Yummy yummy Apple Slice

This slice is amazing. Just like the yummy cakey apple slice you buy from the bakery. Seriously.

I found this via Pinterest. Pop on over to the original source and see her tutorial (with pictures) on how to make it or here is the recipe.

Apple Slice
2 cups plain flour
2tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
125g butter
1 egg
1 tin of apples (no added sugar) or 2 cups if you really keen and make it yourself.

1. Preheat oven to 180C and prepare your tin (something around this size will be fine 27x13cm tin
2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and butter in a food processor and give it a whizz.
3. Then add the egg.(Note: If you don't have a food process I used my hand held whizzy stick thingo. I think you could also rub it together with your fingers but i haven't tried it). (Another note: the mixer is very crumbly).
4. Halve dough and roll out one portion for the base of your tin.
5. Put the apple in next and roll out the second portion of pastry for the top.
6. Brush the top with some milk (which i forgot to do) and sprinkle some caster sugar over it.
7. Bake for 25minutes
8. Cool in tin (apparently if you try to cut it before it's cool it will crumble everywhere).

And just to prove that it is easy and can look like the pics from the original site here's my piccy of my slice.

mmmmmmm mmm mmmmmm mm.

Enjoy.

Winter rolls

Winter has definitely rolled in. Unfortunately, it has rolled in and then around my waist, spread over my bum and down my thighs *sigh*. Needless to say I have been thinking a lot about diets and exercise and if 'thinking' equaled calorie burning, I reckon I'd be pretty skinny by now, but alas it does not, no extra calories have been burned (note to self: thinking about exercise whilst eating last nights leftover golden syrup pudding does not balance out the calories *bigger sigh*).

Soooooo, when I saw the Curves 1 month subscription donated to the kinder silent auction I knew it was for me. Yay, $25 well spent.

Tomorrow morning, at 6am *gasp* I have my introductory appointment and first session.

Problem: I am not a morning person.
Solution: prepare EVERYTHING tonight.

My keys, voucher, ventolin and water bottle are in a bag on the kitchen table, my shoes are together at my bedroom door and my gym clothes are on, yep you read that right, they are ON. I am sleeping in them, so when my alarm goes off at stupid o'clock all I have to do is roll out of bed, put on my shoes, pick up my bag and hope that my eyes are open by the time I reverse out of my driveway.

Wish me luck.

Maybe I'll ever blog about it, who knows.

Start weight 70.8kg.

Potty training

Miss A. declared today, at the ripe ol' age of 2 and a 1/2 that she is wearing UNDIES. Oh dear, oh yeah, oh.... I'd don't know how I feel about this. Such a bitter sweet event. Yay, I'll save $$$; yuk, I just had to clean up poo from the floor, her legs, her undies and the potty. Anyway, how i feel about this is a little irrelevant as she has decided she is ready and so I will suck it up, get out the Pine-o-clean wipes and go with it.

On a more positive note i found the coolest rewards chart ever. Made in a collaboration between Maddie from Lil' Magoolie and Mari from Small for Big

How good is that!!! Click on either of the links above and you can download the chart which can be used for anything... chores, temperament and POTTY TRAINING. Brilliant. There is also a boy one. Also on each site are different links on using positive reinforcement and the chart itself. Get goin' and head on over.

So, yay for positive reinforcement, yay for superhero's and YAY for awesome rewards charts (but boo for poo on the floors - oh well I feel a little better about it all now).

So goodluck everybody and if you'd like to give me some tips, I'd love to hear them.

xo Kellie.

Playground finder

If you have an iPhone, live in Australia and have children then you need this app - "the playground finder app".

Today I had to attend an event to do with a fundraiser for my kinder, and it was not in my neighborhood. So instead of dragging the kids there, boring them (and probably myself) half to death, then dragging them home again, I thought we could make a day of it and visit a park. So naturally I visited www.playgroundfinder.com, one of the most helpful websites I have EVER come across. So imagine my feeling of absolute delight when I saw they'd made it into an app.

Basically it is s catalogue of parks around Australia that have been ranked and reviewed by families who have visited them. It tells you if there's toilets, seats , bbq's, shade, bike paths etc. it also shows you on a map where it is and you can read reviews from other parents. SO good. And if you're really keen, you can even add parks that you have found.

