tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13413180979838789832012-01-10T03:31:29.559-08:00Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.comBlogger1481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-88200869601834400262011-11-09T01:40:00.000-08:002011-11-09T01:41:00.930-08:00

After the stillbirth of our baby boy on 20th May 2011, I have decided I will no longer be posting on this blog.  I will leave it here as a reference, as I notice many pages, particularly recipes, are still getting hits. You can find the story of our baby here if you wish to read it. I will be continuing to post on my other blog, Just this side of chaos...., and would be very happy

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-3819417917088844392011-05-25T20:13:00.000-07:002011-11-09T01:41:25.922-08:00

On Friday 20th May 2011, our baby boy was stillborn at 27 weeks. To my followers.....I will not be posting on this blog for a while, but will be keeping up with my other blog, you can find me here.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-25167095957076088262011-05-14T03:51:00.000-07:002011-05-17T20:38:30.162-07:00

Healthy snacks for children is something that has come up a few times lately on a forum I frequent. It seems to be an area that some parents and caregivers struggle with, trying to fill up little bellies with decent food, whilst staying within a given budget.My kids eat A LOT. And often, it seems.They are boys, not that that should make much difference, I'm sure there are boys that eat like birds

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-42516230514623068272011-05-05T02:50:00.000-07:002011-05-26T18:14:02.803-07:00

To my mind, baby's don't generally cost much, thankfully.At least, not in the first few years, especially if you can avoid needing formula.And using cloth nappies is a must if you're budget minded and, anywhere near calling yourself green.Speaking of cloth, hehe, I just took receipt of some brand new fluff for our impending arrival! Ahhhh, I was so excited when they arrived, soft and squishy and

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-3072292547054855742011-04-29T05:24:00.000-07:002011-04-29T05:31:36.564-07:00

Baby boy #3 will join our family sometime in August, so please 'scuse the extended hiatus I've been on. Just getting my head space together.Time to get into all things frugal and baby! Oooh, cloth nappies here I come! The stash does need updating, of course, it's not that I'm addicted to new fluff or anything like that.....

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-32671627226707897412010-12-07T00:37:00.000-08:002010-12-07T01:49:31.772-08:00

A local high end store that I occasionally frequent has been having great deals on tropical fruits. It is summer after all so these are in season, though they aren't usually grown at this end of the country. These have been trucked down from Queensland, but I comfort myself with the thought that at least they are not imported.I bought two trays of mangoes, so 24 altogether, and 6 rather giant

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-26815787866799614742010-11-29T01:18:00.000-08:002010-11-29T02:04:59.743-08:00

I seem to be getting a lot of earwigs in what passes for my garden, and while I wasn't aware they caused damage, I've since learned that they chew leaves, and can also be a problem on citrus trees.My lemon tree is looking a bit battle scarred, partly because of a hail storm we had a while back that gave it a pummeling, but I have a feeling there's some new scarring too, and I've seen earwigs on

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-74530891995161512822010-11-26T01:40:00.000-08:002010-11-26T04:00:33.116-08:00

Over at Penniless Parenting, Penny has set a Zero Food Waste Challenge and has given out an invite to everyone to join in. She recently made a good looking banana peel chutney....wow....that to me is the epitome of non-wastage of food. It made me think about what I do with leftovers and the throw away bits, apart from feed them to my worm farm of course.One thing I have figured out what to with

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-85038117762894537802010-11-24T01:28:00.000-08:002010-11-24T01:32:11.076-08:00

Say hello to our swing set, courtesy of a lovely family in our 'burb who no longer wanted it. My boys are more than happy to give it some love!

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-46342701000689208432010-11-12T04:51:00.000-08:002010-11-13T01:28:38.904-08:00

And that brings its own set of challenges, living with a hubby and two small energetic boys in a small house on a small peice of land in the middle of the 'burbs. No creeks to paddle in and they're not allowed to run through sprinklers in these days of water restrictions. What to do to keep us (me and the kids really as hubby gets the luxury of working in an airconditioned office, well, it's a

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-25242842792554760342010-11-08T01:57:00.000-08:002010-11-29T01:59:12.976-08:00

The worm farm I bought a few months back is in full production, I have both trays going and the worms are doing a great job. I get worm juice from it regularly to put on my plants and I've been digging out some of the castings lately to add to plants I'm potting up.I love the fact that I'm not having to purchase fertiliser (organic or otherwise) and I also LOVE the fact that there is less green

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-49917789663062633762010-11-05T02:56:00.000-07:002011-04-29T05:32:49.455-07:00

This craft was not meant to look like it does, it was meant to look like this... (oops, just noticed that blog has been made invite only, sorry, ignore the link)which is an Autumn leaf lantern. Although being spring, I was going to try it with the new spring growth leaves, hoping they would have the translucency needed.However, it looks like this:which I actually think is rather cool too.One

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-61711328567353349982010-10-30T23:12:00.001-07:002010-11-01T04:04:37.935-07:00

I needed something fun to do with the boys and not too messy for a change, so we dug out the crayon box and got busy. I thought we'd have a go making our own crayons out of all the old, broken and just-not-great crayons, like I talked about here.For molds, we used my small silicone cupcake molds (that I don't use for cupcakes because I can never get the cupcakes OUT of them) and they worked just

