4 gorgeous gifts for mum

May 1, 2017 By Michaela Fox Leave a Comment

4 gorgeous gifts for mum

How did mother’s day creep up on us so fast? It seems to get earlier every year. Aren’t we still recovering from Christmas? I love mother’s day. Not only is it entirely acceptable to be grammatically incorrect (although there’s some debate over the correct placement of the apostrophe), but it is also a time to thank your own mum, and be thanked for being a mum. At no other stage in your life do you feel a greater respect and appreciation for your mum than when you become a mum yourself. Becoming a mum brings into focus the dedication, love and sacrifices that you’re own mum made. I wrote this post to my mum – a woman who tirelessly put her children’s needs ahead of her own, and whose mothering abilities I aspire to match. It’s a post about thanks.

Right, now let’s get down to business! It’s all about presents. Wrong. We all know it’s about cold toast, handmade craft and lingering cuddles with our offspring. And I absolutely love it. I love how excited my girls are to bring in their carefully chosen gifts from the mother’s day stall and the handmade cards and craft. It’s gorgeous. I don’t want for anything else, but if Mr NASD insists, I’ve got some gorgeous gift suggestions below. It’s the seconds ticking away until Mother’s Day! With the annual occasion to spoil your Mum just around the corner, here are some gorgeous rosey hued gift options that are sure to impress her.

4 gorgeous gifts for mum

Timeless and gorgeous!

The soft rose dial makes a lovely feature.

Henry London Watch in Soft Rose

Henry London’s 39mm women’s wristwatch from the Pimlico collection complete with a soft rose dial is absolutely stunning. With a rose gold case and a double domed acrylic lens, it is finished off with a white strap. Visit the online shop here to take a closer look. RRP $160.

Love the pink handle of this Santoku knife!

2. Victorinox Santoku Knife in Pink

Cute yet practical, this classic Santoku Knife with a lovely pink hue will be Mum’s new best friend in the kitchen. I absolutely love knives (does that sound wrong???) and will always gladly welcome another one into my kitchen. The Victorinox Santoku Knife, 17cm Fluted Whide Blade in Classic Pink can be found here. RRP $99.95. Also available in various colours.

This pretty pale pink tea will bring a smile to mum’s face.

3. LyndalT Teacup and Saucer in Pale Pink

When it comes to a cuppa, bigger is better. This XL-sized teacup and saucer set is made from quality fine china and features gold trims, so Mum will feel a bit fancy every morning when she’s sipping her Earl Grey. LyndalT Teacup and Saucer (XL) in Pale Pink on Hardtofind, RRP $69.95. Also available in yellow, orange, red, cougar print, and pale blue.

Throw kindness around like confetti!

4. New Confetti Collection from Jean Hailes for Women’s Health

‘Throw wellness around like confetti’ was the inspiration behind this Confetti Collection by the Jean Hailes foundation. The collection consists of a tote bag, cosmetic bag, tea towel and a gold tassel keyring, all featuring the signature confetti design. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health is a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving the knowledge of women’s health throughout every life stage. Proceeds from the sales of this collection allow us to continue providing health knowledge to women in Australian across all communities. For those looking for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift, you can’t go past this collection. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health is offering a discount of 20% off all collection items until Mother’s Day on Sunday 14 May. Available here.

Do you have any great gift suggestions? What is your favourite part about mother’s day?

Miss J’s Pink and Gold Party

September 12, 2016 By Michaela Fox

Miss J’s party cake.

I can’t believe my little girl turns six today. In the blink of an eye she has gone from a toddler to a big girl. How did that happen? The expression, “the days are long but the years are short” comes to mind. It seems like she was only a baby five minutes ago! This year for her birthday we went with an “easy” theme. I have put on my fair share of birthday parties and covered fairy, pink, rainbow and garden themes. Though they were a lot of fun, when you theme a party it inevitably becomes a lot more work. Given my pregnancy is busting my chops at the moment, and we have a lot going on in our lives, I opted for a simple theme of Pink and Gold. Here’s a rundown of all the party elements:

Let’s get this party started!

Theme:

I am willing to bet that most 6-year-old girls are pretty fond of Pink and Gold, and these two colours just happen to pair beautifully together. Plus, I had lots of pink decorations leftover from my 40^th, which was a pink and mint theme. I love coloured themes as they are easy and fun.

Styling:

Easy peasy. Pink and gold balloons, honeycombs, confetti, pom poms and streamers.

Pink and gold confetti from Poppies for Grace.

Venue:

NASD HQ.

Party guests:

12 of her closest friends from school. Girls only, this time. They all came in pink, gold and “sparkles.”

