tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post4584139546167358932..comments2024-03-26T00:26:19.756-07:00Comments on The Bluebirds are Nesting...: Feather your Nest Friday, 24 January, 2020. Annabelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09027539528156492413noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-42600484964114977772020-02-03T02:06:15.576-08:002020-02-03T02:06:15.576-08:00Dear Mindy!
Thank you very much for your apprecia...Dear Mindy!<br /><br />Thank you very much for your appreciative comment! You say it so well - that this blog is “such an inspiration to prepare and just enjoy home life”. <br /><br />Beautiful!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-28307911218090312732020-02-03T02:04:33.279-08:002020-02-03T02:04:33.279-08:00Dear Linda!
Isn’t life full of marvels - like usi...Dear Linda!<br /><br />Isn’t life full of marvels - like using unripe mulberries to remove stains! It is enriching to have these tips shared! Thank you very much!!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-57206318768529308962020-02-03T02:03:02.399-08:002020-02-03T02:03:02.399-08:00Dear Nanna Chel!
As always, you have some useful ...Dear Nanna Chel!<br /><br />As always, you have some useful facts to share! By now, I think you are ready for more rain, and more cooler weather! .... I hear raindrops just starting now!<br /><br />Thank you!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-16989711776841330782020-02-03T02:01:10.141-08:002020-02-03T02:01:10.141-08:00Dear Ann!
Between life and signal difficulties, r...Dear Ann!<br /><br />Between life and signal difficulties, replies are slow coming through the pipelines!<br /><br />Your question on removing the mulberry stalks is an interesting one for Annabel. I know that some women snip them off with scissors, while others prefer to leave them on. The latter option would be least messy! Ha ha!<br /><br />Thank you for your comment!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-43294444747081894402020-02-03T01:49:55.667-08:002020-02-03T01:49:55.667-08:00Dear Kim!
Thank you for your comment, on behalf o...Dear Kim!<br /><br />Thank you for your comment, on behalf of Annabel! It means a lot to know that people out there find this blog so helpful, and interesting!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-52016620229100508412020-02-03T01:48:01.328-08:002020-02-03T01:48:01.328-08:00Dear Suzan!
Annabel certainly has photos, and hel...Dear Suzan!<br /><br />Annabel certainly has photos, and helpful ways, to keep us coming back for more!!<br /><br />I love that you are growing pineapple tops. I have some growing, too. My Dad picked a delicious pineapple grown on his plant! I hope you do well with this! ... Good on you for taking interest in using the food you have.<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-18207382041449949562020-02-03T01:44:53.710-08:002020-02-03T01:44:53.710-08:00Dear Rosanne!
I really think we could use some of...Dear Rosanne!<br /><br />I really think we could use some of your snow here! It would be refreshing! Isn’t there some way? Ha ha!<br /><br />Well done on all that sorting and cleaning, and the trip to your thrift store, which is likely well behind you by now! You must feel relieved to have so much good work behind you!!<br /><br />I have heard that a little balsamic vinegar makes a mulberry pie come to life. I wonder if mulberry jam would react the same?<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-75310588350543786782020-02-03T01:40:08.748-08:002020-02-03T01:40:08.748-08:00Dear Jen!
It’s reply catch up mode here!!
It’s w...Dear Jen!<br /><br />It’s reply catch up mode here!!<br /><br />It’s wonderful that your clothes dryer story ended up so well!! Ha ha!! There is always so much to learn, and your quality sheets were saved! Phew!<br /><br />Your giftmaking is still accomplished and beautiful! I can tell, even though we haven’t seen pictures! Your knitted scarf, when it is complete, could easily be worth a couple of hundred dollars in a boutique shop here!<br /><br />We’re waiting for more rain here. It is hot!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-58628578640719061112020-01-31T18:41:34.643-08:002020-01-31T18:41:34.643-08:00Dear Lana!
It’s lovely to hear of your cozy winte...Dear Lana!<br /><br />It’s lovely to hear of your cozy winters! I think they would take us some getting used to!!<br /><br />When my Dad was little, they used to pick mulberries from a huge old tree, and sell them door to door!<br /><br />That nutmeg cake sounds wonderful!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-1441225553230577142020-01-31T18:37:40.039-08:002020-01-31T18:37:40.039-08:00Dear Kathy!
