See My Footprints...

pumpkin picked

2012-02-13T15:57:00.003+08:00

Michael picked this one yesterday...

tried to weigh it on our kitchen scales but the scales don't go that high in measurement. It's heavier than 4kg of flour anyway. I had 4kg flour in one hand and the pumpkin in the other and the pumpkin was still heavy. Not bad for a self sewn pumpkin.

I want to try and pick the next ones to store, so have been reading up on that. It's pretty cool, to be able to store a pumpkin in the way they can be. In the meantime Sunshine soup here we come!

In the garden - what's growing and how big it is so far

2012-02-04T13:43:00.008+08:00

just some pics to share

the pommegranit. There are four new flowers on so we'll get 5 so far from this plant that's not even been in the ground for 6mths.

Diggers Sweet Chocolate capsicum. Something different

I would definately not say we grow enough to provide all our f&v, but the things we use often - lettuce, tomato, spring onions, basil (thanks Andrea!), parsely, chives, silverbeet we generally manage to avoid buying from the shops, and give some to friends/family. The rest we use as it comes and goes and it's just lovely to eat REAL fruit and veg.

the lemonade tree. This fruit came on right after it was planted (around Christmas 2011) and there has since come a new flower and fruit. The rain and humidity is having strange effects in the garden, methinks.

This tree also has the benefit of being watered by the bathtub bed. I hooked up a piece of old downpipe (complete with the 'elbow' it already had on it, which was very handy) to underneath where the bath tub plug hole is, and almost all the water once it's 'fed' the bathtub plants, goes to the bottom of the bath, down the downpipe and then to the lemonade tree.
Twice the use for one lot of water. Triple the use if the bath tub bed is watered using the water collected in the tub in the kitchen sink.

larger pumpkin a bit more grown up from this post. It truly is invisible once the pumpkin vine leaves and the grass cover it over. The vine itself is planted in the vege bed, and it's overhung down the sides. I trained it 'round' the bed (it's an oval purchased colourbond one, all our others are home made rectangles) and it's lapped itself and is heading round again lol it's a good way to keep the vine 'contained' in a way.

the 'no idea pumpkins' from this post when they were still liddle... these two above and this one below

the sweet and stripey baby cucumbers, similar to much bigger one from this post - they are meant to grow up to a metre long!

below is the cucumber that's been named 'the wart that fell off the witches' nose' lol. We planted three varieties of cucumber, the sweet and stripey above and two others that I can't remember. This one is still small so will 'outgrow' it's witchiness.

The new tomatoes are in. Beams yellow pear, red globe, red cherry, yellow cherry, green zebra stripe, Tigerella and borghese something else. Purple dragon carrots are in, as are round orange carrots, NZ spinach (warrigal greens), more tomato, and a heap of lettuce. Oh, and more capsi, eggplant and some flowery kinda things.
Also in are purple podded pea Dutch and lazy housewife bean (thanks Andrea!).

There's more to go in. The corn finished and I attempted to weave a basket from their leaves and stalks but no real luck... though I am getting better and figuring out what definately doesn't work.

There are materials aside for four new vege beds. I am keen to see how much of our own we can grow when these four are in... I am working up the courage to get the angle grinder out and see what I can do. But worried I'll stuff it right up and the materials will be wasted. Will see if I get plucky enough to do it this week!

Thanks to my assistant with the 50c piece!

sweet n stripey

2012-01-31T20:21:00.006+08:00

Sweet n stripe - that's what it's called anyway, seeds from Diggers.
and it's what I found when I pulled the first of the corn stalks

hiding it was! this is a standard 'tradie' type tape measure, if that helps. The photo is dodgy because it's a photo of the photo I took on my phone while our camera was out of action.

cutting for salad

Now thinking about it and re-reading the seed info, they can get to 1m long lol

half way through using it for salads.

so this one still had a while to go (which I was wondering about as one end is much thinner and 'younger') and could have gotten MUCH longer again.

yes... still burning

2012-01-30T23:40:00.006+08:00

last update I had was here. The fire has now eaten TWICE that...
link to ABC news story. Because there's been nothing on the commercial channels and nothing on the news otherwise.

the information I have now is that the number is
almost 700,000ha burnt. seven. hundred. thousand. hectares...
gone.

but because it's not the city, and because it's not 'important' people
and they're not wearing fancy dresses up a red carpet
and it's not a story about gas plant set to make squillions for the Government
it hasn't made the news.

catastrophic fire warning issued (3 days ago)
Countryman, 672,000ha (26th Jan)

Go to FESA site for the latest updates.

Chuffed. Our first corn on the plate

2012-01-24T23:21:00.005+08:00

Well no one told the corn plants they were meant to be dwarfs. I have been (im)patiently checking since the silks died and finally got to pick a few today. There's a few more to come...

we won't get lots off them... there's not that many plants... but we'll get about a dozen. The first corn we have ever had that have 'made it'. yippee!

cooked in their covers on the bbq with dinner, and a little bit of butter afterwards.

yum.

corn, liddlekin and biggerkin

2012-01-22T18:12:00.006+08:00

Something about growing corn just makes me feel good.

and bonus for those things you never even planted, that are growing and growing well.
Like these:

Smallkin... Kent pumpkins?
or a melon?

and what's in here?

Ah biggerkin! (Jarradale pumpkin?)

I just need to be patient enough to wait until the corn are ready lol I peeked and while the silks are browned, the corn itself is still white... that said I planted three varieties and probably should check that I didn't plant one of those 'kinda white' corns haha.

pulled out one lot of finished toms, getting that bathtub bed ready for whatever goes in there next... time to go through the seed packets and see what I might like to put in. Trying to grow the 'all the time' things we use - capsi, lettuce, tomato, etc and then go from there for some fun and try new things

My rough weekly/daily set-out.

2012-01-19T11:51:00.006+08:00

This is roughly how I try and aim for 'smooth n sane'. Also, so I don't forget to do things and so that 'not quite daily' things don't get forgotten until they've not been done for months.

I tried to keep it small and simple. I also hope that if I was out of action for a little bit (or had an intensive unit for UNI), it means that someone else could pick it up and run with it - not because mine is the only way of doing things but rather because I've been doing it for a while I've had the chance to see what works and what doesn't, and what things need doing. So, a bit like walking into a job with no briefing, vs walking into a job with some briefing. You'll probably change things up a little bit but at least you had something to start with, rather than being in the 'deep end'. That was the thinking anyway + the organising value for me.

It's a combination of FLYlady and SuperOrganiserMum. The little clipboard was about $1.40 or something from Officeworks and was the only one I could find with some eco-claims on it. It's roughly half A4 size (not sure what the correct office term is for that). PS the stainless steel secret is newborn microfibre inserts from the Bumgenius nappies lol one quick wipe and it's done, no drying and no streaking).

Sometimes even if you don't get all the list done, the one benefit that does come is that you've cleared your brain of all the 'clutter'. One less thing zipping around in there that you're trying to remember. A good thing.

So the plan contains things to do daily (broken down), weekly and zones

the zones mean I don't have to list every little thing and figure out where to fit it in. I just do 15mins the 'zone' for that week - whatever it might be that needs doing.

The kids have one morning job + one afternoon job that they are responsible for.
They are responsible too for their own things (pack away after self), lunchboxes to sink (I don't wash mouldy ones, empty it out and squirt it out yourself), clothes to laundry (not in the laundry, doesn't get washed), sorting their own socks etc.
Sometimes I have to remind them, sometimes not. Sometimes it's a breeze, sometimes not. But I have to start somewhere with them, and remember that six people live here. People can pick up after themselves and contribute.

The other thing I try and remember is, even if it doesn't all get done according to the plan, that's ok. Because next week, it starts fresh. And even if it doesn't get done that week, it's on the list so it will get done eventually, as opposed to never even making a list that didn't exist, and getting forgotten to be done for months on end. FLYing means less cleaning. And for me, that means more time to do things with the kids, to bake, garden and to study.

The thing I have found (a challenge, because I am really a night owl) is that I have to go to bed earlier (than midnight/1am) and get up earlier - which has been easy enough with Master2 getting up between 5-6am but not so easy if you only went to bed at 1 or 2am. So no more of that. I also have to try and find a way to fit more study in. Starting at 8.30 weekdays means really only 2.5/3hrs available to study before I need to be in bed. I can start a little earlier on the weekend nights, but only if the situation permits. So any ideas there would be awesome.

So yes, it does all go to poo sometimes but nothing's perfect. If you've got any ripper planner/organising ideas, please do share! :)

400,000 ha burnt... and still blazing...

2012-01-18T15:59:00.004+08:00

It's been burning since New Years...
not long ago it had burnt out 350,000 ha...

It was a bit worrying how close it came in the last couple of days to Nanna's place... it has now burnt out about 400,ooo ha and is burning on roughly a 600km front, still blazing away. That is a lot of land completely cooked, and animals along the way. Nanna won't be going home until the weekend at the earliest. Stay safe to all those working in any way to do with the fire.

The fire is still not controlled and has burnt through more than 400,000ha on a perimeter of around 600km.

From the FESA website.

Still burning.
'Natural Disaster' - calls for the classification to assist those in need.
PGA calls for action

7kms from the homestead and still burning

2012-01-16T21:28:00.003+08:00

update from this post. The fire is 7km away from the homestead last I heard, near the cemetary, and still uncontrolled. Everyone is working very hard. Sadly, not one word of this fire on any of the main city news stations, and it's been burning since New Years and has burnt well over 350,000 hectares. As seen in the previous link, that's a MASSIVE amount of land...

Perhaps if it was something that people could complain about (like the effects of the floods on the bananas), things might be different. However, just because the commercial news stations don't see it as worthy of screen time doesn't mean that people aren't keeping all those affected in their thoughts. Because all those who know, are. To all those involved in fighting the fires, or in the path of them.
xo

ONE PEACH

2012-01-16T19:49:00.008+08:00

Our one, lone... PEACH. Only one but oh the aromatic sweet mmm bliss juicy-ness of it all was enough before we even had a bite! It's an 'Angel Peach' (or 'donut peach') bought for Brenna for Christmas a few years ago... it has beautiful blossoms and now... the fruit finally!

it got cut...

unlike the two last year, no bugs had gotten inside yay!

into twelve pieces lol - 2 pieces each...

pronounced the 'best peach I ever tasted' and 'very sweet and... punchy' by Master-nearly-7. I can just imagine the rush every morning to the tree next season, to see if (however many) are 'ready yet?' I can only dream of harvesting them by the bowlful! oh mmmm!

Fingers Crossed

2012-01-15T18:22:00.009+08:00

Update from previous thread on bushfire burning in the Gascoyne since New Years
this is the latest in the media now, though have just heard that
Nanna's house and the station Homestead under threat Sun 15th - waiting to hear more

6pm - informed that one of the other station owners has been over to Nanna's and picked up a few items for Nanna. Firebreaks have been bulldozed, cars moved to the flats. Word is the fire is up to the cemetary now... fingers crossed for all fighting the fires and for those who's home and livelihoods are under threat.

on the 11th Jan, 4 days ago, this is how much the fire had eaten...
if the link doesn't work, go here and click 'view' to see the .pdf.

Stay safe

2012-01-11T14:57:00.011+08:00

My Nanna has been evacuated by helicopter. Her and her little dog are safe in town with Family, although town is now on alert and preparing too, according to the news. Another station owner has been out to Nanna's to check on the chooks and houses/homestead and all ok so far. Sending best stay safe wishes to everyone. So much land and animals gone. Hopefully homes and people stay safe.

BushFire rages in Gascoyne
ABC news update 9th Jan
News Report 10th Jan
FESA Warning 12th Jan
Town update early Thur 12th.
Fire still hasn't given up Sat 14th
back within 7km of property.

First the drought, then the floods, now the fires...

A chook and her boy +

2012-01-08T20:51:00.007+08:00

Checking the blogs I visit often, Gavin did a post on 'Chickens - Return on Investment' over at The Greening of Gavin. So I visited the link he posted, put in all the info and came back with $374.752 AUD as our net profit return - or, the value of the eggs that we don't have to buy each year!

Zeke and Snow White (or Spots?), in the hammock

Of course, that's a guesstimate and the girls don't give out tax invoices...

I did my working out and numbers based on an average of 3 eggs per day, for 6 chooks for the whole year. In summer, they lay 4-6 a day but in winter or moulting, sometimes only 2 a day. So I took a rough guess and put in 3 for one day, so .5 eggs per bird per day x 365. A conservative estimate and even that has us in the 'profit' category.

Mind you, you can't value FRESH real eggs. Nor the fertiliser the chooks make and the weeding and bug clearing they do. And certainly... something I didn't forsee... they're great pets and much loved by the kids. There's something quite... satisfying sitting out with a cuppa and watching the girls do their thing. So they are valued well above their egg production alone.

Bathroom reno update - Pt1 - before, during and after pics

2012-01-05T20:20:00.009+08:00

The 'before' pics are not charmers...
a completely not used vanity cupboard because it was old, rotting etc and attracting all the not so lovelies... and well... as you can see...

the 'new' basin top sitting on top of the old one, sussing out the fit and height.

here's the 'during' for the vanity part of the reno

old vanity out with pleasure!
'New' (secondhand, $25) vanity top in (with shiny taps that work!) with DH's self-made frame.

surround on the front of the frame and tiles up awaiting grout.

the surround on the frame and the tiles up and grouted

there goes the old wall cupboard

and here's the 'after' or the 'where it's at now'... with the new wall cupboard in...

Clearly still a fair bit to do.

plans as they were before have changed. Unfortunately I can't find a corner bath to fit the original plans, so that the shower could be walk in with a glass and get rid of the curtain. So plan for a sheer/white curtain and go from there... hoping to update the bath if we can get a good price on a secondhand one. Tiles plan to be white on the wall (hoping for glass splashbacks but out of $ question), and large grey/charcoal tiles on the floor. White on the walls. More updates to come :)

SO BEFORE

AND NOW (so far!)

a coat of paint, change the shower curtain and new floor tiles in this space will work WONDERS!~
then we need to tackle the ceiling...

A new game for Christmas... wait...

2012-01-02T14:28:00.001+08:00

no... let's not reserve this game for Christmas - let's play it every night!!!

In regards to Christmas, at the end of a big family meal like that I play a game of hands up, hands down.

Before the first plate is removed from the table I ask "hands up all who ate here today". Then I say "hands down all who contributed to the cooking and preparation". Then I say "Thankyou to all those with their hands in the air who have kindly volunteered for cleanup duty".

Love it!

oh and this is exactly HOW tiny the fwog is...

2012-01-02T01:57:00.002+08:00

From this post and this one, a few people who have since seen 'the Fwog' have commented they didn't realise s/he was so small. So here's another pic. in adult hands. Small. And very cute!

Stainless Lunchboxes - reviews and lunch box ideas

2012-01-01T21:12:00.022+08:00

It's been a while since my original post 'Stainless Steel Lunchboxes Part 1 - Starting Out '
and in that time we've had the chance to give our stainless lunchboxes a thorough run between the four children and sometimes, Dad too.

Firstly, some 'ideas to pack and how' lunch box pics from this year (when I've remembered to take the photos, which is usually after everyone's already at school darnit lol so these are just the ones I managed to squeeze in in the morning). I am thankful that our School has a 'no junk, minimal processed and packaged foods' approach to lunches - and outside that most of the parents do too, or at least an 'all in moderation but not over-the-top' approach. I found it quite funny when the 'big deal' in the lunchbox was if you were lucky enough to have a boiled egg lol. Anyway, back to the lunchboxes...

