tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59149974927064907252012-02-10T21:18:01.041+11:00"What was paradise? But a garden, an orchard of trees and herbs, full of pleasure and nothing there but delights" - LawsonMrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.comBlogger4391100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-79442859562203478902012-02-10T07:30:00.000+11:002012-02-10T07:30:01.333+11:00

The title says it all really. This week on his return to preschool, Little B was invited to a birthday party at McDonalds and I have to say that this threw up a bit of a conundrum for me. Little B wouldnt have a clue what McDonalds is (no brand recognition here)...he's never been to one so it's never really been an issue for us. First and foremost, McDonalds food is full of rubbish so we dont

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-12446153445834614132012-02-09T14:03:00.000+11:002012-02-09T14:03:53.313+11:00

This is the daily haul from our sorely neglected garden at the moment. Normally I have more beans than zucchinis but overall I'm happy with the output. Happy in the sense that we are getting a goodly enough amount out to reduce my needs at our fruit & vegie grocers. Now if we wanted to put anything away (ie canning etc) I guess I'd be disappointed. But considering how time poor I am at the moment

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-7172379519433335872012-01-31T10:07:00.000+11:002012-01-31T10:07:12.758+11:00

Yesterday was warm and as Winnie the Pooh would say a 'blustery day' so Little B and I decided to adventure off into nature. While on our lovely walk we... Looked at new prickly seed pods. Checked out dragonfly's in the grass Chatted to the sleeping ducks Sat and admired the lake and the aqua bikes. And of course, what day would be complete without a stop off in the playground. It was so

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-72006423923980782822012-01-29T19:20:00.000+11:002012-01-29T19:20:44.774+11:00

One of the things about renovating a house is that you must find the products needed to renovate said house. In our case this is also caught up in avoiding anything toxic or particularly unsustainable as well as avoiding anything Little B could / is allergic too. Plus we cant forget mold either. This house came without a laundry - something we obviously need. The basics were covered as we have

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-57538592719563003642012-01-21T21:18:00.000+11:002012-01-21T21:18:41.199+11:00

Yesterday we had our roof professionally vacuumed and new insulation put in. It took 4 guys most of the day to clean out the old insulation, vacuum up all the possum poo and dust, remove any debris and to put the new insulation down. But boy was it worth it. Firstly, we knew we needed to get the roof cleaned out when our initial pest inspection told us that there was a major possum infestation

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-46688182363005476962012-01-16T15:59:00.000+11:002012-01-16T15:59:03.359+11:00

How are the school holidays treating you? Mr B & I took Little B to his first big boy movie at the cinemas the other day to see The Muppets. I think Mr B & I loved the movie more than Little B did. Such a throwback to our childhood...I loved The Muppets and this movie certainly doesnt disappoint :-) Little B and I have been both swimming for fun a lot and as part of his school holiday swimming

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-66201471563843214932012-01-11T09:15:00.001+11:002012-01-11T09:17:26.796+11:00

As we meander into 2012, I've been looking back at my reading list for last year. And today when it is freezing cold and supremely rainy, and we are cocooning in the warmth,  I thought I would make a list of what I consider to be my top reads of 2011. 1. The Great Disruption You can read my review here. I still think this is the best book I read last year. Eye opening, starkly real and very

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-10118005738118784122012-01-05T14:34:00.000+11:002012-01-05T14:34:41.435+11:00

The weather has been lovely the last few days (after those horrible hot days over New Years). So Little B and I have been getting happily out into the sunshine. Today we put in a few hours de-weeding the old vegie garden at the new place and cutting off old chicken wire that has fallen down and "grown" into the substantial patch of grass/shrubs. Now it has been pretty badly overgrown but was

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-11802248222285815582012-01-03T20:32:00.000+11:002012-01-03T20:32:38.611+11:00

Renovating and blogging just dont seem to go hand in hand. I have so much to say, so little time and I just dont have the energy in me to do meaningful posts the way I want to. So instead to give my poor brain a rest, I thought that I would take a leaf out of Heather from Beauty the Moves book and for a while treat my posts as more of a journal. The hot weather we have been having hasnt dampened

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-90489782260843987032011-12-31T15:12:00.000+11:002011-12-31T15:12:27.012+11:00

 The final frontier - part of a very unloved garden at the new house - currently last on a very long list of renovating projects As the year draws too a close, I sit here munching leftover cake from Little B's birthday this week, and reflect on the year that has been. It's been so much better than the year before, and really how could it not be. We've faced the challenges thrown at us, we've

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-2306153728804939652011-12-23T21:20:00.000+11:002011-12-23T21:20:26.488+11:00

I love looking at life through the eyes of an almost 5 year old and the lead up to this Christmas has been a fun filled joyful one. My family makes me feel truly blessed this year and I could just eat them all up :-) So I would like to wish all you lovely people a truly magnificent holiday season. May it be full of fun, sparkles, love and laughter.  xx

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-41200259891439330092011-12-22T12:13:00.000+11:002011-12-22T12:13:49.318+11:00

Due to a small technical glitch, we've been without internet for the last week. Funnily enough it actually feels like weeks have gone by?? Crazy - especially at this time of year. So in my solitude, we have been * making piles of metal and wood :-)* making gift tags and message stones* painting chairs* baking and icing gingerbread biscuits (to eat and to give...hmm a lot have been eaten LOL)*

