Homemade gifts from the past couple of months

A couple of ideas from my creative exploits in the last few weeks.  Always so much easier to be creative in daylight...bring on more light evenings, as child free time often helps too ;-)



Kester's 2nd Birthday cake, and for those who don't recognise it...he's the Ravenous Beast!  A strange creature, that eats literally everthing...or should I say everyone!  (Yes, an odd book for a 2 year old to love ;-)

P.S.  This is really simple to do.  Just print off a picture of whatever you want to put on the cake.  Cut it up into the main elements.  Roll out some icing, colour appropriately.  Put the paper templates on the icing, cut out, and position correctly on the cake.  Hey presto!

This is possibly from Feb actually, but a very simple to make 'Coriander Spice Rub', and in lovely, simple spice jars from IKEA.

And my favourite recent project, was an elephant, who I packaged up in the theme of the 'Dear Zoo' book, and gave to a little 2 year old girl.  The elephant was made from charity shop wool, the stuffing from a local craft shop.  And the box, was a covered cereal packet, decorated with my kids felt tips. (Hoping to do more like this in future, but probably once the next batch of winter nights set in.) 

The ribbon was meant to go round it's neck, but was somewhat obscured by its trunk, so ended up on it's bottom!

Origins of Motherhood

Here's a quick and easy card idea for Mother's Day, although I'm equally wondering about doing it for mums when their eldest becomes a teenager or reaches 10, as a congratulations on getting them so far, type thing.

One of my favourites at the moment, and a way to recycle old maps, car atlases etc.

The map section used on each of these is where my Mum and mother-in-law gave birth to their firstborn (lets hope they don't read this blog post before turning up here for lunch later today ;-)

Do not adjust your set

So I've decided to carry on blogging, as I've kind of got into the habit of it (if not rather sporadically recently), and find it a really useful tool in seeing where my journey is taking me.  (Some others appear to enjoy reading it too...mad fools ;-)

So with a slight rejig to the title, and a change of background image (I embrace change!), I carry on typing.

So much has been happening recently, and I think I'll keep blogging about:

• the local community and germinating plans
• the latest attempts at craft that I inflict on everyone for their gifts
• and probably anything else random that escapes my head.

So on the community front, I'm currently starting with four things for the lovely 'Wimbledon Park Patch' (having just typed 'four' I already know there's more than that...biting off too much?):

Oxfam Get Together to celebrate International Women's Day on 8th March - I'm inviting friends and neighbours round for an evening to raise money and give them five tips from my year of 'finding richness in less'...should be fun! 

Easter Egg Hunt & Scavenger Hunt on 30th March in the local park - the local community wardens, police and fire service are coming along.  And I'm hoping to get lots of kids having fun and eating chocolate (fingers crossed for a donation from Waitrose), and get everyone to answer some questions about what they'd like to see in the park in months and years to come, to get some ideas started on our great local community space (with local public funds decreasing, if we don't take ownership of such spaces, who knows what will be left...just this year they've decreased money for planting, maintenance of the grounds and the children's park facilities (if play equipment gets dangerous it's now unlikely to be repaired or replaced, but more likely to be removed :-(

Streetbank promotion - a community online space that lets you see all the things your neighbours are happy for you to borrow, things they're giving away & skills they're willing to share with you. It's like a giant shared attic and garden shed for you and anyone living within a mile of your home.  I've already trialed a bokashi from someone, and have someone designing a logo for the Wimbledon Park Patch...all for free! 
 
Sharing for the new garden waste collection scheme in the city - the council are introducing new garden waste bins that you can pay to have and are collected every fortnight.  We'd need to drive to the tip whenever we do large back yard foliage clearance, as we'd never fill a bin more than three times a year...however, the idea is to have it on our front yard, we're sharing it with neighbours so that we can all use it, but split the cost.

