Preparing for Summer

Organising Craft items into boxes and up out of the way in my wardrobe.

 Hope having the craft items out of the way will help not have the children make a mess anytime. But have to ask if they can. Helps me to know when there is going to be a craft mess then have a surprise mess on the floor. The colourful boxes are the kids boxes for school reports, certificates etc.

Vac packing the winter sheets away.

 Now is the time to get summer sheets on the beds. I vac pack the winter sheets and blankets as I find they store better and save on space. Have also been making sure I have one bag to go to clothing bin or rubbish bin each day. When the bag is full out it goes. Feel like making progress with having the house more clean and organised for the coming Summer Holidays.

Had to share my little $3 find. Have it over my veggie garden. As the veggies are a blessing to us.

See how well they are growing. With some more to plant out soon. Will be moving the chicken run one more time on this veggie garden. Then they will go to our other raised garden bed, and prepare that for more plants.

 Our dear neighbour gave us lots of tomato plants I have a couple in big pots, and some waiting to go into the rest of our veggie garden. Looking at the price of tomatoes, I'm so thankful for growing our own. Same with courgettes, we can't afford to buy them in the shops.

Look how well my green courgette plant is growing. I grew this one from seed. See how big the leaves are. This one leaf is 38cm across. Some of the courgettes are going to be ready soon to pick. Can't wait :)

Better go and get another load on in the washing machine :)

Too Many Clothes

Thought it was about time to got through DD11 clothes. She has just turned 11 year old, and it's  good time to declutter. Boy was I in for a shock.

This is just a small pile of my daughters clothes.

Her drawers were packed with clothes, as well as her washing bag. And I also found more in her wardrobe. Since last years declutter my daughter clothes have multiplied. Maybe they have bred in those drawers. So the decluttering begins. With empty drawers, and a black bag for the clothing bin, the sorting began. Some were easy to sort, some needed to be washed first, and some needed my daughters opinion. But by the afternoon I have almost filled a bag ready for the clothing bin.
How freeing it is.
Now DD11 has more space in her room again.
Another thing that I'm happy about, we don't need to buy her any clothes.

Mum's Office

With the wild Spring weather we have been having, gardening was not an option. So our home became my focus and getting that cleaned up and organised. So got to work on my office space.
I need an area for me, and the dinning table is not ideal.
So.....

Here was our junk closet, a large space under our stairway.

Took everything out, and gave the place a quick clean.

Moved a writing desk in. This desk has been in my bedroom, taking space. It wasn't in a good spot and didn't know where else to put it.

This desk was my dear Nan Nan's desk. She left to me after she died, because of the memories we had together with it. Visits to Nan Nan's house and the treasures in this desk she would share with me.

That's all I have done so far, since I want to give careful thought as to what else will go in. I would like to get a small office chair on wheels. I have a pin board, but need a few more pins. I will have my cards kept in here, and stationary. I have a little basket for my bin. I don't want to be buying things for this little office, but reusing what we have.
I will share more photos after I get some more done.

Lovely Day

To be outside in the sunshine. But it sure wasn't like that yesterday, when we had a heavy storm.
The bad weather does make me very thankful for the good :)

Our garlic growing, can't wait to use them in our cooking.

Winter fruit, love the colours. Cheery when the days are grey.



Celery growing well, wonderful with our roast dinners. There are 2 of our herb pots on each side. Curly parsley, and mint.

So happy with our raised garden, feeding us and the chickens. Don't know why but some of the pea plants in the middle fell down.

My cleaning supplies, for making our own cleaners. Not just saving money, they are saving me too. I react badly with some chemical cleaners, so these ingredients have been great. Citric Acid, Salt, Baking Soda, Washing Soda and Vinegar.

Friday - Catch Up Day

Good to catch up on some jobs before the weekend. Lounge, dinning and kitchen still tidy so will focus on bathroom. Do have some washing to do, but thankful for the baking.
Tonights dinner will be Pasta dish. Will use our Tomatoes to make the sauce, with the last of our Basil.
Will come back later to share more :)

Thrusday - Baking Day

Today's the day I need to fill a couple of containers with baking to last us till next baking day hopefully.
Will be making coffee cake with coffee icing (to use up some coffee beans, that have been stored in the cupboard). Will also make 2 batches of biscuits, chocolate chunk cookies and gingerbread men. And if I have time will make a peppermint slice.
After the baking will clean up the kitchen. Hopefully will have that done before dinner time. Dinner will be Clara's Poorman's Meal (from my Clara's Kitchen cookbook)
Better get children to school now :)

Spring Cleaning at the Little Home in the City

Spring Roses in our garden

With the sweet smell of roses in the air, this is the week we start Spring cleaning our home. Time for all the winter things to be packed away, and all the summer things to be brought out. Time for our home to be deep cleaned ready for the summer holidays.

Winter sheets soon to be stored away for next winter

Today (Monday) is the day we make beds with clean sheets, and wash the sheets we have taken off. but today we are changing our winter sheets for summer sheets. And washing the winter sheets getting them all ready to be stored away in a cupboard. I like to use vacuum packs for storing our sheets, find they look after them better then just popping them into a cupboard.
Today we also have to wash towels and tea towels, as well as give bedrooms a dust and vacuum.
For dinner tonight we are having Chicken Rice Risotto, with leftover chicken from our Sunday Roast Dinner last night.
Better getting to work, have made 2 beds, and have 3 to go.

Clean up day in the Little House in the City

Could call it a Total Spring Clean of our Little House.
All the family has to pitch in and help. But the aim is to get this home clean this weekend from top to bottom.
In my bedroom today I only have to dust,  wash glass (windows, mirrors etc), and vacuum the floor.
In the Lounge/dinning we have to put away the things that don't belong, then dust, wash glass and vacuum.
Bathroom/toilet is clean everything! Walls, windows, floor, bath, shower, toilet etc
Kids bedrooms well they have to clean up and vacuum.
Laundry is mainly pick up and put away, and clean the floor.
Kitchen is a bigger job, of wiping cupboard's down inside and out. Cleaning the fridge as well as oven. And the floor needs a good wash.
Outside there are a few jobs I would love to do, but this weekend focus is the little house.
So let the Cleaning begin.