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-19128427250484736802011-12-14T08:00:00.000+11:002011-12-14T08:00:02.654+11:00

Our garden has been a bit neglected of late. The most exciting thing to me that I've done has been to pick, dry and plait our first harvest of garlic. It's currently hanging on our back porch and smells delicious everytime we walk past. Even with neglect the garden continues to thrive. We've harvested a few zucchini with plenty more growing. Our first little lebanese cucumbers are growing as

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-67693606991309177012011-12-12T14:45:00.000+11:002011-12-12T14:45:07.882+11:00

In amongst our renovating madness, we are also getting ready for Christmas. This year Little B's advent calendar is part home-made, part craft, part cooking and part experiences. We went to the local carols by candelight weekend before last because the advent calendar promised Little B fireworks. Didnt hurt that it was free, that Jay Laga'aia was the kids entertainment, that it was close to

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-13734779768792737792011-12-05T20:09:00.001+11:002011-12-05T20:10:16.571+11:00

Yay settlement occurred last Thursday and we are now the proud new owners of our house :-) Hmmm but we have been cleaning the place ever since. Family have been helping us to scrub this house for the last 4 days and it's not finished just yet. We can honestly say that this house has not been cleaned for many many years. It's currently taking between 4-6 buckets of a borax / water solution to

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-72098140249367813232011-11-29T14:11:00.004+11:002011-11-30T08:07:33.988+11:00

With settlement looming, one of my lists has involved refurnishing the house on an extremely tight budget **. The first thing we did was investigate and order the most energy efficient appliances we could afford within our budget (one of which was a 5 star fridge). After that was out of the way, I've moved onto furniture with the $$$ that remained. My extreme reaction to mold initially ruled out

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-27317510053244748882011-11-24T15:00:00.000+11:002011-11-24T15:00:02.286+11:00

"As much as you transform the land by farming, farming transforms you", Kristin Kimball The Dirty Life is a memoir written by Kristin Kimball and is the story of how she fell in love with a farmer and began a different way of life as together they transformed a derelict farm in a remote town in the US. I loved this book and count it as one of my best birthday presents. It's easy to read,

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-75974819106981707872011-11-22T20:53:00.001+11:002011-11-22T20:55:01.845+11:00

 Phillip Island 2011 * we relaxed, hung out, read books, made sand castles, checked out the sights and did lots of walking. We even managed to investigate a gorgeous kitchen garden and milk a cow at a historic working farm * the Penguin Parade was a highlight. We did the Penguins Plus which meant the penguins literally almost passed by our feet (so worth the extra $40) * we investigated

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-19420295334110685692011-11-20T07:00:00.000+11:002011-11-19T21:01:59.757+11:00

I'm joining in with Greening of Gavin's Great Kilowatt Challenge. Here is the challenge in his own words: "Who would like to join me in an energy  challenge?  We will only begin with grid Electricity as most folks have it connected.  Subsequent posts will be about the following; how to read your meter, the quick basics about electricity terminology, how to manage the data you are collecting

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-68811803007417782442011-11-19T18:50:00.002+11:002011-11-19T18:52:55.881+11:00

Cowes Beach, Phillip Island 2011 Back from five glorious days at Phillip Island, this Saturday I'm grateful for: * holidays - it was only five days but it may as well of been twenty. I feel invigorated, refreshed and ready to tackle the oncoming reno that begins in two weeks * weather - the forecast was for cool wet weather but instead we had five days of sunshine and warmth. Think tshirts and

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-37529381718753623182011-11-14T06:00:00.001+11:002011-11-13T20:21:55.265+11:00

Horseshoe Bay, Goolwa 2010 The beach is calling us (again) so we are off on holidays to Phillip Island. Here's to lots of sand, frolics and fun. Looks like the weather might be against us but Little B is super excited and looking forward to the beach, penguins and seals in all their glory!!

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-21380621778449113312011-11-13T14:29:00.000+11:002011-11-13T14:29:10.890+11:00

The weather has been so changeable of late - cold, warm, rainy, windy, sunny - you name it, we've had it. But spring has been quite kind to our garden. I'm so glad I planted our tomatoes early because they are growing beautifully. Those few extra weeks when the weather was warm and mild have really made a difference. This is my best bunch of potatoes yet. I'm absolutely sold on using the

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-69723881482810717772011-11-10T19:57:00.002+11:002011-11-10T20:00:03.140+11:00

I really love Bec's recent post on "No More Stuff Until Christmas". Over the last few years we've really tried to focus on being no more stuff kind of people. And on a side note, after having to get rid of all our belongings, it's amazing how unimportant stuff really becomes. But stuff has risen it's ugly head again recently in of all places with Little B's physio. Physio is hard at the best of

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-24740388277704248272011-11-07T13:49:00.000+11:002011-11-07T13:49:45.920+11:00

We had a great time away. One of the highlights was seeing Lake Eildon full to the brim. People could touch the bridge as they went under it on boats :-0 I remember not that long ago when it was dry dry dry. I also finally got to see a community project that Mr B worked on for a number of months earlier this year. He designed and installed the solar tracker and static solar as part of a Eco

