What's in the Box?

Recently I received a great big box in the mail...

...and inside that was another box wrapped with a gorgeous red ribbon...

...and inside THAT box was a FABULOUS prize pack full of organic and fair-trade goodies!

I had won a competition over at one of my favourite sites CHILDHOOD 101.
Thanks so much to Christie and also to Mitsubishi Motors Australia who SPONSORED THE COMPETITION.
Here's a list of what was in the pack:

CODE: FT – Fair Trade, CO – Certified Organic, AUS – Australian made and/or owned, PF – Palm Oil Free, O – Organic, V – Vegan Friendly, PA – Planet Ark approved

Tielka Tea: Earl Grey Royale and China Breakfast (FT, CO, AUS, PA)

Gunbower Creek: Extra Virgin Olive Oil (O, AUS, PF)
Heavenly Delights: Lemon Shortbread (O, AUS, PF)
Port Willunga Fine Foods: Gourmet Snack Pack (O, AUS, PF)
Lindsay & Edmunds: Sweet Tooth Gift Pack (FT, CO, AUS, PF)
Sleep Sanctuary: Relaxing Bath Soak (O, AUS, PF)
Siham Craftlink: Hemp Loufah (O, AUS, PF)
Mokosh Organic and Fairtrade skin care: 2x bath bombs (FT, CO, AUS, PF)
Gunbower Creek: Olive handmade packaged soaps (O, AUS, PF)
Pure and Green Organics: Citrus with Coffee Exfoliate (CO, V, PA, AUS, PF)
Gunbower Creek: Body Butter (O, AUS, PF)

Talk about a prize pack!

To win you had to leave a comment about how you are helping your children to become more environmentally aware.

Here was my answer:

Our kiddos (9,8,6 and 2) learn how to sort garbage around here at a young age. They learn what goes into the ‘normal’ waste bin, what goes into recycling and then what goes into the ‘chooks’ bin for composting. They love to watch our chickens devour the recyclable things we put in there. We’ve switched to making our own spray (vinegar and water) to wipe countertops and the glass doors/mirrors and because it is so safe for them and the environment, they are able to use these sprays to help without us worrying about toxic harmful fumes. We’ve also begun to make the switch to homemade shampoo and conditioner since it is more environmentally friendly. The kids mostly shower to a timer too.
I think it is really important for our children to learn about these things from a young age! Great post
Lusi x
What a great giveaway!

 Now, I don't have anything to offer you for playing along BUT I am keen to hear what you do at your place to help your children become more environmentally aware. Please share!

More soon.
Much love,

Pictures of Stuff.... :)

Daddy hanging out this gorgeous shirt ready for bubby - so sweet :)...

Ethi nestled into the doll's high chair reading...

Stass all dolled up ready to go out with her special friend on her birthday...

Here they are enjoying milkshakes and cupcakes...

and we have decided once a year (on their birthdays) that the kids can come off the diet for one little thing like this cupcake and milkshake...

Stass got some fantastic books for her birthday, a bike from us (which she has now learnt to ride without training wheels - so proud of her today for not giving up!) and she got this beautiful big black photo frame for her room from nanny poppy and sulley...

and she also got this wonderful brand new keyboard which she just happens to be learning at the moment too! She got it from my mum and dad...

And here she is getting ready to blow out the candles. I just LOVE watching my kids faces as they gaze into the candlelight just before they blow them out. I LOVE it to the point that it makes me tear up everytime. Look at that smile. It's priceless and it comes once a year. And i LOVE it :)It's a tradition my dad started a number of years ago...each of the kids plays the harmonica with dad while everyone sings 'happy birthday!'... I lOVE little family traditions like that too...

And I always love the actual moment they 'blow out' the candles...

I found these huge glass jars on the side of the road recently for the council chuck out and washed them up and recycled them as gift for my mother's group friends. With a polka dot pink and white ribbon around the top and a letter inside, I gave these to the girls as vases for the year ahead. Just a little something to brighten their day...

Here are the safe oat cookies i baked last night with safe chocolate icing...

And thanks to Natti's recipe, here are the safe cupcakes I made as Stassi's Mothers Group cake this year. Finally have worked out the whole icing issue - yay!

