5 Reasons Why Camping Can Bring You Happiness

The Great Outdoors is not for everyone. It’s raw, dirty, and you're exposed to the elements. And there are bugs. Fortunately for us, we chose the right time of the year and did not encounter one mosquito. The flies at times were a tad annoying, especially in the desert.

No matter how rugged (or fancy) your outdoor adventure, there are qualities about camping we won't find elsewhere in one complete package. What could be better than that? If you’re a camping veteran, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re new to the scene, grab your backpack, you’re going to love this.

We are now 5 days back from our 6 day adventure up North. I have finally caught up on all the laundry and cleaning and packing away of camping gear. As I have gone about each of these tasks, fond memories and feelings of gratitude come to mind as I empty beach sand from the pockets of shorts and sleeping bags and...everywhere! Camping is connecting with nature and can bring you so much happiness!

Slowing Down

As soon as you hit your campsite, it’s like time has been reset. Setting up your “new living space” can be a meditative process. Yes, it is slightly challenging with small children. Our two big boys were able to manage Baby P whilst Mr Man and I set up camp. She probably ate a few too many honky nuts, but that's the fun of camping, the rules get relaxed a little. Cooking food outside forces you to slow down. I loved our early morning toast and french press coffee from our little gas burner stove. We would all sit around in camp chairs rugged up from the early winds blowing in cold off the desert, munching toast and watching the sun come up over the trees. And the birds, such sweet songs. The simple act of sleeping outside can bring about a symphony of sounds that even the best app can’t mimic.

Quality Time

This is by far the best thing about camping. It’s THE reason to go camping - even if you go alone. Quality time can come in many forms: hiking, building sand castles, fishing, throwing rocks in the water, etc. Whether you have small children or not, you can collect rocks, leaves and nuts and seeds, shells, or whatever else you find in your travels. It’s a sliver of time where you can truly connect with family, friends, and remember yourself. And the absence of electricity makes for great conversation as you reconnect over games of cards or colouring in by the halogen lamps.

Creativity

At first glance, camping doesn’t seem creative. But nothing could be further from the truth. The second you start planning your trip the creativity begins. It forces you to think about how you’re going to accomplish normal everyday tasks, like cooking. Mr Man and I began collecting our camping gear and adding to it over a couple of months. We bought 3 large 60L storage containers and separated all the items. One was for food (dry goods), one for cooking equipment and plates etc and the other for camping gear - ropes, batteries, torches etc. And the creativity doesn’t end until the moment you leave (when you have to get creative about how you’re going to repack everything - including your newly found, nature-y loot). Journaling, painting, even singing and playing guitar around the campfire allows the creative sparks to fly.

Appreciation in the Little Things

It should go without saying that roughing it in the bush or sand dunes for a few days puts things in perspective. While sleeping under the stars is enjoyable, there is nothing like returning home to your comfy bed. Ditto for basic daily amenities - like showers and electricity. A camping trip is an opportunity to observe the small details of life and those around you.

Healthy Habits

It’s only natural to pick up extra activities when visiting the great outdoors. Walking, hiking, and fishing along with surfing, kayaking, and swimming, camping encourages all sorts of healthy activities. Often these activities have a way of following you home and leading into other forms of self care. You may find new healthy habits popping up, whether it’s finding a new local hiking trail or fishing more. In our beautiful South West town, we have several amazing coastal spots available for weekend camping trips. We have made a commitment (weather pending) to get out and camp in our area more regularly, and plan for a longer camping adventure further away in Spring.

Camping comes with a handful of challenges like getting the baby to sleep in a kinder tent in the family tent and how to perfectly toast a marshmallow, but it’s also the perfect opportunity to enjoy your family, and everything nature has to offer. And THAT can bring you happiness.


I'd love to know what you love about camping and when you last went and where.

Nic Nurtures

Lavender the great leveler - 5 ways with lavender

For as long as I can remember, I have had a love affair with lavender. The essential oil of English Lavender, lavandula angustifolia is a regular of mine and I use it daily. The aroma brings about a sense of comfort, well being and calm. My Nanna used to have some growing in her garden in the Perth Hills and I have fond memories of playing outside amongst the rosemary and lavender on those weekends when I would stay the night at her house. The sweet aromatic scent always put me at ease and me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I still feel that way today.

