Lately (a catch up..)

You know it's time to write a blog post when people start emailing to see if you are alright (thank you!).
I AM! I'm actually pretty good! I've just been in a bit of a funny headspace for blogging.
Shall I catch you up a little bit?

We've all been battling the common Winter ailments - coughs and snuffles, a minor dose of the Winter Blues... head lice. Haha. Maybe not so Wintry, but definitely an ailment. Those things are NASTY!
We have come through it all, though. One of us with a bald head, and one who still has a tinge of green in her nostrils, but we're all ready for Spring now.

I've been sewing. I've filled lots of custom orders, made some readymades, and have plenty more on the go. I'm still struggling to find that balance, and things are taking much longer than I would like them to.. but I'm getting there.

We've been doing a lot of assessing of our lives the past few weeks, setting some goals, figuring things out. One of the major things to come from this, for me, is that we decided to put Mollie in daycare for a few hours a week - so that I can spend some more time sewing, put a little more energy and effort into my little business/hobby.
It has been a time of conflicted feelings for me.
While I wish I was the type of person who could thrive from being around my kids 24/7, I'm not. I feel ridiculous amounts of guilt about that. I also feel like putting Mol in care, even for 6 hours a week, is making her grow up even faster - not what I want at all! But the little miss is such a social creature, she gets incredibly bored and frustrated stuck at home with me all day and I, in turn, end up frustrated with her. Not ideal! So yeah, she needs the social time and I need the sewing time (read: the money..) Ugh. I know I don't need to justify any of this to you (you, kind blog reader, wouldn't judge me, aye?) but I'm kind of more still justifying it to myself!

The past few weeks, we've been doing bits and pieces around the house. Windowsills got painted, kitchen light got fixed, trees and plants got planted, vegies went into the ground..
It's starting to really feel like home, despite there still being a long list of things we'd like to do. Guessing that list never really gets shorter!
I think the next things on our short term list are hanging a pinboard for the kids artwork, hanging more pictures on the walls, and painting that horrible blue strip around the bottom of the house!
Midterm plans include more garden/vege beds and replacing the gas fire with a woodburner.

I'm not sure if I've even mentioned it here, but I've been on a bit of a weightloss/healthy eating mission. I completed the C25K program on the crosstrainer, and have joined WeightWatchers.
I'm struggling to stay on the wagon a bit this week (highs and lows!) but I've lost just under 10kg so far (in 10 weeks) and am excited to be starting to see the difference in my energy levels and how my clothes fit.
This Catherine Campbell print was a small reward I nabbed for myself. I've been trying to treat myself to a little something every 2kg loss : )

I think that's about as much of a recap as I can manage. Otherwise, we've just been bumbling along like usual. Mostly, anyway.

What have you been up to?

All this Spring weather we've been having has me thinking about my garden.
At the moment, my garden is a magical combination of over-grown, and yet completely bare - at exactly the same time. I'm not sure how that is even possible, but I swear it is.

We went to visit my Mother-in-law and her partner this week. I had to take my sewing machine over to be fixed, and so Abraham took some time off and we made a day of it. It was so lovely.
I spent quite a bit of time wandering around their garden with my camera. I absolutely adore spending time in their back yard, it is the most amazingly lush space.
Chris has built half a dozen beds, that are now filled to the brim with vege plants. They have yet more growing in tubs, bags and in the ground itself. Everything is edible and it feels almost like a 'you name it, they have it' sort of situation. The centre of the garden is a huge chook run, and Chris has also built the cutest wee potting shed. There are little retro touches throughout; a  hand basin, little statuettes, and kitchenware.
I think it might be one of the most inspiring gardens I've ever set foot in, because I've come home with big dreams of better utilising our space. .

Browns and reds.

 

 

I picked up a few wee bits and pieces at the op shop this morning (as I do..) and, as I was photographing them, I looked around and realised there was a lot of other things around in similar tones. I ended up with a wee red and brown collection of sorts.
These are colours I often find myself drawn too, especially when it comes to homewares. Something about them feel very homely : )
The things I purchased (this may be obvious) were the wee hat, the plate and the smocked dress. I'm particularly pleased with the dress, it is the softest fabric and should be just about the right size for Mollie come next Autumn/Winter.

Growing. and Tiny happiness.

My garden is bringing me so much joy at the moment.
I'm far from a green-thumbed expert, but I feel like I've made huge progress this season - good, edible, progress. I'm loving dining on brocolli (as big as my face! Yes, I am a nerd..), courgettes, peas, beans, lettuce, rhubarb, strawberries, basil, mint and pak choy. And I feel ridiculous amounts of excitement at the thought of the eggplant and tomatoes that are so close to being ready (and the Winter fruits that are just beginning their lives as flowers.. oh boy!).
This growing stuff is quite addictive!






Another thing that could get quite addictive, is Melissa's amazing printed fabric. Look at it! Squee!
I've been meaning to buy some, to use for baby clothes, for awhile now. So, when M announced a sale, I was there in a flash.
I envision little loungey pants, with this fabric as the cuffs and pockets. I'm pretty sure there will need to be matching onesies, too. I'll be making a girly set, as well as a slightly boyish one.. this whole not knowing thing is pretty exciting, but it sure has its disadvantages! So hard to know what to make!