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-60787535891384252992011-11-05T09:48:00.000+11:002011-11-05T09:48:42.143+11:00

It's been a long and rainy week but the sun waits for no man :-) So this Saturday I'm grateful for... * long drives - me, my man, some great tunes and a long drive. We are off cross country to my SIL's 40th birthday party today. * bravery - I say this tongue in cheek (kind of) but this is the furthest distance I will have been away from Little B since he was born (3 hours). He cant wait for a

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-85178341875347247902011-11-02T12:26:00.000+11:002011-11-02T12:26:13.272+11:00

After what seems like days and days of rain, Little B and I have become a tad stir crazy :-) So we whipped out a Mister Maker book that Little B got for his last birthday. We are going on holidays soon which involves a 2 hour drive to the seaside, so what better than a making a toy for the car. We settled on the sticky picture box, found an old shoe box and some felt remnants from sewing. Then

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-89785026721628075542011-10-29T12:39:00.000+11:002011-10-29T12:39:29.667+11:00

Picture from here I had to laugh when I read the title to this post - it seems a bit out there :-) Anyways, this Saturday I'm grateful for: * winston churchill - winston had a saying "never never never give up" and we've adopted it as a mantra for the family. I love the power of positive thinking. * perseverance - Little B has decided it's time to ride his bike without training wheels. And even

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-48440201942632818022011-10-28T08:00:00.005+11:002011-10-28T08:00:05.871+11:00

Three interesting things happened to me yesterday. Firstly, I read this article. Secondly, I had a confrontation with a potential new preschool for Little B (it's joined to the primary school he will go to) and finally, a close friend told me that my blog wasnt a true reflection of me if I wasnt honest about my life. So here goes...I am the mum to a gorgeous little boy who also happens to have

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-32816076835437500792011-10-27T20:14:00.000+11:002011-10-27T20:14:03.820+11:00

With some lovely warm weather our thoughts turned to ice cream today. So we whipped out our icecream machine and away we went.  Look at the lovely yellow yolks - nothing like free range home grown eggs We used a really simple recipe which can be adapted to any kind of milk (cow, rice, soy) 100g caster sugar1 tsp cornflour4 egg yolks2 cups milk * Put caster sugar, cornflour and eggs yolk

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-16497290214540945852011-10-25T15:30:00.001+11:002011-10-25T15:31:08.103+11:00

This is how you find me most days - engrossed in green living and building magazines that I borrow enmass from my local library. Unlike our previous renovations we are intent on doing a bunch of things before we even move in. Structural work is a given - the house is being restumped and re-roofed before Christmas (yay!) but I am also absolutely intent on doing everything as green and sustainably

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-18683332948607267872011-10-22T14:25:00.000+11:002011-10-22T14:25:06.134+11:00

Pic came from here..drool.... With only 6 weeks to go until settlement on the new house, my days feel jam packed full of things to do. So this Saturday I'm grateful for.. * being organised - I have lists everywhere of what we need to do, have and accomplish before starting our next renovating project at the new house. * books that change your focus - I've been reading some great books at the

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-67456294949102253962011-10-18T13:09:00.000+11:002011-10-18T13:09:16.917+11:00

School readiness is a hot topic right about now. Everywhere we seem to go people are talking about it...kindy, the library, play dates, even people I dont even know at the supermarket have spoken to me about it. We made the decision early on to send Little B to school when he is 6. This was for a variety of reasons not least that Mr B & I were young ones during our final years of school (in my

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-89143059645701406352011-10-13T07:00:00.000+11:002011-10-13T07:00:00.856+11:00

  "Up to 60% of our personal eco-footprint is embodied in the food that we buy". "Every dollar we spend is a vote for the type of food system and earth we want to be a part of" - The Sustainable Table What can I say - this really is an incredibly interesting book. It mixes interviews with a wide range of people (chefs, transition groups, kitchen garden schools etc) with predominantly vegetarian

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-51971169964527517662011-10-12T08:00:00.001+11:002011-10-12T08:00:01.733+11:00

"Today over one hundred and fifty thousand Australian workers are expected to join the commuter revolution and ride to work" - Bicycle Victoria  Mr B decided to take part today in Ride to Work Day - an event instigated by Bicycle Victoria. As part of his job at a large public health organisation, he organised for many staff members who already ride as well as those new to riding to take part as

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-25261119331639359722011-10-11T12:48:00.000+11:002011-10-11T12:48:34.971+11:00

I had the most gorgeous birthday weekend just gone. I woke up to my gorgeous little boy singing happy birthday to me in bed while having a snuggle. Family phoned, came and visited..much cake was eaten :-) It really was a lovely heartfelt day. And then I got to spend all Sunday out in the gardening...digging and planting. Think tomatoes, beans, eggplants, pumpkins and zucchinis. I finished up the

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-11130127390693830232011-10-05T09:13:00.001+11:002011-10-05T16:07:01.832+11:00

Little B has two favourite toys at the moment, which he plays with daily: dominoes and marbles. Our days are spent building domino tracks to knock over or blow over. Little B thinks of as many different variations as he can and it's not uncommon to find domino tracks anywhere in the house :-) He loves marbles just as much. He spends just as much time making marble tracks with his blocks and long

