Everything's Famtastic

March 19, 2020June 26, 2021

17 Sensational Ideas to Keep Kids Busy When School is Closed (and TV is Not One of Them!)

Wow, how quickly the world changes. One minute your kids are at school and you’re rocking your everyday life. The next- kablam!- you’ve got your kids at home with you all day because the schools and kindergartens and child care centres are closed.

Well, at least that’s how it is for me, here in Germany. How about where you’re living?

In our town it started last week already when the local high schools closed. Then it was ALL schools and kindergartens. And then it was all children’s extra-curricular activities, you know, like sport, music lessons, youth groups and so on. And then all forms of possible entertainment outside of the home, like public libraries, museums, cinemas, zoos and pools. Everyone is being reminded to stay at home as much as possible and not mingle with others. That now rules out organising playdates for the kiddos. The latest news today is that playgrounds are closed too.

Sure, the schools are doing their best to keep up with the changing times and send over some homework for the kids to work through. But it’s not the same (for them or for you) as being out of the house learning for hours and hours every day.

I know a lot of people have been falling back on TV and DVDs to entertain their children at this challenging time. It is certainly a simple and easy way to keep them occupied for a while. Unless they all argue about what to watch and whose turn it is to select the program … 😉

There will be no judgement or finger pointing here. To each his own, as they say. But our kids usually only watch TV on weekends and if we can avoid it, we’d love that they didn’t sit glued to the sofa for hours every day.

pin, pinterest, school closures, corona virus, fun activities, activities for kids

So what’s a Mama with a houseful of kids to do?!? I’ve prepared a list for you of non-TV fun activities to keep your children entertained and happy while school (and pretty much everything else!) is closed for a few weeks. I’ve got your back! 👍

March 12, 2020October 6, 2021

Tutorial: How to Sew an Egg Warmer Basket

Around here lately it’s been all about the sewing. Karneval costumes! Shirts for my own and other children! Dresses for my girls!

Somehow in the background, the house stays (somewhat 🙈) organised, the kids get wherever they need to be (on time, no less!) and everyone is clean, fed and happy. What more could you ask for? Well, apart from a 2 week holiday in Tahiti perhaps…

Wait, what?!? Oh! A new sewing project, you say? Well, have I got something egg-citing for you 😉.

Q: What happens when you make an egg laugh?

A: It cracks up!

Easter is coming up and for some reason, this project always makes me think of Easter. Even though it’s really meant for chicken eggs, not the chocolate kind. Note: chocolate eggs also fit snugly into this sewing project 😉.

Q: Why does the Easter bunny paint the eggs?

A: It’s too hard to wallpaper them!

In this week’s post I am going to walk you through an egg-cellent, easy, quick sewing project: How to Sew an Egg Warmer Basket. Not only is it easy, it’s also fast. Perfect for when you really really want to sew something but know you haven’t got much time!

sewing, diy, diy sewing, egg warmer, easter, nähen, beginners sewing, sewing project, fabric, pin, pinterest

If the last 2 posts of me interviewing fellow bloggers about their early days of sewing (you can read them here and here ) haven’t stoked that creative fire in your belly, see whether this egg warmer tutorial gets you warmed up 😉.

Are you ready to discover how it’s done?

March 5, 2020June 26, 2021

Why Sewing is Good for You (Yes, Even for Beginners!)

Welcome back to Everything’s Famtastic! I don’t know whether you saw my post last week? You know, the one where I interviewed a great bunch of sewing bloggers, about how they got started sewing? Well, that turned out to be Part One of my interview with them all. You can read that post here and learn about what made these women, first learn to sew.

People new to the sewing world (sewing newbies, as I affectionately say) often ask themselves questions like “What should I sew as a beginner?” or “How do I get started sewing?” and “Why is sewing a good hobby?” or “Why is sewing good for me?”.

sewing, pin, pinterest, sewing project, beginners sewing, sewing is good for you

This post- my Part Two of interviewing these ladies- is full of plentiful ideas to answer exactly those questions! (Be prepared to have your creative curiosity awakened!! 😉)

February 27, 2020September 25, 2021

What Makes People Start Sewing?

sewing, sewing project, sewing tips, pin, pinterest

Wowsers! These past couple of weeks have been busy around here. In between being sick myself (hello ear infection and sinusitis!) I have been frantically sewing costumes for the kids to wear to Karneval celebrations. In fact, for the most part, the children dreamed up the costume ideas for themselves. Heck, Miss 8 even designed her own dress, pointed at the sketches and said “This!”. Yes ma’am!

