lockdown 3.5

day five of lockdown and today we found out it would be our last day! huzzah!!
the snap lockdown that the government decided to go with last thursday, seems to have done the job and allowed the contact tracers to do their jobs effectively. for us that means, an easing of restrictions tomorrow!

have plans to catch up with my folks and maybe a friend and run a bunch of errands that have been patiently waiting on my list to be done...
first cab off the rank (after kinder drop off) will be a tub full of mulch as i got to finish pruning the daisies this afternoon!



the job i've done is quite severe, but i'm hoping that they'll come back regardless... must remember to keep the water up to them the next couple of days as it will be quite warm here!
still need to take care of that purple salvia in the front there, but my purple daisy and irises are neatened up already and i can't wait to be able to call this garden bed done for a wee while.

another kinder day today, and this was what got packed for ag to eat during the day...



salad sticks with hommus, watermelon and grapes, leftover sausage with some tomato sauce and some crackers and cheese. he also had some cooked leftover pasta for his lunch, though that wasn't as photogenic ha ha.
i do get a bit of a kick out of packing up his lunch and snacks to take to kinder at the moment. and i say at the moment, as i'm sure it will become quite the chore as our education years wane on and ej joins in on the action too ha ha.

and a note to self here...



don't leave ej unattended outside for more than 2 seconds.
he grabbed a big toy car, and hoisted it at our bird bath. why? i'll never know.
but you'd better believe finding a replacement dish at the opshop is on the agenda for tomorrow!

had any toddler-related disasters lately? what was the favourite part of your day today?

lockdown 3.4

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

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



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

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



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

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



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

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

lockdown 3.3

so it turns out i lasted 3 days into this third lockdown before breaking out the sweet baking... oops!
since the begin of 2021, i've been working on my comfort eating proclivities, and i must say, though i haven't been comfort eating toooooo much this time around, it's definitely sneaking back in!!
bread on saturday, and now chocolate brownie too!



i'm convincing myself that it could be worse, as at least this batch has a big whack of zucchini through it... between that and the cacao, it's basically a health food right?

anywho, before delicious baking happened, we got out and had a mega family walk today.
it was lovely as we'd all been (mostly) home for the whole weekend. spending time both inside and out, but home all the same.
we took a stroll into town, and then out to the recreation reserve, where we ran around the football and cricket ovals and got in a quick swing before heading back home on tired legs.
was a great way to get out some daily widgets, and sail into naptime nice and smoothly ha ha.

speaking of which, it wasn't just ej down for a nap, but me too! i had a lay down to read a few pages of my book and fell straight asleep! oops!!

i made up for my midday malaise by getting out while dinner was cooking (roast lamb for the win!) and getting busy with the hedge trimmer!

out the front of our house, in front of our little porch (which is currently the catch all for so many things, gah! i'm working on it though!) is a hedge of four pink daisy plants. when i planted them out originally, i had no idea they'd get SO big. in fact, i planted other things in between them, but they were completely crowded out and died!



in any case, as you can see in the above photo (maybe, the sun was not in a kind position and i was taking VERY quick photos!) they're quite bushy and out of control. they're also covered in dead daisy heads. well at least they were...



i got quite savage with the hedge trimmer and took them quite a ways back.
though not quite as far as i intend to take them...



i'm hoping to get them all trimmed back like the above photo, over the next couple of days. then i can weed around them thoroughly, sort out the purple daisy and salvia that are growing in front of it, and give this whole bed a good mulching.
hopefully it'll be soon looking in tip top shape, can't wait!

any out of control corners of your garden? what's your go-to baking recipe? what was the favourite part of your day today?

taking stock. the catch up edition.

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








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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

citrus cordial. a recipe.

what to do when you have a glut of delicious citrus? make homemade cordial of course!



i've used this recipe to make lemon cordial, as well as to make this batch of pink grapefruit cordial...

it's so simple, i don't even really know if it could be called a recipe ha ha.