Often the older children will have a larger lunchbox full plus a round full of fruit/yoghurt whatever else so they generally need two. This works well. The younger two usually only need one lunchbox.
Mr 10 year old's preference is for the Lunchbox 3-in-1 while Mr Nearly 3 prefers the Lunchbox Duo and has claimed it as 'his' lunchbox. Mr Nearly 7 has busted himself over the 3-in-1 all year so received one for Christmas just gone. Miss 12 likes anything she can fit heaps in so almost always takes two - either the Buffalo plus a round, or the Oval plus a round. Most of these pictures below show just one lunchbox (one of two for the child that likes two), or for the smaller boys who only need one/light lunch. I'll have to try and remember to get a full-bench photo when everyone's lunches are out and done, before going into bags.

Other lunchbox ideas include any thing left from dinner the night before (and we've taken all sorts!), quiche, pizza, fruit kebabs on popsticks, different fruits, nachos, tacos, wraps, yoghurt, cheese shapes (home made), home made sausage rolls, cold meats, salads, egg, all sorts of buns, rolls, breads, focaccia - you name it really it can become a lunch item.

The bigger kids used to make their own lunches (and Miss12 has done for the majority since late Kindy/ early Primary) but I am enjoying trying out different things and presentation so I do it unless they specifically want to make their own (which does happen). When I was really really sick last year, the bigger kids did their own and helped the younger ones, which was lovely from my spot on the kitchen floor!

Mr Nearly 7's Kindergarten class also provided morning tea so he only needed to take his lunch and they eat at the table with proper plates, bowls and cutlery so I needed to keep that in mind as they transfer their lunches to their plates most of the time.
Mr Nearly 3 liked to have lunch in a lunchbox just like everyone else, even though he was/is still home with me. Also means that when the 'I'm hungry' rolls out around morning tea time, he's sorted and I just pull it out of the fridge. Should probably do the same for myself eh! As you can see we had tomato in the garden all through winter and into summer this year, so they were almost always in the lunchbox... It seems I also didn't take many pics of the rounds in use, or the other lunchboes... but these will give an idea... so just a few pics from the year of lunches.

Lunchbots Trio
Lettuce, cheese and mayo wraps + fancy cut cherry tomato
oat biscuit and sultanas and dried apricots
apple

pancakes are always a hit

Lunchbots Trio
Prunes, cherry toms, home made choc muffin
carrot skinnies and home grown lettuce
Ryvita

Stainless Round
apple and orange

Lunchbots Trio (on home made PUL lunchbag)
sandwich squares
home grown cherry toms and snow pea
home made muffin
home made pasties

I have found this the best way to pack cut orange and apple. The citrus in the orange stops the cut apple from browning and like this, looks really appealing too! Another option for cut apple is to sprinkle cinammon on it - it covers up any browning, and tastes great too :)

Lunchbots Trio
Orange
cucumber, capsi and home grown cherry toms
green and red cut apple

Eco Lunchbox Oval
home made pizza
home made aeroplane gingerbread biscuit

Lunchbots Trio
cherry toms, celery, carrot
orange
cheese sticks, blanched almonds and sultanas

EcoLunchbox 3-in-1
Red and green apple + orange
mini salad - cherry toms, capsi, cucumber and cheese stars
home made pizza
home made gingerbread (sits on the baking paper on top of the pizza)

You can be as imaginative or not, as you like. If you want to be completely mind-blowingly inspired then Happy Little Bento is the place to check out.

----------Additions to the lunchbox 'stuff' - Waste Not Saks.----------

This was for those times where I wanted to pop a biscuit on top of pizza (as you can see in some of the pics above, in that case I was using Glad Bake to separate, which I didn't want to continue to do). The Waste Not Saks keep a sandwich fresh and you can pack more 'moist' things on top, or simply separate savoury/sweet, or different flavours so they don't mix. They fit neatly into the Buffalo and the Oval and the 3-in-1 with a slight fold. They are easy to wash, just turn inside out and fasten the velcro then in the wash with whatever load.

For the stainless lunchboxes, these are what we have and my updated reviews on each.

----------REVIEWS + SIZING----------

From left to right for comparison - Tupperware Sandwich Keeper plus, Lunchbots Trio, Lunchbots Duo, the triple lunchbox, the oval with smaller round, round (with a larger round insert for size), and Buffalo. I started by selling off the Tupperware that I had and no longer used, or that I was replacing with stainless. This is how I funded the 'stainless lunch box purchase' mission!

Buffalo

lunch box from Ash n Juls, purchased Nov 2010. Ash n Juls have always given us GREAT customer service and Pei-Shan is always happy to answer questions. The site is well set out and contains heaps of information. We do really like the Buffalo box, although now and then it would be good to be able to divide things up without paper wrapping sandwiches etc - though the Waste Not Saks provide a solution for this. A very sturdy lunchbox that has been easy to take care of and has put up with some fairly rough treatment in school bags etc

Round Stainless

We also have these Round Stainless containers in all three sizes. These work GREAT for Zeke (Kindy 2011) and Quinn (nearly 3) as a lunchbox on it's own as the larger two containers have a little insert so I can put salads up the top and then muffin/bread underneath and use the little one for fruit salad. They're watertight which is a bonus as not many stainless boxes are (only the rounds). Incidentally, this is how we use them when we go camping.

They are also a great 'part 2' for the older children who like to have the main lunchbox (Buffalo or Trio) but also want something 'wet' like fruit salad, yoghurt, nachos (corn chips on the bottom, salsa on the top) etc They are easy to open and close even for the toddler, and for me one handed when I need to.

Lunchbox 3 in 1

This lunchbox actually holds quite a lot and allows for putting sweet/savoury in one lunch box without them mixing. The little rectangle container that fits inside is quite handy again for separation or for something to compliment the main area. Reasonably sturdy although one buckle went a little off through a rather rough day at work, but was easily set right again.

ECO lunchbox oval 2pc set

this one we use mostly without the small round at all, or the small round is used in another child's lunch setup/separately. When the small round is inside the oval lunchbox, because neither are square you lose a bit of functional space with things that are square like sandwiches etc. If it's things that can be moved around like salads etc then it's not so much an issue.

LunchBots Duo

this one we use for the younger of the children as it divides things neatly, is about the right size for him without waste and he likes the colour! It's also a good 'extra' to use with another larger lunchbox like the Buffalo etc where you want just a little bit more so Buffalo + Duo, or Large Round + Duo.

Lunchbots Trio from 'Living Without Plastic' blog and shop. This one is between the Lunchbots Duo and the Lunchbox 3-in-1 for me. Great to have the three divisions to keep things separate but of course restricts the size of things you can put in. I can still fit a whole sandwich in, just have to cut it down.

Lunchbags

So I decided that I would make some lunchbags from PUL *which doesn't come into contact with the food* rather it holds the lunchbox and ice bricks in a waterproof bag, and use the existing containers we had (Tupperware + some stainless) until I had sold off enough Tupperware to buy Planet Boxes. I chickened out doing zips and used my snap press instead. We also have various insulated lunchbags accumulated over the years but none are PVC-free as far as I know - there are some LOVELY bags out there though that are.

Within a group of Mums, there was some talk of a group order for PlanetBoxes and I contacted the online shop. They were very helpful in their reply, as well as giving details of what discounts for what quantity. See the site for dimensions, FAQ, video of how it all works etc. They are a pricey box BUT I reckon they'd be pretty awesome. Almost perfect in fact.

That's the extent of the funds from the Tupperware sell-off lol so that will be it for a while and definately won't stretch to PlanetBoxes so if anyone wants to organise a group order and place it - go for it but unfortunately I won't be joining you all this time... not yet anyway.

When I was ordering the lunchboxes, I found it hard to 'get' what might fit in what sizes when I look lunchboxes empty on the net, which is why the bento blog is helpful.

I've also found that while some lunchboxes LOOK small IRL, they are actually quite deceptive and can fit in a fair bit of food. I prefer the ones with latches to the ones with just lids, for security, but too many latches might be harder/fiddly/lids to lose, some might be not deep enough, need compartments etc. So something to consider when thinking about what your household needs from it's lunchboxes.

Hope this helps out a little and Happy Munching!

Tomato Frog and more tomatoes

2011-12-11T18:16:00.005+08:00

I went to bring in the tomatoes, to cut them off the plant and as I went in with teh scissors thought 'oooh, looks like a little pair of eyes in there... oh... it IS a little pair of eyes in there!'

Here's our friend the frog on our lovely red tomatoes.

s/he is just so cute! Look, all tucked up...

& just some of the harvest in the last few days. These are the massive tomatoes that I'm not so keen on becuase they usually take ages to grow and ripen. However, these were self seeded from the compost so I can't complain. Also a few cherry toms from the other plant. We also a mid size tomato plant that's just started fruiting, some other cherry ones and some zebra stripe green tomato plants that have just sprouted.

With the warm weather and a humid wet day now and then, they're having a ball.

There's more plant eating bugs in the garden this season than last year, by far. But there's also more beneficial bugs in the garden too. So I figure if I plant lots, they surely can't eat it all... right?

All hand done by Master 6

2011-12-10T10:52:00.006+08:00

Here's Zeke's craft projects he finished last week at school. He is very chuffed with it. I am very proud of him - there's a lot of work gone into it, it's quite neatly done I think for his age (6) and he finished it. It's really very sturdy and I think will hold up to it's uses well :)

front with toggle fastening

The main of the bag is done using stick weaving. The handle is done by 'twisties'.

bell detail on the front, curved lower edge of flap
and little tassles either side of the toggle closure

flap open

about to close the flap and turn the bag over

inside the bag. The bottom is the 'brown' that you can see

back of bag

a little purse of sorts - front

back

inside

and his felt-wrapped crystal treasure that goes inside it.

I am looking forward to seeing what other things the children bring home - Brooke is making a bowl in woodwork, Jake a pencil case (that he's decided to give to Zeke for Christmas), Brooke a handmade doll and I'm sure lots of other creations as well!
One more week of school to go. Am very much looking forward to the school holidays!

Sparkling Stars, Lemon Meringue, Sugar Topped and more...

2011-12-08T00:04:00.008+08:00

More baking this week for Market Day.

Lemon Meringue (creamy rather than tangy lemon curd). Brooke did the pastry, Michael did the lemon curd and I did the meringue.

before the oven
(I love the white of the whites!)

after

all cut

and ready to go

pizza of course

sparkling stars - the sparkle is just castor sugar
the dough is from the Star Wars 'Cookies' recipe that was included with the cutters.
It's a very good recipe for keeping biscuit shapes and fine details.

ANZAC biscuits (from the Women's Weekly Beautiful Biscuits book)

sugar topped banana muffins (recipe from the old CWA cookbook I think)

Not the best pics depending on the light, but a brilliant way to spend a thunder and lightning rainy day in summer!

Caught! (and zebras, plums, bees etc)

2011-11-27T11:31:00.009+08:00

Went out to water this morning and lookee what I found. Caught. BIG time!

The caterpillar had his head stuck so far inside the tomato I could hardly get him out! Comby (Comb-less the chook) finished him off.

We have a mass population of ladybugs this year for some reason - but so too with the white moth/butterfly and we didn't seem to have that much hassle with them last year - almost zero probs with the tomato plants. Also, the past season's baby wattle bird is flying in with it's parent (one dead adult bird found across the park, so maybe solo parenting) - it looks almost like an adult bird except for the fluff still between the feathers - so cute, with his fuzz and little call to Mum/Dad.

Also, the only plum on the tree this year (lots of flowers, half that of fruit, then lost almost all of them in the wind/heavy rain). The splotch on it is fine - not a bug just a spotch - or at least that's what I think as sometimes the market plums have the same splotch and they're fine.

I hope.

Just put in some stripey eggplant, brocolli, dwarf sweet corn, more lettuce and silverbeet (all colours and sizes), green zebra stripe tomato (something different to try), sweet and striped cucumber and space saver cucumber (10cm width plant). Looking forward to those coming up :)

The other garden bed is going GREAT guns and a surprise strawberry plant popped up. I still have no real idea how it got there.

Also, a new bee came to the garden this morning and completely spun me out. The bee I saw was very fast, flying from flower to flower rapidly, then 'hugging' the flower then on to the next one in quick succession. Black and white stripes, very fat compared to the bees we normally see and a long pointy thing on the front of it's face. And I could really hear the bzzzzz.
Anyway, I had a quick look around on Google and these pictures are what I saw
this
and specifically the first picture here is the 'spiky' thing which they say is the tongue
this
I had the camera out moments before but in any case it was quite fast and hard to track with the eye let alone a camera. I've emailed a few 'apiary' people to find out some more info.

They are big... but...

2011-11-26T17:44:00.005+08:00

These are the biggest tomatoes I think I've ever grown ie the fruit, not the plants themselves.
It's hard to get a good representation of it on the camera... but think roughly half the length of a Papermate pen for the biggest one of them

However... I prefer large cherry tomato size. You know, enough for one sandwich, or to put in lunchboxes (speaking of which must do the stainless lunchbox review soon), or to have a few as a snack, or when cut fit perfectly on 'crackers' with cheese... and they don't take anywhere near as long to get to full size and ripen. A quick crop.

Fruit is fruit though - I shall not whinge that they are growing so well! These ones self seeded and sprouted from whatever was in the compost. I think they're from the truss ones we get at the local market f&v shop. There is a LOT on one 'bunch' and they are big and heavy.

So we will just see if they get to ripened stage. With no chooks out the front I can really notice the 'bug control' difference, to the plants out the back. very much. Bring on the fence and somewhere to put a chook tractor out the front!

Cooked Yoda and raw Evil One - oh and shake your minifigs

2011-11-25T20:34:00.007+08:00

Results from the Star Wars 'Cookie' Cutters for a certain boy's 10th Birthday Party. I didn't think they would really turn out, you know, not quite like on the box or how I've seen in blogs but they did!

Yoda, Storm Trooper, Vadar, Bobba Fett. Cooked.
Vadar has had too much UV exposure, methinks. Faded, he is.

Yoda. Fully cooked-ed.

raw Yoda and Storm Trooper

raw Vadar (mmm sounds appealing)

Pardon my lack of Star Wars spelling.

I had seen on a blog about using green tea powder for making Yoda green but I completely forgot about it so had to use my gel colours. Ditto for the Vadar who I was going to do chocolate like this blog post did. And no icing detail. Not tonight. And I forgot to do the Sherrin football 'cookies' I had planned. Had the cutter and everything sitting in the drawer (and a footy jumper cutter too) for months... to do for Jake... that will have to be a holidays one I think.

Oh and a funny pic, blurry, of two of the characters on the cake. They just happened to be 'posed' like this when I took the pic.

Hey, you there!
[says the storm trooper to the evil one]
Then the storm trooper gets vapourised by the guy with issues.

Oh and even though I did give the mold a little bang on the bench, bang it more, next time! Here's the first go at chocolate Lego minifigs I did. I was really pleased with them (minus bubbles) and they came out of the mold very very very easily. These will be well used molds these ones!

Happy Birthday (Party) Jake. xo

eta it took a long time, much longer than said birthday boy liked, for Star Wars to come into this house. It wasn't enirely a decision I was happy with, either. But it's here now, definately. And it's his interest. And it's his birthday. And I have a two-year old who can transform carrots and can openers into light sabers. *sigh*

Simple Advent Calendar - yippee!

2011-11-23T23:05:00.008+08:00

Finally. An advent idea I know I'll actually DO! This one, from 'Little Eco Footprints' blog is one we're going to do this Christmas. Better still we can make it together, collect up the leaves, string them up and the older kids can put the numbers on...

photo credit: Little Eco Footprints

simple. no 'consumer' outlay and no 'consumerism' focus. recyclable at the end. yet still catches the excitement of the countdown. brilliant!

now... the big question. Do you start taking the leaves off at '25' ie 25 days to go (25 leaf removed), 24 days to go (number 24 leaf removed)... OR do you start at the other end... take off leaf number 1 on the 1st day of Dec... leaf number two on teh second day etc...

? LOL

Congratulations! Both babies here and all well!

