threelilprincesses.com

Blog

  • 2 ingredient pizza scroll dough recipe

    2 ingredient pizza scroll dough recipe

    Princess Ella is only going to school three days a week, but already I’m struggling with what to pack in her lunch box. When she comes home and tells me about all the processed, packaged goods the other kids have, it’s hard to know how to get her excited about her own homemade… treats. Although, apparently her friends are envious she gets carrot sticks. Who needs a meat pie and a mini can of Sprite. Does anyone else remember the mini cans? Anyway…

    During a playdate with my cousin the other day, she shared this recipes with me and I’ve adapted it slightly to suit us. But I just love the fact it has only two ingredients for the base. Strangely, the more “adult’’ fillings are more popular with the girls than the child-friendly ones.

    2 ingredient pizza scroll dough recipe

     

    pizza scrolls recipe

    BASE:
    1 cup of Chobani Greek-style yoghurt
    1 cup of self raising flour

    FILLING OPTIONS:
    – Vegemite and cheese
    – Italian tomato cooking sauce (passata), bacon, Italian herbs and cheese
    – Ham, pineapple and cheese
    – Pie apple, cinnamon and chopped pecans
    – Baby spinach and cheese

    Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
    Combine the Chobani yoghurt and self raising flour and mix until it forms a ball.
    Turn it out onto a floured bench and knead for five minutes. I found the dough to be sticky each time, so had to keep adding additional flour.
    Roll out into a large rectangle with a rolling pin until even thickness. Sprinkle or paste ingredients over the dough, being careful not to tear it.
    (TIP: You may want to melt the Vegemite and stir it in with the cheese before spreading on. Ingredients, like the bacon mentioned above, will also need to be cooked first.)

    pizza scrolls

    Roll the dough up, starting at the short side. Cut into 3cm pieces and place them cut side up on the baking tray.
    Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

    What other fillings have you tried or heard of?

  • WIN: Aussie Giveaway Linkup #55: DisneyLand edition

    WIN: Aussie Giveaway Linkup #55: DisneyLand edition

    Looking out window

    This week’s wins were:

    • Yesterday after swimming, we went to DisneyLand – via the iPad and a few YouTube clips. Ella said her favourite part was “the rollercoaster ride, where I had to remain seated at all times and keep my arms in the carriage’’. Cheaper than the real thing and far less scary.
    • I put a little note above my desk this week to remind myself to start looking into ways to monetise this blog a little, while still keeping it entertaining and informative for readers. Then, I kid you not, without me even trying I had two offers within the space of 24 hours. The power of positive thinking, hey. My brain now hurts a little after having spent the past day channelling BMW to give me a car. So far, no luck.
    • Having a play date on Friday with my cousin, which are just as much about the parents as the kids, if we’re honest with ourselves. As children, we used to sit on a red couch at our Nan’s and pretend it was a bus. Oh, the adventures we used to go on. Spookily, our two daughters – aged four – spent the entire morning creating a “bus’’ in the playroom to go on their own adventures. It’s funny how history repeats.

    OK, time to start clicking to score yourself a win. Have you had any wins this week?

    If you’re a blogger or business wanting to take part in the Aussie Giveaway Linkup:

    1. Only link directly to the giveaway post/s and include the prize and end date in the linky tool below. Link each giveaway separately. If you need to delete it, hover over your link, wait until the red “x’’ appears and click.
    2. Giveaways must be open to Australian residents.
    3. Grab the button below to add to your post.
    4. A new list is added each Sunday so bloggers need to add their links weekly.
    5. Start entering the giveaways! Entry is at your own risk. We do not take responsibility for unfulfilled prizes or a blogger/business not abiding by their own terms and conditions.

     



    Aussie Giveaway Linky
    Hosted by Three Lil Princesses



  • 2. #BloggingPrompts: Get on a PR or brand’s radar

    2. #BloggingPrompts: Get on a PR or brand’s radar

    #BloggingPrompts

    One of the most asked questions I get from bloggers is how to get on a PR’s radar? When you’re starting out, you see all the other bloggers scoring opportunities and wonder why no one is beating down your email door.

    There are so many ways to get noticed by PRs and brands. And, in all seriousness, it’s not different to how they get on your radar.

    Here are some things I’ve done:

    • Originally, I Googled for a PR list directory. Plus I had a few contacts from my journo days. I emailed them my media kit and let them know I was open to PR opportunities. If I was after something specifically, I included a pitch letter.
    • Looked at the sites of brands I particularly liked and wrote down their contact details. Then, as above, I emailed a pitch letter and my media kit.
    • Followed brands and PRs on Twitter and connected – not stalked or harrassed, by the way.
    • Created a media plan.
    • Kept updated on changes in the world of PR – new agencies, consultant changes, new contracts with brands etc – via the monthly PR Report and daily Mumbrella site.
    • Commented on their blogs (yes, they love comments, just like you).

    Lastly, if you want to learn more about public relations, visit my business site www.kellieobrien.com.au.

