blink and a month has gone by...
We've been super busy renovating. Our kitchen is mostly in. just working on the trimmings, wall shelving etc and then onto the laundry, deck roof and painting. Not much time for blogging. When I finish in the evening it's usually close to midnight and I'm trashed!
Big news is that it's all in aid of selling our house for a move to Brisbane. Exciting times!
Showing posts with label better homes and gardens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label better homes and gardens. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
another chuck out
It's Tuesday! My blog has become boring, I realise, but I want to get this habit going so stick with me ;)
Today is a bit of a failure. I had a pile of things to give back to friend this morning but I let her leave without them, bugger. I am going to her house tomorrow and WILL take them then, so baby rocker and bumbo will be gone. The jolly jumper frame did go however so my children will no longer be beating the crap out of each other with long steel poles- win!
I don't feel too bad, on the weekend, I went through probably a couple of metres (quite literally!) of filing including all the paper work from the NICU course. It took me a whole day and I totally filled the recycling bin, felt very good! We actually got our room pretty clean, which lasted all of 5 minutes. It's now full of baskets of clean washing again *sigh*
Today is a bit of a failure. I had a pile of things to give back to friend this morning but I let her leave without them, bugger. I am going to her house tomorrow and WILL take them then, so baby rocker and bumbo will be gone. The jolly jumper frame did go however so my children will no longer be beating the crap out of each other with long steel poles- win!
I don't feel too bad, on the weekend, I went through probably a couple of metres (quite literally!) of filing including all the paper work from the NICU course. It took me a whole day and I totally filled the recycling bin, felt very good! We actually got our room pretty clean, which lasted all of 5 minutes. It's now full of baskets of clean washing again *sigh*
Monday, January 31, 2011
Chuck out Tuesday
Yes it's Monday. I could lie and say I'm early but I'm super late. I did in fact DO the throwing out on Tuesday however.
So...something that has been building up a long time...the sock basket. Talking to others it seems everyone has some sort of odd sock pile. For me it started as a shopping bag and it's grown through several moves to the point where I had a washing basket FULL of odd socks. Some of which hadn't seen their best friend for 5 years or more! I emptied the entire basket onto the lounge room floor and employed the talents of my two biggest to find the pairs.
Their attention spans helped with probably half of them and then my three year old whirlwind joined in throwing the socks all over the house. My resolve faltered, I was getting bored with it myself. So. I gathered all the left over odd ones. I threw them all out! (Well there were a few that were recent and I don't think had even been worn, I saved about 6 say). It was strangely liberating, I found the matching sock for one of my wool playgroup socks a couple of days later and threw it out without hesitation. I have vowed NEVER to let them get to that stage again and will be having a monthly sort and chuck session!
I got started on this Tuesday's chuck out already and I have a few things to pass on to a preggo mama tomorrow. I'm really enjoying a weekly throw out :D
So...something that has been building up a long time...the sock basket. Talking to others it seems everyone has some sort of odd sock pile. For me it started as a shopping bag and it's grown through several moves to the point where I had a washing basket FULL of odd socks. Some of which hadn't seen their best friend for 5 years or more! I emptied the entire basket onto the lounge room floor and employed the talents of my two biggest to find the pairs.
Their attention spans helped with probably half of them and then my three year old whirlwind joined in throwing the socks all over the house. My resolve faltered, I was getting bored with it myself. So. I gathered all the left over odd ones. I threw them all out! (Well there were a few that were recent and I don't think had even been worn, I saved about 6 say). It was strangely liberating, I found the matching sock for one of my wool playgroup socks a couple of days later and threw it out without hesitation. I have vowed NEVER to let them get to that stage again and will be having a monthly sort and chuck session!
I got started on this Tuesday's chuck out already and I have a few things to pass on to a preggo mama tomorrow. I'm really enjoying a weekly throw out :D
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Chuck out Tuesday
Yes it's Wednesday, I know. Let's just pretend...
In an attempt to de clutter and have a serious sort out of what we need to aid big things coming (more on that later) I'm going to throw out/ give away something every week. Hoping that the outgoings are more than the incomings and by the end of the year...well we'll at least have less shit!
So last week's chuck out Tuesday I took several bags to the op shop. Yesterday I gave ALL my teeny baby clothes away including cloth nappies. A few teary moments but mostly relief to have a bit more space in the garage. It was a heap of stuff...poor M's station wagon boot was stuffed. Mark was very proud, lol! However, it barely made a dint tbth. SO next week I think I'll continue with garage stuff!
In an attempt to de clutter and have a serious sort out of what we need to aid big things coming (more on that later) I'm going to throw out/ give away something every week. Hoping that the outgoings are more than the incomings and by the end of the year...well we'll at least have less shit!
