Grateful #23 – What are you thankful for this week?

Sometimes being unwell is just the remedy you need, you know? It forces you to slow right down, look after your body, listen to the early bed call, and take the time (or make the time) to rest, instead of rushing around madly. And even though you feel utterly wretched, sleep and love and tea mean that you’re stronger and better able to climb back on top of daily tasks when it all passes on.

With that in mind, this week I’m grateful for:

Hand sewing. At the beginning of the week when I felt broken and stuffed up and in need of at least ten years of sleep all in a row, I started on a small, lovely project for the doting Grandmothers for Christmas. All propped up and comfy on the couch, with water, endless boxes of tissues, and a life-saving movie on for the babes, I began to embroider - what a relaxing, wonderful skill! All those small, neat stitches, a simple design, and the makings of a (hopefully!) treasured present.

But the sweetest part? Judah climbing in and snuggling under the covers with me,  and measuring his hands against the embroidered pattern, just in case he’d grown while I was stitching…

Renovating. Ok, it’s not my real house – but a simply-designed wooden dollhouse I found on Ebay for an absolute bargain, and started working on this week in preparation for Lou for Christmas. I’ve been having a ball painting and planning and researching (you’d be surprised how many people take the redecoration of a dollhouse very seriously), but I’m keeping it simple: a lick of paint, some new upholstery on the wooden furniture and bedding (plastic-y pink fabric is out!), and a change of clothes for the peg-like dolls. Lou has a real love for small, pocket-sized things, and I’m bursting at the thought of her playing with this lovingly restored treasure on Christmas day.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your grateful post back to the very clever Maxabella Loves, or write your grateful list in the comments section below x

Grateful #22: What are you thankful for this week?

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.

But in amongst some out-of-this-world temper tantrums (toddlers – sheesh!), was the loveliest, food and wine filled holiday spent in the company of the most wonderful people. It’s given me so much to be grateful for this week, including….

The comfort and contentment of home. We had the most delicious time away, and absolutely loved exploring and spending time with our beautiful family in Adelaide. But how nice is it to come home to familiar spaces, well loved things (and to a beloved husband who was lonely without two rambunctious children)?

We arrived home late, on a warm, clear night, and as soon as the bags were inside, I crawled into our bed with the smile of a happy traveller. In the morning, I couldn’t help but marvel at the growth in the garden (our tomatoes and snow peas are in bloom!), and even allowed Ella, our stinky mastiff, to lie smiling on my feet.

I baked, drunk tea, and pottered; did loads of laundry and watched a snake wind its way around a tree in the garden. I took up my needle and began to sew.

I like travelling, but I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m a homebody at heart; and it made me even more grateful for our patch of the world, and all the love and life it contains.

Lyra. The littlest and loveliest of our family turned two a couple of days ago – Lyra (or Lou) spent the day in a sea of colourful balloons and pink wrapping paper, talked loudly, giggled and squealed, ate dreamy vanilla cakes with chocolate butterflies perched on top, drew all over her legs and face with new felt-tip pens, and was loved up by lots of people who think she’s just the bees knees (Judah, on the other hand was so distraught that it wasn’t his birthday that he spent most of the day crying, and/or stamping his feet with the injustice of it all; which is actually pretty funny).

But our sweet Lyra-Lou – goodness, I love her. She wakes with a smile on her face every morning, charms the socks off anyone who meets her, and is just the loveliest, most delightful little person. I spend all day thinking about how very, very fortunate we are to have this precious girl as our own, and how much light and love she’s given us in the two short, blink-of-an-eye years that she’s been here. And that she’s my child: my heart almost bursts with gratitude.

How about you? What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your grateful post back to Maxabella Loves, or write your grateful list in the comments section below x

Grateful #21: What are you thankful for today?

What a week!

My fingers are sore from so much hand sewing, but today I very proudly reached my market stock quota; which is a first, and pretty darn exciting! It means that all that careful planning has finally paid off, that I’m somehow staying motivated, and that I’m working consistently. Anyone who is self-employed will know how hard that is to do at times! My nook is alive with colour and material and bright spools of cotton thread, and I’m sketching new ideas and small things to try almost daily. It’s the most delicious thing, to be in a creative surge…

And aside from being very grateful and quietly chuffed with my new found creativity, this week I’m very grateful for:

Bananas. I’m not sure how the banana situation is in the southern states, but ever since the beginning of the year, Queensland bananas have been madly expensive, and for us, way, way too costly to buy.

So, as I’m driving home one afternoon, I see that our local fruit and veg shop started selling their ladyfinger bananas at $3.99 a kilo. I almost squealed, and very nearly had an accident in my haste to get there and bag up. They were tiny and green and in gorgeous bunches; and lucky us! We’ve all been wallowing in banana-ry-goodness this week. As silly as it sounds, I’m so grateful for the chance to eat one of my favourite fruits, whenever I like without worrying about the price. And sliced banana on fresh buttered toast is the best and most delicious start to the day.

