lots of laundry

This is a permanent fixture at our place these days. And perhaps for a lot of days (weeks, years?) to come. So many tiny clothes to be washed, dried and put away. Most of the time the lines are cleared only to make room for the next load to be hung out.

On numerous occasions I have had wonderful plans of scheduling my washing; towels on Monday, kids clothes on Tuesday, sheets on Wednesday, etc; in an attempt to keep up with it. But I haven't had a chance to think through this properly. Or perhaps my subconscious is stalling me deliberately in an attempt to keep me from becoming way too obsessive compulsive? Also, winter throws things out a bit with our clothes taking days to dry. I'll keep fumbling my way through for now.

I have no trouble putting clothes into the washing machine. Easy! Well, easy, if you aren't a dunderhead who chucks black jeans in a white wash. In fact, I love my washing machine. I love hearing it busily chugging away. Important work is happening and I'm not doing it. It's the rest of the process that causes me to stumble.

I have come across web pages that are dedicated to organising laundry and even tell you how fun it can be. Decorate your laundry with colours! Display antique clothes pins in jars! Play upbeat music while you sort! Yay! Who knew doing laundry could be so much fun? (To be fair, the linked site did also have some practical and helpful advice to offer.)

Fortunately, this enthusiastic take on laundry caused me to think about the positives of doing it:

1. Everyone has clean clothes to wear.
2. While my hands hang clothes, my mind can be thinking up amazing ideas.
3. I've had some priceless conversations with the kids while putting clothes away.
4. The feeling of satisfaction I get when all baskets are empty is glorious!
    (even if it only lasts 10 minutes.)

organising notes from school

I was warned by a number of my friends that we were going to get heaps of notes sent home from school when my eldest started kindy in January. And, boy, were they right! Notes about fees, classroom activities, events, sporting carnivals, login details (fancy!), clubs to join, gardening, working bees, school photos....

So, I got myself another five-tab file to fill! This one has sections labelled 'pay', 'do', 'keep' and two at the back labelled 'info' (eg; logins and weekly news topics). I have also been moving the most important notes into the clear window at the front so I can easily see what is coming up next, or what payment is due soon. I am keeping my two files on the fridge using heavy duty magnetic clips so they are not forgotten and easy to access.

I would love to hear of any other systems that you may be using to keep track of what's going on in school, life, whatever. Please share!

kids room revisited

Our beautiful baby has nearly outgrown her bassinet. So, the time has come to revisit the layout of our second bedroom so we can fit three little kiddies in there. New carpet (yay!). New bunk beds. New shelving. And the sides will go back on the cot before baby sleeps there of course.

Check it out...

fifty shades of stain

That pretty much sums up the original, 18-year-old carpet in our house.
This image is a collage of actual photos taken of our carpet (except for the ink bottle - that was just to complete the effect).
I know. Gross.

And now, I am sitting in my room, listening to the glorious sound of that stain-ridden floor covering being ripped up. Hooray! Our new 'Natural Oak' floating floors are being laid today.

I cannot even describe the state of the underlay and slab underneath the carpet. Too awful for words. I've also just been informed that the slab near our balcony door is in such a bad state that I'll need to pay an extra $240 in cash today so the man can fix it and flatten it out. For goodness' sake.

I don't care all that much about the extra cost, because I know that it's all going to be fixed and finished today. The carpet in the bedrooms will be laid on Wednesday, then we can move on. The place is going to look fantastic. The floor will look clean - and be easy to keep clean! It will be marvelous.

goodbye precious food

After nearly 8 years, I think it is finally time to say goodbye to the sugar flowers that decorated our wedding cake. I've never felt so sad about parting with something edible before.

Now, if only I had the guts to do the same with my wedding dress. I'm never going to wear it again, but I really can't bring myself to part with it just yet.

The flowers are enough for now.

jeans. how many pairs is too many?

After my resolution to buy nothing new for a year, I have begun to sift through the contents of my wardrobe and figure out what exactly is in there.

The first thing I'm honing in on are my jeans.

I currently have seven pairs of full length jeans hanging in my wardrobe (aside from the sneaky pair of jeggings I may, or may not, own). According to a UK study a couple of years ago, this is below average. They reckon that most women have 10 pairs, but only wear three of them! I do, in fact, wear all of my jeans. I just wear some a lot more than others. Here's what I have:

Dark blue skinny jeans - my 'dressy' jeans.
Black skinny jeans - can be dressy or casual.
Blue straight leg jeans - casual.
Grey straight leg jeans - casual, but now with a rip in the knee (adds charm?)
Charcoal bootleg jeans - casual.
Blue bootleg jeans - a bit baggy and faded, but very comfy.
Dark blue wide leg maternity jeans - these may live on indefinitely. I do love them.

I suppose this list could be cut, but which ones need to go?
It's only seven weeks after baby, so once I (hopefully) fit back into all of them I'll be able to properly assess the situation.

