Saturday Night Special When we think of our childhoods, or any pleasant memories involving food really, the enjoyment today is often more about the nostalgic pleasure than actually liking the taste of the food. Unbelievable as it may sound, back in the day when I was a child, people cooked... Continue reading

It occurred to me yesterday that I started this blog in November 2014. There have been stops and starts along the way, and at one point it became something of a homeschooling journal. So it's been a while! And I've been missing doing this. Just for me. I remember back... Continue reading

Some weeks ago Peter and I had a conversation/negotiation about who would pick up the dog poo from the lawn in anticipation of the lawn mower man's visit the next morning. Peter said he would tidy the deck and sweep up the leaves if I would see to the poo.... Continue reading

We have never really made a big deal about Valentine's Day. I find the idea of getting chocolates or flowers because it's an expectation incredibly unromantic really. And ice cream pink and tomato red together, what a terrible colour combination. https://www.etsy.com/listing/217284299/happy-consumer-driven-love-day-card?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=anti-valentines%20day%20cards&ref=sc_gallery_4&plkey=b2128eab4bc292478be382588cba61729e39958b:217284299 But I do love to feed the ones I... Continue reading

It's not every day you turn 55! Most years, I will commit to some New Year's resolutions, and when I invariably don't stick to them for even a week, I'll hold out for my birthday to "renew my commitments". I read a story a while back that struck a chord... Continue reading

The happiest time of the year, right? Yeah, nah, not in 2020. Fact is, my needs and feelings are directly linked to Joshua's. I can only be as relaxed and happy and at peace as he is. If Christmas was like it used to be when we were kids (yes,... Continue reading

This is another fantastic find on the New Zealand Made Products Facebook page. I love this book! I suppose we all have those trusted and tried recipes that are really quick to make with everyday ingredients you are likely to have on hand. So several of these recipes looked familiar... Continue reading

So Tuesday was Bastille Day! I am always fascinated by the fact that some of the biggest celebrations worldwide are to commemorate some form of violent uprising or event where people died at the hands of others in the most gruesome manner imaginable. And no, that's not a judgment or... Continue reading

Am I the only one who has so many plans and ideas and lists and intentions of doing stuff that the mere weight of all these things that I want to do to some gold standard I impose on myself, leaves me feeling totally overwhelmed and in the end progress... Continue reading

Back in the day, Peter and I used to watch the British version of Come Dine With Me from time to time. For those not familiar with the format, there are 5 dinner guests, and over the course of 5 nights, each one gets a turn to host a dinner... Continue reading

Man, it took me so long to create the cool image for this blog post that I now feel all my creative energy has been depleted. No great epiphany as far as the lockdown is concerned. But I wanted to start somewhere, and COVID-19 has had such a profound effect... Continue reading

As the days go by, I am becoming aware of the fact that life in our little bubble is carrying on more or less the same as it did the previous several years before Covid 19 forced people into quarantine, self isolation and lockdowns. I also saw several posts from... Continue reading

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/412602/teddy-bears-in-windows-to-cheer-up-kids-during-lockdown I haven't posted here in a while. I keep meaning to, but somehow something always comes up and it gets put on the back burner. But I felt that now would be a good time to get back into it on a regular basis - she says, as she's... Continue reading

Nothing really to it, and yet it's one of the most delicious and satisfying food combinations I can think of. We have restricted carb meals, which is difficult for us because bread and potatoes are SO good. So, when we do indulge, I try to make it a bit of... Continue reading

By that I mean, without ever preparing a lesson. It just ... happens! It's like magic. You need one essential ingredient though - curiosity. Last week I decided to give Joshua's bedroom a thorough decluttering and clean. Joshua loved the whole process and kept finding long forgotten treasures. Considering "long"... Continue reading

I got this lovely book for Joshua, to tie in with our "Our World" exploration. As the title page indicates, it's the story of You, the Universe, and Everything. Pretty lofty statement for a not very big book with mostly pictures. But you know what? It says everything that needs... Continue reading

Power cuts are a big deal in our household. We immediately go into "Special Alert" mode. We're just weird that way. This one was a scheduled power cut for an hour this afternoon. At least it wasn't at night time and unexpected, like the short one we had sometime last... Continue reading

Who'd have thought a Country and Western themed celebration pulled together at the last minute could be so fun and easy to organise? And now I know that it's about more than just baked beans (ugh). The food was delicious! I found so much inspiration online that I could probably... Continue reading

Mid-week birthdays pose a bit of a dilemma, especially in Winter. Joshua's birthday fell on a Tuesday, so we decided to have his birthday celebration on the following Sunday. But of course, there had to be cupcakes and presents on the day! So on the Tuesday of his birthday we... Continue reading

Well, I'm back on here. I will no longer be using the separate unschooling blog, since Joshua now has a dedicated "school-related" space for that, and the learning we do at home outside of that is just everyday stuff, which is a better fit here. So about The Cake ...... Continue reading