Meal Plan Feb 14 - 20 2016

The discussion around the table this week has been mostly about what's for tea tonight seeing as I am actually in Adelaide for the You'll Fall in Love with Aldi workshop. Of course there were suggestions of fish'n'chips, kebabs, Indian takeaway - none of which are on my meal plan.

We compromised: I made a huge pasta bake and a green salad and left them in the fridge ready to be heated (the pasta bake, not the salad) and hopefully with leftovers and everyone is happy.

This week we will be eating (thank goodness for a cooler weather forecast):

Sunday: Roast Chicken

Monday: Vegetable moussaka

Tuesday: BBQ  sausages & salads

Wednesday: Satay chicken & fried rice

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Curried tuna slice & salad

Saturday: Muffin surprise

Dust African Violet Leaves

I'm trying this, I'll let you know how it goes. I have one African violet and I'm hoping to be able to strike more from it, so I need to keep it healthy and happy.

Dust African Violet Leaves

To keep your African violet plants healthy and help your plant to breathe through its leaves dust the leaves off periodically with a clean paint brush. When the plant's leaves are full of dust it cannot breath through its leaves and it cannot stay healthy. It really works! I have had no luck in getting blossoms on my African violet plants and now that I have been doing this they are full of blossoms.
Contributed by Jenny, Diamond Creek

​An Easy Way to Sort and Treat Stained Laundry

With a tradie husband and kids who play sport and me being a very messy cook and gardener, stains are inevitable. Unfortunately they always seem to happen on good clothes so I'm always looking for ways to treat them. I use Miracle Spray on most stains and fabrics (test it first if you're not sure) and Stain Removing Soap for those stubborn, older stains and the yellow underarm area on t-shirts.

A big help in getting rid of stains is finding them early. Jena's advice works - I've been doing this for years. I even have a stain bucket in the laundry and everyone knows to drop any stained laundry straight into it.

​An Easy Way to Sort and Treat Stained Laundry

Approximate $ Savings: $2.00 per week

​ Stains on clothes are much easier to remove if you find them before you wash, so hang a bag in the laundry for clothes with stains. The stain can be treated at once and not found after washing and drying. Even small children can recognise a stain and put their dirty items in the special bag. This saves double washing and allows stain treatment before it sets. Ordinary dish detergent is great for removing grease stains and some diluted in a spray bottle will make pre-treating easier.
Contributed by Jena

Baked Italian Salad

We love eggplant and this year the crop has been amazing. I've made lots of moussaka with it and frozen lots of diced eggplant for winter casseroles, but still it grows.

This salad is delicious and is a nice way to use garden produce. I love being able to pop out to the garden and pick fresh capsicum and eggplant and then use them straight away.

Baked Italian Salad

Ingredients:
1 medium yellow capsicum
1 medium red capsicum
1 medium green capsicum
1 medium eggplant
coarse cooking salt
1/4 cup olive oil
250g mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of extra olive oil
2 tablespoons of shredded fresh basil

Method:
Quarter capsicum, remove seeds and membranes. Grill capsicum, skin side up, until skin blisters and blackens. Peel skin away carefully. Cut eggplant into 5mm slices. Place eggplant slices on wire rack, sprinkle with salt, stand for 30 mins. Rinse slices under cold water, drain on absorbent paper. Place slices on oven tray, brush with oil, grill until browned on both sides, brushing occasionally with oil. Layer capsicum, cheese and eggplant in overlapping slices on ovenproof serving plate, drizzle with extra oil. Bake uncovered in moderately hot oven about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and capsicum heated through. Serve sprinkled with basil. For an interesting twist, replace the capsicum with Roma tomatoes and enjoy!

Doiley Dishes

A completed doiley dish - so pretty and so simple to make

I love doileys. I have them all over the place. Under photos, under vases, under the old scales on the kitchen dresser. I have them on our bedside tables and on top of the tall boy in the hallway. I've added them to pillowslips to pretty them up. I've cut them in half and used them to trim hand towels. Doileys are very useful decorative items.

