliced
6 sundried tomato halves, finely shredded

1/3 cup roasted red pepper strips (you can roast your own but I use the jar variety)
olive tapenade (again you can make your own but I use the bought stuff)

The day before the event

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for a few minutes until transparent. Add garlic and rice and mix well.

2. Heat your stock in the microwave or make it up using stock powder and freshly boiled water. Add one third of the stock to the rice. Stir well and simmer until the liquid is almost absorbed. Stir occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the bottom. Repeat until all your stock has been added and the rice is creamy. About 20-25 mins. Turn off the heat. Add parmesan, salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
Allow to cool completely, then mix in the egg.

3. Heat olive oil in a medium non-stick frypan over medium heat. Drop soup spoons full of mixture into the hot oil and press gently to flatten into a little round cake. Do not make your cakes too fat or they may not cook through and will fall apart when you flip them over.
Fry until golden then flip and fry other side until golden.
Remove your cooked cakes from the pan and place onto some absorbent paper towel. When cool, place into a container and refrigerate.

4. Make your herbed ricotta topping by mixing your fresh chopped herbs with the ricotta. Add salt and pepper to taste, then refrigerate.

The day of the event

Remove risotto cakes and toppings from the fridge. Place small dollops of herbed ricotta onto the cakes. Top half of the cakes with slices of smoked chicken and shredded sundried tomatoes. Top the remaining cakes with roasted peppers and olive tapenade. Garnish with some chopped chives or parsley or anything you wish. Place on a pretty serving tray and you are done!

Really easy to make and you can use any fabric scraps you have at home and even recycle an old pair of their jeans.

Things you’ll need:

• Fabric scraps, old pair of jeans
• Embroidery thread
• Sewing basics, needle, scissors
• Stuffing/wadding
• Key ring
• Ribbon
• Sewing machine
• Pinking shears
• Water erasable/Air dry marker
• Fabric markers

I used denim on one side and bright fabric as the backing and wanted my heart full so I stuffed it with wool stuffing

• Draw heart shape on two pieces of fabric, get your child to write their name with an air-dry quilting marker on the denim side of the fabric
• Using your embroidery thread, embroider their name
• Place both pieces of fabric, right sides together
• Now you need a piece of ribbon so the tag can be attached to the bag
• Cut your ribbon to the size you’d like it, fold it in half then put it inside your sandwiched fabric heart pieces, folded half inside and two loose ends sticking out from the top of your heart pieces
• machine sew all around leaving a 5cm gap on one side
• turn your heart inside out from the little gap you have left
• ribbon should be attached to the top of your heart
• stuff your heart with some wool stuffing/wadding
• hand sew the gap closed
• tie to bag

Another way to make a tag is to cut out any shape you like; cookie cutters are great for that.

Circle, flower, square, rectangle, car, train, any shape you like

• Draw your shape on the fabric pieces, I used boy and girl gingerbread cutters
• Cut out your two pieces using pinking shears to prevent the fabric fraying
• Cut out a thin piece of denim fabric to use as the loop
• Sandwich wrong sides together , right sides facing out
• Sandwich loop to the top part of your piece
• Stuff a little bit of stuffing/wadding  between your two pieces to give it a bit of bulk or leave it flat
• Using embroidery thread, make small stitches all around the fabric, making sure your loop is attached as well
• Using fabric markers, get your child to write their name on one side
• Attach using key ring

Now your child will not only have the coolest bag in class but they’ll be able to spot their bag from the rest and you’ll have the other mums in the playground asking you how you made it!

Send them round to Mum’s Business for some inspiration.

If you make one we’d love to see it, please leave us a comment.

Now, you can make a pom pom the old school way (see this tutorial here) but that involves lots of fiddling around with cardboard discs, and you’ll only get one pom pom out of it. This means that you’ll have to cut out more cardboard discs in order to make more pom poms, and in my case that will pretty much guarantee a paper cut. No thanks! Or you can make life super easy for yourself and use a Clover Pom Pom maker. They are so easy to handle that even a child can do it, and you can use it to make pom pom after pom pom – hooray!

Are you ready? Let’s get pom pomming!

1 – Choose your yarn. I went for soft sorbet colours as these suit my daughter’s room.

2 – Wind your yarn around the Clover Pom Pom maker as per the instructions on the back, then carefully cut the wound yarn and secure with a length of yarn.

3 – Remove the pom-pom from the Pom Pom maker and voila! You have a finished pom pom. I usually give my pom poms a wee haircut, to even out all the threads.

4 – Once you have made your desired amount of pom poms, carefully thread a long length of white yarn through each pom pom with a darning needle, securing each one tightly, and giving an even distance between each pom pom.

5 – Hang up your pom pom garland (windows and mantelpieces look great!) then stand back and admire your handy work.

Clover Pom Pom Makers are available from eBay store Patchwork, Crafting and Quilt. There is a wide selection of yarn available from eBay stores A Chronic Yarnoholic and Yarn-4-U.

Sport helps them to make friends and learn to be part of a team, to respect their teammates and the rules of the game, to learn how to take turns and helps to foster leadership skills. The right sport can also develop their self-confidence and self-esteem, which underlines the importance of choosing a sport that allows your child a chance to shine.

Children will thrive in a relaxed sporting environment, one where there is encouragement and praise. They should be encouraged to try different sports, as is practical for you and your budget. Often children won’t decide on a single sport until the age of about 10. And focusing on a sport too early can lead to repetition injuries at a young age, which should be avoided at all costs. Look for free sessions and come and try days for sports in your area.

For young children, sport should be about moving, developing skills and having fun. But which field should all that play out on?

The first thing to look at are your child’s interests. Do they like playing with balls, catching, throwing or kicking? Do they enjoy running? Do they like doing cartwheels across the lawn? Also consider- what sports captures their interest on television? Discuss major sporting events with them to sound out what they would like to try.

Take into account their personality. More assertive children might be suited to team sports like soccer and football while quieter children will prefer more individual pursuits like tennis, swimming or gymnastics. Take into account how easily they might be frustrated by aspects of the game or relying on other team members or whether they will shy away from contact in games that involve tackling or flying balls like in hockey.

Ask whether they are physically ready for a competitive sport. Are they mature enough to follow instructions and rules?

What are their friends playing? Having someone they know in a team will help prolong their enthusiasm.

And remember that any organised sport should complement, not replace, their free play time. Most experts suggest only one or two sports per season for a developing child.

So where should they start?

• Young child: Our budding sports stars should be moving lots without focussing on the rules or keeping score. This age group should have equipment that is easy to handle and the time should be spent building basic skills ~ like kicking a ball, dribbling or simple catching and throwing.
• School age: This is a busy time and our sports stars are probably spending lunch breaks kicking a ball around the playground. This age group should be developing those skills and developing a love of sport. They should still “play the field” and try several sports. They will appreciate the structure rules give a game and are learning to fit in with their teammates.
• Teens: Competition heightens. This older group should continue honing their skills and sport will help to reinforce their belonging and keep them out of trouble.

Try this at home:

• Soccer: Kick a ball around at the local park or in the back yard, try “stealing” the ball without using your hands.
• Cricket: A bat and ball will help to develop hand-to-eye co-ordination. A small bat and a ping pong ball make for great hallway cricket.
• Basketball: Set up a hoop. Trying to land the ball through the net is great for throwing practice but also helps to develop persistence.
• Tennis: Set up a totem tennis pole in the back yard for†hand-to-eye co-ordination work or try a backyard badminton set to get everyone involved.

Some useful links:

• Football Australia
• AFL Auskick
• Swim Australia
• Tennis Australia
• Netball Australia

References:Ausport|American Academy of Pediatrics|New York University Child Study Center

I’ve planted pumpkins and marigolds together in this raised ‘No-Dig’ garden bed.

So what is a ‘No-Dig’ garden?

A ‘No-Dig’ garden is a super easy way to create an instant garden without having to pick up a spade, a fork or a mattock, and anyone can do it – from kids to the elderly – as there is no hard labour required.

A ‘No-Dig’ garden can be constructed anywhere, even straight on top of a concrete slab or paved area. The garden is created by layering different organic materials such as straw, paper, animal manure and compost. It can be constructed within an edging or container, or just piled straight onto the ground. As the layers of organic material break down, the garden effectively turns into beautiful compost, which feeds your plants and attracts earthworms. The garden needs to be topped-up each year as the materials break down, making it a great way to grow vegies as you can top-up the garden after each harvest.

My baby lettuces grow beautifully in a ‘No-Dig’ garden

How do you make a ‘No-Dig’ garden?

The construction of a ‘No-Dig’ garden is super simple. Basically it’s all about creating layers of different organic materials that will then break down over time to create compost. You can make a pile in the middle of a lawn, on top of a paved area or you can construct it in an attractive container such as:

* timber garden edging
* half wine barrels
* pre-fabricated raised garden beds
You can even use an old wheelbarrow, forty-four gallon drum (drill drainage holes in the bottom first) or stack of tyres.

No-Dig gardens can be made in attractive raised garden bed kits like these ones from Kiwicollars (left) or Aussie Raised Garden Beds (right).

To start, it’s wise to put down a thick layer of wet newspaper to prevent weeds popping up if you are making your garden on top of lawn or soil. Next, all you need to do is add layers of material such as straw, hay, shredded paper or wood chips that are several centimetres thick, adding a thin layer of animal manure and fresh grass clippings or other green waste in between each layer of ‘dry’ material. You will also need to water each layer as you go, so the whole heap stays nice and moist.

Finish off with a sprinkle of blood and bone, then a layer of compost that is about 10cm thick. This is the layer you will plant into.

Here is a basic diagram showing how you can create the layers in your ‘No-Dig’ garden:

If you’d like more information on how you can create a fabulous ‘No-Dig’ garden, try reading these books:

Esther Deans’ Gardening Book: Growing Without Digging by Esther Deans
The No-Dig Garden Specialist by Alan Bridgewater

Thankfully this Rocket Pesto Pasta checks every box! By using rocket instead of the traditional basil, you get a lovely light summery taste that pairs beautifully with the roasted pumpkin and salty feta. You will need a food processor to make the pesto, which takes all of about 3 minutes – they are such handy appliances to have in your kitchen arsenal. There is a great range available from Nation Wide Appliances.

Ingredients

For the Pesto:
150g rocket leaves, washed
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
½ cup roughly chopped parmesan cheese
juice of half a lemon
1/3 cup olive oil

500g Jap pumpkin, cut into small cubes
100g feta cheese, crumbled
300g fettuccine

1 – Preheat oven to 200C. Place the pumpkin in a roasting dish, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 20 minutes or until golden and tender.

2 – Meanwhile, place the rocket, garlic and parmesan cheese in the food processor and whizz until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add the lemon juice and olive oil in a nice steady stream and process until combined.

3 – Cook pasta according to the packet instructions in a large pot of boiling water, then drain. Place the pasta back into the pot, and mix in the roasted pumpkin and the pesto until combined. Serve, sprinkling a generous amount of feta over each plate.

Serves 4.

Here are a few tools to get you started:

• Self cover buttons
• Tool & template for self cover buttons
• Fabric scraps
• Yo yo maker
• Hair elastics
• Bobby pins
• Buttons
• Head bands
• Hot glue gun
• Fabric embellishments, little flowers, feathers, circles

To make self cover fabric buttons just follow the instructions, cut out a circle of fabric using the template for your button size, insert fabric circle and self cover button piece into tool and there you have your own fabric covered button.

Finish off by threading  your hair elastic* to the back.

Button template

Self cover buttons

Fabric covered button hair elastics

*Tip with hair elastics, sometimes they aren’t all as strong, so do a test by pulling it a bit before you put it on to your button, if it breaks toss it away and try another one.  If you do get a breakage after you have added it to your button, pull it out and thread a new one on

Yo yo’s can be made as well by using a yo yo maker and following the packet instructions

Sew a button to the front and hair elastic to the back.  Yo yos can be overlapped with different sized ones, fabric circles or fabric cut out into a flower with the yo yo as  the centre bit.

Yo yos can also be added to hair pins and headbands.

Bobby pins are made the same way using a hot glue gun to attach your fabric self cover buttons, yoyos or even coloured buttons to the glue pad.

Bobby pins

Variety of buttons

Completed fabric button bobby pins

Head bands are another fun thing to make using your fabric or button embellishments, my 6 year old loves feathers on hers. Use a hot glue gun to add embellishments on. Always be cautious around little ones as glue is very hot!

As always what you use is entirely up to your imagination.

Once you get started you definitely will not want to stop.  They are perfect for grown up girls as well and for birthday gifts for their friends. For birthday parties, why not replace some of the lollies in the party bags with a few hair ties for the girls. They will have something to really smile about.

Have fun and feel free to post a link to any you make.

I already had craft paint at home, so I bought a decorative timber piece, a wooden butterfly, balsa pieces, and some tiny screw eyes.

I spaced out 12 hooks to represent each of the months….

Using a thin permanent marker, I wrote the name of each person and the date, and added a screw eye on each end, opening up the top one so I could use it as a hook…

I painted the timber using black craft paint and added the painted butterfly to make it look pretty…

Once that was dry, I thought about what to use to show that it was a birthday calendar and I happened to notice the game of Scrabble left on the dining table.

Note to self – buy a new Scrabble game.

With the scrabble pieces stuck hard, and the little balsa pieces hung under the right “months”, all I needed to do was add something above each hook for the months.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find any stickers to do that, so please imagine that each hook has an initial above it to represent the months of the year.

Now I just need to finish adding our friends and family to it, add a hook or two to the back, and find the perfect place to hang it up so I will never forget a birthday again!

How do you keep track of birthdays?

1. Choose a Hero quilt or doona

A gorgeous doona cover or quilt can act as a focal point for the bedroom, and a starting point for the room’s colour palette. They are also easy for kids to tidy; pulling up a quilt will hid a multitude of mess sins underneath! Choose something that will work over several years (e.g. a cute duck print might be great for a one year old boy, but might not cut the mustard when he’s four and into pirates). Here, the pink, red, light blue and white colour palette of the quilt is used throughout the room with cushions, toys, storage buckets and wall art.

2. Ditch the posters and frame real art

Using the colours from your child’s room’s colour palette, choose some fun wall art that appeals to your child, and have it matted and framed to hang around the room. You could also frame a birth announcement, or have a print custom-made with your child’s birth details. Frames of the same colour are less distracting. Consider grouping smaller pieces of art together, especially a group of three. You don’t need to spend a fortune on frames. You can buy any size or colour and paint them all to match. If you don’t want to put holes in the wall for picture hooks, you can use self-adhesive picture hangers, such as 3M Command.

3. Create a photo wall of memories

Image: Paislee Press

A great, graphic look that kids will love is a wall of photos, either fixed to the wall in a symmetrical pattern, evenly spaced, or to create a shape (such as a heart). Print out favourite photos of family and friends (consider using a white border, which can look very chic with this formation), and fix to the wall using a paint or wallpaper friendly adhesive, such as double-sided tape, or a removable, decorative tape such as Japanese washi tape. A wall of black and white-only images would look stunning. Or choose similar tonal colours as Paislee Press has done in the image above.

4. Make the most of the wall decal trend

Wall stickers/decals have been enormously popular in the last five years and the trend shows no sign of slowing. Many wall decals are removable (and in fact, many fabric wall decals can be moved multiple times, and washed). There are some amazing designs available including full wall world map decals, quote decals, and blackboard decals.

5. Hang something fun from the ceiling

What can you hang from the ceiling to add inspiration? Babies love mobiles – an easy solution. For slightly older children, think about hanging something light-weight that they love from clear fishing line and 3M Command hooks. Maybe it’s tissue paper pom flowers, toy airplanes and clouds, stars, or paper lanterns.

6. Get organised with cube shelving

Image: IKEA

I think everyone I know owns the IKEA Expedit shelving unit, in various formations. And for good reason. The classic square shape is great for keeping books, toys and collectibles contained. There are stylish square storage baskets available that work well in the cubes, and if you find you are running out of space, you can buy another unit to extend it, with a seamless look. Try to keep books of the same size together, and if you can, pop a toy or two around the books to allow them to breathe. If you have the time (or inclination), you could keep same-coloured spines together, which can look fantastic. (Can you imagine a rainbow of book spines!?)

7. Keep those toys contained with simple storage

Plastic storage tubs in the same colour (tying into your colour palette) are a great choice for storing toys in the bedroom. Use multiple tubs in the same colour to create repetition – it’s easy on the eye, and looks stylish.

8. Create a personal vignette

Your child more than likely has a million collectible figurines, dolls, cars, and cute things covering every surface. A chic solution is to choose a few favourite pieces and pack away all the other items, to create a personal vignette. Create depth by overlapping items. Use the rule of thirds to create an interesting grouping – place items off-centre (at the 1/3 point), and leave some empty space in each vignette for the pieces to breath. Get your child involved too – every few months you can go through the collectibles box and swap around some of the items.

9. Encourage reading with a library wall

Image: Domestic Simplicity

Take a leaf from your local library and use shallow racks in your child’s room to hold forward-facing books on display. When a child can see a book’s cover, they are more likely to pick it up. This is another great way to bring a visual element to a child’s room. You can swap around the books, or leave out a few favourites. Have fun colour-coordinating the books to the room, or arranging by colour. You could even use spice racks, as Domestic Simplicity has done in the image above.

10. Cosy up with ambient lighting

Kids deserve good lighting too, and a well-placed table lamp can create a great cosy atmosphere, particularly on cold, rainy days, or when the boogey man needs to be shooed away. There are some fantastic lights available for kids, including animal shapes, in plastic or ceramic. (Be aware that  ceramic lamps at child-height, and their cords, could be a potential hazard for small children). An effective approach is a simple table lamp base with a fun fabric-covered lamp shade. You could also use fun wrapping paper to cover a lamp shade (on the outside of the shade, so the paper is not in close contact to the bulb). A world map would look fantastic wrapped around a cylindrical lamp shade, and you could use this technique for a pendant lamp shade also.

Have fun creating a personal space with your kids. If you keep to a colour palette of four colours or less, you can’t go wrong.

1. Compost

Composting has gained a bit of a bad rap because if it’s not done correctly it can get pretty stinky! But when done properly, composting is a fabulous way to recycle organic waste. There are many ways to compost, but perhaps the most accessible way is to use a compost bin.

The secret to a non-smelly compost lies in two main things – the ratio of carbon to nitrogen content (brown stuff to green stuff) and aeration.

The carbon/nitrogen ratio is all about balancing the fresh green waste (fruit and vege scraps, grass clippings, weeds, prunings) with some dry, dead stuff (straw, sawdust, shredded paper, dead leaves). The ratio should be roughly 25:1 – with 25 parts brown stuff (carbon) to 1 part green stuff (nitrogen). Don’t worry about getting technical, as long as you add several handfuls of brown stuff to each handful of green stuff it should be OK! You can keep a bale of straw, a container of dead leaves or sawdust (from untreated wood) next to the compost bin to make it easy to add the carbon content each time you toss your kitchen scraps in.

Aeration is also essential for a non-smelly compost. You can buy special tools for aeration or you can drill some holes into a length of poly pipe and insert it into the centre of your compost. Make sure the pipe goes as far down into the compost as possible and leave enough sticking out above the top that it doesn’t get covered up.

