tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84543349434789108022024-02-07T22:50:45.945+10:00wife-madeXanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.comBlogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-65019848923636269352016-05-07T13:25:00.004+10:002016-05-07T13:25:39.602+10:00Yours trulyIt's Mother's Day tomorrow, here in Australia. I always find it's a strange day. One where I prompt the husband to make sure he's organised. For the sake of the kids. Of course ;) Which makes it feel very contrived and like I'm big-noting myself, because I'm totally rocking this mothering job.<br />
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But with 2016 heralding the start of a very long season (only eighteen years to go) of school runs, homework (or, home 'fun' as we call it), assessments, head lice and worms (yes, already) I have felt a little less like SuperMum and a lot more like curling into the foetal position and banging my head against a wall. Repeatedly. Like, over and over.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJ7zlMYNccFm0MT2HQ1n_eUKL_JXU1GzlEQjfXnUVNGCMwBe_RHLYzSPhd9rycv7tQrL9HI5BhULmons7SP59MlvSeaMCmFfjZax_-5n3nbhzLh1QifUadBSvZLUhTjLTqaf9cIW4-KmZ/s1600/MD+DONTGIVEUP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJ7zlMYNccFm0MT2HQ1n_eUKL_JXU1GzlEQjfXnUVNGCMwBe_RHLYzSPhd9rycv7tQrL9HI5BhULmons7SP59MlvSeaMCmFfjZax_-5n3nbhzLh1QifUadBSvZLUhTjLTqaf9cIW4-KmZ/s1600/MD+DONTGIVEUP.jpg" /></a><br />
However, while sitting down with my husband this morning to pray, I realised, after a day at home yesterday that consisted of chunky coughs and snotty noses being dragged down my thighs, but also catch-ups with much loved and very dear friends, that I mustn't get caught up in the busy-ness of the school life and just 'doing stuff', and forget about my own friendships. And without barking on about how I'm a person too and I need this and I need that... well, I am. And I think I sometimes forget that 'my' person needs to be nourished and refreshed in order to <u>keep going</u> at the break-neck speed that motherhood occurs at, and nourish the little souls I have with me each day. <br />
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Now, I'm not talking about taking time out, or 'me time' consisting of a day at a health spa, or spending a handful o' fitties getting some retail therapy. Although they sound like fantastic things to do and I'm totally in if anyone wants to shout me. I'm just talking about having a cuppa and conversation with another adult who doesn't feel the need to discuss the colour of their poo with me, OR why there's chunks in it. (This also includes, much to my dismay, going to bed early. Earlier. Not midnight.)<br />
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Because, as much as my personality likes to think life is all about achieving things and ticking boxes, it's not. It's about relationship, and friendship, and spending time, not money. It's about giving yourself. And as Rosie says, it's about being a bucket filler, not a bucket dipper.<br />
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So, although I reminded husband that tomorrow is Mother's Day (not that I needed to, he had it covered!), and then proceeded to purchase a dress that will tonight be wrapped up and given to me tomorrow morning, at which point I will feign shock and surprise at the amazing choice the children made, I want you to know that I do not feel like I deserve any great accolade on this day. In fact, I feel like I only just made it. Hence, the very tongue-in-cheek 'Dear Mummy' phrases I created for this post. But I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather be. This is what I chose, and I wouldn't give it away for anything. Presents will always be appreciated however. I love presents.<br />
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Finally, I would like to apologise to my own dear Mummy for saying this to you after Evangeline was born. I now also own a water bed.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pBBCrix5GBcm57jVOpgHgxxeT_kg_aGMgQXnUVBLtT2mEWlPJhooBWjvgqlWItc-YALIL1cy0Ie-OFQZMMM6RpQ9mqgtUR6A4vGODoY2FxX8ER0BN_bkHET-3gzyXnhvxUsGR73kxgb1/s1600/MD+WATERBED.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pBBCrix5GBcm57jVOpgHgxxeT_kg_aGMgQXnUVBLtT2mEWlPJhooBWjvgqlWItc-YALIL1cy0Ie-OFQZMMM6RpQ9mqgtUR6A4vGODoY2FxX8ER0BN_bkHET-3gzyXnhvxUsGR73kxgb1/s1600/MD+WATERBED.jpg" /></a>Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-71049505416737508862016-04-14T21:55:00.003+10:002016-04-14T22:04:23.415+10:00There's always time for Wings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Something about having a baby gets my creative juices flowing. As I was putting Ezra to bed tonight I realised the same thing happened after Lewis was born. Ideas. Lots and lots of ideas. <br />
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Maybe it's to do with all the time I spend sitting around feeding... lots of time to think...? Or maybe it's something to do with the physical act of growing a baby - all those extra hormones or something... Whatever the catalyst happens to be, it would be really nice if it could also find a way to create more hours in the day so I could actually DO something about those ideas. <br />
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What with a school run that takes close to two hours, a preppie, a three year old and an eight month old to chase around after, and a laundry that seems to have a science fiction level capability of growing dirty clothes, I honestly struggle to find the energy some days to even clean up the brekky dishes! And then these creative ideas have the hide to dangle themselves in front of me, mocking me, jeering about the fact that I haven't washed my hair since the weekend (or was that the weekend before...?), and discussing whether my leg hair is yet long enough to braid.<br />
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In my frantic attempts to bring some semblance of order to a chaotic life I have dabbled in mono-tasking (it actually works if you can remember to do it), tried (failed) to go to bed earlier, bought a diary (I keep losing), and hung a rack in the laundry to house the school bags. Winner! School bags are now homed (and I'm pleased to say the kids can actually reach their own bags - all they have to do is climb the mountain of washing underneath.)<br />
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But somewhere in the chaos, although I can't remember where exactly, just like I can't remember what exactly we did last night (ok, at all), I actually found time to make some Butterfly Wings. Several pairs, in fact, but two <u>particularly</u> exciting pairs that were made out of the debut fabric lines of two ladies who have both been an inspiration to me on my own creative journey.<br />
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Sedef of <a href="http://www.downgrapevinelane.com/" target="_blank">Down Grapevine Lane</a> asked me to make some wings for her booth at Quilt Market with her lovely and very aptly named 'Sweet Orchard' fabrics, and of course I said why good golly gosh yes! And can I say, there is something a wee bit exciting about opening a parcel of fabric that you know only a few people in the whole world have been asked to work with. And also a very big wee bit terrifying, because if I make one wrong cut I'm done for. Sedef's fabric will be available to purchase in August this year! (September for Aussies - but remember, good things come to those who wait. But honestly, I think they just say that to try and make us feel better about always getting everything later than everywhere else in the world. All I can say is thank goodness for Netflix and Foxtel.). Oh, and did I mention Sedef's writing a book? It's called Quilt Petite! What a great name!<br />
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And if you're wondering why there's no shots of Sedef's sweet little daughter looking at the camera (you probably weren't but I think it's the funniest thing so I'm going to pretend you were) it was because she was in a 'mood'. And it did not happen to be a 'getting dressed up and wearing Butterfly Wings and getting photographed by her mother' kind of mood. But then you probably already guessed that ;)<br />
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The second pair of wings I made were a surprise pair for Amy Sinibaldi (of <a href="http://nanacompany.typepad.com/nanacompany/" target="_blank">NanaCompany</a> fame) and her littlest girl, Mia. I recently made a pair of wings from Amy's debut fabric line 'Paperie' for a customer's wedding and fell in love with the designs. </div>
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Parchment in Soft Grey makes a perfect base, Manuscript in Navy gives a nice contrast and a bit of pop!, and the remaining florals and geometric designs have the right amount of contrast to make the applique stand out just so - all in true Amy style.</div>
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In my hastily scribbled note to Amy I quoted a slightly adapted version of the first sentence of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, which I felt was quite fitting and went something along the lines of:</div>
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<i>"It is a truth universally acknowledged, </i></div>
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<i>that a little girl, in possession of a fabric designing mummy, </i></div>
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<i>must be in want of a pair of Butterfly Wings."</i></div>
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Needless to say, I was pretty pleased to see Mia gave the wings a pretty good workout recently at the beach. Head over to Amy's Instagram feed to see more!</div>
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Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-75064952695018304652015-12-12T17:51:00.000+10:002015-12-12T17:51:02.946+10:00About those Butterfly Wings...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am so pleased/excited/a little bit nervous to announce that the Wife-made Butterfly Wings pattern is now available! Waaaahoooo!<br />
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It has been such an exciting time working on this little project of mine and I am so glad it has been finally released into the wild, so to speak ;) (You're not that wild, are you?)<br />
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I have been absolutely floored by the response to the pattern so far - and it has certainly given me the confidence to continue my pattern-making endeavours. I have had ideas rolling around in the back of my head that I have just left sitting there, waiting to see how this one was received, so I guess I'll have to do something about them now ;)<br />
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I don't want to sound corny or twee, but there are many people to thank for helping me get to this point. I had a fantastic group of pattern testers who are an absolutely lover-ly bunch of coconuts. Their feedback helped me to fine tune my pattern drafts to get them to the point that I am now receiving Etsy reviews of five stars! Wheeee!<br />
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I also need to thank Chrystal of Poetic Light Photography for the amazing and very beautiful photos she took of my wings. My photography skills are sorely lacking and I could never have attained this level of beauty!<br />
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And of course, I must thank my dear husband, who now hopes to retire. Not likely. Or we'll surely starve!<br />
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If you would like to purchase my Wife-made Butterfly Wings Pattern, head over to <a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/TheWifemadeEmporium" target="_blank">my Etsy store</a> where it is available for immediate download upon purchase. Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-62416582687408935922015-10-30T21:11:00.002+10:002015-10-30T21:12:47.475+10:00Life is grand in Babyland!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ytMZm8KC3MBjqAOkzcEJHrg5-gYLMbqRgY7IyTyPNTJzB0eZ-fzI88I2zoB6ZbGn5NurdMWWOtjIP7Ik9m_yrl_7V-_EiN_WUk6AKpqmruv3q3zrHw7krKHl8q2VVUBL6vHbkFqaXkl0/s1600/IMG_2034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ytMZm8KC3MBjqAOkzcEJHrg5-gYLMbqRgY7IyTyPNTJzB0eZ-fzI88I2zoB6ZbGn5NurdMWWOtjIP7Ik9m_yrl_7V-_EiN_WUk6AKpqmruv3q3zrHw7krKHl8q2VVUBL6vHbkFqaXkl0/s1600/IMG_2034.JPG" /></a><br />
