The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Thursday 24 September 2015

Feather your Nest Friday, 25th September, 2015.

It has been a week of some true spring weather. Just now almost every street has Wisteria flowering.  Recently it was Magnolias and I showed a picture of a house around the corner. Well, you have to see the Wisteria! It is everywhere. The colour is glorious. It just seems to be a thing that grows well in Adelaide. Even the local post office and supermarket are covered in it.
This is a house a few streets away...


This runs all along the fence...



I don't know if this is in the US? Anyway I love it and at the moment it is gorgeous. Roses are just starting... later it is Hydrangeas... so many people have them here also. I love seeing these as they also mark the season.

Last night I started to wonder what on earth I could say I had achieved this week! The week went really fast and I felt like I hadn't done all that much. So I got out my diary.
Thank goodness I write stuff down! I obviously had brain fade and a short memory! This is another reason it is good to look over the week. I have gone from ??? to !!! oh I DID do quite a bit and now I feel pretty happy about it!

Does that happen to you? I am sure I was busy but I have forgotten what I did!

Now that I am reminded these are some of the ways I saved money as well as feathered my nest this week...

I continued spring cleaning. After the lounge covers were all done I washed the wool underlay on our bed in wool wash and eucalyptus oil. It came up so soft and fluffy. I dried it in the sun. It smells lovely.
The day was warm and it was back on the bed by night.
I did all the linen the same day. Sunshine is the best thing.
Then I pulled the bed out from the wall, vacuumed underneath, washed the skirting boards etc...

I steam cleaned the bathroom. Chloe had been pressure cleaning grout for Mum. I took this cleaner and attacked the bathroom!

In the lounge room I dusted and rearranged. A general clean and tidy up.

I added to the pantry and cellar. Mum gave me a large packet of English Breakfast tea and I also added rice and pasta.

Several outdoor pots needed re doing. I used pretty succulents I had started from bits and filled them with those. They look really nice.

The tomatoes, herbs etc I planted are all growing so well.

I baby sat Harper for a little while.
Before you feel sorry for her getting kissed so much you have to know when you stop she leans in for more!



This week I made cards. Lots of them! I am making them into packs and boxes as gifts. I will show more on Monday about this. It gives me more completed Christmas and Birthday presents.


I made extra meals to help out. And an extra meal for the freezer.
Other things were the usual... made all meals, Andy's work lunches, used recycled water on the garden, line dried all the extra washing, shopped for specials and mark downs and then planned what to cook with them.

The birds above the back door are up to day 15 of sitting on the eggs! So they should hatch in about three more days. Watching them go about this has been the sweetest thing. Everyday they have reminded me why I love birds and all things "feathering your nest". What a joy! These birds are diligent and always happy!

How have you saved money and built up your nest this week? I hope it's been a good week!
I have a stack of things to do before the weekend. And the day is sunny and lovely. xxx

48 comments:

  1. Annabel, yes, we have wisteria here in the U.S., but I must say I don't believe I have every seen it displayed so beautifully! The pictures of you and baby Harper are so precious, she is growing so fast! You are just full of gift ideas, the packaged cards are a great gift giving idea ... I think that I will use that one this year myself! I am canning raw peanuts tonight ... so much to do ... so blessed!

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    1. Patsi, you are always so very busy, love it. Can I ask what you do to can peanuts, and by canning does that mean in jars? If you have time, I'd love to know what that means. Thank you. Fi

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    2. Fiona, yes, canning them does mean in jars. The peanuts are harvested from the ground, picked off the vines and washed (hulls and all, do not shell them). Wash and sterilize jars, fill jars up to one inch from top of jar, add 2 teaspoons salt to each quart jar, fill with water up to neck of jar. Put the lid and ring on and process 50 minutes at 10 lbs pressure in a pressure canner (must be pressure canned and not water bathed). My husband loves these, me ... not so much, but I do it for him. I'll be sharing a picture of the finished product in my Pantry Challenge #39 on Saturday. Hope this helps!