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-77920410681680135712010-10-24T04:03:00.000-07:002010-10-25T20:54:57.493-07:00

While I was house sitting, I made up a batch of brownies from their recipe, 'cos the kids (and I) had churned through most of the box that was in the freezer and I didn't want their mum to come home only to find the cookie tins empty and in need of urgent re-filling.Longest sentence ever, sorry.But, this particular brownie recipe is SO GOOD (think dark, fudgey, dense, rich) that I stole it and

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-873735170920566222010-10-21T03:35:00.000-07:002010-10-22T15:36:19.018-07:00

Have I mentioned my Thermomix love before?Um , yep, here, here and here, oh and here too.And a few other places too, on both blogs, if you're reeeaaallly interested.But, a question I've seen asked here and there is....Is the thermomix good for a big family?Well, my unequivocal answer is YES. Y.E.S. Uh huh, yep it definitely is.How do I know this, with my family of 2 adults and 2 young kids? Which

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-70335062684641478792010-10-08T03:13:00.000-07:002010-10-08T03:45:51.073-07:00

Do your kids ever want to take their kite out when it's not windy? Well, read on to find an easy solution. I found this somewhere out there in bloggyland, but cannot for the life of me remember where I saw it. But I thought it was so inspired, I stashed it in my memory (or what passes for one these days, ha)Wee! Now, maybe my kids are just gullible, but they've really enjoyed this activity both

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-79468846453619050932010-10-02T03:49:00.000-07:002011-04-29T05:39:01.996-07:00

I have finally found a way to get my kids to eat potato. Now, potato is not a must-have, it is very carb heavy and from testing when I had gestational diabetes, I know that eating it makes my blood sugar go up and stay up for too long. Or maybe that's just when I'm pregnant, I haven't actually checked it regularly since.But, organic spuds are a beautiful, earthy thing to behold I find, and I

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-71169258884191648182010-09-27T03:19:00.001-07:002010-10-21T02:48:09.157-07:00

I knew I was saving toilet rolls for something.In an attempt to do something vaguely educational, yet non-costly, I adopted an idea I'd seen on Journey Into Unschooling. I can't find the exact post on their blog, but they do some very cool home-school things over there, it's well worth checking out. What small boy can resist ninjas?First, if you know nothing about ninjas, it would be worth your

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-32376708777874117942010-09-23T04:27:00.000-07:002010-09-23T04:28:12.859-07:00

School holidays are upon us again, which means no pre-school, no swimming lessons and no gymnastics class (which Mr 5 has given up for the next term anyway). So, what to do? On day one I broke out some of our crafty supplies so the kids could get jiggy with our new hot glue gun, the old one having cacked itself the weekend before the holidays were due to start, giving me a minor panic attack.  Ha

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-88662453158344259022010-09-08T04:08:00.000-07:002010-09-08T04:08:55.534-07:00

It's hard rubbish time again in our area, which means the nature strips are decorated with trash, or treasure, depending on your point of view.  Last year for the first time I went round purposefully checking out some of these piles and came home with a couple of things, so I thought I'd do the same this year. Yesterday I went strolling with the kids and brought home a basket: It should be

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-35721343868704878042010-08-29T04:50:00.000-07:002010-08-29T04:54:59.244-07:00

I have to share this activity, I saw it in a magazine and just knew it was written with my boys in mind. If you want to see the original article, it's in the latest Donna Hay kids magazine, which also has many other things in it worth drooling over. In fact, I no longer have a subscription to Donna Hay mag (which I was gifted by a good friend) but I may just have to order this issue specially.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-6388999806347878722010-08-25T04:15:00.000-07:002010-08-25T04:26:35.877-07:00

I've been struggling this week. Last week, and the one before that, it seemed like I was on a natural high, nothing got me down. This week, I'm doing it all with gritted teeth. The boys are picking at each other every given opportunity, the weather is cold, windy and grey, we're in a small house and, and, and.......I'm just on edge and crabby. Yesterday, I walked the boys up to pre-school and

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-68591513558340036652010-08-21T06:29:00.000-07:002010-08-21T06:39:08.667-07:00

It seems here in Australia we get rorted sometimes in regards to pricing. Take books for example.If I ever buy new books, which I sometimes do for gifts, I wait until I get an internet coupon through my email for Borders online store. Usually I can find a coupon for 25 - 30% off and that includes free shipping. So, I was buying a few books two nights ago with specific recipients in mind. The

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-87723707974968472172010-08-13T03:53:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:08:19.771-08:00

I sometimes look at my two little boys and mentally go over what they're wearing, partly to take delight in my frugalista mama ways.You see, nearly all of their clothes were bought second hand, which is such a great saving that I wonder why anybody anywhere would buy their kids clothes new.Lucky for me they do, otherwise I wouldn't be able to buy them second hand, would I?Why do I love buying

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-65800416917550138632010-07-31T03:53:00.000-07:002010-10-21T02:38:38.424-07:00