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Those of you who follow me on Instagram and Facebook will already know that this little fella joined our family almost three months ago. <br />
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Ezra Mac is a much loved member of our family, and as is always the way, it is hard to remember what life was like before he was with us. I have vague recollections of more than 4 hours of sleep at a time, but life is definitely richer, albeit much tireder.<br />
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His arrival was well planned (third c-section style) and I have to say I really didn't like the planned part. It all felt very clinical and I felt really nervous, despite having been through it all before twice (although both times before I was almost incoherent from exhaustion). And though the process of it was vastly different to a natural labour, the magic of childbirth showed itself the moment they lifted him out of my cavernous belly and I heard his squeaky cry. Needless to say, there were tears. <br />
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My newborn has already disappeared, and the baby I hold now is smiling and starting to coo and laugh. These are precious precious moments that pass all too quickly, and I really am trying to soak them up, just in case this is the last time I get to experience this baby stage.<br />
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Rosie is loving being a big sister, and Lewis is too - yes, you read that right. He is adamant he is a big sister. And he is definitely no longer a baby, so be sure not to call him one, ok! It is pretty funny to see Lewis, not THAT much older than the baby he's referring to, saying "Oh, he's sooo tyooot!".<br />
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Settling on a name was a journey this time. Both times before we had one favourite, and although we didn't formally name them until we'd met them, we were pretty sure they were going to be Rose and Lewis. This time however, I really struggled. Initial discussions were about calling him Mac, after my Dad. But when it came to the crunch I just didn't feel like I could do that. It didn't feel right. Then we talked about Jonah, and although we liked the name, the bible story of Jonah left us both feeling a little underwhelmed. Ezra was a name that we both liked and the meaning, helper or God helps, felt right. We'd love him to be a help to those he's with - what a lovely meaning to live up to.<br />
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And so, life as five is <strike>plodding</strike> <strike>racing</strike> tearing along. At breakneck speed. I feel like each day has suddenly lost a few hours, and everything I have to do takes me ten times longer. For example, the vacuuming, which would normally take me a half an hour now takes me... *jokes* I don't have time to vacuum! <br />
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They say life gets simpler the more kids you have, but I think it's more to do with the fact that your expectations get lower the more kids you have. If you can manage to wash and dry your hair once a week, well then that's a good week, and hairy legs are the reason God created long pants.Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-17043796427024193692015-07-27T17:06:00.003+10:002015-07-27T18:54:56.281+10:00Patchy Wool Cushions and That Thing Called Life.Well, don't I feel like the naughty schoolgirl who hasn't been doing her homework! It's been over three months since I posted anything on this poor old blog. It's almost as bad as those dreams you have where you turn up to school and find out you have a key maths exam that day that you haven't studied for. And to top it off you forgot to put your pants on before leaving home. <br />
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Needless to say, life has been busy and I've been busier. Three weeks to go in my third pregnancy. Half-way through house renovations (Kill me now. What the heck was I thinking trying to grow a baby, manage a household with two toddlers, run a small business AND renovate an entire house?? I'll admit, all I heard my husband say was 'new kitchen'. Hee hee.). And then there's just been the usual lifey stuff on top of that. You know, the stuff you can't possibly expect, that just turns up on your doorstep and expects you to take care of it..? Well.<br />
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But in amongst all of this I have been plodding along, plying my wares on Instagram and Facebook and Etsy. Just not this blog. Something's gotta give, after all. I may be Super-Mum and Super-Wife, but Super-Blogger I am not. *sigh* Please forgive me. (I'm not really any of those, just to clarify.)<br />
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So, if you're still here and interested, allow me to show you what I've been working on of late. Apparently it's winter here in Australia (my kids are currently walking around in shorts, so who's to say for sure), so I've enjoyed getting out my vintage wool blankets and having a play. I recently cleaned out my sewing room (not that you can tell now!), and after sorting out all my scraps I started fiddling and cutting and stitching and ironing and stitching some more, and this is what I came up with.<br />
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And I kinda went, "Wow. I really like it." So I kept cutting and stitching and it became a cushion top.<br />
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And then I just kept cutting and stitching and made another cushion top. And another one. And I think I may have started something I can't stop, but I don't think it's a bad thing necessarily, unless I become some kind of weird Dr Seuss-like caricature that collects patchy cushions... But that's what husbands are for, right? To prevent their wives from becoming weird Dr Seuss-like caricatures. Yeeeeeeeeeeeessssssss.<br />
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So here's one of the finished cushions - a bolster. Which I worked out myself, no pattern or anything. Not that that's anything to brag about particularly, it's just that I really like how it turned out. <br />
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Even the wrong side looks cool. I think I need to make a reversible version so that you can have it all rough and raggedy like this, or neat and tidy. Depending on your mood. Or the state of your lounge room. Cushions should reflect your level of tidiness, after all.<br />
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So, before I head off again, I just want to mention I'm having a 25% OFF SALE on selected items in my Etsy store, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/TheWifemadeEmporium" target="_blank">The Wife-made Emporium</a>. It's only on the items that you can see in the 'Sale - Vintage' and 'Sale - Handmade' categories, so if anyone tries anything shifty, be sure I'll know!<br />
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And hopefully I'll be back here again soon, with some more pics of what I'm working on currently. And possibly even some pics of lovely finished renovations, although probably before that I'll have photos of an even more exciting project I've been working on for the last 8 months and is currently sitting on my lap in the shape of a very large basketball... No, it's not a crochet basketball cover, in case you were wondering.<br />
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P.S. I go on maternity leave in three weeks. It's basically a working holiday. Minus the holiday. Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-49211588064852091622015-04-17T12:42:00.000+10:002015-04-17T12:42:29.949+10:00Cushions | Tickled Pink Market<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last night I worked like a machine. Honestly, I don't know what got into me, but the husband was out, the kids were in bed and I was on FIRE! And four finished cushion covers are the result. <br />
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The cushion tops have been staring at me for a while now. Pleading with me with their big, sad unfinished edges to "Puhlease!" be made into something useful. But I had misplaced me 'sewjo' and was ignoring their unwelcome pleas.<br />
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But yesterday I found my sewjo again. Surprise! 'Someone' had hidden it under that purple and chartreuse cushion top, so when I finally forced myself to look at the pile again I saw the edge of it peeking out. Darn cheeky thing. But I guess that'll learn me for leaving something unfinished for so long... (Probably not.)<br />
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I will at some point post a pattern for the purple and chartreuse cushion top. I've been wanting to make one of these for a while (have seen them over in Pinterestland a fair bit). I couldn't find any measurements on the net anywhere so I had to make my own up, which I'll happily share with you at some point. I've called it my 'Mis-matched Matchsticks' Cushion. So stay tuned for that!<br />
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I styled the cushion above around Heather Ross's Briar Rose range, which sadly I am starting to run out of. Not sure if I'll buy more of it... but I do love it so! Very bright and cheery. It also has a combination of modern and vintage fabrics - of course!<br />
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This next cushion was the result of me playing with bits and pieces. I was originally going to make a traditional patchwork but then I started fiddling and decided to do a pinwheel. The back is from the lovely Verna Mosquera Rosewater range. Soft and pretty.<br />
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And then there's this one. Modern vintage to a T. A combination of vintage Sanderson upholstery fabric and a bright, modern pom-pom trim! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8QtM0CTxpwNE6nJmbTDI3gxCotVS2GYRKmlwXHe31a5OvE7UT8SrsJFj8Hdq0kuZB1q2WuZNFt2T-kk8TTqXudppJAYkrSTnyEWX3pBIfnaSab4eIw481cvY8fZ8l5ruACN_MRaWLJNF/s1600/IMG_2493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8QtM0CTxpwNE6nJmbTDI3gxCotVS2GYRKmlwXHe31a5OvE7UT8SrsJFj8Hdq0kuZB1q2WuZNFt2T-kk8TTqXudppJAYkrSTnyEWX3pBIfnaSab4eIw481cvY8fZ8l5ruACN_MRaWLJNF/s1600/IMG_2493.jpg" /></a>All waiting patiently to go to new homes :)<br />
<br />Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-8751824075695354902015-04-14T22:40:00.002+10:002015-04-15T08:30:22.353+10:00April | Caesarean Awareness Month<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RGptCVe_fT2zubiKU5VX4fjfefTxILm506EWTwRtFCXq2eGbcxH0vEuM-0yxvYe2NyahD8XE58GRr1SgWWJH7bCd04xGvYgH-joAyli7roBFtJk1juvEzwBrdYjrUQKods8MKjD8oPow/s1600/drl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RGptCVe_fT2zubiKU5VX4fjfefTxILm506EWTwRtFCXq2eGbcxH0vEuM-0yxvYe2NyahD8XE58GRr1SgWWJH7bCd04xGvYgH-joAyli7roBFtJk1juvEzwBrdYjrUQKods8MKjD8oPow/s1600/drl.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daniel, Rosie and Lewis (aka. Bubby Boy)</td></tr>
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Did you know that April is Caesarean Awareness Month? I didn't until tonight - in fact, I'm still not even sure if this is just an American thing... Anyway, while my kids were tearing around the McDonalds playground (don't judge me) and I was making use of the free wifi I stumbled across a post on the website Cordmama called '<a href="http://www.cordmama.com/blog/2015/4/8/three-truths-about-c-section-mamas" target="_blank">Three Truths about C-section Mamas</a>', and being a so-called 'C-section Mama' I was intrigued - what were these truths this person knew about me, which they supposedly knew just because I didn't birth my children 'the way nature intended'?<br />
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I don't really have much to say about the three truths the author mentions. Am I brave? I know I was so terrified at the thought of having an epidural that my husband struggled to hold my sobbing, rocking body still so the poor anaesthetist could get the needle in safely. How about strong? Well, my poor husband also had to get up through the night to pass me the baby for the first few weeks after having my first ceasarean because I was so sore, and then he had to go to work for 12 hours each day. Ok, let's try beautiful? Love, ain't nobody's beautiful after being 10 days overdue, followed by 39 hours of labour and a c-section! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQw33ajvo2bMD1w8pbwQKWQZ3Ne9qtcrnWbplg1wFXN_ukJDQw_4iIRNy_p9C57h2GU_PsgBPs8CCNnhzmCVV8HdWYzn_VDDyRv8sO2NlxdJPlp2_KoZO6VmeRmpepBRp8eaTN1hWDo1s/s1600/rosie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQw33ajvo2bMD1w8pbwQKWQZ3Ne9qtcrnWbplg1wFXN_ukJDQw_4iIRNy_p9C57h2GU_PsgBPs8CCNnhzmCVV8HdWYzn_VDDyRv8sO2NlxdJPlp2_KoZO6VmeRmpepBRp8eaTN1hWDo1s/s1600/rosie.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting my first, Rose.</td></tr>
