Duckie birthday cake

Today is party day, and i have just finished the birthday cake! It's by far perfect, but you get the gist hey! A likkle wee duckie just for Sabine, i bet she won't even care just as long as it tastes good hehe.

Finishing off the butterfly cakes this morning and hanging the bunting and blowing up balloons. Hmmm, is this really Sabine's party...or mine ;D

Little duckie biscuits

With the wee monster's 1st birthday on sunday, the baking has begun...





Only a gazzilion more to ice!




Basic sugar buscuit recipie:


1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla esc
2 Tsp baking powder
5 1/2 cups flour




Once you have made the dough, chill for and hour
Cut out into 1/4 inch shapes with your choice of cookie cutter
bake 8-10 mins at 190


Then roll your royal icing wafer thin on some baking paper, cut with same cookie cutter
Coat the cooled biscuit with apricot jam, 
Stick on the icing and add any extra detailing


Easy peasy!

My first holiday

We have just got back from a well executed holiday to Wellington and Wanganui, a master plan was put in place, and all went well with no melt downs or tantrums (from any of us!!). Staying with some of my friends in Welly and then a trip to Wanganui to see Sabine's great-nana and cousins. I was pretty nervous to start with as previously Sabine has screamed the entire airplane down the moment she got on, but this time was a great success! Slight mission packing with all Sabine's stuff (porta-cot, buggy etc) and my training stuff including bike! But somehow we managed to get it there and even fit it all in a rather small ford focus! 

5 days away, lot's of friends to entertain Sabine, family BBQ and crazy time in the swimming pool and Sabine was one happy camper the entire time! Yes, she is always like this, i giggled to my friends. 

Tips for traveling with a 11 month old:

~ Pack lot's of nibbles for on the plane

~ Give them a drink on take off and landing to help with their ears

~ Toys to entertain on the plane

~ Find out where the nearest park is (preferably with duck pond!)

~ Ask your friends to baby proof their lounge before you get there so all precious items are   safe!

~ Shop around car rental companies for a "free" baby seat, some will charge you! And most are forward facing which i didn't like.

~ Sit next to another family in the departure lounge, instant play mates!!!

Watching the ducks with my Papa

Feeding Nana's cat, this ended badly (for Sabine!)

Me and my great-nana Heather

It's been a long day!

Nearly a year...panic stations!

Holy @#%^(%^&* where did nearly a year go to??? Today is officially the end of summer and the beginning of March, meaning 31 days till my monster is one and only 27 days until we have her party!! I can't believe that nearly a year has passed since she dramatically came into our lives (read about this here) and i can't imagine life without her, she is amazing in so many ways. Especially when she makes me laugh by doing things like this....

So, as i try and think about a few other things in my day other than the terrible time that Christchurch is having, i think about how lucky i am to have a healthy and happy little girl. To celebrate how blessed i am i am planning a wonderful birthday party for her.

She LOVES ducks, so this is the theme for the afternoon! My clever little monster can actually say duck and make a duck sign too (must be clever like her mama hehe). So i have set about finding all sorts of things ducky and blue and yellow 'stuff' to add to the ambience! My poor long suffering husband thinks i am nuts and that i am probably doing the stuff i would like for my own party...probably right, but hey, you gotta act your shoe size some of the time!!