Lunchables

Last week I bought a dairy-lea stackables snack for my 18 month old as treat on a day trip to London town. I love the idea and have never eaten them before but was disappointed. The crackers were sweet and the cheese bland, after reading the label I wasn't impressed.

Cheese food stuff with only 71% cheese, ham that was oddly slimy and the crackers had added sugar. All three had the usual emulsifiers and favourings that make things look and feel "right" although offical bumpf says they use natural ingredients.

I do love the dunker's snack made by the same company and all 3 of us scoff them regularly in our house, but really didn't enjoy these stackables. So with the warmer weather coming and picnic season starting I thought I'd have a go at putting together my own for half the cost and twice as tasty.

We had a picnic in the "meadow" out the back of our house and enjoyed every last crumb! I used a jam tart packaging with x3 round recesses, ritz crackers, ermental cheese and sausage luncheon meat :) You can supplement each item to mix & match to your personal taste, using Edam or cheddar and salami or chiritzo -which is my 2 yo nieces favourite :D

Please see below for comparisons to ingredients and RDA of fat and calories.

Motivation life coaching via the big wide itnernets :)

A few forwards for some motivation on life goals, because if you are like me and need a little push in motivation to make changes in your life for the better.

Strap on Your Overalls and Tend to Your Goals Like a Good Farmer

"Like you’re runnin’ full-speed ahead, doing the work and seeing results…and then the results start to taper off. You reach a plateau. It’s not new and exciting any-more." 

This post is about being patient with your goals and not losing steam before you have seen them through - like a farmer you need to keep watching watering and waiting for them to come to fruition. If you've done all the hard work playing ground work but neglect them towards the end things will wither and die.

 The complete Flakes guide to getting things done

"Are you smart and motivated and passionate, and have lots of cool things you’d like to get done, but somehow when it comes to doing them, you just . . . don’t?

You, my friend, are a flake. Congratulations. We are a worldwide force. If we could all get ourselves moving in the same direction, we would change the world. However, that will never happen. "

A guide to help you be honest with yourself about goal, make it realistic and stay motivated to see them through. Definitely worth a read!

How not to raise your toddler

A wonderful witty photo guide on what to not do when raising your little one: Babble

Posting

Hi folks,

Just to let you know I haven't dropped off the face of the earth!

I still read interesting stories, and think a few a good enough to share my opinion with you but have been struggling to find the time! There is a lot going on in my personal life, an 18mo old to keep out of trouble as well as fed and clothed, volunteering with SSAFA has stepped up a gear as well as the struggles with sleep. Not to mention BIG changes in our lives -mainly the prospect of redundancy for DH and being made homeless as we have to leave our service families accommodation.

So yes, lots going on in life and by the end of the day I'm pretty popped, too worn out to do lots of thinking and writing. Plus my new sleep hygiene means no technoology interaction after 8 - no FB no PC and no mobiles, which is helping me to sleep better (sort of) but seriously cuts into my childfree work time.

I will keep updating but it may only be a posts on what I've been up too, home made food and projects as well as crafty things for kids. I suspect views on child related stories too ;) but not as hard core as the political & news related I've been doing in the past but a more realistic reflection of my daily life :)

So bear with me and stick around!

The Ability to Read

A small exert from the great Toddler Times, a valid point I felt earnt the re-post.

"The Ability to Read

There are programs and gadgets and even educational curriculum that promise to teach your toddler to read. While they explain how, others ask: why? Why should a toddler learn to read? Some do, but it's not a necessity and your illiterate toddler is not falling behind. What's important: books everywhere and someone to read them"

There is some much pressure on pre-schoolers to read & write that many youngster can't cope with the structure and attention required of them by teachers. I have seen first hand, forcing a disinterested 3yo to trace their name by "guiding" their hand while the look the other way is in no way productive. In fact in Europe -who don't start school intill 6or7- are constantly beating us in education figures, so lets let up on the pressures for our little ones. How about better childcare options from the government (in Europe nursery is heavily subsidised) so that parents can still work without putting their little tots into that school uniform.

Blizzard at Sandy Hook

Paper snowflakes from all over USA and the world have been sent to Sandy Hook for staff to convert the new building into a winter wonderland for students when they start the spring term on January 14th. A blizzard of support came in following the request last month, and over 100,000 of paper snowflakes were posted to Newtown.

"We know that each snowflake represents the emotional outreach of the person making it," a message posted Jan. 1 on the Connecticut Parent-Teacher-Student-Association State Office's website reads. "We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from around not just the country but the world. At this time, we have enough beautiful snowflakes to blanket the community of Newtown. Therefore, with regret we must close the snowflake project to further donations."

I suspect that even though the project is closed that many still sent their snowflakes anyway! Will post again on Monday when news of the kids return to school surfaces - I can't wait to see what it will look like and how the students will react to this amazing out reach from the children of the world.