THE MAGAZINE
SilentLullaby
Holiday fun for tweens Michelle Hutchison | Money Expert at finder.com.au
Holidays are fast approaching yet again, and with the flurry of festivities that the Christmas period brings, it can be quite easy to exhaust your wallet as well as your body through unplanned costs and expensive R+R options. While this is the case for everybody, when it comes to managing holiday time with tweens, it can be hard to find activities and events that don’t chew through your savings. Do the right thing by your bank account and be smart – choose some of the following, inexpensive options to catch up on ‘tween time’ these holidays. Take a hike Australia in particular is a gorgeous country with some amazing wildlife, and going on a group trekking trip for a day can provide the ultimate bonding session for youngsters. Not only will it be physically engaging, it’s also a chance to unplug from technology and draw closer to friends. You might also spot some of our native inhabitants along the way! Join a fitness group Where many tweens go wrong when it comes to getting fit in the holiday season is waiting until New Years to make a fitness resolution. The trick here is to make your own personal resolution as soon as the holidays start, find a group of friends who want to jump onboard and make a weekly commitment to improving your physical health (while having fun!). As well as boosting your health and fitness, you’ll start seeing improvements in your technique which will hold you in good stead when the competitive sports season starts up again. Start a website This might sound like a strange one, but trust me on this – when so many jobs are going digital as we speak, creating a free online site and learning the basics of web design is the new sandpit for young’uns. As mentioned, there are plenty of free options, and most of them work in very similar ways to websites run by businesses and companies. Taking a little time out each day to learn these fundamental skills not only lets you traverse the web with something you genuinely own, it hones your skill-set for further down the track. This small site may be the building block that gets your future job application approved – so get experimenting!
Michelle Hutchison
Michelle on Linkedin | Michelle on G+ | @michhutchison Michelle is the Money Expert for finder.com.au, one of the biggest online comparison networks in Australia.
comparison networks in Australia.
Create a living succulent wreath Jayne Gower from FEATURE NZ Garden Products shows how to make a simple wreath with these step-by-step instructions. 1) Collect a variety of succulent cuttings. We begged cuttings from family and friends and hunted garden centres for ones that took our fancy. Succulents are ideal as they are SO hardy and the cuttings do not need roots as these will form after about 6-8 weeks in summer. 2) The key is too soak the wreath thoroughly by immersing in a bucket for at least an hour until it is sodden and heavy. 3) Make space for your plants by poking a hole with a pencil or similar. 4) Arrange and insert cuttings to create your own masterpiece. We fell in love with this mix of pinks and soft greens.Try arranging them around the outside to get a visual idea before you start.
5) Secure any loose cuttings with floristry pins or hairpins . We only did this for a few that needed it. 6) Hang on your door, fence or use as a table centrepiece ‌..add a candle in the middle for mood 7) Use a spray bottle to water lightly a couple of time as week or when it looks too dry. Occasionally add a little liquid fertiliser to give them a boost. 8) This is a living artwork so as it grows trim and replant. It will love the attention!
We love them as a hand crafted gift. Make them now and they will have lots of lovely growth by Xmas. For this simple Christmas wreath, we used succulents, moss and lichen gathered off local trees and added some artificial berries (real berries if you have them that would even be better!) and a red candle
Propagate your own plants by taking leaves from the Mother plant and gently twist them off. Leave for a few days without watering until a dry heel forms. Lay them on the ground until roots begin to appear then pot them up. so easy!
