Girly time with the sisterhood of family

Do you have any plans for the holidays yet? Some of my kids are happy to just veg out at home, while there are those who want to be 'doing'! And a mix of both can be great for holidays, especially these shorter ones in the cooler months. I'll admit, I'm a 'do-er', so even a day puddling around at home is spent repainting furniture, organising a cupboard long left to cluttering, sewing or gardening. These are great opportunities to spend time with your kids. And of course, there's cousins to come over and play with (we are blessed to have so many that live close by)!

Our family has a wonderful annual tradition that connects the women/girls of the family. Every year we head off to the big Craft and Quilt Fair in Sydney. It's a beautiful mix of generations - grandma, aunt, nieces, cousins and even a 'baby' cousin this year! Our girls have been going with us since they were babies, and this year, they were just at the age (nearly 11 years old) where it was a day they seemed to have grown into. The interactions between the younger girls and the older women were something special to be a part of. We saw our girls acting as caregiver and babysitter to a younger cousin, they were inspired by the various crafts and skills they saw demonstrated (and got to have a go at), chats over lunch and a morning cuppa, the long train ride there and back home ... I walked away feeling like it had been a day where relationships were deepened, not just a day of inspiration!

So, what was so great about all of that?
1 Deepening relationships - After reading Steve Biddulph's facebook post from 24 May 2014, I was reminded that my role as an aunt is very important. Here he noted two main factors in the deterioration of young girls' mental health were the over-sexualisation girls are bombarded with, and the disappearance of adult women in their lives. Today's girls spend 80% LESS time with older women in their families, than previous generations!! Do you remember all the time you spent with your aunt, grandma, older cousins? I do! And I look back at those with great fondness, and the women who spent that time with me, are still significant in my life today! I want that for my daughter, and my nieces! In fact, I'd decided that these holidays, despite all I felt I needed to do to catch up on life, I would make an effort to do more 'auntie' stuff. My nephews are having a sleep over. Of course, there was the craft fair, too.

2 Sharing time over the skills you enjoy - Out of the craft fair, grew something I wasn't expecting. I've done sewing with nieces before. I spend time doing crafty things with my daughter. But, at the craft fair, I realised how important it was to the little girls, that I was interested in sharing my skills and passions with them. We saw beautiful handbags all through the craft fair, so I suggested that we buy a few small treasures, and then spend a day making a bag each during the holidays. The following day my niece asked her mum if she could have the day off school to come to my place to sew her bag! Do you have skills or passions you could share with a niece or young girl in your life? It may seem even mundane to you, but the sheer fact of taking time out to be with them speaks volumes of the value you place on them being part of your life. And one thing I've found as a Home Ec teacher, is that kids open up and share while their hands are quietly busy. This is a chance to discuss those really important life topics, and you'd be surprised at how easily it is the children who open up these conversations when they are quietly working by your side!

3 Glimpses into the inner beauty of your girls - I loved watching my daughter and niece throughout the day. How often do we get a chance to just be observers of our children? My heart was warmed to see their manners in action, their kindness and generosity with each other and with their young cousin, their excitement and enthusiasm over simple things (cute dolls, crafts they'd like to try, even the jellyfish they saw in the harbour as we walked past!), their imaginations ticking away as to the possibilities they could see (along with that attitude of - 'I can do it'). And to not just see these, but to speak to the girls about how I loved seeing their inner beauty.

So, what might you do these holidays to spend time with the young girls in your life?
Here are some ideas:

• Visit a local historical house - great opportunities to look at beautiful china, dresses, old-fashioned anything! And, chat about what it was like being a girl growing up back then, how it is different now ..
• Bake at home - go through recipe books together and pick out your baking (and it could even be part of the fun, to go to the shops for any special ingredients that might be needed), and spend a day inside baking.
• Window shop at your local handcraft markets, or a 'funky' mall - enjoy the moments of dreaming together of what you'd like to buy, the inspiration you have of how you could decorate your room, or even ideas of what you could go home and make!
• Do an op-shop crawl - set a budget - it might only be a few dollars each, and see what treasures you can find at a few different op-shops.
• Take a train trip or a ferry ride - not just to get to a destination, but for that to be the main purpose of the trip! On a cold winter's day, it can be fun to rug up and be outside. You could even stop at a café at the other end for a hot cuppa, before making your way back home. There's bound to be interesting sights and quiet moments for conversation. In NSW with the Family Sunday Funday train tickets, this can be reasonably cheap, and a great option for the whole family to be a part of!

