Things I know - Change the Dance: fresh air is good for you

I am so pleased that Spring has arrived. We enjoyed our last weekend of Winter as a family in the great outdoors. It was one of those weekends, where, everyone was getting on each others nerves. We were all squabbling, squawking and tanting. I decided to change the dance and get us all out of the house. Sure we all had snotty noses and mild coughs, but it was good to get out into the fresh air. 

This week I know that fresh air is good for you:

playing in the bush is fun

picnics on flat rocks at the beach are yum

ice cream keeps everyone happy

We got out of the house, went for a bike ride along the Rails to Trails track to the pine tree forest and played in the bush, took a picnic out to Yallingup Beach and finished the weekend off with ice cream at Simmos.

We changed the dance and got some fresh air. It was a welcome fix to the mood at home. Fresh air is good for you, this I know.

What do you know this week? Joining in the fun with Shae from Yay for Home.

  
Be Happy, 
Nicola 

Sneaky Vegetables - Chocolate zucchini cake

chocolate zucchini cake...sneaky sneaky

Sometimes I just love to be sneaky! Especially when it comes to vegetables! There is nothing more satisfying than sneaking vegetables into food, hiding it here and there.

This recipe is definitely one of those more pleasurable sneaky ones. It's a Chocolate Zucchini Cake from the Country Classics cookbook, by the CWA.

Here's the easy recipe:

1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup of cocoa
1/4 cup of butter
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 egg
1 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup choc bits


Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease a ring tin. Sift bicarb soda, flour, salt, cinnamon and cocoa together and set aside. Place butter, oil, sugar, orange rind and vanilla together and mix well. Add egg, then mix in zucchini until combined, add dry ingredients and milk. Pour into tin, sprinkle with choc bits and cook for 30 minutes.

Allow to cool and serve with cream or ice cream or on it's own. It is very moist and holds well in kid lunch boxes.


Be Happy, 
Nicola

Grateful for One Pan Wonders

I love you one pan wonder dishes! This ones' from Donna Hay

This week I am grateful for the humblest of dishes, the One Pan Wonder. I love a good tasting dish that you can easily throw together and cook in the oven or slow cooker. It saves time, due to the minimal prep and is always tasty and nutritious. And it generally satisfies all the family.

This week I have made three One Pan Wonders. A chicken, chorizo, cherry tomato, potato roast thingy (inspired by Donna Hay's roast chicken chorizo dish), A vegetable pilaf with lamb cutlets and a big fritatta. I love the simplicity of using one pan. I love the fact that I often use up left over roast vegies or those veg that are starting to turn in the fridge. I love that there are less dishes and I love that it gives more time for other things, like family or getting ready for work in the evening.


What are you feeling grateful for this week? Check out other Grateful Goodness at Maxabella Loves for a Grateful Fix!

Be Happy, 
Nicola

Grateful for Time

time, is merely a perspective, a point of view

Time, time time, see what's become of me. When I look around for my possibilities. The Bangles

I have discovered that life is based upon choices and perspective. This has become even more apparent since having children. Time is merely a tool used to measure the day by. It's a perspective, a point of view. You either have lots of it or not enough of it. 

Since moving house two weeks ago, I suddenly have more time. I don't know if it is the novelty of a new house and space to live in, but I really feel as though time is on my side. I walk the kids to and from school, a good fifteen minutes each way. I get the domesticity out of the way early and discover I have time up mys sleeve. Lot's of it. And I like it. More time for family togetherness.


The more I don't focus on time the more I seem to have. And this makes me very Grateful...and happy.

What are you grateful for this week? Link on over to Maxabella Loves Grateful Saturday to check out her Gratefulness and that of others! 

 

Be Happy
Nicola


Image credit

Grateful for Sunshine

This week, I am feeling incredibly Grateful for the gorgeous winter sunshine that Margaret River has been blessed with. Being winter and in the South West, you are almost certain there is going to be a big down pour of rain. But it's been sunshine since last Friday when we began our relocation to a new Hogan Central. And the sunshine has lasted all week. Enough for us to move and clean up the old house! YAY!

I am 'Walking on Sunshine' this week and linking up with Maxabella Loves Grateful Linky.

What are you grateful for this week?

Be Happy
Nicola

Lamp Chop Wednesday

lamb chop wednesday...delicious!

It can be challenging to feed the family at times. Everyone has a different palate and are at different stages of growth. But one thing I know I can make, with out fail is lamb chops. That's why every Wednesday is Lamb Chop Wednesday in our house hold. 

Char grilled lamb chops, parmesan mash, steamed greens, gravy and mint sauce...it's simplicity at its best, and its a winner!

What's your fail safe dinner that you just know everyone will eat?

Be Happy

Nicola

Relocation, Relocation

moving house, packing up and go!

We are moving house on Saturday at Hogan Central. The house has been a buzz with packing and sorting and packing up the car with boxes and moving them to the new garage. I love to move house. Even though I wish I could snap my fingers and have everything moved for me like Elizabeth in Bewitched, I do love the cleansing feel of sorting and culling. Moving house gives us an opportunity to make positive changes in our family. 