So last week's chuck out Tuesday I took several bags to the op shop. Yesterday I gave ALL my teeny baby clothes away including cloth nappies. A few teary moments but mostly relief to have a bit more space in the garage. It was a heap of stuff...poor M's station wagon boot was stuffed. Mark was very proud, lol! However, it barely made a dint tbth. SO next week I think I'll continue with garage stuff!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The biggest bed in the wooooorld!!
Well it'd be up there :P
We have new sleeping arrangements in our household. After a few very cold night where Mark was bed hopping with the big monsters and I was warm but no less sleep deprived with the little one we decided to look outside the square and try something different. I felt that my sleepless nights mightn't be so bad if I got to at least spend it in the same bed as my husband. And Mark was just sick of having to move from bed to bed. So the biggest bed in the world was born! The kids room now is totally bare with the exception of a toddler bed, a king sized mattress and 2 single beds side by side wall to wall. And our room has all the tall boys/ storage etc. It's working surprisingly well tbh. I can put clothes away while kids are asleep with the light on. In fact I have a room I can just dump the clothes in so they aren't on my couch!
Photos are crappy, I had the wrong lens on the camera and couldn't be bothered changing it to a smaller one!
Now I know you are all wondering...Mark and I get by just fine :P
We have new sleeping arrangements in our household. After a few very cold night where Mark was bed hopping with the big monsters and I was warm but no less sleep deprived with the little one we decided to look outside the square and try something different. I felt that my sleepless nights mightn't be so bad if I got to at least spend it in the same bed as my husband. And Mark was just sick of having to move from bed to bed. So the biggest bed in the world was born! The kids room now is totally bare with the exception of a toddler bed, a king sized mattress and 2 single beds side by side wall to wall. And our room has all the tall boys/ storage etc. It's working surprisingly well tbh. I can put clothes away while kids are asleep with the light on. In fact I have a room I can just dump the clothes in so they aren't on my couch!
Photos are crappy, I had the wrong lens on the camera and couldn't be bothered changing it to a smaller one!
Now I know you are all wondering...Mark and I get by just fine :P
Saturday, June 21, 2008
updating...
Well has been a long week. I had planned to put up heaps of photos but..well I am slack and have to resize them.
So... the news in short....
Very sadly we decided the week before last to re-home our lovely (although simple :P) Dalmatian, George. It was a very hard decision although something we have been considering for several years. We just don't have the time to give him and being a large friendly dog he needed lots of playing and exercise. We actually paid about $400 a few years back to get the bark busters guy out and it did help his behaviour but he was still bored. And with his huge interest in destroying the chicken coop he was spending 23 hours a day locked in a carport. So after lots of tears we decided to find him another home. The family that have taken him plan to take him camping and have him sleep on their bed so I know he will be much happier. Although apparently he dug up all their pot plants so he hasn't changed! We miss him but I am totally sure we made the right decision.
This was the photo I took to send to the family that took him. It all happened very quickly and he was gone when I got back from work that night :(
Next night Saturday was our housewarming get together :) We had a lovely time and our house was thoroughly warmed! Big thankyou to all my friends for making the trek up to freezing Mount Barker and not all leaving after my lovely daughter started vomiting, lol! It was also Michelle's 30th the day before so we all had yummy cake :)
We got up the next morning to find that one of our chooks had died :( No idea what happened, a guess is that she choked to death on the out of date cashews we gave them the night before, lol! A friend joked that had we known the night before we had a dead chook stuffed with cashews we could have chucked her on the fire :P After much debate Mark finally sought the advice of our friend Peter and the chook made her way onto the compost. Turned out great timing George had moved on, could have been quite messy!
Here are the sad leftover chooks (frankly they didn't seem to give a shit, hahaha!) and the dead chooks final resting place...
Same day, Mark showing the safest way to prune the apple tree... The big monster watched on with great interest..just waiting for him to try!
Backdating a bit to Saturday night and the princess's 'bomit' as she'd say... Didn't think she was that well when she had a day sleep late in the afternoon and was then mega clingy despite having friend's there. The little guy also slept for 3 hours!! in a row!! which was unprecedented! Anyway, next morning they both had high fevers so I called in sick and spend the day boobing. The little guy's fever was over 40 degrees for 2 days and as bit worrying. Pretty sure they both just had a virus, the princess was better Monday although lethargic and the little one's fever finally broke Tuesday morning with no other symptoms. Had to go to the GP for certificates for both of us for work resulting in no answers but of course a dig about their unvaccinated status. All fine now but was awful to see them unwell..
Rest of the week quite uneventful thankfully!
