Posh Spice vs Your Children

Now I’m the first the admit to the occasional Who magazine purchase, but I personally find it disturbing that I seem to know all the names and birth places of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s children yet I couldn’t honestly tell you what some of my cousin’s kids are called or even how many they have. A certain amount of grace needs to be granted here since our tribe well into the hundreds!

Here’s a few questions for you:
• How well do we know celebrities?
• How many times do you pick up a magazine, newspaper or watch the television to read or listen to an interview with a celebrity?
• Name an actress, famous current or historic figure or even a fictional character and think of how many personal facts you know about them.
• Do you find yourself talking about them and their love lives and state of affairs as if they are in your circle of friends?
• Do you find yourself wondering about how long they have left in rehab, if they’ve gone ahead with buying that glamorous pad in the Hollywood hills or if they’ve had their baby yet?
• Do you find yourself influenced by celebrities and/or their characters on TV even if miniscule? e.g. On the famously successful sitcom Friends, the character Rachel Green played by Jennifer Aniston gave birth to a baby girl and named her Emma. Not only was the name copied by thousands of women due to give birth shortly after the high rating episode, but in the lead up, opinion polls guessing the yet to be revealed name appeared on chat shows, in newspapers and radio shows.

If you sheepishly answered yes to most of these it shows that we not only know much about fictional television characters, but we know way too much about their off screen lives than we ought to. For instance, what stage of the rehab program they’re up to, how much they paid for their house, what rifts are hurting their family members, what state their relationships are in, the secret demons they struggle with, when their first baby is due, if they’re hoping for a boy or a girl, what names they are thinking of choosing, what hospital they are delivering at, who visits them, what gifts the baby received, etc. The list could go on.

I made a video a few years ago of my daughter and asked her a stack of questions. She answered most of them exactly how I assumed she would, but with a few of them she really surprised me. I realised that I actually didn’t know as much as I could have about my own daughter.

Think of all the members of your family. How well do you really know them? How often do you sit down and have a real conversation with them? Most conversations can be reduced to a pile of questions about the day and orders before bedtime if we’re not careful.

I would hate to think that I am closer to Posh Spice or Jude Law (hold that thought…) than I am with my own extended family just because I pay more attention to what magazines write about them.

Here are some suggestions for finding out more about those in your world. I am sure there are a million other ways, but try these if you like:

• Interview your children and record it. Write down your questions before hand.
• Get your kids to interview you. This in itself will be interesting as most children only ask questions that directly impact them.
• Write a questionnaire as part of a family night activity. Most kids love talking about themselves. Throw in some funny questions to keep it light and less like filling out a visa application.
• Try going around the dinner table and pose scenarios to everyone. This gives you insight into how your children think and what their true gauge on life is. e.g. What would you do in such and such situation?
• Email everyone in your extended family and fun questionnaire and ask them to respond within a certain time frame. Date, copy and bind them all and send everyone a copy. Not only will you know much more about each other and have printed family tree history, you might even find you have more in common with each other than just a last name.

Let us know how you go.

Michaela.

Blah, Blah, Blah......

Hey everyone I hope you are all well.

Over the past 12 - 18 months I have been listening intently to every conversation I have had and I've noticed an increase in the use of the word BLAH. It is usually used in a sentance with teenagers and young adults giving you detail about a converstation they have had with someone else.

Conversations that go something like this:

"So I was talking to (so-and-so) yesterday and they were telling me that they went to work and blah, blah, blah, and when she got there her manager was in a horrible mood and decided to let her have it." He was all like, "why aren't you here 5 minutes before your shift starts and blah, blah, blah." and she was like, "well why should I, I'm here ontime and ready aren't I and blah, blah, blah."
Or
"My teacher was so mad at me today." She was like, "where's your homework, blah, blah, blah," and I said, "well I didn't know it had to be done today, blah, blah, blah so I'll bring it tomorrow." She was like, "You better, blah, blah, blah."

My question is.....what is the blah, blah, blah. I'm beginning to believe that there is something in the blah's of our conversations and as parents it's our job to draw that information out of our children. Perhaps we need to increase our level of conversation in terms of vocabulary. Maybe there's nothing in the blah, blah, blah's however I can't help but see that we are missing large chunks of stories and information that will assist us in our guidance and wisdom as we parent.

As a child, teenager and young adult I wasn't allowed to say words like Ain't, Idiot, Mental, or any profanities (that my parents heard anyway) and if caught doing so I knew about it. My parents stressed strong verbal communication and I know that I am a better communicator, both verbal and non-verbal because they didn't put up with slack or lazy communication methods. As a parent myself my husband and I do not accept many slang terms in our home or things like:

- It's pardon me? Not what?
- Crossing of the arms
- Rolling of the eyeswhat (mum's be careful, kids usually pick this up from the women in the house....keep your eyeballs locked in position and use self control).

