again.
Anzac Biscuits
Tea Cake
Choc chip biscuits
cupcakes (vanilla & choc chip – haven’t iced them yet). Tomorrow I plan to make shortbread with unsalted butter from Elgaar. It makes the best shortbread.
Hope you’re all having a great weekend!
Category: General
Review–The Jungle Bunch
Wanna know a secret? I really love watching kid’s movies, well more specifically, animated kids movies. Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Despicable Me, Fantasia, Go to Hell (oh wait, that’s not a kids film)…. the list goes on. And I’ve just added a new movie to the list – The Jungle Bunch.
The Jungle Bunch is the story of Maurice (voiced by actor John Lithgow), the penguin who thinks he’s a tiger. Two penguins from Maurice’s home in Antarctica travel to the jungle in search of ‘The Great Tiger Warrior’ to save their village. Their search leads them to Maurice’s jungle home where they share their plight. Determined to help Maurice; his adopted son – a tiger fish named Junior; Fred the warthog convinced he lives in a musical; Batricia the bat afraid of the dark; Miguel the gorilla and Gilbert the tarsier afraid to leave his branch form a team and embark on an adventure.
We enjoyed the movie and there’s lots of scenes adults will find just as funny as the kids. Miss K watched most of it, which is a pretty big thing as she hardly ever watches a whole movie.
The Jungle Bunch goes for 58mins and is available now on DVD. One lucky reader will a copy of The Jungle Bunch plus some other kid’s DVDs.
All you need to do to enter is answer the following question via the Rafflecopter below.
“What is your favourite kid’s movie?”
Be Here Now
Andy Whitfield was an amazing Australian actor who many of us would have seen in the first season of the Starz show Spartacus. If you haven’t, check it out – there’s something for both the ladies & the men plus a fair bit of violence. He was also in All Saints, Packed to the Rafters & McLeod’s Daughters
Sadly Andy passed after an 18 month battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, aged 39. After his diagnosis Andy invited a camera to follow him throughout his journey as he explored both medical and alternative healing option in Australia, New Zealand and India. Led by the Academy Award® Nominated and multiple award winning filmmaker, Lilibet Foster, a camera followed Andy and his gorgeous family’s unfolding story, for over a year. Andy also filmed personal diaries and took photographs throughout his journey. Together with the support of Sam Maydew, producer, Andy’s manager and principal of talent management and production company, The Collective, who brought everyone together, the documentary has gotten to a certain point.
But this doco needs our help. They have created a Kickstarter project looking to fund the additional filming and editing needed to finish the film. For your contributions, you will not only be rewarded with amazing, limited edition and collector’s item gifts, but you will be helping to make Andy’s wish come true – to help or inspire others – because the plan is to distribute the completed film as widely as possible internationally.
Andy’s Spartacus co-star, and friend, Jai Courtney discusses the project in the video below along with a few sneak peaks of the film. Have tissues handy.
Please support this Kickstarter, even if it’s only $5. Let’s help make Andy’s wish come true. Let’s “Be Here Now” and live life in the present.
You can also follow the film’s progress on Facebook and Twitter
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation to this Kickstarter project. I’m just a huge fan of Andy’s and would love to see this story out there to help and inspire other.
The Tastes of Winter
This post is a Product Talk by Nuffnang. I was provided product to sample & review. All opinions herein are my own.
Ah winter, you have joined us with a vengeance this year, well at least in Tasmania. It’s been cold and windy, perfect weather for staying inside by the fire. One of my other favourite things in winter, apart from sitting by the fire, is a huge mug of steaming hot soup.
Homemade soup is a staple in our house each winter but when I can’t be bothered we often grabbed the single serve quick packet powdered soups for a warming lunch. My biggest concern with these is sometimes you really aren’t sure what’s in them. Enter Heinz with their new Squeeze and Stir soups.
Heinz Squeeze & Stir sachets are a thick and rich soup concentrate paste, and unlike powdered cup soups, are made from fresh ripe tomatoes. Heinz Squeeze & Stir is low in fat and contains no artificial colours, flavours and no preservatives.
We were sent the Rich Tomato with Basil and Ripe Tomato & Vegetables to try and it was a fight for who would try which flavour.
Heinz Squeeze & Stir are super easy to prepare. Just squeeze into a mug, add boiling water, stir and if you’re like me, add a swirl of cream on top.
