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Archives for July 2013

Entertaining Made Easy + Loads of Recipes!

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Entertaining can be a stressful experience regardless where you live, though I must say when you are confined to the walls of a small dwelling or apartment it can take it to the next level and make you rethink ever hosting again (in your home anyway). It’s not only the lack of space you have to prepare the ingredients and cook your meals that makes for a frustrating event but trying to find the room to dish up, present and serve your meals can be near impossible. Then you can often throw kids into the mix and all their special dinnerware, cups and bottles and you’re really left with no space.

Unfortunately when you are entertaining and trying to have an enjoyable time the last thing you want or feel like doing is hand washing dishes just to make room on the bench so you can pour a drink or prepare the food. This is where the Fisher & Paykel DishDrawerTMmakes for the perfect appliance in not only a small kitchen but any household. They come in a variety of options to suit every family’s needs and lifestyles. It doesn’t matter if you are big on entertaining or a quiet family with young children; there is a DishDrawer designed to fit your kitchen and your requirements. Just because your kitchen is deficient in size and lacks space doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the conveniences of having a dishwasher to help out with your daily tasks of washing dishes and entertaining guests. The DishDrawer has so many benefits that I can’t list them all but the ones that grab my attention the most are that it reduces water usage, saves you money and comes in a range of sizes: single or tall and double or extra wide so there always a dishwasher to fit your kitchen design – you can even get a dishwasher installed where you would normally have a drawer!

If you are planning on entertaining or even just looking for something delicious to serve up that doesn’t require too much effort to prepare (or too many dishes) than here are some of my favourites. Garlic and Chilli Prawns on rice, Thyme and Lemon Pork Belly, Thai Coconut Chicken on rice, Tomato Bacon and Basil Soup, Chilli and Chorizo Fettuccine and Creamy Bacon and Basil Gnocchi. Once you are finished cooking let simply stack the dishes into the dishwasher and you can enjoy the rest of your night while Fisher & Paykel take care of the soaking and scrubbing for you.

This is an S1 POST.

Unravelling the Magic of Discovery with Nurofen for Children + FREE book!

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From the time I had my first baby I realised a few things. One of them being that when your baby, toddler or child gets a fever there are only so many things you can do to help them. You can try and keep them comfortable by cooling them with a damp washer, you can do your best to keep them hydrated, you can give them cuddles and let them know you are there for them but sometimes you will need a little extra help. This is where Nurofen for Children shows how and why it’s so important in my home and for my kids health.

I have used it since my eldest was 3 months old and I swear by it. It has always helped bring down their fevers quickly and relieves pain when they are teething or have had their immunisation needles. I have always got Nurofen for Children on hand – whether it be in the medicine cupboard at home or in the nappy bag while out and about. It is one of our essential items for the kids.

 

Nurofen for Children have also released a fantastic book for parents. It is filled with information suited to babies and children all the way through to 5 year olds. Unravelling the Magic of Discovery is full of great content that lets you know the important milestones for each age, healthy eating, guides to pain relief, support for parents, practical parenting tips and the very helpful recognising and treating common illnesses. You can get yourself a free copy here!

Shloer A Good Time & GIVEAWAY! {Closed}

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At the end of a long day I enjoy nothing more than a good glass of wine (maybe two) or even a vodka if the mood strikes me. However as you all know I have recently had a baby and as I’m breastfeeding having an alcoholic drink is not on the cards right now. I received a very welcomed email a couple of weeks ago about a new drink that has just arrived in Australia. Even though it is made from quality grapes like wine; it is non-alcoholic!

I have been trying both the Shloer Red and the Shloer White sparkling grape juice and in my eyes there is a clear winner. I love the red! This may be because I am a lover of red wine or it could be that the fruity flavour won me over. I am not a big fan of the white grape juice; while it is very fresh and crisp I found the taste not sweet enough for my liking. It reminded me too much of white wine (I don’t like white wine either) but a friend of mine loved it. It all comes down to personal preference I think as she prefers white wine over red. I think this is a great alternative to alcohol for pregnant and breastfeeding women, the benefits don’t end at it tasting great either. They contain no preservatives, artificial colours, sweeteners or flavourings! You can purchase these Shloer red and white sparkling juices from Coles supermarkets and independent stores.

I also have an amazing giveaway for you wonderful loyal readers.

GIVEAWAY

1x Exclusive and Luxurious Shloer and Simon Johnson gourmet hamper. Prize valued at $365.00!!

