lockdown 3.4

day four of lockdown number three saw me eating wayyyyyy too much chocolate brownie. baking was a bad idea folks, i still have no self control despite my best efforts to build better habits the last month and a half...

in order to rid the household of it quicker, i threw a wee piece into the lunchbox i packed for ag to take to kinder today.



not at all upset to send him off to kinder today, after he had last week off with a cold.
though it did feel a bit odd with my brain firmly in lockdown mode.

in the hour or so break i had while he was at kinder, and before ej woke from his nap, i got busy in our front yard.



this is what i call my 'stick fence'. i started it in march of last year, lockdown 1.0 using long straight sticks that we found on our daily walks.
it's definitely a long term project as we have a looooooong front fence (especially as our next door neighbour has mentioned if i feel like continuing along her property line too, she wouldn't be opposed... we'll see!) but it's nice to be able to make progress when i can!

speaking of progress, the last week i've been working on a relatively quick knit, a nappy cover!



i knitted a bunch of these in the smaller 2 sizes before ej was born, and used them constantly with terry towelling flats for months and months, and then just stopped. i don't even remember why to be honest, but when i tried to get back into the swing of cloth nappies, the covers were all too small for my growing bub and it's taken me this long to get around to knitting any more...
thankfully i know they don't take too long to knit, and once i get a couple off the needles, i'll be able to start getting some cloth onto ej's bum once again.
can't wait, as the cost of nappies at the checkout, and the full rubbish bin at the end of the fortnight are both really starting to get to me!

do you have any long term garden beautification projects too? what are your go-to lunchbox snacks?
what was the favourite part of your day today?

lockdown 3.2

day two of lockdown today, and an exciting one... well as exciting as a snap lockdown can get...
grocery shopping day!
to be noted, grocery shopping normally gets done on a sunday round here, it wasn't some ploy to get out of the house. though it was definitely a perk ha ha!



i also found a wee bit of time to throw some polish on my nails, which i haven't done for an age and read a few pages of my current book.

then there was a whole bunch of boring daily stuff like loads of washing, bed changing and making and a bit of furniture rearrangement just to spice things up a little!

i was kind of hoping to get some gardening done, but my energy levels were not up to it. instead i podded beans and watched bb mowed and played with the kids. restorative!

do you wear nail polish? what's your favourite shade?
what was the favourite part of your day today?

taking stock. the catch up edition.

whoa mumma! it's been a while... great plans to blog once a week were completely thwarted by busy life stuff!
anywho, in attempt to get you all caught up on the last few months, i thought i'd go through pip's taking stock list.
here goes!








Making : tiny weeny knitted jumpers for the wool gathering annual retreat next month. and a shawl. and a kid's jumper i started on new years eve and still haven't finished... oops!

Cooking : dinner. every night. i'm stuck in all sorts of ruts right now, but the days stop for no woman! we still need to eat dinner, and even though takeaway is super tempting... our budget (and waistlines for that matter) strongly favour the home cooked meals!

Drinking : a whole lot of tea... i started the year wanting to cut back on my coke consumption, because they really add no benefit to anyone's health or wellbeing... and boy did i start strong, only one in january! then i decided to do feb fast for added sugars in february, and only fell off the wagon once or twice, and then march hit and boy did i indulge! time to cut back again now though! need to keep reminding myself just how terrible that brown, fizzy, sweet rubbish is for me.
so yep, tea. drinking lots of tea!

Reading : a book on homesteading that caught my eye at the library a couple of weeks ago... it's on the bench and i read a couple of pages while i'm waiting for things to cook or while ag is happy playing... so about 6 pages in total ha ha!

Next read : see above picture ^
we recently moved into a house we purchased at the end of last year! and in the unpacking process, i've made myself quite the reading pile! i'm not entirely sure where to start, but i know not bringing my phone or laptop to bed with me at night is probably the best place to start! such terrible habits i'm in with them both!

Wanting : to do all the things... looking around our beautiful lounge room, there are still quite a few bits and pieces that need work... the doors and trim still need painting, there are piles of boxes speaking to me from just inside the study door. oh well, they can wait a little longer!