So there you go if you haven't already, then go and check it out.

Here are some pics of the app and where we went today. Fantastic.

Ps. If you have any favorite apps helpful to parenting little ones, I'd love to hear from you.

"Calm Down Dinosaur"

Something has happened to my boy. My boy who last year i would have described as 'quiet' and 'gentle', a boy that was not fussy, did not back chat and was overall, pretty much a sweet heart. My little boy has turned... 4 years old (dramatic music... ba ba buuuuuuum). Someone told me the other day that little boys have a surge of testosterone at about the age of 4 and i just googled it and found this...

"Hormones play a large part in that much loved phase in the life of so many four year olds boys when activity levels surge, and vigorous physical play, and a fascination with super heroes becomes the main stay of the boy's play. Around the age of four, boys' testosterone levels in the blood, suddenly double and that little boy changes quite suddenly and dramatically into a strong active child with limitless energy and a fascination with rough and tumble and very boisterous play. Mercifully for the boys and parents, this hormone level drops around the age of five to normal levels." (source: The PreSchool Directory).

OMgosh... there is no mercy in being told this will last a whole year. This is exactly what has happened.

This week I have seen tantrums like i have never seen before, objects be hurled across the room, stamping of feet, flapping around the floor like a human blowfly. I have had all  my buttons pushed and at time watch my boy stomp and shout and pout and thought 'you know what, i'd really like to do that now too'.

So last night I turned to the place that all cyber saavy mum's turn to for creative wisdom and inspiration... Pinterest. I remembered that i had seen two 'pins' that just may hold the answer: 1. "21 creative consequences for disobedient children- Some of these are AWESOME and some are just plain HILARIOUS - but probably effective" and 2. "Teach your kids to work! 43 chores young children can (AND SHOULD) do (18 months to 7 years old)" both pinned by Modern Parents with Messy Kids (click on the links to see any of these articles or visit MPMK's blog - it's great).

After my son's first session of whinging about not being allowed to have cake for breakfast this morning, followed by the stamping of feet, throwing of a board game and then a brief smack from me (yes, I smack occassionally, and no I don't want to hear you're opinion on it - unless of course you do to) I was standing at the sink, composing myself when inspiration hit ... I have devised a plan, whether it works is not the point, the point is that we are going to try something new.

Enter the "Calm Down Dinosaur" jar...

So the theory is that as my son starts to fall into a fit of doubled testosterone, 4 year old paroxysm, I will say "Calm Down Dinosaur" and he will get his jar, shake the <beep> out of it, then watch the glitter settle (consequently settling himself).

So, what do you reckon? Do you need one?

Simple, here's what you'll require:

•  A jar with lid
• a prop to stick in the jar a.k.a. a dinosaur
• glitter
• water
• & a whole lotta hot glue

(The rock was to slightly elevate the dinosaur & the sticks were for extra dramatic affect).

1. wash your props so the glue sticks well (esp. if they're sticks/rocks)

2. glue all props to the inside of the lid of your jar

(FYI: the rock was too heavy so we ended up using a piece of wood and once it and the dinosaur were stuck to the lid there was no room for the sticks so we glued the stick to the side of the jar).

3. let your glue dry (admittedly, i did not wait long).

4. fill your jar with water and add glitter.

5. hot glue around the rim of the jar and screw the lid on)

Done.

So, here's hoping. I was somewhat pleased to hear my son tell Daddy that he had made a "dinosaur calm down jar". Only time will tell. Good luck peeps.

But seriously, look at this kid, at the end of the day he'll always be my sweetheart.

 

#FEBphotoaday - day 6 7 & 8

Day 6 - dinner

Day 7 - button - I love my draw of buttons

Day 8 - sun - my son & a sun.

The Shanny-poo Doorstop

Ok, I'm back to brag... I have been looking for an excuse to sew with hessian and finally I found one when my girlfriend told me that she needed some doorstops because 3 of her doors keep slamming shut and scaring the bejesus out of her little dog (who then sulks for the rest of the night). It also happened to be her birthday the following week (now that i write this, I am wondering if she orchestrated the whole thing... hmmmm, sneaky).

Anyway, clearly a cute hessian doorstop was needed. So I got to spotlight, bought the hessian that i had been perving on for months and go sewing.

I've listed some instructions below, for those interested.

