From the library ...

What we are reading at the moment:

Ella : Dork Diaries, Enid Blytons's Amelia Jane series
Kate: Singapore, Italy, Secret Girls' Business, Growing Up for Girls, New York, Anna and the french kiss, 50 Shades of Grey Matter
Me: Martha Stewart's new pies and tarts, Juices and Smoothies, Country Style Country Chefs, Chick Days, 1001 books you must read before you die, The Boy who could Tickle the Clouds, A War for Gentlemen, Your Place or Mine?, Dealing with People you can't Stand, Steve Biddulph's Raising Girls, The Middle of Nowhere, Missing You, Titanic in photographs, Everyday food light, Garden Rescue, River Cottage Fruit.
Phil: whatever he has taken away (not sure!)

It's a book!

This book has a really cute look at how kids today are growing up with so much technology, and not enough books!

Today ...

We enjoyed poached eggs for breakfast courtesy of our chickens!

Enjoyed fresh fruit for morning tea

Enjoyed craft with friends

Played with the Sylvanians while I had a wee nap (got up at 4am)

We had some rain which the passionfruit vine lapped up!

The chooks enjoyed the cooler temps after sweltering through weeks of hot weather

There was playing on the ipad

Instagram is popular as well as Skype, Youtube and Facetime

There was chickens on skateboards

There was cuddles with best friends

There was hand feeding the feathered friends

There was a super quick trip to the library half an hour before closing to returned a book that had been reserved. Not much time to choose much.

There was the Sponge Bob Square Pants fan before bedtime!

Lots of Books

I love Winter, I really do. Especially in Perth where it's not really Winter. Well, not as I know it anyway.
I especially love trips to the library stocking up on a pile of books to make our way through. I love being cosy in bed at night with a storm blowing outside with a stack of books beside me.

 Notice the chicken books? My new hobby! I get a renewed energy for cooking once the weather cools too, so got some new ones to try. The classic 'Ballet Shoes' is the top of the pile. The girls actually have their own copy, but wanted this one with a pretty cover! Enid Blyton books are always a favourite around here, with a few others thrown in.

What are you and your kids currently enjoying reading?

On the bookshelf

I gave the bookcase a bit of a clean-out today, donating books and toys to the Salvos that were no longer interesting or used. We still have plenty left, plus the girls have books in their rooms and we have a bookcase in the dining room.

We love Enid Blyton books. The girls' have read heaps of them (from home and the library) My favourite growing up were the Secret Seven books. I've found a few from OP shops over the years. Trixie Belden were another favourite.

This Mallory Towers was Amies set and will be passed onto Ruby once my girls have read them. The one with the yellow cover we searched for for ages, finally locating it in an antique shop in Oamaru on a last trip away with my parents and Amie in 1997.

Noel Streatfeild's Ballet Shoes was a favourite of mine growing up, so I was thrilled when I found a copy. The second one "Ballet shoes for Anna" I found in an OP shop.

Some favourite classics the girls love!

I love all the Astrid Lindgren books, Lotta ones were an all-time favourite. This green cover Winnie the Pooh was on our families bookcase growing up. I was happy when Mum gave it to me awhile ago to enjoy with my kids.

This collection all holds a special place in my heart for me. "Old hat New hat I remember bringing home from the town library ALL the time when Mum and I used to go on Monday nights. Dad would always say "not that book again!" Ha ha! The Coles Funny Picture Book is very old. It belonged to my oldest brother Warwick, and was given to him by our Granny. "Bread and Jam for Frances" is still regularly read by the kids. It's falling apart though, which I think just adds to the character.

These are some of Ella's absolute favourites. So much so, that she keeps them in her room and no one is allowed to touch them :) 

We also house small toys on the shelves, done up in categories in Systema containers. It makes it very easy for the kids to see where everything goes as they are labelled!