Looking : forward to being completely settled in... one day ha ha!

Playing : a lot with blocks these days, and with rocks in the front yard, and at the park. toddler life is full on, but full of play!

Deciding : on designs for the laundry cupboard/linen press. need to make the best use of the space we have, without spending a small fortune. can not wait to have some functional storage in there!

Wishing : time didn't go so darn quickly! the days fly by sometimes and i wish they would just slow down ha ha!

Enjoying : having an 18 month old. he is just so cute and so busy all the time, and the discoveries he makes about his world just make me stop and slow down and discover with him. it's amazing!

Waiting : for this sleeping through the night thing to kick in... anytime now with consistency would be just fine ha ha

Liking : getting back to blogging for a second. i've written so many posts in my head, it feels nice to finally get one out!

Wondering : if i can keep some consistency with it...

Loving : having our own space to do anything we want with! it's nice to be able to do exactly as we please!

Pondering : garden options. and ways to connect with my neighbours and new immediate community.

Considering : doing a spot of baking this afternoon. i wonder if my biscuit recipe would go ok gluten-less... we will see!

Buying : a single skein of yarn. my first for the year! i'm trying to use as much from my stash as i can, but a project i have in mind (not from my knitting plans for the year, mind you) calls for a contrast colour, the likes of which i just did not own... soon i will though and i'm hoping to cast on right away! maybe i can share my progress with you soon!

Watching : 'santa clarita diet' on netflix. it is SO funny! and a bit gory at times ha ha. but mostly hilarious. i love drew barrymore, and timothy olyphant is so spunky. i love his portrayal of his character too as i'm pretty sure the last thing i saw him in was 'deadwood' and his character in that was SO different!
i've also been rewatching 'parks and rec' because it is the best! i love all of the characters so much, they're all so great!

Next watch : maybe a rewatch of 30 rock? if i can find it on a streaming service. stan or netflix, please hook a lady up!

Hoping : that i can get this blog post, and a little knitting done before nap time is over...

Marvelling : at how quickly a cup of tea disappears ha ha!

Cringing : at my complete lack of self control when it comes to chocolate. i just need to stop buying it!

Needing : to do some yoga. i don't know why i always put it off when my body loves it so!

Questioning : when i'm going to find time to give myself a little manicure. my nails are all different shapes and sizes at the moment ha ha!

Smelling : vinegar and bicarb. toilet cleaning day! always a job i put off, but so nice when it's done!

Wearing : jeans, sleeve-less tee, handknit socks.

Following : ag around and tidying up after him. well sometimes any way... sometimes i just let him run riot and clean up when he's asleep ha ha! trying to teach him to tidy up after himself, it's not going well...

Worrying : about my favourite boots... i took them to have the heels fixed this morning and i'm going to be without them a week! i miss them already!

Noticing : the birds. i thought i wouldn't see or hear as many birds now we're living in town, but there's still quite a few around... especially at 5am!

Knowing : well trying to get to know my limits a little more... trying not to pack too much into one day and knowing when to stop... like here. i think i'll stop right here!
time is running short and my knitting is calling to me!

what have you been up to the last few months? any tips on where to start in my reading pile? or what to watch next?

why.

i've been listening to the slow home podcast for quite a while and the episodes always get my mind going, thinking about things in different ways and from different perspectives as well as giving me lots of ideas in ways to slow down and simplify...
last month though, brooke and ben spent the month (on mondays) talking about their 'why's', as in why they do what they do. the values and beliefs that shape their long and short terms goals and daily life too.

i loved this concept, so have been doing quite a bit of thinking about it...

the first part of the podcast series introduced the concept of what a why is, the ways that it can shape your life and world view and in the second part of the podcast series, the how-to begins.
brooke recommends writing your eulogy. what would you want said about you at your funeral? what parts of your life would you want people to remember?
after a bit of pondering, i realised that what i would want remembered of me, is my hard work to make our house a home. a warm and safe place that is welcoming and nurturing. and despite working hard at this, to have had time to be there for those that need me, children, partner, family and friends.
they're the things that are important to me.
the third segment involves pulling values out of that eulogy, boiling it down to a couple of key words to help shape those everyday decisions and the fourth makes recommendations of how to use those values to actually shape those everyday decisions.
the values i gleaned were home and quality time, and i'm really already starting to think about them when i'm making decisions on the daily.

