CackleberryKids

Happy Friday... with some Chocolate Macarons!

2011-02-18T17:40:00.000+11:00

I love chocolate and love a good macaron... there is stall at our Farmer's Market that sells the prettiest macarons. They are so cute and pretty! Little pink ones, with little love hearts and then some green ones... gorgeous!

Although I am not brave enough to make them myself just yet.. I have searched for some recipes to share. This yummy image above came from the very blog Ms Aventures in Italy ... you can visit here:

http://www.msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/2008/02/19/chocolate-macarons/

Enjoy xx

Happy Love!

2011-02-14T17:03:00.000+11:00

Image: Green Grass Heart Photographer: tungphoto

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1708

Today's image... Vibrant

2011-01-31T14:38:00.000+11:00

Some days the colour green is the thing I need to see in order to bring some vibrancy and life to my day, my mood or to allow space for that burst of creativity... today I needed some green... just a little to boost my vibrancy and give me that jolt in the arm.

Not sure where the book is going... many changes are in progress with it and some very interesting developments with plots and characters... the wind is changing for this particular project, and you what?
That's ok!

Zucchini & Broad Bean salad with Garlic & Herb dressing

2011-01-23T13:25:00.000+11:00

I had purchased heaps and heaps of Zucchini from the Farmer's Market last Saturday and then thought to myself "What am I going to do with them all?"

Some were allocated for Chicken, Leek & Zucchini pot pies - E's favourite dish ... he would eat it every single day if he could! We made a yummy Tomato, Zucchini, Feta & Sweet Chilli pizza with another one... but I still had 4 left.

So I went to look for some more Zucchini recipes... and found this one that was such a great lunch time dish. Very fresh and full of flavour:

Ingredients:

1 small baguette, sliced (I used sourdough bread instead)
Olive Oil for drizzling
Sea Salt
2 x Zucchini (Courgette) thinly sliced
1 x baby cos lettuce (can use baby spinach or rocket if you prefer)
500g of blanched broad beans
1 x Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
Shaved Parmesan to serve

Garlic & Herb Dressing:

1/4 cup (60ml) Olive Oil
2 x tablespoons of white wine vinegar
2 x tablespoons of chopped chives
2 x tablespoons of chopped chervil (I used fresh basil as we had just bought a huge bunch)
2 x Garlic cloves crushed
Sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (390 degrees F)
To make the dressing; place the oil, vinegar, chives, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside

Place bread on a baking tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 5 minutes or until golden.
Place zucchini, lettuce, broad beans, cucumber, croutons (the bread you just baked) in a bowl and gently toss.
Spoon over the dressing and top with Parmesan to serve. Serves 4

Recipe via Donna Hay Issue 47 Oct/Nov 2009 www.donnahay.com

Enjoy!

Today I Love ...

2011-01-21T11:57:00.001+11:00

day

I have always admired Vera Wang, she is one of my Style Icons. She has an amazing way of making everything look effortless even when there seems to be a lot of detail...

To see more of Vera Wang and her gorgeous clothing; visit http://www.verawang.com/

Happy Weekend!

The flower shoe

2011-01-20T16:36:00.000+11:00

So pretty!

I love the elegance of the flowers in this image - the designer captured the stylish flow of the flowers and crafted them beautifully to replicate a gorgeous shoe.

I was looking at shoes (of course) and sustainability and found this image via a website called Righteous Shoes. They specialise in promoting designers and manufacturers of Vegan shoes that were stylish based out of the UK.

Quite an interesting website www.righteousshoes.com - however there have been no additions to the site for a little while ... will keep an eye out for any thing new that might be added!

Image: Elena Feliciano Shoe picture via Righteous Shoes

Vintage ... Greys

2011-01-17T13:15:00.000+11:00

Love the colours and look of this room.... although vintage, I think it has a bit of a twist

Greys and tones of blue seem to be my thing at the moment... interesting to see how that develops and where it takes me.

Image: Ideal Home, UK

http://www.idealhomemagazine.co.uk/inspiredecor/gallery/v/Bedroom+Ideas/blue-bedroom.jpg.html

2011-01-14T17:43:00.000+11:00

When I was pregnant, E's nickname was Apple.... long story, anyway everyone called him - or rather my bump Apple. At Christmas (prior to his arrival) we received some many lovely gifts for Baby Apple ... our family and friends all called him Apple.

The kookie thing is E loves loves loves eating Green Apples now!

Just one of those random things I remembered today xx

Image: Green Apple with water Photographer: Pixomar
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Fruit_g104-Green_Apple_p21223.html

Working on....

2011-01-05T15:23:00.000+11:00

Lots or researching taking place for the new book covering all manner of things. However, the best thing so far is working on bits of it with E. It has been so interesting listening to his take on our planet; trees, water and looking after each other in a better way.

I love the fact that even at 4.5yrs old, he has an understanding of the harm and damage that can and is being done to the planet and how aware he is of things going on around him. Not in a 'doom and gloom' kinda way, he is more about understanding and compassion for the things around him.

It has been such a priceless experience for me as his Mummy and also from a writing perspective... the book has taken a new turn and a very different path from where we started.

I hope to really capture E's essence in the story and bring about an adventure to remember.

Feel it's just the beginning of our collaborations ... which I kinda love!

Images: Eco Friendly text & Bamboo Photographer: amieco

Happy 2011!

2011-01-01T10:42:00.001+11:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful, joyous, happy & healthy 2011!

Enjoy all things gorgeous this year xx

Image: 2011 Photographer: Salvatore Vuono
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/New_Year_g168-2011_p24998.html

Simplicity

2010-12-16T12:05:00.000+11:00

Not quite sure what it is about this image ... I was searching for something totally different and this image popped up in my search and just jumped out at me....

I find it interesting, pretty, intriguing and somehow it's stunning in its simplicity.

One of those just because moments xx

Image: B.Poetic

Alphabet Train; Vanuatu

2010-12-15T12:05:00.000+11:00

Next Stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train is Vanuatu ...

Toot Toot .... All Aboard ....

Such a gorgeous place to visit ....

Beautiful people, Beautiful Beaches, Stunning Waterfalls!

Did you know?

That the Frangipani is the national flower of Vanuatu? I remember growing up and having frangipani flowers in my hair ... have tea parties and playing with my friends.... so much fun!

Images: (web)

Merry Christmas

2010-12-11T08:00:00.002+11:00

We wish you a wonderful, safe and happy holiday season and a very Merry Christmas

Image: Christmas Tree Photographer: Salvatore Vuono
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Christmas_g54-Christmas_Tree_p22591.html

The First Emperor

2010-12-10T14:02:00.000+11:00

Even at this young age, E shares a fascination of history with me... and I have to say that I love it!!

He is interested in where things come from, how old they are, why they look like they do and who invented it or built it.

We spend a fair bit of time talking about all manner of things from pyramids, to how engines work & how they were invented along with new discoveries that he is making .... like an old fashioned manual typewriter that he thinks is very amusing ...

The current exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW - The First Emperor is something that he is really interested in at the moment. We have watched a few specials on the exhibition and I've found that E is just so intrigued by the whole story... he asks about visiting the Gallery almost daily.

His fascination lies with how real they look and who spent all that time making such detailed, life like people to put in the ground like that.

I have to say that I love his interest, love the way he wants to explore the 'why and how' they got to be there and his overall love of the story.

Something we might be able to explore further over the School holidays!

For more information on the Exhibition at the Art Gallery NSW, please visit:
http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/exhibitions/first-emperor/

My Inspiration today....

2010-12-08T18:04:00.000+11:00

My inspiration today comes in honour of my Grandparents who came to Australia after being prisoners during WW2 ....

Love to you both xx

Images: The Chopin Monument, Warsaw photographer; unknown
Palace on the Water Royal, Lazienkowski, Poland photographer; unknown

Sesame Street: Will.i.am's Song "What I Am"

2010-12-04T12:04:00.000+11:00

For my Munchkin, who had a little fall last night and is a bit out of sorts today.

Hope it makes you smile xx

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ....

2010-12-03T15:43:00.003+11:00

I love that song....

"Everywhere you go" ....

and although we have a warm sunny Christmas here in Australia, I am always inspired by the very pretty, very cold white winter Christmas on the other side of the world....