Lavender has been used for thousands of years and it has a wide list of applications. It is especially valuable for skin care and skin conditions as it promotes skin cell regeneration and kills bacteria, is antibiotic, antiviral, may prevent scarring and ease pain. As a cut flower, lavender is dried to be used for clothes and linen fresheners, as a tea with slices of lemon, in muffins and cakes, as a herbal pillow, in a therapeutic heat pack for tired achey muscles or loving displayed in vases around the home. 

One of the great properties of Lavender is it's ability to increase energy within the body, enhancing the function of the glands, whilst strengthening the body's systems. Lavender helps the body to achieve balance by relieving cramps and spasms and reducing inflammation. It eases problems of the digestive, respiratory and urinary systems and is an extremely effective pain reliever, making it's use perfect for the massage setting. It's anti-inflammatory properties provide relief from problems like, arthritis, sciatica, headaches, muscle tension, cramping and menstrual pain.
 
As an essential oil, lavender has many applications. Using an oil burner, you can create a calming and relaxing aroma that permeates through the air. Drops can be added to your bath or even on a handkerchief to place under your pillow for restful sleeps. Lavender can be added to a base oil for massage to ease and relax tired and aching muscles. Blend lavender with eucalyptus oil and you have a powerful concoction that will assist in healing colds and flu, infections, and ease depression. I frequently massage my children with just a few drops of lavender in some coconut oil before their bedtime or after a big day of sport. Diffusing lavender in an aromatherapy diffuser makes for a calming, peaceful and sleep inducing environment in Baby P's bedroom.
 
When it comes to Stress, there is nothing better than lavender. Lavender is the great leveller. It can create a sense of calm and clears mental chaos. It has the ability to harmonise and balance every aspect of our bodies and minds. Lavender reduces stress and calms the nervous system, lifting feelings of depression and easing headaches and insomnia.This is why lavender was the chosen flower for my wedding. The flowers have beautiful blue and purple hues and a lovely vintage feel. For our wedding, I used lavender everywhere, creating lavender button pins for the gents, lavender bouquet for myself and bridesmaids and a white chocolate and lavender wedding cake. The bouquets and decorations were the perfect sensory experience for the wedding. The mood was calm and relaxed and the atmosphere romantic and spiritual, the lavender so lovely to look at and smell. 

Five Ways with Lavender:

1. Feel it. Have a lavender massage. Be it deep relaxation or deep tissue, a massage that uses lavender oil is bound to make you feel energised.
2. Soak it. Have a lavender bath. You can use lavender essential oils directly in the bath, or perhaps lavender bath salts or lavender bath bubbles are more your thing. This bath will have a calming and soothing affect on your whole body and mind, promoting good sleep.
3. Smell it. With an essential oil burner, place 15 drops in a diffuser will keep your home or office smelling amazing and will create a comforting environment.
4. Grow it. Plant lavender bushes in your garden and along your paths. This bush is very hardy and smells great. The essence of the flowers will be released each time you brush past.
5. Drink it. Take a tablespoon of dried lavender flowers, a few slices of lemon and your favourite teapot and you've got yourself a nurturing herbal tea that will soothe your insides.

Nic Nurtures

Eating to heal - My top 5 inspiring Food Sites

This year, I have been on a journey to heal my body. Part of this process has been about rethinking what I eat and the way I eat. Whilst I have happily enjoyed trying new style of food and cooking, the family has not embraced it all. We've had some hits (homemade pot noodles) and some misses (beetroot brownies). Junior Hoges still begs me to buy white bread for his lunch box. But I have found that if I plan and organise my meals and shopping lists, I can cook up some really delicious lunch box alternatives. 

One of my biggest learning journeys has been to start eliminating foods that are acidic and contribute to inflammation within the body. To my dismay, coffee is highly acidic. I love coffee and have an extremely well established relationship with my caffeine habit, sometimes having up to 3, double shot coffees a day! I know this is not good for me. I have cut back to just one a day after deciding to pay close attention to how I feel after drinking coffee. What I discovered was that I actually felt a bit crap. Deflated. Irritable. That 2nd or 3rd cup lost it's meaning, it's specialness. I now choose to have a glass of water or peppermint tea when I begin to feel that old habit tickling me.