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-71439040034753303982011-10-03T07:00:00.000+11:002011-10-03T07:00:00.959+11:00

It has been cold and seriously rainy in Melbourne for the last 4 days. So I didnt quite know what I'd find when I finally ventured out into the garden. Autumn / winter was sort of slow because I didnt plant much other than snowpeas and garlic. So with the warmer weather I've been really gung ho about getting out and planting in the garden. Our potatoes have had massive growth and are growing so

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-5238941767710604952011-10-02T09:44:00.000+11:002011-10-02T09:44:50.313+11:00

Sara Douglass died last Tuesday 27 Sept from ovarian cancer. She was best known as an Australian fantasy writer. And as you can see from her Facebook page many people have been moved by her passing. But I first knew Sara through forums for simple living. She was one of my first inspirations for immersing myself in vegie gardening, for taking up preserving, for being prepared and for making a

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-60518253889821481482011-09-26T19:59:00.000+10:002011-09-26T19:59:50.933+10:00

We bought a house!! After what seems like a really long process (in reality only two weeks), with most of our questions answered we are the owners of a new abode (in December actually). As you could guess we were really paranoid about buying a house after our last experience. So the last two weeks have been full of a building and pest inspection, a mold inspection, numerous entries to the house

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-53975737287057266622011-09-22T11:38:00.000+10:002011-09-22T11:38:58.272+10:00

I've been having a short hiatus from blogging..a small blip you might say. Last week I had a laparoscopy for some biopsies (the final left over check from my mold exposure). My recovery has actually taken me quite by surprise. Naively surprisingly it was quite painful and it's been a mini bruised owie road to feeling back to normal. So for the last week I've been: * reading this * listening to

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-73633398042390737302011-09-15T07:00:00.002+10:002011-09-15T07:00:04.260+10:00

Hmm do think Mr B takes recycling a little bit too far ;-) The little mowing tractor above (as we like to call it) was completely made from hard rubbish drive materials - an old chassis, chains, an old broken student chair - all have become a gold mine for this particular project. It was a slow build as the pieces came together but it has turned out a treat and mows really well (which is good

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-6052618799876204162011-09-13T13:49:00.000+10:002011-09-13T13:49:54.763+10:00

 Picture courtesy of here  It's official....I hate house hunting. And before you say "so??" - I used to love house hunting. Whether for myself or family / friends, I used to really enjoy going along and checking out new houses. It was fun and interesting to see different places, and sticky beak at how people decorated and lived in those places. I'd loved the potential of a new place and then

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-23739624549556370192011-09-09T19:52:00.000+10:002011-09-09T19:52:01.617+10:00

Photo found here We have the best news at the House of B...Little B has outgrown his egg allergy. Woo hoo....party time!!! He has passed his egg trials and is now happy eating eggs a few times a week. Considering he is 4 years and 8 months this seems a long time coming. And while we currently buy our eggs from a friend who doesnt feed her chooks soy grain, we have tried one bought egg and he

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-24874705825028222032011-09-06T14:12:00.001+10:002011-09-06T14:13:56.648+10:00

Having had solar panels before (albeit for a very short time), I know how effective they can be at decreasing your electricity bills if you are also watching your usage. But this time around I've been having more fun checking out what makes the dial go forward rather than backwards (ie what is an electricity guzzler since we want the system to feed back to the grid). And it's been an interesting

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-80283460186504195402011-09-03T17:10:00.000+10:002011-09-03T17:10:21.146+10:00

I'm a later in life beach baby. I loved swimming and beaches as a child, but couldnt have been more disinterested in the beach as a teenager and early adult (probably influenced by my goth phase LOL). But in the last few years, I cant get enough of the beach and luckily Little B is just the same :-) So this Saturday after a few days of sunshine, I'm grateful for... * the beach - we've wiled away

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-55256576733036998282011-08-30T15:12:00.000+10:002011-08-30T15:12:09.674+10:00

We've been going great guns with our preparations for spring planting since my last post. I've sort of just run with the excitement and momentum we'd been feeling. Totally helped by the bizarre mild and sunny weather we've been having. I keep waiting for winter to come back like some bad joke. I went ahead and ordered 10 asparagus crowns and then quickly put in a bed dedicated to them and got it

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-12096060030222759652011-08-29T11:38:00.001+10:002011-08-29T11:42:12.499+10:00

It was a nice surprise this morning to see that Bec from Eat at Dixibelle's has nominated me for the Liebster blog award. And a shame as well because Bec's blog is one I would have liked to nominate!! This award is given to bloggers with under 200 followers. So I think it's nice when you receive confirmation that people actually read your blog *giggle*. 1. Thank the giver and link back to them

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-6567509338412380662011-08-25T11:20:00.000+10:002011-08-25T11:20:42.660+10:00

Do you ever have those days where you end up saying "what was I thinking?". We had one of those days on Tuesday. Driving home late from a doctors appointment where we had to wait for over an hour beforehand, we decided to stop at a local pizza shop to grab some dinner. We dont do this lightly with all the food allergies in the house but this local pizza place knows us and caters to our needs