Image: The century-old Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac Hotel overlooking the St Lawrence River in Quebec Photographer: Richard T Nowitz, National Geographic

Please visit the National Geographic website to see this and more amazing and beautiful images!
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com.au/travel/world-heritage/historic-district-old-quebec/

and a Snail named Stanley

2010-11-29T07:30:00.002+11:00

E found a snail in our garden some time ago and wanted to keep it as a pet... he gave him a name... Stanley ..... "Mummy, please meet Stanley, he is my new friend and he is going to come and stay with us as part of our family"

So off he went with Stanley to make a house.... with carpet to keep Stanley warm and cosy "All houses have some carpet Mummy"

Some grass out the back for Stanley to play in when he goes out to get some fresh air and instead of a paved area... he gave Stanley a tissue with some toys on it for him to play with just in case he was feeling a little bored.... all the comforts of home for our new family member Stanley!

Of course the next morning Stanley had moved on. E handled it quite well - He told me "Mummy, it's ok Stanley is a wild animal and you really can't keep him in a house, he needs to free" .... "I will keep his house here for him, so he has somewhere to stay when he comes to visit" .... my little guy has such a gorgeous soul!

In honour of Stanley's time with us .... he is going to be in our new book.... we'd love to introduce you to Stanley!

Enjoy your day xx

In need of some sparkle

2010-11-28T12:06:00.000+11:00

Always love some shine and sparkles on a grey and rainy day!

and these are just the thing to bring a smile to a girl's face.... These very gorgeous shoes are Christian Louboutin's Studio 120 Peep Toe Pumps

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend xx

Out & About on a Sunday

2010-11-21T14:49:00.002+11:00

On my travels.... a day out and about .....

some of the things that I came across today.....

Enjoy your Sunday!

2010-11-17T08:24:00.009+11:00

"The only way to endure the quake is to adjust your stance.

You can't avoid the daily tremors.

They come with being alive.

These experiences are really gifts that force us to step to the right or left in search of a new center of gravity.

Don't fight them.

Just find a different way to stand."

~ Oprah

Image: A Spring Tree Photographer: Prozac1

Please meet our Molly

2010-11-16T07:30:00.006+11:00

How gorgeous is this photo? I think it's stunning!!

Our very lovely friend Kim breeds Monarch Butterflies in Canada and recently sent us this beautiful photo after she spent some time talking to E and teaching him a little bit about Monarchs.

A few of the things Kim spoke to E about were;

Monarchs only eat one type of plant called Milkweed
They migrate 3000 miles from Canada to Mexico and back every year
Their habit in Mexico is diminishing each year

Inspired by these beautiful creatures and Kim's amazing stories, we have a lovely Monarch Butterfly in our book named Molly in honour of Kim.

Thanks for the inspiration Kim! xx

Image: Monarch Butterfly by Kim

and a Camel named Enie ....

2010-11-15T15:18:00.002+11:00

Working on my new book, I am spending quite a bit of time talking about it with my little guy. He has an amazing perspective on things and I love hearing his thoughts on the different countries, places and animals we are going to meet through the book.

It's quite interesting to listen to him tell other people about how he is an author and that he and his mummy are writing their new book at the moment - priceless!

E is helping me name the animals and I am loving the way that he is taking so much time to think about the animal, where it comes from and who he knows and loves so that he can try and name an animal after them .

Enie is the nickname my brother and I called my dad for years whilst growing up ... it is a take on his name and something we would call him when we were all mucking around and having fun.... although we are 'all grown-up' now, we still to this day call my dad that when we all get together .... E loves this name and thinks it's very funny and cool when we say it... and so now we have a Camel named Enie from Egypt in our new book!

We also have a Koala named Ava after one of his friends, a Monarch Butterfly called Molly and a snail named Stanley....

Loving beyond words the joy that comes from working on this new book with my little guy, not to mention how chuffed my dad was when we told him on the weekend xx

Our dog

2010-11-10T14:32:00.000+11:00

Our dog thinks that he is human, actually he thinks he is a person.

He likes to have a chat and be involved with everything that we do .... inside and outside

He gets his nose out of joint when he is treated 'like a dog' ... looks at me as if I have done something terrible to him... mind you it's only been that I have made him stay outside when we've had friends over.

He huffs and puffs all over the place when he gets to come back inside... then will proceed to ignore us all for a short period of time... just to make sure that we get the fact that we treated him like a dog.

He is kookie, he is lovable, he is smelly (like a dog) and he is oh so special.. he is a huge part of our family, quirks and all xx

Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train ....

2010-11-08T11:46:00.002+11:00

Bubba Louie has been very busy reading and writing out his Alphabet and learning so much about the wonderful countries all over the world!

It has been so much fun travelling in his very cool magic red train that takes him from place to place ...

So far we've made a stop in Australia, where we met an Amazing Koala named Ava and ate some yummy green Apples! .... then off to

Brazil .... for some Bouncing Bagels and lots of giggles

and I can not wait for you to meet my wonderful friend Eenie the Camel from Egypt!

Next stop on my Alphabet Train will be with some Funny Friends in France.

Toot Toot ... til next time! xx

Family, Laughter & Food

2010-11-06T08:00:00.001+11:00

"Laughter spills out of the front door as guests arrive.

Children clamour to push their chairs back from the table.

Conversations linger in the air long after the

dishes are done....

In neighbourhoods across the country ~

These are the sounds of home"

Writer Unknown

Enjoy your weekend with your family & friends xx

Today's inspirational photos .... new collection

2010-11-05T08:00:00.002+11:00

Have been so busy working away designing ... and have almost completed a new collection for our client in the USA.... just playing around with names at the moment while I continue to tinker with the prints for the tees and the final final fabric selections!

I am loving the reds in these photos and have been quite drawn to them for this particular collection... not normally a colour that I would go towards, so it has been an interesting process as I am usually "always" pulled in the direction of greens... it's nice to be working with strong, vibrant colours!

This photo I find quite amazing... the water coming down the face of the rocks, the red just jumping right out at you, however it's still soft ... cascading.... flowing nature.

Images: Child's Shadow, South Aftrica Photographer: Chris Jones

Iron Rich Creek Photographer: Michael Melford

to see more images, please visit: www.nationalgeographic.com

Kate Spade

2010-11-04T08:00:00.001+11:00

Loving this gorgeous piece from Kate Spade ~ Palace of Mirrors Bib necklace.... so pretty!

Book Signings, Readings, Colouring ... a day of fun!

2010-11-03T15:56:00.001+11:00

Such a wonderful array of talent was displayed in prime position on Sunday...

A very talented bunch of aspiring young author's, artists and creative little ones spent the day listening to readings of Meet the Cackleberry Kids, playing and colouring, sharing their dreams of becoming author's when they grow up!

Such a gorgeous day was had by all as we also watched the amazing talents of some budding young Chefs who took part the Jnr Masterchef cooking challenge out at Rodney's.

Congratulations to our winners; Isabella winner of the 2-4yr Age Category, Jonty winner of the 4-7yr Age Category and Calli winner of the 7+ Age Category.

xx

Picasso & Youth

2010-10-06T14:35:00.000+11:00

"Every child is an Artist

The problem is

How to remain

an Artist when he

Grows Up!"

Pablo Picasso

Image: Pablo Picasso ~ The Dance of Youth

Falling leaves

2010-10-03T14:17:00.000+11:00

As my friend Tigger would say "Fall is a fantastical time of the year!"

Image: Fallen Maple Leaf, Maine Photographer; Raul Touzon

The Spirit Collection, High Tea & Jazz

2010-09-20T10:58:00.003+10:00

The sun was shinning and the beautiful spring weather was upon us as we took part in the Spring/Summer fashion parade as part of the Jasmin & Jazz High Tea out in Pialligo....

Rodney's is such a beautiful setting for such an event and MissChief Maker did a fabulous job in hosting the event.... The food was delicious, the Jazz relaxed, the atmosphere was welcoming and the day was Spectacular!

We launched our new Spirit Collection and the boy's had quite a lot of fun doing their walks and "strutting their stuff" for those attending the event.

The fashion parade included Children's fashion from a wonderful range of Local Designers along with some fabulous vintage fashion for Women, and of course great accessories.

A gorgeous day was had by all xx

Meet the Cackleberry Kids!

2010-08-13T14:43:00.005+10:00

"Meet the Cackleberry Kids"

The Cackleberry Kids are a family.

Together they travel all over the world meeting new friends.

They love to learn about new countries, traditions and cultures.

We'd love you to come on the Journey with us,

Who knows where we might end up?

Cool Greens

2010-08-03T10:10:00.004+10:00

Isn't this a great photo?!

