Most afternoons we make a smoothie...today we called it a pirate smoothie!
milk
frozen berries
banana
large spoonful of natural yogurt
sprinkle of cinnamon
we always add a straw...not today, pirates don't use straws!
Wednesday Wonderfuls...
~Christmas Countdown~
Between Louise's Gym Creche and her Little Kinder there are quite a few teachers we have to buy for at Christmas. I always like to do something a little different than the usual chocolates or soap - being from the early learning profession myself - I can tell you there are only so many of these you can handle each year.
So staying true to the Handmade Christmas pledge, it was only fitting I head over to my favourite shopping site Made it - of course!
So staying true to the Handmade Christmas pledge, it was only fitting I head over to my favourite shopping site Made it - of course!
I was thrilled to find these gorgeous little purses from Odds and Blobs and purchased a number of them to hand out out Christmas. The only hard part was choosing the fabric styles!
Jessica also makes other cute items such as Handbound Notebooks, Sleep masks. Passport Holders and larger purses. Check out her Madeit store here and her bloggidy blog here!
faith hope & a whole lotta love photography/wordless wednesday
More Wordless Wednesday here.
wordless Wednesday
welcome to anyone who is new here & thank you to all of you for adding your wordless posts to the link below. enjoy checking out the entries & all the wonderful blogs. happy Wednesday ♥
Phew
A quick note to say that I appear to have escaped the cut and I won't be made redundant. It's nice to know I'll be part of a new team in the next couple of weeks... where or what or who I do not know.
But, onwards and upwards.
Thanks everyone for your fab support via comment and email. It means a lot to know that so many of you are in my corner.
[Image by Noor van Krimpen-Winckel]
Recipe: Pork Chops Parmigiana
I haven't posted a recipe in a long time. The reason for this is.. I have been a major slacker! Still a cooking newbie, I like to post new recipes I try that turn out well so that I can remember them. And I like to share them with others who may be interested. This one (like all the others) is fairly easy.
Because I didn't want my post picture to be of raw meat...here's a goofy picture of me in our spare bedroom playing with my camera.
Poor Rox. Haha. (don't judge ;)
Okay, here we go.
You will need:
3-4 boneless pork chops (roughly 1lb.)
1/4 cup Parmesan
Sliced mushrooms (as preferred)
Onion chopped (optional)
Jar of Marinara sauce (25oz)
Basil (fresh or dried) to taste
Angel hair pasta
Shredded mozzarella cheese
To make:
Pre-heat oven to 350. Put pork chops in a skillet lightly coated with oil and cook for 2 mins each side med-high heat.
Place chops in 9x11 baking pan (leave drippings in skillet). Coat pork chops with Parmesan.
Cook vegetables in drippings for about 5mins or until tender.
(Hub forgot the onion- so you get a picture of just mushrooms)
Add marinara and basil to skillet. Cook on medium for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour sauce over pork chops and bake for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile cook pasta as directed.
Then try to take pictures of water droplets with camera while waiting. (Ha kidding)..
Check that pork chops are done (165 degrees) and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake additional 5 minutes.
Mix sauce with pasta and enjoy!
Roller Coaster
Work started at 7.00am this morning with breakfasts and getting the kids ready for school and then off to school. We then had swimming lessons with Mr 3 and then had to drive around and do many many jobs that for some reason just did not end. It rained and was then hot, I drove around for parking spots that just never seemed to free up, I had a very tired 3 year old who just wanted to sleep...it never seemed to end. I was driving back to the house, Mr 3 very upset, my patients wearing very thin when I suddenly got a kick back to reality when a funeral car drove past with a long line of sad people driving behind it. Here I am worried that I was hot and how I was going to get bubby to sleep when we get back to the house when these poor people were going through the hardest and saddest day of their lives. It really hit home that I should be thankful for the beautiful life that I am living and stop sweating the small stuff. Not worrying about it being hot but being thankful for the chance to feel the heat. Not worrying about all the driving I have to do but be thankful that I have the ability to drive in a beautiful car. Not worrying about cleaning the house but be thankful for our beautiful home and the roof over our head. Not worrying about buying a brand new car or a 2nd hand one but be thankful we have the chance to make the choice. Not worrying about all the dog and cat hair all over our house but be thankful for the beautiful cuddles and special moments my pets give me. Not worrying about how smelly Rob is when he falls asleep on the bed after being too tired after work and not showering but be thankful that I have an amazing husband that I get to fall asleep next to every night and wake up to every morning.
For the past week my friend has been in the hospital with her 4 month old baby with suspected bronchitis. It has been 12 days and he is not getting any better so they transferred him into the Mater where he can be closely monitored and go through further tests. We used to work together and we haven't seen each other in over 4 years but still keep in touch randomly on facebook. However after the day I had I knew that I needed to go in and see her and her beautiful bubby and just give her a hug and let her know that I was there for her. My sister met me in at the hospital and we went in for a visit. This little boy just amazed me. He was so very sick but he smiled the entire time and talked away and was just so strong. This once again pulled at my heart string and showed me that life is so precious and we should appreciate and be thankful for every minute of every day.
