Friday, February 27, 2015

~ taking stock - February ~






Making :  muffins - I made some a couple of weeks ago and they were terrible so I'm trying all sorts of recipes until I get it right! Cooking : trying to cook one new recipe every week - this week it was a soba noodle +tuna dish that everyone liked - a big win Drinking : lots of mineral water - our Feb fast is almost over Reading: the narrow road to the deep north - it's taking a long time Wanting: some new gym clothes Looking: for the perfect place to plant my new rose (she's called Grace - I had to buy her) Playing: words with friends Deciding: that we need some new strategies to cope with Jack's appalling meal time behaviours - he is making meal times no fun Wishing: for some more warm, sunny beach days Enjoying: quiet moments in my house when everyone's at school Waiting: for people to play their turns in words with friends Liking: mint and lavender tea Wondering: how people who have to go to meetings every day cope - I find them so tedious and the "meeting language" makes me so cross Loving: cosy morning snuggles when he asks me all about what has tumbled round in his head all night Pondering: how we got so over-committed after school and what to do about it Considering: a weekend away Buying: a cosy grey jumper for the winter that's coming soon Watching: Game of Thrones - I read all the books last year and am probably the last person to see this but I'm enjoying it (even the gory bits)
Hoping: I can squeeze in a trip to Melbourne soon to see my baby nephew Marvelling: at how sore my quads were this week after one pump class - I hadn't been for 2 months - what happened to "muscle memory"? Cringing: at people who say "pacific" when they mean "specific" Needing:  a massage Questioning: how to engage my students more in class - I think our course is getting a little stale Smelling: a yummy lemongrass and something candle burning in the lounge room Wearing: trackies - and they're so comfortable Following: hardly anyone - I'm cutting down my online time a lot Noticing: the days are getting shorter already Knowing: there are phone calls I didn't make today that I need to do tomorrow Thinking: about basket making - I'm learning how to make one tomorrow Admiring: how well my big girl is settling into high school Sorting: things out slowly - and giving a lot away - I did the
Bookmarking:
interesting new recipes (not just for muffins) Coveting: a Mandy Renard painting that I spied in a gallery this week Disliking: pretty mail - the snail mail revolution is such a lovely thing Giggling: at the cute kids in assembly who wave at their mums Feeling: like I haven't missed alcohol at all this month - but I'm looking forward to a wine on Sunday night Snacking: on peanuts - it's the salt I love really Comforting: my anxious little boy when he worries about the weather Helping: out in the uniform shop at school - its fun Hearing: snippets from the tv as the Doc surfs through the Friday night options (all bad)

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

~ our joyful moments - weeks 7 & 8/52 ~











Week 7 saw both Karin and I in the kitchen - she made delicious looking brownies and the kids and I made valentines biscuits and iced them ... we didn't find out til too late that only Jack likes fondant icing!

During week 8 I enjoyed the view from my bedroom with lots of my favourite things - the chair, the cushion (perfect for this month's theme), flowers and my vintage typewriter.  Karin went into the snow to watch some skiing.

#ourjoyfulmoments celebrates the little things that bring us joy each week.  We share them here and on IG.

We still haven't decided on a theme for next month...any suggestions?


Sunday, February 22, 2015

~ snippets lately ~



















1.  Rosy tea - just the way Dorothy would have liked it.  Loving my new (old) cups and saucers that we inherited.

2.  Kitchen table view (out of sight is the maths homework and the stack of homeless paperwork)

3.  Dancing fucshias - in a hanging garden at someone else's.  I don't have them because I never remember to water them.

4.  Grace participating in a Jump Rope for heart activity on Friday - this is the rope, in a rope, in a rope trick.  I can skip for approximately 1 minute - I have no idea how they manage what they do.

5.  We made valentine's biscuits.  And then discovered only Jack likes fondant icing.

6.  Couscous, spicy chick pea, pomegranate, almond and mint salad ... so good.  It's from What Katie Ate's new weekends cook book. 

7.  On the school run this week I just had to stop and take this shot of Peacock Jetty  - so beautiful.  Its my favourite jetty in Hobart - and I get to see it every day.