If you're after a quick, cheap but entertaining activity, this one's for you.My little fellas and I tried this out one morning after reading a kid's book entitled The Lemon Sisters.Straight after breakfast, actually, as can be evidenced by the stack of bowls in the sink and the washcloths lined up in front of the sink. If I'd got the 'lil fella in a picture you'd see him in his footy pjs and if I

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-31244136646325234242010-07-15T05:42:00.000-07:002010-07-15T05:45:40.078-07:00

It doesn't take much to amuse this one sometimes, a box of someone else's pencils and pens... (we've been house sitting The Mansion again) a big sheet of paper, a pair of scissors and the sticky-tape. Though from now on, scissors under supervision only, due to casualties suffered.. my sewing projectSlibrary bookshis clotheshis brother's trap-making venture He really is quite talented with the

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-92126550797438742322010-07-04T03:46:00.000-07:002010-07-04T03:46:00.087-07:00

This is another quick way to impress your five year old. Actually, it wasn't all that quick, but not too time consuming overall.  And it looks so cool! It's a spiderweb, in case you can't tell. It's not perfectly formed but when your 2 and 5 year olds are helping you out at every step along the way, you've just gotta go with the flow and give up that hope for perfection. Here's what you do:

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-86535150236476718262010-06-17T05:53:00.000-07:002010-06-17T05:54:43.515-07:00

An internet search titled 'simple science experiments' will bring forth all manner of ........er....well......simple science experiments. Funnily enough. Just what I needed on a wet Sunday afternoon with a five year old who wanted to do 'an experience' aka an experiment. I didn't want to run to the shops to buy any special ingredients that might be needed so I trawled through a list of activities

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-80686492301217584092010-06-13T05:20:00.000-07:002010-10-21T02:46:27.587-07:00

My sis, The Slightly Mad Quilt Lady put me on to this one:Dilute your commercial dish washing powder with baking soda (soda bicarbonate).Isn't that simple?Sis dilutes it by half while it's in the bottle, I just put less regular stuff in the machine's dispenser and top it off with baking soda. Green and thrifty, can't get better than that, huh?

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-36986910151078725852010-06-11T04:25:00.000-07:002010-11-29T01:58:59.898-08:00

Living in a small house on a smaaaallllll piece of land like we do, means we have not much room for a traditional compost bin. Nor an ongoing need for one.However, recently I have decided to make more of a concerted effort to grow some of our own vegetables and fruits. Now, unless I want to be buying bags of compost and cow poop on a regular basis (which I have done in the past), I need a way of

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-81375148673599770912010-06-05T20:56:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:08:28.178-08:00

I am a fan of rocks. Big ones, little ones, smooth ones, odd shaped or coloured ones, they call to me in a way that other things in nature do not. I'm not sure why, though I have geologists in my both my husband's family and my own extended family. Not blood related to me though, so I can't claim familial tendency.I stand corrected by my big sis, SHE has a geology background, so there ya go, it

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-31803621028059510312010-06-04T04:18:00.000-07:002010-06-04T04:18:24.567-07:00

I know a mum on the other side of the world to me, who's 3rd baby is due in August. She, Cadi, is a single mum with 2 boys and she's a second grade teacher to boot.  Earlier this year, this mum's partner passed away, just three weeks after they found out they were expecting a baby. I found Cadi through my sister, when she put a call out to the blogosphere for an Aussie to please send a 20c coin

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-80533417254251993642010-06-02T03:53:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:08:44.797-08:00

When my washing machine broke down last week it was full of cloth nappies/diapers and cloth wipes. In their just-emptied-from-the-nappy-bucket-so-as-yet-unwashed-at-all state.Yum.As well as some family cloth that my 5 year old uses. Well, mostly him, occasionally the rest of us use it too.Extra yum.The machine, a front loader, filled itself, then would not start to spin but switched itself off. I

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-37238930118253916382010-05-26T06:16:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:08:52.459-08:00

I decided this week I would try out a method of hair washing I had heard about a number of times recently.This method involves no shampoo, only baking soda, water and apple cider vinegar. If it were to work, I would be able to cut my $20 bottle(s!) of shampoo out of the shopping budget, AND, I would stop lacing my scalp with a mixture of Sodium laurel sulphate, Methlyparaben and Ethylparaben, to

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-52396421112281276932010-05-23T04:05:00.000-07:002010-05-23T04:07:45.489-07:00

Well, technically it was a fossil dig, but I have read that book sooooooo many times lately I just had to work that in somewhere. This activity was one we did while we were house sitting a month or two ago and I've been meaning to show it off for a while. It's a fabulous thrifty activity and you can tweak it to the interests of your particular child. The idea is to make some fossils out of salt

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-14884698590053824132010-05-18T04:24:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:09:53.570-08:00

Just for fun the other week I looked up a no-cook playdough recipe. I can't remember why, possibly because I was house-sitting and didn't have my regular cooked playdough recipe handy.Well, I'm converted.No messy pot to clean up. (Have I told you I'm lazy?)No funky smell while it's cooking.And it's less sticky than the cooked variety. Not that the cooked variety is very sticky at all but the

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-35852215172580995682010-05-12T04:58:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:10:00.235-08:00

