Food change

There's been lots of talk around the interwebs about food and cooking from scratch, about healthier options and additives and preservatives.

Its been an interesting read and great to see what alot of other families are implementing into their lives and their childrens lives to eat more naturally.

To say it's inspired me is an understatement it's really got me thinking and planning more.

I have always cooked alot from scratch but I thought I could always have cooked more.

When we discovered Master J was additive and preservative sensitive (mainly colour 102 and MSG) we started cutting out a few bits and pieces and I started baking alot more.
Not to mention I have 2 boys who are going to need loads of food to fill their bottomless legs ;)

It's something I've really grown to enjoy.

I wont say Im 100% natural or additve/preservative free or from scratch, the whole concept of being compleltely free makes my head spin.
I am however making concisous decisons about what I am feeding myself and my boys and I think that even if I'm only doing half I'm helping my boys be healthy and not affected by nasties in some food.

I'll be the first to admit as a solo mumma of 2 I can get lazy and I will buy hot chippies for lunch every now and then or Maccas as treat but most of my boys meals are cooked/made at home.

The big thing I struggle with is their snacks.

My boys arent huge fruit or vegie fans so picking up and apple if they are hungry between meals just dosen't happen here, which I'm not too fussed about... at this stage.

I grate a whole lot of vegies into most of their dinners and I have started baking alot of things which require fruit and puree/stew my own fresh fruit, so they are getting their fruits and veggies just in a different way.

They love their milk before bed and are happy eating wholemeal bread or bread I have baked, they love yoghurt and cheese, weet-bix, rice bubbkes, sultanas and rice crackers.
Master J will also eat tinned peaches and bananas and Lil C will happily sit down to a bowl of mashed vegies with some gravy (he's his mummas boy in that department)

I have loved finding new recipes that are the "equivilant" to the pre packaged foods I would normally buy and It feels good to be getting the boys involved and helping and watching them try new foods.

Just today I made a few differnt food choices in our shopping.
I purchased a yoghurt maker and instead of the long life juice I brought the Coles cloudy apple juice from the dairy aisle (which I give them diluted) which is only apples.
I also brought some apples and strawberries to make some fruit filled oatmeal bars and wholemeal pitas and wholemeal crumpets.

We have baby spinach and rocket (we did have basil & corriander too... they didnt quite make it) growing in the boys old sand & water table and I plan on extending our vegie garden when we move in November and getting some egg laying chickens.

I am also now considering buying a few things that are Organic after seeing this on Pinterest

image from theoldsimplelife.blogspot.com

It may mean my shopping is a smidge more expensive but I think thats the comprimise for making

sure our food is that little bit healthier.

Looking at all the things I do it isnt very much right now slowly but surely we will get there and will choose differnt options as we go.

Small change is better then none at all... right?

I would love to know if you are doing anything like this... what you are doing? Do you buy organic? 
Can always use some more ideas ;)

Windows of Happiness ~ A childs Imagination

The gorgeous Fi from over at My Mummy Daze has started a new linky called

The aim is to try and beat the wintery blues that seem to be swirling around the place.
To find the positive amongst the rain and cold.

I know I am suffering, some days quite badly other days just mommentarily but ither way I dont like feeling this way and I dont like that a season has something to do with it!

I use to love winter! Curled up on the couch with a blanket & hot chocolate were how I spent many a winters day... Then I had my boys.

Winter now consists of snotty noes, chesty coughs, huge electricity bills from the heater, daycare & kindy runs in the wind & rain and finding things to keep a 4yo and almost 2 yo entertained when the weather is miserable outside.

So really this linky is perfect timing for me and my boy blues as we are having some yucky weather and they are going stir crazy!

Take a peek into week 1 of my Window of Happiness...

Saturday morning was a hard one for me, I dont like mess and Cyclone J and Tornado C has ripped through with a vengance.

When things arise that I have no control over I can get very overwhelmed, I then look to the things I can control which unfortuantly for me is my house.
Cleaning, organising and tidying all help me feel calm and make dealing with the things I can't control so much easier to deal with.

