Teeth!

Eden has her first tooth! 9 months, 1 week and 5 days!

365 day photo challenge - day 125

365 day photo challenge - day 125 - December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!

365 day photo challenge - day 124

365 day photo challenge - day 124 - December 24, 2011

Reindeer have been in my house and left carrot everywhere!

365 day photo challenge - day 123 - December 23, 2011

365 day photo challenge - day 123 - December 23, 2011

Merry Christmas from Andrew's work! 

365 day photo challenge - day 122

365 day photo challenge - day 122 - December 22, 2011

The BEST hot chocolate ever!

365 day photo challenge - day 121

365 day photo challenge - day 121 - December 21, 2011

One of four photos (2 for each kid) I chose for Nanna's christmas present. She loved it!

365 day photo challenge - day 120

365 day photo challenge - day 120 - December 20, 2011

The grasshead

365 day photo challenge - day 119

365 day photo challenge - day 119 - December 19, 2011

Anyone else see "arse" ?

365 day photo challenge - day 118

365 day photo challenge - day 118 - December 18, 2011

Pleased he finally got to sit in the front seat!

Daddy and his girl

365 day photo challenge - day 117

365 day photo challenge - day 117 - December 17, 2011

My mum, her husband and all her grandkids

365 day photo challenge - day 116

365 day photo challenge - day 116 - December 16, 2011

Mowing with a spider?

365 day photo challenge - day 115

365 day photo challenge - day 115 - December 15, 2011

went to make Jensen's bed and this is what I found under the blankets...

365 day photo challenge - day 114

365 day photo challenge - day 114 - December 14, 2011

bike crash!

365 day photo challenge - day 113

365 day photo challenge - day 113 - December 13, 2011

These were supposed to be boob cakes. I am very disappointed how they turned out. :(

365 day photo challenge - day 112

365 day photo challenge - day 112 - December 12, 2011

365 day photo challenge - day 111

365 day photo challenge - day 111 - December 11, 2011

50 reps of each (the numbers being the weight you have to do the exersise with).
I completed all but Thrusters and Push Presses. :D

365 day photo challenge - day 110

365 day photo challenge - day 110 - December 10, 2011

chocolate with wine! Win!

Yes people, that says Placenta Cream. There's a picture of a ram, so I don't know how that works...

365 day photo challenge - day 109

365 day photo challenge - day 109 - December 09, 2011

picking cherry tomatoes 

said cherry tomatoes in a 2L ice cream container

Product Review - Hamilton Sun

Another chance to review something ! I'm loving this! Product for my opinion! The opportunity through Nuffnang's Product Talk 


Hamilton Sun Sunscreen.


I'm not quite sure just how to review sunscreen. It's not like I can photograph it in use, or how it stands up to a preschooler and a baby jumping all over it.


But, I have taken some photos. 
The products to be tested:

Meet Hamilton Sunscreen.
Sensitive. Toddler and Family.

 And what they look like. Now, I'm a terrible photographer with my iphone. I would have used my actual camera, but it didn't like the way the sunscreen looked on a red plastic picnic plate. See - said camera is just above the plate.

Sensitive.    Toddler.      Family. 

Anyway. I'll write what I best can about sunscreen.


What I first noticed about the sunscreen is that each "type" is a different colour. Good for when you're in a hurry at the shop and just grab one. The Family bottle's green colour really stands out. With the Sensitive and the Toddler colour though, I found I did have to actually read the label to find which one was which. Side by side, you can see they have different colours - Sensitive is purple and Toddler is pink. That's fine. It looks good. But can be confusing, especially if you're specifically after Senstive and wind up with Toddler.


My husband is a picky sunscreen person. He doesn't like the greasy ones, or ones that smell heavily like sunscreen. He noticed that each different 'type'  has a different smell! The Sensitive is the one that smells the most like sunscreen, but not so much overpowerlingly so that every man, woman and child in close proximity knows you're wearing it. Toddler and Family smell a bit more fresh, but both in a different way. A good way though.


