The nut house

busy, busy, busy

2011-05-16T14:59:00.000+10:00

thats how its been here, just plain busy. The littlest one has been a bit unsettled since having his shots last week, so has needed extra cuddles and even if I wanted to, he is just too cute to refuse :).

But I have managed to get a few things done, some pyjama pants and some jeans for the 2 littlest monkeys. I even broke out the much underused embroidery machine for extra touches on the jeans, and I'm sure that even though they can't tell me how chuffed they are with their one of a kind jeans, they love them as much as me.

Sawyers jeans and pj's

Macallums jeans, didn't get a shot of the pj's, they have already been worn and in the wash but suffice to say they are the same as Sawyer's but in reverse

Also a bit a resurrection - these jeans have been sitting in my mending pile for goodness only knows how long, well finally the mending pile is done, complete, no more and this is oone of the projects - these jeans were Brierleys, I am guessing a few years ago since they are a size 6 which is now the perfect size for Tanner so we simply covered the holey knees with his favourite fabric and voila new jeans!!!!! For those that don't know Tanners favourite alias ( he has a few) is Tman rock star, hence the favourite fabric :)

I also tried to save a pair of my old jeans destined for the charity bin as I just didn't like the colour anymore and never wore them but as they were quite expensive jeans I decided to dye them - and I dyed them black - I like the result but need to redo them as the dye didn't take evenly so maybe next time I will have shots of them.

I think thats enough for one post, I have been doing some other things but thats another story......to be continued

xxx

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-08T16:29:00.000+10:00

Happy Mothers day one and all, hope it was good to you. I had a very nice day and a lovely lunch with family. I am kicking myself I forgot to take a photo of mum's present but it is the same as the above which is for the MIL except different fabric. I am very pleased with how they turned out.

I did promise more craft in the last post - well here it is - softie heaven or possibly hell lol. Don't ask me why I have made soooo many - some will be toy drops but hmmmm the others, not sure I am just pleased I have my mojo back. I think maybe in the back of my mind I have been toying haha with the idea of a market stall. Something always holds me back though - let me tell you self doubt sucks!!!!!!!!!!!

These were my little test for myself - underwear. I have never worked with knit fabric before but this pattern was so cute I had to give it a go. Okay so they are riddled with mistakes but it really wasn't as bad as I expected and kinda has me itching for some more projects in knit fabric. Pattern can be found here http://www.etsy.com/shop/monkeysbug for those interested. They most certainly have the seal of approval from Hudson who still hasn't stopped wearing them (yes I have washed them).

Anyway I am off to make some hair accessories for the make believe market stall.

cheers

Random Acts of Kindness

2011-04-29T12:57:00.000+10:00

Some of you may know about my pledge for 2011, to do at least 12 (one per month) RAOK for the year. I had gotten off to a slow start with I think 2 for the year to date, this month I have bumped it up to 4, but let me tell you I am going to far exceed my 12 goal - let me tell you why...... I have discovered TheToySociety their aim is to create a "something for nothing " experience. Basically you handmake a toy of any description and leave it somewhere for someone else to find and keep. I did my first toy drop this morning and OMG I am hooked. The elephant above is what was left, what do you think? Would you like to find something like this? This will be the first of many.

I want to give a big big thankyou as well to Nic from http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/sraokfor giving me the insipration and push to do something more, to put some of the ideas whirling around in my head into action. I can't put into words how you have made me feel and hopefully what you have set into motion.

I have finally been doing some craft, I haven't gotten photos of everything yet - but here is a taste - Sawyers blanket. Some of you may know that when Macallum was born I threw together a stray piece of minky and fleece in pale blue that for some reason of another Mac cannot live without. Now while it is lovely that he adores it so much, being pale blue makes it forever filthy, and trying to get it away from him for long enough to wash it is lets just say not easy. So this time around we went with a much more dirt friendly colour. The back is a road pattern so he can even play cars on it when he is older. I hope he loves it half as much as Mac loves his.

Next post will have more creations I promise

xxxxx

due to popular demand

2011-04-17T15:20:00.000+10:00

well not really but I did get a request to put a basic recipe for the no poo hair care method up, so ask and ye shall receive - just for you Kristie.

Bare in mind it does need a little adjustment to suit each individual but the basic place to start is

1Tbsn bicarb soda dissolved in 1 cup water, apply this mix to your hair starting by working it around the roots and then down the rest of the hair. Don't be alarmed there will be NO lather. When you have rubbed it around a bit - rinse it out. You are then ready to condition - use about the same quantities - 1tbsn apple cider vinegar (ACV) into 1 cup water and work it in like the bicarb, when you are ready rinse it out. No you won't smell like vinegar I promise.

You can also add your favourite essential oils to the ACV mix if you like, also some honey is nice too.

Experiment, I think you will be surprised by the results........

If you do give it a go I would love to hear about your experience.

Shampoo free and loving it

2011-04-16T17:21:00.000+10:00

In keeping with our desire to live a more natural, simple life we have stopped using shampoo and conditioner. No it is not unhygenic or dirty as I have been told - we still wash our hair, I just don't use a chemical cocktail to do it.

Have you ever read the ingredients in your bottles of shampoo and conditioner? Do you even know what those things are or what they do? I am not prepared to put those things onto my head, sorry but I am not one who believes that just because it is on the supermarket shelf then it must be safe. I believe that I am protecting my families health by not allowing these chemicals to be absorbed through the skin and into our bodies. I believe what is too toxic to put in your mouth is too toxic to put on your skin as well.

So I can hear you asking - what do we do with our hair? - Well I'm glad you asked - we use what is known as the no poo method.
Almost 12 months ago I decided to take the plunge after reading a lot about it I figured what did I have to lose ( except another expensive item off my shopping list lol). Basically we wash in a mix of bi-carb and water and rinse in apple cider vinegar. After an inital adjustment period my hair has never been better, no more dandruff and healthy, strong hair.

I know what you are thinking - oh no I couldn't do that my hair would be a big oily mess yada yada yada. Well let me tell you this- your hair's natural oils work on a supply and demand system - the more you strip the oils away with shampoo, the more demand you create and so the body produces more oils. When you stop using the products there is an adjustment period while your body regulates itself again. For me that period was about 4 weeks.

Admittedly its not easy for everyone to get through the adjustment period. My hair was long then so I put it up everyday and tried to hide it a bit for work, but it really didn't bother me too much but I do understand this may be offputting for some.

Another upside is that I am not purchasing more plastic and so doing one more little bit for the environment.

All I can say if you are interested Google is your friend - you will find heaps of info on the internet to help you decide if this is for you or not. I love the fact that I have found a frugal, easy, toxic free way to care for our hair

what do you have to lose...........

helllllooooo anybody there

2011-04-14T13:15:00.000+10:00

well if you are still around reading this blog you are a better person than me - I nearly gave up on the blog but here I am again. No promises on when I will be here again though

The biggest thing to happen in my absence was the birth of the very special Sawyer Phoenix

isn't he perfect? Already he has settled in well to the craziness that we live in, and he is well loved by all his siblings too.

Delaney and Sawyer

Brierley and Sawyer

mental note to self - upload more photos :)

Can honestly say very little else has been happening, not much sewing or knitting at all, I lost the love for a while, I am slowly getting my mojo back but I have nothing to show for it yet - I do have something special that I just finished knitting but its a gift so no pics yet.