Such a vibrant green .... such inspiration was gained from these stunning photos again from the amazingly talented photographers at National Geographic... If you've still not ventured over to their site, pop on over and have a look .... Inspiring and gorgeous to say the least!!

Cool colour palettes ... loving the different shades of greens and matching tones xx

Photos: Green Frog - photographer; Blair

Green Grass - photographer; Gehman

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Spirit ....

2010-07-26T10:57:00.008+10:00

SPIRIT: One who is Vivacious and Lively, The Spirit of a human being is the Animating, Sensitive

This sums up my little one to a tee ... The essence of Spirit

Photograph: Giraffes; Photographer: Johns

Today's Inspirations

2010-07-22T12:43:00.003+10:00

These images are just gorgeous - hats off to the wonderful photographers who took these amazing and very inspirational shots!

Photographs: Shark Island Turtle; photographer unknown

Yellow Car; Richardson

Green Grass; Gehman

If you haven't had an opportunity to visit the beautiful National Geographic website I highly recommend it... the photos are stunning, the information is wonderful and the kids will love it ..... especially the photo of the Deep Sea Creature!

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Love it xx

Alphabet Train .... Iceland

2010-07-14T14:19:00.004+10:00

The next stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train is Iceland ...

Toot Toot .... All Aboard ....

Did you know?

Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean

Iceland is a hot spot of volcanic and geothermal activity. Natural hot water supplies the majority of the population with its heating that is pollution free!

Summer Solstice is on of the festivals that you can visit in the month of June, with the 21st of June being the celebration of the magic from the Midnight Sun.

To find out more on what to see and do in Iceland, visit http://www.visiticeland.com/

Photographs: Northern Lights, Iceland; photographer unknown
Iceland via the Travel Peach.com

Dropping by for a visit!

2010-07-08T17:14:00.005+10:00

Since 2007, the Cackleberry Kids have been working hard on getting their books ready for you and the first in the series is not too far away now!

The second and third books in the series are also underway!

Gee and Bear have stopped by for a visit, with Woof Doggie, Cheeky Monkey and Bubba Louie next to pop in.

Fun facts about the Cackleberry Kids ... Did you know?

Each of the Cackleberry Kids were born in the year 2006 they celebrate and share their birthday with someone special or on a very important date that has special meaning to our family.
Each of the Cackleberry Kids has a little bit of E in them ... from their smiles to their names to their personalities, they all have a special part of our little munchkin in them!

Old Town Alexandria

2010-07-03T15:44:00.008+10:00

Photo: Christmas time in Old Town, Photographer unknown
.

Photo: Street View, Photographer unknown

Some gorgeous photos of Old Town Alexandria .... It is such a beautiful place!

Inspired by these photos today ....

2010-06-30T10:20:00.003+10:00

Photo: "A rare snowy day in Paris" photographer unknown

Photo: "Women standing in the Parc au Champ-de-Mars, Paris" photographer unknown

Alphabet Train .... Australia

2010-06-28T14:03:00.006+10:00

The next stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train is Australia ...

Toot Toot .... All Aboard ....

Did you know?

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. It's about the same size as the 48 mainland states of the USA and 50% larger than Europe, but has the lowest population density in the world.

Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent and it's outlying islands. The mainland is the largest island and the world's smallest and flattest continent.

The capital of Australia is Canberra. With many gorgeous tourist paths and beautiful scenery, there are so many different things that you can do and see when you visit Australia!

To find out more, please visit:

http://www.visitvictoria.com/

http://www.australia.com/index.aspx

Alphabet Train .... Egypt

2010-06-24T17:29:00.010+10:00

The next stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet train is Egypt ...

Toot Toot .... All Aboard ....

Did you know?

Egypt is famous for it's ancient civilization and some of the world's most famous monuments including; The Giza Pyramid complex (photo above) and Great Sphinx (photo below)

The great majority of it's population live near the banks of the Nile River, whilst large areas of the Sahara Desert are sparsely inhabited.

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa and is boarded by the Mediterranean Sea to the North and the Red Sea to the East.

To find out more about Egypt you can visit http://www.lonelyplanet.com/egypt

Alphabet Train .... Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

2010-06-18T13:04:00.004+10:00

The next stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train is Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania ...

Toot Toot ...... All Aboard .....

Did you know?

Located in North Eastern Tanzania near the Kenyan boarder, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and is the highest walkable mountain in the world. It is also an extinct Volcano.

The exact meaning of the name Kilimanjaro is unknown although it is thought to be a combination of the Swahili word "Kilima" meaning Mountain and the Kichagga word "Njaro" meaning Whiteness ~ White Mountain.

Currently there are 6 routes/treks open for walking covering a variety of fitness levels.

To find out more about Mount Kilimanjaro visit:

http://www.peakware.com/peaks.html?pk=139

http://www.africatravelresource.com/T1/africa/tanzania/ne/kili/0/intro/?gclid=CKWd1YfWqKICFYcwpAodMGQCgg

Photos by:

Elephants & Kilimanjaro by asiliadventure safaris
Giraffes & Kilimanjaro by Emily Jacob

Alphabet Train .... Looking for foods starting with Y

2010-06-08T11:42:00.006+10:00

The next stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train is the letter 'Y'

Toot Toot ..... All Aboard .....

The Cackleberry Kids are searching for foods that start with Y so that we can include them on the Alphabet Train....

Some that we have found so far:

Yellow Squash
Yams
Yogurt
Yakitori (Japanese Grilled Chicken)

We'd love to hear if you have any suggestions to share!

Alphabet Train .... Malta

2010-06-01T16:09:00.008+10:00

The next stop on Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train is Malta...

Toot Toot ...... All Aboard ......

Did you know?

Malta and the Maltese Islands; "Megaliths, medieval dungeons and calypso's cave - the Maltese Islands are positively mythic! The narrow meandering streets of their towns and villages are crowded with Renaissance Cathedrals and Baroque Palaces.

The country side is dotted with the oldest known human structures in the world and the Islands have rightly been described as an open-air museum"

To find out more on Malta and the beautiful Maltese Islands, visit the official tourism website for Malta http://www.visitmalta.com/holiday-ideas

Alphabet Train... Poland

2010-05-20T17:11:00.003+10:00

Bubba Louie's Alphabet Train will be visiting many countries all over the world .... one of our stops will be Poland ....

Toot Toot.... All aboard ....

Did you know?

Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849), a great master of Romantic music, is one of the greatest Polish artist and a cultural icon of Poland. He is also one of the most often played piano composers in the world.

2010 is Chopin's 200th Anniversary and to find out more about the celebrations surrounding his anniversary, visit:

http://http://www.poland.travel/en-gb/news/fryderyk-chopin-200-anniversary/

Photo courtesy of: www.poland.travel

New York New York

2010-05-19T13:13:00.006+10:00

Via: Under a Paper Moon Bright Lights, Big City

Photo: Women looking out windows - urban city view skyscrapers evening night - blue, black, white

Photographer: Troy House Photography

2010-05-18T10:48:00.006+10:00

Photo Via My Notting Hill

(Designer; Barry Dixon, Elway Hall, photographer unknown)

My vision board has a photo of a beautiful claw foot bath over looking a gorgeous garden - my dream bathroom.

I love reading blogs on design and interiors and have come across a blog called "My Notting Hill" which is stunning and full of inspiration.

I fell in love love love with this bathroom with the fireplace.... how amazing and gorgeous would that be? Got me thinking that maybe this could be something to plan for our house in the US next year?

Beautiful things make me smile and this blog post certainly did! xx

Cooking Beetroot from scratch

2010-05-17T14:01:00.005+10:00

So we cooked up our first batch of fresh beetroot on Sunday morning and we decided to do have boiled with Castor sugar & white wine vinegar and then the remaining half baked....

I had always thought that cooking beetroot from scratch was a very labour intensive and time consuming process. However, I found out that it was really very simple and not at all scary - simple, easy and no trouble at all was the family consensus!

We then reduced the liquid for the boiled beets once cooked and used that to keep them in until it was time to attempt the Beetroot & caramelised onion tart with rocket & Buffalo cheese..... I will say that our kitchen smelt very good with the boiling underway and the baking in the oven.

Two different aromas that worked so well together!

The next step was cleaning off the outside skin, which you do need gloves for - can be a little messy and leaves a nice purple colouring on your skin ...... I used little freezer bags as I did not have any gloves. The skin came away so easily, again nice and simple.