Power-naps. I had a power nap for the first time yesterday. Set my alarm for 20 minutes, crawled into bed absolutely exhausted, and promptly fell asleep. And even though I did get a crazy fright when the alarm sounded, I jumped out of bed, and got back to work, feeling a bit dazed but refreshed none-the-less.

Questions. So, we’re firmly in the ‘but why, Mum?’ phase with Judah, who asks a million questions about every random thing that we see, hear, taste or do during the day. I’m getting better at answering his queries, but I do catch myself saying, ‘because that’s just the way it is,’ – after we’ve been harping on the same topic for what seems like hours and hours. He doesn’t seem to mind; it opens up another topic to ask hundreds of questions about. Lou’s jumped on the bandwagon, and has begun asking her own ‘why’ questions – but quickly loses interest and seems to like the way that why sounds when it’s said, more than the information that follows it.

I am so liking this new phase in their development, and I’m enjoying being a mini font of knowledge (even if some things are made up).

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Grateful? Want to join in too?

Kim and I are heading up the coast to prep for Mamma's market in the morning, so this post is scheduled. But if you visit the gorgeous Maxabella loves after around 9pm tonight, you'll be able to follow where to leave your grateful linky.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Grateful #20 – What are you thankful for today?

It’s a grey day in Brisbane this morning, and the rain is soaking in and softening our soil again – just in time for a new spurt of vegetable planting that I was hoping to do sometime next week. Our poor veg garden has been a wee bit neglected of late – the weeds are in competition (and seem to be winning), and Ella, our sad-faced mastiff, has taken to burying her bones in the root vegetable patch (and heavens, do they stink!).

But the weather is warming, and I’m starting to think of summer salads, leafy greens, trellis-covered snow peas, and a carpet of cheerful bee attracting flowers. And maybe even some citrus and a small apple tree.

So with gardens on my mind, this week I’m grateful for:

The promise of Spring. Even though I loved winter this year, and revelled in the feasting, sharing, and comforting goodness of it all, I’ve been feeling a bit grey, and unconsciously looking out for signs of a warmer change.

Our house backs onto a steep incline, a bubbling, story-book type creek, and the local golf course, and in the first blush of spring, the trees in this wild ravine become covered in a strange kind of pure white, mock orange flower. The scent is amazing – especially first thing in the morning; and this week, I noticed that the tall gums and smaller shrubs in our pretty bit of wilderness are absolutely covered in it.

A small dance of joy for the beginning of spring in our pocket of the world.

A morning play. The last few mornings, I’ve let the kids play outside in their pyjamas, a little after 7am. With a million things to do first thing in the morning, and two very active toddlers wanting something fun to do RIGHT NOW, this seemed like the most sensible solution. Yes, pyjamas got covered in dirt (and mud after one rainy night), the dog’s dry biscuits got eaten by Lou (ick!), and socks got buried in random holes, but they were content in exploring their early morning backyard, which was cool and fresh and alive with the sound of birds (And inside, I was more than grateful for the space to tick a few tasks off my daily to-do list!).

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Linking up with the wonderful Maxabella– and you can too! Post your Grateful list here, or write it in the comments section below. Have a wonderful weekend!

Grateful #18 – What are you thankful for today?

I would, you know; I'm just that kinda girl. Image from here.

Anyone that knows us, knows that Kim and I are food lovin’ gals. We talk about food a lot, bake weekly, try out and share new recipes, dream about banoffie pies, mellow pear filled tarts, and heart-starting curries. Our beautiful extended family are foodies too, thank goodness! – and they share our love of delicious things, and talk, bake and swap recipes just as enthusiastically.

And have you noticed? There’s a joy that comes with cooking and sharing food with people you love – it wraps the whole experience up in warmth and togetherness.

So because food plays such an important part of our lives, this week I’m very grateful for:

A full fridge. Pretty simple, I know; but how lucky are we to always have a full fridge, stuffed with lots of fresh food? It’s something I take for granted a lot – being able to buy what I need, to feed my children, to cook whatever I like for my family – but it’s given me a reason to pause this week and appreciate the fact that we have everything we need. So very grateful.

Family recipes. We have a small collection of recipes, handwritten by my Grandma, who was the most amazing cook. I can still remember the curry-spice smell of her small kitchen, the way that she would hum made-up songs while cooking, and the instinctive way that she added ingredients to her cooking. She cooked with love and with a generous heart.