I am also participating in a dishcloth swap on http://downtoearthforums.com/. I haven't done a swap in ages and this is a nice small project to help me find the swap love again.

anyhoo the baby is calling so to speak so seeya later alligators

Op shopping and puppies

2010-10-24T16:35:00.000+10:00

Meet the latest additions to our not so small family, this is Jedda and Murphy. After losing our beloved Bull earlier in the year we had not felt the time was right to get another dog, but as you can see that has all changed, and because we don't do things by halves we got 2 - brother and sister. So far they are very good, not toilet trained yet but getting there and the thing I am most happy about - so far they are very tolerant of not so gentle small children, fingers crossed it stays that way.

Some very successful shopping at the local lifeline this week. I picked up this cupboard thing - no it does not match anything else we own but I really liked it and for $10 how could I say no. i am sure it will be put to good use.

My next op shop bargain - this wardrobe, destined to contain the new babies things, it needs a bit of work but the bones are good and I just love the shape and again $20 how could I let it go? Other bargains obtained this week are a commercial grill/cooker - just perfect for a large family - i can't help but picture the amazing hamburgers we will be cooking on this. Also although i have no idea if it works or how to use it - a knitting machine, I will have to try and download an instruction manual, it looks very confusing with lots and lots of little pieces. it may sit here gather dust for a while before I muster the courage to try and work it out but at $8 again how could I go past it.

And finally - do you think the dogs were a big hit, they are very much loved already, a great addition to our bunch!

birthday girl

2010-10-17T17:08:00.002+10:00

I really should have posted on Friday because that was Delaney Rose's 8th birthday, but we had a great time and I am only just catching up with this today. As you can see one of her gifts was this guitar and she loves it, she got some amazing gifts and is really growing up. Where has my baby girl gone?, but I really can't complain, she is growing into a beautiful, young girl.
Isn't this just brotherly love at its best? I love this photo.

And I finished another knitting project that has been on the needles far too long. My second pair of socks is finally complete :) . I love love love my homemade socks, they are the best socks I have ever owned. I have cast on another pair of socks but I suspect they will be on the needles a very long time too because after I find out the sex of belly fruit this week there will be some serious baby knitting happening. Still keeping my fingers crossed there will be pink knitting happening - so keep them crossed for me too :)

no news is good news

2010-10-11T18:14:00.002+10:00

I seem to be suffering bloggers block or somthing along those lines at the moment. It seems to be a combination of time, motivation and quite frankly nothing to say. I am sure my life is not that boring....okay who am I kidding it is definitely that boring and I guess I don't need to inflict that boredom on everyone else by writing about it :)

Finally I have made something for the belly fruit - a little colourful blanket, a little smaller than I would have hoped but I had no other ideas for this wool.
and speaking of the bellyfruit - here is another action shot, not too much different from the 13 week shot. We are now at 18 weeks and doing well. Ultrasound next week will hopefully tell us if it is a boy or girl belly fruit so we are madly trying to come up with a boys name just in case, girls name is sorted but we are really struggling with a boys name.

will endeavour to be back more frequently, in the mean time stay dry and bring on the spring weather. I am very much over the rain....

and we're back

2010-09-04T18:12:00.003+10:00

well it seems I have had nothing to say lately, life has been moving along as it does with no major changes. Been doing a little soul searching and I think I have come out better for it with a better idea of where our family is headed

Speaking of family - well ours is about to get bigger again, yes baby number 6 (and last) is on its way. I am 12 weeks along and already huge. I am very much looking forward to getting a look at this little bellyfruit on Monday
Look at these bathing beauties aren't they gorgeous, although I may be a little biased. Macallum has finally worked out what the camera is for and now performing happily when one appears. And even more surprising is that Hudson seems to finally be happy to have his photo taken too, and doesn't he take a nice pic too!!

For some reason the older 2 didn't seem so keen to have their pictures taken in the bath - hmm, I think they are growing up

September is nappy hunt time , much time is spent searching for that elusive icon, and shopping too, although I can honestly say I have participated in 6 nappy hunts now and never bought anything - maybe this time will be different. There are some awesome sites to discover, not all nappy related, so its fun for everyone.

cheers

things to remember

2010-07-21T17:46:00.002+10:00

some things I need to remind myself of more often

open your arms to change, but don't give up your values
be gentle with the earth
a loving atmosphere in the home, is the foundation for your life
silence is sometimes the best answer
learn the rules, so you know how to break them properly

I know there are more but these are the ones I was thinking of today - they have struck a chord so thought I'd share.

feeling blurgh

2010-07-18T16:57:00.004+10:00

well today i feel yuck, tired, cranky just plain flat:(. So today I am going to grizzle about a few things, I don't whinge often so be prepared!!!!!
first off I am mad about the Gold Coast birth centre being closed down, well yes it has been reopened for the weekend but well!!!! Birth Rights are a little bug bear for me, I just don't understand why men in suits think they can do this to women time and time again. First they target home births and independant midwifes now apparently its birth centres - this birth centre is in the hospital grounds really - how dangerous can it be - apparently it has been associated with three deaths and yes I totally agree this is tragic, but how many babies have died in the hospital itself? You'd better close all the hospitals down because people die in them all the time!!! Anyway I thought I'd include a little quote which says things quite well I think

"First they came for the unassisted birthers,but I did not speak out, because I do not free-birth.Then they came for those who birth at home with lay midwives,but I would would not speak out, because I would not have a home-birth with a lay midwife.Then they came for those who birthed with Certified Professional Midwives,and I would not speak out, because I would not have a home-birth with a CPM.And then they came for those who birthed in birth centres and with Certified Nurse Midwives,but I would not speak out because I would not have a birth in a birth centre or with a CNM.And then they came for me,and there was no one left to speak for me. "

My number 2 gripe for the day - what is so wrong with the way we do things?, why do we feel like outcasts? Is it wrong to believe it is more important to love our kids than give them everything they want? Am I wrong to believe it is impotant to teach the value of money, how to care for the environment, about where our food comes from and what is in it? Okay so I am not doing the best job in the world, but we are trying and while trying to teach my children these things I also am trying to raise independant, free thinking, questioning little souls. I do not want them growing up to believe everything they read in the paper or is on the tv. I want them to ask why, how and who? I want them to stand up for themselves and their brothers and sisters, to be able to have a fight amongst themselves and be able to work out a solution for themselves. I do not want to be a helicopter parent.

I could go on but clearly some people have really rubbed be up the wrong way this week so I will leave it there today

A bit of this and that

2010-07-11T16:31:00.003+10:00

Lets start with the cute.... of course they are, aren't they. A rare occasion - these 2 playing nicely together, probably because 2 of their 3 other siblings spent a couple of nights at Nans. I always seem to be posting pics about these 2 but with BJ and Tman gone for a couple of days it was amazing how many times I went to say "Beej, how about.... or Tman do you think...." etc . Little lightbulbs moments like this remind me how much I love and miss my kids so much when they are not around and reminds me why we have such a big family. I wouldn't have it any other way. Sure it may be a little out of the ordinary but hey it works for us.
And we bought a new car, well not new but new to us. Its a loooong way from new, but its in such good condition and only 43 000 km's on the clock and best of all its a 10 seater so room for a few more in there :)

T o say that Darren loves her would be somewhat of an understatement. She has been dubbed old Bessie.

And last but not least my craft for the last couple of weeks. First off - a Shalom cardigan http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shalom-cardigan for me. Its my first ever adult size garment and I love it, I do believe i may be knitting for myself more often

And a handbag and matching purse for a swap. Yes it is the bag style that I seem to make all the time but I did decide it was time for a little makeover and changed the handle as I did think the other style handle let the bag down a bit. I may change the handles more as time goes on but I do quite like this style. The purse I did as a little challenge to myself. I have had the pattern and frame for ages and because the pattern was quite hard to read and understand I had never attempt it, but hey you gotta start somewhere, so it worked out ok, not perfect but not bad if I do say so myself. In fact I think I may have to make one for myself soon.