One really cute way I've used them is to make dishes. Yes, real dishes. They can be used for sweets or nuts, they can be used in the bathroom to hold guest soaps or cotton balls. They can be used on your dressing table to hold jewellery (this is what I use mine for).

They are really easy to make, inexpensive and lovely.

If you're following Annabel's Christmas Challenge over at The Bluebirds are Nesting then they make gorgeous, unique and budget friendly gifts too.

You will need:
A doiley - lace or linen
A glass bowl
White glue (PVA glue)
Water

Step 1. Make sure your doiley fits over the upside down bowl.

Step 2. Measure equal quantities of PVA glue and water to make a thin paste. The quantities are going to depend on the size of your doiley, the bigger the doiley the more mixture you'll need.

Step 3. Soak your doiley in the PVA mixture. Gently squeeze the excess out so it's not dripping but still wet.

Step 4. Drape the doiley over the upturned bowl, situating it so it's even.

Step 5. Put the doiley draped bowl somewhere safe to dry. Allow to dry for 24 hours.

Step 6. After 24 hours carefully slip the doiley off the bowl and there you have it - your very own doiley bowl.

Get adventurous with your bowls. I love the doiley dish I made using a ridged bowl - the shape is just stunning and it was so easy - just make sure you press the doiley into the design on your bowl so it sets completely.

The week that was - 7th February 2016

These gorgeous birds and 13 other members of their flock kept us amused the last evening of our trip.

Back into the swing of things after our lovely week away.

Picked lots of tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant and beans from the garden.

Made a big batch of moussaka using the veggies I picked. Froze two large casseroles and six individual serves (these are great for the nights Hannah works late). These are totally free meals, a real blessing to us and our budget.

Donated another two boxes of kitchen items (glasses mostly) to the op shop. We have glasses coming out of everywhere. We've been married 27 years and I still have boxes of unopened glasses we were given as gifts. It's time to move them on.

Pulled the lettuce that had bolted out of the garden. Had AJ dig in some compost for me. I'm getting this bed ready to plant parsnips for winter.

The weeds went crazy in the paving while we were away so I put some vinegar in a spray bottle and I've been spraying them every second day. They're well and truly dead, ready to be swept away tomorrow.

Cooked all our meals from scratch using ingredients from the pantry and freezer.

Wiped over a cereal bag and then cut it into squares to use as freezer go between.

Made a double batch of burgers and used the cut up cereal liner to separate them while frozen.

Used veggie peelings to feed the worms.

Made a batch of yoghurt and flavoured it with passionfruit pulp - yum!

Rinsed a raspberry jam jar out with some milk, poured it into icy pole moulds and froze it. We had raspberry "ice-creams" for dessert on Wednesday night.

I've given in and now have an ironing lady. Well not really - my mother has early dementia and she is very bored. She's forgotten how to knit and sew, two things she has always done to keep her hands busy and is finding the days long. To keep her busy I take some ironing over to her and pick it up the next day. It also gives me the opportunity to check on her without "checking" on her. She's been much happier this week and I think it's because she feels needed. We don't really have a lot of ironing but it's an easy thing to do and it saves one of us a chore.

Filled both cars up with petrol using discount dockets when it was 95 cents a litre.

Caught the shower water and used it to water pot plants, floors and scleaning.

Re-hemmed some towels that had frayed on the side hems.

Tried a new recipe - Lime Chilli Chicken Wraps - family liked them so I'll add it to my regular recipes. Didn't have to buy a thing for it either - huge bonus to find new recipes that use ingredients on hand.

Downloaded 14 new free ebooks from hundredzeroes.com.

What I'm hoping to accomplish this week:

Finish the cards for the February card swap and get them sent off
Make three "thinking of you" cards and get them sent off
Pull out the finished beans
Trim the tomatoes
Make pasta sauce with tomatoes from the garden
Dice eggplant, capsicum and zucchini from garden and bag for casseroles
Give the citrus trees a spray with white oil
Dig more compost into the  gardens
Trim the roses along the driveway
Plant more lettuce and spring onion seeds
Make fig jam
Make riccotta
Baking- Whole Orange Cake, choc chip muffins, Lunchbox Cookies

That's what I hope to accomplish. What actually gets done may be totally different, but it's a starting place.