Kim and I decoded* her recipes a couple of years ago and incorporated them into a family recipe book, along with nearly one hundred of the best-loved and most delicious recipes from all the girls (and some of the cooking lads) in our family. It’s a lovely treasury – filled with deliciously good and patiently tried and tested recipes, some passed down over generations, others picked up along the way and turned into family favourites. Because I cook from this recipe book a lot, it reminds me often of what a legacy cooking can sometimes be; flavours and tastes transcending time and country, recipes followed to the letter decades before, now passed down to a new generation of family cooks, eager to taste the life that their great aunts and grandparents lived before. Our recipe book is an eclectic mix of traditional Indian and modern day everything; and this week I’m trying out my Aunty Jean’s lamb garam masala, because I’m craving a wee bit of spice in my life.

The loveliness of eating good food with loved friends. I made an Italian beef ragu and invited some of our dear friends around during the week to try it out. Admittedly, it wasn’t the best dish I’d ever made, and could have done with another couple of hours in the slow cooker, but the company was lovely, wine glasses and bottles littered the table (on a school night!), the beef tender, and saucy plates were mopped up with good garlicky bread. The kids stayed up until they were delirious with sleeplessness, and we laughed, chatted and ate in front of a roaring fire. I love the way that food draws people together, don’t you?

What are you thankful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Grateful’s are being hosted this week by the lovely Beth at BabyMac – you should join in too! Link your list to her Grateful post here, or write your Grateful list in the comments section below.

* If you’ve got recipes that have been passed down to you, you may know what I mean. Spidery handwriting, abbreviations, measurements like, ‘a dash,’ or ‘a vis’ and sometimes no measurements at all, trusting that the reader will know by heart how much to add in.

Grateful #17 – What are you thankful for today?

It’s a rainy, cool morning here in Brisbane. Warm corners of the house are inviting us to read stories and watch cartoons, last night's fire is still crackling in the grate, and small feet are running about in woollen socks with blankets rescued from the ends of beds. I’m doing some last minute sewing, but dreaming of knitting with soft mohair wool, even though I’ve never knit a stitch (is that the right phrase?) in my life. Perhaps this winter is the time to start?

I’m feeling light in my heart this week; and in amongst the bustle of our house, I’ve stopped this morning to be grateful for:

Birthdays. How lovely is the whole concept of having a birthday? A day that’s entirely yours - where lots of lovely people remember and celebrate the fact that you’re here (and they’re so glad that you are). A day that sees you being loved, and treasured, and maybe even pampered and spoilt; a day in which you’re fed delicious, decadent things, given thoughtful presents, and where you’re able to spend hours in the company of people you love. Birthdays mean doing things your way; perhaps even relaxing or abandoning the daily rules. For grown ups, it could mean a lie-in, a coffee in bed, or a kid-made breakfast with random flowers from the garden. For children, it’s a heaven-on-earth scenario, where all the big people in your world lavishing lots of attention and love. And cake (Chocolate too is allowed, and special treats encouraged. And everyone is made to be nice as pie all day). Birthdays mean a whole year wiser, lots of lessons learnt - maybe the hard way - and a whole brand-new-shiny year just brimming with opportunity.

It’s not my birthday, just in case you’re wondering; but I’m grateful for the opportunity and reminder to celebrate the lives of the people we love so dearly.

Bees, butterflies and birds. I know - strange thing to be grateful for, right? But I’ve started to slowly plant out the vege garden with bee and bird attracting plants to help with pollination over spring and summer, after an unproductive season last year. I’m learning so much about the garden as I go along; how nature is very clever at helping things work together in harmony, how one thing often relies on something else to help it grow, and the creative role that bees and birds play in a sustainable garden.

Over autumn, I hand pollinated all of our pumpkins to help them grow, after realising that absolutely no bees came to our patch. In the new-morning light, I’d be out in the garden watching the bright yellow buds unfurl from their sleep, paintbrush at the ready, lifting leaves and stalks to find the male and female flowers. But all the while, thinking in my head how ridiculous it was, and how I really had to do something about helping nature help itself.  So, with a bit of prep, I’m hoping for a wildlife influx over the warmer months, and a garden brimming with sweet smelling flowers and happily (or naturally) pollinated vegetables.

As a side note, so proud of my winter vege bed, just blooming with beetroot, carrots, onions, rosemary and leek….

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Linking up with the delightful Maxabella Loves – and you can too! Add your grateful post to her linky list here, or write your gratefuls in the comments section below x

Grateful #16 – What are you thankful for today?

I’m a bit late with my grateful post this week – we’ve been out and about enjoying the wonderful weather and the company of much-loved family and friends. I do love a busy, fun weekend; but I’m so looking forward to a quiet afternoon at home with the wee ones. I’ve got a date with the couch, the Sunday papers, and a hot cup of tea…

This week I’m grateful for:

Confidence. I admit it: I still find it tricky getting out of the house on time. And there are also many, many days where simplest tasks take so long to do, days where nothing seems to work, weeks where tantrums rule, and rare days which see me as a super-mama, with absolutely everything under control.