Practising mindfulness with what we eat takes time. You have to choose to slow down and think about what you eat and how you eat it. Breaking sugar and coffee habits are challenging, especially on those hard days when you may be feeling more tired, or more pain, or more grumpy than usual. Food or drink seems to be the best way to comfort. But putting crap into your body only gives you a quick fix, when really a nourishing bowl of soup and a big glass of lemon water will go a long way to healing you physically, emotionally and spiritually. 

I have found much guidance and inspiration through various websites, blogs, naturopaths, mums and authors. Whilst I do not subscribe to any one diet or way of eating, I rather choose to eat intuitively and by what works for me and my family. I try to grow my own and source local produce (easy when you live in a beautiful country town with so much locally grown and farmed produce on your doorstep) and make my own foods from scratch. Muffins, cakes, slices, breads, stocks, broths etc. Where I can't make my own, I try to buy organic and read the ingredients for nasty additive numbers and sugar levels. It may take a little longer, but this is a much more mindful way of eating and ultimately is more enjoyable and healing for the body.

Here is my top 5 Inspiring Food Sites:

Real Food Revival

Well Nourished

Wholefood Mama

Kris Carr

Whole Food Simply

Clear your mind. Make a cup of tea, sit down with a pen and paper and visit these sites. Read, explore and make a list of recipes and ingredients and ideas that appeal to you and your family and make a plan for a more mindful approach to eating. 

I must also make a mention that I visit Jamie Oliver often too. 

Nic Nurtures

ten on ten: april

April Days

Autumn afternoons at the beach

Cool mornings at the park, nature spotting, fun playing

The days are shorter, the rain is coming.

School holidays, cubby creating...pallet up cycling.

more ten on ten here

Nic Nurtures

Summer, crickets and more cricket

Summer around our place means an abundance of cricket. On the telly, the radio, in the street, the backyard, everywhere really. It starts with the Boxing Day test. Last year the boys and Mr Man were lucky enough to attend the first day as we spent Christmas in Melbourne. 

This year we had Christmas at ours and a heap of family to join us. The test was on the telly. iPads were following the sporting journos and the Grandads and Uncles joined the boys in the driveway for street cricket. The odd trip to the nets down the road was had, before it got too hot. This was followed with morning tea. Coffee (#homebarista) and my amazing Christmas Cake. 

This was the first time I have ever made a Christmas Cake, and I chose an old school recipe from the CWA cook book, one that requires daily feeding with sherry. The cake was good.

Most summers the kids and I spend hours at the beach. This is not so easy with a 7 month babe in tow. Where we once used to take a flexitub filled with towels and water bottles to the beach to cool off, we now have to take sun shelters, nappy bags, pram, extra towels etc, etc. So the family beach trips have been few and far between, rather, Mr Man takes the boys for a dip after work. 

Today though, I did take the boys for a swim at the river. There is a Weir where you can swim in the cool deep water. It is calm and there is a grassy patch with a tree or two...perfect for sitting with Baby P. Mind you, I did notice a lot of crickets. Little brown ones and green ones, like this fellow pictured. We sat and listened to the chorus of crickets clicking along as we watched the boys swim. 

It's been a busy summer so far. We have more cricket next week when the kids and I head up to Perth for the week for Junior to attend a cricket camp run by Justin Langer. Junior is WAY excited, to say the least. My blog posts are fairly infrequent at the moment, school holidays the time, but my Instagram account is getting a good run, so make sure you follow Nic Nurtures on Instagram and see what fun times we are having this summer.

Nic Nurtures x

Homemade Pot Noodles, for when you are super busy and need an easy nutritious meal

Turbo likes his homemade pot noodle 'plain'. I don't mind because all the nutrients comes from the bone broth

16 days till Christmas, already! Where has that time gone and where have I been? I certainly have not been paying much attention to Nic Nurtures blog. Time seems to have sped up and reflecting on the past few weeks looks like a bit of a blur with loads of coffee and catch ups.