The stories from real life can be inc...Dear Kathy!<br /><br />The stories from real life can be incredible! Cotton reels are not cheap, either way!!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-77584918522528675092020-01-31T18:34:29.403-08:002020-01-31T18:34:29.403-08:00Dear Terri!
I love how you appreciate the value i...Dear Terri!<br /><br />I love how you appreciate the value in being home and making the place work!<br /><br />It is, indeed, surprising, how it is not how much money we have, but how we spend it, isn’t it?! Well done on making the transition from full time pay so well!!<br /><br />I, too, have a bundle of embroidery threads. I bought my stash for two dollars, and the colours are beautiful and refreshing! They offer so much opportunity for us to make and give (or sell!!).<br /><br />I like the wisdom of your apron, and of your lasagnas. Enjoy your chocolate cakes, and new opportunities to make life beautiful!!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-17870146225917325922020-01-31T18:27:23.777-08:002020-01-31T18:27:23.777-08:00Dear Barb!
It’s a small world! How lovely for you...Dear Barb!<br /><br />It’s a small world! How lovely for your daughter to have sheets sewn by your Mum!<br /><br />RachelAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-19686241178893298382020-01-26T02:23:42.394-08:002020-01-26T02:23:42.394-08:00Dear Vicky, Scarlett's hair is also getting lo...Dear Vicky, Scarlett's hair is also getting long! Both have the prettiest hair.<br />You are saving a lot on the donuts! They would be so nice too!<br />It is good you have so many beans on the shelf. I am hoping next season you get really good crops so you are able to can a lot more. <br />Carpet cleaning is pretty pricy from a professional so you are probably saving a lot! Have a very good new week! With love Annabel.xxxAnnabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09027539528156492413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-5654109552412426472020-01-26T02:20:44.689-08:002020-01-26T02:20:44.689-08:00Dear Cheryl,
Thank you! Some weeks go by so fast!...Dear Cheryl,<br />Thank you! Some weeks go by so fast! I think slicing up a loaf is such a good idea. One slice thaws quickly too. Very good for lunch boxes.<br />Having a goal to get a pressure canner is a great goal! I am still getting into waterbath canning but I can see the value in pressure canning.<br />Congratulations to your daughter. It is worrying but my thought is if we can teach them to be good responsible drivers then this is better than them getting a ride with someone who is not.<br />I hope your new week goes very well! Well done on your savings! With love Annabel.xxxAnnabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09027539528156492413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-13783367078038586112020-01-25T20:15:18.037-08:002020-01-25T20:15:18.037-08:00My mum made my now 32 year old daughter cot sheets...My mum made my now 32 year old daughter cot sheets in that bear fabric!Barbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12454433355382205089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-83133580295536441802020-01-25T20:10:01.640-08:002020-01-25T20:10:01.640-08:00Thank you for your encouragement Annabel.
