Monday Menu 21 October

Here is my menu for this week.  I am feeling tired already.  I guess that must be because the end of the school year is not far away for us here in New Zealand summer, my favourite time of the year, is finally starting to appear.

Monday    Freezer meal (saving my sanity today)

Tuesday  Chicken fajitas

Wednesday  spaghetti bolignaise

Thursday  cuban marinaded steak and salad with baked potato

Friday  Easy Fried Rice

Saturday  grilled Tandori Chicken with red onion skewers on couscous

Sunday  Leftovers.


I am linking this post to I'm an Organising Junkie.

Fridays Fabulous 5 # 42

I am back to the reality of life after being on holiday in Wellington.

So my list for this weeks is diverse.  I hope there is something in here that you might like.

• There have been lots of thing written about Miley Cyrus lately.  Anna Stretton is a fashion designer in New Zealand.  She is quite successful and truly one of my favourite designers from New Zealand and I can affort her stuff.  So here is what she wrote about Miley and her recent antics.

• While I am on about Miley Cyrus this week Sinead O'Connor wrote this a couple of weeks ago.  I think it something that teenage girls should read and digest.

• Then there is the problem I had with my smart phone and in the end a factory resent was needed.  Thank goodness for You tube and its contributors for this little clip and now I am back communicating with the world.

• Onto photography and few little things you can do to improve your photos by Suzy Q

• Finally all about smiling.  Especially as some of you will be thinking about those photos to go with your Christmas cards.

Enjoy your weekend.

Wordless Wednesday 16 October

My daughter recently played hockey for the Auckland Under 13 team in the Colliers cup.  It is the largest girls sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere and history shows that this event has been very difficult for Auckland girls to win.  With 24 teams participating it is a fun even but with fiercely fought for prize of first place.

So this year prove to be the year where the girls proved that they are winners.  They were so excited and after winning 8 games in a row they were crowned the champions.

This photos really shows how exited the girls are with their will deserved win.


I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys

Road Trips

There is nothing like taking your child on a trip that is longer than just down the road.  Personally I think that travelling by car is the best way to see New Zealand.  You get an up close and personally experience the countryside.  Children get to read a map, look at the towns and cities as you pass through them.  They even get to see them in relative nearness to each other.  Hopefully no more thinking that Hamilton is at the bottom of the South Island.

(map sourced here)

So when my husband and I had a reason to drive from Auckland to Wellington with 9 year son we decided that by car was a great way to share the beauty of our country.  

That is when, at the last minute, I decided to put together a little activity sheet to do.  It really was more of a ...take a photo of....style sheet that should keep him busy through the whole 7 - 8 hour trip.

 

I am pleased that this did exactly as I had hoped.   One child happily snapped photos all the way down to Wellington.  He observed and learned things he had never known before.  It broke the trip up into manageable bites and sure helped him with his map reading skills.  

I guess you would call this a success.  I will have to post the photos when we can sit down to have a look at them.

 

Monday Menu 14 October

Here just a little late is my menu.

Monday  Spaghetti Bolignaise

Tuesday  Chicken Fajitas 

Wednesday  North Aftican Chicken curry.

Thursday  Roast Beef with Salsa Verde

Friday  Chicken BLT

Saturday  warm Thai pork meatball and noodle salad.

Sunday  Left overs.

I am linking this post to I'm an Organising Junkie.

(Image source is here)

Wordless Wednesday 2 October

Nothing like a great game of hockey to view.

Believe it or not just a couple of weeks ago my daughter was supposed to be on that field playing club hockey one Saturday morning early.

Luckily about 10 minutes later the fog lifted and it was a beautiful spring morning.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

Stones

Have you ever wondered what 2 cubic meters of driveway stones looks like?  Yes that's it.  Dropped in the middle of our drive was this little pile of stone.  No going anywhere until they are dealt to.  So with only three of us at home we armed ourselves with spades, a bit of kiwi ingenuity and some muscle power we set to work.

 (the muscles on show)

 (the plank of wood to move stones....a bit of Kiwi ingenuity)

Two hours later and after a lot of laughter the pile was gone and we had a lovely smooth top of the driveway.  Free of pot holes and lovely to drive over.

Isn't it funny how something like this can become a family bonding moment.

Mondays Menu 30 September

Here,at the beginning of the school holidays, I have time to to blig my menu for the week.  We will be going away for a few days and want to use up the food in the fridge so a week of use what we have.
Monday   chicken wraps
 
Tuesday   meatballs and spaghetti

Wednesday ham, corn and cheese pasta bake

Thursday  steak with salad

Friday  meatloaf with baked potatoes and salad

Saturday  left overs to clear the fridge

Sunday  we are on holiday


I am linking this to I'm an Organising Junkie.

Continuing on the Happiness Journey.

I am late posting my Art Journalling but I thought that I would in the weekends make a post or two catch you up on my thoughts regarding Happiness.  I really loved this months prompts and the kit which visited Japan.  To me Japan always conjures up images from youth and a fabulous holiday I had there.

(credits...  these are all made using Tangie Baxters AJC March Collection)

Fridays Fabulous 5 # 41

(image source here)

Here are my favourite finds for this week.

• Since we are off to watch my daughter play hockey at a national under 13 tournament I thought that this post would be great for taking the photos with athletes on the move.

• This post by Mye De Leon about the birth of her little boy.  I feel her pain and understand exactly were she is coming from.

• How about a bit of fun with Black Light Lemonade.

• What about these fun little baubles.  I think that they might just be worth having a go at from Meet Me at Mikes.

• Finally some fruit rolls to make from Bits of Everything.