Now that the rush of Karneval is over and the more sober time of Lent is upon us, I can get back to working my way through the ~~endless mountains~~ organised piles of fabrics 😉 to complete some cool, everyday clothes for the kids. Maybe even something for myself! *gasp*

In this now less-time-pressured week, I find that I am REALLY enjoying sitting down at the machine again. Not that churning out original kids’ costumes isn’t fun. But since there were no patterns as such, and a lot of planning, guesswork and occasional cross-fingers-and-hope-for-the-best involved, it’s nice to have a clear pattern and no deadline to work with.

Which got me thinking back to some of my first ever sewing projects and why I took up sewing in the first place. I mean, why is it that sewing is so beloved by so many people? (Witness the gazillions of pins in Pinterest or sewing memes on Instagram).

What makes people start sewing at all???

February 13, 2020October 10, 2021

How to Sew a Terrific Tiger Costume

(Even if You Don’t Have a Pattern!)

In today’s post I am going to show you how you can create a totally cool tiger costume, without actually having a pattern for a tiger costume. “Huh? How does that work?”, you ask. Ahh, that’s the magic of sewing! 😉

Perhaps you’re even asking why it is that I am sewing a tiger costume or why I am sharing this with you today.

diy, sewing, sewing project, nähen, tiger costume, tiger kostüm, sewing for kids, childrens' costume, kinderkostüm, pin, pinterest

Well, answering the second part of that is easy. Why share? Because I am not one to keep a good sewing tip to myself! I love to support you in getting creative with your sewing machine and sewing things that will make you smile! And I love a good work-around; when the pattern doesn’t match exactly what I’m trying to achieve, then it’s the pattern that has to change, not my goal. That’s why I’m eager to share so many sewing ideas, tips and cheats with you (you can find more under the “Sewing” category on the menu bar above ☝).

And why am I sewing a costume at all? Well, Karneval is coming in a couple of weeks! In case you’re not familiar with what Karneval in Germany means (especially from a non-German’s perspective), be sure to check out my post here. Karneval is a BIG deal in many parts of Germany and for the cities’ colourful parades, getting dressed up in costumes is practically a must (at least for children it is!!).

Because I am able to sew, and for the time being my kids actually like and enjoy what I can create, I am the one responsible for coming up with the goods. Hence the DIY, sew a tiger costume as my current sewing project.

I promised to show you how to make one without a pattern, right? Well then, read on…

February 6, 2020April 16, 2024

Brilliant Book Series Girls 6 to 9 Years Old will Love

Wait! What?!? Are we in February already? Whoa! I have been working countless hours behind the scenes here on Everything’s Famtastic, studying and planning and preparing great content to serve you better. And I was starting to think that February might have been a little sewing-biased. And that would have been OK. But no! Not anymore!

My younger daughter decided that enough was enough. She was waiting no longer to have her turn in the spotlight like her bigger sister before her. So for this week, sewing chit chat is off the table, and children’s book reviews are the thing everyone is talking about.

pin, pinterest, reading, books, book recommendations, book reviews, childrens' books, books for girls, books for girls 6-9

If you remember, a few weeks back my eldest daughter (Miss 11) wanted to create a post reviewing her personally chosen and recommended book series for girls aged 9 to 12 years old. I was responsible for the general blurb, she wrote the review entirely independently. I’ve gotta say, I was REALLY proud of her and I’ve received a lot of positive feedback for her reviews 😊. *pat on the back Miss 11*

Not only our eldest daughter, but also our younger daughter and son are all complete and utter bookworms. Hand them a half-interesting book and it may well be finished within hours. Naturally Miss 8 (and Master 6, to be honest) also want to share their opinions of the best books to read. And by share, I mean, write a review here on this very blog. Who said the fam in FAMtastic didn’t stand for family?!?

So, without further ado, come and take a look at Miss 8’s recommended, best book series for 6 to 9 year old girls! I’m really excited that she wants to get on board with my blog! Read on…

January 30, 2020June 26, 2021

Super Sewing Tips for Beginners: The Basics

Hey, welcome back to Everything’s Famtastic! I hope you’re having a great week! We have been busy enjoying our delicious, homemade lamingtons that I baked with the kids last Sunday for Australia Day. They are sooo good! And the kids had a blast helping out in the kitchen too 😉. We had quite the production line set up…

But, this week I want to have a break from talking kids stuff (cooking with kids, books for kids, sick kids, school holidays…) and talk about something else that you can get excited about: SEWING!

Have you ever wanted to learn how to sew? Perhaps your first test-drive of a sewing machine was back in high school. Perhaps you’ve nervously left your sewing machine in its box, untouched since you discovered it under the Christmas tree. Or maybe you have been experimenting with your machine for a little while but have yet to get into the swing of things because you’re unsure what to do.

Well, you’ve come to the right place! Here I’d love to share a brilliant list full of advice for sewing beginners just like you. Like I wish I’d heard a couple of years back when I was starting out. These tips will help you to get confident to use your machine and successfully complete projects without the stress and hair-pulling!

