27.1.12

Lace cookies

When we were singles and living together I used to make lace cookies all the time. Times have changed and now I mostly bake chocolate chips cookies...So for good times memories and a little romance in life here they are with all their glory! 

on the stove melt the butter and sugar while whisking constantly about 5 minutes until light brown. Take it off from the stove and add flour milk and almonds - whisking all the time. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. With a teaspoon drop small circles on a parchment paper (put the parchment paper on the baking sheet...) leaving big gaps in between, make about 6 cookies on one sheet.  put into preheated oven on 180 Celsius for 8 minutes. Let cool completely before you remove them from the parchment paper.
I'm writing this post after 6 cookies...they are so delicate and gentle and beautiful and testy and romantic, I think I'm in love...:)

26.1.12

So long chalk board

























I really don't think it's cool to paint on walls.. I don't find it aesthetic and it's a bad habit...So after big brother showed us for the first time how much he want to be an artist...I had to cut it and find a better solution for the situation...chalk board are extremely popular now around the blog world and you can find lots of variations how to make it fit in your home. 

  We gave big brother a wall to himself. He loved it! For a year it was his place to paint and for us to leave fun massages to each other... Now, he has grown up from this board and he doesn't  use it as before. That's cool, now we can go back to plain wall color and he can start paint on papers...
It's a fun thing to have at home if you have little ones especially for them...:) tomorrow's project is to paint this wall...

24.1.12

The golden hour


camera setting: F 1.8, 1/400, ISO 100, lens 85mm

"In photography, the golden hour  is the first and last hour of  sunlight during the day, when a specific photographic effect is achieved due to the quality of the light."  Wikipedia.

I have few photos that I can call my best ones. I guess the two major reasons are the light and my kids being in it...last independent day we spent some good time (eating meat..) in the park with friends and suddenly it happened. The kids were sitting in a perfect spot under the warm lovely beautiful light of the golden hour. My camera was in my hands and I couldn't stop clicking. Big brother friend's grandpa came to me few months after I took this photos and said: "next year same time same place. see you there." One magical moment two beautiful kids and a camera. This is my sunshine...

Now, after I revealed the source of my blog's banner on the top, I must create a new one.All I need is  a well lighten (day light!!!) place, very high ladder and a wooden table that I can color. Anyone???

23.1.12

We live in a red city

When I said his dreams came true the other evening that's what I meant.. Now all is surrounded by red playmobil parts and firemen and firetrucks. Big brother is amazing!  I can't start to explain the joy he finds in this gifts...He is busy busy all day with creating stories about a fire in Azriely (a mall in Tel Aviv) and how his firemen are brave enough to save all the people and to take over the fire. I'm amazed by his imagination and his ability to tell a story with the smallest details in it. I love him tremendously for being what he is, such a clever little guy! 
There are few prestige's jobs in the world like working for Google or apple or  whatever you want to name it, but I think working for playmobil is the winner! seriously, how beautifully design are their products?? If they want me I'm there! 
To finish with the birthday mania, I received few emails asking me what was inside the gift bags..I guess it wasn't clear from yesterday snapshots. So first I bought the cellophane bags and measured them. Then I created files using photosop for each bag. I googled the fire truck image and found this one I love. The kisses are from 2 days ago post you can find the original link here. The stickers are file printed on a sticker paper and cut with a 2" punch. The gift is from Imaginarium, and that's it. Way easier than it looks. I find this gift bags more attractive to kids, I really don't think they have to be full of sugary stuff after a sugary party... :)

Last, just an old photo from a month ago, as I was cleaning my computer for my new hard disk I found this. No words.  

22.1.12

A quick post

We had a fun firemen party, big brother is really big now! All he wishes for his birthday came true in one lovely evening, except from one thing - a real fireman to come...that's one thing I couldn't take care off...In tomorrow post I'll show some more details, now I'm going to cook a soup to celebrate the rain!!!!! I love kid's birthday can't wait for a girly one... :)

18.1.12

busy busy busy

Yesterday was the first day I did not post anything new and it was strange.. It feels like my blog had no air...anyhow, birthday party tomorrow and I'm crazy busy with all the preparation so I guess tomorrow will be no post as well, but I'll be back to normal Sunday morning.
Those lovely kisses are from the sweet miss misspetel they are in the oven for the next few hours, but there is no need to wait to tell you - I think it's a success! A quick pick on the birthday theme - 
See you after the craziness!!!


