Tag Archives: photography

A Kid’s Life: South Africa

14 Jun


Time for a new A Kid’s Life interview.  This series shows us how families from different cultures and countries around the world live their daily lives.  We learn about everything from what they eat to the local school system to what sort of extracurricular activities are popular.  Last week we heard from Elisa and her family who are living in Zurich, Switzerland and today we hear from a super interesting (and inspiring) family living in a seaside town south of Cape Town in South Africa.

I met Se7en (as the Mama is known online) on Instagram and I’ve been faithfully following her ever since.  I’m just so enthralled and curious about how this woman manages to mother (and homeschool) a family of 8 kids plus write a blog (called Se7en) that chronicles their life in South Africa, arts and crafts projects, outings and recipes.  This is one busy woman to say the least.  As you can see, I’m a fan.  Where does she get the energy to do it all?

After reading this interview and seeing the photos I’ve decided South Africa will definitely be one of our future travel destinations.  It seems like a pretty idyllic place to bring up a family.  I loved hearing about their second language Afrikaans (especially since we understand quite a bit knowing Dutch) and about how their school year starts in January instead of September like we’re used to. And of course, I’ve decided that sometime in our lives we’ll have to enjoy a good traditional South African braai.

So let’s hear about what family life is like in South Africa…

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What country do you live in?
We live in South Africa, in a beach town south of the city of Cape Town, called Fish Hoek. We live on the slopes of a mountain over looking a beautiful beach.

Are you and your husband the same nationality?
My husband and I are both South African – born and raised, while we love traveling we have spent most of our lives under African skies.

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Do you both work? Or does someone stay at home?
My husband works out of the house and goes into the city each day. My work is to stay home with the kids, taking care of the house and home and teaching the kids, because we homeschool.

How many languages are spoken in your house? What one(s)?
My husband and I both speak English and Afrikaans. Afrikaans is a Dutch based language that evolved when Dutch Settlers began to arrive at the Cape a few hundred years ago. We both studied a foreign language at University, and so my husband has a little French and I have a little Italian. Our country is a country of many different people groups with eleven official languages. Almost everyone speaks English and all children are taught Afrikaans at school. Then their is the local African language in each area, and children who have an African language as their first language learn that as well.fish hoek

How many kids do you have? What are their ages?
We have eight children, five boys and three girls. Two teenage boys age fifteen and fourteen, then a girl age 12, then two more boys age 10 and 9, two girls age 7 and 5 and finally a little boy age 3 and a half.

Continue reading →

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Chocolate Cherry Cakes with Cinnamon

13 Jun
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Today I have a really fantastic and surprisingly quick and simple cake recipe.  Seeing as it’s full on cherry season over here I thought I’d bake something cherry inspired.
So the other day I donned my latex gloves and got to work pitting the cherries (I have a pretty serious allergy to cherries as you can read about here).  I had even considered wearing goggles but I was expecting the delivery man and just couldn’t imagine what he’d think about the already weird Canadian women once he saw me in a get-up like that.  And I’m happy to report that I got through the entire recipe with zero contact with the cherries and I didn’t end up looking like a monster as I did last year when I attempted the Cherry Lavender Jam.  My kids still have nightmares about that.
These deep chocolate cakes paired with the tartness of the cherries and the delicate spiciness of the cinnamon ended up being a really delicious combination.  I think these would be fantastic with raspberries, blackberries or even chopped peaches.  I made them in individual miniature pans but it would be just as nice baked in a large tart pan as well.

Read on for recipe… Continue reading →

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Fabric Scrap IKEA Chair

11 Jun

A few weeks ago a good friend drove up my driveway and surprised me with two small chairs from IKEA (called Jules) that her big kids didn’t use anymore.  It’s funny because I was just recently looking for new chairs for my twin daughter’s room and the ones that she so generously dropped off to me were the ones that I had actually been looking at to buy.  Very serendipitous.

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So there I was looking at these little white chairs in my kitchen and I just happened to have a small basket of material scraps next to me (which is often the case for me).  I had a few minutes to waste before making dinner so just started playing around with the scraps and the little holes in the back of the chair.  A few minutes later my daughter came in and started to help me.  We busily cut and wove and tied bows and ended up with the sweetest little chair for their bedroom.