Our end result for dinner on Sunday night! Was very pleased with how it all turned out and E loved seeing the process come together from fresh produce to eating ~ so so much better than the tin stuff! xx

Farmer's Markets

2010-05-15T15:32:00.007+10:00

The research that needs to be undertaken for a project that I am working on includes going along and visiting a few of the different Farmer's Markets that we have in Canberra and the surrounding region.

So nice and early this morning I set off to visit the Capital Region Farmer's Market that is held every Saturday morning from 8am to 11am, located at Canberra's Exhibition Park.

It was so busy, lots of amazing looking produce, beautiful fresh cut flowers, fresh seafood, organic chocolate, juices, and some very scrummy looking cakes & cupcakes..... I was in food heaven!!

Walking around the various stalls, I was firstly struck by how friendly and helpful everyone was. The second thing that really jumped out at me was when asking about some one's produce - where it comes from etc? Was the passion each person had about their produce/products, it was amazing!

I purchased some very yummy things so that I could try out some new recipes.....

It was such a wonderful way to spend my Saturday morning and I can't wait to go back and visit that market again and I am really looking forward to visiting the next Market on my list xx

Cooking Adventures

2010-05-12T17:03:00.006+10:00

We have always enjoyed cooking in our house and have spent many a weekend playing around with new and exciting recipes.

Having a little one to cook with brings a whole new type of adventure to the mix!

Our little guy has always played a role in our cooking adventures and from quite a young age he has always had some sort of little job, whether it be the cracking of the eggs, whisking, tasting ~ oh yes he LOVES to be the taste tester!! and his other favourite, putting the choc chips on the cookie batter ..... one for the cookie two for me sort of thing.

The part I love most is having everyone in the kitchen together talking, laughing, making a big mess and then being able to sit down to a meal that we have made as a family

For me its such a nice time to just 'be' nothing else matters but how much milk we need or how long do we need to simmer the sauce for .....

E had taken to MasterChef .... yes and so have we .... and we have started making the pressure test dishes. It has been so much fun! It's the first time I've ever made a Pavlova and let me just say - I was so proud that it worked, much happy dancing was had

Although our next pressure test challenge is a Black Forest Cake - which I might add E is very excited about making..... ahhh Mummy on the hand is a little concerned as I've not made a cake like that before.

So we will see how we go this weekend, and we'll share our trials and hopefully a photo of a very beautiful looking Black Forest Cake ... til then xx

2010-04-20T11:30:00.007+10:00

Being away from my little guy for just on 3 weeks was very hard on both of us this time around. This was the first trip that I had done where E actually understood that Mummy was far away and that the distance and time was not going as quickly as he had hoped.

Thank goodness for Skype! We were able to chat once a day for a quick hello and cover what each of us had been up to for the day. This really helped.

Although tough from a Mummy perspective, it was great for Cackleberry Kids. The programme allowed us to meet with some of the most influential Business people and Government representatives in the State of Virginia.

Our programme was well detailed, very full on and had all of the information and assistance required for growth plans and expansion in the US Market.

Our hosts were all fantastic and went out of their way to ensure that we had everything we needed and that we were able to meet with those that would help us make well informed decisions.

Heartfelt thanks to the State of Virginia for their kind hospitality and assistance and we look very forward to working with you and your State.

2010-03-11T12:39:00.002+11:00

Blessed and Grateful for such a loving family - the smiles from my boys are priceless!

It's happening......

2010-03-09T16:01:00.004+11:00

I have been very fortunate to meet some of the most amazing people and have them become such an important part of my life.

They fill me with inspiration, confidence and give me that all important kick in butt when I get a little distracted and for that I am so very blessed and grateful!

So next week we are off to the US to meet with some amazing amazing people and businesses and we can not wait to get our US Operations up and running over the coming months.....

New York Here we come!!

It's all happening and we are loving the journey! xx

2010-02-22T14:56:00.003+11:00

So honoured and excited about our gorgeous feature in the Autumn/Winter edition of Shop 4 Kids.

The "Oliver Twist" feature included our BATO trousers from our new KOTA Collection for Winter!

We love this photo xx

2010-02-16T15:37:00.003+11:00

We had such a wonderful weekend and we made Valentine's Day just that little bit extra special.

E thought that Valentine's day was something special just for our family and had planned all these 'really cool' things for us to do on Sunday.

He started by suggesting that we have a 3 course dinner where everyone could pick a dish to cook... well at least help Mummy cook : )

So we had Homemade tomato soup, Veal cooked with sage in a white wine, caper & garlic sauce and Vanilla Cupcakes. E and I cooked the soup together in the morning so that it was ready for dinner that night and then we made Vanilla cupcakes which E decorated with his M&M's - with an extra special one made for Daddy.

Then in the afternoon, E spent sometime drawing pictures for us....

It was such a beautiful day filled with laughter, happiness and lots of hugs!

2010-02-08T09:14:00.002+11:00

A roller coaster week with a full first week of pre-school, swimming and golf lessons and by Saturday one very tired little boy!

We took this photo last week just before E left with Daddy in the morning. Aside from being tired he is having a ball and loves the stimulation he is getting from the other children and their teachers.... it's all about exploring and learning through experiments, visual aids and lots of discussions.

When E gets home in the afternoon he is filled with unbelievable energy and can not wait to share the day's experiences with all of us.

Every night at dinner we share the favourite parts of our day with each other. Each of us has to share our favourite day-day moment (Our day-day is about our family and something we have done together) and then our work day moment. I have loved seeing E's change from 1 or 2 moments to about half a dozen!

I am so happy and relieved that he has settled into his new school and loves it. I've already noticed a change in his problem solving skills and his imagination - well it's definitely kicked up quite a few notches!

2010-02-03T15:36:00.004+11:00

Audrey Hepburn is one of my style icons and someone that I have always admired. I love her elegance, style and grace - it is effortless and she just 'is' ..... the essence of beauty from within.

This poem written by Audrey, was sent to me by a gorgeous friend, whom I also admire x

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.

For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms.

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.

Audrey Hepburn

2010-02-01T13:51:00.004+11:00

The boys had so much fun on weekend building planes, cars, bikes and an amazing rocket from Lego... they were both so proud of their achievements!

2010-01-25T12:39:00.004+11:00

My reward for working my butt off this year and achieving my goals for CBK is to be able to purchase these gorgeous pairs of shoes.

Have photos of these shoes on my Vision Board so that I can see how pretty they look everyday... yes, I am in love with shoes!

So by the end of 2010 I will be the proud owner of a beautiful pair of Christian Louboutin's and a pair of Jimmy Choo's......

I'd best get started then as I have much to do and it's almost February!! xx

2010-01-21T14:16:00.005+11:00

Just some photos that have made me smile today...

2010-01-18T12:59:00.003+11:00

Lots of thinking, planning and organising happening here.

Getting ready for our trip to the US, so schedules, appointments, research and overall planning is starting to take shape.

Trying to stay focused on the one thing at a time is proving to be a challenge at the moment... unsure why that is though, as I'm not normally like that... ummm ????

Perhaps it is due to the impact that this opportunity will bring? I guess I'll find out soon enough!

Hope your day is good to you and your week is full of happy times xx

2010-01-12T14:43:00.003+11:00

Ahhh to be full of imagination and dreams.....

E decided that last week he wanted to be a superhero but not a regular one Mummy! Of course not I said, why would you want to be regular?

So his outfit consisted of his beanie and his work bench goggles - the good thing was that it wasn't so hot otherwise the beanie would have been quite a disaster!

The name for this superhero is the Wobble Goggle guy.... why? because he is wearing his Wobble Goggle glasses Mummy!

Wobble Goggle rides his bike around and helps people do things like water the plants, take puppies for walks, invents things and saves girls.... of course!

I don't think that E has ever really watched a superhero type movie or cartoon so it's only from what he has been able to piece together and when I asked him about why you save girls, I was told well Mummy that's what we do!

Interesting and cute!

2010-01-06T16:48:00.003+11:00

Welcome back to a beautiful start to the New Year - am looking forward to all of the exciting things we have coming up for Cackleberry Kids along with a new start for E going off to pre-school on the 1st of February.

I have a planning day coming up on Monday and am really looking forward to spending a little bit of time pulling all my plans all together for this year and how it will all fit.... fingers crossed it all comes together smoothly!

It's has been great to spend some time switched "OFF" .... well as off as you can be when you own a business. It is so important to be able to give your brain a rest and get some clear head space.

We went on a spontaneous trip down the coast with our friends for a few days at New Year's and although it was only for a couple of days it was soooo nice to just be!