have you ever worked on an exercise like this? are you a slow home podcast listener too?

let me show you around.

i feel like, quite a few times, that i've said i'd show you around our little country mouse house...
well i'm finally doing it!

won't you come inside?



don't mind the cobwebs on that there screen door... no matter how many times i remove them, they're back within a couple of days... never mind.

care for a cup of tea at the dining table?



our house is a little bit of a mish mash of furniture that's for sure... dining table care of my grandmother's house, which was care of HER parent's i think... definitely some provenance on that one. paired with an ikea chair and high chair, and a chair with a fabric seat we picked up from the opshop for $2 (one day i might even reupholster it...)
oh and there's the oddball collection of 'black framed things' too he he!

alongside this little arrangement, is the kitchen sideboard...



picked up for $100 off gumtree, it's a solid little number and sits perfectly between the fridge and the front door, housing all our crockery, cutlery, glassware, appliances and all the random crap that accumulates in the spare drawer...
the fridge was one of our first grown up purchases when we got proper jobs and our old one died (the day after i had all four wisdom teeth removed, the WORST!) and is covered in photos and postcards and the meal planning whiteboard AND our spice jar collection.
it's a busy little corner of the house!

a quick peak into the baby's room...



and you'll see this pretty ancient old cabinet... again, picked up from grandma's house and again, harking from her parent's place too. this guy used to be in my grandparent's shed, housing tools and such, and before that, housing my great grandfather's beer making supplies.
before that, i'm assuming it was some kind of pantry cupboard as it has wire mesh in the bottom section (meat safe style) and a little metal lined cold box too!
for now though, it's the perfect wardrobe for ag's clothes!

and finally our bed'room'



our main living space was built as a pool room, and thus has NO windows! after moving ag into the single bedroom, we've moved our bed into the living space, tucked into a corner to give us a wee bit of privacy if we have guests over...

it's a wee bit unconventional, but hey, it works! plus we get to use our awesome lamps a wee bit more often too!

what kind of space do you live in? massive pool table in your living space he he?

september.

this post has been on my mind, well for about nine days. we're NINE days into september already, can you believe it?

august saw me finishing up at work, and heading into maternity leave. early on in august to be honest. i thought i would get a bit more time to play here, but i've been filling up my time nicely with appointments, thinking about, and preparing, lots of yummy food (freezer is full! now working on mum's chest freezer, little does she know, mwahahaaha!), baby preparations and a bit of sitting on my backside, knitting and watching tv.
probably more the latter one than anything else...

after an absolute cracking few days of beautiful spring weather, my mind is quite firmly fixed on all things green and i am absolutely champing at the bit to get some things happening. alas, as we are in victoria, it's raining quite steadily this morning and dampening my spirits a little.
hopefully this afternoon brings some sunshine and then, tomato seeds, you're going to meet soil!

september is going to be quite the exciting month around here, because it will see the bb and i become parents!
i'm currently sitting here, typing away, with my big 39 week belly between the keyboard and myself! bubs could arrive any day now, and personally i'm hoping for sooner rather than later as things are getting mighty uncomfortable in my abdomen!

in getting myself prepared for our impending bundle of joy, i've been keeping myself busy with little tasks like making bassinet sheets, washing all of the things, and playing with my hexies. that last one obviously has nothing to do with the baby arriving, and everything to do with procrasticrafting.
i also realised that i hadn't touched them since february 2014! poor neglected hexies!
i grabbed them all out and stacked them up, counted them out and popped them neatly back in their case (there are 909!). along with a few hundred more cut out and ready to baste.
i figure it might be something nice to pull out and have on hand for in between feeds of the wee one... if i ever put my knitting down that is...

the first week of this month saw me starting on a couple of new knitty projects, which i'll share hopefully in the next couple of days, along with another big finished projects. well with any luck any way...

has your september gotten off to a cracking start? how was your august?