Yes the...Thank you for your encouragement Annabel.<br /><br />Yes the rain bucketed down here over a couple of days (one day with 26.4mm of rain) and not only are our 3 household rainwater tanks full, our rainwater tank swimming pool full but our seasonal creek at our back property boundary is running too :). <br /><br />We saved rainwater off our tank stand shed and our swimming pool is over full as well. We used that water to deep clean so far and it rained again filling all the containers and pool back up again too.<br /><br />Now we have more excess rainwater to deep clean the rest of the inside of the home with too :).<br /><br />Have a great week ahead :).<br /><br />Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-73019156656892069472020-01-25T11:33:37.416-08:002020-01-25T11:33:37.416-08:00This is our last full pay period before my husband...This is our last full pay period before my husband retires. If ever there were a time I was appreciative of being debt free it's now! I figured up what we'd need to push through the gap between full time pay and retirement coming in and it was so ridiculously low that I couldn't help but see the wisdom of how we live! <br /><br />Another wisdom see very well is that of wearing an apron. I splattered my shirt yesterday which wouldn't have happened as badly had I had on an apron. I'd said I'd wear one this week and I've got to make it a habit. I don't know yet if the stains will all come out of the shirt and even though it's just a shirt I'd wear at home it was nice and unspotted until now.<br />I stumbled upon a load (and I do mean a LOAD) of embroidery threads in a box of my mom's crafting stuff that I've been taking time to organize. She must have purchased at least one skein of every color ever made. My husband suggested I was wasting my time in sorting it and organizing it but I've been meaning to take up embroidery once more and this is all a mini gold mine (along with a dozen hoops of various sizes) towards that goal. Now way am I going to toss it!<br />I also made a huge lasagna and a much smaller two person sized one. We'll have two meals from the huge one then freeze leftovers. The two person one is already in the freezer. I like having convenient meals in my freezer in various portion sizes to serve all kinds of needs.<br />I made a trip into our local grocery and found cake mixes for $1 each. I haven't found a good chocolate cake recipe that is a keeper yet so I bought only chocolate mixes. I realize this is no savings over the cost of making my own but it is a savings over what a cake mix typically costs so it's a small savings until I do find my keeper recipe.<br />Next week brings a whole new set of opportunities to save!terricheneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06865436021565986224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-33571443303526852952020-01-25T03:07:53.252-08:002020-01-25T03:07:53.252-08:00Dear Rachel, Well we will battle fires and old ani...Dear Rachel, Well we will battle fires and old animals and so much more but we persist and SOME things survive! I would love to grow peonies but guarantee they would not survive here! I am glad for you on the edible greens! With love Annabel.xxxAnnabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09027539528156492413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-9713414326290762732020-01-25T03:04:52.258-08:002020-01-25T03:04:52.258-08:00Dear Joy, Thank you so much! I do love photos, pa...Dear Joy, Thank you so much! I do love photos, particularly of the girls. I have a camera for long distance shots, but otherwise I just use my phone! Thank you! Love Annabel.xxxAnnabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09027539528156492413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-50536537449104485722020-01-25T02:33:42.040-08:002020-01-25T02:33:42.040-08:00I really need to get some spider plants! I do hav...I really need to get some spider plants! I do have Aloe. And I also have some baby ones to pot up. They are good gifts because of their medical properties.<br />I think the Christmas Cactus would be stunning! Well done! xxxAnnabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09027539528156492413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-65116546935764416762020-01-25T02:31:54.683-08:002020-01-25T02:31:54.683-08:00Dear Jen, You could so easily make a pavlova! Use...Dear Jen, You could so easily make a pavlova! Use the Nigella Lawson meringues recipe... for the pav I changed the cooking time to 1 hr. Same temperatures as meringue recipe. Then you leave it to cook in the oven. Very easy. A decorated pav. runs around $30. I guess mine cost under $2! <br />You have done well to move and still be able to report in! I am really pleased you love it. I hope the kids will settle very well into the new school.<br />Giant gingerbread men... this is an idea! It could be instead of a cake too!<br />When school goes back you will get lots done. The first days of school back I used to have the most massive housework sessions! <br />I am so happy things are going so well. With love Annabel.xxxAnnabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09027539528156492413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-80137658486641060552020-01-25T02:27:16.407-08:002020-01-25T02:27:16.407-08:00Dear Lorna, It is great about the fig trees! I ho...Dear Lorna, It is great about the fig trees! I hope they grow well and they should. They seem to be able to take dry conditions too. And figs themselves cost a fortune to buy! Can you believe you have EXCESS RAINWATER!? How good is that!?