December 2011

War Card Game For Kids

December 31, 2011

The War Card Game is a favourite with my kids. It is a great game for youngsters (4+) who are just starting to learn the relativity of numbers, eg that 3 is bigger than 2, 8 is bigger than 4 etc. It is a two player game and although we have a specific War Card [...]

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2011 Goals – End Of Year Review

December 29, 2011

I have learnt a lot about goal setting in 2011. This year I didn’t fair so well in achieving all my goals. I have rated my achievement in the table below and will explain my key learning after the table. This time last year I wrote about setting SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, [...]

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Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse

December 27, 2011

This is a great super easy recipe that you can make in a day or so in advance. I made individual Olive Oil Chocolate Mousse cups for dessert on Christmas Day. This recipe is based on one from George Calombaris and it was the first time I have melted chocolate using a bain marie – [...]

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Tips For Enjoying Christmas Day With Young Kids

December 23, 2011

Today’s post is actually an excerpt from the Planning With Kids book! You can purchase signed copies of the book here on the blog or you can also find it in most book stores and Big W. I am taking an online holiday until Monday 16th January. Over the next couple of weeks, I have [...]

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A Quick Trip To Kuala Lumpur

December 21, 2011

I had the most fantastic whirlwind trip to Malaysia over the last weekend. I went to celebrate the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards. And as noted yesterday, I flew to Kuala Lumpur courtesy of AirAsiaX. AirAsia X is part of the low cost airline group Air Asia and they cover flights in and around Asia [...]

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Flying Solo – Preparing The Family For Your Absence

December 20, 2011

I arrived back from Malaysia in the early hours of Monday morning. I have had some amazing opportunities this year via blogging for which I am grateful and attending the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards was one of them. Planning With Kids wasn’t a finalist, but I was very proud to be in Kuala Lumpur [...]

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Easy Christmas Treats

December 17, 2011

I do love Christmas time. Love the festivity of it, the warmth shared amongst family and friends and the generosity that you see. These very cute watermelon Christmas trees make such an easy Christmas Treat. I can take no credit for the idea! The lovely Jessica from Apples and Jam, sent me a photo of [...]

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iPad Apps For The School Holidays

December 15, 2011

This post is sponsored by Nuffnang. I have been lusting after an iPad for awhile now, so jumped at the chance when Vodafone asked if I would like to review one (I do have to give it back though!). Vodafone now have plans where you pay nothing upfront and get to take home a very [...]

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8th Birthday Party Ideas

December 13, 2011

It was our daughters 8th birthday on Saturday and this year it was her turn to have a birthday party. She really loves to create, so wanted to have a crafty party. I am still recovering from the having the 8th birthday party and the Community Blogging Christmas Event less than 24 hours apart (not [...]

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Tzatziki Dip Recipe – one the kids can help you make!

December 12, 2011

This post is from Christie at Childhood101. Christie has a fabulous blog which is a great resource for parents and has a philosophy I strongly believe in – that play is a critical factor in early childhood development. Childhood101 is a finalist for the parenting category of the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards being held [...]

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Community Blogging Christmas Event

December 11, 2011

Over the last month I have worked pretty furiously with a lovely group of Melbourne Bloggers – Kathy, Kate, Marita, Amanda and Shae on a Community Blogging Christmas Event. The idea behind Community Blogging is bloggers supporting and working with not for profit organisations in the local community. For our first event, we held a [...]

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Christmas Treats Recipe – Quick and Tasty!

December 10, 2011

This post is part of my 10 week Christmas Preparation Plan for 2011. I have had a super busy last couple of days. Last night we held our first Community Blogging event which was so inspiring! I will talk more about it tomorrow. Then today I had my daughter’s 8th birthday party, so I have [...]