The kettle doth sing...

I was going to title this post Monday Miscellany but then, I realised it was Tuesday and I had just been thrown out by yet another Monday public holiday!

Ginger was up bright and early today as her Daddy made a rather large amount of noise trying to sneak out of the house at 4:30 this morning.  He is out field for the next couple of weeks.  I did the sums this morning - at 4:30 while I lay in bed with Ginger crawling all over me.  By the end of this exercise DH will have been away for 5 months of Ginger's 13 months of life.  Not for anything as exciting (or at least fiscally rewarding) as a deployment but just for run of the mill exercises and courses.  Sometimes it feels like he misses so much.

Incidentally, those overalls were mine as a bub

In other news I just took a huge swath of paint off the side of our car parking in our garage.  So, I think most of Ginger's nap - once I finish this - will be spent on the phone to touch-up paint contractors.  This is the second time I have done it in 4 months.  At least it was the same spot, and we hadn't had the first incident repaired yet.

Ginger has crashed after swimming this morning.  She does love her swimming.  Mama also feels exhausted between that, the early start and the two wake-ups in the night.  I was going to post a picture of her swimming but realise they also feature me, so that is not going to happen.

In the interest of actually providing something worth reading to those have persevered this far, I present a round-up of some blog posts I have enjoyed in the last couple of days:

Maker Mama's interview with Anneliese of Aesthetic Nest
The importance of order for young children
Soule Mama's May Table
The Sacred in the Ordinary

Now away, to wash bathers, and hang towels to dry!

{pretty, happy, funny, real}

Joining in Like Mother, Like Daughter

{Pretty}

Roses brought home from the markets by DH.  I love that he knows my favourite flowers, and thinks $10 is well spent on them.

{Happy}

I love that Ginger is really starting to enjoy books - both looking at the pictures by herself and being read to.  She had me worried a couple of months ago when her only engagement with books was to use them as a teether, and any attempt to read to her resulted in tears.  But, since I set up this reading space for her a couple of weeks ago, it has become her 'go-to' place and we are getting lots of reading time.

{Funny}

We do apples hands-off around here!

{Real}

This is what your wardrobe starts to look like when a certain toddler's favourite occupation is to take everything out of it.  Got to say though, this is the first time she has actually climbed in the hangers / 'waiting to be ironed' box.

Here's to the Heroes: Anzac Day 2011



Ataturk's speech - From our visit to Gallipoli (2008)

Today Australia and New Zealand remember the sacrifices of their warriors in all conflicts on the anniversary of the dawn landings at Gallipoli (modern day Turkey) in 1915. 
We all got up early (4 am!) for the dawn service and now DH is off discharging Army duties elsewhere.

We visited the Gallipoli pensinsula in December 2008 and it was so sobering to see the row upon row of war graves for both sides of the battle.  And, with DH in the army, today's conflicts are very real for both us too.

Lest We Forget.

Hope your Easter weekend was full of joy and...

.....homemade hot cross buns

....little girls in pretty Easter dresses

....celebrating our saviour's resurrection....HE IS RISEN INDEED!

....family time.....(in our case an afternoon spent making Rosella jam while Ginger napped)

....Easter Daisies

On My Mind: Ginger's birthday

Joining in Rhonda's On My Mind series.

Ready for church last Sunday

Oh, my, where did the last year go? 

I can't believe my baby is a year old today. 

Ginger you are filling our days with a joy we can't explain. 

The sound of your laugh, you constant chatter, cuddles round the neck, your new lap sitting habits (she backs onto any available lap - including other childrens!), your curiousity and joy in life make you so much fun to be around.

I am privileged to call you my daughter.

Happy Birthday baby girl!

Thinking on Frugality or Thrift

I while back I was really into reading blogs about money, and thrift - in particular The Simple Dollar.  Recently I picked up my reading of them again.  I am really enjoying Owl Haven and The Frugal Girl.  Rhonda's Down to Earth, an Australian blog, also touches on many of these issues.

However, I am coming to think that thrifty living comes quite naturally to me.  It must be how I was raised.  My parents have always been of the school that, if you can't pay cash, you don't need it.  Expenses were always saved for and there was always the make do attitude; also as my parent's garage testifies nothing that could possibly be of future use is thrown out.

So many behaviours that are identified on blogs as particularly 'thrifty' just seem par for the course to me:

-menu planning and working off a shopping list;

-minimising food wastage;

-hunting for specials, shopping around, and waiting to something is a good buy;

-buying secondhand - Mum and I love thrifting.  You can get some great buys.  DH and I went to a church fete on the weekend and picked a Fisher-Price ride-on lion for $10, they are going for $30 on ebay, not sure of their new price.  Also picked up a big box of trains and tracks (ikea brand) for $5 - I think that is actually for DH:);

-accepting hand-me-downs.  Ginger has got a lot of her clothes either handed down or thrifted.  Recently we got given a whole pile of size 1 clothes and leather shoes by one of the Mums at playgroup.  Big saving on the shoes, as they are brand new.  Lots of our tools, kitchen utensils and furniture around our house are hand-me-downs too.

Passed on by a Mum at playgroup

- eating-in, and taking food and water on excursions - I even pack food and water for trips to town.

-cutting the top of bottles and tubes to get the last of the product out.

What particular thrifty habits are second nature to you?

Household Tips from Children's Literature: Anne of Green Gables

Anne "You haven't scalded the dish-cloth in clean hot water as I told you to do," said Marilla immovably. - LM Montgomery.

I soak my dishcloths - when I remember (just keeping it real) - in boiling water and a few drops of eucalyptus oil.  Then leave to dry over the tap.  Freshness in every wipe!