The Simple Woman's Daybook.

I found the simple womans daybook's blog (click header above to take you there) recently and love the idea of reflecting on the simple things in life. At taking time to look at these things. Especially at present when I feel over worked, am in pain with my hip and find direction to ap ositive place a bit difficult at times.

FOR TODAY Thursday 27th October...

Outside my window...
The sun is shining, the chooks are bathing and digging in the dirt in the shade...

I am thinking...
That life has ben abit hectic lately and really is time to schedule in some forced relaxation.

I am thankful for...
My husband... who took this week off work to help with the children, to take them to and from school and to give me time to rest my hip and finish my current work.

From the kitchen...
a simple quick , yet yummy bologniase for the rest of family... tonight I am going out for tea!

I am wearing...
3/4 excercise pants and a comfy tee, bare feet.

I am creating...
A recipe book for my children.

I am going...
out for dinner tonight with a wonderful bunch of fellow photographers who all volunteer for the ACOCP

I am reading...
blogs, lots of blogs....

I am hoping...
that my husband gets the job he has applied for, he so very much wants it.

I am hearing...
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=39253593

Around the house...
with my recent injury the house has gone to the.... gosh no words can describe!

One of my favorite things...
Watching our new kittens chase and play, having them snuggle and purr on me in the evenings... I was never a cat person... or so I thought.

A few plans for the rest of the week:
Continue to get on top of my backload of client work, finish my tax, add some lime to the front garden beds, take some time out with the kids.

Here is picture thought I am sharing... an older picture from my files. I may have shared it before, not sure. It is from a trip to Rye in May. I escaped of the weekend with just the kids as life was feeling overwhelming and the husband and i bickering for no good reason. We spent our time walking on the beach and them playing in the rock pools, sand dunes etc whilst I relaxed and read a book. Below is 'Bushy Island' created by my 6 yr old daughter from things she collected at the beach that day.

Menu PLan Monday

Its Monday again!
Doing the menu plan last week really made a difference. I've come across orgjunkie.com during the week and see they have aplanned Menu PLan MOnday each week. It looks like a great place to get lots of recipe ideas from!

Firstly as an aside, I have injured my hip. Its avery pain ful injury that means I can not excercise, that I can barely work and barely do anything really! I have been and will be posting about it and the lead up to the surgery on bitsfromme.blogspot.com . The reason I am mentioning it is one thing I can do that I do enjoy is cook. and because I will be very limited excercise wise I will need to eat healthier so to not gain back the 10 kilos I have worked hard to lose this year. Living with this injury for a period of time in the wait til surgery and the recovery wil be a very testing time personally also.

Anyway back to menu planning!
As I said last week was a success and we found we ate almost all of the vegies and fruit in the house and nothing went to waste (not that there is ever really food waste with the chooks around!)

So Left in the fridge: - cabbage (I think there is 3 of them now!), bok choy, little piece brocolli, 1 corn, cucumber, 2 eggplants.

Meat we have already : - 5-6 chicken breast fillets. half a kilo chicken wings. chicken casserole pieces 1-2 kilos

Being delivered this week- 8 litres milk, 1 block cheese, 2 litres orange juice, 5 loaves wholemeal bread.
Fruit veg box this week will contain :-


this weeks menu plan:-
- Chicken salad
- Chicken rissotto (mushroom, spinach, pumpkin leek)
- spag blognaise
- asian style omelettes and quiche for kids.
- tandoori lamb casserole
- lentil curry (carried over form last week - will be made for hubby and my lunches)
- chicken curry - japanese style to use up some cabbage.
- leftovers and salads throw together (to make use of the sald stuff and any leftovers during the week.
- cauliflour soup (cause I just peeked and there is a full head of it stashed in the fridge vegie drawer!)

- I also am going to bake some zuchini and choc chip muffins this week for school lunch snacks and just extra snacks.

need to buy:-
- half kilo uncooked prawns
- 1 kilo lamb (either shouler to cut myself or diced already)
- mince meat


- rissotto rice
- ham (for sandwiches and quiche)
- sesame oil
- choc chips
- wholemeal self rasing flour
- natural yoghurt



- extra carrots
- extra apples
- bean sprouts
- pumpkin
- beans (frozen if no good fresh)

Soil testing

When we fist moved here 4 years ago I turned the grass out the front inot a bvegie garden, 2 large beds. I had much success the first 2 years but the second year I also had many plants stolen, I grew from seed I had collected from the first year, raised my tomato plants up to a good size just for osmeone to come over night 2 times and dig them all out! It was disheartening.

Then last year I was going to just grow things peopel might beless likely to steal (lettuce/zuchini/herbs etc) but NOTHING would grow!
My father in law had brought in a ute full of soil and added it at the start of the season. I was suss about it as had no idea where it was from etc.

well ever since added that soil NOTHING Has ever grown out the front. the grass wont even grow back. even weeds struggle on the soil!

So this year I turned the soil added loads of compost and organic matter, then planted in piles of compost on top of all that turned soil. At first things grew well.

then they have now turned to this


Yellowed stunted unhealthy looking plants!