These are a few of the many things we do in our home to develop strong communication skills that will last a lifetime.

Speak to everyone in your home like you would like to be spoken to, lead the way (even when it's hard and your frustrated or at times hurt). Respect each other as learned individuals and pull out the mystery that I believe is in the blah, blah, blah's of our conversations.

Take care, stay well, stay happy and love one another.

Susan xoxo

GARAGE SALE

One of Australia’s most loved places to shop for a bargain is the humble garage sale or better known as yard sale to our North American friends. You know the drill; rummage through everything you own and sort them into two main piles…sale worthy and garbage worthy items, then sell them for a nail biting fraction of the price.

Last weekend, after a week of fierce spring cleaning, I set up my garage into a makeshift store with all manner of things from old cd’s to furniture. I even managed to pry some old stuffed toys from my bowerbird of a daughter. She eventually came around to my ruthless ways, but got a little too excited and started clearing out half of her wardrobe. Noticing her gusto and realising she now only possessed a swimming costume, her school uniform and a few t-shirts, I gently explained to her that this was not a charity for the homeless and that she might want to wear something other than her school uniform throughout the summer holidays. With an ‘oh yeah’ and a sigh, she dutifully hung up her now wrinkled clothes.

Needing a display table I hauled in the outdoor setting complete with umbrella to look like a market. I worked really well, however, next time I think I’ll just stick a ‘sold’ sticker on it to save my breath. With the garage all set-up and hand painted sheets of cardboard taped to telegraph poles heralding our new store, we were ready for customers. Much to my flat mate’s annoyance I hauled the stereo into the garage and played ‘customer friendly’ music (on repeat). Hey, who doesn’t like Buena Vista Social Club?

People meandered in and out all day and found a hundred and one little bargains. My daughter and my little sister stood out the front waving signs they painted, slurped on ice blocks and brought in many more customers. They just loved being part of the entire process. In one weekend they learned advertising, setting up, pricing, selling, customer service, barter negotiation, seeing the job through and cleaning up, and all with a reward at the end for their hard work.

We sold much more than we anticipated, however, with so much still to go, we are holding another one this weekend. My gorgeous grandma and aunty are already thinking of what they can get rid of to add to the mix. I was surprised at the amount of Christmas spending money that was tied up in old forgotten knick knacks around the house. Get moving and clear out that attic, that spare room, that GARAGE and have a spring clean with a pleasant return. Not only will you make a small fortune and meet new people in your neighbourhood, you will have an entire day with one goal that the whole family can work towards together.

Enjoy!

Michaela.

Peachy Perfect!

Okay, for all our dear Northern Hemispheric friends, I thought I would pop up the quickest possible dessert to relish in the oncoming cold months. It is completely decadent and should be indulged in only once in a while. You know the ones. The sticky, sugary, syrupy desserts that you save only for when guests grace your table, only you secretly wish you had the audacity to bake just for you. That’s right. Well this one is a winter winner and is way too good to not share! And it’s too easy.

Caramelised Peaches

Half a dozen peaches
Caster sugar
Chilled Butter
Ice Cream or Cream (whichever floats your boat)

1. Half the peaches and remove the stones.
2. Lay each peach up right on a baking tray. Use baking paper to avoid sticking.
3. Cut butter into small cubes and place in each peach.
4. Sprinkle with caster sugar and don’t be shy.
5. Bake in a moderate to hot oven until cooked and golden brown. Approx 30 minutes. Keep a watch so they don’t burn.

Serve hot with ice cream or cream. Enjoy!

Warning: Don’t expect any conversation throughout dessert, as your guests will be off in another world savouring every mouthful.

Michaela.

Beef & Barley Stew

Again I am thinking of all our bloggers who are soon to embark upon a nice snowy winter (I am secretly jealous). This recipe is truly heaven in a pot. Especially when the weather outside is like a Siberian winter! Do they even have a summer there?

Anyway, Susan has been asking me to share this particular stew for months and I have finally found the courage to share one of my top five family favourites that I have been so precious about. Every winter my mum would cook up a massive pot of beef and barley stew and we’d eat around the outdoor fire going back for seconds…thirds…but who’s counting.

I will do my best in writing down the recipe, however, I must warn you, it is one of those recipes you make without thinking, therefore the measures of ingredients become your own. Experiment to your own taste as mine is merely guideline.