Do you have any other great ideas? You might even want to plan ahead for some of them, so you're not distracted by washing that needs doing, or rooms that need tidying! We hope your holidays are full of wonderful connectedness with the women in your family and social network!

It's busy, busy, busy for us this month! Our launch last weekend, and then off to the NNSW Big Camp!

A great big THANK YOU to all those who came and supported us at our launch! It was a wonderful morning, and we hope you all enjoyed it!

For those who didn't make it, we celebrated our first upcoming year in print with a craft for everyone to do, a facebook interaction, taking a photo with a life-size Amelia paperdoll, and some 'tricks' performed by Andy Matthes!

Tammy, our regular pets contributor, even had two bunnies for the kids to walk around with and hold!

We'll have some more photos to share later.

If you're coming to Big Camp, we'll see you there! Make sure you pop in and say 'hi' during Super Sunday and do a craft with us!

Woven in time

Ever tried your hand at weaving? I've always enjoyed it, and been fascinated with all the different weaving techniques. Nothing fancy, mind you - I've just never had the time to learn that! I think what has attracted me most to weaving is that you're actually creating your own fabric! Even if you're using old fabrics to weave with, a completely new, original, unique fabric is made.

From small to large, any weaving project is going to take time and care. Not only is there the planning, gathering your resources and organising your space. The weaving process itself is laborious. If you were to weave something for someone else, how often do you think your mind would wander to thoughts of them, while your hands slowly worked away.

And, it's that kind of image that comes to mind when I read Psalm 139. Imagine the God-dreams of who you were going to be, all the little bits He added in make you who you are, before you were born.

We've included a small weaving project, suitable for a young girl to have a go at, in our upcoming issue of Amelia Magazine.

You can subscribe to Amelia Magazine at our online store here

Crowning Glory

What is your 'crowning glory'? We often think of our hair. But, it is also something that is important or a priority. For you, is it your intelligence, athletic ability, beauty? Or, is it that you are the daughter of a king - God. Think of yourself as a daughter of God, and does that change how you think about who you are, or how you think about those around you?

We took on this theme in our Summer issue and really enjoyed putting together these 'crowns' for a little princess! They're so cute, I wonder if I could get away with wearing one out and about!

Being Brave

In our previous issue we take bit of a look at being brave. Bravery can come in various forms and might need to be used in any number of situations.

We have a wonderful article from one of the ministry partners at Brave Enough. Dannielle Synot shares with us about bravery in friendships. And, we have some stories about brave women, including one of the many brave women in the Bible - Rahab. To go along with the story we have a free printable playset you can create so you can re-tell the story!

Mini adventures for Spring

We live in a world where we all feel time-poor, and robbed of the precious times we would love to share with our kids. Amongst all the busy-ness of daily life, it can seem such a chore to do those fun, exciting and connecting activities we dream of - they always seem to have so much planning, organising and time.

In our current issue, we've encouraged young girls and their mums to take 'mini adventures' that are quick, simple, yet still give an opportunity to take time out together, creating memories and building relationship.

I still remember, as a child, going 'yowie hunting' with my mum, aunt and sisters, up in the Watagan Forest. Not only was it a wonderful time bonding with each other, but it grew our creativity, encouraged us to take note of all the things around us and created life-long memories! Something I've done with my kids, too, and they love it!