Meal Plan 7th - 13th February 2016

I use MOO tortillas to make soft tacos, filled with chilli mince and baked beans and topped with lots of fresh salad.

This week I've somehow managed to plan meals that will keep everyone happy.

Wayne loves his Sunday roast.
Tom loves his Tacos.
AJ loves kransky and potato bake.
Hannah loves cream cheese patties and salad.

As far as meals go I love that they're all easy and quick. Dinnertime in our house this week is going to be really, really easy.

This week we will be eating:

Sunday: Roast beef & baked veggies

Monday: Tacos

Tuesday: Kransky, potato bake

Wednesday: Cold roast beef & salad

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Cream cheese rice patties & salad

Saturday: BBQ  minted lamb chops & salads

You'll Fall in Love with Aldi

You'll fall in love with Aldi Adelaide

The Art of Aldi Shopping the Cheapskates Way Workshop

At last I can announce the details of this extra special workshop in Adelaide.

When: Friday 12th February 2016

Where: Aldi Hallet Cove, Hallett Cove Shopping Centre, Lonsdale Road, Hallett Cove

What time: 8:00pm - 9:30pm

Cost: $30 per person

What makes this workshop so special?

Well, apart from Wendy and me, we'll actually have the store to ourselves from 8:30pm!

Yes, you'll be able to shop.

Yes, there will be gifts and handouts and other fun stuff for everyone who comes along.

Yes, there will be someone from Aldi there to answer your questions.

Yes, places are limited - we can only have 30 participants at this workshop.

Yes, it will be worth it. Trust me - you'll fall in love with Aldi and if you're already an Aldi fan you'll fall even more in love with Aldi before the end of this special workshop!

Click here to book your seat!

Earning Pocket Money

Teaching our children about money and how to handle it to their benefit is hard! Children don't understand abstract ideas until they are in their early teens, so a concrete, hands-on, physical teaching aid is essential.

We've always encouraged our kids to earn their pocket/spending money and they've done so from an early age. We started them on pocket money and work around four years old, with simple, age appropriate chores that weren't things that should be done because they're a part of our family i.e. making beds, clearing tables, cleaning the bathroom etc.

Instead they had to do other work such as washing the car, gardening, helping with extra household tasks and so on.

I love Gary's idea of teaching his children to earn their pocket money, and encourage their entrepreneurial talents, they'll grow up with a wonderful worth ethic and a good appreciation of just how hard it is to earn the money they spend.

Earning Pocket Money

We have three children aged 6,8 and 9. One of my frustrations had been the weekly handing out of pocket money. Earlier this year I let the children know it would be a good idea to do something towards their pocket money, or even better still earn it themselves.

The kids threw in a few ideas of what they could do, most of which required mum and dad to pay. I then told them about the people in my office who daily buy coffee and cookies from a nearby coffee shop. As they were paying $1 for the cookies, I told the kids I was sure they would be happy to pay half that (50 cents). I told the kids I would ask my boss if it was OK to make cookies and put them in a container in the lunch room with a note asking for 50 cents towards the cost of each cookie. He said it sounded great to him.

Since then the kids (with help from dad) have been baking a selling about 60 choc chip cookies per week. The cost of the each cookie is about 20 cents, leaving 30 cents from each one to go to the kids. We are now experts and can make and bake them (60) in about 40 minutes.

We see three benefits:
1) have now saved on paying out pocket money
2)  the kids have extra money to spend or save
3)  the kids are learning that money is earned.
Contributed by Garry

Lemon Chicken and Parmesan Rissoles

These are delicious hot or cold, with veggies or a salad. Put them in a bun with lettuce, tomato and sliced red onion for a delicious chicken burger. They are quick to make, browned in hot oil before being baked in the oven.

