Favourite Finds on Friday.

I have found some fabulous links this weeks so thought that I would share them.

1. Firstly moving house and all I thought I might just have to have a go at this storage idea by Anna White.
2. What about this ottoman from The Country Chic Cottage.
3. I love the chalk board hereby Cecilia Rosslee this might just make it to my kitchen I think.....maybe I will use magnetic paint if there is such a thing.
4. I love these crochet hooks by Donna Duncombe.  It is just a pity I don't crocket.
5. Then there are these laundry bags from Freckled Laundry.

An ebook review

Did you know that there is close to 100 days to Christmas.  Personally it is very difficult to get my head around this as spring has only just started.


Anyway I have been reading this ebook 100 days to Christmas.  It is like a way to be planned and stay on top of things when Christmas comes you way.  I am thinking that last minute jobs just might become a thing of the past. 

Now while I am a person that likes to be well planned and organised the reality it does not always happen that way. What with 16 of September making just 100 days untill Christmas...a very scary thought I must say especially as I am in the throws of moving house which seems to be taking forever to achieve.

This ebook was written by Created by Jennifer Tankersley of List Plan-It.  It includes some planning pages to get you started along with some budgeting ideas, what to do if you are into the handmade gifts, planning the baking etc etc.  In fact it seems that no stone it unturned.  Add to that a little inspiration and I must admit I think I might just be hooked into someone else helping with the planning.

It does, for us who live here in the land Down Under (New Zealand), include some planning around some USA holidays which we do not fully embrace but hey nothing like a little insight to what other  parts of the world do at this time of the year.

For me it is worth printing out and even linking to the facebook page. 

Wordless Wednesday 31 August

Here is my photo taken just last week after our very cold Antartic blast of weather.  Thankfully this weather has made way for much warmer mornings.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys

Monday Menu 29 August

Who can believe that it is the end of August already.  For us summer is almost here.

Here is my menu for the week.

Monday  Meatloaf with baked potato and salad

Tuesday  Cold meat and salad  (ok it is a very busy night and an easy meal is called for)

Wednesday  Crockpot chicken and potato soup

Thursday  Stirfry chicken and vege

Friday  Ham Feta tomato and asparagus quiche with salad

Saturday  meatballs on spaghetti

Sunday easy peasy meal

I am linking to I'm an Organising Junkie

A Smile is just priceless

Smiles are just priceless.  Infact I think we all should try and find more reasons to smile...try even to smile at ourselves. 

So without any further words from me go out and smile

Wordless Wednesday 24 August

Here is this weeks photo.  Two book characters....Tintin (and Snowy) and the witch from Room on the Broom

I am linking this up to My Little Drummer Boys

A Perfect Day

Today started just perfectly, there was no frost to be seen, it was feeling like spring was in the air, the children all had a well organised and peaceful start to the day, the purchase of our house is going very smoothly.  Of course the day ends just as it began.

What more could I want.  Maybe there is a common thread to this morning that I should record.  You know things like smiles on childrens faces, Hayden is calm even before his behaviour management medication, Andres violin goes off without a hitch, it is not too cold and the sun is up before we are.

Now all I need to do is bottle this so it can be repeated on demand.

(source:  my photo taken a Pukekohe Golf Course at 5pm today)

Monday Menu 22 August

Here is this weeks menu.  I am again emptying the freezer so I am trying to be creative with the food that is in there.

Monday   Corn (and chicken) fritters on noodles with steamed veges

Tuesday  Bacon, tomato and zucchini quiche with salad

Wednesday  Beef Tacos

Thursday  steak and kidney with vege in the crockpot

Friday  Pumpkin Soup

Saturday  Steak, baked potato and salad

Sunday   Leftovers

I thought I might have a go at making these for the lunch boxes this week.No cook Chocolate Oatmeal cookies.

Chocolate Chippie Biscuits

My children love helping me bake.  McKenzie has shown a real interest in baking by herself so I thought I would share the best kiddie friendly biscuit for home baking.  It can be beaten forever and even be stored in the freezer for one of those time short moments.

Chocolate Chippie Biscuits

(source a well tested and tried recipe my Mum has passed on so that is why the measurements are imperial rather than metric)

Ingredients

8oz butter
8oz soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
12 oz self raising flour
chocolate bits to  your taste

Method

Heat the oven to 180 celsius

1.  Cream butter and sugar.

2.  Beat in the vanilla and egg.

3.  Stir in the self raising flour and finally add in the chocolate

4.  Using a teaspoon spoon the mixture onto a cookie tray lined with baking paper.  Flatten the mixture with a moistened fork.

5.  Bake for 10 minute or until brown.

6.  Cool on  a rack.

(Made by McKenzie just last week)

To Medicate or Not

To be honest as a young primary school teacher I used question the use of medication to modify childrens behaviours. 

On one side of the debate there seems to be those parents who are searching to find a cause for the their childs behaviour and their first choice is to medicate.  Then there seems to be families who luckily have discovered that their child has an allergy or such like that can be managed and helps to improve the undesirable behaviours their child is showing.  Of course there is also the group of people who are very judgemental and think that they know best when it comes to these situations.  Quite simply this vocal group are very keen to condem the choices of others without knowing the full details.

I guess the beauty of the internet is that a wide range of opinions can be found.  Some quiet vigorously expressed and often with little thought to taking the tactful approach.  This gives people who are facing such decisions a wide range of thoughts to consider before making the choice to medicate or not in conjuction with their medical advise.

In our case Hayden is on a wide range of medication for many things.  ADHD medication in one of those things. We tried may different behavioural modification strategies and none worked, not even a little bit.  So Hayden continued to do what seemed like 20 activities a minute and was constantly angry with the world.  We knew that food was not the issue as he takes very little orally (that is where the mickey button comes in handy).  We also have an MRI scan that shows acute brain atrophy.

In all honesty for us it seemed ultimately in Haydens best interest that he be given the best opportunity to learn and be happier.  It really was a no brainer.  Even though it took me 12 months to accept this pathway I know that there has been nothing but positive outcomes for Hayden and naturally with a calmer, more complient and happier child less stress for us.

So here is my little whirlwind immitating ironing with his ever faithful Barney who Hayden tells me loves him.