October 2024 - PLAYWORKEATREPEAT

My Top 10 Sweet Tooth Cravings

Hi friends! It’s time to join the Share Our Lives link-up and chat about sweet tooth cravings! When it comes to cravings, I’ve always considered myself more of a savoury girl. I can tuck into a platter of cheese, olives, salami and crackers like a champ! I am usually more than happy to choose savoury treats over a slice of cake (especially chocolate cake) any day! But I have to admit, there are a few sweet treats that I can’t resist. Because even this savoury snacker has more than an occasional sugar craving. So, here are my top sweet cravings from someone who’s in denial about being a sweet tooth! Top 10 Sweet Tooth Cravings 1. Chocolate I can’t resist Cadbury hazelnut chocolate or any chocolate that has nuts in it. If I’m going to enjoy some chocolate, it definitely needs to include a nut—whether it’s hazelnut, cashews, or peanuts—yum! But I also have a couple of non-nut chocolates I love and these are Flakes and Cherry Ripes. Oh yes, and I love Dark Chocolate too (with red wine!) 2. Créme Caramel I absolutely love crème caramel, and it’s my go-to dessert whenever I see it on a menu. My aunt, who lived to be 104, gave me a simple recipe for it years ago. I don’t make it often, but I really should because it’s not that hard. In true South American style, the recipe calls for a dash of this and that, but it lacks clear measurements and cooking times, so I always have to take a few chances. It usually turns out delicious, but I often leave it in the oven too long, which makes the consistency not as smooth as I’d like. Figuring out the recipe properly is definitely on my to-do list! 3. Creamy Rice Pudding My mum used to make the best creamy rice pudding (again with the dash of this and that method). I’ve tried to copy it, but I’ve had no luck. Earlier this year, I discovered Wicked Sister Creamy Rice Pudding when I accidentally received a small bag from someone else’s online shopping order. Since we can’t send back wrong orders, I decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did! That order also had a couple of other sweet things, like frozen yoghurt, which we now buy regularly as well. Whoever ordered it had good taste and a serious sweet tooth because everything was so good! Now, I buy rice pudding occasionally as a treat, and it tastes very similar to my mum’s, which is surprising, especially since it’s not homemade. 4. Frozen Yoghurt Thanks to the online shopping mix up, I also love frozen yoghurt. It’s lighter than ice cream and has just the right amount of sweetness. If I’m going to enjoy something sweet, I definitely like it to be really sweet! 5. Apple Pie and Ice Cream This classic combo is pure bliss, whether it’s winter or scorching summer. Who cares about the weather? I can eat apple pie and ice cream any time of the year! 6. Snake Lollies My favourite ones are from the Natural Confectionary Company because they’re healthy—only kidding, they just taste better than the other brands. 7. Whipped Coffee Coffee with a thick, creamy layer of whipped goodness on top? Yes, please! I love the combination of strong coffee and the sweet, fluffy texture. So good! 8. Nougat It’s almost that time of year when Aldi starts rolling out all their Christmas sweet treats! Any day now, I’ll be able to grab some of that delicious cranberry, pistachio, and cherry nougat. It’s been a long eleven months without it! 9. Iced Doughnuts I’m all about the strawberry iced doughnuts. I don’t mind the chocolate ones, but nothing beats that pink strawberry glaze! Every time I have something with strawberry flavouring, it makes me feel like a kid again. 10. Strawberries Dipped In Chocolate Hmmmm, the way the sweet, ripe strawberry bursts in your mouth once you crunch through the layer of Cadbury (it has to be Cadbury) chocolate is just heavenly! And there we have my top 10 sweet tooth cravings! Sticky, sweet, and downright delicious treats that somehow always tempt me, even though I think I’m a savoury girl at heart. Linking up with Adrienne, Dara, Jen, Joanne and Sarah.

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Friday Favourites

2 Comments / Friday Favorites, Home

Hi friends! I’m excited to pop in and share one big favourite for the week, and that is–I finished my placement at this cute long daycare centre!! Wooohooo!! Although I had a wonderful experience and met some passionate, energetic and friendly educators. As well as some gorgeous children who stole my heart. I feel totally wiped out! There’s a good reason why we call daycare centres ‘long daycare centres’ over here: the days are definitely LONG! I’m used to preschool, where we run sessions, and the kids can only attend two or three days a week. The days are much shorter, too, as they can arrive from 8:20 and need to be out of the centre by 3:40. But at long daycare centres, the hours are from 7:30 to 6:00. Some kids are there for full days, five days a week. When I said goodbye today, I felt sad but also relieved and happy that I’ve finished this part of my course. So many mixed emotions. Walking home to start the weekend has never felt better than it did this afternoon! I know all my preschool colleagues are probably groaning because it’s the last weekend before preschool opens after the term break. But I’m excited and can’t wait to get back to my old routine and see all the familiar faces. I’m keeping it short today. I’m excited to be hosting Cousin Connect tomorrow night. So there are a few things I need to get on top of before I can veg out in front of the TV. As Julia Roberts says in Pretty Woman, I want to “be still like vegetables. Lay like broccoli.” Yep, that sounds good to me! Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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How I Prepare For The Holiday Season

