A business adventure

​my lovely friend Dianne, sells things at craft markets. Not the big markets but ones organised for retirement villages or at pop up places. She started doing the one at Christmas. She is Mrs Christmas.

She busily makes things to sell. Not really for a huge amount of money, she’s like me and loves the actual craft making. 

Her stall buddy told her about one at her mums retirement home. 

I asked if I could give her a few things to sell for me and she said she would be happy too

I showed her the few hanging towels I had made and she loved them. 

I had given her  Christmas one as a gift a few years ago and used it every year 

I gave her a kitchen one, with a hairy coo on it. And one for her downstairs bathroom 

She has taken those home and will show her stall Buddy. 

Her stall buddy is another of our swim friend group. I’ll make her one with a cute kitten it as she used to breed ragdoll cats. 

This afternoon I’ve been cutting and sewing. I did have a few of the toppers cut out which gave me a head start 

I’ve had enough for today but will continue tomorrow. 

She said make about thirty of them. I’m sticking to about a dozen  but will make a few every week until the craft market 

I’ll then make some up using Christmas themed ones for the end of the year. 

Assuming there is a demand for them. 

Even if they don’t sell, they make nice presents. Guess what all the swim friends will be getting this Christmas 

Tuesday shenanigans

​this morning I set the alarm for six. I needed time before heading off into 

Cranbourne to do all the morning chores and straighten my hair. 

These days that only happens if I leave the house. 

It was hard going as I didn’t actually go to sleep until half past two!

I headed off to meet the girls for our weekly coffee and catchup 

I also got my nails done.  Got to have pretty nails 

Then off to a friends house for a quick visit before we both headed off 

To meet yet another swimming friend for lunch. 

It’s her mother’s birthday today. She lost her mother about six months ago. 

I then headed home to a waiting parcel at my front door 

It contained a few hairy coo’s 

A new phone cover. This one feels much sturdier than the one I was using 

 And some for my car.  I need to vacuum the floors, but I couldn’t resist 

Putting them in 

I think I may have a problem. 

I don’t care. I love them, and they make me happy.  

And that’s all that matters 

Monday doings

​having been ill last week and then riding through the fibromyalgia fog

I actually felt like I could achieve something today 

The squares all laid down. I need a dozen more and then, the sewing begins 

The day was lovely. It kinda felt like spring was on its way. 

Although, living in Melbourne you “know” we can get all four 

Seasons in one day. 

Regardless, I went out to see what I could harvest for my dinner 

Silver beet and eggs when into a spinach pie. 

I have seven chickens and I collected seven eggs. 

The girls are back in action. 

I kept some of the silver beet to cook with the broccoli. 

I say cook but I literally get the water to boiling and then turn it 

Off.

I will add a vinaigrette dressing and I’ll have this for lunch. 

I finally harvested some of the rhubarb.   I finally got round to 

Making the Apple and rhubarb pie. 

I cooked up the rhubarb with some sugar, before I mixed it with the apple for 

The filling  

I even had enough to freeze for latter use  

This took all day as I was very slow.

 It was ready for dinner so it didn’t Matter   

I’m now in my pjs, working on the last dozen squares  

Hopefully I’ll be able to go to bed at a decent time and sleep all night  

We will see 

Ask and you shall receive

​especially if you ask grandma. 

Ana was watching something on the television while I was feeding Georgia. 

She asked what was that girl wearing on her hands. 

I said gloves. She answered but I can see her fingers 

I told her you can get gloves without fingers and she immediately asked if she could get some. 

Of course. I’ll knit some for her. I got the order that she wanted rainbow ones 

So I traced her hand so I could use it for measuring 

Once they went home I found my correct yarn and began 

I didn’t have a pattern. I did see a few pictures with Russian directions, which I just used to send me into the correct direction 

I then just used the same system that I use to make those top down garments and made the thumb hole. 

The first one took a bit of time as I had to keep measuring, but the second was much easier and faster 

And here they are all sewn up. Ready for their owner. 

Not a bad days work. 

Might make a pair for myself 

I can’t wait to give them to her 

Another week gone

​the way the weeks are flying by it will be Christmas before we know it. 

After a busy week, sick grandchildren having extra days with grandma,

Grandma is totally exhausted. 

I did catch a mild case of whatever Annie had, thankfully not to bad,

But enough to trigger a fibro flare. 

I’ve been just at home pottering all week. 

Now that little miss georgie is mobile I have to child proof the house 

I’ve just folded over the table cloth just for today.  But I think I’ll just remove it 

Again. And wait until georgie is older. 

She is desperately trying to pull herself up. 

And she gets very grumpy and loud when I divert her from a danger area. Like under the television 

She’s got a bit of a temper, honestly her whole family could admit to having passed it on to her 

I got the old building blocks out again  

They’re the big ones so safe for babies and toddlers 

Ana was building tower for georgie to push over.  Georgie wasn’t happy 

To wait.  She definitely told her sister, and me, off loudly 

Once the tower was tall enough we let her go. 

Boy was she happy then. 

I told Georgia to say Ana. And blow me down. Out it came. Clear as a bell. 

Apparently she has started calling out to her. 

Such a clever little poppet 

Well I think so anyway.  But I may be biased 

Another sick day

​this morning I had a surprise. Ana had arrived with her daddy. She has has a bad weekend dealing with gastric issues 

Her mummy did message me but I was in bed trying to avoid a headache. 

It didn’t work. I’ve had it all day today 

But Ana on her own is a breeze. 

As long as you have food, water and television. She will sit quietly and watch. 

Here she is having her lunch. 

She wanted her hair braided. 

I told her I’m going to take a photo to send to mum 

This is what I got lol 

As the day progressed she became more lively. 

We had no incidents at all 

I think she will be back at daycare tomorrow, but if not. Grandma is always here as a back up 

Budget hack

​in days of yore, when I had to feed a family on the smell of an oily rag, minced meat was a constant star on our dinner table 

I would buy mince when it was on sale and as much as I could in bulk 

Last night I pulled out two kilos of mince to defrost for cooking today 

This was meat off the paddock so I knew it was good 

I grabbed a bottle of tomato sauce that I had made earlier this year 

My stash is dwindling. I’ve got less than a dozen jars left. 

And cooked up a big pot of spaghetti sauce. 

I don’t follow a recipe. I just use what I have on hand. 

When the kids were younger I would often hide veggies in the sauce. This was great for upping their vegetables intake. And it makes more sauce. 

I tended to use what I needed, and freezing the rest. Making meal prep easy on a very busy day easier 

I’m didn’t do that today. 

Today I cooked up a storm 

Spaghetti for dinner tonight , I added some feta to it  

And there is even enough for lunch tomorrow 

I also made two trays of pasta bake

The small one will go to the shed for the boys lunches 

I’ll use some for dinner and I’ll probably send some home with wonderson to share with the family 

I’ll probably have enough to freeze as well 

This was how I fed my family when money was really tight. 

I had other hacks for making as many different meals from a small amount of meat as  could  

I may even share some of them with you  

I’m happy I no longer have to worry about money  we are not rich by any means, but I don’t have to worry about where the next meal will come from 

I think when you go through times like that, you appreciate the blessings when they come   

What hacks do you have?