New Life

2010-07-07T19:18:00.002+10:00

Guess what, guess what...... we have new babies.2 brand spanking new baby chicks, well a week old now but you know :). Aren't they just the cutest things ever, we think so. For those of you that don't know Darren has somewhat of a chicken fetish, he loves them, we have heaps of many different varieties like, silkies, frizzles, buff columbians, polish, feather feet and honestly because I don't love them as much as him that's all I can remember LOL. Anyway Darren has an incubator so not all but a lot of eggs go in there and lo and behold amazing for a couple of amateurs we managed to hatch a couple. We have had a lot of failures too but fingers crossed this is the beginning
the yellow one is a regular garden variety chicken, but the black one well to be honest we are not sure what she is, except that it is a bantam of some description, hopefully time will tell. And we may have baby ducks soon too as we have a clucky duck sitting on some eggs. We have 4 ducks - Donald and his girls - Daisy, Daphne and Delilah. Donald is one happy duck :)

And for a baby (or rather toddler) of a different kind, he is pretty cute too if I do say so but growing much too fast. He is developing such a personality, its fascinating to watch and be a part of, he is so funny and happy, just a joy to be around.

And another artistic photo from the photographer extroidinaire Delaney. She is good, isn't she!

Stay tuned

Bull the dog

2010-06-27T13:35:00.003+10:00

I have avoided writing this post, I think because I was in denial, well the time has come to accept it :(
My gorgeous, loving, beautiful natured, loyal dog is gone. Darren and I got him when we first moved in together, embarrassingly I do not remember his exact age but suffice to say he was about 13, which is pretty old for a rotty x heeler. On this day 2 weeks ago i was giving him his last belly rub, that was the last time I saw him. Darren saw him later that day when as always he followed Darren around while he fed the chooks, Monday morning he was nowhere to be found.
I suppose I will never know what happened, people have said maybe he went away to die as dogs sometimes do and since we have 17 acres we can't find him. All I know is he is gone and no amount of crying will bring him back. The pounds have been searched, lost/found adds scoured and the roads in the area have been driven and walked many a time in these last 2 weeks
I/we miss him terribly, not a day has passed that I don't think of him, whether its the left over food scraps, or a shadow I catch a glimpse of by the front door in his favourite spot that reminds me.
So today I have decided to remember him with a smile instead of a tear when I think of him and hope that he is happy/peaceful wherever he may be

We Miss You Bull

Lost

2010-06-20T16:07:00.003+10:00

Lost - thats a little how I'm feeling right now.I'm not sure about anything at the moment.I knew exactly what I wanted and what my goals were and now a little curve ball has been thrown and I'm not sure what to do. Is it possible to have it all? Can I juggle my family, work, study, craft/ hobbies for me? I don't know - my inner voice says " sure, you can do anything you put your mind too " but my other voice says " yes you can, but will you do any of it well?" and that is the problem, I want to be good at everything I do mmmm - much more thinking to be done I think!!!
Now some pics just for fun - this is a self portrait shot from Delaney - isn't she clever, I think I've said it before but she takes great photos, much better than me - really!
A happy shot of my littlest man, he has been unwell this week with a nasty case of conjunctivitis but as always is happy and smiling

Here is my garden harvest, some very odd shaped baby carrots, along with some baby beets.

And and awesome giant egg - these three are all regular chicken eggs - the middle one weighs an amazing 102g - poor chicken!!!!!!

A Crafty Weekend

2010-06-14T15:41:00.002+10:00

As some of you can probably tell there has been a distinct lack of craftiness around here lately. Partly due to the hours I work at this new job seem to leave very little time for any crafty pursuits, also the location of my sewing machines is not good ( read a cold dark corner of the garage) and most importantly my complete loss of sewing mojo - well in an effort to bring back the mojo - I moved machines to the kitchen table and got to it.
First up is a bunch of headbands I have been working on for ages, tweaking the design and so forth, still not 100% happy but I'll get there

next up a side snapping nappy for my little peace lovin' hippy LOL ( back view above, front view below). This has been sitting half done on my sewing pile forever, I think I have lost the addiction phase of my cloth nappy love, while I still love cloth and that will never change, I have moved on from the must have this, that or the other brand just for the sake of it - I have truly beautiful nappies from some amazing talented ladies in my stash and in all honesty more than we really need, so not only have I stopped buying them * shock, horror* but I have also stopped making them. Must be time for another baby LOL

Also on my to do list forever was to make myself a new bag - well here she is, a little understated perhaps but she'll do, roomy and practical and of course some green in there too - what more could you want :)

And below another long awaited project - new tea towels - these were the cheapest ones we could find - can you believe the price of something to dry your dishes with? Well they were just plain white towelling but I decided to spruce them up a little - as you do. 2 are tie dyed and 2 are embroidered - not bad huh?

It helped that I had a 4 day weekend that enabled me to actually get some craft done. I could get used to this 4 day weekend business - hopefully sooner rather than later thats what I will be doing - can't wait!!!!!!

Cheers :)

This weekend we.........

2010-05-30T16:03:00.005+10:00

went to our favourite little Lifeline shop - its at the dump just near us and we nearly always find ourselves a little bargain there and this weeks bargain was this little beauty above. Do you know how long I have been searching ebay for one of these? - its an Fowlers Vacola electric preserving steriliser if you didn't know LOL and all the ones I found on ebay have been far too expensive for this little stingy duck but this little baby was ..... wait for it ......$20. Admitedly it was a risk when we bought it because they couldn't tell us if it worked or not but we bought her home and tested her out and yipppeeee she works . Now all I need is some cheap fruit to make some jam and what fun we will have :)

made an awesome home made wooden toy - do you like it? Made by Darren who had been telling me for years that he would be able to make some wooden toys and well wouldn't you know it.....he can!!!!!

This is a first attempt and its not quite finished but I think it rocks, so much so that I think he could sell some at the markets. He has plans for some different types etc and I think he would do well. What do you think - would you buy one?

cheers

Achievements

2010-05-23T10:03:00.002+10:00

Achievement number one - garden harvest - I can honestly say I have never grown a thing in my life, well do weeds count? Darren had a little vegie patch when we lived on the coast but to be honest it was not a great success, but this little vegie patch ( see pics in previous post) is pretty much all mine, I have fertilised ( picking up the cow poo and watering it down), watered ( carried out bucket after bucket of the kids baths water) and even made my own pesticide ( see a previous post on this too) and now harvested my first ever food. Yes I am little proud of myself - can you tell?

The kids helped me pick the beans, peas and snow peas, this is whats left of the peas and snow peas after we sampled them along the way.... Well you have to try them - thats the rule isn't it?

So tonights dinner will be zucchini slice with our own zucchini and our own eggs - how great is that.

Achievement number 2 - socks - yes finally I finished my first ever pair of knitted socks. They were started about a year ago and I quickly finished one and then lost the urge to do the other and well as you know a sock is not much use on its own so I finally bit the bullet and decided that since most of my socks are decidedly holey I should finished this pair and VOILA - here they be!!!

And I feel so happy with myself that i have cast on another pair, hopefully they will be finished a lot sooner.