4 Comments / Christmas, Home

It’s time to link up with Erika and Shay to chat about how we prepare for the holiday season. Over here in Australia, Christmas takes the main spotlight because we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. While I do enjoy getting together with family and dressing up for Halloween, it’s not as popular as it is in other parts of the world. So, when we refer to the holiday season, we really mean Christmas. It’s no secret that the holiday season is my favourite time of year! I honestly feel that half the fun is in all the prep that goes along with it! I love scrolling through Pinterest and Instagram for fresh ideas on tablescapes, new recipes, and decorating inspiration. So much creativity out there! I have to admit, that most of my holiday prep happens about two weeks before Christmas. I do kick things off by putting up and decorating the tree on the first weekend of December, but apart from that, my holiday season prep is pretty nonexistent until panic mode kicks in. Once mid-December hits, my holiday prep goes on steroids! How I Prepare For The Holiday Season So here’s how I prepare for the holiday season once I get into it: Christmas Music I love a good Christmas playlist to get the season going! Although I’m slow to begin my holiday prep, I start playing Christmas music around the end of November or even earlier. Lists There’s the gift list, the food list and the ‘where is everyone going to sit’ list! When we host, I also make a list of how I’m going to rearrange our small house to fit everyone in! Decorate As I mentioned before, I decorate the tree on the first weekend of December. Then I gradually decorate the house adding things like cushions, my Willow Nativity scene, wreaths and fairy lights. Shopping When my kids were little, I would start my shopping in August because that’s when Target had their ‘Great Toy Sale.’ I’m not even sure if they still do that anymore. Now that they’re all grown up, I get them a small gift (usually clothes) and then give them money. I was never a fan of giving money as it seemed a bit impersonal but it’s what they prefer, it saves me a headache and they get to choose what they want. But I sure do miss the days when they would open up their toys. So to keep the nostalgia going. I like to go all out with stocking fillers and I fill them up with things they loved when they were kids. My boys may be all grown up, but items like Lego mini-figures, lollies and treats they loved as kids as well as anything Star Wars-related are always a big hit with them. They laugh and think it’s funny, and it brings back such great memories for all of us! Christmas Games Minute to win it style games have become a big tradition for us! Everyone looks forward to these, and since I’m the one in charge of organising them, it’s one of my major holiday prep tasks. Every year, I think I won’t find new games as fun as the ones from previous years, but somehow I always do. Phew! The year before last, Tortilla Slap was a huge hit, and last year it was Musical Candy Canes. Watching everyone get into the games is one of my favourite parts of our Christmas Eve celebrations because it’s always hilarious! The Food If I see some Christmas ingredients I know I’ll need for the big day, I add them to my online grocery order. Woolworths also has a fantastic rewards program where you earn money off your shop after reaching a certain number of points. I save my points for Christmas and then do one big shop full of festive goodies! My whole family pitches in, and we all contribute to the feast. We work out who brings what close to the day. But it’s always a no-brainer as my aunty cooks the turkey because no one makes it quite like she does, with the best stuffing you could ever imagine. One of my cousins is a charcuterie board master, so he organises a spectacular one for us. I make the lime and macadamia glazed ham, and my other cousins bring delicious sides and sweets to enjoy! My mouth is watering just thinking about our Christmas menu! Christmas Movies Watching Christmas movies is definitely one of the big ways I love to prepare for the holiday season. Some years I feel more Christmassy than others, while other years, the holiday season can feel a bit overwhelming. A sure way to get into the festive spirit is by watching all the gloriously cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies. I love how the endings are always predictably happy. That just about covers how I prepare for the holiday season once I get moving. Thanks so much for stopping by today—I hope you found some inspiration! If you’ve already started your holiday prep, happy prepping!