I don't claim to know how much a store-bought decorated cake costs as I have never bought one, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be much cheaper to make your own. And most probably it will taste better and if you like, it could be better for you, too.This year, my about-to-turn 5 year old requested a Batman ice cream cake.Um, right.That means I won't be using my best ever birthday cake cake

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-69512482788942367792010-04-30T03:52:00.000-07:002010-04-30T03:52:16.167-07:00

My 5 year old is an inventive type kid. I struggle to keep up with his "Mum, lets make a....." and "Mum, I want to be a ....." and "Mum, how can I....." and "Mum, lets do....." and so on and so forth. His ideas are waaaay ahead of his (and my) abilities usually, although my hubby often manages to come up with the goods, or at least a good approximation of them. So perhaps I should say hubby and

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-31927947694562683352010-04-22T22:25:00.000-07:002010-04-22T22:25:51.200-07:00

I LOVE our toy library! Check out our latest finds: Some heavy machinery  Stepping stones And this funky looking red....thing And that's just the outside toys! Toy library for us is $60 for one kid for a year, and only an extra $10 for a 2nd kid.  So to be able to borrow 8 toys every week if I wish (usually we go every 2nd week) it costs our family $70 a year. Well worth it in my opinion, as

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-35975369735268610472010-04-21T05:53:00.000-07:002010-04-21T05:56:17.793-07:00

Wow, it's been nearly a month since I posted on here, what has been happening? Well, we spent two weeks house sitting a mansion over the school holidays, but it had an extremely crappy internet connection, so no blogging there.  We all had a great time though, it was actually the perfect way to take a holiday, which was completely unexpected. We had every modern convenience ('cept the net) at our

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-41314307431404006662010-03-26T02:13:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:10:05.856-08:00

I was about to throw out the netting from round a large bag of oranges today when I suddenly thought back to this post over at Penniless Parenting. The idea is to use something you already have to make something you need, rather than going out and buying something completely new. In this case it was making a scrubbing sponge out of the netting from fruit and vegetable bags.Because I shop at the

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-43476332888369871292010-03-23T04:03:00.000-07:002010-03-23T16:50:11.451-07:00

Have you ever made a grass-head?  The boys and I put together these little guys after Mr nearly-5 saw them on a tv show. Aren't they cute?? This is a good activity to do with pre-schoolers and takes very little in the way of materials. You need a pair of old pantyhose/stockings, some filling for the head (we used cotton wool balls that I unearthed from a cupboard) rubber bands and grass seed. Or

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-31642124685920234212010-03-19T03:27:00.000-07:002010-05-29T06:40:56.143-07:00

I'm sitting here eating leftover smarties as if my life depended on it. They are leftover from decorating cupcakes from my 2 year old's birthday yesterday, and aforementioned 2 year old has just finished exhibiting major 2-year-oldness after waking while being fast asleep for the evening.  The 2-year-oldness included wailing loudly to get "UP!!!", throwing his dummy (pacifier) across the room

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-37201079021862658192010-03-15T04:07:00.000-07:002010-03-15T04:14:41.817-07:00

Do your kids love chicken nuggets? Do YOU like them too?  Well if you'd like to see what's in a McD's chicken nugget, have a look at this post on cheeseslave.com. Not something you really want to feed your family is it, but there are times when you want something fast-foodish and tasty that you can whip up in an instant. Try out this recipe, it's pretty simple though not quite instantaneous,

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-50581285485539736222010-03-10T03:07:00.000-08:002010-11-29T02:10:14.896-08:00

I've been making all our bread for a while now, but the latest, and by faaaaaaar the easiest bread I have tried is Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a Day.This is a no-knead bread, which is why it is so quick and easy. You quickly mix the dough in one bowl, then keep it in the fridge, taking a chunk out and cooking it whenever you need some bread. And just LOOK at the results...mmmmmmm... It looks tasty

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-53705874622165214042010-03-06T03:49:00.000-08:002010-11-29T01:57:58.710-08:00

We had a storm today, quite a storm in fact. A roads-around-the-city-have-been-closed-because-they-are-deeeeep-in-water kind of storm. A hail-was-so-big-it-smashed-windscreens-and-left-blooded-pockmarks-on-people kind of storm. The sort of storm where you stay away from windows.We were fairly unscathed, apart from wet carpet where a sliding door was left open. I was round at a friends place with

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-53007149910396176132010-03-05T02:54:00.000-08:002010-11-29T01:57:51.594-08:00

Well, despite my best (?) efforts, my container gardening did not produce quite the copious amounts of veggies I was after.I did have a few tomatoes and I do have what appears to be a late crop ripening in the backyard, but no canning the excess will be needed. The spinach did a couple of rounds with no problems, though I have great trouble sprouting the seeds in 2 particular containers. I have a

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-22302547980194435962010-03-04T03:59:00.000-08:002010-11-29T02:11:03.266-08:00

Ok, I know it should be one PERSON'S trash, but lets not quibble....I picked up an item today from a fellow freecycler in my area: A mini trampoline, all the rage in I-can't-remember-what-year for jumping your jiggly bits into shape.This fine specimen, clothed as it is in brown vinyl, was lurking in someone's back room, just waiting for the loving attentions of two small energetic boys. One of

