{Secret Santa Helper}

I don't mean to alarm you, but Christmas is 40 days away! I still have a bunch of shopping to do so I hope your more organised than me. It's crept up very quickly here this year. 

For those who do a secret Santa, my husbands side of the family is using a great website to draw secret Santa names. Since we aren't all in the same state, it has made drawing names so easy I just had to share!

If you log on to drawnames.com it allows you to set up a group. You enter email addresses and can even set exceptions (i.e. spouses don't get each other for example). Then each person gets an email allowing the to log in and set a wish list with examples of things they may like. 

I like my shopping done by December so as soon as I get back from my vacation - I mean Tresilian, it's going to be a big shopping day for me I think. 

Do you do a secret Santa in your family or an all out gift fest?
 
Lauren  x

{Baby Shower Gift: Bunting Quilt}

A dear friend of mine is expecting her miracle princess soon. We celebrated her baby shower this past weekend. It was a beautiful afternoon catching up with friends, laughing, enjoying delicious pink food and drink. It was divine and precious. This precious princess already is very well dressed and has so many cute shoes and accessories before she has made her grand entry to the world. My beautiful friend (center) is the one expecting soon. Here she is with me (left) and another of our friends (right) whom decorated the whole pink affair with effortless style as she is known to do!

A special arrival deserves a special gift. I tried my hand at quilting and I had SO much fun. Albeit without some of the tools which would have made it somewhat easier (i.e. a walking foot). Hopefully I can acquire one soon before my second quilt attempt. 

{HouseWarming Gift}

Recently some friends moved house and I wanted to take them round something.
I found this gorgeous 'crockpot' and decided to dress it up a bit instead of just giving them a box.
So, I filled it with a packet of spaghetti (just take out of packet and wrap with brown paper/ twine), some fresh herbs from the garden, tomatoes and a jar of sauce. Onions and garlic would have been good in here too on second thought.


I love this idea and it only took a few dollars to turn a nice gift in a box to something with 'wow factor!'
Since then I have started playing around with canning and pickling (that's a whole series of posts right there). Including a homemade jar of pasta sauce would just make this look extra gorgeous don't you think?!

This would also be a nice way to dress up a crockpot for a kitchen tea gift. I am sure there are other variations and meal themes you could try. Let me know if you try one ;)

Lauren x

{You've Been Rack'd!}

Today marks one week until Christmas. I found an idea on pinterest (from tsj) that I adapted to our family. We are counting down the week by performing 'Random Acts of Christmas Kindness'. I have had so much fun with Mr. 6 dreaming of ways we could bless people just because. We may even have to "RACK" on the 12 days of Christmas next year! I will keep you updated on how this goes. A little bit of generosity always goes a long way and I think it is important to build this into our children at a time when it is commercially all about 'me, me, me' and 'get, get, get'!

 

  

Lauren x

{Gift for a Chocoholic : Chocolate Strawberry Bouquet}

So my mother in law's birthday is today and she is hard to buy for. I know she loves chocolate though, so I decided to create a homemade gift that I knew she would love! It is only a little time consuming, a little messy but doesn't cost a lot, which is great considering the wow factor you get!
Here are my tips for making your own chocolate dipped strawberry bouquet.



I used:
- 2 punnets of strawberries
- 3 blocks of choc (white, milk and dark)
- 3 saucepans and glass/ stainless steel bowls to make double boilers for melting the chocolate
- bamboo skewers
- disposable piping bags
-a case (this one was $2 from Kmart) or you can reuse an old jar which I usually do but ran out
- tissue paper
- green cellophane
- sticky tape
- to help them dry : baking paper, rubber bands and a few vases or jugs


Hint 1:
Place some baking paper over your vases/ jugs and secure with a rubber band. Pre-poke some holes and use this to stand the strawberries in whilst drying.


Hint 2:
Cut cello into squares and poke a skewer through the centre. Then fold up around teens and tape the base to create 'greenery' for the arrangement. This also helps stabilize the strawberries. Trim some of these lengths so they don't all poke out the top and create a rounded arrangement.


Hint 3:
Once you have covered your strawberries with the base chocolate (1/3 of the qty with each different chocolate), go nuts decorating. Fill some of the piping bags with melted chocolate and pipe designs on them. Leave some plain if you like to balance it out.