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Hello Monday

5 Comments / Hello Monday, Home

Hey there, friends! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. It’s great to be back on this warm and sunny Monday (hooray, it finally feels like spring again!) with a little weekend recap. Saturday I didn’t have any big plans for Saturday, just catching up on a few things here and there. It was so nice not having to wake up to an alarm! I always sleep better when I know I don’t have to get up for work the next day. Lately, though, falling asleep has been a bit tricky. My brain just won’t switch off! I’m either thinking about my diploma course, planning our trip, singing new nursery rhymes on an endless loop, or stressing about why I’m not asleep yet—then panicking about how many hours I have left before the alarm goes off… ahhhh! But once I do drift off, not even an earthquake could wake me! (well, maybe an earthquake would). Saturday afternoon, I got busy working on my trip planning. I’ve gone completely old-school, reviving my 80s teen self with a notebook, fluoro sticky notes, highlighters, and gel pens. If decorating notebooks had been a subject for the HSC, I would have blitzed it back then! My cousin, who we’re going on the trip with, must have been vibing on the same frequency. She called and asked if they could come over in the afternoon so we could book the accommodation for our three nights at Zion National Park and three nights at the Grand Canyon. Saturday evening turned out to be so fun! I was happy that my cousins could stay for dinner. I made – ravioli with meatballs, salad and garlic bread. My cousins brought doughnuts, and we talked about the USA trip for hours. Now that everything is booked, we’re all excited, ecstatic, over the moon, and every other word in the dictionary that describes elation! We’re also relieved to discover that booking most of our accommodation way back in June was a smart move, as prices have since increased significantly. Go us!! Sunday On Sunday, Sam turned 20! Wow, that’s a big number, and I just don’t know how the years went by so fast. Luke came over, and Steve had to work in the afternoon and evening. We sang a quick ‘Happy Birthday’ before he left for work, but we didn’t cut the cake until hours later, after dinner. Sam had asked for his favourite cake- a cheesecake with blueberries and whipped cream (from a can) on the side. Haha, he loves canned cream! Then Luke, Sam and I went to Sam’s favourite burger truck, Chebbo’s, and had some burgers with fries. They serve amazing burgers and fries! The fries are sprinkled with a delicious seasoning that I haven’t tasted anywhere else—yum! It was a sunny day, and I really loved spending time with my big boys, chatting and catching up. As they get older, it’s harder to find time together, so these moments are pure gold. We came home, and even though I was completely full, I made dinner because there was no way I’d feel like cooking later. Once dinner was done, we did what we always do—spend ages trying to find a movie that none of us had ever seen before. Not an easy task! In the end, we chose Gladiator because neither Sam nor Luke had seen it, and I watched it 24 years ago when it first came out in theatres. I assured them that I wanted to see it again, and I really couldn’t remember it very well. Twenty-four years is a long time! Then, because it was a long weekend and we’re all night owls, Luke picked another movie called Role Models. It had a type of humour that made me want to block my ears many times, but I have to admit, it was funny—crude but funny, sort of. Then Luke went home, and we went to bed. It sure was a relief knowing that I could sleep in the next day! And that was our weekend. What did you all get up to? I hope it was a good one! Thanks so much for being here, and I look forward to being back on Wednesday. Life is pretty busy at the moment with study, work placement, and everything else. I’m trying to keep up with blogging because I love it, but if I’m not here, it means I’ve been inundated with ‘all the things’! I’m giving myself a bit of grace on the days when I don’t get everything done—hello, pile of washing; I see you looking at me! Happy Monday! Linking up with Holly and Sarah

