the crusts

Most of the time, my children just will not eat their crusts! And it seems that this is a common problem for most parents.

The boys would make their requests for "peanut butter and buzz butter" on sandwiches. I would make the sandwiches and cut them into squares (another special request). My eldest (3.5) would gobble up everything at great speed - except the crusts - and my youngest (1.5) would eat the toppings off and leave all of the bread behind. Sigh.

Scraping all of that yummy bread into the compost was beginning to wear thin. What a waste!

I had attempted to make other things for lunch that weren't sandwiches. Especially for the little one. I served up lovingly prepared sticks of cheese, carrot, cucumber and ham, after which he ate all of the ham, took one bite from each stick and threw the rest on the floor.

Both of them keep insisting that they really do want sandwiches, so I came up with a way of making sure that every last bit of those darned sandwiches got eaten.

When the boys have 'finished' their lunch and leave the table, I grab their plates and take them to the kitchen. There, I have two small containers labelled with each of their names. I put their leftovers into the corresponding container.

After rest time, when the boys are hungry, I produce the creatively named "special containers" and make a big deal about presenting each boy with his own container that has his name on it. They choose a place to sit and then eat up all of the contents of their container.

The first time I tried this, I was amazed that it actually worked! And I didn't have to force them or anything. (Not that I was planning to force them, I just expected more of a fight about it!) After they finish the leftovers, they can then choose a piece of fruit (or whatever) to complete their afternoon tea. Woo!

(If there is still a little bit left after that, I just throw it out.)

For a little while, I was doubting myself. "Am I being too mean?"

But I soon realised that they were happy and the bread wasn't going to waste. Everyone wins!

the kitchen!

I've been completing a little bit here and there in the kitchen for months now. From the start I thought I would like to have it completed by the end of the year.
Well, I've just scraped in!

Here is what I started with:

Surprise, surprise - another embarrasing mess!

Here is what I did with the kitchen, with help from my lovely husband...

I think the pictures will speak for themselves, but I'll still point out a few highlights.

1. Installing a shelf above the bench to keep the space clear for preparing food. ($50 from Ikea)
2. Purchasing a set of tins to keep bread, tea, coffee etc in. ($16 from Kmart)
3. Investing in Tupperware! The Access Mate "Veg Out" containers were $117.65 for both. I justified this expense by repeating a "they have a lifetime guarantee!" mantra in my mind. My husband loves these. They are much more suitable for potatoes and onions than the rotting box we had previously. And they are impenetrable for creepy crawlies!
4. Ikea shelf inserts in plates and glasses cupboards.
5. Large plastic tubs for plastic containers and bake ware. (About $6 each from Kmart). These allow the containers and drink bottles to be a little more organised and I can lift them out easily to access the "occasional use items" in the hidden corner of the cupboard.
6. Moving all the dishes, bowls and platters that I use all the time into a more accessible place. 
7. Getting a new bin. We now have a bin that has two sections; a smaller section on the left for rubbish and a larger section on the right for recycling. (About $70 from Bunnings from memory). Now the recycling doesn't float all around the place in an enviro bag. Much better!

I actually feel excited to be starting a new year with a new kitchen! My whole family has noticed the difference. We can find things we need more easily, and I don't feel angry every time I need to prepare a meal for everyone. I think a happy cook produces better food. 

And, just today, James came in as I was adding the final sparkle and said "thanks for cleaning the kitchen, mum!" Nice to know I am appreciated :)

The challenge now will be to maintain that level of cleanliness. All I can do is try.

Happy New Year to you all. May next year be full of love, fun and organisation!

puddle on the floor

There's a puddle on the floor in the kitchen. Not sure how long it's been there. Maybe it appeared this morning. Maybe yesterday? Pretty sure it's water. (hope it's water). How did it get there?

I haven't cleaned it up yet. I stepped in it a couple of times while trying to put breakfast things away. Cringed as I felt the cold liquid touch my toes. I just walked it off onto the carpet as I went to fetch more things off the table.

I managed to avoid it while getting some toast for the boys. I have memorised where it is now. It's almost invisible on the lino, but I know the spot I should avoid.

Why haven't I cleaned it up? I don't know. Instead of doing that, I started folding some towels. I got through half of them. They are now sitting on the floor in the lounge room.

The puddle is still there. And I'm sitting here writing about it.

Am I lazy? Or don't care? Or just exhausted? I don't know.

The puddle sits there as a reminder of all the things that don't get done - or get
half-done - the story of my life.

I should be mopping up the puddle right now, or finishing folding the towels, or hanging out the load of washing which must have finished by now.
Or getting dressed. I'm still in my pyjamas.

I'm feeling paralysed by this simple "to do" list. It must be time for a holiday.

But first... I suppose I'd better grab that mop.

we have a WINNER!

The winner of the Boon Frog Pod is Paulina Cox! 

Congratulations Paulina. I hope you and your girls have fun with the Frog Pod and that you enjoy the order it will bring to your bathroom :)

I'll contact you shortly to get your details.

Apologies to those who missed out. Thanks for your entries. I enjoyed reading about the toys you and your kids like to play with in the bath. One toy that sounded awesome (thanks Sara), was the Dirty Dishes by Alex that you 'wash' in the bath. How fun!

