Saturday, May 17, 2008 Going Gray I've home died my hair for about 7 years ever since I saw a speck of grey. - Had it once died by a salon which looked awful - she burnt my hair - what a mess! However this year I got sick of the chemicals going on my head and decided to approach my hairdresser of 15 years if she would help me go grey. She warned me I looked too young to go grey - but agreed to help. I told her I hated the brassy colour my hair went after a die job & wanted to avoid that at all cost. (as per photo below taken June 07) So 4th March the "d" day - she put a brown colour through to look as close to my natural hair as possible.$112.00 This only lasted 4 weeks (I could get 8 weeks out of home job) until the brass look appeared at $15.00. I wish I had a photo Back I go 4 weeks later and being as green as green with hairdresser treatments giving her full trust. with my locks. She leaves the brass look & streaks in layers of a lighter tone. It looked ok - didn't love it but tried to understand her reasoning she needs to take me lighter & slowly because for damage to my hair. My hair is feeling in much better condition. $120.00 I've put up with the yuck look as long as I can - 6 weeks & back I go today - I believe she is going to put blonde in my hair & a toner - what ever that means!!! I've googled on down & found an awesome website Going Gray Looking Great. I wish my hair to end up looking like Michels Michel has natural curly hair & also long. However she has never died her hair so hasn't had to do the transition stage. Reading the web pages most gals get the chop & let it grow out - oh my! My hair has always taken soo long to grow. Since I found the web page I have been scanning women in crowds who are go al-natural I feel like yelling at them GO GIRL!! One lady I saw with the proud skunk look, another had hers up in a ponytail which was still coloured. I'll upload today a before hairdresser photo & after of todays die job. • Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Wednesday, May 14, 2008 A Day in My life. Posted in A Day in My Life Little Jenny Wren has been hosting a Day in your Life for 3 months now. It's quite a fun thing to do. Basically on the 14th of each month you just blog about your day - I imagine over a year it will make interesting reading for your family of what life was like  - imagine having this to let your grandchildren read. I know I would of enjoyed reading my grandmas. So today I awoke over heated at 4am - well so would you if you had slept on your electric blanket all night on the highest setting. Plus my light was on all night. I stayed up till 11pm hoping I would be tired enough to sleep well......So up at 4am. Checked emails, internet banking - James & I have been selling items on Trade Me (like Ebay) James has sold way more than me! But my month to date is $63.05 - not bad for items I would normally have just tossed, given to sallies or put in rag bin. If you calculate that back to me working out of the home - thats 6 hours approx ($12.00 min wage here in NZ less tax) But of course it would be more hours as the travel to & from work. But I am also decluttering - it's amazing how much more stuff I am ready to let go of each time I declutter. 5am - had me cuppa tea & crumpets on computer. 5.30 am I am off to do some quilting - my dinning room table looks very lived in - my sewing stuff in one half - Abbey's school work on the other half - mmm she doesn't usually leave it out - but we finished school at 4.30pm yesterday as went out in the morning so school got done in the afternoon. 12.30pm update: I got behind this morning as let out the girl cats in cattery for a romp, one wouldn't come when called grrrr - usually they are really good at coming, they know routine, run around free while I clean them out & then they get their wet food (cooked chicken this morning) when they come back inside cattery - Abbey tried - first call Jasmine came running to her grrrrrrrrr! School - James & I did well & he worked well on his own Abbey & I worked on Write - Shop - I had been having doubts - oh my I'm not the best teacher, .. I should of done more formal writing with her , English is my worst subject - what am I thinking trying to educate these kids... you know doubt, doubt, doubt - Abbey wrote her first lesson describing an object & all my doubts just went away! Both of us enjoy Write shop - it has clear and a wonderful marking system so both Abbey & I know what we are doing - it is a thumbs up . Doubting happens at times when you homeschool... but I know we have wonderful curriculum and help is just an email away if I am stuck eg Mathusee & Apologia both authors have personally replied to emails I have sent.  