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Friday Favourites

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Hi friends, and happy Friday! I’m excited to be back today to share some unexpected favourites. Honestly, I had no high hopes for this week—working over our preschool break and doing my work placement for my studies didn’t exactly scream ‘fun!’ But this week has surprised me in the best way, and I’m so happy to share some favourites from what I thought would be a not-so-favourite week! After working at the same preschool for 27 years, I felt nervous about going to a new centre. New faces, new routines, new environment—yikes! Luckily, I didn’t have to travel far, as it’s only a ten-minute walk from my house. Even closer than my current workplace—what a bonus! When I arrived, the director was so warm and welcoming. She showed me around the centre, explained the routine, and introduced me to the staff. There was so much information to take in that my slow-processing brain couldn’t quite keep up! This week was all about working with 0-2-year-olds, and after spending so many years with 3-5-year-olds. I had forgotten how much I loved working with babies! Oh, my goodness, they are so cute! Sticky, snotty and sometimes a bit smelly but so incredibly adorable! The educators in the nursery were great, too. Once we got past the initial awkwardness of me being a stranger in their room, we had fun conversations and started to click. And by the end of today, we were laughing about a bunch of random things that happened during the day. One of the things that really struck me is how incredibly young the educators are! In fact, all of them are young enough to be my kids! And I couldn’t help feeling like a bit of a dinosaur! Haha! For instance, today, one of the oldest educators in the centre—the 28-year-old—was reminiscing about her childhood and saying how old she felt. The 21-year-old educator asked her if she had a black-and-white TV back then. I burst out laughing and said, ‘Uhm, no, that would be me!’ Then, when I told them I existed before the internet, you should have seen their eyes nearly pop out of their heads! They were like, ‘What did you do back then?’ I replied, ‘Oh, I just watched the grass grow! we all burst out laughing, but I could tell they thought I was so old that I probably had one foot in the grave! It was so funny! I loved my first week, and the sweet classroom leader said she was sad that next week, I would be moving to the other room to work with the 2 to 3-year-olds. I’m sad, too, as I’ve had such a great time getting to know the babies and the educators. I even felt extra sad thinking about next Friday when I’ll be saying goodbye to the whole centre for good. I never expected to feel this way—not in a million years! After such a surprisingly fantastic week, here’s a list of unexpected favourites Working with babies meant spending most of the day sitting on the floor. I’m so excited that I can still get up off the floor—phew! The daycare centre is beautifully decorated, and now I’m feeling inspired about how I can share some of these ideas with my colleagues I got to cuddle babies! I learned some new songs, and now I have a whole playlist looping around in my head. It was good, but not so helpful when I was trying to fall asleep! I loved seeing the energy and passion of the young educators—it was contagious in the best way! It’s inspired me to bring back my own zing, which has been a bit zapped after all these years working with kids. I got to see how a privately owned long daycare centre operates. Having only ever worked in a non-profit centre, I’ve heard some not-so-great stories about facilities that focus on profit. However, I have nothing but high praise for the quality of care from this centre. The educators truly love the children they care for, and I loved seeing them not only meet their physical needs but also genuinely shower the kids with so much affection! It was so good to get out of my comfort zone in such a big way. I’ve always appreciated my shorter working hours, three paid term breaks a year, as well as annual leave. But this week really reminded me how lucky I am, especially knowing that educators in long daycare centres don’t have these benefits. I finally took my husband up on his offer to cook—I can be such a goose, always wanting to do everything myself! When I got home Wednesday afternoon, Steve had a lovely glass of wine as well as cheese and crackers waiting for me. He also made roast pork with vegetables and gravy for dinner. To top it off, he whipped up some sweet treats! What a champ! Vanilla slice Butter cookies An extra big one just for me! I think he expected me to be feeling down about having to work over the break, and he knows that food always makes me happy! I’ve had an amazing week, but I’m feeling pretty tired, which makes me even more excited that it’s the October long weekend—yay! Working with babies and getting to know the young educators has been fantastic. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m actually looking forward to next week in the 2 to 3-year-olds’ room—ha! Who would have guessed? Not me, that’s for sure! Thank you so much for being here, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Linking up with Andrea and Erika

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Currently

6 Comments / Family Life, Home

Hi friends! It’s time to link up with Jennifer from Overflowing With Thankfulness for the October edition of Currently. Can you believe it’s October already? Where has the time gone? Thanks so much for stopping by as I share what I’m currently loving, looking forward to, wearing, reading, and cooking. LOVING I’ve been enjoying these delicious and refreshing cans of sugar-free soft drinks. I typically love sugary soft drinks because I don’t enjoy the aftertaste of artificial sweetness, but I can’t tell the difference with these! LOOKING FORWARD TO I’m really looking forward to getting back to my usual routine! At my preschool job, I normally work 7.6-hour days, but for my placement at a daycare centre as part of my studies, I’m doing eight hours plus an extra hour to make up for losing a day due to the October long weekend—so that’s 9-hour days! I have always felt very grateful to be working where I am, and I never took the shorter hours and school holiday breaks for granted. But now, after experiencing these longer days, I appreciate my usual routine even more and can’t wait to get back to it! WEARING I’m back to wearing winter clothes again, and I’m not a fan. The weather tricked us, as it does every year, making us believe spring had finally arrived. Why do I fall for it every year?! READING I’ve been trying to catch up on reading blogs, but with these long work hours, it’s been tough to find the time. I didn’t even get a chance to post on Monday! COOKING Quick meals that don’t require too many steps have been the go lately. On Monday night, I made a chicken and spinach casserole that tasted great and was healthy and satisfying. I’ve been more exhausted than usual, so I’ve finally taken my husband up on his offer to cook. His work week has changed since he returned after his operation, and now he has Wednesdays and Thursdays off. He’s always been more than happy to cook, but I guess I’m just used to doing things in the kitchen myself. But after coming home to a roast dinner and dessert tonight, I’m definitely happy to let him cook more often! That’s a wrap for now. I just want to say I’ve been scrambling to stay afloat with everything lately. I absolutely love blogging and being part of this lovely blog community, but I just haven’t been able to find the time to blog or comment as much as I’d like. I guess there’s a season for everything, and I’m trying not to get discouraged. Right now, I’m in a busy season, but hopefully, it won’t last forever—because blogging is my favourite! Happy Wednesday, friends!

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