1. The instructions are simple. Make yourself a square and triangle template out of cardboard (my square and triangles were 16cms high and wide). Click here to download a template.

2. Trace 1 x square and 4 x triangles, using your templates, onto your fabric with one of those disappearing-ink-pens and cut them out.

3. Sew two triangles together and then the other two triangles together. (One side of your triangle will be 16cms but the other two will be longer, keep this in mind when your sewing them, as you want the 16cm side free to sew to the square - obvious, but frustrating if you only realise after you've sewed them).

4. Sew your two sets of triangles together to make a pyramid.

5. Sew three sides of your square to the bottom of the pyramid, leaving one side open to fill.

6. Fill with something heavy (wheat, rice, beads, whatever...)

7. Slip stitch closed and embellish.

Yay. So I've made one, but she needs 3... I'm thinking she may need a hessian pear doorstop too, so that just might be my next post.

Hooroo and happy sewing. xo.

A photo a day for Febraury

A girlfriend posted on her Facebook that she was going to do fat mum slims photo a day (february). And as I have just discovered a new photography app for my iPhone, that I am in love with, I thought I'd join her. So all my photo's will be taken on my iPhone and edited using Photogene2.

Here is Fat Mum Slim's photo a day schedule:

If you look up #FEBphotoaday on twitter you will be able to see other peoples interpretations of these subjects to (these photo's are the first thing I've ever put on twitter, I must say, I don't really get it).

Day 1 - my view today

Day 2 - words - My Dad felt lead to say this at a leadership meeting on Thursday night. I love my Dad so much.

Day 3 - hands - I love little hands, so pudgy and cute.

Day 4 - a stranger

Day 5 - 10am (Well 1020am actually)

Pineapple Drink - For the frugalist of frugals.

So I've decided to extricate the phalanges (as my father-in-law would say) and write something on my blog. Mostly because i have just made something that i totally want to brag about (but i can't cos it's a birthday present, and with my luck this would be the one night that she (the recipient) would decide to look at the world's most neglected blog and all element of suprise would be lost). So instead, I thought i'd tell you about a lovely beverage that i have been making, that seems to impress those who i serve it to (although it really isn't all that flash, but the kids love it).

I think I'm using too many brackets... I'll stop now.

Anyway, my Mum gave me this scrappy looking, but rather ace book a while back...

It's full of really great recipes that are relatively simple. One of which was how to make a pineapple drink, from all the bits of the pineapple that you would usually throw out. How wonderfully frugal.

So here it is...

All you need is:

• The skin and core only of 1 large pineapple
• 8 cups of water
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 1 cup of sugar
• and a big pot

Step 1. Put the skin and core of the pineapple in the pot with the 8 cups of water and simmer for 2 hours.
Step 2. Strain the liquid into another saucepan. Add juice and sugar. Boil 5 mins, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Step 3. Cover and cool. Once cool, add ice and enjoy. If you're feeling a little bit fancy you can add a few mint leaves and strawberries to posh it up.

Easy Peeasy.

I would have put a few pics of my lovely jug of Pineapple Fruit drink, but honestly, we have already almost finished it and a photo of a quarter full jug is a little underwhelming. So instead, I will leave you with this beautiful vintage picture of some wintery looking birds posted by the Graphics Fairy, who's blog is beautiful and generous and well worth a look.



So hooroo. xo.

Who knows when i'll see you again (maybe i'll be back to brag about my creation).

Neglect

My mum asked me the other day how my blog is going... hmmmm.

Then she called me a 'half done mum', haha, gotta love family.

Well it's true, I have totally neglected this blog for the last few weeks. One of those weeks we were away on a holiday, that turned into a spew and poo convention (I think we all got Rota Virus - ick); and well the rest of that time, i think i've just been sulking about having gone on holidays and been so sick that it really wasn't restful or reviving at all.

Anyway, i'm over it now and I am getting all amped up about Christmas and my kiddies birthday party that is coming up. So You should be hearing more from me in the near future. But as i write this I can't help but look up and see the half sewn pillow, with it's stuffing overflowing, sitting on the couch across from me and think, we'll see.

Shall i admit to you how long this pillow has looked like this??? <clears throat and shamefully says> about 4 years. Not good.

Oh well. Chin up. Maybe it will get some love tomorrow - haha, but don't hold your breath.

x k. 

