Pink circus-themed birthday party favours
Little Miss has just turned two. We’ve never made a big deal of first birthdays, because I figure a one-year-old is too small to appreciate all the fuss, and so really, what’s the point? But by the second birthday, there’s enough awareness to warrant a bit of a happening. So we generally pull out all… Read more
Blog hop round-up and happy 4th of July!
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!! As you know, I joined up with more than 30 AMAZING bloggers to tackle the challenge of creating a patriotic project or recipe without using the traditional red, white and blue color scheme! We started the first week of June and the projects have been flowing ever since. We shared over… Read more
Weathered star wall art tutorial
You may remember me mentioning recently that I’m part of something pretty cool. I’ve joined up with more than 30 AMAZING bloggers to tackle the challenge of creating a patriotic project or recipe without using the traditional red, white and blue color scheme! Starting three weeks ago and running through July 4th, more than 30 projects… Read more
Our playroom and kids’ rooms so far (and one heck of a “to do” list!)
Since moving in to our new house a few months back, the playroom has seen some progress. It’s nowhere near finished yet, but it’s a darn sight better than it was: Here’s where we’re at right now: I’ve already shared the story behind the sunny yellow birch-forest feature wall, which (in case you’re new around… Read more
On tap-dancing, pineapple hats and getting noticed at what you do
It’s been an exciting couple of weeks around here. But before I spill the latest news, I have a question for you. Are you trying to get noticed at what you do? Do you ever feel invisible and wonder whether it’s all worth the effort? I think every blogger can identify with the uphill work… Read more
How to not suck at blogging – with special guest Abby Lawson from Just a Girl and Her Blog!
Readers, I’m so excited to introduce you today to my friend Abby Lawson from Just a Girl and Her Blog. I felt an instant connection with this gorgeous gal from the minute I met her online, so when I heard she has an e-book releasing, I jumped in and offered to help out with her… Read more
Summer blog hop and a $300 target gift card giveaway!
This is pretty exciting, you guys. I feel like the nerdy kid who’s been picked out to be on the cool people’s team. Not only will you notice my little blog name in the awesome line-up above (can you see it? Can you see it? Eeeee!) but I also get to offer you, my amazing… Read more
Greek yoghurt and berry swirl ice-blocks
First up, before I get to how easy, healthy, and utterly delicious these little morsels of yoghurty- berry goodness are…. I’m clearly having titling issues here. This post is causing me existential angst. See, I have this quandry. Half my readership is U.S. based, half is Australian. So do I call these summery treats “ice-blocks”… Read more
Our grey and yellow living room
Forgive me, dear readers, for I have sinned. I told you guys I’d be sharing pictures of our new house, oh, approximately forever ago. Meanwhile these photos have been languishing on my hard drive, pleading with me voicelessly each time I skim past their way. “Share us. Shaaaaaare us!!” Never fear photos, your day has… Read more
Unveiling my new Project Gallery!
If you’re feeling impatient, you can skip my rambling and view the new Project Gallery here! You guys!! I’ve MISSED YOU…..!!!!!! I mean, seriously. This is crazy. I mentioned just before Easter that I’d be taking a short break from blogging…. but since that day, you’d be forgiven for thinking I’d dropped off the face of… Read more
Happy Mother’s Day!
This beautiful photograph of my daughter Allegra as a newborn was taken by the stunningly talented Ali Russell of Live, Laugh & Love Photography. Used by permission. Follow her here! Facebook | Pinterest | Webpage Mothers, what you do matters. SO much. It doesn’t always feel like it. But it’s true. If you’ve ever felt like your work as… Read more
A beachified bathroom
I do believe that last time I showed you a glimpse of this room, it looked something like this: Things started looking a good deal more bathroom-like with the addition of an actual bath. I am a little bit in love with this tub. It’s sleek and modern and sculptural, but it also has kind… Read more
Salt dough Easter ornaments
I found a set of Easter-themed cookie cutters at Spotlight recently, and knew they’d be perfect to make some salt dough ornaments to hang on our Easter advent tree. This is one of our favourite go-to activities that we’ve done several times now. The kids really enjoy the process of making the dough, cutting out… Read more
Bunny-ears and baskets – a just-for-fun holiday Easter-egg hunt!