Hint 4:
Line your vase/ jar with the tissue facing coloured side out. Scrunch another piece of tissue inside and use this to poke your skewers into. Foam would work best but I didn't have any ;)

I am sure anyone would love to receive this as a gift and it would suit almost any occasion too I think!
Lauren x

{Mothers Day : Tea Bag Biscuits}

I have been dying to share these Mothers Day treats with you. 

{I started typing the recipe for the tart i made for dessert in this post also, but ran out of room....Pear and Ricotta Tart Recipe Coming soon}

I always love handmade gifts. They often cost a lot less and are a great way to show someone special how much they mean to you. Gifts for my mother and mother in law  this year were very simple. But it was so adorable it hit the spot perfectly!

{Happy Easter Cake Pops}

Well, I wanted to say thank you to some very special teachers and friends that are a blessing to my boys.

This was the kind of activity that I did most of the prep for myself. Had my kids been slightly older, they could have helped with more than pouring the sprinkles on. But I just loved these do much, and was very happy with how they turned out!

If you need more detailed steps, click here for a good tutorial.

Basically it's done in less than 10 steps:

{Homemade Christmas : Yummy Successes & a Failure too}

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you enjoyed some quality time with those you love over the Christmas/ New years period. Such a nice time of year...I just love it.

I have had a few recipes requested so this post is dedicated to the Muesli.

I searched everywhere for a porcelain pen/ texta I'd seen used on a blog to create handmade christmas gifts. Part worked well and part was an epic fail!

The plan was to design and personalize some bowls and include a jar of homemade toasted muesli. These were some we made:



However, even after doubling the drying time on the bowls, the writing came off! To make matters worse, I trusted the product and actually had a recipient of these tell me the next morning. I was furious and hurt. Some gifts I put so much thought into were ruined! I have been in talks with the company and the craft store I bought it from, hoping to find an answer soon. If anyone has had a win or a failure with this technique - please comment!

The muesli however, was a massive HIT!


I have had texts and calls from people who didn't even receive the gift wanting the recipe. So since I kinda made it up, I have spent time figuring out what the recipe was! I love this type of cooking where each batch could be potentially customized to taste or contents of the pantry! Never buying this again!

Ingredients (this made 4 gift jars):
5 cups oats
1 cup pepitas
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup flaked almonds
2 cups of sultanas
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup of shredded coconut
2 Tbl sesame seeds

4T unflavored oil (I used rice bran oil)
100g honey

Preheat oven to 150'C
1. Combine dry ingredients in a big bowl.
2. Heat oil and honey in microwave or saucepan then stir into mixture.
3. Spread onto some baking trays and bake for about 30 mins. You want the mixture to be slightly browned and the fruits to become chewy. Then remove from oven and cool before putting into airtight container.


Enjoy,
Lauren x

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{How foil changed my life}

I know the title for this post sounds dramatic - but foil did change my life.

I thought i would share this post near Christmas time as it is a time of year when people are (typically) thinking most about generosity.

For years now I have always had foil containers with lids of varying sizes in the pantry. I always pick them up in the supermarket for a few dollars.



But how did they change my life you ask?
It has been a practical way that our family has made room for acting out compassion for others. I usually have a meal every so often that I make too much of. Then I label it and freeze it.
Having meals are always handy for yourself.
But having frozen meals ready to go, helps open your eyes to needs in others. As soon as I hear of a friend having a bad week, a baby arriving, someone coming home from an operation, I know I have a meal ready to drop around.
The easy thing is you don't have to worry about getting your dish back.
I have used these to put in such meals as:
- casseroles
- lasagnas
- curries

Not all things need to be frozen and prepared in advance. I have just used them as containers for other easy meal ideas too:
- hamburger kits (patties and salad items separated in zip lock bags)
- fried rice
- mash potato
- salads
- cooked or roasted veggies etc
- brownies and cakes (bake in the foil container)

So, next time you shop, pop a container like this in your trolley and make room in your budget for someone in your world who has a need. I guarantee you I'd you can't think of someone straight away, you will notice a need once your looking!

