Day to Day

Fairy Field Guide.

Thankyou for sharing your favourite book titles with me for little ones.  There were some great titles there and I've written down each one to look at next time we're in the book store.

Speaking of books, Bella has been soaking up a book this last week.  It's called Betty Bib's Fairy Field Guide and it's full of lovely fairy information and illustrations.  Last night she asked about creating her own fairy, to keep and let sleep in her room (apparently they need little sleep - only about an hour a day).  This morning she got to work using bits and pieces from our busy box and before long had two fairies:

 

 

Ofcourse they also needed a bed for their hour long nap each day.  I was lucky enough to be asked by Canon recently to take part in their blogger product review program.  On Friday a Selphy CP770 printer arrived for me to play with for the next 3 months, which was perfect timing for our fairy bed.  We used the packaging from one of the printer paper/ink boxes to create the bed:

 

We added a felt interior and pillow and cut out a piece of patterned paper to cover the front of the box.  Bella printed a photo using the Selphy printer to stick on the front of her bed.  So far I'm really impressed with the quality of the photos that we've printed and I love the fact that it's very child friendly as well.  You basically plug it in, load the paper and ink, put in the camera's memory card and print.  There is a 2.5" screen for photo viewing and Bella has had a lovely time looking at all our photos on the memory card and begging me to let her print some out.

The finished project:

 

   

Yes that's little red riding hood, apparently our air conditioner is making the room too cold, so the cape is keeping her warm while she crafts.  While I type this she is making plans for a cardboard box fairy house to keep the new bed in.  I'm making plans for a photo wall display using the Selphy printer :) 

Little nurses

 

The nurse apron was a hit!  These two have been in the cubby house most of the afternoon, taking turns to be the nurse and patient.

 

We also have story time each week when they come for a play.  It's a great excuse to read a lot of the beautiful books that we've accumulated from when James and Bella were really little.  'We're going on a bear hunt' is one of our favourite stories, I love how after you've read the book a couple of times everyone joins in and starts yelling 'WE'RE NOT SCARED' each time you come to that piece on the pages. 

I always love adding to our book collection....what's your favourite story to read to small children??

Keeping cool.

I actually organised myself early today (so hard to do when it's still school holidays here) and managed to have everyone in the car and be on our way to the beach by 8.30am.  Today is Bonnie and Oscar's day at our house and I thought a beach outing would be a fun way to fill in the morning. 

 

We had a lovely morning digging in the sand and splashing in the water.  Honestly these four kids together are amazingly well behaved - I don't think they have ever fought over toys or games, they just play and gel.

 

 

 

 

Well, just a quick post.  Bonnie is napping and James, Bella & Oscar are having quiet time watching a movie together - I'd better hop off here now and hang all the wet towels/bathers out while I still have a minute.

Enjoy your day!

Every good nurse needs one.

An apron ofcourse.

 

I've been meaning to make a mini nurse apron for quite some time now.  Bella and her cousin Bonnie spend copious amounts of time pretending to be nurses when they get together.  They bring out a whole setup of quilts and pillows (for the patient) and we have an abundance of nurse tools that help with their dramatic play, but they really needed an apron (okay, it was my idea....I thought it would be a cute prop).

This one was fast to sew, just 1 hour from start to finish.  I cut out two simple rectangles of calico, hemmed the edges, sewed on a felt first aid symbol and the ties were made using some yummy red/white spotty bias trim that the lovely Kathleen Wilson sent me before Christmas.

I'm thinking tonight that they really need a cute nurses hat too.  Don't you agree??

Baby it's cold outside.

You'd be thinking that after looking at these photos, right?

 

     

A lounge room set up complete with mattress, pillows, quilts (that would be two quilts for James), woollen hats and winter mittens plus a Harry Potter DVD (watched for the 100 000 000th time). 

It must be cold, freezing almost?

Nope, the sun has been glistening all day long but you two were like icicles when Dad brought you back from the beach (even after the hot showers).  I think you're going to be like little lobsters shortly because it's quite warm inside and the roast cooking in the oven isn't helping things either.

 

A quick photo of a cruise ship sailing away yesterday.  Happy Australia Day!

Sweeter.

It doesn't get much sweeter than this:

 

A bear and a lion.  Our Christmas presents from James, handstitched in his bedroom at night.  We had NO idea.

 

I had tears in my eyes opening mine. 

 

Making our hearts full.  We love you too James xox.

Yummiest ever.

Last night I was feeling a little nostalgic, so I clambered up to very top cupboard in Bella's room and started pulling out old baby clothes and toys.  That cupboard has the yummiest things ever - their first baby mobiles, first shoes, favourite toys, little baby blankets.

 

I suddenly had a yearning to display some of this yummy nostalgia on our walls.  This is James' romper suit that he wore at his christening party.  My eldest sister stitched and smocked it for him and I was so sad when he wouldn't squeeze into it anymore.  Those little soft leather shoes were a favourite and gosh I used to love putting them on his sweet tiny feet.

 

Excuse my white reflection on the bottom half of that photo :)

Well, I'm off to do some more baby clothes inhaling while I put together a frame for Bella.

Blowing like crazy

Today it's hot, really hot and blowing like crazy outside.  So crazy that our side gate just blew down!

Me: It's really blowing like crazy out there today.

Bella: Yep.  You know what?  This would definitely be enough wind to blow over the 3 little pig's house.  You know what else? It would be so awesome if all the lemons blew off the neighbour's lemon tree into our yard Mum, we'd have free lemons!

   

Dang that telephone wire across our view annoys me in photos!

Seems like a fine day for more ice cream, naps on the sofa and a little reading :)

 

 

 

Thankyou for all the lovely get well wishes, I'm feeling a little better today.  The tumblers (from my last post) I bought from here.  The brand is Ruby Star Traders and yes, they're metal.  There is also a matching bowl and jug in the same design (I'm dreaming of these too).  They've been a big hit - in the last 24 hours they've housed quik, cold milo, lemonade, iced tea plus water and I'm sure they make everything taste just that little bit better (unless that's the neurofen & antibiotics talking).

Ugh.

Tonsillitis. Ugh. But you know, apart from the pain of feeling like my throat is full of razor blades and dreading each time I feel the need to swallow, I've discovered there are many great things about being unwell:

- dozing in and out of sleep on the couch for 4 days straight.  (How often do you usually get to do that when you're a Mama?!)

- no housework, no cooking dinner or preparing meals (I have no idea what my children have been surviving on for the last few days but they still look pretty healthy so it must have been all mostly good).

- living purely on lemonade, water, icy poles & ice creams (does it get any better?!)

and because a post wouldn't be complete without a photo, I'll leave you with our new drinking tumblers.  How pretty do you think my lemonade is looking today?

 

 

P.S. Thankyou for the lovely comments about the felt hairclips.  Unfortunately I haven't seen the felt flowers anywhere online - I picked them up from a local wool shop in Salamanca, Hobart.

Felt hairclips

 

I made these quickly today using the felt flowers we bought yesterday.  I'll be making more of these for all the little girl birthday parties this year.

 

I think they'll be nice on a hair band too when we pick up more supplies.