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-35991693372774989262010-03-03T02:14:00.000-08:002010-10-21T02:44:21.955-07:00

My boys came home from a party on the weekend each with a small container of bubble mixture in their party bag. Yay, an outside activity we can do in our miniscule backyard!Now, kids being what they are, in their enthusiasm to blow the perfect bubble the mixture soon got accidentally tipped out. So rather than cut the activity short and bring them back inside where they would run sugared up havoc

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-20696220961338821742010-03-01T19:23:00.000-08:002010-06-07T03:30:33.866-07:00

If you'd like to try Palmer's Cocoa butter, head over to their site and click on 'like some?', to receive a free sample.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-87351550631746936082010-02-28T02:52:00.000-08:002010-10-21T02:46:39.666-07:00

If you are looking at purchasing a deep freeze, you may be worried about the potential increase in your power bill.I was lucky enough to be given a chest freezer for my birthday a couple of years ago by my in-laws. An odd gift you might think, but a real godsend for a thrifty mama. My in-laws know me well :)We have not noticed any appreciable increase in our power bill but we don't actually track

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-17305654563505496242010-02-26T05:31:00.000-08:002010-11-29T02:11:15.005-08:00

Ok, you can actually make this in any old blender, but because my thermomix is my (other) baby, that's what I use.The how to is pretty simple....Throw the following things into your thermomix (or blender)milkrapadura to taste or a pinch of stevia or a little of both (rapadura gives a bit of a flavour that stevia does not) or a bit of plain 'ole sugarcocoa powder - make sure you get one with no

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-74818524372911178262010-02-26T04:20:00.000-08:002010-02-26T04:21:36.559-08:00

Little bare bear are having a summer clearance, so check out the already reduced prices and for a further 15% off storewide, enter the code MGV15 at checkout. Until 3rd March 2010.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-67219461707469398502010-02-25T03:53:00.000-08:002010-02-25T03:54:03.891-08:00

Head to Bubblebubs.com.au for 25% off storewide until 3rd March.  Enter code MGV at checkout to get your discount.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-18298793970353595332010-02-24T17:23:00.000-08:002010-02-24T17:23:46.246-08:00

Need a little help in the kitchen?  Sign up for a free 250 page e-book on "How to bake", from The Prepared Pantry. 

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-35767278997122299282010-02-24T02:32:00.000-08:002010-02-24T16:22:12.781-08:00

Update: I just checked the MiniEco site and the funtainers are no longer showing up, I presume they've all been snapped up. They do still have other bits and pieces though, worth a look!  Well, my blog is not quite all set up yet, but I have a great deal I just have to spread the word about. MiniEco have 50% off everything in store, including sale items. They have organic clothing and bedding

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-82905144093874578712010-02-22T19:08:00.001-08:002010-02-22T19:09:30.286-08:00

Right, another template, this time without twitter or ad space.Hmmm, maybe... Oops, gotta fiddle that type face size. 

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-83397158232121909882010-02-21T04:26:00.000-08:002010-02-21T04:26:42.677-08:00

Ok, I'm trying out a new template, which comes complete with advertising spots and twitter....except I don't twitter. Gotta see if my resident computer guru can get into the template code and un-twitter me...

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-67311594456889786602010-02-15T01:37:00.000-08:002010-02-15T01:47:40.808-08:00

Bright Star Kids labels have another decent offer going.If you spend $30 or more, you can enter the code below in the promotional code section....FREE-BAGTAG-10FEBhit 'submit',and you'll receive 10% off your total order and a free bagtag.The above icon will take you to their site, but be quick, this offer expires at midnight 19th Feb 2010.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-59770257495991566832010-02-10T04:15:00.000-08:002010-02-11T18:23:14.084-08:00

10% off coupon code for online store Safe-as-Mum, who sell non-toxic BPA free baby feeding products.Enter code MGV_FEB10 at checkout to get your discount.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-8713848020763997682010-02-03T02:31:00.000-08:002010-02-11T18:23:47.097-08:00

UpdateMy labels arrived today with only one set of free small labels.Maybe I had the promo wrong?I rang the company to check and it turns out to be a mistake and the 2nd set of free labels will be in the post asap.As any parent knows, any item that goes to daycare, kinder or school needs to be named and the easiest way to do this is with stick on vinyl labels.You could of course write on

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-35267194934183536782010-01-26T03:09:00.000-08:002010-02-09T21:10:23.552-08:00

the way stained (even after soaking) white/pale kid's clothes look after pegging them out in bright sun for a few hours.Clean again!Another reason to line dry your clothes. Hehe, the white ones anyway!(PS that is the only way I can get spag bol sauce out of their clothes)

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-27974838381021771332010-01-23T00:06:00.000-08:002010-06-07T03:25:49.838-07:00

Well, maybe times are difficult in bookseller's land, because Border's have extended/sent a new coupon...same as the one below - 35% off one full fiction priced book - expiry date of 27th Jan. (Though can't remember if the previous one was fiction only...) Go here and sign up for the short-list emails on the right if you want to get Border's coupons.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-52818385245723951032010-01-17T03:22:00.001-08:002010-06-07T03:31:41.686-07:00

