Maddy's favourite toy

With all the illnesses in the family lately (mostly Maddy) and lack of sleep, I have been feeling like I can't keep up. I was almost ready to toss in the blog as it sometimes seems to be just another pressure, nagging me to get things under control so that I can get crafty again. It often seems that noone reads it anyway so I sometimes wonder if it's worth the effort.

I have so many plans to make this and that, but never actually get to do it, and it often seems too hard. I don't know how so many other Mum's do it, but I will openly admit here and now, that I am certainly no supermum! Keeping up with a busy (but adorable) 3.5yr old, who is very much a "play with me" kind of boy and a beautiful baby girl who'sbeen under the weather and needing a lot more cuddle time lately has kept me fairly occupied. That and the multitude of activities - playgroup, swimming lessons, story time at the library for Austy, baby chat at the library for Maddy, mothers group and the usual park trecks, game playing, train track building, crafting time and teaching Austy his letters and how to read (his latst request and it's gorgeous watching him try to read books by himself). However they are only little once so I plan to enjoy this time, even if it feels like I get nothing done.

But the blog stays. Instead of aiming big, I am tackling small projects, like this taggy block I made for Madelyn yesterday. Things I can achieve. And the blog will remain as a reminder of what I DO get done. I must stop comparing myself with other bloggers who seem to get a million things finished in the space of a week or a few rather large projects done as if they were nothing too time consuming at all (and I know they are). I don't know at all how they do it.

And a big thanks goes out to Ashley - you really made my day yesterday when you bumped into me at the craft market I was perusing to tell me that you knew me from my blog. It made me smile to think that hey, people do read this thing and I am not just jabbering on to myself.

So I give you the taggy block, this week's small project. Made from 5" charm squares and a scrap of minky and suede cloth left over from her dalmation nappy for some tactile stimulation, and randomly placed ribbons and rickrack scraps for her amusement. I planned to make this ages ago which is why it's just black, red and white - perfect for a first baby toy, but she loves it anyway, even if it is months overdue, and the ribbons make it great to fling around and poke your fingers through. I was going to make some smaller ones to stach on top but since it's filled with pollyfil and not a foam block it's not really flat sided so I thougt it might be difficult for stacking. There is a bell inside for a little bit of a rattle, but boo to Spotlight where I bought the pack of 5 large "jingle bells" to find that only 2 of them acually jingled.




And not crafty at all, but since I am focussing on what I do get done, rather than what I don't, I do do a lot of baking. Cupcakes, biscuits, scones and the like with Austin as he loves to bake and it teaches him things like following instructions and measuring (and he loves to sift and stir), and lots of different new tastes for Madelyn who is really taking well to solids when she's not been unwell. Today's baking was these rice cereal and pear baby biscuits after Maddy got very excited watching me eat my pumpkin scones the other day but they were perhaps a little unsafe, crumbling in her mouth and potentially making her choke. So these will be a bit safer for her (perhaps not the stars and people shapes with bits that could break off, but hey, they make it interesting). I made them up as I went along so will document the recie here for future use, and to share with my readers who also have babies.






Pear and rice cereal baby biscuits (egg & sugar free)

2/3 cup rice cereal (plain rather than flavoured)
2/3 cup SR flour
30g butter (could substitute for vegetable oil if your baby is intolerant of dairy)
1 pear, peeled, cooked and mashed


Sift the flour into a bowl and mix in the rice cereal. Rub in the butter. Make a well in the centre and add the mashed pear and mix well into a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface and roll out thin - be sure the dough is only a couple of mm thick as it will rise with cooking and could become cakelike and crumbly if the dough is too thick. Cut into shapes (round shapes are best so that bits don't break off, or cut into fingers with a blunt knife. Cook at 200 deg C (or 180 if you have a decent fan-forced oven unlike me) for 10-15 mins until golden but not brown.

YUM!