Making traditions – 12 ways you can give back this Christmas

A tradition I want to start with my family, especially at Christmas time, is to give back to our community.

I want to raise a family that does’t view its way of life as the only way of life. I want my kids to be well adjusted and to understand how lucky we are to live where we do. Whether we have done it tough or well that year, the things that are important are our health, having a roof over our heads, food on the table and each others love and support.

Giving Back image

It can be really overwhelming at Christmas time when so many people need help, so we have done some research and put together a little list of ways you can give back this year. It’s in no way a complete list but it’s a start for you and yours to consider. Read more

Living life through the screen: taking it back

Getting out from behind the screen: Image Credit the Mummy and the MinxWhat was the first thing you did when your baby smiled, sat up by themselves, clapped or experienced another major milestone moment? Did you reach for your phone to try and capture this moment in time as effortlessly as you were overcome with the sheer joy of it? 

The last time you went to a gig or a festival, was there a sea of phone screens about half a foot above everyone’s heads. (Yes, I know very funny right? A festival?! Ha!) On Riverfire night, did you snap away trying to capture the perfect photo of the fireworks? Why are we driven to capture moments? And seriously, what are we doing with all of this stuff once we have it?

Here are our thoughts on a difficult subject …

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Taking Stock – October

Taking Stock - Image by Robyna

The very lovely Pip Lincolne from Meet Me At Mikes has created a beautiful way to create a snapshot of your life at a particular moment: Taking Stock.

It’s a list of prompts that capture where you are, what you are doing, how you are feeling and where you are going.   I did this as part of Pip’s Blog with Pip course and I am just bursting to share it with you. Read more

Sharing my passion – Sarah’s Salads

Food has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember.

Some of my earliest memories are of baking with my mum. My family always grew some of our own fruit and vegetables, or had chickens be it for eggs or meat.

On Christmas holidays we would drive from the Atherton Tablelands to Brisbane and stay with my Grandparents. My Grandfather was a mad horticulturist – fruit, vegetables, flowers, he grew it all in abundance. I would sit in the peach or nectarine tree and just gorge myself. Even now, with his ill health he still instructs my Grandmother on what needs to be planted and done in the garden at their retirement village.

These days I also love growing my own herbs and vegetables and am hoping to expand into some fruit trees this summer.

Sarah's salads

 

I love reading and watching chefs and cooks who focus on the importance of good produce, Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer are my all time favorites. And then there is Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage fame, and of course the adorable Jamie Oliver, and the charming Valentine Warner.

Something I am always complemented on is my salads. So as a way to share my passion with you, our lovely readers, I have put together a small collection of some of my salad recipes – Sarah’s Salads. These are the ones people constantly ask me the recipes for. I’m big on pimping salads and taking them to the next level. So each recipe has an optional “pimp it” section as well.

These recipes are not original, they are all influenced from others I have tried. I do hope that you enjoy them.

Bon Appetite!

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