Here are some free printable cards you can print off and keep on hand, when you feel the urge to take a 'mini adventure' without stress and hassle - we've done the thinking for you already! All you need to do is grab a couple of things and you're all set to go!

Enjoy your memory events with each other! We'd love to hear some of the stories of your mini adventures you have!

How to . . . cherish mum & daughter time when school returns

The bliss and carefree-ness of summer holidays is over, and once again school returns, along with the hectic lifestyle it often brings. Oh, how sad to see those long days of togetherness start to disappear.

Parents know all too well how little time we have with our children, to build the bonds of strong relationships with them and to cherish those special moments. And, don’t you just feel that at times, school gets in the way of that? Back to homework in the afternoons, music practice and lessons, you might squeeze in dance lessons or sporting activities, and then there can also be church clubs and activities that will once again start up for the year.

Here are some simple, fuss-free, small-time things you can do with your daughter, to spend quality time together, even when things seem too hectic!

1 Paint each other’s nails

You could do this while cooking dinner together, or watching TV with the family. If your school has a no nail polish rule, just do toenails – and seeing as they’ll only be out and about at home, try different colours on different nails!

2 Stop off at a park or lakeside on the way home from school

It doesn’t need to be a long stop – maybe even just time for a push on the swing, or a quick toe-dip in the water at the lake. We’re trying to get into the habit of keeping a couple of towels in the car boot just in case we’re inspired to do such a thing in the spur of the moment!

3 Have an afternoon tea snack together 

If you’re home before your children arrive, it’s lovely to have it ready on the table for them when they walk in the door. Something simple like a smoothie, milo, crackers, carrot sticks and dip, or a cookie is just as nice as a treat that is more special. Do your arrival routines first (school bags in rooms, lunch bags emptied etc) and share the day with each other before heading into homework and practices. If you can catch your children when they first come home, they are more likely to share more of their day with you.

4 Do homework as a family at the kitchen table

I did this growing up, and did it with my children, too. It allows you to keep an eye on the work they are doing, and to be readily available when they need help. Actually sitting at the table with your children lets them know you are right there when they need you.

5 ‘Just because’ gifts

I read this somewhere on the internet and loved the idea! It can be a great way to pick up spirits if someone is having a bad day, or for those children whose love language is receiving gifts, it is an inexpensive way for them to feel loved. A ‘just because’ gift is a little gift given ‘just because’ you love them. I don’t do this all the time, but every now and then will buy a multi-pack of small chocolate bars and hand them out over a couple of weeks as my ‘just because’ gifts.

6 Do a simple craft together

A simple craft, that can be kept with all that is needed for it and pulled out to spend even 5 or 10 minutes at a time can be fun to do together. Ideas could be making a felt pin cushion, beading a necklace or making loom bands. Keep everything in a snap lock bag or sewing basket – pins, needles, threads, stuffing, fabric, buttons etc, can all be collected at the start of the project and put together so you don’t need to hunt them down everytime you want to work on it!

7 Colour in together 

Great for a rainy day and something that a busy mum can put down at any moment if something needs to be done for dinner, or another child helped. There are some great, rather detailed colouring in pages you can download from the internet, or you might come across a detailed book in a cheap shop or craft store.

8 Cook tea together

Great for learning new skills, talking quietly together and it’s a task you need to do anyway!

And when you are too tired or stressed to think creatively, if you have made one of our bucket lists, you can always refer to that! Craft kits for this are available at $18 each + p&h. Simply contact us at ameliaforgirls@gmail.com or pm on facebook Amelia Magazine.

 What’s your favourite quality-time snippet your family enjoys? We’ve done afternoon tea for the last 10 years and I just love it! When all my kids were little and I wasn’t working much, I would have something home-baked every day (oh, how did I do that!), but now that I have two teenagers, they are usually more difficult to keep at the table – it’s usually a quick conversation and a snatch of afternoon tea, then they are keen to get to their quiet space in their room and do homework in peace! Mind you, those old habits are hard to get away from and there will be days that we have a lovely time around the table together!