And I am sure if I got stuck with write shop I will receive this too. The objective of education is to prepare the young to educate themselves throughout their lives." --Robert Maynard Hutchins James finished school early - so he hung out a load of washing for me & cooked our lunch of sausages, onions & apples. He did a fab job!!!! We thought he should cook tea also since it was soo nice - but that idea was squashed. Kids want curry again tonight hahah that will be the third night in a row of curry Afternoon. I am now the families champion fly catcher! I caught two at once (they were romantically joined) - James placed in frog tank for me & he was delighted to watch the frog eat one after the other - still joined - Oh MY! We had to ring Brent & tell him of our success. Autumn has set the flies packing & we are bit short waiting for the lava to hatch (buy this at pet shops) so we are having to find flies.... - well this blog entry is all about a day in the life HAHAHA Abbey cooked vanilla biscuits yum We had a stay at home day (BLISS) so I got cleaning - house is looking nice n tidy. I just have to pack up my sewing stuff & vaccum the threads up - been zooming along with quilt blocks - all filler blocks finished, Ohio star mmm have to unpick once sorted will post a photo. James too Mack for a walk around section he is missing Brent & his walks. Infact we are all ready for Brent to come home, He is in the South Island working that piece of water is a long way away! James replanted all my spring bulbs for me - his chickens who are not laying dug them all up! These girls need a good talking to! Today really was a simple home day, animals, home school, house work & sewing. - Highlight of my day is I have been accepted into a diploma course for business studies - oh my I am going to be busy girl.... still I am never bored. • Comments (2) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Star Quilt Along Posted in Quilting Crazy Mom Quilts  Has a star quilt along - she shares a block a week . This weeks is an Ohio Star - I hope this afternoon to make this plus some more blue scrap setting blocks. Here is my work to date. Week One Week Two Setting Blocks - I've made mine into scrappy Blue Blocks. I'm really enjoying making this quilt & can see it as a beautiful Christmas themed quilt too...... • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Tuesday, May 13, 2008 Kitten photos Posted in Breeding Cats I got these photos to work. but haven't got quilt ones or a special autographed book I was sent. Hope to get them loaded tomorrow am. But for now here are kitten ones. 1 week 3 days old. 2 days old - mum's eye & camera flash didn't work too good. The kitten nursery, it's a chilly Autumn week so fire going 24 hours a day  - hence the two litters are in our lounge - this is fine while kittens are young as they don't get out of igloos - wouldn't dream of doing this once they hit 3 -4 weeks. Opening of the lid so you can see inside. Kittens all have homes. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Tuesday, May 13, 2008 BRIQUETTE MAKER Posted in Living on One Income I have been wanting a Briquette Maker  for a while, had them on my Trade Me Wish list - ie every time one comes on sale in Trade Me I would know about it. I bidded on one last week - it sold for $70.00. This morning I WON one for $15.00. YIPPIEEEEEEEEEE YIPPIEEEEEEEEEE Now I just need to get it in my hot little hands, - wait for a fine day (like today) and I get to play with newspaper & water to make paper bricks for the fire. I really doubt this will ever feel like a chore. We have a friend who uses his concrete mixer to mix the water & newspaper & then dries the bricks in their very own hot houses all the old cars on his property - I doubt Brent will let me dry them in his treasures in our back yard. HAHAHA ANd what a BARGAIN $15.00 We get heaps of newspaper as people give it to me for the kittens. - the bricks are meant to burn for about 1 hour & give off a good heat. - Cheap heating aye • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Monday, May 12, 2008 Quilting Posted in Quilting No time to blog or read blogs today - it's 6am - just seen Brent off for work - I have 2 hours before kids wake up & then I have to put my sewing machine away for school. OOOh to have my own sewing room off the kitchen dinning area - that would be how I would design a house! Promise will get photos on blog sometime today - tonight. off to zooooom zoooom zooom PS I had an awesome mothers day - I felt like crumpets with golden syrup for breakfast - but thought had no crumpets. But Abbey found them in freezer YAHHHH - Brent cooked a cooked breakfast for the rest of us Lunch Brent cooked chips & sausages -quick n easy. Dinner Abbey cooked roast chicken. I didn't lift a finger in the kitchen all day - I don't mind cooking but it was nice to be pampered. I told the kids when they grow up they can come to our house & I will cook for them on mothers day. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Sunday, May 11, 2008 Our Saturday Posted in Quilting Brent worked, James was at his sleep over (I am NOT into sleep overs!). Abbey had a day on computer. Me I quilted - I've run out of material, I need to go spending & buy some for borders & binding - plus some batting.... So what's a girls got to do??? Especially when she sees this blog Star Quilt Along. And as I was two weeks late joining - I was behind so  needed to get cracking! - I've finished the two star blocks. - Colour cream star background with scrappy green & Blue stars. The filler blocks are all in scrap blues. ahhhh _ I do like starting new projects BWG And never following a pattern 100%. James has claimed this quilt for his bed. Next time we go to town I'll buy some material so I can finish some quilts. - then all of a sudden we will have quilts all finished. Will upload photos tomorrow. Just grabbing a cuppa tea break - Abbey is sitting with Cinders who is in labour - these pedigree cats demand pampering when in labour -Cindy & I have had quite an argument over where she is having her kittens!!! - No way is she wanting to have them in her nesting box. - She would much rather dig up my couch or chair! I tell you I will win! So we should have some Mother's Day kittens today. Happy Mother's day to everyone - personally we don't celebrate - too commercial for me - we would of gone on a family picnic lunch - but with having kittens due I might be able to sew a bit instead. I feel ever so greatful to be a mum we had trouble getting started & then got a pigeon pair - arn't we clever. Hug your kids today. Will pop photos of star blocks on blog tomorrow am. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Saturday, May 10, 2008 If you were James' Friend Posted in Home Schooling If you were James  friend & it was your birthday - you would get a card made by him. I tell you other 11 year old boys loves James art work & his guitar playing. Josh had his birthday party yesterday & James had to take his guitar so they could all have a jamming session - oh my!!!! James is influenced by Ed "Big Daddy" Roth & Jimmy Hendrix • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Saturday, May 10, 2008 HOmeschool Purchase Posted in Home Schooling We had a vendor come to our town last night - plus we have our home school allowance due next month. AND I am needing new materials - I think I was her best customer. James needs a new mathusee book soon -Mathusee is really teaching James I am sooo pleased we found this. Steve Demme has a learning disabled child so he shares special tit bits that have helped. Story of the World James really enjoys - I read aloud the story - James does the mapping & I ask comprehension  questions - thats it - our history is finished. _ I think he likes this as we don't do a lot of writing with this curriculum - but it works for us - (Oh we use it not how it is meant to be used) Science - Jeannie Fulbright (nb notes for fellow non Christians - this is very religious - however if you can ignore what isn't your faith it is excellent - I am sooo pleased I had another look at her books, Brent is wonderful at understanding me using it) And what I wasn't planning on buying & feel I have gone to the DARK side - is a new writing curriculum rather than IEW - which I LOVE - but what I like & think will work better is Write Shop - BECAUSE it has lesson plans & clear objectives for kid & an idiot prof marking & grading system for the mother.YES YES YES!!!!! • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Friday, May 9, 2008 Free PIZZA Posted in Raising Coloured Sheep Our friend Grant is now working for a local pizza shop in the evenings- it is to fund his new love of his life - his airplane. They had an excess of pizza bases - so our lucky chooks & sheep got some tasty pizza bases delivered to our door. Nice to fatten them up for winter. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Thursday, May 8, 2008 Frugal meals Posted in Menu Planning How to feed four on $170.00 per week. http://www.stuff.co.nz/4509478a10.html I note they have no snack food - my kids need snacks - they have fruit, chippies, home baking, pop corn. OOOh I try to remember to share our frugal meals - but well I get side tracked. Tuesday Breakfast Toast Lunch Brent had a kit set of tinned spagetti, cheese & egg - salt n pepper I put in a tupperware container - slices of bread & then he can make his own toasted sammies at work. Me soda bread that was too dry next day - so shared it with the doves while I chatted to Pam on phone. Abbey made herself a sandwhich & James had baked beans & pickled onions - what a mixture!! Tea Spagetti bolonaise Wednesday Breakfast Porridge Lunch Brent packed lunch of buns with ham & salad. Feijoa muffin - I need to make some more to pop in freezer so he has a variety. 