In the end, though, how can you go wrong with a plastic cup and a face washer?

Happy December everyone.

And the count down towards Christmas begins!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

command delete GIVEAWAY!

In case you didn't already know, I really value all of you who take the time to read my blog. Thank you for reading my posts and for your informative and encouraging comments. By doing this you are keeping me on task and excited about my goals to provide a more sane environment for my family.
So, to say 'thank you' - and also because I'm feeling
a bit festive - I am running a giveaway!

I am excited to be able to give one lucky reader a brand new Boon Frog Pod. Valued at $69.95, this funky bath toy storage system will keep your bath more organised and tidy than it has ever been. It's drainable scoop lets you gather and rinse toys, helping to prevent scum and mildew issues. The wall-mounted base, with built-in shelf, holds all your essential bath products. And it sticks really well to bath walls with semi-permanent adhesive strips, but won't harm tile or wall surfaces. (There's also an option to screw it onto your tiles if you prefer.) 

Bonus: With the Frog Pod your child may actually want to help clean up!

How to enter:

If you would like to go in the draw to win this prize, simply comment on this post, and tell me; what is your child's favourite bath toy? 
OR what is your own favourite bath toy?

Make sure you include your full name in your comment so I can identify and contact you if you are the winner. (If you have been referred by a friend, please include their name as well.)

This giveaway is only for people who have an Australian postal address.

I will be randomly drawing a winner on Thursday 1st of December after 2pm. 

Good luck!

loving lentils

Goodbye meat!

Not forever, though. Just sometimes.

Our family is as carnivorous as they come. My husband's parents are well known for their top notch barbeques. The vast array of perfectly cooked meats they serve up is amazing. My family are into their meat too. Last Christmas my dad fired up the barbie and cooked Kransky wrapped in bacon. What better thing to wrap meat in, than more meat!? (boy was it tasty, though)

With that extremely brief history in mind, you may understand our excitement in making some very yummy meat-free discoveries lately. We never really thought to do anything other than include a meat with every meal. But, I am so glad that my husband suggested that we try branching out a bit.

My latest effort was pasta with lentils and feta. Yummo! Everyone shoveled it down within a matter of minutes. It didn't look half-bad either.
I loosely followed the recipe, adding in any fresh vegies we had in the fridge; mushroom, zuccini, onion, carrot, capsicum and a few cloves of garlic. Also, I used Australian Feta. mmmm

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni has been another favourite.
I have also made an Indian Korma with chick peas and a lentil spaghetti bolognese. These meals have been super-easy to make and are delicious.

One of the boys' swimming instructors suggested I make mushroom rice where you cook arborio (or basmati) rice in vegetable stock and add vegies. Thanks 'swimming lady'! - I'm going to try that one next week.

I think I was expecting to feel like something was missing by removing the meat from a meal. How wrong I was! Why didn't we think to try these things sooner?

I am smiling at the thought of how much money we are going to save by not having to buy meat for every single meal. And we will have much more space in the freezer too! Hooray!

I'm keen to find more recipes. So, if you have any yummy vegetarian meals that you would recommend, please let me know.

Oooh. And make sure you check back in to Command Delete next week. I'm going to be having a giveaway! And that doesn't mean I'm going to be giving away my unwanted, used junk - it's something brand new and really cool!
So, look out for it - you've gotta be in it to win it!

a morning in Fänland

I just spent the morning being treated like a VIP in Tempe
at the brand spanking new
Ikea store! 

I entered a competition on Ikea's Facebook page to win tickets to Fänland at the Tempe store's grand opening. You had to submit your best fan photo or video to enter. They must have enjoyed my crazy photo, because I was lucky enough to be one of the winners!

So, after an early start - which was totally worth it, by the way - my friend, Jacqui, and I were treated to massages (!), hot drinks, a spread of yummy treats, goody bags, and gift vouchers. And all of this while sitting in a luxurious tent decked out with comfy Ikea furniture, cushions and rugs. No lining up in the rain for us. 

We enjoyed listening to some live acts on the stage nearby, including Abba tribute band 'Fabba'. It was great fun. We also got invited up on stage to spin the 'Wheel of Flatpack'. We each won a hotdog. Yeah! haha. I might pass that prize on to my husband. He's a huge fan of the dollar hotdogs.

I was relieved that I didn't win an allen key - because that was a possibility - we have about 50 of those at home already. Note to self: purge allen keys.

The friendly lady, who had been serving us food and drinks all morning, eventually led us and the other lanyard-wearing winners into the store through the back entrance. (So rock star!) We stood amidst a sea of yellow staff shirts and swedish flags while the 'official ribbon' was cut, then joined in with the crowd as they opened the doors.

We marveled at the beautiful styling of all the display rooms, while not really pausing to take too close a look (we were trying to stay ahead of the crowd), and I took many mental notes of the clever storage ideas I saw. I'm filing those away for future reference. We then picked up a couple of things we were after and were out of there. Proud to be still alive and in one piece.

That was one cool, yet slightly weird, morning!

(Last two photos courtesy of Jacqui. Thanks!)