Water wise?

We hear so often now, how we need to be water wise.

Have short showers, wash your cars over grass, only water your garden at dawn and dusk, buy water wise washers, shower heads

etc etc etc etc etc........

In our house we have

3 kids

2 adults

1 dog,

1 chook, and one huge fish tank

and according to our Energy Australia bill,

our house hold is eligible for 645  L/day to be classified water wise......

Really?

How then are we as a family only using 340 L/day??

I mean, we do try, but there is certainly a lot room for improvement (we don't even have a water tank!). I mean, we have a front loader, we have 'normal' length showers, our kids bath together, but most houses do that.....don't they?

I don't get it.....I've gone back over past bills and whilst we are, as a family doing so much better than we ever were, we were in the past, still under the 645 L/day allowance.......and that's when there was no such thing as water wise!

Where do they get their figures, who comes up with this data??? 

Anyway......I've set us a new challenge now that the figures are in.......next bill we have to beat it!

Do you know your figures? What do you do to keep your water bill down??

Frugal mits!

So if you haven't figured it already,

I'm a big fan of frugality!

I find here at number 32, we either have something that was old, torn, meant for the bin etc, and I try to think of another life for it,

or

we have a problem that needs a solution and we go from there....

 

 Frugality (is that even a word) allows the imagination to run a little free and it's amazing what you can come up with!

So the other day after wash hair night all came to a head!

I said, 'Bib can you dry your hair"

She then went into fits saying how hard it was, how she couldn't hold the towel enough, her hands are too small, how she hates all the knots that come after she tries........

Soooooooo,

this got me thinking, what can I do/make to ease this HUGE dilemma!!

The towel mit!! 

Here's what I did.......

grab an old towel and fold towel in half, using hand as size guide

Cut around for mit shape

Stitch up leaving bottom open, using zigzag stitch (no need to overlock then)

I also added a folded ribbon to be able to hang later

Done! (I made two, one for each hand!)

Now she can dry her hair without so much as a knot, tear or conniption.

Have you made something handy just by being frugal??

Making me smile this week......

Tooth fairy strikes again!

Remaining 2 bunnies no one can bring themselves to eat!

Stooge being my waiter for the day!

Cubbies under the dinning table......hours of fun!

Whats made you smile this week??

Fire pit Fridays x

Fire pit Fridays at number 32 have begun!

(only this week was moved to Tuesday cause it was raining on Friday!) 

This is why I love winter :) FIRES!

I love the smell, rugging up, staring at the flames,

 toasting marshmallows

sharing good times with friends,

watching the kids play and adventure,

and enjoying a quiet beverage.

Love it xx

Is there something about winter you love??



One handed lunch!

Our next door neighbours have just had

identical girl triplets!!!!

Can you imagine??

I only need to think back to how I was bringing home Bib,

let alone 3 of her!

They are so so cute and I know it goes with the name........

but they really are amazingly identical!

(they each have a different coloured nail polish on their toes to make it easier!)

So to help out and lighten the load a little,

I've been cooking up a storm!

Thought I'd share these fantastically easy quiches with you.

I make them a lot these days for lunch boxes,

picnics, parties, and well.......anything in between.....

we love them.

First........you cut a slice of puff pastry into 4 and place them quarter into a pre srayed muffin tin

Second step.....whip up your egg mixture. (I've got egg, cream, zucchini, tomato, corn, bacon, parsley

salt, pepper, capsicum and cheese in this batch)

Third step......scoop your mixture into the prepared puff pastry muffin tin

Forth step..... put into oven until golden brown 



They go well with a salad, are perfect for freezing for another day

and

perfect to eat with one hand when all other are being used!

Enjoy x



Savour sundays x

xx



BIG WEEK!!

Big things happened in our house this week!

1. Our 'big' girl turned 7!

Very exciting!!! (although I'm still trying to figure out where the hell the time went!)

So for Bib's 7th birthday, we decided she should have a room all to herself!

This meant Rouge was being outed from the nursery and a big make over was needed.....

We shipped her to a friends house for a 'play' so we could make it a big surprise.

It was a busy day, but so so worth it.

She was thrilled she started to cry! Bless xx

(Yes, I made the donna cover, pillow slips and covered the chair all to match. I also made the birds, the circle bunting, princess canopy and the "P" button canvas too......)