The kids had a great time playing together, E had his first ride on a boogie board and caught a couple of waves and just absolutely loved it!! It was so much fun to see his face break out into a huge smile when he made it all the way back to the beach... priceless.

Was lovely catching up with our friends too. It was cool just sitting around having a BBQ and a few wines and chatting.... fabulous!

Hope you enjoyed your time with your family and friends as well xx

Instructions for Freedom

2009-12-21T11:17:00.008+11:00

I have been reading the book "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert off and on throughout the year mixed in with some other books of similar themes.

I read for a little while last night before I went off to sleep and in the section where she is visiting the Ashram in India, there is this great poem/instructions that was given to Elizabeth from "the Plumber/Poet from New Zealand"

I'm not sure what it was about the words specifically, however, I found them to be so moving and they just had the most amazing impact on me - I have not been able to stop thinking about them and I really felt the need to share them...

Although I am not overly religious by any means, I do believe in a God and I do believe that there is something out there and I do believe in faith and I do believe that we all have someone watching over us to help and guide us...

Here is what he gave Elizabeth:

Instructions for Freedom

1. Life's metaphors are God's instructions

2. You have just climbed up and above the roof. There is nothing between you and the Infinite. Now, let go

3. The day is ending. It's time for something that was beautiful to turn into something else that is beautiful. Now, let go

4. Your wish for resolution was a prayer. Your being here is God's response. Let go, and watch the stars come out - on the outside and on the inside

5. With all your heart, ask for grace, and let go

6. With all your heart, forgive him, FORGIVE YOURSELF, and let go

7. Let your intention be freedom from useless suffering. Then, let go

8. Watch the heat of the day pass into the cool of the night. Let go

9. When the karma of a relationship is done, only love remains. It's safe. Let go

10. When the past has passed from you at last, let go. Then climb down and begin the rest of your life. With great Joy

Life is too short to berate ourselves for the what if's all the time.... live, love and be free - you owe that to yourself xx

2009-12-19T08:57:00.005+11:00

The year has flown by and as we round the corner to the final few weeks, we would like to say thank you to our wonderful friends, supporters and family who have shared in our journey this year.

Great things have been achieved, exciting news shared and we look forward to sharing the next part of our journey with you all.

We wish you and yours a happy, safe and joyous Christmas and a 2010 filled with great adventures and love!

The Cackleberry Kids xx

2009-12-16T17:20:00.004+11:00

We are co-hosting an ONLINE CHAT for Charity party on Tuesday, 22 December to raise money for Project 18 and Mummy's Wish List.

Gorgeous giveaways, great things to buy, lots of fun and all for a wonderful cause! Love to have you join us for the evening.

Donations from some very fab designers and a silent auction is being organised.... Great for spreading some Christmas cheer, whilst helping others at the same time!

Such a wonderful Random Act of Kindness from everyone involved

You can RSVP by clicking on the attached link....

http://www.ministylista.com.au/events/ministylista-online-chat-for

Hope to see you there xx

2009-12-15T16:41:00.003+11:00

We were so excited yesterday to receive the news from the fabulous team at Little Miss Stella Publicity & Media Relations that we were mentioned in the new Practical Parenting magazine as a website to watch!

Woo Hoo!!

Our heartfelt thanks to the gorgeous Stella and her brilliant team for their hard work, care and support from all of us here at Cackleberry Kids xx

'tis the Season SALE

2009-12-12T08:38:00.009+11:00

Happy Holidays!

We love spreading the Christmas Cheer and so we are having a SALE!!!

It's our 'tis the Season Sale and it ends Sunday at midnight.

Grab a gorgeous Organic Tee for your little one... they are 25% off - Made in Australia from 100% Certified Organic Cotton, they are soft and cosy on the skin

Looking for something beautiful for Mummy? I'm sure she would love a gorgeous Susse Collection bag... they are truly stunning! Save $90.00 off baby bags, $95.00 off handbags and $40.00 off wallets until stocks last!!

Visit us online at www.cackleberrykids.com and take advantage of our FREE worldwide postage/shipping and FREE Gift wrapping and grab something GORGEOUS!!

Ho Ho Ho .... Happy Shopping xx

2009-12-10T11:13:00.006+11:00

The Sweet Bundle Gift Shop quietly launched late last week, with a feature in the glorious Style Collective online magazine.

But don’t see the store as just another new gift shop. Each item selected has both the gift giver and gift receiver in mind.

The Sweet Bundle gift shop brings together a range of quality and practical products in ready-made gift boxes containing items by popular brands such as Agoo, Babyjo, Made to Inspire, NudeyRudey, & Petit ; all carefully presented in a re-usable FunkyBaby box.

Also available are products by Little Billies, & coming soon Cackleberry Kids.

Lovely Essentials Box This sweet box contains:
- Circus Parade style Agoo accessories for legs
- Babyjo bamboo short-sleeved bodysuit & bamboo singlet
- 150ml Petit massage gel & 100g Petit talc.

Packed in a FunkyBaby box, then presented with a wide ivory ribbon tie & blank giftcard.
Price $62.95

Cutey Pampered Comfort Box

- NudeyRudey cloth nappy with micro-fibre insert in pale blue
- Puzzle Fun style Agoo accessories for legs
- 150ml Petit massage gel & 100g Petit talc
Price $64.45

Heart Socks & Blanket Box
- Babyjo Little Miss bamboo blanket in pink & white stripes
- 2 pairs of pink & white Agoo bamboo socks
- Made to Inspire red heart pendant engraved with the words "sweet bundle of joy" & a teddy bear
Price $49.95

Whilst shopping online with Sweet Bundle you will receive an invite to their loyalty program with your first purchase. This entitles you to 5% off storewide all day and everyday, as well as other benefits throughout the year.

The joy of giving
Sweet Bundle is a proud supporter of Project18, where 10% of sales are donated to this worthy organisation. To find out more please visit www.project18.org.au.

Sweet Bundle Gift Shop – www.sweetbundle.bigcartel.com

We are on the way to the USA

2009-12-07T14:18:00.006+11:00

How excited were we on Friday afternoon when the call came through confirming that our application for the US programme that we had submitted for had been approved ?? ... Really excited!! There we tears, squealing, happy dancing and of course all while having a big cheesy grin for good measure.

This programme has been put together to encourage Australian companies that are either one of the top 300 in country or that are considered fast growth.

We will be part of a 4 day programme visiting the US in March 2010 where we will meet the decision makers in Government and Private enterprises looking to bring growth and development to the state and surrounding region.

Our aim over the course of this visit is to get the ground work in place to set up our US Operations. Not only will be exporting to the US, but we will have a base out of the East Coast ... exciting!!

Our goal over the coming 2 months is to get all our research finalised, appointments scheduled and be ready to meet everyone!

We are extremely proud to have been invited and now so so proud to have been approved to take part.

We can not wait to get things started and have just stepped even closer to our goals for CBK.

Thanks so much to all our gorgeous friends who have shown us support, care and encouragement!

From the bottom of my heart I am grateful to you all xx

Getting ready for Christmas

2009-12-04T09:15:00.002+11:00

We are starting to get ready for Christmas and we are putting our tree up tonight with E.

He is so excited as this is the first year that we will be home for Christmas and he can not believe that Santa is actually going to come to our house .... "how will he find us Mummy? He normally goes to Bupcha's house?" (Bupcha is Polish for Grandmother).

So today we are going to write a letter to Santa, just so he knows where to find us! I also asked E if he wanted to ask Santa for any present in particular, and he said "No, that's ok Mummy I don't really need anything at the moment, if he could just visit, that would be great" .... awww so sweet!

Normally, we go to Sydney for Christmas as that is where both our families live, however we really wanted E to spend a Christmas in his house, in his bed and sort of start our own little tradition at home. So we spoke to our families and decided that this year was a great time to have a Canberra Christmas - it will also be my first Christmas in Canberra.... it's only been 9 years!

We've planned our menu and decided to go with a seafood theme with a twist. I have loved scouring the cook books with E looking for different things that we can cook for our Christmas lunch : ) and we've already started to trial some of the dishes. Earlier this week we made a Mango Coleslaw salad... thanks to a recipe we found in the Real Living Magazine - it was a huge hit so it's been added to our list!

Next trial is a fish dish.... hoping to give that a go on the weekend, so I'll let you know how we go!

Ho Ho Ho enjoy your day xx

2009-12-01T16:06:00.004+11:00

Here's our US update... we were invited to submit an application for a fast growth / fast track business programme on the East Coast of the USA.