SO what have I been doing? I've been super busy with my massage business, catching up on admin and book keeping and inducting and orientating my new employee. Oh and doing the laundry. On top of my own mountain of family washing, there is the 30 plus massage towels that needs washing each week. I'll be glad when I can hand that over to my new Massage Therapist in the New Year. 

We've had trips to Perth, and 7 year old Birthdays and Christmas Party's and functions. The Corporate Lawn Balls season has started again, so that means that Mr Man is out from 4pm till 8.30pm on a Wednesday evening. I make this our 'easy dinner' night. As you should on a hump day. I make Homemade Pot Noodle.

Ever since I decided to cut back on dairy a couple of weeks ago, I have been paying even closer attention to the foods that I put into my body and the foods we eat as a family. And with this comes a synchronicity of information needed at the right time; like stumbling upon Well Nourished and discovering the fab local ladies behind Real Food Revival.

I have have been embracing the bone broth concept and making litres of the stuff each week. I use it to cook Baby P's vegetable purees, in place of stock in risottos, frozen cubes as stock cubes, in soups and now for my pot noodle. The kids love squiggly noodles, and I love the fact they are getting so much gut loving nutrients from the humble bowl. 

Here is my take on the Homemade Pot Noodle:

4 cups of bone broth 

3 packets of dried squiggly egg noodles

3 garlic cloves crushed

2cm piece of ginger grated

2 carrots finely diced

1 cup of frozen peas

1 cup of corn kernels (fresh is best, but frozen works too)

1/4 cabbage shredded

a good lug of soy soy (to taste)

a good lug of sweet chilli sauce (to taste)

Heat your bone broth in a large wok or saucepan. When boiling, add your noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, carrots, peas and corn, cook for another 2 minutes. Add cabbage and soy and sweet chilli sauce, simmer for 1 minute. 

Serve in large bowls with a fork and spoon. This amount serves 2 adults and 2 children well.

So there you have it. Easy, nourishing Homemade Pot Noodle. Keep some bone broth in your freezer and you will always have an easy meal on hand.

Nic Nurtures

Things I know - pregnancy and birth

I've had three babies, one of them turns 7 tomorrow. One is 11 and the other just 6 months old. Thats quite the age gap. It was not exactly planned that way, but then, Mr Man and I have never really been one for planning...we prefer challenges and risks and spontaneity. After three pregnancies and births, there are many things that I know, and this is the biggest thing of all...

There is no right or wrong way to conceive, to be pregnant, to birth, feed your baby or be parent. The only way is the way that works for you and your family. The way that makes you feel safe and secure, which ever way that is. And no matter how many pregnancies and babies you have, each experience is unique, as is every human.

There must be something in the water in our town, or so I am to believe. There has been a substantial increase in third and forth babies over the past couple of years, along with firsts. One only has to look at the waiting list for our three childcare centres in town to know this. Or is it just that I am in contact with these women and families more through my massage therapy business and the school community and circles we move in? We are of the child rearing age after all.

Speaking to different women who have had babies over the past year or so, there is a common theme - guilt and fear of being judged. The mother who feels guilt for accepting intervention during birth. The mother who felt judged by medical professionals and community for choosing to bottle feed her baby after 6 weeks of no sleep...her baby turned a corner and began to thrive. Then there is the guilt and judgement of the disposable versus cloth nappy, and not being 'Eco' enough. And the guilt of the mother whose baby sleeps all night and feeds well, also known as the 'good baby'. Don't you despise that question..."Is your baby a good baby?". All babies are 'good babies'. 

My final comment on things I know, or perhaps it's more of an observation, is that women and communities need to support each other more and judge each other less on the decisions that pertain to pregnancy and birth and the parenting experiences that follow. 

Communicate more, talk, listen, share cups of tea, cook for each other...nurture and accept one another. 

Nic Nurtures

Another great muffin

This morning I woke up to yet another morning of not having prepared the kids lunches the night before. We've had a busy weekend and there was none of our usual Sunday baking and food prep for the week. Fortunately the two boys were already up, dressed and fed. Baby P was sound asleep after her 5am feed and play. 