DIY your Christmas gifts with Melt & Pour Soap making! Written by Michelle Davies- Owner and Creator of Mud & Co. The gift giving season is upon us and what better way to show the people in your life that you adore them than to give a gift that is 100% unique, creative, handmade with love and loads of fun! My brand, Mud & Co., was started after I wanted to share my premium handmade soaps and scrubs with the world! Although I personally specialise in a different soap making method (Cold Process) where I make soap completely from scratch, I wanted to share with you one method which many talented soap makers started with and still continue to master that is straightforward and will allow your creativity to really be unleashed! The Melt & Pour soap making method will get you started on how to craft your very own soapy creations! Who doesn’t like to smell good, right?! This how-to guide will hopefully give you the confidence to make your first creation and the bonus of soap is that you will actually come out the other end with more than one bar so you have several fancy gifts to give without spending too much time that I am sure you would much prefer to be spending with friends and family. As a bit of background to soap making, the Melt & Pour technique is one of a few soap making techniques that can be used. In contrast to methods like Cold Process and Hot Process that use a chemical reaction to make soap from scratch, Melt & Pour is made with a pre-made base. This has a few advantages but to name the two major ones: 1) You are not handling dangerous substances 2) the difficulty of perfecting a recipe is already done for you so you know it will work and be fabulous! I’ll get on with it shortly but one last thing if you are not yet pumped to get started: There is a massive difference to commercial soap bars that you could buy from a supermarket and your gift recipient will thank you for this benefit! Handcrafted soap naturally contains glycerin that is a substance that draws moisture to the skin, keep your skin moisturised. Commercial soaps are often missing this key ingredient as it is removed during their manufacturing process. Secondly, you will know as the creator of this masterpiece exactly what your soap is made of. What will that mean? You aren’t giving something full of harmful toxins that are bad for you or your friends/family’s health! So let’s get started! What you will need: Melt & Pour Soap Base (This comes in a block/loaf and can be ordered from a soap making supplier online. I personally love Aussie Soap Supplies- www.aussiesoapsupplies.com.au Depending on the base oils used to create the base, it will vary in colour. Choose the base that appeals to you and the colour that will work for your envisaged design. You can choose anything from a clear transparent base to the creamy ivory coloured goat’s milk soap base. There are so many options but pick one or two depending on your design).
A heat resistant jug that is microwave safe (I highly recommend something like a Pyrex jug). A kitchen knife (you will need this to cut the Melt & Pour base into chunks so it will melt easily). A rubber, silicone or plastic spatula to stir and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Isopropyl Alcohol (also known as rubbing alcohol and can usually be ordered through soap supplies stores online. I like to put mine in a small spray bottle. ) Skin safe, cosmetic colourants (To make life easy, soap supply online store often have the appropriate colourants clearly listed as what is suitable for Melt and Pour soaps. Depending on how you want your final soap to look like, you can pick a liquid dye to give a more uniform colour or experiment with coloured mica powder that will give your soap a beautiful iridescence). Fragrance- either a skin safe fragrance oil or essential oil/essential oil blend of your choice. Note: Essential Oils are a natural ingredient but are to be used with caution as they are highly concentrated. Avoid direct contact on the skin undiluted. A mould- you can buy plastic or silicone soap moulds or household items like the bottom of a milk carton or even a yogurt tub. Access to a microwave or double boiler. A clean bench/work station. A candy/kitchen thermometer or digital infrared thermometer STEP 1 Melt the soap base. Take your Melt & Pour soap base (the portion you want to use for each colour) and cut with a knife into cubes to make the melting process easier. You can place the soap in a double boiler to slowly melt at a gentle heat. If using a microwave, place the cubed Melt & Pour soap into a pyrex jug or microwave safe jug and begin to heat. Stop the microwave every 30 seconds to prevent uneven heating and stir with a spatula. This is an idea time to use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the temperature. Keeping the soap below 60-70 degrees celsius and don’t allow the mixture to boil.
STEP 2 Add the colour. Depending on your design, you may want do this step for each colour you are using in your end design. Gently stir in your chosen colourant into the melted soap. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the soap to cool to about 52-54 degrees celsius. Note: You can always add more colour but you can’t take it away if you have used too much. Start with small amounts until you have reached the intensity you are looking for. STEP 3 Add fragrance. Use the quantity of fragrance oil/essential oil recommended by the manufacturer per kg of soap and stir through your soap. Adding fragrance once the soap has cooled slightly will prevent the fragrance from evaporating or reaching its ‘flash point’. STEP 4 Pour into your chosen mould. Gently stir and pour into the mould. Stirring gently prevents too many bubbles forming in the soap. If you are layering multiple colours
you will want to pour one layer at a time. Allow each layer to harden before pouring the next if you don’t want them to mix together. Between layers, spray with rubbing alcohol to help remove bubbles on the surface and this will also help layers adhere together.