Stay tuned

Cheers

a learning process

2010-05-08T19:49:00.003+10:00

Well here I am again, let me tell you this gardening business is new to me. i have never grown a thing successfully in my life, not that i haven't tried. But here i am giving it a go once again and touch wood I can manage to keep these gardens alive :)
Above are my tomato plants, there are 17 - one didn't make it. We got the seedlings from Bunnings, punnets of 6 marked down to $2, because they didn't look so crash hot but ever the optimist I thought I could rescue them and so far so good. Because I am new to this area I am not sure when to plant what and what will survive the frosts that are coming from what I am told but its all learning.

this is another lesson learned here - I had no idea how big zucchini plants grow, if I did I would have given them a row to themselves but hey live and learn, in this row there are zucchini (obviously), carrot, onions and some cauliflower.

in this sad looking area are my cabbage and baby beets, as you can see the garden is not finished its just baby steps.

I discovered the other day that my cabbage and cauli were being eaten by cabbage moth so I googled ( as you do) for a natural pesticide that I could make myself and here is the recipe I came up with

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsn veg oil

let these steep for about 24 hours and then drain the garlic off and mix the oil with 2 tsn dishwashing liquid and 1 lt of water

i then liberally sprayed said plants with this mix and will keep you posted with the results

Also on a side note just to show how I am getting the hang of this simple waste not want not way of life, I then used the garlic that I drained off the oil in a herb and garlic loaf that we ate with plenty of butter for lunch mmmmmm - it was good :)

peas and beans here, which are all doing well. Darren built a trellis type thing above them out of some metal we had lying around. Gotta love a handy man.

And this slapped up chicken coup is very very temporary - these girls and boys are getting the ground ready for stage 2 of the vegie patch. I think I will wait the winter out before planting anything here though - I am hoping for some pretty special things from this patch of well turned and fertilised dirt

thanks for looking

Cheers

getting up close and personal

2010-05-04T19:21:00.003+10:00

with Freckles the pig. Delaney took this shot on the weekend and I loved it too much not to share it. And just quietly she kicks my butt in the photo taking department. I can't believe how fast my gorgeous little piggies are growing, we will have to separate the boys and girls soon as we do not the girls to get pregnant the first time they are able because pigs have large littlers and having them when they are too young can kill them :(

And on the subject of growing too quickly - here is my baby boy Macallum who has recently learnt to walk. OMG slow down boy where is my baby going. He is such a cheeky devil - can't you tell in this photo.

anyway 2 posts in 1 week what is the world coming to - better get back to it - cheers :)

my journey

2010-05-02T12:17:00.004+10:00

The dream is self-sufficiencyor I should say as close as possible because I don't believe it is possible for me in entirity ( there are things I like too much - coffee being one) and the journey is beginning. We have been making baby steps and I have tried off and on with making my own bread but this weekend I decided I will never be self-sufficient if I can't make my own bread so i thought I better get practising. So here one of this weekends results and while I have to admit they are improving every time they are not yet "perfect" but I will reserve my judgement on my bread making ability until I get my hands on some Bread flour and not just regular flour.

The simple life is the life we are aiming for, make what we can, buy second hand, repair, recycle and generally make do. This is something that I/we are particularly passionate about and we are trying bit by bit, baby step by baby step weave it into our lives. We have our chicken for eggs and soon some for meat, trying desperately to grow vegies which is not easy given my black thumb, some pigs who we will breed to sell and some to eat.

Some time in the future I hope to have a dairy cow to milk for milk, cheese, cream all the natural milky, dairy things I can create.

So the journey has begun, and I hope we can achieve this slow, simple life we dream of. We have a set of values we are trying to live up to and still we need to change some of our mindsets and its not going to happen overnight but you know the rest.

will talk more on this journey at a later date - so much for trying to slow down i seem to be always in a rush still LOL

edited to add - I just ate fresh bread for lunch and mmmm mmmm is all I can say - I am definitely getting there in the bread making stakes if I do say so myself :)

this weeks happenings

2010-04-18T18:33:00.002+10:00

first off - some craft. I have rediscovered my love of crochet after being inspired my an awesome blog that i read http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/ . I just love her creations and so I broke out my crochet hooks and whipped up this hair clip for flossy and I have also started a granny blanket but I have run out of wool so that project is on hold.

A random photo of Hudson - it is so rare to capture of pic of him smiling. As soon as a camera appears out come the funny faces and coy behaviour but today i caught him - so showing it off was definitely necessary LOL.

Also belated Happy 5th Birthday wishes to my Tanner man. This is his much prized gift - a built by dad billy cart and lovingly painted my Tanner and myself after much deliberation at the Bunnings paint counter over colour choices. It was always going to be green ( his favourite colour - takes after his mother does my boy :D), but the shade of green was quite the dilemma but the little man finally decided on this lime shade, with some red trim and gold wheels of course. Still to be added are some red lightening bolts to complete his aptly named GREEN LIGHTENING.

I am so pleased with our efforts on this, totally handmade with some recycled items as well. There were 2 reasons for this - yes we are a bit skint at the moment but my main reason is twofold - i believe strongly in the value of a handmade with love gift - i know myself i would rather have something lovingly made by someone i care about than a thoughless, mass produced, made in China, throwaway gift. Not saying that all store bought gifts are that but I hope you understand what I am trying to say here :), the other aspect is that I want my children to be satisfied with this type of gift and not be demanding and wanting all the time, ( this is what I want for them - not in anyway am I there yet ). I want them to recognise the value of a good quality handmade gift as in my experience this seems to be lacking in todays world. Anyway I seem to have lost my train of thought so I will shut up now LOL.

And last but not least this is Codycalf. One of our ( well not our but residing here ) new tenants. There are 3 cows - this one, a pregnant black Angus called Dora. Dora also has a male calf here as well but he is unnamed as he is to be killed at a later point. Please no comments on that - it just life I'm afraid, and anyway its not our cow so not our choice. And I for one would rather know just what is in my meat and be confident in its quality and freshness - well that or become a vego - and just quietly thats not going to happen.

Also no photo but it was my mums birthday this week - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!!!! and I must say we had a lovely lunch out and a visit from some relatives I rarely see from Adelaide - so it was an awesome week - one far too good not to blog about.

so I hope I haven't bored anyone to death with this massive blog post but thats the week that was in our house

cheers

Nadine :D

new additions

2010-04-03T10:58:00.002+10:00

say hello to the newest family members :).The 2 boys ( the black ones) are purebred Berkshires and their names are Barry and Mr T. The girls are Tamworths/Berkshires and the really red one is Penny but the spotted one is as yet unnamed :(

So any suggestions for this little ones name would be appreciated, they are all around the 8 week old mark and so so cute and already getting used to the crazy lady who comes and talks to them every day LOL.

hmmm - help me with a name please - I need to call her something!!!

Long time no blog

2010-03-29T18:40:00.003+10:00

well its been a while. Where have I been I hear you ask? Well we moved, something we had been contemplating for literally years. Late last year on the spur of the moment I sent of a letter expressing interest in a job in the area we were interested in moving to and what do you know I got a job WOW. So it was all very rushed, finding a house which nearly didn't happen in time to start work, find a new school etc etc etc.

There have been a few hurdles along the way with some dramas renting out our house but fingers crossed it all seems to be fine now.

All I can say is it just feels right, why did we wait so long!!!!!!!

The pics above are the view from my bedroom window - gorgeous isn't it, we also now have expanded our chicken family, don't ask me how many, I've lost count, Lets just say Darren has developed something of an obsession LOL. I post some pics in the coming days.

