Healthy Flapjacks – Perfect For Lunchboxes

Healthy Flapjacks – Perfect For Lunchboxes

So when I lived in Australia, I used to make these flapjack bars ALL THE TIME. They’re such a good way of piling in fruits and seeds into a yummy bar. The kiddies I used to look after loved them and always wanted more! We’d have so much fun thinking about what ingredients to use and it’s so exciting experimenting with flavours together!

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You can use any array of dried fruits/nuts/seeds, whatever you fancy really, this time I opted for dried apricots, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds, so lots of energy to get the brain and body warmed up!

The method is pretty simple, just remember you need to melt the butter, syrup and sugar on a low heat, you don’t want to burn it!

Have fun!

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Ingredients:

200g butter (I used dairy free butter but you can use either)
150g light muscovado sugar
100g golden syrup
350g oats
100-150g chopped dried fruits/nuts/seeds

Method:

Melt the butter, sugar and syrup in a pan (you could microwave it if you like, whatever suits!) slowly, stir as it melts.
Once it has all melted and dissolved, take it off the heat.
Pour in the oats and the dried fruits/nuts/seeds and mix well.
Make sure all the oats are covered and the syrup is mixed well throughout all the ingredients.
Press into a lined/greased tin (I used a 12 x 8” tin) and bake for about 25 minutes at 180°C.
Let it cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes before cutting it into bars.

Some yummy ideas for other fillings:

Coconut and a sprinkling of dark chocolate
Dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks
Almonds and sunflower seeds
Banana chips, crumbled pecans and chopped fudge
Tropical mix – dried pineapple and coconut
Coconut and dried raspberries or cranberries
Glacé cherries and sliced almonds

So have lots of fun making these whether it be with your kiddies or just a treat for yourself or a treat for your lunchbox, and feel free to show me 😀

Love,

Sophie xx

What are you happy for?

What are you happy for?

Hey guys and happy Monday!

I hope you have all had as relaxing an Easter weekend as mine has been; I have barely moved!

So one of my fave bloggers Louise has written a lovely little post as part of her ‘Motivational Monday’ series, which you can find here. Here she lists some of the things that make her happy, so I thought I’d write a little list of my own, and encourage all of you to do the same 🙂

Sometimes it does us good to remind ourselves of the things that make us happy; big or small, and that sometimes, parts of life aren’t bad at all ❤

This Monday I am happy for –

Waking up to sunshine streaming through the window
Green tea
My newfound love for yoga and all the wonderful youtube videos out there
My lovely squishy doggy
Long phone calls with loved ones
Family time
Leggings with cats all over them
Reuniting with my university friends and nothing changes (they’re still crazy and wonderful as ever)
Ideal home magazine
Beautiful notebooks full of ideas and lists
Leave in conditioner
The smell of coconut. YUM.
The blogging community (especially on Twitter the little gems)
The rewarding feeling when you work with children and how magical the journey can be
Chocolate buttons and cup of tea

So let’s all make this Monday a truly happy one, list some of the things that make you happy on this lovely sunny Monday; it will perk you up and make you smile!

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Calling all Early Years Teachers, Childcare Practitioners and Nursery Nurses!

Calling all Early Years Teachers, Childcare Practitioners and Nursery Nurses!

I’ve never really written huge amounts about my job. It means a huge deal to me and I know there are so many of you out there that love working with children as much as I do! I’m an Early Years Teacher and Nursery Manager working in Nottingham and spend a lot of time working with the community, families and wider agencies. I always love going to conferences and training events as well as visiting other settings to build relationships and gain new ideas. Working in partnership is so important to me, and I love collaborating with practitioners.

My thoughts are maybe we could create a community where we can discuss ideas, issues and everything in between, giving advice and organising meetups where we as professionals can share ideas and websites; and meet new practitioners. I’m also thinking about hosting a Twitter discussion once a week where we can have topics to discuss?

We could share useful websites, links and events linked to Children’s education, share training opportunities and collaborate together!

If anybody would be up for that and would know others who might want to be a part of it, then let’s see what we can organise!

Share this post with your fellow Early Years Practitioners, let’s build a strong community.

If you want to be a part of this, comment below or send me an email on sophie_deacon@hotmail.co.uk with your name, job role and something you would like to discuss or share with other practitioners.

My twitter is sophie_d247

My Pinterest is sophietea24

So get in touch, I’m so looking forward to meeting lots of people with the same passion I have 😀

Love,

Sophie xxx

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Mini Haircare Haul!

Mini Haircare Haul!

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Hey guys! I hope you’re all having a relaxed and chocolatey Easter weekend 😀

I thought I’d share with you just a few haircare bits and bobs I got recently, let me know if you’ve tried any or you prefer something else, also if you’ve done a haircare review or haul, send me the link so I can read please 😀

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Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo – Uplifting Volume

Ooh this is a goodun, I (like most girls) am always looking for a good dry shampoo that not only works but smells nice. There are so many more to choose from nowadays and this is one I’ve had a couple of times. It has a citrus like smell, without smelling gross, and I always get whiffs of it throughout the day. It does what I expect it to; makes my hair look clean. Also, unlike some others I have tried; there isn’t huge amounts of white powder to brush out which means if you’re in a rush, this is a good one to consider.

 V05 Ultimate Hold Hairspray

Just because I’m not keen on the heat defence spray does not mean I don’t like any V05 products, because this hairspray is badass. I know a lot of people LOVE the Tresemmé hairspray which I agree is awesome; but I loooove this! Smells amazing, holds the hair for a very long time. I work very long days and it stays all day and for that I adore it. It also gives my hair a nice shine without making it lok greasy which always works for me.

Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo

So this product I bought as my hair is looking slightly brassy (perks of platinum highlights) and while I take care of my hair sometimes it needs a bit of a toner to bring out the ashy tones and eliminate the brassy ones. It is bright purple which is a bit scary, and you should only use it a couple of times a week to ensure your hair is protected. I will do a review on this product as I know a lot of bloggers looking for a good toner!

Tresemmé Care and Protect Heat Defence Styling Spray

This is my go to heat defence spray. The first time I used this was when my previous housemate used it and the bathroom smelled glorious. Since then, it has been my loyal friend. Relatively cheap the bottle lasts for ages and only needs a couple of sprays to protect your locks. I did dabble with the V05 version of this but no matter what I try, this one is always my fave. Stick to what suits you!

Boots Coconut and Almond Leave in Conditioner

Ok girls, if you are a sucker for that gorgeous coconut/almond smell; buy this product. I haven’t tried it yet so I will feedback in terms of results. But jeez; the smell is INCREDIBLE. It has that gorgeous beachy scent, takes me on holiday as soon as I smell it. And it is an absolute BARGAIN at under £1.50. Go buy it, go!

Let me know if you have any great haircare products you’ve always used or that you’ve newly discovered!
And also, any blondes out there that have any recommendations for toner shampoo/silver saver I would love to hear from you!

Lots of love,

Sophie xx

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