But moving house can bring anxiety and unwanted stress for children, especially young children. A new bedroom, a new street. Watching your beloved belongings being boxed away. I have noticed that Mini Hoges has been a little bit extra clingy this week, and he has been coming into our bed most nights. Junior, being four years older than his brother is relishing the idea of being in a new house, mostly because his best friend lives in the street behind, just a hop, step and a jump over the fence.

To make the transition to a new house smoother and easy for Mini Hoges, I have taken a few steps to include him as much as possible in the process:

• Allowing children to choose their own bedroom
• Get children involved in packing and boxing up and moving their own belongings
• Set the new bedroom up in a layout that is as close as possible to their old bedroom
• Lots of visits to the new house and playing in the backyard
• Walking and biking the new route to school and kindy from the new house, before you move
• Purchase of decorative items for the new bedroom, like a new wall hanging, rug or bed linen 

Have you moved house with children? What steps did you take to make the transition easy on them?

Happy Days, 
Nicola

Good Manners on Monday

good manners matter

There are certain things that I as a mother am always saying to my boys. "Pick up after yourself", "Put the toilet seat down", "No running in the house", "Use your manners". But what does this mean? What are good manners, and why are they important?

As a parent, I believe it is our fundamental responsibility to teach children good manners. Every person on this earth deserves to be treated with respect and feel positive about themselves and those around them. Displaying good manners means that you have respect and that you care about your fellow person.

Whilst we may affirm good manners such as "please and thank you's" in our children, it is also important to demonstrate manners in our actions. Because children mimic their parents and older siblings, we want them to learn positive behaviours like holding a door open for someone, giving up your seat on the bus or leaving the last cup cake for someone else (even though your mouth is just drooling for it!).

This week in our family, we are going to focus on language and manners. This involves the tone in which we speak to each other, the volume of what we are saying and moderating for where we are saying it, and the words that we will use, with a special focus on excuse me, please and thank you. Each time the boys use their manners with the three focus words, they will earn ten cents for their respective money boxes.

What good manners do you ensure are affirmed in your family?

Be Happy, 

Nicola

Grateful for Growing Up

growing up strong

I've read somewhere in my eight years of parenting that there are magical ages in the growing up spectrum. Eight is one of them. And on the eve of my eldest turning this magical age I can reflect on just how much Junior has grown. They say eight is the age where children learn empathy and understand compassion. I believe this to be true, I have watched my boy grow into a loving and energetic boy who has sensitive, contemplative moments.

The second magic age is four. And my second boy will be turning this magical age in November. And whilst he is not quite there yet, I am seeing glimpses of compliance and cooperation amongst his desire to assert his will 24 - 7.

With both my boys being out of baby and toddler hood, I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude and love for this new phase of our life in living and learning and growing together as children. 

Strangely, I also feel that I have somewhat grown up this week too. A certain sense of clarity and direction and purpose has poured out of me. 

This week I am grateful for growing up - individually and together as a family.

Happy Days
Nicola

This is the first grateful linky post for Nurture the Little People. Pop on over to Maxabella Loves and see what others are grateful for this week!

Friday Night - Movie Night!

popcorn, movies = family togetherness

When I was growing up, we often had a Friday Night family game night. We'd all sit around the dinner table and play Monopoly or Scrabble or Uno. Music would play on the record player and we'd enjoy treats like chocolate or crisps as we spent quality time together as a family.

Jump ahead 25 or more years later and I have developed my own family togetherness ritual - Friday Night Movie Night. This entails an evening of early easy dinner and baths, everyone in their jarmies and a classic family movie to watch together.

Tonight we are making homemade pizzas and watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original with Gene Wilder). Our movie treats include popcorn, icecream spiders and chocolate dipped strawberries for desert.

I look forward to our Friday night ritual, especially in winter. It is a great way for us all to connect and wind down together after a busy week of school and work, preparing us for the weekend ahead.

Do you have a weekly family ritual that gets you enjoying quality time together?

Happy Days

Nicola

Nurture the Little People

carefree and fun, feeling nurtured

Hello and welcome to Nurture the Little People! 

On this blog you will find useful information to support you in your journey as parents and caregivers. My goal is to share with you my experience and what has worked for me. And to provide you with a valuable resource when all else fails. 

I believe that it is our role as parents, to provide the most nurturing and supportive environment for children so that they grow up to be resilient, feel loved and worthy and are confident in reaching their full potential.

My posts will be based around six main themes:

Touch - integrating massage and healing into your child's life as a way of bonding and expressing love

Fuel - food glorious food - what you eat and what you child eats is the most fundamental way to nurturing our bodies

Play - sharing ideas and exploring new ways to play imaginatively and with nature

Read - we love books and will share with you our favourites and new finds and essential reads for the parenting journey

Create - craft based fun, using mostly recycled and repurposed goods 

Big People - adults need nurturing too! Explore ways to give yourself the time to re-energise so you can Nurture the Little People in your life.

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back.  ~William D. Tammeus

I look forward to connecting with you in the future!

Nicola