Pink and Gold party theme

Entertainment:

The lovely Stephanie from Colourful Smiles came to our house and entertained the kids with disco dancing, face painting and balloon art. She came dressed in the Pink and Gold theme and she was absolutely FANTASTIC. From the moment she arrived she captivated the kids’ attention and she made the birthday girl feel very special. Stephanie was a huge hit and I cannot recommend her more highly.

Stephanie creating balloon magic!

Love this rainbow

The birthday girl with rainbow art

Butterfly arm art

Catering:

I kept the catering pretty simple this year. Aside from the cake and cupcakes, I went to very little effort J

The Cake:

A three-layer chocolate cake with pink buttercream icing covered in white fondant and pink fondant flowers (after all, Miss J is named after a flower!). I couldn’t work out how to dye fondant gold, so I included some sparkle on top with this cute gold bunting (made with sparkly washi tape). The pink ribbon tied around the bottom makes the cake look pretty as well as hiding my fondant imperfections! If you’re new to icing with fondant, you can read my full post on fondant for beginners.

The party cake!

Fondant icing with flower decorations.

Miss J’s party cake.

Now let ’em eat cake!

Cupcakes: Simple vanilla cupcakes with piped pink buttercream icing and topped with edible pink and gold sprinkles. The gorgeous cupcake wrappers in gold and rose gold added to the theme and came from Illume partyware.

Pink and gold cupcakes.

Cupcakes are always a hit!

Fairy bread, Fruit cups, Sushi, Sausage rolls, popcorn and chips. For drinks I set up a drink dispenser of tropical juice and allowed the kids to pout their own juice in these cute milk bottles with pink stripey straws. When I emptied the drink dispenser later that day, Miss A said: “I bet you’re looking forward to filling that with champagne once the baby is here.” Ummm…. yes I am!

Fruit juice for this party, champagne for the next!

Pink and gold Fairy bread

Fruit cups always a winner

Party Bags:

Illume partyware provided these stunning pink and gold party bags, along with the thank you cards. I just adore these bags. Inside I filled with the usual bits and bobs, but the hero of the party bag was most certainly the gorgeous tubs of all-natural scented play dough by Happy Hands Happy Hearts. Seriously how sweet are these jars? The clever mum behind Happy Hands Happy Hearts is passionate about encouraging creative and sensory play, something I am very passionate about too. They use plant-based dyes to mimic flavours found in nature and scents that encourage well-being and calm. Check out their stunning range. My favourite fragrance is the lavender. Divine!

Pink and Gold party bags

All-natural scented play dough jars.

The play dough jars can be personalised with special tags.

A gorgeous addition to the party bags!

Candy Buffet:

Instead of loading up their party bags with sweets, I set up a small candy buffet in the room so the guests could choose and fill their own lolly bags. This was a hit at my 40^th and so I filled a couple of big jars with pink jellybeans and an assortment of candy. Note the vase of Jasmine, which filled the room with the most beautiful perfume.

Candy buffet for the party guests.

Jasmine and candy

My darling Miss J,

You were born with big, beautiful, “sparkly” eyes. As you were placed on my chest, I was filled with an indescribable joy. I had just been given the most incredible gift; another healthy baby, another daughter, a sister for Miss A. You were exquisite. When I was too sick to finalise your name, your dada looked at me and said, “I think she looks like a J.” And he was right – you were as pretty and perfect as the flower that blooms in Spring. And it was in full seasonal bloom on the 13th day of September in 2010.

Those big, blue eyes continue to sparkle today, lighting up the spaces and people around you. You light up life, my gorgeous girl. I have watched you grow into the most loving, curious, kind and gentle young girl. Enjoy being six – it’s going to a fabulous year. You have almost completed your first year of school and you have done so with great gusto and curiosity. Your teacher’s eyes lit up when she told me you are a “delight to teach.” Miss J, you are a delight to parent. Continue to shine bright, my angel. You’ve lot to look forward to this year, not least of which is welcoming a sibling into our family very soon. How lucky he or she will be to have you as an older sister.

Happy 6th birthday, Miss J, my “curly tops”.

I love you more than I can express in words.

Mama xoxoxox

My beautiful Miss J, you light up my world!

NASD TURNS FOUR – elk giveaway up for grabs

August 29, 2016 By Michaela Fox

Hip, Hip, Horay. NASD turns 4 today!

Hip, Hip, Horay, NASD turns four today!!!

So, not so long ago I turned the big 4-OH!! But today I turn 4, a far more fun age. And I hope you will all celebrate with me!

