Happy Kids, Happy Mum!

As far as I can remember, I had never looked after someone else's child up until the other day. A friend of mine needed a carer for her daughter for a day and I put my hand up, even though I was a bit anxious about it. I know the little girl and my children love spending time with her. It definitely made it easier that they get along well.

Luckily, our little guest had great manners and her interests were similar to my children's. There were lots of reading, chatting, puzzles etc. during the day (actually, at some stage, my son was walking around with a crown on his head! Oh girls! They know how to make boys do things for sure). I didn't really need to come up with activity ideas for them most of the day but I did suggest a few little things which they happily accepted.

One of the favourites on the day was the outdoor painting activity. If you have been following my blog, you would know that we have been renovating since towards the end of last year. We have completed most of it but there are still some jobs to do before we can call it 'all done'. One advantage of this process is that we have got lots of cardboards around. We try to get rid of them slowly, putting them in our recycling bin whenever possible but we still have heaps. On the day, I basically cut one large piece nice and neatly and gave it to the kids to use as a canvas. They took one of their paint sets, took a paint brush each and simply got started.  They all had a great amount of space for their masterpieces.

This would make a perfect party activity and it won't even cost much. Just make sure you have got nice sized cardboards, enough paint brushes to avoid any tears and screaming; and an art smock each so that no-one ends up with a set of clothes covered in paint to go back home with. All you need after this is to sit back and enjoy the sound of laughter and the bright, proud eyes on the children's faces!

(Our little guest learning hand-embroidery)

(A snack platter from the day)

 Have a fantastic day!

DID YOU KNOW ...? (76)

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Are you one of those millions of people that have wondered whether penguins have knees or not at some stage in their lives? Well, here is the answer in case you have not found it out yet; yes, they do have knees.

RECIPE: Gourmet style couscous salad

Here is the newest addition to our family's salads menu. It was such a winner with the kids when we made it for the first time that our son even asked for some for his lunch at school the next day. 

Ingredients: (serves approximately 6 people):

- 1 packet couscous (500g) (larger couscous preferable)
- Some red capsicum (a small capsicum)
- Some rocket (a big handful)
- Some walnuts (about a handful)
- Dill (optional but it is particularly delicious in this salad)
- Parsley (optional)
- Roasted veggies such as zucchini and pumpkin (optional)
- Some olive oil, lemon juice and salt for seasoning.

Method:

Cook your couscous using the instructions provided on the packaging (it only takes about 10-13 minutes to cook). Once the couscous has cooled down, add all of your ingredients and seasoning and mix well. Voila! Your salad is ready! (You can add some chicken, fish or meat to it and have it as a main or have it as a side dish).

Enjoy something delicious today!