Lounging Around

You might recall my rockin-good-time constructing a Cocoon Couture beanbag for Fern a couple of weeks back. I thought I'd found the perfect solution: stylish, practical, cute, affordable... how could I go wrong?! But alas, it appears that this beanbag is a little too big for Fern just yet, she can't get comfortable in it and in short I am back to the drawing board!

I went shopping today for solutions, and let me tell you there are slim pickings on the kids furniture front. The only thing the remotely served a practical purpose was one of those fold-out foam lounges you can get from Toys R Us. I laid one on the floor and Fern immediately clamoured onto it. She loved it! Did I snap one up immediately?

Um, no.

Why why why why is most kids stuff so gaudy and emblazoned with images of Barbie or Thomas the bloody Tank Engine? In this particular instance, my only available option was Spiderman. Nothing against Spiderman, I certainly like Tobey Maquire (hot!)... but I simply cannot bring myself to have a Spiderman lounge in my living room, even if it was only $50.

I briefly toyed with buying one and attempting to sew a new cover...but I've only ever done it once, and that was for a piano stool which seems a lot less ambitious. Still, it might be the only option given the only other fold-out lounge I can find which doesn't have Disney all over it are these ones from Urban Baby, but I'm sorry, I am so not paying $250 for one!!

I am also considering this one priced at $140 from Ezibuy:

And this one is cute AND practical, with bonus toy storage. Priced at $129 from Hipkids:

But I've decided I am going to try Big W later, the word on the street is that they have plain covers available for the fold-out sofas for $5. I figure Fern will use it for so little time, I don't want to waste a lot of moolah, and she has her beanbag for later on as well. I'll let you know how I go...

Have you been through this with your toddler? What furniture solution have you come up with?

Postscript: well, went to Big W and it delivered nothing. It's meant to be - - I always hated those lounges anyway. For now, Im improvising with a floor cushion, a pillow and the beanbag as a backrest! xo

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Strawberry rose cupcakes

Strawberry rose cupcakes (makes 12 cup cakes)

Ingredients
125g (4 ounces) butter, softened
200g (7 ounces) caster sugar (superfine)
3 eggs
300g (10.5 ounces) self-raising flour
140 ml milk
150g fresh strawberries, diced
1/2 teaspoon rose essence
pinch of salt

Cooking instructions

1. Preheat oven to 160-180 deg C (325-350 deg F)
2. Line baking tray with paper cases
3. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until the mixture turns a pale colour
4. Stir in the eggs and salt and mix thoroughly
5. Stir in half the flour
6. Stir in the strawberries, rose essence and milk
7. Stir in the remaining flour
8. Spoon mixture into cases
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes
10. Place cakes on a wire rack to cool

Cream cheese Frosting

Ingredients
250g (8.8 ounces) cream cheese
150g butter (5.2 ounces)
400g icing sugar (14.1 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Cooking instructions

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla essence for 30 seconds

Decorating the cakes

You will need:
Cream cheese frosting
Roll-on icing (sugar paste)
Pale pink food colouring paste
Rolling pin
Butterfly cutter
Small paintbrush
Piping bag and nozzle
Sieved icing sugar (confectioners sugar)

1. Fill piping bag with cream cheese frosting and pipe in peaks on top of the cakes
2. Dust work surface with icing sugar
3. Place roll-on icing onto surface and gradually add food colouring to roll-on icing with a cocktail stick (as it is very concentrated), and knead colour in. Keep adding food colouring until you get desired colour
4. Roll out icing so it is about 5mm thick, and cut out butterfly shape using cutter
5. Place on top of cake, and with a damp brush lightly paint the top to bring back the shine

As I have to have a gluten free diet, I substitute the self-raising flour for gluten and wheat free self raising flour.

Blush butterfly cupcake cases

Have a sweet day!

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