2011-11-18T11:37:00.005+08:00

I am so rapt for M and her family that her two new little people

a little boy (3.45kg) and
a little girl (3.67kg)

arrived safely this morning after a normal labour lasting 3.5hrs at 40weeks+5 days. If the Google conversion chart is correct,that's 7lb 5oz and and 8lb 7oz in 'baby' measurements (they're the ones I 'get' best lol)

Initially the little girl was breach and presenting first I think, so I will be interested to hear how everything went. So very exciting! Very very pleased for you M!

Congratulations to big brother and sister, Mum and Dad and the two newest members of the Family. Job well done, Mum xo

update on the 'ID this little guy'

2011-11-16T10:35:00.005+08:00

I was allowed to take some more photos this morning. The 'silverbeet frog' as he will probably become known was out again this morning. I managed a few pics of different angles. So far as I can see s/he has 4 (maybe five, in one pic?) fingers on the front feet and three on the back?

is that maybe a fifth toe on the front foot closest to the camera?

Spiral Sprinkle biscuits + more kitchen goodies

2011-11-15T17:42:00.007+08:00

In the kitchen today

2-3 dozen Spiral Swirl biscuits...
These were inspired by 'Spiral Cookies' on Crafty Desires blog. Since they're for market day for School, I couldn't use food colouring and decided to use the Nemar all natural 100s and 1000s. So this is my version.

It's the Women's Weekly beautiful biscuits cookbook choc chip cookie recipe without the choc chips, split the doungh in half and add 2tablespoons cocoa to one batch. Then follow the recipe for the Spiral Cookies.

In hindsight, I'd have done it the other way round with the white on the outer instead of starting with the chocolate, as that would make the 100s and 1000s stand out more (they're not as bright as the ones that contain all the colours).

bulk pasta sauce - enough for four dinners &
sauce for the tortillas for dinner tonight so five dinner's worth in total... (may as well while I was in there and cutting and baking!) Each is a slightly different recipe but similar enough to cut x4 of particular ingredients and just put both pots on the stove at the same time.

A dozen gingerbread

3 dozen mini pizzas

Two dozen ANZAC biscuits (Women's Weekly Beautiful Biscuits book)

and 2 dozen banana muffins (old CWA cookbook)

The ANZAC biscuit and gingerbread dough Brooke did up the night before. The rest I did today. Feels very satisfying and productive at the end of it!

An attempt at scheduling

2011-11-11T21:12:00.007+08:00

In my attempt at scheduling (aim: more predictable, more prepared and more time-efficent to free up more time), begun this week, I am trying to pencil in the stuff I would like to do as well as what I have to do. That said there's only 24hrs in a day and 7 days in a week so it presents it's challenges!

Here's one thing I want to do. Pancake Sunday. We made these mid-week because I forgot that Coles don't stock the milk we use. So I went there instead of Woolworths so Quinn could go on the escalators, clean forgetting they don't sell the milk. So we had pancakes instead for breakfast the next day. No one complained! So I thought if I can do that on a school weekday morning, then why not on a Sun?

ID this frog please!

2011-11-11T15:13:00.010+08:00

This little guy or gal was in amongst the silverbeet this morning when I was watering. He just hopped right out past where my eyes were looking. I was quite surprised as we often hear frogs at night but we've not seen one yet.
I'd really like to know the species, just out of curiosity. The last couple of years we've noticed frogs singing in the evening where we hadn't really before for a long time. We're either doing something right or they're fast running out of habitat and have to take what they can get... or both I suppose.

I have no idea if this frog is one of the 'locals'. They all make the same repetitive regular rythmic call, much like a cicada might... only 'froggier' lol it's definately not a Motorbike frog as far as I have heard... although I did just find this pic... which is a young motorbike frog...
I've tried Googling 'frogs WA' to see what this frog is and have narrowed it down to two frogs, but I'm not sure... Spotted Thigh(ed) Frog seems most likely..?

Eta the black is just a bit of garden on the frog. :) Perhaps this one's still a juvenile and his/her colours will come through completely soon? I found this pic and think it's the closest I've seen so far but there's no name to the pic in terms of what kind of frog it is. Apologies for the blurry pic.

Either way I am rapt the frogs are here!

pizza, muffins, biscuits, gingerbread...

2011-11-08T12:09:00.007+08:00

Just a random little bit of 'satisfaction' kinda post... The last 24hrs effort in the kitchen is

4 dozen large banana muffins
32 mini pizzas
30 ANZAC biscuits
20 Gingerbread
one organic lamb shank casserole in the slow cooker
one bulk pasta sauce w veges on the stove.
plus dinner last night of course!
and we may yet have home made focaccia and salad for dinner tonight... will see. Perhaps focaccia with the lamb shank casserole... will see...

I dream of our Solar Oven so that I can do all the above without using any grid-based power... *happy sigh* how cool would that be!

In the meantime, it smells soooo nice in here! I enjoy baking and cooking and doing it in bulk really helps - the dinners for us and the baking for Market Day/teachers and us. Brooke does the dough for Market Day (Jake sometimes does shortbread) for the biscuits, the breadmaker does the pizza dough. The children 'man' the stall in the afternoons, then they receive a share in the takings, after expenses - so that's their pocket money. I like it because it means they have to do things apart from Family/team work at home, which is generally regarded as 'because it's how it works/right thing to do/contributing', rather than pocket money.

Happy baking!

Finally. Light in the tunnel.

2011-11-02T13:24:00.002+08:00

After a few recommendations by other bloggers, I too have read the book 'The Great Disruption' by Paul Gilding.

You know when people say 'if you only ever read one book?' - well I think then you would be missing out... but that aside IF you only ever read one book - read this one.
This is not another 'end of the world due to climate change' books. Not quite.

Kids. Nature. Life. Pic taken in Jurien

Simple fact is it's not about 'what doom and gloom is to come' because it's already here, we're already in it, xyz are the factors that got us here and where that will take us if left on it's current course. So what are we going to do about it?

Other reasons the book appeals:

facts. There's plenty of them.
background. Paul isn't a guy sitting in a tin shed musing out loud (hey, lots of good things come out of tin sheds but you know what I mean). He's been and seen and done and heard and taught and learnt. Everything that's out there has been gathered into one book and when you read on this stuff you want to know it comes from someone who has the knowledge, from all sides.
it's not just linear - it covers all the questions and thoughts and ideas that branch out from each of the linear steps.
it illustrates companies who think outside the box, where it gets them. The idea that sustainability oughtn't be treated as an annoying and costly compliance issue, but rather as a competitive edge in what will be a changing market (for our survival as a society/race).
answers the 'why haven't we sorted it out already' and 'what will it take when 'we' pass the denial stage'.

And I love the facts that are in it. We're already as a world operating using 1.4 planets worth of capcity. But we are only on ONE planet. That cannot, does not, and is not, working. It's simple maths, as I said to my lecturer just a few weeks ago as he challenged the notion of 'food miles'.

So yeh, find it at a library, borrow it from someone, buy it - whatever. Read it. Pass it on, share it round. However you do it (legally of course!) just do it!

I wash the bowls?

2011-10-25T21:19:00.000+08:00

this helper asked me (repeatedly) to fill the sink so he could wash his fork so he could use it 'amorrow'
then he patiently stood at the sink for about 10mins while I finished the other dishes/sorted them
then he waited again in the loungeroom while I got it ready
then he got his own chair and commenced 'washing'

not bad eh
now to train all the others who are OLDER than he is...
*sigh* LOL I do try but sometimes I just wonder where I've gone wrong.

I love 'em all and they love me (even if I'm not always in their good books, but that's ok).

I am only me

2011-10-12T11:10:00.002+08:00

I am only me. Boy does that feel helpless at times, on an earth-scale. There is so much needing doing in the world, so many wrongs to right, it's just mind blowing to try and take it all in.

I reckon there's two motivators. Money. and Love.

It takes the love for each other and the Earth, to drive consumer demand to make the companies who make the big money, change their ways.. & companies and industry will change out of love... FOR MONEY.

If we could put humans on the moon, build the Panama Canal, defeat Hitler, and rebuild Europe after WWII, why can't we unite to create a viable planetary civilization? So far, we lack not the means, but only the will and the leadership.

Matthew Stein (author of 'When Technology Fails') 'The Perfect Storm: Six Trends Converging on Collapse".

It takes the love for each other and the Earth, to drive voters to make the big changes in Government and get someone in there who isn't there for the money *ahem* (certain gas project) but is there for the RIGHT reasons.

That's what it will take.

So as a consumer, be heard.
As a voter, be heard.
And be heard louder than those who love money more than the Earth.

'Sustainable options' are no longer the options of 'radical tree swinging hippies'. They are the options of clear thinking, well informed Australians of all levels of socio-economic and educational backgrounds. It's not hard to work out there's only one Earth.

Plans from now to Dec 2012

2011-10-12T08:14:00.006+08:00

People think 'it' won't happen. 'It' already has - see this post here from the Witches Kitchen.

2012 increasing Our House Sustainability - Plans.

more water tanks/barrels. Current: 950Litres with a view to increase
fruit trees. Current: 24 trees with the rest to be in by the end of the year/early next
fruit and veg beds: current 5 + pots, with hopefully the rest to be in by 2011/2012
teeth: all defects remedied. Decreasing chance for recurrence.
solar oven: would love to make one. Not sure if I can make one to a high enough heat/standard. Can't afford to buy one, really.
pizza oven: query sustainability of fueling it, where would the 'fuel' (wood) come from?
house heating/cooling: address the skylight in the kitchen with a view to home-modifying it to be a 'roof window' [add link]. We don't have a/c or heating, but we do have ceiling fans. Investigate other non-powered options/ways to reduce hot/cold
the shed: transform to a workshop instead of the confused mess that it currently is.
Seed System: refine my seed saving, do it more, and better organise current seeds (saved and/or purchased)
drainage. Issues under the patio - install the 'floor gutter' and direct run-off to be productive.
maintenance: gutters, patio supports, unfinished projects.

I'm sure there's more to add and I'll keep adding them. Feel free to suggest or link to what you're doing/plan to do.
There's a few things that already puzzle me. The Council does put in native plants for median strips (but few people know how to use those plants - what's potentially edible/medicinal on them) but why not fruit trees (and not just olives). As I commented on Gavin's post at The Greening of Gavin, the Council has a 100 reasons why they won't plant fruit trees in median strips - people who would throw oranges at cars currently throw bricks... so you may as well at least make it edible for those who don't throw bricks.

Anyway, so I am side-tracked again.

When I'm older Mum...

2011-10-11T09:24:00.003+08:00

Tonight.
Master Quinn (2 years old).
Sitting on the lounge together, he on my lap with is head on the arm of the lounge.
Quinn: Mummy
Me: yes Quinn
Quinn: when... when I'm bigger, when I'm older, Mummy, I'm going to make dinner for you.

Quinn on his second birthday. As of this morning, he has a short back and sides and some short curls on the top n front.

nawwwwww. lol I am thinking his comment was probably prompted by my response to Zeke with his nightly review of why he doesn't like what we're having for dinner... and my response to that is often well perhaps he would like to make dinner then. and clean up. and wash the dishes... and and and... (usually I try and make minimal comment and fuss but sometimes it does 'get to you').

But still, I was quite chuffed.
Then came part 2

Quinn: Mummy
Me: yes Quinn
Quinn: when I'm bigger... when I'm older... when I'm bigger, like Pepper Pig...
Me: [grin] like Pepper Pig? right [keep going]
He grins right back because he knows he's got me right there!

Love you little man
xo

on the fruit level - suggestions for what to plant next?

2011-10-10T20:32:00.004+08:00

So this is the list of what we have at the moment:

the mandarine tree last month -all those white dot? - all flowers and now all tiny fruit

Washington orange
Naval orange (I can't remember which is which of the oranges! lol note to self to work it out hopefully one day! one of them has new tiny fruit on it at the moment)
Imperial mandarines x 4 (one heavy with fruit - a few years old, and three new ones)
Santa Rosa plum x 3 (one new, two with tiny fruit)
Golf Ruby plum
Angel Peach (a couple of years old, a few fruit on this season)
Tahitian Lime (approx 3-4yrs old always gets tiny fruit but yet to have any reach full size)
Pommegranit (second year in, one flower this year)
Dwarf Mango (recently planted)
Dwarf Avacado (recently planted)
Pinkerbelle Dwarf red apples x 2
Granny Smith Apple
Mulberry (completely loony and fruits when it likes)
Lilli Pilli (flowers and considers fruiting but then they disappear)
Lemonade tree (recently planted)
red flame grapefruit (recently planted)
Dwarf Pear Corella (recently planted)
Dwarf Pear Pretty Face (cocktail pear)(recently planted)

We're looking to put in about 7 more trees, preferably dwarf but maybe a couple of standards in there, and just trying to work out what we else to plant. I'd really like something that fruits in the middle of winter, which I am told citrus are meant to do, but our mandarine (the big one, and the only one producing at the moment) fruits either side of winter (so twice a year total). The orange is in tiny fruit mode at the moment so that won't be a winter one either. The only thing I can see in our area that's got fruit on now, is a locut, but that doesn't fruit in winter rather blossoms at the first hint of spring then comes to fruit rapidly from there.

Suggestions from Grandad and the kids have been

fig
banana
nectarine (prob need pollinator)
apricot (prob need pollinator)
locut (this one is definately on the list)
another mulberry
another pomegranit
cherry
some more oranges, different varieties
paw paw

Any suggestions would be welcomed :) Especially if you have something that grows particularly well, do tell and/OR something that fruits in the middle of winter. I suppose an alternative to that is to just plant the whole space out with raised garden beds..?

PS Niki if you're reading how's your apples going this year?

Dishwashers - do they really use less water?

2011-10-10T16:00:00.000+08:00

So we've all heard that there was a study done that said dishwashers use less water than washing dishes by hand. I've tried to find the study to have a read of it myself, starting here (please share a link if you have found one).

So far I found:
Washing-up Behaviour and Techniques in Europe
Geschirrspülen in Europa (I'll need some help to read this one!)
Is a Machine More Efficient Than The Hand?
This vs That - Understanding the Grey in Green

This site again quotes 'the reasearch'

According to researchers, a load of dishes cleaned in a dishwasher requires 37 percent less water than washing dishes by hand.

but then says

However, if you fill the wash and rinse basins instead of letting the water run, you'll use half as much water as a dishwasher would.

Well that's pretty contradictory then, to my thinking. If water efficiency was one of your aims when handwashing, you certainly wouldn't wash the dishes under a running tap! So I want to read the study and see for myself exactly what it was about and what and how it compared things - at a quick glance the lowest amount of water used was 36litres (p.39, table 8)... that's a lot of water... the test participants were asked to wash (p.32) 12 place settings each consisting of

a soup plate, dinner plate, dessert dish,
cup saucer, glass, fork, soup spoon, knife, teaspoon, dessert
spoon and additional serving pieces, in total 140 individual
items of crockery, glasses and cutlery

So I'm going to sit down one night, read the study and then I could work out if I thought it 'fit' with how we do things, and in that sense, whether for us, it would work out better to handwash or dishwasher, for the environment.

What I want to do then, is do my 'Our House' dishwasher/handwashing comparison in terms of water use, detergent use and long term costs. I figure if I stack the dishwasher as I normally would (the water etc used in that cycle is easy enough to work out from the manuf book) then take them all out and wash by hand and record water used, etc and see where I go from there.

When we go bush, we cart all our own water and I am sure that we use MUCH less than a dishwasher would, to wash our dishes AND the water gets re-used in the hand washer for nappies and clothes. I'm handwashing at the moment with the dishwasher out of action, but I plan on doing the comparison once it's back up and running.

