You guys I can't tell you how GOOD it is to have my family living down here now. Sure, Rob may disagree with me (ha!) but to have my sister 5 minutes away? It's been a GAME CHANGER. We can meet up for a coffee and have the kids play, we can come together and brainstorm work stuff, we can borrow … [Read more...]
Miscellaneous 84
June 24, 2016 by 24 Comments
A delightful day outside today...it's about 2 degrees out there I think and blowing a gale. She's a little bit fresh but for this weather obsessed person, the promise of snow? Well it has me checking out the window more than Frank does. Which is a LOT. Can you imagine if we get some? Please let us … [Read more...]
BabyMac family favourite: Sunshine rice
June 22, 2016 by 34 Comments
I whipped this up for dinner last night and realised that I have never blogged the recipe before. Best we get that sorted out! This is a recipe that has been made in my family in forever. Grandma Susie (my Mum) came up with it I think and it is well loved by all her grandchildren. I am officially … [Read more...]
The name that got away
June 21, 2016 by 88 Comments
This morning my sister and I took the kids to a local kinder gymnastics class. It had been a few years since I had been there with Harper, in fact, it was the place where I was when I realised I wasn't done with kids just yet. I wrote a little about it here, but I clearly remember seeing little … [Read more...]
Mood lighting
June 20, 2016 by 13 Comments
You know what my favourite time of the day is? 6.30pm. Usually dinner is done and dusted and the washing up done. Baths have been bathed, there are clean children with clean bottoms and jammies on. It's dark and the candles have been lit, the fire roaring, and the baby is usually not far off bed. … [Read more...]
Monday meal ideas: seafood
June 20, 2016 by 4 Comments
Somehow it's afternoon already?! How was your weekend friends? We had a reasonably quiet one - the weather was misty, dark and cool all weekend with a little rain (certainly not the amounts we were lead to believe though). And now here we are at Monday again? Bluergh...I am NOT feeling it. I … [Read more...]
Eating out with kids: what do you want to see?
June 19, 2016 by 38 Comments
I was grabbing a takeaway coffee yesterday and chatting to the owner about an idea she had and was asking me for some help on creating a good kids menu for dinner time. We were both lamenting (OK, maybe it was just me) about how there is just SO much fried options, and that's it when you eat out at … [Read more...]
The BabyMac 10 year birthday long lunch!
June 17, 2016 by 23 Comments
Amazingly - the tickets are now all sold out (in under 7 hours!)! Apologies to all that missed out, I promise to look at hosting some more events in the future (maybe even in different states) as well as different prices points AND to give more notice before tickets go on sale! You guys! I can … [Read more...]
Local Spotlight: Suzie Anderson Home
June 16, 2016 by 14 Comments
Last week when I was visiting the new local cafe (Highlands Merchant) on the scene here in the Highlands I was VERY excited to head just next door for another new shop that has opened up: Suzie Anderson Home. Mum had told me about this place, about how amazing it was, and of course I had visited her … [Read more...]
Saving all my love for you
June 16, 2016 by 18 Comments
I read this article last week. Last August a study out of the University of Washington Department of Psychology has revealed that children are 800% worse when their mothers are in the room. If the children are under ten, the percentage doubles to 1,600%. And don't we know it? Yesterday when I … [Read more...]
Big city, bright lights
June 15, 2016 by 20 Comments
Yesterday I managed to wrangle a very good afternoon and evening indeed! I had a meeting with clients up in Sydney (which also happened to include some very good friends) and with Vivid on, we decided that we would try and get away with dinner and a sleepover while we were there and what do you … [Read more...]
Long weekend (& where do the years go?)
June 13, 2016 by 12 Comments
Our visitors left this morning after a wonderful 2 stay visit here. It was such a lovely weekend filled with family time, lots of food, a night out at the ball, an 8th birthday party and crackers from the front verandah. I said to my sister in law this morning about how we did this exact weekend a … [Read more...]
World Gin Day!
June 11, 2016 by 8 Comments
Like we needed a day! But there is one, today is World Gin Day friends! And I do believe it's in my best community service sprit to share with you some of my favourite gin recipes (of which I have a few on the old blog). What do you know?! Here's a selection of gin posts I found that … [Read more...]
Local spotlight: Highlands Merchant Cafe
June 10, 2016 by 24 Comments
There's been a whole lot buzz about a new cafe that has opened locally down here in Moss Vale called Highlands Merchant and after my visit there this morning, I know why. I don't know what makes a cafe work and why others don't. My Mum had a very successful cafe for a number of years in Sydney and I … [Read more...]
Windy woes
June 9, 2016 by 61 Comments
Friends, you know the expression "don't cry over spilt milk"? Well, can you cry over tipped pots? And the weather? And pre-mature old age because these kind of things matter to me now? You see, this week has really brought out the old lady in me. It was a couple of days ago when I was getting … [Read more...]
Bill Granger’s Thai Chilli roast chicken
June 8, 2016 by 15 Comments
This is an old recipe but a good one that most definitely needed to be updated and added to the printable recipe template for you guys to use. It's so tasty, dead easy and a great twist on a traditional roast chook (which we seem to trot out once a week in our house!). Make it...you won't be … [Read more...]
Help! Where is all the good “Tween” girl clothing?
June 7, 2016 by 56 Comments
I have a 9 year old, who looks a little like a 12 year old. It's quite something really, the hair brushing of a morning is becoming quite tricky with her being almost as tall as me, not to mention the increase in tears at the drop of a hat, the big feet, the constant growing pains. Man, it's hard to … [Read more...]
Monday musings
June 6, 2016 by 17 Comments
Did you survive the weekend's storms? What a terrible time so many people had with flood, wind and general storm damage. We were hit on Saturday afternoon and it did not let up for well over 24 hours. No trees down here, just our normal flooding and flooded septic and a few black outs. The town next … [Read more...]
Miserable weather comfort food
June 4, 2016 by 7 Comments
How's this weather that we are being hit with on the East coast this weekend? Miserable! It calls for slow cooked comfort food. Here's some of my favourites for the rest of the weekend! Beef & Beer stew Chicken cacciatore Beef & vegetable stove top stew Moules Frites Red wine … [Read more...]
From the vault: how to fold a fitted sheet
June 3, 2016 by 19 Comments
I had a few people ask me this week about my fitted sheet video that I alluded to in a post earlier in the week and I (gasp) discovered that I don't have the video on the blog. I know! So here is the original video from a few years back. Now before you tell me that I am a FILTHY ANIMAL WHO … [Read more...]