It is not a good thing I am fully aware of that but I am getting so much better at letting the house go and not worrying that I'm stepping over books, standing on duplo, tripping over matchbox cars, have a sink full of dishes or a mountain of washing screaming my name.

Luckily for me I've made huge progress and something Saturday morning stopped me, just as I was about to let loose and lose my cool I breathed, walked away and stopped and listened to them playing.

I was in awe, they were using their imaginations!

In a world of technology, foxtel and fancy toys my boys were playing the old fashioned way, the way my brother and I use to play.

At first I saw mess...

But really they were playing happily creating differnt scenarios.

At first I saw a stripped bed...

But really it was a pillow tv and they were laying on Master Js Cars couch watching a movie.

At first I saw a table getting broken or a child getting hurt...

But it was really master J driving his brother around in a Monster Truck and all would be ok if I was watching and listening to make sure Master J didn't get too carried away.

At first I imagined them filling up my shopping bags full of all their toys and then them tipping them out all over the house... (as they;ve done before)

But really they were going shopping at "Woolies" (where their daddy works) to buy Ice coffee (because thats what their daddy likes)
Lil C kept walking around waving saying "byyyeeee"


So this morning with a slight attitude change what would have normally stressed me out made me smile, made me happy and surprsingly for me... made me calm.

Even better... it made a bleak wintery morning all that much brighter.

Have you had a Window of Happiness this week? Why not link up with Fi *here* and have a peak into other peoples windows too ;)

Our Adventure to the Farmers Market

On Sunday I decided to take my boys to the Adelaide Showgrounds Farmers Market
It was our first time going since it had become as big as it is, I went once before and loved it but it was quite small and then life just got in the way... as it does.

Master J has taken quite the interest in cooking lately, something I am over the moon and about, I feel so happy that he is starting to love it like I do.
So i thought this would be just another step for him in his small boy cooking adventure!
Because it was quite busy and they didn't have doughnuts (typical 3yo) and I was a little stressed because I hadn't got there as early as I would have liked he wasn't overly thrilled but he did enjoy finding the vegies for me just like we do in the supermarket.

waiting in line to pay for some of our vegies

The atmosephere was great the place was buzzing with chatter and bargaining and I loved the variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers we could choose from, and it was so cheap!

After we had done the rounds on the fruits vegies and flowers, it was time to head into the shed and have a look at all the stalls in there.

They had bread and deli meats, olives and honey it was a little overwhelming as it was quite busy inside.

BUT I did wait in line for these gorgeous little treats! They are sooooo good!

Macaroons by From Scratch Patisserie

As we left I was excitied to use our vegies that night for our roast dinner and for the rest of the week.

our day at the market

I was not disappointed everything was so tasty and fresh.
The carrotts were sweet and fresh smelling and the broccoli smelt of the earth it was a wonderful smell. It's a smell I have smelt before when I worked in the Central Markets with my family but something my boys hadn't and Master J was amazed.

Tonight we are making Pastie Pie and we are using all the vegies we got at the market.
Both the boys will eat this without fail and they don't pick the vegies out even thought they are chopped quite big whihc is huge for Master J as he is my fussiest eater.

Our big bowl of vegies before they are cooked

Even better yet Master J couldn't wait to get in to the kitchen and watch me and help doing his favourite thing when we cook... Stirring.

"I stir mummy"

We will definetly be back to the market in a fortnight for another adventure and hopefully take it a little slower and soak up the atmosphere a little bit more and enjoy a hot chocolate too.

Do you go to any local farmers markets where you live? What's your favourite part of them?

Life Lately ~ iPhone 4 styles

The gorgeous Louisa Claire does these cute little blog posts called

"Life Lately"

Which is a series of photos from the week just gone.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the idea so thought I would join in this week too and give you all a sneek peek into our little lives, captured on my iPhone 4 and edited using picstitch and instagram.