<br />To be harvesting lettuce and tomatoes is great. They are bot things that can so easily be used daily.<br />That was a very good week. We have a forecast that shows some more possible rain coming but only after two days in the 40s! I will be happy when summer is over to be honest. <br />Have a very good weekend and new week! With love, Annabel.xxx<br />Annabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09027539528156492413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-45552573602188276272020-01-25T00:20:48.373-08:002020-01-25T00:20:48.373-08:00Well done Annabel on your lovely baking picking up...Well done Annabel on your lovely baking picking up those lovely fabrics and sewing cottons so cheaply and also foraging and making those lovely jams :) .<br /><br />Our Vicky challenge added up to $121.26 in savings last week.<br /><br />Gifts - We said yes to a friend who offered us 3 fig trees she had propogated as she had too many saving us $68.94 over purchasing them.<br /><br />Gift cards and supermarket purchase savings -<br />- Bought a Wish e-gift card from RACQ for groceries saving 5% or $7.28 on usual prices.<br />- Took advantage of a $15 off $160 purchase at Woolworths for groceries saving $15.<br />- Saved a further $3.39 from buying specials when we ordered our groceries.<br /><br />Finances and listings -<br />- Took advantage of a free listing promotion on eBay and listed 11 items saving $18.15 on usual listing fees.<br />- Banked more money into our 3 month living expenses emergency<br />fund bringing us up t 28.8% of the way there.<br /><br />Pantry stocking -<br />- With the $22.28 in savings above we stocked our pantry for free with - 1 x bic 4 colour pen, 2 x 2lts of laundry liquid, 3 x 6 pack of scourer sponges, 1 x 80 pk of freezer bags, and 7 tins of mango slices.<br /><br />In the kitchen -<br />- Cooked all meals and bread from scratch.<br /><br />Home deep cleaning -<br />- Using excess rainwater saved in our tank swimming pool I damp dusted and deep cleaned the downstairs bathroom, rumpus room, upstairs bathroom, cleaned the outside of the double sliding glass doors and screen and another rumpus room window and cleaned siding down one side of the home that had mould growing on it from the last lot of heavy rains we had.<br /><br />In the gardens -<br />- With potting mix and garden pots we had we repotted into larger pots 3 bonsai apple trees, a valencia orange and a mandarin tree.<br />- We weeded the lettuce garden bed.<br />- Picked both lettuce and cherry tomatoes for multiple meals saving $7.50 over buying them.<br />- DH and I dug a trench around one mature mandarin, and two mulberry trees in the paddock and put the remaining wood chips back in to mulch it.<br /><br />Have a wonderful week ahead everyone :).<br /><br />Sewingcreations15 (Lorna).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-52494389816984898682020-01-24T20:38:29.391-08:002020-01-24T20:38:29.391-08:00Hi Annabel, what a gorgeous pavlova! Are they expe...Hi Annabel, what a gorgeous pavlova! Are they expensive in Australia? They are very expensive here, and people seem to think they are impossible to make at home! <br /><br />The girls are looking so big, I love that they are playing in the 'snow' lol. I suppose when you are obsessed with Frozen you have to get creative! <br /><br />We are loving our new house, I've hardly used my car since we moved. We've been here for a month now, and spent today rearranging some things that aren't really working. There is more of this to do once the kids have gone back to school! <br /><br />It's been a week of baking this week, including your gingerbread recipe. Ages ago I bought giant gingerbread man tins so we made them and they were a hit. One was a zombie, another seemed to just be an opportunity to use as many sprinkles and chocolate chips as possible lol. <br /><br />I hope you have a lovely weekend<br />Jen (NZ)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5879795385972045418.post-82404123937385631492020-01-24T16:10:58.376-08:002020-01-24T16:10:58.376-08:00Greetings to all from northern Idaho, USA. So happ...Greetings to all from northern Idaho, USA. So happy to learn about the rain in Oz. I hope it had a good effect on the fires, too.<br /><br />I have never done well with houseplants, until a friend gave me aloe vera and spider plant starts. They have really gone to town! Yesterday I divided the aloe and made 5 smaller plants, potted up two pots of baby spiders and planted the mama spider in a bigger pot. I already had all of the pots and potting soil. I planted one of the aloes in a nicer pot and I plan to give it to my daughter-in-law for her birthday.<br /><br />I bought a Christmas cactus two years ago for $3 and it's the one plant I've managed to keep alive. Each year after it has bloomed, I give it a dose of long-acting houseplant fertilizer, and it puts out new leaves. I water well, but only every other week, since it likes to be dry. I've re-potted it twice (it likes to be pot-bound). In the summer, I move it outside, and it blooms a few weeks after after I bring it inside in the fall (not at Christmas, but it's pretty anytime).mikemaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06569666073239903588noreply@blogger.com