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Tuesday 27 November 2018

Give the Gift of Togetherness with Ronald McDonald House Charities

This post is sponsored by RMHC, Inc ® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

The holiday season is almost here. Can you believe it?

The holiday season is a time for traditions and togetherness with our loved ones. For us, not having any extended family in the same country means that over the years we've come up with our very own holiday traditions. Traditions that bring us together as a family. Some of these traditions come from my own childhood, such as baking honey biscuits (a family take on gingerbread cookies), building a gingerbread house and checking out the Christmas lights in the neighborhood, while others are new-to-us traditions like the Elf on the Shelf, cutting down our tree at a Christmas tree farm and ice skating outdoors.

To be honest, our first few holiday seasons here in California felt a little odd. While there were so many reasons to celebrate, there were other factors that made the holidays hard. Little things like not being able to find the Christmas foods that we grew up with in stores, and missing my family's annual backyard cricket match, only made the big things like not having our loved ones here to celebrate with that little bit harder. Of course, there were some things that were easier, like not having to spread ourselves thin running across town from one family Christmas event to another! There's a bright side to everything, right?

One of our Christmas traditions that was born out of being so far away from family is travel. With no family obligations keeping us in one place over the holidays we decided to make use of the kids' Winter break and hit the road. Travel has always been very important to me and being able to share it with my family at such a special time has been wonderful. We've been able to see some amazing places and experience new things, like our first ever white Christmas last year in Utah, but the most important part of our holiday travel is that we're together. We're experiencing new places, new foods, and new activities together as a family.


While we're on the road over the Winter break many of our other holiday traditions come along with us. The Elf on the Shelf always manages to sneak into someone's suitcase and get up to shenanigans in our hotel room. The honey biscuits that we bake earlier in the season come along with us as festive snacks, and as a treat to leave out for Santa. The Christmas pajamas, books and movies are all packed ready for Christmas Eve. We may not be at home, but we're together and by continuing with the traditions that we've established over the years, no matter where we are, it feels like home.


For families with sick children in hospital, spending the holidays away on vacation may not be possible, but thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities, spending the holidays together as a family is.

Ronald McDonald House Charities provides families with a place to call home during their toughest time. When a child is hospitalized, having their family close is so important. Being in hospital alone is scary, bu knowing that Mom and Dad are there can make the world of difference to a sick child. But what if the family lives far from the hospital? What if staying in a hotel nearby is out of their reach? What if they have other children that need their parents too. This is where Ronald McDonald House Charities steps in. By providing housing close to hospitals at little, or sometimes even no charge families can stay as close together as possible. Home cooked meals, private bedrooms and playrooms provide families a feeling of normalcy for families going through a tough time. Some Houses provide further services including educational programs, recreational activities and sibling support.

Keeping families together at any time is so important, but during the holidays it feels so much more special. By being together families at Ronald McDonald Houses can keep that holiday spirit alive with their own family traditions, just like we do when we travel over the holidays. Togetherness is the best tradition of all.


Ronald McDonald House Charities provides such an essential service for so many families, and it all comes thanks to generous volunteers and donors. The asked donation varies from House to House. No family is ever turned away.

Our family has created many of our very own holiday traditions, and this year I'm starting a new one. This holiday season I'm donating to Ronald McDonald House Charities to ensure that more families can stay together during this special time, and I'm hoping that you will consider giving this special gift too. You can learn more about the important work that Ronald McDonald House Charities does for families in need by clicking here. Donations can be made by clicking here.

Tuesday 13 November 2018

Share Your Ears for Make-A-Wish

This post is sponsored by Make-A-Wish Foundation but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Calling all Mickey Mouse fans!

Ok, that's pretty much everyone, right?

We're big Mickey fans over here. You may even remember that Lola had a Mickey Mouse themed birthday party a few years back. Well, it was her 2nd birthday so it was more than a few years ago. It feels like yesterday though! Way back then I made felt Mickey Mouse ears for all of Lola's party guests and they really were such a fun addition to her special day. Plus they made a great thank you gift for her friends to take home.

We've gotten years of dress up fun out of the Mickey Mouse party ears that I kept from Lola's party, so when I heard of the "Share Your Ears" movement which raises money for Make-A-Wish Foundation I knew I needed to share the Mickey ear fun again - with a fun update!


Have you heard about the Make-A-Wish "Share Your Ears" movement? In honor of the 130,000th Disney wish granted globally (that's a lot of wishes!) and Mickey Mouse's 90th anniversary, Disney is inviting fans to help make even more wishes come true for children with critical illnesses. Just how can you help? It couldn't be easier! Simply snap a pic showing off your Mickey Mouse ears (or any other fun ears) and share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with the tag #ShareYourEars. For each public post shared from November 18th to November 27th 2018, Disney will donate US$5 to Make-A-Wish®, up to US$1 million.

Got a pair of Mickey Mouse ears? Great! Get snapping and sharing those pics! Haven't got a pair of Mickey Mouse ears? No problem! Just follow the simple DIY below and you'll have your very own fun Mickey Mouse ears in no time.




Wednesday 7 November 2018

Halloween 2018

It may be November and everyone has already moved onto Christmas, but I'm here with a little more Halloween fun to share.

This year the girls' costumes were a pretty mixed bag. We had Ava as a Minecraft creeper, Lola as a mermaid, and Mathilde as one of her many alter-egos Pinchy the lobster. I did my usual trick of making a last minute costume out of existing accessories and dressed as a cat. Kim Wore his class nerd costume - the same one he has been wearing every Halloween since we moved to the US in 2011. If you've seen any of my previous Halloween posts, you'll know the costume!


Sunday 4 November 2018

Chestnut Picking at Skyline Chestnuts

Autumn is the time of year for farm visits and harvests. 

Apple picking and pumpkin picking are definitely the two most common farm activities for visitors at this time of year, and something we thoroughly enjoy. Last weekend we decided to mix things up a little and spent an afternoon harvesting chestnuts. It was such a fun experience and so very different from picking apples. 

Years ago when Kim and I lived in Zurich, I tried roasted chestnuts for the first time and I was instantly hooked. I knew them as "maroni" and at the time had no idea what they were called in English. I'd buy them in little brown paper bags from street vendors in the cooler months and not only did they taste delicious, they instantly warmed me up whether I was eating them or just holding the bag in my cold hands. When we moved back to Australia chestnuts became a thing of the past, but every now and then I'd see them in a greengrocer and they'd bring back sweet memories of our time in Switzerland. 

It's been almost eighteen years since we lived in Zurich (eek!) and since then I've only eaten roasted chestnuts a handful of times at Christmas fairs in the Sierras and when visiting Canada in Autumn. I've missed their sweet, nutty flavor so when I discovered the U-Pick farm Skyline Chestnuts right here in the Bay Area I added it straight to my ever growing "must do" list.

The chestnut picking season is relatively short at just three to five weeks a year, and it falls right at that time of year when we're busy pretty much every weekend with birthday parties, harvest festivals and Halloween celebrations. Because of this, we've missed the season for the past few years, but this year I was determined that we'd make it. I'm so glad we did!


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