Converting a Nursery in to a Toddler Friendly Bedroom

Ahhh tell me where does the time go? It seems like only yesterday we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of our first child, setting up a nursery and counting down the days until we met our bundle of joy.

 

Fast forward to right now and Mr B is turning 18 months in June (please tell me how to make the clock stop!). So a little project I have had on the backburner for a while is  tweaking his little nursery in to something a little more toddler friendly. We are not going the whole hog and doing a big boys room style makeover complete with a bed just yet - I don't know if I will ever be ready for that big step!!

The Nursery as it is now

When I created the existing nursery, it was intended to be a little bit gender neutral as we didn't find out the sex of the baby (you can read and see the pictures from the nursery in these earlier posts here).

 

So I have decided to work on changing up the colours a little and adding a few things to be a little bit more suitable for a toddler boy. We are aiming for something boyish, budget friendly and beautiful!

 

Here are some of the pieces that I will be injecting in to the room....

The results? Stay tuned and I will share these as I work on this mini makeover during the weekend (all going well!!).

 

What projects are you working on at your place?

Healthy Parmasen Polenta Chips Recipe

My husband is addicted to chips. When I mention his addiction to chips, I mean that we have considered taking out shares in our local fish and chip shop because he frequents it so often!

Now my husband may be slim, but sadly chips and his cholesterol levels just don't mix. So I have recently been making a healthier version of his good old fried favouries - a parmasen and polenta chip.

 

These are much easier on the waistline (and the cholesterol) but still absolutely delish served with steak, grilled chicken or fish in place of your fried favourites. Perfect for the little people who just love chippies too.

• 2 Cups Chicken Stock
• 1 Garlic Clove Crushed
• 1/2 Cup Instant Polenta
• 1/4 Cup Grated Parmasen
• Optional - Herbs such as Rosemary

1. Grease a small square cake pan (approx 6cm deep and 19cm in length) and line with greasproof paper

2. Place stock and garlic (and any other herbs if using) in to a saucepan on a high heat

3. Bring mix to the boil, then reduce the heat down to low

4. Add polenta to the saucepan (slow and steady here!) and stir contantly

5. Continue to cook and stir for approx 5 minutes or until thick. Stir in parmasen

6. Pour in to prepared pan and smooth flat. Place tray in the fridge for 3 hours (or until set)

7. Remove from fridge and cut in to chips - pick your desired thickness here!

8. Place on baking tray and give them a light spray with cooking oil.

9. Pop in an oven pre-heated at 220/200 degrees (fan foreced) for 10 - 15 mins (or until golden and crisp and enjoy!!!

Because the method involves cooking and stirring the polenta at the same time - you had leave this to a female, because we know a male cannot do two things at one - haha! 

 

Love to know what you think of these...

Sometimes it is just the little things...

Sometimes it is just the little things that put a smile on our dial.

 

For me, it is the new Pinterest Feature where you now are notified if you have already pinned an item - hooray - because I am prone to double and triple pinning!!

It is a week of Melbourne Winter sun allowing me to get outside with this little man who hates to be indoors and not outside playing.

It is knowing that today is Friday - our family movie night - and a day that I look forward to all week.

What little thing is it for you today?

PS: You can follow me here on Pinterest if you'd like to!

The Humble Shopping List: Saving you time & Sanity! And some Free Printables too....

I must admit that in my pre-baby days, it was never too much of a hassle for me to pick up something at the shops after work, or dash out on the weekend for an item needed for a recipe that instant. I used to quite enjoy a leisurely stroll down the aisles looking at all the pretty products on the shelves (sad hey?!).

 

However with a little one, heading out for a 5 minute trip to the shops usually takes me 40 minutes to pack the baby, nappy bag, and every other baby accoutrement under the sun before I can even start the engine in my car!! This means that I try and make my trips to the shops as infrequent as possible; it is just too hard otherwise.

 

For busy people (or those that just hate the bright lights of a supermarket!), I cannot stress enough the importance of a shopping list. Sure it sounds simple, but it amazes me the amount of people that head to the shops unarmed with such an important article!! These days I cannot live without it.       

 

The shopping list has multiple benefits for you. Firstly (and most obviously) it ensures that you don’t forget anything (ultra helpful when you get mid way through making a lasagna and realise that you don’t have any pasta sheets etc!).

 

Secondly it reduces household waste as you only purchase what you need and have planned meals for (a bit on meal planning soon). It can definitely help tighten the purse strings as if you are disciplined and don’t wander over to the  ice cream aisle (Magnum anyone?!).

It can also ensure that you stick to a healthy diet and save you money by only buying what is on the list and hence budgeted for. This simple tool also avoids wasting time wandering aimlessly as you just go straight to the aisles of the products on the list.

 

Preparing a list is not a time consuming task at all. I find that the best place to hang my list is on the fridge, which means that it is clearly visible and accessible for all family members to add to the list as they use the last of any one item (last roll of toilet paper anyone?!)