Each different 'type' also has a different texture/ viscosity/ feel etc. Have a look at that plate photo again. That's just straight out of the bottle (don't worry, it'll get used in the morning when we head out!).  Look at how each one just sits (or not!). You can definately notice the difference when rubbing each one in. 

Sensitive - as modelled by Eden -  felt thick but soft (it's hard to explain). If she was more inclined to actually lie/sit still while putting this on her, I'd probably have noticed more.

Toddler - tested by Jensen - is applied quickly. The blob on that red plate shows it's more runny than the other two, and probably spreads more easily and quickly as toddlers (and preschoolers in my case) hate putting sunscreen on and will squirm as much as Eden did.  

yes. I am modeling the Family Sunscreen
with my brand new LJ gym top
(Early christmas present!)

Family was put through it's paces by me. It's thick enough to put on but feels just like sunscreen (obviouysly, coz that's what it is...). We all sunscreened up and took off for a walk to the gym PT, where I sweated like crazy. The sunscreen didn't seem to bother the sweat and vice versa. My skin seemed to breathe easy enough. However, on the way home with the sun at my back, I did feel 'the burn' of the sun. I had the sunscreen there, so there was no actual sunburn, just the feeling. Good thing too. Coz if the sunscreen can't handle a sweaty person, how is it going to handle the water? It's water resistant. 

Home finally and i jump in the shower. The sunscreen must be washing off with the sweat. I notice that my skin has water droplets on it as if I was covered in oil, if you know what I mean. I didn't feel like I was covered in oil, that's just the affect it was creating.


I think if I was to buy this for my family - at least at this point in time - I'd reach for the pink lid of Toddler, as it was the easiest to apply. Although, I do like that you need minimal amount (of any one of the 'types') to cover each part of you. 

Christmas Cookies

You know, these aren't just for christmas. But it is christmas, and I have new christmas shaped cookie cutters, so I thought I'd better find a recipe that actually works so that Jensen can enjoy (and I can enjoy when I get a moment!) fancy shaped biscuits that don't just look like a lump.


Found a recipe on the taste website, thanks to Life as Mummy Max.


I didn't ice mine.


Christmas Cookies I baked mine for around 15 mins in a 170' fan-forced oven.

Ingredients

• 250g butter, at room temperature
• 125g (3/4 cup) icing sugar mixture
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 300g (2 cups) plain flour
• 70g (1/2 cup) custard powder
• 2 tbs milk

Method

1. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and creamy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour, custard powder and milk. Stir until a soft dough forms. Turn onto a well-floured surface and bring together. Shape into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to rest.
2. Prepare, bake and decorate the biscuits according to your recipe.

Freezing tip: Roll into a log at the end of step 1. Place in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before using.

 I baked mine for around 15 mins in a 170' fan-forced oven.

Slow Cooker Coconut Sausage Curry

Oh wow. I found this over at Stay At Home Mum, thought I'd give it a go. My son is crazy about sausages and the baby can eat them too. You only live once, so why not! 


I was a little worried it would taste awful coz it has coconut cream in it, and I substituted the yellow curry paste for red curry paste, but yum! The only thing better would have been better tasting sausages.


Here it is!:

Slow Cooker Coconut Sausage Curry

• 500grams pork sausages cut into small pieces (or whatever meat you like)
• 1 Diced onion
• 2 tablespoons of yellow curry paste (this is a mild one)
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1 beef stock cube (I used a vegetable stock cube, but you could use chicken stock as well)
• 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce (paste, if you have it)
• 1 can (400ml) of coconut cream
• 500grams of chopped vegetables (I use pumpkin, potato, carrot and sweet potato but you can use pretty much whatever you have in your fridge/pantry that you'd like)

Put the sausages, onion and vegetables into the slowcooker.

Mix the curry paste, paprika, stock cube, tomato sauce and coconut cream together and pour on top.

Mix it all and cook on low for about 6 hours.

Serve with rice.

