The Saturday Update

This week has taken on a somewhat slower pace than last week.  After a lovely cycle trip with friends at the weekend, we had a quiet Sunday.

I had a couple of meetings this week for a new project I'm working on.  I'm feeling excited and creative about it but more on that soon.

Isabella has had a couple of playdates and while we were with friends on Monday I began to feel unwell.  I had something of a Summer cold and Tuesday was terrible.  Isabella and Joshua are both fighting off illness too so there must be something going round.  The weather being all over the place has not helped.

In between, I got quite a lot done for the Kindergarten with a lot of help from Nico too.  It feels good to finally be able to dedicate a bit more time to the staff there while I'm not working.  And of course it is all for the kids.

We got a bit done around the house but not as much as last week and there is still lots to do.  I'll be cracking on with that this weekend because the next couple of weeks are full off day trips, events and our trip to England!

Links!

Cornwall brings back childhood memories for me and makes me excited for future holidays there with our family.

A reminder that it is never too late.

An incredible background to an amazing story.  That group was very lucky.

I'm lucky to have these things in my husband.

So this is going on my wish list!

Made me laugh.

I see you.

Fun book titles.

Terrace Lights

As usual, the big advantage of our holidays is having the time and energy to nag Nico into doing things get more done around the house.  We got a lot done in the first week and especially nice was having some quality time with the children.

As far as jobs around the house go, this was my favourite. Unfortunately we haven't had the right weather to make the most of them yet but hopefully, we will.  The lights were bought last year and we haven't had time to put them up since Summer arrived so I do hope it's not over already.  In previous years we have sat out on Nico's birthday but this year it did nothing but rain.

The lights provide a lovely atmosphere and aren't too bright.  They make the terrace a much more inviting space.  It really feels like things are coming together around here again.

Harbour Boat Trip

Last week we took the kids out of daycare to travel to Bremen and take them on their first boat tour.  We were lucky to have glorious weather that day and a lovely breeze from the river.  We took water and snacks and had a wonderful family day out.

Sometimes, it's easy to forget that you don't have to go far to get that holiday feeling.  I love these day trips and I hope we'll manage a few more.  This one is still one of my favourite memories from last Summer.

I wasn't sure how the kids would react but they both loved it.  They sat and looked for a while and then they ran around and played a bit but all within limits and they were not a bit of trouble.  Isabella was very proud to tell her Grandma all about it on the telephone.  She loved spotting other ships and some of the industrial areas, especially the 'broken down pirate ships'.  They both slept well afterwards too!

For me, it was a sign that we can do more with the kids and it's wonderful to enter this new stage as a family where we can do more and the kids are a little more independent. 

Recipe: Avocado Meatballs with Salsa

Ingredients:

• 500g minced beef
• 1 avocado
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp mustard
• Seasoning
• Parsley
• 2 tomatoes

Instructions:
1. Cut half of the avocado into twelve cubes.
2. Combine the mince, onion, garlic, eggs, mustard, parsley and seasoning in a bowl.
3. Form the mixture into twelve balls, placing a cube of avocado at the centre of each and fry for about ten minutes.
4. Meanwhile chop the tomatoes and the second half of the avocado to make a salsa side.

Make it Monday - Frozen Necklace

Isabella was inundated with Frozen themed craft gifts for her birthday.  Finally, I had time to open some with her yesterday.  The first one we completed was this necklace.  It's actually two bracelets but they can be joined to form a necklace, which she prefers.

Everything we needed was provided but we had to make most of the charms.  I've dabbled with jewellery making but never anything as fiddly as this and I'm really pleased with the outcome, especially since I didn't have the tools.

It was also really fun for Isabella and for me to do something together.  She often sees me making things but can't often join in yet.  This was perfect for doing something together and she has a pretty new necklace as a result.  Really looking forward to crafting more with her in the holidays and making more time to be creative with her and Joshua in the future.

Weekly Wisdom

Do what you feel in your heart to be right for you'll be criticized anyway.

Eleanor Roosevelt.