August 2021 - PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

Painting-6 Reasons Why Preschoolers Need To Paint

2 Comments / Insights Into Early Childhood Education

Preschoolers need to paint! They are drawn to this activity, they love it and the wonderful thing is that painting actually helps their brains to develop. Yes, it’s messy and requires time and effort but the benefits are just astounding. Who would have thought that such a simple fun activity could hold the key to so many benefits for young children? Here Are 6 Reasons Why Preschoolers Need To Paint 1. Exercises Children’s Creativity Indeed painting encourages young children to freely explore and this builds confidence. So when children are given a variety of paints and a blank piece of paper, they have the wonderful opportunity to freely make choices of how they want to interact with these materials. In addition, they can choose to mix colors, create patterns, be original, discover, and create. 2. Painting Helps Fine Motor Skills When children are engaged in painting and art activities, the muscles in their fingers, hands, and wrists are being exercised and strengthened. Children learn to control their finger grip and movement. All this will help them learn to hold a pencil and write later on when they go to big school. 3. Great For Cognitive Development Art and painting can help children with skills such as learning about cause and effect. Children can mix colors together to find new combinations. They can create patterns and develop implied memory with the repetition of movement such as loading a paintbrush and making brushstrokes. 4. Builds Self-esteem When children paint they can freely explore without any fear of being right or wrong. It’s all about the process and not the product. Therefore all children will feel successful regardless of age, skill, or ability. 5. Learn About Color Painting gives children the opportunity to learn about color in a fun practical way. Plus they can also experiment with messy color mixing. 6. It’s Relaxing Painting is a stress-relieving and soothing activity! The whole process of putting paint onto paper is a very therapeutic experience. Painting Activities for Preschoolers Printing At preschool, we have a variety of stampers that children can use for printing. We have animals, vehicles, insects, dinosaurs, etc. You name it we are sure to have it. To make things interesting sometimes we also use things you might find around the house, such as forks, spatulas, cotton reels, bottle tops. There are endless things that can be used for printing activities. And then of course there is good old hand and foot printing! Stencil Painting Painting with stencils helps children create fun and interesting patterns and designs. You can use a brush for this activity or even a sponge. Marble painting I think that this activity is a real favorite. You need a tray or box, some paint in small cups or bowls and marbles. Simply plop the marble into the paint and then scoop it out with a spoon and place it on the paper you have placed in the box or tray. Children then have to use side to side motion to make the marble run forming interesting lines or patterns across their paper. The challenge is to keep that marble contained! Painting Using Permanent Black Markers And Watercolors I think this activity is my favorite. The children first use a black marker to draw and then they paint what they have drawn. You will get the best results if you use vibrant watercolors. Using Cotton Buds At preschool, we sometimes use cotton buds instead of regular paintbrushes. This is a great activity because the children practice their pencil grip by using the small cotton buds. You can use tempera paint or watercolors for this painting activity. String Painting This is a fun way to develop kids’ fine motor skills, strengthen grip and control. All you need is a string, a peg, and tempera paint. You clip the string into the peg then dip it into the paint. Next, you drag the string around the paper to make patterns. It sounds simple enough but it can be tricky to control that string. It will give kids a good hand muscle workout! Bubble Printing For this activity, you need a straw plus a container of water mixed with detergent and food coloring. The children need to blow bubbles then take a print of their bubbles using a piece of paper. Painting has so many benefits for children and their development but I think the best thing about painting is that it is just so much fun!! Looking for reasons why playdough is so beneficial for children plus a great recipe for playdough. Click here

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Pencil Skirt-Styling a Black Pencil Skirt 5 Ways