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But, as this article implies, there is, without a doubt, a stigma associated with c-sections. At times, I have felt like less of a woman because my body didn't (or couldn't?) do what it was supposed to do. I have felt like less of a mother. I have felt like I failed. I have felt disappointed. I have felt sad. And while I acknowledge it is completely valid to feel those emotions at missing out on what is undeniably an absolutely mind-blowing miracle, I now know that the thing that tries to tell me I am less of a mother and a woman and that I failed because I didn't have a natural birth, well, that thing is a lie. It is a complete and utter untruth. </div>
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I don't know why I couldn't birth my children naturally. I don't know why my body took so long to progress. I've wracked my brain trying to find the one reason that will let me put this to rest once and for all. That one elusive reason that will finally be the death of that darn undermining question that pops into my head every now and then (mostly when I'm pregnant, which just happens to be now). </div>
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Maybe it was that their round little heads just didn't fit my hips... Maybe the relaxin in my body wasn't enough to make my tendons stretch enough... Maybe I didn't do enough yoga beforehand... Maybe I should have read that birthing book just one more time... Maybe it was this. Maybe it was that. </div>
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All I know for sure is that sometimes God has other plans...</div>
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With my first, complications arose towards the end of the pregnancy. My fluid levels were low due to a failing and calcifying placenta and my baby's growth rate was declining instead of the usual growth explosion they go through just before birth. So, fully aware that things might not go as hoped during labour my Obstetrician decided he didn't want me to go more than four days over, and as first babies don't often come on time, I was induced. After 18 hours, with many of those spent attached to a drip pumping me full of what is commonly called Syntocinon (but which I have henceforth renamed 'the torture drug'), my baby's heart rate dropped. I have never seen nurses move so fast (except when I fainted post-caesarean, boy did that nurse move fast!). There was no mucking around. The decision was made. Emergency caesarean.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1RMrgRZKYIIqtY_80poAy1zr3vxwqTi9jZgS7CtpmHv7v00qMJBfpqmmStp2xduxscQsaNGXY6PwluEhOhqh4Ye6xicyONmeG1O8F0MvfaCtHD0iBHoOtifBe0MtI6kuds-Vb9oWm5Wd/s1600/rosie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ1RMrgRZKYIIqtY_80poAy1zr3vxwqTi9jZgS7CtpmHv7v00qMJBfpqmmStp2xduxscQsaNGXY6PwluEhOhqh4Ye6xicyONmeG1O8F0MvfaCtHD0iBHoOtifBe0MtI6kuds-Vb9oWm5Wd/s1600/rosie2.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite post-birth photo of me and Rosie.</td></tr>
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With my second, I went into labour spontaneously, which is what I had hoped for. I woke up at 6am on a Wednesday morning feeling uncomfortable and achey (remembering I didn't experience spontaneous labour for the first one, this was all knew to me!). After a couple of hours of timing contractions, I called the hospital to see what they thought and after speaking with my Obstetrician the midwife told me to come straight in. As I was attempting a VBAC there were certain precautions that needed to be taken, so off I waddled to the hospital where I spent the next 35 or so hours working very hard to have a natural birth. </div>
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The week leading up to the birth my daughter had been quite ill with a virus, and I remember lying in bed one night holding a feverish child and wondering what would happen if I got sick during labour. Little did I know, I was about to find out. </div>
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The morning of the second day of labour I knew I didn't feel right. I hadn't eaten properly for a while because I'd been vomiting (not unusual during labour), but I also felt fluey. And then, after taking my temperature, my Obstetrician started to quiz me on whether I felt ok because my temperature was up. Determined to have the baby naturally, I told him I felt fine (I do not recommend doing this by the way - labour makes you do stupid things). By about 1pm that afternoon I asked for an epidural because I was completely spent. I felt absolutely horrendous. But being as stubborn as I am, I was still keen to keep trying, so once the epidural was in, the midwife turned the Syntocinon up to 'Ludicrous Speed' and I slept, letting the drugs do their thing. At about 5pm that night I attempted to push, until it was decided I needed another hour or so to be really ready. Halfway through that hour I told my Obstetrician I couldn't do anymore. I had had enough. There was nothing left in me. I felt so, so sick and I knew there was no way I was going to be able to find the strength to push this baby out. So, it was another caesarean. Not emergency, but definitely <u>not</u> elective. Unfortunately, this was only the start of a two month stint in hospital with a very, very ill baby that I never ever want to repeat again. But that's another story.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNeCXjyweZGQVrsl8tGNehcxugbYsLhjwPvp7F31Dc6OSDJnlDr1l8o6_XVdVgEyK13WCR64PBMSPFVLKfmumFYNK2STIA1kHxUbC2WkwpxIPylugy99VHIzap8p9aGHyMn3Ea5a9yC7X/s1600/lewis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSNeCXjyweZGQVrsl8tGNehcxugbYsLhjwPvp7F31Dc6OSDJnlDr1l8o6_XVdVgEyK13WCR64PBMSPFVLKfmumFYNK2STIA1kHxUbC2WkwpxIPylugy99VHIzap8p9aGHyMn3Ea5a9yC7X/s1600/lewis.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My boy, Lewis.</td></tr>
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At times, when I have thought back to my second labour I have questioned my decision to end it. Did I give up too quickly? (If you can call 39 hours too quick!) Maybe I could have pushed him out if I'd only given it another half hour...? Because that would mean that I'd be able to have another natural birth this time, instead of bizarrely knowing already when I will most likely be meeting this new member of our family. In the end though, I just have to trust the decision that past Xanthe made (<u>that</u> Xanthe knew fully what was going on back then, unlike present Xanthe who struggles to remember). I also have to trust that wonderful, knowledgeable and very experienced midwife (whose name escapes me right now!) who was there at the end, and who, when asked if I'd made the right decision, told me very matter-of-factly and without a flicker of doubt that there was no way I was going to push that baby out. And finally, I have to trust my Obstetrician (who I do still trust implicitly, by the way!), who could obviously see how sick I was, because he didn't try to talk me into giving it a bit more time. </div>
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And I'm realising more and more that it just doesn't matter. It is what it is. </div>
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I have two healthy kids and another on the way. Hallelujah! Just because they didn't leave my body the way its been done for thousands of years doesn't mean anything. In fact, thank God I had the choice. Thank God me and my children didn't become statistics of death in childbirth. And thank God I had a wonderful and attentive Obstetrician and team of midwives who were with me the whole time, were completely on the ball and didn't let anything slip. For this I am forever thankful and eternally grateful.</div>
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(Gold Coast mums-to-be, if you want to know the name of a great obstetrician and private hospital, send me an email!).</div>
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Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-67753364522501102302015-04-06T16:48:00.001+10:002015-04-06T16:58:07.353+10:00Recipe | Oozey Salmon Scotch Eggs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_rc_c3Spv7R_k89PzXAuStBAHcVFISUDG4LF-8yyFcK4jBHCKPQV15P2lHTYdTa4KGKGg1qO_Kp5FIUxc_azLSzBwf1g4hCjRM_tKDGcp9ahMkxrlvWPr-wKZaYa09avSVyZau9-gnJy/s1600/salmon+scotch+eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ_rc_c3Spv7R_k89PzXAuStBAHcVFISUDG4LF-8yyFcK4jBHCKPQV15P2lHTYdTa4KGKGg1qO_Kp5FIUxc_azLSzBwf1g4hCjRM_tKDGcp9ahMkxrlvWPr-wKZaYa09avSVyZau9-gnJy/s1600/salmon+scotch+eggs.jpg" /></a></div>
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I apologise in advance for the obvious lack of 'pretty' in the photography for this recipe. But I hope to redeem myself with the abundant amount of 'yummy' that the recipe provides (even if I do say so myself!).<br />
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Salmon Scotch Eggs. I remember eating these as a kid. They were a real treat that my Mum made every so often, which I do remember thinking wasn't often enough. Over the last little while I've thought often and fondly of them, and eventually I just had to bite the bullet and make a gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, grain-free version. Because I need to eat them. <br />
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This recipe has been adapted from the recipe my Mum gave me, and I have no idea where it came from. Maybe Grandma Brownlow? Maybe an old Day To Day Cookery Book? Anyway, I don't know where the recipe comes from originally, but I've changed it to accommodate my current diet preferences so I can eat them without the side of guilt. In saying that, I still chose to use potatoes in my version, but I'm sure these would be just as nice made with sweet potato for any avid paleo followers. I would probably let the sweet potato cool fully and you may need to add some arrowroot or another binder to the salmon and sweet potato mix as sweet potato can be a bit softer than plain old white potatoes. My Mum also made them hard-boiled, which are great for kids, but my more grown-up self now prefers a softer centre.<br />
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I had a minor hiccup in the cooking of these little babies, solely due to my lack of patience and wanting to eat them now, already. I didn't really think it through well enough - so I really would recommend chilling them for half an hour or so before <u style="font-style: italic;">deep frying</u>. Shallow frying isn't really advised - as you will notice from Exhibit A (ie. the photo above) they were a little soft and didn't really like being turned. <br />
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But they still tasted darned good!<br />
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<b>Oozey Salmon Scotch Eggs</b><br />
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<i>Serves: 6 - 8</i><br />
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415g can good quality red or pink salmon<br />
3 cups mashed, cooled potato<br />
2 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped<br />
2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped<br />
juice of 1 small lemon<br />
10 eggs<br />
salt and pepper<br />
1 cup arrowroot<br />
2 cups almond meal<br />
coconut oil, or your preferred oil, for deep frying<br />
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Place 8 eggs in a generously sized saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, and as soon as the water starts to boil, cook for 2.5 minutes. Remove from the heat and empty out the boiling water. Immediately cover with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside until cooled and then peel.<br />
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Mix the potato, salmon, herbs and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Season well to taste. <br />
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Place the arrowroot and almond meal on separate plates and beat the two remaining eggs in a bowl. <br />