The time it takes for your scraps to turn into lovely compost will vary greatly depending on the content and size of your compost bin. You can buy compost bins that have a handy flap at the bottom – like this one -  to make it easy to access the compost as it becomes ready.

A relatively new product for composting is the Bokashi Bin, a small container that uses microbes to break down organic waste. The container is small enough to fit under a kitchen sink, has no smell, and only needs to be emptied every few weeks. You still need to bury the semi-composted contents in the ground but it could perhaps be a little more convenient for some than running out to a compost bin each night.

Bokashi Bin

A few things you SHOULDN’T put into your compost:

• weeds that have gone to seed
• meat scraps, dairy, oils
• dog, cat and pig excrement (cow, horse, sheep and poultry manure is fine though).

2. Worm Farm

Worm farms are even easier than compost bins to manage. All you need to do is place your organic waste on top of the soil in the worm farm, cover it with some damp hessian and let the worms do the rest! The worms will create fabulous worm poo that works absolute wonders in the garden. Most commercial worm farms also have a little tap at the base so you can make good use of the liquid that drains to the bottom. This liquid can be diluted to the colour of weak tea, poured into a watering can and used as a foliar feed for all plants.

My vegies in particular LOVE this stuff! Worms are incredibly efficient at turning a wide variety of waste into fertilizer. Worms will eat most fruit and vegetable scraps, weeds, crushed eggshells, hair and nail clippings, tea bags, paper and cardboard (make sure it is not colour-printed and moisten it first). See below for a list of things NOT to feed your worms.

A few things you SHOULDN’T put into your worm farm:

• meats scraps, dairy, oils
• citrus fruits, onion and garlic
• pineapple (contains an enzyme that is not friendly to worms)
• cooked or pickled foods

3. Chickens

Not everybody has room to keep chickens but an average backyard is sufficient space for a few chooks. Chickens will eat lots of different kitchen scraps, including meat scraps, and will turn them into fantastic fertilizer in the form of lovely rich manure. As a bonus they also lay yummy eggs! Make sure you don’t feed your chickens food that is going bad or is mouldy – they can suffer illness just as we can from eating rotten food. Chickens don’t require a lot of maintenance and are very rewarding animals to keep. Keeping chickens is also a great way for kids to learn how to take responsibility for a pet, and kids love collecting the eggs. Some breeds are more kid-friendly than others; Silkies for example make fabulous, placid children’s pets. If you are thinking about getting chickens, have a look at a flat-packed chicken coop. They come in many different sizes and designs.

I have two bantams and a regular-sized chook and they are happy to sleep in a coop like the one pictured above from Pet Station, but they have a much larger run in which to spend their days.

If you’d like to know more about recycling kitchen waste in your garden, you may like to read some of these books:

Composting – The Ultimate Organic Guide To Recycling Your Garden by Tim Marshall

The Compost Book by David Taylor

The Joy Of Keeping Chickens by Jennifer Megyesi and Geoff Hansen

Backyard Poultry Naturally by Alanna Moore

I’ve surveyed, questioned, pleaded and prodded food bloggers, Twitter followers, Facebook fans and Mums all over Australia for their favourite cookbook authors. And added my two cent’s worth as well. Let’s take a look at our favourite authors (get ready to add cookbooks by these authors to your gift wishlist!)

1. Stephanie Alexander

The hand’s down favourite in my survey group was Australian food industry veteran Stephanie Alexander.

Stephanie Alexander’s Cook’s Companion was also the most-referenced cookbook, and has been my cooking bible for the past 15 years. I have the old orange hardback and use it constantly for ideas, especially for side dishes. The book is categorised by ingredient, so if you come across a lovely big bag of veggies on sale, you’ll find lots of great uses for it. I swear by Stephanie’s roast chicken recipe – it’s foolproof.

2. Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver‘s casual no-fuss approach to food proves super-popular amongst Australian Mums. In fact, it was a tie between Jamie Oliver and the next author for second-favourite cookbook author.

Favourite Jamie Oliver titles include Jamie’s Kitchen, Ministry of Food, Naked Chef, 30 Minute Meals and At Home. I’ve made many excellent meals from the Jamie Oliver At Home cookbook, including an incredible slow-roasted lamb shoulder that is now my favourite way to cook lamb.

3. Donna Hay

Donna Hay is one of Australia’s most popular food stylists, food magazine editors, food TV show presenters and cookbook authors. Donna’s recipes are beautifully styled and photographed, as well as being achievable

Favourite Donna Hay titles amongst the survey group include Modern Classics 1 and 2, 10 Minute Meals, and The Instant Cook. I love Modern Classics 1 for simple, unfussy versions of classic savoury dishes and Modern Classics 2 is my go-to book for baking. I make most of my children’s birthday cakes using the delicious chocolate coconut cake recipe in Modern Classics 2.

4. Bill Granger

This well-known Australian cookbook author and restaurant owner ties for third-favourite – Bill Granger creates recipes with fresh, modern food that suit our Australian lifestyle. The favourite Bill Granger title amongst my network is Simply Bill.

5. Nigella Lawson

Also tying for third-favourite cookbook author, English-born Nigella Lawson strikes a huge chord with Australian Mums. Most-loved books written by Nigella Lawson include Forever Summer and How To Be A Domestic Goddess.

Other specific authors and compilations that have risen to the top of the favourites list include Valli Little and her compilations from Delicious Magazine (5 of the Best and 5 Nights A Week are two of my never-fail tomes for mid-week recipe planning); the Australian Women’s Weekly compilations (particularly the children’s birthday cake books); and titles by Charmaine Solomon, Jane Kennedy, Maggie Beer, Greg Malouf, Annabel Karmel (for her canny ways with kids and food), and Rachel Allen.

So there are some great authors to look to for your recipe planning, and hopefully help cure the supermarket-glazed-eye syndrome too.

Materials required:

• 41cm x 25cm piece of fabric for the backing
• 41cm x 25cm piece of fabric for the inside facing (I used calico for this, and for the pocket pieces)
• 41cm x 18cm piece of fabric for the large inside pocket
• 41 cm x 14cm piece of fabric for the small inside pocket
• 1m of ribbon, matching thread and tailor’s chalk.

Step 1:

Fold over the top edge of each pocket piece by 3mm, then fold over again 7mm. Press flat, then sew the hem close to the edge.

Step 2:

Line up the pocket pieces against the inside facing fabric. Pin them so they stay together, then measure out the sections using a ruler and tailor’s chalk. The sections at each end will be 4cm wide, with all the inbetween ones measuring 3cm. Sew along the lines marked out with tailor’s chalk, ending at the edge of the large pocket.

Step 3:

Place the backing fabric and facing fabric together, right sides facing together. Place the ribbon in the middle of the right side seam, with the ribbon sitting inbetween the two fabrics. Sew along both side seams and the bottom seam, then turn the roll right side out.

Step 4:

Fold down by 1cm the top seam to the inside, then press. Sew the top section together. Voila – one finished pencil case roll!

Find gorgeous fabrics to make your own pencil case roll from eBay sellers Felix Loves Fabric, MiaRose Patchwork Quilting Fabrics and Curtains and Quilting Store.

The solution is right in front you – your computer. With some simple equipment you can store, preserve and then share your child’s work at the push of a button.

What you need:

• A computer
• A scanner
• A camera
• Your choice of digital storage.

There are several options for storing the files, depending on what you plan to do with it.

• Hard drive – depending on how much of it there is and how much you want to keep, you may be able to keep it on your own computer hard drive. Another alternative is to buy some external hard drives, perhaps one for each child, to store their lifetimeís work.
• CDs/DVDs – Each term, month or year could be burned on a CD or DVD. You could make a copy for yourself and send one to the grandparents. Your basic CD will hold about 700MB while a DVD holds 4.7GB of data, or 15,000 high-quality pictures.
• USB – You could also use a USB to hold several gigabytes of data. These are an inexpensive and portable way to store the files and carry with you for easy sharing.

So where to start.

First up, pop in the top level a document with the child’s name, a photo, the school, class teacher, maybe a list of friends and a favourite food and interests to set the scene for the year.

Then start selecting the items you want to keep and scan the paper artworks, maybe a spelling list, or a homework sheet. Other things to include as they come up would be completed reading lists, certificates, mentions in the school newsletter (you might even be able to get these off the school’s website). Take photos of dimensional artwork, and maybe a photo of the child themselves to see how they grow. You might want to do this each week to keep on top of it.

Pop the items into a digital folder. You should organise and name this in a format that suits you but some important information to include is your child’s name, class and a date. For instance you might have:

Charlie > Year 1 > 060212 > Homework_week1

So the name, the grade, the week beginning to keep it chronological and what it is.

You could also include class photos and report cards, photos from school carnivals and assemblies.

At the end of the year you should have a folder bursting with school memories that should last a lifetime.

But let’s not stop there. Don’t leave them collecting digital dust on the virtual shelf.

• Make a slideshow – for use in a digital photo frame or to send family as part of a Christmas letter. Grandparents will love to see what Charlie has learned and achieved during the school year. Or upload to Facebook or another online service regularly to share with family and friends.
• If grandparents or family members already have a digital photo frame, send them a USB or memory card with the highlights of the school year on it. Even if they live far away, they won’t miss a thing.
• Make a book – use a photo book service like blurb or Snapfish to create a memory book of the school year. A great gift for grandparents or special people who have been a part of your childís schooling year.
• Print a few photos of your children’s favourite artworks for a rotating display.

And finally, don’t let all that hard work be lost. Make sure you back-up any files on hard drives to a second source, and make two copies of DVDs, CDs and USBs.

Why, get some nifty wall decals, that’s what! These stickers are easy to put on, can be removed without damaging walls, and give a room an easy instant update. So if you’re not quite ready to make big decorating decisions, these are the ideal solution. Perfect for renters or for anybody who is slightly afraid of wielding a paint brush!

Here are 3 great examples:

1. For The Girls

Little girls will love these cute owls perched in a flower-filled tree wall decal.

2. For The Boys

…whilst dare devil little boys will totally dig this motorcycle jump decal.

3. For The Grown Ups

And for growups who want to get in on the fun, why not consider removable chalk board decals. Imagine how handy they would be for writing up family notices. I can think what I would write on mine right now: If you don’t tidy up your room, those awesome new decals are coming right off your bedroom wall! Hee hee!

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg – there are heaps to choose from. To find ones that will suit your home and family, simple enter ‘wall decals’ into the eBay search box. Happy easy decorating!

It is actually better if you make small batches of jam; so really, a couple of kilos of fruit are perfect for 4 or 5 jars of jam.

Here’s a list of what you will need to make your very own jam:

• Fruit, whatever fruit you like, apricots, peaches, berries, figs, grapes, oranges, mandarins
• Granulated Sugar
• Lemon juice
• Pectin, a thickening agent found in fruits and vegetables used to gel jams, can be purchased in powdered or liquid form
• Jars with lids, old jam jars are perfect
• Large pot
• Large spoon
• Ladle
• Funnel

Ratio of fruit to sugar depends on taste, normally its 2/3 sugar to the amount of fruit you have.

I had 1.3kg strawberries, used 900g sugar, juice of 1 ½ lemons and about 3-4 teaspoons of pectin.

Now let’s get started and make some strawberry jam!

• First thing to do is place your jars and lids in a dishwasher to sterilise them, if you don’t have a dishwasher then put them in a large pot and allow them to come to the boil. You need to keep your jars hot and dry, so you can put them in a low oven until you are ready to use them
• Place an empty saucer into the fridge, we’ll get to that later
• Wash, hull and halve your strawberries
• Weigh your fruit and place them in a large pot over a medium heat and allow them to release their juices, keeping an eye on them because they can burn at this stage
• Once all the juice has come out of the berries, spoon out the strawberry pieces into a strainer and only leave the juice behind
• Add your sugar to the juice and slowly bring to the boil without overflowing, allow it to bubble whilst keeping an eye on it
• Dissolve the pectin in the lemon juice and add to your boiling strawberry mix, stir in well
• Keep on an eye on your slowly boiling fruit mix and when it looks like it can coat the back of your spoon then it’s ready to be turned off
• Test by putting a little bit onto the saucer you had in the fridge, if it sets, it is definitely ready
• Put your strawberry pieces back into the jelly to get a chunky fruit jam
• Using a ladle and a funnel, fill your hot jars up with your homemade jam, close jars with lids and invert the jars.  This method is fine if you are only making a few jars of jam and intending on using them straight away.  If you prefer you can put the closed jars in a pot of water and boil for about 5 minutes to seal them

Now you are done, add a labelwith the date and type of jam and pop round to your neighbour and say hello, I bet it would be appreciated!

Do you make jams, what are your favourite fruits to use?  We’d love to know your tips!

Some equipment that will come in handy can be found here:

• Preserving jars
• Preserving lids
• Jam labels

Today, I thought I’d share with you a few more ways that you can explore to make some money from your blog:

1. Blog design – If you know your way around Photoshop or another graphics program and you know how to customise a blog, you could offer your services as a blog designer to other bloggers who need some help. It could be as easy as making a sidebar button, designing a blog header or doing a total makeover.

2. Sponsored Posts – when you start working with Brands, you may be asked to do a sponsored post which basically means a dedicated blog post about that Brand and/or one of their products or services. These posts usually include links back to the company’s website and sometimes the company representative might ask if they can view the post before it goes live to edit any factual points.

3. Sell your products – if you run a small business, you could set up a separate page on your blog to sell your products/services.  There are a few different ways of doing this. If your blog is self-hosted, you could add a shopping cart or store software to your blog, or you could utilise the accept payment method via PayPal. Selling your products via your blog means that you won’t have to pay any fees incurred if you were to sell on ebay or etsy, and you can use your blog as a way to promote your products.

4. Talking about blogging – If you are confident when public speaking, and are a leader in your niche, you could consider sharing what you know about blogging to groups of people, whether it be at conferences, or workshops that you organise or online seminars.

5. Blog mentoring/Consulting – Many people start blogs but have no idea what to do with them. You could make yourself available as a blog mentor and help them get started, help them set their goals for what they want to achieve from blogging and answer any questions they may have.

Can you think of any other ways that you could make money from blogging? What have you tried or would be interested in giving a go?

Don’t worry if your ball looks a little wonky or isn’t perfectly round (mine never are!). I can guarantee it will still look super cute and it will certainly be appreciated by a playful little bubba!

So let’s get started…

Scrappy Soft Baby Ball

(makes one ball approx 13cm diameter)

You can download your free pattern template here.

1. Use the downloadable pattern to trace and cut out 6 fabric pieces. To save time, you can pin a few pieces together and cut them all at once.

2. Place two pieces together (right sides facing) and pin along one edge. Add a third piece and pin along one edge. This will make the first half of your ball.

3. Sew along the pinned seams.

4. Repeat with remaining three pieces. You will now have two separate halves of your ball.

5. Pin the two halves together and sew. Leave a gap in the middle of one seam for turning and stuffing.

6. Turn your ball right side out, stuff well and hand-sew the gap shut.

Tip: Cut down the bristles of an old round paint brush and use it to push the stuffing firmly into the ball – it’s much easier than using your fingers or a pencil!

Ta-da! You are done. Admire your cute little scrappy ball before giving it to a cute little happy bub!

If you’re not quite set up for sewing yet, click here for some sewing supplies, and here for a new (or your first!) sewing machine.

For a professional look, you can frame your puppet show with a puppet theatre. Like a TV set, the theatre focuses the audience’s attention on the puppets, helping the audience to forget about the puppeteer. Curtains add a little flair and are fun to open and close the show (and to poke a puppet’s head through). Ideal for hand puppets!

You can easily make a stage using a cardboard box, trimmed to a low profile (thickness), but the ready-made puppet theatres available offer great stability, and sometimes a covered front for the puppeteer to hide behind.

Then you’ll need a puppet or two. Here are the 3 most common types:

1. String Puppets

String Puppets (or marionettes) are the largest puppets and the most animated, with their moving limbs and ability to walk and dance. As kids, my sister and I spent hours and hours playing with our turquoise blue and purple feathery ostrich string puppets with their clop-clop-cloppity feet.

The puppeteer can create forward and sideways movements using the cross bar control at the top, as well as manipulating the strings independently with fingers. There are some gorgeous vintage string puppets (including Pinocchio characters) available that also look great as decoration in a child’s room. Large string puppets may not need a puppet stage at all. Be aware that string puppets can become tangled quite easily.

2. Hand Puppets

Hand Puppets are the most popular puppets for their easy use. The hand controls the body and, depending on the style of puppet, may control arms (with fingers) and/or mouth. Hand puppets have the potential to show lots of emotion (by the more adept  puppeteer) with the great control over the puppet’s face. You can find some beautiful vintage Punch and Judy puppets; again these work well as decorative items in a child’s room. Folkmanis is an excellent brand to look out for.

3. Finger Puppets

Finger puppets are the most portable option, great for small spaces and easiest to pack away. Your audience may have to sit a little closer though!

Now all you need to do is put on a show. Get the kids to write and send out invitations (even if just hand delivered to the neighbours), set up some cushions or chairs for the audience, make a big bowl of popcorn and get ready for the show to begin.

If the puppeteers are in need of some inspiration, you can suggest singing a song (sung by the puppeteers, or from your music player of choice), or reading a poem. It could also be fun for audience members to suggest scenarios to act out, (like improvised theatre-sports). The sillier the scenario, the more laughs!

Hopefully putting on a puppet show will provide hours of entertainment for your kids as they practice, use their imagination, and show off their new skills. Not bad for a small investment in a few puppets.

A family binder is basically a folder that contains information that helps run the household smoothly – with sections for a calendar, daily routines for the kids, phone numbers, family and school stuff, meals and menus, home management, money stuff and anything else that you regularly reference. You can also add a whole heap of printed checklists and forms from sites like Organized Home.

Our family binder sits on a shelf near my desk and everyone knows where it is and can access it when necessary.

In our family binder, we have the following categories –

• emergency contacts – right at the front of the binder I have a sheet with emergency phone numbers, my mobile number and my sister’s details (the kids know to call her if they can’t get in touch with me)
• family – in this section, I keep a list of birthdays, clothes size tracker, medical information and pet information
• money – here, I keep the unpaid bills (and once they are paid, they get filed in the filing cabinet), and a list with all the utility account numbers and details.
• meal planning – in here, I keep a master shopping list, menu planner and recipes that I have ripped out of magazines that I want to try.
• home maintenance – in this section, I have listed contractors phone numbers, when the smoke alarm was last checked and battery changed, household cleaning schedules and a master to-do list.

I didn’t add a school section because when I created our school command centre, I made sure I had a space on the noticeboard for all the school newsletters and notes.

To create your own family binder, you’ll need

• A lever arch folder or one similar
• Dividers
• Plastic page protectors
• Label maker (optional)
• Plenty of printer ink!
• Your paperwork

Once you have your supplies, you will need to decide what you want/need to keep in your family binder. Each family is different and has different priorities. Do your kids participate in a lot of after-school activities? Add their timetables to the calendar section. Are you currently renovating your home? Add a home reno category to keep all your paper work and ideas in one place.

Label your dividers with your categories and start adding your paperwork.

And once it’s all put together, keep it in a place where you, and the family, can reference it easily when you need to.

Do you keep a family binder or something similar? How does it work for you?