6 Comments / Fashion Files

A Pencil skirt has a straight and narrow cut, it is slim fitting with a hem that falls either just at the knee or below. The Pencil skirt is very flattering to the figure and can even make you look taller. What a bonus for us vertically challenged girls! I bought this lovely black pencil skirt from Country Road a couple of years ago and I really love the fit. It is comfortable, flattering, and can easily be worn for any occasion depending on how you style it. Today I thought I would style the classic black pencil skirt 5 ways. I have some casual looks and a couple more dressy looks for fun evenings. I hope you like them. Pencil Skirt Outfit Number One First up I thought I would try a casual look. Here I have styled the skirt with a classic white T-shirt and denim jacket. I added some cute fun slip-on sneakers with a star pattern. This is a great outfit for mid-season weather, like what we have here in Sydney at the moment. We are heading into spring and have enjoyed some warmer days but it’s still too cold for me to bare my arms brrrrrr. I like wearing a skirt with sneakers. It’s a cute look as well as being practical for all those days you need to run around doing errands. I bought these cute slip-on sneakers from Gap when Sydney opened its first Gap store. I was super excited, but unfortunately, Gap didn’t last very long here in Australia’s tough fashion market. Consequently, they closed their doors about three years ago. Outfit Number Two This is a great Autumn or Winter outfit and one I have worn a few times. I like the ankle boots with the skirt, it’s a little bit dressier but still fun and casual. When I wear a jumper with my pencil skirt, I make sure to do a front tuck. This way the whole outfit doesn’t look bulky or frumpy. I like front tucking because it will give you a more figure-flattering look. Here is a closer look at the ankle boots. Ankle boots look incredibly stylish when worn with a pencil skirt. I bought these from Country Road last year, I love the pointed toe and angled heel. They are also really comfortable and warm. Perfect for going out on a winter night. Outfit Number Three Yes! A fun bright T-shirt with a back pencil skirt. Why not? I love this T-shirt which I bought from a place called Mitchell Road Antiques. My sixteen-year-old Son actually spotted it for me. At Mitchell Road Antiques they sell vintage homewares, furniture, clothing, and accessories. My family and I really love going there on the weekends. Sadly we can’t because it is shut due to the Covid lockdown. Once Sydney opens up again, this is the place I’ll be heading to first!! Anyway back to the outfit, I am very conservative when it comes to wearing bright colors. But somehow I don’t mind this orange. Maybe it’s because I have a weakness for Reese’s peanut butter cups. This outfit just screams fun and styled with leopard slingback shoes it is also a bit daring. Well, it is for me anyway, I usually go for more neutral colors. I would also wear this T-shirt tucked into the skirt, or front tucked. Outfit Number Four For this next look, I have styled the pencil skirt with a white shirt. I really like this white shirt because it has a really nice button detail, see the slits on either side leading up to the collar. I paired this look with some patent leather clogs, for a slightly more relaxed comfortable feel. I have such a weakness for clogs, they are truly comfortable and can elevate any outfit from simple to fun and interesting. This dusty pink brooch adds a tiny bit of color to the outfit. This brooch is beautifully made and I bought it on Etsy. I had been looking at the classic Chanel Camellia brooch for a long time. But I wasn’t keen to spend over $500 on a brooch. The Last Pencil Skirt Outfit~ Number Five This outfit is perfect for a night out. The black pencil skirt is teamed with this gorgeous shimmery gold top. Again I like to tuck this top into the skirt to maintain a flattering silhouette. The strappy heels paired with the pencil skirt make this outfit look elegant and dressy. I can’t wait until Sydney opens up again and we can go out for dinner. I will be wearing this for sure! I hope this post gives you some inspiration for styling a black pencil skirt! If You Are Interested In How I styled a striped Black and White T-shirt. You can find that here Links To Two Of My Favorite Clothing Stores Country Road Australia www.countryroad.com.au Witchery www.witchery.com.au

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Fun Friday- Favorite things for Friday

