Gift Challenge: Easter Success!

So Easter has come and gone, and the long, long, long weekend has too (Sparky unfortunately had to work, so it wasn't so long here, but we made the most of it nonetheless) and I'm happy to report that I didn't stumble at the first gift challenge hurdle. I ended up gifting everyone with homemade presents this year!

I just made up little parcels for each of the families and included homemade chocolates in different colours/flavours, as well as some homemade Easter biscuits - some were Easter eggs with marshmallow in the centre, others were chocolate-dipped and others had 100s and 1000s sprinkled on top. By all accounts (mine included - I had to sample the merchandise first) they were pretty tasty!

  

I already posted on my chocolate making, and the recipe for the biscuits was super easy. It was actually the first time I'd made cookie-cutter biscuits before so the dough-rolling part was new to me, but simple all the same. Here's the recipe if you're keen to try it some time:

You'll need:


125g butter, cubed
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup plain flour
1 cup SR flour

1. Preheat oven to 160C and line two trays with baking paper.

2. Cream the butter and sugar. Then add the egg and vanilla, beating well. Fold in the combined flours, forming a soft dough. (Mine was quite crumbly at this stage, but when I kneaded it together it stuck well).

3. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of baking paper, kneading/rolling it together to get a good dough consistency. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and roll out to around 5mm thick.

4. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and pop onto your prepared baking trays.

5. Bake in batches for around 10-15 minutes or until golden.

To make the marshmallow filling you need:


bag of marshmallows, halved (although this depends on the size of your biscuits, larger ones probably would need a whole marshmallow)

1. Pop a few biscuits on a plate and top with a marshmallow. Microwave for 10 seconds and then sandwich with another biscuit. Easy, sticky and tasty!

Happy-Making: Four Years

Sparky is the ultimate happy-maker.

*Cue groans*

Fromage-fest aside, I hope you all have wonderfully, fabulous long, long, long (if you're in Australia or NZ) weekends. We are, of course, painting, chilling on our finished deck (hurray!), eating soup, having a picnic, baking bread and (maybe) hot cross buns, cleaning up the backyard and generally soaking it up. Should be all sorts of nice.

Happy Easter! xxx 

Green Cleaning Toolkit: Vinegar

image by Mattia Valerio

The next installment in my Green Cleaning Toolkit is: V for vinegar. (You can see previous posts here.)

I have already posted about some of the top uses for vinegar around the house, but as it is the one ingredient I use multiple times every single day, I think it definitely requires its own Toolkit post.

I buy my white vinegar in 4L bottles from the supermarket for about $1.50. This usually lasts me between one and two weeks, so it's pretty good value. I'm on the lookout for somewhere I can buy it in bulk, to save on packaging, but so far I can only find it by the huuuge drumload.

Cleaning Uses:

General Purpose Cleaner - Dilute 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water and keep it in a spray bottle. You can use this and a damp cloth to clean just about everything. I use it to clean the bathroom vanity, the bath, the tiles (unless they need a heavy clean), the kitchen benchtops, the cupboard doors, the sink (unless it needs a scrub, then I use lemon and bi-carb).

High-Strength Cleaner - Keep straight white vinegar in another spray bottle and use it as a cleaner on stubborn marks like the bath ring or soap scum on tiles. Just spray thoroughly, leave for 15 minutes, wipe over the dirt with a damp cloth, rinse and dry. This is also really good to clean that greasy, dusty layer you get in the kitchen sometimes - particularly on the rangehood or the oven door.

Disinfectant/Cleaner - Spray all over your toilet with vinegar when you spray the bowl (remember the borax and vinegar toilet cleaner?) and leave it till you clean the bowl. This acts both as a disinfectant and cleaner for the loo. You can also spray your wooden and plastic chopping boards with straight vinegar, leaving it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry. This disinfects and gets rid of oniony smells.

Floor Cleaner - When we had our oiled floors laid during the reno, the floor guy told us to clean the floors using a bucket of warm water, half a cup of methylated spirits and half a cup of vinegar. That works a treat with the oil finish, but before the reno when we had floors sealed with polyurethane, I used a squirt of Morning Fresh liquid and a cup or so of vinegar in the bucket and that was really effective too. I think the vinegar cuts down on any soapy build-up and makes the floor lovely and shiny.