Beef & Barley Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil
1kg of chuck steak or gravy beef, cubed (or leave whole as the meat will fall apart anyway)
2 medium brown onions, diced
2 large garlic cloves, crushed (personally I’d use more)
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 or 3 sticks of celery, sliced (including celery leaves)
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
600mls beef stock
2 cups of water
Half a cup of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of powdered vegetable stock (trust me)
Half a cup of pearl barley
3 bay leaves
Salt and cracked pepper

1. Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a large heavy based saucepan.
2. Add the beef and brown. Stir quickly to avoid sticking or burning.
3. Add chopped carrot, celery, potatoes and beef stock and stir.
4. Add water (use more or less if necessary) to cover the ingredients completely.
5. Add parsley and barley. Stir well.
6. Pop in the bay leaves and a generous pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
7. Once on the boil, turn down to simmer for an hour or so until meat is tender. Stir occasionally.
8. Sprinkle the powdered vegetable stock into the stew. This is the clincher.
9. Add more water if it’s too thick or more seasoning to taste.

Serve with fresh crusty bread and don’t forget to fish the bay leaves out.
Note: Freeze leftovers (a great instant meal) or refrigerate for lunch the next day. The flavours the next day are much more intense! Enjoy.

Michaela.

Chocolate Chip Cookies by Sam!!!!

Whenever I start making cookies my husband says, "It would be cheaper to go the store and buy a packet of biscuits". He doesn't get it! Eating the cookie dough is half the fun. Then, of course, there's the sensational aroma that entices everyone to the kitchen whilst the cookies are baking. It's amazing to watch the kids, and any adults in the house, patiently waiting for them to come out of the oven. How tasty that first, very hot cookie is just off the tray....yum!

If you like baking cookies, or even if you don't these ones are worth the effort. Try stopping at one!

CHOC CHIP COOKIES

500g butter
400g can sweetened condensed milk
5 cups self raising flour
250g packet white choc bits
2 x 250g packet dark choc bits

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and line baking trays.

2. Using an electric mixer and a very large bowl, beat butter, sugar and sweetened condensed milk until light and creamy.

3. Add sifted flour, and all the choc bits and mix until well combined.

4. Using 1 tablespoon of mixture, roll into balls and place on baking trays and flatten slightly with a fork.

5. Bake for 14 - 16 minutes or until golden. Don't overcook! Allow to stand on trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.


NB. This makes a lot of cookies so you may want to halve the quantities or freeze some of the dough for a later date.

I hope you enjoy and you see smiles on the faces of those in your home.

Sam xoxo

thefamilyroom Lifestyle

Hello all this is my first 'official' post on this blog. I'm really excited because I have been part of thefamilyroom since the beginning. I thought I'd take a quick moment today and share something I've been thinking about regarding thefamilyroom.

This past January I moved back to Canada from Sydney and it was extremely hard for me to say good-bye to everyone especially after being involved with the familyroom from (as I said) the very beginning. I found it really hard to leave something that was (and is) impacting so many people and making such a huge statement in the homes and communities around Australia. Now that I'm home, and have had time to think and reflect on my time in Sydney, I have began to realize that thefamilyroom isn’t simply about meetings and events, or even a blog...thefamilyroom is so much more, thefamilyroom is a LIFESTYLE!

You have probably read many posts on this blog that are very practical providing tips and helpful information that everyone can implement into their lives, families and homes. Strangely enough I kind of like the light has just gone on this week as I have been re-reading many of the posts. I have discovered that thefamilyroom is not contained or exclusive to one group of people, it’s US living a life that’s all about enlargement. It’s about being real, being thoughtful and kind, and eventually passing it onto other generations. thefamilyroom isn’t just about mums either (it’d better not be, otherwise I’m definitely in the wrong place ☺) there is something for everyone. thefamilyroom is truly a lifestyle, a daily choice, to not only make my world a better place, but to reach out and make someone else’s a bit better too.

So I guess the challenge for all of us, as we read and are encouraged and inspired by other people’s thoughts and experiences, is to do it within the context and culture of our own lives, wherever and however we can. That's my thought for today I hope you've enjoyed it.

Catherine (or CJ)

Spring is in the Air!!! (In the Southern Hemisphere that is however good reading for our Northern friends as well :)

Having suffered with sever sinus issues and hay fever most of my adult life, as much as I love spring, I would dread it every year. To wake every morning and know that within an hour or so knowing that sinus pain, watery eyes or an epic sneezing match would visit for the day, was unbearable…for me and my friends. Dates were equally fun with me sitting at the table face dripping, eyes puffed up and me with a tissue at the ready, smiling as if nothing was wrong. I looked like I had Bells Palsy half of the time. Attractive! Vocations such as floristry or anything to do with animals was also completely out of the question. Not that I would have chosen to be a zookeeper, but hey, the option would have been nice.

To those who have suffered for years or have children that suffer know exactly what I am talking about. There is nothing worse than having an attack and finding yourself without an industrial size box of Kleenex in your handbag. That or a paper bag to put over your head. When a full blown ‘session’ of hay fever hits, even sunlight can hurt your eyes, so ridiculously oversized sunglasses are essential. (Hmm…I wonder if Jackie O was sufferer too.)