... so really it's very dependent on exactly what you're comparing. When we decided to get a double bowl double drainer sink when we renovated the kitchen, people laughed and said 'oh you only need a single bowl if you have a dishwasher'...
well there's a few reasons we still went with the double/double combination

because dishwashers don't always work
because sometimes there's too much to fit in the dishwasher and you need/want the sink and benches clear
stuff that needs handwashing (admittedly, not much here needs that!)
so you can wash the baby in one sink and scrub his grotty shirts in the other sink - at the same time (the best stain remover I have found is cold water, Ecologic dish liquid and a nail brush).
so you can use one sink for 'bubbles' ("kids put your breakfast bowls/cooking bowls/dinner plates in the bubbles please") so that things don't dry hard on the dishes while they wait for the dishwaher - and the other sink is still free for washing veges, straining pasta etc
our sink cost us nothing, from Freecycle :)

Anyway. That's quite apart from why I started this post in the first place.

If you have any relevant links or have done this comparison yourself, please share :)

Because it's not Australia, or the US or England...

2011-10-09T22:37:00.005+08:00

"The Pacific nation of Kiribati is forecast to be the first country in the world to disappear as a result of climate change."

But because it's not Australia, or the US or England...The world doesn't care. Better put - the countries who pledged money at Copenhagen, don't care. The countries who wouldn't sign a binding agreement, don't care - oh and wait a minute... didn't that include Australia?

Do a Google Maps and see where Tuvalu is. It takes until the people there have just days of drinking water left, for it to make the news, when it's been coming for a long time.

Maybe if Barnett had to live there, or Gillard, or Howard, Rudd, or Court or any of them - maybe they would give a stuff. Maybe if there was oil there, or iron ore, or flipping gas there, someone would give a stuff. This is not a maybe, this is not an 'if climate change exists' - this is HAPPENING. now. With current predictions these Islands, the birth places, sacred places... an entire CULTURE as it exists right now, will be gone.

Maybe if the people who lived in fancy houses along the river in the major cities in Australia had to pack their own sandbags and build their own 'sea walls' it might hit home.

We know Indigenous people are strong. We have seen how much Indigenous people can go through and still be alive on this planet today but in the world 'we' live in, of technology and economies and stupid stock markets, of massive oil rigs and excessive consumption to ridiculous degrees - they shouldn't HAVE to. I want to help. I don't know the answers but there are plenty of people who have the skills, who do, and who can do something with those answers. I want our Government to help. Not half-assed, last minute help - but REAL help. Lower our emissions for a darn start on the overall scale, then help on a practical level - thoroughly. Though given Governments past and present in Australia's interactions with our own Indigenous people, I really shouldn't be surprised.

Watch the documentary that aired on SBS.
Then, certain politicians, academics and everyday people - tell me climate change isn't real. If that's where you were born, where your home was, your children were raised and your family had lived for generations - you would think it was VERY real. Instead, 'we' squabble about the 'real' causes, who causes what and how much and why 'we' shouldn't have to pay for it...

do people not get that an entire COUNTRY is about to disappear?

Do people not get the amount of damage that has been inflicted on the Earth and it's Indigenous people since 'non-Indigenous' 'settlement' and all that came with it and how it's ONLY since then that it's happened and happened on such a massive scale? ['but it's not us, we didn't do it'] When will people 'get' that just because there's no flash houses or cities [progress, progress], that the wisdom, knowledge and ability that the remaining Indigenous people have to live on and with the land, is far more valuable than any material possession? Who really then is the 'civilised' and 'smart' one, and who is paying for it.

I want out of 'this' so-called culture that 'we' live in - I want in on sustainability and balance between technology and nature. And I want our Government to see what Tuvalu and Kiribati and it's neighbouring islands need, how they want to manage things, and to HELP.

Boxing in time.

2011-10-08T20:01:00.011+08:00

After the week I had of UNI from 9.30-4.30 daily, I found that among other things (and apart from the obvious of completing another unit) it was also another window to look in at my life, from. A different perspective from which to assess things, to analyse them.
There's plenty of time while on the bus and train, to reflect, ponder, and all that kinda stuff. Or read text books... but I found I was reading without reading the text... not taking it in. So I pondered instead. For some of my thoughts, this quote summed it up

When our schedules are simple with space in between commitments, we give ourselves time to process and recharge the batteries before moving on to the next thing. I am less likely to be worried about moving on to the next thing when I know I have time before my next commitment.

In order to attend just one day at UNI, I was organising other people for school and kindergarten drop offs, pickups (thankyou S!), lunches, morning teas, fruit and notes to take, bags and spare clothes for the youngest who was going between Grandma (thankyou!) and a good Family friend C (thanking you too!), for the day, notes to the various people involved in the day, car seats swapped over or ready to go, notes on the bench for final directions for Miss12 to complete the dinner (as she had to eat before everyone else), note on the fridge re afternoon tea etc. Lunches and afternoon tea for the day organised the night before. Dinner in the slow cooker in the morning because there was a school event that night and I knew I wouldn't be home before 5.30. The weekend before was washing, clearing, washing, cleaning, washing, baking, stocking and organising - so that there were fresh nappies, wipes and clothes, enough fruit and home-baking for lunchboxes, after school etc and that the usual stock levels were there for dinners, menu plans and the like. And some one on one time with each child the night before because I knew it would be sparse in the days to come.

Then it would be get home, get dinner on, showers done, school bags and lunchbox reminders, some hugs, an argument to sort, load of washing in and a few out, check the basics for the next day for the children and the house, bedtime, stories, washup and clear-up from dinner, complete lectures from the other unit. Snack, a few minutes of 'me n a cuppa' time then in bed (hopefully before midnight) only to start the day again in what felt like just minutes later but was actually morning. etc etc you get the idea. Oh, and getting my stuff ready too lol.

Yes. I chose that for that week. But I wouldn't want to choose it all the time. It's constant breathing in and no breathing out. That doesn't work for humans as a basic (gotta breathe out!) and for me, it doesn't work in terms of balance. You gotta stop somewhere, sometime and hopefully well before the stage where the 'machine' just breaks - physically, emotionally or mentally.

But on the flip side of that... I found myself having a lunchbreak while I was at UNI. Completely as a lunchbreak. for me... [ .<----insert pause of wonder] no washing to do while munching, no spills to clear while sipping (and no little person chatterboxing, making me laugh.. which I missed) ... just a lunchbreak. 'free time'... extremely wierdly ~quiet~ time...

so I studied lol because I am too accustomed to not sitting/standing still, being idle (yet somehow I still manage to 'waste' time and procrastinate - work that out). I found myself with time to ponder on the bus rides to and from. And I got a lot done in that lunchbreak. So there was 'down time' but it was in a way I wasn't used to ('forced downtime, perhaps?), so I didn't use it as downtime... and while the day 'at home' is usually busy and sometimes really busy, and hectic, starts early and ends very late with an 'on call' wakeup somewhere in the night, it's a different kind of busy. One that allows you to create and follow your own rythym rather than being set by someone else(s).

BUT - having to fit with that 'someone else(s)' rythym made my OWN at home rythym more efficient. You know how they say 'if you want something done give it to a busy person'? Because I had so little time when I wasn't at UNI, when I was home I had to be more efficient than normal. I couldn't just 'do it tomorrow' because it had to be done in the few hours between getting home and going to bed. There was no 'space between committments'. No thorough 'breathing out'... Good for productivity, perhaps (in the short/medium term) but certainly not where I want to be long term... AND put my long-term goal clearly in it's rightful spot in my brain. At the front, right up the top - as the gauge by which to work out if other stuff is something I need or want to do on the path to getting there.

the 'IVE' post.

2011-10-06T13:00:00.002+08:00

Perspective - subjective and objective aka 'the IVE post'

Isn't it really about perspective? You can spend an hour watching a show about someone in the middle of the ocean, studying the rising temperature in the sea, the effects that has on the coral and the massive hole that's been eaten into the world's fisheries. About how things have to change, yesterday. About how much plastic washes up on the shores of different parts around the world, or at intersections in the ocean.

Then you can change the channel and see the latest 'reality cooking' show, wasting food... all for really nothing substantive in the end other than reputation and an(other) opportunity to make (more) money.

Then you can change the channel again and watch Formula One racing. Which has no substantive benefits to anyone, except again reputation and (excessive) money making.

Then you can log on and find the NSW Government wanting to get rid of feed-in tarrifs to support clean energy in it's state.

You can drive through certain suburbs and see no inkling of the water shortage that faces cities. Green green lawns, verges, median strips and tiny strips of yet more grass inbetween that. People are so far from reality with their pristine water-guzzling inedible gardens, and cocoon of superficial consumerism 'life'. I know, I fit in there somewhere too (hopefully not right up the top) but it blows my mind the lack of awareness, the ignorance the 'I don't care' - the 'ooh if I change over to eco light bulbs it will wreck paint colour on my wall'... you know? How the far-out can 'we' the world, get to where we need to with attitudes like that?

And even THAT is relative. For the bits that I do, there's a thousand things I don't. Some that I 'can't' and some that for whatever reason I choose not to. Yet compared to so many people in the world I am in a far 'better' position to do so. This society we live in takes us further and further away from reality every day... and the further away we get, the further away we continue to get. Until for some people they're so far away from 'real' life that they will never ever see it. They will be the ones who say 'I don't consider the environment when I purchase things because it doesn't effect my every day life'... but it does. It effects everyone's everday life and that's the point - it's not just about me, or you.

There are MASSIVE amount of technology at our fingertips that just need steering and funding in the right direction, to get us there. It doesn't have to be 'stone-age' OR 'high-tech consumerism' - there's a BRILLIANT middle ground to be found in there and one will assist the other. It's about balance and I've no idea if 'we' (as a world) will get there.

Brenna's Birth Date today

2011-09-21T14:15:00.013+08:00

Four years ago today, in the early hours of the morning, at 5.40am, after being induced the night before, a tiny little girl slipped from my body. The last time we would touch each other. My heart had wanted to hold on to her, refused to let go... and my body was listening. Despite three very painful (and heartbreaking) contractions the afternoon before I was still holding on... so the induction it was.

card from N today, thankyou xo

She was perfect. Tiny, yes. Delicate. But perfect. Little eyelids. Tiny toes. She just needed time to grow bigger and be allowed to live. Instead her heart had stopped. We never found out (medically) if there was a reason.

Still it catches me now and then to think that had Brenna not died, a little girl would have continued to grow inside me. Be born warm and alive, been inundated with love and little pink things and become just 'her'. Instead she lives in our hearts, memories and our 'what if's' and imagination.

Birthday cupcake toppers from Anna & Blue Paperie (free printable).

Happy Birthday Brenna...
Love, Mummy xo
& Daddy, Brooke, Jake, Zeke, Quinn
and our family and friends who hold you in their hearts.

Christmas making ...Yes

2011-09-14T09:16:00.000+08:00

I know it's September but we all know Christmas comes along faster every year and all our good intentions of a 'made' Christmas gets quished into small amounts of time or get watered down and end up not quite as we had wished.

I am liking the seed cards from Ash N Juls and I like the herb card from Biome. I've decided to do my own version of those for the teachers at school. I have a minimum of five cards to do and I want to make my own paper and disperse the seeds within it (from the bumper tomato crop we got this year!).

Been checking out some links on DIY paper making and trying to remember watching one of my Mum's friends making her own paper for her wedding invitations, when I was in primary school.

So need to come up with the mesh frame/mold and the rest I can make do with. Have you ever made your own paper and how did you go? Tips, tricks, things to avoid? Post your genius in the comments section :)

2011-09-08T15:39:00.006+08:00

Today, this morning, a much loved Mum and Wife, friend to many, part of our School Community, died... It's wrong in so many ways...

a reminder to those of us who remain on this Earth that every day counts
and that time has the potential to be so short.

Heartfelt thoughts are with her Family, who's lives will never be the same again
who have a massive gap in their lives that no one else can ever fill
and who's days ahead hold what many of us hope to never know.
xo

Funeral today 13/09/11. May the sun shine and the flowers bloom. Rest in Peace.

Bathroom Re-do

2011-09-07T11:58:00.012+08:00

When we did the kitchen, the plumber informed us that since we (unexpectedly) had to redo the entire plumbing for the kitchen, which meant cutting a trench diagonally across and through the floor in the back room (slate tile) and out to the back yard to the something-or-other, and after looking at the bathroom said, "don't do this room in a hurry because you're going to need to do the same".

Rather off-putting. BUT in the meantime, there are things that have been repaired several times over, or are just beyond repair. So the bathroom re-do is going to be 'cosmetic' and functional without touching the bones/guts of the room itself.

Currently it's an old brown/white tile on the floor like a jigsaw pattern, and an offwhite sort of tile on the wall only as a splash back, desperately in need of a paint (we patched the walls and put up a new towel rail and that's as far as we got). The old vanity is ... patchwork and old, the taps have had it, there's no working taps in the bath etc. The vanity unit is accessable to all manner of creepies and is not very functional anyway. Even just when I take the shower curtain down to wash it, the bathroom looks so much bigger... and the ceiling... well... it could also do with some light (the skylight is a definate 'one day' task, not for now) and a decent exhaust fan (like an IXL-tastic).

We are lucky to have a fabulous plumber - she's a legend (thankyou M you rock!), and to do whatever labour we're able to ourselves and source secondhand items if possible.

Here's the rough plans with the 'now' on the left and the 'finished' on the right. It might take a little while, a weekend here or there, after work/school/kids in bed here and there but eventually...

So we will:

replace vanity with corner wall mounted vanity with facia but no cupboards underneath (corner vanity purch $25 at recycle yard). Much easier to clean underneath, no lost mystery items as under the previous vanity AND enhances sense of space with no cupboard underneath. May be able to fit the clothes 'hamper' underneath (as per 2011 IKEA catalogue p...) and the step stool for the toddler.
replace shallow bath with corner bath (be visiting the recycle yard again and oh joy to have a bath where your bits don't freeze!) - which can 'underlap' the corner basin by a little if needed. This frees up floor space and means you can walk in the shower from the other end and no curtain neccesary because we will
remove shower curtain and replace with glass. Opens up space in the room and means you can 'walk in' to the shower without having to open a door at all, or a curtain or anything else - something like THIS. I've heard this approach doesn't neccesarily work BUT I know how far the 'spray' from our shower head goes out when the curtain is open and I don't think it will be a prob.
replace bathroom mirror cupboard (sourced with thanks from Freecycle) with wall to wall shelving (DIY) and mirror doors - yet to decide whether to leave one door-less as open shelving.
cupboard across the 90degrees above the 'new' corner basin
retile floor and splashbacks as required (s/h tiles). We tiled the laundry last time and it worked out well so happy to do that again.
paint.
do something with the ceiling and maybe a skylight (it's dark in there even in the middle of the day).

This is the corner all-in-one moulded basin I picked up at the recycle for $25 a couple of years ago. It's going to be wall mounted with no cabinet underneath. With a wash and a wipe it will come up great as it's only dirt and dust with the odd scratch on the edges. Still in MUCH better condition than what we have now.

Oh my... there will be shiny taps to clean (!) AND because it's all-in-one moulded that means no silicone/grout edges to clean where a basin would normally be 'set' in a vanity top. like that!

This is the frame my very clever husband built to house the above basin and mount it on the wall.

(those are the dominos on the floor that Zeke was balancing all along the frame beforehand!)

Once we're at a mid-way phase I'll post some 'before' and 'during' photos. I'd actually like to hold off on the 'before' pics until after it's done lol because the before pics look worse on a photo than they do IRL! Or maybe it really is that ... aesthetically challenged, our bathroom lol ;)

So a bathroom on a (very small) budget, that works, looks reasonable and is a space you might even be able to relax in... and that will hopefully last for years to come.

Lemons are a picking... Lemon Tart

2011-09-06T20:20:00.005+08:00

Our lovely friend A generously says 'help yourself to lemons' and I do, with thanks! They smell so gooood, so fresh, so positive so... well... good for you! I always say I'll make this or that when I have a bowl of lovely lemons, but it usually ends up being pancakes with lemon and sugar.

But not this time. I thought I'd make a Lemon Tart for dessert tonight... found a great looking recipe (Taste.com.au is usually pretty reliable) and then... it says 'refrigerate overnight'. darnit!

here 'tis ready to go for it's overnighter in the fridge.