    To end, I’ll just say that obviously not everyone is interested in being pitched products. And that’s OK. It’s your blog, so do what you feel most comfortable with.

    How have you been able to get on a PR’s radar? What steps have you taken?

    This mini post is part of a regular microblogging series, #BloggingPrompts. 

    FREE COURSE

    Click the image below to learn how to make money from blogging in this 7-day mini course

    Click Here to Start

  • {Raising princesses}: How to do a girl’s hair without tears

    {Raising princesses}: How to do a girl’s hair without tears

    doing a girl's hair without tears

    Not so long ago, I cottoned onto a secret weapon in the hair washing department to avoid tears. We play hairdressers – complete with “hairdresser voice”. Apologies to all my beautiful hairdressing friends.

    It goes a little something like this:

    Me: “How are you today? Good? How was your week? We’ve been flat out with clients.’’

    Ella, in turn, answers each of the questions in her “grown up voice’’, telling me about her busy week doing drawings and dancing on stage to a huge crowd (that one obviously happened in her huge imagination).

    Once the shampoo is in and her hair piled on top of her head, we grab the mirror so she can look at herself – and laugh. She has a choice of whether she lies back and has it rinsed out or uses the Dora the Explorer hair rinsing bucket thingy.

    This has even transferred to the mornings, where she says to the old woman looking back at her in the mirror: “I’ll have two plaits, please hairdresser’’. Whatever makes the mornings less stressful, I’m happy to go with.

    doing a girl's hair

    A few weeks ago I took to Facebook to ask what suggestions other mums had around doing a child’s hair without tears. Here are the responses, with some really awesome ideas (note, some of the longer answers Facebook wouldn’t allow me to fully copy, so I have typed in bits and pieces from those):

    Caroline: I spray detangler into my daughter’s hair and spritz her hair with some plain water from a squirty bottle. I then comb it all through with a wide tooth comb. Finally I add some hair gel to try and tame her curls. I hope this helps.

    Katrina: I use Johnsons Junior Detangle Spray it works a treat and my li’l girl loves the fragrance

    Sarah: Spray and a tangle teezer brush.

    Jane: Johnson’s Jnr Detangle Spray is excellent!

    Casey: Brush and plait the night before, then in the morning take out the plait and deal with tangle free locks in the morning…

    Kristy Lee: There’s awesome brushes my sister just got into her salon and they are great for knotty hair. The brush is called Tangle Teaser and it’s made by someone with the name Paul in it.

    Harmony: We use detangle here too and it smells nice also 🙂

    Linda:Coconut oil or just normal hair conditioner are both great detanglers… My eldest has thick thick wavy hair, it’s a nightmare. My other tip is that you don’t necessarily have to get EVERY knot out… just hide them in a bun or plaits. The only thing with coconut oil is, if you use those rubber band type hairbands it disintegrates the rubber and they break. Weird but true.

    Debbie: Start putting your daughters hair up as soon as it can be done. Do this regularly (even though they’ll take it out constantly). It’s good to get them used to it.. I also spray with water with oils in it (nit preventer) and plait school

    Casey: Oh the best part about the night before plait is that if you are running ridiculously late you can clip the escapee hairs and wet and you’re right to go… lol

    Amie: Conditioner mixed with water in a fairy spray bottle works a treat! I hear its also a good deterant for school pests 🙂

    Tricia: The Tangle Teasers need to be seen to be believed. They really do work. Mornings at my house are much better retail for $30 and $35 but well worth it

    Amanda: I like to ask the girls to run the brush through their hair themselves, before I get to it. This way they can have tackled some of the knots themselves, and it’s not as bad. Another tip is to hold the hair tightly with your fist wrapped around it and start by brushing the ends. Because you’re holding the hair you can brush it as fiercely as needed without it pulling at the roots of their hair.

    Emma-Louise: Preparation is the key – the night before in the shower/bath always apply conditioner and COMB through, this will ensure tangle free hair every single time, Rinse it, gently comb and air dry. The following day just lightly spray with warm water with a squirter bottle and, again, lightly use a wide toothed comb to rake hair into position – then smooth quickly with a natural bristle brush and lakki band it. My specialty is easy, fast, gorgeous beautiful hair.

    What tips could you add to this list? Is hair time in the morning a challenge or something you enjoy in your house?

  • Aussie Giveaway Linkup #54: The on-the-nose edition

    Aussie Giveaway Linkup #54: The on-the-nose edition

    father and daughter

    So, my wins of the week were:

    • Childcare has had cases of chicken pox, school sores and gastro within the space of a fortnight. On Friday we all woke up with sniffly noses. There’s kind of relief in that.
    • More exciting news on the business side of things. We’ve brought on board the fabulous MissMel, who is behind the inspiring Proud To Be Me events. The three-state events are very much all about that – women being proud of who they are. I could write an entire post – or even a series of posts – on that topic! Make sure to follow the event on Facebook and Twitter.
    • During our trip home from Stanley last weekend, Julian asked what the big bales covered in plastic in the paddocks were. Me: “Silage’’. Julian: “Umm, what’s silage?’’ I decided I could tell him the truth or I could have some fun. I decided to have some fun and so told him it was hay mixed with cow poo to fertilise gardens. His eyes started to boggle as he kept seeing more and more bales and wondering how many gardens that was going to cover. I then forgot to tell him the truth later that night – it was my intention, promise. So the next day he went to work and announced in morning news conference that he finally discovered what silage was. His explanation was followed by quite a few sniggers. Yes, I’m a horrible wife.