We have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch!

Dear readers

To my blog readers. Know I still want to blog-I have no motivation, am exhausted & no one wants to hear me bitch about a 4yo never listening.

I have to write a few posts coming up, so there will be some more reading coming soon. However, please bare with me as I've been exhausted of late and /or just don't have time!

I will soon ( and schedule some so you're not too lonely!), so never fear!!

Letter to Juice Boost

I am in no way good at writing letters.

But here's complaint/ heads up / compliment letter to Juice Boost.






Hello

I'm just writing regarding a discrepancy I encountered on Wednesday. I am a Juice Boost VIP and I really do love your juice boost, however, on Wednesday when I visited the Capalaba Park Juice boost I fancied a kids sized 'Mango Sports'. This is a photo taken from the sign.

When I ordered my kid size Mango Sports, I was told that they don't do a Mango Sports in kids size (Coz the protein is not for kids). Clearly, the sign says otherwise. It only comes in Original or regular. I was after a kids size one coz I wasn't thirsty enough for a regular. Apparently too that the Mango Sports kids size isn't in the computer. I did end up ordering the regular size, but made a point of saying the sign is misleading, because it is, and that I would be writing this email. 

The staff member I first was speaking to didn't seem to think I could read the sign properly, but was nice about it. The other staff member informed me that the kids size is only for the smoothies, however if I did read the sign properly - that piece of information isn't on it. The 2nd staff member seemed to be the one in charge and told me that the signs are only new and that she will let her boss know. I let her know i would be writing this email anyway.

The staff were helpful and friendly, and it's nothing against them. 

I was only after the small size and was really writing to let you know (with a picture!) that the information is misleading and I was really disappointed that I had to then pay for a size I didn't want, just so I could get the one i was after.

Thank you for your time

365 day photo challenge - day 108

365 day photo challenge - day 108 - December 08, 2011

Eden was so happy Jensen climbed in to be with her!

365 day photo challenge - day 107

365 day photo challenge - day 107 - December 07, 2011

She ate the whole apricot! :D

365 day photo challenge - day 106

365 day photo challenge - day 106 - December 06, 2011

Snowman! (Although it doesn't look it, this is Jensen's hand! )

365 day photo challenge - day 105

365 day photo challenge - day 105 - December 05, 2011

Bopping to the tunes of the potty

365 day photo challenge - day 104

365 day photo challenge - day 104 - December 04, 2011

The Christmas lights I can see from my driveway!

365 day photo challenge - day 103

365 day photo challenge - day 103 - December 03, 2011

Baby Shower!

365 day photo challenge - day 102

365 day photo challenge - day 102 - December 02, 2011

My attempt at making won tons. They didn't turn out too bad!

365 day photo challenge - day 101

365 day photo challenge - day 101 - December 01, 2011

Mad Hatter's Tea Party at Ikea

Things that pissed me off yesterday

First -

The junk mail deliverer put a big stack of papers BESIDE the mailbox. Beside EVERY mailbox in the street. The breeze blew them everywhere.

Second -
There was heavily pregnant woman showing her 2yo how to skip with a skipping rope at gymnastics. Making it look easy.

Third. Lets put it this way, this was my facebook status....
For crying out loud! If your going you're going to bring your only-just toddling granddaughter to gymnastics, keep her away from the climbing rope the kids are supposed to be swinging from. Don't baby her coz she's crying coz she walked on to the mat where my son was using the apparatus. If you'd have been watching her in the first place she wouldn't have been bowled over. Moron.


Four. Went to Lincraft to get googly eyes for a craft project. There were 2 women at the register. One woman had a big line. Other was only serving one person, presumably because she was closing her register, although that would make no sense seeing the other woman's line was big. Anyway, I walked over to her register and she said "You have to go the other register" in a terse way. I just told her I was looking for the googly eyes and she sighed told me where they were, as if it were such a hassle. We found them and headed to the other ladies register. Jensen had picked up a empty fabric roll (like a tube from in a kitchen paper towels, but for fabric) and was walking around with it. THIS lady snatched it from him. The old man behind us told her she was taking away all the fun. He wasn't hitting anyone with it. She smiled a smart arse smile and just continued serving the woman in front.