Community herb garden - the front yard is about to be transformed into a community herb garden (anyone's welcome to stop and take cuttings for their recipes).  The main plant in the space currently is about to go to Southsea Greenhouse for rehousing at the Pyramids or a care home in Fratton, and lots of people are collecting herb seedlings for me (even the local community wardens).  Hopefully the whole thing is going to be done for free, and with everyone pitching in, it feels like a great start to something that is meant to be about 'everyone'. 

And finally I'm starting work on the summer community picnic in the park and a facebook group to start connecting those who are online. 

Not bad for the first 9 weeks of the year!

And as to crafting...perhaps some seperate posts on that to come, but I've had another go at marmalade (not my biggest success, but edible), and lots of homemade gifts including a great coriander spice rub for meat, knitted animals and my latest joy, puppet theatres made from old sheets and scraps of fabric, which you hang between door frames.  Every child's home should have one...so I'll definitely do a detailed post on that, as it's amazingly simple!

If only my friend played a drum!

A friend turned 40 last week, and as she was having a joint party with her 6 year old on Saturday, I offered to make her birthday cake.  It's no fun making your own cake...especially when you have someone elses to make as well!

Then the news came, that she was thinking of doing a 'Cello' birthday cake, as that's the main instrument that she plays (and is very good at it!).  It turned into more of an engineeering challenge, than a baking one, and inspired by the Great British Bake Off, I decided to attempt a 'Show Stopper'.

Below is a brief plan of how I went about it, just in case any mad fool is out there, googling 'How to Make a Cello Birthday Cake'!

Just in case it didn't look great, I figured it should taste great, so I used Delia's 'Chocolate Beer Cake' recipe.  I designed it round two different size circle tins, and one rectangular one.

So the first evening was logistically making a design, template, working out quantities of ingredients, and making a base big enough to hold the completed cake.  (A kitchen shelf, some florist plastic wrap and an old LP (happening to feature a cello solo of course ;-)

The second evening was the bake, only challenge here was a bowl big enough to make a triple batch of mixture and working out how to split it across the tins, to give an even height over it all.  (Thanks Alice for the lend of the Kitchen Mixer!)

The third evening was construction and decorate.  I used raspberry jam in the sandwich, and coated the whole thing with the cake recipe's covering.  However, I made one batch with plain choc, and two with milk, to have a variance of colours.  (Note to self, needed an extra batch of milk version, as a bit tight on quantity.)

The bridge was a marshmallow sweet, the knobs on the end, were also bits of marshmallow dipped in chocolate and on cocktail sticks.  And the strings were initially caramel laces from IKEA, but over night they snapped in multiple places, so I then had to improvise the next morning and cook some spaghetti and use that (this also strunk a bit during the day as it dried out, so needs some more thought...if I'm ever mad enough to do something like this again).

Thankfully it tasted good, and got great feedback on the day.

After all that, the homemade gift that I gave her seems rather simple, but I had fun making the label with my Grandma's old typewriter (planning to use that again, although a bit of a sticky 'S').

A keepsake jar,

to put art exhibtion/show tickets in

(fun to reflect on)

Old & New working in harmony

"How much?!? I could make that!"

I started a folder a few months back, which contains clippings from catalogues and magazines, of items that I believe I could make relatively easily, and that would cost a lot less (if you discount woman-hours of course). 

And at last I've gotten around to making my first item from the clippings.  Little Benjamin was born a few weeks ago, and I've seen so many taggies around, and my eldest always loved the labels on toys (such much so that bunny's has been sucked off entirely), that I decided to make him one.  (I found this site via Pinterest, which gave a brief tutorial on how to do it, which also gave me some extra courage http://www.icanteachmychild.com/2010/11/make-it-taggie-blanket-for-baby/ )

We had a baby's sleeping bag with a lovely horse on it, and the zip was broken, so I started with that; asked round friends for odds and ends of ribbon, and between us we came up with enough bits to get cracking.

There was one false start, when I pinned the ribbons on the wrong way (wouldn't have been very exciting with them all inside and inaccessible), but once that was sorted the whole thing probably only took about an hour to make...not bad for a first attempt.  And so lovely to have Grandma's sewing machine out with a purpose again. 




