History really comes alive for me when it’s on screen. I love losing myself in a good series or movie based on historical events. Some are true to…
This traditional Swedish recipe has been part of our family fare for decades. It is hearty and nourishing comfort food at its very best.
CARAD is an independent, community-based organisation providing essential welfare and advocacy support to asylum seekers, refugees and detainees in Western Australia. They need our help and it is so easy to contribute.
This is one of my very favourite poems – particularly when read in a broad Aussie drawl… its brilliance speaks for itself.
Melktert (milk custard tart) is a traditional South African tea-time treat. If you want to taste them, you’ll need to grab one before serving as the platter will empty quickly!
Our homeschooling style is a mix of bookwork, exploration, free play, music, media and good old chatting. My kids like structure, but not routine and we often find…
Create your own wall hanging of the Circle of the Church Year for your Godly Play or Sunday School room.
Screen devices are fun and can be ideal in the right situation. But there’s so much you can do without them too! Here are our top 10 go-to activities when the kids need help sitting still or quietly in or out of the home.
How often do you find yourself with a lonely courgette in the fridge, wondering how to turn it into something useful? I do – frequently. I often buy…
It’s a sweltering New Year’s eve and we need a tasty treat for tonight. I have neither the time nor energy to experiment with ideas for my bananas…
I don’t acknowledge my blessings nearly often enough, much less pay them forward as much as I should – that is what I am going to work on from now on.
For those who don’t like brandy, here is a great cake that has the same depth of flavour without the punch of the plonk. It also doesn’t need long to mature so if you have left it last-minute to do your cake this is the one for you.
The kidlets dropped a bombshell on us and once again said they really want to try school next year. It was unprompted and clearly something they’ve thought about,…
Are you are tired of the commercial, tacky or expensive and branded advent calendars in the shops? Try giving the kids a new activity each day – something with purpose to foster joy and kindness. Put a daily slip of paper in the relevant advent calendar pocket (or you could put it on the fridge, on the tree, in lunchboxes or under table mats etc.) for the kids to find and do – you can include chocolate treats too, with a reading from your favourite poem, book or a passage from the Bible.
These taste of pure Christmas season, with cinnamon and cardamom punching through the soft and fluffy dough. Kanelbullar are a traditional Swedish bun that can be served at any time of year, but are particularly nice to turn out at Christmas. Easy to make, if you have the patience to allow the two dough rises.
Looking for ideas to make your family and friends smile? These ideas from the Wasteless Pantry are just the ticket and help us all move towards a less consumptive culture during the festive season.
Taking a breath to think about sharing our blessings can turn an awful year into something a bit brighter.
Giftedness‘ can be defined in many ways, but basically it describes individuals with a high cognitive potential. Broadly speaking, an IQ in the top 1-2% of the population (about 130+). Gifted individuals have specific emotional, sensory, social and educational needs. Understanding this is pure gold and well worth the (sometimes high) price of a report from a specialist.
I never knew how someone pressing points on my feet could change my health so much. Reflexology is remarkable.
I’m loving exploring new cuisines. Recently I was a bit stumped for ideas when I was planning a free-from vegetarian family dinner party, but this worked really well:…
Kids need independence and we all, quite frankly, need space to ourselves each day. So, to balance everyone’s needs out I use this guiding list.
Makes: ± 12 balls Time to make: 25 mins (5 prep, 15 in oven, 5 on stovetop) These yummies are not my brain-child – I was lucky enough…
I’ve done this successfully twice before – I have also gotten it wrong. I can never remember which way up to suspend the pit! So, this is a…
I have to admit, this is not the sort of piece I thought I would ever be writing – detailing how the squirmy little squishy creatures are making…
Makes: ± 30 small puffs Time to make: 20 mins (10 prep + 10 bake) Ingredients Method – 1 cup plain flour– 2 tsp baking powder– 1 pinch…
An easy, DIY face mask pattern. Zero waste, fully washable, snug fit and won’t hurt your ears.
– just 5 steps – When your kids are different ages and enjoy different things, what a win when you find a craft that suits everybody! This activity…
Easy vegan biscuits packed with flavour. A great snack if you are craving umami!
No need to buy commercial spreads made with palm-oil anymore! This is quick, easy, cheap and nutritious. It also brings a bonus feel-good factor as by boycotting palm oil products you are helping to save the Orangutan’s habitats currently being decimated by palm oil plantations.
A work in progress, this list of homeschooling resources is becoming a helpful starting point for others looking at home education.
Is there anything better than stumbling upon a video or new song that grabs you, swings you around the room a few times and throws you back into…
Makes: 6-8 flatbreads Time to make: 5 prep, 10 resting, 5 actual cooking This bread is quick, easy and a great addition to a meal where you want…
Kindness isn’t about getting it right every time; rather it means treating others as best you can, with respect and fairness, regardless of how you feel about them or who they are… This doesn’t always come easily when we are tired, afraid or stressed and focused on our own needs, so it is a choice that has to be made deliberately.
We all want the current Covid-19 crisis to end. It has been many months since life resembled the ‘normal’ that we once knew. The tragedy that has unfolded…
An embroidered wealth of spiritual food and practices, this book weaves together the strength, fire, passion, gentleness, love and wisdom of the feminine. It empowers, reassures, nourishes.
Makes: 100 ml dressing Time to make: 3 mins This incredibly versatile dressing is perfect to splash on salad, drizzle over baked potato, mains, or simply as a…
As mentioned in an earlier post, I was inspired by the Earth Carers course to make changes to our home. These have been so much fun to do…
Growing a beautiful Frangipani from a offcuts couldn’t be easier! Strip the cutting of leaves and buds Leave it upright in a dry, sunny place for about a…
Do you have baby clothes taking up space in your cupboards? Sharing them onwards for others to use is always a great first option. Then, sometimes they are just too adorable to part with, or are firm favourites associated with other memories or people.
MAKE BUNTING out of them! It is very easy, fun, attractive and you get to enjoy the nostalgia whenever you celebrate in your home.
Makes: 12 small muffins Time to make: 20 mins (10 prep + 10 bake) Whether you are having brunch, afternoon snack or midnight cravings, these are delicious, quick…
It has been almost a year since a friend and client of mine recommended I look into the Earth Carers course with a local council. It was an…
I will impart it to my kids – all of it. I won’t rest until they understand what it can feel like to be proud of yourself, your nation, and your leader, to feel fierce satisfaction and wonder at what a nation can achieve in the face of vile ignorance and hateful leadership. Only then can they aspire to experiencing that for themselves – by making good choices about the future.
Contentment is not a consolation prize for those who don’t achieve greatness. It speaks of a choice, a decision and deliberate commitment to being grateful and welcoming the peace, joy and abundance that lets in.
Love is love is love
It is week 2 of Advent – the week to light the candle of love.
Recently I have been involved in conversations which have steered towards others speaking openly against homosexuality and non-binary gender identification. It jars me every time and I need to speak my piece about respecting anyone’s choice to consensual adult relationships of any kind.