monday morning catch-ups.

in the past month, there has been quite a few beach walks...



there's nothing like a walk on the beach to 'blow the cowbwebs away' as my mother in law likes to say. i always leave feeling so invigorated, and i loved when we came across these little rock stacks.
such patience and beauty.

the main reason for the multitude of beach walking, was a housesitting gig that bb took on.
in the seaside town of inverloch and looking after a pair of pooches too!



rex the elderly greyhound and gretel the enthusiastic jack russell.
such little characters that brought such joy to our days. it was a pleasure to be there so that they could be at home in their own space!

i've been wanting to cook popcorn on the stovetop for ages, and the easter long weekend brought the perfect opportunity!



with a good sprinkling of salt, it was SO moreish and delish, i can't wait to make it again!

on the knitting front, i've been working on some long-term projects (one of which is done, and i'm hoping to share in the next week or so) but there's also been a couple of quick knits along the way...



when your bestie has a little bouncing baby boy, who is a little early, and a little small for his knits, there's not much else to do but cast on some new ones!
i'd say a couple of these are probably too small already for the wee poppet, but they kept his head warm while everything else was still a bit big!

and finally, the bits and pieces that make a house a home... plants and mirrors, artwork and soft furnishings. all packed up in the back of the car to be moved.



we're all moved in to our new place now.
i visited our little blackburn house on saturday on my way home from work, and it was so strange to see it without all of our things, especially after we've been there for almost seven years!

it's been a big few months!

day ten - today.

being back home, the realities of keeping up with all of the housework are flooding back...
this is a little what today will look like around here...



mt. washmore will be conquered. having done four loads of washing on our arrival home on monday has led to this. phew!
it definitely needs to move though as this couch converts to a bed, and that bed has a guest tonight.
fold, fold, fold!

i did a dumb thing and failed to give the bathroom a good clean before we left. heck, i didn't even give it a light clean!



the enjo is coming out to play and the bathroom will be getting a super deep clean!

and this last one, well compared to the other two, it will be an absolute cinch.



this layer of dust has been taunting me for ages. so simple and easy to get rid of it, but do i do it?
nope.
today it's happening. i'm heading off to visit my folks and i do NOT want to be looking at a layer of dust for the 90 minute journey there, and the same when i return on the weekend. NOT HAPPENING!

in fact, when i went out to the car to take the above snap, i took my dust glove too.
it's done! tick it off!

scintillating stuff over here today eh?
i felt if i wrote it down, maybe i'd be a bit more accountable and get it done!
oh and anyone who is wondering why i'm doing all this myself? what bb is doing? he's on the lawn mowing, vacuuming and the dishes today!
clean house here we come!

do you ever need to make yourself accountable with your chores? are you an enjo fan?

green (house) love.

over the last week or so, i've been thinking about creating a little space.
a space that has a flat surface, for housing lots of wee growing things. a flat surface for seeds and seedlings and cuttings and propagations.
and a special lid, to keep everything safe and warm.

i took my ideas to my parent's house over the weekend, and dad helped me to make my thoughts a reality!



the surface is a trestle table that was collecting cobwebs at my parent's house.

and the protective top, to (hopefully) keep the possums at bay and to keep some warmth in, is made of scrap wood from my dad's wood pile.



it was most certainly a labour of love for the two of us... we picked the only pieces of wood that dad didn't have a power saw blade big enough to cut, so most of the cuts were made by hand. and THEN, the power screw-driver that dad loaned me to screw it all together, had a flat battery! so all the pieces are screwed together by hand with a screwdriver!

oh the blisters that i have!



it was totally worth it though! now to pop online to buy some seeds... i'm itching to get some onion seeds in, i've got plans to grow HEAPS this year!
in the mean time though, i'm hoping to take some cuttings of my rosemary and my neighbours lavender plants. and then, maybe some roses!
propagation is AWESOME!

what are you growing at the moment? do you grow your own onions? do you grow from cuttings?

little lovelies.

every week, i try and share a little list of lovely things that have happened throughout the week in my neck of the woods, to try and keep myself looking on the bright side of things.

