maddie and the "man date"

kids are so funny. i love to write down the things they say so i can laugh about them later... and this one that happened a few weeks ago was a pearler.

maddie finds an empty fanta bottle in the car

maddie: who had this?

me: i did

maddie: when?

me: today. daddy and i had lunch together (dougs rdo)

maddie: like a date?

me: well kind of, but not really. poppy was with us too.

maddie: cause you know you can still go on dates after you get married... you know, like when daddy and hayden go on their man dates? 

solid gold. i laughed for ages. yes maddie. like daddy and hayden and their man dates.

found this selfie on my phone yesterday. love it so much. we really do have adorable kids. ♥

madeline's baptism photoshoot

our not-so-little girl is about to turn eight... which in our church means she will soon be baptised! we don't do baptisms when children are infants, which i think is wonderful as it allows the children to make a choice whether they want to be a part of the church or not. 

maddie is pretty excited about it, which is awesome. i'm hoping she remembers her day as well as i remember mine and loves looking back on it and the promises she will make.

we needed photos for the invitation and the program, so a week or so ago, we went down to the old railway clearing near mum and dads to take some pictures. we had so much fun there and i love the shots we got. we've done well getting to use her flowergirl dress from niques wedding again seeing as it was two years ago now... thank goodness mum made it so long!

i especially love this amazing old chair of mums that she let us use for the shots. it is so cool!

maddie girl... i can't wait to see you go places! ♥

♥

she spun and danced around in the clearing and they were by far the best shots...

this is the one we are going to use for the invite. i love it!

♥

hello fresh: a completely unbiased review

i have a friend who regularly orders meals from hello fresh. she loves their stuff. i am all about budget cooking and making my dollar stretch further so i haven't been super keen to try it, especially when i am being flagged down by random people promoting it in the shopping centre.

however, said friend was sent some free boxes from hello fresh and asked me if i would like to try it. she sent one to me and one to dougs parents (super kind of her!) which i ordered through the app. here is where the problems began. i have a small baby who cries a lot. if you don't cancel your subscription, you'll start getting charged the value of the free box weekly... which is $124.95 plus $9.95 delivery where we live. i'm happy to try the box, not pay for one weekly. perhaps i'll order at some later stage, let's wait and see. but noooooo, i cancelled my subscription too early (due to stressing that i would forget to do it later!), was refunded my $9.95 i had paid for delivery and then when i called to complain, was told that i could no longer have my free box, as i was no longer a new customer. what the heck?! did i receive one i was unaware of? nope. the system says i have ordered one, so that "violates their terms and conditions" as i cancelled it too soon and now i get nothing. well. their customer service team weren't very nice about it, i was well unimpressed and i got absolutely no where complaining, as did my friend who sent me it to begin with. i lost my freebie, she lost the freebie she sent me... no one is happy here.

but. there was still the in-laws freebie and we ordered that. it arrived on schedule, the contents were fresh and the recipes were easy... and the meals were delicious. like super good. i would absolutely make them again, and thanks to the handy recipe cards that are included, i can! awesome.

but i find them very expensive. $124.95 for three meals for four people? i could do my weeks shopping for that! if you have the money, you're uninspired and you want some excellent fancy meals to make, well worth it. you want budget meals? hello fresh is not for you. i very much doubt i'll order again in the future unless i get some awesome deals emailed to me... 

my only advice would be, don't call their customer service unless you want to bang your head against a wall... and if you get a free box, make sure you skip the following weeks subscription on the app and then cancel as soon as the box arrives. that way they won't slog you for the following week straight away.

hello fresh - well worth a try. easy, quick, tasty, meals... just not easy on the pocket.

the cutest baby

completely biased and unashamed... but how cute is my baby!

i snapped this photo of him on sunday and he seriously looks good enough to eat. i can barely deal with the cuteness. 

baby alex, you are adorable! ♥

step up pyjama disco

mads went off to her first dance school disco this evening and loved every second of it. they had a pyjama theme which she was thrilled about and raced inside when we dropped her off. she raved about what a good time she'd had when we picked her up and happily waved a few prizes she had won at me... even better! she loves her dance school and i am so grateful to the staff there who do little extra things like this for the kids to have fun ♥

what a poser!

alex is eight months old!

somehow this kid is yet another month older and my mum heart just can't deal with it... yet here we are and he's eight months old. 

during the past month alex has:

- said mum mum mummmm when he's really upset. i'm not 100% sure it was actually mum, but i am claiming it

- been scooting backwards around the floor

- raising himself up on to his hands and knees

- been sucking away on this thumb like his life depends on it

- had to become super loud to ensure he is heard over his brother and sister

- tried very hard to start crawling

- gotten so close to sitting up!

