time to get serious

Well a couple more days and I am back at school and of course I have not made or bought a massage bag that holds all my requirements, towels, sheets and hand towels etc and makes me happy. So with my limited sewing skills I am going to have to get very serious and make one very quickly. I have a 1/2 day of classes on my first day back later this week so I have a couple of days to do this.  Firstly I know that I need a pocket inside that will hold my oil and essential oils without leaking everywhere. So I need something like a plastic or oilcloth I think.  I am wondering if I need to have this pocket attached to my bag or just find something that works and pop it inside the bag?   This is all throwing around ideas and trial and error at this stage. I also need something that won't catch my towels when opening and closing so a clip not zipper closure.  I need handles that can convert to backpack style to keep my hands free when I have to carry my massage table as well AND something that is pretty but not too pretty if you know what I mean.  I also need another pocket to carry my small diary and papers,  again I am not sure that this needs to be attached to the bag or an inside pocket. I have to take notes and other requirements from clients as well as I think I will want to use this bag not just for school.

I have no idea on earth how to draft a patten so I will just wing that and see what happens. I figure that I can work it out as I go and laugh at the problems and bungles.  I am off to check the stash and see what jumps out at me to be converted into a bag.

Lets hope this rain keeps going so that I can keep finding at excuse to stay inside and work on my new and urgent project.

Coming up with Ideas

I thought it would be easy to think of things to do that cost very little money.  I thought I would have a wonderful idea of $16 entertainment blog. This is not the case at all.

The minature trains (1 ride with the children hardly seems enough) however comes in under budget at $3.00 per person. Going to St Andrews market and having thai for breakfast or brunch, again comes in under budget and is wonderful. We sit outside on the deck and watch the kookaburras (free entertainment whilst you are eating is always good!) Going to the local swimming pool and having as many turns on the 2 water slides is a winner as well but so far that is about where it ends.

So now i have to think up many more things. I have seen friends do this and wondered how they do time and time again.  The local library is the next idea and should prove to be very sucessful. Its cool inside. it has books and other wonderful things and just works so well with our limited budget. Op shops have been wonderful as well especially for books and craft things. We have a little list that we take with us to see if this is the day that we will find some treasures and also some things that we want to use to make things. I have drawn on my stash to help out. I have a stash of some vintage fabric, lace and buttons also some current fabric and wool.

The movies is just out of the question at the moment however I am doing surveys as fast as I can to get some tickets. I have 1 and working on another. Once we don't have to pay for adults this cuts down the expense to something almost reasonable.  Tuesday is also another option unfortunately this is my school day starting next week. 

Parks also seem to be another option especially as we have a fabulous not to far away from us. My Red Headed Hurricane suggested that we walk there and I think that will be high up on the to do list once the temperatures cools down a bit.

So ask me to come up with ideas about food and the list goes on and on and I even provide receipes ask me about cheap or free entertainment and I am stalling at 3-4 ideas.

It always comes back to the No factor. We cannot afford it, we have bills to pay, Daddy is not working, we have no income and well that is about it for tonight.

Thank goodness for the children. They seem to find the most amazing and affordable entertainment. The first one that has become a regular is a fashion show. My Red Headed Hurricane works both behind the scenes and introduces my Petal. He is happy coming out and making all the necessary introductions and updates.  Confident and happy explaining that he applied the make up and helped with the styling of the beautiful model. So cute. We also try to do a games night as well and that seems to be very affordable. They love movie afternoon with popcorn or chippies or anything that constitutes a yummy snack. If I have baked something that seems to be the most popular option.

They also make things for us to eat.  i am constantly being told (try this Mummy) Today we had a banana, strawberry smoothie, my Petal made with instructions from her self made cookbook.  My Hurricane made hommus dip and toasted bread that Daddy made fresh.  They are already organising their next cook off.  which involved my Redheaded Hurricane doing the cooking and making with a little assistance from his dad. My Petal doing the drinks and I can do massages until my arms are too tired to do anymore.  This is exactly what we need to do to make money.  So cute that they have all these amazing ideas and they are so hopeful that we will make enough money to take care of everything and all our friends.  

So what I need to remember and I seem to be struggling a bit with is, the cup is 1/2 full and we have a lovely family and family time is precious but not expensive!

Hump day

So more progress today. The car is being worked on, ideas are being discussed and information sought. More cooking, a red capsicum chutney or relish and I still need to find some more recipes . Routine is back on track and the days are whittling down quickly to when I go to school.