500mL citrus juice
500g white sugar
500mL water
zest of 2 fruits

heat sugar, water and zest in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring often until sugar dissolves.
add juice and bring to the boil.
remove from heat and strain, then pour into sterilised bottles.

see what i mean? so simple!



and just so perfect over ice, diluted with soda water, to keep cool over summer!

have you ever made your own cordial? what's your favourite flavour?

green love.

well, well, well... not surprisingly, it's been an age since i last took you on a stroll through the greenery round these parts... needless to say, there's a fair bit more going on than last time he he.

anywho, on with the showing and telling!



the broad beans have been doing their thing, and we've gotten quite the pickings from them... lots eaten for dinners and lunches, and quite a few going into the freezer too!
will enjoy those once the very short broad bean season is over.

the garlic is looking rather splendid.



won't be long before that's up and out of the ground, drying out and ready to keep us stocked up for the year ahead. have missed having it on hand the last month or so!
must remember to preserve some for the couple of months we'll be without.

the carrots haven't taken so well unfortunately...



a couple of years ago, i had such luck with a fantastic carrot crop, but haven't been able to replicate it since... will keep trying though... love being able to go out and pick carrots as needed!

the snow peas have been quite generous this year...



they're just THE perfect snack. as well as the sugar snap peas we grew alongside them... delicious!

i managed to grow a single perfect cauliflower.



just one, from the half a dozen plants i put in...
not too worried, as i'm not actually the biggest fan of the cauliflower he he. was fun to try though!

feeling a little disappointed with the fruit trees this year to be honest... so much gorgeous blossom, but not a lot of fruit!



well a little fruit as you can see above, but not the masses that we were lucky enough to have set last year...
it's all in the weather though, and i think we got some truly rotten stuff just as the bees were needed to do their thing...
oh well, better luck next year!

my next garden update mightn't be for a while, but it should be of a quite different space, stay tuned!

what are you growing at your place at the moment?

green love.

it's been a wee while since i shared what was going on out in the garden, but what a perfect time to share now that everything has well and truly slowed down a bit!



the lemon tree is absolutely laden once again... best get to some lemony baking i think... lemon butter, curd, tart, cake! oh the possibilities!

despite it being super chilly outside, there are one or two things ready to go into the ground...



a few broad beans...

and some sugar snap peas too!



hopefully they're ok with our frosty mornings once i get them in the ground!

these little lettuces are coming along slowly, with some wee beetroot in the foreground too.



and way back there at the back, some kale and rainbow spinach keeping us well supplied with greens to put into soups and pasta sauces and well, just about everything to be honest!

in this bed, we've got a good mixture of stuff! hopefully the combination of lots of different leafy bits will keep the cabbage moths confused and give everything a chance to grow nice and big without getting eaten to the ground by caterpillars...



wish me luck on that one he he!

what's growing in your garden at the moment?

green love.

hrmmmm so it would seem i've missed a week again...
i had the best of intentions last week, i got out and snapped some pictures, loaded them onto flickr and worked the html magic to get them onto this here page, and then i was done.
i had no words... i think i've found them this week though!

there's a little bit going on in the garden at the moment, so i thought i'd take this opportunity to share...



the chilli plant is putting on it's annual flower display. no fruit to speak of, even now a week later, but they are beautiful and delicate flowers to look at all the same.

you wouldn't know from looking at it, but this is my finger lime pot...



it's become completely overrun with native seedlings! the seeds from which have obviously drifted in on the weather and wind and found this to be the best place to spring up!
i think i'll have a crack at replanting them, could use some natives to plant around the farm.

after moving some soil around to top up this section of the bed, i've got a bit of garlic in the ground to harvest come summer!



it feels a bit weird to be thinking about, when we've still got SO much garlic from the last harvest, but it won't last forever... particularly the way we go through it!
the cloves are pretty happy in there, a lot more have popped up since i took this picture too!

last year, i picked up some berlotti beans from a local produce shop and kept a few on the windowsill to dry...



now, we have some of our own!
i've been picking them while they're little like this, and then steaming or boiling them to have alongside dinner. sadly, the beautiful purple colouring doesn't survive the cooking process he he!

ever seen a pomegranate seedling?



now you have!
i popped a few seeds in the ground from a fruit i found on a tree in melbourne before we moved and i've had one lonely seedling pop up! hopefully it survives and gets nice and big, fingers crossed!

also in our makeshift hot house (ie. the windowsill of the shed)...



some turmeric!
this was grown from some fresh turmeric, picked up at a local produce shop. i'm super interested to see how it goes, and how it grows!
so far it's looking super happy and green!

how's your garden growing? ever grown pomegranate or turmeric before?

green love.