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    3. Patsi, thank you for the reply. you are very clever in the homemaker department, im quite in awe. looking forward to seeing your pictures. Fi xx

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  2. Hah, love it Annabel, you think you haven't done much this week but when you look at what you have written then you realise that hey you have done heaps. Harper is gorgeous. Nearly as gorgeous as my grandson (yes, I'm biased). Seriously, she is beautiful, that cute little face makes you want to plant kisses on it. I am babysitting my little man on the weekend. I too have had a week like yours, hmm what have I done, but when I looked too, I have made three christmas presents. I've been making tea towels from 100% cotton. Overlocking the edge then pressing and doing double hem. Have been using a couple but most are for gifts. Also sewed a couple of baby gifts and I froze cake batter. Read somewhere you can do it, so when I was making the thermomix cake I make pretty much weekly, I did another load of batter, froze it and then yesterday, took it out, let it defrost and cooked it. Just as beautiful as always. That is a huge timesaver. It only takes less than two mins to have it ready to pour from the thermie, but the time consuming part is to get all the ingredients etc. So this is a great thing to have in the freezer. Then you have freshly cooked cake whenever. Did you ever try this? I'm a newbie but now hooked. I've also worked two day shifts and one night shift, so there's been a bit of sleeping in happening. Oh wow, Patsi is canning raw peanuts. What does that mean? Have a lovely weekend. Fi xxx

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    1. Dear Fiona,
      Firstly I love the sound of your tea towels! I am mad on tea towels as you know by me constantly making them too. Yours sound lovely.
      I have never thought about freezing cake batter. I have frozen biscuit dough so really its kind of the same thing. But still its something I never thought of! Brilliant!
      Patsi just added details on the peanuts. Pretty clever!
      Have fun baby sitting and enjoy! It is beautiful here today. We are getting some garden things done. The sunshine does me so much good honestly it makes a difference to how I feel. Enjoy your weekend! With love Annabel.xxx

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    2. i agree about the sunshine. im outside by two lovely fires. they cant be stoked up any more st the.present, so reading your blog. great to hear from Patsi. she is.uber clever. enjoy your weekend. xx fi

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  3. Annabel, the wisteria is absolutely beautiful. I live to far north in the US to be able to grow it, I'm in Upstate NY.
    I spent this week Fall Cleaning, I have my bedroom done and my closet. My granddaughter was able to go home with 3 bags of clothing and I have another 3 bags to donate. Plus one filled with items of clothing I will cut for quilts, I just couldn't part with them, all the way.
    Next week I will work on my medical closet.
    I was also able to stop at Aldi's today and purchase a case of mushrooms 12 x 79 cents. I fit 11 cartons in dehydrator and one I microwaved and froze. I also added 4 bags of quinoa, I found them at Aldi's for $3.49 a bag, my grocery store wanted $14. Always happy to add to my pantry.

    You and your Grandchild look so lovely, you are blessed.

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    1. Dear Rosanne, We are both cleaning but you in Fall and me in Spring!
      It is great having a clean out. And you make quilts!!! Ok another thing to talk about!
      I have dried mushrooms. They are wonderful to add to a casserole and also have the extra use of thickening something up as they soak up the juice. Very useful.
      Yes.. every chance to add to the pantry thats what we do!
      Thank you so much for commenting! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  4. Annabel you can keep popping photos of the garden and other in your area up here on your blog - I miss my cold weather garden in Melbourne. Of course wisteria was one of those plants I never put in because it can take over the garden but I have always loved it.

    Like you I thought I hadn't done a lot but when I thought about it I had - working backwards - today I had my chiropractor's appointment over on the Island so I left armed with my small list for Aldi - this will get us through until next week when I will do a big shop after my appointment with the naturopath next Friday.

    I popped into the op shop just near the chiropractor this morning and found a pair of flat purple suede shoes - perfect for the up coming bus trip with the Red Hat Ladies especially as there were no wear marks to the sole of the shoes and they were 1/2 price.

    Yesterday I started freshening up our daughter's linen - it is all done now in and folded ready for when she needs it.

    I finished knitting the blue toned baby rug that I was knitting - ends to be sewn in yet but that can be a job for when the weather is warmer, while it is cool I am knitting and have started a pink toned rug.

    Tidied up a portion of the pantry, refilled a couple of containers and moved things from one to another.