So I finally did what I should have done ages ago... I bought a soil test.
The girls had been using soil tests at their school as they are about to plant a vegie garden at school. So I handed the test to them and let them test for me.


This reading of 6 is from the compost on top that I planted directly in.
dig just a tiny bit deeper and the soil is VERY acidic. a reading of 4and 1/2 no good!

well this does explain what I kind of already knew. I thinnk it might be a failed garden this year. I will attempt to improve the soil but have a feeling it really is going to need to have the top 10-20cms of soil removed and to start afresh. we'll see... any ideas?

1st shopping week

OK did the rest of our weekly shopping. Was easier shopping with a planned list. The hubby spoilt it though as he went out aswell after work and got some items so we went alittle over what I budgeted and ended up with a few things doubled up and things we didnt need. BUT thats ok as I also got some cheaper/discounted items so a few things will last weeks/months (the very large tin of olive oil that was on special, the extra bottle of lime juice cordial as it was discounted if you bought 2)

So no savings into the account this week but I do know we have saved from previous weeks shopping. i found we were creeping over the $300 mark way to often for our food. I know the kids eat a lot and both hubby and I eat all our meals from home (I work from home and he works funny hours so is home during the day a lot)

Menu Plan Monday

Well I've gotten back into reading others blogs along with trying to make the effort to update mine.
Over at Lightening Jodie is blogging her menu planning and her shoping budget betwen now and the end of the year. I too wish to do this but will work on that for Wednesdays as thats pay day here. But will plan for Mondays.

At present we are having our fruit and vegies delivered by Aussie Farmers Direct once a week and its a mixed box that we have no choice in, we also get all our bread and milk delivered by them and orange juice and cheese. Below will be this wednesdays delivery (I can download and see online so can plan which is good)




The above doesnt quite cover all that we use so I have to top up especially fruit.
What we have left over at the moment that needs using too.
Washed potatoes, a whole pumpkin, small piece brocolli, 2 leb cucumbers, 1 bag salad mix, 2 bunches bok choy, half cauliflour, 1 zuchini, 1 green capsicum, half a red and ahalf a yellow capsicum.
Meat already in freezer - 3 porterhouse steaks (small), 3 chicken breasts (reminder must get deep freezer repaired this week as under warranty!)
Eggs in abundance from chooks.

So with the above in mind my menu plan for this week will be:
- Chicken fillets and vegetables (tonight)
- pumpkin soup (will be had for lunches)
- Lentil shepherds pie (to use up lots of the vegies)
- minestrone/vegie soup (again to make good use of last weeks excess vegies)
- chicken curry (Joeys japanese one that will use the cabbage up)
- lentil/chick pea curry.
- Pasta with either bolognaise or meatballs.
- fried rice and honey soy wings.
- quiche (lunches)
- home made rissoles or sausages/vegies
- Thai beef salad (lunches)

(I'll keep the eggplant til next Monday to use in a recipe then of tandoori lamb casserole)

What I need to buy:

mince meat (kangaroo)
chicken wings (2 kilos)


More fruit - 3-4 kgs apples and 1-2 kgs banaanas.
Mushrooms
spinach leaves
tomatoes

additional
breakfast cereal
ham for lunches
rice crackers
tins tuna
baked beans
toilet paper
hot chocolate
lime juice cordial
tzatziki dip
ham
rice
tamari

Gosh that makes shopping look affordable, will be curious to see if it really works! I plan to budget $200 a week on food as we spend over that now! The aussie direct order is $76 each week so that leaves me $124 to get everything else.
I work from home and hubby is home in the midday hours so its good to plan 3 or more cooked lunches a week if possible. This accounts for the kids lunches also.

Foxes in suburbia

Yes foxes are found in suburbia everywhere. Aparently they say there is 1 fox minimum per sq km in melbourne suburbia and urban areas. So many people living in the city/suburbs feel 'safe; from foxes and don't realise the risk.
We unfortunatly learnt the hard way 7 or so months ago when we forgot to lock the chooks up one night and we lost 1 (Marg) we were very thankful it was just the one, the fox had access to all 6!

So we have been much more vigilant with locking the chooks up every night, though it is the hubby's job, its mine to let them out in the morning. (the chook shed/house is behind the garage shed, if we leave it til after dark its pitch dark down there and to be honest I am a bit scaredy cat and hate going down there after dark so thats why it is his job for night and mine for morning)

So last night I couldn't sleep. I sufer insomnia on and off. It was 2:30am as I was watching the tv thinking I should probably go to bed and try reading. I heard a few funny noises outside, one was like a cat squealing, then rustling about. I thought at first 'oh cats fighting'
so ignored it for a bit, then after a another minute I heard louder noises and then I heard a chook clucking nearby.
I raced to the window and saw the chook first, fapping about in the driveway... then i saw it.... THE FOX . I hit the window and yelled out. It froze and looked at me.
I raced to the nearby cupboard grabbed the torch and went bursting out the backyard. the fox ran off as I went running into the drive.
The chook was no where to be seen.
My heart was pumping, I raced next door and woke my fther in law so he could come help me check the chook house (was too scared to go on my own) so went and checked and all fine except one chook missing. We hunted round the yard with torches and found her eventually, hiding under a bush. She seemd unharmed so we locked them up for the night. Was then really worried about the bunnies as they live under the deck at night. and my mind kept going back to the squealing noise I heard... bunnies can squeal when terrified or being attacked. Otherwise they make virtually no noise.
I hunted everywhere and realised the bunnies were not going to come out from under the deck and just hoped they were fine.