So with one entirely recycled taggie delivered, I've now just got to find some ideas that I can do for a wedding present, a 40th birthday, not to mention Christmas!  All ideas gratefully recieved ;-)

End of the Summer Update

What summer?  You might well ask! 

We ended August off well yesterday with a day out with the Smiths.  We rode our bikes to the Hayling Island Ferry, had a boat trip across and then cycled along to the beach near 'Inn on the Beach'.  Had a great time playing in the sea and on the beach and enjoyed a picnic lunch and a BBQ Sausage kids tea, before cycling back to the boat and then on home.   A great local day out!  (So much richness, so near by!)

Just 5 more loads to go!

I've made it through the mammoth pile of washing after Greenbelt (I truely appreciate the washing machine and love it lots!!), washed mud from wellies and the buggy and just about got the house back to normal.  I'm now keeping my eye out for a bigger tent to get on pre-loved websites or through anyone we might know.

I've got a bit further on my running schedule and Andy also took up running this week.  It's a great free exercise, and I'm amazed at the amount of people paying to be shouted at military-style, down on the seafront and common to get fit.  Give me a quiet run any day!

Money

Changing bank accounts is progressing (slightly slowly), and the kids accounts are all set-up.  Our new Co-Op account is complete, and I'm now just waiting for their switching team to work their magic on all our DDs etc.  I'm now also starting the task of setting up our new ISAs, now I've got a new current account to link them too.

I've registered for a water meter, which should be installed in the next 3 months.  I doubt we'll get any savings from it, but I want to have more connection with this precious resource, and have more responsibility over how we use it.  

Giving

I got a letter from World Vision this week, saying that our sponsored child had moved away (not uncommon as families move for work or to be nearer other family members), so now we have to get a new child to sponsor.  I found it really sad news, and it brought back quite a few miscarriage emotions.  Irrelevant of the money that we send, M & I have sent letters and pictures to Grace, we've prayed for her, and we have her picture up in our bedroom and kitchen, and have spent lots of time talking about where she lives and how our lives are different.  It feels like a real loss, and I can't bring myself to take her picture down.  Even if the money can't get it her, our prayers can still.  But it does feel rather like losing a child again, and yet again I realise that I'd be useless as a foster parent and adoption is definitely more for me.

September

I have one more week off with the kids, which will include a visit to Grandma's.  And then it's back to work and nursery routine.  I'm also feeling the need to start planning Christmas gifts as when you make them all, you really do need a big lead time, so that might be quite a focus this autumn.  And I need to spend some time thinking about some changes for 2013 (watch this space), not to mention deciding on a school of M for Sept 2013.  How time flies! 

Loaves & Fishes....with a bit of dessert thrown in!

Little is much when God is in it

So in the past 24 hours we have been given 5 mackerel, 16kg of bread flour (and a lovely evening chat with a friend) and a bag of rhubarb...what lovely friends and work collegues we have...we are very blessed.

And it reminded me of the last littlies kids church that we had at our house before the school holidays when we were talking about sharing, and how the little boy shared his lunch (loaves and fishes) and ended up being part of a miracle that fed thousands.  (Today's equivalent would be...no food for anyone at the opening ceremony tomorrow night...don't worry, I've got my cheese sarnies and a pick of ready salted, quick prayer and pass it round, and round, and round....).

The rhubarb was just a nice addition, to remind me that God can't be put in a box, and loves to bless his children.  A great God and great friends...we were made to be together!

No time to blog!

So it's almost a month since my last blog post, and it's not that I've decided a don't want to write stuff about the year anymore, it's just the lack of time free to sit down and write! It's becoming a recurrent theme, how making things and trying to do things differently is taking more time, and I definitely feel the biggest learning from this whole experience is the truth in the statement that 'time is money', but there is definitely more richness in relying on it less!  So what's been going on in May?

Beach Hut Fun
After about 6 years on the waiting list, we got to the top and now rent a Beach Hut (or Sun hut to be more correct, as it's just back from the beach and we have the prom, road and a great patch of grass between us and the beach).  We've only had it for about a month now, but have already had so much fun down there with a whole host of people, we're definitely glad with took the plunge (as it's not a cheap experiment!).