IMG_8823The chair matches their very colourful room perfectly and the girls are so happy with their new “office chairs”.  Many hours are spent sitting at their desk sketching, writing pen-pal letters and doing homework.  IMG_8558Even the back is pretty with all the different coloured bows.  There are so many different ways you could decorate this chair with fabrics of every kind (patterned, solids, linens, cottons…).  1-IMG_6699

Above is another diy project I made with an everyday IKEA product.  These little fabric covered bulletin boards (made from kitchen cork boards) are great to hang up on walls and closets to display everything from the kid’s art to photos.  See post here.

Viva IKEA!

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Mascarpone Pots with Fresh Berries

7 Jun

IMG_8657Last week-end we had some friends over for a Sunday morning brunch.  Luckily the weather was beautiful so after months of cold and rain we could finally sit outside and eat and chat and enjoy the sunshine.  The little kids frolicked in the garden in Gramma-made princess dresses and the parents drank home-made beer and my famous (well not really) rhubarb, lime and prosecco cocktails with fresh mint (see post about those here).

Besides all the normal brunch fare I made these little pots with a cookie bottom, mascarpone cream and fresh berries.  I actually invented the recipe on the spot not really knowing if they’d be edible or not.  In the end the were definitely edible, I’d even say delicious.  They have a cheesecake feel to them without the heaviness (I did add a little cream cheese to the mixture though).  And there is absolutely no baking involved in this quick and simple recipe making it perfect for hot summers when the last thing you want to do is put the oven on.  I served them in pretty little jam jars with lids and they were devoured within minutes.  I’ll take that as compliment.

Read on for recipe:

Mascarpone Pots with Fresh Berries

250 g mascarpone
75 g cream cheese
200 ml fresh cream
1 tsp vanilla
2-4 Tbsp sugar (depending on taste)
tiny pinch of salt

125 g finally ground digestive biscuits
70-80g butter

1. Mix ground cookie crumbs with melted butter until well blended.  Press into the bottom of little glasses (or as I did glass jars).  You can decide how thick you would like the cookie crumb layer.

2. Whip cream until stiff peaks begin to form.  Set aside.

3. In mixer cream together the mascarpone and cream cheese until smooth.  Add in vanilla, sugar and salt and mix until just combined.  With a spatula gently fold in whipped cream.

4.  Drop the mascarpone mixture on top of the cookie crumb bottom (shake glass or bottom to level it out).  Sprinkle fresh raspberries and blueberries on top (or any other berries).  Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.  Enjoy!

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After our brunch guests left we headed out to watch our twin daughters play Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in their theatre group’s rendition of Alice In Wonderland (Alice Nel Paese delle Meraviglie).  In case you’re wondering, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are translated as Dammelo and Dimmelo in Italian.  Over all a really lovely Sunday.

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A Kid’s Life : Switzerland

5 Jun

I’m really excited to have a new interview for my A Kid’s Life series on the blog today.  Over the last  months I’ve been busy looking for interesting families from around the world and I’ve found a few great ones that I’ll be interviewing in the coming weeks.  I was recently reading back through the previous interviews from Italy, Japan, America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, The Philippines, Colombia, Germany, Belgium, France and The Netherlands and I still love to hear what family life is like in all these countries and cultures.  Learning about all the little differences in our daily lives is fascinating and I’ve discovered that my kids absolutely love reading these interviews as well. They get a huge kick out of learning things like a baby’s first food in Japan (fish paste!), that school starts really early in Colombia and The Philippines (7:30am), the fact you can learn Chinese as a 2nd or 3rd language in Tasmania and that kids in Germany only go to school for half days (they thought that one was quite unfair).

Today we’ll be hearing from a family living in Switzerland.  I met the super dynamic Elisa at The Hive blogging conference a few weeks back and I immediately Ioved her energy and positive personality.  I just wish I’d met her at the beginning of the week-end and not 5 minutes before I was leaving to catch my plane!  Elisa lives with her family in Zurich, Switzerland and has a great blog called Globetrotting In Heels where she writes all about fashion, travel and much more (she’s really funny!).  I loved her candid interview and am now craving a good Swiss roesti and raclette dinner.