This dish is the result of a few experimental escapades in my kitchen. I love this dish just as it is, with the subtle flavouring of sage, a hint of parmesan and crunchy little pine nuts. I hope you will love it too, but feel free to add or subtract ingredients to suit your taste. Try adding chopped bacon to the pan with the pumpkin, or adding a few handfuls of spinach leaves in with the cream.

Set the scene for a restaurant-style, romantic night in with some nice table linen, dinnerware, glassware, candles, fresh flowers, music – whatever takes your fancy.

Tuck the kids into bed and whip out the frypan for a romantic meal in minutes!

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta For Two

Ingredients

• 200g dried fettuccine or spaghetti
• Small handful pine nuts
• 20g butter
• 12 sage leaves
• 200g butternut pumpkin, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 150ml cream
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp parmesan, grated
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cook and drain pasta according to packet directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat a large frypan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add pine nuts and toast for 1 minute, shaking pan so they don’t burn. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Add butter to pan. Once melted and sizzling add sage leaves. Sizzle for 30-60 seconds until crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.

Crispy sage leaves and toasted pine nuts

4. Add onion and pumpkin to pan. Toss for a minute or two then turn heat down, cover with a lid and cook until pumpkin is just tender – about 8 minutes.

5. Add garlic and cook for a further 1 minute.

6. Add cream, parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil then turn heat down and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 mins.

Finally, tip drained pasta into pumpkin sauce and toss to combine. Divide between serving plates, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and top with crispy sage leaves.

But that doesn’t mean that you still can’t have a romantic Valentine’s Day.

It’s the little things that mean the most.

This year, I wanted to surprise my hubby by organising a little something on February 14. Here are a few inexpensive Valentine’s Day date ideas that I’ve come up with…

1. Plan a picnic breakfast to watch the sun rise – Early mornings are my favourite time of day and a cute picnic basket full of fruit, croissants, yoghurt and a thermos of freshly brewed coffee, a blanket, and heading to the beach to watch the sun rise with your sweetheart would make for a great start to the day.

2. Go rollerskating – when was the last time you put on a pair of roller skates? If you’re anything like me, it’s been a while! Head to your local rink, hire some skates and relive your younger days. This is an awesome excuse to hold your sweetheart’s hand if you’re a bit wobbly on your feet.

3. Cook a meal together – Our kids can be fussy eaters so we tend to have a set meal plan that we follow with meals we know are favourites. Why not choose a recipe that you and your sweetheart don’t often have (or try something new), buy everything you need and when the kids go to bed, head to the kitchen to cook your special meal together. Don’t forget to set the table for two with candles and a nice bottle of wine.

4. Dinner and a movie – This is a treat for us. We don’t often get a chance to go on a date without a little person tagging along. So heading to our favourite Chinese restaurant for some dinner, and then a movie that we’ll both enjoy makes for a nice night out. Buying drinks and snacks at the cinema can be expensive so that’s why we have dinner before the movie.

5. Pamper each other – If your partner isn’t too tough to be pampered, why not plan a night of facials and massages? Start off by sharing a bath together, with candles and bubbles. Take turns giving each other massages, apply mud masks to each other’s faces, stick some cucumber slices on your eyes and chill out for a while.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Do you have any suggestions for an inexpensive Valentine’s Day date?

Here are my favourite knitting instruction and reference books:

1 – Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book by the editors of Vogue Knitting Magazine

My husband bought me this book a few years ago, and it has been my salvation many a time. With clear diagrams showing every technique, this encyclopaedic tome means that you’ll never wonder how to do anything knitting related again!

2 – Knitting Without Tears by Elizabeth Zimmerman

Considered by many to be the patron saint of knitting, Zimmerman’s book provides wonderful, pithy advice on many knitting problems and furnishes the reader not only with elegant solutions, but also gently encourages them to design and knit things the way they want to, without slavishly following a pattern. A very inspirational and encouraging book.

3 – Big Book of Knitting by Katharina Buss

Filled to the brim with beautiful photographs and clear illustrations, this book will provide you with every knitting technique imaginable. So whether you want to know how to shape or finish, knit patterns or lace, create a pocket or knit a glove, this book will have the answer.

4 –  Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti

Reading this book is like having the author sitting next to you as you both knit away! There is a wealth of great ideas and techniques in this book, all presented in a friendly, encouraging style, from the basics of knitting to taking the leap forward and designing your own patterns.

5 – Kids Learn to Knit by Lucinda Guy and Francois Hall

So the kids have seen you knitting away (or knipping, as my girl likes to call it) and decided that they want to get in on the action too? Provide them with this book, filled with projects tailored especially for younger ones, and they will be knitting their own marvellous projects up in no time. My daughter loves this book – most of the projects are small, so they don’t lose concentration half way through, and each project consolidates the new skills learnt.

With a few tools and a steady hand, you can unleash your creativity and become the go-to facepainter in your child’s world. It’s a fun activity for home, and you can lend your skills to all the kids’ birthday parties (for which, I’m sure, your friends will be eternally grateful).

To start, you’ll need:

• non-toxic face paints or face painting kit – try brands like Kryolan, TAG, FAB and Snazaroo
• sponge
• several paint brushes (fine-pointed)
• non-toxic face glitter (polyester, not metallic) – try brands like Amerikan Body Art and GlitterMark
• optional self-adhesive gems or jewels (great for fairy, princess and butterfly designs)
• a vessel for water and hand towel
• hand sanitiser (for use between children)
• fragrance-free baby wipes or tissues to fix errors and clean up
• bib or tissues for the child
• headband to keep hair off the child’s face
• a hand mirror to show off your skill
• two chairs – a higher chair for the child so you are at the same height
• an apron, or optionally, a fun entertainer’s costume that you don’t mind dripping paint on

First up, decide on your standard face designs. If you have mad drawing skills, you may ask the child what they would like. But if you’re a bit nervous about the results, plan out a dozen designs (you could display them on a card) and ask the child to choose between them.

You can choose a full-face design, where you paint the child’s face to resemble a character (e.g. tiger, pirate, mouse, rabbit, dog, cat, clown, skull, Spiderman, Avatar). You could also offer small designs that the child might like to adorn their cheeks (e.g. butterfly, flower, boat, fish, heart, balloon). You could even use a stencil as a template (cut designs our individually for easier use). Or  for the most confident of artists, you could create a full-face fantasy design (think fairy princess with swirls, butterfly, spider web, rainbow).

Here are two examples of easy face painting designs:

1. Mouse on cheek design

Step 1: Create a mouse head shape by painting three circles, joined together.

Step 2: Layer on details in a contrasting colour – inner ear, mouth, bow tie.

Step 3: Add the finishing touches using a black face painting pencil or black paint – eyes, nose and whiskers. You could also add a touch of glitter for sparkly ears and nose.

2. Fantasy Fairy face design

Step 1: Create a base layer of colour in a sweeping shape above the eyes. Keep the design symmetrical.

Step 2: Add a second layer of colour using swirls and dots across the forehead and cheeks. If you paint over the first layer before it has dried, you can achieve a lovely “merged” colours look.

Step 3: Use a light colour (such as white) to add highlights to the design, such as dots and stars. Have fun experimenting. White is also a great colour to add on a third layer of paint, especially when the second layer has not yet dried, again for that “merged” colours look. Add glitter for a touch of fairy sparkle or self-adhesive jewels on the child’s forehead or outer edges of the eyes.

Some useful face-painting tips:

1.Use a sponge for coverage of large areas.

2. Using a different sponge or brush for each colour means no washing in-between.

3. Work quickly – kids often don’t sit still for long.

4. Let the paint dry for each layer if you want clear colours; paint on top of wet paint if you want colours to merge.

5. Use the end of a brush to paint dots.

6. Keep the paint on the table and use one hand to hold the child’s chin still, and the other to hold the brush/sponge.

7. Many designs call for painting the eyelids or around the child’s eyes. I prefer not to go too close the child’s eyes, but if you want to achieve this look, use a sponge to apply the paint and make sure that the child keeps their eyes closed tightly!

If you need more inspiration, search online or pick up a face painting instruction book. Once you have your set-up, you can turn any rainy day into face painting day.

Heart Cupcakes

Cupcakes are a fun, easy, creative way to add a little Valentine’s atmosphere to the day. The decorating options are endless with the great cupcake wrappers and toppers available. These cute cupcakes were cooled, then inserted into heart cupcake wrappers (I used the Robert Gordon brand). You can add a layer of icing, using the thick nozzle piping set, or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Or you can use a butter knife or palette knife as I have for a more casual look. Top with an edible sugar cupcake topper or a sprinkling of dragées/cachous. A sugar heart will always work beautifully and eBay seller red_motyl can even customise them for you with initials. You could also add edible diamonds for fun, an icing moustache or anything your loved one will adore. Display on a tiered stand or dome cake stand for maximum impact.

Sweetheart Brownies

Surprise your sweetheart with chocolate brownies, topped with both your initials. Simply cut out letters using paper or card stock (I used vinyl letter stickers), place in the centre of your brownies, and sieve icing sugar over the top. Make sure that the brownies have cooled completely, or the icing sugar will melt. Using tweezers, carefully lift off the letter template. These are a great treat for the man in your life as they are sentimental without being too girly.

Heart Doily Garlands

String up sweet paper heart doilies with baker’s twine to greet your loved ones on Valentine’s Day.  You can also glue extra doilies to folded A5 card stock to make your own Valentine’s Day cards.

Chocolate Fountain

Go all out with a decadent chocolate fountain as the centrepiece of a sweet Valentine’s Day party. Serve pink and white marshmallows and chocolate wafer sticks for dipping, and use only the best couverture chocolate. Rent a professional fountain like we did, or buy a small home-based fountain for finger-licking fondue fun. Oh and don’t forget the pink roses – romantic but not as intimidating at passionate red roses for a shared gathering.

Other fun ideas include:

• hang red, pink and white balloons from red crepe paper streamers along a door frame for a fun surprise to wake-up to (and run through!)
• set the table with a red and white gingham table cloth topped with white plates and napkins. You could also use pink and white placemats with white bowls and pink dot napkins. Or go for a simple white table cloth with fun two-tone pink napkins.
• cut paper heart confetti using a heart paper punch, to scatter along the centre of the dining table
• fry up heart-shaped eggs on toast using a fun egg shaper
• make heart-shape cookie-on-a-stick gifts
• make cards using heart-print washi masking tape

Enjoy creating fun Valentine’s Day goodies, and don’t forget to tell your loved ones how much they mean to you (the best gift of all).

Dehydrating is the process of removing water from food and thus preserving it.  Dehydrating is done in a domestic electric dehydrator and as it heats the air inside the unit, it dries and circulates the air so that it absorbs the water in the food placed in the drying trays. It doesn’t cook the food as the temperature of the air is only low enough to dry the food.

Why should you dehydrate food you ask, well for a number of reasons:

• The main reason is the health benefits of dried fruits as snacks are greater than reaching for that pack of biscuits
• Home dehydrated foods don’t contain sulfur as a preservative which is in a lot of packaged dried fruits to preserve their colour, like apricots
• Cheaper than store bought dried fruit, you can buy fruits when they are on special and dehydrate and store
• Dehydrated fruits mixed with nuts make the perfect trail mix for an energy boost when on the go

Dehydrated foods are normally darker in colour and sweeter in taste. Dehydrated foods should be stored in airtight containers; if you are making large batches then it’s best to store them in the freezer.

Some of the many fruits that can be dehydrated are: Apples, pears, banana, oranges, kiwi fruit, peaches, apricots, plums, pineapples, cherries, blueberries and strawberries, but really any fruit you can imagine can be dehydrated.

Before our dehydrated fruits disappear I add them to our homemade granola mix and it’s the perfect breakfast. Here’s a simple recipe to add your dehydrated fruit to when you start dehydrating!

Fruity & Nutty Granola

Ingredients

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup wheat germ
• 1 cup bran
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 cups flaked almonds
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 cup honey
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 ½  cups sultanas/raisins
• Dehydrated fruit of your choice, banana, pear, apple, strawberries etc

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan
• Combine all ingredients except sultanas/raisins and dehydrated fruit in a bowl and mix to coat
• Spread onto a greased baking tray and bake for  30 minutes whilst stirring every 10 minutes
• Mix in fruit, allow to cool and store in an airtight jar

Have you ever dehydrated any fruits and vegetables?

Here are a few ways you could start to make some money from blogging:

1. Direct advertising – once you establish a regular following of your blog, you could consider contacting businesses and asking them if they would like to place an advertisement in the sidebar of your blog. Many mum bloggers like to help support work at home parents with small businesses in this way by offering cheap advertising. You can earn upwards of $10 per month.
2. Join an ad network – there are a number of ad networks that you can sign up to but the one that I recommend and am a member of is Nuffnang Australia. All you need to do is register, add the code provided in your sidebar and that’s it. If your blog is relevant for an ad campaign, you will be paid for the time the advertisement is live on your blog. You could earn upwards of $5 per week.
3. Affiliates – Many businesses offer affiliate programs where you can earn a commission if someone purchases a product using a special link or promotion code that is designated to you. In my case, I advertise Problogger’s books about blogging in my sidebar and if someone purchases one of the books when clicking on that ad, I earn a small commission. Another site that offers an affiliate program is Amazon. If you are talking about a book in one of your blog posts, add an affiliate link and if someone purchases that book using your link, you can earn some cash. You could earn 5% of the retail price.
4. Write and sell your own e-book – Everyone has a book in them. Everyone loves to find answers to their problems. Perhaps you know an easy way to learn how to crochet, or you can offer tips about decorating your home. Turn your tips into a self-help guide and sell it from your blog. In my case, I offer an e-book about creating a media kit to send to PR reps and businesses. You could earn an average of $4.95 per sale. You can read more about this in my last post, Creating Your Own E-Book.
5. Write for another website – Many businesses have blogs but don’t have the time to create enough content for them. So they commission bloggers to write articles specifically for their site. This is a great way to build up your freelance writing portfolio. You could earn an average of $50 per article.

If you’re a blogger, what are some other ways you can think of to make money from your blog?

So why not make your kid’s day with a little surprise note in their lunchbox too?

I’ve created some printable lunchbox notes you can download for free (see link below).

All you have to do is cut them out and pop them in your child’s lunchbox for a special lunchtime surprise! Some notes have blank spaces so you can write your own message or a little ‘love from Mum (or Dad)’ at the end.

Download your free printable lunchbox notes here

Having a child who just can’t get enough of vegemite sandwiches, I need to be a little bit more creative when it comes to packing a healthy, tummy filling and wrapper free lunchbox.

Fun compartment lunchboxes are great for kinder and school because it’s like they are opening up their own little treasure boxes.

There are some great fun lunch boxes from perfect_search and 3msystem.

Here are a few lunchbox tips I have learnt along the way:

• Soggy sandwiches are not a good choice as they always come back home, instead of a cucumber or tomato sandwich try two pieces of wholegrain/wholemeal bread with cream cheese, vegemite, mustard or any other spread and put cucumbers & tomato in a separate container in the lunchbox
• Slices of cheese or a cheaper alternative to pre-cut cheese shapes is to buy a block of cheese and using small cookie cutters cut out shapes
• Variety of vegetables cut into circles or thin sticks, cucumber, carrot, bean shoots, thinly cut red capsicum slices
• Variety of seasonal fruit freshly cut or frozen in a little container, watermelon, berries, kiwi fruit etc or some tinned fruit
• Dried fruit mix, dates, mango, cranberries, sultanas, pawpaw, pineapple
• Mini savoury muffins or vegetable patties
• Water is a must, in the hotter months use a bottle that can be put in the freezer and they will enjoy cold water all day long
• Muesli or mini fruity weetbix in a little container makes a great sweet snack
• Homemade oat cookies
• Homemade muesli bars (see recipe)

These are just a few ideas which may help you through the school year.

Even though I do a lot of baking I do not tend to add sweets into the lunchbox as I try to keep it as healthy as possible, if a baked treat is included it will be a wholegrain biscuit or a homemade muesli bar.

This is a perfect recipe for muesli bars as its easy, looks good and tastes even better.

Muesli & Sultana Bars

Ingredients

• 3 cups Rolled Oats
• 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour, sifted
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 cup (160g) sultanas
• 1/2 cup (180g) honey
• 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil

Method

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (320 F). Place dry ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine

• Place honey into a saucepan over medium heat and cook until runny, just a couple of minutes. Mix in the vegetable oil

• Add the honey mixture to dry ingredients and mix to combine

• Spoon into a greased 20x30cm tin and flatten with a spoon. Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly and cut into 16 pieces

What do you include in your kids lunchboxes?

Last week we explored the guilt some mothers feel about going back to work. This week, we’re assuming you’ve pushed the guilt aside and you’re ready to make the move!

There are a few things to consider, such as how to beef up your resume for the time you’ve had “off” (ha!), how to choose childcare that works for you and balancing chores so that one parent doesn’t carry the entire load. Have a skim to see if their suggestions could help you during the big move.

2. Are we raising over-confident kids? – OC Register

Whether they’re trying an instrument, sport or another extra-curricular activity, we love to support our kids by showering them with praise and admiration. But sometimes this involves stretching the truth (aka lying to our children’s faces) about their talents. This author raises awareness that our children can’t be good at everything and telling them that they’re remarkable won’t help them in the long run.

In no way would we ever suggest telling your kid that they “suck” at the violin. Instead, maybe after substantial practice and little progress, perhaps could try the piano.

3. How to deal with a miscarriage – 6abc

Many of us don’t know how prevalent miscarriages can be – and often suffer through the pain in silence. However, talking about it can be the first step to healing, and you might be surprised how many friends and family members will admit that they’ve undergone the same tragedy. Just knowing that you’re not alone can be just the reassurance you need to stay hopeful.

And there’s no reason that you shouldn’t remain hopeful: three out of four women who experience a miscarriage go on to have successful pregnancies. So keep your head up and don’t try to deal with it on your own – it’s ok to lean on others in your time of need.

4. In defence of kid games: Many offer good lessons - San Francisco Chronicle

For all the mums out there that think video games or phone games will rot your children’s brain – this article presents a different perspective. Educational games are presented in a fun game-like medium that can keep your child engrossed in the learning process.

Read about the top 3 recommended games for children by the author, including lessons on alphabet/numbers, countries and geography, animals and even money management!

1. A good pair of maternity jeans

For my first pregnancies I would buy cheap maternity jeans without thinking about them lasting me the whole pregnancy. And so of course they didn’t. By the time I was pregnant with baby number 4, I wanted something more stylish to last the entire pregnancy. I hit gold with a pair of MAVI maternity jeans. Not the cheapest at about $150 but I wore them the entire pregnancy and they still look as new this time around.  And the beauty of eBay is that you can pick up a new or used pair for a fraction of the price just like this pair.

 2. Black pants

Black pants are an essential part of anyone’s wardrobe whether you are pregnant or not. Look for adjustable tabs so you can let them out as you grow, a good length and a good quality fabric with some stretch in it (because you’re going to grow everywhere). The beauty of black pants is that you wear them year round, put a shirt, t-shirt or little cardigan over the top and make an outfit as formal or as informal as you need. I generally have a couple of black pants each pregnancy. When you’re on eBay look for good brand names like: Ripe; Pea in a Pod; ASOS; and Pumpkin Patch. And don’t just stop at black – khaki, white, navy are also great basic colours to incorporate into your wardrobe.

