Barefoot Holidays

For my little tribe, summer holidays are all about shoes off. Nothing says 'laid back relaxing mode' like bare feet on the grass, on the sand, in the house, absolutely everywhere really.

We thought it might be nice to make ourselves a little pair of 'barefoot' sandals to jazz ourselves up every now and then.....you know like when your heading out to your friends for a play!

All you'll need to make your own pair is some beads and some string! (Just make sure the bead whole is large enough to fit two pieces of string at the same time)

Here's how......
Choose your beads and lay them out in the pattern you would like them seen in. This should measure the same as your toe to ankle length.
Cut a length of string about 80cm long, fold it in half and tie off a small loop at the bottom (this should be small enough to place over your second toe)

Next you simply thread your beads onto both string ends and tie another knot to make sure they don't fall off.

And that's it!
They can be as easy or as tricky as you like. By googling 'barefoot sandals' you'll see what I mean!

Anyway, we're off to get some sun on our toes.....happy holidays x

2014 Family Word

Keeping with tradition, our family has picked a word that we want to carry us through the following year. Last year because of our exciting move across the ditch, our word was 'adventure' and whilst we will still be keeping that word alive in 2014, we wanted a different word that when we think about it, will help carry us through. 

Our word this year is TRY. 

Try and do our best at everything we do. Try and think of others before ourselves. Try and be more aware of our surroundings and the impact we have in them. Try to listen better and be more patient.  Try and hug more, laugh more and love more. Try, try, try......you get the gist!

So as we begin another fun year here in Auckland, we wish you all a fabulous 2014 just as I know we will. 

Do you have a word this year? 

Pomander time

 So you remember those things you used to make at Christmas time at home with your mum that had an orange and a whole pile of cloves......well it turns out there called Pomanders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Pomander, noun, a ball or perforated container of aromatic substances, placed in a cupboard or room to perfume the air or (formerly) carried as a supposed protection against infection.

A piece of fruit, typically an orange, studded with cloves and hung in a wardrobe"

They are super easy to make and simply make the house smell amazing.

We made ours last week as gifts for the teachers and whilst I intended to get a photo of our finished products, they were whisked off to school before I had a chance! Sorry!

But here's what we did......

1. Tie ribbon around your orange to create quarters. Leaving enough ribbon to create a loop in which to hang.

2. Secure ribbon underneath with a pin so it doesn't slip off.

3. Poke holes in the orange using a skewer (less orange spray gets your eyes then!)

4. Push a whole clove into your hole

You can make them as intricate or simple as you like. We kept our simple, as in I handed the kids a skewer and said Go!

You can make the design as intricate or as simple as you like. We made ours simple (as in I gave them all an orange, a skewer and said go!)

There's definitely a Christmassy smell these 'pomander balls' bring to the house, you should definitely give them a go........think I'll have to make one myself for the house now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gingerbread stars...

Presents for family and friends are all taken care of, now its time we move onto the teachers gifts!
This year we thought we'd make gingerbread stars and then dress them up as ornaments....bit of fun?

Gingerbread Stars

 

70g butter

1/4 c dark brown sugar

60mls golden syrup

1 3/4 c plain flour

1/2 tsp. bi carb soda

2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/4 tsp. salt

2tbsp water

 

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line your trays with non stick paper

Beat together butter and sugar until pale and creamy then slowly add golden syrup till just combined

Sift in flour, bi carb soda, salt and all spices. Using a wooden spoon mix everything together including the water until a soft dough occurs.

Work dough together gently on a lightly floured surface then roll out and cut to the shapes you require. (we used stars, but angels, doves, Santa etc. would work too!)

Bake for 10 min or until lightly browned.

It's begining to look alot like......

         
                                                                      Christmas !!!!!!!!!

Happy Sunday

Here's one I saw and just had to share......happy Sunday everyone.

Advent time....

Advent calendars......do you have one?

Do you get the chocolate on cardboard type or do you make your own?

With 3 kids in the house ( and me just quietly ) there is always big excitement as the Christmas count down begins. The ticking off of days meaning Christmas is getting closer, and closer, and closer.....oh I love it!
But I have to say I'm not a big fan of the chocolate/cardboard types you get from the supermarket. I find the picture is usually something completely irrelevant like Dora or Thomas the tank engine etc. and the chocolate if frankly yuck! Let alone the fact they've been mass produced months prior to December, left to sit somewhere and then no doubt shipped from further than we could imagine. 

Instead, we've had a few different styles over the years and really that's the best thing about the advent, you can make it exactly how you want. 

Some adverts you can open, some you add something daily, others you subtract each day. There can be something to read, to flip, to create, to eat even just to look at. Here's a few examples that sure beat the chocolate /cardboard surely..........(not all ours btw) 

                                (not sure why that one is so blurry, sorry, but you get the idea)

                                           (how cool is this one for those Lego lovers!)

 Not quite sure what ours will be this year, but I'm sure I'll have 3 little people to help come up with a fun idea.
Hope this gives you a few ideas for creating your own advent calendar and prepare for the count down to begin................