Tuesday, 20 May 2014

Isn't it Funny

Isn't it funny how as soon as the weather turns from summer to autumn and the weather becomes more variable and cooler, the more the weather becomes a regular part of everyday conversation. Personally I love the summer. I love the warmth, the long pleasant evening temperatures, the fact that you really appreciate the odd smattering of rain. So when the cooler weather arrives and I try and squeeze into last years warm weather clothing I have see to have lost a little of my energy for life and am already looking forward to the arrival of spring in September.



 (photo taken by my 13 year old DD who tells me that her Samsung phone is too old...hmmm)

So I am determined to get a little sunlight while out exercising, getting myself out the door and exercising.  Hope that the little bit of sun I might be exposed to will give me lot of positive endorphins.

Mondays Menu 19 May

This weeks menu is designed for a busy winter sport family.  I know that Tuesdays will not change because of the time challenges we have after school.

So here we go


Monday  marinated steak with baked potato and green vege.

Tuesday  beef crockpot on rice

Wednesday  sweet and sour chicken on noodles

Thursday  meatballs and spaghetti with green salad

Friday  Pumkin Soup with homemade bread.

Saturday  pesto and haloumi pasta salad

Sunday   leftovers

I am linking this to I'm an Organising Junkie.

Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Wordless Wednesday 7 May

Just feeling a little blue in my house so I took this selfie.



Feeling much better now.

I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

Tuesday, 6 May 2014

It is all about colour

It really is about perception of space when it comes to paint and indoor space.  While I am no expert when it comes to colour and design but as my house is under going a complete colour change.  A previous owner had painted feature walls with heavy bold colours.  Black walls with heavy black curtains....lets not forget the canary yellow family room.  Yes every wall canary yellow.  In fact every room in the house had a feature wall equally bold as the black.  Each room had black curtains.  I had always joked that a colour blind person had last painted our house.

I had always thought that living where we do, in the countryside that the colour canvas should be from outside the windows.  You know, the green grass and barren trees in the winter and in the summer the browning grass, green trees and flowers.

So we are painting neutral walls and boy does the outside really come into us now.  The curtains are still to be replaced but I can't wait.

So you can see what I am talking about here is the blue feature room in my daughters room (couldn't find the right photo to show the black walls).  We just emptied her room on Monday.



Here are the cathedral ceilings that are the feature in half the house.  Each beam was sanded primed a number of times and then top coated twice.  My husband did a great job of that.



Of course the final colour is  as you can see. 




Colour has made just the most incredible difference in our house.  I will try and write more about it we finish dressing all the rooms.

Monday, 5 May 2014

Mondays Menu 5 May

My blog has had a break while we have been trying to finish the painting of the inside of our house.

So here, now that school is back in for term two, is this weeks menu.

Monday  steak and kidney crockpot

Tuesday  bacon and egg pie with baked potato and steamed vege

Wednesday  beef creamy coconut stir fry 

Thursday   chicken wraps

Friday  curried pumpkin and bacon soup with homemade bread.

Saturday  homemade hamburgers 

Sunday leftovers




(with it being Monday evening here I took a photo of my crockpot in action.)


I am linking this post to I'm an Organising Junkie



Friday, 18 April 2014

Fridays Fabulous 5 #54



Another week of links.  So lets get started.

There you have it for this week.

Did I really live there?

It is hard to believe that from 2000 until 2006 we lived in Brunei.  This is not a postcard. 




This photo was taken by us, looking out from The Empire Hotel, Brunei.  A 5 star (could be 6 star but does not serve alcohol) resort sitting on the shore of the South East China Sea.  Every  Sunday we would visit the water park here with our friends the Allcocks and spend the day.  Sometimes we would dress up and go out for a very posh dinner.  This sure was a western style treat in Brunei.  We loved every moment of our time there.  Sometimes I just have to pinch myself to help me remember that this was our reality back then. 

 (credits here)

Memories like this deserve to be part of an album.  So I thought I would slowly try and work my way through the photos I have and finally get this done.



Wednesday, 16 April 2014

Wordless Wednesday 16 April.

Today I felt like having a play with my Photoshop filters so here is the product of playing. 

This is just a small selection of colouring in things that Hayden likes to keep in a box.  It is just a pity he is not always in the right 'space' to pick them all up after he has tipped them all out.



I am linking this post to My Little Drummer Boys.

Tuesday, 15 April 2014

Mondays Menu 14 April

The last week of the school term.  Quick and easy is the key for this week.

Monday......stir fry chicken

Tuesday  spaghetti bolognaise

Wednesday  sausage with gravy, potato and salad

Thursday wraps homemade style.

Friday  Japanese chicken on rice

Saturday  Homemade Hamburgers

Sunday  leftovers

I am linking this post to I'm an Organising Junkie.


Reflecting on Happiness

I have been working hard to finish projects I start.  So naturally I Was very excitedwhen another of my notebooks arrived back from the printers.  It gives me a tangible something to reflect on and move on from.  Teamed up with some great music and I will have moments of relection....empowerment too I hope.

Here my book is in a prime spot in house, resting on a book stand I bought when we lived in Brunei.





 Now just to sit on that comfy chair with my book.