Latest entries

I have. Will you?

I have. Will you?

“When you die, can I have your hippos and the farm please?” Grace enquired recently. The question came out of the blue, as questions often do when your daughter is 10 and possesses a vivid imagination. I assured her that yes, she could have the hippos, however, the farm would be shared equally with her...
What Patrick Stewart and I have in common

What Patrick Stewart and I have in common

This post has little to do with the topics I usually cover on this website. But it IS an issue that affects many women and children and I’ve wanted to write about it for some time. Watching a recent interview with Patrick Stewart has made me put pen to paper. My Mum is clever. On...
Easy edible floral posy

Easy edible floral posy

Want to make this gorgeous little edible posy?  Then watch our fun video tutorial on how to do it.  It’s a cheap, fun and engaging activity for children and will win the heart of the recipient. Tussie Mussie’s make the perfect gift or can be put on your kitchen bench to be added to your...
Whiz bangery, seasonal food and a revolution

Whiz bangery, seasonal food and a revolution

I was asked last week if I’d like to participate in Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day. Well, um, yes! Like Jamie, I’ve always believed that food and the cooking of it need not be scary, boring or intimidating. Nor need it be hard. It is however, necessary, so why not learn to enjoy the growing,...
The go-to list for autumn...

The go-to list for autumn…

In autumn, Mother Nature puts on a spectacular outdoor display. With crisp, clear days, the sky can appear to be impossibly blue. Deciduous plants prepare for their winter rest, their leaves change colour and then fall from the plant completely. The result? A dazzling display of colour throughout your suburb and nearby botanic gardens, parks...
Savoury herb crumble a la Grace...

Savoury herb crumble a la Grace…

By the end of the week, my daughter and I are nothing if not inventive in the kitchen. The contents of the fruit and veggie bowl have been eaten down, the pantry’s bare and I’m lucky to find anything in the fridge other than wilted Wombok and some milk on the turn.  This is what...
A Parliament of Owls for under $50...

A Parliament of Owls for under $50…

The wonderful gang at Target have given me another $40 voucher to give away, so when Grace and I went shopping in regional NSW recently, we just had to stop off at the Target store in Dubbo to see what they had on offer.  And then came the most surreal experience. You see, I’ve been...
Carrots ~ fostering creativity and a cool competition

Carrots ~ fostering creativity and a cool competition

I am a thief. I snuck down to my neighbour’s vegetable patch this afternoon armed with nothing other than a small trowel and stealthy intent. You see, she has the most extraordinary carrot growing powers and I couldn’t resist pulling a few. I’ll leave it to you to guess which of the carrots featured here...
What dog poo, London and autumn have in common...

What dog poo, London and autumn have in common…

  READ ON FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN $100 WORTH OF DIVINE SNIFF SOY CANDLES Nothing is more memorable than a smell. One scent can be unexpected, momentary and fleeting, yet conjure up a childhood summer beside a lake in the mountains. ~ Diane Ackerman “Autumn’s coming, I can smell it,”  my son announced as...
Santa's gone but we've still got fairies...

Santa’s gone but we’ve still got fairies…

A child’s imagination is such a beautiful thing to witness. Up until recently my daughter believed with all her heart that Father Christmas existed. She’s now a non-believer. Fairies are another matter entirely. Whilst she’d rather listen to One Direction than go on a fairy hunt, she earnestly believes that it is egotistical of humans...