There was...

Sunsets...

Spaghetti sauce faces...

pancakes for breakfast...

special momments...

brotherly love...

speech therapy sessions...

Veggie Smugglers cook books in the mail...

Project Life tittle page finished...

and

mummy & son time

How was your week?

P.s I'm trying to convince the lovely Louisa to make this a linky!

BUUUUT She'll only do it if people would link up!

Sooooo would you?

P.p.s I installed IntenseDebate comment system are you loving it? I am because now I can interact personally with all my gorgeous followers who comment ;)
fingers crossed there is no problems!

A day out ~ across a bridge and up an Island

My Aunty & cousins from Melbourne has been visiting our family here for the past week

So I was excitied that they were heading to Victor Harbour yesterday before they left today

It was set to be a good day out of the house with family 

& to take the boys somewhere they havn't been yet

My other aunty gave me and hour to get me, the boys dressed and fed, bags packed and to fill the car up with petrol before they would meet at my house and we would road trip it down together

All I can say is

gee thanks mouse!

But I did it with a few mintues to spare

woohoo

We wandered the streets a little grabbed some hot chippies for lunch had a play at an awesome park there

and decided to walk across to Granite Island

Master J had a ball walking across the bridge

Mummy was scared out of her wits every time he stopped to look over the edge into the water for the "fishies"

Trust me it was too cold for me to be jumping in after him ;)

I ended up telling him that the fishies were in bed asleep becuase it was too cold

Surprisingly that worked!

Once we got to the other side some of the big kids decided to do the full walk across the island
While me and my aunty mouse, my 2 boys and 1 big kid decided to haul arse UP the island to the other side

Master J at the top of the hill

Lil C enjoying being chauffer driven up the hill

My gosh I dont reccommend pushing a pram up that damn hill
But at least I worked off lunch!

Once we got to the other side it was gorgeous
Cold but the scene was beautiful

Master J climbed some rocks and explored nature oh and also just had to throw his 2 fist fulls of rocks into the ocean

checking out the view

exploring

watching J explore

throwing his rocks

We met the rest of the kids at the cafe and had a hot choccie and juice

and headed back to the "mainland"

Where we stopped at the little carnival they have set up there

I sent master J onto the bouncy castle with his Cousin and her friend

and he loved it!

We had a great day

lots of laughs and the boys were so well behaved

we even got some amazing photos on some pretty fancy cameras

which I cant wait to see and print out

The drive home was long but it was very quiet in the backseat

which was a nice change from the drive there

which was filled with chatter and blowing raspberries

It was refreshing to get myself and the munchkins out into the fresh air

and I am looking forward to finding more stuff to do with them

creating beautiful childhood memories with and for them

I've just gotta find more inspiration

but

I feel like I've found my mummy mojo again

I think tomorrow we might go have breakfast somewhere

Just us 3

What fun activities inside & out do you like to do with your kiddies?

The breakup + developmental delay = tough times

Master J has not been coping with the split very well at all.

I mean I didnt expect him too this time he is older and understands more.

But I didnt expect it to be this hard to deal with ither.

Every time he speaks to Mr S he asks him to come home because he misses him
He constantly asks for his daddy
Everything he sees throughout the day has something to do with daddy

It breaks my heart that my boy is hurting

I want to fix it but I know I cant.

I dont regret making the decison to live our lives like this
Its something that had to be done for all of us
I just wish it wasn't so hard on my boy

Luckily his team of therapists are amazing

They are helping us with startergies to help him cope

We need to get him into a routine with visatation and "family" situations

having him know what to expect

is going to make the times in between him seeing his dad that little more bearable

We need to keep talking to him

explain to him very simply that mummy & daddy can't live with each other

but that we still love him and his brother

We need to let him vent safely and cry and scream
I know some days I feel like that
I cant even imagine not being able to express those thoughts and feelings.