- on the very last day of this month, said his first very clear word - dad!

baby alex, you are so, so loved. ♥

swan settlers market

today we finally checked out the swan settlers market off great northern highway in herne hill, (124 lennard st, turn at lamonts) and oh is it cute! it's built in the old produce building in the historic woodbridge estate and is so gorgeous inside. i loved it so much, as did my kids who excitedly told me all about the time they had been there before. i was so confused, until they said that nanna took them there... apparently while doug and i were in melbourne for letitia's wedding last year.

mine and madeline's favourite thing was the petting zoo. the lovely man that owned it sat and chatted with the two of us while we held rabbits and guinea pigs for quite some time, she was in heaven! she has been asking doug and i non-stop for either one for months... so i hoping it's out of her system now, because we are notttt getting one.

seriously though, look how happy it made her!

they were pretty fun to cuddle though, not going to lie!

there was some amazing food places there... including a fairy floss place, which the kids managed to convince poppy to buy them and a kiwi food store that we hit up for lunch, which happens to be owned by one of the girls i know from maddie's school. we've become quite friendly over the last couple of years and it was great to see her there... and the boys loved their lunch.

the markets are still small at this stage, but there is already a lot to look at... with crystal, crafts, produce and vintage finds. we'll definitely be back! 

family visitors!

dougs aunt and uncle spent the last two days with us here in perth, as a side trip while uncle junior was here in australia visiting from england. it's been years since we saw him last and it was so great to have him here with us and spend a bit of time with the kids.

we took them to fremantle for the day, doug unfortunately couldn't come as he had training scheduled at work... but it was fun all the same.

we wandered around the courtyard and galleries of the fremantle prison...

which aunty favz loved, seeing as she actually works for one!

i love fremantle prison, so much history to be found!

the kids had a good time... being little goofs as usual

maddie and i from above

uncle junior is a rugby coach and played years ago for the samoan team... he's still super strong and was able to swing my kids about with no effort at all, which they loved!

we paid a visit to the fishing boat harbour afterwards for lunch, fish and chips of course!

at the most famous local store, cicerello's

uncle junior and baby alex

icecream for dessert. anything goes when aunty is here!

a quick hello to bon scott before we took off

and of course a photo with our favourite sign!

the kids loved having uncle junior here with us -

we just hope it's not so long between visits next time!

baked cheesecake

i got brave a while ago and made my first baked cheesecake. it was a lot easier than i had thought it would be - and tasted delicious! i got the recipe here... and look how pretty it turned out!

easy classic baked cheesecake

ingredients:

cheesecake biscuit base:

200g crushed milk arrowroot biscuits

120g unsalted butter , melted

cheesecake filling:

500g softened cream cheese

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp vanilla extract

125g full fat sour cream

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

zest of 1 lemon

3 room temperature eggs

topping:

berry mix, preferably not frozen

icing sugar to dust

instructions:

preheat oven to 160c or 140c (fan forced)

get a 20cm springform cake tin. turn the base upside down, butter sides and place a square piece of baking paper on the base. clip into the springform pan.

cheesecake biscuit base:

blitz biscuits in a food processor. add butter, briefly blitz until it resembles wet sand.

pour into the prepared cake tin. use a spatula to roughly spread it out over the base and up the walls.

use  a measuring cup to press the crumbs up the wall almost to the top of the sides, and flatten the base.

filling:

beat the cream cheese until smooth. add flour, beat until just combined.

add vanilla, sour cream, sugar and lemon zest. beat until just combined.

add eggs one at a time, beat in between until just combined. do not over beat. pour into prepared crust. bake for 55 minutes. the top should be a very light golden brown, not cracked, and near perfectly flat. it should jiggle slightly when you gently shake the pan. cool the cake in the oven with the door open 20 cm. then refrigerate for 4 hours+ in the pan. remove from tin. top with berries and dust with icing sugar... and if you're me, drip melted white chocolate on top too. delish! 

side note: do not be tempted to use low fat anything in this cake. you'll end up with some runniness, which is not a good thing. resist the urge. i learned because i had low fat sour cream in the fridge and i did my usual move of "use what you have." never again.

