I'm dreaming of a Sharnel Dollar Christmas!

Sharnel Dollar Designs

Ok I know I have been dreaming of lots of kinds of Christmases this year!  But now that the Christmas labels have arrived, the kids matching outfits are here, the tree is up and the house is decorated, I need would love those finishing touches!


Sharnel Dollar is another Brisbane girl and is truly an inspiration!  Her parties and decor are to die for.  I am always inspired by other Mothers who have a great idea and can put it into practice.    If only I could do the same.....


Anyhow...she is having a great giveaway on her blog and I would love to win!


Check out the blackboard Christmas Trees (You can take the chalkboard away from the teacher, but can't take the teacher away from everything chalk board!)!  Or even the Red and Green smarties (Great for Kindy Teacher presents)!


Now off to alter the Christmas Outfits in time for O's Kindy Christmas Concert!  Photos to come!!


Did I mention I LOVE Christmas!

Forget the apples...World Teachers Day Gift

World Teacher's Day Presents!

This week, our childcare centre and many others are celebrating "Childcare Workers Week".

It also coincides with "World Teacher's Day" on the 29th of October, the last Friday in October.

The rest of the world celebrates this day earlier in October, but as Australians are generally on school holidays at this time the date in Australia has been moved to compensate.

As a teacher I know how hard it can be to take care of children day in and day out.  Even more so for our childcare workers who are paid substantially less, work longer hours and care for younger children who are VERY demanding (yes my child included)!!!  Every time I drop Master O  off I am so grateful for the wonderful staff at his centre.  He runs to hug them each morning, they are firm and fair, nurturing and friendly.

They are deserving of so much but we thought we would put together a little thought for each of them.

My inspiration for this idea came from the always inspiring 

Little Pumpkin Grace

(while you are there check out the  very clever Alphabet Vase! It is on my to do list!)

I loved the "smarties and sharpies" idea but I am afraid the Australian "smarties" would melt too quickly!  So after lolly hunting (any excuse) I came up with using Jelly Babies to resemble all the little people they care for every day and a candle for the way they encourage our little peoples lights to shine!

 You take one jar (I bought this one from a Dollar Shop)

 A candle with glass container

 A bag of Jelly Babies (there should be enough so that sneaky fingers can have a few!)

 Line the jar with "Jelly Babies"

Place the candle in the glass centre.

 I traced around the lid of jar and using some scrapbooking paper, covered the lid.  

I added the initial of each of Master O's Teachers.

I tied some ribbon around the outside.

and attached a card.....

"Thank you for nurturing our "baby" (the Jelly Babies)

You are so generous, caring and kind

But most of all we thank you

For letting his little light shine" (the candle)

One of the best Christmas presents I ever received as a teacher, 

was a handmade, scrapbooked, tin! (Full of chocolates of course!)

That tin has come in handy for so many things, year after year.

The candle will hopefully come in handy on a prayer table or even to take home.

I hope Master O's teachers will be able to use the jar for school supplies, nick naks or even beter as a sneaky lolly jar, we all need one of those, but teachers need them twice as much!

"We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit." 
Robert H. Shaffer

Wish upon a star....

La Toriana

In my eyes, Miss A will be a baby forever.  She will be the first baby to follow in Peter Pan's footsteps and never grow up.    But alas she will, no doubt, grow up, and most probably way before her time as all little girls do.  So to console myself I drool over  all of the gorgeous products for little girls.  These divine, vintage inspired, designs from La Toriana have taken me to my "happy place".  They are reminiscent of a bygone era where little girls searched the gardens for fairies, instead of Hannah Montana.  When frills and lace and all things feminine were in vogue, before Disney took over the fashion market and replaced all things pretty with character outfits promoting their latest flick.  Pearls and ribbon and roses will always remain classic, or so I will tell her.  Frolick in the garden, dream of fairies, jump in puddles and try to catch rain drops on your nose.  I hope my tinker"bella" will always delight in such simple childhood fantasy's......perhaps tonight I will wish upon a star....

Spring Shopping....

A quick sale shoutout!  Pumpkin Patch has 40% off many items and if you are a VIP you get a further 25% off everything!  Which meant this dress I have been eyeing off for Miss A, was reduced by 65%!!!!
So glad I had held off buying it!  Just perfect for the Christening we are going to this weekend!

Pumpkin Patch

I posted yesterday but for some reason the "Project Playroom" post appeared further down the page!
Will post some of our Spring pictures today!  Just love getting those summer/spring outfits out and finally revealing Miss A's chubby legs that have been contained in tights and leggings all winter!!
So pinchable! Bring on Summer!!!

My Little Fatty Bacon.....

