Friday Food - Kids are Cool - McMummy Meal 1 - Wraps & Fruit Kebabs

Hands up if you are planning on having take-away tonight? Hands up if you are tired of the regular kid safe meal options? Hands up if you are dying for a Thai Green Curry or an Indian Vindaloo - but know that your kids just won't eat it? Well, this is one way we have worked around buying take -away. It saves a bit of money {which is always helpful}, the kids think it is a treat {which is nice} and it is just a bit of fun {which makes us all happy}.


Follow the link to Friends Who Cook for the full recipe and instructions.

Wraps and Fruit Kebabs

Have a great weekend!

10 Things - 10 things it is worth teaching your kids to do properly

Some of these things may seem obvious, but I had an 'aha' moment when I realised I actually had to teach my kids these things. By knowing my kids can do this properly, it saves me soooo much time...

It is important for kids to know:

1. How to wipe their bottom properly - I have girls, things get messy if not done properly (Front to back from the back)
2. How to use a fork and knife - kids don't actually watch enough to learn how to work this out, this needs to be explicit
3. How to make a bed - sheets taut, quilt straight and flat, pillows up neat and teddies against pillows
4. How to tie shoe laces - whether you 'Loop, loop & swoop' or do the 'Bunny Ears' method, make sure you teach your kids to 'wiggle' the knot at the end to ensure that the knots stay tied
5. How to take out the rubbish and put it in the right bins - very handy to have little helpers to do this
6. How to tidy their room - this is actually quite a skill, putting things away in their PROPER place, not just quickly but correctly is so important to me. My kids are just starting to appreciate that being able to find things again next time helps them have maximum fun!
7. How to answer the telephone nicely - how cute to have a little girl answer the phone sweetly (I have not taught her how to respond to telemarketers, I just get her ask them their name and what they want over and over - works a treat!)
8. How to wash themselves properly - saves soooo much time - they wash themselves more thoroughly than I do sometimes
9. How to separate light coloured clothes from dark coloured clothes - we have a washing basket with two sections, one for lights and one for darks. My kids really like helping out in the laundry. They also love putting the washing in the machine and helping load detergent and push the buttons, it is going to pay off for me one of these days, I hope!
10. How to dry dishes - my kids are starting to love helping with dishes, without my persuasion at all - it is great! Doing dishes together has turned into a fun family time - I really ham it up and make the kitchen THE place to be

Cool Kids - A Gift Idea for a Girl's Birthday

Remember this gift?

I mentioned in my post about gift wrapping, that I would reveal what was inside the parcel...


Well, first you must look back at the inspiration for the gift  Click here to see . A lovely idea, don't you think?


So... Miss A and I put together this gift....

So exactly what did we put together?

• a cute silicone cup cake baking tray - pink love hearts were a nice touch
• a fancy pink cake mix - any cake mix can make cupcakes, so don't limit yourself to just cupcake packs
• some gorgeous sparkly pink sprinkles in a very cute twisty cannister

We normally don't buy cards, we prefer to make them - but we were well under our budget and this card with cupcakes and pink swirls on it was too hard to resist.

I love this idea, I mean toys are fun but they don't hold interest for a long time. I thought that the cup cake pan and sprinkles might encourage some family time and encourage cooking skills. All good in my books...

Some other ideas I would like to use for cooking inspired gift ideas for children...

• Cute tea towel, apron and oven mits
• Pizza stone, rolling pin and an apron
• Cookie cutters, rolling pin and apron
• A recipe for biscuits with all the ingredients

What are some other 'out of the box' l gifts to give to a youngster?

I found a song that I so, like, like...

When it comes to current music - I am a bit behind the times.  These are the kinds of songs we are listening to in the car at the moment....

or this....

 Sigh...


But... Over the last few months, I keep hearing a song about fireworks. I didn't know who sang it but I just loved the lyrics. I would find myself humming along to the little bits I knew ... "dee dee a firework, come and show em what your worth.... Make em go ah ah as you shoot across the sky dee daa dee" etc.... 