STEP 5 Unmould your soap. After your soap is in the mould, it will take about 4 hours to harden at room temperature or an hour or two in the fridge. Once it has fully hardened, you can press on the underside of the mould and the soap should start to pop out. If you are having difficulty unmolding, placing the soap in the freezer for 20-30mins will help. Remember, if you make a mistake by unmolding too soon and the soap is too soft, don’t panic. You can just remelt :)
To give you some inspiration on what you can achieve with this soap making method, here are some examples of Melt & Pour soapy goodness created by a couple of talented Australian Melt & Pour soapers.
Soap by Anna Canino of Blessed Soaps: Soap by Lisa Bartlett, who also kindly supplied the step by step images for the how-to guide.
Check her work out on instagram @Lilacandroseoaps
Homemade Aromatherapy Playdough It’s school holiday time and you and ‘grandma’ have run out of ideas to keep the kids entertained… Homemade aromatherapy playdough is quick to make, inexpensive, fun and therapeutic! Plus, your kids will have a blast helping make the playdough and playing with it! Your house will smell great too and you will all experience the benefits of the pure essential oils you choose to add to your aromatherapy play dough. Pull out the rolling pin and cookie cutters and make some playdough cookies! Ingredients: •1 cup all-purpose flour •1/2 cup salt •2 teaspoons cream of tartar •1 cup water •1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil •Food coloring •Pure essential oils of your choice Method: Add the flour, salt and cream of tartar to a saucepan. Mix in the water, oil and food coloring and combine until smooth. Next, heat the saucepan with ingredients to medium-low and continue stirring until the mixture forms a ball. Once the mixture has reached consistency of play dough, remove it from heat and sit to cool for 5 minutes. The playdough is now ready to knead in a couple of drops of pure essential oils. Once playtime is over, store the playdough in an airtight container.
Pure Essential Oil Suggestions: Eucalyptus/Cedarwood: Wellbeing Lemon, Lime, Orange: Uplifting Lavender: Calming Peppermint: Refreshing
About Le Rêve Le Rêve Website: www.lereve.com.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/lerevethedream Blog: www.aromatherapy.net.au Le Rêve is an Australian family-owned company founded in 1988, marketing fragrance and aromatherapy products throughout Australia and New Zealand. Le Rêve is an accredited supporter of Choose Cruelty Free and products are available from www.aromatherapy.net.au / www.lereve.com.au or from a sales Consultant on 02 9840 8400. See the Aromatherapy Recipe Finder for further uses for Pure Essential Oils: http://www.aromatherapy.net.au/recipe-finder/
Christmas Treats with Pure Essential Oils Try something new this Christmas and have some fun incorporating Le Rêve’s divine food-grade Pure Essential Oils into your Christmas treats! Christmas treats are great to give as gifts to friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues... Or to keep all for yourself! Pure Essential oils are made by extracting the oils from nuts, seeds or plants in their concentrated form. Le Rêve oils are 100% pure - they are not diluted with any other additive. See below for important information you need to know about using Essential Oils in your baking before you get started. Here are a few delicious treat ideas your can try this Christmas:
Mint Slice Balls Ingredients: 1 cup shredded coconut 2 packets chocolate biscuits 1 can sweetened condensed milk 5 drops Le Rêve Peppermint Pure Essential Oil ½ cup shredded coconut, for rolling Green sprinkles (optional) Method: Combine coconut and biscuits until fully ground. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and Peppermint Pure Essential Oil until a dough is formed. Once combined, cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for one hour. Remove mixture from fridge and roll into small bite-sized balls. Place the remaining coconut in a bowl with the sprinkles if you are using them and roll each ball until completely covered. Keep the mint slice balls in the fridge and remove 15 minutes before serving.
Choc-Orange Balls Ingredients: 1 cup almond meal ½ cup shredded coconut 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 2 – 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk 5 drops Le Rêve Orange Pure Essential Oil ¼ cup chocolate chips ½ cup shredded coconut, for rolling Orange sprinkles (optional) Method: Combine the almond meal, shredded coconut and cocoa powder. Add the sweetened condensed milk and Orange Pure Essential Oil until a dough is formed. Add the chocolate chips. Once combined, cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge for one hour. Remove mixture from fridge and roll into small bite-sized balls. Place the remaining coconut
in a bowl with the sprinkles if you are using them and roll each ball until completely covered. Keep the choc-orange balls in the fridge and remove 15 minutes before serving.