 

 

My pick is the Kikki K shopping list. It has a magnetised back, so goes straight on the fridge, comes with a pencil and looks pretty too in my kitchen too :-)

It is easy enough to DIY a shopping list using a freebie template from the net. If you head to my Pinterest page, I have kindly put together a folder of free printable versions. Simply print off your favourite, clip to your fridge and away you go!!

Enjoy the saved time by putting your feet up, flicking through a trashy magazine and enjoy being Utterly Organised! I know I do…..

Long Time , No Blog...

I can hardly believe that two whole months have passed since I last blogged. Two whole long, difficult and painful months.

 

Sometimes in life you can be cruising along beautifully, then all of a sudden with the blink of an eye, everything changes and knocks you for six. I am sure that most of us have experienced hard times and can very much relate.

 

Thank you so much to so many of you that contacted me via email and Facebook to say that you missed me (!), it really put some sunshine back in to my day.

 

I am now back blogging and I thank you for your patience and support while I had a little unexpected break.

 

I hope that the past few months have been nothing short of wonderful for each and every one of you that continue to stop by my blog every now and then. Your support, readership and advice really does mean so much to me!

 

 

Free Easter Printable

Here it is.... as promised here is your freebie Easter printable thanks to Be Design Solutions.

 

Available to download and print off to your little hearts content, are the super cute Party Spots that have oh so many uses!

Use these for:

• Gift Tags
• Mini Egg Tube Toppers
• Cupcake Toppers
• Stickers
• Gift Box Labels for attaching to your homemade baked or sewn goods

And anything else you please!!

 

The file is available to download here through Media Fire.

 

During the week I will be sharing some photos of what I am doing with these - I had better get my Easter craft on with less than 2 weeks to go!!

 

As always, we'd love for you to share photographs of what you have done with your printables. Photographs or details can be emailed to utterlyorganised@gmail.com or posted to my Facebook Page.

 

We really hope that you enjoy these and once again thank you Be Design Solutions!!!

Easter Printable Sets and a Freebie too!

You might recall the the uber talented (and genereous) Karen from Be Design Solutions created some amazing Chocolate Bar Wrappers at Christmas time that we shared as a freebie for Utterly Organised readers.

 

Well the lovely Karen has done it again, and is allowing me to share with you all access to download and print off part of her gorgeous Easter printable set range for nothing - that's right for free!!!

 

Below are the two gorgeous Easter printable sets that are available to purchase through Be Design Solutions for only $20.00.

 

 

 

You are also able to purchase individual items - such as chocolate bar wrappers only - if you only need part of the set. For further information, or to purchase please contact Be Design Solutions.

 

These printable sets really make Easter gifting an absolute breeze if you want to give something handmade this Easter, but don't have the time (patience) or the creativity to do it! You can also involve your kids in the gifting process, which they will absolutely love too - win, win!!

 

Because you have access to print off as many items, as many times as you please, it is also very purse friendly too! That means that you can make as many Chocolate Bar Wrappers, party spots or bag toppers as you please. Cater for all of the teachers, friends, next door neighbours and classmates that you wish - without costing you a fortune!

 

And tomorrow on the blog I will be providing part of the set, right here for download for free!

 

See you all then!!

The Easter Bunnies Favourite Carrot Cake Recipe

So we all know that the Easter Bunny loves carrots right?! Well I have it on good authority that he naturally also loves nothing more than a moist slice of carrot cake. It turns out that I have just the recipe that will guarantee the Easter Bunny will stop past your place this Easter!

 

Of course carrot cake doesn't have to be eaten just at Easter, you can whip up this delicious cake anytime you please!

 

 

• 2-3 Carrots Grated (around 300g)
• 1 Cup Self Raising Flour
• 1/2 Cup Plain Flour
• 1Tsp Bicarb of Soda
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil (or other of your choice)
•  1/2 Cup Golden Syrup
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Essence or Extract

 

1. Pre-heat oven at 170 degrees
2. Grease and line pan, I used a 20cm round tin
3. Peel carrots and set aside
4. Sift the flours, bicarb of soda and cinnamon together in to a large bowl
5. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, oil, golden syrup, eggs and vanilla. Use a whisk to combine ingredients
6. Pour wet mixture in to dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon.
7. Stir in grated carrot
8. Place mix in pan and bake for 50 - 60 minutes
9. Once cool, ice if desired

 

• This recipe was taken from Taste.com.au
• Whilst icing is optional, cream cheese frosting does go down a treat! Try this or this version, both super delish!!
• I have topped my cake with mini Easter Eggs for a touch of easter, these would be super cute made in to cupcakes all topped with individual milk chocolate eggs at Easter time
• Make sure you leave a slice for the Easter bunny, in return I am sure he will be extra generous with your Easter Eggs this year!!

 

Does your family have a favourite recipe that you like to make at Easter time?

 

If you are yet to do so, please don't forget to pop your entries in for the chance to win one super cute Easter Bunny thanks to Teddy Treasures. To enter, simply follow the link here.