This week started off quite slowly after the kids came down with a cold/gastro at the end of last week. Little Elsie was sick over the weekend with vomiting and a cold but thankfully all the kids are recovered now. Though it is clear we are getting to that time of year where end-of-term-itis is setting in. We are all beginning to lag a bit.
A beautiful gardenia from my garden, the smell is divine.
We were planning to go to a Christmas Carols service on Sunday, but it seems to have come in wet the last couple of days. Hopefully, the weather clears. I love carols nights and it always helps to put me in the Christmas spirit of thankfulness and appreciation for all our many blessings. It's been so cool I could almost have lit the Aga, in December no less! Utterly bonkers. The rain is at least watering the pasture and flushing out our creek. At least the frogs are happy!
While at home I have been working on a couple of sewing projects. A Waldorf doll which I'm finishing for a friend and I have started the kids snuggle pouches for holding the guinea pigs. I'm not sure what I was thinking but I made the first one extraordinarily long. I need to cut it in half and made a second out of it I think. They are made out of an old wool blanket and covered in soft flannel. The aim of the pouches is to catch guinea pig accidents. They are poopy little creatures and I do not need to find guinea pig deposits rolling around on my couch. Which has happened in the past, despite using old cloth nappies as a wrap for them. This way the pouches contain the mess and can be shaken out over the garden and before going in the wash.
Trialling a guinea pig pouch with one of the alpaca guinea pigs.
I have started getting veggies at the fruit and veggie shop again, and I scored a lovely massive cabbage for $2.99 last week. So a batch of sauerkraut is now fermenting on my benchtop. The quality is better the variety is much greater as well. I do most of my shopping via click-and-collect as it is already a two-hour return trip to town for me. Lately, the website has been showing lots of things as unavailable but I know they are on the shelf in the store. I understand the problem, it's a company-wide website and they can't guarantee each individual store will have all the things given the massive recent flooding in Australia. Fresh veggies are dependent on supply/demand. But it defeats the purpose of click-and-collect if I have to go into the store to choose my veggies. So, I'm making the effort to instead support a smaller, local business just down the road. To be fair shopping at the fruit and veg place is a much nicer and more personalized shopping experience as well as being better value for money.
Making Sauerkraut from Nourishing Traditions.
On Thursday Elsie and I went to playgroup which was lovely, and something I'm happy to be a volunteer of. It's a Uniting Church-based playgroup. It's welcoming, inclusive, affordable and full of kind and dedicated volunteers who want to support families. It seems there are so many expensive options for playgroup these days, which to be honest makes me a little sad. These kinds of community-based playgroups that many churches offer are a precious resource for families. Our playgroup is $2/session and includes craft/tea/coffee/sweet treat for the carer. As well as story and music time. Carers bring morning tea for the kids, though there are always crackers on hand if someone doesn't have a snack. Anyone can attend and if someone can't pay they are still welcomed with open arms. Church volunteers can also help them find community organisations to help them like food banks/op-shops etc. Community gardens, Churches, public libraries....These are the kinds of places that are absolutely vital to the well-being of a community.
Well, it is about to pour again so I best log off before my rural internet crashes and I'm unable to post this! I hope you have a peaceful, blessed weekend and enjoy browsing the links I have put together for you.
Much love,
Emma
xx
Grass Roots Magazine
Grass Roots have released its December/January edition and I have a gentle, encouraging Christmas article in there. As always it is full of excellent, practical and sensible articles, written by people living a Grass Roots lifestyle. Available at all good Newsagencies or you can order it from their website. It would make a wonderful Christmas gift!
Grass Roots have released its December/January edition and I have a gentle, encouraging Christmas article in there. As always it is full of excellent, practical and sensible articles, written by people living a Grass Roots lifestyle. Available at all good Newsagencies or you can order it from their website. It would make a wonderful Christmas gift!
Talasbuan - This family has been living in the Swedish woods for 10 years
This in an incredibly lovely, calm document of their day on their little Swedish farm.
This in an incredibly lovely, calm document of their day on their little Swedish farm.
How do you feel about older homes?
These are a great idea. It is an advertising video for Sew Easy but it's well filmed and claer. You could use up-cycled fabrics and fill them with packets of seeds, little pencils, nice lollies, lip gloss, small soaps, mini stamps, mini sewing kit....The options are endless!
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Emma I love the idea of the guinea pig snuggle pouches. Not only do they catch the poop they also allow little people to hold them safely.
ReplyDeleteI've been making craft bags for my older Grandies. I have purchased pencils, glue sticks. scrap books and colouring books when on special over the year. I also have some coloured folding papers. They have also recieved an Advent Calendar and Christmas dresses, all made by me. I love that they are still happy to have Granny made items. My Grandson will be getting some pjs, shorts, tshirts and a stuffed soft toy car made by me. I have been given a lot of fabric over the past couple of years and am doing my best to use it up.
When the little girls visit in the New Year, we will be using the free Library craft sessions as a holiday activity. They also have a free weekly percussion music session over the school holidays. I will get them booked in for this.
I hope you get to the Carols and have a wonderful time. I get Bluey to drive me around to look at the Christmas lights as I just love looking. Our son pulled the Christmas boxes out of the shed for me. I have put out some of the decorations. Tomorrow when my 18month old Grandson visits, I will get him to help me put up the tree. That is going to be a lot of fun and something that I am looking forward to.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Your holiday plans with the grannies sounds wonderful, and they are so incredibly lucky to be getting your beautiful hand made goodies for christmas. So special! We love the christmas lights too. So lovely.
DeleteThe guinea pig pouches are excellent for keeping the little pigs safe and snuggly when small people are holding them. They can startle easily at loud noise and the guinea pigs love to snuggle in as they seem to feel safer that way.
xx