gelli baff

Our kids got given this for Christmas. It's available here: http://www.crazysales.co.nz/i/gelli_baff_bath_pool_jelly_lava_blast_red.html

Parent Tips:

• Gelli-Baff is totally safe. It's developed by the leading beauty and spa products manufacturer Gelicity Skin Technology and conforms to strict cosmetic testing regulations in the UK.
• The goo reverts back to plain old coloured bath water so no need to worry about it blocking or clogging the drain.
• Doesn't stain your towels, carpets or children. After adding the second sachet just rinse away and you're good to go
• Goo Ingredients: Gelli Baff is a harmless powder which holds 400 times its own weight in water. A similar substance is used in disposable nappies. The dissolver sachet is pure table salt, the same as you put on your chips!

Do's and Don'ts:
For maximum fun follow the laws of Gelli Baff!

• Not recommended for children under 5 years of age unless supervised by an adult.
• Don’t put too much water in the bath! For maximum gooiness 5 or 6cm is plenty for an average sized bath. If you have a jumbo bath, use even less water.
• Don’t add the powder while the tap is running. Pour the bath water first, turn off the tap and then add the Gelli Baff sachet marked ‘Step 1’.
• Enjoy Gelli Baff sitting down. Goo is slippery!
• Don’t eat Gelli Baff. It’s not nice. And just like regular soap, if you get Gelli Baff in your eyes it could sting, so make sure to rinse it out with plenty of clear water.
• Don’t forget to wash the goo out of your hair.

 It's a fun ( and mess free) present. Here's a video of how it works.

 

And some pics of it in our bath, it's a difficult consistency to describe- like the jelly you can eat but thicker - fun!

kids like to play in boxes

Most kids like cardboard boxes, here's some ways we've had fun with them over the years...

  

 

 

 

And some other fun projects...

I love this little doll's house with magazine pictures as interiors and even outdoor decorations

This web page has some great ideas http://www.tipjunkie.com/all-crafts/32-things-to-make-using-a-cardboard-box-diy/

I have added this book CHLOE by Peter McCarty, to my bookdepositry wish list- it's had great reviews, looks like it has beautiful illustrations and is about the simple joy of a cardboard box : )

pillowcase dresses

I'm not a great sewer but I can do the basics. I really like this easy pattern for a 'pillowcase dress'. I guess it's called that because for a little girl you could actually use a pillowcase to make one.

They're really good in Summer for keeping cool and cute in Winter with a long sleeved top and tights underneath.

Here's the two I made for M when she was much smaller. There's a link to some instructions for a similar dress below ( they used binding around the arms, I didn't bother). Once I got the tie length right for on her shoulders I sewed the ribbons onto the fabric- just because  I could see her pulling them out and me having to re-thread them. You could also use some of the same, different fabric or some binding to make the ties.

link here: http://www.craftleftovers.com/projects/refashion-guest-pattern-pillowcase-dress/

Five little men in flying saucers

M sings this song at school. She had the idea that we make up some props to act out the song with. T had the idea to use ice block sticks and the 'world' from his toy box. I drew and cut out the flying saucers from some silver card we had. The kids drew spacemen on white stickers and stuck them on the saucers.

We adapted the song to be 5 little men in their flying saucers.... here's a clip of the original song and some pictures of the fun we had. We also made a movie but after trying to upload it 4 times with no luck I've given up!

 

a tinkerbell play scene

This cute activity was inspired by this post : http://beafunmum.com/2013/02/tinker-bell-fairy-secret-of-the-wings-play-scene/

Tinkerbell and Periwinkle meeting at the border - a play scene from one of the kid's favourite movies The Secret of the Wings.

 

collecting flowers and leaves for the Summer side.

Periwinkle on the ice

T put the ice on this side " see mum, the freeze is coming"

this old house

When I walked into our house for the first time I knew it was going to be our home. It's old (we're not sure how old but probably 95 years ish) and it needs LOTS of work. I feel like we're custodians of it and that it deserves our respect and care. Our home is not just walls and a roof to me.

I have always liked old things. I like to think about what they might have seen and the stories they could tell us. Many people look at old weatherboard homes like ours and just see lots of hard work. I see that too- but I also see lots of opportunities to be creative, to restore something to it's original condition and make improvements, which for 'practical types' like us is really rewarding.

As I type the husband is is using a heat gun and scraper to peel off years and years worth of paint from the outside of T's sash window, he's been doing that since 9am- it's now 5. The timber underneath the paint is beautiful, he's done a fantastic job, it's almost a shame we're going to paint over it again.

Now that we know what will and won't be repaired by eqc we've started some repairs beginning with the windows. We'll strip and re-paint the weather boards next and the roof also needs painting. Hopefully later this year we're putting in a new kitchen, taking out a wall and adding french doors to create a second living area near the kitchen. I'm looking forward to being able to sit there and look into the back garden. My clever husband is one of those people that can grow anything and our garden is looking lovely.

Most of the EQ damage was cosmetic with some wobbly floor issues added in. For all of the major quakes I was at home with the kids, it shook like a bag of sticks and made a lot of noise in the process but it has kept us safe. It's pretty easy to warm in Winter ( has lots of roof and underfloor insulation) and nice and cool in  Summer. I really do love our home and the memories it holds.

After the Feb earthquake were were in the front garden when a couple walked past. They asked  if the house was ok and we got talking. It turns out their family lived here for 29 years, from when they were first married in 1953 until 1982.

A few weeks later they dropped these photos in our letterbox.

front of house

rear of house

Rear of the house- pre quakes, about a year after we bought it, looks even worse now- no chimeys!

So there's a bit about our happy wee home. After the repairs have been done inside I'll take you on a tour of some of my favourite little corners of it : )