So, yes, this was my life. Not much fun and rather debilitating. That was until I made the decision to get help. Something that busy mum’s often place at the bottom of their daily lists. We have a tendency to truly believe that whatever we suffer with isn’t as serious as being on time for soccer practise or heaven forbid getting the ironing done before school pick up! And I am only talking about hay fever. Some women let serious health conditions cripple their lives on many levels for years before even talking about it.

Visiting a local doctor a few months ago changed my life. After confessing to him of my apparent addiction to antihistamines and undocumented shares in Kleenex, he offered alternatives to choose from. I chose a simple safe nasal spray and within 2 weeks I was cured. Simple. Life changing. Since seeing a doctor I have not once taken an antihistamine and I have saved a fortune on tissues. If only I had done this years ago…(I can almost see you all nodding.)

So this spring I can honestly get excited about all those alfresco dinner parties that I am going to be invited to…hint, hint. But seriously, if you suffer physically from anything that is a constant source of worry or pain, GO SEE A DOCTOR, or an alternative practitioner if that’s your preference. Decide to put your health first, get peace of mind and watch your life change for the better.

Michaela.

Innocence Stolen ~ A story about my beautiful 8 year old daughter

For the past eight years, the age of my eldest daughter; my husband and I have been working hard to protect our girls against the ‘evils of the world’ – we say no to certain movies, music, TV programs and magazines. We don’t’ let them take part in adult conversations and we encourage their love of play and make-believe. Kids definitely grow up too fast, so we have been diligent in helping them to stay innocent and child-like.

A few weeks ago that innocence was shattered. We arrived home after being at a party only to discover that Emily (my eight year old), had been doing a ‘Google’ search’ on horse riding sites and had stumbled across a pornographic website showcasing obscenely graphic and disturbing images of men and women engaged in sexual acts – on the home page I might add.

No, ‘click here to enter this site’ or ‘key in credit card details’ -This stuff was laid out for all, including my 8 year old girl to see. Multiple pictures of disgusting and perverted acts on a website nestled amongst horse riding sites. Fascinated by this unusual array of breasts, penises and vagina’s, my daughter surveyed each picture (apparently), before inviting my 6 year old to have a look at the funny pictures. It wasn’t until Georgia shared this site with the babysitter that this problem was uncovered.

When our babysitter (a responsible middle aged missionary) showed me what had happened, I was absolutely outraged, to say the least. Immediately, I began setting up my security.

I am only sorry I didn’t put all the stopgap measures in place earlier. I guess I figured that Emily’s innocence and lack of knowledge when it came to the computer would safe-guard her. I was wrong. Parents, be vigilant. Know what your kids are doing at all times on the computer. Never for a moment take a ‘she’ll be right’ attitude. At thefamilyroom we believe in being proactive. Here are a few suggestions that will benefit your home and children (whatever their ages) from an earlier pod cast on internet pornography.

Install your firewalls – net nannies or whatever else you can do to screen this stuff out
Set up your computer security
Keep the computer in a central location – not in your kid’s bedrooms.
Talk to your kids about what they might find and how they should respond.
‘Supervise’ – don’t leave your kids unattended or expect them to make the right moral choices.
Every now and then do a history check to make sure the wrong sites are not being viewed.

Nicki Partridge.

Being Gentle on the Planet

For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with cause and effect. I have always innately understood that my body will be as healthy as the way I treat it. Likewise the concept of adapting my lifestyle to lessen my impact on the environment came quite naturally as the world woke up to what we have been doing to the planet.

Now that Susan has opened the door I would like to share a few of the things I do. It’s nothing radical, but hopefully it will help open your eyes to the possibilities that are out there for all of us to make a difference. Like Susan said, “If we all do just one thing different we could make a difference.”

Before I start please remember I’m not an expert, just a girl with a few ideas. To me it’s all about getting back to basics. I think about what my nanna would have done and my challenge is often answered in a second. I’m sure many of you can relate to this!!!

Here are a few ideas to start with!

Plastic Wrap - Don’t use plastic wrap to cover dishes in the refrigerator. I can generally find a plate that will sit nicely on top of the dish and serve the same purpose minus that use of plastic…and we all know how nasty that is. I use the same method when warming something up in the microwave, not only is this environmentally hazardous there are numerous reports about the health issues relating to this usage. One more thing, I like making pizza dough and I use the plate to cover as it raises as well you could also use a clean dish clothe. The ideas and options are endless.

Allow me to interrupt myself here. I am no angel. I do use plastic wrap however I try to find ways to avoid is use if the opportunity arrives.

Plastic pouches/lunch bags - If you use plastic pouches in your children’s lunch box, train them not to throw them out. They are generally good for a few uses. If you are really committed you can even wash them! Little plastic boxes are also a great alternative.