I’ve thought a lot about parenting this week; perhaps it’s a nostalgic thing with my eldest turning three soon, but I’ve been remembering me as a brand new mama, so unsure of what I was doing, wandering through this amazing new experience with my heart in my mouth, hoping and praying that I was doing a good job.

I look at where I am now - such a short space of time! and I’m so, so grateful for all the confidence I’ve gathered up along the way; how I’ve somehow managed to become so much better at multi-tasking and making everything work together harmoniously, and how much fun we’ve had just giving things a go – whether they be fraught with temper tantrums or not. Thank goodness for confidence.

The loveliness of the winter sun. Yesterday, the kids and I spent the morning at the beach with our cousins and my lovely sister, Kim. The wind had an icy chill that whipped at our hair and smarted our noses and cheeks, but when warmer semi-sheltered spot was found, bliss! We sipped at steaming takeaway cups of coffee, and laughed at the determination of the kids, who ignored the bitey cold and played like it was the middle of summer. I couldn’t help but be grateful for small moments spent with people we love so much, and the spontaneity of an early morning winter play in the sun.

Spaghetti faces and cheesy grins. Is there anything better?

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play? Link your grateful post back to the lovely Maxabella, or write your grateful list in the comments section below.

Grateful #15 - What are you thankful for today?

I’m really loving winter this year; all those crisp, clear-sky mornings, icy fingers and toes thawing out in hot baths, endless cups of tea, and a (flimsy) excuse to bake deliciously hearty dinners and belly-warming desserts.

I think winter is a time of reflection for me as well; is it for you too? I’ve been thinking all week about how fortunate we are, how we’re surrounded in love and care, have the most wonderful family and friends, and have a world of opportunity at our feet. I just love that path that we’re on at the moment.

And in particular, this week I’m very grateful for:

Home-grown loveliness. This week, we were all about pumpkin and herbs. Having pulled an enormous pumpkin from the garden a couple of weeks ago, it was time to use it – so I happily set to baking and making! First up, two batches of awesome pumpkin, parmesan, chive and bacon muffins (so good with garlic and chive cream cheese), which was lovely for snacks and rush-out-the-door breakfasts. Then a massive pumpkin and spinach lasagne, with layers of potato, ricotta and steamed chicken thrown in for good measure. I was so proud of our pumpkin effort, and that this one nurtured vegetable had fed our family all week. It gave me a renewed energy towards our sustainable garden, and how wonderful it’ll be in summer when things are really bursting and blooming with goodness.

Sisters. I’m always, always grateful for my lovely sister; but sometimes I see her in a whole new way and I can’t help but be amazed at her all over again. This week, I admire her for her patience, as she quietly and steadily works towards her dreams and goals. And I can’t wait for all of those wonderful long-cherished wishes to begin unfolding in her life.

‘What’s that?’ I spent a few moments every day this week sitting still, while my Lou pointed at various things and asked Whas that? - waiting only a second for me to respond before finding something else to ask about. All those new words! I’ve noticed that the 'whas that' game seems to have unlocked her understanding of language, and has allowed her to speak in more complete sentences – which is so wonderful! Admittedly, some of her sentences are parts of random words sandwiched together, but it’s still lovely to listen to. I’m also aware that it won’t be long before she’s speaking beautifully, so I’m enjoying her sweet baby language while it lasts.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Join in! We’re linking up with the delightful Maxabella Loves – you can add your link to her Grateful post, or write your grateful list in the comments section below.

Grateful #14 - What are you thankful for today?

Happy weekend, lovely readers!

I’ve always been a big fan of getting things done around the house. We’ve got a list as long as my arm of things that we’re keen to do to our airy, light-filled home, but we’re realistic – some of our must-haves may never happen; others may take ten years to complete. I’m ok with that.

I’ve wished big wishes for a studio space here, and quite frequently lapse into crazy daydreams about building something wonderful in our leafy backyard. And even while my imagination goes haywire, I’m aware that my musings are not really about a fancy-shmancy space; it’s more about having a room that belongs to me - where my books are safe (from babes who have taken to sneakily ripping random pages), and where I can work on and leave out whatever project I happen to be doing, without the threat of inquisitive sticky fingers wanting a look too. A place where carefully cut material will stay exactly where I left it, bobbins won’t disappear, and pins don’t have to be monitored. A quiet place, with a door to close, and lots of light.

(Oh dear. Even as I’m writing this, I feel horribly selfish for all the mine, mine, mine! connotations in the previous paragraphs… but, creatively minded or not, I’m sure you know what I mean)

So, with all of that in mind, this week, I’m very, very grateful for:

My lovely new sewing space.  It started with a fold-up table I found in the shed, and the realisation that we actually had space in our bedroom for a sewing nook. Oh happy day! I eagerly scrubbed down the table, moved all of my bits and pieces into the bedroom, and set up right in front of the bright bay window, overlooking the vege garden and the street. I’ve been sewing in there daily, and it’s such a treat! A closed door to keep everything safe, and a cheerfully lit corner with a lovely, leafy view.