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Divide the salmon mixture to match the number of eggs you have boiled. Taking a boiled egg, carefully mould the salmon mixture around the egg and form it into a nice round ball. Roll it in the arrowroot, then the egg and finally the almond meal, making sure that the balls are well-covered at each step. Place on a plate and leave in the fridge to cool and set for half an hour or so. <br />
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Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and fry each scotch egg until golden brown and warmed through. Don't overfill the saucepan, just do one or two at a time depending on the size of the saucepan you are using. You will have to adjust the temperature of the oil to make sure you don't burn the outside before the inside is warmed. Drain on absorbent paper.<br />
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Serve immediately with a green salad.</div>
Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-20269343743171481012015-04-01T23:20:00.001+10:002015-04-01T23:23:07.181+10:00A Wife-made How To | Scrappy Easter Bunny Head Tie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jEGZ9X1qUqITg5u2eb3kjdREWWhmF28oOIJT4OM33-N6aEsFIuNQjWqis8gx5YVjM0qyLjjddmPnQxH04psS7ASRQVz0JT13vw0p0O-HSGhYFdaSN-5ZIdTZ1mqzyMTjtT1OisMcKmfo/s1600/EASTER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jEGZ9X1qUqITg5u2eb3kjdREWWhmF28oOIJT4OM33-N6aEsFIuNQjWqis8gx5YVjM0qyLjjddmPnQxH04psS7ASRQVz0JT13vw0p0O-HSGhYFdaSN-5ZIdTZ1mqzyMTjtT1OisMcKmfo/s1600/EASTER.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />
This little bunny is definitely late for a very important date! That date being hitting publish on an Easter-related tutorial before Easter gets here...<br />
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Phew, I made it. Just. And if you've got a spare hour or two, you might be able to squeeze in a pair of these ultra cute bunny ears before the real bunny arrives! Here's how!<br />
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<br />
<i>What you'll need:</i><br />
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Quilting fabric<br />
1/2" wide elastic<br />
Heavy fuseable interfacing (I used No.16 weight)<br />
Poly batting or any other type of quilting batting you might have (I like the poly batting for this project because its a bit stiffer than the natural fibre battings.)<br />
Cotton chenille, or something else fluffy for the ears<br />
A pile of fabrics scraps of all different sizes to make fabric flowers<br />
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<i>Cut:</i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMWMKbGTrD_-Msai_RvU0Zvj9_4J0AJjwjORMyju7MRwBQC6oLXaUsvmuRlqoFopS5FPIGB0W7wxAudce6HLR-oFPyBR8D7Jn7s0kZkIjLl0CzBRryuXu5GfyKS9vh2kkbZ2ll8My1q2x/s1600/cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMWMKbGTrD_-Msai_RvU0Zvj9_4J0AJjwjORMyju7MRwBQC6oLXaUsvmuRlqoFopS5FPIGB0W7wxAudce6HLR-oFPyBR8D7Jn7s0kZkIjLl0CzBRryuXu5GfyKS9vh2kkbZ2ll8My1q2x/s1600/cut.jpg" /></a><br />
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<ol>
<li>Two (2) headband fabric pieces measuring 11" x 3" (this is the Pam Kitty floral you can see in the pic above)</li>
<li>One (1) piece of poly batting measuring 2.5" x 10" (for the headband)</li>
<li>Two (2) pieces of heavy interfacing measuring 11" x 2.5" (for the headband)</li>
<li>Two (2) pieces of heavy interfacing measuring 8.5" x 3.5" (for the ears)</li>
<li>Two (2) pieces of poly batting measuring 8.5" x 3.5" (for the ears)</li>
<li>Two (2) pieces of elastic measuring 3.5" long</li>
<li>Two (2) pieces of bunny ears backing fabric measuring 8.5" x 3.5" (this can match the headband fabric if you like)</li>
<li>Two (2) pieces of cotton chenille measuring 8.5" x 3.5" (for the ears)</li>
<li>Two (2) long strips of fabric for the ties measuring 2.25" x WOF (width of fabric)</li>
</ol>
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<i><br /></i>
<i>How to:</i></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYe6voIphCewB63BXPj_7fUJXPrGKoELsKr9G3qyUHegjtIQPDTQXxAbz6f_GLY5J_gxapDZVsb_hhB7KFzsWyOV3KD9GTtdz01rnvj5UOnoaFydYKYLDMD08Z2Xyda62F_JHrJmZj06B/s1600/step+1&2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYe6voIphCewB63BXPj_7fUJXPrGKoELsKr9G3qyUHegjtIQPDTQXxAbz6f_GLY5J_gxapDZVsb_hhB7KFzsWyOV3KD9GTtdz01rnvj5UOnoaFydYKYLDMD08Z2Xyda62F_JHrJmZj06B/s1600/step+1&2.jpg" /></a></div>
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Step 1: Fuse the headband interfacing to the wrong side of the headband fabric pieces as shown in the image above, leaving 1/2" of fabric bare on one long side of each piece and both short ends.</div>
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Step 2: Press the 1/2" of bare fabric on each long side of headband fabric so that the wrong sides of the fabric and interfacing are touching, as shown above.S</div>
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Step 3: Place the headband batting on the wrong side of one of the headband pieces so that it sits under the folded edge, then place the other headband piece underneath so that right sides of the fabric are facing. Pin as shown, and set aside.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbiXl4IvgHCUJhjfMIKpA2fivlGUtnaAPLxUy35nl0wkyCHPtt71hDHhnqouWBVON0565ydyUd3EkNJWJjo17nC8N29zoKfaBYgPp6U8PYTb1DDJ5oHYeWfza5Ri8Fay6s0o_feNWcgxn/s1600/s3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbiXl4IvgHCUJhjfMIKpA2fivlGUtnaAPLxUy35nl0wkyCHPtt71hDHhnqouWBVON0565ydyUd3EkNJWJjo17nC8N29zoKfaBYgPp6U8PYTb1DDJ5oHYeWfza5Ri8Fay6s0o_feNWcgxn/s1600/s3.jpg" /></a></div>
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Step 4: Take the fabric for the ties and fold them in half lengthways, with right sides together. Pin and stitch 1/4" from the raw edge the full length of the ties, enclosing one short end. Turn the tube out the right way (I use a chopstick for this). Press.<br />
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Step 5: Insert the elastic in the open ends of the ties until the open end of the ties and the other end of the elastic are even. Pin to prevent the elastic from going further into the tube. It should be sitting in the first 3.5" of the tube. <br />
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Step 6: Gather the tie fabric around the elastic to create a comfortable stretchy section of the head ties. Pin at the other end of the elastic, to hold the gathers in place, and stitch about 1/4" from the end of the elastic. See the image below if this is unclear.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchDym-bk0uhlTNvi2DXnCN5vbt06Bg-0rzyOj2iNiJRWdyeR20pBwwaDePwRcrLYvqaPcvI2CTq5ghI7zG6wMv_RvSOwR9SkI0BeeFDfucLMUxtv0eVPLiTr-cnJ55B6CP24mX8Iw6Pxq/s1600/s6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjchDym-bk0uhlTNvi2DXnCN5vbt06Bg-0rzyOj2iNiJRWdyeR20pBwwaDePwRcrLYvqaPcvI2CTq5ghI7zG6wMv_RvSOwR9SkI0BeeFDfucLMUxtv0eVPLiTr-cnJ55B6CP24mX8Iw6Pxq/s1600/s6.jpg" /></a></div>
Step 7: Pin the open ends of the ties in between the two headband pieces on the short ends as shown. Stitch 1/2" from the edge of the short and long ends of the headband (not the folded side). On the short ends, stitch the folded sections down.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMGraK7OQHUKg8VrmxEKZisy7AlCT1vC__y3GJdZRo8tU5ZrOT86S0zzh7WEmn8LMcrCrUrJ_nB60lJNF-4vNYuHEkGhhWP5v9af_3W-9N9i7TdiI7Go_uwUxRRVwsD-aj2fqI8JdAyQO/s1600/s7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMGraK7OQHUKg8VrmxEKZisy7AlCT1vC__y3GJdZRo8tU5ZrOT86S0zzh7WEmn8LMcrCrUrJ_nB60lJNF-4vNYuHEkGhhWP5v9af_3W-9N9i7TdiI7Go_uwUxRRVwsD-aj2fqI8JdAyQO/s1600/s7.jpg" /></a></div>
Step 8: Trim the seam allowances using pinking shears or normal scissors, being careful not to cut the stitching. Turn the head band the right way out and press. Set aside.<br />
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Step 9: On the back of one of the 3.5" x 8.5" pieces of interfacing draw a bunny ear shape. Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the ear backing fabric. Fuse the other piece of interfacing to the other piece of ear backing fabric. Lay the the fused pieces on top of each other, with the outline of the bunny ear facing up and cut through both pieces at one time to ensure both ears are the same.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxupKF8mDI4VbOcxtLzPcxmqLfF7HBAoEaeXFze97x3VklCKJvEeRF2-BmwKeA9I338PiOod4ZWAL59xQySx5r2zkvuJzEBfR8ZyegExm8sNbQxUbBnqAPsN0wZRn27xG2sOQjliEk1yO/s1600/s9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxupKF8mDI4VbOcxtLzPcxmqLfF7HBAoEaeXFze97x3VklCKJvEeRF2-BmwKeA9I338PiOod4ZWAL59xQySx5r2zkvuJzEBfR8ZyegExm8sNbQxUbBnqAPsN0wZRn27xG2sOQjliEk1yO/s1600/s9.jpg" /></a></div>
Step 10: Place the poly batting between the backing fabric and cotton chenille, making sure that the right sides of the backing and chenille are facing out. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOFJMEqNdUdpx9s8LWrQ6UaumfXiD6Wvq5_pd8AM9BQW_wj46sLIZgMQXCzkKecRkUKXqF9ogc4fiyHLF1zNfGSweta3gn8Zpw9y2j28wnY9vt6LA8HIzyHHlho72l4HAJ2hTZ5Ie7mxg/s1600/s10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOFJMEqNdUdpx9s8LWrQ6UaumfXiD6Wvq5_pd8AM9BQW_wj46sLIZgMQXCzkKecRkUKXqF9ogc4fiyHLF1zNfGSweta3gn8Zpw9y2j28wnY9vt6LA8HIzyHHlho72l4HAJ2hTZ5Ie7mxg/s1600/s10.jpg" /></a></div>
Step 11: Using a straight stitch, stitch 1/8" from the edge of the backing fabric to join the three layers. Trim the excess fabric around the bunny ears shape, then zig-zag stitch around the edge to finish. I used a 2.5 width and a 1.5 length for my zig-zag stitch. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YkFmfGnI_DFEvTXtrIAm0Bne4POPUNNwaI2jEAAzOVeAVgj1WEXsEzrKwhJ4wCGff_q7yO3knCwkLhd4u3ouuPLlEJH67ZVu8eO17U75_WVvASKkOmhDnaFB-Y8xBkYFdM86g9fkv23r/s1600/s11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_YkFmfGnI_DFEvTXtrIAm0Bne4POPUNNwaI2jEAAzOVeAVgj1WEXsEzrKwhJ4wCGff_q7yO3knCwkLhd4u3ouuPLlEJH67ZVu8eO17U75_WVvASKkOmhDnaFB-Y8xBkYFdM86g9fkv23r/s1600/s11.jpg" /></a></div>
Step 12: Using a pink or contrasting thread, stitch the centres of the bunny ears. I like to use a messy free-motion style to do this and go over it a few times to make it really stand out, but you could applique a piece of fabric on for the inside of the ears. Do whatever takes your fancy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Gop0eBLJPVNvkyAuRzmCLvKJninJpSCXrNvDLQN2NxICTG5CY0v3KFzUrTJ7h_TN_CUvXmxFmbGe_EjHKmj2B0BXrYXE0H-4ZC9lhW0B6U5axzK3KIgDkZzNA-kvHvBMIg9WUvYdVqX7/s1600/s12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Gop0eBLJPVNvkyAuRzmCLvKJninJpSCXrNvDLQN2NxICTG5CY0v3KFzUrTJ7h_TN_CUvXmxFmbGe_EjHKmj2B0BXrYXE0H-4ZC9lhW0B6U5axzK3KIgDkZzNA-kvHvBMIg9WUvYdVqX7/s1600/s12.jpg" /></a></div>
Step 13: Place the ears inside the open folded edge of the headband and pin in place, making sure they are nicely centred and angled outwards slightly. Topstitch the opening closed and continue to topstitch around the edges of the entire headband.<br />
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And your headband is nearly finished! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV5gW3RHA8UV939izrfdtmcR0cuahXtxG3OoOTyPNhlf9SjjPWbd1eDqBbAtc4nN1UJ7ekD_scHR801oUwpZdv8y-UaC3M3F2SXPHI6yEDDLtu-gTxsE10OQarmrHR6OipCtBiI_IhI0A/s1600/IMG_2392.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcV5gW3RHA8UV939izrfdtmcR0cuahXtxG3OoOTyPNhlf9SjjPWbd1eDqBbAtc4nN1UJ7ekD_scHR801oUwpZdv8y-UaC3M3F2SXPHI6yEDDLtu-gTxsE10OQarmrHR6OipCtBiI_IhI0A/s1600/IMG_2392.jpg" /></a></div>
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Now you just need to embellish it with some lovely scrappy fabric flowers. I used <a href="http://thrivinghomeblog.com/2014/05/diy-ruffled-fabric-flower/" target="_blank">this</a> method to make my scrappy flowers and I pulled a pile of scraps of all different lengths and widths from my fabric scrap bin to make a few different colours, shapes and sizes! I used a hot glue gun to make the flowers and attach them to the headband - it was a lot faster than handsewing, which wasn't an option for me the night before Rosie's kindy Easter bonnet parade! Nothing like last minute to get the creative juices flowing ;)<br />
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The little concertina fan-shaped flowers I made by folding a rectangular piece of fabric on itself over and over again, stitching through all the layers and then putting a dab of hot glue on the top and squeezing the top pieces together to create a little fan shape.<br />
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If I'd had more time I would have loved to add a little fabric butterfly, and maybe some colourful buttons in the middle of the flowers. I can even see a version of this headband made from lovely vintage fabrics! So many options!<br />