    Our daughter came over on Tuesday and picked up her clothes (some she returned until she is settled), the friend she is staying with brought her over and I got to cuddle her 4 month old son. With lots of little ones I am going to be looking at my knitting patterns and doing some knitting for them all ready for next winter.

    Tuesday I was over at the rental and sorted out some of the work and quotes - yesterday we got a 'phone call to day that insurance is covering the cost of replacement and moving of the hot water service and a couple of other things - assessor's call but we still have to wait to see what else we will be covered for and how much out of pocket we will be.

    Monday I made strawberry jam using your microwave method - now all I need is your microwave lemon spread/butter/curd recipe - if you could point me in the right direction my husband would be happy. I also turned some bananas into muffins and a cake.

    Sunday we were gifted a couple of kilos of strawberries that needed to be turned into jam, we popped into the fruit shop I am going to start using and also the butcher next door - picked up trays of meat that had been marked down.

    Saturday we attended the wedding, a few problems ensued with no food organised for me even though I had filled in the RSVP with my allergies, so I had a makeshift meal and ended up really hungry, my mother in law ended up needing to go home just after dessert(I was the designated driver so my husband and his brother could enjoy themselves without worrying about how much they drank). Rather than drive home after the wedding (1/2 an hour) we stayed at my mother in law's place which meant that we could keep an eye on her. Sitting in the cold outside for so long then inside on uncomfortable chairs took its toll on her back.

    Harper looks so good - she obviously knows that she is loved.

    Have a great weekend

    Lynette
    XXXXX

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    1. Dear Lynette,
      It was good you could stay at your MILs after the wedding. Big events can be a bit taxing once older but they dont want to miss out on anything!
      Harper is so cute and funny. She tries to talk with constant chatter. One day an proper word will come out!
      How beautiful to be given strawberries! I think out of everything strawberries make the best jam. I really hope to make some this summer.
      Later on it is such a treat. I tend to do small batches which works in the microwave and keeps the colour. They add up fast too, if I have several goes at this.
      It sounds like you might have a new little one to knit for! How nice!
      I am thinking you are probably glad to have your daughter home in Australia. I was like that. I pretended to be cool with travels but I was sooo glad when they were back safe and sound :)
      Your baby rugs sound beautiful. These things are kept and treasured I think. I have so much knitting even from my Great Great Gran! I just keep it. Harper has some of it at the moment. How beautiful is that?
      Have a lovely weekend Lynette. With love, Annabel.xxx

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  5. Our Wisteria is just starting to flower here, although everyone else's has been flowering for a while! It was only in the last day or so that I thought I might grow Wisteria over our new garden arch, but still pondering that one. It is so luscious and beautiful!
    Love the photos of you and Harper! What a little cheeky monkey she is, wanting more kisses. She is obviously well loved xx
    I must have missed you mentioning that you are waiting for birdies to hatch their eggs. We are waiting on some too! I am expecting some baby birds anytime now, however reading up on Plovers, it could also be another couple of weeks. Won't it be a lovely surprise when they arrive!
    Fiona xx

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    1. Dear Fiona, Our birds are Mudlarks. They built nest a nest near our back door. If you can get a photos of bay plovers please do! Both plovers and mudlarks will swoop humans unless you are friends. Ours love us due to us feeding them cheese so we are spared the swooping!
      I saw your arch. It looks lovely. I have one with jasmine over it which was good as it was fast growing. I have started climbing pink roses in hope they do the same...
      Many thanks and have a great weekend, with love Annabel.xxx

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  6. Annabel I just love Wisteria. I just wish it had a longer flowering season. These photos are the very nicest I have seen.
    You have done a huge amount this week!
    Harper is so sweet. She has the dearest little face. You look beautiful as always.
    God Bless you for all your encouragement. Love Helen

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    1. Dear Helen, Thank you! When you are a Grandmother you will adore it.
      You are right... most of the year Wisteria is nothing but sticks. Then this! But it is glorious just now. This is Chloes favourite colour and pale blue.
      It is a busy time of year I think. But little by little we make progress! With love, Annabel.xxxx

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  7. I love wisteria - although we call it "purple posterior" after a child who knew the plant, just couldn't remember the name. Every time I see it I smile and think of Karen :)

    You have had a very busy week! Harper is just gorgeous, just like her grandmother :)

    I've been making cards too. Started on Saturday with our Cheapskates Card Ladies and after everyone left I just spread out! I've been doing a little here and there as I pass the diningroom table.