Spinach Pie Recipe

9 Comments / Recipes

Hi friends, Thank you so much for stopping by. I just wanted to share with you this very delicious spinach pie recipe. I cooked this delicious spinach pie the other day for my family, and let me tell you it did not last long. Everybody enjoyed it so much and my husband declared it the best one I’ve ever made! I have previously made different versions of spinach pie but this one was hands down the best. I’ll let you in on the secret. I had some garlic dip that needed to be used up so I added a couple of generous spoonfuls to the mix. Friends it took it to the next level of deliciousness. The spinach pie was creamier and much tastier than what I have ever made before. If you don’t have garlic dip, that’s ok but if you do have some in your fridge then definitely add it and you will know what I mean with the first bite! Ingredients 280 g baby spinach 12 sheets filo pastry 1 onion finely chopped 2 cloves garlic crushed or grated 2 eggs beaten 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup feta cheese crumbled 1 1/2 cups ricotta 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese 2 tablespoons garlic dip 1 teaspoon dill salt and pepper 100 grams melted butter for filo pastry Method Preheat oven to 185 degrees celsius Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a pan and cook onions and garlic for approximately 5 minutes Add baby spinach and cook until wilted set-aside In a large bowl combine Fetta, Ricotta, Parmesan cheese, Garlic dip, Dill, Salt, Pepper, and beaten eggs Add cooked onions, garlic, and spinach to mix set aside Grease baking dish Place one sheet of filo pastry on the bottom of the dish then brush with melted butter. Continue to add filo pastry with butter until you have done six layers of filo Add the spinach mix and spread evenly Add another six layers of filo pastry to cover the mix. Remember to brush each sheet with butter Trim the filo and tuck in the remaining pastry around the edges Score the filo pastry to form a diagonal pattern and sprinkle with sesame seeds Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown This Spinach Pie recipe is truly delicious. You can serve this spinach pie with a salad for lunch or dinner. It also makes a perfect addition to jazz up your children’s lunch boxes! If you are looking for some more dinner/lunch inspiration. I have another delicious recipe for you here. It’s my Goat Cheese, Potato, and Onion Tart. Another family favorite!!

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What’s up Wednesday

Benefits Of Playdough in Early Childhood

5 Comments / Insights Into Early Childhood Education

There are so many benefits of playdough in early childhood apart from the fact that it is just so much fun! Playdough is and always will be a favorite activity for kids. All the rolling, pinching and smooshing offers countless hours of entertainment. But apart from all this, playdough offers a wide variety of valuable learning benefits and opportunities for children. This is why you will find playdough in most early childhood education settings. Benefits of Playdough for Kids 1.Fine Motor Development By squishing, rolling, cutting, and poking the playdough, kids are actually giving their muscles a great workout. Their little hands build up strength, and this will help them get ready for using scissors and learning to hold a pencil to write. 2. Maths and Literacy Development We make playdough with the children at preschool and this is a fantastic way of teaching the children early maths concepts such as measurement. Children can also roll out different shapes using cookie cutters as well as form two and three-dimensional shapes. Playing with playdough is also a perfect opportunity to discuss size, length, and weight. Kids love to roll out long snakes and compete with their friends to see who can make the longest! 3.Vocabulary Development Through playdough, children have opportunities to listen and have conversations with their parents, friends, and teachers. Furthermore, they can talk about and describe what they have made using the playdough. 4. Concentration Playdough is a nice quiet activity where kids can spend a long period of time involved in what they are making. Therefore the more absorbed they are in their creations the more they will stretch their concentration spans. 5. Creativity There is an endless possibility of creations children can make out of playdough. Indeed they can mold and shape whatever takes their fancy. In addition, they can add detail and embellishments as far as their imagination takes them. 6. Science Concepts Actually following a recipe and making playdough with children is a perfect opportunity for them to observe, predict and discuss what happens when all the ingredients are mixed together. 7. Therapeutic Benefits Undoubtedly playdough is a very calm and soothing activity. The act of squishing the playdough acts almost like squeezing a stress ball. Moreover, manipulating the dough can ease tension and stress. We often encourage children at preschool to spend time playing with the dough if they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed. As you can see there are just so many benefits of playdough in early childhood. So it’s really worth it even if it can be a bit messy! No-Cook Playdough Recipe Ingredients 3 Cups Plain Flour 1 Cup Cornflour 1 cup Salt 4 Tablespoons Cream of Tartar 5 Tablespoons Oil 3 cups Boiling Water Food Colouring of your choice Method Simply mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl until the playdough comes together. knead and let cool. Playdough can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 months. Make sure it is in a sealed bag or container. This is the recipe we use at preschool and it is hands down the best recipe. Over the years we have tried many different recipes and for this reason, I can confidently say this one will give you the softest, most malleable playdough ever! Finally~ If you are interested in reading about the benefits of lightboxes in early childhood. You can find it here.