So the crumb base was made, the 20mins of stirring the lemon curd complete and (after we all a dip with our own spoons to taste, then licked the pan clean) into the base it went, it's in the fridge ready for dessert tomorrow night. Can't wait! It's not the best light tonight for photos so I'll take some tomorrow afternoon. With the fresh lemons and fresh chook eggs, I reckon it's gonna be a beauty! If you have any favourite lemon recipes to share please do!

It must be that time of year

2011-09-04T17:38:00.015+08:00

...and a mini-food forest style (unintentional) experiment.

Symbolic of this time of year. Still cool enough that the kids need warm stuff on, but not COLD enough that Mum won't let them play with the water in the barrow, or in the pot... or get tooo bothered about jumping in puddles on the way to school hence, three pairs of Quinn shoes out to dry (and several changes of clothes during the day!) and the a few of the girls (chooks - namely Combless, Bacon, Stripey and Spots) in the background enjoying the last few rays of sun before heading off to bed.

& see all these white dots (if you click on the pic there's even more of them!)?

They're mandarine flowers. The mandarine fruited this year heading into winter and is flowering again now coming out the other side of winter. We are rapt. If even HALF the flowers get to the fruit stage that's still gonna be a lot of fruit - enough hopefully to keep the resident fruit-bat-children, happy and with some to share.

here's one of the oranges (Washington or Navel - I can't remember)

the tahitian lime

one of the plums

one of the other plums

oh... and how do chooks get around the garden? You know, when it's been a long day of pecking, scratching and eating? easy!

By Tonka! One rides the tipper and the other rides the front-end loader lol

Now, to the unintended 'food forest style' experiment. When we did the bath tub beds for the veges, I planted the tomato plants expecting them to get roughly as big as the biggest ones we had ever grown before (which wasn't exceptional, just average). Well apparently no one told these plants and they grew like they were on something - which I guess they were - prime position, perfect insulation, superb diet of compost, worm poo, chook poo, straw and whatever else. So good they grew that we had tomatoes daily from March until August (here's some pics from July), with some plants hanging on and still producing into September.

Anyway, silverbeet and lettuce seedlings went in at the same time as the tomato plants. They were soon completely dwarfed by the tomato plants and it was suggested often to me to pull them out. I said I'd leave them, maybe they would self seed and then when the tomato plants came out we'd get self sewn silverbeet and lettuce.

Better than that. Along the 'food forest' theory, when I took out the top canopy (the tomato plants that were completely finished), the seedlings underneath had just been waiting for their chance in the sun. And they went nuts. in the space of a week they went from little brother to big Daddy. The were just waiting patiently - healthy enough, but just needing the sun.

They are soooo healthy it's ridiculous.

Also we found snow peas and tomato plants go really well together, with the snow pea loving to use the tomato plants as it's 'trellis' to climb up. It's not neat rows for sure, but they love it and the bugs tend to leave the snow peas alone - evidenced by the plant getting 1m tall and more (winding) whereas before we'd never gotten past about 10cm tall plants.

In just a few weeks time, there's also something else that comes in September.
Brenna's birthday. xo

950L water 'tank' for $50+ fittings (updated with full costing)

2011-09-04T12:52:00.024+08:00

Here's our 'water tanks'. The olive barrels were sourced through J (*thankyou J for organising the barrel co-op!*). They're food grade, come with great seals and lids. They're 190 litres each and being stacked down the side of an otherwise fairly unused area of the house, they won't get a lot of traffic (except when the mandarine trees fruit!). The shade cloth you can see is to keep the summer sun out of the windows but when the mandarines are taller they will take care of that too. Anyway, to the barrels...

In progress... almost done... Just under 1000 litres capacity. Just need to tidy up around them now!

Now completely DONE (see next pic)
with taps on the ends and lids on the barrels. Debate is on whether to put a breather hole in the top of the lids but I think if they're not screwed on super tight, should be ok.

My thoughts initially were to use one barrel for SR flour, one for plain etc but I've decded to go with using them as rainwater tanks and find an option that's a little more 'easy access' for the bulk foodstuffs. Here's the almost finished project. It has just the finishing bits to do but we're already catching what falls from the sky. yay!

This house before we came was the victim of some interesting DIY work. Add to that the patio that good money was paid for was... questionable. The metal uprights go right into the ground so need replacing/stumping as they are rusting. The roof is FLAT so there is no run and on heavy rains the water runs back into the house because the downpipes are narrower than the gutters. Go figure. A short term solution was to 'open' the end of the gutter to at least allow the water OUT rather than back into the roof, since it was struggling with heavy flow to get down the downpipes.

see the size of the small downpipe in relation to the gutter

Nothing in the hoiuse, including the patio and downpipes is 'standard'. Which means when I started gathering things and working out plans for the water tank barrels, anything you could purchase retail in terms of fittings, would need to be modified. choice. not.

So I did some reasearch and came across several good sites, especially Deep Green Permaculture's and Coffee Grounds to Ground - it's really great when other people who've already been there take the time to share their setup, what worked, problems etc, so thanks to those who do!

I put together to a simple plan of joining the barrels, tap and overflow and worked out what I'd need and off to the hardware I went. As I soon found out, with the non-standard downpipes nothing was going to be 'simple'. I refined my ideas and shared them with Michael (my husband). I was determined to get the tanks done (inbetween toddler requests for 'summing to eat', school runs, baking, house/UNI/kids and all the usuals) before the rains disappeared and the heat of summer set in.

Along the way the 'let's get things done' bug took hold of Michael and the project became his and I his 'as needed' assistant. He came up with 'a few less holes to drill in the barrels' setup than the one I had thought of, and to be quite honest, got things done a lot faster than I would have. We were trying to be as budget-minded as possible in setting this up but with the amount of modifications required to the existing downpipe setup (which I was sure I took a pic of but apparently not), it was easier, simpler and less brain-fusing to replace the prior metal downpipes that had issues, with this:

rather than mess around with modification upon modification, for what was already inefficient.
So Michael replaced the non-standard metal downpipe with standard PVC that matched the usual fittings you can find at the hardwear shop. We still need to fix the 'open ended' munted metal gutter/downpipe opening at the top. For now though, the water goes in the barrels which is what we're after.

'Decibel tester' - who after putting his mouth to the elbow and 'do do do do oooooo!' and various other noises proclaimed 'it's very noisy in those barrels Dad!'

A note on the leaf filter/rain water diverter. We initially weren't going to buy one but make one. With all the other 'mods' that our initial setup plan was going to require, it was going to be a longer process. Murphy's Law was telling me that if we took too long the rains would go on strike, plus I really wanted to get it up and running.

The angle of the grill on the leaf filter/diverter means that larger items get 'bounced' or blow/flushed off when the water comes down.

Problem being that the unit as it's purchased, has only a few small plastic 'teeth' at the bottom to hold the grill in, but nothing at the top. Michael put a screw in at the top (not pictured but at the top of the grill) and now the grill rests a little more securely between the screw at the top and the teeth at the bottom.

The idea is very simple and effective and with an adaptor, fits into the PVC (which would not fit on our original downpipe anyway).

the adaptor that goes between the leaf filter/diverter and the PVC 'downpipe'

A bonus of using the barrels rather than a fullsize standard rainwater 'tank' (for what we need it for anyway) is with the taps, we can isolate any barrel should it need replacing (something falls on it in a storm or whatever) and due to their size and opening on the top they're quite easy to clean. Also, they're not one large complete unit so it's no problem to work around corners, irregular walls etc.

The stands the barrels are sitting on are bolted to the wall so they're not going anywhere.

I'll be back to put in a full costing of the project but basically the barrels themselves were $10 each, so $50 for five. That gives us 190litres per barrel x 5 so 950 litres total for $50 + fittings and time. Oh and I had a $20 gift voucher that I was able to use too, so that worked out well :)

eta FULL COSTING:
5 x $10 for barrels = $50
6 x 5.69 for taps = $34.15
1 x 6m of PVC = $13.85 (plenty left over for the next project)
1 x length black retic pipe = $7.80 (tbc)
5 x T elbows = $5.42
1 x pumblers pipe stuff (green) for the PVC = $5.97
1 x silicone (fish pond safe) =
1 x leaf filter and diverter = $28 (tb confirmed)
1 x filter/mesh lid = $14 (tbc)
1 x pk4 'saddle clips' for PVC pipe (to anchor to wall) $7.54
1 x PVC elbow $1.68
1 x PVC threaded cap (lid for bottom of the 'first flush') $3.80
1 x PVC adapter (from leaf catcher/diverter to the poly down pipe) = $2.50

TOTAL Price $174.71 (minus the $20 voucher it was $154.71 for us)
TOTAL Capacity 950 litres

The 'stands', bricks, brackets for fixing to the wall and screws etc we already had.
Not a bad option really and still far less than a retail rainwater tank and we were able to have the satisfaction of doing it ourselves... and watching the barrels fill up!

eta finally found another link that I knew was somewhere 'close by' - anyway it's this - a double array. Pretty impressive.

Redtail Ridge Organic Bulk Meat

2011-08-31T18:26:00.010+08:00

I posted on EB a while back, asking about bulk meat orders and what people had and hadn't had success with. I checked out some websites, read a few different reviews and decided the only way to know, was to try it. So couple of weeks ago, after some good recommendations, we put in a bulk (certified) organic beef order from Redtail Ridge.

image used with permission and thanks

We have not been disappointed. A cheerful Robyn arrived promptly, in a professional looking and well presented 'cold' van with the meat in boxes - well packed, individually labelled and portioned into 2-3 person serves... and the proof was in the eating. ~The meat is beautiful~.

We don't eat meat every night so our share of the bulk order will last us for quite some time... we've been growing steadily unhappier with the supermarket beef sausages and mince and I can count on one hand how often we used to buy steak because the prices were so high at the supermarket ...

well this excellent organic beef is $15 a kilo straight when bought in a 1/4 or 1/2 a side - which covers everything in the quarter of beef from gravy beef to mince to sausages right through to scotch fillet, porterhouse, roasts and the rest. The mince is lovely, the sausages taste like sausages and the steaks are... mmmm! So at $15 a kilo for organic SouthWest beef I think it's a great product and we will definately be back! When you find a good company, it's good to share I think and help put their good product out there - support local and organic where you can too.

Thankyou Robyn and the crew at Redtail Ridge!

...
Now... to just find a way to purchase a block of land down that way...

My eldest turns Twelve - Brooke's Birthday Celebration

2011-08-28T12:17:00.015+08:00

Hope you had a great day/night/morning Brooke! Brooke had a couple of her good friends over and then after dinner in the evening, the boys went home and the girls stayed for sleepover and cooked breakfast. I asked Brooke to do out a 'party plan' request list and most of her requests were met, in terms of party food, dinner (home made burgers, salads etc).

one of the birds did catch on fire shhh - roast pheasant anyone?! - and was quickly dunked in a cup of water.

Where I set up the table inside looked great with the white behind, but with the light coming in from the window behind it wasn't the best for photos. So the blues are actually a little lighter than they show here and I'm mildly annoyed I couldn't get a good pic! I also should have hung the pom poms lower (where I initially had them and the banner) but wanted to be able to fit the kids in there for a photo... apparently they're not that tall!

Anyway, regardless Brooke was pleased with it all, the colour (her favourite) and had a good time with her mates and that is what counts.

the banner is a very simple very 'rustic' one I put together with some simple triangles and printed out letters. The ribbon is the same as used to suspend the 'pom poms', that I already had in the 'wrapping etc' box.

getting ready...

tried to lighten the pic but lost some colour depth along the way
bit by bit, following the casual plan

Cake. Very simple. White top layer, strawberry bottom layer, white vanilla frosting and hand made toppers. I just chose an image from a quick google as the sillhouette for the birds and the flag is from Fog and Thistle free download. They go from 1-9 so I just printed out a little '12' and cut and pasted.

The retro blue striped straws must have had a very magic wand waved over them as I ordered them on the Wed afternoon and they arrived platinum express from Sydney on Thursday morning while I was still making porridge for breakfast! I've never had anything arrive that quick from over east before! Thankyou guys at the Party Parlour! I was also stocking up on some baking cups so it all worked out quite well.

The Party thankyous were simple cups from IKEA with contents as requested by the Birthday Girl, in cello bags and with the same Cupcake toppers cut out as squares, and a 'thankyou' cut out and pasted over the top. I figure if the kids don't want to use the cups as drinking cups they can use them on their desks for pencils etc

The 'poms poms' were going to be around $13 odd each online so I checked out the Martha Stewart site and sure enough... instructions. I did make one big one initially and that took one full pack of tissue paper. The next two I cut the laid out tissue paper from one full pack in half and made two smaller ones. For two smaller ones it was $1 each for the tissue paper ($2 for one pack, making two per pack) and maybe 10c for the florists wire per pom pom. Quite an economical decoration which could be used again, or hang in Brooke's room as is.

At one stage Brooke planned to become an ornothologist and is still very much into birds. So above we did different bird biscuits using the following cutters: goose, hummingbird, cardinal, dove and sea gull. Also there was a bowl of tiny dove biscuits. They were a standard gingerbread recipe with a little less ginger and more mixed spice.

Cupcake toppers are the Anna and Blue Paperie ones, another free download.

Here's four of them having a ball with 'The Chocolate Game' - at least one other guest is actually eating the chocolate and waiting for some one to hopefully not roll a six!

Happy Birthday Brooke! xo

Fruit trees - what's in and what next?

2011-08-21T17:42:00.004+08:00

These are the fruit trees we have in the garden at the moment. For my own record I'm listing them here but also if you have the same or other varieties and can share how they grow or ones you've heard of, please do!

yay for not having to buy lettuce

There's quite a few varieties (of apples, for example) we can't get over here due to quarantine, which is a bummer and does restrict what we can grow AND how relevant a lot of the gardening books I read are. That said, there are reasons for quarantine, I get that, so you just gotta work with what you have.

So far on our standard block with a massive peppermint tree in the middle of the back yard (great for summer shade, swing, hammock but not so great for full sun for f&v) we have in:

Washington orange
Naval orange (I can't remember which is which of the oranges! lol note to self to work it out hopefully one day!)
Imperial mandarines x 3
Santa Rosa plum x 2
Golf Ruby plum
Angel Peach
Tahitian Lime
Pommegranit
Dwarf Mango (recently planted)
Dwarf Avacado (recently planted)
Pinkerbelle Dwarf red apples x 2
Granny Smith Apple
Mulberry (completely loony and fruits when it likes)
Lilli Pilli

some of them are still quite young and are only on their first or second year of fruit this year, with a few of them not being ready to fruit for another season yet. Apart from the mullberry that is... it's loopy!

awaiting the ground

Dwarf Pear Corella
Dwarf Pear Pretty Face (cocktail pear)
Lemonade Tree

on the wish list

Locut
... still pondering a few others &
anything that fruits in winter LOL

we know a few people with massive locut trees and despite success with seedlings from their seeds, and with the seedlings growing to about a metre tall, after that they've all failed. I think it's the position we were trying in so will put the next one elsewhere and see if that works.

Also, despite having oranges and mandarines (two are just new mandarines), the mandarine fruits well before and after winter, and it seems the oranges are just coming into blossom now, as winter finishes. Our tomato plants have been producing since March and still are now although on the decline - so if we can't get any fruit trees to fruit in winter, we'll have to have 'tomato-fruit' instead I think!

My other thought was that if things kinda don't do 'the usual' in our garden maybe we should get a spring fruiting tree and see if it will do winter, or an autumn one or something. Maybe not but I can't work it out. The next thought was that maybe if I plant orange and mandarine out the front, they might just fruit in winter as they will be in absoloute FULL sun out there. So that could work really well in (unintentionally, intitially) staggering the production of the citrus fruit. Which would be cool. :) What's working for you?

Write to the Premier, Write to the Companies...