How many pairs of jeans do you own? How many do you actually wear?
Have you ever tried to 'cut down'? How did you decide which ones to keep?

(We're getting into lots of deep and meaningful stuff here, people!)

nothing new for a year

It's decided. I'm not going to buy anything new for myself for a year. No clothes, no shoes, no bags, no accessories. And how do I feel about this? Excited!

I'm so thankful to Pink Ronnie for the inspiration. Her "the happy closet" series has given me hope. There is now a light shining down onto the pile of clothes that I find myself drowning in - I just need to swim toward it.

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for sales. I convince myself that I need things or that I should just get it because it's cute and "such a bargain!!" This is actually one of my major struggles. So much money wasted on stuff. The result of this problem is a wardrobe filled to the brim with all kinds of clothes, shoes and bags, yet I still feel like I've got nothing to wear - or if I have decided what I'd like to wear, I can't find it!

Almost two years ago when I started my sorting spree (was it really that long ago?) I did a huge cull in my wardrobe which resulted in six garbage bags worth of clothes, shoes and accessories being given away - or thrown out. SIX! Honestly, some of the clothes I found I wore when I was 18. Why did I still have that stuff? Ridiculous! (The photo below shows some of what I got rid of.)

Last year I gave another three bags of clothes away and I still don't have any space in my wardrobe. It really is a serious problem. Even after this baby arrives and I throw out all of the clothes that have been stretched beyond oblivion, I will still have overflowing hangers and drawers. I'm ashamed.

I am SO ready for this challenge. It may be a struggle at first, but I truly am excited. I'm excited about what I will rediscover in my wardrobe. I'm excited about not caring what I wear - who even notices if I wear the same outfit twice (or even three times!) in a week? I'm excited about the prospect of having the weight of this materialism lifted from my shoulders. I'm excited about finding contentment. I want my kids to see that contentment. I want to set a good example for them. I want to be filled with real joy - not filled with worthless stuff.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

the boys' bedroom!

Presenting another (almost) complete room! My boys' bedroom has been a tricky one - and there are still numerous things in the wardrobe that I'm not sure what to do with, but I'm pleased with the massive progress that has been made. My aim was to create a more organised space to allow my boys to more easily do what they do best - play!

Here's what I started with:

I am extremely fortunate to have such a great space for our boys to play and (sometimes) sleep. It also helps to have the built in wardrobe - this was one of the first things we added when we moved in. But, I was not using the space well. The biggest issue was clothes! How a small person can have so many, I will never know. But, by storing outgrown clothes in large, sealed tubs in the garage, I managed to free up lots of space and start organising things better.

Check out what I've done so far:

Installing safety mesh on the window allowed us to adjust the room layout, but the major changes took place behind closed doors!

• I bought a pack of shelf plugs so that I could put the shelf back into the bookcase cupboard. This almost doubled the storage space and allowed easier access to the toys.
• To create more space for the boys' clothes, I bought an Ikea Jall clothes organiser and used large Ikea Kasset document boxes as makeshift shelves. I kept the lids underneath each one to add strength and protect the box. As you can see, they fit perfectly into the hanger and slide in and out really easily. It looks neat too! 
• I have also gathered bits and pieces from the top of the cupboard into a large Ikea Garnityr box with lid. These are the perfect size for the top of the wardrobe and can fit heaps in them.
• I have used cheap storage tubs under the single bed for storing extra linen and also different categories of toys. There is a 'car box', a 'Thomas set box' and a 'Duplo train set box'. Keeping the same kinds of toys together (or sets) in the one box or bag has made it easier to stay organised. The boys can find exactly what they want - and are able to help pack up again before we get something else out!

I want to share some organisational highlights with you too...

• Craft drawers: these plastic drawers from Bunnings, while not cheap, are a fantastic modular solution for storing craft things in almost any space. The different shelf options mean that almost anything can fit into them. The clear fronts mean that you can find what you're after at a glance. And, the drawers pull right out, so you can take the whole thing with you to the table.
• Shoe basket: after becoming fed up with only ever being able to find one of each shoe, I added a 'shoe basket' to the cupboard. The boys can put their shoes away in it - and also find them again!
• Pyjama bag: most mornings are a bit of a rush, so the pyjama tops and bottoms would end up wherever the owner happened to be when they were removed - and there they would stay until I had to search for them in the evening. But now, I spend a moment gathering all the pjs and putting them into the designated 'pyjama bag' which hangs on the back of the bedroom door. Pretty sure this one was my husband's idea. Yay!
• Laundry basket: not much to say about this. But, it helps for the boys to have their own place for dirty clothes. (Matchbox cars and the like also turn up in here from time to time - so it pays to check before I dump the lot into the washing machine.) This basket also becomes a fun toy on the odd occasion when it's empty.
• Compact toys: living in a two bedroom unit has heightened my radar for toys that can be folded down and put away. My latest find ($5 on ebay!!) is this multi-level matchbox car set that folds down into a wheel with a carry handle. (This one was fantastic to take on holidays too!) We also have a water play system, play tents and a tunnel that twist and fold back into compact storage bags that are all currently stored under the toddler bed. 