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a dressy outfit with a black and white striped t shirt

Style Tips- How To Style A Black and White Striped T-shirt

18 Comments / Fashion Files

I love reading about style and fashion tips, and I often get great inspiration from Pinterest, magazines, or style books. One of my favorite items in my wardrobe is the simple black and white striped T-shirt. It is just so classic and timeless. It can be quite easily styled in a variety of ways depending on the occasion. I can style this simple T-shirt for a dressier look or I can style it down for a casual look. It’s just fantastic how versatile this t-shirt can be and it’s a great inexpensive wardrobe must-have. I bought this basic round neck black and white striped T-shirt from one of my favorite clothing stores Witchery, and I thought it might be fun to put together a few outfits and have a closer look at a few style tips. Style Tips For A Casual look Wearing A Black And White Striped T-shirt With Shorts This first outfit is super casual and something I might quickly throw together when I need to run errands. I really love my (well worn) pink sneakers which I paid next to nothing for at Big W. The shorts are from Esprit which has now sadly closed all of its stores here in Australia. One of the most useful style tips that I like is to combine subtle colors to a simple black and white outfit just to soften the whole look a bit. For this first outfit, I added my dusky pink sneakers and my usual Apple watch which just so happens to have a pink band! Wearing A Black And White T-shirt In Between Seasons This next outfit is great for in-between seasons. I don’t like being cold so for cooler days I like to throw a jumper over my shoulders. Alternatively, I sometimes like to add a classic denim jacket too. As we are heading into spring here in Australia, the weather is starting to warm up a little bit during the day but it is still too cold especially in the afternoon/evening. So this is the kind of outfit I like to wear during this trans-seasonal time because I can add or take off layers as I need to. White Sneakers I love these white Superga sneakers, they are super comfortable and go so well with anything. Just like this relaxed casual outfit in the picture above. Sometimes I like to wear my white sneakers with jeans and a blazer for a more tailored but fun look. Other times I have worn my white sneakers with a cute dress. I really love experimenting with the High-Low mix! Wearing A Black And White T-shirt With Leggings For this next outfit, I have put the black and white striped T-shirt together with leggings and ballet flats and this can also be another great trans-seasonal outfit. Combining Ballet flats and leggings works perfectly for a casual yet chic look. I bought these leggings from ZARA and I really like how they are not see-through. They are the perfect thickness. The cross-body bag is also a fantastic ZARA find. I was shopping with a friend who has an amazing eye for bags and she spotted this one from about a kilometer away. This lovely bag is leather and was very reasonably priced. A Dressier Look Dressing up the black and white t-shirt can be easily done by combining it with a pencil skirt like the one below. The silhouette of a pencil skirt looks very sleek and lifts the outfit to a whole new level. I like to add a brighter colored shoe for a bit of interest and to break up the black and white palette. Clogs I love love love these clogs!! They are just so incredibly comfortable and I think they make any outfit look dressier. Like I mentioned before I think a nice bright-colored shoe will make the overall outfit look a whole lot more interesting! By combining the black pencil skirt and clogs with the striped T-shirt automatically makes this outfit look a whole lot dressier. This is something I might wear if I’m catching up with friends for lunch or going shopping in the city. Silver Jewelry I like to wear very simple silver jewelry. I really think silver looks beautiful with any black and white outfit. For our wedding anniversary a few years ago my husband gave me this super chunky wrist cuff. He picked it out all by himself and I was so impressed! For this last outfit, I combined a really pretty Veronika Maine skirt. The fabric has a sheen with a lovely pattern. I added some cute suede pumps and a big rose clip from Mimco. I love this clip because I can either wear it as a brooch or in my hair. By adding a silver clutch with a bit of bling, this whole ensemble can be worn out for a dressier occasion. It’s cute, stylish, and very feminine. This silver clutch has a cute glittery look and I like using it for special evening occasions. It’s by Gregory Ladner who has a great variety of pretty accessories that are very reasonably priced. The sued pumps from Marc Fisher are unbelievably comfortable. I know they don’t look it but they really are. If I had known how great they were going to be I would have bought another pair. I have worn gorgeous-looking shoes that have made me want to throw them under an oncoming truck and walk around the streets barefoot. There is nothing worse than being in agony when I am out and supposed to be having fun! I hope you liked some of these style tips and that you enjoyed looking at these outfits as much as I enjoyed putting them together. Thanks for stopping by! If you would like some ideas for preschool teacher outfits, you can find them here

