The Pearly Pig and other treasures from a Mother's Heart by Helen.

Dear Friends, Welcome once again to the lovely circle of dear ones that surrounds Annabel's Blog. I wanted to share with you a lesson gleaned years ago.
My darling Mum, always loved The People's Friend, a Scottish Journal that is published weekly.  It's motto was that it would never contain anything that you would be uncomfortable with a child reading in your home.

About fifteen years ago, it had a beautiful story that ran for about six weeks which was later published as a book.
It was called " The Pearly Pig".
It was the lovely story of a mother, who kept a beautiful china pig on the mantlepiece of her kitchen.  The story follows the course of her life and the growing of her children.  As needs would present themselves, she would reach up to the mantlepiece and pull down the pearly pig and empty out the coins to help with the need.
This was a home, rich in love, but poor in this world's goods.  This mother's thriftiness and wisdom was able to propel her children into being able to meet needs and goals.

As we drive along the highways here in Australia, some of you would have seen the sticker on the back of caravans, motorhomes and cars.  It goes something like this"  I'm spending my children's inheritance".
It's meant to be humorous and I understand that.  However, it's the opposite spirit that was evident in the mother of this household with the pearly pig.
If you are a mother...what are you doing to provide for your children?  Or if you have received a gift or a blessing from your parents or grandparents...what was it, and how did it change the course of your life?
The Bible tells us in that wonderful book of Proverbs ..."A good person lays up an inheritance for his children and his children's children"  13:22
I have been giving this some thought as we are parents of two wonderful sons.
House prices in Australia are very high.  It's a desire of their hearts to one day own their own home.

We started two years ago with our eldest son, to set aside $25 per week towards that goal.  With our youngest son, we started at the beginning of this year.  They also add to the amount, and every few months, send us a thank you letter and a copy of how their account is going.
To date...our eldest son has $4000 saved and our youngest has $1500.
I know that some of you reading this, are on slim budgets due to illness, job loss or other challenges.  What I wanted us all to think about was how can we invest in our children's lives?  For some of us, it will be cooking, or gardening, or child minding, or saving a little here and a little there.
But we will know....that when we see a need in our child's life, we have the means to step up and meet some of them.

We have only had full time employment in our home for the last six years.  Consequently we have lived on small budget for our family.
On Thursdays, I pay all the bills and do the banking.  This is a weekly habit in our lives, and I believe it's heavily contributed to us having savings.
We have no debts, so our bills are usually just one or two at a time, and I set them on the coffee table to be dealt with on Thursday morning.
This is my financial routine.
1. Look at all bank balances daily to check for discrepancies.
2. Pay current bills due on Thursdays.
3. Set aside savings
4. Live on what is left
5. Keep your spouse informed if you are married
6. Near the first of each month, we sit down together as a couple and look at our financial picture.

One tip that may help.. is that if you have an income of $500 per week, think and talk in terms of having $480.  That extra $20 is the start of your " Pearly Pig Project".

Please share what you are doing for your family to provide an inheritance for your children and children's children? I know that together we can come up with all sorts of wonderful tips and ideas.  Amongst us surely are some  stories of being blessed with words or deeds or finances from people that loved us.
Maybe some of you may want to start your own " Pearly Pig Project". What a thank you that would be to the author of the Pearly Pig!

Love Helen x

A bonus post this week! Sweet Vintage Linens in our Homes. By Helen.

Sweet Vintage Linens in our Homes.

All my scattering moments are taken up with my needle~ Ellen Birdseye Wheaton 1851


Dear Friends,   It's lovely to be with you all again!  Today in our cozy circle I wanted to share how very true this quote is.  Annabel and I have found to our joy, that our minds are at ease when our fingers are busy engaged in some sort of handiwork or craft.
It seems in the planning of something for our homes or as a gift, the happiness that surrounds the gathering of materials infuses our hearts.
There are days in my life when I am very busy with ministry to women, my mind is almost too busy, and it was Annabel who encouraged me, to make sure during those days I had some knitting or crocheting on hand to provide a quiet space for my mind.
Recently I have been enjoying a couple of weeks of a blog called Posy Typepad.  It's from a lovely lady called Jane Goble in England.  Her home is a small two story cottage....just the sort of home I adore, and her lovely of crocheting, and sewing....painting her home, and decorating with thrifted furnishing and china is just delightful.
I have a whole list of things that I am now on the lookout for.

Lovely things such as tray cloths. Don't they go perfectly with vintage china?  This is my rosebud set which is used every single day. I bought it from a lady on Ebay....all 42 pieces of it.  It was bought new in 1955 by her mother for her wedding, and sadly it was never used.  Her daughter described it to me as her Mum was always saving it for when " the Queen came to tea", but she never did.

After being inspired by Jane, I visited a total of 9 lovely op shops ( thrift shops) over a couple of days. Those lovely shops in country towns which are almost exclusively run by local churches.
There were very few hand embroidered linens.  When I asked the staff at each shop, they told me that they rarely get them in now.

This sweet vintage cloth embroidered with sailing ship, and anchors is now resting on the end of my bed reminding me that bedtime is the time for sailing to the land of nod.