3. A basic dress

Look for something in a basic colour like black, navy, white or something that will work with your wardrobe. I like a dress that I can wear to church with a little cardigan or out to dinner with some fancier jewellery and heels. Go for something stretchy and with adjustable ties that grow with you as well as a good cut. I love this black one selling on eBay at the moment and this ASOS one pictured too.

4. A white shirt

Whether it’s a t-shirt, blouse or wrap shirt– you can’t go wrong with a crisp white top worn with jeans or pants. At the moment I have a big wrap shirt, a white cotton smock shirt and several t-shirts that I can mix and match with cardigans in my wardrobe and my maternity pants and jeans. Often I just go up a size in my favourite brand and look for roomy smock tops which are fashionable and accommodate a growing belly.  I love this one with the cute bow.

5.     Cardigans

I live in cardigans while pregnant. You can pop them over a dress, a shirt, a t-shirt and wear them with anything. I like a variety of colours and at the moment have purple, tangerine, navy, dark grey, light grey and red. They go with everything and don’t have to be maternity (none of mine are). Look for a little bit of room around your bust and upper arms if you’re like me and expand everywhere. Search on eBay for maternity cardigans.

Other great maternity essentials that I know you’ll find on eBay are good quality maternity bras, comfy underwear, black leggings, patterned dresses and oversized shirts and comfortable flat shoes. Be careful when buying 2^nd hand and check the condition of the clothes. Maternity clothes are often worn to death so be careful with t-shirts and stretch fabrics that you are buying 2^nd hand as they have a tendency to pill. But have fun and save some money. I am definitely one big fan of eBay while pregnant.

Younger Readers

Possum Magic by Mem Fox: Featuring a magical possum, and her invisible granddaughter. Join them as they journey through Australia trying to find the secret to making Hush visible again, encountering all sorts of delicious Aussie treats along the way. With beautiful illustrations, it’s no wonder this is the best selling Australian picture book of all time.

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French: This rather cheeky wombat records in his diary his days, spent eating, digging, sleeping and training up those human pets to hand over treats on demand. Having once been chased by a territorial wombat who was intent on biting my shoes, I can tell you – this rascally wombat is the real deal!

Animalia by Graeme Base: A magical tour through the alphabet, with pictures within pictures on every incredibly illustrated page. See if you can spot the little boy hidden on each page!

John Brown, Rose and The Midnight Cat by Jenny Wagner:  A sweet story of a widowed lady and her dog, who initially becomes jealous when a cat appears, but soon realises that the cat may just be the very thing needed to make Rose feel happy once again.

Who Sank The Boat? by Pamela Allen: What happens when a cow, a donkey, a sheep, a pig and a mouse go for a row one sunny day? And will they ever figure out who sank the boat? A hilarious way to introduce children to numerous maths concepts.

Older Readers

The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill by Dorothy Wall: Follow the adventures of this mischievous koala and his friends as they get into endless scrapes. The book is also a celebration of the Australian bush, and the important of conservation.

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs: I remember receiving this for Christmas one year, and being captivated by the Gum Nut babies whilst simultaneously being scared witless by the Banksia men.  A book that delights with its evocation of the magic and danger found within the Australian landscape.

The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay: What do you get when you have a koala, a sailor and penguin in charge of an incredible Magic Pudding, who regenerates once eaten (and gives cheek the whole time) – all being chased by dastardly puddin’ thieves? This rollicking adventure, that’s what!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: An emotionally engaging book, telling the story of Liesl the book thief during World War II Germany. Narrated by Death himself, it is a tale of chance and circumstances, and will delight you as much as it makes you cry. Zusak is a great new voice in children’s fiction.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan: Ok, so this graphic novel may not contain any words, but it still beautifully tells the story of a young immigrant, showing his struggles and joys as he comes to terms with his strange new life and his quest to make it better than the one he left behind. A book to make you think and reflect.

Click on the links to purchase the books from Booktopia Books or Angus and Robertson Outlet.

Two of the questions I get asked as a blogger are how to create a media kit to send to PR reps and Brands, and how to get sponsored to attend a blogging event. I wrote two little guides about the steps I use when considering both.

You might have some great craft project tutorials that you want to share. Or you might have come up with 100 ways to decorate your home on the cheap. Or how to plan a stress-free children’s birthday party.

Do you have some blog posts that you could expand further on? Perhaps you blogged about how you save money when meal planning. You could consider using that as an idea for an e-book about how to make your dollar go further with some of the recipes you use.

Once you have an idea about what you would like to write about, follow these steps to create an e-book:

• Get your ideas down – either in Microsoft Word (which I use) or go old-school and write it all down in a notebook first. Note down the main topics you are going to write about and then build on each topic.
• Use photos – pretty photos make everything look so much nicer. Make sure they are relevant to your topic and the pictures are of good quality. No-one wants to look at blurry photos.
• Get someone to read your draft – it’s always a good idea to have a fresh pair of eyes look at your project. They might be able to pick up on spelling or grammar errors or may even suggest ways to make it better.
• Make it easy on the eye – try to avoid big clumps of text. I know that I tend to skim over large paragraphs. Try to split your content into smaller paragraphs and use sub headings.
• Design a template – this isn’t my forte so I asked a friend to create a basic template for me to use for my e-books so they all represent my brand. I have my blog logo displayed to add to my personal branding.
• Convert your ebook into a PDA file – this is the easiest way to convert your e-book so it can be read on computers, phones or ipads.
• Distribute your ebook – there are a number of ways to use e-books. You could sell them or you could use them as a way to get people to subscribe to your website or newsletter. I created a sidebar banner advertising my e-books on my blog.

Everyone has an e-book or two inside them. What do you know that you can share with others?

Collaging exercise books and binders is a fun, simple project, and at the end your kids will have a fabulous personalised book they will be proud to use in the classroom. This project can be as simple or as complex as you like, and you can go about collaging in a number of different ways.

For the younger kids, sticking bits and pieces all over the place is a great way to go, and for the older kids a more planned or structured collage could be good.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Exercise books
• Glue or double-sided tape
• Scissors
• Clear contact (you can buy in bulk to save money and share with friends!)

Collage materials – here are a few suggestions:

• pictures from magazines or old books
• recycled wrapping paper and cards
• scrapbooking papers
• free downloadable images you can print at home
• stickers
• ribbons and trims

Here is my plain exercise book before the beauty treatment:

Step 1: Cut out all the pictures and papers you might like to use so you have everything ready to stick as you go along.

Step 2: Stick down any background papers (if using).

Step 3: Either arrange your collage elements before sticking or just make it up as you go along, sticking here there and everywhere! Don’t forget to include a blank area for writing name, class and subject.

Step 4: Cover the whole lot in clear contact to protect it from grubby fingers and leaky drink bottles!

If you have a child who loves baking why don’t you throw them a baking party! Invite a handful of their friends and let the baking begin. Here are a few things to think about:

1. Invitations

Get them to write out invitations on recipe cards with a little drawing of a cupcake or you can use a cupcake stamp or sticker.

2. Decorations

Decorating the party area is easy with paper bunting and a tablecloth made with some baking inspired fabric cut to size and quickly machine hemmed or cut with pinking shears.

If you are feeling crafty, a pretty ruffle apron can be made following this tutorial for the birthday girl and one for each of her guests to wear and then take home as their party treat.  Otherwise, packs of aprons & hats can be found here.

3. Party Food

Food for the party can be as simple as pancakes, cupcakes, chocolate crackles and ice cream; after all it is a party. Make pancakes just before guests arrive, ready for them to eat with maple syrup and berries.

Pink milk in little bottles with paper straws make a great drink.

5. Baking Activities

Get the guests to make Chocolate crackles when they arrive so they can be put in the fridge to set.

Cupcakes can be pre baked before guests arrive so they are ready to be decorated. Pretty icing kits are perfect but icing can also be put in zip lock bags and the corner snipped off.

Have some bowls of M&M’s, lollies, sprinkles, marshmallows, chocolate chips or anything colourful and edible ready to be used for decorations.

Guests can also decorate ice creams with the decorations:

All these activities will have the kids entertained for hours!

Just remember that it can be a relaxed baking party for 5 or 6 friends and as long as they are occupied, fed and entertained the kids will absolutely love it.

The best thing about a baking party is that after all that baking and decorating the guests get to take home their own creations, perfect!

Happy baking!

1. The Line – Australia Gov

As teenagers start to enter relationships, sometimes it’s difficult for them to know where to draw the line with regards to respecting others. As parents, even though we don’t want to imagine our children getting into sticky situations with drinking, “sexting” and online privacy – sometimes it’s better for them to be prepared.

The Line helps teens express their feelings about being respected, gives scenarios about crossing the line and helps sort ways that they can deal with respect issues. Worth having a look if your kid has just started Facebook, dating, etc!

2. Mother Guilt v Father Guilt - The Sydney Morning Herald

Psychological science (as well as your own personal experience, very likely) proves that women have more guilt than men when it comes to the post-newborn return to work. The guilt in women often arises whether they decide to go back to work or not – hitting a moral intersection between spending time with the children, pursuing your own dreams, setting a good example and choosing the right option for your family.

As is with most of the issues discussed on parenting, there is no right answer. But read through the opinions of doctors and perspectives other mothers who may be in the same boat as you. It could help present some other points of view and perhaps calm some of your anxiety about the big decision.

3. Maybe Tiger Mom has a point – Babycenter

The short article tells a tale of children writing sub-par, low-effort holiday ‘thank you’ cards. Following the footsteps of Tiger Mother (in her own way) she forces her little girl to rewrite the card 3 times until the 7 year old had truly put forth some deserving effort into thanking her grandmother.

The story will sound familiar to many mothers, but more than even the article, a comment at the bottom caught our attention. “Telling your daughter that her best effort is not good enough: cruel. Telling your daughter that her half-a$$ed effort isn’t good enough: good parenting. Only someone intimately familiar with the child’s work and development… will know the difference.” – signed by Katie.

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

4. Creating a Parenting ‘Bucket List’ – West Roxbury Patch

An idea that has everyone at Mum’s Business excited – and already a few of us who have finished compiling our own. Creating a ‘parenting bucket list’ of things to do with your children before they get too old to enjoy it. The author identifies everything from fun holidays to educational goals and charitable activities. What would you put on your family’s bucket list to achieve in the years to come?

Your opinion? We’d love to know your thoughts on any of the parenting topics we’ve discussed. Feel free to give us your input!

Heading to the beach or the pool is not always practical, so here are some tips to bring that summer vibe to the backyard.

1. Slip ‘n’ Slide

If you have the space, an the incline, a slip ‘n’ slide will keep children, and their friends amused and cool for hours. Try maisie’s shop and oz auction for examples. Or for the less adventurous, try this Aqua Blast Hopscotch, available from thrifts australia.

2. Water Pistols

Keep a crowd busy, and water the garden at the same time, with a collection of water pistols. Grab a bulk pack and save.

3. Inflatable Pool

For the smaller members of the family, let them splash around in an inflatable pool park like this one from tidee online or a bubble sprinkler from deals direct.

4. Backyard Sports Tournament

For those wanting to stay dry, set up a backyard sports tournament. Cricket, volleyball, bocce or badminton are just some sports perfect for the backyard. Only Online has some 4-in- 1 play sets featuring badminton, volleyball, basketball and tennis to get you started and keep the smaller members busy with an all-in-one sand table.

Remember to always take precautions with children near water and check with your council to see if fencing requirements are permitted for small pools and inflatable structures.

And don’t forget the sunscreen and a hat!

With the Christmas decorations put away and last of the confetti swept up from the New Year festivities, it is time to start thinking about how we’re going to celebrate Australia Day.

My to-do list looks a little like this….

1. Date and Time

Obviously it will be held on January 26. Seeing as it’s a late lunch/early dinner, we usually ask our guests to arrive around 2pm and we usually head into town around 6-7pm.

2. Invitations

Last year, our invitations were just text messages or a phone call. This year, I want to get a little more creative. And if they don’t turn out, I could always get someone to make up some Australia Day personalised invitations.

3. Decorations

I love themed party ware. Doing a quick search on eBay I found a whole heap of Australia Day themed decorations like paper plates, bunting, cupcake patty cups and flag toppers, and balloons.

4. Menu

 On the list for this year’s Australia’s Day BBQ are the usual marinated chicken wings, sausages, steak, mushrooms and onions. I also a found a few new recipes that I want to try like these barbequed piri piri prawns, gourmet sausage rolls and of course, Australia Day is not complete without lamingtons, pavlova and a couple ice cold beers! Note to self – make sure the BBQ gas bottle is full!

5. Games and Activities

Hoping that it’s going to be a gorgeous day, we’re planning water fights with water pistols, water bombs, and a slip and slide. And for later on in the evening we have a big supply of sparklers.

And once we’re finished, we pile the kids, a couple of picnic blankets, Aussie temporary tattoos, Aussie flags and kids ear muffs for the youngest child and head into town to watch the Australia Day fireworks.

The perfect way to end a great day with friends and family.

How do you celebrate Australia Day?

Let’s look at Twitter’s quirks and what it does best. The endless stream of Twitter status updates in our feeds means that messages to the Twitter world are a drop in a vast ocean. Your target market may not even see your message at all. For this reason, you would need a huge amount of time to constantly fill the Twitter stream with your messages to reach a quantifiable number of consumers (who may become annoyed with your blatant promotion and repetition).

However, there is one aspect of Twitter that most users love, and that is the magic @username tool – a powerful method to build relationships with important contacts. Firstly, @username messages are directed to your contact’s email inbox, which they are likely to read. Secondly, in the Twitter high school playground, where you always feel left out of every conversation, an @username message makes your contact feel good. Very good.

You can use the @username tool to build relationships with other businesses in your industry that you may never have had the chance to meet, in an environment that encourages sharing and possibly even friendship. Before you start, use the Twitter lists tool to create segments of your contact list – maybe media, industry leaders, suppliers you would like to work with, retailers you would like to work with, people you admire, and other contacts that you can learn from, and could help you grow your business.

Once you have identified the contacts that you would like to engage with, follow their conversations and respond directly (using the @username tool) when appropriate, and with tact. Make sure that your responses are thoughtful and add to the conversation, and try not to overload your contact with messages.

Act as you would at a cocktail party, where you have been invited to chat with a small group of people you admire. Use your intuition to make connections, and nurture conversations that “gel” slowly, and consistently over time. Be authentic, be real, and you will find like-minded people to engage with. And you never know who you might form a real connection with – the possibilities are mindblowing.

So as a business to consumer tool, you may find that Twitter requires a huge amount of effort for a small return. But as a business to business tool, with a gentle hand and a healthy dose of authenticity, you may just find an incredible opportunity to build life-changing relationships.

So here’s some quick tips to think about when you take your next shot.

1. Perspective

Don’t always shoot what is right in front of you. Look up, lie down, get up close and capture the details or stand back and take in the entire scene.

2. Composition

Photographers talk about the rule of thirds – the image is divided into a grid of nine parts by two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, and the main part of your photo should be placed along the lines or the intersections – and this is a great way to line up your shots. Simplify this and just divide your rectangle into thirds. When taking a shot of the family at the beach or your favourite holiday spot, put your people in one third and take up the landscape with the other two thirds.

3. Light

Probably the most important factor in your photos. As a general rule, when outside keep the the sun behind you and watch for shadows that might ruin your shot. And remember clouds are a photographer’s friend – they produce a lovely diffused light and make for dramatic and interesting skies and are especially good for portraits.

4. Golden hour

On holidays, or if you want to capture some great shots of the kids at home, head out first thing or in the evening. Golden hour is the first and last hour of sunlight in the day. The light is softer and warmer and more even.

5. The best camera

There’s a saying that the best camera is the one you have at the time. Your favourite photo might be the one you took with your phone and not your fancy DSLR. See something worth photographing, don’t wait for the right camera, use the one you have right now.

Some photography essentials – from left to right:

• Keep your gear safe and ready to go in a camera bag. Protog has a great range.
• You don’t want to line up that great shot only for your camera to go flat. Stay prepared and stock up at battery max
• And don’t forget the extra memory cards, too. Stock up here
• For low-light situations or to take a photo of the whole family, a tripod is a must. Try here for some lightweight and portable versions.
• And get the official photographer in the photo with a remote for your camera. Try photo shop studio for a range covering most popular cameras.

1. School Shoes

Top of every mum’s back to school shopping list is school shoes. And that generally means a pair of black shoes and a pair of sports shoes.  Shoes are not cheap. My daughter has a very wide foot and takes a G fitting so I have to get her fitted but if money is tight or you know your child’s size then eBay can save you money with school shoes starting from as little as $20. I’m actually looking to buy a second pair as one pair didn’t last us the whole year.

2. The Uniform

And then there is the uniform. One child in a school uniform can easily add up to several hundred dollars, if not more.  And our school doesn’t sell 2^nd hand which is a bit of a pain. But I didn’t realise that if you search for your child’s school on eBay you might even find the uniform being sold by another family. I had no idea. And if you need plain items like shirts then  just do a search on eBay for ‘school shirts’ and hundreds of listings will come up in many colours and sizes.  We also go through a lot of school socks but I’ll be using eBay with deals like this one – 12 pairs of socks for $24.

3. Lunch Box

Once you have shoes and uniforms sorted, next on the list is a lunchbox and drink bottle. We’ve lost some expensive Tupperware at school this year so I’m keeping it at home and waiting till she’s a little older and stops losing things. Just do a search on lunchbox on eBay and thousands of listings will appear and just narrow it down to your child’s favourite colour or character. My daughter’s bag has to stay outside all day so an insulated lunch bag is a must and I can’t go past this Hello Kitty one at a great price too.

4. Supplies

We also get a supplies list for the year. Pencils, crayons, glue sticks, exercise books and so on. You’ll find it all on eBay and prices are very competitive. And thankfully I don’t have a book list but if you do then eBay can save you some serious money especially from smaller sellers who might be selling their own second hand copies. Here is an example. Just type in the title of the book and away you go.

And just to finish up, here are a few things to remember when buying your back to school needs on eBay. Firstly, look for postage times to ensure they arrive before school starts, try to find the best deal and taking advantage of free postage where possible. Be sure to check the seller’s refund and return policy in case an item doesn’t fit. And don’t forget to do a search on ‘back to school’.  And hopefully that helps remove a little of the stress this January.

1. Popcorn maker

Get nostalgic with a retro look popcorn maker or keep it sleek and modern – whatever style of kitchen you have, check out the fantastic range of popcorn makers available through eBay.

2. Popcorn Boxes

You’ll really feel like you are at the movies with your very own popcorn box in hand.

3. Novelty Straws

Add a touch of fun to your choice of beverage with a novelty straw. I love these vintage look striped straws available in a range of colours from Marley Hill Cottage but the kids are sure to choose one of the twisty, curly variety!

4. Beanbags

Beanbags aren’t just beanbags anymore! With names like the ‘space station’ and styles a lot more akin to a chaise lounge than the old fashioned shape, beanbags could just be the perfect, comfy seating choice for your family movie night. Check out the great range of styles at eBay’s Beanbag Heaven Store.