    This week I was able to buy broccoli for 49c/kg so I snapped some up, blanched it, vac sealed in meal portions and dropped it into Mum's freezer (mine is still packed to the top).

    Like you all the usual cooking/cleaning/gardening tasks that make our house our home and lots of hours spent on work.

    Maureen kindly brought some cuttings with her on Saturday and Hannah is using them to make little terrariums a la Annabel for Christmas presents for her friends and workmates, so thank you very much for posting about them.

    I'm so grateful it is the weekend, so is my darling, he told me as soon as he walked in the door tonight. We are both looking forward to a day off tomorrow and then a happy day of pottering at home on Sunday.

    Have a lovely weekend,

    Cath

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    1. Dear Cath,
      I would love to sit down with you all and make cards! And natter :)
      Everyone that I have given a succulent bowl/terraruim/pot (I have used all kinds of containers!) has loved it! Another one is for the miniature ones is to use a vintage cup and saucer. This looks gorgeous. Or a vintage jar. Currently I have saved some soup tureens who have lost their lids. The shapes are just lovely.
      That broccoli is the best price I have heard in years! We are big broccoli eaters so I watch out... $1.99 was the lowest here in two years but I still get it as it has been up as high as $7 or so a kilo!
      Have a beautiful weekend. We have a perfect spring day and making the most of it. With love, Annabel.xxx

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  8. Hello Annabel, and waves to all. What a lovely week you've had, with some special time with Harper no doubt being a highlight. I have my darling Ruby (not her real name, but it suits her to a T) coming for a sleepover tomorrow night. We had one earlier this week, so I'm thrilled to have her again. Little Miss Pearl (not her real name either but equally apt as they are both jewels in our lives), the younger of our two granddaughters, is not quite up to being separated from Mummy overnight yet, but her time will come. It's school vacation here too so with my 15 year old daughter home, it's been a very different sort of week. Lots of crafting with card making on the agenda here as well, some sewing of softie toys for the girls, trimming of half made boxer shorts for my daughter for Summer pyjamas, and I finished hand beading a Victoriana style collar, made from satin lined lace and velvet, an idea I've been nursing for a while. I must say that I really enjoyed making it and it's something I can see myself refining and elaborating upon for the next little while. I also experimented with a little stiffened lace nest, with organza 'eggs' embroidered with French knots, and a satin bluebird with lace wings to go with it, to gift to a friend. So lots of bits of whimsy happening here just now. It's so lovely to have the time to act upon these ideas as they come. Certainly not something I could do if I worked a job outside the home. Just another advantage of being the Home Manager. Love, Mimi xxx

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  9. Wow Annabel, Harper is such a gorgeous little girl- a little doll! Gorgeous, just like her grandmother (and mother). I love her face when she is getting those kisses- too sweet! We have had a good week. I cooked up meals that could use up the old veggies and then gave left overs to mum and dad and made pies (a la Annabel style). I had my mother's group over on Wednesday, 7 mums and bubs. It was lovely. I bought two dresses and one skirt from the op shop. So happy. We walked to the beach and the park and Henry had a feed there. It was sweet watching looking at the trees and listen to the birds. All in all I'm loving the cuddles while I can get them! Luckily, we keep watch of our dollars and track our expenses and have our emergency fund- we think we have a pipe leaking from our hot water system. At least we don't have the stress of finding the money. I keep thinking of you and how you think outside the square when shopping, to get the best prices. Tomorrow down at our corner shop is 'market day' with a whole lot of fruit and veggies at 99c a kg. it normally is a pricey shop so it pays to keep on the look out for good deals. I love your cards Annabel and those flowers are beautiful. So glad it is Friday, I'm as excited as my DH- it means family time :) lots of love, Bridge

