Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds and Chia seeds are our staples. They are rich in proteins and Omega 3s, and require zero preparation. Chia seeds are tasteless, but Hemp seeds add a really nice slightly nutty taste to our meals, and they are really filling. The best thing is, they don't need any preparation. We just pour a few spoons over our salads, or into our drinks, and we're done! Because of these little seeds, it's been much easier to get the kids to eat their veggies raw. Why RAW? Raw food contains a lot more vitamins and minerals than cooked food. And most enzymes are destroyed at 60-70 degrees celsius....

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"Give that Skink a beer. No, give that Skink a Tiger."

He sat, motionless, staring at the can of beer. Should I? Or shouldn't I? Frozen in the same position for 15 minutes, the Common Sun Skink mulled over this difficult decision.  As we sat down for a rest at the MacRitchie Reservoir boardwalk along the Prunus-Petai Trail, we joined the skink in its reverie, enjoying the stillness of the forest, punctuated by the shouts of canoeists having their training. It was the second skink we saw in a week, but unlike the previous one that disappeared into the bushes when we appeared, this one gave us ample time to admire his sleek shiny body. Also...

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Toilet Roll Flower Decorations

When my husband first discovered my secret stash of finished toilet rolls, he was very sure that I was mad. I have since reassured him that I am not alone in this strange hobby, and that I have discovered equally mad mothers who collect strange things like foam mesh fruit sleeves, cornflakes boxes and huge cardboard boxes! You never know when you might need them. ;) The toilet roll flower decorations were easy to make. We  flattened the toilet rolls, cut them into strips, glued the bottoms, and stuck them onto cardboard sheets. For the pistil, or the centre of the flower, we used a...

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A Monitor Lizard Went Swiming One Day

This is why I love the outdoors. The second swimming monitor lizard in a month! This monitor lizard was more than a metre long, and was cooling off in the Botanic Gardens pond at about 3pm in the afternoon. The monitor lizard ignored the koi and had a leisurely swim around the pool a few times before making its way up the rocks and disappearing into the bushes. We saw another monitor lizard in the water at MacRitchie reservoir at 12 noon, a few weeks back. It was foraging for food near the reservoir bank during low tide....

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Are you praising your child the right way?

"Wow! You're fantastic!" "You're so clever!" "You're a good artist!" "You're smarter than other children your age!" It may sound like you're boosting the child's self esteem and the child is beaming from ear to ear. But you might just be doing more harm than good. When we were growing up, praises were few and far between. A 95/100 score might elicit questions like, "What happened to the 5 marks?" Perhaps to compensate for that lack, coupled with the modern parenting "self-esteem" buzz, we heap praise lavishly for the smallest achievement.  Our little boy frequently gets comments...

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