In the hot days the kids have loved paddling, and as we don't have much of a garden at home, and certainly no grass, the novelty of a giant expanse of grass to run around and crawl on has been brilliant.  We've also had lots of fun doing art things, and generally hanging out with friends and eating together.  We've also met some lovely new neighbours and even a previous neighbour from our days in North End is now a neighbour again!  So if you're in the area...come and join us!

In the last month, I've also become more and more aware of the passing of time, and that pre-school days will be gone in just over a year's time, so I'm really wanting to have some great time having fun with the kids, as well as having good time with them, whilst dealing with the rest of life....they've good at helping out round the house, and it's not all about fun-fun-fun.  But the beach hut has been great for more focused time with them, as I can't disappear to just put on another wash load.  The challenge of this, is that I then need to fit even more into evenings as the jobs still need doing, so sleep has definitely been lacking this month.  Finding the right balance is the biggest challenge of all motherhood days I think.

Devon
We had 5 days in Devon, thanks to a friend of my Mum's who lets us her holiday home.  Sadly just before the weather became amazing, but had fun with Grandma at a farm, on the beach and at the house.

Gardening

Tomatoes alive inside!

We've continued to try and grow things in the garden, but with the exception of radishes and apples, the slugs seem to be feasting on all the rest, so it's not a great success currently.  I planted out tomatoes and broad beans yesterday, that have done really well inside, but we wait to see if they get eaten before they have a chance to get even bigger :-(  Orange peel, coffee grounds, egg shells and organic slug pellets seem to have little effect on Pompey gastropods.
Also the compost bin and Bokashis seem to have been the perfect breeding ground for fruit flies, which means I'm becoming a very good aim with rolled up newspaper, and my daughter enjoys the blood smears that appear all over the kitchen cupboard doors...dead and alive have become quite focused topics in our house.

Gifts

More cut out people cards

And I still continue to try and make gifts as much as possible, although people are getting more and more belated presents with each passing month.  Men & boys really seem to be the main challenge, although I'm hoping I have a current idea that can run to several boys over the coming months...am just awaiting feedback from the first little chap to get it.  Homemade experiment kits....check this out: http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/lavalamp.php  

So May hasn't been a quiet month, and when you add normal household chores, helping family house hunt, mad weeks at work, Governor duties and keeping kids occupied, it's little wonder that there is ever any time to sit down and blog!

Childhood Challenges

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So this week I introduced my 3 year old to Hopscotch.  She's really into numbers and hopping at the moment, so it was a bit of a no brainer.  But it got me wondering how many of our kids have played it and how many other things, that past generations have come up with, are they missing?

The National Trust launched a new programme last week, called '50 things to do before you're 11 and 3/4'.  Lots of it is quite simple stuff, but some things will definitely take us a while to cross off.  You can see the list here.

And find out more here from the National Trust here.

It also got me thinking about a new small gift idea for kids.  I could add a 'Childhood Challenge' to their cards.  Here are some examples:

'Before you're 4, learn how to play hopscotch' (and include a piece of chalk), 'Before you're 3, grow some cress' (include a sheet of toilet paper and some seeds), 'Come egg rolling with me this Easter', 'Set fire to a leaf using a magnifying glass' (not sure their parents will thank me for that, but at least I didn't suggest a small creature or sibling ;-)

Am always on the lookout for other creative, outdoor, simple ideas...suggestions on a postcard.

Is homemade OK?

As I'm progressing through this year and trying to come up with more homemade ideas for gifts, I'm facing the question of whether giving people homemade things is OK.  Some things that I make, I'm quite happy to give people, especially when it comes to cards...I guess I expect them to end up in the bin after they've sat on shelves and mantlepieces anyway, and they'll be up there with lots of other cards and even hidden behind others, if people don't like them that much (or is it just me that orders cards in such a way ;-)

Here's one I made earlier...my brother-in-laws' first anniversary is today, and I was more than happy to give them this one, and even think it's quite good ;-)

Recycle old maps by cutting out shapes from relevant areas

But when it comes to the actual gift element, I'm finding it more of a challenge.  For some reason, giving a child something homemade and creative, rather than an expensive bit of wood carving, or, more likely, a piece of molded mass-created plastic, makes me feel more nervous.  Will the parents look at it and shudder, will it automatically end up in the bin?