5. DVDs

The hardest part of family movie night has to be choosing the movie! Flickchart has a great list – The Best Family Movies of All Time – that currently includes Up, Toy Story and The Princess Bride in the Top 5. Or check out this list of 50 Great Family Film Suggestions from the Guardian UK.

The poor slave sighs as he heads off, thinking that it would be a marvellous thing to live in a world where making ice cream didn’t consist of a mad dash down a mountain side, clutching a precious cargo of rapidly melting ice for a tyrannical ruler. Lucky for us, we do live in that world, and if you have an ice cream machine at your disposal, then making your own delicious frozen desserts is as easy as cracking some eggs, mixing in some cream, milk and flavourings and then letting the machine do the hard work.

So are you ready to make the best ice cream you’ve ever tasted in your life? Trust me – once you’ve tasted this incredible vanilla, you will never want to eat commercial ice cream again!

Vanilla Ice Cream

• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and with the seeds scraped out
• 6 egg yolks
• ¾ cup caster sugar

1 – Heat the milk, cream and the vanilla bean and seeds over a medium heat until the mixture is hot, but not boiling. Remove from the heat.

2 – Meanwhile, place your egg yolks and sugar in a bowl, and beat until pale and thick. Slowly pour the cream mixture into the egg mixture, beating continually.

3 – Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and heat over a medium low heat, stirring until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool.

4 – Pour the mixture into your machine, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Once done, transfer to a container and put into the freezer. This recipe makes 4 cups of ice cream – not that they will last that long!

Vanilla not your thing? Then use the recipe as a base, and add flavours in the last 10 minutes of churning. We love choc chips, pureed fruit like raspberries and mango, toasted coconut – even shots of espresso! You can also use the machine to make cooling sorbets, perfect for hot summer days. Ice cream makers are available from Thrifts Australia.

1. Sales And Special Offers.

Everyone loves a good buy. Perhaps a discount if people buy 2 or more products, a 10 or 15% discount for a day or two, free gift with purchase. Something that entices new customers to your business.  And make sure you have a customer database or newsletter so that you can contact customers by email to let them know of the special offers.

 2. Get Social

Social media is a great way to boost your business. Does your business have a Facebook or a Twitter page? Are you meeting potential customers through these networks? It’s a great, free and easy way to put your business out there and build traffic to your website. And if you want to spend a bit of money on advertising, Facebook offers easy to use sponsored ads where you can set a budget and target the new customers you’re after.

Read more about getting social with our other articles:

• 4 Easy Steps To Advertise on Facebook
• Creating A Facebook Page: A Beginner’s Guide
• Promoting Your Own Business: Starting Your Own Twitter Account 

3. Do A Market

If you run a business that is targeted at mum’s or with products for kids then baby and kids markets are the hottest around. There are new ones popping up everywhere. It’s a great way to get out there and promote your business and it’s been the best way for me to meet new customers face to face, get my business cards out there and grow my sales. Lots of people visit markets, take flyers and business cards and shop from home. Don’t rule markets out.  Do your research and for as little as $100 you could be getting out there and meeting lots of new customers who didn’t know you were around.

4. Are You On eBay?

Having an online store on your own domain is not necessarily enough these days and especially if you are starting out. If you want to get noticed and reach thousands of new customers then getting on eBay.com.au is your best bet. I don’t know about you but if I’m after something in particular then I know I can find it on eBay. Everything in the one place. Plenty of businesses run an eBay store in addition to their website so don’t rule it out.  And if you’re not selling online then eBay is a great place to start and with premade templates, you can give our business an instantly professional look.

5. Advertise

It can be hard to justify spending money on advertising when you’re not bringing any money in the door. But work out how much you can spend and look to your local paper, online advertising through blogs (many blogs charge as little as $30 a month to advertise on their sidebar and it could be your target market) or specialist magazines.  You can always review at the end of each month and ask customers where they heard about you to determine what is working for you.

6. Review

If all else fails and you think you’ve tried everything then it’s time to review everything. Are your prices competitive, what has worked so far and what hasn’t worked, can you cut some costs, can you introduce new products, can you talk to someone in the industry for some advice, do you have a newsletter, are your new products easy to find, are you easy to find on the internet and so on.

7. Don’t give up!

All businesses go through highs and lows. It’s important not to give up too early in the game. Hard work, perseverance and determination will always pay off. Keep your costs as low as possible when you’re not bringing in sales but remain focused and give yourself a time limit to see improvements.

I hope this helps and I’d love to hear what has worked for you in the past!

1. Macaroni Necklace

Let’s start with a classic. Everyone loves a macaroni necklace. Younger kids will appreciate the large holes in the macaroni, making it easy to thread. You can leave the pasta au naturel, or have fun dipping the macaroni into pots of paint. More nimble fingers may like to paint each macaroni with designs too.

You’ll need:

• Macaroni
• String or pretty baker’s twine
• Embellishments (such as seed beads, sequins, glitter glue, etc)
• Acrylic paint and pots or paint brush (spray paint optional)

Paint the macaroni by either dipping into pots, painting with a brush or spray painting. Once dry add to the painted macaroni with more paint or glitter glue or glue on embellishments such as sequins and beads. After glue and paint has dried, thread the macaroni beads onto the string or twine and secure with a knot. (note – ensure that this activity is supervised carefully with small children under 3 years of age who may swallow the pasta or embellishments)

2. Fabric Flower Brooches and Hair Clips

For those a little more advanced in the crafting territory, these fabric flower brooches and hair clips are super-effective and use up scraps of fabric that you may have lying around. Brooches will make great gifts for adults too.

You’ll need:

• Brooch backs for brooches
• Barrette findings for hair clips (try clips with 3 holes for easy attachment)
• Fabric scraps. If you don’t have a stash, try some of these great fabric designers: Amy Butler, Kristen Doran, Saffron Craig, Sprout Design, Heather Bailey).
• Optional – tulle scraps
• Optional – felt scraps
• Hot glue
• Embellishments (such as pearl beads)
• Needle and thread
• Optional – glitter glue
• Cardboard
• Various concentric circle shapes (coins, lids, jars, etc)
• Pen or pencil
• Scissors

Step 1: Using the pen or pencil to draw circle shapes with the coins, lids and jars onto cardboard.

Step 2: Cut out to create your circle templates. You will need at least 4 different nesting circle shapes.

Step 3: Use the cardboard templates to cut circles out of the fabric or felt scraps (and tulle scraps if you have them).

Step 4: Stack the circles with the largest at the bottom and the smallest at the top.

Step 5: Use a needle and thread to secure the circles together through the centre. Attach an embellishment to the top of the circle flower with hot glue. If required, add glitter glue to the flowers for added bling.

Step 6: Attach the finished fabric flower to a brooch back using hot glue or needle and thread.

Repeat the steps above and attach the finished fabric flower to a barrette clip using hot glue or needle and thread (if the barrette finding has holes).

*Advanced option: For the more advanced crafter, cut a scalloped edge out of the circles to create a flower petal shape.

3. Shoe Clips

A clever application is to create two fabric flower hairclips and attach them to the front of flat shoes or ballet slippers for cute, flowery toes.

So that’s a couple of hours taken care of – maybe even a whole day – resulting in some great handmade gifts for loved ones. Have fun!

So you can imagine how delighted I would have been as a child to get my hands on a bona fide crafting book, particularly one written especially for kids. It would have been heaven between hardcovers! So if your child appears to have inherited a crafting gene, then please, please don’t show them the odd sock bag and say “Go for your life!” Trust me – there is something rather depressing about having an old sock as your only craft material. Instead, spur on their creative energies with a crafting book tailored just for them.

1. Green Crafts for Children by Emma Hardy

Full of great ideas for creating toys, games, gifts and ornaments from both found and recycled objects. Most of the materials required can be found around the home or are incorporated from nature, like leaves, twigs and shells.  The 35 projects featured all have clear step-by-step instructions.  Available from Booktopia Books.

2. Kid Made Modern by Todd Oldham

Got a funky hipster child? Then they will love this book by renowned designer Todd Oldham. Packed with projects inspired by legendary artists and designers such as Marimekko and Ray and Charles Eames these projects will not only provide them with hours of creating their own distinctive pieces, but will also teach them about modern art. Win win! Available from Treeet.

3. The Usborne Book of Drawing, Doodling and Colouring

Usborne has many colouring and making titles in their range, but this one is our hands-down favourite. The book encourages children to let their imaginations take over and doodle crazy art work all over the pages, with fantastic illustrations providing a starting point. Perfect for colouring in, or for children who want to refine their drawing skills. Available from Book Hub.

4. Crafternoon Series edited by Kathreen Ricketson

This series of books is designed especially for children, featuring 25 projects that can be done with little adult assistance in the space of an afternoon. The titles include Papercraft, Beading, Felting and Sewing, so there really is something for everyone. Available from Booktopia Books.

5. The Daring Book for Girls/The Dangerous Book for Boys

A purist might argue that these books don’t strictly belong in a crafting category, but I would say that they are ideal for any child who likes to make and do. The books provide instructions on all the things you want to know how to do as a kid – such as read codes, make water bombs, fold the perfect paper aeroplane – and is also filled with heaps of fascinating information, such as details on the best female explorers, what to do with a snake or spider bite, and the fine art of telling a really scary ghost story. Both books are available from The Nile Australia.

*Items listed are available at time of publication

Splish Splash

If you have a pool, then you are set. If you don’t, the kids will love to splash around in an inflatable paddle pool or run under a sprinkler (if your water restrictions allow). Remember endless summers on the Slip and Slide? Inflatable pool toys are also fun – we used to ride our pool ponies for hours.

Keep a stash of stylish Canningvale or Country Road beach towels for guests. And keep a huge pump pack of SPF 30+ sunscreen available (and encourage frequent use).

Resort Wear

Think fabulous resort holiday, and saunter around in a billowy Camilla Franks or Seafolly kaftan, wide-brimmed hat, and flat jewelled sandals. Full coverage is the stylish choice for swimwear with styles from the 50′s and 60′s making a huge comeback. Add a big pair of sunnies and you are good to go.

Refreshing Drinks

Drinks are essential, of course. For the kids, mini bottles always look great, especially teamed with a retro stripey paper straw. You can buy mini Italian juice bottles and wash off the labels, or you can purchase empty bottles directly from stores such as motherducksaidletsparty, oweneatscake and voiletcaviar. Fill with sparkling mineral water and a splash or juice.  If you’re feeling energetic, you could fix a piece of Japanese washi tape to the side and write on each child’s name.

For the adults, think fruity, sparkly and cold. Fill a water jug with sparkling water and slices of lime, sprigs of mint and plenty of ice. A metal bucket looks chic filled with ice and boutique soft drinks and beer. For the imbibers, you could make up a jug of Caipiriniha, with Brazillian cachaça, sugar and lime – super-refreshing and very hot right now.

Fun Food

Skip the heavy food and go for light, refreshing nibbles. You can make truly impressive jellies easily with a bit of forward planning. For adults, prepare the jelly in a martini glass.

For the kids, shot glasses are a great size. When set, top each with whipped cream and a raspberries, strawberries or blueberries.

Fruit skewers are an easy entertaining idea that kids and adults love, and keeps everyone hydrated. Simply thread fresh fruit cubes onto skewers; snip off the sharp ends if you are worried about the little ones stabbing themselves.

A big bowl of buttered and salted popcorn is an inexpensive and moreish treat. If your party goers need something more substantial, throw something a little special on the BBQ. A butterflied chicken marinated in Portuguese spices will cook fairly quickly and smell fantastic. Marinated and butterflied lamb is also a great option, and works well with make-your-own wraps, tabouli, cucumber and yoghurt. You can also serve up prawns, and BBQ the shells too which make interesting “chips”. Dip into aioli and serve with a mango and coriander salsa. (Go on, skip the sausages and chops).

Simple Décor

Casually arranged flowers from the garden are the simplest and easiest décor for an outdoor party. Hydrangeas and Agapanthus are particularly impressive and flower throughout the summer. Keep vases simple (white or clear glass) and trim most of the lower leaves.

If your outdoors area is in need of a little pizazz, paper lanterns or tissue paper poms are a festive and fun decorating option. Hang from trees, balcony, porch or pergola at varying heights.

Music

Music can make a memory, and there are a slew of great chilled-vibe artists for a pool party. Try the John Butler Trio, Jack Johnson, Ben Harper, Buena Vista Social Club, and Astrud Gilberto, to name a few.

And there you have some simple ideas for a chic soiree. Keep a close eye on the kids, use lots of sunscreen, and you’ll be hosting stylish Summer Pool Parties all summer long.

Fondant is great to work with, is quite pliable and can be made into just about anything you imagine.

You can roll it out, form it into things, paint on it and cut out shapes to keep in an airtight container for weeks. Covering a cake with fondant gives you a great blank canvas to work with and keeps the cake inside moist.

Here are a few tips to help get you started with fondant:

1. When covering a cake with fondant, make sure that you have crumbed coated the cake first with butter cream or ganache so it seals in the moisture – otherwise any crumbs or imperfections will show through
2. Place cake on a sturdy cake board
3. Dust your work bench with cornflour and roll out the fondant, rotating it a few times to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bench. Roll out to about ¼ inch using a silicone rolling pin
4. Work quickly as it does dry out and make sure that any unused fondant is placed in an airtight container
5. Place rolled fondant over cake and smooth out with the palm of your hand and a cake smoother
6. Trim excess fondant from the base and place in a zip lock bag or airtight container
7. If you get any cracks or small holes just use a little vegetable shortening to smooth and repair
8. Standard cakes covered in fondant will last 2-3 days before cutting. Do NOT store in the fridge
9. Make any fondant decorations to be placed on cake a few days before to allow them enough time to harden
10. Cake edge can be fancied up a bit with ribbon, some fondant shapes or tiny balls or even M&m’s
11. Once cake is cut it can be stored in the fridge to keep it fresher

A few tips on colouring fondant and making shapes:

1. Fondant is a little like modelling clay, it needs to be kneaded until it’s soft and easily pliable
2. If fondant is a little hard, grease your hands with a little butter to soften it
3. Use food colour gels to colour your fondant, just add a few drops to the middle of your ball of fondant and knead until it’s all incorporated. Use gloves to prevent rainbow hands
4. To roll out your fondant for shapes, it’s easier if you use a non stick baking paper dusted with some cornflour or icing sugar
5. As you roll out your fondant, keep turning it and making sure it’s well dusted so as to prevent it sticking
6. You can marble the fondant by taking two different coloured long sausage shapes of fondant and plait together then knead a little to get the colours marbled and roll out
7. Cookie cutters can be used to make shapes, any shapes you can imagine, from hearts and stars to aeroplanes and cars, to little people. Just treat it as you would modelling clay or plasticine and create bodies from round balls and faces with food colour pens
8. A few tools to have in your box of tricks are various size cutters, letter and number cutters, ruler, fondant smoother, modelling tools, rolling pin, embosser/cutter tool, scissors, skewers/toothpicks for frilling flowers or butterfly wings, coloured gels and food colour pens

I hope this inspires you to have a go; it really is all up to your imagination what you create.

Most of all have fun doing it and if you have any questions or suggestions we’d love to hear them. Cake decorating supplies from Cake Emporium, my.dream.cake, Penrith Valley Cake Supplies

For those who have never used Twitter: people, brands and companies can create tweets (text-only status updates) within 140 character limit (including punctuation and spacing). Since the content is limited in length due to character restrictions, it’s easy to obtain information in an easily-digestible manner, where only the key points are included.

Ready to take your brand to the next social level with Twitter? Let’s get started!

First, visit twitter.com to go to the main login page. You will see the following area where you can start your own account:

1. Signing up

Signing up for Twitter is simple and won’t take long. Your full name can be your own name or your company’s name, which will show up on your Twitter profile. Note that this will not be your Twitter username and it can be changed later. For example, when creating our Twitter account, our full name was Mum’s Business (see below the bold lettering) and our “Twitter name” is @MumBusiness.

Your updates will be sent to the email that you provide. You can adjust your email settings later, but make sure that you put in an email that you use and have access to so that you can verify your account, change your password, etc.

Password: pretty self-explanatory. If the password is too obvious (short, not enough alphabetical/numerical variation) it will ask you to change it until it is safe.

After you’ve clicked “Sign Up” you’ll be asked to make a username. This will be the name that people use to talk to you or about you with an “@” before it. Pick wisely because you can’t change this later. Use something that is memorable such as your name, your blog name or your business name (or as close to as possible). It will give you suggestions of available names.

2. Get Started in 60 Seconds

You’ll be shown what a tweet looks like.

Then asked who you want to follow. You can type in celebrity names, hobbies of yours, brands you love, friends who may have accounts, etc. Just click “Follow” next to their name to start receiving their tweets on your timeline. You must follow at least 15 people to start up your account.

When you’re through following your initial batch of people, you’ll be taken to your timeline, where you see the tweets of only the people that you have just followed. It will be listed in chronological order with the newest tweet on top.

3. Getting your profile set up

Click on your own name to go to your profile. Pretty empty, huh? Not for long! Click “Edit your profile”…

Profile Tab:

• Photo: You’re photo is a small thumbnail that will be shown with every tweet you make – so make it good! You can put an icon, a name, a photo – or whatever. Here’s ours:

• Name: Change it if you’d like, or keep it. Your choice.
• Location: If you’re running a biz or doing a blog from a certain location, let everyone know where that is!
• Web: Time to promote yourself! Put in your URL here.
• Bio: You have 160 characters to tell everyone about yourself – use them wisely.
• Facebook: Do you want your tweets to go straight to your Facebook? If so, connect here.
• Save.

Design Tab:
Make your profile unique by choosing a theme that Twitter provides, or uploading your own theme. Changing your design colours can help represent your personality or brand. This part is super fun and you can always change it later.
Account Tab:
Allows you to customise your tweets, what information is public to the twitter community, etc.
Password Tab:
Afraid someone’s been sneaking through your account? We recommend you change your password every few months just to be safe!
Mobile Tab:
Set up your mobile so that you can receive tweets and more on-the-go!
Notifications Tab:
When you begin Twitter, all the notification boxes are ticked, so you’ll receive emails for anything that happens on Twitter. If this gets to be too much, go through and un-tick the boxes for the emails to stop.

All set up? You’re ready to get started!
Time to start tweeting your heart away! We could do a whole post about how to tweet – but here are a few tips just to get you moving:

• Type “@” before a username (ex. @mumbusiness) for them to be notified that you mentioned them
• If you want to reply, retweet, or favourite something that someone said, move your cursor over the tweet to click the option.
• What you say is visible to all your followers unless you send it in a direct message
• When adding links to your tweets, use something that shortens the URL so that you can fit more characters into each tweet (try bitly.com)

Well – that’s all folks! Enjoy your brand new Twitter account. You’ll get used to it in no time and undoubtedly love it like the rest of us. Beware: it’s completely addictive – know your limits

What you will need:

• A plain diary (not spiral bound)
• Some fun fabric
• Double sided tape
• Heavy paper or card

Here is my plain old diary before the makeover:

Step 1. 

Open your diary out so it lays flat on your piece of fabric. Measure and cut a rectangle from the fabric that measures about 1.5cm larger than your diary on all sides.

Step 2.