And a little closer up... Our kids can only have the marshmallow topped ones but there is a darling in our group who has nut-trace allergies and she can have the Dollar brand hundreds and thousands...

And tonight's dinner was something new to try - baked pumpkin risotto and it was really yummy so that's going to be a regular vegie meal here for sure!!! :)

5 things I am thankful to the Lord for today:

1. Mother's Group friends being here to celebrate with us today

2. My mother in law showing me how to use my little sewing machine as an overlocker

3. The new risotto dish

4. Getting to speak with the fabulous new Occupational Therapist and the fact that she comes to us and works with the whole family! Thank you Lord!

5. Your forgiveness and unfailing love Lord :)

Lus x

A bundle of pink goodness...

was waiting for me at home when I returned from hospital yesterday -it was a big box of beautiful baby goodies sent from my friend Cassandra King. Thanks Cass so much for your kindness mate - all of those goodies will come in so handy!
We are all so grateful (and excited to be folding and putting away tiny pink clothes!!!)
Lus x

12.12.08 friends food farewells

We decided that today would be Stass' last day attending school. So she made these 'thank you for being my friend' cards to give to each of her classmates. She decorated them and wrote on them all by herself.

We have really been blessed to have two wonderful teachers this year looking after her class. They really are the kind that go above and beyond the call of duty putting in lots of extra time to care for the students. So we gave each teacher and their husbands, a movie pack that I put together.

Here's how to make a quick one:
Step One:
Buy these plastic popcorn holders from Coles


Step Two:
Fill each one with candy bars to snack on during the movie (or make your own alternative healthy snacks to pop in there)

Step Three:
Add in the adult movie tickets

Step Four:
Wrap in cellophane or foil wrap with a nice ribbon and card
And each year our mother's group has an end of year party; they understand our family doesn't observe Christmas and so refrain from making it in that theme which is really lovely for us. We all give a small family present and card just to say thank you to each other for loving and supporting one another throughout the course of the year. It is a beautiful thing.
This year I made low salicylate ginger bread (without ginger) men. They were big ones and had one for each person in the family. I typed out the recipe I used and added it as part of the gift.
I also bought some fridge magnets from Camera House and then added the family surname to each one in those tiny Making Memories mini letters just up in each corner. That way each family could choose which fave family shot they wanted to slot into the magnetic frames.



Here is the cake that Brett made last night and it was so good!



Here are our beautiful friends Heiko and Lori

and me with the beautiful Sharon who left church last week with her 4 gorgeous homeschooled children (one coming on the way! She is 5 weeks ahead of me). We will miss them so much and they have been such an encouragement to me. PS: Diane I can't believe how small the world is!!!

And here's the low salicylate gingerbread men (without the ginger!) recipe from Sue Dengate's Fed Up book:

Gingerbread Men

Ingredients:

125g Nuttelex
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup golden syrup
3tsp bicarb soda
1 egg
3 cups plain flour

Method:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius.
Dissolve nuttelex, sugar & golden syrup in the microwave.
When lukewarm, stir in bicarb soda & egg. Place flour in bowl, make a well in the centre to add other
ingredients. Knead to form a dough, roll out on floured
surface & cut into gingerbread shapes. Cook for 15 mins.

So today is the end of an era for our family; the last time I make the trip to school to pick Stass up. The last time I say 'thank you' to her teacher and the last time I ask her if she's remembered to pick up everything! lol :) But while she was sad (completely normal) for a little while, we all have God's peace that this is the right decision for our family. She has been asking tonight if we can do homeschooling work tomorrow! lol :)

5 things I am thankful for today:

1. for Arley dropping in some gorgeous baby clothes

2. a lovely encouraging chat with Christina

3. my dear friend Gail Oates

4. brett working hard for our family and still having enough time to come home + rumble with the boys

5. Philipians 4:8

Lus x

Thank you!

I got two very special deliveries this past week - one was from Lisa Balm in Qld who sent me these gorgeous knitted warm woolies for our little princess - THANK YOU LIS!

And the other were some gorgeous outfits from my beautiful friend Mell Mallin who is passing these gorgeous girly outfits onto us. THANK YOU HONEY!

These are very special and we thank you both for your kindness :)

Love Lus x