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    1. Dear Bridge,
      I am hoping you found fruit and vegies you like at 99c! That is a bargain and a huge bargain for many things!
      It is so good you have an emergency fund. With repairs and tradesman I always ask them if there is a discount for cash. Sometimes this has saved 50%! So ask, you never know!
      How good about the pies! I am proud of you about that! How handy are they!? And they freeze really well. I make a lot that are individual sized too as in the freezer this is like meal portions. That is good when you just need one or two meals.
      Harper is the same... birds, trees, sunlight... it is all fascinating! I think being outdoors is wonderful for them.
      Well done on hosting the group of Mums and babies. Really it is a big help and support to know other Mums. You are not the only one! All the stages you go through... some are quite hard too. But knowing how others are managing is just very good.
      Im glad you had op shop success! It is so much fun finding great things for so little. I feel very abundant and lucky when that happens.
      Have a great weekend and good week next week. Being close to the beach and the park is ideal for you! With love, Annabel.xxxx

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  10. Oh, it is so sweet to see these photos of you and sweet Harper.
    Yes, we do have wisteria in the US. It doesn't bloom for very long but is sure beautiful.

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  11. Oh my, Harper is adorable!
    Your pictures of the Wisteria are gorgeous. I have tried twice to grow some, but to no avail. Beautiful when they do get established though.
    Have a wonderful weekend!
    Heidi xxx

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  12. Annabel, I love the photos of little Harper. My little grandson is trying to walk but hasn't been crawling long so hopefully he will get more practice with that first before heading off into the big wide world. A playpen will need to be bought soon I think as the girls have all kinds of 'little' things that a baby would love to put in his mouth. I don't feel I have achieved too much this week as Mum's taxi has been pretty busy most days. LOL!

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    1. Dear Nanna Chel, Some children seem to basically skip crawling. I think playpens can be a life saver. When you are cooking or something if they are in there they are safe until the coast is clear.
      We will look at Mums taxi as nest building activities!
      I hope you are having a lovely weekend! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  13. Harper is such a cutie Annabel! I love that Wisteria that is very pretty and I love, love the way is drapes over the fence! Where I live everything is green unless I plant some color. There are so many things I want to finish and just feel way behind. Maybe our normal is someone else's busy? I have been babysitting the grandbabies and trying to get my canning finished. I am working on the last of my garden produce now. My cabbages are just about ready! Rick is dropping those trees today so I am sure we will be doing something with them this weekend. I added more items to my donation bag and have a huge list of things I want to get done this weekend! Wish me luck on that!
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. Dear Vicky I would say for sure your normal is most peoples hectic! lol ok at least busy. Seriously this happens to me I think I didnt do much and others say oh my goodness how did you get time for all of that?
      It will be awesome to get the wood from those trees. I am thinking that will be a lot. Its a lot of work but that one is a win/win.
      Cant wait to hear what you do with all the cabbages. Do you spread out the harvest or harvest them all at one time?
      Have a lovely weekend! With love, Annabel.xxx

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    2. Annabel,
      I plant early cabbage and late. Since it was a little too hot this summer my early cabbage stayed small until now. And the late cabbage is actually bigger heads. So I will cut some over the next few days and let the late cabbage go a few more weeks if I can. Most will be kraut and some will be dried. A few heads and some peppers will go to an older lady that still cans, but cannot garden and has very little money for even a farmer's market. My husband helps her out every year although I have not met her, he fixes her riding mower. We try to make sure she gets a little of whatever we have grown or are given and we don't use.
      XOXO
      Vicky

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  14. Dear Annabel,

    I LOVE the pic of you and Harper!! I can smell that baby-neck scent just looking at the photo!

    All of the photos are gorgeous as always. The wisterias are prolific! I've never seen that many. Just gorgeous. I adore the cards, I'm up to some card making myself :) I'm scheduling things to work on in my planner as I don't want the days to get away from me before Christmas.

    I felt all over the place this past week until today. I had a few unexpected errands to run this week and that made me out of sorts. I need to embrace flexibility. I know life is all about Plan B because Plan A rarely comes through. I don't think that's just my reality.

