Playdough Aliens

Today's Kid Holiday Craft was super easy!

I saw this idea  in one of my  emails from Kids Craft Weekly.

If you have small kids the hundreds of ideas on the Kids Craft Weekly Archives   are perfect!

I made a batch of Green Playdough using This Recipe (doubled)

Give children googly eyes, beads, craft supplies to make aliens from.

Tissue Paper Stained Glass

I loved this idea from one of my favourite kid craft blogs FilthWizardry

She has the best ideas. The stuff she makes for her daughters is AMAZING.


So we set about doing our own version. On a smaller scale.


First off you need clear glue. The one in those glue pens is perfect

I got these from a Asian store.

Now all you need is a window and lots of tissue paper.

Glue shapes onto window.  (Using the glue pens = less mess) Cover Window.

Even better if its a dirty window like mine :)

 

Keep Going,  you can add little bits on all day.

Enjoy your stained glass window.

*To clean just peel off. For the tougher stuck on pieces spray with water and wipe off.

Corn Syrup Painting

As soon as I saw This painting at Eighteen 25 I knew I wanted to do it.

Problem?

It's really hard to find Corn Syrup here.

A week later I'm  in the IGA just browsing in an area I normally don't and there in front of me are all the imports. They had corn syrup. Except it was $7 for a small bottle. But Lucky me, everything was marked down to $2!!

So I HAD to buy the corn syrup. It would be a crime not to.

For this paint all you need is corn syrup and food colouring (I wonder if it would work with glucose?)

Any paper will work, but art paper that is a bit shiny will give a better result.

It takes a few hours to dry.

When dry it reminded me of Roll up's. (probably thats what they are made out of ;) or a shiny nailpolish.


This stuff is STICKY! Make sure you layout newspaper, and get ready to wash kids if they get it all over them (for once my kids actually stuck to the paintbrushes! )

I have read that if left on a wall in warm temps it will melt and run everywhere.

There is also the worry of ants being attracted to it.

I told my girls this was just for fun and we aren't going to display the work. It was about the process, not the end result. We will look at them for a day or so and then probably throw it away.

But it was VERY FUN and VERY COLOURFUL


Now I still have nearly a whole bottle of corn syrup left. To all my american readers: What's your favourite recipe using Corn Syrup? So I can use it up!

The TV is BACK

Winter Holidays are here.

We have had no TV for around 10 weeks or so. I said it could come back on for the holidays.

What was I thinking?

This week's posts will be some kids art/craft ideas to keep the kids entertained.

Or should I say Things I need to do to keep my kids from watching too much TV


For we are in Zombieland

 

50 years

My mum made it to the big one! 5-0

I used to love when occasionally in conversation I could say to people
"Oh my mum is in her 40's!"

People would look at me incredulously.

What?

Especially as I have 4 kids people think I am old.


Alas I can no longer say that about her.

Now she is just plain old.

Ha. Not really. Still very young at heart.


What I learnt today.


Don't Use the fancy icing tips for the first time, the morning of said party. It's harder than it looks.

These are the good ones. Not so good ones are in fridge for me to eat later :) My fancy tupperware icing accordian squeezy thing was no good. I found it has to be full of icing to work (thats a lot of icing), I only had a small amount, so it didn't work. I burst 3 ziplock bags to make these! And created a huge mess. But they're cute!


Don't let your beaters break while you are attempting to beat 1kg worth of cream cheese icing.
Beating it by hand is NO FUN. Also think ahead when you make a HUGE heavy cake that needs to be transported! Balancing a cake on a plate in a car is NOT FUN.

Orange and Poppy Seed Cake with  Mango,PassionFruit, Mango Jam Filling with Cream Cheese Icing

Don't try to take family photos with children. They don't like to cooperate.  We had one boy who didn't want to. One girl walked off for a drink during, same one had her finger in her nose (I find now while editing pics! grr) Plus One baby screaming. The stuff family photos are made of! I might embarrass us all by doing an 'evolution of photo's' including grumpiness, nose picking, screaming babies.

All the girls! No I didn't have an extra one! I do have one niece!!

Happy Birthday Mum!

Foody Friday

The mince version. But I think the vegetarian version is better.

Chillied Sweetcorn

1 onion (finely diced)
1 capsicum (diced)
1 can corn
garlic (finely chopped)
Pinch of chillies (to desired taste)
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 can kidney beans (or mixed beans)
1 can chopped tomatoes
150 mls vegetable stock
2tsp brown sugar

Heat oil in frypan add onion, cook until soft. Add capsicum, corn, garlic, spices cook 1 min. Add beans, tomato, stock and sugar. Bring to boil.