Making memories with our kids doesn’t have to be extravagant. Sometimes it’s about buying a jumbo bag of Easter eggs for a couple of bucks and scattering them around the yard, then turning the kids loose for the hunt. This took so little effort compared to many of the other more complicated activities I’ve done… Read more
Polka-dot Easter eggs
I pinned this lovely image to my Pinterest board some time ago, and it got me thinking that polka-dot Easter eggs would be a fun activity to do with my kids – but I couldn’t locate a tutorial for how to make our own. So I decided to experiment. Essentially all we needed was some… Read more
White chocolate Easter egg nests
Today’s recipe was inspired by this post… with a twist. I wanted to make my nests light and pretty, so I chose to use white chocolate, and added peanut butter for extra deliciousness. These nests have only three ingredients – perfectly simple for my little kitchen helpers to tackle with me. Because I like to keep… Read more
An Easter advent tree
It happens so quickly. Already, for our kids, Easter has become all about the chocolate. It’s hard for anything to compete with the lure of forbidden treats. Aisles lined with shiny foil-wrapped eggs and soldierly bunnies. Easter egg hunts and easter egg baskets. Creamy, smooth chocolate – chocolate in abundance; chocolate every which way we… Read more
Prettifying Billy
I’m not the first blogger to hack a set of Ikea Billy bookcases, and I’m sure I won’t be the last. The great thing about these shelves is that… they’re cheap. Yep, that’s pretty much it. No-one is making any claims that these are high-class pieces of furniture. They’re functional and utilitarian. But for $69… Read more
Experiencing God’s peace when you’re worried about your kids
It’s the last day of the month, and as I look back over the blogging schedule I set for myself in March, I could let myself feel disappointed at the posts I just didn’t get to. But, I don’t. I know that this month at least, I gave the best I could give. See, two… Read more
It’s amazing what a little fence can do
(Title to be sung to the tune of the Snooze jingle… got that stuck in your head now? You’re welcome.) Last time I showed you a picture of the outside of our new house, it looked like this (below): If I had a drum, I’d be attempting a drumroll. Cos now, after three months of… Read more
Dinosaur egg ice smash!
We’ve been a little bit dinosaur-obsessed around here lately. So, we decided to make some dinosaur eggs. And then smash them. Because… we have boys. No other explanation required. First we filled some balloons (I just used regular balloons for this) with water tinted with food colouring. This actually wasn’t as simple as it sounds…. Read more
Entry progress, and my Cushion Obsession
Hi, my name’s Karen, and I have a little problem. It’s an addiction. I’m not sure how it started, or even when. For some women, it’s shoes. For me, it’s cushions. Every time I walk into a home-wares store (which believe me, happens fairly frequently) my heart starts to pitter-patter at the sight of the… Read more
Dinosaur world with clay
Clay play is a great experience for kids. Clay is really quite different to playdough in the way it feels and the way it can be handled. It’s dense and heavy, but can be smooth and soft and slippery. It’s incredibly tactile, and kids love its earthy quality, a bit reminiscent of mud pies. It… Read more
Stencilled playroom wall!
This is one of those projects I’ve had in mind from the moment I ruled up our playroom space on a piece of graph paper, back when our house was still a block of dirt and a twinkle in our eyes. I’d already decided on a grey and yellow colour scheme for the living room… Read more
Colour sorting with novelty erasers
This is a simple activity for those moments when you need to buy a few minutes to get something done. You don’t have time to prep anything complicated. You don’t have time to sit down with your child and help. You just want an instant activity that your child can do independently. Something engaging and… Read more
Home office makeover reveal!