Once you’ve read through this list, there’ll be no excuses to not sit yourself down at your sewing machine, turn it on with confidence and get started!

Ready?

January 23, 2020November 5, 2021

9 Surprising Benefits of Cooking with Your Kids

Man, oh, man! This week has been an entirely different one to the last. Last week I was home with an ill Master 6 the whole week. My little guy is healthy and back at kindy and bouncing off the walls again (er, unsure whether the second thing is positive or not) and I have had some time to get back into the swing of keeping things here under control. Or at least, that’s my illusion and I’m sticking to it! 😉

While my son is busy burning off excess energy, I am burning off some energy too, both the physical and mental kind. Physical, because one of my goals for the year was to hit the gym twice a week and I can proudly report back: so far so good.

And the mental energy? I am reworking my sewing space! After a couple of trips to Ikea, you know, “just to pick up a couple of things” 😉 and coming home with new bedsheets, a cutlery drawer insert and some magazine holders, I also bought a new shelf and storage system for my sewing area. So plans are being hatched about how to use the space most effectively and let me get back into my favourite hobby *evil laugh while tapping fingertips together*. I am VERY excited! Stay tuned, I will be showing off the results shortly.

But as we all know, being a mother is rarely “about me” and this post is no different. What we ALL are getting excited about is: this weekend. This coming Sunday, January 26^th, is Australia Day!

Australia Day, Australia, Australian kids clothing

Yes, this Australia Day I will be baking, not partying. But the kids are BUSTING not only to be able to eat lamingtons again but also to help make them. And we do like creating fun food in the kitchen together. Especially treats like these 🙂.

Wait! What? You didn’t know Australia had a national holiday? And you don’t know what lamingtons even are?!? Ok, let me go back a few steps…

January 16, 2020June 26, 2021

Coping with a Sick Child at Home: A Mother’s Tale

Today I am sharing some private details of my “Mum Life” with 3 kids. To be clearer: My life. This week. With 3 children. One of whom was sick. Oh, and Hubby was on the road for work for a couple of days.

Let’s just let go of our inhibitions and get crystal clear here what I have been up to: This week I had my- gloved! Hey! I still have some dignity 😉- hands in some gigantic puddles of vomit.

There. I said it.

Are you still with me? Or are you running for the bathroom already?!?

Why did I have my hands in the re-runs of someone else’s lunch? Because I’m a mum. And that’s what we do. Not because it’s fun. But because there is a child who needs you and there’s a job to be done and you just do it.

So between the tears and vomit and frustration and breaking heart and a scared little face, is there anything positive to be found in looking after your sick child?

Well, yes and no. One of those “Is the glass half empty or half full” paradoxical type of situations, you know? It depends how you look at it…

January 9, 2020June 26, 2021

Is All of Australia on Fire?!? What Australians Abroad are Worried About.

australia, australian bushfires, expat, australian expat, pinterest, pin

Hellooooo! Here we meet again, on the other side of New Year’s Eve! Happy New Year! Welcome to 2020 and your new decade 😊.

Last week I was so pumped up, so excited to think about the past year and write down some concrete plans for how I wanted my 2020 to look. I wrote all about how I’ll be having a great year here, do you remember? Now my questions for YOU: did you do that activity I recommended, about writing down 10 proud achievements from last year and 10 new goals for this year? If you did, well then *big hug* for you. What’s on your list? Are you excited about it too? If you didn’t, well don’t fret. There’s 51 weeks of the year left for you to work on your goals 😉.

I am absolutely serious about my intentions to have a brilliant 2020. But there is also a flip side to all celebrations and festivities at this time of year, despite me throwing around words like “brilliant” and “great” and “pumped up”.

I am Australian but have been living in Germany with my German Hubby for 14 years now. And Germany is a looooong way from Australia, right?…

That means every Christmas and New Year we can spend with only one half of our families and friends; either the Aussie ones or the German ones here. And of course, a hot, summery Australian Christmas spent outdoors is an entirely different thing to a cold German winter one!

I have written quite a few posts before about the internal conflicts experienced by most expats (including myself!), such as this one here, but this time of year can definitely be a bit tougher for us expats so far from “home”. Living in a foreign country may sounds glamorous and fascinating, but not every real life day is like that 😉. (Don’t let social media fool you 😉.) Even more than the usual fluctuating, mildy homesick, funk over Christmas and New Year has been affecting me these last weeks though.

Why? Because my “home” is burning. And I can’t be there.

australia, bushfires, fire warning map, nsw fires, nsw rfs, new york times, kangaroo, wildlife — You’ve probably seen this photo in every newspaper article and on all your social media the last days.
Photo Credit: Matthew Abbott for The New York Times.

Sounds odd, maybe? Why would I want to be where those fires are and not a million miles away?!?