Lavender Vanilla Shortbread Ingredients: 1 ½ cups plain flour 2/3 cup rice flour ½ cup caster sugar pinch of salt 225g butter 5 drops Le Rêve Lavender Pure Essential Oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Plain flour, to dust Melted white chocolate, to decorate Method: Preheat oven to 150’C. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper. Combine the flours, sugar and salt in a bowl. Rub in the butter until it has a breadcrumb texture. Add the Lavender Pure Essential Oil and vanilla until combined. Place onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll the dough out to a 1cm thickness. Use a star-shaped pastry cutter or any other Christmas-themed shaped cutters to cut shapes from the dough. Place on baking trays. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Drizzle with melted white chocolate to decorate – you may even wish to add a hint of purple colouring to the melted chocolate to create a light lavender colour.
IMPORTANT things you need to know before you get started: 1 – Before you use any oils in your baking you MUST check that they are of food or therapeutic grade and are registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) which is the governing body ensuring medical and health related products are of therapeutic standard suitable for consumption. Le Rêve Pure Essential Oils are proudly registered with the TGA and carry a unique registration number on every bottle. 2 - Use a glass or ceramic bowl to mix your ingredients that contain essential oils. Steer clear of using plastic bowls as the essential oils may seep into the plastic and spoil your baking. 3 – A little goes a long way. Add one or two drops of essential oil at a time, stir and taste to achieve the desired flavor. About Le Rêve Le Rêve Website: www.lereve.com.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/lerevethedream Blog: www.aromatherapy.net.au Le Rêve is an Australian family-owned company founded in 1988, marketing fragrance and aromatherapy products throughout Australia and New Zealand. Le Rêve is an accredited supporter of Choose Cruelty Free and products are available from www.aromatherapy.net.au / www.lereve.com.au or from a sales Consultant on 02 9840 8400.
See the Aromatherapy Recipe Finder for further uses for Pure Essential Oils: http://www.aromatherapy.net.au/recipe-finder/
How to make Gorgeous Glass Candles for Christmas There are so many gorgeous glass containers to choose from and you can be as creative as you like. What you will need: 1 kilo soy wax Wicks + wick holders Glass jars Wick Stickums or Hot glue gun Mercury Thermometer Aluminium jug (for wax) 50-80ml Fragrance oil of your choice Pot (filled with water so the aluminium jug can fit into) (This makes approximately 4 large glass candles) Instructions
Set up the glass jars by placing wick stickums or glue on the wick and then press down firmly to secure the wick into the bottom of the glass. Centre the top of the wick by using a wick holder and pull slightly to straighten the wick and to keep it in place. *Place 1 kilo of soy wax into the aluminium jug. *Melt the wax over water by placing the aluminium jug with wax into the pot filled with water. *NEVER LEAVE THE WAX UNATTENDED. *NEVER HEAT THE WAX DIRECTLY ON THE STOVE AND NEVER USE A MICROWAVE. *A thermometer will help define your pouring temperature. *Melt the wax safely to 80-85 Degrees Celcius. *Remove pot with wax once it has reached required temperature and add fragrance oil. *Stir well to mix together. *Allow wax to cool to 70-75 Degrees Celcius and then pour into prepared glass. *Let the candle cool down for 24hours before burning. *Remove the wick holder and trim the wick to approximately 1cm above the wax.
Happy Candle Making Regards Maria
How to create the wooden tree using Chalk Paint™ by Annie Sloan 1. Start by using any pre-purchased timber wooden tree 2. Choose your favourite Chalk Paint™ colour as a base – for this we painted the timber tree in French Linen. This image also features Chalk Paint™ colour in Graphite on the wall and the floor being painted in Chalk Paint™ colour Burgundy.