I also gathered the sweetest handkerchief  holder on the same day for 50 cents.

Here it is filled with some of my hankies.  I have found myself using it daily.

The last thing I found in my pursuit of linens made by another woman were these baby pink curtains for our bedroom.

Autumn has arrived here and this last week has seen me adding layers of linens to our home throughout . I added a pair of pale pink Rachel Ashwell curtains to the centre and with the lamps on at night has become a favourite retreat.

I've found over the course of the last few weeks, that these beautiful embroidered linens so popular years ago are becoming expensive and scarce.  I ventured onto Ebay thinking I might pick up a few there, but the prices were beyond my budget in most cases.

All in all my treasures cost the princely sum of $6.50 for these.  The pleasure they have added to my day is priceless.  I often think about the women who spent hours sitting and stitching these linens for their homes, with dreams attached to them, much the same as I do when creating something.

If you love and treasure these embroideries as much as I do, it may be time to look out for them and buy them when you see them.

Recently my dear friend Kaye, who is in our group here told me how she bought a beautiful pink cloth for $1.  She was planning to use it on a holiday at the seaside for a special High Tea with her daughter.

It seems that linens, love and family will always be tied together in our hearts.

What is it that you love in your home dear friends?

Love Helen x

Rest for the Heart......Contentment.

Dear Friends,
It is always such a joy to pause in my day and to write to you.  Thanks to my dear friend Annabel, who has brought us all together in our circle through her blog.
Today I want to speak about having our hearts at rest.  How does that sound to you?  For me, it means not allowing anxiety and cares to set up camp in my thinking or talking.
My dear friend Lyn sent me this quote this morning from Jesus Calling"....do not give in to fear and worry, those robbers of abundant living."
These are nest raiders are they not?

This morning, I awoke to the fire lit in our lounge room.  It was such a beautiful surprise to greet me as I opened our bedroom door, and felt the warm air fan my cheeks.
I breakfasted in front of it and I thought of how happy, safe and loved I felt. It brought to my mind that we are meant to have our hearts at rest....to feel contentment.
I have recently had extensive dental work completed, and we have cash flowed the whole thing apart from the last couple of thousand dollars.  That came from our savings and I have been eager to replenish the account.
Last week, I surveyed our overgrown garden, and the thought flitted through my mind about getting a gardener in to give us a quote with tidying it up. It's easy to look at something not quite right and feel discontented isn't it?
I dismissed it immediately and thought that we would do what we could with it ourselves.  Glen gave it a mow, picked up all the sticks. With this encouragement, each day, I went out and cut back ferns and shoots with some scissors and filled the wheelie bin.  Bit by bit, our garden was being revealed, and we were getting some exercise.

This morning, while Glen was using the chain saw to cut up the sticks that we had gathered for our fire, I got him to trim back some foliage with it.

It's hard to believe that this one little bit of garden was so overgrown that we could hardly identify the plants!
Another joy that has added to my weeks delight is that Jane Goble from Posy Typepad wrote to me!
You can find Jane's boards on Pinterest or she is on instagram @janegoble.

Thanks to lovely Jane, she has inspired me to source a fair isle cardigan.  I love it!  And I'm trying not to act like a five year old and want to wear it every day.

Well worth the $8.12 I paid for it!  This label really says it all.....Quintessentially British.  This garment has been designed with you in mind.  Wear it with love. x

The sum total of my musing today dear friends, is that our hearts can truly find rest, once we find contentment.  It's not something that is linked with a certain salary, or house or family size, but it's being at rest, finding useful work to fill our days, and delighting over the beautiful components that bless our life.

I've shared a little of my world with you today, but Annabel and I would love to know....where is it your heart finds rest?  What's there....is it a teacup that belonged to your grandmother, but now rests in your flour bin, is it the bunch of wildflowers that your children picked from your yard, is it the lilt of joy as your mother answers the phone and realises it's you ringing her?

Do share, we would love to know!

Love Helen x

Stocking the Larder

In true Buddy System style Helen and I are building up our pantries together. It is so motivating to talk about our pantries and ideas as we go along and our progress! I am handing over to Helen as we catch up with what she has been doing....

Stocking the Larder.

“ Cooking-yes,and living become simpler rites this month. I have made a list of satisfactory meals planned around only one cooked dish.  This list is hung on the door of my kitchen cabinet for reference.  When I am lacking in ambition I do not wonder what to have for dinner.”

                                                    - Nell B. Nichols

                                 Woman’s Home Companion June 1925

Sarah Ban Breathnach in her wonderful essay “ Stocking the Larder” tells of her favourite literary domestic Nell B. Nichols, a columnist in the 1920’s for Woman’s Home Companion.  There was nothing she couldn’t do.  But Nell’s great gift was that she never made you feel inept; you knew if you followed her blithe instructions carefully, you could also experience domestic bliss.

Nell encouraged her readers to have a plan for managing their household.  And that dear friends is what I joyfully want to open with you today!

We have a small two bedroom, 2 bathroom home.  We love every inch of it, but it’s comfortably full.