super yum. going on the "must make again list." i love, love cheesecake and the little lemony tang was perfect. ♥

chicken and sweet corn soup

it's winter. it's cold and i wanted chicken soup because everyone around me is getting sick. i figured it really couldn't be that hard to make, so i asked my good friend google and he found me this recipe from taste australia. i did my usual and made it work with what we had and it was yummmm, so here's what i did below. 

i remember when we were younger and would go and have dinner at the chinese restaurant in town that we would always have chicken and sweet corn soup and i loved it, this brought me way back to my childhood and i'll definitely be making it again for my family.

chicken and sweet corn soup

ingredients

4 cups chicken stock

400g chicken breast

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

2 teaspoons crushed ginger

1 tablespoon cornflour

1/4 cup water

1 x 420g can creamed corn

1 x 300g can corn kernels, rinsed, drained

100g shaved ham, thinly sliced

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon sesame oil

6 green spring onions, thinly sliced diagonally

salt & pepper

method

put the stock and uncut chicken in a large saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. transfer chicken to a heatproof bowl. set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. finely shred.

add the soy sauce and ginger to the stock mixture. place the cornflour in a small bowl and gradually stir in the water until smooth and combined. gradually stir the cornflour mixture into the consomme mixture. cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until consomme thickens slightly. add the chicken, creamed corn, corn and ham and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until hot.

use a fork to whisk the egg whites in a small bowl. gradually pour the egg whites into the soup, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

cook for 2 minutes or until white ribbons swirl though the soup. remove from heat.

add the sesame oil and half the green shallot and stir to combine. 

aladdin

best. day. ever!

aladdin has always been my favourite movie, so i was thrilled (yet a little hesitant) when i heard they were making a live action version. we went to see it today anddddd i actually loved it.

i must admit the thing that made me the most hesitant was the genie not being robin williams. okay, i am not stupid, i know he can't play the genie as obviously he is no longer with us... but i was scared that someone else would ruin the part. when they announced that it would be will smith i was a bit.... miffed. i mean, everyone loves will smith, but he's a totally different kind of funny. but it worked. he made all the right jokes, threw in some funny references (including a few fresh prince ones that doug loved!) and made the character his own. the thing that i noticed the most though, was that robin williams, even if he were here, couldn't have played the part that way. smith is considerably younger than williams would be and he threw in so much movement and energy that i just don't think williams could have. he was different. and different is sometimes great.

i loved loved loved jasmine. i love that she had direction and ambition and knew that she wanted to make something of herself, purely to better her people. she was the best. most of all, i loved that disney gave her a song. it's always annoyed me that jasmine didn't have a song of her own - and speechless was incredible. i'm obsessed!

aladdin was great and i loved him. i loved that he was awkward and relate-able. he was an excellent choice for the title role. 

all in all, i would say it was amazing. the colours and scenes were incredible and i will 100% be watching it again - and again.

disney, you never cease to amaze me. you are absolutely incredinle! ♥

jacob is 4

on saturday we got to attend the clackline social event of the season, master jacob macqueens fourth birthday party. my bestie jen put in a phenomenal effort making a disney cars themed shindig for him and as usual no one was disappointed. the centrepiece of the day was this amazing cardboard mack that jen found on gumtree and i wedged into the back of my car. the things you do for your mates. but seriously, it was so, so cool! i know she had been planning to make one, but when it turned up already done...  

 

our little birthday boy had the best day, munching on some goodies, wearing a cool cars t-shirt, laughing and playing with his mates. living his best life! seriously though, can we please take a moment to appreciate the fact that he had a lightning mcqueen party and his last name actually is macqueen? mate, as far as i am concerned that allows for major bragging rights at that age!!

baby alex had an great time too, being carried around by jen's sister-in-law and madeline for most of the day while i snapped pictures all around the place.

how cool are these cookies jen whipped up? lighting mcqueen, jackson storm and cruz ramirez eyes. joseph was well pleased. this party would have been all his dreams come true a few short years ago!

some of the awesome treats on offer. my best friend is a magician in the kitchen. 

birthday boy with his hardworking mum

and his family... about to grow by one in a few months!

isabel and mum ♥

i loved jacob's little face when jen bought the cake out... there is seriously nothing more exciting than seeing your birthday cake for the first time and jen's cakes never disappoint. this was pretty epic. 

it was an awesome day and we were so glad to be a part of it ♥

happy birthday jacob!