8.  He likes rainbow bunches.  I like him.  A lot.  Although I wish he'd pick up his shoes.

9.  Kite festival up on Hobart's Regatta Grounds today.  Ours is the teeny green one up the highest.
 (not that its a competition)


I'm struggling to blog regularly.  
Or get back to exercising (although I did my first barre code class yesterday - my hammies and butt are suffering.  A lot).
Or sorting the paperwork.
The school routine is more full on than last year and I'm watching way too much game of thrones.

How's your week been?



Saturday, February 14, 2015

~ our joyful moments - week 6/52 ~




 


This week our family travelled north for a garden party to say farewell to my in-laws property (they have bought a smaller house nearby).  We had a gorgeous day chatting, eating and playing cricket on the lawns with people we love.  This was the table before we all arrived.

Karin has been cooking again  - blueberry waffles - they look so good!

Our theme for February is Love - these photos form part of a 52 week project called #ourjoyfulmoments2015 - you can see the pictures here or on IG.


Tuesday, February 10, 2015

` ten on ten - February 2015 ~


7.02 am

9.23am

1.58pm


 
2.16pm


3.19pm

3.22pm


 
4.11pm
  

5.07pm



6.25pm

7.03pm


Two months in a row on the #tenonten project is an absolute record for me - yay!

7.02 am - lunch boxes packed and ready to be put into bags.  Never the same contents for anyone

9.23 am - early tennis lesson (Jack - forgot the camera) done and school drop off completed - I'm parking at work just in time for a 9.30 start.  My first patient didn't arrive so I actually had time to get organised.

1.58pm - home for a quick lunch - but mail first! Two lovely valentine letters from my snail mail friends

2.16pm -raced out to the clothes line to hang out a load before school pick up - I gathered these on the way back in

3.19pm - home from school pick up - the table waiting to be cleared for afternoon tea - a tale of so many things I could be doing (or could have done last week)

3.22 pm  - making afternoon tea and gazing out the window (and reminding myself that the windows really do need doing)

4.11pm - quick play on the type writer because the light's so beautiful in that room that I couldn't resist

5.07pm - our neighbours have just built a pool - ours are the cream chimneys just behind it - we all had a swim after dropping Gracie at gym (we are the luckiest neighbours)

6.25pm - I sat making origami hearts for the first dinner sitting of the night 

7.03pm - our front garden as I headed out to pick Gracie up from gym - you just can't beat that evening light

Hope your day was fabulous - did you play along?




Friday, February 6, 2015

~ our joyful moments - week 5/52 ~







We've chosen a new theme word for February - appropriately it's "love"

I received this beautiful banner as a prize from one of my favourite instagrammers (sangthebird) - its my daily mantra now.  

Karin has been visiting the Palm Hose with those beautiful camellias and that lovely light.

I love how the hint of pink ties our shots together this week

We share photos each week based on a monthly theme word (here and on IG) as part of a weekly photography project (#ourjoyfulmoments2015).

We're still after suggestions for monthly theme words ... 




Sunday, February 1, 2015

~ sunday snippets ~














 


It's been a big week in our house.

We came back from 3 lovely, lazy weeks at the shack where it was mostly sunny to a dismal, grey week with so much rain that the washing is still piled up around us.  And the garden is a swamp (at least the roses are pretty).

We ran round getting Lily ready for her first day at high school - a half day Friday just for the new grade 7s.  Big smiles and lots of chat after a great orientation day had us all breathing big sighs of relief (and her school shoes - first pair in 4 years after wearing sandshoes every day -  haven't given her blisters!).

We sorted out all the Lego and had a bet on how many mini-figures we had.  The final count was 107 - but I suspect there are still some hidden away in secret drawers.

I've started cleaning out the office space and trying to organise my snail mail - this is some from the IG snail mail group I'm in - so much love tied up in those pretty ribbons.

One of the reading piles in my bedroom - I loved how colour themed it was (by accident) - am currently re-reading lots of Kate Atkinson's books - I love them.  The fault in our stars made me cry  - again!

We couldn't resist this huge box of chalks from the supermarket - and between the showers they've had quite a work out.

Pierre de Ronsard roses in their 2nd flush of the season rescued from the rain and sitting on the (momentarily clean) kitchen table.

How has your week been?  Any highlights?  Much rain?  I'm hoping for a bit more summer this week.