And then, Dave, partner-carpenter extraordinaire, found a bench top in the magic shed that he’d saved from a dismantled kitchen, and he spent an afternoon sanding it back to brand new honey-coloured wood. It’s going to be stained, sealed, legged and fitted to my bay window spot to make a semi-permanent sewing space.

I’m so happy; can you tell? And so grateful for a small space that’s all my own in the busyness and bustle of our family home. It’s my little, neat, organised piece of handmade heaven.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Linking up with the wonderful Maxabella Loves – and you can too! Link your grateful post here, or write your grateful list in the comments section below.

Grateful #13 - What are you thankful for today?

I remember my beloved grandmother saying, a very long time ago, that life goes by in the blink of an eye once you’re an adult, and to never wish your young days away. At the time, I was in my early teens and impatient for the idea of what being a grown-up really meant; and I wished with all my might for a decade to hurry up and pass, so I could do all the wonderful things I’d been dreaming of.

My Grandmother, Renee, as a young mother in India

I’ve been remembering my grandmother a lot lately; small, wise, softly spoken woman that she was. And she was right – as she usually was – time does slip away from you when you’re a grown up; weeks turn into busy months, and months tumble into years, and things happen faster than you could ever imagine.

With that in mind, this week I’m grateful for:

Timeless-ness. I’ve had to explain to the kids quite a lot lately about doing things ‘tomorrow’ or ‘next week’ or ‘another time.’ It’s still such a tricky concept for them to grasp, because everything is NOW! or in an hour, and the prospect of waiting, even a day, is often met with wails of disapproval.

But goodness, I like their idea of ‘right now’ - it’s so wonderfully spontaneous, and it sometimes makes me wonderfully spontaneous too.

Old fashioned advice. How wonderful is it to be given a good piece of advice?

(Alright, I freely admit that I’m not always 100% receptive to it; but when it’s relevant, done with kindness and in the spirit of genuine sharing, I do love and welcome it)

My Grandma was very good at advising in the gentlest, most considerate way, and it’s something that I’d like to emulate in my own life. Sometimes, I manage quite well; other times I’m so far off and rambling and should just keep my random pieces of advice to myself, thank-you-very-much. But in spite of my bumbling advisory tactics, I’m so grateful for the small tidbits of advice I’m personally given on a week to week basis, from trusted friends, family, chance-met strangers, my partner and even my children (who know all about everything and anything), because most of the time, it’s done in love and given in kindness, which really is a wonderful thing.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your grateful post to the delightful Maxabella Loves, or write your list in the comments section below x

Grateful #12 – What are you thankful for today?

Welcome to winter, Brisbane!

This week has been frosty, and it’s all anyone can talk about. I’m so sure that every winter is the same, but I seem to have winter amnesia every year, and never remember the teeth-chattering, frosty breath, scarf wearing cold until it actually really is.

The good thing about real winter weather is that it brings lots of sweet snuggly cuddles, steaming mugs of sweet milky tea, and comforting layers of blankets, doonas and warm flannelette sheets. This year, we’ve also become a family of porridge eaters; we even ate it for dinner tonight because it’s so deliciously nourishing.

So, aside from winter weather and honey-laden porridge, this week I’m grateful for:

Friends who love food, cooking, eating, and sharing just as much as I do. This weekend, we have lots of lovely friends coming over for a wintery afternoon BBQ to welcome a pair of sorely-missed nomadic travellers home.

I’ve been seriously dreaming about this feast for nearly two weeks, and this is why -

Imagine: A big open bonfire outside, fireplace lit and roaring inside; marshmallows for toasting on found twigs, a wild boar roasting deliciously on a spit, lovely spiced mulled wine, cheese wheels for nibbling, rich gravies and warm bread, lots of hearty winter salads, baked potatoes roasted on the bonfire coals and topped with lashings of sour cream and bacon, decadent self-saucing puddings, and sweet syrupy cakes.

It’s absolutely my idea of foodie heaven. And that we get to share it with the people we love most in the world – well, it makes it all the more delicious.

Young Flaubert, looking dapper and important. Image from here.

Madame Bovary, and French writer/wonder, Gustave Flaubert. I’ve had a rollicking good time re-reading my absolute favourite book this week. Beautiful Madame Bovary (Emma) is spoilt, absolutely self-centred and self-absorbed, in love with the idea of love, and bored to distraction with her neat little life, married to a bumbling doctor in a small country town. She’s the perfect 19^th century anti-heroine, who cures boredom and emptiness with obsessive, suffocating affairs, smothering her lovers with a careful mix of helpless heroine in need of rescuing, and a va-va-va-vooom! bombshell act which leaves them coming back for more (well, for a while anyway). There’s also a very long drawn out (and quite amusing) death scene right at the end - it's wonderful.

