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

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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Leibster Award <3

Leibster Award <3

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Yay, look an award!

Thank you so much to the wonderful Alice of Strange Made Me you have made my Monday so much better!

I love reading Alice’s blog; it’s beaut so I ask all my fab blog friends go check her out!

For those of you who are new to the Leibster award, here are the rules:

  1. Display the Liebster Award logo on your blog
    2. Thank and link back to the person who has nominated you
    3. List 11 facts about yourself
    4. Answer the 11 questions they have posted
    5. Create 11 questions to ask
    6. Choose your own nominations

The 11 facts:

  1. I find few things more satisfying than a cup of tea. I like mine milky!
  2. I love to knit. Scarves at the moment but I am building up my knowledge.
  3. I am a Deputy Manager of a nursery working full time and also doing a postgraduate alongside it, while commuting almost an hour each way every day. I couldn’t be happier.
  4. I love to spend Sunday’s at my best friend’s house where we watch films, drink tea and gossip.
  5. I am an avid baker, and aspire to go on the Great British Bake Off! I am always looking for bloggers who love to bake.
  6. I am currently growing my hair, which seems to be taking an age.
  7. I have seen Beyonce in concert three times, and it still isn’t enough.
  8. When I was young, during a family holiday in Wales, I slipped in a rock pool and barbed wire went straight through my foot.
  9. Rhubarb makes me projectile vomit.
  10. I love dinosaurs.
  11. I tend to get grumpy and irrational when I’m hungry. Doesn’t everyone?!

Questions:

  1. What do you like to blog about? I want my blog to be a reflection of myself and my interests; so that includes tea, baking, beauty, hobbies. I love to blog and then read about other peoples’ lives, I find the idea of friendships through shared interests on a blogging platform lovely.
  2. What’s the story behind your blog? I needed somewhere to escape to, to empty my thoughts and to create a project that was separate to my huge focus on all things career at the moment. I felt lonely at the time, and endlessly scrolled through blogs. Seeing how happy other bloggers feel through penning down their thoughts and feelings really inspired me to do the same.
  3. Where are you from? Born in Derby, I moved to Uttoxeter when I was 4. Lived in Nottingham from 18-25, now I am back in Uttoxeter while I juggle work and studies.
  4. What’s your No 1 place to visit? Brighton. Or Edinburgh. Or London.
  5. Who inspires you? My Mum. My best friend Laura. Beyonce. My manager. Taylor Swift. Medical staff, particularly those who work on A&E and midwives. Childcare practitioners.
  6. What is the one goal you are working towards? Becoming an Early Years Teacher.
  7. What is your dream bag? The classic black quilted Chanel bag.
  8. What is your all time favourite book? I LOVE Birdsong. And anything by Chris Manby. I also adore a book I have called ‘How to be Interesting’.
  9. Can you speak more than one language? Nah, but I can speak a bit of French, oui.
  10. What is currently your favourite song? Taylor Swift ‘Out of the Woods’. In fact, I just got the album and it is AMAZING.
  11.  If you could meet anyone in the world who would it be? BEYONCE. And if this means people who are not with us anymore, my Auntie June, I would do anything to see her again. ❤

 

My 11 questions:

  1. What is your biggest aspiration in life?
  2. Why did you choose to blog?
  3. Which people do you most admire?
  4. What is the theme of your blog?
  5. What would your dream job be?
  6. What is your happiest memory?
  7. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
  8. What is the top thing on your bucket list?
  9. Are you a morning or an evening person?
  10. What is on your Christmas list?
  11. What is your favourite quote?

I’m nominating:

Bambileigh

Little Laura

My Style Pages

Bows and Blush

Goingtobeatthiscancer

Love,

Sophie xxx

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20 Facts About Me

20 Facts About Me

Hello again ❤

As I sit here on my lonesome on a Friday Night I was dabbling with the idea of writing a blog post, and I realise that while I happily write here and assume people know all about me, I haven’t shared much about myself! So here’s 20 facts about me.

1. I am 25 years old.

2. I have never broken a bone.

3. I feel like I can honestly say if you are part of my small friendship group, I am fiercely loyal.

4. I get anxious about ridiculous things, and worry way too much about what people think of me.

5. I am very close to my family, they are my favourite people, including all our animals 😛

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6. My favourite film is Hercules, the Disney one.

7. I will drink tea over any other beverage. Ever.

8. In 2012 I spent six months in Sydney, Australia working as an Au Pair. The friends I made there are friends for life. They got me through so much and I will look back at our time together with a warm heart.

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9. My car is called Claude.

10. I would rather spend a night eating amazing food either in or at a restaurant than have a night out.

11. I absolutely love to bake.

12. I am training to be an Early Years Teacher.

13. I  love to knit.

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14. I love to read – mostly romantic stories. or cookbooks.

15. When I was little I did a handstand at school, my arm caved in underneath me and I landed on my face. I looked like two face. Thank goodness it didn’t scar!

16. Rhubarb makes me projectile vom.

17. I adore Beyonce.

18. I paint, and if I love you, I’ve probably painted something for you.

19. I was called Phoebe when I was born, then it changed to Sophie. My mum calls me a combination of the two: Spheeb.

20. I am addicted to beauty and lifestyle blogs and love the community, and I would love to make some life long friends here 🙂

All the people who read this I challenge you to write 20 facts about yourself!

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Sophie xxx