We spend today marking the winter solstice and planted some seeds and planted out our potted chilli to 'welcome back the sun'. Our big monster wanted to yell out 'come back sun!!' although suggested he didn't need to yell, it might just be what confirms to the neighbours we are in fact all nuts :P We had a yummy roast lamb from one of Dad's flock that we put on too late so the kids missed it and ate cheese sandwiches. They did get to eat some cake they helped bake with ice cream.
That is about it!! Good thinks coming, MIL arrives in a couple of weeks for a months visit for the princess's 3rd birthday. And Mark is going to work from home for a few weeks from July 1 so big savings on petrol and sleep ins for me, woohoo!! Mum is probably hanging out for both so she gets break from baby sitting duty :P
Happy winter solstice to all :)
So... the news in short....
Very sadly we decided the week before last to re-home our lovely (although simple :P) Dalmatian, George. It was a very hard decision although something we have been considering for several years. We just don't have the time to give him and being a large friendly dog he needed lots of playing and exercise. We actually paid about $400 a few years back to get the bark busters guy out and it did help his behaviour but he was still bored. And with his huge interest in destroying the chicken coop he was spending 23 hours a day locked in a carport. So after lots of tears we decided to find him another home. The family that have taken him plan to take him camping and have him sleep on their bed so I know he will be much happier. Although apparently he dug up all their pot plants so he hasn't changed! We miss him but I am totally sure we made the right decision.
This was the photo I took to send to the family that took him. It all happened very quickly and he was gone when I got back from work that night :(
Next night Saturday was our housewarming get together :) We had a lovely time and our house was thoroughly warmed! Big thankyou to all my friends for making the trek up to freezing Mount Barker and not all leaving after my lovely daughter started vomiting, lol! It was also Michelle's 30th the day before so we all had yummy cake :)
We got up the next morning to find that one of our chooks had died :( No idea what happened, a guess is that she choked to death on the out of date cashews we gave them the night before, lol! A friend joked that had we known the night before we had a dead chook stuffed with cashews we could have chucked her on the fire :P After much debate Mark finally sought the advice of our friend Peter and the chook made her way onto the compost. Turned out great timing George had moved on, could have been quite messy!
Here are the sad leftover chooks (frankly they didn't seem to give a shit, hahaha!) and the dead chooks final resting place...
Same day, Mark showing the safest way to prune the apple tree... The big monster watched on with great interest..just waiting for him to try!
Backdating a bit to Saturday night and the princess's 'bomit' as she'd say... Didn't think she was that well when she had a day sleep late in the afternoon and was then mega clingy despite having friend's there. The little guy also slept for 3 hours!! in a row!! which was unprecedented! Anyway, next morning they both had high fevers so I called in sick and spend the day boobing. The little guy's fever was over 40 degrees for 2 days and as bit worrying. Pretty sure they both just had a virus, the princess was better Monday although lethargic and the little one's fever finally broke Tuesday morning with no other symptoms. Had to go to the GP for certificates for both of us for work resulting in no answers but of course a dig about their unvaccinated status. All fine now but was awful to see them unwell..
Rest of the week quite uneventful thankfully!
We spend today marking the winter solstice and planted some seeds and planted out our potted chilli to 'welcome back the sun'. Our big monster wanted to yell out 'come back sun!!' although suggested he didn't need to yell, it might just be what confirms to the neighbours we are in fact all nuts :P We had a yummy roast lamb from one of Dad's flock that we put on too late so the kids missed it and ate cheese sandwiches. They did get to eat some cake they helped bake with ice cream.
That is about it!! Good thinks coming, MIL arrives in a couple of weeks for a months visit for the princess's 3rd birthday. And Mark is going to work from home for a few weeks from July 1 so big savings on petrol and sleep ins for me, woohoo!! Mum is probably hanging out for both so she gets break from baby sitting duty :P
Happy winter solstice to all :)
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Chooks!
Argh, blogger is not liking me this morning!! I just lost another post....
Anyway, we have chooks! Mark finished the chook pen on Sunday so we drove to birdwood to visit the bird lady. We got 4 ummm brown chickens? (sorry Peter that's as descriptive as I get :P ) for $15 each. They are between 6-6.5 months old and apparently just coming on to laying although she warned us they might take a few weeks to restart after the trauma of becoming part of our family, lol! So far nothing but they are scratching up a storm which is what we bought them for really. The kids love them after some hairy moment coming home. Jasper was a liiiittle freaked out by the scratching in the boot (they were in a box, not freeranging in the boot or anything :P). The stupid dalmatian has barely made it out of the carport, as soon as he comes out he rounds around the pen barking madly and pulling at the wire. He actually broke through the wire yesterday so not sure what we are going to do with him!