Pour mixture into slowcooker. Cook on High for 2-3 hours.


*Note. I have also cooked this by just throwing everything into the slowcooker and it still tasted fine. I have also let it cook longer than 3 hours and it was fine (on low) I have also made this with mince. I think it actually tasted better vegetarian. The kids also preferred it without the meat (WHAT??) and this was one of their favourites from the slow cooker (probably cause I served it with corn chips and sour cream.) One of my children sadly doesnt like anything that comes from a slowcooker, but she liked this.

Teeth

Here are (some of) those teeth I was mentioning.

10 teeth at the same time coming through.

Crazy.

Her eldest sister did the same. And funny enough they all fell out around the same time.

She doesn't like anyone to touch, and most certainly wouldn't pose for a photo.

So I hung her upside down as any respectable mother would do.

Now if only I could get the darling to sleep past 3am.

I'm tired.

It's called Baby Brain

 Yep I say Blame it on the Baby (and older siblings too)

Photo Credit Zanabelle Photography

I like to blog Monday to Friday.  Five things a week. Like it's a job or something. Ha

I'm  not always perfect, but I try.

I have a zillion things flying around my brain. I'll chuckle and think - That'll be good to blog.

Then just as fast as it came, it's gone again.

zip... gone.


I'm sitting here and the life of me can't remember what I was going to blog. Something about Katy Perry's California Girls, something about a great attribute of The Mr, something about ideas to keep the kids busy during the holidays, something about Miss N and her 'getting 10 teeth at once - means no sleepy for weeks' problem, not to mention the funny crazy things the other girls have done/will do this week.

Any way

It was something along the lines of - Changing unsuitable lyrics in catchy songs I like  - to more suitable ones for the overall population.

Like a  bleeper machine, and then a talkover of me saying what I'd fill the gap in with.

Take California Girls by Katy Perry.

No 'daisy dukes and bikinni's on top'
It would be:  summer dress, Hat on top

No 'Sippin' Gin and juice'
But 'Sippin' Pineapple Juice'

No 'sex on the beach'
It'd be 'Long walks on the beach'

Same with Kid Rocks All Summer Long

No sipping whisky out the bottle, no sex by the lake and no smoking funny things

Example

While we were trying different things
And we were saying funny things
Dancing by the lake to our favorite song
Sipping Maison out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long
Singing Sweet Home Alabama all summer long

I absolutely hate that addictive upbeat songs usually have terrible messages. I sing them and feel terrible, even worse if the kids are found singing it! But we all know thats  satan's plan to undermine family and respectable behaviour. But it makes me sad. I love a good catchy beaty song!! Damn you! why must you be so catchy!!

So I'm sure I'll be making lots of money if I can just figure out a way to sell pop music with my more suitable lyrics inserted. You know you want to hear me! on every immoral catchy pop tune ever made.



A Uniform for my day job?

                                             













Possible Gang sign?

Loving right now

I'm Loving at the moment

My $15 fake chucks


Last time I had some was in grade 5 and they were purple.

Photos and leaves

There are very few deciduous trees in the part of the world  I live in. However we have one and so does the business next door. Whenever I see autumn photos of people rolling in leaves it makes me so jealous!

Well the weekend was warm, so we went out to get some of our own. Alas not all the kids wanted to roll in the leaves. And the leaves are only brown and yellow, not those gorgeous red and orange type. And the kids wouldn't dress up nice.. Oh well... You take what you can get!

I think the girls have all inherited my feet! And it wasnt cold at all. The girls wanted me to wear their fluffy hat Grandma knitted for them. Gorgeous isnt it? And gah that tutu... will have to make its way to the bin! She'll wear it anywhere and everywhere! Makes for cute photos though.

Foody Friday

Maple Glazed Ribs

pork ribs (I used lamb ribs)
1 onion (quarterd)
1 carrot (thickly sliced)
2tbs vinegar
salt & pepper
1litre of boiling water

Glaze
2 teaspoon english mustard
1 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoon tomato puree (I just used 1tbs tomato paste)
2tbs brown sugar
125 mls Maple Syrup

Place the ribs, onion, carrot, vinegar salt and pepper and water into the slowcooker.  Cook on high for 5-7 hours. Remove Ribs from slow cooker (carefully as the meat will fall off the bone!) and transfer to a foil lined baking tray. Mix ingredients for the glaze with 150 mls of stock from the slowcooker. Spoon glaze over ribs and grill for 10-15 mins, turning once until brown and sticky.


