The Little Things That Make Me, Me
- Jul 6
- 9 min read
I have shared before about the bigger story behind Wonder & WILD, but I thought it might be lovely to zoom in a little more this time. Not just on the curriculum, the vision or the educational philosophy, but on the ordinary things too, because often those are the things that help you really get to know a person.
I am Cass, the founder of Wonder & WILD. I am a teacher, wife, mum, lover of the colour pink, cup-of-tea-first kind of person, chocolate brownie enthusiast and someone who is slowly but surely trying to remove as much plastic from my home as humanly possible. I do like coffee, and if I have one it is almost always an almond latte, but tea is my daily go-to. Coffee is more of a social thing for me, or something I reach for after one of those long nights where children have apparently forgotten that sleep is a wonderful gift.
I married my childhood sweetheart, which still feels like one of the sweetest parts of my story, and these days life is a very full mix of family, homeschooling, church, Wonder & WILD, cups of tea, children’s activities, washing that seems to multiply when no one is looking, and trying to create a home that feels warm, calm and full of life.
Education has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I am the oldest of three children, and I grew up around schools because my dad was a principal. So in many ways, I have been living and breathing education since I was born. School life was not something that existed separately from home life. It was all around us. The conversations, the people, the responsibility, the care for families and students, the rhythm of a school community. It shaped me long before I ever stood in a classroom myself.
Before I became a teacher, I worked in a few different worlds while I was studying at university. I worked in real estate, event planning and wedding planning, and I even travelled around Australia with my husband while working in PR. Looking back, I can see little pieces of those seasons still sitting inside Wonder & WILD. The organisation, the creativity, the love of beautiful spaces, the ability to plan something with a lot of moving parts and the desire to create experiences that feel thoughtful and memorable.
For a while, I thought I might become a vet, an interior designer or an architect. I loved animals, houses, design and beautiful spaces. Honestly, I still do. Interior design is one of my favourite things, and if you give me a room to reimagine, I am very happy. But I could never shake how much I loved children. I loved their joy, their honesty, their questions and the way they see the world. More than anything, I wanted to do something that helped people deeply. I wanted to help children become the best version of themselves, not just academically, but as whole people. That is what drew me into teaching.
When I was a student myself, my favourite subject was Visual Arts. I loved the creativity of it, the freedom, the problem-solving and the way an idea could become something you could actually see and hold. But as a teacher, my favourite subject to teach became writing. There is something so special about helping a child realise they have something worth saying. Writing is not just spelling, punctuation and paragraphs. It is voice, thinking, imagination, confidence and learning how to communicate what is inside you. Watching a child go from “I do not know what to write” to proudly reading their own words aloud is one of my favourite things in the world.
These days, our mornings usually begin with my husband’s eggs on toast. He takes the breakfast shift every day because I do most of the other cooking, and also because he genuinely loves cooking. I love that our children see him in the kitchen. I love that they are growing up watching both of us contribute to the rhythm of the home in different ways. I usually have a warm cup of black tea, and then depending on the day, we might be rushing out the door to tennis, gymnastics, ballet or church.
On the days we are home, our mornings often begin slowly with open-ended play. It might be playdough, the mud kitchen, little worlds being created on the floor or children disappearing into their own imaginary games. That kind of play matters to me. I do not think every moment of childhood needs to be scheduled, structured or turned into a lesson. Some of the most important learning children do happens when adults step back a little and give them space to create, pretend, explore and solve problems on their own.
People often ask when we actually homeschool, and the honest answer is that we do not have one locked-in plan. We go with the flow of our family life. A great time for us has been the middle of the day while our youngest is napping, because the house is quieter and we can focus. On rainy days, we often do more because we are inside anyway. On busy days, we might do less. That is part of the beauty of homeschooling. It does not need to look identical every day to be working. A good homeschool rhythm is not about copying someone else’s timetable. It is about finding what actually works for your family.
Food is also a very happy part of my life. I love my chocolate brownies, and I am not even going to be humble about them because they truly are the best ever. I also love a good pasta, and there is not much better than a lamb roast done well. Our home is the kind of place where food, family, conversation and children moving in and out of the kitchen all belong together. I think those ordinary parts of family life matter more than we sometimes realise.
Outside of Wonder & WILD, I love 4WDing, camping adventures, horse riding, interior design and a good date night out with my husband. Date nights are something we have prioritised for our whole relationship. Since having children, the regularity has changed because we genuinely love being home with our kids, but with grandparents just down the road, we try to have them pop over at least once a month so we can get out together and have some proper quality time.
I also love a good comfort show. Friends is my favourite, and I have watched it through at least ten times. I love a sweet reality show like Farmer Wants A Wife too, but I do not do scary shows at all. I only watched Harry Potter for the first time in my twenties because I was genuinely too scared before then, which probably tells you everything you need to know.
Faith is also part of who I am. I am a Christian, and that shapes the way I see children, family, education and purpose. I believe children are deeply valuable, uniquely created and full of potential. I believe parenting is a privilege, childhood is worth protecting and education should help children grow into all they were created to be. Wonder & WILDild is used by families from many different backgrounds, and our core program is created to support a wide range of families, but my own faith is very much part of the heart I bring to this work.