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Fantastic Friday

2 Comments / Friday Favorites

Yes indeed it’s finally Friday and it’s fantastic.Hooray for the weekend! I hope you are all well and safe. Thank you so much for joining me to have a look at some of the things we got up to this week. Again it was a quiet low-key week but with a sprinkle of very funny moments. ~1~ This week we started off the week celebrating Steves’s birthday! Of course, we couldn’t have anybody over to help us celebrate because of the lockdown. But we did enjoy dinner together. Steve’s birthday was actually on Tuesday but Monday was his only night off from work and the only night we could all have dinner together. We decided to leave the cake for his actual birthday on Tuesday. We ordered Thai food for the occasion and it was delicious! ~2~ I have been staying home as we have all been ordered to do so. The only places I go to are work and the local fruit shop. I am trying hard to avoid supermarkets so I had my groceries delivered on Tuesday. I deliberately picked Tuesday so that we would have a nice fresh cake delivered with the groceries to celebrate Steves actual birthday before he went to work in the evening. This is what I got! Bahahahahaha!!! I saw this and I couldn’t stop laughing. I don’t think I have laughed so hard in a long time. When I was doing my online order I saw that this was a mango and passionfruit cake. Steves two favorite ingredients. I was so excited at my discovery that I didn’t bother to check the size and just added it to my cart. He did love it though and we all enjoyed watching him eat it!! ~3~ We gave Steve some nice soft Peter Alexander pajamas for his birthday. ~4~ I washed all my fruit and vegetables that arrived with my grocery delivery before I put them away. I just love the look of a pile of fresh fruit and veggies! ~5~ Wednesday afternoon, I went for a walk and on my way home I stopped off at our local fruit shop and I picked up this delicious bread to go with our pasta that I made for dinner. Fresh bread and butter to go with pasta YUM!! ~6~ Thursday morning I woke up to this little face. Ha! she’s so cute and funny. Sushi knows she’s not allowed on my bed so she will sit on the wooden bedhead because that doesn’t count right? ~7~ I tried a new shampoo. It’s not a brand I am familiar with but I thought I would give it a try as it was half price from Woolworths. I usually buy the Aldi shampoo with Argan Oil but I haven’t been shopping at Aldi because they don’t deliver. The new shampoo was ok but it didn’t leave my hair as soft as the Aldi one. The Aldi shampoo is my favorite! ~8~ Thursday I tried to get most of my household chores done because I was working on Friday. I just love this shower cleaner. The orange smell is my favorite. I have been using it for a while now and it’s a keeper. This day I gave the bathrooms a deep clean. I have this routine where I will clean my bathrooms every day to keep them fresh all week but I give myself the weekend off. You can read about this here. I leave the deep cleaning to when it’s needed. ~9~ I tidied up my washcloths and hand towels. Seeing them all neat and tidy is a big favorite. Thank you so much for joining me today for a very short quick look at my week. Today the Premier of NSW announced that we will be locked down for another month taking us until the end of September. So I guess most of my days will be very low-key. But I am still staying positive and really looking forward to spring. I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and enjoy your weekend!! For today’s post, I am linking up with Andrea and Erika!