I made myself a double shot soy flat white and stared into the cupboard. It was bare. Well, full of food but bare of home baked goodies. This is what I created, from scratch off the top of my head, and they are delicious!

Carrot cake muffins

2 cups of spelt wholewheat flour

1.5 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract

2 eggs

200ml coconut oil

1 large carrot, 2 purple carrots, coarsely grated

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and prepare your muffin tins.

Sift all your dry ingredients into a bowl and stir through sugar. 

In another bowl, whisk eggs, oil and vanilla. Stir in carrot.

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix.

Spoon mix into muffin tins, bake for 25 minutes.

These taste so good! Moist muffins, crunchy tops, so yum and easy to make.

Nic Nurtures x

Taking Stock...October

Making : cacao rough, by Well Nourished
Cooking : chicken broth
Drinking : my coffee with soy milk
Reading: Granny Squares...I'm determined to learn to crochet
Wanting: a new juicer, one that extracts all the juice
Looking: at the wind blowing the trees and washing outside
Playing: bubble mania on my smart phone, sad I know, but it's addictive!
Deciding: what to make for Christmas feast
Wishing: that I had my mum or MIL just around the corner
Enjoying: discovering old favourite board books with Baby P, like 'Peepo'
Waiting: for November 28, Aunty Kiki arrives from Melbourne
Liking: connecting with people on Instagram
Wondering: how to afford a house cleaner
Loving: my $10 satchel bag from the opshop, it holds so much stuff
Pondering: a holiday, where, when, how much
Considering: buying a new juicer
Watching: The Code on Iview
Hoping: my herb garden thrives
Marvelling:at how much Baby P is changing everyday
Needing: to reorganise my pantry again
Smelling: the lingering aroma of our green chicken curry
Wearing: pj's and a top knot
Following: Nikki fisher @ Wholefood Mama
Noticing: that I procrastinate the laundry A LOT
Knowing: that I have always procrastinated the laundry...I'll wash it, bring it in, but dang it, I just can't seems to put it away!
Thinking: about a homemade Christmas - food gifts, photo gifts, craft gifts to make and do
Admiring: Two Mad Rabbits
Sorting: Lego, we have so much and have now moved it into Turbos room in anticipation of Baby P moving about
Buying:mason jars of all sizes to make chutneys and jams for Christmas gifts
Getting:excited for summer and the festive season
Bookmarking: raising children network - great resources for parenting all three of my kids
Disliking: baby p biting me during feeds...ouch!
Opening: packages, my instagram shop purchases are arriving, yay!
Giggling: with Turbo making up silly songs
Feeling: a bit tired, but getting used to broken sleep as being the norm
Snacking: on indian spiced almonds
Helping: Turbo learn to tie his shoe laces
Hearing: birds singing

We had so much going on in October, this is a nice way to reflect on the month that was. And how cool is this photo of the family and I at the beach? You can just see the outline of Baby P's head above my shoulder, peeking out from the Ergo...fun!

Nic Nurtures x

Easy as ...Sunday night dinner

We've had a super busy weekend. Junior cricket on Saturday was a 40 minute drive away so that meant we had to be up and at em by 6.15am. This also meant that I'd miss our local farmers market. Fortunately, the cricket oval was across the road from another fortnightly farmers market, and I managed to stock up on fruit and veg as well as some good old country preserves.

Sunday was spent at Xscape at the Cape, an adventure/waterpark, where Turbo ran amuck with his 2 best mates for a birthday party. I drank coffee with the mums and dads, and we all shared the baby around. 5 hours later, we returned how to an exhausted Mr Man and Junior Hoges. They'd spent the day spring cleaning the garden and renovating the small patch of lawn we have. 

No one could be bothered making dinner.  After a cup of tea, I quickly threw together these super easy zucchini fritters. And we ate them with the three leftover salads from the BBQ the night before. 

Zucchini Fritters

Grate 2 zucchini into a large bowl. Remove all the corn from its cob and add that too. 3 large eggs, a cup of SR flour and some salt and pepper and your ready to cook. 