Can you keep a secret?

So it seems that hub may have been right. Shhhhhh.... Not too loud. You are all sworn to secrecy, but it turns out that if you don't spend so much time looking at Facebook, pinterest and blogging that you actually get stuff done.

So that is where I have been, busy doing, 'doing' rather than 'talking' or 'writing about'.

(I know, I write as though I have a million followers who are deeply concerned at my lack of posts - just humor me).

So here's a sneaky peak at what 'doing' has achieved.

I have achieved more than just this, but this is really the only slightly crafty, vaguely interesting thing. I wasn't exactly going to post pictures of my clean washing all folded and put away was I?!?

xo.

My resolve

As feared, although this blog has been entertaining (well to me anyway), it has not achieved it's purpose... Which was to inspire some movement towards completing my half done craft projects.

Resolve: I do solemnly swear to do something from my original 'half done' list by the end of next week.

Full permission to publicly humiliate me if I do not have an entry of sorts on this blog about something I have completed. However, what will be worse than anything you could do/say, is that my husband be proved right (and I couldn't let that happened).

So on that thought. Good night.

Zip Fix

Why do some jeans have zips that are just totally rebellious. I have a pair of jeans that within 2 minutes of pulling the zip up, it just falls back down. The straw that broke the camels back was when i wore these jeans to my children's music group and facilitated the entire thing 'half mast'. Grrrr. It's one thing to be a half done mum with messy hair, half applied make-up or even odd socks, but i draw the line here.

Just when i had given up and was having a big whinge to my Mum about my zipper woes she tells me about this... Changed my life!!!

All you need is a split ring and 30 seconds.

Attach the split ring to your zip, pull the zip up, pop the ring over the button
and do up as usual.

BRILLIANT. Happy dances. Cheers and shouts of jubilation. And maybe even a few tears of joy for all those jeans that have just been reinstated as wearable.


If you don't have a spare split ring on your keys then you can find them at almost any craft shop that sells jewellrey supplies.

Plus it can stay on when washed!!!

I hope you are as excited about this as I am. Yay for simple fixes.

xo Peace out.

Home made shooter + Side Walk Paintballs = Awesomeness!!!

What to do on a fine Saturday where Hub has left us to go paintballing with the menfolk and Miss A. is asleep. Hmmmmm. Have a look at what's saved on Pinterest and 'Wallah' ... inspiration has struck.

I found this little contraption the other day on Pinterest and just knew my son would love it. What 3 year old wouldn't like something that catapultes random items halfway across the yard?! So cheers Laura from Come Together Kids for this excellent little project.

To do this you need:
* some disposable cups (we found a smaller cup worked better for smaller hands)
* a few balloons
* and whatever little projectile you can find.
(It goes without saying that this activity requires supervision, but i've said it anyway)

The 'how':
1. Cut the cup in half.
2. Tie a knot in the balloon.
3. Cut about a quarter of the rounded end of the balloon off.
4. Pull it over the top end of your cup.

DONE. Here's a pic...


First we shot a few small gumnuts, then some flower buds and then the frenzy hit ... we launched everything. Seeds, dirt, rice, even a poor little snail that i wasn't quick enough to save. (Note: Dirt is not a good idea it kind blows up in your face, literally).

Then another wave of inspiration hit. When I told Master J. that Daddy was at Paintball, he had no idea what I was talking about and I totally messed up the explanation by telling him that Daddy and his friends were going to shoot each other with paint guns. Kinda caused some anxieties. But never fear, here is the answer to clear it up-ish.

Introducing the clever Mummy from Mom's Crafty Space and her recipe for sidewalk chalk paint. Excellent excellent.

The 'how':
* Mix 1 Tbsp of cornflour to 2 Tbsp's of water and a bit of food dye.


Then dip a cottonball into your chalk paint mix, load, launch and marvel.

This was heaps of fun. So much fun in fact that the kids down the road heard us and came up. What was fun with 1 child soon because total craziness with 6 children and 1 dog, but still heaps of fun.

I picked up cottonballs afterwards.

x Kellie.

The logic of men

Humph, men!

I told my husband about my new blog and the whole 'half done' theme and he said "if you put the time into your unfinished projects rather than blogging maybe you'd finish them".