Lemon Chicken and Parmesan Rissoles

Ingredients:
500g chicken mince
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (fine - I whizz the bread in my food processor; white or wholemeal)
1 tbsp finely shredded fresh basil leaves (or 1 tsp dried basil)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain flour
1 tbsp olive oil

Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Combine all ingredients except plain flour and oil. Mix well. Divide the mixture into eight patties about 2cm thick. Coat in the plain flour. Chill for 30 minutes. Heat oil in a frying pan. Lightly brown patties on both sides. Transfer to a baking paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until cooked through.  Serve hot or cold.

Happy 15th Anniversary Aldi!

Today marks the 15th anniversary of Aldi opening in Australia.

That 15 years has just flown by. I remember watching A Current Affair with great interest, and seeing the opening of the first store in Sydney, hearing what people were saying about the products and more importantly the low, low prices and wishing I was there.

Most Australians were wary of this unknown, privately owned and very secretive German supermarket. But we all like a bargain so on opening day it was almost a stampede as shoppers flocked to be amongst the first to sample unknown products and prices.

I remember being almost green with envy at the prices and just busting to try Aldi out.

I remember being so excited when the Chirnside Park store opened here in Melbourne. It was still a distance to travel, but not so far that it was unreasonable. I didn't go the first day, but I was there the very next.

And I've been an Aldi convert ever since.

Not long after the Ferntree Gully store opened I took my mother for her very first Aldi shopping experience one Friday morning. Hannah still goes into hysterics at Grandma's reaction at the checkout.

"ALL THAT! YOU GOT ALL THAT FOR $86! ALL THAT!"

And yes, she was shouting - she was more excited than I was.

My grocery budget was tight and $86 for a month's worth of basic grocery items (flours, sugar, wheat biscuits, pasta, butter, milk, tinned tomatoes, tuna etc.) meant I had wriggle room in my grocery budget for the first time in over 10 years.

And shopping at Aldi still gives me wriggle room in my budget. Without Aldi's low prices, great range, amazing special buys and incredible 7 Day Deals we wouldn't be able to stick to our super-tight, extra stringent budget this year.

I am asked every week whether or not I really think Aldi saves shoppers money or is good for Australia. The answer is a resounding "YES" to both questions, so much so that I've run workshops based on Aldi shopping lists. I'm running a workshop just on Aldi in Adelaide in February - Aldi will be opening in Adelaide on 3rd February.

I'm a very proud and loyal Aldi shopper and I am so very grateful you came to Australia.

So Aldi, happy anniversary!

I can't wait to see how much I save over the next 15 years.

The Week that Was

The roses are blooming again, such a pretty pink colour

A busy week in the lead up to a few days away, leading a tour through the Victorian High Country and Snowy Mountains.

I spent a lovely afternoon at Wendy's last week with the Cheapskates card-making ladies. So many lovely cards made and so many ideas floating around my head. Can't wait for the next one.

Gratefully accepted some lovely fresh, home-grown rhubarb from Carol. Stewed it with a little lemon juice and then portioned it out and froze it for crumble and pie.

Enjoyed our new cooling on two very hot days. I'll have to wait and see how much it impacts the power bill (it's high enough as it is). We ran it for six hours both days so we'll wait and see which child we'll sell off to cover the running costs.

We kept the house shut up during the day, with blinds and curtains closed, to help keep the heat out. Opened it up after dark and left doors and windows open overnight to cool down. I was up before the sun three days to get everything shut up and the fans on. Combined with the new cooling it worked to keep the house beautifully cool; even when it was 37 outside it was only 27 in the family-room.

Knitted a soap sack to go with a crochet trimmed face washer and some handmade soap for a birthday present. Used a handmade card and a redecorated gift bag - total cost $6.35 (and most of that was the yarn and face washer!).

A knitted soap sack - made from cotton yarn. They're great knitted in bamboo yarn too.

Filmed a segment for A Current Affair on Thursday - it airs tomorrow night. Channel 9 at 7pm.

Finally closed the old website permanently. Feels a little strange but I'm loving the new website.

Picked more zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes and finally cucumbers from the garden.

Fed the worms with veggie peelings and salad scraps.

Baked shortbread, Cranberry Hootycreeks and cheese twists and fruit cake and banana bread.

Saved shower warm-up water (thought I'd better specify, I've had queries about saving "shower water") and used it to water the pot plants and in the washing machine.