Snack Packs - Rather than buying little packets of snacks for my children I buy one large packet (eg: of crackers) and divide them up myself. Or make my own popcorn (healthier) and package it myself. This results in much less disposal of plastic packaging.

The end result the more we can eliminate the usage of packaging in our homes the better for the environment, also seek out a biodegradable option…. our children and our children’s children will thank us.

If you have any great ideas and tips that you use in your home please share them with us.

Happy recycling ☺

Annie x

The Environment..... What Can We Do?

Over the past few years we have all been provided with so much information about the environment and the pain we are causing due to our ‘disposable’ lifestyle. As the information has been increasing my feeling of understanding and guilt have increased and sadly only 2 years ago I decided that we would endeavour to make a few changes in our home and try to a difference. I truly believe that if each one of us did ONE thing different each month collectively we could make a huge difference. Good Old Mother Earth would benefit greatly.

With all the information in hand and in I (probably like some of you) had absolutely NO idea where to start. Although the information and ‘what was happening’ was great, the information on what my family could do in our little patch of heaven was desperately lacking. I did what comes most naturally to me…. I started to talk to my friends and people who I thought were ‘greenies’ to obtain some kind of information. I also did my research and before long my little family was making a difference and it felt great.

Here are some of the very simple things we’ve done:

Drink Bottles – when the kids or yourself come home with a drink bottle with left over water don’t tip it down the drain, use it to water your indoor plants. Use left over water from dinner water glasses, anything just don’t tip it out.

Bucket in the Shower – place a bucket in your shower and collect water. Again, use this to water indoor plants or do some of your cleaning.

Composting – we had a compost bin in our backyard so I jumped online and became a composting queen. The kids got involved and we really began to understand what was happening, not to mention the incredible decrease in our rubbish each week. It’s super simple and all it requires is an inexpensive bin that you can buy at your hardware store and off you go. For more information check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting. This comes naturally to me, as some of you know I grew up on a farm in Canada so our composting came in the form of a few very large pigs and another cute Vietnamese pig…..we never wasted a drop!

Potty Training – This is a funny one but one that makes a difference. I wasn’t good with fabric nappies/diapers…yes I used disposable however I made it my mission to get my children potty trained sooner rather than later ~ I couldn’t stand seeing the week’s nappies in the bin.

Household Cleaning Products – I went back to the basics here and used some good old fashion tips here. I used vinegar on my mirrors and bi-carb soda to clean the sinks and baths. This not only helps the environment but also helped my children who are eczema sufferers as well. Sometimes simple is best.

These are just a few of the simple things I started doing in our home to make a difference. I know that some of my friends were inspired (as I was by some of my ‘greenie’ friends who were already doing things) by what our family was doing and they then made small changes in their home as well. I’m no expert on any of this I’m just someone who decided to do a little research and see what we could do to play our part. These changes were made slowly and not all at once, and strangely enough they have become habits.

I hope this helps you on your path to making your home a little more environmentally friendly. I know some of thefamilyroom girls will jump on and share some of their ideas. Also, we plan to make this segment a regular, similar to Jane’s nutrition segments so enjoy and join us as we endeavour to make the world a better place.

Take care, keep smiling and please keep in touch ~ please share any of your tips on saving the environment.

Susan xoxo

Dinner!!?? Dinner's a Thing of the Past! Forget Dinner!!!

I caught up with a friend recently who has four kids, and having not seen her for a while, we were talking about family and she began to list off the various after school activities that she spends her life ferry-ing her offpring around to each day.

I felt tired after about 30 seconds and when she was telling me that some of these activities can take her up to 8.30 at night (!!), I asked her when she has time to make dinner. The title of this little blurb was her response.

Well, I became hysterical, for some reason I got the giggles and kept laughing for the rest of the day at the thought…”Don’t be ridiculous child, what do you mean you want to be fed? We’ve got to get to soccer practise!”

She saw the humour in it too and went on to tell me that one night of the week is Maccas in between games and the rest of the time she just throws something together and hopes for the best.

So I got to thinking, how can we make dinner actually work in this hectic day and age? (Over-scheduling our kids is a whole other post, see the archives for some previous discussions)

We have 1 or 2 nights a week that are pretty crazy and so on those nights we either do take away (Thai or some sort of Asian can be good for veggies) or I make the meal during the day. When I have to work or study and don’t have a chance, I try to make a big batch of something the day before and keep or freeze extra portions.

I am actually a big fan of dinner after school if you can make it work. You get a good meal into the kids when they’re hungry and then they can have milk or fruit afterwards for a snack before bed.
Often dads don’t get home in time to eat dinner with the fam and on those nights I try to get the kids to have a snack or a hot drink with dad when he’s having his meal so we can sit around the table and chat.