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Gluten-Free Orange Cake

Small Kitchen Organization

16 Comments / Cleaning and Organising

Having an organized and tidy kitchen can be very challenging particularly if you have a small kitchen as we do. So you really need to rethink your small kitchen organization because sometimes kitchens can end up becoming a bit of a dumping ground for household items, children’s artwork, and papers. There is nothing worse than having to work on limited counter space and having a cluttered kitchen just makes life too chaotic. Meal preparation can also become completely unenjoyable or possibly even unsafe. Having a small kitchen space just means you need to be efficient and creative with how you organize and store your items. Because let’s face it, sometimes even when we do have large spaces with a lot of storage it can still be very tempting to keep unnecessary clutter. Even large spaces will look messy and be disorganized if this is the case. It is important to have good kitchen organization regardless of whether you have a large kitchen or a small one. General Ideas Small Kitchen Organization Keep kitchen counters clear Get rid of unnecessary kitchen gadgets and appliances you don’t use. Use clear storage containers with labels so you can easily see and find what you are looking for Try and store away things inside cabinets and cupboards as much as possible The idea is to try and get rid of any clutter so that the small space will actually look bigger 1. Be as minimalistic as you can I think for me the only way I was able to get on top of my small kitchen organization game was to be completely ruthless when it came to deciding what to keep and what to throw away. Earlier this year we had our kitchen completely renovated and you can read about this here. This gave me the perfect opportunity to get rid of anything I didn’t absolutely positively need. 2. Get Rid Of Those Unused Plastic Containers I got rid of so many plastic containers and it felt great! In my old kitchen, I had a cupboard full of plastic containers, I could almost swear they were secretly multiplying. There were missing lids and small containers my son who is now 16 had used for preschool. Plus almost every time I opened the cupboard, they fell out and I felt like I was being attacked! WHAT A MESS!! I dislike clutter and I am almost ashamed when I think back to that cupboard (sends chills up my spine). I kept only the most necessary containers and I am very happy to report that I have never regretted this. It’s funny how well we can function when we use what we need instead of keeping things ‘for just in case.’ 3. Get Rid Of Small Appliances You Don’t Use These days we can almost have a single appliance for anything and everything. There are those pie makers, cake makers, bread makers, etc. I know many families might probably put these items to good use therefore it’s not a good idea for them to get rid of them. But for my family, they were useless. Bye-Bye Bread Maker We had this bread maker that took up prime kitchen real estate. It sat there for YEARS! and not a single loaf of bread was made in it. Do you know why we kept it? Because my beloved Uncle who passed away had given it to us. I will admit I felt a pang of sadness when I got rid of it just thinking about my dear Uncle. But I am certain I have many more significant memories of him other than just a bread maker, so out it went. He probably would have told me to get rid of it anyway! Goodbye Slow Cooker Up until recently, I had a slow cooker which I had not used in a long time. There was a time when my boys were younger and we had many after-school commitments. So having a meal ready in the slow cooker was a sanity saver. The thought of living without a slow cooker back then was probably equivalent to living with no internet now. Totally inconceivable!! But I have come to the conclusion that sometimes things serve us a purpose but only for a time. And sadly for me, that time has finished. My oldest son has moved out and the younger one gets himself to his after-school activities. So now there is no longer a real need for a slow cooker. The truth is that I might have kept my old one but it ended up getting a huge crack along the bottom of the ceramic bowl. So after really thinking about it, I just decided to get rid of it and not replace it. 4. Transfer Items Into Containers An excellent way to keep your kitchen cupboards organized is by transferring all dry goods into clear plastic containers marked with labels. Boxes and bags of things take up so much room inside the cupboards not to mention how untidy everything looks. By transferring these food items into containers it will free up so much space. Another benefit is that it will reduce food waste. Food items left in plastic bags or boxes sometimes get lost in the cupboard and only found when they are way past their use-by date. You can see how much of something you have left by using clear containers. Hopefully, this will stop you from buying things unnecessarily and causing further cupboard clutter. 5. Use Shelf Inserts Shelf Inserts are a fantastic way of adding an extra shelf within your cupboard. I got mine from Ikea and we use ours for our glasses and for separating dinner and side plates. I have also seen them used in pantries to store things like cans, spices, or containers. They are extremely handy and versatile. 6. Only Keep Pots And Pans You Really Need We had pots and pans I bought when we were first married and that was just

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