These were DIVINE! and a happy change from my usual stews in the slowcooker.



Do you original readers of mine remember Foody Friday?
When I used to post a whole weeks worth of recipes?

Its been ages and I thought I would bring it back.  Recycling the trend.

The reason it fell by the wayside is I kept forgetting to photograph my food. And I got stuck in the boring routine of cooking the same Lasagne each sunday, the same fried rice, the same stirfry, the same stew, etc. Also we were trying to save money as we no longer had international students living with us. There went my $250 a week shopping money!!

Anyway The Mr so kindly bought me a slowcooker recipe book for Mother's Day. How sweet of him! He did it cause he heard me lamenting online to a friend who wrote a post about How much she LOVES her slowcooker. I said I don't know how to make anything in the slow cooker that doesnt taste THE SAME everytime because I was always using the same vegetables and same tomato base!!

Anyway a long intro into what I will be doing with foody friday. I thought I will put in some of the recipes I like the best from my slow cooker ones for Winter!

Perfect time for slowcooker meals.

Sci Fi my life

sci fi nerdlets in the making

The girls have a new love. Watching Dr Who with their dad.

It's available on Mondays at ABC iview.

He has to prewatch them to make sure they aren't scary (not that he minds ;)


I found a folder of Miss A's that had drawings in it.

It had lovey dovey drawings of some boys.

Underneath had written I ♥ Howl and on another page I ♥ Doctr How Who

Her stick figure had hair just like the new Dr.   Too cute!!

When I called her out on it I said 'Why do you love Dr who?'

She said 'Cause he's great and he gets to travel in time.'

So any future guys for her - you have a lot to live up to :)


I grew up in a house that wasn't really into sci fi. I can honestly say I had never seen an episode of Star Trek in my life till I met The Mr.  I am proud to say (ok so not really) that I have seen alot more since then!

Looks like I have computer, sci fi loving nerds in the making. Thanks MR!!


Can anyone give me a  hand V  and  'live long and prosper' ?  see it here




*Howl is a character from the movie "Howl's Moving Castle" A Japanese cartoon my kids love.
*Thanks to wiki! I didn't know that the Vulcan salute was based on a Jewish blessing. Obviously I'm not THAT much of a trekie :D

Musical Tales

Dance Off - See we do listen to music - Aqua mostly :S

The Mr and I are not musical in any way.

Neither of us play an instrument.

We don't have a favourite style of music, or collect any.

I don't have an Itunes account.

I can't sing. He can sort of.

I mean I really can't sing. When I say I can't sing people always say, "Oh neither can I, don't worry."  One time that exact phrase was used.  A few weeks later the poor person had to stand next to me in  the Relief Society Choir when we sang at the christmas party.
She came up to me later and said 
"Oh you really meant that you can't sing! You were bad!"
"..erm ....yes. Pretty sure that I said I can't sing"


One time Miss K went to a friends house. I am friends with the mother and she relayed their conversation that day to me.

They were having a mini disco in said friends room. Miss K was having fun. She said to the mum

"This is so fun. We aren't allowed to listen to music at home.
 All we listen to is church music!"

What the? Lucky my friend knew it proabably wasn't true. So glad it wasn't said to someone else who might think we are more weirdly religious than we already are! We aren't that scared of the outside world!! lol Popular music is part of our lives. Really!

So I thought back trying to figure out why Miss K would think this? She has listened to plenty of music over her life. We used to watch Rage before the kids got old enough to figure out there were cartoons on Saturday Mornings.

But at that time we only listened to the radio in the car. At that time The Mr took the car to work. He was going thru a phase of listening to classical music or church music on sundays and long drives. We didn't have a CD player or ipods or anything. We owned very very few CD's and as a rule don't download illegally so we didn't own any music either as our money is spent elsewhere.

HA HA HA it was true. Sort of.

Sad coming from two people who loved to dance and cut a rug at the many stake dances we attended and ones I decorated for as Stake Dance Specialist (yes it was a calling!)

Anyway over the last year I have been trying to change that. We have lots of impromptu dance offs. An now this week thanks to a friend we were given a sound system. Girls are having a ball playing their beloved Aqua CD. I'm trying to ween them off onto some other 90's dance music. Cause I have had enough of Dr Jones, Candy Man, Calling You, Heat of the night, My Oh My. Seriously Aqua. I've had enough water!!

