Fairy Treasure Pouches

Our current home schooling theme is "Fairies, Dragons and Magic", so the other day we did felting, with some treasure pouches in mind. It was my first time felting with the children; we used the bubble-wrap method and it was very easy. We all enjoyed playing with the rich and beautiful colours... for a little while anyway, until the boys took off to ride their bikes down the neighbour's driveway.

When the felt was dry, I spent a couple of evenings sewing it into fairy treasure pouches. This was a nice task! I would have liked the kids to help with the sewing, but it was just a little bit too tricky. (Or else I'm a little bit too anal.)
The felt we created was a bit fragile in places, so I used bought felt for the lining, to give support. Things need to be hardy around here!

When the pouches were finished, I put them at each child's place at the table, for them to find in the morning.

When I came down, Jimmy happily called out, "Mama, I got gloves!"

In the garden that night, before bed, we put out some tiny drops of jam, milk and sugar on a dish for the fairies, and laid our treasure pouches nearby to show the fairies...hint, hint...
You wouldn't believe it, but in the morning we found to our excitement that the fairies had come! There was a sprinkling of fairy dust ...
some tiny lollies...
and a beautiful crystal treasure for each boy. Thank you fairies!

Beautiful Orange

It's been cold and grey and... well, lovely really! But a burst of orange for brekkie today really brightened my morning. Wishing you many bright mornings and a little bit of orange in your life.... xxx

Kite Festival

A beautiful morning and a great introduction to Transylvanian pancakes!

Watch Telly Tonight!

Ooh, ooh - urgent blog post: please watch what I am sure is going to be amazing viewing tonight on SBS at 8.30! It's called "Go Back Where You Came From"; it's all about some people with stinkin' attitudes towards asylum seekers making the journey that refugees make to Australia, but in reverse. They have to make the harrowing journey back to Iraq and some other turbulent places. Guess what? They change their attitudes. I think it's going to be very powerful and I wish, wish, wish everyone would watch it. Watch a sneak peek here. xx

Prawn and Pomelo Salad

We got a pomelo in our fruit and veg box last week and I didn't know what to do with it. I looked up recipes with pomelo and I'm glad I found this one, because it was YUUUUMMY. Here's the link to Prawn and Pomelo Salad. (I only used half a pomelo, one chilli, less limes and palm sugar and served it with jasmine rice. I also used a lot more prawns.) My favourite part was the finely sliced kaffir lime leaves. Jimmy's favourite part was the dressing. It's not a drink, ya dork!! Must have been the palm sugar.... nice and sweet. ;o)

Speaking of food, we are moving closer towards vegetarianism - with a bit of vegan thrown in - after reading "The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food" by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. Not exactly a light read, but certainly a compassionate and confronting one.

Just Tell Them I'm Busy!

This is a very embarrassing story, but I feel it is worth telling, despite the humiliation. The other morning, I was in the bathroom, minding my own business, when to my dismay I heard the screech of brakes, heavy footsteps running up to the front porch, a loud rapping of knuckles on the door and the cry of "PARCEL!" Oh no!

The kids raced to be the first one to open the door, oblivious to my urgent instructions: "Wait! Don't open it! I'll be there in a minute!"

Kees opened the door wide and confidently piped up, "Don't worry, Mum's coming, she's just DOING A POO!"

Aagghh.

So you see, you don't need to feel too sorry for him about that cake incident.

Beautiful Things

a beautiful gift

thank you, Matt

hidden fruit

berries and a blue, blue sky