Cut a piece of double sided tape to fit the height of your diary cover from top to bottom, and adhere it to the inside edge of the front cover. Remove the adhesive backing strip. Bring the fabric over the edge and stick it down onto the tape. Repeat this process on the back cover (see photos following step 3).

IMPORTANT: Before you stick the fabric to the back cover make sure your diary is partially closed so the fabric stretches over the spine, otherwise your diary will not close properly once the fabric has been adhered.

Step 3.

Cut two pieces of double sided tape to fit the width of your diary cover (left to right) and adhere to the inside top edge and inside bottom edge of the front cover. Remove the adhesive backing strips. Bring the fabric over the edge and stick it down onto the tape. Repeat this process on the back cover.

Step 4.

You will notice the fabric pulls at the top and bottom where the spine is. To neaten this up, take some sharp scissors and cut two slits in the fabric, either side of where the spine is (see photos below). This will create a little flap that you can then tuck in behind the pages (use a pencil to stuff it in there!). Do this on the top and bottom edges.

Your diary should now look like this:

Step 5.

Now to make it look super neat, cut two pieces of heavy paper to fit the inside of each cover. I’ve chosen a bright aqua paper to contrast with the vivid warm colours of my fabric.

Adhere double sided tape around all edges, making sure to cover the corners, and add a few strips in the centre for good measure! Remove the adhesive backing strips and carefully place on the inside of each cover, hiding all the fabric edges beneath. Run your thumbnail along all edges to make sure they are stuck firmly.

Voila! Keeping track of appointments and deadlines will be so much more fun with your new decked-out diary!

I actually look forward to the occasional road trip, I love the idea of the family cocooned in the car together. But of course it is not always smooth sailing. Here’s a few things we use to pass the time on the road.

• DVD player: The wonders of modern technology. Although if I had a dollar for every time someone said to me “we didn’t have those when we went on holiday”, well I would have a much nicer car. In moderation these are a great way to keep small children amused in the back. I often find it helps relax them when it all get a bit tiring. Buy or perhaps rent or borrow from your local library a couple of new movies to capture their interest. Ones that attach to the back of the headrest (like the one here) are a great option if you use a company car or don’t want them in the vehicle all the time. Or if you are traveling a lot you might prefer a built-in version.

• Handheld game consoles: Love them or hate them, they keep small hands and minds busy. And the beauty of it is there is something for all age groups. Nintendo DS’s for older kids, LEAP products for the toddlers and iPhone and iPads pretty much for everyone. Throw in a couple of educational games and read-along storybook apps and they will be learning without thinking twice about it.

• DIY games: Have paper and pen will travel. Hangman, pictionary, noughts and crosses. Make up your own travel bingo to play, spotting landmarks and places you know you will see on your trip.

• Board games: Take along a couple of your family’s travel-sized board games. You’ll then also have them for rainy days or night at home during your holiday. And a pack of cards always comes in handy.

• Personal travel pack: I often make up a little travel pack for my kids. It includes things like a clipboard for leaning on, paper and pencils for drawing or playing games. If it is a long or unfamiliar trip I might print out a map to show them where we are going and it is also helpful in showing them how far we have gone and how long we have to go. If we are stopping off anywhere along the way, I include that on the map. For older children it can also be a geography lesson as they to pick out town names and find them on the map.

• Ball sports: Any long trip is going to involve a rest stop. If you have the room, throw a football, soccer ball, tennis ball or even a frisbee in the back so children can run off some excess energy when you stop. Not all stops will have swings or play parks so it helps to take something of your own along to keep them busy.

• Other essentials: There are some things that you need on every trip, no matter how old or young your backseat passengers might be. I always make sure our car is stocked with snacks and drinks, wipes, tissues rubbish bags and hand sanitiser sprays for on-road toilet stops. If you are taking consoles and iDevices it’s not a bad idea to invest in some car chargers and extra batteries, too.

Most importantly, don’t forget your favourite teddy bear!

Are you hitting the road these holidays? What are your tips for surviving the long and winding road?

1. Last-minute air freshener

Got guests dropping over and haven’t had time to air the house? Try this super-quick air freshener recipe:

In a small saucepan place a combination of aromatic spices – try a sprinkle of cinnamon, a sprinkle of ground cloves (or a few whole cloves) and some vanilla essence or fresh orange zest. Add a cup or two of water and simmer. Keep an eye on the water level and top-up as needed.

2. Carpet-fresh

If you have a stinky rug that the dog sits on, or if you just like to keep your carpets smelling lovely, try this:

• Pour two cups of bi-carb soda into a bowl.
• Add 20 – 25 drops of your favourite essential oil and combine thoroughly. Oils such as rosemary and lavender are great for keeping away fleas. Rose and sandalwood are relaxing scents. Lemon, orange, eucalyptus and peppermint will add a zesty, uplifting aroma.
• Leave the mixture overnight to let the oil dry (you don’t want to stain your carpet with the wet oil).
• Sprinkle over your carpet, leave for at least 30 minutes (a few hours or overnight is better) and then vacuum.

Lemon Essential Oil 25ml $17.95 from nakedpress and Lavender, Peppermint & Orange Essential Oil Blend 15ml $15.95 from Fresh Spirit Eco Homewares

3. Misting spray

Vinegar is a fabulous odour neutraliser, and when combined with essential oils it makes a great room spray.

Mix one part water with one part vinegar in a spray bottle. Add 10 – 15 drops of essential oil and shake to combine. This can be sprayed into the air whenever you need a burst of fragrance.

4.Potpourri

Potpourri can be left in bowls or containers around the house – inconspicuously if you like – or put into little gauze bags and used to scent drawers and wardrobes.

You can use any kind of dried flower or foliage for your potpourri mix, but the following are popular: dried rose petals and buds, dried lavender, cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, cloves, wood curls, dried seed pods.

Add 6 drops of your favourite essential oil to every cup of dried potpourri mix and combine thoroughly. Place into containers and leave in various places around your home or scoop into small gauze bags for scenting small spaces.

Dried Rose Buds 50g $7.90 from sounds-creative and Dried Lavender 50g $5.43 from Accolent Dried Herbs.

1. Departure Prohibition Orders Served to 192 Parents after Failing to Pay Child Support – Courier Mail

Departure Prohibition Orders (DPOs) have more than doubled since last year, prohibiting 192 parents, who neglect to pay child support, to travel outside Australia. DPOs don’t appear after missing a single payment, of course. Some of these families owe tens of thousands of dollars to support their child and the DPO makes sure that these parent’s aren’t flying off on holidays instead of using their money for their parental duties. Already, some banned parents have attempted to travel overseas and were instead detained at airports.

What other ways do you think would be helpful in attempt to persuade parents to pay their full child support?

2. $47M Plan to Help Get Teenage Parents Through School – The Australian

Starting 1st Jan 2012, the $47 million initiative will begin a 4 year trial period to help young parents complete their year 12 or equivalent qualification. Teenage parents in 10 local Australian communities will benefit from quality child care for little to no cost, parenting education classes, mentoring, support groups and more.

Not only will the program help equip the parents with the tools they need to care for a child, but ultimately put them in a position of sustainable work so that they can support themselves and their families.

3. Top 10 Parenting Stories of 2011 – The Stir

From the parents who kept their child’s gender a secret to the Duggar’s 20th baby announcement (and unfortunate miscarriage), 2011 has been an crazy one in the headlines for parents. Brush up on stories you may have missed and let us know which you thought were most interesting!

4. Did Christian Parenting Book Contribute to Child Deaths? - LA Times

After three deaths of children in the United States aged 4-13, a book called “To Train Up a Child” by Michael and Debi Pearl proves to be the common thread amongst the families. The book  frequently cites Proverbs 13:24 “he that spareth the rod, hateth his son,” encouraging parents to spank and use force against disobedient children.

Thus far, 9,000 concerned opposers have signed a petition for Amazon to take it off their site. Would you sign the petition if it came to you?

5. Foster Care Information Sessions - Department for Child Protection WA

Are you thinking about fostering a child in need? The 2012 calendars for your state will soon be in circulation so you can prepare to attend an information session. Make sure that you don’t miss an opportunity to make a huge difference in a child’s life. Here’s one for WA and VIC – just Google to find others near you.

You’ll need:

• plant pots – self-watering pots are great, but any pot is good as long as it has a drainage hole.
• trowel
• gardening gloves
• stakes – for tomatoes, peppers, and any tall or climbing plant
• twine – to secure the plants to the stakes
• potting mix
• netting and rocks to weigh down the edges – optional; to protect from birds, possums, bush rats, and other hungry creatures

Getting started

Buy seedlings or start with your own seeds. The kids like to plant seeds from fruit and vegies they have eaten into a little pot with some soil, store on the windowsill in the kitchen and keep watered. We have successfully sprouted some strong watermelon seedlings, which we then transplanted to the garden. Can’t wait to see how they grow!

Use good quality potting mix for best results. Fill pots ¾ with soil, and divide the seedlings between the pots, giving enough room for growth. Use the trowel or your hand to create a hole, gently remove the seedling from the plastic pot (try squeezing the pot if it is not already loose), and place into the hole. Top up the pot with extra soil and ensure all roots are covered. Give newly potted plants a good water.

Basic Kitchen Garden

The plants you choose to grow is entirely up to you, and dependent on the type of food you cook. Some basic plants to round out a Kitchen Garden include:

Basil

Basil is a great, versatile plant that will turn tomatoes into a gourmet lunch. Excess basil can be used to make pesto. Our animal friends like basil too, so be prepared to share.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a fun crop to plant, as the kids will love to watch how quickly they grow, and pick the fruit (and hopefully eat it!) when it’s ripe. You will need to use stakes and twine to contain the plant. The options are limitless with tomatoes – add to the basil for a beautiful caprese salad, make bruschetta, add to pizzas, or simply eat as-is.

Parsley

Flat Leaf Parsley is one of those herbs that seems to go well with everything. You’ll be thankful you don’t have to buy expensive bunches from the grocery store, when you need a few snips on top of your pasta. Brighten up any dish with a scattering of parsley on top.

Spinach, Rocket and Lettuce

Once you have a never-ending bunch of spinach growing in your Kitchen Garden, you’ll find ways to add it to everything. A few handfuls are lovely on top of a pizza, chopped and thrown into a curry, stew, pasta and salad. The same goes for the lovely peppery rocket. And a small side salad is just a few steps away when you have lettuce in a pot by your back door. No more lettuce heads rotting away in the fridge. Simply snip off a few outer leaves and toss with caramelised balsamic vinegar (now we’re talking).

Chives

Chives are another herb (of the onion family) that you will use in everything if you have it on hand. A few snips will jazz up any dish, and are particularly good in omelettes, and tossed with hot, buttery potatoes. The gorgeous purple flowers are pretty tucked into a small vase too.

More Kitchen Garden Favourites

Oregano and Thyme

Oregano and Thyme are two herbs that are handy to have in your garden for Mediterranean cooking, with roasted vegetables, on pizza, marinating meats, and for making bouquet garni.

Rosemary

Rosemary is fantastic roasted with meat, and when you have your own potted rosemary, you won’t miss a few stems for barbequing. Again, a great herb to use for Mediterranean cooking.

Coriander

It can be a little temperamental to grow, and prefers cooler weather, but if you master coriander, your hip pocket will be thanking you, as it can grow profusely. It’s such a great compliment for most of the world’s cuisines including Asian, Mexican and Middle Eastern. The roots are also great for cooking, so this plant creates no waste. This is one of my favourites.

Mint

A few mint leaves are great in a jug of water (or frozen in ice cubes) and is useful herb for Middle Eastern and South-East Asian cooking. And of course, mint is fantastic in a mojito (or two!).

Fennel

Fennel is a natural accompaniment for fish and is also lovely with potatoes. The fennel flower is one of my favourite and beautiful displayed in a vase.

Sage

Sage is another herb that goes well with roasted meat, and is also fabulous with prosciutto and pecorino, stuffed with blue cheese in a chicken breast, or sauteed with browned butter to top fresh pasta. Another favourite for me.

Peppers

Like tomatoes, peppers are fun to grow and the kids love to watch the flowers turn into long green, then red chilli peppers or sweet peppers (capsicum). This is another plant that will need to be staked. Peppers of course have a wide range of use, both fresh and dried. A small bottle of fresh chillis tied with ribbon would make a lovely gift for a foodie friend, and if you have a bumper crop, you could make an amazing chilli jam.

Strawberries

Our kids’ favourite plant of all is the strawberry. It’s so fun to run out to the pots to see if the flower have turned to fruit, and if the fruit is ready to eat yet. Be prepared to protect your strawberries from animals as they are quite popular with all critters. Some strawberry varieties shoot out “runners” that can be transferred to new pots. Try to keep fruit off the delicate fruit off the soil so it doesn’t rot.

Pump Up The Volume

A great way to get growth from your potted Kitchen Garden is to add a good fertiliser like worm “juice” or casings. Use up kitchen scraps by feeding your worm farm, then use the casings from the farm (diluted in water) to fertilise your potted plants.

Don’t be afraid to move your plants around. Read the labels carefully (or check online) for levels of sunlight required, and move them until you find a spot that works. We like to keep an organic garden (who wants to grow gorgeous fresh food, just to cover it with toxic chemicals?), so we don’t mind if our leaves have a few holes in them. If your plants are being attacked, you can try spraying with soapy water, adding pepper to the soil can stop snails, and keeping your plants covered with netting.

You don’t need much space to grow all the herbs and some vegies and fruit to use in your kitchen. Creating your own potted Kitchen Garden is a great way to get outdoors and teach the little ones about where our food comes from. You never know – if they grow it, they may even eat it!

To help you get started, here is a list of platforms, tools and tips you can use to promote your blog (and your latest posts) and hopefully drive some traffic to your site.

• Twitter: The social networking site is the fastest and simplest way to promote your blog posts. You can use plugins or automated feeding sites like Twitterfeed, Tweetdeck, HootSuite or Buffer to schedule tweets that will post during the day to cover peak times in different time zones. Set up an account, remember to use your avatar and tweet away.
• Facebook: Set up a Facebook page for blog/business following the tips here. Then each time you post to your blog, share it with your Facebook friends. Again you can use an automated service like Networked Blogs or Twitterfeed. HootSuite and Buffer can also be used to post and schedule to Facebook.
• Stumbleupon: This a web-browsing site that can be a great traffic generator to your site. Sign up for an account, download the toolbar to your browser and use the I like it button to submit your posts to the site. You can also use the the siteís little brother sup.r to shorten your links and post to Twitter. You can use sup.r to monitor your clicks and stumbles and get an idea of what is popular among stumblers.
• Google+: The latest addition to the social media arsenal and, like creating a Facebook page, blogs and businesses can create a Google+ page. You will need Google account and then you can share your posts using the link tool, much like a Facebook status update.
• Tumblr: If your posts contain some lovely images, you might also want to consider posting them to a tumblr account. The tumblr community are big on resharing photos that catch their eye, sending your link all through the site.
• Pinterest: Pinners love useful content and this can be another great driver of traffic. You can pin your own photos from your posts or encourage your readers to pin them.
• Memes: Depending on what your niche is, they may be a meme to promote your blog. Memes a link-ups of blog posts around a certain theme. Usually a blog will host a meme on the same day each week and people link their own posts up. Itís a great way to get yourself out there and find a ready-made following.
• Read: Get out there and introduce yourself. Read a range of blogs and, when you have something to contribute, leave a comment. Most blogs have the option of including a website link and some use the commentluv plugin which will link to your latest post.

Make it easy for your readers to share your content as well by adding social sharing buttons on your blog and on the individual posts. There are lots of plugins and widgets that will allow you to do this, just have a look around and find the one that suits you best.

The important thing to remember is that all of these sharing sites are social media channels, with the emphasis being on the ‘social’ element. You need to find and build a community to make it work. Just sharing your blog posts, especially when you are just starting out, is not the way to win friends and influence people. Instead, join in and/or create conversations: answer questions, engage and share useful information and be a part of the community.

And, don’t forget to tell your friends and family and put your blog address on your business cards. You never know where you will find a potential reader.

Easy – firstly just figure out what sort of sewing you are planning on doing. The needs of somebody who hopes that they may eventually graduate to making a skirt are very different to somebody who is planning on covering, embroidering and quilting everything in sight! Once you know the type of sewing you want to do, you can then choose a machine to suit your purpose.

Some good questions to ask yourself are:

• What do I want to sew? Clothes, home furnishings, quilts?
• What sort of fabrics do I plan on sewing? Wovens, denims, knits, layered items like quilts or everything?
• What is my sewing machine budget? Do I plan on using the machine for a long time?
• Which features are important to me?
• Where will I keep my machine – will it need to be put away, or will it sit permanently out in its own space?

Once you’ve answered the questions, you’ll probably know which category you fall into. Don’t forget to ask any friends who sew what they use, if they are happy with it and would they recommend it.

1. The Quick Fixer

No bells and whistles for you – you just want something that will get the job done quickly. You want to be able to do alterations like taking up hems, fixing zips and maybe some simple projects like cushions, basic clothes or costumes. A smaller machine would be great, so you could stow it away when it’s not in use.

We recommend: Singer Sewing Machine 1507 Price: $165.90

2. The Sew My Own Clothes Person

You’ve started to sew and you love it. You have grand visions of making a lot of your own clothes, out of all sorts of fabrics. Therefore you’ll want a machine that will let you sew both woven and knit fabrics, have buttonholing functions, allow you to put in both regular and invisible zips, and is sturdy enough to handle fabrics of varying thicknesses. A few nice decorative stitches wouldn’t go astray, either. You plan on making sewing a hobby, so don’t mind spending a bit more on a machine that will be with you for the long haul.

We recommend: Janome 19110 Price: $619.99

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3. The Hardcore Quilter, Embroidery and Clothing Whiz

As far as you are concerned, a day that isn’t spent sewing is a day wasted. You want a machine that will allow you to sew anything you can think of, and have a list of requirements such as a free arm, computerised embroidery PC downloads, 100+ stitch types, electronic thread cutter. The more functions this machine has the better, as you know you’ll use them all.

We recommend: Singer Quantum L-500 Price: $1,599

* Items available at prices listed at time of publication

It’s been a while since the last culling of the kid’s clothes, so after sending Hubby to the pools with the two youngest kids, I got stuck into it. I pulled every single thing out of the wardrobe. As I went through each piece of clothing, I put them into four different piles:

Pile 1: Items to keep

The dresses that are keepers were hung back up or folded up and put back into the drawers where they belong.

We get a lot of hand me downs from a couple of friends and some of the clothes are still too big for Miss 4. Those ones are put into plastic tubs. I labelled the outside of the tub with the size, and stored it on the top shelf of her wardrobe.

Pile 2: Items that should be in the wash

I admit it – there were some clothes in there that, instead of putting in the washing basket when I asked them to tidy up their bedroom, were tossed into the bottom of their wardrobes. *sigh*

Pile 3: Items to donate

The clothes that are too small but are not in really good condition are bundled up and dropped off at the local charity clothing bin.

Pile 4: Items to sell

We keep a box in the linen cupboard of things that we don’t want or need anymore. When we have a few items in there, I list them on eBay.com.au to sell. Clothes that Miss 4 hardly wears, or has grown out of or simply doesn’t like gets added to that box.

It’s a great way to earn some pocket money to buy…other stuff.