Filled both cars up using petrol dockets when petrol hit $101.5 cents a litre.

Dried catnip to make insect repellent.

Stitched a button on a pair of jeans for AJ so now he can wear them again.

Cath's Meal Plans 24/01 - 30/01/2016

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Two meal plans this week folks!

One is the meal plan for home, the other is a meal plan for Wayne and I. We will be away for a few days so I've adapted the meal plan to make life easier for both of us while we're travelling, with limited cooking facilities.

Here's the home meal plan. Hannah will make sure the boys stick to it (she's good like that) no matter how hard they try to talk her into takeaway.

Sunday: Roast Chicken and vegetables

Monday: Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas & salad

Tuesday: Spaghetti with creamy Vegetable Sauce

Wednesday: Chicken & Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Bake

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Beef'n'Broccoli Stir-fry

Saturday: Cheesy Stuffed Burgers

And here's the modified (highly) meal plan for Wayne and I:

Sunday: Roast chicken & veg

Monday: Pan-fried sandwiches & salad

Tuesday: Steak & salad

Wednesday: Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas & salad

Thursday: Meat balls, mash, beans, corn

Friday: Chicken Cacciatore over steamed rice

Saturday: Beef'n'Broccoli Stir-fry

Most of these meals are already in the freezer, so we just need to add either steamed veggies or salad - really easy dinners at home and away.

The Week that Was

I love the quiet and relaxed atmosphere that's January in Australia. Even the folk who are working tend to be more relaxed and casual.

Of course now our kids have all left school we don't have to stick to school holidays, every day could be that way. But they're not, so I still really enjoy the laid-back way our days unfold.

This week I had early appointments, but I didn't have to rush the day's start to get to them on time. It was much more relaxed. And even though Wayne is back at work, our mornings have been calmer and less stressed.

So this week I've started my mornings with coffee and watering. So peaceful in the garden first thing in the morning and they've been cool this week too.

We've all been catching the water while the showers warm up. I've used it in the iron (only a cup but it all counts), and to mop the floors and water the pot plants.

Fed the worm farm with fruit and veg peelings.

Added onion and citrus peelings to the bokashi.

Grated zucchini from the garden and bagged it for the freezer.

Made a batch of pickles using zucchini from the garden.

Picked lettuce, cumbers and tomatoes from the garden for our salads.

Sprayed the pavers with a salt and vinegar mixture to kill the weeds and saved at least $10.

Grated the melted chocolate from Christmas Day (it was HOT) and added it to Lunchbox Cookies with some leftover peanuts I chopped up.

Stuck to the grocery budget and bought 3L milk, a loaf of bread, some salami and a bottle of lemonade - total cost $9.64. Moved $13 to the grocery slush fund.

Used a gift card and some gift money to have Chinese takeaway for my birthday dinner. It was so good, and there were leftovers for tea on Friday.

Saved the containers from takeaway tea to use for single serve freezer meals.

Cut the bottom off a Body Shop strawberry handcream tube to get it all out. This is such nice hand cream, it was a gift last Christmas and I've been eking it out. Should be good for another few days.

Hannah made a black forest cake for dessert on Thursday night instead of buying dessert.

Thawed orange and lemon juice (frozen in October) to make cordial.

Hung the washing outside to dry.

Saved a gift bag and a pretty box to re-use. Saving? Maybe $10, the bag is really pretty and the box is gorgeous. I think I have a plan for it too.

Made caramel coffee syrup to use in flavoured iced coffee - saving at least $3 (the price of coffee syrups at Aldi).

Used some fruit flavoured tea bags to make iced tea - delicious and much cheaper than buying iced tea or even iced tea mixes.

Planted some mini cabbage and mini cauliflower seeds in tubes to start the autumn seedlings. They take a while to get to the planting out stage and by then the weather should be just right. I'll plant some more in three weeks for succession planting.

Chose pharmacy brand medicine over the prescribed brand and saved $38! Now to hope it works :)

Hemmed some old bath mats to use as floor rags.

Made a double batch of Miracle Spray.