oops, seems as though i missed my weekly posting last week... trying to post on a tuesday isn't working sooooo well for me at the moment, we seem to be getting up later and later in the mornings, and tuesday is now mother's group meet up day.
so important for the sanity to be able to chat out baby issues with fellow mummas whose babes are around the same age and stage as ag.
anywho, i'll give mondays a bit of a go for the next little while he he.

today i thought i'd give you a little update on what's growing in the garden... with VERY little input from myself to be honest. i sprinkle a bit of water around every now and again (as does mum thankfully, otherwise i'm sure everything would've perished by now!) but i haven't really planted anything new for a VERY long time... everything seems to be thriving though and we're getting little bit and pieces of food here and there which is ace!

bb and i picked up this finger lime tree in the months before ag came along (feels like a life time ago he he) and i didn't have high hopes for it to be honest...



it's thwarted all my expectations though, with a beautiful show of flowers, and a few little weeny fruits too! we'll see if they actually grow into anything edible he he.

the corner where the finger lime is growing, with all my other pots, is looking pretty happy too...



what a collection!
the fig is growing great guns and will need re-potting in no time. and the raspberries? well! i've had a few little nibbles from it. delicious!
there are a few roses amongst the edibles too, and they're occasionally putting on a beautiful show which is always a delight!
and the two avocados i recently moved from the windowsill to out here seem to be enjoying the outside life, phew! must remember to keep an eye on them when it gets a bit cooler though... i've heard they're not fond of frosty times.

just next door to the pot collection above, is this little pocket of greens...



a rainbow spinach plant, a couple of holey kale plants (thanks for that caterpillars) and a rocket plant. here's hoping the caterpillars leave them well enough alone to let us get a few feeds off it ourselves!

we've popped some nets on a couple of the strawberry plants in the hope of getting to eat a few... but for the most part the birds are too clever...

they get a pretty good feed from them too, as the strawberry plants are EVERYWHERE he he. here are a couple more on the herb garden near the cockatoo aviary...



i've got a plan to paint up some little rocks as strawberries to try and dissuade the birds... will let you know how that goes he he.
in the mean time, we have PLENTY of herbs to munch on! check out the sage and basil. both are SO much happier since moving into this planter box when we moved out here, they were originally in little pots when we lived in melbourne. happy herbs!

and to pair with that gorgeous fresh basil, tomatoes!



like last season, we missed the boat on planting tomatoes, but not to worry as they came on all by themselves once again he he.
i'm particularly proud of this one, not only did it self seed, but it's sprouted itself right under the mandarin tree, and is using it as a trellis.
the mandarin tree is by far our tallest citrus tree, topping about 3 metres or so i think... and you'd better believe that tomato plant is growing right up and out the top!

there are a couple of other that have popped up in and around the veggie garden too, so here's hoping we get a good little supply from them all.

now i'd best drag myself home, i popped out to a cafe to write this up, but i'd best be off and get to dealing with the mammoth supply of zucchini that we've been collecting from the single plant we're growing. what would we do if there were multiple?!

zucchini slice and brownie and fritters coming up!

what's growing in your patch at the moment? any suggestions for zucchini gluts?

around here.

current happenings...

i hit up one of the many vintage bazaars in town yesterday with my mother in law and picked up some much needed summer-y and breastfeeding friendly pre-loved clothes. including this beautiful french chiffon number. i'm in love!

the reading pile beside the bed doesn't seem to be getting any smaller, but certainly has a theme... simple living and food abounds!

a wee bit of sewing has been happening... some cushion covers that i had been meaning to make, for oh, close to an eternity have FINALLY come to fruition! the patchwork one was put together at the craft sessions circa 2013, and the ink and spindle piece was from then too i think. both were backed with some calico i had in my stash (some perhaps bought for this purpose, or maybe leftover from the wedding bags? and one piece was actually used as wrapping for a christmas gift i received the year before last) and finished with buttons from my button box. the button on the right worked perfectly with my patchwork cover, with an imprinted leaf, very similar to the one i block-printed and used as my starting piece.
the perfect stash busting project!

there's also been a little bit of picking for breakfasts from the garden... i got fed up with sharing the blueberries with the birds (and by sharing i mean, never getting any) and netted the living daylights out of the bush. while i was at it, the strawberry plants next door got a covering too and i've been enjoying the spoils for breakfast every few days for the last week or so. and the raspberries, well *touches all the wooden surfaces* the birds haven't cottoned onto their location yet... so nice to know EXACTLY where my berries are coming from!

