Merry Christmas

Where ever you are what ever you are doing I wish you all a very merry Christmas.  For me it is Christmas Eve in the evening so it will be my last post for a couple of days.

I hope you all enjoy the festive season and look forward to a very prosperous New Year.

Chefs in Training.

We had a family barbeque today, and this happened.

Yes you saw it here, my three boys all with their aprons on were managing the barbeque.  Each with tongs, each managing the turning of the food.  Chefs sure were in training today.

Life is good when I don't have to be in the kitchen on a hot summers day.

Wordless Wednesday 20 December

Nothing like a little group of fun photos all of McKenzie just after she had her first official visit to a hair dresser (birthday present).  So I have been made redundant.  Just as I was thinking I was really good at cutting straight lines.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

Christmas Party Menu

Here is my menu for this Thursday.  It is our celebration with one part of the family for Christmas day.  Thankfully the weather forcast is for a sunny day so we will be happy that all little people can play outside.

Nibbles

cheese board
fruit and vege platter with chocolate treats with hummus

Main Meal

lamb cutlets
cranberry sauce (made with lite sour cream, cranberry jelly, mustard powder and spring onions)

new potatos
hot salad (topped with feta cheese and lite Italian Dressing)
salad (x2) provided by guests

bread


Dessert

meringues

fruit salad (fresh pineapple, strawberries, grapes)

berry compote ( berries mixed with honey and lemon rind)

ice cream

lemon meringue pie

Christmas minces



Afternoon Tea

tea and coffee

Christmas Cake....I don't ice my fruit cake.

slice

I think that is all. 

Fingers crossed all goes well.

Monday Menu 19 December

Oh my this time next week Christmas will have been and gone and I guess we will be eating leftovers.

So taking all things into account here is my plan.

Monday  Corn fritters and Advocado Salsa

Tuesday  Beef stew in the crockpot

Wednesday  coconut beef stirfry on egg noodles

Thursday  We are having a family Christmas lunch at our place.  Here is my menu

Friday  ham and salad

Saturday   using leftovers to clear room in the fridge

Sunday  Christmas day buffet at Mum and Dads house. 

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

Look what Toothpaste can do.

Yes I have been cleaning the windows in my house.  In fact I shifted into this house in September and it is the first time they have been cleaned since then.  Sadly I notice that next time I clean them I will need to leave a little more time because there are pain splatters all over them which will need to be removed.

Today, though, I came up with another problem, water stains on the glass.  The usual cleaning technology (vinegar and water) did not remove it.  Good old fashioned elbow grease did not work either.  So the internet then became my next best friend in the hope of finding a solution.  Of course you can't believe everything that is put into type and published on line but bearing this in mind a searching I did go.  Well every solution from highly toxic chemicals to house hold chemistry was to be found.  Me will I wanted to started at the house hold chemistry level and the easiest solution with all the necessary 'things' found at home.  You guessed it toothpaste.  In fact the post I saw on line even mentioned a brand which I also had.  I also needed a paint scratching blade thingy which I also had.

Oh me oh my it works a treat.   I bit of finger action to rub the toothpaste on the glass, a quick going over with the blade then some water and a cloth to wash it off and wow the stain was gone. 

The toothpaste on the window.

Me in action cleaning the window.

There is my clean window

So all you out there who have water stains on your glass look no futher than tooth paste.

The Summer List

With summer here (well it is raining and feeling terribly summery today) and the school holidays have just begun so I thought a list of things to so will be the best way for me to collate my results.  My mind is jumbled with lots of things I want my little family to try and things that I must do while the weather is warmer.

So it would be fun to

• find some more walks through the reserves similar to Hunia
• take the children to an off road biking venue
• take Andre to the beach to help improve his confidence in sea water
• take Andre fishing I think we all can go
• Have a go at surfing after some lessons
• Playing some board games.  I especially like Cranium but any fun games will do

Then maybe we could make

• some seasonal cookies like these peppermint cookies,  rocky road,  chocolate pretzels, shortbread cookies
• special treat cookie dough fudge
• a vege garden....the key being start small and at the end of summer as I have a clay soil and will need to create a raised garden while planning to protect it from the rabbits I see in my yard.
• a new desert for when guests are around lemon meringue pie
• homemade freezer jam to be made

For the house I will need to

• work out what kind of edging I will need to do around the gardens I will have soon.  The flower need sorting and start working on that
• think about lighting and try to improve the quality of light inside and out.
• decide on the paint colour inside and out so paint can be purchase and curtaining can be decided on

Getting ready for the new school year

• sort out McKenzies musical instrument she has to learn this year.
• stationary will need to be ordered on line
• the last school skirt for McKenzie will need to be purchased when in stock

Craft things with the children

• a little recycling by making shrinky dinks
• make a keleidocycles
• Hang the tyre swing up
• help finish building the tree house
• tote bag

This looks like enough for the moment.

I can't wait to get started. 

The Birthday Party for an 11 year old

Do you have any idea on how hard it is to come up with a party idea for your soon to be 11 year old daughter?  I find these kind of thing incredibly difficult to plan because I am trying to be realistic and entertaining in an age appropriate way.  Maybe I am a bit of a prude and fussy about what type of party an 11 year old girl might have.

After a lot of soul searching and suggestions from DD that she should have '.........' kind of party because her friends have had them we finally came up with a short list.  This list ranged from everything including a sleep over for many and a pool party.  Finally DD decided it would be really good to go rock climbing.  I raised my eyes upwards and thanked them up stairs for providing me with the perfect birthday party.  One that was easy to organise, with an area for a party and of course plenty of time for a bunch of girls to talk, giggle and have fun.
We picked the rock climbing venue (just take a look at the fun climbing environment) just perfect for children of all ages from preschoollers to adults and sent the invites.

(all products come from Weeds and Wildflowers)

The day arrived and fun was had by all.  Here are just a few photos showing a couple of the climbing walls.

Here is some cartoon show (gosh I am showing my age.)

(Dinosuar bones)

(Jack and the Bean Stalk)

Now to start planning DS3 birthday which is just after Christmas.





Wordless Wednesday 14 December

Here is my photo.  McKenzie is the pink t'shirt you can see up high on the rock climbing wall.  This is what she did with her friends to celebrate her birthday.

I am linking this to My Little Drummer Boys

Monday Menu 12 December

Can you believe that it is nearly the middle of December already.  School is in its last week before the summer holidays and in our house we are all very tired.  Roll on the end of the week.

Monday   Chicken with baked potato and salad

Tuesday  stir fry beef with noodles  (thai I think i will try this week)

Wednesday  Meatballs on noodles with green salad

Thursday  chicken and vege asian style noodles (I will blog the recipe)

Friday  blue cheese chicken burgers

Saturday  honey ginger chicken and vegetables on rice

Sunday  leftovers

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