It’s hard to believe that FOUR whole years have passed since I wrote my first post on Not another slippery dip. My blog has been like my 4th baby in many ways. I remember the combined excitement and nervousness I felt when I pressed PUBLISH and sent my post out to the blogosphere. I say blogosphere because it’s sounds a lot more impressive than the two readers (my husband, and my sister) who were the only ones following my blog at the time! My first post was called “Kids. Who’d have ’em?”, which gives you an insight into my state of mind at the time!! Well, it appears I didn’t turn anyone off with that post, least of all myself as I prepare for baby no. 4 to enter our lives!!

Blogging is a lot like parenting. It can be a steep learning curve and it takes some time to find your feet. It is a journey that is as exciting as it is perplexing. It requires more than I can give at times. I love it. I am emotional about it. I am confused by it. I lose patience with it at times. Personal blogging can be revealing, leaving you feeling vulnerable. It can also be liberating – the freedom to write what you like without constraint. Just like parenting it’s a personal journey.

Thank you for sharing this journey with me. I am so happy that you are reading. Each and every comment from my readers means a great deal to me. In the blogging world it’s easy to get fixated on site stats, traffic and new followers. I don’t have huge numbers, but like most things in life, quality over quantity wins out every time. I love writing and I blog to express; to connect; to capture, and to create.

What will be in store for my fifth year? Well, it’s fair to say it will involve more challenges, more twists and turns, and yep, more slippery dips! Oh, and a 4th baby, just to add to my busy schedule. He or she is sure to provide lots of content inspiration, and lots of newborn baby spam. I’ll try not to bore the pants off you with overdoing the newborn spam 🙂

Thanks for navigating the slippery dips with me. In a virtual sense, the champagne is on me! I hope you will celebrate with me. Hip, Hip, HORAY!!!!

ELK GIVEAWAY UP FOR GRABS FOR NASD READER

The lovely team at elk accessories are helping me celebrate by offering one lucky reader the chance to win a $100 elk gift voucher. I specifically asked elk to support my birthday celebrations as, aside from their continually evolving and stunning range, the winner will get to choose a gift that’s not in any way baby-kid related. Shop their beautiful Monument collection and choose something special, just for you!

All you have to do is sign up to my monthly newsletter (if you’re viewing from a desktop you will see subscription box on the right hand side) and you are automatically entered into the drawer to win. It’ll take you less than 10 seconds! Competition closes at midnight AEST on Wednesday 7th September. GOOD LUCK!!!

Win this elk gift voucher

Thanks again for being part of my online community.

Here’s to a fabulous 5th year ahead!

Michaela xx

Celebrating my 40th with a house party!

June 23, 2016 By Michaela Fox

Let’s get this party started!

I am still recovering from my 40th bash at the weekend. Not because of too much champagne, but because it was a BIG night, and I am old and preggers! But I want to tell you all about the night, and what made it so special. House parties are few and far between these days and I think that’s a shame as they are SO MUCH FUN! I really wanted a party at home as I haven’t had a big bash since my 30th birthday, and because house parties tend to be more warm and personal. Admittedly, they are A LOT of work, but given event planning is in my DNA (and in fact, I was an event manager B.C) and I totally dig this kind of stuff. If you’re contemplating your next milestone birthday or celebratory occasion, consider having it at home. I am going to share with you how I did it, with styling, catering, theming and mood boosting tips. It was heaps of fun, and my girls absolutely loved helping me shop, plan and coordinate every aspect of party planning….

Let the festival of forty begin!

June 8, 2016 By Michaela Fox

Let’s get this party started!

Well, it’s official. I am now 40!

I can’t say I’ve been looking forward to this day, but now that is it here I am feeling A-OK about it. It’s only a number after all, but the number terrified me for a while. I suppose it’s because I don’t actually feel forty. I kind of don’t think I look forty, either, but a healthy dose of self-delusion could be at play. Certainly I’ve aged A LOT since I had kids, and the lines around me eyes are evidence of this past decade, but then again, a lot has happened in the past ten years.

My 30’s were good, really good. I got engaged on my 30th birthday and married the love of my life six months later. In our early years of marriage we travelled to some incredible countries including India (for our honeymoon), Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Italy and Slovenia! Our Eastern Europe trip was terrific fun. We were footloose and fancy free and we ate, drank and drove our way across some of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. We were deliriously happy as we had officially decided to start trying for a baby. Oh, so daily “siestas” were also a highlight of our holiday!

At 31 we were expecting our first baby, Miss A, who arrived shortly before my 32nd birthday. I have never been happier in my life than in the year that followed her birth. Life was everything I wanted it to be and I enjoyed motherhood immensely. At 33, we welcomed Miss J into our family and our lives and life got a little “busier.” She was not a good sleeper, and an unsettled baby and I found juggling a newborn with toddler difficult and draining. Which in hindsight makes my decision to go for a third rather “questionable”. But I’ve always been an impatient person so three under three seemed like a perfectly reasonable predicament, er I mean, situation!