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-82708861169040728242011-08-22T11:19:00.000+10:002011-08-22T11:19:10.911+10:00

What better way to celebrate this gorgeous early spring weather than to welcome Granny B's solar panels?? And yes that is Mr B installing them. New legislative changes meant that engineers had to be electricians if they wanted to work hands on with solar installations of any size or kind. So last year Mr B went back to school to become a sparky. Pretty handy if you ask me :-)

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-79712174493187096202011-08-20T09:02:00.000+10:002011-08-20T09:02:51.222+10:00

We've been a bit confined to the house this week with bucket loads of rain. But the first non rainy day we were out and about riding bikes, so this Saturday I'm grateful for: * small pleasures - I love that Little B is just as happy decorating his slide with flowers and empty snail shells as playing with his toys * where we live - seriously where else could you go for a walk at your local

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-12362612853614541652011-08-19T14:32:00.000+10:002011-08-19T14:32:18.552+10:00

Just for interest, Aldi is selling stainless steel multi-choppers this week for $20. Similar to a Mouli food mill and great for manual food processing :-)

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-73224006735980476462011-08-18T11:37:00.001+10:002011-08-18T11:38:53.679+10:00

After seeing posts recently about spring gardens by Bec at Eat at Dixibelle's, ecoMILF and Rhonda at Down to Earth, I thought I better plan in earnest what we will be planting this spring. I'd already jotted down a few notes in my garden notebook and had a whole bunch of ideas in my head LOL. Recently we ordered asparagus crowns for the first time and now we need to get the beds in pronto before

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-22549497019469561462011-08-16T13:27:00.000+10:002011-08-16T13:27:14.802+10:00

Pic courtesy of here As passionate as Mr B is about solar, it was only a matter of time before he began to look at ways of involving the community in solar projects. About 12 months ago, Mr B began talks with our local council regarding the opportunity of developing a community solar farm locally. These talks were a) really helpful and b) fairly successful in that the local council was very open

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-88212447924935481012011-08-15T11:44:00.000+10:002011-08-15T11:44:57.071+10:00

Granny B and I have been working on a quilt for Mr B & my bed. I had great fun picking the fabric and then on we started. Granny B is an expert quilter having made quite a few before now. It's been fun working on a project together (albeit very slowly with us both working plus a novice thrown in to the mix). The colour doesnt show up quite so well in the photos but I adore the red and blue

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-19513464477995762402011-08-10T13:31:00.000+10:002011-08-10T13:31:04.787+10:00

I had the most interesting time helping out at kindy yesterday. For a few weeks now, I had been watching how the teachers worked with the kids, primarily at their conflict management skills. The thing I have been curious about is why a teacher never says "no" or even "dont do that". And to me it seemed there were dramatic situations where it was called for - bullying, physical fighting, a child

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-44677185972051193842011-08-06T07:54:00.000+10:002011-08-06T07:54:30.068+10:00

I've had one of those weeks that just feel great for no particular reason :-) so this Saturday I'm grateful for: * the power of confidence - after a very long time, Little B has mastered putting his face under the water at swimming lessons (and subsequently now tries to swim under water). The boost to his self confidence in the pool has breached out into all aspects of his life and to watch it

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-60078843600078470822011-08-04T15:44:00.000+10:002011-08-04T15:44:14.118+10:00

I love Kate's blog, Foxs Lane. And I am especially enjoying her snippets from her caravan adventure around Australia with her family. The other day I realised I was having a Kate moment. I love her posts on her fun and twirly skirts and yesterday with the sun shining and the weather surprisingly mild and dare I say warmish, I was wearing one of my favourite skirts. I had a wee twirl and giggle

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-54286420265982078502011-08-02T12:45:00.000+10:002011-08-02T12:45:44.314+10:00

Do you love balance bikes?? We do.... Little B was a little late to a balance bike. Santa brought him a big boy training wheel bike for Christmas past which he absolutely adores. But recently we discovered Little B has some balance and coordination issues and voila the balance bike was introduced to the House of B. He spends ages on this hooning around the backyard and up and down some of the

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-865510496330007172011-07-27T12:57:00.001+10:002011-07-27T12:59:09.600+10:00

Well it's 5 days to settlement and we are sooo counting down!! :-) And with it has come all the usual hectic things that come with changing house. So this week in amongst the chaos of final walk throughs, postal redirections, taking minutes for kindy committees and the like, I've been trying to take some downtime for me. * I've been loving oat pikelets with home-made jam, so creamy and moorish..