Laundry Uses:

Softener/Freshener - I add about a quarter of a cup of vinegar to every wash I do, with the exception of the fabric nappies (the vinegar can effect their absorbency), and it softens and freshens the laundry so much. I can tell if I don't use it, particularly with the linen as it feels all scratchy and rough. And despite the smell of vinegar when you first put it in the washing machine, you really can't smell it much once it's been washed, and not at all once the laundry is dry. Apparently, adding some vinegar to the wash can help alleviate eczema in those who have skin reaction to laundry powder too. I used to wash Isla's clothes in Lux flakes and vinegar before I discovered castile soap.

Other Uses:

Toy Cleaner - Spray the kids toys and board books with the 1:4 vinegar dilution and wipe over with a clean cloth. It lifts off stickiness and is a mild disinfectant too.

It really is just as easy as making one or two changes every couple of weeks, and before you even realise it, you'll be cleaning greener and simpler. I can't promise it will be any more fun though. Sorry.

My Gift Challenge Begins

A couple of weeks ago I challenged myself to make every gift purchase this year either handmade, homemade, vintage or repurposed. Easter is nearly upon us, and while we're not huge on Easter gift giving here, we do have lots of nieces and nephews and couldn't not get them something chocolatey.

So I decided to make the chocolates myself. I found some cute chocolate molds at House and bought a few packets of chocolate melts. I already had some food colouring on hand, as well as some sprinkles. It was totally time-consuming and totally delicious, but I think it was a success.

Actually, I know it was a success because we have eaten them all and I need to make another batch.

But basically I melted half a pack of melts at a time (in a double boiler situation) and coloured the white chocolate with a couple of drops of green, pink and yellow food colouring, to give that cutesy, traditional pastel feel. I also made a lot of milk chocolate eggs (much tastier than the white chocolate, I have to admit) and sprinkled the backs with different coloured '00s and '000s.

Just a tip, err on the side of underfilling your molds rather than overfilling. They get a chunky looking edge to them if you over-fill.

Apologies for the lack of photos, but I was too busy licking spoons to take many shots. I'll take some of the finished presents though, I promise!

As for packaging, I have a drawer-full of pretty paper and bags I've been given gifts in over the years (who doesn't? I swear those things multiply) so I'm sure I'll find something in there that I can use.

If nothing else, I know this exercise works out cheaper than buying Lindt bunnies for everyone. All up, I made (and consumed) enough chocolate for everyone and it cost around $20, including the reusable molds, so I'm well ahead money-wise. Just a few hours poorer time-wise!

Quickie Craft: Wool-Wrapping

Do you ever get the unshakeable urge, the deep desire to just create? You don't know what or why, but you just need to make something. Anything. Now. Scones, a painting, a pathway, a short story, pom poms, a skirt. Whatever, just make it snappy.

Next time that urge strikes, keep this quick, cute craft in the back of your mind: wool-wrapping. I've seen bits and pieces about the interwebs and thought I'd give it a whirl while Isy and I were having crafty time. It's quick, easy, repurposeful and, provided you have some wool lying about somewhere, it's free!

You need:


a stick (pick one up off the ground or your backyard - just make sure it's not home to any little insects) twiggy is good.
some wool (bright colours look cute, but white or grey is surprisingly sophisticated)

1. Start at one end and wrap the wool around your stick, tucking the end of the wool in to the first few rounds, to secure it.
2. Keep wrapping till you reach the other end. Tie a knot in the wool and trim.

The end. (See? Super easy. Tutorial really unnecessary!)

a vaseful of these will look sweet and colourful.

Meat-Free Monday: The Controversial Edition - Salmon Fritters

source: Food

Now, there seem to be two ways of thinking on this. Some people are vegetarian and eat fish, others believe that fish falls under the meat category and think true vegetarians do not eat seafood. Me? I eat meat and really have no opinion either way, but unless people ask me not to, I may occasionally include a fish dish in my Meat-Free Mondays, simply because I have so many good ones and they are cheap and easy (which is the whole point of these recipes anyway).

These salmon fritters are packed full of vegie goodnes, but please don't tell Isla because they are hands-down her favourite thing to eat. I make them for her probably once a fortnight, and Sparky and I eat them too. Usually will salad or steamed vegies.