I cooked mine in a pan with rice bran oil as it has a high burn point. The fritters took all of 10 minutes, in batches, to create a plate full. 

They were gobbled up with sweet Chilli sauce and natural yoghurt. I wish I'd made a double batch...next time.

Nic Nurtures x

Baking, making, eating

It always feels good to start the week off right with good food. 

1. Lucky Almond and Chia Choc Chip cookies

2. Gluten free banana and blueberry muffins with sneaky avocado

3. Sweet potato, zucchini and pumpkin slice 

4. Cacao rough balls

5. Chicken and vegetable soup

6. Chia choc pudding

We had a lovely Sunday spent at home. Junior had a friend over and Turbo busied himself with a marathon Lego building Fest in his room. Baby P slept well during the day or was happy to chill out on the floor watching her mummy and daddy busy in the kitchen.

It was a reasonably hiccup free day, except for the quick trip to the hospital after Turbo got hit in the head with a cricket bat by his brother. It was an accident, of course, and fortunately, the cut on his eyelid looked A LOT worse than what it was. Funny though, I was immediately taken back to when I was 6 and got hit in the head with a cricket bat by my own older brother. I wanted to be wicky. I stood way too close. My injury was pretty bad, a deep cut to my left eyebrow resulting in stitches and panicked parents. And a broken cricket bat...

Never the less, it was a very productive day in the kitchen. Mr Man even made chicken terryaki and vegetarian nori rolls for lunch. And a HUGE pot of popcorn was popped on the stove for the kids lunch boxes and snacks throughout the week. 

Nic Nurtures x

Weekend Stills, Show Time

1. Riding the mechanical cow

2. Getting a cuddle from the GWN 7 dog 

3. Freestyle BMX, totally rad!

4. Watching the cow tamer judging

5. This guy carved a crocodile out of wood with a chainsaw.

It's that time of the year again, Show time in our neck of the woods. The boys were lucky enough to go to the Perth Royal Show in the school holidays. My big boy had his first game of Under 12's cricket this morning, so I took the Turbo and Baby P along to check it out. It was a very overcast and windy morning, but we had such fun checking everything out and bumping into friends.

How did you spend your Saturday?

Nic Nurtures

Make mine a double

A few weeks back I wrote about sleep and how Baby P was sleeping through the night. Oh how all that changed when she hit 4 months. It's like as soon as that fourth trimester was over and she hit 16 weeks, she became a different baby.

Some nights are good, she'll go down and wake once, around 1am and then again at in the wee hours of the morning. Thats ok. I can cope with that.

But the last three nights have been extremely tiresome for me...Baby P is waking every hour from about 10.30pm to 4am. It's hard work, this getting into a good sleep and waking every hour.

So you start thinking about what is going on for her. Is she too cold? Too hot? Is it teeth? Is she really hungry still? She's not really upset, but she is whingey, tired too, she just wants to go to sleep and not wake up. Like me.

At 20 weeks there is a lot going on developmentally. She is 'talking' so much more making lots of lovely new sounds. Her movement is coming leaps and bounds. She rolls from front to back and nearly from back to front. Her muscles are getting stronger, in a few weeks she will be able to sit (supported) upright. So much going on, so many new brain connections forming and processing.

No wonder she is not sleeping well. It must be one of those wonder weeks. I feel far more patient and relaxed with my third baby though, perhaps it's because I've been here before, I know this phase will pass. Perhaps it's because she is my last and I am savouring the midnight snuggles and cuddles. 

For now, I'll make mine a double. Double shot of coffee that is, and be grateful for my espresso machine. 

Nic Nurtures x

Lazy days, Rivermouth stills

1. The Rivermouth looking towards the surf break.

2. Dig dig digging. No matter how old they get, the boys love playing in the sand. 

3. Testing the water, refreshingly chilly.

4. Junior Hoges takes a break whilst Turbo digs out a moat. 

5. Baby P enjoys the texture of beach sand on her feet for the first time.

6. Building a sandcastle up the side of a rock, cooperating together.

The last day of school holidays meant sleeping in, scrambled eggs for breakfast, coffee and an adventure down at the Rivermouth. The sun was shining a warm 22 degrees and the sky a brilliant blue. I've loved having the boys home and they have learnt to enjoy each other's company with minimal fuss and fighting. 