    OK, time to start clicking to score yourself a win.

    If you’re a blogger or business wanting to take part in the Aussie Giveaway Linkup:

    1. Only link directly to the giveaway post/s and include the prize and end date in the linky tool below. Link each giveaway separately. If you need to delete it, hover over your link, wait until the red “x’’ appears and click.
    2. Giveaways must be open to Australian residents.
    3. Grab the button below to add to your post.
    4. A new list is added each Sunday so bloggers need to add their links weekly.

    Start entering the giveaways! Entry is at your own risk. We do not take responsibility for unfulfilled prizes or a blogger/business not abiding by their own terms and conditions.

     



    Aussie Giveaway Linky
    Hosted by Three Lil Princesses



  • {My Tasmanian Backyard}: Stanley Seaview Inn accommodation review

    {My Tasmanian Backyard}: Stanley Seaview Inn accommodation review

    One week ago today MasterChef brought one of Tasmanian’s most quaint little towns into the spotlight – Stanley. Not to make you jealous or anything – *ahem* – but the area boasts some of the finest food, including grass fed beef, Rock Lobster Crayfish, Green Lip Abalone and dairy produce. I’m not sure that it’s known for its onion rings though. Nice try, MasterChef.

    The first thing you notice when you drive into Stanley is this thing:

    Stanley Nut

    It’s the Stanley Nut, which I spoke about yesterday. It was what we awoke to each morning looking out the window from the Stanley Seaview Inn accommodation.

    Stanley Nut

    The accommodation was neat, tidy and certainly suited our needs

    Stanley Seaview Inn accommodation

    – until Julian spilt an entire glass of red wine all over the white doona. Seriously. Can’t take him anywhere. When Ella blew four light globes in one hit, the service was prompt and friendly. That’s all most of us want really. (And yes, Julian and Ella really do take after one another).

    Here is a peek inside:

    Stanley Seaview Inn Accommodation

    Stanley Seaview Inn Accommodation

    Stanley Seaview Inn Accommodation

    There are varying rooms on offer, from family rooms, self-contained apartments and spa suites. Thankfully, for a change, there were no arguments about Ella wanting the biggest bed. Instead, it was all about whether she could sleep on the top bunk – but I was not prepared for a trip to the hospital.

    The highlights of the Seaview Inn are:

    • That view. I just can’t rave about it enough.
    • There is also a webcam at the front office, where friends can visit the site and view live images of you waving back at them with The Nut in the background.
    • There is free wifi, which is always a bonus when Facebook is in need of some attention. Because obviously there’s not enough people already posting on it. You can even rent a laptop.
    • It has a small children’s playground. Which came with its own ready-made children, courtesy of the owners.
    • The service. So many places we’ve stayed at have been let down by the odd Fawlty Towers-style moment. Here, expect that country-style service where you feel like more than just another customer. I think the Basil character was played by my husband.

    There’s one thing I want to rave about though – it’s The Nut View Restaurant (check out the seafood platter. Wow!). Easily THE best part of our stay – and it was all pretty good to be honest. The menu features an array of Tasmanian produce and the quality of the food was sublime.

    The Nut View Restaurant Stanley

    We were given a window seat overlooking the Nut and right next to the crackling fire – which was needed, I tell you. Julian’s grass fed beef and my Atlantic salmon were cooked to perfection. Cravat-wearing Matt Preston would have given it a 10/10 for sure. It was restaurant quality food at pub sizes. The girls were equally impressed with their chicken strips and pasta – along with the toys, colouring-in books and pencils that kept them from screaming the place down.

    For us, we would probably go a two-bedroom apartment next time we stay, just for the space and the opportunity to have a kitchen. That’s not to say the one-bedroom was small by any measure. It was only an additional $25 too. The prices of the accommodation were certainly one thing we were impressed with.

    If you are heading to Tasmania’s North West and you’re looking for somewhere to stay that is child-friendly, then I’d recommend staying with Clint and his staff. With a young family of his own, he certainly knew how to cater for all our needs.

    What’s the best meal you’ve had?

    To view more photos, visit my Stanley page on Facebook. This post is part of the My Tasmanian Backyard series.

    DISCLOSURE: Our trip to Stanley was organised by Cradle Coast Tourism. We were given acommodation and tickets to the Sequarium and Highfield House. We were not paid to write this post. All opinions expressed are our own.