Got your dancing shoes on? We got some moves to show ya!

Showing the girls 'running man'  :)

There was alot of hip holding, hands in the air and jumping

Sunrise on Queens Birthday

Spur of the moment trip to see the sunrise this morning.

I love long weekends! Thanks to the queen for letting us have a day off.

I remember doing things in the early dark as a kid. It is so fun to get up in the dark and go off on adventures. It has been a while since our kids have and they were so excited when we plucked them out of their beds and straight into the car at 5am this morning.

We drove 40 mins to the seaside and got comfortable to watch the sunrise. It was cold, but not too bad. A little cloudy so the excitement of the sunrise was a little delayed.

A quick stop for breakfast at Grandparents house made it even better.

My Contemplating Man

Some people didn't get out of their sleeping bag the whole time

Love these trees.

I think this is the third sunrise I have watched this year. I have made it a personal goal to see more sunsets, but sunrise is just as nice, if not more peaceful. As our house is at the bottom of a small hill, and in inner city squish, when inside you cannot see the sky or sunset. Often I go out just as a beautiful sunset is finished and I get mad at myself for not stopping to take time to enjoy the beautiful sunsets in my area.

So no matter how tired I am now, I'm glad I got up early.

The Real Question for guys.

Oh so sweet and innocent! If only I could have those cheeks and wrinkless eyes back!
This photo in a frame sat on his work desk for years, now on bedside table.

So when The Mr asked the fresh faced 19 year old me  "will you marry me?"

I might have answered with "I think I'm going to be sick" (in the nervous way, not repulsed!)

"Oh!.....YES.. Yes, I meant yes!"

So to follow on from yesterdays - the truth behind those 4 little words -

What did it mean for the MR when I said  "Yes I will marry you"

what it really  meant was he would have to:

Listen to me talk and talk and talk some more. Bare the brunt of being the sole provider for our family for the last 8 years. Put up with me poking him in the back if he is snoring. Watch romantic comedy's (The Mr is awesome like that). Fix all the things I refuse to fix. Make all  telephone calls because I am a scaredy cat (like for bills, centrelink, insurance, bookings etc etc). Have an endless supply of women on his back. Be my constant IT guy. Hold the fort when I have girls night, book club etc. Look after the garden. Car maintenance. Eat and love my creative cooking. Be a mind reader to know what's going on in his wife's head. Put up with all the gross girl things and whatever upper or downer I might be on (hormones you know). Go through 4 pregnancies giving in to my every desire. Give in to all my crazy ideas and schemes. Come home each night to be my saviour from crazy kids. And look good while doing it!


What a man what a man, what a mighty good man!!

Is he glad he did it? Sure I'm perfect :)




Yes we had to think really hard for the things he has to put up with from me.. ha hahaha

The Real Question - Post Edit

Yar, he's a keeper

The other day when the Mr came home I apologised for the messy house.

I didn't get to clean today because *insert reason here*

"Oh so I go to work all day and you get to do nothing" (He was TOTALLY joking by the way)

 "Yep" I said.

"It's ok though, you owe me overtime. I think I have a big store of money owing to me from all the times in the night I get up. Nine years worth. Double time and a half.

And then we laughed.


He said 'men really are simple. The major question they have to ask in life is short and sweet.'

Will you marry me?


But what they really mean is:

Will you love me, still love me even though sometimes I am wrong, have a warm dinner waiting each night when I come home from work, wash and fold my clothes and that of 4 other people, do my grocery shopping, wake up each night to the needs or one or more of our children, clean up vomit, poo, and the endless list of whatever gross things our children leave around, listen to me snore, bathe and dress 5 people each day without my help, taxi us around, do things for me when I ask from work, greet me with a smile and kiss at the end of the day, wash the dishes, oh and look beautiful while doing it all?


The Mr said  "Would you have said yes?"

hmm *still thinking*


mabye it is best to stick with short and sweet.

Cause I totally would marry HIM.

the rest? not so much :)




Post Edit**** I've realised this post might make my husband look bad. He doesn't make me or insist I do the above mentioned things. I do them at my own free will and choice:) Just over time thats what our busy life has morphed into :) and he does plenty of things for me. I might write a sister article from the opposing point of view. What he got himself into by asking me to marry him ;)

Happiness Essay

Tulips make me happy.

I've been featured!

Go over here to My Online Life to check me out!

Lovely Miss Ami asked if I would do a guest post on Happiness at her blog!

*squee* I squealed like a school girl!