    This week I worked on my pantry. I got two food grade buckets and gamma lids for my pantry. For those who already bake and read this, please pardon my excitement...I am now buying flour in bulk and (drumroll please) I've finally mastered some decent loaves of bread! I rarely eat bread but my family does. So another way to really know what's in our food is by baking our own bread when I can. The savings are massive, even if I only bake 50% of the bread our family consumes. #25 of bread flour at Costco is $6.79, #2 of yeast is just over $4.00. I'm not kneading by hand, I'm using the stand mixer and I'm amazed after the learning curve how easy it actually is! And of course once you taste it, you never want store bought bread again. I mean NO ONE in this house wants store bought bread! Ha! I've never seen my kids grab a slice of plain, un-toasted bread just to eat with nothing on it until now. Again, please just pardon my amazement here...See what I've started??? :) I'll have to tell Wendy her pictures of her bread on her blog really inspired me.

    I'm trying to get my youngest daughter's room ready to paint her furniture. You're right, the effect is a domino of cleaning which is GOOD, but oh my. This child has a lot of toys that need to find new homes, but that is good as well. We met our savings goals, we did the normal day to day things that make our home run smoothly. Meanwhile, my to-do list is a bit behind. That's ok.

    Non-frugal indulgences and sanity savers: We had dinner out one night. It was the day that I ran all over town. I had stuff in the freezer but we needed a sanity break and it was nice. Also, my hubby treated me to some new clothes and two new purses. They are beautiful! It was a surprise. I need to just tell him "thank you" instead of saying "you shouldn't spend this money on me". He gave me some good practice in learning to just say "thank you"!

    I'm glad the week is over. I'm looking forward to our weekend. I hope yours is beautiful and restful in every way. Happy weekend to everyone wherever you are!

    Blessings and Love,
    Colette xxx

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    1. Dear Colette,
      There are so many lovely things here! FIrstly I am glad your husband treated you to clothes and purses! Very nice!
      I know that by the time the furniture is painted and put back its a whole bedroom makeover and it is A LOT of work. But I think it is so good. Pride in their bedrooms and that special place of their own is all a good thing. And a clean out is a great thing! And someone else will love those toys too which helps someone as well.
      I am very excited about your pantry! This is a big step. Buying bulk flour etc will be a big savings but the bread making!!! Well that will be as well.
      With dough you can do a lot. If one of the kids is home needing occupying make dough and let them form it into plaits, dinner rolls and so on. These can be baked and brought out with them meal and they think they have made them... this is lovely. Also you can use this dough as pizza bases, just roll it out and let the kids put their own toppings on. Let them make individual ones then you also have lunch box fillers. And scrolls... roll out your dough and cover with tomato paste, cheese, whatever and roll it up. Cut into thick slices and pack into a baking tray and bake. These look so fancy and are so yum! With the slightest variation do this with jam, fruit, nuts ie raspberry jam and walnuts. At the end drizzle runny icing over it all. Then you have raspberry scrolls... and so on. You probably know all this... but it feeds so many people so cheaply. A tray of scrolls looks so fancy and smells so good and is a lot of food.
      Here we have vegemite and cheese scrolls... but you might think that is weird! Somewhere I have sticky scrolls recipe... its honey and nuts etc like a caramel glaze?
      Anyway you can tell Im excited!
      Apart from the money savings the smell of cooked bread and the whole experience is going to stick in your kids minds for their whole life!
      Have a really wonderful weekend! With love, Annabel.xxxx


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  15. What a sweet grandbaby!

    We do have wisteria here in the SE USA but I never saw it bloom this year so I assume that the late cold weather killed the buds. It is a favorite of mine, too and really does say that Spring has come. Today is our first really chilly Fall day here.

    We continue to work on the projects that we have going on in our bedroom and bonus room. Those rooms get painted tomorrow! Just a few days until we can move back into our bedroom and stop being guests in our own home.

    Have a happy Spring weekend!