If you have, you should have received via email a link to a coupon that allows you 35% off a full priced book. "Duplicate copies of the same coupon cannot be used in one transaction." Therefore if you want to use your coupon more than once, copy it and present your teller with one book and one copy of your coupon. When that transaction is complete, present your teller with your next book and

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-13082011523914666402010-01-10T03:08:00.000-08:002010-02-11T18:22:09.132-08:00

Mikamou is a new kids website that has clothes and accessories, so far only for babies and girls, but apparently the boys section is coming soon. And, they are having a grand opening sale with 50% off storewide.While there's not too much in the store yet, the girls items are very cute and may be just what you need for a special occasion. To claim this discount, enter 'mgvjan' in the gift

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-3608487591289339462010-01-07T01:25:00.000-08:002010-04-30T03:33:57.293-07:00

Another year, in which I plan to be always completely organised with birthdays, anniversaries, Easter, Christmas, day care, pre-school, overseas posting cut off dates, dinners, swim lessons, house keeping, baking, sewing..............................phew, did I leave anything out? Can you guess what my New Year's resolution is? Yep, to work on my organisational skills. My thought is, apart

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-1767672703274293782009-12-07T00:30:00.000-08:002010-06-07T03:26:11.430-07:00

Have books on your list of must gets for someone this Christmas? Borders online are having a 20% off everything sale, online only, with free delivery. Just go to the Borders Australia site and when you go to check out, enter the code BAU-DEC11 The amount owing is adjusted right then and you continue through the check out process. I know it works as I just did it. The offer ends on Friday

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-69011517215569988612009-12-05T02:59:00.000-08:002010-11-29T02:11:30.857-08:00

I made my own sausage rolls today....well, sort of. What I actually did was squeeze the sausage meat out of the grass finished beef sausages I get from the farmers market and made my own pastry. Now, I wouldn't do that with regular old supermarket or corner butcher sausages, but I've spoken to this farmer and his family and know where the meat is coming from and how it's raised.If you happen to

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-72524075780991824222009-11-26T18:22:00.000-08:002010-11-29T02:11:40.756-08:00

I am LOVING my local farmers market at the moment, they are open every Sunday and I am there every Sunday. Even last Sunday when it rained nearly all the night before and continued till after lunch.Though the market was pretty quiet that day....I am curious; where do regular market goers go if they don't make it to the market? The thought of having to buy my produce at the supermarket or run

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-3205309671464429312009-11-19T01:53:00.000-08:002010-11-29T02:12:07.891-08:00

Well the recent bout of hot weather has seen me digging for the icy poles that are buried in the depths of my freezer.Icy poles, or popsicles as I've known them in my previous life in NZ, give me a reason to be outside when it's too hot. The kids need to be outside and for my sanity, I need the kids to be outside. And, there's no way I'm letting them eat icy poles inside.So we all head outside,

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-62216231332028207952009-11-09T16:31:00.000-08:002010-02-11T18:24:07.910-08:00

Brindabella Baby has baby carriers such as the Ergo, Ellaroo and Hug-a-bub on sale for 20% off the usual price. If you have a new bub or are expecting, a really good baby carrier is an absolute lifesaver.AND, if you enter 'mumsgrapevine' in the comments section at checkout, you'll receive a bit of a treat with some fair trade Cocolo chocolate too.What more excuse do you need to invest in a new

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-82738300642203680772009-11-01T02:06:00.000-08:002010-10-21T02:40:18.608-07:00

Ever made your own bagels? Bagels are not that big here in Australia, at least not round my area anyway. You can get them here and there but if you want them, what better way to have them fresh than to make 'em yourself?Here's how...Homemade whole wheat bagels.Now of course I couldn't just follow the recipe to the letter, so I used spelt flour instead of wheat and I used my thermomix to do the

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-710195016905226932009-10-21T02:57:00.001-07:002010-02-09T21:11:30.936-08:00

What to do when the weather gets hot? Ok, so it wasn't that hot; 27 c, which compared to what my sis had in Perth the other day is not hot at all. But little boys running round get hot pretty quickly and what better way to cool off than with two mini spray bottles...You can usually pick these bottles up at the $2 store or somewhere similar, I bought these from the local garden centre.Woohoo for

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-50786188827530779602009-10-19T18:56:00.000-07:002010-02-10T17:06:50.340-08:00

Many people I know have come across Etsy, yet I still bump into the odd person who's never heard of it.And given that I'm not a huge social bunny, the people I DON'T bump into FAAAAAAR outweigh those I do. So there's a good chance there are others out there that have not stumbled across this marvelous mecca of unique handmade and vintage items.Etsy.com is an online community/marketplace with

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-79883359878576596102009-10-16T01:41:00.000-07:002010-11-29T01:57:25.045-08:00

Do you ever buy cherry tomatoes or strawberries, or just about any other berry that comes in a smallish plastic punnet? The punnets I get are clear plastic, with a deep lid that closes over the top and holes in the top and bottom.Absolutely perfect, as my elder sister told me (see comments on the last post!) to use as seed raising containers. They are a mini greenhouse all by themselves, with

