Catching Up

The last two weeks have felt really busy, though to say I had no time to blog would be a big lie. But finding where to start was a lot harder, so I didn't write but I read a lot of other blogs!

Have now been in the new work space for two weeks and I am still trying to decide if I like it or not. It has a lot of pluses going for it but of course there is a couple of negatives that I am going to have to learn to live with. I am really hoping it will grow on me cause I love my job!

I have made up some adult bunting for the back deck and bought a garden seat for the back garden. Ripped out alot of plants that have finished and started getting ready for the winter plantings.

My front porch is still coming along and the end is almost in sight! It is even better than I had hoped. We have organised for the house to be painted and now are trying to pick out colours. I had a specific colour scheme in mind, then I thought - If I had to sell the house tomorrow what colours would be ok?- so we are still thinking.

Buying nothing new in Feb went really well and we saved a good chunk - even in just four weeks! I didnt buy anything after we took the kids to the town show and think I did ok for the month. Mum and Megan just never got into the swing of it.

Tomorrow I am going to put up the before and nearly after pics of my porch!

The Good and Bad

Ahhh finally the zucchinis are done. Lets pause for a moment and think of all the zucchini meals I won't have to cook this week..........nice.

So they are pulled out, as are the squash and also the rogue potato plant that gave me 8 potatoes when I had forgot to buy any! Most of the beds have also been turned over and weeded as well. This is all good.

I have been re-reading Linda Woodrows permaculture book (again) and have decided to change up the garden a bit as per her suggestions. No matter how many times I read her book, everytime something different strikes me - love it. What I have started to do is fill the bed under the clothes line with my herbs but much more than I would usually put in. I am also going to put in some groundcovering herbs too, as what Linda says about bare dirt is so true, that if you dont have something there, something you dont want will fill it ( I am paraphrasing by the way Linda is much more eloquent than me).

I am also going to mulch much much more heavily than I do now. Much more. I am going to use a combination of thick newspaper, which I will get friends to keep for me and sugar cane mulch. My Uncle Ronnie told Mum about how he does this and in turn Mum told me after seeing the results in her own garden. I have also been more loving towards my worms, I have not been the greatest and still they thrive for me so I am going to baby them a little.

Now for the bad. This directly relates to not buy anything new for February and in the interest of FULL disclosure here it is - last night Dave and I took the kids to the local show, Dave had told the kids ages ago that we would take them and we had fun. Though I think the Ashford show last year was just as good (and heaps cheaper). On the good side Amelia got first prize in "An Article Machine Sewn, 10 Years and Under" - she is very proud and should be! This is the first time we have taken the kids to our local show and they thought it was pretty good. I am TRYING to feel bad about spending the money but am failing miserably.

Also thank you to the lovely honest person who handed my lost purse in last night at the Show! I thought it was long gone but was handed in with money and cards all there. Love that there are still honest people out there. Thank you.

And because I love putting a picture in - here is tonights dinner, roast pork! Whats cooking at your place for dinner?

No Buy New Check In

So it's been just over a week of buying nada new for February and I have done really well. I haven't bought anything new at all (not even sneaking in anything in the grocery trolley!) and I have only bought one thing secondhand. That was a girls sewing pattern in the Legacy Op Shop for the princely sum of 50c. I have to say my bank balance is loving it!

I sadly have had the school fees slowly rolling in, $75 for fees for the second grader and Wesley's Food Tech fees of $68. The rest of Wes's will trickle in over the next few weeks. I don't begrudge the school fees but please don't try to tell me public education is free, cause it's not.

One bummer for this week was my electricity bill, I desparately wanted it to be under $400 but it was tantalisingly close. The GST put me over by $16!!!! How rude is that?

Happily the kids are happy back at school and Dave and I are trying to be happy at work. I got a lunchbox cookbook out from the library this week to look at some more options. Lunchboxes are the hardest things to pack as the schools have lunchbox expectations!!! Ah for the old days when a sandwich, piece of fruit and a couple of biscuits were ok! What did you have in your lunchboxes?

Buy Nothing New - February

Next month (February) I will be trying to buy nothing new whatsoever. Not a thing. I can buy secondhand or barter for anything we absolutely need, though I just don't know if I am out there enough to be a serious barterer. Joining me in this is my sister Megan and my Mum. We have worked out the rules so to speak which is pretty much commonsense, no sneaking stuff into the grocery shop, yes we can still buy food and pay our bills but its the grey areas that will have to be up to each of us.

Like is going to the coffee shop for a cup buying something new? I am more of the thinking that it is as you are "buying" the experience if that makes any sense at all. Though if you had to buy a sandwich for lunch that wouldn't be. Anyway that will not be my biggest issue, mine will be the fact that the kids have gone back to school today and a lovely long list of all the things they must have will be sent home. As usual.

The other hard thing will be walking past a bargain. I work next to Target and usually have a look through for anything we need that is really reduced that we need. I have gotten Dave a pair of $50 jeans for $1.80 and tshirts for both him and Wes for less than $2 each. So walking past a good bargain will be very hard, though I suppose the answer is - just don't go in there!!!

I am hoping that this month will show me how to be more creative with working with what I have and also saving a bit of money. Wish me luck!!