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    1. Dear Lana,
      Even I feel excited about your bedroom after knowing how many years you waited for this! I hope you can put finishing touches on it that makes it truly lovely for yourself. By next weekend you should be enjoying your new room!
      You have a great weekend too. With love Annabel.xxx

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  16. Annabel I love wisteria, the colour and flowers are amazing and remind me of spring. It grows well around here but not as well as your local area I love it hanging over a pergola so all the flowers hang down.
    Harper is such a cutie, enjoy your cuddles with her as they form beautiful memories .
    This week I feel as though I haven't done a lot either but I did cook meal each night, A lovely friend gifted me some wonderful supplies for my pantry :). I got most of my washing dried on the line despite a cold snap and showers that we are having. I cleaned out and sorted a few more kitchen cupboards and organised them for easier use. I repaired a pair of work pants and have sat and crocheted of a night and added quite a few more rows on my morrocan wedding blanket. I cut my hair but need to dye it now. I also gave myself a manicure so I have done a few things this week.
    I will be working all weekend but plan to have a good weekend and hope you do too
    Love Debbie xx

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    1. Dear Debbie, That is a lot in one week! I hope you will post a pic of this blanket when you are finished. They are a big job but really an heirloom once made.
      I just did my hair too... trim, colour and toenails. Wonder how much that all would cost in a salon? We can stock our pantries for that! And mending also is a huge saver. All these things add up to so much.
      I am glad you had some treats during the week! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  17. Dear Annabel, I would be endlessly kissing that sweet little face also! Harper is just cute, cute, cute!! She is adorable. xoxo

    I've been so busy out with my daughter in her first car getting her driving hours finished (on her learner plates) so have kept out of the stores. I did get a chance to buy a few more storeroom pantry items, and a few basic fruit and veg etc, but that was it. We caught up with out of town friends and family, so that is also a feathering of our nest! Our lives get so busy and full, it seems we have trouble catching up with one another, so this was good. I also gleaned some garden ideas from them, so it is good sometimes to leave our surroundings and venture out and about. I don't know about everyone else, but I gain new perspective everytime I do this. I really am a homebody though, there is no place like it! :-)

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    1. Dear Kaye, Life is busy! But in good ways!
      Yes most of my ideas come from looking around and seeing what people are doing. I love that!
      I am excited about your store room... I think I need to get you to be taking photos! Have a lovely weekend! With love and thanks, Annabel.xxx

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  18. Hi, Annabel! Don't be greedy with all that sweet Harper sugar! My, she's a doll! What an angel-baby!

    Loved the wisteria! Yes, it's beautiful, and you'd better like it because it's a bear to get rid of it!

    Been at ANOTHER conference! *sigh* But I love my life.

    *hugs*
    Kelley~
    Letters Unfolded

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    1. Dear Kelly, Thank you!
      I see you travel a lot! I am glad you love it and you have great rewards from it.
      Have a lovely weekend! It is sunny and perfect here, I am making the most it it! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  19. In Georgia, we have wisteria bloom in spring. It runs through the woods and takes over many areas. Seen en masse like that it is so awesome and truly beautiful but it's considered invasive here and has to be kept well within bounds by trimming and clipping diligently. That in the woods is generally from old homesteads that once had a vine trained over a fence or porch railing.

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  20. Lovely photos Annabel - all of them. I can't wait for your post on Monday

    Here's my frugal list for the week -

    * Saved the Wheat Bix crumbs from the bottom of the bag and poured them into the Dried Seasoned Bread Crumbs container.

    * Fed the compost with lots of leafy greens and veggie scraps.

    * We went to the Melbourne Show on Tuesday. Darren went for free as his sister's companion ( she has a disability ). Megan and I bought our tickets online and got the early bird discount on a student ticket and a concession ticket.

    * Baked Cranberry Hootycreek biscuits to take to the show as snacks. We also took our water bottles.

    * Ate freezer meals one night this week and also added to the stockpile with two single serves of sausage casserole.

    * Saved lots of water from the shower to pour into the washing machine. Also saved the final rinse water for the next load.

    * Cleaned the dishwasher and filters with Miracle Spray, bi carb and vinegar. I try to do this once a month and run it on an empty hot cycle.

    * Baked four loaves of wholemeal bread.

    * Dried all the washing on the line and clothes horses. The weather has been lovely.

    * Went to a Cheapskates card making afternoon. I learnt to make a few different cards and flowers. We also had a swap table. I was blessed with some material, plants and craft supplies. I blessed other with glass jars and lemons.

    * Washed out some snap lock bags that were given to me.

