Saturday 16 February 2013

Friday Favourite Finds..

I know it has been a long time since I have published a favourite find post!

This week I have been pinning things for our backyard, some homeschooling ideas and some yummy treats that I would to share :)


I really want to build a sandpit in our backyard and loved the look of this one from Mothering with mindfulness. I think that my kids would love this and Mum would too!


From Homeschool Creations, I found this Lenten Study that I wanted to share..

Messiah Mystery - a family study for Lent from FamilyLife.com

This would be a great family focus leading up to Easter.

From Food Done Light, I found a Chocolate covered Strawberry cake. This sounds so yummy!!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake #fooddonelight #strawberrycake #lowcaloriecake #chocolateganache

From Country Living, I found a Chocolate Lover's Icecream Pie!!



And also from Country Living, Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies!!

Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints

I hope you enjoy my favourite finds. All these pins and more can be found at SchoolAdventures on Pinterest, drop by and take a look!

For more Favourite Finds head to Finding Joy In My Kitchen.




Thursday 14 February 2013

Menu Planning... Week 14th February to 20th February.

Thursday:

Breakfast: Tropical Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad

Lunch: Tuna salad nicoise


Dinner (Food Tech  - Damon): Shake it! Don't poke it chicken!

Dessert (as above): Greek custard Tart



Friday: 

Breakfast: Banana Pancakes

Lunch: Guacamole, home made flat bread chips ( we brushed with egg white and scattered with pumpkin seeds/ sunflower seeds and then a little parmesan, then baked in hot oven until browned) and raw veg.

Dinner: Pumpkin and apple soup and crusty bread.
Roasted butternut pumpkin and apple soup

Saturday: 

Breakfast: Banana Bread with maple ricotta


Lunch: Mexican style tabouli with leftover flat bread.

Dinner: Grilled Chicken with fresh apricot sauce, mash and veggies.
Seared Chicken with Apricot Sauce Recipe

Sunday: 

Breakfast: dry roasted granola muesli with frozen raspberries and milk.

Lunch: Avocado, bacon and cheese toasted sandwich.

Dinner: Pork chops with fresh pear salsa, onion and potato cakes and veggies.
Pork with Pear Salsa

Monday:

Breakfast: Dry Roasted granola muesli and yoghurt.

Lunch: Roasted baby beet salad.
Roasted beetroot & baby spinach salad with walnut dressing

Dinner: Breaded Fish and Chips with salad.
Breaded Fish and Chips

Tuesday:

Breakfast: Bagels with baked beans.

Lunch: Chocolate chip Soda bread with Butter.


Dinner: Lasagna


Wednesday: 

Breakfast: Porridge with honey swirl.

Lunch: Mixed leaf salad with avocado.
Mixed Salad Greens with Avocado

Dinner: Chicken Cacciatore

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

Dessert: Eggy, bready apple pudding.

Eggy Bready Apple Pudding

Check out The Organizing Junkie for more menu plans.


Friday 8 February 2013

And the busyness has begun!!


This has been a very busy week!!! but amongst the busyness we managed to get some work done :)

Avril continues with LLATL blue and I have to say 'I love it'!!

She has learned to read her first book, ' Nat runs. Ann runs'. She has sequenced events, retold the story with puppets, practiced her handwriting, learned new sounds and sight words.




We read the story of Slowly the tortoise and Speedy the hare. It was Avril and Adele's job to re-tell the story for me.

Slowly the tortoise and Speedy the Hare..
Avril has also been continuing her journey learning about light. Here she is checking her sun dial and marking off the new shadows. We talked about the earth spinning past the sun and away from the sun, creating night and day.

She also learned about transparent and opaque objects, and how a shadow is created. This led to some shadow puppet making..


We also learned how all living things need light. But also how to be sun safe!

And of course there was time for Math-u-See..Hundredths, tens and units.


Adele has memorised the books of the Old Testament.


And completed her project on Johann Gutenberg. For her first ever assignment, she did an amazing job. She has discovered a love for research assignments!!


 Damon has continued experimenting with the primary and secondary colours in art. For someone who was not keen on art, he sure has changed and now looks forward to it!


 Damon also completed his project on Johann Gutenberg. He created a border of printing presses and Johann himself.


Homeschool swimming lessons started this week. It was quite a cool day for swimming and all the kids ended up with chattering teeth!



Continuing our theme on light, the girls created their own lanterns. They were so excited to light them this evening and walk around in the dark.


Can you see them coming???

 NORAH HEAD LIGHTHOUSE TOUR..

The kids had been looking forward to this family excursion. And we weren't disappointed! It was a beautiful day and we had a fantastic tour guide :)






 Avril was keen to sketch the outside of the lighthouse, so as we waited for our guide, Avril settled down to draw.

 My little poses!!



 See the domes in this picture? I hadn't realised that each lighthouse had it's own design that allowed seamen to know where they were! Norah Head has domes and Byron Bay has pyramids!

The kids loved the next level! Here they found a red light, which alerted seamen to a reef. This light could be seen only out of one window, which was made of red perspex. And it could be seen for kilometere's out at sea.


 Up at the top of the lighthouse, we saw the huge light, that just kept turning day and night. We heard stories of how much work was involved in the past to keep the light in good working order. We also learned that the light does not blink, but just turns around, which makes it seem like it blinks.


 We also discovered the historical fire escape plan! A rope over the side of the lighthouse! I was very glad that I wouldn't be needing that! I would recommend a tour of the lighthouse, it was fascinating!

After the tour we headed down to the beach to explore the rock pools.


The kids found lots of interesting creatures to gaze at and touch! After a short walk along the beach, the kids found some slopes and rocks to climb!



My kids love climbing and exploring new spaces..

Our next stop was at The Entrance for lunch, icecream and a swim!




 It was quite chilly, but the kids still had a ball!

A full and busy week! But a lot of fun had along the way :)