stakin' a claim.

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as you may know, google reader is shutting down!!
i read pip's post, and bloglovin seems like the closest thing to my beloved next button.

what are your plans for when google reader shuts it's metaphorical doors? have you signed the petition?

an interstate finish.

last night, i cast off the cowl i've been working on over the last couple of weeks!



i've got some ends to sew in but i LOVE it! so nice!!

of the 5 and a bit balls i started with, i've only got this much left...



there's another 5 balls from the stash ;)

have you finished anything recently? are you busting your stash?


oh, and it's an interstate visit because i'm in SYDNEY! yay!

meal planning monday.

helllllooooooooo monday! i'm in a little state of disbelief that it's monday over here...
it's a public holiday in sunny (no really, it's bloody hot) victoria so it very much feels like a sunday... but yesterday was sunday so it MUST be monday today!



well on with the meal plans then!
tonight, we're ordering in. chinese is on the menu as i'm not feeling so well and therefore have a hankering for some chicken and sweet corn soup. should get me fixed right up!

tomorrow night, we'll be wanting something quick and easy, and with a 37 degree day on the cards, something that doesn't require the oven being turned on would be ideal. cheat meal coming up! tortellini and sauce, courtesy of the kitchens of leggos. i'll put together a salad to go with it. easy peasy!

wednesday night is ncb night! so i'll make sure i get up nice and early in the morning to pop some osso bucco in the slow cooker. that way, when i get home, i can chuck on some pasta, serve it up and race out the door to northcote!

thursday night will be quite laid back comparatively. another meal of pasta, this time, meatballs! more salad needed too me thinks!

friday night, i'll be at work. so i'll make sure i pop some cashew chicken in the slow cooker for when bb and i eventually get home!

saturday, i'm working all day! so bb has promised to pop a roast in the oven for us! can't wait!

aaaaaaand sunday... i'm flying off to sydney! hopefully i can find something that's not atrocious to eat at the airport!

what are you eating this week? are you meal planning too?
pop over and visit the lovely pinkpatentmaryjanes for some more meal planning monday inspiration!


the photo above, is of the breakfast i made myself this morning. homegrown zucchini from my mum's garden, and leftover vegies from the crisper, served with crispy prosciutto, goat's cheese and fresh chives. they were delish!

my creative space.

for the last few months, i've been trying to think up someway to store my seemingly endless collection of glasses.

i thought about maybe hanging them on a coathanger... or sewing up an elaborate pocket sleeve hanging...

all of these thoughts were going around in my head, spinning around in idea land, and then last night, i saw sampson use this...



... my neat line of glasses, arranged on my dresser, like a set of bowling pins.
GAH!
necessity being the mother of invention that it is, had me come up with this...



a cheap suction cup toilet roll holder, stuck on the mirror above my dresser.
devil cat can't reach it, and it will hopefully stop the dust settling on my lenses!

oh, and if you were thinking it looks a little plain and boring, have no fear!
i have some decorative plans in mind... it's time to get my yarn bomb on!


what are you getting up to creatively today? pop over to village voices to check out more creative spaces!

scheduling.

the last few weeks, i've been working at a cleaning schedule. i've been scheduling all of the weekly type stuff, that always seemed to build up and build up, til i was stuck getting it all done on my days off!
not the way i'd like to spend those precious days off from work at all!

i've set simple tasks for each day, that i can polish off in less than an hour.
that way i can get them done in the mornings, before work, and i don't have to think about them when i get home from work!

perfect!!



monday - clean toilet and basin, water indoor plants
tuesday - clean shower, empty bathroom bin, load of washing (colours)
wednesday - clean mirrors and stainless steel, scoop kitty poop
thursday - change sheets and towels, water indoor plants
friday - make worm food, load of washing (towels/sheets)
saturday - dust, load of washing (whites), scoop kitty poop/change litter
sunday - vacuuming and mopping, ironing



i have some other things that i like to make sure get done daily, like making the bed and getting the dishes done.
as well as having a bit of a tidy up, and making sure our re-usable water bottles are full and chilling in the fridge.
oh and there's the outside watering too...