I will do my best to renew my blog love and post again more regularly, the downside to my new 9-5 job is that there just seems not enough hours in the day for all my hobbies, needless to say there has been very little craft happening but I hope to rectify that soon :)

Cheers :)

As promised

2010-01-04T15:33:00.000+10:00

some recent craft action - first up is a recent swap I was a part of on Nappy Addicts, this was only half of it - I also did a smaller bag for her daughter. I was pretty happy with how this turned out and the recipient was happy to so even better

Nappies I have made lately ( no boosters in them yet, my overlocker and I are not seeing eye to eye at the moment). 2 different patterns here, the first 2 are a large and a small side snap Darling Diaper pattern and the 3rd is a hippy hippy snap pattern also in large. I can't decide which pattern I prefer I think there are pros and cons to each, so I will probably continue to make a mixture of both for the boys. Not sure who the small is for, the embroidery is not perfect and I was going to gift it to someone but not sure now.

And lastly some of the book/diary covers made for christmas gifts. i think almost everyone I know got one of these including family, work friends and teachers. I love them and think they make a great gift.

New discoveries

2010-01-03T15:30:00.000+10:00

firstly these were taken just before Christmas - yes I am waaaay behind in my blogging!!!!!

Macallum has been making a lot of new discoveries lately - he escapes to the backyard at every opportunity - which happens to be a lot because the older children are apparently incapable of shutting a door. He is not however a big fan of the practically dead grass ( although thanks to the recent rain is it lovely and green again) and tries to keep his knees off the aforementioned grass - it is a very amusing sight to see,
He does love to try and catch the chickens too which seems to be hereditary in this family - i feel for the poor chickens and often wonder how we ever get any eggs when they seem to spend their days running from 2 little terrors ( Tanner and Hudson) who like to "pat" them
. The chickens don't seem to be bothered by Macallums attempts at catching them though lol.

I think a new years resolution should be more regular blogging especially with the things i have been making lately - although some are secrets due to being swaps and are not ready to be revealed just yet.

Handmade Christmas Failure!!!!!!!!

2009-12-12T14:36:00.000+10:00

My goal for this year was to have a 100% handmade christmas - well sadly its time to admit defeat. I had been living in denial for quite a while really - it is not going to happen. Maybe i am being unrealistic with my goal of 100% - i will think about this some more when i set my goal for next year. I have made some progress however and i am hopeful that everyone will get something that is handmade. So far all teachers and friends have been 100% made by me so thats something.

this is the one and only handmade thing the kids are getting and i am really disappointed in myself for not trying harder with them but i am finding myself a little lacking in inspiration this year - well theres always next year!!!

and a little extra - i made this little christmas hair clip for Delaney to wear in her hair - quite happy really - not only did I use my much underused embroidery machine but i also learnt a new technique so thats something.

gifts and graduations

2009-12-05T15:30:00.000+10:00

first off - this is the gift for Tanner's much loved kindy teacher - Miss Angela. We all loved Miss Angela and i know Miss Angela loved Tanner just as much as he loved her. Angela is going home to England for Christmas so this was her gift - a hand knitted scarfette (pattern once again from the fabulous tikki ) and a notebook cover. After some devious digging by Darren we discovered her favourite colour was purple - hence the purple gifts :D

Tuesday was Tanners graduation from kindy as he is off to start prep next year :(. Personally i think he is too young but thats a whole other story. He was very proud of himself and I think is very slowly warming to the idea of school.

And this is the graduating class - you can't see Tanner - he is at the back but nevertheless he is in there :D

knitting

2009-12-04T19:52:00.001+10:00

i have had this done for a while now but i have been a little bit blog neglectful of late so thought i would try and rectify the situation and post some recent craft action :D
This pattern is called Tropical Lily and you will find it over at http://tikkifabricaddict.blogspot.com/ and its free!!!!!!
Tikki has some of the best patterns around and are suitable for beginner knitters as well because they are so well written with plenty of instructions.
Delaney actually likes this too which is always an added bonus - she is not always fond of wearing my creations :(

Anyhoo i hope to be back later this weekend with some more things to show

photos

2009-11-24T15:46:00.000+10:00

check them out

http://rachelrichter.com.au/blog/?p=4131

can't recommend Rachel highly enough - her work is amazing!!!!!!

this is what......

2009-11-23T18:15:00.001+10:00

the baby monkey is up to - excuse the mess but as you can see he likes to empty cupboard and climb inside.

Yes he is a devil, crawling like a champion, cruising the furniture - he will be walking before we know it * sigh * growing up waaay too fast

skater boys

2009-11-08T13:34:00.000+10:00

here are my 2 skater monkeys - just try and get them off those skateboards - I dare you! . Tanner is proudly wearing his latest favourite top - a hand dyed (by me) rainbow t-shirt - it has a little too much pink for his liking but it was my first attempt so he has been assured the next one will be less pink LOL

And Delaney and Macca Moo just because really - aren't they gorgeous!!!!!!!!!

happy birthday

2009-11-08T13:26:00.000+10:00

Well Friday was my eldest boys birthday OMG where has the last 8 years gone. I can't believe how grown up he has become and also very scary to think in another 8 yrs he will be 16.

Happy 8th birthday Brierley James - we love you to bits

and a random pic of baby monkey - growing too fast - yes he can crawl and starting to sit - i think this one will be an early walker somehow

the winners are........

2009-10-25T19:31:00.003+10:00

okay let me begin by saying a huge thankyou to all those who entered my first ever giveaway but also for all the lovely comments. I t has given me hope that one day i may actually do this and sell something.

Also a little surprise in honour of my particularly crappy day today I have decided to give all 3 sets away.

So 3 separate draws done the old fashioned way - names in a hat with the big girl herself drawing the names out

And here they are -

so we have Lesley with the pink set, blanicju with the purple and Romi Jade with the yellow, so lovely ladies i need you to contact me at nadine.smith71(at)gmail.com and i will send these little pressies off ASAP

Thanks again to all who participated and don't forget the big boy turns 8 next month so watch out for a boy giveaway coming soon :)

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

2009-10-16T19:42:00.000+10:00

In celebration of my daughters 7th birthday we are having a giveaway. As i seem to have an abundance of all sorts of things that i make with the best of intentions I have decided to give some away instead of hoarding them away in the hope that one day I might start selling things. May my lack of confidence be your gain LOL

Anyway just post a comment telling me which set is your favourite for an entry into the draw, follow my blog for an additional entry and for a third and final entry simpy blog about this giveaway yourself and let me know.

Draw will close next Sunday 25th October

As next month it is my eldest sons birthday - I will try and dig up something for the boys so stay tuned people :)

Happy Birthday to you

2009-10-16T18:30:00.004+10:00

my beautiful girl - Delaney Rose was 7 yesterday. OMG where has the time gone!!!! She is growing into a beautiful, charming talented amazing girl and if its possible we love her more all the time. She is such a joy to have around - if you can stand the constant chatter that is LOL.

Delaney chose to have her ears pierced as her birthday gift - well she chose this last year as well but chickened out at the last minute then, but this year she was as brave as they come. She is so proud of herself and we are too of course. So she is now sporting some swish new pink earrings.

Stay tuned because i am having a giveaway in honour of my big girls birthday very soon

giveaway

2009-10-13T16:16:00.000+10:00

here http://blakeandboo.blogspot.com/2009/10/day-12-and-mystery-giveaway.html

well done Tam your blog is looking awesome

nappy sewing

2009-10-03T09:09:00.002+10:00

As you can see I've been sewing nappies - it has been so long since i made a nappy and I am happy to say not only did I really enjoy it but my sewing ability has improved heaps.
There are still modifications and improvements to be done but I think I almost have a nappy that works perfectly for us - of course that doesn't mean I 'll stop buying other people's gorgeous work :)

Stay tuned for more sewing adventures still to come

Giveaway

2009-09-28T10:20:00.000+10:00

check it out http://www.handmadekids.com.au/?p=2775

but don't feel obliged to enter - cos I'd really like to win this - Delaney's birthday is just around the corner :-D

happy half birthday

2009-09-25T17:31:00.000+10:00

well its the smallest monkeys 1/2 birthday today and oh how we've grown. He is such a happy boy - such a joy to have in our lives and such a precious addition to our family. Never for one minute even in amongst the noise, chaos and mess do I regret the decision to have a 5th child. Boy it really makes you wonder where the time goes - the last 6 months has gone in the blink of an eye - scary really!!!!