3 pieces of fruit. Us - home made bread rolls with ham, lettuce & relish. Tea Left over spagetti bolanise made into shepards pie. - Just add frozen mixed vegetables - mashed potato & cheese on top. Abbey made her self egg on toast. Thursday Breakfast Home made bread - mmm isn't it yummy to wake up to - with vegemite on top. Lunch Brent - doorstop sandwiches - I find cutting homemade bread the slice a re huge - filled with ham, cheese & relish.- Muffin & 3 bits of fruit - Brent got stuck in traffic coming home last night - 2 1/2 hours when it should only take 3/4 hour - at least he had some fruit to munch on. Tea Roast lamb & veges. s • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Thursday, May 8, 2008 Bowling Posted in Home Schooling The over 11 years home school group begun 10 pin bowling. I was able to get an awesome price for our group of $5.70 per person including mums! Everyone had a ball!!! - The kids just wanted to bowl - so next time will be a bit more formal with lessons. These will be without pins. We had some small lessons with how the scoring is done - (it went right over my head). I had never noticed dots on the floor or arrows - before - not sure if these will help my bowling. And we got to go out the back & see all the actual machines. - Seeing these sure makes you appreciate the investment the owners have put into Bowl Land.  Rob our tutor was brilliant with the kids. He shared that originally it was 9 pin bowling. But a lot of gambling went on in USA - so government banned betting on 9 pins - hence they got around this by introducing 10 pins. Now us mums need to polish up & beat these kids! • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Wednesday, May 7, 2008 Quilt Blocks Posted in Quilting I know there are a few ladies here learning to quilt. I want to share Crazy Mom Quilt's with you - she is doing a tutorial of star blocks. And is soo detailed with her instuctions. They are 12 1/2 inc so will work really well with what a lot of us have been doing. - I'm signing up! • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Wednesday, May 7, 2008 Home School Posted in Home Schooling Home school is a BIG part of my day. This week Jame started a new mathusee unit - I watched Mr Demme teach the lesson on DVD - I like his way thought mmm that will suit James. Came to table to do maths with James & I completely forgot how to do multiplication. In the end I had to get Abbey to just do it & then I could work out where I had gone wrong. - James wondered what a school teacher does when they get blanks - I am sure they must ... well I said we would put books away & do singing.....incase you are wondering we are doing multiplication my way how I was taught - stops this old brain getting confused. It's hard enough learning subtraction the new way.... I'm real thankful for Mr Demme & Mathusee that he can teach Abbey her maths - she is waaaay past my ability. James & I are really enjoying Apologia Elementary science Last term we studied birds - this term it is bats. We had a nice bird watching experience with a Hawk & two magpies. This morning trying to find you all a photo of a NZ hawk I read here how the magpies are actually not nice to our NZ Hawkes - I was too slow getting a photo on my camera. We then were thrilled to see a Kingfisher visit. - Again I was too slow to get photo. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Tuesday, May 6, 2008 Soda Bread Posted in Lunch Quick & tasty bread. No kneading or waiting for it to rise. PLUS wonderful for when you have run out of yeast. 3 1/4 cups flour 1 level teaspoon of baking soda - rub this in your hands to get out any lumps. 1 level teaspoon salt. 400ml butter milk. Sift flour, mix in baking soda & salt make a well & add butter milk. Then with your hands mix until combine & lightly knead to get even. But don't over knead. Place on a floured board - pat it into a circle - put more flour on top - bottom if needed so it is not sticky. Pat down gently. Make a cross cuts from middle to outside edges of dough. Then poke knife in each quarter - (old Irish folk say the cross is to bless your bread & the poke is to let out any fairies - if your bread doesn't work blame it on the fairy!) Bake in a pre heated oven 230 deg C for 15 minutes. Then turn oven down to 200 deg C for 30 minutes. • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Tuesday, May 6, 2008 Frugal Menu Posted in Menu Planning SUNDAY Breakfast - Cook up Brent cooked bacon, eggs for those who like them (shudder), baked beans & spagetti. Lunch - Everyman for