Really, why do men have to make so much sense. It's just ridiculous. Where's the fun in that?!

So anyway, I'm just going to file that little suggestion back in the dusty recesses of my brain where the cobwebs are and the thoughts about housework and pretend it didn't happen.

Goodnight.

A new toothbrush

Today's a bit of a struggle. We've all got the dreaded loogie. Sniffles, coughs and general feelings of unwellness.

So a little parcel in the mail is always a welcomed pick me up. So, YAY, look what arrived today.
Do you know how many times i have wondered if such a thing exists!!! What is it you ask? It's hopefully the answer to our daily battle of Miss A. vs. parent in the toothbrushing arena. It's a finger tooth brush & some blueberry flavored, 'fluoride-and-other-nasties' free toothpaste.

I'd love to tell you that the toothpaste smells delicious, but i really can't smell. Oh well. It tastes yummo (mind you I can't taste much either).

Both items bought from Quirky & Quaint, they are are a handmade market that comes to you. Kinda tupperware style, but WAY better. Check out their website.

Well enough from me. Miss A. is awake. 'Til next time. xo.

Roly Poly Painting

So one reason i am so rubbish at finishing anything is that my mind is constantly brimming with creative ideas for the next project thanks to the world of Pinterest. Each night I enter this wonderful world and discover new things to crochet, new ways to revamp furniture, cute sewing projects and (one of my favorite things) creative activities to do with the kidlets.

So I thought i'd share one with you that i did today (inspired by Play Create Explore's 'marble painting').

ROLY POLY PAINTING

You need:

• A largish box - I used a box I brought my green groceries home in.


• Paper large enough to cover the bottom on your box.


• Paint.


• Something to put your paint in or on - I used an ice-cream bucket lid


• Anything ball like - I used some plastic ball pit balls, i seem to always have a million of them rolling around my house (however, i don't have a ball pit - hmmm).

First we dipped our balls in colours and put them in the box.

Then wiggle and jiggle that box til your hearts content.

And wallah, there you have it, our first Roly Poly Painting.

(Alternatively, you could slop paint on the paper in the box and make the balls roll through it ... or ... you could put different size/weight/whatever balls in there for a different look)

Happy Rolling.

I've started something else....

Hi, my name is Kellie. I am a mum of 2, wife to 1, brilliant at starting and terrible at finishing. Hence i am starting this blog, as kind of a way of putting it out there into cyber space, into the universe, that i will start something and do my utmost to finish it. I will talk about it (probably a lot), start it AND finish it. And the universe can hold me accountable to it (I think my heart just skipped a beat and my tummy just got that heavy feeling it gets just as I witness something that i am uncomfortable with - but no... I must blog on). Let the journey begin.

Firstly i must tell you the projects that i have started and not finished - YET!!!!

There is:

• The antique frame that i am going to turn into a fabulous framed coat & key rack.


• The gorgeous "uptown girl" jacket by Make It Perfect that i have half sewn, using Alexander Henry "Farmdale Orchard" fabric for one side and plain red on the other.


• The crocheted beanie for a friends daughter that requires a flower.


• The crocheted scarf that i just have to attach the already made flowers to.


• The antique hat box that will one day be an amazing herb garden.


• And lastly the dreaded Whinnie the Pooh cross-stitch that was WAY too ambitious (due to it's size) that i started before my now 3.5year old was born.

Okay, that about sums it up. I can't, or maybe i don't want to, think of anything else.

So, my intention is to do a tutorial type thingo on the projects that I'm kinda just doing out of some sort of creative genius, potentially stupidity, that i conjured up in my head (the framed coat rack and hat box herb garden - i'm mainly talking about - however i did come up with another 'brillliant' idea tonight that involves the fence posts that are sitting on the side of the road up the street from me, but i dare not even mention it to hub as he may do his naa naa if i ask him to pick up another piece of 'junk' from the side of the road).

Oh oh oh, i also want to mod podge the drawers i scabbed from the side of the road, that doesn't count as having been 'started' as i didn't think to do it until just recently and they are being used.

So now to post this thing onto the world wide web for all to see (and NOT to just save it with the many other blogs i have started but not committed to - no you can't see them!!!). Okay, deep breath; clicking "Publish Post" now and committing to yet another genius, potentially stupid, adventure.

xo peace out.