I just love this book; and I'm so grateful for a great bedtime read.

Independence. I stopped dragging my feet, and began toilet training my nearly-three-year-old this week – and it’s all gone so smoothly that I’m left with very little mop-ups and a very proud heart. I love Judah’s new found toileting independence, and I love watching him strut around post-toilet, pleased as punch, knowing he’s doing such a good job. I've even overheard him telling his little sister, 'I did it all by myself!' which is just the loveliest thing to hear.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Linking up with the lovely Maxabella – and you can too! Link your grateful post up with hers here, or write your grateful list in the comments section below x

Grateful #11 – What are you thankful for today?

And look! We’re in June already! This week has been a blur of things and stuff and to-do’s being ticked off, but in amidst of all the chaos, this week I was grateful for:

The loveliness of cooking something brand new. I often get into a little rut regarding cooking, and tend to make the same easy things over and over again when I’m short on time. But lately, I’ve been making an effort to try a new recipe a week, and it’s been quite nice making simple, hearty dishes into new family favourites.

This week we tried a delish roasted pumpkin, green bean and feta salad with lovely marinated lamb steaks, and a chicken and spinach potato bake, with a creamy bacon and mushroom sauce. And while it’s nothing fancy, it’s a tasty change from the usual suspects.

Pigtails and Plaits. One sunny, summer afternoon a long, long time ago, my very patient Grandmother taught me how to braid my dolls hair, as we sat together on her bed, silent but enjoying being together. It’s been such a long time since I thought about that memory; but it was the first thing that came to mind as I plaited my little daughter’s hair for the first time this week. It made me grateful for the simple skills that are passed down from generation to generation, and the sweetness of the memories associated with their learning.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Join in! Link your Grateful post back to the lovely Maxabella Loves, or write your grateful list in the comment section below x

Image from here.

Grateful #10: What are you thankful for today?

We all lead such busy lives; I’m guilty of breezing through the day, barely stopping, slurping tea on my way to the next task, shooing the kids away from whatever project I’m working on that day. I’m guilty of not stopping to appreciate anything, and being wrapped up in my own busyness.

So, this week, I’m grateful for:

Small moments of loveliness. This week, I made a point of stopping; and it was based on a blog post I read by the lovely Gill at Alice Becomes.

Gill wrote a post last week about wanting to live in the moment, and how she decided to stop at 7:14pm one night to be present, still and grateful. And it really resonated with me – because I don’t do it nearly enough, and wish I did it a whole lot more.

So this week, I stopped.

A lot.

I stopped to listen to my children chatter to eachother during the day. I fell in love with the fact that they fall all over eachother every morning after a big sleep, and hug like they’re long lost friends, returning from an adventure. I paid attention when they read stories together, when they held hands out to the car, or danced together to new music, Lou stamping her feet off-beat to the rhythm, Judah strumming his three-stringed guitar.

I wallowed in the gorgeous smell of roasted apple and blueberry muffins, hot out of the oven; the extra sweetness of marshmallows in hot chocolate; fresh cut lavender and snapdragons in a vase in our kitchen, straight from the garden.

I lounged like a cat in the sunny spots, and found lots of excuses to be outside. One afternoon, I planted onions, leeks, carrots, beets, sage, coriander, a chilli tree, and a honey-bee attracting grevillea; I stopped to appreciate the warmth of the sun as it broke the chill of the wind, and the loamy damp smell of fresh turned earth.

I stopped to appreciate the stillness of the house late at night, my feet in new woolly sock, the soft glow of the lamp over my sewing machine. And I watched our sad-faced dog dream, legs jerking, yapping a sleepy bark which made me think she was on the chase.

So thank you, Gill – I’m so grateful for your blog post, because I had the loveliest week following your lead.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Link your Grateful post back to the addictive-reading Maxabella Loves, or write your grateful list in the comments section below. You can also follow and comment on Gill and Nic’s 7:14pm project here x

Image from here. I’m the queen of post-it notes for reminders…

Grateful #9: What are you thankful for today?

It’s been all sewing systems go here for the last few days, with lots of projects on the go at the same time. I’ve been pulling out my machine once the kids have gone to sleep, and sewing late into the night, with a cup of tea, the warmth of the fireplace, and something lovely for dessert.

What am I sewing? Read on to find out more…

This week I’m grateful for:

Milestones. During the week, my beautiful little second cousin, Mila, turned one. I just love the time around the first birthday; babes are as sweet as sugar, almost walking, chattering away, and loving exploring the world around them.