2011-08-20T21:52:00.007+08:00

From the 'Save the Kimberley' site - ( <---- links to the home page). There are petitions you can sign and letters you can send - see the right hand side 'ONLINE CAMPAIGNS'. Speak!

Despite an international outcry, the Western Australian Premier, Barnett, has offered robust support for bringing heavy industry and large scale mining operations into one of the world's last and great wilderness regions; the Kimberley, in Australia's north west.

This beautiful, untamed part of Australia is home to a vast range of wildlife, with many species under threat. It holds amazing sites of cultural signifcance dating back 40,000 years and offers the local Indigenous people the opportunity to develop many small scale eco tourism ventures and a sustainable lifestyle.

Premier Barnett not only proposes to bring development into this magnificent region, he has threatened to override the power of veto, which belongs to the traditional owners, for development on their ancestoral homelands. There is no part of this story which any person of decency would value.

In this world, there are some areas of such majesty, beauty and intrinsic value that they cry out for conservation in perpetuity. The Kimberley is one such place. You can help to keep the Kimberley wild and free by visiting www.savethekimberley.com, learning about the issues and supporting the campaign.

Thanks for helping out.

The Save The Kimberley team

The world is fast running out of places that haven't suffered at the hands of people. Let this place remain one of them.

Before After later After and two

2011-08-17T17:32:00.002+08:00

This part of the garden has seen a few changes.

The straw bale bed and how that went

the colourbond bed and how that went

then bare space again

I'd like to put lilli pilli in here but until that's possible, I've just pulled and separated some of the dietes growing in other spots in the garden. They'll thicken up and have lovely white/purple/yellow iris-style flowers.

and our two new fruit trees a dwarf mango and a dwarf avacado

next to go in (waiting in pots at the front) is two dwarf pears, two mandarines, a rosemary, another plum and... oh a lemonade tree that we thought we might try after reading Gavin's post about theirs and the juice they get from it.

Lounge progress

2011-08-07T22:44:00.006+08:00

Several rooms in the house are in the 'part way' stage of being 'done'. Not to mention the outside but that's a whole other story. Anyway... to the lounge room.

To really give the full background... when you get to the pictures, imagine a room with the far end as exposed brick, the right hand side wall covered in mirror tiles, a (once) beige old carpet on the floor and at least one door way (left wall) wasn't there before, and one part of the wall (far end left wall) was a door way... once. Oh and one rattan and gold looking ceiling fan and some wierd wierd light fittings... Yep there's been some work done in there but not for a while. It's dribs and drabs depending on the two usual factors.

The table is inherited from my Mum and Dad as the 'sunroom' table from when I was a kid. The white highback dining chairs were a 'lawn shopping' find. The two raw timber chairs were freecycle. The floor is thanks to Mum and Dad. The walls we did ourselves (and boy those mirror tiles were the only thing in the house stuck on properly and left massive holes in the walls which took Michael ages to fill layer by layer) and putting the gyprock on the end wall meant re-doing the cornice and cutting new corners.

One lounge was a Christmas gift, the firescreen is from good friends of ours, the book case was passed on to us from friends who were going away and couldn't take it with them, the tv and cabinet are hand-me-downs. The 'prints' on the wall in the 'before' pics are 3 blank canvases with some fabric I chose, that I stapled gunned on while sitting on the floor rather massively pregnant. Always the way! Anyway, the point being that you can 'make a room' without masses of money. It just takes time, patience and being willing to accept that it feels 'unfinished' for much longer than you'd like. :)

Recently, someone we know kindly put aside two bookcases for us when they were given the opportunity to rehome some furniture. The lounge room has never really had a solid 'thing' going... I've never quite worked out exactly what was missing.

Well these bookcases might be it. Okay, paint would be good but I mean in the structure of the room. Apart from that, we have quite a few books that really really need to not be in boxes (and I've given away a lot because I didn't have anywhere to put them and they weren't on my 'these days' interest and wouldn't be again, most likely... AND somewhere to put photos without putting holes in the wall. Very appealing.

I ummed and arred about a few places they could go in the lounge but none of them were quite 'it'. Then, thinking about the styling in rooms of blogs I like, I wondered some more. Then came up with this... would it fit? Would it work? So this morning, with cloths under each bookcase, I dragged a few things round. Fished out the odd socks, shoes, blocks, cars (you get the idea) from under the lounges as I moved them around, vacced and mopped and this is what the result was (nb in the 'before' photos, I have taken the curtains down to wash them so there's a lot more light in the room and in the 'after' photos, I've taken the lounge covers off one lounge, and they're in the wash... how cool, but extremely impractical, would a white lounge be there!).

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After.

I want to introduce some more black (maybe on the rug on the floor or a dark grey), some of the leaf green and ... not sure what else... still workin' on it. It'll come. Suggestions appreciated. Oh and the 'hanging thing' is an IKEA curtain/mozzie net style thing that with some internal 'walls' was doing duty as Quinn's cubby house.

Now... just needs some paint (ha! one day) and finishing 'stuff' and it would be done! There's no way we would have been able to buy book cases for this room, so we really appreciate the thoughtfulness of J&S in putting these aside for us! Thanks guys!

This Week

2011-08-03T11:02:00.009+08:00

It sounds... quite basic. I made playdough again. It's been a long time since I have made playdough... certainly compared to when my first was a baby when we made it fairly regularly, I barely make it at all now. So much so that I think at two and a half this is the first time Quinn has had home made play dough... I mean, we do other things. We do things now that maybe I didn't do at the time with my first so it all kinda balances out I guess... but there are some things I know I just don't do, or to put it the other way round, that I need to remember I want to do...

so we made it, and he enjoyed it... and still is. We went from making shapes and animals, to 'recipes' and then progressed to hills and tunnels and of course the underside of most of Quinn's cars, and their wheels, are caked in playdough.

It's a really good activity for 'that time of the night' when everyone seems to go loopy, and I'm making dinner. It's a quiet activity that requires concentration and zero zooming around the house. I like that! The recipe is on the side of the cream of tartar box/pack. Easy peasy.

bath tub tomatoes - STILL going!

2011-07-31T14:00:00.009+08:00

We planted our bath tub tomatoes in March this year and here we are about to step into August, and they are still going - both cherry toms and 'standard' toms. Not only are the plants still alive, still producing quality fruit but they still have flowers on some of them! It's nuts and we are rapt.

I'm bringing the tomatoes inside as soon as they're almost ripe, to maximise the plant's energy and ripen as much of the fruit as possible, before the plants finally reach their end time.

Although some of them have just decided to go and grow a fourth leg or something, and sprout a new plant from themselves...
In amongst it all this pea/bean is having a ball climbing to the sky up through the tomato plants and their 'stake' (stick from the park). Here's it's twiggy straggly starting off (that have nearly been ripped out so many times - let that be a lesson to me!) that look like nothing good would come of it, right..? It actually isn't even green in most parts of it's start...

and here it is... not bad eh for a 'wild sown' one -

threw the seeds in and nothing happened for ages. Then one day we noticed this one. Must've grown by stealth eh.

Unfortunately, while it all LOOKS lovely in the pics, this is the most productive part of the garden at the moment - if only the other parts of the garden were as much. We're working on the rest. In the process of that we sold the cubby house so now have a great space for more fruit trees - I'm thinking about 5 dwarf ones, which could be really good. The kids can pick one tree each to plant.

The fruit tree list currently stands at: mulberry, lime, pomegranit, plum x2, angel peach, pinkabelle apple x2, granny smith apple, naval orange, washington orange, imperial mandarine, lilli pilli.
On top of that we're limited to sunshine spots bc of our lovely massive peppermint tree in the backyard that shades the chooks and has a swing and hammock swing hanging from it... so we would plant more if it wasn't there but I can't bring myself to get it cut down. Doesn't feel right in this time when the call is 'cut it down!' for almost everythign else!

This year was the best year we've had for the mandarine. The mulberry is always nuts and fruits twice a year but the others are still early days and either none or small quantities (ie not even double digits). So I want to get more in now, so they have time to get up and running - as much time as possible. Just gotta work out what we want to plant. It would be nice to have a variety of fruits and something fruiting all year round...

Skippedy Doo-dah!

2011-07-24T17:59:00.011+08:00

click on the photo to to take you to the post. Photo used with permission, with thanks.

I have been having some serious blog-hopping fun while on the search for birthday stuff for Birthdays coming in Aug and Nov. Yes, I know Nov is a long way away (kinda) but I will probably be in exam mode then, so I thought I'd get the 'time-taking' stuff done now - finding printables, organising, sorting, working out themes etc now.

Anyway, I did find some cool stuff... and of course... the fun bit was the distractions along the way. I'm listing some of these links here today because I really like it when I come across others sharing links they like (because I'm usually looking for similar things) and because hopefully I remember that I want to do them later, when the time comes.

Very very cute 'Hoppy Easter' Cupcakes with free printable toppers and some flags to go with them!
Template to make your own cupcake wrappers (not to bake in but as an 'after' decoration) - the cool bit about this is you could use ANY scrapbooking, wrapping whatever paper so you could really match your theme without having to buy 'special' cupake wrappers.
Anna and Blue Paperie 'Happy Birthday' free printable cupcake toppers in blues and chocolate colours. Very pleased to have found these (original post) thankyou via Thirty Hand Made Days. The Anna and Blue Paperie Blog is somewhere I could spend a long time looking! there are many free printables generously shared as well - definately a blog to bookmark.
This cool biscuit blog (Cookie) where she does almost every biscuit you can think of and in the process, gives some good tips and sets your mind off flat out thinking of what you might do!
Pennant number cupcake toppers (1-9 numbers) from Fog and Thistle
Birthday Bubbles by Thirty Hand Made Days.

Save the Kimberley...

2011-07-09T14:06:00.004+08:00

Save the Kimberley from Barnett and his greed, arrogance and ignorance.

What's being done is morally, ethically, humanly and environmentally WRONG... and that's without even taking into account the questions of legality.
Being told your 'choice' is 'sell this land to us or we'll take it anyway' is NOT a choice.
Providing 'education/health' etc as part of the 'deal' is a falsity when these services should be provided regardless and are available to all Australians without having to sell out their land and culture.
We're looking at a Court Govt/Noonkenbah scenario again and that was disgusting enough. That it is happening in 2011 is beyond belief.

Stand up, make your voice heard and don't let Barnett's greed destroy the Kimberley and it's people's culture. Do what's RIGHT.

Ask Getup To Come on Board
Save the Kimberley
The Wilderness Society Kimberley Campaign

No jobs on a dead planet. No humanity when your heart is dead.

Operation... July?

2011-07-01T21:17:00.006+08:00

Well. Operation June has come to a close. Came to a close, that is, on Thursday. However, with three weeks school holidays ahead of me, I reckon July can give Operation June a good run for it's name. So I'll give it a crack. It will need to scale down a little, and prioritise tighter. Afterall, three weeks isn't like the three or so months I originally had for Operation June.

That said, I often find that the tighter the time-frame, the more I can get done. You know? When you've been here there and everywhere, to appointments and bookings and scheduled things all day and you have a small space between 1-2.45 when the toddler is asleep and before the Kindergarten and School pickup, to get 'stuff' done... and you absolutely kick bum in that 'short' time. Yes. I know it well. It's because there's simply not time for procrastination and you have a deadline. Some event or other that means that xyz cannot be put off... again... rather they must be done now.

our stainless steel lunchboxes that arrived last week. Reviews coming.

So the list starts and my aim is to tick them all off. The list goes up on the new clipboards on the fridge (that's another post)... although maybe up on here would be better? I'll let you know how I go. Climb on-board with me and post a link to pics or post on how much you've achieved. Let's inspirationally kick each other up the bum lol

Hooray for July.

What's in it?

2011-07-01T21:11:00.004+08:00

What is in it for people to deny that human beings are negatively impacting on the Earth? ...in a big way. That the damage 'we' are doing is so serious, that if we don't get our act together it will very much be a case of 'no jobs on a dead planet' bumper stickers peel off the long abandoned cars in empty streets. Seriously.

Greening of Gavin - Withholding Frustration. (video clip)

Winter in our Steiner Playgroup

2011-06-30T18:05:00.008+08:00

We attend two Steiner playgroups and this week at one, the children with their Parents and Playgroup Leader, made 'apple candles' (I'm sure there's a better word for it).

Quinn was so rapt with his. Then instead of story time, some of the older primary children came inside quietly and hid behind the screens and as each child came in to sit in the circle, the older children played their lyres. In the centre of the circle, the playgroup Leader had one candle burning, with the apple candles all around. The story of winter was told, and about having our candles to light the way through the dark and cold winter. Then each of the children's candles were lit from the main candle. It was lovely... a simple celebration of the season, really.

and of course Quinn wanted to carry his 'beshul candle from Liz' all the way to the car, through the rain (which got so heavy that we were down to 60km/hr on the freeway!) and in the car, and at Kindy pickup and and to the Kindergarten picnic... and home after school... and then when we got home I noticed this...

... hmm... apples are apples and when you're hungry... I guess... (and it did initially have two leaves, but somewhere along the way one must have fallen) and then his little hands just had to play with the candle and soon enough he came to me and asked for a bandaid for his candle... because it was broken. So after I explained that bandaids won't work on candles (he's only ever had one bandaid in his life for a little finger that wouldn't stop 'leeding') we made a new candle

and we have it lit now, so he has to leave it alone and watch it as it sits on the bench, and we will have the candle lit at dinner time. Our NOR playgroup, we had little winter gnomes to make but we were away so ours still sits as a little kit with instructions, waiting... I will hope to get there this school holidays... Every season has something to offer, Winter included. I hope Winter is kind to you and your family.

Laptop sleeve - PUL and quilt

2011-06-26T14:46:00.008+08:00

Instead of spending $30+ on a laptop bag, I made a padded bag from scraps of quilt-wadding fabric, a cute poly PUL print (that I bought ages ago from Jodie) and snapped of course with my trusty snap press (from Alex many years ago). The laptop sleeve will fit snugly inside the Westnet 'messenger' style bag that we already have, so will be well protected but easy to access.

snaps top opening

D o n e. Zero outlay for the sleeve as I used stuff I already had (and that needs using up rather than sitting there idle and dreaming of being useful). One more thing to tick off the list. (eta that apparently you can buy a laptop sleeve for around the $9-$15mark... but I still like that I made mine... and it's a nice excuse to use the funky print for ME!)

eta the green of the elephants is actually a much fresher green but I can't get it to show up right.

Stainless Steel lunchboxes Part 1 - starting out

2011-06-24T21:28:00.002+08:00

I wanted to change over to stainless steel luncboxes. There's quite a few out there to choose from. However I am not the best person when it comes to 'visualising' measurements from the screen, even when I measure them out with a ruler, it's not the same as seeing it in-real-life.

Within a group of Mums, there was some talk of a group order for PlanetBoxes and I contacted the online shop. They were very helpful in their reply, as well as giving details of what discounts for what quantity. See the site for dimensions, FAQ, video of how it all works etc. They are a pricey box BUT I reckon they'd be pretty awesome. Almost perfect in fact.

So where are we at the moment?

Buffalo

For Jake's 9th birthday last year we bought him a Buffalo box from Ash n Juls. Ash n Juls have always given us GREAT customer service and Pei-Shan is always happy to answer questions. The site is well set out and contains heaps of information. We do really like the Buffalo box, although now and then it would be good to be able to divide things up without paper wrapping sandwiches etc. This would not be big enough for Brooke (11) on it's own. Funnily enough the size provides the solution to the division (I'll cover that in the reviews).

Round Stainless

We also have these Round Stainless containers (just two - the one with the inset and a smaller one) which work GREAT for Zeke (K6) and Quinn (2.5yrs) as the larger one has a little insert so I can put salads up the top and then muffin/bread underneath and use the little one for fruit salad. They're watertight which is a bonus as not many stainless boxes are. Incidentally, this is how we use them when we go camping.