Pumpkin pie, cutie cupcake, scrummy muffin...I am so glad we spent 9 months pouring over every page in the baby name book.  Miss A is rarely referred to her by her given name, that we painstakingly chose.  We ummed and ahhed over names, origins and meanings.  Would it go with her siblings name, can it be shortened, have I ever taught a naughty child with that name? Luckily, Miss A appears to answer to whatever term of endearment we call her.  Funnily enough the most common ones are somehow in reference to food.  Including our often saying "You're so gorgeous, I could eat you."

 It all came to a head yesterday in the car.  Master O also calls Miss A  all of the forementioned nicknames but yesterdays had me cracking up....

Master O to Miss A:  I love you My Little Fatty Bacon!!!  

Yes he does love fatty bacon (please don't cringe) and he does love his sister so why not combine the two.  The roars of laughter from the front seat insured that he continued to say it another twenty times during the car ride.... I hope she doesn't grow up thinking she is a little pig!

Project Playroom....

In my dreamworld, our playroom would look just like this.  In fact it would even contain the two children dressed so beautifully, sharing their gorgeous tea set, using their manners "Excuse me madam, one lump, or two?".  There would be no pieces of lego strewn across the floor.  No toast crusts in a bowl on the table.  The books would not have torn pages or scribbled on covers.  Everything would have its place.  Every place a label.  It would be efficient, beautiful, organised!!!  

 I just love this Cameron storage unit from Pottery Barn Kids.  I know this particular colour scheme is a little girly, well really girly, but the classic, crisp white could compliment  any colour palette.  The different storage elements including baskets and drawers that are child friendly and shelves and cupboards that can hide things away from tempting little artists!

 Pottery Barn Kids has long been one of my favourite things.  Do they not realise they would have a licence to print money if they ever went global?  Why is there nothing like this in Australia?  Well I will have to settle with Ikea.  Our Playroom has long been a work in progress.  It has had to constantly expand to control the mountains of toys!  Here is the playroom before Master 0 was born!

The Playroom - January 2007 - Before O was born!

A couch for feeding/watching children play/reading

A collage trolley

An easel with calendar

THe Piano

Baby Swing

Bookcase

Bookshelf

and Childrens Table

This all came form my classroom!

Maternity Leave meant I had to put it somewhere!

The Playroom - September 2007 - The toys are mounting up!

The collage trolley has become a "Baby changing station!"

Out with the easel it was taking up too much room for a baby on the move!

THe lounge seemed like a good idea but became too dangerous with "someone" pulling themselves up on it!

The baby swing has also had to find a new home!

The Playroom - Makeover 1 - Out with the piano in with the storage!

The bookcase got moved to make room for a bigger "mat" play area.

We bought a "Trofast" storage unit form Ikea to house the million toys!

THESE ARE A MUST!

I LOVE IT!

Makes it so easy to clean up!

The Playroom - October 2010

A new Ikea "Expedit" storage unit, the new must have!

We bought matching baskets form Ikea for along the bottom to house 

matchbox cars, plastic kitchen set, other small vehicles, anything small that needs to be grouped together!

 line on the wall above the table for hanging pictures (also from Ikea)

a new quiet reading area under the gorgeous Ikea net.

And one very busy 3 year old!

Forget me not...

The Cubeo from Organise Easy

An inky scrawl across your hand.  A sticky note.  A piece of red string tied to a finger.  Our memory is such a fleeting thing.  Sometimes despite our best efforts and crazy methods, we just don't remember that oh so important thing.    We lose precious time running home to get something.  The inconvenience or even embarrassment at not having that important item needed that day.   If your day was already off to a bad start, this is the final straw. And that is just how we feel as adults!

For kids it is just as hard.  In the chaos of the morning routine it is all to easy to forget the home reader or remember that Wednesday is Library day or even worse forget your school hat.  Remember, No hat, no play, no fun today!  A meltdown can ensue or even worse detention over the forgotten homework!

Two Mums have come up with perfect solution.... The Cubeo

"The Cubeo" is.... well..... a cube! A customisable small plastic cube that hangs off a child's backpack, to help remind them of everything they need to take to and from school.  A front window displays the items the child needs for any particular day.  Inside the cube are customisable, drop down cards for each day of the week.  Just customise your child's schedule with the various stickers for homework, library, P.E, swimming, even notes for the teacher or remembering to take important medication.   Small and colourful they would be suitable for any age group and would help avoid the hugely embarrassing visit to school from your Mother when you have forgotten something!

These "New Inventors" have been there.  Working mothers, Gail and Kathryn from Organise Easy,  saw a need for a tool to help their children stay organised and so the Cubeo was born. 
It comes with a variety of stickers so you can "plan" your child's week out.   The Cubeo is more than a clever, child centric product, it is essential!!! If only I had enough money to buy one for every child in my class!  I will have to make a mental note to buy one for Master O when he starts school.  Or perhaps I will just scrawl it across my hand....




Don't forget the Groovy Gripper competition is closing soon!!!!!