So, let’s hear what family life is like in Switzerland…

What country do you live in?

We currently live in Zurich, Switzerland.

Are you and your husband the same nationality?
No, my husband is Swiss, I’m Italian. Ok, technically I should probably say yes, since I am a naturalized Swiss citizen and now have a Swiss passport, but really, it’s purely a burocratic thing. I’m no more Swiss now than I was a few years ago – but don’t tell the Immigration Office, ok? ;-)

Do you both work? Or does someone stay at home?
Right now my husband Sascha works and I mostly do the mom thing, do some volunteer work and the occasional freelance assignment. I’ve also recently gone back to school, so I am studying for an international diploma.

How many languages are spoken in your house? What one(s)?
Three: Italian, German (mostly of the Swiss variety) and English.

How many kids do you have? What are their ages?
I have two girls: Sarah is 13 and Stella is 7.

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At what age do kids start school in your country?
Kids start school at 7 but both my daughters started at 6. When they are ready they are ready. I never would have pushed if they weren’t but when kids aren’t challenged they get bored, and when they get bored they get in trouble! Best to avoid that by keeping a child occupied and give him enough new things to keep him/her interested and engaged.

Click to continue reading all about family life in Switzerland!

Continue reading →

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Snail Mail

3 Jun

Any snail mailers out there?  Turns out it’s becoming the hip thing to do.  My instagram feed is full of photos from serious snail mailers from around the world and their elaborately decorated letters that look like little works of art.  Ever since I was a little girl I’ve loved sending letters and packages to friends and family all over the world – it’s such a nice feeling knowing that someone will open their mailbox to find a sweet little surprise (and will maybe send one back in return!).

So when Giova of the lovely blog One Bunting Away asked me to do a guest post I jumped at the idea to participate in her snail mailing Flat Project (these accordion envelopes are my favourite).  Any project that involves ideas to pretty up your snail mail is a project for me.   I had a lot of fun making up these little fabric embellished note cards with my daughters (we had actually made similar cards for their birthday invitations a few years ag0).  Take a look here.IMG_8468

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Traveling With Kids: Lago Maggiore, Northern Italy

31 May

There’s a new Traveling With Kids post up on the wonderful creative parenting blog Classic Play today.  This time I take you on a little tour of Lago Maggiore in Northern Italy. I’ve lived in this region for over a decade and have explored the area with kids of every age (my kids were even born in a little hospital on the shores of the lake).   If you are a family that loves the great outdoors then this is the place for you.  We have world class hiking, water sports and activities of every kind and quaint picturesque towns.  Not to mention the city of Milan less than an hour away.  It’s a pretty dreamy place if I do say so myself.

Lago-Maggiore-Italy Read post here.

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Hiving Fun 2013

27 May

So I’m just back from a whirlwind week-end at The Hive Blogging Conference in Berlin and I’m feeling so inspired and full of new creative energy. You should have seen me enthusiastically scribbling new ideas and projects in my notebook on the plane back to Italy last night (even if this morning I can only understand 1\2 of what I wrote).

Like last year, the highlight of this event was meeting old and new blogger friends in person.  It really does make a huge difference to spend time with these amazing ladies face-to-face.  It has me thinking that we really do have to organise more real-person time together (I have a plan brewing in my head friends).

IMG_8503The conference was held at the uber-cool Betahaus again this year.  The food was amazing and the multiple fridges full of the best beverages around was a highlight for just about everyone there (and the sound of accidentally kicked over bottles will always remind me of The Hive).  I even loved the very colourful 4 story climb up the stairs to the conference rooms. Made me feel a little less guilty after eating one (or more) of the delicious cupcakes offered.IMG_8489I have to mention how great the decorations were this year.  The lovely Lauren from Folies du Bonheur made what must have been 4 kilometres of these orange and pink paper garlands.  They were hanging up the four flights of stairs, from the ceiling and on the walls.  It brought so much joy to the venue.

IMG_8500Another great feature this year was the business card map.  Everyone got to pin their card (or my case magnet) on the beige linen map.  Obviously Germany was pretty well represented but it was also so nice to see and read the cards from everyone visiting from all around Europe.  I don’t think I ever saw the map without someone hanging out and admiring the various cards.