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All that really mattered though, was the smile on this little face. She was happy, and so was I.<br />
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Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-50184274416222078332015-03-21T14:09:00.002+10:002015-03-21T14:09:40.628+10:00Bedroom Do-over<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been doing a bit of work on Rosie's bedroom. <br />
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I realised the other day I had created a monster. I'd had this visionl, you see. This vision of vintage, thrown together with a bit of modern, a splash of colour here and there, nothing too 'planned', but rather a mish-mash of things that just happened to look good together. Like all those styled bedrooms you see on Pinterest that the stylist has spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on and many many hours working really hard to make it look like they didn't... Yep, that was my vision. Without the hard work.<br />
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But instead, I created pink. And pretty. And vintage. And more vintage. And no modern. Nope, not a scrape. <br />
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So I started again. <br />
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Well, I actually just bought some decals from Jacki at <a href="http://www.walleffect.com.au/" target="_blank">Wall Effect</a>. My friend Sarah of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RicRacAndRetro" target="_blank">Ric-Rac and Retro</a> convinced me to go with black, which wouldn't have been my first choice, but now that I've got them, BAM! It works, baby! Sarah saw my vision, and she nailed it. Even my husband loves the dots. And so does Lewis - 'pots' he says whenever he seems them. But most importantly, Rosie loves them. <br />
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I love how the dots take the vintage look to a whole new level. Modern vintage. It's my 'thang'.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_U5aK5Ilw6i4vH15BUjMv6oGPOZ-n3y1vrqGFQquxCQsGj1dRmhBnH9w_4jqbJNrnvWS2xh9NYgDr5Jx_0EAzVlWqs8Y8wnD-6gTIpX2WKXOXTZEH01FxMVbU8NNNOJdNRkQ1IisKv0S/s1600/P3070009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_U5aK5Ilw6i4vH15BUjMv6oGPOZ-n3y1vrqGFQquxCQsGj1dRmhBnH9w_4jqbJNrnvWS2xh9NYgDr5Jx_0EAzVlWqs8Y8wnD-6gTIpX2WKXOXTZEH01FxMVbU8NNNOJdNRkQ1IisKv0S/s1600/P3070009.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_U5aK5Ilw6i4vH15BUjMv6oGPOZ-n3y1vrqGFQquxCQsGj1dRmhBnH9w_4jqbJNrnvWS2xh9NYgDr5Jx_0EAzVlWqs8Y8wnD-6gTIpX2WKXOXTZEH01FxMVbU8NNNOJdNRkQ1IisKv0S/s1600/P3070009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkd6XoZ0FrhrdK0-J4PX71nYkA2J02Lv7V_DkgEPPhCLQwxwiiyfb5oxO6fW4S_2PPRXhpcAMlWr-00q5kVBUbRJuzdoi4h4GiCPE6cqV8KDo2yAc7SzGLwcx3HovXLWmkD80NuonYw5E/s1600/P3070010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkd6XoZ0FrhrdK0-J4PX71nYkA2J02Lv7V_DkgEPPhCLQwxwiiyfb5oxO6fW4S_2PPRXhpcAMlWr-00q5kVBUbRJuzdoi4h4GiCPE6cqV8KDo2yAc7SzGLwcx3HovXLWmkD80NuonYw5E/s1600/P3070010.jpg" /></a></div>
I also threw together a brightly coloured pom-pom tassel (or pong-pongs, as Rosie calls them) to hang by the window.<br />
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Aaaaaaannnnd, I've got a 'You've Got Mail' Wall Pocket (from <a href="http://ayumills.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/youve-got-mail-wall-pocket-in-patchwork.html" target="_blank">Ayumi Mills'</a> book Patchwork Please!) in the works to hang at the end of the bed. <br />
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And I feel like its on the way again... <br />
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<br />Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-615992776559106802015-03-17T16:13:00.001+10:002015-03-18T16:11:53.768+10:00Breakfast | Creamy Bircher Muesli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrHNtIri1mwsC9FuSQM_W6RowHMrOcxO-cNoutqJVbW5mZzOPSgSw6ldpNUU9v_exqfYlyDc9SApz5E3yx21NdRk0RJRc-stIOfZUiZLmr54QQ8udoSHrNEeJajyHGq2tXngZxHNuogbD/s1600/Bircher+Muesli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrHNtIri1mwsC9FuSQM_W6RowHMrOcxO-cNoutqJVbW5mZzOPSgSw6ldpNUU9v_exqfYlyDc9SApz5E3yx21NdRk0RJRc-stIOfZUiZLmr54QQ8udoSHrNEeJajyHGq2tXngZxHNuogbD/s1600/Bircher+Muesli.jpg" /></a></div>
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Bircher muesli is not something we eat regularly, and since I've started cutting back on refined sugars/fructose, grains and dairy that has pretty much removed it from my list completely.<br />
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However. <br />
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I do love the odd bowl of porridge, particularly in Winter, but with Winter still being somewhat well around the corner (ie. it's still stinkin' hot here) it's not really porridge weather, but Bircher Muesli? Well that's a different story!<br />
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So Monday afternoon, while I was waiting for some overnight guests to arrive I decided I was going to make sugar-free, dairy-free Bircher Muesli. Nothing like coming up with a new recipe at the last minute!<br />
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A lot of the Bircher Muesli recipes I have come across use apple juice as the main liquid, others use a combination of milk, cream and yoghurt, and then some just use water, but as I had an open bottle of coconut water sitting in the fridge waiting to be used, I decided to use that instead. And then I had the brainwave of making it extra creamy by adding coconut cream. And then I added a sprinkling of chia seeds. And a sprinkling of shredded coconut. And then another sprinkling of chia seeds. And then a bit more coconut water. Anyway, you get the gist of how this recipe came about. Bit o' this, bit o' that, and that'll do it.<br />
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This recipe needs to be made the day ahead to get a really creamy mixture.<br />
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<b>Creamy Bircher Muesli</b><br />
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Serves: at least 8</i></div>
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2 1/2 cups rolled oats</div>
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2 tbspns chia seeds</div>
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1/2 cup shredded coconut</div>
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500ml coconut water</div>
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400 ml coconut cream</div>
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1 large apple/pear, coarsely grated<br />
Extra 1/2 cup coconut water, to loosen the muesli the next day<br />
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Topping ideas:<br />
<ul>
<li>Fresh pomegranate seeds with chopped medjool dates & toasted almonds</li>
<li>Chopped banana and blueberries with a sprinkling of pepitas</li>
<li>Sliced peaches with pepitas and toasted almonds</li>
<li>Mixed fruit salad</li>
</ul>
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The night before:</div>
<div>
Combine the oats, chia seeds and shredded coconut in a large bowl with the coconut water and coconut cream. Mix well, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.</div>
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In the morning:</div>
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Remove the muesli from the refrigerator. It will be very thick. Add the extra half cup of coconut water and mix it through the muesli until well combined. Stir through the grated apple or pear. </div>
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Serve with your chosen toppings and an extra splash of coconut cream if you're feeling decadent. </div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<br />Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-49302587196219272342015-03-10T15:09:00.002+10:002015-03-10T15:11:02.857+10:00More Tendre Crochet / And life.Meet Gudule. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ebcMTQqpXmAhF_471g_gvDNNTOmguIaoY6L4EK2rtYaMTE9CzqWCwF1E9uCDPcB88XxD9IMzPwljRUoZMCAOda_-zF60RDJHv5EWZz1Zk-woJsYqvznyKLhXS_93ItimAybW9MhhCssT/s1600/P3100003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ebcMTQqpXmAhF_471g_gvDNNTOmguIaoY6L4EK2rtYaMTE9CzqWCwF1E9uCDPcB88XxD9IMzPwljRUoZMCAOda_-zF60RDJHv5EWZz1Zk-woJsYqvznyKLhXS_93ItimAybW9MhhCssT/s1600/P3100003.jpg" /></a></div>
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She's a sweet wee thing, a bit shy and reserved, but ever so willing to snuggle up to you on a cold Winter's night.<br />
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See, I told you, I am head over heels in love with Sandrine's Tendre Crochet patterns! They come together so beautifully - you can't help but be happy with the finished product.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fYAj1aPP8TermOt97v14P_Jf-O5CDhAki0NUSnf_Gz_yvDVhy8QC0Pc5w181lG6ckCSQIXpyhcINFYEN0GmJswLpaRv2V8R1PzznafUpj7Gyux4houu3inI-zI0ZfqhFRY0mIV1mwE1r/s1600/P3100004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1fYAj1aPP8TermOt97v14P_Jf-O5CDhAki0NUSnf_Gz_yvDVhy8QC0Pc5w181lG6ckCSQIXpyhcINFYEN0GmJswLpaRv2V8R1PzznafUpj7Gyux4houu3inI-zI0ZfqhFRY0mIV1mwE1r/s1600/P3100004.JPG" /></a></div>
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I love that I also got to use some more of my favourite Japanese lawn cotton for her scarf, which you may remember from <a href="http://www.wife-made.com/2014/09/dear-rae-i-made-dress-aka-never-trust.html" target="_blank">this</a> dress, as well as the cushions above and previously seen <a href="http://www.wife-made.com/2014/11/i-love-it-when-plan-comes-together.html" target="_blank">here</a>... I'm nearly out of it, but I have a chunk left to do something with... one day... after I've made all the things I already have on my "Half done / Want to do" To Do list. Gosh, that list is soooooo long!<br />
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I'm currently beavering away in my sewing burrow, readying things for the one market I do each year. It holds a special place in my heart because I get to go home to Emerald see my family, which is a rare thing these days. Since my Dad's passing Mum has had to work to support herself and it is hard for both of us to find the time and money to travel the distance to see each other. </div>
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I've got big plans for this market - both for the stock and for the styling of my stall, but I tell you, this baby I'm cooking ain't makin' it easy! For the last week I've felt certain that I must be growing something really important like a brain stem or something. Soooooo tired. Some days I feel great and I power on getting enormous amounts done, but those are often followed by days where I feel I can hardly lift a limb. Ah well - at least I'm not leaving it 'til the last minute... Just gotta keep going!</div>
Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-30573198514203889172015-03-05T12:16:00.001+10:002015-03-05T12:18:45.053+10:00My current addiction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnOLGWeKXxjb31or3A5Pnye1KcthGqNbuFN1461PelzWBTFuqvmhuinslcdkO56oD9FHV9aJ9XKkILti19-Q7DabohTKhu4pujiQtSmJ7HTBFYPAXIyBrtjjktuF2pCDaRoNK8lyVzjgw/s1600/PUNNY2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnOLGWeKXxjb31or3A5Pnye1KcthGqNbuFN1461PelzWBTFuqvmhuinslcdkO56oD9FHV9aJ9XKkILti19-Q7DabohTKhu4pujiQtSmJ7HTBFYPAXIyBrtjjktuF2pCDaRoNK8lyVzjgw/s1600/PUNNY2.jpg" /></a><br />
Just in case you don't know, a Punny is a cross between a Pear and a Bunny ;)<br />
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Have you seen the Pears around Instagram lately? They're all inspired by this amazing book, Tendre Crochet by Sandrine of the blog <a href="http://lisenncabane.canalblog.com/" target="_blank">Tournicote</a>.<br />
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Sandrine makes the loveliest crochet items, and her patterns are easy (except they require translation from French to English. So I'm basically fluent in French crochet terms now!).<br />
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I am currently addicted to this book. Several evenings of late have been spent on the couch next to my husband with the lounge room light on (much to my husband's disgust - he hates watching TV with the light on - but really, he gets my presence so that should balance things out ;) crocheting my little heart out. <br />