Lauren x



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{Teacher Appreciation Gifts}

There is not much time left of Joshua's Prep year and before I know it he will be starting Kindy next Feb. He has been blessed with a fantastic teacher on his class and I wanted to find something special to bless her as a thank you. These ideas could easily be adapted for other people in your world too! Here are some ideas I have found.....I had better make up my mind before his last day on Thursday.

Biscuit Tin : Recycle a Pringles can by wiping it out, decorating and filling with homemade biscuits.


'Cowgirl cookies' with pink m&m's. I would change to red and green lollies instead for Christmas.

Initial Art : I have seen these done with crayons too! SO cute

Personalised Soap : A very quick and easy gift idea and cheap too!


Plant with a message


Coffee Card: Thanks 'a latte'


Also seen it done like this


Summer Survival Kit

It doesn't matter whether your kids 'teachers' are from school, church, sport or whatever. These people play a special role in your kids development and I believe gratitude is a great key to life. It isn't about being fancy or spending a lot of $$$. Rather showing them that they matter enough to say thanks!
How do you thank these kind of people in your world??
Comment here, on the FB page or twitter and let me know :)

{Bib and Nappy Mat/ Storage Wallet}

My beautiful cousin (in-law) is expecting a beautiful baby girl in a few weeks. I am very excited for her and now that I have given the gift to her in person, I can share it on here.

I had some beautiful girls fabric I bought previously and I wanted to use it for this project.

So I made a bib and a nappy change mat with storage compartments for her. Nothing like practical and pretty! I love this idea so much and would make one for me if I wasn't about to head out of nappies (YAY!!!)

The teddy is the closest thing I have to a doll in a boy house to show you how the mat works and how the bib sits.

This 'crinkley' heart is stuffed with a cellophane type material and built in so that the baby has something to play with whilst Mummy is trying to wrangle a new nappy onto a little bubba.

I took these photos before I attached the tie on the end and so that is missing on here.

Both projects were manageable even for a beginner.

Bib
1. Trace a bib pattern from one or there are a few online you can find if you don't have one on hand.
2. Pin right sides together.
3. Make sure you place the string/ ribbon to tie it up inside the bib, leaving a little out to anchor it and the length inside. You can also use velcro after you've turned it instead.
4. Sew around the edge leaving a little gap (back stitched) to turn inside.
5. Turn out the right way and top stitch around the edge making sure you enclose the gap you left to turn it out.


Nappy Mat
1. Measure out your two rectangles
2. Sew face side of fabric together with a gap on the side (back stitched) to turn right side out.
3. Iron flat
4. Measure size of pocket and fold and pin in place. Top stitch around edge using a decorative stitch (don't forget to put the ribbon and toy in the pocket fold if doing so).
5. Sew a divider in the center of the pocket for nappy and wipes case.
6. Sew a ribbon, some velcro or something to fasten and hold together.

Enjoy,
Lauren x

p.s. I hope you like the new blog logo! I have felt like a change for a while but waited for the right idea. I loved the toffee apple as it is a mix of healthy and sweet. We eat healthy here, but as someone who enjoys baking, treats are a fun thing to enjoy.

{Birthday Card with a Difference : what an egg-cellent idea}

Recently a special girl in my world had a birthday. I saw an idea sometime ago (yes, on pinterest) and wanted to give it a go. It cost me nothing as I had everything on hand and it was stacks of fun.
I didn't get photos of the glueing and glittering process as my hands were messy and I was enjoying it so much I just forgot. I hope you get the idea though.



All you do is find an egg, a skewer, medicine or egg cup, paint, pva glue, tissue paper, glitter (the finer the better) and a paint brush.

1. Carefully put a hole in each end of egg. Scramble egg inside with skewer and slowly drain egg. I blew some out and let some drain into medicine cup. This takes a while. (I saved the egg and made a cake for morning tea - no waste here!)
2. Then I rinsed it with water and set overnight to dry.
3. Write your message on paper and finely roll. Slot it into the hole. I found making one hole a little larger helped here and with the draining process.
4. Using the pva glue and small squares of tissue (colour doesn't matter) cover up the holes on each end and smooth out the paper with more glue on top (like a decoupage technique).
5. Paint the egg a background colour. This you'll have to do in two steps. (this isn't absolutely necessary, but in my practice run I found that it helped the finished look in case you miss a teeny spot with glitter).
6. Cover with glitter one half at a time.