IMG_8512And of course there were the talks and workshops.  I heard so many stories about various blogger’s journeys within the blog world and the common denominator in all of them was the advice to blog about what you’re passionate about.  I still love Jenni Fuch’s (from Museum Diary ) quote ”If you don’t feel it, don’t blog it”.  Whether is was Katja from Travelettes, Tina from Traveling Mama or Kat from Zero The One, these women all had amazing (and different) stories, experiences and knowledge that they so generously shared with us all.  A huge thanks to every single one of them. (image above is a peek into Kat’s fascinating video workshop).

The conference founders Peggy and Yvonne did an extraordinary  job at organising everything from the speakers to the catering to even babysitting for little blogger-babies.  I was seriously amazed at how calm and collected they remained throughout the entire week-end.  I can’t wait to hear more about their new The Hive Conference in Copenhagen. (my post about last year’s The Hive is here).

Now off to sew something up with the pretty fabric that was given to us by supercraftlab!

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This and That

22 May

I don’t know about where you are in the world but here in Italy it has been one of the greyest and rainiest springs I’ve ever experienced.  Usually by the end of May the weather around here  is already scorching hot and the kids are in the lake swimming every day.  Not this year.  This past week we’ve actually had temperatures under 10 degrees and rain and hail storms that made me want to hide under the table.  But I have hope for better weather soon.  At least all this rain means we won’t have to water our gardens in secret past midnight due to water bans this summer.  IMG_8389-001

In a few days I head to Berlin to attend The Hive European Blogging Conference.  I attended the first one last year and had a great time, learned lots of new bloggy-things and, most importantly, met some fantastic people whom I can’t wait to see again this year.  My week-end is already packed full of lunch dates, museum dates, dinner dates and lots of talks and workshops.  Oh and a hotel room to myself where I can watch mindless TV and order roomservice.  Nice.

IMG_8153I don’t know if any of you know but I am a HUGE fan of Instagram (follow me here).  So you can imagine how excited I was last week when I received these Instagram prints in the mail from Origrami.  I absolutely love this small Sydney (Australia) based husband and wife run business.  The photos are great quality, it’s very reasonably priced and they arrived in record time (considering Posta Italiana was involved).

The photos come in a super stylish cardboard box and have Instagram information on the back (if desired).  On my photos I can see a map with the location where it was taken, the date and number of likes it got.  Now I’m trying to figure out what the best way is to display all these great shots.IMG_7889I can’t wait for the weather to improve so we can enjoy our Wednesday evening picnics with a group of our closest friends here.  This photo was shot on our first (and only due to bad weather) picnic this year.  Us parents kick back on blankets beside the lake while the kids run and play in the fields around us.  Photo is of the sweet little Patagnoma.  
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I received this lovely painting above from one of my daughter’s for Mother’s Day.  This girl knows me well.  I love everything about it (and her).

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I have been passing this little church at least four times a day for the last decade and I finally stopped the car and got out to take some photos.  There are so many of these lovely little spots that I get to see on a daily basis.  Lucky me.

That’s enough random thoughts and photos for today.  Happy Wednesday everyone!

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Wafeltjes

17 May

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Today I have a great recipe for Belgian Waffle Cookies.  These miniature wafeltjes are baked in a waffle iron and are so rich and buttery (the recipe calls for 400g butter!).  My husband grew up eating these cookies (made by his grandparents) and is capable of eating them by the dozen.  And now my kids as well.  While making these our neighbours were calling over the fence to know what the amazing smell was that was coming from our kitchen.  There is nothing quite like the smell of baking waffles (there must be a waffle inspired perfume out there somewhere).    These keep for at least 3-4 days in a closed tin and are great to package up as a gift for someone special.

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We found the recipe for these waffles on the site of Jeroen Meus who is pretty much the Jamie Oliver of Belgium.  Jeroen has his own cooking show, tons of cookbooks and a really great website full of recipes.  Everything I’ve tried of his has turned out to be delicious and simple to make (favorites are Baked Cauliflower with Ground Meat and Bruschetta with Guacamole, Smoked Sprot and Tomato Salsa).

Continue for wafeltjes recipe…

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