I hopped into bed by this time it was around 3:30am. I couldnt sleep after all that and kept hearing noises and getting back up to check. Eventually I drifted off around 5am.

The hubby came home form work at 6:30am and I woke then and explained what happened, he had thankfully spotted one bunny on his way in so I felt a little relieve and went back to sleep.

When I got up finally today I went and did a check and asked everyone what animals they had seen so far in the day. Both bunnies had been spotted at some point in the morning happily munching hay out the back....phew.

I went down and checked the chook house and nearby. You could see where the chook had been grabbed and where the fox has tried to drag it over the fence... there was a trail of feathers... thanfully chook must have struggled and got free and then ran to the drive where I heard it. Lucky chook.

We discussed today that we need to make a plan for lock ups for weekends when hubby is working, we cant risk losing them over something as silly as forgetting.

A couple of the chooks taken today.



In happier news! We recently got 2 new kittens. Meet Ablett and Bartel (yes the hubby and son are Geelong fans and are responsible for their names!)

ABLETT


BARTEL


and a photo from today of our dog Tiny. Tiny is getting quite old now, she'd be pushing 15 years old. She is still spritely and in very good health, though a bit deaf and a bit blind.


and while I'm here, some photos of the kids from today.
Tiahna, who is 9... I love this, she talks with her hands all the time.

love this of her too


my 2 tree climbing monsters!
Liam (he's off to school next year, can you believe it!)

and Jaime

and Miss Tiahna pushing her sister round in the wheelbarow. Its a gorgeous day outside so am glad they are out playing. Think I might go join them again!


then lastly this....

look closely. Its my daughters bike up in the fig tree. I'm not impressed. The father in law has thrown it there.... why? well she must have left it in the driveway. thing is she has been looking for it and hasnt found it for the last 2 weeks. I had no idea, thought it had to be around somewhere. What annoys me is a few things.
- he could have asked her to move her bike.
- throwing it in the tree is a grown man having a tanty and setting a bad example.
- not telling us he did it even after he knew we knew her bike was missing is silly games.
Now I know my daughter should also learn to put her things away but I strongly believe this is NOT the right way to teach her. Her reaction to finding it in the tree was 'oh wow look, never knew my bike could fly'

now I have no idea how to get it out, its high and all tangled in small branches!

Organising and cleaning up!

I've been spending a bit of time decluttering and making changes round the house.
These are some images of the play room BEFORE I cleaned it up.
I was really sick of the cane shelf, the old dining table, the couch- all are older second hand items (I dont think any furniture in out entire house is new?) the toys were all mixed up, the kids had stopped playing in here (can you blame them!)

THE RESULT!!!! We got rid of the old couch and replaced it with another one (bought for $50 at the op shop, its a sofa bed too and the mattress looks brand new/never used) no one else likes the couch, i think they have no taste cause I LOVE it :)
The corner desk is actually the top of the tv cabinet (see below) I bought it from the op shop aghain ($70 for thetop and bottom) and it fits perfectly here in the corner and the actually use it as a desk now!


the 'boys' corner. Liam is in heaven he has access to his train set and all his cars again... poor jaime is constantly being bugged to play cars with him now. thankfully she is a compliant big sister at times!

This bookshelf i bought for $15 at the op shop. its great as means everything that was on the floor is now up and looks soooo much neater and is more organised!


this is my new work office! I was working out of a shared room witht he hubby but found it causes us to bicker as we are next to each other ALL the time. Plus I like that this room is now MY space. My desk is a trestle table we used to store office stuff on/boxes etc. pity i dont have a before of this room as it was the junk room and you couldn't even walk in the door!
(the basket on the desk is from an op shop too, all the plastics (in/out trays, pencil holder etc are all made form recycled plastic.)

OK our lounge is NOT normally this shocking. Poor hubby he'll hate me for posting a pick of him downing a long neck (its home brew) watching a sports show... typical aussie bloke (LOL) - immune to the mess around him too!


and the result of a spring clean!!
We got rid of the stereo that was there and put it in the garage (and the kids love it out there now and blast the music, my poor neighbours!)
we got the new (second hand form op shop) tv cabinet. its great as the amp, dvd player and foxtel all fit packed away now. there are shelves for the dvds on the side of the case.
we moved the fitness/trainer to the toy room (probably should freecycle it cause we never use it, we prefer to excercise in the great outdoors!) put a throw/red blanket over the couch as its leather (no idea if its real leather or not another hand me down) but its been peeling off(ok the kids keep picking at it) so this looks better.
see the rocker my son is on in the edge of the frame? an old op shop buy thats bneen great, the kids love it.

next up i want to get rid of those awful vertical blinds. no idea what to replace them with though but they do need to go!