Voila!

I packaged this by cutting a section from an egg carton and laying raffia type 'straw' in the bottom. I then placed the egg on top and wrapped in clear cellophane. Attached was a tag "smash me". I had intended to box it up and post it to her, but I got to see her crack it in person which was a lovely surprise!

I hope you like the idea and I can see it being adapted for other messages too.


Lauren x

{Facial Scrub Gift Idea} Oatmeal & Cinnamon Scrub

I have been very lucky to have such a wonderful teacher for my little Mr. It has made it so easy for him to settle into prep school. So, I made her a little thank you gift. A homemade Oatmeal & Cinnamon facial scrub for a sweet teacher.

Quantities for below depend on the size of jar, but this was the ratio I used.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Oatmeal (I pulsed this up in my food processor so it was slightly finer than the raw oats)
1/4 cup rice flour
1 tsp cinnamon ground

Then this is put into a jar with the following instructions:

"When you want to make a facial scrub, just add 2 teaspoons of the mix to a bowl and add enough of a wet ingredient to make a paste.Good examples of wet ingredients are; egg yolk, fruit, honey, yoghurt or milk.You could use one wet ingredient or a combination such as banana and yoghurt.Apply the scrub to a damp face and gently massage into the skin in upward circular motions. Thoroughly rinse off with warm water and a cloth."
I hope you enjoyed this. This is the easiest and quickest to make for yourself or a gift. This is a natural product, but as with every new product, test it on a patch of your skin first ;)

Lauren x

{A Sweet Housewarming Gift Idea}

Well some very good friends of ours are moving this week. I wanted to give a gift that would help the family celebrate the first night in their new house as a family.

So, I put together a "Build-a-Dessert Kit" for them to create a special memory in their new house.





It consisted of:
*Waffle cones and bowls
*Choc, Berry and Caramel Sauces
*Marshmallows
*Crushed nuts
*Flake Bars
*Cherries
*Mini m&m's
*Gummy Bears
*Coloured and Choc sprinkles

Each bag or jar was labelled and the instructions are simply "just add ice-cream".

The jars I used for the sauce were re-purposes antipasto jars I used in a pasta sauce.

I could see this as a birthday dessert kit too and many other variations possible. I would love to hear if you try this or create another variation.

I hope you enjoy this idea,

Lauren x



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{One bag two ways}

Regular readers may have noticed me posting a picture of the first handbag I made recently.
Since I loved the pattern so much I decided to make it for two up coming birthdays. The first one will look similar to first as it was also for a 6 year old girl. However this time I added a detachable flower clip and a personalised appliquéd Tshirt.






Since the second bag was for a friend of mine, I changed the fabric (so in love with this material - now going to make one for me), added a small internal pocket and shortened the handle. I also added a decorative stitch on the handle that helped keep sone padding in place.




I have a larger version of this pattern and another large pattern I want to play with too.
Can't wait!!!

Lauren x

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{A Nap Time Sewing Project} Handbag for a princess

My little Mr 5 has a party to go to on Sunday for a little girl whom he quite likes and they go to prep school together. Actually they first met when they were in Mum's group at 6 week old's and they re-met this year.

So, I had some fabric laying around and wanted to make her something special. I have been looking for a nice handbag pattern for ages and when I found this one, I just knew it would turn the fabric into a perfect gift for his little 'girl' friend.

I first stumbled on Made By Rae when she started a theme on her blog called "Celebrate the Boy"....as a sometimes crafty Mum of two boys, I was very interested! So I printed off her pattern for this Buttercup Bag and started cutting. It was a very easy pattern to follow and the steps and diagrams make this very easy! Here are some photos of the finished project. I also bought some more fabric today so I can re-make it for me ;)





Enjoy;
Lauren x

{Mothers Day = Pecan Brownies + DIY Soy Candles}

Well, last weekend for mothers day we had some of my husbands side over for a family dinner and we ate very well as we often do! We had a long roasted beef and pork with tonnes of veggie sides inclding homemade apple sauce. Then dessert was individual homemade brownies with a twist of adding pecans (in hommage to my mother law who loves pecan pie) served soft inside with a raspberry reduction and cream. SO GOOD!!!



