Around Here

I can't believe we are nearly at the end of January 2016 already....next week the kids go back to school and James is going into High School so our routines will change a bit and a new routine will be sorted out once we know the time table.  At the beginning of each term I do up an excel spreadsheet with before school, after school and evening activities and whether it is a sports day or library day or swimming day and this way everyone knows what is happening on the school days so no one leaves items at home that are required at school that day.  I also slot in time for homework so we know which afternoons and/or mornings this will happen on.  I've drafted up the Term 1 spreadsheet ready for the information to be received and once I update it the schedule will be placed on the fridge.

I took the kids away camping for a couple of days this week to "Bigriggen" which is a lovely spot with lots of trees and shady spots for your tent.  We swam in the creek saw lots of animals while we were there, kangaroos, lace monitor lizards.  While we were there a little girl was fishing and caught 3 eels and James saw a bandicoot at night near our campsite.  One thing I didn't like was the amount of possums that came into your camp side and I covered our tables and items with tarps at night so if any of the possums wandered over our stuff and did their business it wouldn't be over our things.  It turned out that was a great move.  We had no food stuffs out however they were very curious and I ended up having to jump out of my sleeping back and go outside and chase the possums away as they would try and open the eski, I had several boxes stacked upon one another and they were trying to get into them.  I haven't had a chance to download any of my photos because I've got no room on my laptop so I'll have to get to that next week however for now here's some pics of what we have been up to.

Also for those people who read my "Budgetting Tips" I hope you got something out of it and it sounds like making those phone calls to your suppliers are already paying off by getting a better deal.

With school starting back next week if you haven't made these biscuits from Rhonda's blog at Down to Earth before make sure you do it now.  500gms butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 can of condensed milk and 5 cups of SR wholemeal flour.  I've written about them before...they are so easy and with the SR wholemeal flour in them they are textured and good for you (well that's what I think anyway).  Once you make the mix you can turn them into jam drops which I did today and also I made some with little chocolate bits on top.  I usually cook half the mixture and freeze the rest in a plastic bag with instructions (180 degrees for 10 minutes or 170 fan forced).  Half the mix made 75 biscuits so it would make approx 150 biscuits which is so economical and they are so delicious.  You could bake them all on the same day however it's easy to store the mixture and then when we need more it's already made and I just need heat up the oven and make little balls on the tray.  I make them and freeze them and just get out what we need on the day. 

Bluey coming over to say hello.

Afternoon light in our family room...love the patterns the screens show through the blinds.

Sienna and I making Anzac Biscuits.

Home made pies and salad for dinner....I know we all buy gadgets that sit in the cupboard however the pie maker is an awesome one...I'm sure you could pick up one 2nd hand on your local Facebook Buy & Sell.  The pies take 8 minutes to make and comes with the cutter to give you the correct shape.

Sienna and her latest constructed cubby house.

Enjoying inside her cubby house watching a tv show....my kids are not allowed their devices in their bedrooms however I made an exception for this.

Family games night with tied and cranky children....both took turns to sulk but hey, this is real life.

Filling up the water balloons that Santa got them on a rainy day....

James enjoying the rain.

Playing in the rain with water balloons...it's great being a kid...

James enjoying the rain.

Both of them playing in the rain with their water balloons.