Because this is all about logistics we make sure that Friday nights are family nights eating together as well as most meals over the weekend.
You have to do what works for your family, but can I encourage you to think it all through and do what you can to get control. Don’t just let the schedule happen to you and your family….make it work for you!

If you have done this and you’ve got a plan, tell us! Share your secrets!

On the topic of easier dinner times…this is what we had last night and it took no time at all.

You’ll need brown or basmati rice, 2 tins tuna in brine, a tin of brown lentils, a tin of chopped tomatoes and some garlic and onion to taste.

Chop up and sauté the garlic and onion, pop the rice on, then throw the rest in the pan with the garlic and onion. Let it simmer till the rice is cooked, add some salt and pepper to taste and off you go!
Easy and really nutritious and the kids won’t even notice the lentils!

Have a great day,
Lv Jane

CARDBOARD BOX - FREE, CAN OF YELLOW SPRAY PAINT $8.00, MEMORIES - PRICELESS

Hi everyone! I just have to let you all know about my recent success. I don’t know about you but it is only the rare occasions in parenting when I feel that things turn out just the way I imagined. This was one of those times.

The note came home from school. SCHOOL DISCO - COME AS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE CHARACTER. It was my 6 year old daughters first school disco, she was excited. “What can I go as Mum”? I jokingly suggested she go as Spongebob Squarepants. “YES” she screamed “I want to be Spongebob”. What had I done? How do I make a Spongebob? I tried to talk her out of it but it was to no use.

How do I go about this? Ok. What about some yellow foam? That would be easy. Or so I thought. Do you know how expensive a piece of foam is? It was going to cost me around $100 so I had to weigh up my options - those cute new flats in David Jones v’s Spongebob. Shoes won - hands down. Back to the drawing board.

Maybe a trip to Bunnings (hardware store) would inspire me. Off I went. To my surprise I found a perfectly sized cardboard box and better still it was free (I love Bunnings). Then I found the perfect “Spongebob yellow” spray paint. I only had a few hours before the disco started so home I went to create the masterpiece.

In a few short hours me and the garage were covered in yellow paint, I stood back and laughed as Spongebob Squarepants smiled back at me. (Though, in all honesty it could have been paint fumes that were making me laugh).

My daughter loved it! She was the hit of the school disco and she won best dressed.

So that’s one for me. Till next time. Here’s a snapshot for you!

Sam

Food....again!

Ok so you may have already worked out that I have a fascination with food. Hence this post. Sharing food satisfies my need to cook, to bless and say, “I care”. My familyroom friends have taught me to look for opportunities to help out in practical ways.

Recently my neighbour mentioned that she has a huge workload with the current contract she is working on. I see her study light on late at night. She has two children and a husband who works long hours. Whilst I can’t write for her I can help to lighten the load. Every few days I cook an extra batch of whatever is for dinner and pop it across on her kitchen bench. This small gesture speaks volumes. It is as easy as a bigger pot of minestrone or another tray of lasagne. A small gesture but food for the soul and a kind gesture that I know will be passed on.

I thought this a good familyroom ‘tip’ to share. I am continually amazed at how we are able to make such a huge difference simply using what is in our hands and in this case it’s my love for food and my ability to pull it together.

Take care everyone and have a FANTASTIC weekend.

Annie

Chocolate Swirl Cookies.....Yum

Hey all it’s me again (Annie). Susan has been asking us for recipes so I thought I would pull this one together and post it for you. This is far and away my favourite cookie recipe. It is great treat for the kids as it is full of oatmeal.

I love serving these to my friends; they look great and taste amazing. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Happy baking!!

Annie x

CHOCOLATE SWIRL COOKIES (Makes 30)

Ingredients
250g butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour

2.5 cups oatmeal (processed in food processor)
A pinch salt
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp bicarb soda
2 cups good quality dark cooking chocolate

Method
Preheat oven to 180 C
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy add eggs and vanilla mix to combine. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Melt the chocolate in a double saucepan over simmering water and set aside. Combine the wet and dry ingredients then pour the chocolate over the cookie mixture and fold gently (do not over mix you want a marbled effect). Roll into walnut sized balls and put on baking tray about 4cm apart
Bake 10 minutes, allow them to cool (if you can) then pour the kids a glass of milk and yourself a cup of tea or coffee, sit back, relax and enjoy!

Simple Things that make a Huge Difference

Hi friends,

As you know thefamilyroom is all about building, developing and strengthening relationships in our families and our community. With this in mind I offer my latest gem for you to read, enjoy and hopefully be inspired to step out or continue on.

Recently I’ve noticed, as I’m sure you have, that life is so busy. The days just seem to rush by at times without us even knowing it ~ I’m always amazed to find myself at the end of the week wondering where the days have gone. This rushing by has caused what I like to call ‘The impromptu’ to almost be a thing of the past.