and a fair bit of progress has been made on these socks for bb. the heels are both turned and i feel like i'm on the homestretch! i'm getting a wee bit weary with them, but i'm also grateful for the slow and simple nature of them. i always know what i'm doing when i pick them up!

and that about sums it up... well there's the normal life stuff too, catching up with friends, eating, sleeping, keeping the house looking nice and ALL of the baby goings on, snuggles and crying and giggles and dirty nappies.
it's a happy, messy and tiring time he he.

ps. i'm hoping to make tuesday my blogging day every week. check back next tuesday and every following tuesday for different bits and pieces; greenery updates, crafting, probably baby toes every now and again, and maybe, when i'm feeling brave enough, a birth story...

2017.

last night, the sun set on 2016 and this morning rose on 2017. it wasn't a great nights sleep for me and i woke up feeling tetchy and annoyed... the last time the baby woke, i wasn't able to lull myself back into sleep. rather than getting more annoyed, that i was missing out on precious sleep time, i took the opportunity to catch up on the backlog of blog posts that are sitting in my reader.
oh, and now, i'm using the time to tap out this wee post! with a cup of tea beside me of course.



what a big and crazy year 2016 was for bb and i! we brought in the new year knowing that there was a (very) little life growing inside of me and that knowledge and the reality of it shaped and changed our year in ways we never would have imagined even just a few weeks before.

we made a tree change before little ag came along, moving back in with my folks on their acreage to help us keep our living costs down when bb decided to take the year off from work. having that time off has done wonders for his mental health, and the health of our relationship too. living in such close proximity to one another, we've gotten to know one another even better, something i thought we were pretty much on top of after 11 years together!
and then there was ag's arrival! what a big, huge, crazy and awesome change that has been. i feel like a whole new person almost... something i'm definitely still coming to terms with.
bb has been so excellent with ag, such a fantastic dad, with a level of patience that i surely don't have. i've enthused to him over and over again, just how grateful i am that we are doing this together, that he's not had to head back to work and we get to do all of this baby stuff together. it's truly amazing.


now if you know me, you'll know that my brain is absolutely whirring with the possibility of the new year, all the plans that i could make and being that i love a list... well, i can't resist!

so without further ado, a few plans for 2017

* knit through my stash of sock wool - i'd reckon there's enough for half a dozen pairs and thankfully socks are the ultimate portable project. very easy to stash a project bag with a pair in the nappy bag! need to finish these ones up first though!

* enjoy the flux that comes with an odd living space and a baby - i'm a bit of a control freak, and like things to be how they SHOULD be so no doubt this will continue to challenge me... but i'm enjoying the freedom to move things around and make this space our own, and will continue to declutter and reorganise as we go.

* strive for simplicity - my favourite reads for last year were rhonda hetzel's books on simple living. and i thoroughly enjoyed listening to the slow home podcast too. very much hoping to make little small, slow changes to get us on the path to simpler living with a focus on family time and doing what will be best for us.

*make time for myself - i'm already realising this mum caper can be a little all encompassing, even with both of us home, and grandparents within shouting distance. i need to constantly remind myself that they're all capable, and i can take some time out for myself to knit, or drink tea, visit and catch up with friends, go to yoga or whatever i damn well please really!

*get productive in the garden - it's been a long time in between green love posts and a lot has changed, but not much new has gone into the garden. i've cleared space as each crop finished up, but getting things into those spaces and growing hasn't happened too much... i'm trying not to feel guilty as it should be the most productive time of the year in the garden, but i had other, more pressing priorities in spring!
now that ag is getting a wee bit bigger, i'm finding myself with snippets of time to get out there and get things happening, sometimes even with him! it's nice to set him up next to me and have him chat away while i pull weeds or plant out seeds.
some solid seasonal plans will help with knowing what needs to be done when i get those little opportunities i think.

*get back on the meal planning bandwagon - purse strings need to be tightened this year, plus it'll help keen us healthier and use up what we've got growing in our patch! win/win/win!

*volunteer - maybe at an op-shop? or something in this new community we're a part of. definitely feeling the need to put down some roots here!

*blog weekly - this one is definitely inspired by kate, i'm loving reading her little snippets ever friday and really once a week is enough to tell the stories i want to tell, share the things i want to share, as well as being a reasonable amount of time to commit to blogging each week. we'll see how we go!

what are your plans for this brand new year?