2. Our 'little' girl transitioned into a 'big bed'

Oh she was so excited :)

Up until now she's been in a cot in her own room, so the excitement of moving into a 'big girl bed' and having a room mate was almost too much!

She looked so little in the bed, but so so cute :)

Hoping your having a wonderful week like us xx

Blessed rain

 

This morning we woke to the sound of torrential rain!

Oh, I do love a good rain storm :)

I could hear the kids wake and make their way to the lounge only the hear the panic and concern when they realised the TV wasn't working!

WHAT!! The TV doesn't work?

How is that possible?

'Now what are we going to do' I hear Stooge ask!

Bib comes up with the DVD option!

The big discussion then moves to what DVD should be chosen?

Oh the choices! More discussion!

Can't be too girly, can't be one we've seen, can't be an old one (not sure what that meant!) and I don't want a singing one says Stooge!

Rouge is waiting patiently on the lounge under her blanket

JUST PUT ONE ON!!!!

After much bribing later (Bib loving the power her lolly filled showbag has)

My Little Pony was chosen!

(not girly at all hehe)

I swagger out after about 15 min of quiet concentration and there they all are nuzzled up on the lounge together, under their crochet enjoying the joys of My Little Pony!

Oh, I do love a good rain storm!!

Hope your dry and safe and enjoying like us x

 (weheartit image)

Boys away, girls can play!

As much as we love our Stooge, there are just some things that are better done without him! (poor fella!)

Beading is one of them :)

So this morning after preschool drop off,

We headed out to a beading warehouse (oh how I wish I'd taken a photo!) and $120 later (what the!!)  came home to bead away with our loot!

Charm bracelet's, door hangers, bracelets, necklaces...........

Special time with my big girl just chatting together, threading and enjoying some quiet time threading

Oh, I love school holidays.

What have you been up too?

Savour Sundays x

xx

Date Night!

We did it.....date night occurred!!

Baby sitter sorted

Glad rags on

Dinner at nearby Indian Restaurant.......chatting, connecting, enjoying.....

Followed by drinks (perhaps too many!) with some wonderful friends

Oh how much fun is playing grown ups :)

Where too next month....mmmmm??

Can't wait to do it again and again......

Have you been dating lately?

Final Farewell

2 years on, we say goodbye

said with one enormous sigh

taken so quick and unexpected

our hearts were open, unprotected

you've left a hole too big to fill

almost an unclimbable hill

we loved you then and love you now

day by day we get through some how

together with paddy, your back again

and some day we too will hug again

we love you nan x

Happy day!

 

Little post today

Little jump for joy

My little list of followers has hit double figures!!

Simple pleasures.....woohoo!!

Thanks for following along :)

Claudia x


(image credit - weheartit)

Naughty biscuits turned Nasty!

If you can't go completely overboard and overindulge at Easter, then when else can you, I ask?

I'm going to introduce you to the 'Nasty'!

These are an Easter tradition in our house (about the only one I'm afraid)

and they definitely fit under that category of  "sometimes food"!!

Firstly, I bake a batch of triple choc biscuits and allow them to cool completely (although you can just use a store bought packet of choc biscuits)

Then you need to place half your biscuits right side down on a tray and load up with mini marshmellows!

You can use as many or as little as you like.....depends on how naughty your feeling!

Pop the biscuits back in the oven to allow the marshmellows to melt (about 10-15min)

As soon as they are melty, pull them out and place another biscuit on the top as the lid.

Honestly, they are too much! But lordy, fresh coffee and a 'nasty'....... Heaven!

Happy Easter xx

Upcycle pants!!

There's something about gingham that just draws me in. I love it. Shirts, pants, table cloths, cute dresses......everything looks nice in gingham!

So when Pips old shirt became to big for him, I just couldn't throw it out. I decided I'd have a go at upcycling it into something for Miss Rouge.

Pants!! Perfect!

Step 1 - I simply cut off the shirt arms.

I love that they will already have a cuff at the ankle!

Step 2 - stitch pant legs (shirt arms) together..... right sides together and turn over top enough to thread elastic through.

DONE!!

She's happy, I'm happy and the environments happy!

Have you upcycled anything cute lately?