One of the things I am asked about a lot is community, because homeschooling can feel lonely if you are trying to do it completely on your own. The beautiful thing is that there are so many ways to find community, and it does not need to look one particular way. Inside the Wonder & WILD private group, I have been so encouraged watching mums find each other, organise catch-ups, plan activities and even arrange trips to places like the aquarium. It has become such a lovely space because families have chosen the same program, which often means they already share a similar view of homeschooling, childhood and education.
If you are in a regional town, it is also worth looking for local homeschool groups in your area. And if there is not one that suits your family’s values, you can start something simple. It does not need to be a big co-op or a perfectly organised weekly group. In my area, I am part of a group with like-minded mums and dads, and we catch up once a month for coffee and to let the children play. It is simple, it is manageable and it is enough.
I do think sometimes we can become consumed by the idea that our children need constant organised social opportunities. Co-ops, homeschool groups, activities, meet-ups and classes can all be wonderful, but they are not the only measure of a healthy homeschool life. I know so many families who are thriving by doing their own thing and spending time with whole-family friends. If we think back to simpler childhoods, families often spent a lot of time just being together. Children played with siblings, cousins, neighbours and family friends. They were not necessarily being driven to a different organised activity every day.
Yes, we need community, but not at the expense of our values or the very reasons we chose homeschooling in the first place. Community should support the family, not swallow it. It should strengthen your rhythm, not constantly pull you away from it. That is why I love seeing Wonder & WILD families connect in ways that feel natural, encouraging and aligned with the kind of childhood they are trying to protect.
At the heart of all of this is the reason Wonder & WILD exists. I wanted a homeschool program that honoured both strong academics and real childhood. I wanted children to be taught well, but I also wanted them to have time to play outside, build cubbies, bake, read, create, imagine, get muddy, ask big questions and learn through real life. I wanted parents to feel supported without feeling like they had to recreate school at home. I wanted a program that helped families feel steady, equipped and excited about the education they were giving their children.
Wonder & WILD is so personal to me because it carries so many of the things I value most. Good teaching. Strong foundations. Creative projects. Family life. Time outdoors. Beautiful books. Hands-on learning. A slower childhood. Parents who are willing to show up. Children who are being raised to think deeply, solve problems and contribute to the world around them.
So when people ask who I am, I suppose the answer is that I am a teacher who loves education, a mum who loves having her children home, a wife who starts most mornings with her husband’s eggs on toast, a Christian who believes children are created with purpose, a pink-loving tea drinker who thinks brownies absolutely count as a love language, and someone who genuinely believes homeschooling can be one of the richest gifts a family ever gives itself.
That is the heart behind Wonder & WILD, and I am so glad you are here.
And because we are friends now, and I only share this recipe with friends, here is my chocolate brownie recipe. You are welcome.
CASS' BROWNIES
The best thing in the house. The secret is two chocolates in the base and a full five minutes whipping the eggs and sugar for that glossy, crinkled top, with white chocolate or caramilk chunks throughout.
Servings - 16
INGREDIENTS
226 grams unsalted butter
180 grams milk chocolate, roughly chopped
180 grams 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
50 grams Dutch process cocoa powder
0.3 teaspoons salt
420 grams caster or granulated sugar
3 large eggs
240 grams self-raising flour
1.5 cups white chocolate or caramilk chunks
STEPS
Prep the tin and oven: Preheat oven to 160°C / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. Grease a 20x20cm (9x9 inch) square tin and line with baking paper, leaving overhanging edges on two sides for lifting out later.
Melt the chocolate base: Melt the 226 grams unsalted butter, 180 grams milk chocolate, roughly chopped and 180 grams 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped together in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until completely smooth. Remove from heat.
Add cocoa, then cool: Whisk the 50 grams Dutch process cocoa powder and 0.3 teaspoons salt into the warm (not hot) melted chocolate until smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 to 15 minutes 15:00.
Whip eggs and sugar (do not rush): Beat the 420 grams caster or granulated sugar and 3 large eggs on medium-high for a full 5 minutes 05:00, until very pale, doubled in volume, and ribbon-like when the beater is lifted. This is what makes the glossy, crinkled top. Do not skip a second of it.
Combine: With the mixer on medium, pour in the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Scrape down the bowl.
Fold in flour and chunks: Off the mixer, fold in the 240 grams self-raising flour by hand until just a few streaks remain, then fold in the 1.5 cups white chocolate or caramilk chunks until evenly distributed. Pour into the tin and spread to the edges.
Bake: Bake for 45 to 45 minutes 45:00, until the sides are set and the centre has a very slight wobble. A skewer through the middle should come out with fudgy crumbs, not wet batter.
Cool, then slice: Cool completely in the tin before lifting out. For clean squares, cut the slab into four columns, turn the board 90 degrees and repeat, using a hot, dry knife wiped between every cut.
NOTES
Cass' note: These are genuinely the best thing I bake. The secret is two things - both milk and dark chocolate in the base, and the full five-minute egg-and-sugar whip. The pockets of creamy white chocolate or caramilk against the deep dark base need to be experienced to be understood. (USA/Canada: swap the self-raising flour for 2 cups all-purpose plus 3 tsp baking powder plus 1/2 tsp salt.)