2014 Favourites!

HELLO

I have been pretty quiet these past few weeks (read: not posting at all). I guess you could say I'm enjoying holidays a lot. Heaps. Doing nothing is so good that I can barely find the energy to blog, I guess I am soaking up all my "nothing to do" time before uni goes back at the end of Feb. But I told myself I would slowly start doing things again, rather then only watch the Sons of Anarchy series (I'm a little, okay VERY obsessed). 

Here is a little review of our year in 2014. 

I decided to pick my favourite moments from each month. 

J A N U A R Y

Celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary (!!) by spending the day at the zoo.

F E B R U A R Y

My (not so) little brother moved into his own flat with his fiance.

M A R C H

Spending time with (some of) my cousins!

A P R I L

We never ever go to the movies, but we saw Noah and it was soo good!!

M A Y

 Weekend at the farm to see Benn's cousin get married, such a magical wedding!!

J U N E

First fire of the year. There is something so great about seeing and smelling a fire in your house during Winter.

J U L Y 

Going back to the Temple after 10 years, what a beautiful site.

A U G U S T

We did do lots in August, but I need to post this photo again, LOOK at my babies!! So cute.

S E P T E M B E R

My beautoful grandmothers 80th and spending it with my whole family. I can't wait to get copies of all the pictures!

O C T O B E R

 Celebrating our sister-in-law's 30th birthday. Happy Birthday Kim!

N O V E M B E R

Watching Vanessa and Alex get married was so wonderful!

D E C E M B E R

Decorating my house with all things CHRISTMAS!!

12 Days of Christmas | DAY 12: The greatest gift

To finish this 12 days of Christmas series I would like to remind you of the greatest gift this Christmas. 

Amongst all the hustle and bustle, crazy gift purchasing and wrapping, millions of people and sticky tape used, I would like to take the time to remind you of the reason for this special season. The greatest gift of all cannot be bought, nor was it wrapped in fancy paper and sticky tape.

The gift that was given many many years ago and the reason for our celebrations.

A gift of life, a gift of love and a gift of sacrifice.

Jesus Christ is the greatest gift and because of him we can all be saved. 

What better gift is there then to remember and honour his life this Christmas season? 

Embrace the gift.

Share the gift.

But most of all, be thankful for the gift.

12 Days of Christmas | DAY 11: M + M Jars.

Being students, we are both in pretty tight budgets, especially this time of year. So extravegant presents are kind of out of the question for us. But it's giving th gift that I love, not nessiecarily what the gift is.

I saw this poem online and really wanted to make a little gift of M+Ms to go with it:

M+ M Christmas Poem

As you hold these candies in your hand

and turn them you will see,

the M becomes a W, and E and a 3

E is for east where the star shone so bright

M is for the manger where baby Jesus slept at night

3 is for the wisemen bearing gifts

W is for worship!

I saved some salsa jars, cut out some Christmas fabric to glue on the lid. Filled it with M+Ms, added the poem and I was done! Such a simple gift with a bigger meaning. Plus, who doesn't like chocolate right!? I hope my family enjoy them!

**Spiritual Thought**

Don't forget to watch "The Christmas Story" before December 25th and remember the real purpose of this time of year.

 

12 Days of an AUSSIE OSBORN Christmas: DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | DAY 8 | DAY 9 | DAY 10 | DAY 11 | DAY 12 |

12 Days of Christmas | DAY 10: Peppermint Candy Cane Brownie Slice

I wanted to make a yummy Christmas treat to take to the in-laws place on Christmas day. So of course I had to trial it over the weekend ;) I got the inspiration from this over at "Our Best Bites". It's basically the exact same thing, except I changed the recipe a little bit. So either one would work fine.

The idea is that you make a rich choclate brownie base, a strong peppermint middle layer, then anothe rrich chocolate icing on top. It was so rich, yet so delicious. I see it as a win, cause that means I only have 1 (or two) pieces, rather then 10! It might even last longer then a few days in my fridge, but I will see...

 

Ingredients

**Brownie

• 1 cup plain flour
• 3/4 cup self-raising flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 250g melted butter

**Slice/Icing layer

•  2 cups of icing sugar
• 3 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 table spoons of milk
• 2 tea spoons of peppermint essence
• 1 drop of red food colouring
  **Note: The above ammounts will depend on how thick you want this layer

**Chocolate Top layer

• 1 cup Icing sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tablespoons of milk