We submitted our application today and will find out sometime tomorrow if we've been accepted into the programme.... We were invited along with some of the biggest companies from around Australia to participate and we are the only Children's clothing company.

Our application will be signed off by the Governor of the State and to say we are honoured to even be considered for this programme is an understatement.

So should the approval come in in our favour, that would be the icing on the cake for CBK's year.

I feel so blessed and thankful for those who have had faith in me and our amazing team -it is priceless. We work hard, we stay true to our vision and we have a product that is being recognised around the world - we are worthy of this success and for that I am blessed!

We'll keep you posted on the approval tomorrow xx

How quickly they grow up

2009-11-19T16:42:00.003+11:00

It has been a very emotional week for me as we took the step to enrol E into pre-school.

I had been researching and reading and looking for a pre-school for him and I'll admit that I didn't have all the information I needed in the beginning and found it frustrating and confusing trying to sort our public pre-school that is Govt funded v's private pre-schools that aren't... zones and areas and all manner of obstacles here in Canberra.

I think that at one stage earlier this year, I had given up trying to sort it out but I think it was a little bit of being overwhelmed and more about being sad that my little guy was growing up all too quickly!

Especially when we are in the car and he asks me "Mummy I go to big school soon don't I" oh my goodness..... tears and everything from Mummy!

Sometimes I think that I get so upset because I suffer from the same thing that most working mums do..... GUILT and feel that I've not spent enough time with E and the more I try and fix it the worse it gets!

Realistic or not it's the way it makes you feel.

Through the haze of tears and beating myself up that I was a bad mummy - We did find a great pre-school for E and he starts next year and he is really excited. He can't wait to meet his new friends and is looking forward to doing music and all matter of things.... and that just brings a smile to my face and let's me know that I'm not doing such a bad job after all.

Fairy Bread & Cackleberry Kids

2009-11-13T15:15:00.012+11:00

There is just something so adorable in the name Fairy Bread that you just know that you're going to be spoilt by all things sugar and spice when you visit... and you won't be disappointed!

There are the most gorgeous party ideas for your little ones. Not to mention that we are always blown away when we see those stunning cakes and all the effort that is being put into creating the most amazing parties

This month, we have joined forces with the wonderful Fairy Bread to give away one of our new Printed Organic Tees from our KIAMBU Collection. All you have to do to go into the draw is visit the Fairy Bread site and follow the three easy steps and you could win. Yes, it's that easy!!

http://fairybread.ning.com/

Fairy Bread has also put together a great Out of Africa themed party... We are in love with the Giraffe cake - it is so cute and really would you want to cut it? We all said we wouldn't!

We also LOVE the Party bag, invitation and thank you card from Plaid Kids Crafts they are also so cute!

My little guy's birthday isn't until March next year... but I'm thinking a cool Out of Africa themed birthday will be something fun to put together for him and all his little Explorer friends... we might even go on Safari with maps and binoculars in search of wild animals.... ummm my thinking cap is on!

Our Sunday Stroll

2009-11-08T23:39:00.003+11:00

Today was another glorious day here in Canberra and it looks like the warm weather is here to stay with us for the whole week Yippee!!

We did quite a bit around the house on Saturday so that we could spend the day out and about on today.

So off we went this morning to Manuka park to play on the swings and slippery dip.... it is such a gorgeous park with lots of trees and beautiful grass.

We also noticed that the pool in Manuka had re-opened so E is very excited about that. A very lovely pool that is family focused with lots of green grass for picnics around the toddler pool with shades, trees and a pirate ship in the sand pit... always a winner!!

After much fun at the park, we decided that we would venture down to the lake and go for another walk. It was so lovely!

Even though there it was busy (yes, Canberra can get busy) it was still peaceful and we could all co-exist on the walkways and paths... lots of people out walking their dogs, riding bikes, rollerblading and running.

On the way back to the car there is a little Gelato bar. I have to say that their ice cream and Gelato is fabulous, so we sat down and enjoyed some great flavours whilst watching the boats cruise the lake...... GORGEOUS xx

Baked Ricotta & our Tuesday off

2009-11-04T10:36:00.007+11:00

In Canberra yesterday, it was also a public holiday for Melbourne Cup as well.... although we call it Family & Community Day, but we all know it's for Melbourne Cup!

It was another Gorgeous day here so we decided that we would get up early do some cooking and go on another picnic by the lake.

We made a Baked Ricotta with a chilli, lemon, oregano, red wine vinegar and olive oil (quite a bit!!) dressing, coleslaw, potato salad and all the other bits and pieces you need for a fab picnic! E loves to help when we cook, so he decided that he would pull the oregano leaves off the stems and pop those into the dressing.

The wind picked up toward the later part of the afternoon, so after lunch we packed up and headed home after a walk along the lake and a chat with the swans!

Must admit though, it was hard to get back into work mode this morning!

Enjoy your day xx

Gorgeous Day

2009-11-02T14:35:00.009+11:00

On Saturday we got to go outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather here in Canberra!

Mind you we have been waiting patiently (or maybe not) for our summer weather to arrive so we went from 14 to 28 in just a few days,
but without a doubt it was worth it.

We packed up some yummy food and made our way down to the lake.

We decided on a walk along the foreshore to start off and then a spot of lunch overlooking the lake.... It was so lovely! Not too hot in the shade of the trees, some great food and lots of laughing.

After lunch we ventured off in search of ice cream.... and boy did we find some! It was the biggest ice cream cones that I've seen in such a long time. The taste was out of this world...

E selected the Chocolate of course! Daddy had the Mango, while Mummy had the most Divine Passion fruit.

A nice way to finish a wonderful day!

Should we or Shouldn't we??

2009-10-16T15:50:00.006+11:00

For a little bit of time now we have been back and forth between do we or don't we start a newsletter.....

So we thought we would throw it open and ask for your thoughts on the issue.

Our questions for you are:

How often would you like to receive a Cackleberry Kids newsletter? Monthly / Bi-Monthly / Quarterly?
What would you like to see in the newsletter?
We would be looking at incorporating some guest writers into the mix. We are hosting a number of information nights and workshops and will have guest speakers on Nutrition, Allergies, Fitness for Mums & their Bubs, Fashion; shape/colour/style, Birthing coaches just to name a few.... would you like to see a snapshot of those workshops in the newsletter?
Give aways?

Please post your comments below.....

Thanks so much for your help - we really appreciate it as we want to make our newsletter worthwhile, relevant and interesting for you : ) xx

Learning to accept your Good

2009-10-15T14:18:00.002+11:00

I wrote a blog a month or so ago about being able to spend a little time on me and just take a step back... well Learning to spend some time on me and Learning to be accepting of the good things that come our way as business women, wives and mums.....

Not sure that I'm doing as well as I would have liked, however am pleased to report that small steps in a forward direction have taken place and slowly slowly catch the monkey progress has been made.

The interesting thing is that because I wrote about it on our blog, I feel a need to report in and acknowledge the small steps.... accountability?? ummm not sure!

I did receive a lovely email from someone who said that they were so happy when I posted the previous blog because they didn't feel so alone anymore.... so I made a promise to post another blog (when I felt ready) so that we could continue our journey together rather than doing it on our own.

I read a lot about many different aspects of life, love and happiness and have found quite a connection with a few of the authors that I have discovered... I find their books to be rewarding and confronting at the same time. The great thing is that I have made a commitment to learn how to better accept my Good and to accept that I am Deserving of my Good - it's proving to be such a better head space already..... even with one step forward and two steps back!

I'll keep you posted!

Let's help reach the goal

2009-10-14T09:32:00.009+11:00

Good Morning!

Let's see if we can help Project18 reach their donations goal of $1000.00 today?

The amount needed by 5pm this afternoon is $365.00, so if you have a spare few dollars to contribute then please visit:

www.catherinebolt.com or you can use the donation widget on our blog.

There are also number of fabulous businesses that are supporting Cate and Project18, so you may prefer to purchase some of their gorgeous products and they will donate a percentage of the sale to Cate's charity!

Thanks so much... we can help change the world together!

Please meet Jenny Farrelly!

2009-10-12T07:31:00.007+11:00

Jenny Farrelly, an emerging Australian warm glass artist has always been passionate about art and has experimented in many different mediums. “I started working with warm glass and was seduced by the freedom and excitement of creating abstract and contemporary designs through fusing glass.