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So this little Punny is simply a combination of the pear pattern, Pirum Parum, and the ears from the pattern you can see on the book's front cover. I lengthened them slightly, just to make sure they had the right amount of 'flop' to them. And then, of course, I added a pom-pom tail and a bunny nose. <br />
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Oh, what a wabbit!<br />
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<br />Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-78159731129949033382015-03-01T09:00:00.000+10:002015-04-06T16:51:07.921+10:00Wife-made's Melomakarona Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With regards to food, I don't really feel deprived of treats or like I'm missing out anymore. When I was still very much addicted to sugar (it was very much apart of a number of hours of every day before I began to make changes) I definitely felt like cutting out sugar was the pits. <br />
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But one thing I do miss is being able to indulge in the Greek sweets I was brought up on. I really do miss them, although I can't really say if its the pure enjoyment of eating them so much as the feelings and memories they evoke.<br />
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Rolling out the dough for Sweet Koulouria... brushing filo pastry with butter while making Baklava... stirring Risogalo for an hour over a hot stove... sprinkling icing sugar over Kourabiethes... <br />
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I have a lot of memories of my Dad coming into the kitchen, after Mum was halfway through baking a tray of Baklava and taking over the layering of the filo and the nuts. Because it had to be just right - not too many nuts, spread right to the edges, and then, of course, the cutting of it into perfectly shaped diamonds was an art form which my Dad had down pat.<br />
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So I felt I absolutely had to act on this idea I had to make a cake version of my favourite Greek sweet, Melomakarona. In their original form, these sweets are actually biscuits which are shaped into ovals, filled with nuts and dunked in a honey syrup. Delicious, but definitely not paleo-friendly, or sugar free, or dare I say it, healthy!<br />
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My version has all the same spices and nuts, and is still dunked in a syrup at the end, but they are dairy, grain and sugar-free, so can definitely be indulged in every now and then ;) And, if I do say so myself, they taste just like the real thing, except cakier.<br />
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<b>Wife-made's Melomakarona Cakes</b><br />
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Makes approximately 15 cakes.<br />
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<u>Syrup</u>:<br />
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1 1/2 cups rice malt syrup or honey<br />
1 tbspn lemon juice<br />
1/2 cup water<br />
<br />
Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and boil for 5 mins. Remove from heat and allow to cool.<br />
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<u>Filling</u>:<br />
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450g finely chopped walnuts<br />
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted<br />
2 tspns cinnamon<br />
5 tbspns syrup (recipe above)<br />
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Combine the ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl and mix well. Set aside.<br />
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<u>Cakes</u>:<br />
<br />
3 cups almond meal<br />
3/4 cup tapioca flour<br />
1 1/4 tbspns baking powder<br />
1/3 cup rice malt syrup or honey<br />
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled<br />
1/4 tspn ground cloves<br />
1/2 tspn nutmeg<br />
1 tspn cinnamon<br />
3 eggs<br />
juice of 1 large orange<br />
1/2 cup almond milk<br />
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Preheat your oven to 180ËšC (fan-forced).<br />
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With electric mixer, beat honey and oil together. Add the spices, eggs and orange juice and beat until combined. Add the almond meal, flour and baking powder and mix until combined, slowly adding the almond milk. Mix until combined. <br />
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Using paper cases in muffin tins, place a tablespoon of batter in each case. Top with a generous spoon of filling and top with another spoonful of batter, ensuring the nuts are completely covered. Don't overfill your muffin cases!<br />
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Bake for 20-25 mins until cooked through and golden brown. Remove muffins from hot muffin trays immediately, to prevent sweating. Allow to cool completely, then carefully remove the paper cases. <br />
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Bring the syrup to the boil again and remove from heat. Dunk each cake into the hot syrup, turning a couple of times to ensure the entire cake is covered and to give it a bit of time to soak up some of the syrup. Don't leave it in too long or you'll be left with a soggy mess!<br />
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Top with the remaining filling mixture, and enjoy!<br />
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<br />Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-53697307966613600292015-02-27T10:20:00.004+10:002015-03-03T17:51:19.906+10:00Cook the Books | March Meal Planner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Time for the next monthly instalment of Cook the Books! Here's the next five weeks of meal planners for you, if you're cooking along.<br />
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I have to admit, I haven't been adhering strictly to my own meal planner. I have a really good excuse though! I'm pregnant. And a pregnant lady must eat what she must eat, right? Of course, I'm still sticking (mostly) to my dairy and grain-free approach, however I have had a bit of gluten-free flour in things of late. But to be honest, I think it makes my morning sickness worse...? <br />
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Anywho, this month is packed full of great recipes. I hope you're enjoying cooking and eating them too!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wife-made's Cook the Books Series | March</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wife-made's Cook the Books Series | March</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieGB46CBCM8cH1yKx0fSzqUMzlsou8g_lkyf8Qdogo2XwzDb3sOOgTYbzVN_92ddLtwRQhAG6lXWZrHQf8Rzz1Ogao_BcSkMpNkOZm-gMRN-raXMRnpJ6oQT8ZFESjFqofvQyvQuSiT93/s1600/Cook+the+Books+March+Planner+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieGB46CBCM8cH1yKx0fSzqUMzlsou8g_lkyf8Qdogo2XwzDb3sOOgTYbzVN_92ddLtwRQhAG6lXWZrHQf8Rzz1Ogao_BcSkMpNkOZm-gMRN-raXMRnpJ6oQT8ZFESjFqofvQyvQuSiT93/s1600/Cook+the+Books+March+Planner+3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wife-made's Cook the Books Series | March</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wife=made's Cook the Books Series | March</td></tr>
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<br />Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-76019424028236949032015-02-21T17:40:00.001+10:002015-03-03T17:51:42.402+10:00Breakfast | Wife-made's Hot Tomato & Bacon Salsa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Breakfasts in my childhood home were a varied affair.<br />
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For many years, Sunday morning fare consisted of freshly baked bread, still steaming from just being taken out of the oven, dripping with melted butter and slathered in plum jam. I can still see the brown mixing bowl my Dad used to make the bread, the tiny loaf he made for the day's Communion service, the golden brown loaves baking in the oven, and me and my siblings burning our fingers on the slices my Dad gave us, too impatient to wait for it to cool. <br />
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Weekdays could have been anything from Vegemite toast on rushed mornings to leftovers from the night before, and if we were lucky that may have included cold risogalo (Greek creamed rice) generously sprinkled with cinnamon.<br />
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Saturday mornings usually involved eggs - fried in butter, yolks still oozing and served with warm buttery toast and a generous dollop or two of natural yoghurt, scrambled with tomatoes and garlic and bacon, or served with a side of this yummy hot tomato and bacon salsa. <br />
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This is a very rustic recipe - the tomatoes haven't had their skins removed and the bacon isn't browned. It's intended to be a relatively fast, but satisfying accompaniment to eggs, or even served warm on buttery toast (for those of us who aren't grain or dairy free ;). You could add your own spices for a bit of extra flavour, or some fresh herbs, like oregano or basil.<br />
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<b>Wife-made's Hot Tomato & Bacon Salsa</b></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
1kg very ripe tomatoes, diced</div>
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1 large brown onion, finely diced</div>
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2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely diced</div>
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coconut oil, for frying</div>
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5-6 rashers of bacon, cut into short strips</div>
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freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste</div>
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In a medium-sized saucepan saute the onion in the coconut oil until soft and transparent, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and saute briefly, followed by the bacon. Fry off all ingredients for two to three minutes. Add tomatoes and stir. Bring mixture to the boil and then simmer on medium to low heat until thick and chunky. Season to taste with salt and pepper (you may not need salt, depending on how salty the bacon is).</div>
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Serve immediately and enjoy!</div>
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Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-20822299539933895832015-02-18T16:42:00.002+10:002015-03-03T17:52:07.324+10:00Verna + vintage + the creative processI remember the first time I saw <a href="http://freespiritfabric.com/core-pages/gallery.php?gal_id=565" target="_blank">Verna Mosquera's Rosewater</a> fabric range. Love at first sight. It really appealed to the part of me that loves pretty and vintage and I managed to scrape together a few dollars to buy a small amount of yardage. <br />
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I was so pleased when I saw how beautifully this vintage cross-stitch complemented the Sand Dollar print. And a new line of vintage inspired Butterfly Wings began to form in my little head.<br />
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I've made a few changes to how I make them, partly out of necessity, and partly out of a desire to keep the wings evolving and to see where they take me. In particular, I've added a gold spine to the outside of the wings which adds a bit of 'bling'.<br />
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It's such a lovely feeling to have created something right from the design phase through to the finished product. But to look at the piece and feel content (or even ecstatic) with how it has come together... that really is the best feeling of all. There is nothing worse than putting your heart into something, thinking that it's going to be awesome sauce, and then realising, actually, it isn't awesome sauce.<br />
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But I must say, the more I create, the greater understanding and appreciation I have for the creative process. The ups and downs, the aches and pains, the ins and outs, the stops and gos - it's all part of it. It gives you thinking time, mulling time, despairing time, banging your head against the sewing desk time, and, hopefully, rejoicing time. <br />
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Doesn't that remind you of pregnancy...?Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-91935634282144508002015-02-05T10:54:00.004+10:002015-02-13T16:56:29.738+10:00Valentine's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You make my heart whole.</div>