It became obvious to me that the gold that comes from regular contact with friends was missing from our lives. Being me I made a decision not to be deterred by our busy schedules and I purposed to make a change. You see I believe that sharing a meal opens doors that would otherwise stay shut. I purposed to open doors.

Here is my story:

There are three couples in our world that are just like family to us. At least one Thursday (sometimes more) we gather at our place for a casual meal. I plan the menu and allocate who is bringing what via email. Menu wise we try to make it easy healthy and fun. My beloved kitchen table seats ten, this allows all of the adults to sit and enjoy dinner and a glass of wine and catch up on what’s happening in each others world. The children congregate in another room or outside and eat and play. We start at 6pm and finish at 8pm. This means it doesn’t end up a long late night, or disrupt routines ~ it’s that simple.

I can’t tell you what a blessing it has been to open our home to our friends and their families. Susan often talks about “it takes a village to raise a child”; this to me is part of belonging to and nourishing our village. I encourage you to take the plunge and try it; you and your family will be richer for it.

Annie

SURVIVING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.....a few tips to help you get through the next block of holidays.

Ah, School holidays. The mere thought of it conjures up images of exhausted mothers trying desperately to appease over-indulged kids, whose mantra is chanted the western world over: ‘I’m bored’ …

“Bored”!! - “You’re not bored,” I say to my 8 and 6 year olds. “Go and climb a tree. Jump on the trampoline. Play in the cubby house. Read a book or draw a picture. Unfortunately, they don’t get it. After ‘what seems like hours’ of incessant winging, I concede defeat, waving my white flag and shuffling them into the car to see Shrek 3 for the third time.

“Kids in Africa don’t get bored,” I tell my 8 year old. “They play with sticks and old cans and pieces of wire.” “Yes mummy” she replies in her cynical, ‘I’ve heard it all before voice.’ “Send me to Africa and I won’t get bored” – Hey, now that’s an idea!

My challenge during this past school holidays was to keep the kids from being bored and keep me from going insane. I did this by having a plan.

And it worked. Monday was shopping. Tuesday was stay at home and clean day, Wednesday was exercise class and library, Thursday an outing and so on. Thrown into the mix was the occasional organized school holiday activity like horse riding.

Knowing what the week had an ahead of me was better pill to swallow. Included in our routine was a catch up with friends - those who had kids the same age as mine. That way, I got to drink coffee and talk and the kids got to play.

We also made time for serious educational fun, like visits to the local library – an inexpensive holiday activity that not only encouraged their love of books, but filled in 2 hours on a Wednesday. Other inexpensive and worthwhile activities included: going on bushwalks and to parks.

As the school holidays came to an end, I actually even felt a little sad. The positives this time seemed to outweigh the negatives. I enjoyed my well thought out plan for activities, whilst taking a break from the usual mundane routine of ironing uniforms and making lunches.

Finally, I made a choice and that was to embrace the school holidays optimistically; seizing the diminishing opportunity I have to spend time with my ‘growing up too fast’ kids, who would someday do their own thing. – Sadly, one day the tables will turn and my kids will no longer rely on me for entertainment and I’ll be the one winging … “I’m bored!”

Just a little food for thought.

Nicky

Introducing Deborah Johnson... New to thefamilyroom team!

I would like to take a moment to introduce you to Deborah Johnson. Deborah is a GREAT friend of mine, we have known each other for the past 14 years, we have worked in the same organisation, mixed in the same social circles and pretty much just enjoyed seeing each other's lives unfold.

Deborah is married to Brian and they have 3 beautiful children. Deborah is wife, mother, daughter, sister, business woman(works full time yet manages to keep the fires burning on all fronts), plus so much more.

Deborah is a trusted friend and someone I am happy to introduce to you. Sit back, relax and enjoy her regular blogs.


A PASSION FOR PAPER (from Deborah Johnson)

It started during a visit to the hairdressers.

We’re talking one of those marathon three-hour sessions involving colour a cut and more than one cappuccino.

Somewhere between folding the last foil and disappearing while the colour cooked to perfection, the stylist started talking about her favourite hobby – scrapbooking.

She spoke with a passion, describing a rainbow of colourful card, page design to rival Vogue and an array of ribbon and glitzy bits guaranteed to capture a girl’s imagination.

But the thing that got me interested was the idea that those neglected family photos – the ones we all have cluttering up a cupboard – could be transformed into gorgeous mementos which people would actually clamour to see.

Better still, the scrapbook albums this pastime produced could become family heirlooms – passed from one generation to another as a lasting reminder of a moment in time.

And best of all, this was a hobby which could be shared with the kids. What little girl – or boy – doesn’t love cutting and sticking, not to mention seeing their snapshots develop into a work of art.

