Feather your Nest Friday 14 November 2014.

This week was a big one! And it went so fast which isn't surprising as the weeks leading up to Christmas seem to by even faster than the rest of the year.

Anyway it was good and the highlight was Lucy's scan and seeing my first baby photo of the baby sucking his/her thumb! That was so cute. So precious and adorable at 12 weeks. Already with fingerprints and responding to touch and whats going on. Truly beautiful (and exciting).


Chloe had said to me that Lucy's "nesting hormones" had kicked in which made me laugh. We have used the term nesting forever to describe fluffing around with your house and homemaking! And yes there are times when we prepare and these are exciting times. Getting ready for a baby or even an event like Christmas we do preparations and there is a lot of fun in preparations! But getting ready for a baby must be the biggest thing to get ready for!

I have always LOVED preparations and all forms of them like Glory Boxes, gift cupboards, Pantry's, cooking for an event...  knitting for a baby... making jam and pies to put fruit away for winter, they are all preparations. Well, I love them! Busy as a bee! Maybe thats why I love birds, bees and ants etc you can see they are busy getting ready. It is instilled in us and like a squirrel stored nuts for the winter we are to do the same. But this has been lost a bit as we have come to rely on supermarkets etc and that is a whole separate story that I am going to be working on in the new year.

A couple of weeks ago I put a link on face book to remind everyone about Kelleys Pillowcase Project. But I forgot not everyone would see this.  I sent off my pillowcases and it was really exciting to see they arrived in Guam! This is the link as it is not too late to make pillowcases for this gorgeous project and a lovely thing to do for Christmas. You know, I know Kelley will be having a wonderful Christmas as she does things for other people. 
The Pillowcase Project.The Pillowcase Project.

To see lots of pillowcases arriving (including mine!) 
Lots of pillowcases arrive.

I am meant to be talking about the things I did this week to build up our home:

Firstly I took cuttings of a deep velvety red geranium. I had seen one in the nursery and loved it and am suddenly drawn to this deep red. It was $16 for one geranium. So I took cuttings from one from a friend instead and have them in water for now, it is enough for five plants.

I brought roses inside and thoroughly enjoyed them. Really everyday the ones inside and the ones in the garden were beautiful. I used some pink ones in two different lots of photos as well.

Petrol was way down in price ($1.29) so I filled up my car and today I saw petrol is $1.50. A full tank lasts me just ages.

Mum was gardening and had spare succulents and gave me several. I used them in a patch in the garden that is really dry so that is now my little succulent garden. They are really pretty and expensive in the nursery. Plus they save water in a dry spot.

We had several cold dinners. My husband loves cold meat and salad etc when the weather is hot. Last year I was amazed how much money I saved by doing this more often. I blamed the air conditioner  for expensive electricity but by not using the stove I was surprised by a much lower power bill. Plus it is easy, less mess to clean up and keeps the house cooler!

I did some gift wrapping for Christmas parcels I mail. I count this as a saving as I made all the gifts myself. And starting on this creates an atmosphere of Christmas coming in our home. This feels wonderful! Maybe nothing about building up your home is as important as the atmosphere part..

I found cucumbers at a bargain price so am using lots and making pickles. I do pickles for my husband as he likes them and they are good in cold dinners, with lunches etc and they take 5 minutes to make. I am going to share this simple method coming up. They are the worlds easiest preserves.

It was a good week and I got lots done in the house and the garden. And it's Friday already!

Thank you so much to everyone who joined in last week. I was so impressed and inspired. And something more...I have felt in a bit of despair about the world at times lately and I have really felt better seeing that there are families getting on with things, knowing what's important, with priorities straight... well this has been really wonderful. I feel encouraged and I needed that.  In turn I hope we all encourage others who might be just reading quietly like I did when I read Laines Letters. It never occurred to me to comment or write to her for twenty years or so! But I was reading Christian and homemaking blogs and absorbing absorbing absorbing! These ladies were like friends in my mind and now years later are friends!

I can't wait to hear what you did this week to build up your home and any ideas you might have. Have a lovely weekend. xxx