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-35950979473707345732009-10-12T03:15:00.000-07:002010-11-29T01:57:03.061-08:00

Just.I plan this year to try and preserve my own tomatoes in an effort to get away from the canned variety, which by all accounts have BPA leaching into them from the can linings. At least, I cannot find any source that says cans sold in Australia do not have BPA in them, so I feel fairly safe assuming they do.According to Food Standards Aus, BPA is not a great concern, at least not in the

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-17710736547564072032009-10-09T02:33:00.000-07:002010-02-11T18:29:45.300-08:00

Ok, I happened to duck in to Safeway this arvo, only to discover they are trying (and succeeding) to beat the competition by having tim tams at $1.85 per packet. Also other packs of Arnotts choccy bikkies such as mint slice (my secret fave, shhh don't tell) are $1.85 as well.A few other decent specials are going there, and some buy-two-for deals as well.If you want to check out specials in

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-74919195700153868122009-10-05T20:12:00.001-07:002010-10-21T02:45:00.011-07:00

$2 tim tams at Coles this weekNow, if I had any kind of self control when it comes to sweet stuff, I'd buy a swag of these and stash them in the freezer. But I don't. I may fool myself into thinking I do sometimes, but really, I don't. That once again became really obvious when I realised I had to make more caramel for topping my cupcakes, when what was leftover after making the cupcakes should

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-76149745603833934132009-10-01T03:36:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:13:37.825-08:00

When my four year old first went into his big boy bed, along with some new sheets, I also purchased a waterproof mattress protector.After the mattress protector had been laundered a few times due to some not-so-dry nights, the soft plastic backing developed a hole. I only noticed this after some investigation, when a wet spot appeared on the mattress.$40 down the drain.Now what I have discovered

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-52896123480188462862009-09-26T04:40:00.000-07:002010-06-07T03:27:46.100-07:00

Spotlight's having another sale, on till the 28th. I need to see how I can sneak down there without the kids in tow....

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-48674026127717546222009-09-20T05:18:00.001-07:002010-02-10T17:17:33.513-08:00

When I was pregnant with my second bub, a friend told me about epharmacy.com.au. It's on online chemist store, with all the usual items you will find at your regular chemist or pharmacy. One thing I found it very worthwhile for was to buy Elevit, the recommended pre-natal vitamins. Fairly pricey, but well worth it if you believe everything the Dr says.Now, I cannot remember exactly how much

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-56362181961693227042009-09-20T05:09:00.000-07:002010-02-11T18:22:24.081-08:00

Online store HotBubba are having a good clothing sale, with over 50% off their range.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-38961919460452340432009-09-20T04:52:00.000-07:002010-02-11T18:23:32.968-08:00

Heads up on a kids clothing sale....Online store Charlipop Kids has OUCH brand clothing on sale for bubs and kids - nothing is over $20 in their OUCH summer clearance.See if you can grab some bargain summer bits for your bub.

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-68902890022093680682009-09-20T03:28:00.000-07:002010-11-29T01:56:47.084-08:00

It's hard rubbish collection time in our local area lately, and as I go on my nightly walk/run....definitely not just a run....I have been passing intriguing looking piles of stuff. Junk. Rubbish. Detritus. Things other people no longer require.Now I have never been a scavenger before, certainly not of hard rubbish on nature strips, but my new frugal mindset has me looking at it all a little

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-79905566226536358302009-09-13T03:14:00.000-07:002010-10-21T02:45:10.750-07:00

Have you ever bought that caramel ice cream topping in a plastic bottle, the one you can buy in the supermarket, the one with the strange, slightly plasticky aftertaste and 1000 ingredients?Ok, well I'm not speaking about any one product in particular but you get my drift.Those type of products are expensive, they often contain preservatives, flavours and colours, they will NEVER taste as good as

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-80678297410710298802009-09-07T02:41:00.000-07:002010-06-07T03:34:38.900-07:00

One-size pocket nappy sale, 50% off RRP = $15.50 for a one-size pocket nappy. The boosters are on sale too. As far as I can make out these are Cheeky Butts nappies, of which I have quite a few of the sized pocket nappies with sewn in booster. Which I LOVE and are the mainstay of my stash. Huggalugs Leg Huggers are also on sale on this site for 27% off, making them $12 a pair. One-size Coolababy

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-8616479906450689982009-09-03T19:09:00.000-07:002010-10-21T02:40:36.221-07:00

There's nothing much better than the smell of fresh bread and that's what we've been smelling round here lately as I've taken to making my own on a regular basis.And it's soooo good! My mum used to make all the bread for a family of eight, so I don't know what's taken me so long to get round to the idea of making my own. I do have a bread machine, but I haven't used that in a long while, partly

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-72571821391907073282009-08-29T03:47:00.000-07:002010-02-09T20:47:23.776-08:00

I made up these wipes for my four year old to use after he's pooped. We had him using those pre-moistened toilet wipes, but dang, they are expensive and he always used 4 or 5 to get the job done right. Plain old toilet paper never seemed to cut it with him.These are leftover flannelette scraps, turned and top stitched. As far as laundering them, they go in with the cloth nappies, so no extra

