Let's drink to that!

We live in Australia, and this summer has been a 'ripper'. Scorching days mean little bodies wither away easily, and sometimes keeping them hydrated can be a challenge. I'm fortunate in that my kids love the good old H2O. I know many children though that don't and it's not always the best to be reaching to the cupboard to make a jug of  number laden sweetness (cordial/koolaid). 

 This summer we have taken to using my Maxwell & Williams Olde English jug (find it here). My mumma got it for Christmas. the recipe i have been using as a cordial substitute has been a hit with the kids, and really you could get very creative and change things up depending on what you like, but here is one of our fav recipes below...

the main thing with the kids is that they love colour! And Most tea's that contain Hibiscus will give you that punchy red they crave. It can be great to include little hands to make it up, as it helps them understand and learn about what they are putting into their body.

Ingredients:

6-8 herbal tea bags (i choose fruity varieties so there is no caffeine, also you may need more depending on the size of your jug)

About 4-6 cups boiling water to steep your teabags in, plus more cold water for after

2 tablespoons raw Apple Cider Vinegar 

Stevia or Honey to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt

 juice of one lemon

Directions:

1. Add tea bags and salt to tempered jar.
2. Pour boiling water over tea bags and let steep 4-6 minutes
3. Fill jar the rest of the way with cold water.
4. Mix in vinegar and stevia or sweetener.
5. add lemon juice
6. Serve chilled over ice.

Notes: and option can be to throw in some mint leaves as well, it all depends on taste preference.

Herbal Tea. Herbal tea has a variety of health benefits, such as providing antioxidants, stress relief, promoting healthy sleep habits, and many other benefits.

Stevia. As ZERO calorie natural sweetener this herbal plant has many benefits such as lowering blood pressure, as well as preventing diabetes... but the list goes on 

Local Honey. Local honey is believed to help with seasonal allergies.

Apple Cider Vinegar. Supposedly, apple cider vinegar is practically magical and helps with energy, weight management, pH balance, cleansing of the lymph nodes, and a ridiculous list of other things.

Lemon and Salt. These items are used purely for electrolyte purposes. During summer, it’s very important to keep your body hydrated. 

2/52 - summer dayz

Its the holidays, and we are spending  our days out and about. The perks of living among Australia's finest beaches means that there is always somewhere to go and explore. One of our favorite things to do though is to head to the local, where lately im enjoying a pot of peppermint tea to settle the tum, and then off to the local park. its surrounded by green grass and rich canopy with just enough dappled light to let us know the day is gorgeous, yet protecting the babes from the harsh nature of the Australian sun. 

This week in a midst the frolicking and beach play, my husband made a difficult decision. To hold our youngest back another year. It was a hard decision, only because really he is quite bright. what sealed it in the end though was his emotional and social abilities, which will probably be fine in a few more months, but we just didn't want to take the risk that they might affect his foundation at school. Jett only just turned 5 so there is no rush, and he is looking forward to staying home with mumma and the baby, he already can't wait to swaddling 'her' (we don't know what we are having its too early but he wants a sister) and helping mumma. I must admit i am looking forward to it too.

Linking in with Jodie and the 52 project 

This kid is too cool for school

       

 
        Its hard not to smile in his presence

1/52

well 2015 has finally arrived. Last year i attempted the 52 project, but being my first year out from uni, working full time, i wasn't able to keep up, and it disappointed me because i loved  the idea of being able to look back at the year and see what it brought, the highs the lows, the changes.

Towards the end of last year i decided that i would attempt the commitment once more. This year i am able to drop down in hours at work and as a result ill have a little more me time. I,m looking forward to capturing the memories we make.

This week see's us celebrating the first week of the year! the very first day in fact see's us celebrating my baby's 5th birthday! it was spent in the pool out the back and the week was hot and bothersome even, wiping us out most days and ending with us relaxing in front of the aircon. These are the summer days i love and yearn for. Living on the coast brings the privileged of gorgeous beach access, and as much as i love to enjoy the salty air and squeak of sand beneath my feet. It was nice to have a week at home in our own little world, without watches or dates.

So here it is, 1/52.

this is how we ended up most days, sitting in front of the aircon, watching the world float by

'mum, mum!... im growing a beard!'... crazy kid was squeezing his guts out lol