My passion for the art has increased my desire to experiment and manipulate the glass by adding different metals to produce reactions. This creates great depth and texture, you can see and touch, giving life to the art.

I love colour so being inspired and captivated by nature and our beautiful Australian landscape comes easy.

The thrill I get when I have designed that special gift for a client that takes their ‘breath away’ is what makes this journey in glass the most wonderful, thrilling ride I never want to get off.

My dream is to create unique, desirable glass gifts that takes your breath away and the person you purchase for.

Without a doubt, you can see the passion in each piece of Jenny's work. The intricate details, the different techniques used to bring out the colours are breathtaking.

We are so honoured to have Jenny's gorgeous pieces in our store - they are made with love and rather than just being pieces of jewellery or a bowl, they are stand out pieces of artwork!

Unique, Stylish and Beautiful.

The Cackleberry Kids xx

And the Winner is.....

2009-10-06T11:39:00.003+11:00

Hello!

A few prizes were sent out early last week for the winners of some great competitions run over the last month.

Congratulations to Alexie!!
Congratulations to Heidi, the winner of our Mumzone competition!!

A great big CONGRATULATIONS to you both and we hope that you love your prizes/gifts

Enjoy xx

Project 18

2009-09-30T18:11:00.003+10:00

I believe that we all have something to give back to our society, the earth and our children.

Catherine Bolt is working so hard to do just that. To provide Children with a place that they can call home, something that we all deserve - and that is just the tip of the iceberg!

I am moved beyond words at the outstanding commitment that Cate and her family have put towards this project and to help in my little way we have added the Project 18 Contribution widget to our blogpost.... please donate if you can - a little bit goes a long way.

You can also read more about Cate's project here: http://catherinebolt.com/

Thank you,

The Cackleberry Kids xx

Our First Horse Ride

2009-09-25T18:50:00.007+10:00

Today Lin and I went along to a Business Mum's networking function at the Kambah Playgroup Open Day, the great thing was that we could take the kids along with us.

There was so much for the kids to do and Ethan and Zoe had such a wonderful time - they both went on their very first horse ride!

It was so cool and we were very proud mums, beaming away as we walked beside them.

Ethan and Zoe were a little unsure at the start, but once they were settled onto the lovely Coco - they were so excited!! Lots of smiles and whoo hooo this is fun mummy!

It was great being there with them to share in their first horse ride.

The Cackleberry Kids xx

Some Gorgeous New Products

2009-09-24T10:01:00.006+10:00

We are excited to have Aspire Candles joining us in store at Cackleberry Kids & Friends here in Canberra.

Lin and I had a hard time selecting which of the lovely scents we would order, however we got there in the end and can not wait for them to arrive next week.

Last week we unpacked the beautiful selection of handbags, wallets and baby bags from Susse Collection. They were definitely the talk of yesterday's Shopping event... many mums hoping that their lovely husbands will purchase one for birthdays and Christmas!!

Have a fabulous day,

The Cackleberry Kids xx

Exciting Times

2009-09-23T06:48:00.005+10:00

Yesterday saw a proud moment celebrated by the Cackleberry Kids team.

We were one of 21 Finalists for the ACT's Export Awards yesterday. The awards consisted of 8 categories ranging from Arts & Entertainment, Education, Emerging Exporter, Information & Communication, Large Services, Small Business, Small to Medium Manufacturer and Small to Medium Services.

To share the stage with companies such as Aspen Medical, Beyond Business and Intelledox was such an honour. I admire these organisations, have had an opportunity to travel on a trade mission with some of them and had the absolute pleasure in speaking at a Women in Global Business Seminar with one of them!

The winner of our Category; Emerging Exporter was Windlab Systems - they are a global wind energy development company - our Congratulations to Windlab!

For us the amazing moment and honour was to be a 1st time applicant and a Finalist in our first year - such a wonderful moment and a huge milestone!!

Canberra's export community is really booming and it was wonderful to see so many local companies taking their products, technologies and know-how to the world. So not only are we proud to have been a Finalist, we are proud to be a part of this exciting community.

Thank you to my wonderful team of Advisors, Mentors, family and friends who have been so supportive, encouraging and have in some instances 'Pushed' me to keep moving forward - thank you so much.

Congratulations and thank you to our Cackleberry Kids team - Linda and Laa, who work so hard on making our dreams come true and thank you to those who have inspired us to achieve.

The Cackleberry Kids xx

KIAMBU Collection

2009-09-20T15:57:00.008+10:00

We have been crazy busy with finalising the release of our latest collection KIAMBU for this coming Spring/Summer season

KIAMBU means 'King' in Swahili and in keeping with our previous safari and adventure theme, we fell in love with the word and thought that it was a perfect fit for our latest range.

The KIAMBU Collection is a celebration of colour and freshness... we can not wait for the first of our new stock to arrive in the coming two weeks as we are eagerly awaiting our gorgeous new Organic tees. The cotton is just so soft and was great to work with.

Our production facility is also an accredited "No Sweat Shop Label" manufacturer, which is another aspect of this new collection that we are very proud of.

Last week we did a photo shoot with Hilary Wardhaugh and the kids were brilliant! Lots of running around and fun was had by all and we've included a couple of pictures from the day!!

Enjoy your weekend xx

Cackleberry Kids - new website

2009-09-16T23:55:00.005+10:00

After many long hours and lots of hard work our beautiful new website is now live!

Very proud of our team and all their fantastic work in getting it up and ready within a really short time frame.

A huge thank you to our great friends who took some time out of their busy schedules to review the site for us, give us some fantastic feedback and a list of suggested improvements.

We really do appreciate all your help and can not thank you enough!

http://www.cackleberrykids.com/

The Cackleberry Kids xx

Project18 & Cate Bolt

2009-09-12T17:29:00.004+10:00

Cate needs our help 1000 fans for Charity Status on facebook. Can you please help? Project 18 is raising money to build an orphanage in Indonesia. The world needs more people like Cate - help her help others!

Catherine Bolt is a writer, photographer, humanitarian, conservationist, small business owner & mother of 9. She recently walked away from a successful business & luxury lifestyle to dedicate the rest of her life to building an orphanage & wildlife refuge in Indonesia. We are now registered as an incorporated association, under the name Project 18 Inc.The purpose of this group is to assist, promote, spread the word to like-minded individuals.

About the Indonesian Orphanage/Wildlife Refuge Project
Some Background:

"We love children, and we raise our children to love and respect the earth. I’m passionate about children and it pains me to see children suffering in any way. For those of you with children under 5, or even older, try this simple visualisation exercise for a moment:

Imagine taking your child into a crowded street at dusk, walking away from them and never going back. Imagine the fear in that child when they realise you’re gone. Imagine them wandering scared and hungry through the streets…imagine their life now, day after day.

If you can do this exercise without tears, then you are stronger than me, but for 1.8 million children in Indonesia, this is reality. Every night 1.8 million children in Indonesia sleep homeless. For most of us that number is unfathomable.

Over 50% of Indonesians survive on less than $2US per day. Of the 500,000 children in Indonesian orphanages today, almost 90% still have a living parent. They just simply cannot afford to feed them and out of desperation, many of these children are dumped in hope that someone more fortunate may be able to give them a better life.

Well, I am someone more fortunate and while my family is not wealthy, by any means, we plan to make a difference. My husband and I are both self employed, we have 9 children and we live, like many people, week-to-week. In a country like Indonesia where so many people are so very poor, a lot can be achieved with less money than one might expect. We are ordinary people, living an ordinary life – we are no different to you.

I don’t expect everyone to give up everything. I don’t expect everyone to build an orphanage. But EVERYONE can do something. Whether you donate to our project, or one of the dozens of other aid agencies, whether you just extend the hand of friendship to a colleague or stranger or whether you just take a “man in the mirror” moment and be the change that you want to see in the world. EVERYONE has the power to make some change in the world."

I feel very fortunate to have met Cate. I cried when I read this and I cried when I told my husband about Cate's cause.. I know that not everyone can donate/contribute money, however we can all help by supporting and passing on Cate's story... everyone has the power to make a difference and I am one who is inspired by Cate, please if nothing else read Cate's blog and join her facebook Group.... Every little bit does help!

Cate's contact details:

http://catherinebolt.com/

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=120341929496&ref=nf

The Cackleberry Kids xx

Meet Mee a Bee and the lovely Jacqui

2009-09-10T17:06:00.012+10:00

Mee a Bee - the label

Mee a Bee all that’s cute from Japan bags for little boys and girls
Adorable, whimsical and imagination-sparking Natural cottons and linens Fabulous prints, modern colours & practical designs

All lovingly handmade in Japan. An ever-changing collection ... for boys you might find cars, dinosaurs or pirates while little girls will love pink penguins, polka dots or ladybirds.