Lunchbags

Lunchbots and ECO lunchboxes

Anyway... while I have sold off some of our Tupperware there's no way I can buy 4 or 5 Planetboxes. So, I've used the funds from the TW sale to buy an ECO Lunchbox 3 in 1, an ECO lunchbox oval 2pc set, a LunchBots Duo. I've also spoken with the people at Living Without Plastic (a blog and a shop) and am waiting for these to come in, the Lunchbots Trio.

Once what I've ordered has arrived and we've tested them out for a while, I will post pics and comments so there's more reviews out there. Then we'll re-review them a few months down the track and then a year later, to see how they're holding up. Personally I find it hard to 'get' what might fit in what sizes when I look lunchboxes empty on the net, which is why the bento blog is helpful.

I've also found that while some lunchboxes LOOK small IRL, they are actually quite deceptive and can fit in a fair bit of food. I prefer the ones with latches to the ones with just lids, for security, but too many latches might be harder/fiddly/lids to lose, some might be not deep enough, need compartments etc. So I bore all that in mind when choosing the above (as none was 'perfect') and will thoroughly test them out between the ages and preferences of my guys and report back.

That's my dribbling done. Please if anyone else has stainless luncbox reviews, fire away!

Cheers
Kristy

The Bento blog has good reviews of different lunchboxes. I spoke with her and the one I wanted to know more about, the EcoLunch 3-in-1 she hasn't reviewed yet. To check out one of her reviews, just type in the name of the lunchbox in the search box on her blog. The review should pop up then if she's done one on it.

Goodies from the bathtubs

2011-06-19T16:09:00.005+08:00

Moving on from yesterday's disheartening post - which is no less true but just you gotta move on - here's some of our lovely tomatoes from the bathtub gardens. We've been bringing some inside to ripen, roughly a day or so before they're red red. While we haven't lost any to bugs or birds, but a few to a certain toddler who shall remain nameless. *ahem* so we're preserving the harvest! They go on the cake stand with the glass covers over and the natural gases do the rest to ripen them. These ones aren't quite ready yet but not far away.

The plants are still flowering and producing new fruit and it's been lovely to not have to buy tomoatoes. It's also amazing how GOOD they taste! Somehow (by luck rather than planning) with the different amounts of sunlight each bed gets, we're getting consecutive fruits rather than one massive lot ripening in a short amount of time. Pretty stoked with that.

We've also been away for a few weeks, up North, so there's some pics to come for that as well. Hope your gardens are growing well.

Is it even possible?

2011-06-18T14:25:00.005+08:00

We are Op Shop regulars, make a lot of our own various things, happy DIYers, resuables rather than disposable, try and grow our own etc. When I do shop I research usually. For groceries I online shop for the main stuff in bulk roughly once every three weeks, with f&v being from our local grocer weekly. I could go on but you get the idea. We are aware and we do aim to keep reducing our impact on the Earth. I know we are a long way away yet.

That said, I was down at the shops today... and I have to wonder what chance we really have of making a difference to the overwhelming munting of the planet that 'we' as a species are doing. Really. Everywhere I looked there were plastic bags, packaging, and plenty of completely useless indulgent consumerism. There were boxes of landfill (Huggies) being paid for at the checkout, along with the disposable everything else which was then packed in plastic bags for good measure. I was participating, really, just by being there and buying - even if I wasn't buying the overtly 'nasty' stuff, things I bought still had travel miles behind them, packaging etc...

Then there's the pictures of people canoeing through seas of plastic. Of animals dying in our leftover crud, our discarded consumption. Toxic waste spills. Really, there's thousands - endless - examples of what the human race in parts of the world is doing to kill the world for all mankind, animal and plant species.

Now, don't get me wrong. Clearly as much as I don't want to be, I am in some way a participant. I am a long way from where I want to be in regards to sustainability and what I buy. Some of it's lack of options, some of it's choice but I really do make an effort (and I know, others do too)... It's all relative whether you do a lot or not enough (and relative to what and who, as well) but I just wondered ...

overall, as a species, when plastics and chemicals and consuming is so ingrained into 'our' lives, what the heck chance there is of turning it around?

you know?

It's going to take big action. By big business and Government, by industry and by the law-makers because I think unless there's money to be made (or losses to be avoided) or forced compliance, far too many people/businesses/industries and individuals... simply don't care.

I know I know. Plenty of people DO care but that's not enough. It has to result in action, positive change, reversal. It's just every now and then you end up in that little 'holy snot how the hell can we reverse THIS'... so it's time to go visit some of my favourite Eco blogs, bake a loaf of bread (not in my solar oven but one day) and get inspired again, and back on the right mind-track.

Gavin's Post and a video within that post - 'Warning - Saracasm Alert'

Happy Birthing Day Mum for the 25th of May

2011-05-25T16:48:00.004+08:00

Happy Birthing Day, Mum for the 25th May. Sharing these lovely flowers with you, that came for my Birthday this week from Michael :)

xo Thanks Mum and Dad for bringing me into the world and raising me up.

Anti-procrastination Day/Week/month... lifestyle?

2011-05-15T14:09:00.006+08:00

It's gotta happen (stuff, that is) otherwise nothing will, right? No one will step in and do my 'to do' list for me (lotto win pending and even then, I like the satisfaction of ticking things off)... So I'm starting on my 'list' of things that I keep meaning to do but don't. This falls in line with Operation June too, I guess.

So in the space of two interrupted hours this morning I made up some lunch bags for Master W and Master B - sons of a friend. The lunchbags fit the long Tupperware Sandwich Keepers Plus lunchboxes with enough room for ice bricks behind the lunchboxes, and a little extra room for a second container if needed, a cloth for wiping hands, an apple - whatever.

If (their) Mum decides that the extra length isn't needed, it will take a few minutes to stitch and trim the end, and it will be a perfect fit. Don't look too hard at the zip stitching - it's not the best section that I took a pic of and I'm still mastering sewing without the foot-thing. The rest of it's not too bad though, stitching-wise :)

next project..!

Step by Step - as they grow/grew

2011-05-14T14:45:00.004+08:00

Here's the step-by-step bathtub beds as they've come along...

Sunday 6th March 2011

26th March

31st March, just 5 days later

12th April less than two weeks later

today 14th May

(Link to previous bath tub posts )

from two of my boys

2011-05-14T13:59:00.007+08:00

made for me by little hands with love on Mother's Day, at Kindergarten and School.

card (the inset inside the hear is rose petals ironed between two layers of wax paper, wet on wet painting for the card), rainbow drawing on the inside

From my bigger boy, he made me felted soap on a rope for the drawers, sheets or wherever you like really. I will have a nice little collection of felted soaps to keep my drawers smelling nice, as each year the children make a certain thing depending on what class they are in, they have a specific craft/making to do.

as to what's inside the little present that came with the card, wrapped in matching rose petal paper, I am about to find out right now (it was a little felted soap, smells beautiful).

I wanted to open it with Zeke but we were not home on Mother's Day and it didn't travel with us. I really appreciate the time and the care that goes into these gifts - from the teachers who bring it all together, and the little hands and love that goes into making them.

Simply stoked (staked?)

2011-05-14T13:31:00.010+08:00

I know I know. It's been mostly posts on cakes and tomato plants lately... BUT... I am so so pleased with how the bath tub tomato plants have gone.

At the moment, we have 3 tubs (one full of tomato with the odd capsi, one half with tomato half salad plants, the other half half as well)... and about 50-70 fruit on it at a guesstimate + more flowers.
Heaps more... and they're ripening up in series. noice. In fact, the pictures don't even capture half of what's on the plants. It's nuts... and I'm stoked :) I'll do a 'step by step' growth series shortly.

and, so the mandarine doesn't feel left out, here 'tis. Many of the fruits have been picked already but it's a survivor this tree.

It was threatened (by DH) to be ripped out several times because it wasn't producing (and had been in the ground for about 5yrs), then it had one year with three fruit that never went full grown, then last year had quite a few green ones but little hands picked them (darnit!) and THIS year finally... they went all the way. And they taste amazing. How cool is it to be doing up lunchboxes in the morning and to say 'go pick yourself a mandarine'...

And the tomato... the taste is NUTS.

I mean, even home grown cherry tomatoes are yum but these fruit, full size tomato, whether it's because of the good setup they're in or what, they don't just taste great, but they are more complex in their taste. More 'full' in their taste - there's a real complexity of little flavours going on in that one mouthful. Sounds wierd and all wine-snobby but it's just how it is. How it should be... really.

Oh and I wasn't going to stake the plants, remember? And probably wouldn't except the neighbouring salad plants were getting swamped and okay, I admit, they probably needed it. Well they're still going up... and up... and up. I put taller stakes in last week and think I truly will need a ladder soon to pick fruit lol

The Big Day arrives...

2011-05-09T09:15:00.011+08:00

...and what a special day it was. The weather (couldn't have asked for better), the location (Valley of the Giants) and the couple getting married. Perfect. What an awesome start to married life together, a continuation of their 'togetherness' they already had from their years together before...

Congratulations B&A!

Thankyou from both of us, from all of us, for allowing us the honour of being present for your Wedding. It was truly very special and we appreciate the effort you went to, to include us all.

~---oooOooo---~

We were very spoilt to be guests here. I liked the floor plan so much of the place we stayed in that I'd like to built similar one day when we build a place... with small edits here and there for eco-functionality.

As to the cake... here's how the cake turned out. Blueberry season apparently finished long ago (unbeknowns to me because I rarely buy them!) so there was a slight change in the top of the cake according to availability.

in the cottage room, just finished

just finished

with initials in the front of the chocolate hearts

ready for the happy couple to cut their cake

Congratulations guys - you deserve every happiness xo

Wedding Cake Trial 3

2011-04-30T09:00:00.000+08:00

Here 'tis. Cake Trial 3 presented to the Bride & Groom. The idea was to show two possibilities on the cake - the shards are on one side to see, and the hearts are on the other side to see. Still this is a trial and I've taken notes on things I would like to perfect for 'the Big Day'.
Some different views...

So I started taking photos and in the end it seemed to be that rather than shards OR hearts, that both should stay as is. So that when the Bride and Groom cut the cake they stand behind the shards side, with the hearts facing out to the camera.

So we did some trial pics and I think they looked lovely together in the pics with their cake! The full pic looks even better however I don't like to post people's face unless they're ok with it - and it's far too early in the morning to be asking just yet! Here's to smooth leadup to a wonderful day for the happy couple. xo

Cake Trial 2
Cake Trial 1

Always

2011-04-29T00:11:00.006+08:00

Even though the years have gone by, still missing you, Brenna. Never far from my heart. Your little scar inside my body is your 'place'. I can't come to lay flowers there, I can't sit by that place and cry (not in the way that people 'usually' do, though certainly I've cried endless tears from within) but your birthplace and place of last 'breath', are right here inside me that I will carry forever. No matter if I am clothes-free, no matter where on the planet I am, that little place no one can take away. It's there forever.

Your little scar is right there... next to your siblings little 'mark on the wall' on my insides. Five little 'we were here' scars. Life scars. Full of promise. Of Love. And while your ashes are here at home, I know you're here, somewhere. So much makes me think of you.

I never am far away from you. Ever.
xo Mummy

Accomplish early.

2011-04-27T11:04:00.003+08:00

Ah yes, this little extract sums it up. It's originally from Penelope Loves Lists, then guest posted on Success Your Way.

Try starting your day off with a scheduled 90-minute period of time where you work in silence on your highest priority items. No TV, no music, home phone line turned off. Most importantly, and this is really tough: don’t check your email. (Yes, I said it.) You’ll be surprised how much you’ll get accomplished in that short period of time. And because that work is concentrated on your most important tasks, that feeling of productivity will carry you through the rest of the day.

and it's so true. Be relaxed/slack for the first hour or so and it's hard(er) to get going for the rest of the day. If you just get up and get started, or walk in the door from school drop-off and get started (or both) you do get LOTS done in a short amount of time and that good feeling lasts you through the day. Mostly. :)

Wedding Cake Trial 2

2011-04-23T17:13:00.009+08:00

Ok. Wedding Cake trial two. Today's objective is to try out the three types of white 'chocolate' and see what holds up best AND to try out not just shards as I did in Cake Trial One (the method part), but also try 'hearts' and see how they go.

So to the chocolates. One is the standard 'Milky Bar' (made with milk powder, on the ingredients list), then the 'Premium Plastowe' which is made using milk solids, then the one from the Cake Supply Shop, made from vegetable fats and I am told is fresh and the best chocolate for 'cake stuff'. Basically. So I melted them each in turn, laid out as desired on trays (marked the baking paper so to know which is which). The Premium tastes creamier/smoother than the Milky Bar, for sure. I had had enough chocolate tasting after the first two so only briefly tasted the cake dec one. Lighter, I think it tasted but will have to sample again tomorrow to be sure.

At the trial on Tue, I wanted to present the Bride-and-Groom-to-be with two options, still inside the theme of white chocolate, white cake (actually, not chocolate, fruit nor cheesecake was the brief, so I chose vanilla - essentially), berries. So here's the two I've come up with. Of course, these can be put aside in favour of something else if the Bride and Groom prefer.

The shards - original design suggested by the Bride based on photos she had seen and the same as I did in trial one. Being it's a trial they're not all the way round the cake nor have I filled the top with berries although the chocolate will of course go all the way round on 'the day' and the berries will fill the centre. mmmm (nice choice guys!). It was getting late in the afternoon by the time I took pics, so pardon the lighting.

rear view behind shards.
More berries of course would fill the top centre of the cake on 'the day'.

The hearts - I thought I would just try this and see how it goes. Being the hearts are more delicate I definately need to 'stake' the berries in behind them. These hearts were done with the Milky Bar chocolate as it was the first chocolate I melted.

with a few berries behind to see the colour/structure.

Bear in mind too, that this is a single layer cake for the trial. On 'the day' it will be a double height which will really carry off the chocolate to great effect. I'll also practice my chocolate piping between now and then, and now and the 'big day'!

After 30mins assembled and at room temperature, the Milky Bar and Premium chocolate shards were both very 'relaxed' but still standing straight. The Cake supply shop chocolate shards were still nice and firm and standing straight. Big tick for the cake supply shop chocolate! I didn't think it would be all that different but after speaking to the assistant at the shop on the phone she assured me it was, and she's right.

After 60mins assembled and at room temperature, all shards still standing except for one of the Milky Bar ones. The cake supply shop choc is the clear out-performer. I did check again at 90mins however the cake had been cut and slices eaten so there goes the comparison. Someone also snuck off with a shard... *ahem* and it wasn't me.

I do know (as I expected) that I need to towel dry then air dry the outer of the strawberries for a few hours in the fridge, and toothpick them in both to stop slide and juices seeping. My worries about the shards falling in towards the middle of the cake as they did last time, are somewhat relieved by the fact that now the berries will stand behind them, secured to the cake. good good and that it's a few degrees cooler today. The location of the wedding means it should be slightly cooler again, which is a good thing for cakes at least!

I've also experimented with writing some words to put atop the cake right before it comes out. If they're done with the cake dec shop chocolate, I think they'll stand up quite well.

So on Tue, we'll be doing a Wedding Cake Trial 3. One double height cake, half in shards, half in hearts, full choc all the way round, with a full compliment of berries on top. Then the Bride and Groom can choose which they prefer.

Wedding Cake Trial 1

tiny tiny tiny

2011-04-23T10:55:00.008+08:00

what more can I say! This little guy found on the tomato plants this morning. For size comparison, I put him next to my wedding ring... and I don't have big hands lol I should have used a five cent piece or something but my ring was 'handier' (sorry!).

I don't know whether the 'number' on the inside of my ring is meant to be public knowledge but if not, someone let me know and I'll edit it out :) I am always amazed by little critters - even if I do strain my eyes to see them in action - they're so tiny!~

Craft through Steiner learning plus Easter and Eostre and other...