I finally made the connection that it was Katy Perry (thanks to Logies build-up ads), so yesterday I bought it on iTunes. I then went out to fold washing with my iPod (knowing Mr Cool was 'babysitting' aka watching football) and found myself listening to it over and over and over again. At one point I was even in tears, this was great stuff. How amazing to have something so affirming. 

This song has come to me at just the right time. Being a stay at home mum has been tough. I am such a people person and love having goals and plans and things to research and things to do. But being at home with a baby again has not been all that I imagined it to be. Throw in a school run and a naturally stressy personality, the last few weeks (or even perhaps months if I am honest) have been a bit rough.


But, I know that this is going to sound really corny, but I think yesterday saw a turnaround for me. I don't want to put the beginning of my recovery down to Katy Perry, that would be, like, so, like, 8th grade.... But, alas, I needed affirming and I got it through this teeny-bopper-pop song.


I then thought that I had best look into this Perry character and find out a bit more about her. I was imagining a Lady Gaga story of spoilt little rich girl who was allowed a bit too much freedom with wardrobe (or lack thereof) and make-up. But, there was nothing all that dodgy in Perry's background. True, she sings songs about kissing girls and her film clip for 'Firework' has boys kissing boys, which in this day and age is unfortunately accepted. Surprisingly, I found a girl who was raised by a Pastor and even recorded some gospel songs. She is known for wearing fruit themed jewellery and accessories and uses ProActiv. She has married a bit of a weirdo (but who hasn't) and she does like to get her kit off....  So, I don't know if I will 'like' her page on facebook or follow her on Twitter, but... 'Firework' is a cool song.

I am pretty selective about the music my kids listen to, therefore the music I listen to. I love that I can buy single songs on iTunes and just allow my kids to dip their toes into the modern pop music scene with my ever watchful eye.

Cool Kids - Ninja

I have cool kids, of course!


A little while ago I made a LBD. I was using a jersey knit and had long strips left over after cutting out the pattern. Miss A waltzed passed and I grabbed her and turned her into a....

Ninja!

What resulted was an afternoon of Karate chops and "Hi-Yas" on the trampoline and all through the house. Of course the other two cool kids got in on the action.

These headbands are now in the dress ups and are often pulled out for some impromptu kung-fu. It has reminded me that it is the simple things that trigger imagination that make for the best games (they were virtually free too!).


I am messing about with photo editing at the moment - I was going for 80s over exposed. I really have no idea what I am doing in this area though - so just enjoy the photos of my cherubs - esp wee M - he is so cute!

Cool Kids - Princess Afternoon Tea with Grandma

On Wednesday afternoons, Grandma Cool brings Miss A home from school. It is such a blessing. It means that the two little ones get a nice long nap and I don't have to lug them off to do the school pick-up. As a sign of my gratitude a few weeks ago, and something nice for Miss Z and I to do during the day, we put together a Princess Tea Party for when grandma delivered Miss A.

It was a lovely day getting things ready.  We washed up the china that sits in the buffet that never ever ever gets used and set the table and decided on the menu. It was soooo cute to see what things Miss Z thought were essential menu items; we had to have lollies, grapes and of course crackers - a few varieties at that. We made posters for the door and Miss Z made sure we all had a necklace and a ring to wear during the occasion. She had to wear her pink tuilley princess dress and princess music (Tchaikovsky) had to be playing when the guests arrived.

It was such a great day of learning and fun for her. We talked about what to say when Grandma and Miss A came home. We talked about asking if they would like tea or a cold drink. We talked about offering others food before we choose our own things to eat. We also talked about polite conversation and asking our guests questions. It is not essential to discuss talking with your mouth full or napkin use - wasted words on someone who cannot do up their own zips....

