Tuesday 12 June 2012

Dinner with a three year old...

Lately, we've been having a bit of a battle at the dinner table. C has been taking anywhere up to two hours to eat her dinner, which was getting quite tedious.

So, last Wednesday night I made apricot chicken (her favourite), set the timer for 15 minutes, and told her that unless she ate her whole dinner without mucking around by the time the timer went off, she wasn't getting any dessert. She finished with eight minutes to spare and had a little ice-cream. After she'd finished we had a talk and decided to do up a reward chart, and if she had five orange stars in a week she could go for a bike ride to the shop and get a treat of her choice.

It's been working a treat. So, today I got a little creative and came up with a groovy printable chart that we can use. I put three rows under each day, so it can be used for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or for three weeks of one meal a day.



We've had a whole week of argument free dinners. It rocks! You're 100% free to print it and use it if it might help you out. Even if it only helps one other family out, it's worth it!

Love on ya's all

mama sof xxx

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Bottoms Up!

I'm back!

It's been a manic couple of months here, doll making and just doing everyday life stuff.

But, that means you've got a super variety of things to read through here!

First off are the dolls. I've had quite a few orders, so here's the ones that are finished and now living with their new owners.


Aren't they sweet?!
As always, let me know if you'd like to order one. 

Another big(gish?) thing that's happened is I've finally got my new header sorted out! A huge thank you to Kylie George (from Kylie George Designs - I'd post a link but I can't bloody find it?) for turning my sketch into the fabulousness you see at the top of the page. Wooo!

I've discovered how to make super easy apple pies. Just what you need for the coming winter!
Grab a sheet of puff pastry, cut it into quarters, whack a dollop of stewed apples (or canned pie apple) in the middle, and fold 'er up. Egg-wash and bake at a high-ish temp until golden. You can freeze them easily, make a whole heap and pop 'em into a container without cooking them (with baking paper between so they don't stick to each other) and they're ready to go.


Not the prettiest, but they're damn tasty!

I've done a whole lot of little things, like deciding to wash the kitchen window fly-screen. This of course turned into painting the windowsill and making a little curtain-y thing, but it makes a huge difference! I almost enjoy washing dishes now. Almost...


Yeah, I'm all about mixing up instagrammed and non-instagrammed pics. 
I never said I was consistent...

I've made some funky scarves from things that were hanging around...


...had my first decent sewing failure...

It was meant to be an oven glove...

...and today, I baked my most successful batch of cookies ever! 


Yeah, I know it's unbelievable considering how awesome I am, but I absolutely SUCK at baking. I have NEVER had a whole batch of cookies come out of the oven un-burned. But today - not even one who's 'lightly golden' was more 'eighty year old sun-worshiper'. This is cause for celebration! Bottoms up!

For some reason the picture's around the wrong way and it
 won't let me change it. But how cute are they?!

On that wonderfully positive note, I'm gonna sign off now. Hopefully I'll be back again quick-smart. Unless I find another good book, that is!

Hope y'all are doing smashingly!

Love on ya's,

mama sof xx