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-73449615949384318812009-08-26T04:19:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:13:47.968-08:00

Tortillas are one of those things I used to buy and keep in the cupboard until needed. That should have been warning enough, and after reading the ingredients list I can see why they keep so well.......they are barely a food at all. Well, slight exaggeration perhaps but here is what is in the ones I used to buy:Wheat flourWaterVegetable oilHumectantSaltEmulsifiersRaising

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-38745374599880802012009-08-19T03:58:00.000-07:002010-02-11T18:21:23.329-08:00

For an extra 10% off sale items at the Kidzwear Factory Outlet online store, enter 'grapevine10' in the coupon section at checkout.Woohoo, winter sales are on everywhere!

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-48820328846917832012009-08-19T03:41:00.000-07:002010-03-04T03:28:05.536-08:00

Nappies Covered is an online store selling everything you could possibly want or need to make your own nappies. And for 15% off store wide, just enter this coupon code MGV09 at checkout. Check out the sale items section for an even bigger discount and there is also a remnants and seconds section where offcuts the right size for boosters etc are sold in packs. Ooooh, oooh, oooh, nappy nirvana!

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-32051013689975250472009-08-19T03:17:00.000-07:002010-02-11T18:24:34.971-08:00

Kidz Brandz at www.kidzbrandz.com.au is having a winter clearance, with all winter stock heavily reduced. Worth a look to see what you can pick up cheaply for next winter. Be sure to check out the 'seconds' category, or 'secondz' as they call it, for items that may need a little tlc but are even more heavily reduced than the rest.Sale ends 5th September.Oh, and they sell Gap pjs for the little

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-34851135073755714082009-08-13T04:49:00.000-07:002010-02-09T20:56:57.788-08:00

In an effort to get the kids out from under hubby's feet a couple of weekends ago, I thought I'd give them a go at finger painting. Given our small house, this needs to be an outside activity, the small house being the reason needed to get them out from under hubby's feet.Ever have those days when you feel you just can't get away from people, and the noise and activity level is enough to just

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-2812372801631409732009-08-11T04:41:00.001-07:002011-07-08T18:37:07.023-07:00

Well the Nutella turned out pretty well, if not as thick as I remember the shop bought product being. If I make it again, I would probably reduce the amount of milk somewhat to make it a little thicker.This recipe is actually from my thermomix book, but if you have a decent blender or food processor for grinding the hazelnuts, I'm sure it can be made the conventional way. I'll convert it to how I

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-47182143264738224312009-08-07T05:57:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:13:57.792-08:00

In my ongoing attempt to green up my family's life and leave behind as many preservatives and additives as possible, I thought I would try making my own peanut butter. I love peanut butter by the spoonful and the kids eat it on their sammys.....not their daycare ones though, of course. But I find commercial peanut butter far too sweet and depending on what brand you buy it has various things

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-38417909047130004832009-08-03T04:33:00.001-07:002010-02-09T21:11:13.307-08:00

I thought this was a lovely idea, a use for all those toilet roll tubes that you save but are not allowed to donate to pre-schools any more.We go through quite a bit of chalk, the kids love decorating the driveway with all manner of creations and the younger one still enjoys chewing it, heaven only knows why. The only thing I need to do before I embark on this project is find out if plaster of

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-73036413807549769262009-07-30T19:03:00.000-07:002010-02-11T18:26:49.591-08:00

Online store Hotbubba is a having a 50% off all stock sale. There's not a whole lot of stock there but there are some cute basic items, with spots, stripes or stars. Sizes seem to go from 000 - 2. Well priced and standard postage is $1 per item, and they will post internationally. Sale ends 5th August.Now, who can I get some bits for?

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-1319206979497410222009-07-29T02:30:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:14:37.235-08:00

I saw this recipe at Red Bird Crafts a few days ago and it looked so good I had to give it a go. It was very quick and easy and it tastes divine.Usually I keep a bottle of lemon and barley cordial syrup in the cupboard, for 'emergencies' haha, but that will now be phased out and replaced with the recipe below.Lemonade Syrup2 cups of sugar1 cup waterThinly sliced rinds of 2 lemons ( I just used

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-4374279230366393002009-07-25T05:55:00.000-07:002010-11-29T02:14:42.400-08:00

Ok, here's one for ya...Need a new tank top but don't have any cash? No problem ladies, just go through your man's underwear drawer, grab any old pair, cut the crotch out and......Hey presto, a new addition to your summer wardrobe.Not quite my style, or my level or thriftyness, but it's obviously working for someone....

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341318097983878983.post-40636120702461967152009-07-23T19:16:00.000-07:002010-06-07T03:29:03.898-07:00

Spotlight is having yet another sale, you can check out their online catalogue here. And have you heard of Spotlight's VIP club? It gives you extra discounts on a range of things within the store, over and above the sale price. You'll notice there are VIP catalogues showing at the above link, it's worth it to join up and membership doesn't cost anything. Just ask at the desk. Gee, I wonder how

Cat J Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09392607219027350143noreply@blogger.com0