My top tips when culling kids’ clothes…

• Make sure you have a block of time free to get it done.
• Set up some baskets – washing, keep, donate, sell.
• Sort through the sizes, and store the ones that are too big in plastic tubs.
• Re-organise the wardrobe and drawers and admire your hard work.
• Sigh when the kids come home and make it all a mess again.

How often do you cull your kids’ clothing?

We wish we didn’t have to see this or talk about it – but it’s a reality in some households and it’s our duty as parents to look out for signs of children that may be in danger. That’s what we’re reminded of when we see this troubling photo and reading about the 21-year-old father who posted about how he decided to discipline his daughter on Facebook. Did none of his friends take action?

Obviously some of his friends decided to share the image, which is why it has gone viral and landed in the hands of the police, who are currently running an investigation.

2. Electronic Gadgets and Kids - ABC News

A few weeks ago, we discussed an article outlining why iPads may not be safe for children. But let’s be honest, not all of us are strong enough to keep them away from our kids or say no come the holidays when it’s at the top of the wish list. So, if you do decide that your child will get a high-tech gadget for Christmas, consider taking some steps towards monitoring usage so that they’re getting the best out of it, without becoming a lazy couch potato.

What’s your opinion on children and iPads?

3. Step-families Collide on Christmas – Central Queensland News

Being a step-parent can be difficult all year round, but things get pretty intense around holiday time when emotions are high and the family is spending heaps of time together. Michael Carr-Gregg, a parenting expert, psychologist and step-father, suggests keeping things simple and warns not to get carried away with the “Brady delusion” that everything will be perfect.

Australia and New Zealand are following the trend the US and UK set – more families are blended than first families. So just know – that you’re not in it alone! Take a look at the article for some advice from another step-parent.

4. Culture Vulture: Parenting - Sydney Morning Herald

Surely you’ve heard of the book, Go the F–k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. It’s trendier than the Kardashians amongst parents. It’s a clever kid’s book for adults, and a New York Times bestseller. A brave picture book full of the f-word – who would have thought it would be such a major hit? But this article explores that these books have been around for years.

Do you or someone you know have the book? Let us know your thoughts.

Bright lights

Adding a little extra light is both practical and pretty when eating outdoors. There are many options available, including colourful lanterns (many of which are solar powered) and pretty string lights.

Colour and comfort

Add colour and comfort to your outdoor room with an outdoor bean bag. With so many styles and sizes available, the hardest part is choosing!  Or add some bright and comfy cushions to your existing outdoor setting. Check out Breeze Direct for a range of scatter cushions suitable for use outdoors.

Setting the mood

Candles are perfect for instant mood lighting.  Choose citronella candles and you might just help to keep the bugs at bay as well.  Candles from The House of Candles are made in the Northern Territory and with so many scents (including citronella blends) and styles available, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

How do you add a touch of bling to your outdoor area?

It’s one of those times when I devote a whole day to baking and make as many different types of cookies as I can.

There are so many different recipes to make like gingerbread and shortbread but with the right cookie cutters and decorations anything can be transformed from a simple cookie to an amazing gift.

I love to use twine to thread through the cookies it transforms them into edible Christmas ornaments or a special gift tag to tie around a jar filled with different shaped cookies.

Twine is also perfect to tie around a bag or a box filled with cookies.

A little bit of fondant makes a gingerbread person into a Santa cookie, well that’s what my kids love to call them.

Christmas cookies can really be anything you like as long as they are given that little bit of love to make them extra special.

Viennese Fingers although look difficult to make are surprisingly easy and boxed up with some twine or ribbon can make the perfect neighbour gift.

Same with some shortbread crescent cookies.

Almond Cookies are one of those cookies which I remember my mum always baking for us at Christmas.

My favourite recipe is this one:

Almond Cookies
makes approx 25

ingredients

• 250g softened butter
• 2 cups of pure icing sugar
• 1 egg
• vanilla extract
• 100g blanched, chopped almonds
• 2 1/2 cups plain flour
• rose water
• icing sugar to decorate

Method

• Preheat oven to 180 deg C
• Using a stand mixer, cream butter and icing sugar until its soft and fluffy
• Add egg and vanilla and mix
• Add chopped almond pieces and flour, ensuring the dough comes together
• Remove dough from bowl, ensuring it is not too soft and sticky. It needs to be workable but also not too stiff
• Form into a large ball
• Scoop out walnut sized pieces of dough and form into balls or crescent shapes
• Place on a lined baking tray, allowing space between cookies
• Place into oven and cook for about 15-20mins
• When cookies are slightly golden remove from oven and spray with rose water
• Dust cookies with a generous amount of pure icing sugar

Anything can be used to present your Christmas cookies, clear boxes, cellophane bags, baking paper sewn around the edges, noodle boxes, teacups or a pretty plate.

Have fun baking!

Cookie cutters can be found here and here

Decorations and boxes can be found here and here

Bakers twine can be found here

Jars can be found here

Cellophane bags can be found here

So, when you have wrapped that last gift, rolled that last rumball and signed-off on those last little bits of work, it’s time to think about taking a little breather and having some serious ‘me’ time. Every mum needs time to recharge her batteries, and it’s extra important to keep yourself ‘topped-up’ when life gets super busy. So why not schedule in an afternoon just for yourself? Take advantage of this downtime before work and school start again in the New Year and set aside a few hours to spoil yourself!

Get someone to take care of the kids for an afternoon and do something really indulgent. You could get a massage, facial, or manicure. Or if you are the type that likes to unwind by doing something active you could go horse riding, kayaking, bike-riding… the list is endless.

But, with the budget being a little thin around Christmas time, I like to unwind at home. Yes, it is possible to really relax and recharge without going anywhere or spending lots of money! So get the kids out of the house and create a space where you can relax – be it a banana lounge on the back lawn, a doona on the couch or a room lit with candles. It’s time to forget about everyone else and indulge yourself with whatever takes your fancy! Here are a few ideas you might like to use as starting points for your own ‘Indulgent Afternoon’:

• Have a DIY spa treatment. Light a few candles and place them in the bathroom. Grab a glass of your favourite drink, fill up the tub and have a good long soak! Some really lovely cleansers, moisturisers and lotions will make you feel extra special.

• Get into your pyjamas, grab the doona and plonk yourself on the couch. A good movie or a pile of magazines, a hot drink and some special sweet indulgences will make for a super relaxing afternoon.

• Nice warm day? Set up a space outside – a picnic rug on the lawn, a table and chairs on the patio, a beanbag under a tree – and sit back with a cool drink and your favourite nibblies. Read a book, do some crochet, write, sketch or just have a snooze.

Tune-out to the rest of the world for a few hours, focus on yourself and revel in a little of the 5-star treatment… go on, you deserve it!

I absolutely love the idea of a child inspired gift for someone and it definitely has a little more significance than your average box of chocolates.

One idea is to personalise wheat bags for someone special using fabric markers.

Fabric Markers are easy for little hands to work with.

All that is needed is some calico cut to size and some pretty fabric. Sew it all up and fill it with wheat and some lavender for the sweetest smelling gift.

Another great idea is to personalise a plate, a mug, a teapot or anything ceramic with some ceramic markers or ceramic paint from Mary’s Art Supplies.

The paints work well with children over 5 as their brush control is more controlled. For younger children ceramic markers are best.

For the older children, I find the best way to get them started is by asking them to draw an “ideas drawing” of what they want on their finished piece.

This allows them to think about what they want to include and where everything will go.

Hope this will inspire the little artist at your place to get creating.  If you do try it, we’d love to see!

Of the many different kinds of camping on offer in Australia, there are two very different types of camp grounds – National Parks and Camping resorts. National Park campgrounds have fairly basic facilities. A good campground, such as Cattai National Park just outside of Sydney in NSW, will have hot and cold showers and clean toilet facilities, flat grassy areas for setting up camp, lots of trees for shade, and possibly barbeques and undercover picnic benches. Cattai NP boasts all of these features and is also right on the Hawkesbury River, providing opportunities for water sports. Depending on the weather and the season, National Park camping can be quite serene.

In contrast, camping resorts are often purpose-built for family camping, and may have generous facilities, such as Del Rio resort, near Wiseman’s Ferry, NSW (see photo above). Del Rio’s facilities include camping, caravan, trailer and cabin accommodation as well as swimming pools, tennis courts, volley ball courts, jumping pillow, bistro, beer garden, kiosk, games room, boat slips and direct access to water sports on the Hawkesbury River. On a recent trip, there were even Saturday night fireworks. Needless to say, these features attract a lot of people, so camping is more crowded and noisy.

Preparation

Preparation for camping is key. The first time you go, it might take weeks to gather all the elements that you will need and put together your own camping checklist. Take this opportunity to get the kids involved and talk about the experiences beforehand to give them something to look forward to – sleeping in a tent! Making s’mores! Setting up camp! For the little ones, make sure you take something to remind them of home – a special fluffy toy, maybe a Portacot for a child still in a cot. Having their own mini camp chairs will make the kids feel very special and give them something to attach themselves to. The first night away might be a bit restless, but kids are usually great at adapting.

Camping Checklist

Here’s your Must-Take list for Camping:

• Tent
• Tarp ground cover (plus extra tarp, rope and tent poles for shade optional)
• Camping chairs and kids’ camping chairs
• Picnic set or collection of plastic reusable utensils (plates, bowls, knives, forks, mugs,)
• Chopping board and knife
• Blow up air bed or air mattress. For kids – a Portacot or a Thermarest mattress if the kids are old enough. We use a flip out sofa for our 4-year-old which doubles as seating during the day.
• Sleeping bags
• Pillows
• Lamp or lantern
• Torches/headlamps
• Mosquito repellant and/or coils
• Sunscreen
• Toilet paper (just in case)
• Spare batteries
• Cooler/eskie
• Folding table. We particularly like an  aluminium roll-top folding table.
• Picnic blanket
• Roof racks – if you can’t fit all your camping equipment in the car
• Multi-tool pocket knife – optional but can be useful
• Extra rope

Personal items:

• Clothes
• Toiletries (don’t forget hayfever medication if you have allergies)
• First aid kit (include pain killers and sting relief)
• Towels
• Hooded raincoats if the weather forecast is dodgy
• Suitable shoes – hiking boots are optional but are great for keeping feet dry and warm.

Food

Camping food ideas:

Breakfast – bacon and eggs on toast (nothing like the smell of bacon in the bush), instant porridge/oatmeal, toast and condiments

Lunch – sandwiches (we like tuna, mayonnaise, and celery)

Dinner – sausages in buns, burritos or soft tacos (wraps, mince beef, onion, avocado, tomato, cheese, spices), ready-roasted chicken with coleslaw and soft buns, pre-made curry and pre-cooked riced heated up in a pot.

Dessert – S’mores!

Toast marshmallows on a stick over an open fire, then squash between two chocolate-covered biscuits (traditionally graham crackers and chocolate but they are hard to find in Australia).

You’ll need in your camp kitchen:

• detergent, sponge
• oil
• paper towels
• condiments (tomato sauce, jam/vegemite/peanut butter)
• tea bags
• bread
• drinking water

You’ll need in your cooler:

• ice
• butter
• milk (or take UHT if you only need it for coffee)

If there is no BBQ you’ll need these implements for camp cooking:

• gas camping stove
• gas bottle
• lighter
• pot and frying pan
• tongs
• wooden spoon (we use a short sushi paddle)

Activities

You can take along games, sports equipment, balls and frisbees to play, but chances are your kids will be kept busy helping set up camp, going for a swim, gathering kindling for the fire, picking flowers, making s’mores, and exploring the camp ground. Torches are great for spotting Tawny Frogmouths  and possums in the trees. Arm your kids with a camera to take photos of wildlife and interesting finds. A pack of playing cards never goes astray (especially if the weather closes in). And we like to take the weekend paper to read at leisure, with no TV or computer to distract us.

Make sure you take the opportunity to enjoy our amazing national parks and camp grounds this year, and after you’ve invested in some camping basics, you will always have the ability to make an inexpensive get-away from the real world at any time. Camping creates memories and valuable lessons that the kids will have for a lifetime. And if you’re prepared, it’s fun!

1. Paris on Michael Jackson’s Parenting: Why am I wearing a mask? - OTRC (pic above)

Paris Jackson gave her first solo interview to Ellen Degeneres, openly discussing her famous father’s unique parenting style. As many of you know, the three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket grew up wearing masks and constantly covering their faces (see the right photo, Paris has a napkin on her head).

Mothers were overjoyed to hear that Paris remarked “I’m like, ‘This is stupid, why am I wearing a mask? But I kind of realised the older I got, he only tried to protect us. And he’d explain that to us, too.” Many mothers are taking this as assurance that one day our children will understand. They fight with us, get mad at us and sometimes even hate our decisions – but we all hope (like 13-year-old Paris just proved) that one day they know it was because we love them.

2. Survey: 76 of parents felt guilty saying “no” to kids – The Washington Post

That’s right, a massive 76% percent of parents feel guilty saying no to their children – but the same percentage admitted that their kids are spoiled to some degree during the holidays. It’s a difficult balance – you want them to be happy and experience all the advantages as other children, but you also don’t want a grabby child who thinks they deserve the world and expect you to give it to them.

And although the article is filled with interesting statistical data, unfortunately there’s no answer for how to strike a middle ground. If you find one, let us know!

3. Are Working Mums Healthier and Happier? – WebMD

Although there’s no “right way” to schedule your life, it turns out there might be a healthier way. A study shows that part-time mothers experience less health problems and show fewer signs of depression than stay-at-home mums. Part-timers also tend to have less work and family conflicts than their full-time peers.

Just like our favourite saying “everything in moderation” – it turns out that work and family identify with the cliche as well. The professional/parenting balance allows mothers a breaks from each and tackle their objective at the moment with a clear head.

Of course, the decision will always be personal to yourself and your unique family – but might be a good thing to read if you’re considering a schedule change.

4. Welfare group recommends daddy day care only – Sydney Morning Herald

New research suggests that babies under the age of two should not spend nights away from their primary caregiver – which 9 times out of 10 is granted to the mother. Not only does it reportedly make the child grow up more irritable and stressed out, but also creates an increased dependence on the primary caregiver. The study suggests that fathers spend days with children, about 3 days a week.

Supporters of shared-parenting, of course, disagrees with this new research. What are your thoughts? Read the article and let us know where you stand.

In this house we don’t have a fireplace which meant that I needed to find a new way of hanging our Christmas stockings. We don’t live in a two-story house so hanging the stockings from the staircase rails with ribbons isn’t an option. Hanging them from Christmas stocking hangers wasn’t going to work either because of lack of space – we have SEVEN stockings to hang!

I had considered buying something similar to this coat rack but I was after something a little more prettier.

So after scouring Pinterest for some inspiration, I decided that we needed to custom make a Christmas stocking hanger.

To make your own Christmas stocking hanger, you’ll need:

• a length of pine
• paint
• hooks

Paint the wood in your favourite hue and let dry, then drill as many holes as you need  (in my case, 7!) and attach the hooks. Simple!

We attached ours to the wall slightly behind the Christmas tree and the stockings were hung.

The best thing is that was easy to make, only cost us $25 for the materials to make it and it can be used year round now as a coat rack because it’s hung near our front door.

I like it! What do you think?

How do you hang your Christmas stockings? 

This holiday season, show how much you and the children really appreciate them by getting a heart-felt gift from the family.

1. For the Couple: Grandma & Grandpa’s Little One Photo Frame – $26.99 from Cosy Burrow

Grandparents are always proud to display pictures of their grandchildren. The best gift from a child who’s too young to give themselves, is a photo of the three of them together. It will warm their hearts every time they walk by it and give them brag-rights whenever their friends visit.

Get the Grandma & Grandpa’s Little One Photo Frame for $26.99 – and don’t forget the photo!

2. For the Coffee/Tea Drinking Granny: “Bestest Grandma in the World” Mug - $9.50 from Jenco 15

Stroke that ego with a mug that tells grandma how amazing she is! Whether she drinks out of a mug every morning, or just uses it as a pencil holder, it will remind her daily how much her grandchildren love her.

The “Bestest Grandma in the World” Mug has childish charm in colourful writing for $9.50. And if you’d like to add to the gift, wrap it up with some of her favourite tea!

3. The Glam Grammy: Grandma’s Jewellery Box – $25 from Jenco 15 

For the Grammy that loves her accessories and is always dolled up in the cutest rings, bracelets, necklaces or earrings, a jewellery box is a wonderful way to show her that you know her.

Plus, with the Grandma Jewellery Box for $25, you also get to add a personal message to the top, even if you call her something other than “Grandma!”. Choose between flowers, dragonflies or butterflies on top, and each box has a mirrored bottom on the inside. Just precious.

4. The BBQ Grandpa: #1 Grandpa BBQ Spatula - $28 from Byrum

For the grandpa that knows his way around the grill, the #1 Grandpa BBQ Spatula will soon be his favourite cooking utensil. One end flips the meat with #1 Grandpa cutout, whilst the other works as a bottle opener! What a fantastic way to celebrate good old Gramps for just $28.

5. The Timely Grandpa: Grandpa Pocket Watch - $49.95 from Absolute Princess

This gorgeous watch will always keep the time safely in Grandpa’s pocket and remind him of his adoring grandchildren whenever he checks. The Grandpa Pocket Watch includes a carry case with belt clip and presented in a stunning blue gift box for $49.95.

A great gift for the Grandpa that’s always late or overly early!

* Please note that all items listed are available at time of publication.

I love the inspiration they provide me with. The information I can glean. The possibilities they conjure up of marvellous dinner parties to come. And, it goes without saying since I’m a girl who loves her food, I love cooking from them!

So, if by some strange chance I find myself being carted off to an island, with a very strict of quota of only five cookbooks (oh, perish the thought!) here are the ones I absolutely cannot live without. Tell you what, this island had better come equipped with a good kitchen!

1: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman.

From the well known New York Times writer comes this marvellous tome. It’s true: this book really does contain everything! It’s my first stop whenever I’m searching for a recipe, or after some culinary inspiration, and it has yet to fail me. Every dish made from this book has been delicious, and with Mark’s voice describing each recipe, it’s like having a friend in the kitchen.

Available from Book Hub.

2: The Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl

I almost cried when it was announced that Gourmet magazine was no longer to be published (yes, I like my food magazines almost as much as my books!). Thank goodness, then, for this book which contains the best recipes from the magazine from its six decade history. Ruth provides an introduction to each recipe, making this not only a cookbook but also a brief tour through 21^st century American cooking. Cooking from this always gives me a chance to exercise my culinary muscles.

Available from Booktopia Books.

3: The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver

My pizza is praised by all who eat it, and I have Jamie Oliver and his excellent bread recipe to thank for that! This was one of the first cook books to get me excited about cooking, and instilled in me the confidence to really give cooking a go, and not to fret too much about the rules.  He makes it seem easy because his recipes actually are.

Available from Megabooks Australia.

4: 5 Nights a Week by Valli Little

This book, which is a collection of recipes from delicious magazine, is fantastic for quick, easy dinners that are sure to impress. It’s usually the book I flick through when I am planning a dinner party or celebration dinner, as the elegant meals always make my life as a cook simple.

Available from Record and Book Heaven.

