Tools, tips and education to help you live the life you choose

Have you ever tried your hand at creating some of those 'creative' cakes, you know the pirate ship or the princess or just simply dressing up a cake with various piping and bits and pieces?  My experience leads me to admire some of those fancy creations you see in shop windows and magazines even more.  Like a lot of things it's not always as simple as it looks.  Check out the end of the post for my latest creation.

As this book explains cakes and cake decorating has been around for centuries, not always in the same format as we know today.  In times gone by producing an elaborately decorated cake helped your social standing and skilled sugarcrafters (cake decorators) were well regarded.

The book goes through all the different occasions we provide cakes for nowadays and the types of cakes you expect to see at them.  It also discusses the three main schools of cake decoration, the Wilton method, the Lambeth method and the Australian method.

Tips on how to make your cake are provided, after all although it is important that it looks good but it should also taste delicious.  The information on types of icing and how to ice give you some basics to start with.

Having given you a good background in Cake Decoratng the book then discusses the options for furthering your education.  And then if you are having success you can start your own business and advice on this is included.  You could have your own cake decorating blog!  Don't laugh, there are many stories around of people who started their cake decorating by doing a cake for a child's birthday or a family occasion where others have seen it and asked them to do one for them and so on until they have ended up starting their own business.

As a bit of an aside and inspired by the book and some of the tips I went searching for something to send to school for Son's birthday last week and I found these.  You get ice cream cones, put your cake mixture in them and then cook them.  Lastly you put some frosting on top and swirl it round a bit to look like ice cream and hey presto!  Apparently they were a big hit at school and all disappeared very quickly.  No, I don't think I am anywhere close to starting a cake decorating business but it was a bit of fun.

 Good luck with your creations and don't forget to post your comments or tips below, maybe you have a favourite recipe of idea to share.

Do you ever seem to run out of time for everything, feel pressured and stressed because you just don't seem to be able to get everything done?  I think nowadays that this is becoming more common as so many of us have more demands on our time.  Time Management Secrets for a More Results Oriented Life is our ebook to help you with these issues.

Time is your most valuable resource.  We all get the same amount of time every day, the only difference is how you choose to use it.  Time management is all about organising your time so that each decision you make is constructive, useful and beneficial.

Does this mean that you can't spend time talking to Sue or having a cuppa with John?  No, if you decide, after looking at all your tasks and their priority that these activities are important and can be fitted in then go for it.  It is all about being in a position where you know what you need to do and when, you are not going blindly from one task to another.

I can almost hear people out there saying things like, she just doesn't understand, I simply can't fit everything into my day, it is not possible.  It is this feeling and limiting belief that stops many of us from getting things done.  I know myself when you have a whole series of things that need to be done and more keep popping into your head as you start to try and think what you should be doing.  You go into overwhelm and mayhem and can lose a lot of time panicing as opposed to doing.

So what should you do? (more…)

Have you heard it said that we look like our dogs or vice versa?  While I have seen some funny photos to illustrate the point I would have to say that it is not always the case – I certainly hope it isn't in my case, although we are both starting to show some grey hair!  More to the point I think most of us choose a dog to suit our temperament or lifestyle – or we should do to ensure our lives together are more amenable.

Nowadays there are so many breeds out there to choose from, you just need to think about what it is you want, big, small, quiet, boisterous, long or short hair and so on.  You are sure to find something that suits.  One of the dogs that is often in the top 10 breeds chosen around the world is the boxer dog.  Our book Boxer Dog Secrets: The Ultimate Guide to Make Your Boxer Happy, Healthy and Obedient gives you all the information you need if you are considering or already have a boxer.

So what are you in for if you choose a boxer? (more…)

Whether you live surrounded by acres of garden or just a balcony or window box, I think it is difficult to match the joy and fascination of watching a butterfly, bird or some other animal enjoying your garden. Mind you the other day as I walked through the garden with Him and he nearly stepped on a snake it wasn't exactly feelings of joy that ran through my mind.  However to balance that we do get flocks of galahs and parrots and other birds enjoying the garden – until the Dog wakes up.

Gardening is one of the top leisure activities in the world and for many it provides a good source of exercise and can be a great stress reliever.  For others of us, it is just something that has to be done.  The good news if you fall into the second category and would like to attract more wildlife into your garden is that the type of garden you need to create doesn't need tons of maintenance.

So how do you get the birds and animals to choose your garden to visit? (more…)

I spent some of my childhood growing up in a little village on the coast of Norfolk in England.  One of my fond memories of that time was walking to the bakers on some Saturday mornings.  If we timed it right we could get there in time to get fresh bread rolls that were still warm.  I can remember hurrying home with my brothers to see if we would be allowed to attack the rolls while they were still warm, pulling them apart to devour the warm, doughy bit inside.

When I grew up it was before the days of breadmakers at home.  If you wanted to make your own bread it meant doing all the kneading by hand, sitting the dough in the sun to rise and so on.  My Dad used to make bread sometimes and I can remember that it wasn't an easy job.

Now we are spoilt, just tip a few ingredients into a machine, press a few buttons and come back in a few hours to find a beautifully cooked loaf.  We can sometimes forget that these machines can make more than just your plain white or wholemeal loaf, they can do as many doughs or breads as you can dream up.  If you can't think of many then check out our book, it has over 150 recipes, all suitable for making in your bread maker. (more…)