To enter all you have to do is follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below.

Winner is decided based on skill and chance plays no part.

Australian residents only! Sorry everyone else.

**The mandatory instructions MUST be completed or your entry will be void!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

WINNER: Charmaine C

Dressed to Impress!

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I love clothes! Lately my fascination has been more with the baby variety but how can you not when they are so darn cute and tiny? I am enjoying the variety of options that having a baby girl brings; with boys there is a lot of cute stuff but it’s all the same. Boys have only got shirts and shorts/pants whereas girls also have dresses, skirts, tights, etc. One of my favourite pieces of Hadleys’ wardrobe at the moment is her shwrap from Jujo Baby.

It is kind of like a mix between a cardigan and a blanket/wrap. It’s great if you have a baby who doesn’t like their arms being wrapped – my baby girl hasn’t liked being wrapped from the day she was born but she loves her shwrap. She snuggles into it. It is 100% super soft cotton (like most of their items) and great quality. This gorgeous cable knit shwrap keeps bub warm and snug without overheating and it looks absolutely adorable. The shwrap is available in a range of colours and patterns for $64.95 from the Jujo Baby website.

Hadley also has a onesie from Jujo Baby in the same cable knit style and colour. I love the addition of the girly frill on the front. It is also made from 100% super soft cotton and great quality workmanship. I love that even though these items are knit they are machine washable which to me is very important when purchasing clothing. These onesies are so cute and come in 3 different colours. The pink is the only one with the frill so these are great for boys as well! You can purchase them for $59.95 (on sale at the moment for $42.00) from the Jujo Baby website.

I love the excellence of Jujo Baby and their designs are one of a kind. If you are looking for a beautifully designed item for your little one or a gorgeous gift then I highly recommend checking out Jujo Baby.

Downsizing Made Easy

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At some point in our lives we have all downsized our living arrangements for one reason or another. Whether it be caused by budget issues, lack of availability, personal preference or even retirees who no longer have children at home and don’t require all the extra space. When my husband and I bought our first home we had a 6 month old baby and had saved every cent we could spare to make our purchase. It wasn’t the best property money could buy but it was ours.

We quickly learnt after trading in a large house for a 2 bedroom unit that some de-cluttering would be required. Ok, a lot of de-cluttering! Not only did we have all of our stuff but we had everything a new baby needs as well and there was no way we could find room for it all. There are definite pros and cons to downsizing and the main positive I found was that it took a third of the time to clean and the yard took about 10 minutes to mow which ultimately left a lot more free time to spend together as a family. Being able to enjoy more time with my husband and child was such a fantastic compromise and one I’m glad we made.

One thing that would have made living in a smaller property easier is the use of appliances. We really take them for granted even though they make our lives so much simpler. A dishwasher for example would have saved us not only space on our bench from having to stack dishes but it would have also kept mess to a minimum, saved us money, reduced our water usage, when teamed with Finish dishwashing tablets left our dishes cleaner than we could have done hand washing them (we don’t use anything but Finish these days) and above all else saved us time! However as unfortunate as it was we had spent all our money on the home and of course we had a lack of space in our kitchen so we had to go without with the help of amazing and convenient appliances. I always envied walking into friends and families homes and seeing their basic door and fancy draw dishwashers – something so simple  would have made such a difference. Little did I know that the Fisher & Paykel DishdrawerTM came in all sizes and formats to suit every families lifestyle and needs. They are available in single or tall and double or extra wide; as it turns out the lack of space didn’t need to hold us back as we could have simply replaced a draw with a dishwasher and not lost any extra room in our already tiny and cramped kitchen. 6 years down the track we have upsized in house, family and helpful devices around the home. They really make the difference between spare time and blissful living and a hectic and stressful life. Being able to unwind at the end of a long day and not have to worry about washing the dishes from breakfast and dinner makes for a much more pleasant evening. This convenience also means no longer is it required to soak and scrub pots as the dishwashers do it for us.

I love that as every year goes by brands such as Fisher & Paykel redefine the way we use such appliances. They not only look at the dishwasher themselves but they also look at the way people are using their kitchens and designing the product based around how real households work and the problems and challenges we are faced with on a day to day basis. For example the DishDrawerTM family is created with choice and convenience to suit every kitchen need in mind.

Now that I have experienced first-hand the convenience of life with a dishwasher I am never (and I mean never) going back to filling up the sink and hand washing dishes or baby bottles again.

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