Reading...

Spent the first half of the day pleasing other people -- marquees to erect (never managed it), coffee to buy (no time to make it), scones to make (didn't enjoy my first few bites), cleaning to do (make the house look presentable).

Now I'm spending the second half on me -- I've just finished "The Quilter's Kitchen" by Jennifer Chiaverini, and I'm about to start "Committed" by Elizabeth Gilbert. Both girly kind of novels, both enjoyable, both dealing with things I enjoy -- before my day gets busy again.

I often wonder how women do it. Any women, all women. Mothers, the motherless, women working 3 jobs, women unemployed. It seems in any position, all women are amazing creatures, doing what they (and their families) need to to survive.

And so many of them blog about it, so many of them share their stories to millions of other people around the world. If you're looking for a way to waste your afternoon, try All and Sundry, who I adore, or Dooce, who makes me giggle.

No stress, no agenda, no worries. Just me, a good book, and a bowl of pesto.


(Please note: if this was my lunch, I would buy myself a TV show. However, this is from Country Living).

Interview...

Yay! If you're wanting to know a little more about me this week I was featured on La Tempete's blog! Check it out over there :)

Valentine's Day

I am not really a Valentine's Day person. I suppose it has something to do my cynicism and the "overpriced" world we live in; the authenticity of such a holiday.

And yet, something in my post-modern soul tugs at my heartstrings, urges me to buy expensive gifts, spend oodles of money and write cards (which will just be thrown out) to those I love.

So this is me proclaiming that tomorrow? Tomorrow will be a beautiful, good day. It will be me letting the Boy sleep in, making him pancakes (his favourite breakfast item) and not pressuring too much to clean up the house. Because in the end, how clean your house is isn't what you'll remember. I may even clean it all today, even the jobs I hate, as a pre-emptive strike at V-day.

How about you? What is on your agenda on Valentine's day? Clue me in.

Some loose change.

After reading this blog post here, I felt really inspired to do something. Not just sit around and say I would do something.

The problem is, however, that we are already quite environmental friendly. I try to buy the larger size boxes and recycle as much as possible (in fact, our recycling bin is full whereas our regular bin is only half full!), we have short showers, we don't have air con or fans or heating, we don't have the lights on during the day or even at night in all the rooms. We try to support local and independent businesses. We don't have a dryer, or run our washing machine on the hot cycles. I always turn it down to a "short" cycle, and run a full load. Our fish tanks are all on timers to have the lights and extra what-nots turn off at 9pm, and back on at 8am.



There are a few things, however, once I got past the obvious choices. We do use too much paper towel, and we go through tissues like nobody's business. Our toilet and shower could be more environmental friendly, I could run less water for the dishes, I eat too much take-away and spend too much time driving places.

I'm not trying to say I'll do all of this straight away; not even all at once. But if we can get rid of the paper towel and tissue we should be halfway there; if we can shake the take-away habit or drive just one day less, we'll be good. Of course, there are times when I need to drive places, when you have too much stuff to carry to feasibly walk. But I am only 10 minutes, if that, from the nearest library/shops, the Boy works literally 10 minutes walk from here and my sister is only 5 minutes away.

What're you going to do?

Oh my.

I think this mail sorter is a great idea!

I am still plugging away, still trying to finish my first block. Hopeful these next few week will see me into the craft thing big time :)