3. There is no need for pre-prepping or sanding, just apply directly to the raw wood and let it dry – usually around 20 minutes. 4. Finish with either a dark or clear Annie Sloan wax or leave untreated For all media details and requests please contact: Kathee Gunn at 360 Dergees Focus PR (03)9509 7995 or kathee@360focus.com.au
How to create ornamental branches. 1. Select a branch or branch either form your home tree or from a florist 2. Paint directly on to the branches – in this case we have used Chalk Paint™ colour Napoleonic Blue on the branches 3. For the decorations, simply choose your favourite wooden or cardboard decoration and paint directly – we have used hand painted folky decorations in various colours.
Dance to your own beat
Life is too short to follow someone else’s dance moves. Put on those dancing shoes and dance to your own beat baby! In this day and age, dancing to your own beat seems like a tiresome event. Not only is there effort, you are also exposed. Exposed to ridicule and explanation. People will look on in wonder and bewilderment and at times envy. It takes courage to dance to your own beat. So what does it actually mean to dance to your own beat? If you dance to your own beat, you are not sorry about who you are and what you stand for. If you truly dance to your own beat, you will tell others to beat it. No one is going to dance on your parade! If you dance to your own beat, you don’t judge other people’s lives and you don’t appreciate those that judge yours. You just don’t care what other people think about you because you are too busy dancing to your own beat to even stop and ask. You like to get to know people, not from outside appearances, but what truly makes people tick. You like to think outside the box and are creative and impulsive. You love to travel, dancing to your own beat as you go. People will consider you a nomad, drifting along quietly to your own tunes. Little do they realise, even if you are not too sure of where you are going, you will know once you get there! Dancing to your own beat marks the beginning of individuality, so put those dancing shoes on and turn that music up and dance because let’s face it, everyone is watching!
Cut To The Chase Chase Campbell is a Brisbane based professional dancer and choreographer who has been dancing now for three years. What is your favourite style of dance? My favorite style of dance would be Hip Hop and Animation. Who is your favourite dancer? My favourite dancer is Fikshun sSo You Think You Can Dance contestant. Why did you start dance? I started dancing because I needed to find a way to express my opinions and thoughts without my mouth and, and so that I kept away from drugs and alcohol at a very young age, as today’s generation is sadly consumed by. The best bit about dancing? The best bit about dancing is the way it makes me feel, the emotions I get out when I dance, and turn it into something beautiful. The worst bit about dancing? There is nothing! Who taught you how to dance? I’m self taught with the help of YouTube tutorials for about a year then I started to pursue dance more seriously, started taking casual dance classes and from that, I got accepted into Raw Dance Company’s full time program in Brisbane. Your favourite music to dance to? Anything from Pop to R&B anything with an upbeat beat and Chris Brown as the artist is my jam. Pepsi or Cola? Hmm Cola Who would you Snog, Marry and Avoid? Song - Megan Fox. Marry - Selena Gomez. Avoid - Lindsay Lohan
You can follow Chase on Facebook – Chase Campbell Instagram – Chase_Campbell
FASHION FORWARD NON-TOXIC, CHEWABLE JEWELLERY As featured in Practical Parenting magazine & the Leader newspaper
MADHUNTDESIGNS.COM.AU Madhunt Designs info@madhuntdesigns.com.au madhuntdesigns.com.au
THE PREA
Do your kids run off or go wandering in the middle of a crowded beach? Do you find yourself starting to panic because you can’t see them in a sea of people? Well SilentEarth Clothing Co. have created THE PREANIE CAP just for you! It’s made from 100% Neoprene Material so it’s soft and comfortable for your little critters. It’s also:
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ANIE CAP about where your rug rats are!! This
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Join PJ Miller Caterpillar as he goes on an adventure to find his dinner. PJ Miller Caterpillar is a bright happy and colourful children’s picture book for the ages of 2 -5 year olds. This delightful book is written by Jamison Sky and Illustrated by Martine Tunaley. PJ Miller Caterpillar is available at
www.amazon.com www.silentearth.bigcartel.com www.maryryan.com.au www.merthyrvillage.com.au PJ Miller Caterpillar FaceBook Page
Meet Sleep and then Repeat is The Lesbian version of Bridget Jones Diary Meet Sleep and then Repeat The Diary of Ally and her antic’s Meet Sleep and then Repeat Available in digital and hard copy available @ www.amazon.com Meet Sleep and then Repeat FaceBook