You should check out her past posts. Ami is one funky girl! who has an afro to match!

Who else would set up a tent complete with fairy lights in her apartment for date night? Who else would love a flicka group called "Granny Chic?" Who was once a Best and Less Model as a child? Who loves to SLEEP! Who sneeks into universities when she isnt a student there. Who shaved her head a whiles ago.



What makes you happy? I'm thinking I might do some features here.
 Anyone want to be on my blog?


go and say hi to ami! now!

Chocolate and Sin

Maybe we do have  chocolate issues at our house :) An old one of Miss G.

For the Month of June I am participating in a chocolate ban. 

Sadly most of the worlds cocoa beans are bought from a country that uses Child Labour in the picking/growing of cocoa beans.  Much of it is also forced slave labour. This problem was actually bought to my attention years ago, yet I did nothing. I still ate chocolate. Well some friends and family have started a boycott and it got me thinking more deeply.

Go to these websites for information on Child Slavery and Chocolate.

Chocolate and Slavery

Food Revolution

Wiki - Children in cocoa production

The Age - Bitter Life of Chocolate Child Slaves

BBC article


So I have now gone a week with no chocolate. I have been very amused at how much chocolate permeates our lives (and chocolate ISNT EVEN MY FAVOURITE FLAVOUR!) From my morning cup of Hot milo. To my dessert of one Tim Tam with a milo (if its cold). To the small treat in the girls lunch boxes. To the Nutella on fresh bread. To the prize I won at a party of friday night (I'm still staring at that box of Roses Chocolates in my handbag) To the choc chips begging me to make Magic Slice. To the iced chocolate drink I like at the cafe.


And even funnily enough after explaining to a friend why I wasn't eating chocolate, I almost slipped! Half hour later we were in the car when her sister handed over the car seat a little bag of M&M's and asked if I wanted one. I put my hand in to grab one when my other friend who knew I wasn't eating chocoalte yelled out "NO! Your not eating chocolate REMEMBER??" It was such an instinctive reaction to accept something someone is giving me. I was appalled at myself!!


I have also spent more money on treats to replace our cheap treats of chocolate (now we know why chocolate it so cheap. People who pick the beans are NOT PAID!) One of the few reasons I buy chocolate is that it is cheaper than me baking. Baking is too expensive these day. Ingredients cost too much. Also if I bake I eat a lot of it.



I almost gave up today to have some Ice magic on my icecream. I figured  no one will know. I started to doubt our efforts. Who is going to care if a few of us go without chocolate for a month. It won't change the industry.



We have some chocolate in this house (choc chips and milo -maybe I should just get rid of it) that was purchased before June. I was figuring well that stuff doesn't count, it was purchased before the ban.


All these little lies told to myself. All these justifications.

Then I was thinking how all my chocolate issues are like sin.

We tell lies to ourselves. How we justify things we do.

If I can do it with chocolate, what's to say about other areas I neglect or cut corners on?




Don't let Chocolate Sins rule my life.



One week down. Four to go! I can do it!!

Join the  Boycott Chocolate in June - Fight modern day Slavery Facebook Group.



You tube video's on chocolate and Child Slavery.

The Challenge to make Chocolate Slave Free

Chocolonly - Trying to make slave free chocolate

Chickens Squawk

Well I now know if I am lost in the wild with just my girls - we might survive.

That's if there are chickens around.

The neighbours chickens come into our yard every day. They scratch around and leave huge holes everywhere. If only they would leave an egg or two in love and appreciation, I might love and appreciate them.

On Friday within minutes of being in the house, I came back out to this

A chicken caught and tied up - Using the Hairband from Miss K's HEAD!

They were about to tie it upside down to a metal chain!

As a friend said on my facebook - Lord of the Flies over there?!

Sometimes Yes, I think our life is like Lord of the Flies!


Now before you call RSPCA on me. These girls love animals. They were very careful with the chicken. They are very gentle with the loads of lizards they catch. The ask daily when am I gonna get them a pet (umm never) and stop to pat every dog or cat we see on our travels.

With a little encouragement to let the chook go, they did. Then they sat it on a table and fed it bread and water. It ate out of their hands and they loved it.

They used a lot of bread. But  I can see here, it was one bite for the chicken, one bite for me.


Then they placed flowers all through its feathers and Miss G deemed it a wedding chicken. It's getting MAHH WEED she said.

Then it shook itself and everything went flying. It squawked.

And then they carried it home right into the arms of its owner.



Now if they girls could make me dinner instead of trying to catch dinner.