I have been planning lunches for the kiddies and dinners for the family. The pantry that is quite well stocked has been wonderful. Also what is left of the veggies patch after the hail on Christmas day has been good. Normally we have blueberries, tomatoes, herbs and other lovely goodies but this year just some strawberries a few and some cucumbers but every little bit helps. I am surprised at how easy the transition with food has been. We have stopped all take away and not one request for it has been made to date. It would seem as long as we make the things they are very happy.

I am considering taking some things to a market to sell. Nothing that I have made or anything like that just out grown toys clothes and other bit nd pieces. I will see how I go, I m getting together a collection and working out if I have enough.

tuesday pancakes

Whilst ironing, I was looking out the window as tv viewing was not holding my attention. The nasty neighbour family member was walking past. He stopped and looked around and made sure that no one was watching and then threw the empty bottle that he was carrying into our garden. I have been trying hard to ignore the build up of rubbish from their overflowing bins. Mostly I pick it up and put it in our bin, this time I decided not to ignore this and before he realised I was outside and walking to where he had thrown the rubbish, he ran inside quickly and shut the door. I left it back in his yard. So now I know where the rubbish has been coming from and where to return it ALL and there is quite a bit that will be going back to them.

Their rubbish is providing some source of amusement for us. There is a beer bottle sitting on their table outside and has been for quite some time we are wondering how long it will stay there before they finally get sick of it and one of the lazy people throws it in the recycling bin. To date it has been there for over 2 months. I might have to include a photo one day if it stays there for a while longer.

Pancakes and fresh bread happened today. The children enjoyed pancakes for dessert with homemade vanilla bean ice cream and maple syrup it is not a bad life. Our home was busy with cooking and making lots of mess. I am left to clean up and enjoy myself with a glass of wine and some dishes. My other half is out attending a seminar, with a bit of a push he was gone. Tonight it's me and the tv. Tomorrow I have to work through the box of red capsicums that we bought for a great price at the farmers market. I have stuffed a few, I am using some grilled ones for relish and then I will have to find one more recipe for the remaining 8 or so.

Do you know how hard it is to get back into the routine and achieve things when everything changes and there is another adult in the house during the day a lot less money and still the same needs. Just when I sort something out then it changes and not necessarily with a good change. I think I will have to stand my ground and make sure that things are working and flowing smoothly before I return to school...... next week.

i was doing the sums and it works that I have about 3-4 exams a month and this thought alone is making me panic. I mean really sweating palm and heart racing panic. I am still waiting for the results of last years certificate and then at least I know I have passed and can move forward and continue this amazing journey.

and more progress

My other half has been busy with creating and writing.

http://ausdiysolar.blogspot.com.au/

Whilst I am cooking, baking and sewing my other half is trying to be a great provider.

Making some progress

So off to a better start this week. We sold my mums sofa bed/lounge, it was sold on Sunday and collected and taken to Bright on Monday. I am sure it will be very happy there. It has been taking up room in the lounge which was already full of furniture including a large lounge and some items that I purchased to pop on the deck when it's built. So this has been part of the plan to make a little money and to increase available space. Big tick there. I am wondering what is next. We need to make the money come in a bit as well as outgoings. Selling assets is not going to solve this problem however it will do for the time being. I am so happy to have this large item go and have some space back, I was doing a happy dance as soon as we walked back inside after loading it onto the trailer.

Did some cooking as well so that is good. I am considering my next sewing project, making a massage bag for school. I need something that will hold all the linen that I require and still look good and be easy to use. I have been seeing lots of tote bag beginner blogs and I think I will try one. Just need to be an extra extra large size.

The birthday cake that I baked last week was a big sucess. We had a dear friend come and spend his birthday with us. I make a rule not to buy grown ups presents for birthdays however we are happy to make dinner and cake. I used a Julie Goodwin recipe "Burnt Sugar" cake. http://www.shesaid.com/article.aspx?n=69115906&v=4 It was decadent but not expensive, most of the ingredients were already in the pantry and we only required butter. I would love to say that it looked exactly like the photo however well it still looked very appealing. I also made some "boy bait". A lovely recipe from Gojee food top 3 recipes. http://whatsheshaving.com/2012/01/22/blueberry-boy-bait/ It's hard to ignore these recipes when they land in my inbox and sit there smelling lovely and looking so tempting. i find it challenging to find healthy (or reasonably so) tasty treats for the kids which is good but not just chips and chocolate. Pancakes and slices seems to be the most popular and at least this one had fruit as well. Also made a bircher muesli recipe that the children scoff. I remembered finally to put in coconut (shredded) and this seems to fill them up for many hours, us too.