15.1.12

Make your own magnets

You know all this advertising magnets they leave on your front door? Well, I saw on pinterest (more about this social network soon..) a cool way to turn them to a fridge magnets. Washi tape is a Japanese tape, very gentle and colorful, you can find it here in this lovely online store.  If you don't have a Japanese tape you can easily custom made your own design with craft paper, stamps and even fabric. It's VERY simple, how to:
take those ads from your door, and peel off the paper part to stay with a white surface. Now you have a magnet ready for your own design. Use double side tape all over the magnet and attache your choice of washi tape or whatever paper you would like! EASY. Post is short today, kids are sick, birthday preparation and the usual stuff ..:) enjoy your new custom made magnets!


13.1.12

OMG!! He is three!


OMG! Next week big brother is 3! I'm not sure who is exited more him or me...I hold my head and can't realize how gifted I'm to have him in my life. From day one I used to sing him the song "you are my sunshine" at least once a day..now he knows all the words by heart and he sings to his little sister.. (we don't speak English at home :) ) Last year I started a tradition to give him as a present a book full of his photos from the past year. He loves to look at photos, he has his own copie and no one is allowed to have it beside him. This year I'm behind the schedule because I noticed I don't have some very important images that reflect his life. So I'm working hard this week to fill the gap, for example, one of his day's highlights is taking a shower but our bath is so not photogenic and the light is horrible.
  A quick visit to my parents home solved this issue.
 Few more clicks and we have a story.
For my birthday this year I'm asking to move to a glass house with glass skylight. Not much.. Or maybe we will pack our stuff and move to The Netherlands... 

11.1.12

Random post
















































I love those days when I pick big brother from kindergarten, we take my bike an we travel.. It's our quality time together. This was one of those days, we ride the park on our way to the beach. It was relaxing...
Today's post is a bit lay back case my computer is having memory problems, which means all photos you see above are SOOC (straight out of camera, no editing). Getting my new hard disk today :) see you tomorrow with some golden hour highlights!

Great find


I decided to start a new tradition here in my blog - when I find great products, I'll share with you! When little sister was born all my friends came with lovely presents, not just for her but for big brother as well. One of my best friend ((:) gave big brother this amazing notebook full of beautiful stickers. We found all of our loved categories inside from firemen to dinosaurs to pirates and many more...It's truly endless amount of stickers...At first we used them on papers (and sometimes on furniture...) but lately I realized the best way to use them - on his kindergarten water bottle!  It saves me time to recognize his bottle on the way out from kindergarten and it's a fun game for him as well, what will he be today?? pirate? basketball player? Well, it works for both of us. My Israeli friends can find this item here, and my over sees friends can find it here. Of course there are stickers for girls too... I call it a great find!


8.1.12

Recycle toys


























As you already know I like toys alot. Now, most of them are very pretty, photogenic sophisticate and expensive. Some of them don't last long, and from some of them big brother gets over too soon. We have a bag full of cheep plastic animals that is stuck in the balcony for over a year now. I'm in a process of getting rid of all kind of extras  we have in our tiny apartment. So I saw those ugly plastic animals, noticed I have new spray on the shelf, quick processing.. new recycle and way more esthetically item in the house :)
All you have to do is attach double side tape to the animal's legs to prevent falling when you spray them. First think where you want to display them so the color choice will fit! I spray them in two layers, letting the first one dry completely about an hour and then spray another coat. Now we have a new coffee table's conversation. Love it!

7.1.12

Not industrial but junk

I like sweet. When I'm hungry I think about sweet  pastry. A good pack of chocolate can be my lunch. When I serf the net at food blogs 90% of the time I'm looking at the sweet categories, and the other 10% belongs to savory only if the photos are tempting enough.. I have maybe 10 sites which I visit often and never miss a new post. One of them is a food blog smitten kitchen. The reason I love it so much is that they never go wrong! Each and every recipe I tried was a success. Go visit smitten kitchen it's worth it! My eyes were wide open when I opened the blog  a week ago to find out they have a recipe for a home made peppermint hot fudge sauce. peppermint and chocolate is my favorite combination and it's hard finding it here in Israel, I had to visit a cook store to buy one not very common  ingredient  buy it was worth it! I know corn syrup is not the healthiest thing you can use, but I already said it's junk.. at least it's homemade junk and not industrial...  How to:

2/3 cup heavy or whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder,
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or level 1/4 teaspoon table salt
170 grames bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or, about 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips), divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, or to taste

In a  heavy saucepan, bring cream, syrup, sugar, cocoa, salt (if you’d like the salt to remain slightly textured, add it with the butter and extract at the end) and half the chocolate to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in remaining chocolate, butter and extract and stir until smooth. Cool the sauce to warm before serving it so that it can thicken up. yammmmmmy!