And gifts for adults are quite a challenge too...I've reverted to making edible things, but even the Piccalilli I made the other day has left me wondering whether it's OK to give as a gift.  Having never eaten any before, or made it, it looks colourful, but what if it's disgusting!

I wonder if it's because we're now so used to shop bought stuff, and that ironically there is now a whole (pretty expensive) market for 'homemade' items, that have been made in someone elses home, but have an impressive quality about them.  And it's unrealistic to believe that my random attempts will match the quality of the cottage industry's supply of 'homemade' creations.

I've always invested lots of time in every gift I've ever bought...it's important to me that it shows that I value and love the person.  That I'm glad they're around and that the gift, hopefully conveys some of that.  But if the person doesn't like it, I'm not worried if they pass it on or recycle it in someway.  I'd much prefer that to it being in their house when they really don't like it, just for my benefit.  So I hope the same applies to my homemade gestures, and I need to stop being worried about gifts being labelled 'another Clare creation' in a negative way...and live in the 'it's the thought that counts' moment, and not feel that I'm being judged on it.  (There's definitely richness in this less stuff, but the cost is just different.)

Topsy Turvy Easter

So the weather got it all wrong this year...we had glorious sunshine on Friday and enjoyed sitting at the Hot Walls, and then had a slightly damp breakfast at the Beach Hut on Easter Sunday.  But it's been another good Easter weekend, and as ever started with a great veggie meal with the justice gang on Thursday evening.  Leaving that evening, via the quiet room with candles, thorns, nails, wood, a hammer etc, jogs the mind to think on what Jesus must have gone through that night before it all kicked off.  (And birth experiences have definitely helped bring something more to the empathy; facing something that you know has to happen, and can't avoid, the rest of the world being asleep etc.)

Sadly a little one year old's lack of sleep (think probably relating to first year jabs...all three in one sitting!), led to being very tired at 8am on the beach on Sunday, but it was great, as ever, to celebrate the world changing, and Jesus coming back to life.  It's been a great weekend of spending time with our Portsmouth family.

Start of Spring

It's been a while since my last post, and I'm not sure why that is; partly I haven't managed many free moments, and partly I'm not sure there's anything new to write about.  

Life ticks along, but some progress has gone on in the garden, thanks to some beautiful March weather.  The shed is in situ.  Lots of little seeds have been planted...am not filled with confidence that they'll be a giant harvest, but my little helper more than makes up for my fears...hope she's not too disappointed.

Work juggling, with poorly little people, household tasks, play groups and weekends with visitors has made life feel very full.  Lots of lovely moments hidden amidst lots of routine.

Recycling continues, but I need to work on the compost bin in the back yard.  It's a very enclosed space (even more so with the new shed now), and on warmer days, the aroma is a bit strong...reminds me a micro brewery!  I've found out that Lush recycle all plastic bottle tops, and we're now a disposable nappy free house (good, other than there's no room for error on the supply of clean terries!).

Gift making continues, with recently some Piccalli (a first) and more home-made cards.  I'm now trying to get a month ahead, as otherwise I'm feeling rather too much last minute pressure to create, but it's easier said than done.

Tiredness is definitely having an impact on the spring in my step (and it is a rainy morning as I type), but as with all journeys, the honeymoon period is over, and effort is now required to find deeper richness.

Great fun making!

Gifts are definitely taking longer to make currently, but they're great fun to do.  

I was challenged on postable items, and this week came across a pattern for a mug cosy, which I've adapted slightly.  It took all of about 2 hours to make, and is heading out in the post tomorrow.  Don't think that's the last one of these that I'll be making.