May you have a super week, 

Nic Nurtures

Saturday tea break

Gosh has it been two weeks already? The school holidays seem to have just flown by. I've loved the break in the school routine and the kids have enjoyed each others company too. There has been so much going on down here...

Trips to the city and Royal Show
An overwhelming Ikea shopping trip
Negotiating city traffic 
Unwell mother in law - Deep Vein Thrombosis, not fun. Not. Fun. At. All.
Viral Tonsilitis for me - ick!
Baby P not sleeping well during the night
Baby P nearly rolling over all the way - so much developmental stuff going on with her right now at 20 weeks...no wonder she is not sleeping well
Grandma Molly (my mum) comes to stay for 4 days...yay!
Sorting, organising, decluttering of the bedrooms

And one of the lovely things to happen in the these two weeks - the Kangaroo paws have begun to flower! It is so lovely to come home and see them reaching up to the sun. 

I'm currently savouring a big cup of tea and cookie whilst the boys are down the road, Mr Man is snoozing on the couch to the sound of Bathurst and Baby P is asleep in her pram - the only place she seems to day sleep these days. I should probably catch some zzz's too...but there is too much internet to catch up on and Sunday baking to plan.

Hope you've enjoyed your kids these holidays,

Nic Nurtures 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Term three school holidays have arrived....ahhh. A time for routine and structure to stop. Sleep ins, staying in pjs till midday, adventures, the royal show time, trips to the city. Two weeks of no homework or school lunches. Fantastic. School holidays also mean the kids and I bake stuff they can't normally eat at school, like peanut butter cookies. And peanut butter sandwiches on fresh baked bread. And just nuts in general. I think it's fantastic that our school is a nut free zone, but I do like to make healthy nutty treats for the kids.

Mind you, these cookies are a little more indulgent than healthy. It is the holidays after all...

Peanut Butter Cookies

125 grams of softend butter

250 grams of crunchy peanut butter

200 grams firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 3/4 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup unsalted peanuts roughly chopped

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees and line a couple of baking trays with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until creamy. Then add the brown sugar and beat until pale. Add the egg and beat until well combined.

Next, grab a wooden spoon and mix in the dry ingredients and chopped peanuts. Lightly flour your hands and roll tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Place on the baking trays, about 4cm apart. Flatten each ball to about 5cm diameter and 1cm thick. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes, bandstand on tray for 5 minutes before devouring with a cup of coffee.

Nic Nurtures

Breathe Deep

It's one of those mornings. It's raining, the traffic is heavy making you feel late for the school run. The baby is crying - she just wants to go to sleep. The moon is full and the kids are behaving like lunatics. One child hits another. Game on. You feel your shoulders tighten. Hands grip the steering wheel a little firmer. It feels like it takes you hours to get out of the car and across the road to school, all the while it is raining and those kids just won't let up. You just want to SCREAM!!!

Sound familiar?

We've all been there. This used to be me. Especially if I had worked late the night before. The unrelenting stress of being a parent. It doesn't go away. But the way in which you react to the stressors determines the way you cope.

My solution? Breathe. 5 deep full breaths. In and out. In through the nose, and out through the mouth with an audible "haaa" sound. It works wonders. You can even get the kids in on it too. Ask them to pretend that you are all trying to blow up the biggest balloon in the world. They will have a giggle at seeing you doing something so silly in the midst of their squabbling. Seeing you taking full deep breaths and blowing out with full puffed cheeks will get everyone laughing. 

And we all know that laughter is the best medicine.

By demonstrating positive coping skills during stressful times, we are teaching our children valuable tools, that they too will mimick later on.

Having a new baby in the house with two school kids certainly poses many a stressful situation at times. Fortunately, my two big kids are old enough to lend a helping hand and from my breastfeeding chair I can feed the baby and direct the flow of the morning or afternoon. Sure, I still feel stressed from time to time, or overwhelmed...usually by the amount of laundry...first world problems. 

How do you cope with parental stress?

Nic Nurtures