You need:


a 400g tin pink salmon - drained, flaked, bones removed
a large carrot
a couple of potatoes
a zucchini
an onion
an egg
plain flour
vege oil

1. Pop the salmon into a large bowl. Grate up the carrot, zucchini, onion and potatoes and add to the bowl.

2. Combine with the egg and a couple of tablespoons of plain flour. Season and mix well.

3. Take spoonfuls of the mixture and roll into balls.

4. Heat a centimetre or two of vege oil in a frypan and pop the salmon fritters in in batches. Shallow-fry for a few minutes, then flip and cook through on the other side. Drain on paper towel.

Seriously tasty and so yummy on a sandwich the next day too. Hopefully this didn't offend anyone!!

Sweet Peas and Sickies

Do you know what's worse than having a sick kidlet? Having two. Which is where we currently are. Awesome.

But both littlies are currently sleeping off their cold/fever/cough thing so I am going to get in a spot of quickie gardening and a dash quickie crafting. Then some longie ironing.

Quickie gardening first. Hurray for the sunshine!!

source: Muck About

12-14 weeks and I hope to have something like this blooming on our front and back decks. Because in 12-14 weeks, it's going to be miserable winter to the maximum and some sweet floral tones will be much needed. Enter sweet peas! And if you have 15 minutes and a plant pot spare, you could share in the joy.

It's traditional to plant your sweet peas on St Patrick's Day (apparently seeds planted before sundown on St Paddys Day gives you the strongest, most prolific flowering plants) but all around Australia you can plant your seeds any time before Anzac Day, to give a beautiful show of winter/early Spring flowers.

I have a few spare terracotta pots in the backyard that I'm using, but you can grow sweet peas in the ground, as long as the soil is rich and free-draining. They also require full sun (at least 6 hours a day).

I picked up a few packets of seeds at Bunnings - they're Mr Fothergills - and they were about $3 a pack. One is a dwarf, and the other two grow to around 1.5-2m tall, so obviously need a trellis or some sort of support support.

I bought some 1.5m bamboo posts from the local nursery that I'm making into teepees (check here for instructions) and have a good quality potting mix. Plant your seeds about one knuckle deep (roughly twice the depth of their diameter and water the soil. If the soil is damp when sowing, you won't really need to water them again until the seedlings emerge in a couple of weeks' time.

*Gardening Australia suggests gently rubbing your seeds in some sandpaper and soaking them in some water overnight prior to planting, but I need a fix right now, so I'm popping the seeds in straight out of the packet. Tut tut, I know.

As the seedlings emerge and tendrils start to grow, gently wrap the shoots around your trellis, to encourage the plant to grow upwards. And once flowers start blooming in 12-14 weeks, be sure to cut them regularly, as the more you remove the flowers, the more the plant will produce. And that means more beautiful, fragrant, ridiculously pretty blooms for your house. And your friends' houses. And your nana.

source: Cupcakes and Cashmere

Have you planted anything lately? Got some soil beneath your nails? Sun on the back of your neck? x

Happy-Making: Between Two Ferns

Having a sick kidlet makes me sad.


Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifinakis makes me happy. So does slow-cooked red chicken curry, red wine and a beautiful, finished deck to sit on.

I hope your weekends are wonderful! x

(I can't embed the video, but it's totally worth a click if you're keen on slightly crass, piss-taking humour. Which I am.)

Play Time! The Useful Box.

Strainers are way fun, but a useful box is better

I'm guessing most people grew up watching Play School. I know I did. And in fact, I remember pulling out my first tooth watching Play School. I was trying to pull my green flanelette nightie over my knees, using my teeth (as you do) when POP! out came my tooth. I freaked out. And somewhere in the back of my mind, I have always associated Big Ted and Jemima with my teeth ever since.

Weird anecdotes aside, I've started to put together a Useful Box for Isla, when we get our craft on. It's a great way to recycle bits and pieces from around the house, and it means we can replicate lots of the crafts they make on Play School. (Almost all the crafts on Play School are made with toilet rolls, masking tape, crepe paper and paddle pop sticks. Totes inventive!) Not all of it is recycled, but some are party leftovers and others are from cheapy shops, like The Reject Shop.

So far I've got:

• egg cartons
• toilet rolls
• glad wrap/foil rolls and boxes
• pasta boxes
• ribbon and fabric scraps
• pegs
• wool
• pipe cleaners
• googley eyes
• mini pom poms
• paddle pop sticks
• plastic cups
• paper plates
• stickers
• newspaper
• tissue paper
• old magazines
• butchers twine
• balloons
• felt
• rubber bands (from our newspapers)
• crepe paper

It's a work in progress, but I love that I can look at our recycling or "rubbish" and find fun, creative uses for a lot of it. Plus I totally love making things out of crepe paper!