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{ Wife-made }<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Heart cushion available now in my Etsy <a href="https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/TheWifemadeEmporium" target="_blank">store</a>.</span></div>
Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-43300514536537800732015-01-31T11:49:00.002+10:002015-02-27T10:15:26.134+10:00Cook the Books | February Meal Planner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, here it is! The first instalment of my "Cook the Books" Series, featuring my current favourite and go-to recipe books, Pete Evans' 'Family Food' and Sarah Wilson's 'I Quit Sugar For Life'.<br />
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So, to explain:<br />
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<li>This meal planner follows <b><u>both</u></b> the sugar-free and Paleo eating approaches. These approaches have a number of similarities, for example, low to no sugar (specifically, fructose), and a preference for organic fruit and veg, but they also have a number of differences. For example, the Paleo approach removes all grains and dairy from the diet, whereas the sugar-free approach includes only full-fat dairy and a variety of low-gluten or gluten free options. Wheat is generally avoided. Similarly, the Paleo approach allows a limited amount of 'natural' (and unrefined) sweeteners like maple syrup and honey, whereas the sugar-free approach eliminates all fructose-containing sweeteners, including fruit that tends to be high in fructose, like bananas. </li>
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<li>If you want more in-depth information about these different approaches you can read more about 'The Paleo Way' on Pete Evans' <a href="http://peteevans.com.au/" target="_blank">website</a>, and the sugar-free approach on Sarah's website, <a href="http://iquitsugar.com/" target="_blank">I Quit Sugar</a>.</li>
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<li>I like to follow both these approaches. For my lifestyle, this works best. But if you prefer one approach over the other, the recipes are easily adapted to one way or the other as there are lots of overlaps. For example, if you are a strict Paleo follower, and you find a meal that includes grains or dairy, you could simply swap the entire meal with something else from Pete's book, or just remove the elements of the meal that don't fit with Paleo. Similarly, if you are an I Quit Sugar follower and are happy to have grains and dairy in your diet, you might choose to have brown rice rather than cauliflower rice with your meal. It's up to you!</li>
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<li>If you feel like this is an expensive way of eating, but still want to start making changes, DO WHAT YOU CAN! Both approaches recommend eating organic meat, but our budget does not allow us to. Simple as that. In saying that, I always check out the marked down sections to see what might be hidden away. Sometimes I find real gems, and other times I don't. One thing I've noticed however, and which I really believe is worth mentioning, is that since I started eating this way, I don't eat as much as I did before because I'm eating dense, nutritious and filling foods that keep me satisfied until the next meal. I hardly ever snack now and if I do it's always something that has protein in it. </li>
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<li>I have two little kids who are terrible eaters. We are working on them, but it's a slow process. So don't stress if your kids won't eat this way. Just keep chipping away at them! The other night both my kids ate lamb and vegetable soup for dinner. Admittedly, they were watching TV and I was feeding them, but they ate it and they hardly whinged at all! It's the little victories :)</li>
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<li>My meal planner is not a 7-day meal planner. In my experience, most families eat out about once (or at least once) a week, whether it's take-away or going out or having a meal with friends. I usually cook during the week and we just eat leftovers or have simple meals like steak and salad on the days where we end up being at home on the weekend. </li>
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<li>We have a very open and hospitable home and most weeks we will have someone come for dinner, sometimes more. This means I need to be flexible in my cooking, however I have found that most (if not all!) the meals in these cookbooks are enjoyed by most (if not all!) the people I have served them to. I find if my husband likes them then it's a sure thing!</li>
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<li>I recommend getting your baking done early in the week (apologies for not getting this first meal planner to you a bit earlier - life with two little kids and a husband who works very long hours. Enough said.), which means that you'll need to do your shopping early enough to do your cooking. I'm sure you get how that works ;)</li>
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<li>If you don't feel like eating what's on one week's menu, just swap it around. I've created them without specific dates for that exact reason. </li>
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<li>I can't recommend enough using your freezer! If you've got leftovers that aren't eaten the next day, you could eat them later that week and avoid a night of cooking, or you could freeze them for one of those lazy weekend evenings when you don't want to cook and don't want to buy take-away. Problem solved!</li>
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<li>I haven't included a shopping list because I don't know what you have in your pantry, and because that's a lot more work! But if I get enough interest I would be happy to look at doing up a shopping list with all the ingredients on it as well. We'll see!</li>
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<li>To use these meal planners you will need to have copies of both 'Family Food' and 'I Quit Sugar for Life'. I won't be publishing recipes from these cookbooks on my blog. That is called plagiarism. If I find the recipe has been published by the author on their blog or website I will aim to provide a link to that recipe where I can. But I really recommend buying these books simply because they're a great investment. If you can't afford to buy them, check out your local library, you might find them there, or if not you could request the library to buy them in for you.</li>
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<li>You should be able to download and print the following meal planners and stick them on your fridge or keep them in your diary. Scribble all over them, change things around, cross things out - just use them!</li>
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Phew! I think I've covered everything, but if you have any questions you can send me an email or leave a comment on this post. Make sure you follow me on Instagram or Facebook to see pics of what I've cooked each week. This morning I baked Pete's yummy Banana Bread because we're heading to friends' for the night and I wanted to take something yummy to nibble on, as well as something for morning tea at church tomorrow. I'll post a photo of that soon!<br />
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Now, let's get cooking, or more importantly, eating!</div>
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<br />Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-2534266406937452952015-01-30T15:17:00.002+10:002015-02-27T10:15:35.502+10:00A New Series | Cook The Books<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wife-made's "Cook the Books" Meal Planner Series - from Sarah Wilson's & Pete Evans' awesome books</td></tr>
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I am so excited to introduce this new Wife-made series to you!<br />
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A number of years ago I began a journey of healthier eating. I've always loved my veg, and wouldn't say I was a terrible eater, however I sure loved my sweets, and bread... oh baby, don't get me started!<br />
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But around the time I got married I started having major digestive problems. And I mean MAJOR. I looked like I was pregnant I was so bloated. I had terrrrrrrrrrrrible gas. (And I will say no more about that.) Constant indigestion - burping like I was Homer Simpson. I felt nauseous and just generally unwell. The doctors I saw at the time just said I had irritable bowel, and gave me no information on what to do, except for telling me to take some kind of IBS supplement that might help. That was over five years ago, so I don't know if the mainstream medical approach has changed since then, but that just didn't cut it at the time. Eventually, after I couldn't bear how bad I felt any longer, my husband and I made a decision for me to see a great doctor who takes a natural approach to digestive issues. The process she recommended involved cutting out all sugar (boy, was that hard! I was like a crack addict!), all carbs, and a variety of other foods that she believed weren't helping my cause. And, to my delight, it actually helped. Only a couple of weeks into the new diet, my symptoms started to subside. I began to feel better, and eventually I had no symptoms at all. Hallelujah!<br />
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So, to cut a five-year-long story short, I now feel much better than I did then. But, I'm not going to try to pretend that I have stayed on the wagon the whole time. Within twelve months of getting married I was back to my old habits (the call of the sweet was just so enticing!), and well, whaddya know, the symptoms returned. I was also diagnosed with Graves' Disease at the same time I fell pregnant with my second child, which added to my general unwellness.<br />
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Through this time I have read a number of books on healthy eating and the impact of what we eat on our bodies. I've tried many different approaches, but for me, the one that has stuck (or that I have kept going back to after falling off the wagon) has been cutting out sugar (or more specifically, fructose). More recently, my Mum, who is a severe coeliac, and has also realised she has major issues with dairy (think of a face swollen like a balloon after eating some!), introduced me to the Paleo approach (in a nutshell, a focus on protein and fruit/veg, cutting out all grains and dairy). And I now feel like I've found a great balance. My diet is high in protein and good fats, very low in fructose/sugar and I only very rarely eat dairy or carbs. So, strictly speaking, I'm not a complete Paleo follower because I still do have some carbs here or there (like rice or some spelt flour once in a blue moon), but I have really come to love this general approach. <br />
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Which brings me to this series! "Cook the Books" came about when I realised that I really only cook from these two recipe books now - Sarah Wilson's "I Quit Sugar for Life" and Pete Evans' "Family Food". They have quickly become my 'go-to', whether it's a mid-week meal for my family or something a bit more spesh when we have guests coming over. And I realised that I need to share this with whoever I can, and what better way than by writing a year's worth of meal planners based on these two books?? So, hopefully tomorrow you will find, right here on this blog, the first month's instalment of weekly meal planners.<br />
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So, if you follow the Paleo or sugar-free approach to eating, and would love someone else to do your food thinking for you, you've come to the right place! And if you, I dunno, made some random new year resolution about eating healthy but have already fallen off the wagon, well, you've also come to the right place! <br />
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Healthy eating, here we come! Oh, and if you want to join in, make sure you head out and buy these books, pronto! (Because I won't be putting the recipes up in the posts - that would be highly illegal and would undoubtedly cause a lot of trouble for me with the authors.) But, the books are great anyway. You won't regret it. I don't!<br />