I felt like last week we were saying No to the children all the time, no we cannot buy this, not we cannot buy that. No we cannot go there and no, No, No, NO! I let go a bit at the weekend and said yes to 2 things. Firstly the books at the op shop were a great find and we had 2 very happy children at $3.50 I felt like this was just the best, also a lego mini-figure each as a small treat. I know they have lots of toys and saying no is not a problem however it was nice to see 2 happy kiddies sitting playing legos and swapping the ones that they got for the exact ones that they wanted with each other. We had a school function that to attend on Sunday and went to the little trains. Happily enough the children were able to have a ride as part of the get together and due to a very large brunch no one request for a ice cream or any of the other treats that were available at the place other than what we had bought with us.

Thats it for a start today... progress is being made and I am hoping that I can report tomorrow of more.

this week

It's has been a funny week up and down like a yo yo. We are trying to establish a routine but that is not easy. We are making a little progress with things but not great yet next week I am sure will be much more productive.

The children and myself were in the car to do errands after school, we were talking together and my Red Headed Hurricane asked if I was a twin too. I replied that I wasn't just Alia. He then proceeded to tell me that our Petal is very, VERY special then. "More special than we could ever imagine!" I felt that he was right and agreed with him.

I did a bit of sewing. The curtains that cover my boys cupboard are finally finished and now I don't have to worry about pins appearing on the floor where he sits and plays lego or dolls with his sister. Not to mention that I am chuffed I was able to do this all by myself. I am hoping that this new found confidence with a bit of sewing will not stop and I will attempt another project next week before I go back to school.

My Petal has two new "best friends". One is a lovely twin girl and another is a girl in the year younger. It would seem that separating her from her main group of friends has not been too detrimental to her as she has managed to release her death grip on her other friend from Kinder. I am watching my Petal happier than she has been for a while with her new friend.

I have not been massaging and I am sort of happy for the break. It will be a trying year and having this time to just catch up on things around the house is helping. I have one set up in 2 weeks or less than and i am sure that I will have a few more booked in by then.

On the positive side, sewing has been happening, cooking and baking so that has been helping my creative outlet and our budget.

a break in the weather

Saturday we had a picnic, it has become a family tradition to meet up with my other half's brother and his lovely family at a park, that is sort of half way between their place and ours. A lovely big park with a lake, lots of ovals, a university nearby that sells plants and a childrens' play area. The last couple of years we haven't been to the play area however this year they were able to get a table nearby and do exactly that. My sister-in-law is very good at picking the perfect spot. This year we didn't bring food (except for a little blueberry cheesecake) we just bought some drinks. We forgot the water so this is going on the list for next time. It was a wonderful day lots of lovely food, some presents given and received, a good play and a commitment to meet up again next year for our tradition.

My Redheaded hurricane loved playing with all the big boys. He was running around mad, he even wanted to be home quickly taking a short cut as he was SOOOOOOOO tired and needed his bed. He spent time collecting acorns, he has a lot now from off the grown and I am not sure what he is going to do with them. I am sure we can find some quick craft project to use some as he has so many and so too my Petal.

We really had lots of treats today and bought a couple of things but nothing that wasn't necessary. I bought a pair of pants (my jeans are not going to cut it when I am back at study) with a voucher that were on sale and ended up paying $4.50. We had a big lovely thai brunch which cost $16 for all of us and we couldn't eat another things as we were all full oh yes the kiddies had a treat of chocolate truffles for $1 each who doesn't love treats and the lovely cheesecake which was $9.00 and there was enough to go around all of us, with a little leftover.

$16 seems to be our magic number for entertainment or a treat. We went swimming with the children on Wednesday that lovely warm day. They had a ball going on the waterslide and attempting to splash and jump on us in the water. My Petal discovered that she is able to move more freely and experimented in water even by attempting to lift both myself and my husband. Her favourite part was carrying her brother.

My Red Headed Hurricane, who we have always thought could and would talk underwater proved us correct by doing exactly that. After going down the water slide (the faster one!) and being caught by me at the bottom, could not contain himself and wait until he was actually above the waters surface and started telling me before with the bubbly glug, glug coming out as he was being lifted up. As soon as he was above the surface he continued with the conversation very excited about how fast he went down the slide and under the water. Barely finished he was off again up the stairs to manipulate the older kids into letting him go down first. My Petal liked the straight slide which goes almost as fast and makes her squeal with delight just as she hits the water with a bomb position and splashes myself and my other half with a wall of water. Giggling and laughing asking if we saw her.