Put things aside for donating as I came across them then did an op shop run on Friday. I have no idea where all this stuff comes from - I swear it breeds in the cupboards.

Gave the spending plan a quick once-over to make sure we're on track.

The Value of a Present Box

....Is priceless! I have used a present box for years and it has saved us hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars!

I know it's still January and Christmas was just three weeks ago, but a present box will save you money, time and energy all year round. If you don't have one, seriously think about getting one started - you won't regret it.

Having a selection gifts, cards and wrapping on hand means no more emergency trips to the shops to pick up a present or a card, especially for those unexpected times. It means that you are able to stick to your gift budget without worrying about it. And if you have kids, you’ll appreciate the value when it comes to the year-round birthday party routine!

The idea of a present box is to keep a supply of gifts on hand, ready to use. But how do you get that supply?

Every time you see a suitable material or gift item, it's a reasonable price and you have the money in your gift budget buy it and put it in the present box. Now for me, a reasonable price is $5 or under – and this includes gifts for birthdays, weddings, new babies, thank you, house warmings, in fact any occasion.

Sometimes the bargain is great, but the cash isn't there. If you can only afford to buy one gift or you only find one gift, go ahead and get it. Then note it down so you’ll know you have it and if you've already allocated it to someone, note that down too.

I also have a list of people we give presents to: our children, our parents, siblings, friends, class mates, teachers, coaches etc. in a little notebook I keep in my handbag. I have the name of the person, the type of gift needed and the date it is needed listed in the notebook so that if I find something especially suitable, I can jot it down. This way I don’t double up or miss out on a really good gift bargain.

When the kids were at school I'd buy a lot of the same thing when I found something at the right price and then we'd always have a gift for a classmate's birthday. For example, in January each year during the back to school sales department stores, supermarkets, newsagents and office supply stores have great sales,  up to 80% off. I would stock up on book sets, stationery sets, games and puzzles at these sales. I saved hundreds of dollars doing this.

When I see wrapping paper on sale, I stock up too.  I stock up on gold, silver, blue, pink, purple and green - generic colours that can be used for any occasion. I also buy a roll of dots and a roll of stripes in generic colours when I see them. I store the rolls in a soft-drink can carton, standing them on end and it slides into the bottom of my wardrobe.

The present box lives in my wardrobe. I know where it is when I need it and prying eyes and fingers aren't so tempted to scrounge when it’s in Mum’s room, and I can get to it easily when I need to - that always helps.

I have a selection of baby gifts in there at the moment too – all from a Kmart throw-out trolley. They were 50 cents each, marked down from $7.99, $9.99 and $11.99! I picked up a range of sizes and colours from size 00 through to a size 2; half for boys and half for girls. We have a number of friends expecting this year, so they will all be used I'm sure.

Something else I do is to wrap and label the gifts as I finish making or get them if they are for specific people. They go into the box in order (sort of -  it can get a little scrambled). Then on the day I just have to take it out of the box. This saves so much time, especially at Christmas, when I have a lot of gifts to wrap and deliver.

The gift box idea is to save you money, time and energy and I love it. Stocking the gift box shouldn't be a chore or an added expense. Keep your eyes, ears and imagination open to the possibilities of gift shopping. I've bought a beautiful coffee set, brand new, still in the original box, unopened, at a garage sale for $4, when the retail price at Myer has been $39.95! I've found things on the throw out trolley, in the newspaper and even at the op shop.

Our present box has saved my sanity so many times over the years, simply because I can go to the box and either grab a gift or let someone else grab a gift. I've even had my mother ring and ask if I had something suitable in the gift box – and I have!

Next week I'll post some of the items I stock the present box with and how I add value to them without adding to the cost.

Cath's Meal Plan 10/01 - 16/-1/2016

Meatballs, mashed potatoes and white gravy

Tomorrow I'm cooking the last piece of roast beef from the freezer. It will give us two roast dinners, but if it doens't come on sale soon it will be the last roast beef we have for a while. Beef really is getting beyond my meat budget.