Mis H arrived eager and ready to join the family when I was 35. She walked fast, talked fast, and waited for no one and nothing. Life was MANIC!!! I can’t really comment on the next few years as, quite frankly, they are a blur. For some odd reason I thought it would be a good idea to start a blog (because life wasn’t really busy enough, right?) and so you can read about those early times here and here. I honestly don’t know how I survived the first couple of years after Miss H was born. Having three preschoolers at home for three consecutive year is utter madness. I wouldn’t recommend it, but now that I am through it, I am very happy my girls are so close in age.

So although our lives are no longer filled with adventurous travel, hip bars, independent cinemas and urban restaurants, we are very happy. I feel like life has settled into a nice rhythm and I can’t really ask for more in life. Except a home, to own. But we’re working on that one 🙂

I feel confident my 40’s are going to be fabulous. Instead of resisting this age, I am now embracing it with full gusto. It begins today and I intend to celebrate my four decades with great enthusiasm. I officially launch my “Festival of Forty” today. I’ve got some fun things planned for the next few weeks and I am going to share my celebrations with you all.

Be sure to pop back here in a few days as I’ll have something very special to share with you….

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

I am ready for “life to begin”. I think 40 is going to be fun!

Thanks for following and sharing a little bit of my world with me.

Michaela xx

Party time!

How to make a Kit Kat Cake

April 2, 2016 By Michaela Fox

The ultimate kids’ birthday cake

It was my daughter’s 4th birthday last month and the birthday girl always gets to choose the cake. I’ve never made a superhero cake but I’ve done many fairy cakes, a Castle Cake, a Ladybird cake, Under the Sea Cake, Number Four Cake, Confetti Cake, Garden theme cake, and plenty more. This time, I breathed a sigh of relief when Miss H requested the Kit Kat Cake. If you’re contemplating your child’s next birthday cake and want something that’s easy, quick and has plenty of “wow factor”, the Kit Kat cake is the answer. No special baking skills are required to create this colourful, fun, eye-catching cake that will impress adults and kids alike!

You can make the Kit Kat Cake using your favourite chocolate cake recipe. Any cake will do. Just use your “go-to” cake and bake it in two tins. The best thing about this cake is it will hide any imperfections. The whole cake will be iced in chocolate buttercream and then covered with candy. You can even make things easier on yourself by baking the cake ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap then put in the freezer.

Get your chocolate and candy ready!

What you need:

– Kit Kats. Approximately 8 packets of regular sized Kit Kats (equalling 36 individual fingers.) Buy more than you need, for tasting purposes!

– Smarties or M&M’s (or a combination of both!). 1 packet is adequate but adequate is not really what we’re after here, is it? Buy two packets and use what you “need.”

– Buttercream icing (recipe to follow)

– A cake board, palette knife, willingness to taste-test, and a sense of fun!

Use your go-to chocolate cake recipe

Getting started

To ensure the assembly of the cake goes smoothly, prepare your workstation. It’s a good idea to break up your Kit Kats in advance. You will want these broken into two-finger pieces. Snap your regular sized Kit Kats into pairs while they are still in packet. This way you are not using your fingertips and transferring your fingerprints. Line up all your Kit Kats and if any are smudged set aside for baker’s consumption!

Use your favourite chocolate cake recipe and divide the mixture into two 9-inch cake (22cm) pans. Once cooked (when a skewer comes out clean) allow to cool completely. Don’t worry if your cakes do not look perfect – they don’t need to! Once the two chocolate cakes are cooked and cooled, remove from baking pan and trim off the “dome” that forms on most layer cakes so that the cakes are perfectly flat on the top and bottom.

Level the cake by slicing off the dome

Making the buttercream

Chocolate Buttercream Icing Recipe

– 300g butter, softened

– 5 cups soft icing mixture, sifted

– ¾ -1 cup cocoa, sifted (depending on your desired strength of chocolate flavour)

– 5 tbsp. milk

Method

– Using an electric mixer beat the butter until pale and fluffy.

– Add the icing mixture and cocoa a little at a time until fully incorporated.

– When this is fully combined add the milk and the chocolate buttercream will become light and fluffy.

Lay out your Kit Kat pairs

Time for some chocolate buttercream!

Assembling the cake

Put a dollop of buttercream on the serving plate or cake board to glue down the first layer of cake. Then, cover the first layer with buttercream and lay down your second flat layer of cake. Cover completely around and the top of the cake with the buttercream and be generous about it.