A bit more distance between the redundancy and a bit more time with the family is helping the situation.

moving along

Move along!

I am feeling like things are moving a bit into more positive territory. I saw things making progress today both at home and outside. I like to stay home and feel safer when something bad happens or a big change, I am not sure which one this falls into one or the other category. I had a good day today. I spent money, getting things with money that I received from a refund. I did surveys and qualified for movie tickets, I did ironing and washing.

My other half does not want to work for someone again. I think we hate what people can do to our little family and turn our world upside down every year. I am unsure how this will work but I do like the idea of being self sufficient and not answering to a boss that might treat us and our family like dirt which has occurred too many times in the past. I like the idea of him working from home. I like the idea of being able to do other things and not having to be reliant on traveling to the city and hoping the traffic is good and he will be home at a semi-decent time. So i am open to what is happening and adjusting to this. In the meantime we are finding ways to bring in money and have very little expenditure.

We are off on a picnic with the family (brother and his lovely family) on the weekend. All we hope for is decent weather and if not we will find somewhere with cover i am sure. The simple pleasures are often the best and the cheapest.

AGAIN!

The kiddies are back at school and we are traveling along as per usual. I had just started my first massage after the holidays. Although I did massage whilst I was away.

I contacted my other half to request his presence for a parent teacher interview that afternoon late. He told me that he was made redundant. I knew it was coming, I knew I should be better prepared, after all this was not the first time, wont be the last and yet this time it hit hard. I had not had a chance after the holidays and all the bills of February and a bit of spending for preparation to put away like I had the last time. This time will be a bit harder. At least I know what to do.

So today I was cooking and trying to move on from yesterday. To look at the positives and not be overwhelmed by that drowning feeling. I know that I have to start planning and getting another income in very quickly. The savings are down and the expenses are rolling in. I am back remembering how I went last time and trying to move on. I know how we should have at least 3 months in savings (put away) to tide us through anything like this happening in this current climate. I know that I should have been better prepared and not tried to ignore what was looming. I know that I should have not spent money when we came back from holidays, I know all these things however well too late now. I have to make the most of what we have.

So today I looked at the pantry and ignored the bank account, (alright I had a sneak peek twice incase something magical appeared. You know bank error in your favour collect $2000.00.) The pantry is well stocked so that is a good start. I cooked, stuffed capsicums, salmon patties and the boys made pancakes. I looked at our veggie garden which was destroyed by the hail at christmas and hoped that something might appear tomorrow. I looked at the fridge and well that is alright too. (I know my dear friend would laugh and say that it is always full).

So how do I get an income.... my massage certificate comes mid march. We have a couple of things that are overdue for selling so that is a start, once they are gone some expenses will be reduced. Every little bit helps.

After I thought about things for a while, I felt like I could breath a bit. My head is not in a good place yet but well tomorrow I am sure will feel different again. Maybe some baking and sewing is in order to help things feel that bit better.

well another year....

Today the kiddies both started school. My red headed hurricane has his first day at prep, there was no tears, no I will miss you or don't go just yet, it was bye bye, I am going to have so much fun. So that was it! No hesitation just ready for the next challenge. Good to see that he is feeling confident and ready. My Petal wasn't quite so good but she was happy to be with her friends and start a new school year. All smiles and happiness.

I dashed home, did lots and lots of chores and even had a moment to think. I miss them dearly. My Petal was happy to be back, she is not with her core group of friends this year so I am wondering how that will work for her. I am hoping that it allows her to make a new group of friends and enjoy others as well. She normally has no problems making friends so I am waiting to hear all about it.

I have less than 1 month before I return to classes to remedial massage this time (Full time). I am dreading the workload and juggling the day to day responsibilities and family. It is going to be very interesting. At least now I have my regulars (amazing group of women that help me get through the year) I can practice on and keep massaging during the year to get my hours up and practice the new skills that I am learning. Not to mention help them. I had a lovely message today of how much one of the mums needed me and missed me. That was grand! Always nice to be need and help someone.

I have a to do list that is a mile long however I am not phased, I am just going to keep chipping away. So far my boys room has been painted. He is very happy and well that is a task that has been hanging around on the list FAR TOO LONG. So now all I have to do is sew his curtains and then I will leave it be for a moment oppps no I have to paint the skirting, he wants white and rejected my choice of wood with vanish. No problem it can go in our room instead. Which is next on the painting list. I made a start on the undercoat and that is it. The hot weather, the holidays and the assignments took over.

So for the next month. I need to catch up with the lovely friends. The ones that are still talking to after I had no time whilst studying last year to even have a short visit.