5.1.12

Fireman sam



Remember the post from two days ago? How Superman almost ate you?? I'm happy to announce you don't have to worry anymore, ho, and you don't have to worry from a fire too - case fireman Sam is on the house!!! superman is behind us and Sammy is the now time saver. I love him so much for this role play he adapted lately..  Now his world is being narrow to firemen and firetrucks. His birthday is coming and everyone knows what he is getting... What he doesn't know is that we already bought it... Have a great weekend ! xoxo 

4.1.12

Let's play cubes


I'm trying to start this post somehow, but don't really know what to write.. I don't think I have to write much when the photos explain basically everything... I had this plain wooden blocks, and thought what can I do with them...searching for ideas at one of my favorite site Martha Stewart I found a very easy way to turn them to a beautiful cubes display. This are my cubes although they are on a shelf in big brother's room...  He knows that with mommy's cubes he can't build a home for Thomas...he has his own cubes for that :) those cubes can make a great gift to a new  born too. In few steps how to:

Sand the wooden cubes with sandpaper to prepare it for decorating.
Cut 6 pieces of decorative paper a bit smaller then the cube size. I used old maps and craft paper - be wild!
Glue the paper to each side of the cube using all-purpose Mod Podge. Allow the glue to dry. Mod Podge id basicly white glue - can be found at art stores. If you can't find use simple white glue. Make sure the layer is thin. Let dry.
Sand edges and corners of paper with sending paper - use a gentle size. Paint another coat of Mod Podge or white glue or varnish   all over the block to seal. Allow to dry. That's it. You are the new owner of beautiful cubes!

3.1.12

My man of tomorrow



























Today I took my kids to get theirs vaccine, and I was busy all morning. Running this blog makes me happy especially when I know you guys are visiting me everyday now. But it's very time consuming and sometimes my mornings are full, so I try to write few posts ahead and be prepared for rainy days.. This morning I couldn't find one material I needed on time, so I decided to share with you a post I wrote for purim... I know there is still time, but I'm sure I wont be lack of photos at purim time so here we go...
This is the moment I have been waiting for, big brother to discover superheros and costumes. At his first purim he was batman, only 6 weeks old! At second purim he was  a chick.   At third purim my mother bought him a custom of a fireman (Samy) because he  r e a l l y  wanted, but it ended up in his bag. My mother in law sewed him this lovely superman costume and for three weeks straight he didn't leave the house without it. Scaring people in the streets feeling powerful and cool. This upcoming purim he wants to be a dinosaur, I have a backup  - bob the builder, but why do I have the feeling it's gonna end up like last year (in his bag..) and in December or May you will walk the streets and the man of steel will try to eat you.....?

2.1.12

Home made playdough

Looking on line for the perfect playdough recipe I discovered my favorite blogs, I guess all stay at home moms likes to make their homemade playdough... Big brother loves it and he even loves more to help me make it, it's a great activity for rainy days.
p.s - I took this picture with my old camera a year ago, sorry for the quality :(

Playdough recipe:
1 cup flour,  1/4 cup salt,   2 tablespoons cream of tartar
mix together and add 1 cup water and 1 tablespoon oil
add food coloring mix with fork until smooth
Boil over medium heat until thick about 5 minutes.
knead until cool and play!
cream of tartar can be found at the big supermarkets over the spices shelf, or you can go to special cooking stores like 4cheff and buy it there. Don't forget to store it in an air tight box to prevent dryness. Your home made playdough will last for a few months!!!
When big brother turned 2 I made a bunch of playdough and gave to his friends in the treat bag, instead   of the traditional candy. They were all very happy!!!



































1.1.12

New starts and a gift idea

  Looking for a cool gift? every day gift? Want to surprise someone you love? I found this idea online and felt in love immediately! Only few simple steps and you have it... just don't forget to wrap in nicely.. (more about cool wrap soon...)

Take your iPhone ,download instagram / hipstamatic ,take lots of pictures, choose a cool box and measure it.  Print the photos 1/2 cm smaller than the box and cut (around the white square). Put in the box (mine is from Steimatzky) and give to someone you  love :) easy! I gave my parents a box with many pictures of theirs grandsons and they were very happy. I left some room in the box to fill later .. now that's one goal I have for this upcoming year. I don't have huge resolution for my self this year, all I want is my kids and my husband to be happy and healthy, oh..and I do need few things to be done - like cleaning some mass? donating some toys..?

Yes. I do have to make order in the toy land here..  Actually, I have a small wish for myself..nothing fancy...

That's it. I'm humble. Let's make the most out of this year! Happy happy new year!!