Inside activities for a dreary day

Its a windy, rainy, cold day so what can you do with your nestlings? Try some (or all) of these. You're sure to find something the children will enjoy, and hopefully you will too!

10. Dressing up - a perennial favourite with boys and girls of all ages (and some mums and dads). If you haven't got a dress up box let them have some of your old clothes and jewellery. Accessories are always a hit.

Fox & Finch Planes tee

9. Cooking up a storm - anything that requires mixing by hand is good for little people. Just keep it safe and don't stress about the mess.

8. Face painting - make sure its the kind of paint that washes off easily and go easy on the black, just in case...

7. Reading a story (or being read to) - important and fun for the reader and the one being read to. Stuck for ideas? Check out our blog: Children's book suggestions by age.

6. Drawing or colouring - as long as its on paper, not the walls, or carpet, or the dog...

5. Making an inside cubby house - there is something about pushing the chairs together and throwing a blanket over the top that always makes me smile.

4. Writing a story - rainy days are great for creativity. If your nestling isn't old enough to write their own, write a story just for them. Everyone likes being the hero/heroine.

Fox & Finch Faith colour block dress

3. Playing in a nice warm bath - fun for the whole family if your bath is big enough. This one can be combined with number 7, and may be necessary after 8 and 9.

2. Dressing up the cat or dog, or a soft toy - the soft toy may be the safest option, depending on the temperament of your cat or dog. I'd suggest you make sure the face paint has been put away before you start this one too.

1. Snuggling in front of the fire/heater - possibly while watching a movie and drinking hot chocolate. What better way to spend a dreary day?

Don't let the weather get you down. There are lots of fun things to do inside - you are only limited by your imagination. Just ask your nestlings, they're sure to come up with something creative. Enjoy!

The team at nestling.

10 naughty but nice Christmas treats for kids (and mums & dads!)

I know it's a cliche but it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas. With a month to go it is almost unavoidable. Most shops have been ramping up the Christmas displays, toy sales and general hype for weeks now. The Christmas parade has come and gone, there are not many days of school left and Santa is getting a real workout dashing from one shopping centre to the next!

So, it is time to embrace the festive season and what better way to do that than by sharing some fabulous Christmas recipes? These creations have been gathered from a variety of sources and I have not tried them all so cannot personally vouch for them, but they look absolutely magnificent. This list celebrates the decadence and fun of this time of year and is definitely not recommended for everyday cooking.

1. Christmas cake pops

My definition of Christmas on a stick. Children will love this one.

2. Cheerios Christmas trees

An interesting choice for Christmas breakfast - fun and even slightly healthy.

3. Wholewheat sugar cookies

There, I managed to include something slightly healthy but completely yummy.

Photo: Yunhee Kim

4. Chocolate raspberry pavlova

Very patriotic as pavlova is the Australian dessert and what could be better than adding chocolate and raspberries?

5. Christmas chocolate coconut balls

The kids can definitely help to make these and they can be packaged up as home-made Christmas gifts.

Photo: Dani Venn

6. Chocolate, cranberry and nut bread

Not too sweet but still a great Christmassy taste, and it will keep well - if there's any left!

7. Strawberry shortcake

Yum! Just explain to your little girls that they are not actually eating the Strawberry Shortcake...

8. Cheese stars

Children will love to help with making these, especially when it comes to using the cookie cutter.

9. Reindeer marshmallow pops

I love these - and they look so easy. Child's play!

10. Mini gingerbread house

This looks absolutely fantastic, so hopefully one of my friends will make one so I can try it. After my last gingerbread house effort I think I'll pass on this complex recipe, but good luck to you if you give it a go. I'd love to see a photo.

Happy cooking (and eating) with your family and friends and remember it is only once a year.

The team at nestling.

The ghost of Christmas creative disasters past...

A couple of years ago gingerbread houses seemed to be all the rage. Some of the other mothers at my child's school were buying beautiful ones from the local delicatessen, either for their own tables or as gifts, and for some inexplicable reason I decided I would have a go at making one. I have never been an "arty" or particularly creative person and I really admire people who are, so I thought I would take the easy way out and get a gingerbread house kit. How hard could that be?

I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened the kit and saw how many pieces were involved. Then came the fiddly part of actually sticking it all together with icing that seemed to be rapidly drying. I splashed icing on each piece as fast as I could and squished them together, while grabbing another bit and lathering that in icing so that I would have something to hold the first two pieces together. So, it went on until I had the basic shape of a house (and I do mean "basic").

From there it just needed decorating. Simple, right? Wrong! Not only did all of the little baubles, candy canes and wreaths need to be glued on with icing, but I also had to drizzle the roof with icing to make it look like snow.

Finally, stressed to the max and in a state of exhaustion, it was finished. I felt a wonderful sense of achievement and savoured the moment ..... for about 30 seconds until I noticed everything was starting to slide! The carefully drawn windows on each side were just weird looking smudges of icing, the walls were starting to splay, the roof was coming apart and the wreath was slipping!

I quickly fixed what I could and whisked the whole thing downstairs to the laundry (the coolest room in the house) where it sat in shame, waiting for Christmas Day. Over the next 24 hours (when I wasn't shopping or wrapping presents), each time I went downstairs for something I had to "redecorate" my gingerbread house.

Of course it went down a treat on Christmas Day and my family, who realised what an achievement this creation (despite its flaws) was for me, were very supportive. However the ghost of Christmas gingerbread houses past still haunts me and I can't see us having a homemade gingerbread house again in our house for a very long time!

I have seen a great meringue and strawberry Santa cake around this year - hmmm, maybe..... how hard could it be??

The team at nestling.