I came home to a smoothie and a late night viewing of 'Packed to the Rafters' which absolutely topped the day off and I spent the whole hour sobbing like a baby. Even though it is only a tv show it just broke my heart to think this happens every day. I think the cry was really good for my soul and allowed me to let out all of my emotions that I had felt throughout my roller coaster day. We have our good days and our bad days. But today I am grateful for my bad day because I know that tomorrow I am going to wake up to a glorious Wednesday with a smile on my face and appreciate the true beauty in this world and the gorgeous people and love that I have in my life.
Read More...
For the past week my friend has been in the hospital with her 4 month old baby with suspected bronchitis. It has been 12 days and he is not getting any better so they transferred him into the Mater where he can be closely monitored and go through further tests. We used to work together and we haven't seen each other in over 4 years but still keep in touch randomly on facebook. However after the day I had I knew that I needed to go in and see her and her beautiful bubby and just give her a hug and let her know that I was there for her. My sister met me in at the hospital and we went in for a visit. This little boy just amazed me. He was so very sick but he smiled the entire time and talked away and was just so strong. This once again pulled at my heart string and showed me that life is so precious and we should appreciate and be thankful for every minute of every day.
I came home to a smoothie and a late night viewing of 'Packed to the Rafters' which absolutely topped the day off and I spent the whole hour sobbing like a baby. Even though it is only a tv show it just broke my heart to think this happens every day. I think the cry was really good for my soul and allowed me to let out all of my emotions that I had felt throughout my roller coaster day. We have our good days and our bad days. But today I am grateful for my bad day because I know that tomorrow I am going to wake up to a glorious Wednesday with a smile on my face and appreciate the true beauty in this world and the gorgeous people and love that I have in my life.
x S.K.K x
My Winter Woodland buys
Squirrel hanging ornament from Liberty
Today I share with you my collection of Winter Woodland treasures I have bought so far with which to decorate my Christmas tree and home. My favourite is the squirrel hanging ornament.
Have a sweet day!
If this is Two... Can I Skip Straight to Three?
My precious daughter is not quite two. But she's rapidly descending, and it will not be long before she celebrates with us her second year of life. I love my daughter more than there are stars in the sky... but lately, I've had moments where I havn't... well... liked her all that much.
There, I've said it.
I've never felt this way before now, and it gives me the guilts. Big time. But I can't help it! My daughter has - almost overnight - developed certain personality traits that grate on me like fingernails on a chalkboard. Screaming when she doesn't get her way, for instance. Shouting "NO! MINE!!" when children come over to play and dare to touch one of her toys, for another. My daughter, when she wants something, has no patience waiting for it. We have about 2 milli-seconds to get the said thing she wants before she goes into full meltdown. My daughter has developed a frightening addiction to her dummy and the idea of extricating it from her fills me with horror and dread. She demands 'bitties' (biscuits) when she knows she can't have one. She thinks it is funny to stand on my bare feet with her shoes on. When my back is turned in the supermarket I turn around to find her standing precariously on the seat part of the trolley. Just to spite me.
Other days, my daughter is a beautiful perfect angel and I pat myself on the back for having such a delightful child.
Lately those days are few and far between.
In my heart, I know it's not something I've done. Not consciously. But has my over-indulgent-first-time-parenting created a not quite two year old monster? It all came on so suddenly that I have no idea how to cope or what to do about it.
A friend kindly suggested recently that this behaviour can be a sign of great intelligence! But at this rate, I'll be enrolling her in baby-Mensa! It's true (jokes aside) that my daughter's language is exploding at a rapid rate of knots; her level of understanding and comprehension is very impressive and she seems to be able to count to ten. And, let's face it... she's smart enough to have wrapped her degree-and-life-qualified mother into a tailspin??!
I havn't got any 'toddler manuals' - perhaps you could recommend one to me? Or give me advice on how to cope with this little person on the cusp of terrible-2? Or assure me it will all go away as suddenly as it descended? Dear friends, I want my angel back!
Read More...
 |
| Angel child becomes... |
There, I've said it.
I've never felt this way before now, and it gives me the guilts. Big time. But I can't help it! My daughter has - almost overnight - developed certain personality traits that grate on me like fingernails on a chalkboard. Screaming when she doesn't get her way, for instance. Shouting "NO! MINE!!" when children come over to play and dare to touch one of her toys, for another. My daughter, when she wants something, has no patience waiting for it. We have about 2 milli-seconds to get the said thing she wants before she goes into full meltdown. My daughter has developed a frightening addiction to her dummy and the idea of extricating it from her fills me with horror and dread. She demands 'bitties' (biscuits) when she knows she can't have one. She thinks it is funny to stand on my bare feet with her shoes on. When my back is turned in the supermarket I turn around to find her standing precariously on the seat part of the trolley. Just to spite me.
Other days, my daughter is a beautiful perfect angel and I pat myself on the back for having such a delightful child.
Lately those days are few and far between.
In my heart, I know it's not something I've done. Not consciously. But has my over-indulgent-first-time-parenting created a not quite two year old monster? It all came on so suddenly that I have no idea how to cope or what to do about it.
 |
| ... she monster. Or maybe just a bad hair day? |
I havn't got any 'toddler manuals' - perhaps you could recommend one to me? Or give me advice on how to cope with this little person on the cusp of terrible-2? Or assure me it will all go away as suddenly as it descended? Dear friends, I want my angel back!
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