Now you’re ready to decorate! Simply place the Kit Kat pairs around the sides of the cake, pushing them into the buttercream icing. Using Kit Kats in pairs around the edge of provides a perfect guide when cutting the cake. Continue around the circumference of the cake, and then fill the top with M&Ms and you’re almost done. Use a colourful ribbon to tie around the cake for a striking finish. As well as being decorative a ribbon provides additional support to the cake.

Place Kit Kats around circumference of cake

Now for the fun part!

Add your smarties and M&Ms to the top!

Tied with a pretty pink ribbon

Variations: You can also substitute the M & M’s for smarties, jelly beans, flakes or mars bars. White chocolate Kit Kats also look fabulous around a white chocolate mud cake. Use your imagination and come up with a unique design.

Not only does this cake look awesome, it is so easy to make. No cake decorating skills are required and it will impress all the guests. Happy baking!

Easiest cake ever!

*This post first appeared on Kidspot

If you have any questions about making this cake, or suggested variations, please leave a comment below. I reckon next time I might make this with white chocolate Kit Kats!

5 ways to gift wrap with Washi Tape

March 1, 2016 By Michaela Fox

These neon washi dots make a vibrant, colourful gift wrap bunting.

Those of you who have been following me here for a while, or over on Insta, will know I am slightly addicted to stationary. I have a sizeable plastic tub in which I store all sorts of pretty gift wrap, gift cards, ribbons, twine, markers, and a truck load of washi tape. I LOVE washi tape!! What’s not to love about washi? If you’re not a convert yet, you will be soon!

Here are 3 reasons why I love washi:

It is easy to be creative with washi and for crafty-challenged mums like myself, it makes me feel like I am oh-so-clever.

It peels off easily from walls, without leaving a mark. Most washi tapes are strong, and functional as well as pretty, making them wonderful for practical as well as decorative use.

There are SO many things you can do with washi, but it’s slightly addictive. You’ve been warned.
Washi tape comes in all shapes, sizes and colours!

…

Starting school: how to prepare for the big day

January 20, 2016 By Michaela Fox

The big day has arrived. Shoes polished, tissues ready!

**Sponsored Post**

If you have a little one starting school this year, congratulations – you have a big year ahead! The first day of school is a huge milestone in a child’s life. And it’s pretty huge in a parent’s life too. Some might say even more so.

Perhaps you’re feeling excited. Or maybe you feel a little anxious or apprehensive. Most likely you’re a mixed bag of excited, nervous, emotional, ready and not ready. All perfectly normal!!

Acknowledging your little one is not so little anymore and preparing for school is overwhelming and awesome and sad and good all at the same time. School life represents greater independence, exciting discoveries, rich learning experiences and significant emotional and social development. It’s big, very big!…

Hosting Christmas: for 45 people!

January 3, 2016 By Michaela Fox

A sit down Christmas for 45 !

It’s taken me over a week to start this post as I’ve been recovering ever since I hosted Christmas lunch at my place! Because it wasn’t just Christmas lunch for a dozen people; we hosted Christmas lunch here for 24 adults and 21 children, and even with my poor maths skills, I can conclude this amounts to 45 people!! In keeping with tradition we all sat down to lunch. For the first twenty years of my life my nana hosted Christmas lunch at her place. But as she got older, and the family grew larger, my auntie then took over and for the past 19 years we enjoyed the most fabulous feast at her place. Sadly she passed away six months ago and so Mr NASD and I put up our hands to host Christmas at our place and ensure the family stayed together for such a special day. It wasn’t the same without my dear auntie, and her absence was deeply felt by all, but we did our best to put on a great day, and by all accounts we succeed. I am going to let the photos do most of the talking. Here is how we hosted Christmas for 45!…

Easy Christmas Gift cards and Gift Wrap

December 14, 2015 By Michaela Fox

Easy DIY Christmas Cards

Christmas is just around the corner and excitement amongst the kids is high. Children love to be involved in gift giving and by creating some Christmas craft together you can make your holiday greetings more thoughtful, while having fun.

Possibly the most lovely gift you can give someone is a heartfelt, handmade card. And who doesn’t love receiving a gift beautifully wrapped? It’s easy to make your own Christmas cards and gift wrap, which add extra sentiment to Christmas gifts. Get into the festive spirit and enjoy these Christmas gift-wrapping ideas with your kids….

4 gorgeous gifts for mum

Theme:

Styling:

Party guests:

Entertainment:

Catering:

The Cake:

Party Bags:

Candy Buffet:

ELK GIVEAWAY UP FOR GRABS FOR NASD READER

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!

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