If you're looking for a humongous list of creative play time activities for your little ones, nieces, nephews or neighbours' kids, or if you're just keen on making puppets out of toilet rolls, check out the Play School activities listed here. Many a winters day will be had...

K.I.S.S: Love it or get rid of it

so we bid a slow goodbye to our clutter...

In the never-ending quest to simplify our lives, Sparky and I have a heap of stuff we'd like to get rid of. Most of it is in really good condition, but we just have no need for it anymore (if we ever really did have a need for it to begin with).

So I've decided to start getting rid of five extra, unnecessary things every week. It'll be like an ongoing declutter. I'll either be selling them on ebay, donating to charity, giving them to someone I know who needs it, recycling or, as a very last resort, throwing them away.

This week we hope to bid adieu to these, via ebay:

barely used snowboarding mitts

dakine wrist guards - worn about three times

brand new ski gloves

good condition electric ski/board goggles

lightweight snowboarding jacket - worn three times max

heavy duty helly hansen snow jacket

Sparky and I lived and worked in Canada for a year a while back and fell for the snow big-time. Unfortunately we've only been once since coming home and the chances of us hitting the hills any time soon are slim to none. So it's all going. Our snowboards, bindings and boots are on next week's hit list!

Anyone else have some extra stuff around that they can clear out? I bet you'll feel better if you do!

Green Product Review: Natural Instincts Stain Remover

Not the most riveting of topics, I know, but I have been longing to find a good, non-toxic stain remover for. ever. Up until last week, the stain remover was the one blip on my green laundry radar and it really bugged me. Plus it stunk. And any homemade remedies (like vinegar, baking soda, washing soda and lemon juice) were never quite up to scratch. And, in all honesty, were a lot more work. And I'm all about the easy.

My sister found some of the Natural Instinct range at a chemist and called me about the Pre-Wash Stain Remover. Yes, I most definitely wanted to try some! And here's what I've found:

Pros:

• It's non-toxic and has no discernible scent at all = winning!
• If you follow the instructions (leaving a minimum of 5 minutes before washing) then it works just as well as regular stain remover on new stains
• It even takes out some of the yellowing of old underarm or collar stains

Cons:

• It's $7 for 500ml. I've not checked but I think it's more expensive than the regular sprays from the supermarket
• You do need to be slighly more organised to make sure you leave the spray on for minimum of five minutes. I usually spray my first load of washing the night before so it's ready to go. (Yes, I am a bit ridiculous.)
• It's not quite as good at removing super tough or older stains, unless you apply it a number of times and wash it a number of times.

Verdict: 

I'll definitely be buying this from now on. The fact that it's non-toxic alone is reason enough for me, plus, it works.

 

Meat-Free Monday: Spinach, Rice and Feta Pie

Image: Cheap, Healthy, Good.

Hearty, easy and yummy. Tick, tick and tick. Especially good if you have leftover rice from the night before.

You'll need:

2 tsp butter
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp plain flour
pinch salt
pinch pepper
1.5 cups milk
2 cups cooked rice (basmati or brown are both fine)
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
olive oil
parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 200C

2. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion for a few minutes.

3. Add flour, salt and pepper. Gradullay add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended.

4. Simmer the mixture for a minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rice, spinach, feta, egg and egg whites. Combine well.

5. Pour mixture into greased pie dish and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

6. Cook for about 30-35 minutes.

This gives Sparky, Isy and myself enough for dinner plus lunch or dinner the next day, so it's super good value too. We usually have it with salad or some steamed veges. Enjoy!!!

Lessons from the School of Life

Over the past week I have learned:

The best thing to remove an entire tub of Sudocream from every surface in your lounge room is, in fact, baby wipes.

Removing Sudocream from your toddlers' hair is an altogether trickier exercise.

If you should happen to get cherry red spray paint all over your white bath, straight vinegar will, thankfully, remove it.

If you should happen to get cherry red spray paint on your favourite pair of jeans, you should add some white and some orange spray paint and just go with it, sister. It could be a new thing.