Then a few weeks ago I had some glass jars laying around and wanted to re-use them somehow as they were too pretty to throw away. So, I decided to attempt candle making and have loved my candle making morning - it was A LOT of fun.
I am not one to just post this and keep the source to myself, I love supporting local ingredients/ buisnesses so check this out. This online store will support you in starting your own candle (or soap) making journey.
With plenty of wonderful supplies and tutorials in text and video, its a one stop shop, and so much cheaper than anything I could find in retail stores. Make sure you give it a go - its fun and a great way to make some homemade gifts for someone special or to fill your own house. And they turned out great I thought. If you have a go, let me know how it went.


Enjoy,
Lauren x

{Build-a-Cubby Kit} A great gift idea for "mini men"

I love giving my children toys and experiences that teach them but also develop their imagination. In my humble opinion, too many toys these days hand the experience to them on a 'silver platter' and don't allow them to imagine, create, change and experiment. Thats's why I love things like blocks and lego.

So when Mr. 4 was invited to a birthday party for a friend at prep I thought a bit outside the box. I remeber seeing something simailar ages ago online somewhere (that sparked the initial idea) but it was so long ago and I have no idea where I found it. When I track it down, I will definitley give credit ;)

I put together a very basic draw string bag in a blue fabric from my stash to put it all in and attached this tag:



Here are some pictures of what I used to create the kit:









Enjoy;
Lauren x

{Valentines Day Celebrations} My turn to organise it this year :)

Well, this year it was my turn to organise the surprise for "love day" as we call it in our house. Usually my husband organises a grand gesture, but I absolutley wanted a turn and loved spending the day (and then some) getting surprises ready for him! So here is what I came up with:

1. I decorated the house with handmade paper heart garlands - Love it!


2. This made the 'resturant area' just divine looking. Deceptive enough to make us forget we were home with kids asleep upstairs!


3. A Menu of Individual Garlic and Rosemary Lamb Racks with Rost Vegetables with a Chocolate Mousse and Shared Fruit Platter.

{Chocolate Mousse}

300g good-quality dark chocolate, roughly chopped
3 eggs
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
1 tbs good-quality cocoa powder, sifted
400ml thickened cream, plus extra whipped cream to serve

Method:
1. Place the chocolate in a double boiler and stir until melted. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Don't leave it for too long as it will harden and you will have hardened chocolate bits into your mousse. If you want to add a flavour to choc (coffee, liqueurs, essences etc...). I added a touch of brandy syrup I had in the pantry
2. Place eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with electric beaters for 5 minutes, or until mixture is pale, thick and doubled in volume. Fold in cooled chocolate and cocoa powder until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whip cream until thickened (don't over-beat). It is quite a rich recipe, if you want to tame it down a little, just whip 600ml of cream instead. Use a large spoon to carefully fold the cream into the chocolate mixture, trying to keep the mixture as light as possible.
4. Spoon intoserving glasses and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge 15 minutes before serving, then top with either extra whipped cream, grated chocolate and/ or fresh berries.

4. The Gift : Handwritten Book "All the Ways I Love You".
For a few weeks I compiled a list of the top reasons why I love my man. The top 20 quickly became the top 50, which quickly became the top 100. By the time I finished writing them all in the book, it was 102 handwritten reasons why I love him presented in a fabric envelope with a message on the front.

This experience should be a MUST do for married couples. To many times I hear people nag, complain and 'plateau' in the way they feel about their spouse. Showing the one you love that you love all the many things that make them, them is a very valuable thing. So I would love to hear if you attempt this for next years love day, your anniversary or just because.

Some examples of what I wrote (will only share a select few)

9. You show a work ethic that is God honouring and is a great example for our boys.
11. You love me having 'me' time.
18. YOU show our boys how to traet a woman with respect and dignity each day by how you treat their mother
31. You are an incredible steward of everything God hads given you.
46. I love how you can explain very complex concepts to people like me lol
50. I love your entrapreneurial spirit
54. I love how you have always planned for our future together
63. I love how you arrange 'acts of kindness' for people in our world when they need a hand
70. I love how you are always a voice of reason
81. I love how you genuinely marvel in the wonders of God's universe
98. I love how you just look at me sometimes - with no words.

Enjoy;
Lauren x