I have just in the last couple of weeks downloaded the 12 month preparation list from the Mormons who are experts in food storage.  Their programme is called “ Safely gathered in”.  I like the sound of that.

My main reason for building a pantry is provision for my family for the unexpected and the joy of not having to go grocery shopping if we are sick or it ’s inclement weather.

With that in mind here is the list for building your pantry one month at a time:

12 Monthly Emergency Prep Lists

January: Water, Beverages, and Water Storage

February: Breakfast Foods and Communication

March: Tomatoes, Pasta, and First Aid

April: Soup, Fish, Beans, and Sanitation

May: Condiments, Spices, and Emergency Cooking

June: Grains, Vitamins, and Bread Making

July: Summer Foods, Emergency Drills, and Canning

August: Fruits, Vegetables, Shelter, and Bedding

September: Meat, Potatoes, and Earthquake Prep

October: Oils, Fats, and Fire Safety

November: Holiday Baking, Emergency Heat, and Clothing

December: Baking Basics, Power and Light Sources 

Annabel and I love having a plan.  We are “ step by step” girls whether we are saving or renovating or building a pantry, so this works very well for us.

The thought of purchasing and storing one years pantry food while undertaking your regular monthly grocery shopping can seem daunting.

The Safely Gathered In programme encourages you to purchase extra’s as you are able and to do that consistently.  It also has a motto “ Store what you use, and Use what you store.”

Glen and I have been busy at home, sorting through our belongings and making sure that we are using everything!

As this has led to a little bit of decluttering, it has opened up some cupboards which we are now installing inexpensive shelving ourselves.

We have been through the house and we can see in tops of wardrobes and our pantry that we can install more shelving.

Recently we bought 3 second hand filing cabinets for $45.  They hold nearly 700 cans and will be a wonderful aid as we fill them. They are not pretty, but they are strong and in good shape, so we are going to spray them with some left over spray paint.

As the year progresses, and the pantry grows, it frees up more income towards  buying the requirements for the present month.  The end of January saw me with being able to add significantly to my pantry with beverages.  This month is breakfast foods and communication.

In closing dear friends….building a pantry should be a pleasurable exercise for creating a calmer home, so let’s joyfully encourage each other in the art of stocking the larder.

Love Helen xxx

Annabel and I would love to know, what is your plan for Stocking the Larder?

Building up our pantries. No 6. Introducing Helen!

Today I am handing the Pantry Challenge over to Helen. Everyone who reads Bluebirds has heard of Helen!  Helen and I used to write together about saving and making a happy and lovely home for very little. This was such a good thing as it led to us becoming friends and both going on to things we could never have dreamed of!
For those of you that don't know Helen she reminds me a lot of Laine. So you are going to be blessed by getting to know her!

Over to Helen!...

Pantry Comforts

Dear Friends and friends in the making, “hello”, my name is Helen. Annabel and I are dear friends from when we were dreaming our way through frugal indulgences that literally changed your life. Around us gathered a group of ladies that generously shared their tips, dreams and challenges.

Annabel has invited me to sit and share in the beautiful world of “The Bluebirds are Nesting”, amongst you all. I’m excited at what we will discover together! I’m a wife to my darling Glen, and a mother to our two adult sons Tom and Andrew. I love Jesus. He is my friend and Saviour.

Today I wanted to talk to you about Pantry Comforts. Pantry Comforts are the treasures that you find when you are in “heart” need. When the miseries strike and you’re down in the dumps, food transformed by love and memory becomes a warm blanket for our souls. This week deep in the winter snows in Japan, our son Tom opened a parcel from home and found tea and Walkers Shortbread. A childhood favourite. The message I got from him was....”best mum ever”. 

 My hands had reached across the miles and brought him the simple comfort of home. I have been joining you all on the Pantry challenge that Annabel has set before us, and while my mind has been fixed on such practicalities as tinned tomatoes and bags of pasta, there has been a niggling of my spirit that has said make sure I include those things that move us emotionally, that cause our hearts to light up with pleasure when we see them. And to that end, each week while I have been busy balancing budgets, I have also included some things like a favourite Chilli Relish, Jamie Oliver’s Sticky Fig and Balsamic dressing. 

 I love what Chef Sophie Gray has to share from her Destitute Gourmet Books, that the bulk of her frugal grocery order consists of basic pantry ingredients but she includes a couple of ingredients that move her meals from mundane to memorable. Some of the things that she buys are heavenly dark chocolate, gourmet berries, special cheeses. Each week I’m joining with you in building my pantry and considering not only the food that we need but what do we also relish with delight. For if I am to rely on this pantry due to sickness or unemployment or need of some kind, surely it’s my aim to not only feed my family but also to nourish their hearts with the appearance of favourite food at our table?

I’ll close with quote from a favourite author Sarah Ban Breathnach from Simple Abundance: “Comfort food is hearty. When hearts are heavy, they need gravitational and emotional equilibrium: meat loaf and mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, chicken pot pie, creamy risotto. Food that resonates that we will survive. With such sustenance we can keep on going and going especially when we don’t want to take another step.”

 So dear friends, what are your Pantry Comforts?  Love Helen.