    * Picked broccoli and spinach to go in a few meals.

    * Sold two dozen eggs at the card making afternoon.

    * Bought four crumpet rings from Savers for $1.80. I think they usually retail for about $4 per ring. As soon as we've finished eating our store bought crumpets, I'll try making my own with a recipe on the Cheapskates website.

    * Only spent $4 on groceries this week and that was on milk. With all the fruit and veg bargains I bought 1 1/2 weeks ago, we didn't need anything else.

    * Continued de- cluttering and took two bags of goodies to the op shop and received two discount stamps for future purchases.

    * Turned the heater off when possible and made sure the curtains were wide open to let the sun stream in.

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    1. Dear Wendy, I wish I could do the card making with you! And I love that you do swaps and even sell eggs there... imagine crafting afternoons with swaps like a trading table. I would love that! There would be lots of work done and also lots of talking.
      I have not made crumpets. I think I will have to try this!
      I hope you are having a great weekend. We are busy around the house and in the garden. With love, Annabel.xxx

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  21. Dear Annabel,

    The Wisteria is gorgeous!! What a lovely environment to be surrounded by on a daily basis. I am always in awe of the flowers that grow so plentifully in your area.

    I will have to start writing down what I accomplish each week (LOL). I never think much has been accomplished, so will have to actually see what happens.

    I did manage to get some shelves cleaned up and rearranged; some pickled freezer cucumber chunks (my favorite way to use cucumbers) in the freezer; we added to our food storage in a large way; I shopped one day (not my favorite thing to do, but necessary); I visited with my nephew several times this week; I baked five pounds of chicken, shredded it, and froze some in meal sized containers; I made a big taco salad to use up some items that needed to be used; did some research and study on a subject I've been interested in lately; cleaned out all the clothes in my closet I no longer wanted or needed; caught up the household account books; and did the daily things. That's all I can remember right now.

    Have a wonderful weekend.

    Love and hugs,
    Glenda

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    1. Dear Glenda, I think you did a huge amount. Really I think it helps to jot down what you did in a journal or planner. Even at night I will have forgotten half of what I did earlier in the day! If Im busy doing a lot I keep my journal out and jot down... washed linen, mopped floors etc as I go. This way I basically can see what I did and I feel better about it. It is a mental thing but it helps me feel like Im getting somewhere. Also if I have listed goals crossing them off my list is most satisfying!
      The chicken you prepared will be very useful. Truly you achieved a lot! And when you say you added significantly to the pantry I know you probably added a major amount and that is a lot of work by the time it is all put away. Exhausting actually! Well done!
      I hope you are having a good weekend too! With lots of love, Annabel.xxx

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  22. Dear Annabel, The pictures of Harper are just beautiful!! And the wisteria is so pretty. I haven't seen it where I live. I will look for it next spring.

    You had a good week! My week was filled with helping family. I was able to add a bit more to my pantry too! Love, Teri

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    1. Dear Teri,
      That is a lot of nest building, helping the family is a great thing. I feel so grateful I can help even though sometimes it is hard to get everything done!
      Your week by week adding to the pantry is really adding up to a lot. Really it was a great summer for you I think! With love, Annabel.xxxx

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  23. Your cards are lovely! Do you attach your images to a blank base or just trim the images to size? If you attach them, what adhesive do you like? I used to rubber stamp cards quite often but that requires purchasing the papers and ink and I'd love to find another option.

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    1. Thank you! I have more about cards tomorrow. The cheapest way is to get lightweight cardboard and cut and fold them yourself. But our cheap shops mostly sell cards and envelopes for $2 for 6. Usually I get these. The pictures I cut from old books, magazines, wrapping paper etc. I used a glue stick as liquid glue often results in a bumpy finishe not a perfectly flat smooth one (for me) if I am making fancier cards ie the ruffled ones I do then that is craft glue. I did some card tutorials in my craft section. I like the ruffled ones the best. Hope this helps! xxx

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  24. Thank you! I knew that liquid glue would cause problems but wondered if you used a spray adhesive or something else. I appreciate your suggestions!

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  25. Thank you! I agree that liquid glue causes problems but wondered if you used spray adhesive or something else. I appreciate your suggestions!

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