it sure keeps me busy!
but i feel like i've been a lot less stressed the last few weeks having it in place!
i can just get little bits done everyday, and then the house doesn't fall apart!


do you have a cleaning schedule in place too? is it something you're considering? what works for you?

sampson loves to help me with the housework. dusting is just SO fun!

it's growiiiiiing!

i've been working like a woman possessed on my cowl.
i'm two balls in now... and another ball is going on between typing sentences!



it's coming along nicely don't you think?

what are you working on at the moment? are you stash busting too?

meal planning monday.

a new month and i'm back on the wagon!
i lost it a bit towards the end of february but a week without a meal plan, seems to always end up with lots of takeaway food, with not a lot of thought for health!



tonight, i've got some chicken in the fridge, and some prosciutto, destined to become parmesan chicken. with some fresh salad leaves, dressed in some balsamic and a little garlic olive oil, it should be the perfect dinner!

tomorrow night, i think i'll roll up the marinated lamb i've got in the freezer and pop it in the oven. i'll serve it with whatever vegies are in the crisper AND some roasted sweet potato. yum!

wednesday night, i think i'll go something simple. burgers from the freezer, lots of salad and some nice fresh buns. perfect after a long day of work.

i bought a jar of delicious meredith goat's cheese the other day so i'm thinking it needs to go in a bowl, with some pasta, pesto and roasted cherry tomatoes for thursday night's dinner. the amount that i love a bowl of pesto pasta is ridiculous!

friday night, i'm working! so i'm thinking i might throw something in the slow-cooker for dinner. maybe, spicy caramel pork? it's been a while ;)

the weekend, being labour day weekend, i really want to DO something. i'm thinking maybe popping down to visit the parentals OR staying in all weekend and smashing out the massive list of jobs i've got to get done around the house and in the backyard... hmmm i wonder which bb will prefer... either way, goodness knows what we'll be having for dinner ha!


what are you eating this week?
pop over and visit the lovely ppmj for more inspiration!

bustin' out.

last night, i found myself with a nice quiet night at home, and nothing to work on!

i'd run out of threads for the woodland sampler, sewn the ends in on bb's jumper and wasn't in the mood to work on this...



another beanie that i got to casting on the other day.

i pulled some wool out of my stash and cast on a honey cowl!



this is a ball into the cowl, and i'm pretty happy with the 'waffly' look of the texture. loving it :D

so that's one ball out of my stash so far for the cowl, and there's also another for that beanie up there too! another two balls down!


are you stash-busting too? what are you working on at the moment?

march.

um, excuse me, but where the heck did february go?

i've got a massive case of the guilts on at the moment because i didn't even come CLOSE to getting through my list of february goals!

i mean, i ate breakfast most days, and took my lunch to work mostly too! but everything else on that list... bum bum.
bb's jumper is ALMOST finished, i've just got to weave in ends and sew the collar down



here he is wearing it last night. with his pyjama pants on too! AND washing the dishes. be still my beating heart!

i've ran out of wool for the bamcal blankie, and can't justify ordering just one ball of wool...

i didn't get to visiting my grandma this month (the day i had planned to go, i couldn't get onto her AND sampson destroyed my laptop!) nor did i get 2 assignments done (no computer = no homework).

i started out strong on the #hairstyleaday front, but ran out of steam towards the end. check them all out over on instagram using the #hairstyleaday hashtag!

I managed to get a bit of stuff happening in the garden over the month too, but i'll share that another day ;)


and now, for march...



not too many plans this month... i'm still recovering from february ha! i've also got an interstate work trip at the end of the month for OVER a week. that'll take up a fairly large portion on my month, but it'll be a good break to catch up on beanie knitting and assignment writing :D

what are your plans for march? or are you just reeling over the speed of february like me?