I've also had fun melting LPs and adding some papier mache.  (I started the melting here: Melting LPs & Boiling Oranges ) They've been turned into gifts, and have definitely generated some conversation ;-)

One became a plant pot with an Aloe Vera cutting from our kitchen window ledge, and the other held a selection of homemade delights (marmalade, muesli & fudge).

Melting LPs and Boiling Oranges

Wow....I've discovered a very addictive new craft today...and I don't think it's just caused by the fumes.

So I have some old LPs from my Grandmother's house, that have no value, so I thought I'd try and be creative with some of them, and attempt to make some different gifts.  It's as simple as a 200 degree oven, an LP and an oven-proof bowl.

I think the outcome was  surprisingly good.

(Need to do a bit more work on the attempts at book-ends though.)

I've also had my first attempt at making marmalade the other week...have had to reboil it to get it to set better, but amazing again that it's so simple and tastes so much better than the shop bought stuff!  (Also cheaper, only if you discount the time taken to make it!)

A couple of friends gave me a new craft book for my birthday yesterday, so I'll take a look at that next and see what other exciting crafts I can discover (think I'll be skipping the homemade sanitary towels though!!).

Mixed success in charity shops today

So I trawled the charity shops in Southsea today, and the bad news is that there is hardly any wool around, so not sure I'll be unravelling too many jumpers to make other things this year.  The world seems to make all jumpers with cotton and acrylic (no wonder they're not that warm!).

But the good news is the amazing children's gift stash that I picked up in the Cry shop.  Amazingly the pile below only cost £8 in total, and most of them are totally unused.

I'll definitely keep visiting the charity shops, and keep hunting out gifts and fingers crossed on the wool front.

A Year of Unravelling Jumpers?

So as the official start of our year begins tomorrow, I've been thinking about how I'm going to have to be far more creative than I've been during our warm-up of the past couple of months.

This week I've started knitting a hoodie for the kids again (there was a long pause after K was born), and it's reminded me how much I love knitting and how that is another avenue for making gifts and getting clothing etc.  However, for anyone who's bought wool in the last few years, it is a very expensive option, in comparison to buying anything in the shops.  (I honestly don't know how they can justify the cost of clothing as it is, even if you halved the cost of wool!)   So buying more wool to make things; toys, stockings, jumpers, pen holders etc, seems like a dead-end.

Then revelation hit!!  (Amazing what things you think about in a darkened room whilst breastfeeding in the middle of the night...am never sure if I'm awake or dreaming up these things).  In my regular charity shop trawls, I can hunt out wool jumpers and unravel them for a giant supply of cheap wool!  It surely can't be that hard, once I've managed to undo the sticking that holds it all together.  So watch this space on whether it works or not (photos to follow later in 2012).

I've also decided I need to be more creative on food production.  This week I managed to get our new compost bin in place, in the corner of the backyard.  I've never been too optimistic about the amount of food we could generate in such a small space, with little sunshine, and lots of paving slabs.  Although the pots have done us proud, with tomatoes, apples and bay leaves.

But I noticed that we have a little strip of soil between the slabs and the wall (probably not quite 2 foot deep), which is hidden under bits of slate.  The soil underneath seems really good.  And all I need to do is relocate the apple tree pots (I'll probably need to get rid of a few shrubs, which aren't that exciting anyway), and we'll have a little strip farm of our own.  So I've emailed our friends who have a real strip farm (the source of our apple harvest earlier this year, and the beautiful bunch of mistletoe on our front door this Christmas...thanks!!!!) to get some tips on where to start, and hopefully we'll get some veg going later this year.  Something else to try and regularly fit into the week, but I've always aspired to an allotment later on, but am put off by the distance we'd have to travel to get to it....so no excuse on this challenge!

So as the New Year dawns there are lots of ideas and activities bubbling away.  It really is exciting, and I'm hoping that January and February (traditionally my least favourite months of the year (even though my birthday is in the midst of them)) are more positive than normal.  The biggest challenge will be time, especially as I juggle returning to work too, but I like nothing better than change and a challenge...so here goes.

