New Kids Plates at Ikea!

I must admit that I haven't been to Ikea in a few months... Marley and I went in yesterday to grab some things, and we saw the new design kids plates... We have long used Ikea plates, bowls and cups for the kids, they are colourful, durable and dishwashable! When I saw these I was super excited, as they have a raised lip around the edges so their food won't easily fall off with the amateur use of cutlery, or slip off while Marley tries to carry her plate gracefully to the table... If you have kids and are around Ikea, grab some! You won't be sorry...


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Friday baking - banana pudding cookies with white chocolate and vanilla wafers...

I jacked this recipe from @heybetch who pointed me in the direction of the twopeasandtheirpod.com website for the recipe...
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/banana-pudding-cookies/
Best thing I did this week, not only is this recipe amazing, but they have loads of beautiful recipes! I have bookmarked loads of them! Easy enough to whip up, I did struggle with the ingredients, couldn't find instant banana pudding anywhere so used vanilla pudding with actual bananas instead... In any case, they are freaking delicious, and I suppose it's a nice change to not make chocolate sweets, second week in a row! Will definitely be making chocolatey goodness next week...


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Rain is falling down...

I do so love it when it's nearing bed time, and the rain starts pouring down, snuggling up in our king sized bed with 1000 thread count sheets, with the man that I share love with... And to top it off, Sons of Anarchy is back... I have missed Jax Teller... Perfect...


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Mr. Potato Head slippers...

I bought these from nextdirect.com for Mace for next winter... They are hilarious, and now, of course, Marley wants a pair!


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Boys and Girls...

When they said that I was having a little boy, my thoughts about little boys went into overdrive... Little loud, rough, rude, dirty boys... The idea did not float my boat... I was sure that having boys was a nurture issue and was determined to not have a boy that just wanted to play with cars... As time with my son has progressed, and I have read a little about the little boy phenomenon, it turns out that there is definitely a nature aspect... And regardless of my experience, I know that every child is different, this is about my little boy...

Mace is definitely different to Marley, in loads of ways... He is very into his gross motor skills, climbing and running everywhere, he just wants to be doing things all the time... Cars, dolls, animals, dinosaurs, singing, dancing, books, he really isn't too fussed which tub of toys comes out, as long as one does! He gets joy out of kisses and cuddles, but just as much out of wrestling or winding Marley up by doing a snatch and run of whatever toy she is currently holding, luckily she takes it in good humour... Today he was watching her standing, playing with a toy, he ran up to her, grabbed her waist and took her out while laughing maniacally! She thought it was hilarious, as did I, but I thought it was very well thought out and executed for a one year old! She is much bigger then him!

I guess my point is that maybe all little boys aren't dirty with terrible boundaries, but testosterone definitely changes what floats little boys boats!






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Another maternal health nurse visit down...

These visits always have their pros and cons... Inevitably I am told that my kids are still too skinny, but otherwise all is well, which I am absolutely thankful for! These kids are in the 75% and 80% in length and 55% and 25% in weight respectively, which is why I struggle to find clothes that fit them! The weight is the only real issue, my mat health nurse sees no reason to worry, they are happy and healthy, that's what matters! It is always reassuring to have someone tell you that they are exceeding expectations in development, and I was proud when Marley's sight was being tested with letters and she knew all the letters by name, 'oh there is T'... Don't get me wrong she doesn't know all the letters, but just so happened to know the ones being used!

Things have been crazy around here, my aunts are back from London, so there was unscheduled baking and a day of visiting... Then a great play date with the old mothers group crew at a play centre, gee I look forward to a time when I'm not chasing Mace in circles! Kid is crazy energetic! More time spent with my aunts yesterday, and my lovely little family today... Family time is so delightful... Seriously live for it...


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Friday baking... Monte Carlo biscuits...

I have a long way to go on my biscuit game, but these were good! No clue where the recipe was from? Maybe the stay at home mum website? Anyways, these Monte Carlo biscuits are delicious! My Dad's favourite biscuit was the Monte Carlo, definitely had a moment of wishing I could bake these for him, it's funny the things that set you off... Luckily I have had family over today to share them with! And Mark will come home to a batch!


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Nails did... OPI blues...

If you haven't worked it out yet, I love blue nails... Black too... So I went with OPI blue my mind and I'm not sure what the sparkles are called but they were from the OPI Alice in Wonderland box set... Cute anyhow!




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Coles supermarkets and dairy produce...