First birthdays for babies are such an important milestone; yes, it’s a celebration of the first year of their life, an amazingly remarkable year. But it also celebrates the first year that you were a parent (of one, two, three or more); a year of sleepless nights, endless nappies, teething, tumbles. It celebrates first smiles, first teeth, the first laugh, and first steps; and all those nights that you stood silently next to their cot, watching their sweet sleeping face, marvelling at the beauty of this little child that belongs all to you.

It celebrates the year that sees you come into your own as a parent, and honours your confidence, patience, love, tenderness, compassion, gentleness, persistence, and a million other amazing qualities that have flooded your heart since the arrival of this precious babe. It celebrates the fact that your life will never be the same again, which is the most fantastic thing of all.

I was, admittedly, a crying mess on Judah and Lou’s birthdays – not in sadness, but in total gratitude for the lovely little people we’d bought into the world; and we celebrated in a big way to commemorate the wonder of the year that had been.

Today, we’re heading off to Mila’s first birthday party. And to celebrate her special milestone, I’ve been sewing away, attempting a totally handmade box of deliciousness - scalloped bunting to hang in her bedroom, in plums, chocolates and teal; and flying birds to watch from her cot.

There’ll be lots of kids and cake, and a little lady with the sweetest, gentlest nature, at the centre of it all...

What are you grateful for today?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your Grateful post back to the lovely Maxabella, or feel free to write your grateful list in the comments section below x

Grateful #8 - What are you thankful for today?

This week has been really been all about love; and as a result, my grateful list is very sentimental. But isn’t it nice to have weeks like that sometimes? Where the whole world seems to be in a cocoon of care and kindness? 

(This prologue also serves as a kind of warning…)

  

This week I’m very grateful for:

Fireplaces. It’s getting really chilly here at night; so socks and flannel pyjamas to bed, lots of comfy quilts, and hearty winter warming food are a staple in our house. And this week, we added to the winter list by lighting the fire for the first time. The first night we lit it, I’d gone out for a walk with a friend - our whole street was hazy with the smoke from neighbour’s fireplaces. But it was lovely to walk into a warm room after the cold and wind of the night, to a blazing fire, the dog stretched out snoring in front of it, and a hot cup of tea. I just love my fireplace.

Dear friends. It’s been a week of new beginnings – wonderful friends of ours had their first baby, a beautiful, precious, little girl; another couple we love to distraction have just found out that they have to move away – but it’ll be a real family adventure. Kim and Mum, my dearest and most beloved friends of all, have allowed me to explore a secret dream by buying me the most wonderful gift, a tool to help see it come to fruition. Their generosity has set my feet on a new path, a brand shiny-new beginning.

This week has made me sit back and marvel at how blessed we are to have the friendships we do; we’re surrounded by the most wonderful, lovingly kind-hearted people, and we’re so fortunate to be a part of their lives – to be able to share these new beginnings with them. So, very grateful for dear friends.

Print available from Lola's Room on Etsy

Love letters. Because I’ve had such a loved-up week, I started writing little notes and leaving them around the house. Have you ever done that? It’s such a lovely thing to see the people you care about the most know that they’re much-loved and so appreciated. And it’s made me smile to think of little things that I’m so grateful for daily, right under my very own roof.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your list back to the delightful Maxabella Loves, or you can leave your grateful list in the comment section below x



Grateful #7 – What are you thankful for today?

Still blue-sky days, cool, crisp mornings, and socks to bed – what a lovely week!

Today I’m grateful for:

Silence. This week, our youngest managed to smash the television screen. I’m still not exactly sure how she managed it; I ran into the room after the crash/bang to a crying Lou toddling towards me, and Judah, arm outstretched finger pointed towards his little sister in revelation, saying ‘Um-ahhh, Lou-Lou...’

I was relieved that Lou was unharmed, of course; but I was surprised to not be more upset about losing the tele. But, as it’s turned out, it’s been a bit of a blessing in disguise, as it’s enabled us to do lovely things as a family - like pottering about in the garden (and having long discussions about what crops to plant next), making pasta together, and reading five or more stories before bed instead of two. It’s allowed impromptu concerts, more guitar playing, new games, more cuddles, less rush and some very welcome silence.

I don’t think we’ll be hurrying to replace it.

But, in a complete and utter contradiction, this week I’m also grateful for:

Image from here.

The BBC (and their adoption of the period drama genre). Before the death of said television, I’d been watching the most gorgeous BBC series, ‘Lark Rise to Candleford,’ based on the stories and novels of Flora Thompson. It’s full of kind-hearted, wholesome characters, meddling neighbours, beautiful countryside, growing rural hamlets, and sweetly simple lessons on morals and principles.

I’m totally, utterly and hopelessly hooked.

I tucked myself up in bed twice during the week, with a cup of tea and my laptop, and watched until well after midnight while the house slept – bliss! So thank you, BBC, for introducing a new generation to simpler, kinder times, and for bringing my favourite stories to life; it’s the most wonderful form of escapism.