HEEELLLLOOO spring

2009-08-31T18:46:00.002+10:00

hello and welcome to my old friend SPRING. Its spring tomorrow but honestly I think spring has well and truly sprung early this year - my jasmine has been in flower and smelling devine for a couple of weeks now and as you can see so have the other plants in my garden. I can't believe its September already WOW. Christmas will be here before you know it.

And speaking of September - I think all cloth nappy people know what I am about to say - Its time once again for the Great Down Under Nappy Hunt (if you don't know what I am talking about check out http://www.diaperdecisions.com/pages/greatnappyhunt.php)
Thousands of us crazy people will be madly glued to our computers hunting for a little icon
So if I'm a little quiet for the next moth you know why.

Proud Mummy

2009-08-29T16:04:00.000+10:00

my 2 school monkeys had their sports day on Thursday and what a great day it was. I had the day off work which was pretty good in itself but aside from that they made me proud my oldest monkeys did.
BJ won his first ever ribbon when he came first in his relay race and then followed that up with a third place in the longest ball toss competition. He was so proud of himself too which made it all worthwhile. He was however a little disappointed that he didn't do better in his individual running race but he came fourth and thats nothing to be sneezed at but I guess he is a typical male and never happy with what he has LOL.
Delaney won her individual running race just like last year and came a very close second in her relay. I hope she sticks with running because she has such a great relaxed style she is a pleasure to watch it seems as though she isn't trying at all.
And just for something different as their house colour is green I thought I would hand dye some white t- shirts. It worked out really well because in a sea of green they stood out and we could always tell where they were because no-one looked quite like them. A great day was had by all!!!

A week of firsts

2009-08-23T16:11:00.001+10:00

I never thought I 'd see the day when a child of mine fell asleep in their highchair. Yes I 've seen it plenty of times on Funny Home videos but I really never thought it would happen with my high spirited children but lo and behold here it is Hudson asleep eating hot chips no less. Little did we know at the time it was the beginning of a week of sickness - of courses there had to be a logical explanation for such out of character behaviour

Macallums first experience with the jolly jumper - yes he loves it - so far all the boys have loved it. Delaney was the only one who has not enjoyed jumping

My first pair of socks are finished. Darren is kindly modelling one for me here. I would prefer them to be longer but I was limited by the amount of wool I had.

And this is getting to be a habit - putting in a random shot just because its so cute. How much do you think Tanner loves his brother?

wooly heaven

2009-08-12T17:27:00.002+10:00

some really beautiful yarn has arrived on my doorstep this week YAY
the one above is my gift in the Something for Mum swap on Nappycino. It is some beautiful green and purple sock yarn - to indulge my latest challenge of sock knitting. It is from Celias basket and to my secret swapper MWAH you rock I love it

and these beauties are from a special co-op organised on Nappycino again from the yarn cafe . The colours are merman and plum tree and I love them. I am just loving my yarn right now.

Thanks to Kris for organising this massive co-op.

The miracle of.......

2009-08-09T10:59:00.000+10:00

PLAYDOUGH
I made playdough today - i haven't made it in the longest time. Darren went to play bowls so I got busy making playdough, banana cake and lemon butter but anyway back to the playdough - it truely was a miracle - 4 quiet happy children amusing themselves without fighting. Pity it didn't last just a little longer lol.

My Playdough Recipe
2 cups plain flour
1 cup salt
2tbsn oil
food colouring
4 tsn cream of tartar
2 cups water

mix all together in pot and cook until it all comes together in a ball. Then I normally knead it a little to smooth it out a bit. And there you have it the magic miracle provider of a little quiet time :)

A very nice photo taken by Delaney of a birds nest in one of our trees

and another of Delaney's special photos - this actually makes our backyard look half decent

The Tooth Fairy

2009-08-05T19:34:00.000+10:00

IS MAKING ME BROKE!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG can these kids lose any more teeth

Random shot of Macallum - who has a terrible teething rash at 4 months - can you believe it. But as you can see in the photo he wears a Baltic Amber teething necklace which is a natural pain reliever and anti inflammatory so he has been his normal happy self despite the dreaded teething

and proof that I did finish Brierley's pyjamas and no-one missed out, and they are actually even and not lopsided like they look in the pic

more finished items and another fairy visit

2009-07-28T16:26:00.001+10:00

I got another pair of pj's finished this week - amazing how much quicker the 3rd pair are to do than the 1st. These are Hudson's obviously so last but not least is Brierley ( Mac wears woolies over his big cloth nappy bum so not doing any for him ). I will endeavor to do BJ's this weekend

these fingerless gloves are called fetchings and while if you asked me a while ago if I would be caught dead in fingerless gloves the answer would have been a resounding NO but don't get me started on why I need these AT WORK!!!!!! no I do not work out doors in an office if you please and it is so cold this is what I have resorted to.

I taught myself to use double pointed needles to do these so watch out learning to do socks is next. Oh and this is more of my own dyed wool too and yes it is green but it works for me right now :)

The tooth fairy has paid us another visit - never one to be left out little miss Delaney played with her oh so slightly loose tooth until it came out too just like her brothers

and just to round off a random shot of 2 of the monkeys - cute hey !!

Rae Gun Ramblings: Giveaway: 3.5 inch Fabric Square Pack

2009-07-25T20:32:00.001+10:00

Rae Gun Ramblings: Giveaway: 3.5 inch Fabric Square Pack

found this great looking blog and giveaway tonight. I'm not sure why I'm telling though because I'd really like to win this one - just love that fabric

happy birthday

2009-07-25T20:03:00.000+10:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE FABULOUS HUDSON HORNET

today Hudson Asher is 2. OMG can you believe it, seems like yesterday that I met the cheekiest of all the cheeky monkeys.

he spoils us every day with his silly grin

and he is growing up so fast and learns new words and expressions every day. He is turning into quite the little man.

we had a good day with Aunt Jussy having cake and pressies for lunch. Nanny Mon couldn't come because she hurt her foot and couldn't drive so we missed her, but are looking forward to seeing her soon.

finished !!!!

2009-07-19T09:32:00.002+10:00

finished these shorties this week - they are from the pattern - looking glass longies by Kelly Brooker ( will come back with a link ) http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/looking-glass-longies and I love Kelly's patterns - they require no grafting and even though I am a fairly new knitter and I am sure practise makes perfect - I am not much good at grafting so thats why I love her patterns so much. And what makes these little pants even more special - I dyed the wool myself with food colouring. I made a few attempts at dyeing and was never happy with the results so had decided it wasn't for me but when I knitted this lot up I just love it so I guess I will be dyeing again very soon. Although since everything I knit seems to be green I will be doing some different colours next time :)

And also finished this week - pyjamas for Delaney and Tanner - well Tanners were supposed to be Brierley's thats why they are so big - but hey as I have said before its not like he's getting any smaller right!. I have to say this has been a pretty big achievement for me - I have never really made tops before so I am fairly happy with the results - not perfect but a good effort for a first attempt I think

next project is to teach myself how to knit with dpn's so I can do socks.

let me tell you this working business is really eating into my craft time :D

A little something I like to call - Inspired by Lesley

2009-07-13T16:00:00.004+10:00

Firstly excuse the crappy photos but I'm feeling too lazy to edit atm.