It is perfectly acceptable to eat French toast for breakfast on a Monday, even though you feel like it should be a Sundays-only thing.

Sometimes it's OK to cross out one item on your to-do list and replace it with "Drink beer". 

The weekend here was filled with family, cleaning, painting, haircut expeditions, a quick pub lunch. It was all round lovely. Plus the weather is amazing right now, so we lapped it up.

I hope yours was lovely and wonderful too?

Meat-free Monday coming up soon (I know, on a Monday and everything!).

Happy-Making: The Simple Things

 

Isy has spent hours playing with these tiny animals I found for her last week. We build farms out of cushions and mountains out of beanbags. We feed them apples and have races. We make sock monsters to chase them, but end up turning them into tickle monsters so as not to scare ourselves.

I also love exploring and finding new things. This beautiful lagoon is not five minutes walk from our house and this is the first time we've been there. So pretty.


As for the weekend, it's shaping up nicely. The weather's meant to be gorgeous (great for painting = win), I'm getting a haircut tomorrow, hopefully catching up with some lovely people for a coffee sometime, a lamb pot roast, maybe a movie and some caramel popcorn (RED or True Grit? Decisions.)  I also bought some bits and pieces to start making Easter presents, so hopefully I'll have time to mess about with those too.

I hope you have an awesome weekend your good selves. xx

Repurpose Me: Framed Chalkboard Tutorial

When I saw this bear print at our combined garage sale a while back I managed to look past the freaky-looking bear and saw the big, solid timber frame around it. I knew I could do something with it so took it off my sister's hands.

It's only been this week that I had time to actually do anything with the frame, and I'm pretty chuffed with the results. So chuffed that I think I might have to do it again sometime!

So here's a quick how-to to turn a fugly print into a sweet little chalkboard.

You need:

- an old framed print, glass removed (you won't need the glass for this project)
- a can of spray paint in any colour (I used High Gloss Cherry Red in the Squirts range from White Knight - I bought it at Bunnings for about $7)
- a can of chalkboard spray paint (White Knight too)
- an old sheet or a plastic drop sheet
- newspaper (I didn't use it and it was annoying)
 

One creepy bear print.

Seriously...

1. Remove the print from your frame and give the wood a quick wipe over with a clean cloth to remove any dust or dirt. If it's particularly dirty you may need to wipe it with warm, soapy water and give it a thorough dry after.

2. Lay your drop sheet down and newspaper down and put your frame on top. Be careful not to spray near anything precious or white. Time for the first coat of spray paint. I followed these tips and was really happy with the result:

• shake the can of spray paint really, really, really well. for longer than they suggest on the can. this stops any flat or super shiny spots and gives even colour coverage.
• start your spraying off the piece and finish off the piece. this stops any big chunky splotches of spray paint where you first begin
• keep the can about 15-20cm away from the piece you're painting
• keep your paint strokes even
• apply a light, misting coat first and then follow up straight after with a fuller coat (though not too heavy, otherwise it will drip and look splotchy)

3. Check the results of your first coat, get really excited and grab other objects to coat in paint.

After the first coat

I grabbed a heap of frames from our bedroom cause I got so excited!

4. Leave these all to dry for at least 30 minutes before applying a second full coat.

5. Meanwhile, take the print and turn it over, exposing the bare board at the back. (If your print is constructed differently, you may need to use a sheet of thick cardboard here). Give it a wipe over with a clean cloth.

6. I totally forgot to get a shot of this, but, using the same tips as above, spray the board with a misting coat of chalkboard paint, followed immediately by a good, full coat. The can suggested two coats, but I found I only needed one to get really good coverage.

7. Let the frame and the board completely dry (I left mine overnight) and then, with the help of your trusty assistant, put them back together with the chalkboard facing out and the print at the back. You know, in case you ever want to use the print again. Not likely in this case.

Best assistant going round.

Marvel.

8. I think different brands of chalkboard paint vary here, but the White Knight suggested conditioning the board before using it, which means covering the entire surface with chalk and then rubbing it off. I did this, not too sure if it helped anything or not. Also, try to avoid using dirty chalk like I did, as it left some ugly scratches in the paint.

Finite!

For about an hour's work all up, and only a few dollars (I only used half of the can of red paint and maybe one-tenth of the blackboard paint) this was a fun little repurposing project!

I'll be back later with some happy-making!