home-made pizza will ALWAYS put a smile on my face.



bb and i have had a really great week of eating this week. taking lunches to work, eating home cooked meals, sticking pretty closely to our meal plan. and THAT will always make me happy!

sunday morning snuggle sessions.



he looks so blissed out in this photo, but in truth, he HATES hugging like this. he always wriggles away within a couple of minutes and is none to happy to be there in the meantime.
i got a friendly little nip on the nose just after i took this photo!

beautiful fresh flowers.



or maybe not fresh... these were marked down at the greengrocer but they're still damn pretty to look at!

this week, i brought home some new prescription sunnies from work.



my old ones had an older prescription in them, so i can see much better with these newies! oh, they're also gorgeous!

working on getting the last few ends woven in on the scrappy heart blankie.



it's nearly complete! huzzah!
i'm super thankful as my fingers are literally itching to start something new! so many things to make, not nearly enough time!

what little lovelies have you stumbled across this week? do you have a non-snuggly kitty too? what are you making at the moment?

oh christmas tree.

i've just gotten home from a weekend away at my parent's place.

we worked hard, getting the place looking great for the christmas AND boxing day events happening there this year.

one of the requests that my mum had, was a real christmas tree so dad and i went for a little stroll up to our bush block with a chainsaw to find one!



the one that we found, and dragged home on mum's little ride-on mower trailer, looked absolutely ridiculous in the house! way too big, and it just looked like a pine tree!
it does look pretty good out on the deck though :D

we'll get some lights and decos on it christmas eve and it should look amazing!

it didn't solve the problem of a christmas tree for the house though...



so i tied together some of the off cuts of the big tree.

it's not perfect, but it'll do :D

what does your christmas tree look like?

little lovelies.

every week, i try and share a little list of lovely things that have happened throughout the week in my neck of the woods, to try and keep myself looking on the bright side of things.

fresh homemade bread, cooling on the bench.



i don't think i'll ever get sick of cutting off a chunk and smothering it in butter!

i dug up my first beetroot during the week.



i roasted it up with some carrots, and then paired in with some cous cous and fresh spinach (again, from the garden). i don't think i'll ever get sick of shopping for food in my backyard either!

thursday night, i was really thankful to have a bit of time to make a curry from scratch.



grinding all of the spices up was a bit of a chore, but the finished product was pretty delicious (even though it burnt my entire mouth and nose out...)

i was gifted this pattern book in my work kris kringle.



i might not have a dog... but i have a big cat that the smaller sizes will fit! i really want to cast something on and get knitting asap! maybe after the christmas knitting is done though...

and lastly...



clean sheets.
clean sheet day is always the best day of the week :D

what has made you smile this week? do you bake your own bread? or shop in your vegie patch?

it's beginning to look a lot like....

well, christmas.

after a biiiiiiiig day of work on saturday, i strong-armed bb into helping me christmas-fy the house a little...



last year, sampson DESTROYED our plastic fantastic christmas tree and it got put out for recycling. so this year, i've replaced it with a little weenie REAL tree! it will grow and grow every year, growing up with bb and i :D



last year i made the bauble string from a big box of baubles we found on sale. i LOVE it! it's shiny and glittery and the best!



a little grouping of christmassy bits and pieces.

i also strung up the christmas lights we had in our deco box which are making me VERY happy when they're flashing away!

just the right amount of christmas to keep me frantically knitting through my gift list :D

is your home looking christmassy yet? what kind of tree do you have?

dishcloth'n

one of my november goals was to knit up some more dishcloths and it was one goal from last month that i felt i could put a big ol' tick next to.



i managed 5 in total. well 5 and a half if you count the one that is still on my needles...
at an average of more than one a week, i'm pretty happy with that total...



though it hasn't even come close to clearing out my cotton stash like i'd hoped... 5 and a half dishcloths down and i haven't even finished up one ball! there is still plenty of dishcloth knitting to go!

i'm hoping to get my cleaning cupboard tidied and sorted at some point this month to clear some room for these beauties to go. hopefully there's a couple more to go in there by the time i do!

did you complete any of your november goals? do you make your own dishcloths?