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Note: One comment I have seen a lot about the Paleo approach is it's expensive. At first I was put off because I just didn't think we could afford to eat less carbs and more protein. But my personal approach is to just do what I can. I don't stress over the finer points, and just make changes where I can and go from there. You gotta start somewhere! Sarah's book in particular, has some great tips on how to save money with food buying, and to make food go further.<br />
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Also, I am not a doctor and anything I have said in this blog post is personal experience only and should not be misconstrued as medical advice. If you are unwell, see your doctor!Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-87115119680848923132014-12-06T10:35:00.001+10:002015-02-27T10:15:55.949+10:00A Wife-made How To | Washable Face Cleansing Pads<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUORdxeZ9mesdiXyUESoXmlGZ_-KPHDp5BV_8TKKiGmEa_wxh0o_7SxDwBjXAPS4EZj3tyf_2T4-RK0des9_fEYsowfPlDD6ebMvfDZD26jkXlbYEzIVKI6tihWtYtNbUDTBKAPmW6GiX/s1600/facecleansing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Wife-made How To: Washable Reusable Face Cleansing Pads" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUORdxeZ9mesdiXyUESoXmlGZ_-KPHDp5BV_8TKKiGmEa_wxh0o_7SxDwBjXAPS4EZj3tyf_2T4-RK0des9_fEYsowfPlDD6ebMvfDZD26jkXlbYEzIVKI6tihWtYtNbUDTBKAPmW6GiX/s1600/facecleansing.jpg" title="" /></a><br />
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Another part of my beloved vintage fabric collection are my lovely flannel sheets. There are some really beautiful vintage flannel sheets out there, but sadly they're a bit like that cousin no one likes to talk about. Despite their beautiful retro prints, the flannel unfortunately doesn't age as nicely as plain old polycotton sheets, and they tend to show their years by pilling.<br />
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Despite this, I have been determined to find a use for them. After all, I can't keep accumulating them and just have them sit there. That would be such a waste. So, washable face cleansing pads it is!<br />
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When I was a kid, I thought washing my face was the biggest chore EV-ER. Ugh. What a drag. <br />
(Present Xanthe is currently shaking her head at Past Xanthe.)<br />
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Such is life. Such is being a kid. But I thought I'd try and get Rosie and Lewis into a face-washing routine early on, which might help them through those troubled teenage years that don't seem to be complete without oily, pimply cheeks and forehead.<br />
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These are so easy to make, seriously, it should be illegal to buy disposable face cleansing pads! So here's my Wife-made How To.<br />
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<i>What you'll need:</i><br />
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<ul>
<li>Flannel - I like to upcycle vintage flannel sheets that are looking a bit worse for wear</li>
<li>Cotton chenille or terry-towelling</li>
<li>The usual sewing notions, like a sewing machine, thread, scissors, washable fabric marker etc</li>
<li>Pinking shears</li>
<li>A circle template - I used a glass lid from a Weck jam jar</li>
</ul>
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<b>Step 1</b> - Take your flannel and cotton chenille and lay them right side down on your cutting surface. </div>
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<b>Step 2</b> - Using a washable fabric marker, draw around the circle template on the wrong side of the fabric. You will need the same number of pieces from each type of fabric, one for the back of the cleansing pad and one for the front. Cut these out using normal fabric scissors.</div>
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<b>Step 3 </b>- Match up a flannel piece and a chenille piece of fabric for each cleansing pad. They should look something like this.</div>
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<b>Step 4</b> - With right sides together, lay the flannel on top of the chenille, and pin them together, all the way around. As shown below, I like to put two pins at the point where I need to start sewing, and two pins at the point where I need to stop sewing, just to make sure I don't forget that I have to leave a gap for turning it the right way out. Leave a space a bit over an inch wide between the four pins.</div>
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<b>Step 5</b> - Using a regular stitch length (which is about 2.4 on my machine) and about 0.25" from the edge of the fabric, begin stitching from the first set of two pins, all the way around to stop at the second set of two pins. Remember to backstitch at the start and the end to secure the stitches.<br />
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Now you should have something that looks a lot like this...<br />
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<b>Step 6</b> - Now, using your pinking shears cut as close as possible to the line of stitches all the way around the edge of the pad. BUT! DO NOT CUT THE STITCHES. That would be bad. Doing this removes extra bulk in the seams and helps the cleansing pads sit nicely when they're turned the right way out.<br />
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<b>Step 7</b> - Flip the washable pad right way out through the space you left between where you started stitching and where you finished stitching. It might be a bit of a squeeze, but if you go slowly and start pushing a bit through at a time you should be able to do it. Once you've turned it the right way out, put your finger in the opening and run your finger all the way around the seam to help push it completely out the right way. Then you'll have something that looks like this.... The sticky-outy bit is the opening.<br />
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<b>Step 8 </b>- Finger press along the edge of the cleansing pad to make it sit nice and flat, and then finger press the seams of the opening back into the inside of the cleansing pad so that it is nice and round. You might like to pin the opening for this next step, or you can just wing it, like me! <br />
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<b>Step 9</b> - Now, starting just before the opening topstitch about 1/8" away from the edge of the flannel, all the way around the cleansing pad. This will close the opening you used to turn the pad the right way out, and it also gives it a nice, neat finish.<br />
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And, voila! A washable cleansing pad, all ready to wash your grotty face ;)<br />
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Don't worry too much if your pads aren't perfectly round. After a few uses and washes, you won't even notice.<br />
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Now, make a few more! Or a lot more. <br />
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And display them in your bathroom in a pretty cut glass compote bowl like this... Because pretty.<br />
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These would make great stocking fillers for Christmas for a vintage-lover, or sometimes, when we have guests stay, I like to leave a little gift on their pillow for them. In the past I've made lavender sachets, but I think these would be sweet too!<br />
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Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-24203849132153517672014-11-28T07:14:00.001+10:002015-01-27T13:58:39.974+10:00New from old<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is nothing funner ('tis so a word!) than giving new life to old linens.<br />
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If you can see past the old red wine stains or the yellow age marks, I can guarantee you'll see new potential (or if you can't, just send me a message and I'll give you my postal details and you can send that vintage baby to me! ;).<br />
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And when you team it with a modern print and silhouette - then you get zing! Then you get zang! Or 'some' people like to call it "modern vintage".<br />
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Whatever you call it. It's good.</div>
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<i><b>Pattern Cred:</b> </i>Polly Top, By Hand London<br />
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P.S. Apologies for the lack of Mindless Mondays lately. I have been, umm, a bit umm, mindless....<br />
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Update: This tank top is now available for purchase via Wife-made on Facebook or Instagram!<br />
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<br />Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-70744348602161384122014-11-12T22:34:00.000+10:002015-03-13T11:51:05.229+10:00On a { butterfly } wing and a prayer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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She sees you and approaches without caution...<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Some put up a struggle as they wrestle with yielding their expectations. </span></div>
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Others go willingly, succumbing to the rhythm of Inspiration's song.</div>
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But all will love her in the end.</div>
Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-77174512238865060642014-11-10T23:13:00.000+10:002015-02-27T10:16:18.265+10:00Mindless Monday | The Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Whoops! The week really got away from me this time. It's Monday? Again? Where does the time go? But that's ok, because one of my favourite things to do on Mindless Monday is go to our local library.</div>
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The kids love it, particularly Rosie. We sit together at a tiny little table - kids' size of course, so my knees are up around my ears (well, that's probably an exaggeration, because I'm not very tall, more hobbit-like, actually...).</div>
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And we read books.</div>
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It's fun. It's very relaxing. It's precious time together. Perfect for a Monday, don't you think?</div>
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Despite how it looks in the photo above, Lewis also loves the library. </div>
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Because, well, there are cool animal bookshelves he can growl at...</div>
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And a padded seat thingy (aka jungle gym) he can climb on when mummy/the counter lady isn't looking.</div>
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Lewis also finds the library very relaxing. I know this, because without fail, every single time, he does a poo.</div>
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P.S. I really need to do something about our library bag. Add it to the sewing list!</div>
Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454334943478910802.post-87311616637871836682014-11-04T03:00:00.000+10:002015-01-27T14:02:32.798+10:00Mindless Monday - Kiddie Inspiration: Paint!I'm thinking this Summer is going to be a stinker. It's already warm here, which doesn't bode well for this little cool weather loving, hot blooded gal! *sigh*<br />
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But what it does mean is outdoor fun and activities that don't get much of a look-in in cooler weather. Things like vegetable/finger/foot painting, for instance! Because there's not much that's appealing about putting little tootsies in cold, wet paint on a cold Winter's day. But it certainly is fun making messes like this when the sun is shining and the bees are buzzing and the day is just generally lovely.<br />
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I'm sure there's a number of developmental benefits that can be derived from finger painting, but I can't actually tell you what they are. All I know is it's fun and messy, and that's probably what matters most at this age!<br />
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I hope your days are filled with as much sunshine and colour as ours are! And if, where you are, the sun ain't shinin' outside, make sure it's shinin' inside ;)<br />
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<br />Xanthe @ Wife-madehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11996457516676662591noreply@blogger.com0