himself - Raid cupboards. Tea - Tacos Left over roast chicken re heated in caramelised onions (Cook sliced onions in olive oil very slowly) - lettuce, cheese, carrot, avocado & sour cream with home made tomato relish. Pudding -  we don't have pudding very often but they are great if the main meal is a bit light - makes more go around. Apple pie with free apples off friends tree. - James had stuffed apples - take core out of apple & fill with dried mixed fruit, top with cinnamon & brown sugar place water in bottom of dish & bake. MONDAY Breakfast Toast Lunch Brent packed lunch sandwiches ready for toasty pie maker  ham, cheese & tomato , 3 bits of fruit, feijoa muffin - Me same as Brent. James left over chilli con carne from Saturday dinner. Abbey a sandwich. Tea: - Vegetable soup - oh my I put in what ever is in fridge base a chicken stock - then pumpkin, kumera, onion, celery, onions & water & let simmer away. I whizz it before serving. And home made soda bread - this was a hit & will make again. James had rice bread. Pudding - Honest we don't have pudding much - but with soup a second course fills folks up. And I had free feijoas from a friend so made feijoa crumble. - Just peel & slice feijoas. Put crumble topping on & bake in hot oven - the fruit cooks while in oven. Serve with cream who likes/can eat cream. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Monday, May 5, 2008 Sunday at home Posted in Protager Gardening MM well I'm not on the bench - just my paws. And I'm listening hard waiting to be told off. Girls straight into the worms.James' Autumn themed scarecrow he tells me he will make a new one for each season. (Last one was eaten by Molly Goat) Planted broad beans & carrots in garden yesterday. A nice Autumn day weather wise. • Comments (0) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Sunday, May 4, 2008 Feijoa Muffins Posted in Morning Tea 2 cups self Raising Flour 75 grams butter - melted 1 cup feijoas, peeled & chopped 2 eggs zest of one orange Juice from one orange 1/2 cup sugar. Melt butter, mix in with feijoas, add eggs, orange juice & zest. Mix Add sugar & flour, mix gently & place into muffin tins. Topping 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 Tablespoon brown sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon & sugar on top Bake at 200 deg C for 15 - 20 minutes. Brilliant way to use up small feijoas that have fallen from the tree - • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Sunday, May 4, 2008 Our Saturday Posted in Daily Life I was pretty tired all day after being up kittening - so was on a gooo s l o w most of the day. I got a few more rows pinned & sewed on quilt - still not finished just a few more hours to go. Why is it cats like to lie on quilts?? Photo is of Cindy an Ebony Mandalay - her kittens are due next Sunday.     James he had stayed the night at Todd's - Folks are starting to let James stay - it's a BIG issue with his allergies. He takes his own bedding & a chilli bin of food. all for one night. James is able to cook for himself when at other peoples homes & knows to re clean their bench before he prepares his food. It does feel weird for the host family as - as hosts we want serve. But they are all adapting well. And James had a ball. They have 16 acres & he is such an outdoor boy .... He took his bike & they went bike riding, plus they have a Donkey - petrol cart which the boys drove around the paddocks. James felt the earthquake & it felt weird him not being home. James has had the best school holidays - at someones place most of the first week - then his friends here 2nd week. He is such a social kid loves people! Dinner was a nice warming pot of chilli con carne with rice. Even tho we didn't get home until 6.15pm - It didn't take me long to whip it up - takeaways are not an option in our family - and chilli con carne was much nicer than fish n chips. I just have to be organised - having a good stockpilr helps so does having meat defrosted. I went off to bed early & left the family watching season 2 of LOST. I;ll have to go google LOST & see what happens in season 3 - that's not on DVD here in NZ. Season 4 begins here on Wednesday. Friends have told me LOST has lost the plot a bit - so will be interesting to see. Weather man says nice day for today - Sunday so hope to get out in garden, finish sewing quilt top & then its back to planning another 10 weeks of school. Keep warm! • Comments (3) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link Saturday, May 3, 2008 We have kittens Posted in Breeding Cats Caro had 4 babies this morning- it's nice to have them again - kittens are a big part of our life. And I know they bring a lot of joy to owners. • Comments (1) • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link