It was such a treat to watch Miss Z blossom with pride over how well her Tea Party went.  I used to do similar things with Miss A when she younger, we used to turn our lounge room into 'Miss A's Pizza Rizza'.  We made posters for the door, menus, placemats and called Mr Cool to ask him to bring home fancy drinks for the restaurant.  She would take everyone's orders and then help make the food in the kitchen.

It is amazing just how much learning can happen in the name of fun. I will certainly do something like this again. If I am going to do it with Miss Z again, I am sure it will be along the princess lines....  Maybe a Princess Picnic or a Princess Treasure Hunt or Princess Dinner Party.... 


Cool times ahead

Crumbs

When I started this blog, there were some topics I just did not want to touch on.  Firstly, I did not want to comment on children, especially my children, as I really don’t think I should be giving any advice, stories, findings or evidence that may result in me having my children taken from me. I would miss their cute little faces. Secondly, I did not want to write about cleaning. How dull. Cleaning is something that empty nesters or real grown ups talk about. I also wanted avoid to eluding to the lunacy that is intertwined in my thinking regarding this topic.

But, here I am, about to do something I said I never would. I am about to discuss Crumbs. Sigh.

I hate crumbs. Crumbs wreck a perfectly clean floor. They wreck a clean tablecloth. They work their way into drawers, cupboards, corners and cloths. They require more work to get rid of than I have time to give to the task. They blow from tables to floor, they are indiscriminate in their origin and can be made from virtually anything. They are also created by another thing I was not going to discuss on my blog - children.

One of the nick names for my five year old is ‘Captain Crumbulator’. She has an amazing ability to make crumbs out of anything. We have a little joke that she can make crumbs when eating yoghurt. She is a shocker. Can you sense the conflict I live with?

Now, I do love having a clean house. I know that this probably puts me further down the cool thermometer, but that has to be a reality I live with. I like to know that my house is ready for people to drop in any time - not that this happens in this day and age anymore. My mother lives not ten minutes away, that is reason enough to keep my house in some form of order! I have a little mental list in my head of the bare minimum to be done each day, week, fortnight and month but I have to be careful not to get too thingy about this as it kind of stresses everyone out. However, I do love a clean house.

I have been quite remiss in my cleaning for the last couple of months and I have a good reason. I have been pregnant and I have been working part time. This has meant that for the past 6 months I have been either sick, tired, aching, bloated, swollen or generally stressed pretty much the whole time in varying combinations.

Now, lets meld all these pieces together. 

1. I like a clean house
2. I do not like crumbs
3. I have not been cleaning
4. I do not have much time 

Of course you have made the connection; my kitchen drawers have been a disaster. I had put off cleaning out the kitchen drawers for ages, knowing that this is one job that just could not be half done, once I started it, I wouldn’t be able to stop until every drawer had been completely gone through and cleaned.

So, the day came when I could not avoid it any longer - I had run out of excuses, the crumbs were out of control. We had gotten to the point where I thought by putting utensils back in the drawers would make them dirty again.  It didn’t actually take that long to do in the end, and I was able to get rid of things from my drawers that I hadn’t used for ever and my children got some new things for their pretend play stash.

Feeling rather sorry for myself for being so danged boring, I vented on Facebook. My status basically said that,  ‘I would rather be people watching sipping lattes in a trendy cafe, than cleaning crumbs from drawers.‘ I was hoping for a whole heaps of ‘Me too’s but this is not the response I got. I got a whole stream of people commenting how cool it was to have a clean cutlery drawer. Or how cool a clean house is. One of my Facebook friends has since said that there is nothing cooler than a clean house.  So.....  I guess I am cooler than I thought!

There is a cup Friend #458 has at her house that I like to use, it says, ‘A dusted house is the sign of a wasted life’. I think this is hilarious, and I chortle away while sipping tea from it, secretly trying to track how much of my life I have wasted dusting and polishing, cleaning up crumbs and arranging my house. Years I imagine. Drats.