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-73329773710459638472011-07-25T15:20:00.000+10:002011-07-25T15:20:25.288+10:00

"It's time to stop just worrying about climate change, says Paul Gilding. Instead we need to brace for impact, because global crisis is no longer avoidable. The Great Disruption started in 2008, with spiking food and oil prices and dramatic ecological change like the melting polar icecap. It is not simply about fossil fuels and carbon footprints. We have come to the end of Economic Growth,

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-70372546716724784062011-07-22T16:28:00.000+10:002011-07-22T16:28:21.588+10:00

 Picture courtesy of www.allgraphics123.com Little B is learning to swim again. He adores the water but is very anxious so we've been spending some lazy afternoons at the local indoor pool. One of the fun things along with swimming has been meeting other children. Dont you love the way that kids can make new friends in a heart beat?? We met a lovely family yesterday on holiday from England. The

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-14851383082896827122011-07-19T20:31:00.000+10:002011-07-19T20:31:59.982+10:00

I am so loving this little Kids Konserve thermos right now. Little B takes his lunch to preschool twice per week and sandwiches just dont always cut it in this cold weather. So he's been taking along some hearty stews with rice, vegetarian pasta or home-made mini gozlemes or calzones to eat.  Growing up a thermos was always part of lunch for my brother and I when we went to school. Granny B made

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-62245408886326446662011-07-17T19:34:00.001+10:002011-07-17T19:35:43.612+10:00

This school holidays we've been... Reading Jumping Crafting Baking Painting and painting Digging for dinosaur bones Making mud lagoons Not to mention seeing Paul Jamieson live (aka The Music Man) as well as copious playdates (I've got a mini social butterfly on my hands). This last weekend of sunshine has been much appreciated and spent almost totally outside in the garden. I dont work school

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-14762983463789106392011-07-16T14:42:00.000+10:002011-07-16T14:42:02.070+10:00

 Picture courtesy of www.ideaschampion.com What a gorgeous sunny day here in Melbourne (even if I did wake to a iced over windscreen this morning LOL). So this Saturday I'm grateful for: * love - Mr B's BFF has gotten engaged and we are off for a lazy afternoon tea engagement party to celebrate his meeting his lovely wife to be and cheer them on for the future * hope - I love engagement parties

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-89951503872554816122011-07-14T11:18:00.000+10:002011-07-14T11:18:00.166+10:00

With the world looking decidedly like it has the potential to go to hell in a hand basket financially, now seems like no better time to reflect on minimising food waste as part of frugal cooking. With food becoming so expensive and costs only expected to rise, it simply seems a shame to waste anything. The most obvious thing to do is to grow anything you can (even as simple as herbs or lettuce -

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-69126846052285707602011-07-12T20:40:00.001+10:002011-07-13T08:36:47.788+10:00

Picture courtesy of holiday-rehoboth.comOur two recent stays in a self contained apartment motel really opened my eyes to the issues of fragrance / deodoriser, asthma and toxic chemical cleaners. The apartment motel deodorised the hallway carpets every second morning by pouring on a thick powder (that stank) and then slowly vacuumed it up. They also used deodoriser when servicing the rooms. Both

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-55619909470269472362011-07-08T07:47:00.002+10:002011-07-08T07:52:27.381+10:00

Well 3 months into this anti-inflammatory diet, I have to say that I’m charging along. I’ve put on 3 kilos (though am still underweight). I feel much better and have lost the numbness in my left arm which has plagued me for a year.  Who would have thought that cutting out so much food, and eating no fat would help me gain weight?? Anyway yesterday was D Day. I got my results from my lumbar

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-64123291498027875092011-07-08T06:00:00.000+10:002011-07-08T06:00:01.196+10:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Inspired by soulemama  

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-48872695860341256802011-07-05T07:39:00.000+10:002011-07-05T07:39:21.467+10:00

I love looking at other people's gardens. It's so interesting to see what they do, how they do it and even why they do it. It encourages me to keep on with our own garden, inspires me with new ideas and helps me to learn. My current fav is Josh Byrnes WA urban backyard (in the July / August 2011 issue of Organic Gardener). Every piece of space has been made useful with vegies/ fruit/ herbs/

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-37775235035643832832011-07-02T10:47:00.006+10:002011-07-02T10:50:00.085+10:00

Yay the school holidays have begun and we've got some fun and jam packed weeks ahead of us. So this Saturday I'm grateful for... * toilets - We've stayed at a motel again this week while Granny B's bathroom has been ripped out for renovation (the pesky floor issues stretched into the bathroom). Home yesterday the bathroom is still not finished (sigh) but we have a toilet!!! * mums -  I love

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-81681487481267501442011-07-01T06:00:00.001+10:002011-07-01T06:00:02.846+10:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Inspired by soulemama    

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-11027033260319504092011-06-29T07:00:00.004+10:002011-06-29T07:00:02.770+10:00

How cute are our next door neighbours chickens?? :-) Imagine our surprise on playing in the backyard yesterday and seeing these darling bubbas crowding around the fence. I think I was more excited than Little B. Such a cute use for a chicken coop too. So we puppied ourselves out and these darlings will be here for the next few weeks, until they go off to their forever homes.