So Happy New Year, to anyone reading this, and I hope you find something to challenge you this coming year, and find some richness in less too!

Unable to Outgive God

So we started this festive season with the focus of giving, rather than receiving.  No big present wishlists; a focus on gifts for the kids that encouraged great family time; and a desire to spend more money on those who are really in need, rather than on us having a 'Merry Christmas'.

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Over the past few days I've been looking back over the month to check that I haven't been distracted by sparkly lights and advertising (hard for someone that never watches anything other than CBeebies in real time anymore...and loves the skip forward button for anything that's been recorded on a channel that even does ads).  To my surprise/amusement/thankfulness, whilst we've been focused on giving, we seem to have been blessed by others giving to us, in a disproptionate way!

We've had friends doing clear outs, that have invited me round to delve through bags of things before they head to charity shops; I've helped my Dad clear out my Grandma's house, as she's unable to have much in the care home, and is more than happy for family to put to use her decades worth of stuff; we've had random things passed to us that are no longer needed, or are simply things people have received in duplicate....and for all this, we are truly thankful!

I have to confess to two shop purchases, but with mind-boggling discounts.  I have at last got a new coat that will keep me warm and dry on the bike, or when pushing the buggy in driving rain (a Berghaus 3-in-1, that firstly had 50% off, and then a further 25% off).  And yesterday, whilst popping into a shop for a lightbulb (haven't worked out a way to survive without these!), we saw some kids shoes discounted.  I managed to get the next pair of shoes for M....they had been £30 at full price, and everything was discouted to £15....that is apart from the one box I picked out for her, which was only £9!  Nothing wrong with them, no apparent reason for the extra discount...weird!!

So here are some examples of what we've got:

• a lovely sewing box
• a wet suit
• a four slice toaster
• a barometer
• kids jigsaws and games
• kids clothes
• M's next size up shoes
• a really warm and waterproof coat for me
• a presige hand-whisk
• the next size up car seat
• a blanket box
• a big flour sack storage box.

From all this, we've got things that I've been looking for, for months (in one case, about 3 years!), but haven't got as they've been too expensive, not quite what we wanted, or just seemed like a luxury we could do without. 

I love the way it's been the opposite to the normal way the world seems to work...more often than not, people spend far more than they earn....perhaps, we should all try giving, more than we spend, and let God worry about the rest (not with the motivation of getting lots of stuff) in the knowledge that we are blessed, and it's great to bless others.

A thought for Advent & Week -3 Update

I recently saw this cartoon in a 'Simple Way' e-newsletter, and it has become part of my advent focus.  It's been really good to keep in mind, when thinking about gifts for Christmas, and generally keeping the season in perspective.

What's been really interesting is the number of opportunities that have come to light which have just provided tiny chances to rebalance this image.

Here are a of couple of great sites that I've come across that allow some creative gifting to others (thanks for those who have found them and passed them on!):

• lendwithcare.org is a great microfinance site, where you can provide funding for entrepreneurs around the world.  Well done CARE International & The Co-Op 

• Must Have Gifts from organisations such as World Vision, and it's great to see so many different ways to buy goats, chickens etc from so many more organisations nowadays

Week -3 Update

Some will think I'm sad for saying it, but I'm excited to report that I've started using the Bokashi!  So watch this space to see what impact it has on our waste weight (although I think Christmas week may not be the best timing for reducing the weight).

I helped clear out my Grandma's house this weekend, as she has moved to a care home.  From it I've got some amazing family social history, some lovely retro gear (most of which I'm going to try and sell on the amazing Albert Road, for her!), some stuff for Portsmouth Food Bank, the Red Cross Asylum Seeker Drop In, Freegle and for general recycling.  A mammoth and exhausting task, but simply getting in a house clearance firm to gut it (and probably dump lots of it) seemed wrong.

Christmas presents are still being made, and there is still a little way to go....so I'm heading off to get back to it.  Enjoy the rest of Advent!