Now I'm quite sure all the cloth nappy people know exactly who I am talking about when I say Lesley inspired this out fit. For the non clothies out there Lesley from Cherub's Kiss makes the most awesome nappies and I have wanted one for a very long time. They are a much sought after item and hard to get so i was very lucky to score one of her very special munch and crunch auriels.

I had some very hungry caterpiller fabric lying around and when I got this super fab nappy I knew I wanted to make something with it - so here it is - The nappy is Lesley's of course and I made a pair of pants and an applique top to go with it. Not bad for a beginner I think. They are for Hudson's birthday in a couple of weeks:).

Auskick

2009-07-12T15:36:00.002+10:00

Brierley was selected to represent his school playing Auskick at a recent AFL game. Last Saturday night the Richmond Tigers ( Darrens team ) played the Adelaide Crows ( my team ) at the Gold Coast Stadium and BJ did his thing at half time. He was quite scared before he left but by the time he got home he was bouncing off the walls - he had the best time. The only down side was that only him and Darren went - they had told us that only the player and one parent could sit together and I wasn't sure I could handle the other 4 on my own so BJ and dad had a boys night out. And the traitor to his mother has decided that he will follow Richmond like his dad - but I got the last laugh - Adelaide won :)

Here is another pic of the famous 5 but as you can see yet again they refuse to all look at the camera at once LOL. I will keep trying for something better.

tooth fairy

2009-07-12T11:06:00.003+10:00

Well the tooth fairy paid a visit this week to my oldest monkey Brierley. Not the first visit but this top tooth is so much more obvious than the bottom tooth he has lost in the past. The tooth fairy left $2 which i thought was pretty generous and certainly a lot more than I got in my day ( how old do I sound lol ) but apparently according to some people I know we have a very stingy tooth fairy ha ha . My big boy is growing up :(

And the much anticipated all together monkey photo. First thing I would like to say is yes my kids need hair cuts lol well except the youngest 2 that is - Hudson is 2 in a couple of weeks and this is all the hair he has still - really isn't it time he grew hair :)

not the greatest photo but getting them all to look and smile is practically impossible - and I just noticed I put in the same pic twice instead of two different ones - lets see if I can fix it . Nope we are stuck like that for now - oh well you get the idea.

No sewing or knitting pics again but i will have some very soon I promise I have been doing things but they are either unfinished or no photos taken yet

save homebirth

2009-07-04T09:14:00.002+10:00

from July next year women will no longer have the right to CHOOSE either their caregiver or place of birth. To me this is criminal - no I don't home birth but my dream birth would be a home water birth with an independant midwife - now while thats never going to happen for me I want that choice to be available to my children.
Why can we choose to have a caesarian section or an abortion but not home birth?

I think we all need to do something - this is importrant for all of us whether we home birth or not. Surprisingly to me the person behind this - the health minister is not only a woman but a mother. Shame on you Nicola Roxon - surely she can see what a step backwards this is for women's rights

for more information - http://www.savehomebirth.com.au/

first week

2009-07-03T19:54:00.002+10:00

This week was my first week back at work. I missed my little monkeys awfully and wanted to cry on more than one occasion.
Don't get me wrong I do actually like my job and I work with some really great people but I think we all know where I would rather be :). I've always said I am happy to work - just a little less would be good.
DH stays home and looks after the monkeys and as far as looking after them goes he does a great job - but the housework side of things is typically male and could use a little work.
I had a special surprise too during the week - a surprise parcel with some things I'd organised to buy( kids clothes of course) - it was a surprise because not only had I not paid her but she also included a couple of yummy treats, some yummy butterscotch organic chocolate and some sublime white organic fair trade tea.
She also wrote a little note to let me know she was thinking of me in my first week back at work and let me tell you it really touched me and yes I even had a little cry and all this love and thoughtfulness from a woman I have never met.
Thankyou Fiona - you have no idea how much it meant to me.

and just a little pic to show why it was so hard to go to work every day - isn't he perfect

Pattern Giveaway

2009-06-27T20:34:00.002+10:00

craftymamas

leave a comment and be in it to win it. They look like awesome patterns and I would love to try and make something girly for a change.

Which reminds me I have been sewing up a storm making the boys pants - must post pics.

Anyway back to the point - visit the blog, join the forum its up to you but trust me its worth it.

one gorgeous pooch

2009-06-25T21:18:00.002+10:00

how cute is my dog all snuggled up on his pillow and sheepskin rug awwwww

whats even sweeter is he made the bed himself - as usual the kids had re arranged his things - so as any good dog does - he went and put them back into his comfy bed.

He is such a special one of a kind old boy

Poetry

2009-06-20T14:39:00.002+10:00

Today I left some dishes dirty,
The bed I made at 3:30,
The nappies soaked a little longer,
The odour grew a little stronger,
The crumbs I spilt the day before,
Are staring at me from the floor.
The fingerprints, there on the wall,
will likely still be there, next fall,
The dirty streads on the window panes,
Will still be there next time it rains.
"Shame on you old lazy-bones," I say,
"And just what have you done, today?"
I nursed a baby till he slept,
I held a toddler while he wept,
I played a game of hide & seek
I squeezed a toy, so it would squeak,
I pulled a wagon, sang a song,
Taught a child right from wrong.
What did I do this whole day through?
Not much that shows, I guess it's true...
Unless you think that what I've done
Might be important to someone
With bright blue eyes and soft blonde hair
If that is true, I've done my share.
(Joanne Green)

Man I love this poem and it is so appropriate around here. Yes my house is a mess but I know my kids are loved and well looked after.

I like to think there are more important things than a perfect house.

mud monkeys

2009-06-20T13:24:00.002+10:00

I'm sure every parent knows when your kids are quiet it usually means trouble. Tanner and Hudson had been unusually quiet this morning and this is what i found.

Mud, glorious mud.

They were having a ball and were not very happy about being dumped in the shower despite the fact that they were shivering with cold.

Meat eating monkey

2009-06-13T14:16:00.000+10:00

following on from previous post with this little man getting stuck into some flour - this is my little eat anything carnivore monkey - yes its Hudson again.
This time he is helping himself to some turkey wings - not so bad you say well it does sound pretty harmless until I tell you that this was Tanner's and Hudson helped himself from out of the bin eeewwwww

Milo

2009-06-12T21:00:00.003+10:00

I promised a non nappy knitting project and well here it is.

Once again I can't tell you enough how much I love this pattern. It is from the lovely tikki and its called Milo. Perfect for the beginner and I even did some cable work and let me tell you its not as hard as you would think. I will definitely be knitting this again. It is in sizes from newborn to 4yrs so I could knit it for 3 of my 4 boys and I probably will. At $5 for the pattern it is an absolute bargain and even though I know you are not reading this Tikki - thankyou for writing such great patterns that even a beginner can understand

More Knitting!!

2009-06-09T19:21:00.003+10:00

2 post in one day WOOHOO. Anyway I did say I'd been busy with projects - here is another.

Vanilla soaker. I have to say I love love love - can't say it enough - love this pattern. I suck at grafting and this pattern has no grafting so suits me down to the ground :). It also taught me a couple of new techniques so as a learner knitter thats always good

I made it in a medium size and as you can see its too big but its not like he is getting any smaller right!

Can't wait to show off my next knitting and its non nappy related and its teaching me some more new techniques too. I'm just hoping it turns out as well as I wish.

BIB HEAVEN

2009-06-09T11:28:00.002+10:00

I have been busy with lots of projects lately - this is number one which I have been working on quite a while - probably a little too long.