We are also implementing a calendar and clock for him
which Im really excitited about and will share once compelete
Im hoping it will help him grasp time a little easier
and it might help him cope with the time in between seeing his dad

In all honesty we have a huge road ahead of us
Its not going to be easy but the days will start to become better
I will do anything in my power to make this easier on my boys
and they will always know this wasn't their fault and that we both love them very much
I will never bad mouth their father to them

and I will encourage their relationship

I think if Mr S & I can stick to this way of thinking

The boys will be able to cope with this alot easier

and the future will be bright for all of us.

So far so good on all accounts and I couldnt be happier!

Things I Know...

This week the

With Yay For Home

Are...

*I know that coming under budget which included buying extras is awesome!

And also allows mumma to buy a pretty new recipe book stand :)

* I know that I am addicted to Pinterest

There is so many awesome ideas out there that I've had to start a

"Stuff n things to do ASAP" board

for the things I reeeallly want to do.

* I know that life at the momment is tough

But that I will get thought it.

That there will be changes made and I am looking at a new direction

Not 100% sure which direction it is exactly but I'll let you know when I do!

* I know that i have big dreams for my career, my crafty hobby & my blog

but that I feel like I am striving for them alone

I feel like I have no-one in my corner.

I feel almost ready to quit it all

* I know that my boys can melt any negative feelings away in an instant with a few new words or a big gummy smile.

* I know Master J is talking more & more every day

* I know that he is getting too clever for his own good

*I know he made me cry tears of happiness with one small Heytell message.

how he even knows how to send one of those is beyond me lol

* I know that Lil C will be walking before we know it

he has mastered crawling and has just about mastered pulling himself up on everything.

* I know that Lil C finally has at least one toothie peg ready to pop through

* I know that he loves having a little independence when it comes to feeding himself

* I know that i think thats all I know this week and I that I should leave some

knowledge for next week

What do you know this week?

Boarding Passes for the 3rd birthday Please

As you may know Master J turned 3 on Friday

His party was held Sunday.

And what a day it was!

We gave Boofa the choice of a Cars party or a Plane party

and he kept saying plane everytime we asked so went with that.

I love planning and decorating partys

My aunty is a hug influence in that.

But trust me to chose a theme that has no "normal" decorations.

So after searching around and only finding plates and cups

I enlisted the help of the ever gorgeous Lil

of

Lily Chic Events & Shoppe with Lily

Lil gave me a whole plether of pictures for ideas

and i sat down with Mr S and worked out what we wanted to go with.

No easy Job as all the ideas were amazing!

This is what we came up with...

The invitations

designed and printed by Invitations by "M"

The sweets Table

Starting from the top..

The letter J

was done by me and can be ordered over at my little craft business page

Tee Lee Blue

The Happy Birthday Letters

(I simply stuck the letters on the card and ribbon)

The Cupcake toppers, Labels

and the license to fly

were all designed by Invitations by "M"

The light blue suitcase, red plane and paper straws

paper planes and spinning plane decoration

(not pictured)

Came from Shoppe With Lily

The cups and bottles of drdinks were wrapped in cardboard which I did myself.

The very cute plane cake

from Barbz Cakez

The personalised chocolates which were also used in the lolly bags

are from Affair to Remember

In honour of a beautiful little girl who was born 2 days before Master J

whom has sadly passed away we had a special little corner in her memory

Her mum runs a page called SIDS & KIDS Chairty Auction in memory of Princess Lilli

We also had cute plane crayons in the lolly bags

from House of Baby Piranha

Our entertainment was a super cool Rocket jumping castle!

All the kids had a ball on this

which can be hired from www.partycastles.com

even Lil C who had a little jump on the side

Master J had the best day except for one small tantrum he was smiling all day laughing, running and jumping

and of coursse absolutly spoilt rotten!

We could not have asked for a better day for our now BIG 3yo

Thankyou to all the lovely business's that helped me make this one of his most memorable birthdays

My gorgeous girls who helped with the food

And a bigger thankyou to everyone that came to help celebrate our little man turning into a big boy.