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-71516739407399251992011-06-27T06:00:00.002+10:002011-06-27T06:00:01.523+10:00

 From Heidi Swanson's blog '101 Cookbooks' I love and adore Brussel Sprouts but it hasnt always been that way. I used to avoid then like the plague due to memories of soggy foul tasting things from school camps. Then I found a recipe for roasted brussel sprouts in Heidi Swansons cookbook "Super Natural Cooking" and I was a convert. Funnily enough so was Little B. He likes nothing better than a

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-54563861443869643302011-06-25T07:00:00.000+10:002011-06-25T07:00:04.700+10:00

 Picture courtesy of www.dinosaurtypes.net Well this week went much more smoothly (bonus) and even more of a bonus it didnt rain all week - hooray!! So this Saturday I'm grateful for... * dinosaurs - Little B is obsessed by dinosaurs at the moment and spends hours playing them, talking about them or poring over a dinosaur encyclopaedia we borrowed from the library. It's so inspiring to see such

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-49605863481322043512011-06-24T07:41:00.000+10:002011-06-24T07:41:23.491+10:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Inspired by soulemama  

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-6513379658287416932011-06-22T11:46:00.000+10:002011-06-22T11:46:33.385+10:00

Last night SBS started screening "Go back to where you came from", a 3 part series which follows 6 Australians who have taken on the challenge to live like refugees for 25 days. The actual journey they take, takes place in reverse from home to detention centre and so forth backwards to the point of origin of the refugees flight. During this process, the participants have no access to their

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-67112036120812975972011-06-19T21:39:00.000+10:002011-06-19T21:39:14.536+10:00

With work has come the need to wear makeup again. Which is fine in itself but I have terribly sensitive skin and have not been able to find something eco, toxic free that suits my skin. So I've been following a sort of no poo method for skin (ie just washing my skin with water and not using moisturiser). It's worked reasonably well but could not remove my Inika mineral foundation powder. So my

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-4493036614903917772011-06-18T16:08:00.000+10:002011-06-18T16:08:11.748+10:00

Do you ever just have weeks that are topsy turvy?? That's been my week LOL. I started my new job this week and as luck would have it, it fell on a week Mr B was away for work. But Little B and I muddled through working out a new rhythm for preschool drop off (I only work when he is at kindy). So this Saturday I'm grateful for... * lovely bosses - what can I say, my boss is ace!! She's nice,

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-40816301309631540782011-06-14T20:08:00.001+10:002011-06-14T20:09:12.092+10:00

when she is finally allowed out of bed?? Plant fruit trees of course. With my bed rest over and only a few aches and pains left over from my hospital test, I simply couldnt resist the sunshine :-) Mr B and his trusty post hole digger dug me my required holes and so I planted away. We now have a dwarf black cherry, an almond tree and a Mariposa plum tree added to our mini orchard. I just need to

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-76869787560543619742011-06-11T14:42:00.000+10:002011-06-11T14:42:37.168+10:00

I spent most of yesterday in hospital having amongst other things a lumbar puncture. I have to say if you ever need a lumbar puncture, dont be scared or frightened by all the bad press. Does it hurt? Yes and mine took 4 goes BUT I think having a baby hurt more LOL. With another 24 hours of bed rest ahead of me, this Saturday I'm grateful for: * coffee & red rock chips - caffeine? check. sodium?

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-73975287407069613122011-06-09T15:16:00.000+10:002011-06-09T15:16:51.053+10:00

 Picture courtesy of www.saidonline.com I had my first cup of coffee today at the ripe old age of 33 :-) And....it was actually quite nice!! I've never felt the urge to drink tea or coffee, though prior to going dairy free, I have always been partial to a nice cup of hot chocolate. But I have to drink coffee prior to a procedure in hospital tomorrow, after it and the day after it. I cant stand

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-42257895850142753242011-06-07T09:16:00.001+10:002011-06-07T09:17:25.433+10:00

You know there is something quite cathartic and freeing about getting rid of all your possessions. Reading blogs like Miss Minimalist, you can see that living minimally can be really positive. The hardest things I’ve had to let go (in no particular order): my wedding dress, some flamenco dance shoes made for me in Spain, a couple of paintings which had sentimental value. I will admit to having

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-59316913300785793082011-06-04T11:51:00.000+10:002011-06-04T11:51:40.182+10:00

It's been a long week away from home. Not far enough to be a holiday or mini break, but too far to make it easy getting back and forth to local stuff like kindy (took us 1.5 hours each way on public transport last Wed). So this Saturday I'm grateful for... * great music – I am so in love with this CD right now. And the good news is Seeker Lover Keeper are coming to play near me soon – I hope to

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-15950078040539046252011-05-31T12:25:00.000+10:002011-05-31T12:25:19.097+10:00

Granny B has jumped on the renovating train and is currently having her old kitchen ripped out and replaced with a new one. So we have moved out into a serviced apartment for the week...which means no internet. So I'm making do with dropping into the library today while Little B is at kindy and having a surf LOL. It's actually nice living in an apartment for a few days. It's nice and small,

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-21660643903121852192011-05-27T06:00:00.000+10:002011-05-27T06:00:03.629+10:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Inspired by soulemama  Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-45677885399044189212011-05-26T06:00:00.003+10:002011-05-26T06:00:00.179+10:00

After his last preschool bug, Little B has been decidedly off his food. Apparently air and pureed fruit icypoles are food groups of their own :-) So today we decided to go retro and make.....pumpkin scones!! I actually found these great to make. And not only did pumpkin go in but the night before I made a swede and brussel sprout puree with a touch of potato to make it white. So this was added

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-5333328818401817862011-05-25T06:00:00.000+10:002011-05-25T06:00:01.242+10:00