Method

1.  Melt butter (allow to cool for a few minutes) and add in sugar, stir contantly to combine.
2. Add eggs one at a time, stiring each one through before the next
3. Combine flours and cocoa in a bowl and stir together
4. Add butter/sugar/egg mixture to dry ingredients
5. Stir through until completly mixed
6. Add in vanilla essence
7. Transfer to an oven safe baking pan and cook for 35 minutes at 150 degrees
8. Whilst brownies are cooking add slice/icing ingredients together in a bowl
9. Stir through to desired consistancy (it needs to be like a thick cream)
10. Once brownies are cooked remove from over and allow to cool COMPLETLY (very important)
11. Spread evenly over cooled brownies and place in the fridge to chill again while you do the final choclate layer
12. Next, combine the choclate icing ingredients together, this one you can have a little more runny. It helps to pour it over the middle layer and it doesn't need to be as thick
13. Once the peppermint layer is slightly hard, pour over final chocolate icing
14. Sprinkle on some smashed up candy canes and you are done!

 

**Spiritual Thought**

Check out these amazing voices

12 Days of an AUSSIE OSBORN Christmas: DAY 1 | DAY 2 | DAY 3 | DAY 4 | DAY 5 | DAY 6 | DAY 7 | DAY 8 | DAY 9 | DAY 10 | DAY 11 | DAY 12 |

Alice in Wonderland

Alice.

Our beautiful gorgeous, spotty girl.

 

You have probably seen photos posted every now and then and maybe I have written about her once or twice. We got her in Victoria in Feb 2011, when she was 8 months old, as a friend for Chloe while we were working 16 hour days. She was the most lovable dog, funny and so smart yet so ditsy. We used to call her "Alice in Wonderland" for that exact reason, she was always off with the fairies. She came from a home with 6 other dogs and was not well looked after, so we were ready to give her LOTS of love, and lots of love she got! 

Unfortunately she passed away almost 2 years later, on December 21st 2012. It really left us heart broken, 4 days before Christmas and 3 weeks before our wedding. It was so hard, we love our dogs like children and it really felt like we had just lost one. It still gets me a little teary to this day.

I have been wanting to write about Alice for some time now, but haven't been able to. So I thought 2 years on was time, she was a big part of our lives and will forever be remembered. We have photos of her all over the house, so it's about time I had some on the blog!

Some cute stories about Alice;

• She gave great hugs. She would put her two front paws/arms on your shoulders and nuzzle her head into your neck
• She loved squeezing up next to you on the couch and would do the same thing for a cuddle
• Our bed was her favourite place to sleep, Benn's side to be exact.
• One time I was heating chocolate hot cross buns under the grill and as I was walking up the hall I saw her run out of the kitchen. There were now now hot cross buns under the grill and Alice was licking her mouth all over. I'm pretty sure she burnt her tongue! So she ended up with some cold milk as well. It was a little funny and cute.
• She would eat ANYTHING. She would vacuum the house with her mouth, no crumbs could hide from Alice. She once even ate a chili and started whimpering. Once again, cold milk was needed
• She LOVED milk. More then water. 
• We used to call her "Alice Malice" - no idea why
• She would eat anything put in front of her. 2, 3, 4 dinners if you gave it to her. One time she vomited and then ate that too. Seriously Alice!?
•  She was terrified of swimming and didn't know how at first (she came from the middle of the country). But once she figure it out nothing could stop her in that water
• She loved ball games
• She was a serial hole digger
• She yawned so loud. It was like she was yelling, it's impossible to describe in words and I wish we had it on camera
• She "danced". You could put your arms up in the air and start dancing/jumping around and she would join in by doing the same on her back two legs. Another thing I wish we had on camera.
• She LOVED riding in the back of our ute. She walk run to either side (she was hooked on by a chain) and constantly howled. Non stop. Then if someone was driving behind or next to she would do a weird cross between a howl and a bark.

Chloe and Alice were the best of friends. Always sleeping together and spooning like this haha.

 

 

I love this photo of her and Chloe in their pj's. Alice LOVED her pj's. We lived in Victoria and it was super cold, whenever we got it out for her she would jump around all over the place then run over and sit at our feet. Once wearing it she would roll around everywhere with the biggest smile on her face! So cute.

 She loved the Chloe and the puppies. She even got milk when the puppies were born!! Yes you heard that right!

Here is a video I found of her stealing a container so she can lick all the flavour out!

When she was in trouble she knew it. She wouldn't look you in the eye and turn away from you it was so cute it was hard not to laugh!

 She LOVED the lake and would swim the whole time when we were down there. The first time she saw the water was hilarious. She lifted her paws right up them smacked them back down, whilst trying to catch the splashing water in her mouth. She was one of a kind.

She loved sitting up and lying down  like a real person, mostly laying on her back on the couches or our bed.

 

Forever in our hearts. 

 

 
Forever in our minds.

 

Forever in our family.

Alice

  

Hope your enjoying wonderland you beautiful spotty girl. 

 We love you.