5: 1000 Best Ever Recipes from Australian Women’s Weekly

The name sums it up: 1000 of the very best recipes ever to come out of the world renowned AWW test kitchen. Covering  everything from breakfasts to yoyos, curries to traditional roasts, smoothies to quesadillas, this book deserves a place in every home cook’s collection.

Available from ma.paris books.

Now you know mine, I’d love to hear what your favourite cook books are!

1. Choose a Theme

Depending on your platform you will need to choose a theme and work out a colour scheme that suits your business. Each platform has a variety of themes available, both free and premium, choose one that suits your needs. Do you want a large content area for posts and photos, or multiple sidebars for other links and information or perhaps a gallery format?

Once you’ve locked in your theme, it’s time to start adding in your details.

2. Design a Header

If you are going for a simple and minimalist look, you might stick with a plain text tagline, which will be available in the setting of your dashboard. However, if you have a great logo or some fantastic product photos you want to include, then you want to design a graphic header to really show off your business.

To design your header from scratch, use a photo program like Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, or alternatively head over to Photoshop Express, use the open source software Gimp or the popular program Picnik. Use these to layout your header to the size your blog theme allows. This measurement will be in pixels and it’s important to keep within these guidelines otherwise your header will become distorted or cropped when you upload it.Once you have your header designed, save your file as a jpg, png or gif file and upload your header through your blog’s dashboard.

If this all sound a bit much and you are using WordPress, try Big Huge Lab’s Blog Header tool.

3. Select a Background

Next, let’s look at the background. You can keep a block colour or perhaps put something in that’s your signature style. Create your own small square to use as a tile in your background or use a tool like Japoniser and Stripe Generator.

Now, make sure the important information is a part of your blog ~ who you are, what you do and how to find you.

4. Create an ‘About’ page

Create an ‘about’ page and fill it with the relevant information. And make sure people can find it. A picture says a thousand words so don’t forget to include one or several. Don’t forget your contact information including your email and other places on the internet people can find you.

Some other details to consider for your blog:

• An avatar or profile pic: While you are designing your header, make a smaller square version you can use as your avatar. An avatar is the icon that “represents” you in the online world like on Twitter or in forums. You might use your logo or a photo. You can also use it for your profile on your blog.
• Social media icons: On Twitter or Facebook, make sure you link to these from your blog. You can design your own or there are plenty of free icons sets available as well.
• Sidebar widgets: Widgets are the fancy tools so that do all sorts of magic in your sidebar. Add ones in showcasing items from your store, favourite quotes or photos.

It’s always lovely to receive a Christmas card, but the feeling you get from giving one is even better! A great way to introduce kids to the thrill of giving is to have them give or send out Christmas cards. Why not make the experience even more exciting by helping them create their very own cards?

So put on the art smocks and get out the colouring pencils because I have created some colour-in Christmas cards you can download and print for free! Little ones can colour-in the fun illustrations and even add special touches like glitter or fluffy pom-poms to create one-of-a-kind cards for grandma or teacher or their bestest buddy!

• Find your free printable colour-in Christmas cards here.

Pack of 12 Jumbo Triangular Coloured Pencils $9.95 and Assorted Pom-Poms $4.95 from educateaust70

Top of the toy list has to be the Barbie campervan. We actually have two Barbie campervans as there is a new one released each year and my little ones love theirs so much. In fact it is probably the hottest toy in our house. Everyone who comes over has to play with it and I’m not just talking about girls. The boys love it too.  Lots of fun to play with and a great place to store Barbie dolls. If you already have the Barbie Campervan then check out Barbie’s Jet (we have that one too).

Now another old favourite would have to be Lego. Everyone loves Lego, boys and girls and you can keep adding to your collection.  And there are sets to meet every budget from as little as $15 to over $100 which I love. We are huge Cars fans here so I think this Mack truck would be very popular with my little boy. Ninjago is also a very popular Lego range this Christmas so keep an eye out for it too. And I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that you don’t want to tread barefoot on a piece of Lego.  OUCH!

Now for bigger kids I know that the Nintendo DS is still top of Christmas wish lists. It’s portable, comes in a wide range of colours and can keep the kids entertained wherever you are.  I can’t go past this pink one.

Now my twinnies are currently obsessed with our Vtech Storio and we are getting a second one to stop the fighting. Golden rule of twins, sometimes you have to buy identical presents. The Storio is an interactive e-reader for little ones aged 3-7 with stories, games, activities and more. It comes in pink or blue with one cartridge included and others you can buy. Plug it in the car, the wall at home or pop some batteries in and you’re off. Very, very popular this Christmas and with a touch screen it’s super easy to use too.  You can find everything to do with Vtech Storio’s on eBay.

And lastly my big girl wants lots of Furreal toys. At first it was Cookie My Playful Pup who talks and moves but now she has moved on to Snug a Muffin a little cat.  I just hope my miss makes up her mind before Christmas because Santa likes to be organised.

And a few tips when buying Christmas toys online is check delivery times particularly if buying from overseas sellers, you don’t want a present arriving after Christmas.  Compare postage between sellers of the same item to make sure you’re getting the best price and also remember to type in NEW when searching for the toy you want.  I’d love to hear what toys your little ones are asking for this Christmas.

1. Drinking and Parenting: A good Time or a Problem? – The Washington Post

We’ve all considered it before: how much is too much around the children? How much is too much in coping with our own stress and anxiety? And sometimes it’s only when we see others mess up that we realise that it’s an issue relevant in our own lives.

Take a read to hear the facts and why some mothers have decided to give up drinking altogether. Also, illuminate us on your opinions on the issue of drinking and parenting.

2. What’s Behind a Temper Tantrum? Scientists Deconstruct the Scream – NPR

Some doctors and researchers have teamed up to build a new theory of tantrums, in an ultimate attempt to help parents understand the fits and deal with them in the most efficient way possible. With more than a hundred toddler tantrums recorded, they’ve analysed each extensively to find a pattern in sounds and actions apparent in most tantrums, and things you can do to draw them out or help them pass quickly.

3. Worst Parenting Fails? A Year of Explosive Parenting Moments - The Huffington Post

Isn’t it fun to look it other parents’ fails? It just naturally makes us feel better about ourselves. We can just whisper “well, I did mess up this time, but at least I didn’t make my four-year-old stuff her bra” etc. etc.

Here are some hilarious (and sad) examples of controversial parenting stories from 2011. Which one do you think is the worst of them?

4. New Parenting Book Addresses Full Range of Children’s Respiratory Issues - Emax Health

Why do infants make snorting sounds during feedings? Is snoring normal in a toddler? Is it safe to give popcorn to a two-year-old? How many colds a year are normal for a five-year-old?

Dr. Nino Shapiro, director of paediatric ear, nose and throat and associate professor of surgery, has written a new parenting book: “Take a Deep Breath: Clear the Air for the Health of Your Child” to help you with all your breathing questions throughout the childhood stages (ranging from newborn to 5 years). Since about 80-90% of children experience breathing problems at one time or another – it seems like a great book to keep around!

5. Parenting in a ‘Virtual World’ – Fox 59

Kids are more connected than ever with social and gaming sites as a usual form on interpersonal interaction amongst their peers. What are some ways that we can regulate what’s going on without prying into their personal business?

Here’s a quick video with some good tips from parents who are experiencing the ‘Facebook Era’.

We’d love to hear your opinions! What type of info do you enjoy most from the roundups? That way we can adjust the posts to please you.

1. KitchenAid

Top of the list for any baker has to be a KitchenAid. Classic and loved by all, this is a statement piece in any kitchen. There are so many gorgeous colours to choose from now and free delivery means you won’t have to lug it back to your car or battle the shopping centre carparks. I just can’t go past red. And if you already have a KitchenAid then why not start collecting more of the range.  

2. Le Creuset

Another big ticket item would have to be some Le Creuset. I grew up with my mum having her Le Creuset always on show in her kitchen and it’s still going strong back at home almost 30 years later.  It will last you a lifetime and is a real investment in any kitchen. I love the blue and also cassis which is a little harder to find.

3. Iceblock Maker

And with summer around the corner a Zoku iceblock maker would keep everyone happy. This little machine makes healthy iceblocks in just 7 minutes and without electricity. Now it would take longer to jump in the car and go to the shops to buy some iceblocks.  I love this maker because there is nothing worse than having your little ones ask every 5 minutes are the ice blocks ready. You can find them on eBay here for $79.95 and free postage. I think I need one of these.

4. Nespresso Machine

Now my readers were also telling me about Nespresso machines. There is plenty of choice on eBay and these little machines use coffee pods so there is no mess. The taste is lovely and there is a wide range of coffee flavours available.  You can find them on eBay just by typing ‘Nespresso’ in the search field. I love this one. So smart and stylish.

5. Blow Torch

Another hot kitchen item would have to be a blow torch for crème brulee.  Definitely a  favourite dessert of mine. You can easily find them on eBay for under $50 like this Masterchef one. But don’t do what I did and just search for blow torches otherwise you’ll bring up some big industrial looking blow torches that were never meant to go into the kitchen. Search for kitchen blow torch instead.

6. Cookbooks

And lastly you just can’t beat cookbooks at Christmas. You just can’t go with a lovely cookbook. Top of the list would have to be Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion.  And with your favourite bookstores now on eBay you’ll find plenty of choice and trusted sellers. And free postage wouldn’t go amiss at Christmas either.  Some of my favourite books are Cake Pops, Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Canning For a NewGeneration and Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan.

And I’d love to hear what is top of your Christmas kitchen wish list as my list is never long enough!

1. For the snacker: Healthy Wholemeal Vitamin Biscuit - 2KG for $14.95 from Natural Pets Australia

It’s obvious why dogs are man’s best friend: the best way to their hearts is through their stomachs! Get your doggy the best gift he could ask for with the Healthy Wholemeal Vitamin Biscuit.

A tasty reward for Rover, even though he doesn’t know it’s a healthy, hypoallergenic snack that helps maintain healthy eyes, skin and coat. Get a 2KG batch for $14.95.

2. For the princess: Dog/Cat Soft Bed – $19.99  from Sunny Life 123

Is your dog or cat the high-maintenance type? Would she rather nuzzle up in the lap of luxury than roll around outside in the dirt? If so, this Soft Bed could be her ultimate throne in her favourite colour and perfect size! Just $19.99 for her to dream her little princess dreams in beauty and comfort.

3. The exercise-aholic: Cat Scratching Tree – $25 from Oz Ezy Deal

Kitties get antsy being cooped up all day! Give your cat a playground to climb, play, relax and exercise safely on a structure made of quality, long-lasting material. Not to mention – it’ll save your sofa from a lot of scratching! Just $25 for this pole, platform and cubby combo Scratching Tree.

4. The Fashionable Pup: Polo Cotton T Shirt – $3.99 from Ebanlan

Does your pup have a big Christmas event to attent, or just enjoy dressing up? The adorable Polo Cotton T-Shirt has a little button-up collar to help your little man look his best! Only $3.99 so you can get him all his favourite colours!

5. For the traveling parents: Automatic Pet Feeder – $84.95 from Good Bid Mate

Program your pet’s eating schedule so that you never have to worrying about forgetting again! The Automatic Pet Feeder allows you to program feeding time and meal sizes. That way, if you need to take a few extra hours at work, or your Saturday plans end up turning into a weekend holiday, you need not worry about your little furry friends at home – they’re all taken care of!

Plus, record your own 6-second message to let the pets know when it’s feeding time in your own voice!

$84.95 with free shipping Australia wide.

Find heaps of toys and other fun pet stuff by searching on eBay. 

* Please note that all items listed are available at time of publication.

What gifts have your pets loved the most? Do you have other gift suggestions for cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, rabbits, reptiles or any other pet you can think of? We’d love to hear it.

Nothing quite says summer like the charcoal smell of a barbecue, the air filled with friendly chatter and a table groaning under a smorgasbord of salads and brightly coloured plastic cutlery and dishes.

So what are the perfect ingredients for a delicious al fresco affair?

• First up, comfortable seating to fit all your favourite people.
• A barbecue to suit your grilling needs.
• For alfresco bowls, plates and picnic set, Tupperware has a great range
• If you need some inspiration, pick up a range of cookbooks from the like of Gordon Ramsay, the Woman’s Weekly collection or Curtis Stone and Ben O’Donahue from Surfing the Menu
• And put the icing on our alfresco scene with some twinkling outdoor lights.

Some barbecue favourites:

Corn on the cob: Microwave for 8 minutes wrapped in cling wrap before putting on the barbecue for a quick char.

Haloumi: This firm cheese keeps it shape under pressure, making it perfect to take a grilling.

Kebabs: Stick it to your favourite and line them up on a skewers – a combination of beef, chicken, capsicum, zucchini, pineapple and onion make great kebab companions.

What are your favourite ingredients for a great barbecue?

Don’t have a Facebook Page to promote yet? Check out our easy guide to help you create one in no time.

Getting Started

Just go to the Advertise on Facebook page through the link provided, or go from your Page by clicking “Promote with an Ad” in the top right-hand corner (pictured).

1. Design Your Ad

Make your ad something that catches people’s eye and demands attention. Remember – you have a very small area to work with – so every detail counts!

• Destination: The page you’re running the ad for.
• Type: Facebook Ads (you can use this in conjunction with Sponsored Stories if you choose – to learn more about them, click here).
• Story Type: In case of a time crunch or if a recent post is intriguing, you can click “Page Post Ad,” which means that you can just use a recent post of your choice as the ad. We suggest clicking “Facebook Ads for Pages” so that you can tailer your copy for your objective.
• Destination Tab: Where you want people that click on your ad to be directed.
• Title: 25 character limit – it automatically uses the name of your Page.
• Body: 125 character limit – give a bit more information. Make it strong, simple and attention-grabbing.
• Image: All ads are required to have an image. You may want to use your Page’s profile picture as your image – just make sure that it’s eye-catching. Notice that the image will be very tiny, so you want a quality image that potential fans will be able to see easily.
• Preview: Shows you exactly how your ad will appear when it runs on Facebook. It will say that you like this page – see the last bullet in the next section for ellaboration on this.

2. Targeting

You want your ad to go to the people most likely to benefit from Like-ing your Facebook Page. Be picky about who you want your ad to go to!

• Location: Make sure you target the community geographic that you’re able to serve. For example, if you only serve NSW, you don’t want your ad being wasted on people in QLD! Be as specific as possible.
• Demographics: Age range starts at 13 (the earliest age allowable for joining Facebook). Of course, depending on your product/service, you might want to be very specific or include any age.
• Sex: Are you targeting males or females?
• Interests: These are keywords that are associated with members’ profiles. This section is so important! Be specific and exhaustive. For example, if your product has to do with nail polish, you may want to include anything that has to do with the action (ex. painting nails, paints nails, manicure, etc.), the polish (nail colour, nail lacquer, shellac, etc.) and perhaps even some top brands that people associtate with the product (OPI, Esse, etc.).
• Connections: If your goal is to increase fans for your Page, choose “Only people who are not fans of [Page]“. If you know that people who are connected with other pages, events or apps would like your page, get specific in “Advanced connection targeting”.
• Friends of Connections: If you would like the ad to always have the bottom line “___ likes this” you can choose this option. This is also a good option if you have a very targeted group of people within a small area.

3. Campaigns, Pricing and Scheduling

This is all your choice. You choose the amount, budget and schedule depending on the amount that’s best for your business. Remember, you can always come back for more!

• Choose your currency
• Choose your time zone
• Campaign Name: This is just so you remember the campaign. It will not appear on your ad.
• Budget: Specify whether you’d like to spend a certain amount per day, or if you have a cap amount to spend during the duration of the ad. You may end up paying less than this, but this will be your cap and Facebook will not go over this.
• Campaign Schedule: Identify the duration (dates) that you would like the ad to run. Could be as short as you’d like, and up to several months long.
• Pricing: Depending on your targeting options, the suggested “bid” will differ from page to page. If you want to keep it simple, use that. Or, click “Set a Different Bid” to Pay for Impressions (cost per 1000 impressions) or Pay for Clicks (every click the ad gets, that’s the amount you pay). Choose the maximum amount you want to pay. The amount you actually pay depends on how much other advertisers have bid, so enter the most you would want to spend on each 1000 impressions or each click.

4. Place the order and watch your Page grow!

For more info, see the Facebook Advertising Guidelines.  GOOD LUCK!

Nearly all the wreaths start with a base (form) that you can make from cardboard and objects around the house. Use a large lid, such as a wok lid, to cut a circle from a cardboard box. Use a smaller lid (such as a pot lid) and trace a circle around it inside the larger circle. Cut out the smaller circle, and you have a cardboard wreath form.

Alternatively, you can use a Styrofoam wreath, and then cover with your favourite fabric, ribbon or burlap. Or you could try a wreath kit or wicker wreath (beach_and_home has some great examples). These stronger wreath forms are recommended for heavier decorations (such as sea shells and gum drops).

One you have your wreath form covered, simply decorate and hang with ribbon to your front door. Try fixing overlapping paper doilies to the wreath form with hot glue for a simple, sweet look, reminiscent of snow flakes. Or create mini paper flower poms and tie each to the cardboard as I have here:

I’ve gathered together some of my favourite handmade wreath designs from bloggers around the world to inspire you to make your own:

1. Yarn Ball Christmas Wreath by two junk chix:

• What you’ll need:
• Foam balls
• Yarn
• Jute
• Christmas ball decorations
• Gum nuts or similar
• Spray paint
• Hot glue

Wrap the foam balls with the yarn and jute and secure with hot glue to the wreath base. Add spray-painted gum nuts (or leave them natural) and Christmas ball decorations using hot glue. Hang with jute or ribbon

For more details head over to two junk chix.

2. Paper Flower Christmas Wreath by two junk chix.

What you’ll need:

• Coffee filter papers, or paper bags, or tissue paper
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Assorted stationery or scrapbook materials (e.g. paper doilies, scrapbooking flowers, pearls, buttons, jewels)
• Hot glue

Cut different sized circles from coffee filters/tissue paper, and stationery products. Stack the circles from largest to smallest,  then hold together with a brad or hot glue. Top each with a button or pearl. Hot glue the whole flower to a burlap-covered wreath base. Hang with contrasting ribbon.

For more details head over to two junk chix.

3. Pom Pom Christmas Wreath by Danielle Thompson:

What you’ll need:

• Yarn
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Assorted pre-made pom poms and decorations
• Hot glue

Buy or make your own pom poms using yarn from a limited colour palette. To make yarn pom poms, cut two doughnut shapes (mini wreaths) from card stock. Wrap yard around the mini wreaths until you cannot push any more yarn through the hole. Cut through the yard around the edge of the mini wreaths. Tie yarn around the pom pom to keep the yarn secure. Then remove the card templates (either pull through or cut off). Attach the pom poms to the wreath with hot glue. Hang with contrasting ribbon.

For more details head over to Danielle Thompson.

4. Shell Christmas Wreath by a pretty cool life:

What you’ll need:

• Sustainably harvested sea shells
• Ribbon
• Wire
• Hot glue

Attach shells to the wreath with hot glue. Hang with wire (the wreath is heavy) covered with contrasting ribbon.

For more details head over to a pretty cool life.

5. Gumdrops Christmas Wreath by a pretty cool life:

What you’ll need:

• Gum drops
• Ribbon
• Wire
• Hot glue