Verdict – I had Ripe Tomato & Vegetables and wasn’t sure what I would think. I’m a Big Red girl, just plain big red. This was a nice surprise. It had all the tomato flavour I expected plus an extra kick from the vegetable pieces. Hubby had the Rich Tomato with Basil. When I asked him what he thought, “it’s ok but not something I’d rush to buy”, was the answer. Hubby, for the record, isn’t a big fan of what he calls ‘fancy soups’ much preferring pumpkin, plain tomato, Chinese chicken & corn or potato & leek. If it’s homemade all the better. Meh, I tried a small bit & I though the touch of basil was a nice flavour. Miss K is a huge soup lover and I’m yet to find something she won’t eat (am yet to try her on Scottish broth – I don’t eat it or cook it so she’ll have to wait til my Mum makes it for Dad). She had a small amount of both and came back asking for seconds so I’ll call that a win!
Overall, I’m not sure if I’ll be adding these to our shopping any time soon. Maybe as a treat (or so I can try the Big Red one). They would great for chucking in your bag before work for a winter warmer at lunch or great for camping trips or even the footy (nothing beats watching sport in winter, rugged up and a hot mug of soup – unless it’s watching sport, inside, in front of a fire, with a hot mug of soup)
Heinz Squeeze & Stir will bring Australia’s number one wet soup flavour, Big Red Tomato*, along with Mediterranean Vegetable, Ripe Tomato & Vegetable and Rich Tomato with Basil into the convenient pack format. Individual Heinz Squeeze & Stir 70g sachets are now available for RRP$1.25 from all major supermarkets and independent retailers.
* Source: Nielsen Scan Data in Season 2011
Farewell
On Wednesday we farewelled my Grandmother. She was 96 years old.
This was taken at her 90th birthday.
We knew this was coming as she had been getting frailer and frailer. When mum suggested we visit last week I’m glad we did. Hubby, Miss K & I went to visit her last Friday afternoon. She passed shortly after we left.
My cousin did her funeral and it was lovely. Exactly what she would have wanted. And then we all got together as a family afterwards. It was great catching up with cousins even though it was a sad occasion.
Mother’s Day ideas
Mother’s Day is upon us again (yup, its this coming Sunday, 13th May) and I thought I’d share with you some of the great ideas I’d found while looking for ideas.
It’s probably a little to late for this lot, but maybe next year.
1. Moments with Mum journal 2. Mother Daughter necklace 3. Mother Daughter necklace 4. Memory Book
Things to print or make
1. What I want for Mother’s Day 2. A handmade journal 3. Fingerprint pendant 4. Fabric Scrap magnets
5. Fingerprint canvas 6. Bath fizzies 7. Framed print 8. Mother’s Day printable cards
I’m making cards this year. These are my inspiration,
1. for the Mum’s 2. From Miss K
I’ll be back after Mother’s Day with what we gave my Mum & MIL (& what Miss K bought me)
What are you doing for your mum?
Around the Wolf’s Den
What with Digital Parents Conference, Easter and my Blogoversary (have you entered my final giveaway yet?) I’ve been neglecting a couple of posts I had committed to write. So I thought I’d share a few of the products I’ve been sent to review lately (plus there’s a giveaway to enter too)
The fun Jelly Bean sandals of our (well my) youth are back and just as popular with the little people as ever. Miss K was rather excited when I picked these up from the Post Office and wanted to wear right away. They are one of her ‘go to’ pairs of shoes at the moment and has even been known to put them on before heading to bed!
They are available in sizes for little people in blue, pink or clear AND big people in black, blue, red, pink and clear.
We’ve also be using the Boxy Design lunch set. It’s a backpack, compartment lunchbox, drink bottle and freezer gel pack. The set is $78 but I think it’s work the cost. The gel pack and lunchbox fit in a insulated compartment in the bottom of the backpack keeping kids lunch separate from everything else. There’s a smaller compartment on top for frequently accessed things and a long pocket at the back for paper and books. The lunchbox comes with two smaller spill proof containers for snacks or things like yoghurt (the lunchbox even comes with a spoon) and the two larger containers so sandwiches and fruit are kept separate and don’t need extra wrapping. It’s also dishwasher safe & BPA Free (as is the drink bottle). We’ve used it a couple of times when out and about and it’s been pretty good. Haven’t tried sandwiches yet. It should last Miss K till she starts school and hopefully through primary school.