365 day photo challenge - day 100

365 day photo challenge - day 100 - November 30, 2011

My workout buddy at my first PT session

365 day photo challenge - day 99

365 day photo challenge - day 99 - November 29, 2011

Wall cards, hanging on the wall. Now. To get them to stay there.

365 day photo challenge - day 98

365 day photo challenge - day 98 - November 28, 2011

Yes, they actually are watching tv like this.

365 day photo challenge - day 97

365 day photo challenge - day 97 - November 27, 2011

My cherry tomato haul from the garden!

365 day photo challenge - day 96

365 day photo challenge - day 96 - November 26, 2011

Passed my exam! Congratulations!

365 day photo challenge - day 95

365 day photo challenge - day 95 - November 25, 2011

I made SHAPED cookies AND the icing actually WORKED!

Chickpea Fritters

1 x 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup self raising flour
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup frozen corn kernels
4 green shallots, trimmed, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs fresh flat leaf parsley
1 x 125g tub low fat tzatziki

• Pulse chickpeas in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Add eggs and pulse, continuing to add milk, flour and cumin while pulsing. 
• Fold in corn, shallots, garlic and parsley.
• Lightly spray a large non-stick fry pan with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Using 1/4 cup mixture for each fritter, form 4 fritters in the pan. Cook for 2-3 mins  each side or until golden, risen and cooked through. 
• Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining mix to make 12 fritters.

Serve warm or cold with salad and tzatziki. We just eat these on their own! Most times, I just leave out the shallots and parsley.

Product Review - Fisher Price 1-2-3 Crawl Along Snail

Meet my product tester for the Fisher Price 1-2-3 Crawl Along Snail -  Product Talk by Nuffnang

Miss Eden. 8.5 months.

From the Fisher Price website:

Wobble, wiggle, smile and giggle—this cheerful friend is fun in so many ways! For tummy time, baby will enjoy looking in the mirror, listening to music and sounds. For sit-up play, there’s back and forth rocking motion. And when baby’s ready to crawl, the snail will lead the way, wobbling along with lively music and dancing lights!

Miss Eden started to crawl just days before the 1-2-3 Crawl Along Snail (now referred to as The Snail) was delivered to my door to test out. The Snail Promotes tummy time, sitting and crawling. Unfortunately, I was looking forward to testing out the tummy time part of The Snail's  talents. The Snail has a mirror (as seen in the picture reflecting my kitchen - thank goodness it was clean!), I assume that this is to promote Tummy Time where the baby can see themselves while The Snail sings a happy few bars of "If You're Happy and You Know It" and its face flashes on and off. Cute. Shame I didn't get to test that part of it out. I didn't mention this before, but The Snail has a "lock" function so that when baby is doing Tummy Time, or sitting with The Snail, it doesn't go anywhere. Unlock it for the crawling part.

To promote sitting, the snail can be left on "lock" and when baby bats The Snail, it will gently rock and play some more music. Again, I don't get to use this "lock function much as Eden is just full of beans, a bit rough and needs to crawl everywhere.

I still have not worked out what the lady bug does.
Perhaps it's to propel the snail to roll

Attack!!

To aid in learning to crawl, the "lock" is slid to the off position. Simply roll the snail along the floor and baby can chase after it. I did this a few times and Eden just looked at me to say "What did you do that for?" She didn't crawl after it, because big brother Jensen would just bring it back! The green around the mirror is how the snail rolls.

Still, she's not chased after it yet. Give her time! For now, she likes to kick it with her feet, fiddle with the antennae and ATTACK!

I have found the the music is proximity activated! Just walk past it and it starts singing! Very cute and gets your attention. Especially in the dark!

I do apologise for the photos being absolutely all over the place. They just will not stay still during editing. I give up.