There has been a LOT in the media lately about Coles and the influence their super cheap prices is having on our struggling dairy farmers... I wanted to link the letter that kicked it all off again, but it has been blocked, so here is an article about the letter
http://m.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/facebook-cry-from-down-on-the-farm-goes-viral-on-coles/story-e6frg6nf-1226438924488

This made me think about our family purchases, we do purchase Coles milk and yoghurt, and where I stand on this issue... It's simple really, it will cost us around $5 a week to support the dairy industry... For that money our milk will be permeate free, and I can feel as good as possible about the ethics of my purchases... So we are doing it! If you can afford it, I implore you to consider it...



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Mothers Group... Try it, you might like it!

I am not a fan of mandatory group activities, so dragging my butt to 'mothers group' with a 4 week old baby did not suit me at all... But I did it, and when the 6 weeks were up it was clear that we all didn't click and weren't going to move the group into our homes... I liked a couple of the girls, but there was no way I was inviting that group into my space! The maternal health nurse suggested the 'play group' linked to the community health centre, the leftovers of the groups from the last 6 months met there... I was not keen but hoped that there might be something good waiting across the car park in the community health centre...

Most of us went and in all, the room was full! I hated it and said to my friend from the first group that I wasn't keen, but still went back! As time went on, lots if women dropped off and there was a small group of us left, it was really nice... Good to have a group of women to talk about motherhood with, babies, development, first foods, all that, so I could talk about less child things to my non mum friends... Eventually everyone started going back to work and it dropped off even more... By this stage it was a really small group of women I really enjoyed and we moved it into our homes, the years have gone by (3.5 in fact) and I still see the first friend I made, weekly, a couple of the others at crèche, random play dates and birthdays, and our kids are all still in touch... Most of Marley's best friends are from mothers group, and I wonder whether she is drawn to them because she has known them her whole life?

I think that what I am saying is that you might not like mothers group, you might not click with everyone, but if you stick with it, you and your little one might just have an awesome time!


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Happy Father's Day!

I hope all of you who have Dad's, or men you made Dad's, spend the day cherishing every moment... It was a long time between when Father's day made me cry, and when I was lucky enough to have my own little family with something worth celebrating... We have had a great morning, I told Marley what one part of Mark's gift was to see if she could keep a secret, which she could not, so the rest stayed hidden until this morning... When she got up, I let her see his gifts as we let him sleep in, but the minute she heard him stir, she ran in gift-less and told him what he was getting... She is just gorgeous! I was saying sssh! And so she started whispering it to him... Hahaha... Kids!

We have a massive family afternoon with my Nanu, aunts, uncles, cousins and the next gen... Looking forward to it, family means the world to me!


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Friday baking... Chocolate honeycomb cupcakes...

No time to post yesterday because two of my darling girlfriends came over in the morning to eat these babies, and in the afternoon Marley had her crèche Father's Day Concert... Satisfied, busy and exhausted... I was baking at 7.10am to ensure that the cupcakes were ready, cooled and iced by 9.45...

The recipe
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/8866/little+chocolate+honeycomb+cakes

But I did them as cupcakes as I was having guests, and had an icing crisis as they don't sell crunchie chocettes anymore and as it turns out, actual crunchie bars melt when heated with extra chocolate... Was surprised when they turned out really well! Moist, really chocolatey, they are good!!! Even the icing...

Am still fiending for the chocolate caramel brownie - again! My aunties get back from London next week, we might need some on the weekend!














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My men... Making me smile on a sad day...

Had a crappy day today... Mace teething hard core, pushing my buttons! Then mum gives me the news that a family member has terminal cancer, my Nanna's (who died from cancer) sister... Brought up a whole lot of crap from when Nanna died, we looked after her at the end of her life and she died in our lounge room... Needless to say the day was long and sad...

Mace and I were playing with Marley's stickers and he was covered in them... A while later we were all on the couch and Mace started transferring them on to Mark's tattoo's... It was comforting enough that the 4 of us were cuddling on the couch, but this brought a smile to my face!



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Kid's obsessions... Doc McStuffins

If you have kids, or even know kids, you know they can go through mad obsessions... I remember when Marley was 1, she was bonkers about Ernie from Sesame Street... It went on for quite some time, as a result we have loads of Ernie's laying around (I am semi hoping that Mace takes a liking to him, haha)! I remember her little voice chanting Er-neee, good times!