Mee a Bee bags spark conversation, encourage learning and imagination.You won't find mass-produced commercialised characters

Mee a Bee bags are made in limited quantities or even one of a kind. Would you like to have a special bag designed for your little one?

Who is Mee a Bee? Behind the label

New Zealander Jacqui Miyabayashi has lived in Osaka for the past thirteen years. She is the designer, seamstress and tea lady at Mee a Bee.

Jacqui studied business management and marketing at the University of Waikato before setting off on her big overseas adventure.

A few months of work and travel turned into several years. Now with a husband and two children she calls Japan home.Life as a stay-at-home mum was isolating and lonely, the web became her best friend.

Jacqui organised playgroups, book swaps and a parenting website for other expat mums living in her area. Soon she discovered other mothers selling their handmade goods online and had a light bulb moment.

Jacqui had been searching for a business she could run from home while caring for her children.Mee a Bee was born a few months after her second child and gives Jacqui the creative outlet she craves as well as the stimulation and challenge of running a business.Says Jacqui "It's what I always dreamed I would do with my life, I couldn't be happier"

From the moment we were introduced to Mee a Bee, we fell in love with these cool little bags for boys! (and of course the girls!!) When we started talking with Jacqui, we found that her creativity, design, quality and passion for introducing something different to market was aligned with ours - and I do have to say that Jacqui is right - they always start a conversation!!

We are so proud to be working with Mee a Bee and Jacqui - who is truly inspirational!!

The Cackleberry Kids xx

Father's Day

2009-09-07T06:31:00.005+10:00

It was a beautiful day here in Canberra yesterday and we decided to stay home and have a BBQ rather than going off to a park....

We all helped get everything ready including Ethan, who set the table.

Our dog, Forrest thought it was great too as he would have been left at home if we'd gone out and he enjoyed running around with E and Daddy playing with his ball..... and being fed sausages on the side!

Relaxing outside in the gorgeous weather whilst eating lots and lots of food - thanks again to Donna Hay's fantastic recipes... chocolate fudge puddings, Tuscan bean salad, asparagus herb pasta.... and of course prawns and sausages!

We really did have a wonderful Father's day together xx

To make someone's day...

2009-09-03T12:01:00.005+10:00

We did a little give away for our 300th member and our lucky winner was the lovely Amanda from Little Choopie.

I am so happy to have made Amanda's day and felt very special receiving this heartfelt note from Amanda:

"Hi Kylie, I just wanted to thank you so much for the t-shirt we won from your facebook page. It was a complete and utter shock to me as I didn't even realise you were having a giveaway but such a wonderful won at that. The t-shirt it gorgeous and I can't wait to dress lucca up in a little pair of cargos and team it with the tee. it will be perfect! Also I have to say that your attention to detail is just divine. I love the cackleberry kids tissue paper and the coordinating ribbon, just perfect!! And thanl you so much for the gorgeous little extras - I know lucca is going to love the little binoculars when he works out how to use them. A big thank you as well for the lovely card you added. Its so nice to get a hand written card with such a nice message. You are so lovely so thank you so much it just made my day when my hubby brought in the post!! "

You are so welcome Amanda and I can't wait to see Lucca in his shirt!! xx

And the Winner is.....

2009-09-02T10:25:00.004+10:00

Congratulations to Kym Dowrick - the winner of our Winter Warmer prize pack.

When we called Kym yesterday to let her know she was the winner, so was in shock and over the moon!

Kym had only been in the store last week and purchased a gorgeous Three Little Trees Bamboo Dress and is now the winner of the prize pack worth over $320.00!

We will post a photo of Kym and her winnings when she comes in next week to collect her prize.

Congratulations again Kym and thank you to our lovely Designer's who contributed to the prize pack!

Wishing you a joyous Spring Day xx

Hello Spring

2009-09-01T07:22:00.005+10:00

Good Morning!

Am so happy that today is the first day of Spring..... move on out Winter Chills and bring in the lovely warm Spring air filled with the smell of new flowers and new growth.

Canberra is so pretty in Spring, especially when Floriade is on.... flowers everywhere and an atmosphere of relaxation and fun.

Picnics, long lazy lunches, walks around the lake and lots of playing outside at the park..... Yah!!

Enjoy your first day of Spring xx

How good it feels!

2009-08-31T14:47:00.004+10:00

You know the feeling you get when you clean out your fridge or your wardrobe... that clear, focused feeling that allows you to believe that you can do anything?

Well I have been doing some cleaning and clearing of my mind over the weekend and I have to tell you, it feels fabulous!

So many things happen to us as mums, wives, business owners and friends that we spend so much time doing everything for everybody and we neglect ourselves... Just having that 20 or so minutes to think by yourself without someone asking you a question or for something is really magical!

It allowed me to box up some stuff in my head and move it out of the way - so that I could focus on what was important to me - really priceless!!

My thinking took down on a little journey and I found that I wanted to:

Always support myself

Learn to think in positive affirmations

Thoughts & other's opinions have no power over us unless we give into them

Trust myself and my abilities

Love who you are what you do

I still have quite a bit of work to do, but I figure you have to start somewhere and this isn't such a bad place to start!

Plus what have I got to lose? My happiness is under my control!

Enjoy your day xx

Love to Dance & Draw

2009-08-31T06:46:00.005+10:00

Although it was still very very chilly yesterday we are excited that Spring is on the way this week and we just love being outside.

On Sunday we had some sun mixed in with our windy conditions and Ethan was playing outside.... so cute watching him play his games, chat to our dog Forrest and go off on adventures.

Without him seeing me, I snuck outside to take a few photos - he was dancing away without a care in world singing and laughing....Then after taking a break from all the hectic playing, he took his sketch pad outside and sat down our deck to do some drawing.

He took his time to look around and consider what he would draw... deciding on our Olive Tree - who we call Serge.

I have to say that I was very impressed with his fantastic artwork, so we took a photo of the drawing and a very proud artist!

I love seeing Ethan use his imagination and explore different creative areas.

The Cackleberry Kids xx

Congratulations Kim & Stickytiki

2009-08-26T18:23:00.004+10:00

I have met some of the most amazing people and Kim from Stickytiki is one of them.

This week saw some fabulous news come Kim's way as Stickytiki received a great write up on the blog Print and Pattern followed by some more news that will see a feature for them soon.

I love seeing talent rewarded and such good people have great things come their way.

So from all at The Cackleberry Kids - congratulations Kim and Stickytiki xx

Sharing the SMILES

2009-08-25T19:25:00.004+10:00

CONGRATULATIONS to Trish for sharing this lovely lovely story with us on our blog. Trish's name was pulled out of a hat this evening and is the winner of our Make Someone SMILE gift. One of our fabulous Cackleberry Kids Bucket Hats and Sunset Tees is on the way to Trish!

Here is Trish's story:

It wasn't me alone.I had a idea and I asked a few bloggy friends to send stickers or small things to a little girl (whose mum is blogger and friend) who was expected to be in hospital for over a week , and a cheery note to her mum.

They were in an isolation room too so very bored. Another blogger I asked, asked a few more people and in turn a whole hoard of us sent parcels to the hospital. Some sent things like extra magazines for her mum and craft items and glittery bits and bobs.It was a surprise for them both.

I know it was much appreciated.

I was amazed myself at how many people wanted to join in. That alone made me smile.I would love to do it again and send random parcels to a children's hospital for the nurses to chose a child who needs an extra smile. I will ...

Thank you so much to everyone who participated here on our blog, on our Face book Fan Page and on twitter! Such a wonderful experience sharing a SMILE and loved reading all of your posts!

Keep SMILING xx

A Golfing Sunday

2009-08-24T11:02:00.008+10:00

E just loves playing golf with his Daddy and for the past few weekends it's been their thing... so cute seeing them toddle off together with golf clubs in hand and the look of sheer joy on E's face that he is off on a special date with his Daddy.

The last two weeks they have been going to the local park and have been having a hit down there, yesterday they took a soccer ball as well .... E told me it's an "Adventure Mummy"

The concentration is very important!

"I can do this all by myself Daddy"

I think they just love the running back and forth and chasing each other around!

See I can do it!! You have to hold the golf club this way....

So lovely

The Cackleberry Kids xx