Yesterday was an awful day, still thick fog at midday still. After spending the day inside I threw the kids out at about 2pm, they were going insane! Finally took some photos...
Yes in the last one you can see my little guy is standing without holding on, has his balance quite sorted now. Cruising the furniture and walking from chair to table...won't be long and he'll be taking his first steps! Yes he is 7 months old, insane!
In fact as I type he is trying to open the shower door where the big monsters are showering and getting mightily cranky that they won't let him in (fully clothed, I'm quite happy with their refusal!
Anyway, we have chooks! Mark finished the chook pen on Sunday so we drove to birdwood to visit the bird lady. We got 4 ummm brown chickens? (sorry Peter that's as descriptive as I get :P ) for $15 each. They are between 6-6.5 months old and apparently just coming on to laying although she warned us they might take a few weeks to restart after the trauma of becoming part of our family, lol! So far nothing but they are scratching up a storm which is what we bought them for really. The kids love them after some hairy moment coming home. Jasper was a liiiittle freaked out by the scratching in the boot (they were in a box, not freeranging in the boot or anything :P). The stupid dalmatian has barely made it out of the carport, as soon as he comes out he rounds around the pen barking madly and pulling at the wire. He actually broke through the wire yesterday so not sure what we are going to do with him!
Yesterday was an awful day, still thick fog at midday still. After spending the day inside I threw the kids out at about 2pm, they were going insane! Finally took some photos...
Yes in the last one you can see my little guy is standing without holding on, has his balance quite sorted now. Cruising the furniture and walking from chair to table...won't be long and he'll be taking his first steps! Yes he is 7 months old, insane!
In fact as I type he is trying to open the shower door where the big monsters are showering and getting mightily cranky that they won't let him in (fully clothed, I'm quite happy with their refusal!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
On the floor again....
*sigh* it was nice while it lasted! Whilst heavily pregnant with the littlest monster we finally bought a bed base for our king family bed. This was after the poor middle child fell off the top of the mattress a few times as there was a gap with the bed in front of an unused sliding door, and me having a heart attack worried I'd find a newborn in the same circumstance. It was lovely, I felt like a real adult, lol! But the time has come. The young man has rolled out of my side of the bed once and is now as of last night able to roll over and climb out of his hammock (we have moved so the falling off the top of the mattress is no longer a possibility). Sadly our lovely leather bed base was packed away in the garage and we are back to sleeping like uni students. The hammock has gone into retirement (time will tell if it ever gets a reprieve!) and the littlest monster is on the cot mattress on the floor next to our bed. There are of course positives, I can now lay with him to feed to sleep and then just leave him there. Buuuuut I miss my 'big girl' bed!
Friday, May 9, 2008
We have heat!
When buying this house we were a bit concerned about the old oil heater. The only time it has been touched was when Mark and Scott played with it after a few beers and had flames flying everywhere. Too scared to touch it since then, we've survived with a tiiiiny fan heater that is warm 20cm in front of it and probably has the electricity meter whirring! After Mark spent several weeks pouring through the ebay heater section and finding gas heaters stupidly expensive I decided to just get out a oil heater guy to see if ours was salvageable. Well what do you know, it's fine!! And we have a full tank of oil sitting there waiting for us. Turns out it was user error (funny about that) so we paid $110 for instructions, lol!
Been a good week for the house, Monday we got a new hot water system installed which gets all the rebates etc like a solar hot system, a fancy
heat pump. It's not all that hot and we have to talk loudly when it's running but hey, it isn't dripping water through our ceiling like the old one so I'm happy!
And yesterday we finally got the puratap installed so we can drink the water without retching :) Sliiight problem in that all the pipes in the kitchen are in the walls so the plumber couldn't access it and it's now installed in our laundry sink but again beggars can't be choosers so I'll take it!
Now hopefully we can spend the weekend finishing unpacking this house and continue on in the backyard. Mark has some birthday money to spend so we might get started on a chook dome for our vegie patch, very exciting!
Been a good week for the house, Monday we got a new hot water system installed which gets all the rebates etc like a solar hot system, a fancy
heat pump. It's not all that hot and we have to talk loudly when it's running but hey, it isn't dripping water through our ceiling like the old one so I'm happy!
And yesterday we finally got the puratap installed so we can drink the water without retching :) Sliiight problem in that all the pipes in the kitchen are in the walls so the plumber couldn't access it and it's now installed in our laundry sink but again beggars can't be choosers so I'll take it!
Now hopefully we can spend the weekend finishing unpacking this house and continue on in the backyard. Mark has some birthday money to spend so we might get started on a chook dome for our vegie patch, very exciting!
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