A lovely lady asked me to make her 10 bibs ( 5 boys and 5 girls ) for 2 as yet unborn babies. She liked the ones I made my boys so much that she wanted some for herself. Makes you feel really good to know other people like your stuff too.

I really hope she likes them :)

mmm flour!!!!!!

2009-06-01T18:14:00.002+10:00

this is the face of the monkey who will eat anything!!!

I kid you not - i found him today getting stuck into a bag of flour - not just making a mess but actually eating it

and isn't this just the cheekiest grin you've ever seen

Ollie Rose giveaway

2009-05-26T18:42:00.004+10:00

For those that don't know Ollie Rose makes the most awesome baby and childrens things. We heart Ollie Rose.
Anyway they are releasing a range of Babushka inspired dolls for boys, which suits us down to the ground with our 4 cheeky boy monkeys, so Ollie Rose is having a giveaway to celebrate.

So you need to get on over to ollie rose and enter.

Baking Day

2009-05-26T18:12:00.002+10:00

Today was baking day. We made 4 loaves of bread, dough for a cheesy bread thing to have with dinner, a cinnamon tea cake that we have been making A LOT lately - its very simple and very yummy and we also made my favourite easy biscuits - the Very Versatile biscuit. Now I'm sure most people know the recipe but for those that don't here it is -

The Very Versatile Biscuit

500g butter or marg

tin condensed milk

1 cup sugar

5 cups SR flour

mix butter and flour together until smooth, stir in sugar and flour and mix well.

Roll into balls , flatten slightly, place on trays and bake in a moderate oven for 12-15min.

I had various extras too - choc chips, cornflakes, sultanas - the list is endless, just use your imagination

Enjoy :)

Latest knitting and a smiley monkey

2009-05-25T20:12:00.008+10:00

I've been a little quiet lately - don't be offended I have a lot on my mind.

I am trying to hatch a little plan but its all still in top secret mode - but please keep your fingers crossed it all works out to plan.

PIF recipients will be pleased to know i've made a start and if you are reading this can you email me your details nadineDOTsmith71ATgmail.com otherwise i will PM you at Nappycino

anyway back to the point - here are my latest accomplishments

some longies for Huddy which i think have turned out the best so far and also some pics of my beautiful smiley man

Sorry the pics are all over the shop but I'm too lazy to fix it tonight

Another Great Giveaway

2009-05-21T18:53:00.002+10:00

i managed to find another giveaway on my blog surfing travels tonight.

I have bought from them before and they have great customer service

Good luck

giveaway

Thankyous

2009-05-15T16:19:00.002+10:00

A couple of quick thankyous

firstly to Sue for coming out of her way to visit my pigsty for a coffee and bringing a lovely gift for Delaney - that she loves by the way

and to Tam for inviting me to her place for coffee - the brownies were delicious hun, bugger i didn't try Noelle's slice.

Thanks guys - much appreciated :)

make it perfect

2009-05-13T18:57:00.003+10:00

i love these patterns and now there is a great give away - just leave a comment on her blog and you could win a great little jacket pattern.

As the girl said - you gotta be in it to win it

check it out http://tonicoward.blogspot.com/2009/05/uptown-girl-giveaway.html

sew along

2009-05-11T17:45:00.004+10:00

i am doing a sew - along with some lovely people at Nappycino and this weeks task was a pincushion and since i don't have one I thought i'd play along. Here are my efforts - not great but hey they do the job and quite frankly I'm not sure how i ever got along without one before.

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-10T14:21:00.003+10:00

happy mothers day to all the mums out there

hope you all have a great day and are treated like princesses.

i flew in from Adelaide late last night so i am just spending the day enjoying my beautiful family and thankyou to my darling husband for a lovely lunch. I love you hun.

Nans service and burial was simple and elegant, mum and Uncle Ray did a really good job organising everything.
I reunited with some of my cousins who i hadn't seen in 16 years - OMG - i remember them as little kids and now they are all grown up - what a shock!!!!!!!!!

i am making a promise to myself and my family to not leave it so long. We have precious little family as it is and life it too short. My husband and family have never met most of my relos and thats sad!

6 weeks

2009-05-06T18:19:00.002+10:00

Macallum is 6 weeks old already - where has the time gone? I will be back at work before you know it :(.

i love this photo.

Still trying to get a photo of all the kids together - its just not happening. Someone always seems to be crying, fighting, sulking or something lately but theres plenty of time - I'll get it sooner or later :)

more knitting and a wool delivery

2009-05-06T18:12:00.004+10:00

here is my latest knitting a dress from tikki. Its a fantastic pattern and great for a beginner. As i don't have a baby girl I'm not sure what to do with it - maybe a blog giveaway when i get back from Adelaide - i'll think about it.

And the wool is a lovely postie delivery - the dark purples are for some longies for Hudson but i'm still undecided about the rest?

R.I.P Nan

2009-05-04T08:35:00.003+10:00

my Nan passed away last night after battling various illness' for many years.

i am having very mixed emotions. Of course i am very sad but I also know it was for the best in many ways, she had had no quality of life for a long time.

I think I am feeling awful too because i had not made the time to visit. I have not been back to Adelaide since I left about 16 years ago. In recent years she would not have known whether I was there or not anyway but still.
I wanted to remember her the way she was not as a frail old woman with severe dementia - is that awful?

Fly Free Nan

Knitting

2009-05-02T10:26:00.006+10:00

so here is my latest finished project - a jumper for Macallum. Still a little big and i don't like the wool but its all good.

i am such a new knitter that i am still surprised when things turn out.

the pattern is from here

OUCH!!!!!

2009-04-29T13:23:00.003+10:00

i ripped my toe nail off last night and let me tell you it hurts - although apparently some people find it quite amusing - what the????

for those with a weak stomach look away now !!!!!

2009-04-28T19:41:00.004+10:00

"your children will become what you are, so be what you want them to be." - David Bly

1 priceless princess

2009-04-27T13:23:00.003+10:00

a two purpose post this one - both to show off my beautiful clever little girl and my latest knitting project - a beanie from tikki - can you tell she loves it?

and a little brag Delaney had Princesses and Pirates day at school while learning about the letter P and Delaney being herself does nothing that normal little girls do - decided she would go as Pochahontas the Indian Princess. Needless to say she was the only girl dressed as an indian. She certainly is an individual and we love that!!!!!

the unfortunately meme

2009-04-26T15:00:00.003+10:00

i found out about this here - you just google unfortunately and your name and see what comes up - quite amusing

unfortunately Nadine is unlucky in love but amazingly proficient in the fertility department

unfortunately Nadine died in 2004 due to complications of childbirth

unfortunately Nadine is ill today due to a nasty bug and regrets she will not be blogging

you get the idea - give it a go :)

3 cheeky monkeys

2009-04-26T10:48:00.000+10:00

i thought it was time to rectify the lack of pics - so here are three of my four beautiful boys

stay tuned for more

Pay it forward

2009-04-25T19:45:00.001+10:00

From HERE

I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 people who comment on this post :) I have 365 days to do it in…What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!The catch is that you must participate as well, you must have a blog and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going.
So, who wants a pressie from me?

a little bird told me

2009-04-25T18:25:00.000+10:00

check out this give-away

and a great looking blog too I might add :)

and so it begins....

2009-04-25T16:30:00.000+10:00

So on the spur of the moment i decided to start a blog - we will see how we go.
feel free to give me a nudge if i forget about this blogging thing - i am new at this he he he. Please don't expect too much - i'm just not that interesting LOL.

i guess it will just be a bit of rambling and to show off my biggest nuts ( aka children ) and my crafty crap