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your list back to the lovely Maxabella, or you can leave your grateful list in the comment section below x

Grateful #6: What are you thankful for today?

Happy weekend!

I was wondering all night, while I was watching the wedding of the century unfold, whether I should blog about it today; I’m sure the internet is in a traffic jam over all things royal wedding.

I will say this: Yes, the dress was lovely, very Grace Kelly-like and beautifully simple. And I’m a total sucker for all that pomp and ceremony associated with major royal events. But the thing I loved the most? It was actually the suggestion of a brand new beginning – not just for Prince William and Katherine, the new Princess of Wales – but a renewed hopefulness towards and connection with the monarchy for the British people. Did you get that too? 

Aside from the loveliness of the wedding, this week I’m grateful for:

Children’s games. I’ve been watching my toddlers closely in the last few weeks – and have been amazed to see them preferring to play with one another, and an increasing fondness for imaginative play. In the last couple of days, they’ve been practicing surfing on our lounge room floor, using the TV guide as a surfboard (and when one falls in the water, the other has to jump off their surfboard and become chief rescuer); they’ve been mountain climbing, using the dining room table and chairs; and just this morning, I caught them both putting an entire collection of matchbox cars to bed, while reading a pretend story.

Banoffie Pie. I’m having a serious love affair with this sweet treat. I’ve even been dreaming about eating it, and then I can’t help but think about eating it all day long. According to Wikipedia, knower of lots of useful (and useless) information, I have to thank English chefs from the Hungry Monk in the 1970’s for its creation – so, good on you, lads. It’s a cracking piece of deliciousness.

 

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Link your list back to the delightful Maxabella Loves, or you can leave your grateful list in the comment section below x

Image from here.



 

What are you grateful for this week?

Grateful #5: What are you thankful for today?

Happy weekend!

It’s a warm and sunny Saturday morning here, and I’m about to head out to play with the little ones. But before I do, this week I’m grateful for:

Forgiveness. I think this is one of the most powerful and amazing things we can do as human beings, don’t you? Forgiveness is born out of love; it means mended hearts, peaceful minds, and new beginnings. I see it most often in the reconciled fights between my toddlers as they embrace one another, easily and readily forgiving pushes, knocked down towers, snatched favourites, and pulled hair (which are the biggest trials in their world to date). I love the whole-hearted way that children forgive one another – it’s definitely something I’ve learnt from this week.

The Internet. I freely admit to having an infatuated love of the internet. In the last hour alone, I’ve found a recipe for potato and parmesan soup and parsley pesto, read half a dozen blogs from all over the world, found out why my pumpkins aren’t growing any bigger, paid a few bills, found a free sewing pattern, and read up on toilet training. Thank goodness that we live in an age of abundant and readily available information.

Imagination. I had a wildly vivid imagination as a kid. And after a brief leave of absence (due to baby/childrearing responsibilities), the vibrant and dramatic parts of my imagination seem to be making a reappearance. I’m having wonderful dreams and allowing room for daydreams, and I think I’m almost ready to pick up all my notes and story plans and leap head-first into a creative writing mindset again. It’s all very exciting!

Hoping your weekend is filled with family, chocolate, warm hot cross buns, love and sneaky Easter bunnies,

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? Lovely Maxabella is on holidays this week, but you can leave your grateful list in the comment section below x

Image from here.

Grateful #3: What are you thankful for today?

There’s a cacophony of cockatoos and lorikeets in the neighbourhood, the sun is warming our living spaces, the kettle is hot, and I’m having honey on toast for breakfast. It’s the weekend, finally! and today I’m grateful for:

Cooler weather. I love summer, and the beautiful, scorching summer sun, but this week I’m grateful for cooler weather, crisp early mornings, pyjamas, hot chocolate with marshmallows, and warming comfort food.

Washing machines. Most of the time, my laundry looks as though a bomb has exploded - even though I wash on a daily basis; some days, it’s seriously all I do.

But just imagine how much harder this task would be if we didn’t have our lovely washing machines: Imagine boiling water, soaking clothes, hand scrubbing with salt and vinegar, hand pressing the water from piles of clothes and linen, and all the hours and hours and hours involved in such a task.

Thank goodness for washing machines.

Image from We Heart It

I love you. Such small, powerful words! This week, our youngest said ‘I love you’ for the first time – right before bed. I thought my heart was going to burst, I was so proud of her; I also wanted her to say it a dozen more times, because the words sounded so sweet, but she refused – she’s a girl who knows her own mind. Just once, and once was more than enough.

What are you grateful for this week?

Nat

Ps. Want to play too? You can join in by linking your Grateful post back to Maxabella Loves, or feel free to write your list in the comments section below.