I had never heard of scrapbooking before that day at the hairdressers, but a quick Google search showed I was seriously behind the times. There are literally thousands of web sites dedicated to it plus books, magazines and online stores. It has even grown its own language – have you heard of die-cuts, rub-ons, eyelets and embellishments. Before scrapbooking, I thought “brad” was a boy’s name and “crop” was what you used to make a horse run faster. Not anymore.

Intrigued, I found a shop 20 minutes drive away which was totally dedicated to scrapbooking. This was no ordinary craft store. It was an Aladdin’s cave of scrapping goodies. It ran classes every day, including the evenings, and most mysterious of all was the Friday night “scrapathon” for which the store stayed open until midnight. I just had to pay a visit.

The beginner’s class was my first foray into the world of scrapbooking but I was an instant convert. The two hours spent creating pretty pages which brought my pictures to life was more fun than the movies and more relaxing than the spa – honestly!

That was a year ago. A few more visits over the last 12 months have produced increasingly adventurous displays – most recently a 20-page mini album which overseas relatives love to receive. I’ve taught the kids the basic techniques and they’ve had a go at scrapbooking school projects.

As well as pictures, scrapbookers love to adorn their pages with words. The kids delight in seeing their photos accompanied by an uplifting story or an encouraging phrase. I see it as another way of speaking words of life over them.

Now, I understand this hobby is not for everyone – I love peace and quiet and sitting in the same spot for a couple of hours is a treat not a chore. But as a busy working mum, snatching a few relaxing hours of creativity is bliss, plus there’s the added bonus of cutting down on that mountain of family snaps and, hopefully, making memories that will last a lifetime.

Enjoy,

Deborah

Green Chicken Curry

Hello everyone. I thought I would give you a little something that will warm the tummies and satisfy any palate. This is a Green Chicken Curry that is loved by our family and guests both young and old. It's a quick one to pull together and is a recipe that usually finds all the ingredients in the pantry at any given time.

Enjoy and please let me know how it goes in your home.

Belinda

PS ~ keep your eye out for my next posting which will be an honest update on my exercise regime and how I'm feeling.
xo

Green Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
1.5 kg chicken thigh fillets
2 tablespoons oil
2 onions, sliced
2-3 tablespoons of green Curry Paste (This can be a hot paste, so for us 2.5 tbsp was a little on the warm side for the kids. Adjust to your family taste requirements)
2 large potatoes, peeled, quartered
400ml coconut milk
1/3 cup coriander leaves (optional ~ I don’t add these simple because we aren't really a coriander family. Again adjust to your family requirements)
Salt and pepper to taste

Note: I use a slow cooker for this dish however if you want to do it quickly a pot is just as easy. A slow cooker simply allows the meal to be prepared hours in advance and time to rest. Either way is nice and just as tasty.

Method:
1. Trim fat from Chicken and cut into large chunks.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan and brown chicken in batches. Remove from pan.
3. Add onions to frying pan and cook until softened. Add curry paste, cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
4. Place chicken and potatoes into slow cooker/pot and pour onion mixture over the top.
5. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-7 hours. In the pot simmer for 1 hour stirring regularly.
6. 20 minutes before serving, stir through coconut milk, coriander. Season with salt and pepper.
7. Serve with cooked Jasmine rice.

A Desert that Promises to Dazzle...

Well hello everyone I hope this post finds you all really well. I apologize for the lack of recent posts however I will explain soon (just a hint, the Sohn family recently made a big move to the USA)...... I'll stop there and share more with you at a later date ~ once the 'dust' has settled.

As most of you know Sam Cosatto is a phenomenal host, an incredible cook and really just an all round exceptional person. I asked her if she would share one of her simple yet scrumptious desert recipes with us and for anyone who knows Sam or has had the privilege of sampling her treats this is a good one. Without anymore from me enjoy the read, give it a go and let us know through our comments how you and yours enjoyed this yummy family favorite.

This one is for all you "non-bakers" out there who want a quick, easy dessert that will knock the socks of your dinner guests! 
 
WHITE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
 
200g White Toblerone (white chocolate with honey & almond nougat)
2 Eggs, separated
1 tbsp Caster Sugar
300ml Whipped Cream
1 tbsp Kahlua
250g Fresh Berries
 
Place chocolate, broken into pieces in a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of hot water.  Stir until chocolate melts (it should only be just warm).  Remove from heat as soon as it has melted and add egg yolks.  Mix well.
 
Beat egg whites until stiff, add sugar and beat until sugar has dissolved.  Fold in chocolate mixture.  Then gently fold the chocolate mixture and Kahlua into the whipped cream. ( Feel free to sample the Kahlua at this point, remember it's 5pm somewhere in the world! )  Place a few mixed berries in the bases of 4 parfait glasses or chocolate box.  Spoon over the mousse.  Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.  Top with extra berries. YUM!

Enjoy and let me know how it works in your family or as you dazzle your guests.

Sam