Welcome to my brand-new study space! As you might remember from my last post, 2 weeks ago my study nook looked like this. We did have furniture in the living room (this shot was taken pre-moving in), but the study space itself was still bare and unfinished: I gave myself a deadline to tackle this… Read more
DIY industrial wire mail baskets
 I’ve been hard at work on a makeover of my brand-new study nook space. You may remember that last time you saw it, it looked like this (there it is on the left – that blank empty space with wires hanging out of the wall): Well, I can reveal that it’s looking quite different now!… Read more
Pesto, chorizo and haloumi pizza
This is a delicious dinner with some real gourmet appeal – but of course I wouldn’t be sharing it if it weren’t easy! First: my secret weapon. The base is spread with pesto instead of tomato paste. It gives the pizza a really special and delicious flavour. You could make your own pesto if you’re… Read more
Our new house – welcome inside!
It’s time for some inside shots of our brand new house! These photos were taken near completion (but not quite there.) So you’re getting the bare bones of the house here. Don’t mind the unpainted skirting here and there, bathrooms that are missing bits, and builder’s stuff on the counters. There is something so exciting… Read more
Our new house – building progress!
I’ve been dying to finally share some pics of our new place with you. Considering we moved in just before Christmas last year, it’s taken me a while to get there! I started blogging a couple of weeks before we moved (as you do… because I AM certifiably insane) and in the interests of preserving… Read more
Beaumont Drive Downstairs living makeover
I’ll be honest, I’ve kind of put off sharing our downstairs living room makeover because I just never really finished it off the way I would’ve liked. It’s definitely better than it was – and practically speaking, it made the space a whole lot more functional for us. But aesthetically speaking, it never quite got… Read more
After-school snack – Dino Fossil cookies
As you know, it was dinosaur week at our place not long ago. One activity in particular got me thinking – if we can make dinosaur fossils with playdough, why not with cookie dough? We whipped up a batch of chocolate cookie dough to experiment with. Here’s the easy recipe we used. Chocolate cookies 125g… Read more
Star stencilled boxes
When I was pregnant with Allegra, we moved the boys in together to make way for a nursery. A friend passed on a pair of cute toddler beds which were a perfect fit for the small space. This awesome hand-me-down saved us shelling out big bucks for a bunk bed, which I worried wouldn’t be… Read more
Backyard Makeover! How to paint concrete to look like oversize pavers
When we bought our house, the one thing I hated about it was the concrete area out the back. What an eyesore, right? My first instinct was to get it all ripped up and put down some turf, but we quickly realised it was THE BEST THING EVER for our kids, who spent hours riding… Read more
Back to school! Easy ABC book covers
It’s back-to-school week, and I have one little man starting Prep (5 days a week! Ohmygoodness!) and a second little man starting kindy. How did they get so big so fast?? Can someone stop the clock for a few years, please? Meanwhile, we’ve been away for ten days on a half-impromptu holiday that lasted twice… Read more
Dino week – Dinosaur peg puppets
The peg puppet has a kind of magic about it. You take a simple wooden clothes peg, glue some bits of paper to it, and the next thing you know, it’s taken on a life of its own. Kids love these things! So what better way to celebrate dinosaur week than by making our very… Read more
Dino week – Dinosaur sensory world
Welcome to dinosaur land. A land populated by creatures fierce and wild… 🙂 To set up this dinosaur-themed “sensory world”, fill a large shallow tub with sand (I used an underbed storage tub), then scoop out a depression and sink in a smaller container down to its rim. I used a kidney-shaped tub leftover from… Read more
Dino week – Dinosaur playdough fossils
Today’s activity honestly could not be any easier. If you have a stash of plastic dinosaurs lying around, and a batch of playdough ready to go – you’re set! I always make my own playdough because I like having a big quantity available for the kids. In my opinion the little tubs you can buy… Read more
Dino week – Dinosaur Ice Age!
Sssshhhhh. Come on in, but try not to make too much noise. You might wake the dinosaurs. That’s right – it’s dinosaur week on the blog! Every day this week I’ll be sharing a creative dino-themed activity to give you a bit of school holiday inspiration. To set the stage for my boys, we started… Read more
Summer holiday special – Sand play table zoo
Welcome to Day 5 of our 2-week summer holiday kids special! (Yes, it’s summer in Australia!) On Day One I showed you how to make your own DIY sand and water play table. On Day Two we explored water play. On Day Three we created a cool ocean rockpool. Day Four was all about sensory… Read more