Now she is 3, she has been through loads of 'phases', certainly not all of them result in purchases... Some months ago, Disney Junior started advertising Doc McStuffins, loads! It worked, Marley wanted it IQ'd from the get go, and watched it religiously while Mark put Mace to bed and I did yoga... Inevitably it has been released on DVD and I ordered it on amazon... Today it arrived and with Mace teething and to avoid the post crèche crazy, it has been on, around half the day... Say what you will about kids tv, but if it will stop mine going bonkers the day after crèche each Thursday, I am sooooo in!


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Nails did...

One of the many nail related gifts mum brought back from the US Nails Inc London Sprinkles: Pudding Lane... It's very easy to go on, fast drying too... A sweet and cute colour, not sure it goes well with my skin tone though... Marley grabbed my hands this morning, inspected them and said 'beautiful', she must think they look okay!


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Out with the old, in with the new...

There is nothing that makes me more aware that Marley is growing up, then when she grows out of items that I love... These kicks were just beautiful, they looked so adorable on her! Unfortunately she had her last wear of them today... Out with the old and in with the new!



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Hilltop Hoods and Briggs at Festival Hall...

I have been a big fan of the Hilltop Hoods for the last ten plus years... Back when I was young, and they were coming up, I caught every show they did from 2001... From a tiny little show in Geelong, Big Day Out side stage, Big Day Out main stage, their first London show, Metro (now Palace), and every little club gig in between... They are my favourite Australian hip hop act, closely followed by the Funkoars...

Having Marley obviously changed my life, I dropped off the scene... Leaving the beautiful humans and music behind... I saw this show was on but my Mum wasn't arriving back from her month around the US until the day before... Then, for some reason she agreed to have them and I tried to book tickets, they were sold out, but Briggs came through with a hook up (to my excitement!), and it was on...

I was stoked that even though Festival Hall was sold out, there was still LOADS of room! The bar choices were crappy so I indulged in one drink and didn't bother with another... I was clearly on the minority, messy humans every where!

It was good to catch some of Maundz set, felt bad that it was still so empty for him... I felt that maybe if it was more full, he would have played differently? It's a tough set, but I am glad we caught it!



Then it was time for Briggs, it was so good seeing him do a solo show, that's how long I have been gone! Dude has stage presence, charisma and skills... Was so impressed, and proud of him!!! It's so good when you see an artist from day one, how much he has grown into his act, big things ahead for Briggs!!!

Horrorshow played, I wasn't feeling it, but the crowd definitely was...

Of course the Hilltop Hoods smashed it, it was expected! They are professionals, their show has come a long way since the last time I saw them! With all of the same luxuries of big international acts, big screens, pyrotechnics, crowd eating out of their hand! Dudes have energy, presence, they are still completely enthralling... The only downside was that I felt that they played more of their 'new' stuff, which makes sense, but it's their old stuff that started my love affair with them... In any case, the show was dope!



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The Wiggles with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

The Wiggles meet the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Saturday 25 August 2012 10am Hamer Hall


I had mixed feelings about this show... Wanted my kids to be exposed to the orchestra, but also wondered if it would kill their vibe a bit... It didn't! It was another lovely musical layer... The Wiggles pack in most of their usual routine, all of the favourites, in an intimate setting... I was really glad we came!

From the get go, in their small entourage I noticed the 'new' wiggles, it was good that in the end they were introduced as Wiggles in training... Gave the kids a minute to get to know them, especially as we aren't trekking to Rod Laver arena with 13,000 other kids to seethe goodbye show... This was our third time in a year, and I definitely prefer the more intimate settings! This was the furthest back we have been from them (row p), the other times, the 3rd and 8th rows, I like it, always been a front row kind of girl myself! Haha..

In any case, they were brilliant, was glad to see the originals play one last time... Can't wait to see what the new Wiggles bring!


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Friday baking - Baklava cigars

Being home bound with Marley's latest cold, I did Friday's baking on Thursday, in hope that she would be well enough to do something awesome Friday, it didn't turn out that way... I chose baklava cigars, a lot of preparing with filo pastry, I'm NOT a fan! Here is the recipe
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/16327/white+chocolate+baklava+cigars
They need a lot of syrup to not come off as dry... The flavours of the cigars and the syrup are delicious, but I like wet food, so I added ice cream! That was delicious... I'm not that into white chocolate, this was something I made for Mark's tastes, and they certainly hit the spot for him!


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JD Delivery...

You all know we are into kicks, when Mark got his fire red Jordan's, there weren't kids sizes yet, by the time I got back to the shops, they were sold out of his size! So I jumped onto the JD website and ordered some, got some cute Dunks for Marley too!


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