2011-04-23T09:27:00.021+08:00

Through the seasons, at Primary, Kindergarten and Playgroup, the children and their teachers are always doing craft. This term in woodwork Brooke finished crafting her mallet from a single lump of wood. Next term she begins making a wooden spoon. Last year's project of two matching striped knitted socks still amazes me!

Last year Jake's class knitted their own doll. This term Jake has finished making his duster - a hand made, sanded wooden handle and knitted 'cloth-head'. Now making a wrist band.

Zeke is making a skipping rope - two lots of long fingerknitting then woven together with wooden beads on the end. After that he begins his pillow baby. Brooke and Jake still have their pillow babies that they made in Kindergarten all these years later.

Playgroup always has some crafts going, mostly the parents do but the children often participate and/or watch as they go about their play. I've included just a few pictures of the most recent crafts, and will someday get around to adding in the other pics - like the hand made knitting needles the children made before commencing knitting... love the process from start to finish and they're certainly treasured items once complete.

From Kindergarten, by Zeke

A little wooly pompom chick that Zeke made himself

his basket that he wove

the handle that he fingerknit and wound round

the dyed egg with sprouted wheat (it's been sprouted for well over a week now so it looks a little unimpressed but looked awesome when it first sprouted AND so quick to sprout too).

From Playgroup through the term, with Quinn

Afloat in a little beeswax boat

a little nut baby with beeswax blossom hat

a buzzy bee in flight

right through to the 'nest' we made on the last day of term 1's playgroup... and the hand dyed egg (one for each of the children) from L the playgroup leader... Quinn loves talking about his 'special egg from [L]'.

& Mummy's attempt at a felted egg.

The layers are comprised of a nut like this one, (but you could also use any nut, especially one that is ovalish, and has texture to 'grip' the wool) then some raw wool, then some coloured wool. Each stage of adding new wool, you rub it with wet soapy hands to get it to 'felt' together. Also you're meant to add the wool in opposite directions each time you add a new layer. It's something I always mean to do more of, creating.

Speaking of which, fresh hot crossed fruit buns to bake sometime today or tomorrow. I love the 'down to earth' feel of baking, wholesome, warm. Of course, the compulsory rain on Easter looks like it will be here tomorrow - love it!

~The story of Eostre~

As a small aside (and not really anything to do with Steiner but rather something I came across on Nappycino), I always wondered about the reason 'we' (societally, as a generalisation) do eggs and 'bunnies' (rabbits) at Easter time. Darn straight I haven't seen a rabbit lay eggs. Anyway, I happened across this story, the story of Eostre, and I really appreciate it. While it's true that here in Au it's definately not spring time, neither are many of the other 'culturally-inherited' traditions seasonally fitting in Australia, but I still like the story.

So while I don't adhere to really any of the sybolic/traditional celebrations of the season, we make it Family time while still appreciating that others celebrate for their tradition/religious reasons... and while we don't neccesarily follow 'Easter traditions' we do take the time to learn/know those traditions as they are important to our friends and family. I still like the Eostre story though.

I really like school holidays...

2011-04-21T16:05:00.001+08:00

2011-04-20T14:09:00.004+08:00

I don't neccesarily like massive tomatoes but this is the size now and still getting bigger. I guess it means the plant is happy.

Tatsoi

more coming. I like the little 'upturned collars' on the fruit~

yes yes yes.

2011-04-13T07:27:00.002+08:00

The call has been coming for a while now. It's getting louder every day and occupies my thoughts more often. The beginnings of how we'll achieve it are underway.
One day... we'll be there too.

Preview - Design for Life: the Food Forest story

Lunchbag and bath tubs update

2011-04-12T00:12:00.005+08:00

Zeke's new bag for Kindergarten for his lunchbox at least. It's simply to house the lunchbox and the cold pack, without any wetness going through to his school bag. Since the children's lunches are transferred to plates at the table, he doesn't eat out of it, nor does food come in contact with it, it just keeps everything all together.

It's a basic PUL fabric from Nappies Covered, with snaps from Snaps Australia. It has a square/rectangle base so it stands up and fits a lunchbox in easier than a 'no-base' bag.

And the tomato plants in the bathtub. Here's the pic taken 9 days ago of the new garden bed setup. I'm really pleased with how it's all going and just need to get organised (yes, still) to sell the cubby!

3rd April

and the 12th April

and just some 'in the tomato jungle' pics to share.

Here are the previous posts on the bath tub gardens. Looking forward to tasting these lovely-smelling tomato fruits!

(Wedding) Cake Trial 1

2011-04-11T20:49:00.004+08:00

Wedding Cake Trial 1 - sneak peak only, just one layer. Just trying to get the hang of the technique for the 'white chocolate walls'. Not sure what the official 'cake' name is for that - planks? More research required. Anyway, first attempt. I wanted to see how much chocolate I'd need, how thick to make it, best way to get it laid out, how long it needed to be set for, how long it would stand before drooping, best method of attachment etc.

I have a second option cake that I will try out when I do Cake Trial 2 (so will be two cakes for Trial 2) - this will be almost a full layer, with berries as desired by the Bride-to-be and I may need to look at cake stands. I need to see how much juice the berries give out, how much of it comes through etc. Then Cake Trial 3 will be afternoon tea with the Bride&Groom to be, and they can see, taste and choose. It also gives me the chance to trial the transport arrangments, packing the different parts of the cake and how long assembly on-site will take. It's an important day, and I want it to be 'right'.

I can see...

2011-04-08T22:55:00.005+08:00

THE TABLE! The sewing table that is! yippeee! onward and upward to finish projects. It's not a perfect space by any means, it doesn't have any shelving (it's not a tall wall behind), in fact the wall still has remnants of the doorway that was bricked in when we did the kitchen reno (add it to the 'one day' list, right?) ... but it's a clear space... and that in itself makes it a good space. Ready to take on some 'doing' stuff... of which there is plenty!

The sewing machine is the one my Mum had since I was a Baby... when Mum finally upgraded to a current model for her Birthday, from Dad, I was lucky enough to inherit the 'oldie' and it's a good one too. Had it's service and still chugging along nicely.

The overlocker I bought myself with my very first ever tax return. I made heaps of tracksuits for my (then) first child with it, as well as endless things since including HEAPS of nappies.

And random pic, we had two (family friend) children over the other day as we do same time every week, and this was the lineup of cups for warm Milos... it made me smile so I took a pic

That's just enough cups for the children & I. lol
Anyway, this weekend will be quite the 'different' weekend but there's plenty to do. I have the 'first draft' of a cake I am honoured to be making for a friend-couple's Wedding. I want to do that this weekend so I can make the second draft for tasting in a week or so, before the final cake to be made in May. I just hope I can meet the expectations/hopes/wishes of the Bride and Groom! Wish me luck!

'The Village'...

2011-04-08T14:31:00.001+08:00

You know, the story goes that 'if only we still had the old fashioned village' - where the neighbour could mind the baby, where people regularly caught up and shared, transport etc you know the deal - oh if only we had that life would be so much easier. How our cities and towns aren't really set up for that now - rarely do you know many people who live within walking distance of you, ditto for school, shops and the 'basics' that we use each week... let alone know or actually like your neighbours... there's plenty of people you like but none of them live close, but you want to 'Village'...

So I had that in mind. How could we get that village happening when the 'structural' side of things was so different? I was also thinking, why do we wait until our friend's Father dies, before we all pitch in together? Why does it take a tragedy or a massive life event (new baby, perhaps) before we offer a little bit of relief to each other?

So then I thought - well so what? So what if we don't all live within walking distance of each other. We might not have those conveniences but we have others and we all have unmet needs or things that we find challenging. Things that would be so blissful if someone else could help us out and us, them in return.

So the deal is this. Do something that helps out someone else, without it increasing your workload unrealistically. So if you are already at home with your children, then it's not too much out of your week to mind someone else's children as well. But it would be not in keeping with the theme of The Village, for example, to turn down much needed work when your own Family is short of money, in order to pick up a litre of milk for a friend. See? It has to be a good balance but it doesn't need to balance on the scales. Minding one person's child might not seem the equivalent of cleaning their kitchen, but when you haven't slept for 4 nights or you've hurt your back and can't clean, it might very well seem like gold! You don't need to spend money (though you can if you want/are able to) to do this - it's really about giving of yourself - your time, talents or produce. You don't need to keep tabs on who does what if you're happy not to. I think eventually the world sorts it out anyway but that's just me.

So a friend who dislikes baking - you might make up some muffins or cook them dinner, and they in return who are already doing the school run (where it's hard for you because the baby sleeps) might bring your children home twice a week. That kinda thing. Use our 'modern village'. Maybe you might like to do something for someone and just leave a note 'From your Village'. I guess it's like a pay-it-forward but not just a once-off - it could be done as a surprise but it could be done as a discussion - what unmet needs do you have that I can help with, and vice versa... A way that everyone can work within their limits, to make a regular difference to someone else.

It's not by any means a new idea, far from it. But I think if we don't take the time to consciously do something about it, and participate, the busy weeks fly past and just keep flying past.

What can you do to strengthen your Village? Who's week can you make a difference to?... even if for you it's tiny, to them it might be huge. I guess it's just being more conscious and looking to find ways to bring back 'The Village' in this 'modern' world.

upsides to not having a working washine machine.

2011-04-08T08:22:00.007+08:00

Yes, there are some... and I am keenly aware that there are plenty of people in the world without a washing machine nor the basic services that allow us to take these appliances as just part of every day life.

One, I am appreciative of the family and friends who washed our washing for us. I know most people have enough washing of their own to do, and I know the joys (not) of laundromats... so I am grateful and as always happy to return the favour any time when our laundry has a working machine again.

Two, I realise that the particular 'eco' powder we have at the moment while it's better for the planet, really isn't doing that much for our washing... while I don't want to change over to a non-eco powder, there's really zero point in using a washing powder that doesn't really clean the clothes... right?
I guess that's why when I didn't use powder on some loads, I didn't notice the difference... because the powder wasn't really doing much in the first place. So I need a powder that actually cleans the clothes, AND isn't the worst of the worst when it comes to it's ingredients. Ideally it needs to be grey-water friendly at the least.

Three - learning and experience. I learnt that when you pay for extended warranty, ask if it's with an extended warranty company, OR with the manufacturer. We didn't know there was a choice when we bought or machine and had I known what I know now, we would have made sure it was extended manufacturer's warranty. The game of 'ping pong' between the ext warranty company and the manufacturer, has been ridiculous. The first time the machine went loopy, it took 4 weeks to rectify.

The second time it quit working all together (just weeks after the first repair which was a new motor, circuit board, computer and door lock) and it was the same things that shorted out again. This time we're coming up to three weeks and still have no washing machine. This Monday coming it will be two weeks since the tech came out and gave his quote, and one week since the company/ies decided to replace the machine and still it's not here. [hoping to trigger Murphy's Law]

Four. The other thing I learnt is that while I can handwash for 6people while camping, including nappies, the reason this doesn't work at home is that we use far more things at home than we do camping... so again downsizing even more to just what we need (as we have been doing for a while now) and passing on the rest to someone who doesn't have, is a good move several times over. So that comes back into play with Operation June and Project Simplify.

Thankyou to those friends and MIL who let our washing come visit your laundry, and come home clean and fresh!

Days like today

2011-04-05T11:58:00.017+08:00

Simple productivity. Multi-tasking in action. After the morning School/Kindy run, the small errands list it's home and 'into it'... Lots of 'stations' round the kitchen - the cutting, the flour and dough rolling, the 'hot tray', the 'cooling racks' etc but I LOVE it. Of course there's the little patch on the bench that's all for Quinn - with his own flour, rolling pin, dough and toppings. He gets to do what he likes with his dough, and I know that none of what I'm making has had his fingers in it! Here's a roll of pics to kinda sum it up...

Jake's shortbread, for Market Day

IKEA kids apron - much better fit lol as the others are too long for me
I am 'blunt', as my Dad says.

just an example of one benchtop with the next batches of pizza, more oat bisctuis
and the gingerbreads yet to come ...

dough for pizzas x 3 batches for 36 pizzas

one imperfect gingerbread posing for the pic.

Bumgenius in the breeze 'n' sunshine and being thankful for friends and MIL who let you use their laundry
when your machine is out of action - AGAIN!

pizzas for Market Day

running nuts - more strawberry plants

the afternoon 'shift' results (some lay in the morning, others later)

ANZAC/oat biscuits for Market Day

grow grow grow red lettuce!

finally, colour change

gettin' bigger!

so nice. *contentment for today* Mostly. It's good to have a day where there are more satisfying moments in it than not. When you do several things that are in your 'line' of thinking, where you want to be and that's what most of the day comprises. Now... if only the rest of the house and my life was like this, I'd be blissed out all week! LOL

and then there were four

2011-04-03T12:25:00.008+08:00

Where it started - Bathtub Beds
the beginning - setup and planting
progress pic barely 3 weeks later + unexpected bonus
A third photo just five days later

So here's where we are now. Yesterday, we put in two more bathtub beds. From this pic, you can see the booming tomato (mostly) bed was moved to be long ways running left to right in the pic and the 'new' bath tub bed put in it's place (the middle bathtub in the upside down L shape).

This is that new bed, with mostly lettuces and salad stuff in it.

We also put one small bathtub inbetween the Valencia Orange and the Locut on the left of the pic below. Again mostly salad stuff, silverbeet, spinach, and some herbs.

Where the drain outlet is on this bath, I dub a hole and put an empty plant pot. It means it 'catches' the water and diverts it into the ground, rather than the water running along the top (because in the middle in that spot it is just sand, rather than soil). Ideally I would have liked to put an 'elbow' join at the end of the drain and rain some pipe straight across to the citrus but we didn't have any handy, I didn't have money to spend on new stuff and the end result is still similar - the run-off from the bathtub goes into the ground and I think the citrus will still benefit as it's root system grows.

So now we just fill the gaps - with pots, small corner spa-turned-vege-spot lol - whatever we can find that is plant-out-able.

And just for fun, here's our tomato plants just three weeks after planting them out as small seedlings... the plants themselves smell GREAT (real), are very healthy and getting taller and taller (but as yet are not staked, as I prefer not to but we'll see... DH wants to stake them)

and I am looking forward to the first taste of this lot of tomato! Separately, we haven't had any luck with our rather large passionfruit vines. Flowers, yes but then nothing. I'm thinking either the rats are eating the flowers before they can mature (because they're not even getting to 'fruit' at all) OR there's something else going on. I keep meaning to get out there with a paintbrush and 'tickle' from flower to flower as I've been told about but always forget and then the flowers just disappear. Any ideas welcome.

The bathtubs - they multiplied!

2011-04-02T21:16:00.001+08:00

Well ok... they didn't really but it kinda looked that way. Today we went from two bathtubs, to four all planted out. Yippee. Pics tomorrow bc it was getting dark when I finished up (DH and kids went inside to get dinner going) and the mozzies were getting hungry.

A third photo... Just 5 days later...

2011-03-31T18:05:00.007+08:00

Since the last post on the bathtub gardens, they're still maintaining impressive growth.
Here's the sequence photos with the last two in each set being only 5 days apart... I've put the dates underneath.

6th March. Day of planting, small seedlings

26th March barely three weeks later - flowers had been on for a few days already

31st March - just 5 days later...

if you use the 'terracotta' look pot and the far end of the first tub as your reference point, (I can't work out if I'm standing in the same spot to take the pic) and the cubbyhouse window, you can see exactly how much they have grown in such a short time. Add to that, on the tub nearest the pic, there is a tomato about the size of a hazelnut. All the capsi are flowering as well and there's things popping up all over the place. I know I walked out there today and was sure they grew an extra few cm since yesterday!

The watering system (the unexpected bonus) is still going well. I may, as has been suggested, apply some Seasol or something similar in week or so. See how we go. Anyway, bring on selling the cubby and putting in more bathtub vege gardens! *grin*