why oh why didn't i think of this??

One of my friends shared this little find with me this week, and I was so excited about it I had to share it, because I'm almost certain you will all be glad to know about these, just like I was.

The other part of me was kind of sad to discover them, because I was annoyed I didn't think of this idea myself. Oh well. I'll keep trying to come up with the next best seller.....

Anyway, these are what I learned about: Squeezems! 

image from Squeezems

Yes, you know, those things us mums spend a fortune on at the shops.....those pesky and expensive squeezy yoghurts? A mum in Australia thought to make these herself and sell them. Genius! So now we can all make our own. 

I've just stocked up in both sizes. They come in 80ml and 200ml. The 80ml is probably a tad too small for my crew. 80ml is about 2 mouthfuls for my bottomless pits, so I ordered the 200ml ones too and these are what I will use for their school lunch boxes. I'm going to go back to making my own yoghurt too now I think and try and save even more money.

Aren't you glad I shared? Had you heard about these before? Do your kids love squeezy yoghurts as much as mine? Why does yoghurt taste better in a pouch?

naked chocolate cake - yum!

I've been getting into a little baking lately, and trying to make things that I will love as well as the kids. Things I might be able to use in the lunch box too, so I can completely stop buying snack foods. The more I've been reading about nutrition and what's in our food and the products we use, the more horrified I'm getting! I'd love to be able to make everything at some point, including bread, but I'll need to work up to that.

Anyway, I came across The Healthy Chef blog recently. It's great, as it's Australian, and all the recipes I've come across so far are super easy, and super yummy! I noticed the Naked Chocolate Cake last week and was determined to make it. I've made it three times already! It's really, really good, and not an ounce of sugar. The only sweetness added to this is through the pure maple syrup. This is the type of thing I'd be more than happy to put in the kids lunch boxes, knowing exactly what is in it, and it really isn't all that bad either. It's also gluten free, and can be easily adapted to be nut free, which is also great for the kids taking to school.

There's not much to it either, so it's quick to make and it was a great one to do with Zoe who LOVES cooking and baking with me.

I've been eating it with my new favourite yoghurt, Barambah Organics natural yoghurt, and I don't feel guilty at all eating it! Win win!!

meal planning monday

So in an effort to get healthier, and finally shift some of this baby weight for good now that our family is complete, I've decided to try and meal plan a little, because if I don't organise what I'm going to eat in advance and have the food already in the fridge and pantry, I will be more likely to eat rubbish! I'm also breastfeeding at the moment, so really want to make the most of that situation too. After I had Zoe, I did Weight Watchers for a little while, and I found it so much easier to lose weight while I was breastfeeding than normal. '

I'm planning on using some of the scrummy meals I learned during Michelle Bridges' 12 week body transformation program that I did some time ago. I had lots of success with that program at the time and found it the best 'diet' I had tried. It really teaches you how to be healthy, mind, body and soul. All the meals are pretty easy to cook or prepare and I can easily adjust the calorie intake to more in snacks or meals as needed (for breastfeeding situation). The other great thing is that there is a treat meal each week, so I don't feel like I have to miss out on my favourite foods permanently. If there is something I'm desparate to eat, I still can, I just have to plan for it within my calorie allowance for the week. Best of all, it's the sort of food that the family can eat with me too.

So I'm armed with my new kikki-k meal planning notepad, plus receipes and meals from the 12WBT and I'm going to create my first week....with me luck.

Do you meal plan? Is it easy to stick to? Does it help with the shopping and keeping to a budget?

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some cupcakes for YOU

These lovely cupcakes are the result of my baking yesterday......they were soooo delish. Here they are for you to enjoy now. Go grab a cup of tea and enter my latest giveaway!

pink ribbon breakfast

You might remember these cupcakes I made for Zoe's birthday?

I have so many pink cake decorations left over that I thought what better way to use them up than to whip up some more pink cupcakes for a great cause - pink ribbon day on monday for breast cancer research.

I had so many wonderful comments about my cupcakes at the party. Now, usually I try to do the domestic goddess thing and bake from scratch, but I have to confess that on this occasion I didn't.....*gasp*!! I was so busy organising other aspects of the party (as we hosted the party at our house) that I decided to take a short cut with the cakes. I used Greens Pink Vanilla Cupcake and Greens Vanilla Cupcake mix. They were SO delicious! Head to those links for instructions on how easy it is to prepare them.

So this weekend I'll be off the shops to buy these mixes again and will bake away ready for Monday.

Liss over at Frills in the Hills is organising a Bloggers Bake for Breast Cancer Research which you can sign up to participate in! Head on over and have a look.

Are you doing anything for Pink Ribbon Day?