seven

Wonky Lego Building Blocks Birthday Cake with missing letter, Y. Not Pinterest worthy but Mr Seven declared it to be the most awesome cake ever. Music to his mamas ears.

Simple buttercake with real ingredients: butter, sugar, free range eggs, vanilla extract and organic flour. Baked in a square pan, cut in to rectangles and squares, topped with marshmello's and covered in buttercream with Hopper natural food colouring.

Old fashioned party games: Egg and Spoon Race, Popcorn Relay Race and Knights and Dragons. Lots of running around for a small group of energetic soccer buddies.

Persistent, Creative, Energetic, Sensitive, Enthusiastic

 A friend to all!

 A great help to his mum and dad and always there for his little brother.

Happy Seventh Birthday!

We shouldn’t ask “What does a person need to be able to do in order to fit into the existing social order today?” Instead we should ask “what lives in each human being and what can be developed in him or her"— Rudolf Steiner

winter mornings

While the little one eats breakfast in his highchair by the wood heater...

And the bigger one looks for his elusive school beanie...

Mama captures the morning frost before the mid-morning arrival of Mrs Thaw.

Welcome King Winter to the Southern Hemisphere!

Hope you are all staying warm and well nourished.

autumn days

 Chasing the sun after a few dreary Autumn days.

Autumn Nature Table. This time up high, away from little fingers.

Easter Buns from this wonderful book, Baking Bread with Children.

 It's not even my birthday! he exclaimed excitedly. Handmade pillowcase. Helpful tips here.

 These two always working hard around the house together.

 Even the little one helps out. Bless him!

 Capturing these precious days at home. This is an important mama job, yes?

How are your Autumn days?

holidaying

:a short walk through the forest :: a steep climb to the lighthouse

 :: a breathtaking view from Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse

 :: a magical family day out.

It felt like we had traveled to another country. From kangaroos at our back door to pelicans at our front door. From a lake full of rainbow trout to a lake full of fresh farmed oysters. A family road trip for two blissful weeks in Forster, Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie.

There's a very friendly atmosphere in caravan parks. Walking by neatly spaced out caravans and campervans you always get a cheery hello - just like in small towns where you say "g'day" to almost every person that passes you by.

We arrived home on a holiday high and had grand plans of selling everything we own and buying a caravan and traveling around Australia for a year. After some number crunching we realised it's not as cheap as we thought. Also, where would I put all my crafty stuff? What about the veggie garden? Could we have a mobile veggie garden growing in the trailer? Okay, we can't take the trailer. Oh that's right, I really just want to move to a property where we can have chickens. Could we just go camping in the school holidays? Yes, this seems like a much better idea.

But there are some major issues in the camping community. Caravan parks have moved towards attracting more clientele by catering for younger families with facilities such as games rooms and jumping pillows and the entry fees reflect these "extras." Many grey nomads have invested in upfront costs in self sufficient caravans and motor homes and rely on free or low-cost camping areas which are under threat. Both types of camping styles would make it fun yet keep holidaying affordable, except for the initial cost of a second hand camper van, yikes!

For now the shorter and colder Autumn days has brought us back to reality and we are busily preparing for the frosty winter ahead. And next summer? Perhaps a "staycation" will be our only choice.

Do you stay in caravan parks? Are you an RVer? Have you been affected by any of these issues?

daily life

Heirloom tomatoes enjoyed fresh on sourdough with butter. Lebanese zuchinni's too bulbous to make Kousa Mahshi. Disappointing. Must speak to my "live in" gardener about that. Nevertheless, waste not want not. To the morning omelete you must go.

Painting old frames ready for snaps taken from my new DSLR canon. Happy 10th Anniversary says he to me.


An uplifting surprise win (after a glum few weeks) from one of my favourite reads.

 A great collection of books found at the tip shop.

Washing vintage linen on a sunny day. Thinking of sewing projects such as repurposing in to this or this.

Preparations in Autumn...looks like we will be spending another winter in this draughty house.

How is your daily life?

 

knitting in the heat of summer

Unravelled :: Red yarn for mum that turned out to be a little "too pink" for said person, and a cluttered mind, makes for not a very successful outcome. The beautiful Shalom Cardigan. Free pattern here.

My first cardigan :: This time red yarn turned out to be the perfect rusty red tweed and along with joining a knitting class makes for a very motivating and harmonious project.

Our beautiful Summer nature table :: With all the knitting going on around here you could be confused as to what season it really is: A very hot and fire hazardous summer!

Joining in with all the lovely hand makings at Keep Calm Craft On.

cool things to eat

Mango summer ice pops

Mixed berry ice pops

 Healthy chocolate crackles

We've been cooking dinner on the bbq every night because of a heat wave. Our thrifted bbq is an excellent cooker much better than our old wonky stovetop. Rob is super keen to continue cooking on the barbie through winter. I'm sure his enthusiasm will wain when the temperature hits minus 1 and the cold air hitting his chest brings back that weird whopping type cough from previous winters.

Anyway back to the kitchen...I've been making cool things to eat. I mean literally cold things. No bake, no heat; just make and pop in the fridge or freezer. My big one thinks my healthy sweet snacks are cool, as in big thumbs up.

Mango summer ice blocks - makes 6

• 2 mangoes, remove skin and seed
• 2 cups natural or greek yoghurt
• 1 can coconut milk 165ml
• 2tbs raw honey
• pinch of cinnamon

Mix in a food processor and pour in to ice block molds. Place in the freezer and enjoy the next day.

Mixed berry ice blocks - makes 6

• 1 cup of mixed frozen berries
• 2 cups of natural or greek yoghurt
• 2tbs of raw honey
• squeeze of lemon

Mix in a food processor and pour in to ice block molds. Place in the freezer and enjoy the next day.

Healthy chocolate crackles

I used this recipe and basically tripled the proportions with the following ingredients:

• Abundant earth puffed brown rice
• Coconut flakes, organic
• Cacao powder, organic
• Melrose coconut oil, organic
• Raw Honey

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Place paper patty pans in to cup cake trays and spoon mixture in to each one and place in the fridge till hardens. Not long, just 1/2 an hour. Keep refridgerated.

I started blogging unsure of a specific purpose but I thought my blog could be a "home address" of sorts, linking back from comments I had made on other peoples blogs. I would like to continue blogging with more of a purpose and document our simple living pursuits. I need to get a digital SLR and put more effort to the look and feel of the site. Judging by my hodge podge blog you wouldn't believe that in my previous life (no children and a paying job) that I maintained a professional website with a very "clean" design. However this is our life right now with young children - a hodge podge of messiness and it is perfect and beautiful with all it's flaws.

Here's to an exciting year of blogging and making connections with like minded folks and joining in on some craft alongs.