Right now the plan is to stud it with garlic, rub it with wholegrain mustard and then slow roast it on the barbecue. The mustard will bake to a golden crust, and the meat will be moist, tender and so full of flavour. I really enjoy roast beef like this, and not just because Wayne is in charge of the cooking.

This week we will be eating:

Sunday: Roast Beef

Monday: Chicken & Sun-dried Tomato pasta bake

Tuesday: Meat balls, mash, beans, corn

Wednesday: BLT focaccias with pesto mayo

Thursday: MOO Pizza

Friday: Chicken fajitas

Saturday: Cheeseburgers

The Week that Was

Catnip - ready to make "catnip tea" to make personal insect repellent

Well we've farewelled 2015 and welcomed 2016 and we're already three days into the new year!

The last week has been easy housework, garden and work-wise.

Wayne and AJ went to Sydney on Boxing Day to spend some time with Grandad and to visit Granny.

Hannah and I went to the Boxing Day sales, leaving home at 7am (and I'm so grateful we left early). Big W opened at 7am and it was so quiet and peaceful in there. Then we went to Kmart for 8am, where it was so much more crowded. And from Kmart we went to Target, where I bumped into a lovely lady I met at the Boxing Day sales last year. We spent a good 20 minutes catching up and eyeing off each other's bargains.  By then I'd had enough and it was home via Knox City where I dropped Hannah off and took my life in my hands trying to get out of the car park. Boy was it busy!

Nandos Gift Sets - $1 each, a great Boxing Day bargain.

Presents were wrapped, labelled and packed into the present box and crossed off in my gift book.

The week between Christmas and New Year is my spring cleaning week so cupboards were emptied, wiped out and tidied. Walls were washed. Curtains were washed. Carpets were cleaned. Lots of donations were made to our local op shop. I have no idea where all these things come from, I do this at least twice a year. I guess our needs and wants change and as they do the things we use change too.

I cleaned my car - really detailed it, inside and out. Now it's all clean and shiny and nice. The plan is to get back into the habit of weekly cleaning. I used to clean the cars every Friday without fail but for some reason this past year I didn't bother and it was showing.

Finally picked cucumbers from the garden. Of course now they've started there are lots.

Picked eggplant from the garden and diced, packaged and froze it to make moussaka in winter.

Some eggplant waiting to be turned into moussaka

Shredded some silverbeet and added it to a pasta sauce. Froze the rest to use later.

Picked the last of the beans, sliced and froze them. Planted more beans to replace them.

Picked more zucchini. Diced some, sliced some. Bagged and into the freezer they went.

Picked lettuce from the garden for our meals. Planted more to replace the ones that have been picked.

The catnip is in flower so I dug out my bug repellent recipe and am ready to make a batch.  And I hope to be able to catch some seeds from the catnip to share.

Used some of my new card making tools to make a wedding card, a birthday card and two general cards.

Bought some hand towels from Spotlight, $4.19. Two are to replace dowdy towels in the main bathroom, two are to make gifts.

Bought some pretty patterned hand towels and face washers from a local $2 shop to make into gifts.

Didn't buy crochet cotton from Spotlight or Lincraft - the colours are ugly and at $6.95 a ball it is far too expensive. I'll keep an eye out at the op shop or $2 shops.

Packed away most of the Christmas decorations. Still have the wreath on the door and the tree up and they will get packed away on the 6th.

Was so very glad to have Wayne and AJ home safely on New Year's Eve.

Gratefully accepted a wonderful gift from my darling father-in-law. He sent home my mother-in-law's preserving kit - complete with boiler, jars, lids, springs - even the thermometer. It must be at least 60 years old, if not older. It's just gorgeous and I can't wait to use it.

An amazing gift of a genuinely vintage Fowlers Vacola bottling kit from my father-in-law

And the most exciting and fun thing I did this week? Started filling in my new diary! I love new diaries and starting to use them always makes me happy. I just use a 98 cent school diary, nothing fancy, but they have plenty of room to write, lots of space for special projects, great pages for lists (gifts etc.) and all the school holidays and public holidays are marked.  I closed off my 2015 diary and added it to the top shelf of my bookcase.

My new diary, already filling up!