Stuff and things.

Phwoar, it's been a little quiet around here. There's good reason for that though - we've been busy:

- Busy getting naked and eating sweet treats...



-Busy growing some wriggly babies...
(21 weeks this week!)

- Busy knitting things for wriggly bebes.. and sewing things for bigger, wriggly people's xmas pressies..

- And busy growing, and eating, some delicious Summery food.

We just ate dinner outside - risotto with chorizo and courgettes and beans from the garden. Might go and steal a few strawberries for dessert.
So darn good!  Best way to celebrate the first day of Summer!

Busy Bee.

After a lazy week, I woke up yesterday feeling productive. The most productive I've felt in some time.
I decided it was a good idea to get some baking done for the first week back at school/playcentre, and get a meal or two stocked in the freezer.

Our eating during this first stage of my pregnancy has been horrific, to put it mildly. I have had so many days where I was unable to stomach an evening meal, or even cook one. And as a result there has been a lot of takeout and easy-to-prepare pre-made food through our doors. Our grocery bill has gone up about $20 a week, with much less in the cupboards or freezer to show for it. We've spent more on takeaways each week than we normally would in a fortnight (or even a month, some weeks. Sigh.) It is time now for me to try and get this under control again.

Yesterday was a good start, I managed a double batch of pasta sauce and a huge meal of vegie soup. I baked muesli bar slice (which, even on my third different recipe, wasn't very successful. Guess it's just not a fan of margarine?), peanut butter choc chip cookies, and banana cake-muffins.

I also managed to get some of my 7 loads of wet washing dry, and turn over the compost. Phew. I hope this is a another sign that my routine is slowly returning to normal.

Oh, and just because it's cute, this is Otto's belly. He's 'got a baby in his puku', in case you were wondering why it's looking so gloriously rotund : )

A birthday.

On Friday I turned 27.
In all honesty, I expected it to be a bit of non-event. I've been feeling lousy as anything the past six weeks, and didn't see why my birthday would/could/should affect how I felt.
BUT, pleasantly enough, I felt the best I've felt in ages.
My day was filled with my first midwife visit (I love love my new midwife. Love her.), lunch with my SIL and the cutest niece in the world, presents, flowers and love. We were given some fresh fish, which Abraham crumbed and we devoured with some bought chips, down by the water. Delightful!
I also went out (!!) that evening and saw Anika Moa play. By golly she is wonderful, who knew?

Saturday was filled with in-laws and gardening. For me these two go very much hand-in-hand. My Mother-in-law and her partner have wonderfully green thumbs. I was privileged enough to receive their help getting our Summer garden ready. Will show you what went in in another post!
We also ate amazing food (pumpkin soup and scones, and roast chicken!) and chit-chatted the day away. Also glorious.

One of the most exciting things about my birthday though? Wee bump is now 12 weeks old! Second trimester here we come! Keeping my fingers crossed this means a few more 'good' days thrown in each week from now on. I'll take what I can get!

The garden.

With all the warm and sunny weather we're been having lately, the boys and I have been spending a lot more time out in the garden. I've really been enjoying it, and they seem to have been too.
Aesop is a funny thing, always complaining if he has to do things outdoors. Often being heard saying things like 'oh maaaan, I haaaate sunny days, I wish I could just stay inside!', especially if it involves something like bike riding. I kid you not.
But the thing is, just like me and exercise, once he gets out there, and finds something fun to do, he loves it.
He's also a little bit of a, erm, sensitive soul. He's never liked to get his hands dirty, or try anything that might be deemed remotely 'scary'. Even as a baby he didn't even really like crawling on grass, and wouldn't investigate creepy crawlies etc.  But times are a changin' round these parts.
Aesop has taken a liking to slaters.
He has a book, that his Nana sent him, all about insects and animals you find in the garden. It has been such a life-changer for him. He is out in the garden every afternoon turning over logs and catching the slaters and snails he finds underneath them. He puts them in a container, or holds them in his hand, and just watches them, fascinated. They are his 'pets'. I'm so, so pleased. I really should have realised that the way to get Aesop outside was through the very thing that was keeping him inside - books! ( Just need to find one about bike riding... hmm..)
Otto, on the other hand, has been head-first into anything mucky from the moment he could move! He spends his afternoons (and mornings!) up to his elbows in soil, tipping in on himself, filling up buckets, splashing in any water he can find, and pulling all off the leaves of my poor plants. There's no stopping him now that he can walk, and I'm feeling so glad that our section is fenced 'cause he's also the running sort! Mischief!

I prefer to spend my garden arvos following in Porridge's (our cat's) footsteps.. sitting in the sun, with the occasional walk to get a snack, or to check what the boys are doing. Pretty glorious.

I'll say it again... perhaps this summer won't be so bad after all!




Oh, and a few pictures of what's growing in and around the vegie patch too, since it seems to be taking off!