So here goes ….I’m going do the #100dayproject. I listened to this podcast and then read this article and its time to give it a go! You have to commit to creating something everyday for 100 days. My project is ‘crafting with a toddler’ The plan is to minimise purchasing materials by using up the giant box of craft stuff I have been “saving” for 3 years. Follow me on instagram.com/almondberry_
When we built our house there were a few pieces of vintage furniture from my grandparents house I wanted showcase in our home. This radiogram was a feature in my grandparents lounge room and I loved it. We were also considering purchasing art but I loved the idea of having record covers on display. After extensive pinterest research we discovered Ikea shoe storage boxes are perfect storing records and Ikea frames were the perfect size for record covers! We had a large plain wall above the stairs but to create a record space there was much harder than you would think. We moved lights, added a powerpoint, mounted the storage boxes and had difficult access to hang the frames! I’m really happy with how it turned out, what would have been a dead space in our house feels like another room. It was a quandary to source and decide what covers should go in the frames. I picked up these records for $2 each to get the project rolling. I’m still rummaging in record bins …
I wanted to create a girlie room but not your usual one covered in pink. It needed a statement wall that wouldn’t be too hard to change when she develops her own interests so I created a secret garden using fake flowers instead of bunting. I gave an existing bookcase a facelift using contact to create a multi functional ‘doll house’ for toy and book storage. The shelves are large enough to accomodate different sized items since the types of toys she uses will evolve over the next few years. There’s all so a snuggly spot for reading stories that will eventually be her toddler bed.
I made this when Jack was 18mths old and I saw other people had play kitchens in their homes. I didn’t want to commit to having extra furniture cluttering up the space so I created this cover for our dining table chairs. It was sewn out of leftover fabric so it’s washable and is stored in a kitchen drawer. I didn’t want to have a whole collection of kid size kitchen things so I made slots to fit our kitchen utensils. When he’s “cooking” he uses real pots and food from the fridge this means any food that’s past its prime gets used for Jacks cooking before it goes in the bin. It is working better than I expected. Recently we needed to include his ikea stool to the kitchen set up so he could have some “bench space” for his food preparations. Next step is to get him making stuff we want to eat!
We work from home and have had different versions of an home office over the years. Last year we changed to Xero software so are mostly paperless and working off laptops so a traditional office isn’t required anymore. We were also finding having a toddler and an office space weren’t working becuase he needs to be right near you “ helping”. Then with the arrival of a new baby we were forced to make a choice about the use of rooms in our house. We decided to move the office into our dining area. We put the wireless printer in a cupboard upstairs and created a servery style office with space for each family members “office” supplies and two desks. We added extra powerpoints and lighting above the desk. To avoid over filling the space with chairs the kids Ikea stools became the desk chairs. We still have to centre the light having the new table. But loving the space and its working really well. As I often do art projects we decided this was the …
Australia summer your door way becomes a dumping ground for sun hats, sun screen and beach gear. My Great Grandma’s singer sewing machine is used as a hall table. I originally had a hat stand next to it but it wasn’t strong enough for all the stuff we needed to store there. So we got this kitchen rail with hooks from Ikea and added 3M hooks for hats above. Now it means we have to buy fancy hats…..excellent.
After a series of tent breakages and a year of deliberation and research about the ultimate camping set up we picked up a second hand 2007 Jayco Hawk. After a quick weekend camp we wrote an extensive list of modifications to make while keeping it a simple as possible to set up. The aim was it should only take us 40mins to set up a full campsite. It turned out great and being self sufficient with luxuries has opened up so many more camping sites to us…..especially with two small kids in tow. Storage Added drawers in the poky cupboards inside and large drawers to the outdoor cupboard to create an outdoor kitchen. We bought Ikea wire drawers that fit on the floor when the caravan is packed down. When we arrive at destination they fit on the bench secured with small wing nuts to store our clothes. I recommend Kathmandu tanker cargo bags as they compress small bags when you have unpacked. More gas and gas points Added an extra 5kg bottle and got …
We’ve been doing the bulk cook strategy for a couple of months now. It’s saving me! Saturday nights we put the toddler and the baby to bed crack out the wine, cheese and spotify while we prep food for the week. (we make bigger serves so we can add to our collection of frozen meals). Hardest thing I found was finding vegetarian recipes and selecting a variety of flavours and textures that would freeze well. So here are my favourite picks so far! Dinner recipes that freeze well: http://hostthetoast.com/thai-cashew-coconut-rice-ginger-peanut-sauce/ http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-kung-pao-cauliflower-243625 http://www.chefdehome.com/Recipes/717/laksa-soup http://www.aberdeenskitchen.com/2015/07/vegetarian-black-bean-enchilada-casserole/ pasta shell lasagne https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/527484175098340555/ https://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/easy-mushroom-risotto risotto and paella freezes well just add more stock before freezing. Soups http://thewanderlustkitchen.com/easy-tuscan-bean-soup/ https://www.acedarspoon.com/moroccan-carrot-red-lentil-soup/ Sauces Pasta sauce Serve with goats cheese and cashews. http://bbritnell.com/butternut-squash-pasta-sauce/ http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/linguine-porcini-vegetable-bolognese/6de6cad3-a997-4052-864f-a272d6f7183b Serve with ravoli http://www.primaverakitchen.com/how-to-make-basic-tomato-sauce/ Yellow curry paste bulk make the paste or make curry with coconut milk, sweet potato, broccoli, red capsicum and fried paneer. It freezes great! sever with naan or rice. https://pinchofyum.com/easy-homemade-yellow-curry-paste Dinner recipes to cook fresh These require minimal attention but I’d probably still make this earlier in the day….. anything can happen …
I lived in hospital for 5 weeks. I wasn’t confined to bed but I mostly hung out in my room, I was allowed to walk to the downstairs café each day and could go on outings if someone took me in a wheelchair. After a week I realised I was in for the long haul so I came up with a plan to embrace my new life. Follow the links below for more details. Fashion and style for hospital life Interior decorating for the hospital room Masterchef with a cheese knife and a hospital menu Supplies from the outside In the end, I was extremely lucky and in an amazing turn of events I was home earlier than I expected. It was actually hard to leave…… so here’s to you Ward 4. Dear Ward 4 Well this is it …..the last night. I feel weird packing my room up. I think I’m going to miss the quiet nights and the city lights. I don’t really know how to say thank you. You’ve seen me desperately …
Gifts and visits. What do you really want when you’re stuck in a micro environment for months? How much do your friends really like you? I rated them, introduced requested tasks and graphed the outcome. After all the energy to collect this stuff and when I had to move out I made up gift bags to share with the other inmates.
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