I recently read Healthy Home, Healthy Family by Nicole Bijilsma as it gives some great tips on things to look for for when buying/renting a house. Admittedly I was focussed on mold but she also covers electromagnetic fields (EMF's), dust mites, mold, pesticides, building materials and so forth. Now until I read this book, I didnt know too much about EMF's. I'd seen some interesting posts on Sarah

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-68812621176788840662011-05-23T06:00:00.000+10:002011-05-23T06:00:00.445+10:00

I've been patiently waiting for our apple trees to lose their leaves, as I'm mad keen to transplant them to a different part of the garden. Our neighbours trees have grown since we planted them and they just dont get enough sun. Our pear trees have already lost their leaves, so how are the apple trees going... Hmm I guess I'll just have to stretch my patience just that little bit longer LOL. In

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-15187309575316922012011-05-20T06:00:00.000+10:002011-05-20T06:00:01.328+10:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Inspired by soulemama  

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-39042852136660517022011-05-18T16:15:00.000+10:002011-05-18T16:15:57.153+10:00

6 weeks, 4 assignments and 4 exams later....I've finally finished my night course with flying colours.  I always knew that I wanted to work locally when Little B went to school next year, and quite by accident found a job recently 5 minutes from home. It was really too good an opportunity to miss. Only catch, I needed to do an industry course to update my skills. My new boss is a fab lady and

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-59927605848145487742011-05-18T06:00:00.004+10:002011-05-18T06:00:01.643+10:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }@font-face { font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } For Maxabella :-) 5 cups water / stock250g red lentilsGarlic **1 swede2 stalks celery diced1 carrot diced6 x brussel sprouts¾ cup green beans, diced1 tsp

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-1722093074056333432011-05-14T15:30:00.000+10:002011-05-14T15:30:45.304+10:00

 Pic courtesy of www.whisty.wordpress.com This has been a weird Saturday full of blue skies, rain clouds, rain and who knows what else...but today I'm grateful for: * gumboots - we've had bucket loads of rain overnight and our world is full of big smoodgie puddles * washing powder - said puddles proved too tempting and Little B thought a full frontal body slide in a muddy puddle was in order *

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-28745127955254952922011-05-10T13:00:00.001+10:002011-05-10T13:01:59.540+10:00

@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } Dragonfly Dance by Freespirit Fabrics at Funky Fabrix  Well house hunting has not turned out how I thought it would go – but then again does life?? :-) In answer to some of your questions, I’ve decided

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-83696002706546910962011-05-09T07:49:00.000+10:002011-05-09T07:49:43.071+10:00

I’ll be the first to say that we are not avid fans of soy. Primarily because Little B is allergic to soy and subsequently so am I. But as our journey of soy allergy has grown, my knowledge and shock at the perils of soy have grown. Both of us bleed internally from soy which is shocking in itself but I find it more shocking about where you find soy in food. Have you every stopped to think what soy

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-43729503105641469952011-05-07T16:55:00.000+10:002011-05-07T16:55:58.607+10:00

It's been a long week, and I'm so happy its finally the weekend. So today I'm grateful for: * hot soup - it's been a cold day and Little B has the latest kindy cold, so garlicky lentil soup with fresh rolls winds hands down :-) * recycled magazines - dropped in to give me something to read as I nurse monkey boy with his fever * crafty goodness from the library - our lovely librarian gave us some

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-15660479559768392542011-05-05T15:12:00.002+10:002011-05-05T15:16:01.118+10:00

I came across the most fabulous book yesterday. Oscar's Lunchbox by Pam Houssenloge is a book written especially for children who have food allergies or intolerances (by a mum who has a child with food allergies and intolerances). Most books you find are targeted at kids with nut allergies and / or anaphylaxis, which doesn’t apply in our situation (not that you’d want a picture book about GI

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-50185273310479422532011-05-02T20:03:00.000+10:002011-05-02T20:03:53.339+10:00

You know I always think there's something wrong when you cant find gumboots in May. I'm told we missed 'the season' to buy gumboots....errmmm isnt the season for gumboots winter?? I know - I'm a crazy woman. But we did have success for rubber gumboots finally. Last year, Target had lots of rubber gumboots as did Cotton On Kids. This year I found some PVC free gumboots online.  And a day wouldnt

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-28934811478603236622011-04-30T17:28:00.000+10:002011-04-30T17:28:38.596+10:00

We have had the best weather in Melbourne this week. Gorgeous sunny mild days :-) So this Saturday I'm grateful for: * sailing boats - boys and their toys on a beautiful sunny afternoon * not living next door - a HUGE tree limb fell into their front yard with an almighty crash - freaky!! * great books - You need to read The Other Life by Ellen Meister - I couldnt put it down. If you like The

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-2541360734839193942011-04-29T06:00:00.000+10:002011-04-29T06:00:01.346+10:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  Inspired by soulemama  

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5914997492706490725.post-19937090251931423132011-04-27T12:57:00.001+10:002011-04-27T15:19:11.790+10:00

Well now that we have seen the back of the current House of B (well almost), Mr B and I have set our sights on the future. We are extremely keen to regroup in a new house and move onwards from the last 14 month challenge . So we have been keeping our finger on the local market and checking out houses along the way. Now comes the dilemma.....our ultimate aim for quite a few years has been to

Mrs Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18275981827041794709noreply@blogger.com4