The Garage Sale Trail

These ladies know fun times. Source: The Commons

Have you heard about the Garage Sale Trail?! I just heard about it - sounds pretty sweet to me.

This Sunday, across the country, local governments have encouraged people to hold a garage sale, as a recycling/community-building/fun times thing to do. You can search your local area on the website to find any sales that may be going on near you, and then rock up, buy up and meet your neighbours. Sounds kind of fun!

I'll be keeping an eye out for wire-frame chairs, china cups and saucers, lanterns and a sunburst clock (ha!)

George Nelson Sunburst Clock.

Green Cleaning Toolkit: Borax

I know I've mentioned bits and pieces about various ingredients I use in my green cleaning toolkit (here, here and here) but I thought I could put together a post on each of the main ingredients I use week-in, week-out. Hopefully this will make it easy if anyone is keen on getting into green cleaning but not entirely sure where to begin.

First up is Borax.

Strictly speaking, borax is a toxic substance, even though it's naturally occuring. So don't go feeding it to your pets or kids, and if using it to clean, it's recommended that you wear rubber gloves to stop any potential skin irritation. I've never had any issues with it, and it sure as hell is better than the highly toxic commercial cleaners you often find at the supermarket.

Cleaning Uses:

Toilet Cleaner - I sprinkle the wet toilet bowl with a handful of borax, then saturate the borax with a good spray of straight white vinegar. I also spray the whole toilet with straight vinegar at the same time, to clean and disinfect. Leave it to sit for 15 minutes or more. Wipe over the toilet with a damp cloth and then dry with an old teatowel and then, using a toilet brush or a cloth, scrub the bowl and flush. Easy!

Tile Scrub/Shower Cleaner - I do this once every few weeks and it seems to get rid of any mould in the shower and stop a lot of it from growing back. Just mix roughly equal parts of borax and straight white vinegar in a tub. You're looking for a watery paste type consistency. Then using a damp cloth just spread the mixture over the tiles in your shower (walls and floor, concentrating a little more on the grout) and leave. 15 minutes plus is fine, and over night would do no harm. Then wipe down/scrub with a damp cloth, rinse and wipe over with a clean, dry cloth.

Disinfectant - A couple of tablespoons of borax in some warm water is a great disinfectant for bins etc. Just wipe over with the mixture and then rinse with clean water.

Laundry Uses:

Laundry Booster - You can add a sprinkle of borax to every wash and it will help whiten your whites and remove soap build-up and odour build-up in your clothes. I personally don't use it in every wash, but have found it does help soften blankets and linen.

Other Uses:

Ant/Cockroach Control - Borax can help to get rid of ants and cockroaches. To get rid of cockroaches try sprinkling the areas most likely frequented by the little buggers (be careful if you have kids or pets though). The borax attaches to their feet as they crawl over it and will eventually be ingested. For ants you can mix some borax with honey or sugar syrup and put it in some upturned jar lids. The ants will be attracted to the sweetness and then take the borax back to the nest with them.

I'm sure there's more tips out there, but they're the ways I've used borax. It's probably the least friendly of the ingredients I use, so it was nice to get that one out of the way!

Maybe next time you go shopping, pick up a tub of borax (it's super cheap, in the laundry/cleaning aisle at the supermarket) and add it to your green cleaning toolkit. Dare ya!

Renovation Nation: Deck and Stuff and Things

So the weekend was a bit higgeldy-piggeldy, with the Daylight Savings sleep trauma (ergh), visitors and life stuff, but exciting things are happening here.

The deck is coming along, and we hope that it will be finished in the next week or so. The roof will go on at a later stage, when money and energy allow.

I also got stuck into the painting on Sunday and we've almost finished painting one side of the house, as well as the internal trim on one side of the house, which sounds thoroughly boring, but is really ridiculously exciting. For me anyway!

I really want to take some more shots of the house, because my last update was woefully inadequate, and will try to do that this week sometime. Aside from that though, our main goal is to get one room finished. Just one. Completely finished. Right now we're aiming for either the toilet or laundry. The smallest rooms. Aim low is our motto.

In the meantime, the stars have aligned and both the kids are sleeping soundly at the same time, so a can of spray paint awaits me. Look out, random objects, you are on my radar.

And, on a totally unrelated yet mortifying topic, a lady a playgroup today totally thought I was pregnant. She didn't even ask, she just assumed. Makes for awkward small talk, let me tell you.