Swimming in winter? In Tasmania? Only in an indoor or heated pool right? Well if your child is suited up in a Heatseeker wetsuit they could. Miss K loves to swim and has been a real water baby since she was really small. Last year she was disappointed to not be able to go swimming during winter, this year she can. Mind you I don’t think I’ll be joining her unless the pool is heated. This great set has kept her warmer than her other rashie type swimmers and the separate pieces mean the suit will hopefully last her a bit longer. Love the fact that Heatseeker is an Australian company too!
Now, onto a giveaway….
I have a pair of Jelly Bean sandals to give away. Enter with the Rafflecopter below (there may also be a pair in my blogoversary final giveaway too, just saying)
Open to Australian residents only. Closes 8/5/12
Lest we forget
I asked hubby to do a post today cause what I’m sharing is about his family. He declined, cause he’s like that 😉 His Grandfather served in WWII in the Pacific after narrowly missing out on serving in Africa (which was considered lucky as the company he would have been with ended up as POWs)
(that’s Frank on the left – the short one… hubby’s family are mainly a short lot)
The following poem is written about hubby’s Grandad Frank by one of the men who served with him. We have no idea who wrote it (it would be awesome if we could find this out one day… any suggestions of how we could possibly go about this?)
Frankie
Now Frankie is a quiet chap,
Not the kind that chatter.
He dos’nt care for Ingleburn,
But what the hell’s that matter.
There’s one thing about Frankie,
At which I’ve often laughed,
He’s half his mind on Home Leave,
The other half on Draft.
He loves his wife,
As I do mine,
And I bet she thinks he’s swell,
It’s cruel that he’s away from home
But perhaps it’s just as well.
And when the war is ended
As end all wars must
All we will see of Frankie
Will be a cloud of dust.
He will have to go to beat me,
To catch a Southern Train,
But if he does we’ll meet I hope,
In Launceston again.
Author: Unknown
and now some tunes for your viewing pleasure (the second always brings me to tears)
Ella’s Kitchen
While in Melbourne we attended the Kids Business Bloggers BBQ where I met and networked with some great brands. One of these brands was Ella’s Kitchen.
Ella’s Kitchen was set up in the UK by Ella’s Dad, Paul as he thought his daughter and other children ‘should have the opportunity to eat better food and also to discover that healthy food can be fun, tasty and cool.’ They have a variety of products including 100% fruit Smoothie Fruits, Stage 1 Baby Foods, Stage 2 Baby Foods and Baby Brekkie.
Miss K is at the stage where she prefers whole foods but we decided to try her out on the smoothies. She loves them, especially the Red One (100% strawberries, raspberries, apples + bananas with a dash of lemon juice). I’ve tried them and they aren’t bad. I can imagine adding them to milk to make a yummo milk smoothie or to some yoghurt. Hmmmm.
We haven’t tried the food pouch yet but I know we’ll be buying more of the Red One Smoothie Fruits.
Ella’s Kitchen 100% organic pouches are popping on shelves across Australia in Coles from 26th March 2012.
Our Melbourne Adventure – Pt 4
Sunday we got up and headed to the Zoo. I love Melbourne Zoo. I have fond memories of watching the ring tailed lemurs for hours and hanging out in the butterfly house. It’s changed a little bit since my last visit – more ‘open’ enclosures and more animals. Miss K loved the seals and the ‘big kitties’ and loved going on the vintage carousel. I had not one, but two! butterflies land on me, the first time ever.
Sunday evening we caught up with some of my relatives before heading back to the hotel.
Monday saw us catch the train and bus out to Hawthorns training ground at Waverly Park then out to Chadstone Shopping Centre. OMG this place is HUGE. When we last visited it was still being renovated so there was a heap of new shops to visit including the Build-A-Bear Workshop. Miss K got to build a bear (well cat) from scratch sort of. You pick your ‘skin’ then you can add a sound or record your voice, stuff it, ‘shower’ it (with air), pick clothes for it and finally name it. We built a orange tabby & called her Tabitha.
Tuesday was our final day in Melbourne 🙁 we just got up and ready then headed to the airport. Miss K was excited to be heading home and actually sat in her seat on the plane the entire trip.
I’m glad to be home but looking forward to our next trip!!
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Thanks to my amazing sponsors for Digital Parents Conference 2012 – FollowMe Sticker, Belkin Australia, Bella’s Blooms and George Town IT
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