Things are about to change again as we soon welcome another child into our home. That will mean more clothes and toys in use - and another sleeping space to sort out. 

But, I'm confident that, with the organisational start I've made, we'll be just fine.

I can take rings off tubs just like that!

"Have no fear of that ring,"
Laughed the Cat in the Hat.
"Why, I can take cat rings 
Off tubs. Just like that!"

– The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr Seuss

Finally removing that ruddy ring of grime that never comes off the bath became my mission today. I went at it with all of the cleaning products I could find but it barely budged. Ugh.
I decided to consult the interweb and came across eHow, which listed a number of home remedies to clean that pesky ring around the bath tub.

I'm glad to say they didn't advise using Mother's white dress. The remedy that immediately stood out to me was, in fact - SHAMPOO! Who'd have thought?

Well, I got out the cheap Aldi shampoo and squirted a line of it around the bath. I scrubbed at the shampoo with a damp brush which made it form a bit of a paste, and then worked my way around the bath. I wiped it over with a wet cloth and, to my delight, was staring back at a shiny, white, spotless - no, RINGless! - bath!
The shampoo left it so silky and smooth. And it smelt great too!


I then had a thought. If shampoo works on the ring in the bath tub, would it work on the limescale on the shower door? I had tried everything on the glass of the shower door too but nothing worked. May as well give it a go!


Same method. Awesome results! Even though the photos are a bit blurry (it's hard to photograph glass), you can see the difference!

Now that you can actually see into the shower, I'd better get working on that hideous grout! I wonder if the shampoo will work on that too?

Ah, shampoo... my new must-have cleaning product.

speed cleaning

I'm the first to admit that I'm not a natural housekeeper. It takes a lot of thought and effort on my part to keep this place running somewhat smoothly.

Yes, I'm not always on top of things, and we still run out of clean undies on occasion, but I must say - I think I have improved dramatically from those early days. Newly married, first time living out of home, I'd find out we were to expect some surprise guests; "Oh, you'll be here in ten minutes? Great! See you soon!" Crap, crap, crap! A frenzy would ensue, normally consisting of shoving all of the stuff lying around the place into a cupboard and forcing the door shut.

Our guests would enter our 'tidy' home and we'd have an enjoyable time hanging out. I'd glance nervously at that cupboard every now and then, praying that the door wouldn't bust open at that very moment, revealing all the clutter I was so desperate to hide.

The other problem with my method of tidying was that I'd never actually get around to putting that stuff away properly. The cupboards would be filled to capacity with junk and we could never find anything!

I am finally getting a bit better at cleaning up as I go. Actually filing those papers rather than shoving them in a drawer, for example. However, as those of you with children (or nieces and nephews) would be aware of, lots of bits and pieces can easily accumulate around the house - the floor, mainly, at our place. Parts from toys and other things that "I'm just looking at, mum". Not much at first, but all of a sudden it's everywhere and out of control. (Actually, who am I kidding? I could create that kind of mess just by myself!) Most of the time I wouldn't even know where to start, so I'd just leave it.

But now, I've devised a way to save time and put things away properly. I'm certain this is nothing new. But I was excited about it and wanted to share. All you need is a washing basket! (...or a box if all the washing baskets are still filled with clothes needing to be folded and put away)

I will do a sweep through the whole house grabbing everything lying around on the floor and put it in a washing basket. I then take the washing basket full of random bits to a room in the house, packing away what belongs there before moving onto the next room.
And voila! Heaps of time is saved and you can see the floor! 

quinoa porridge and other detox discoveries

Well, we made it through our three-week detox (just!). It is one of the toughest things I've had to do. Not because of the food we were eating, but the extreme amount of effort involved. During the detox we had to avoid dairy, wheat, gluten, processed, packaged, and canned foods. Everything had to be made from scratch. The amount of pots, pans and plates we had to wash every day was ridiculous! It was truly exhausting.

What I enjoyed, though, was discovering some new tasty meals. My husband made a heap of Zucchini Fritters for us to heat up at breakfast time. They are really simple to make and so tasty. Mix two eggs with one grated zucchini and fry in olive oil. We also added grated carrot and some sliced mushrooms, served with a bit of sea salt and ground pepper.

I loved the fritters, but didn't really want to have them every morning for three weeks. So, we cooked up some Quinoa Porridge. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a seed that is very high in protein and is quite versatile. Boil it for 10-15 minutes, then you can make a risotto-style meal with it, or substitute for rice with a stir fry, or sweeten it up to make porridge. We blended up some berries (which gave it a spectacular colour!) and mixed it through, sprinkled some crushed nuts and sunflower seeds on top, then served with soy milk. It also tasted great with an apple puree that my husband made by boiling up some green apples. It certainly hit the spot as a 'breakfast cereal' substitute.

Another highlight was San Choy Bow. We've never made it from scratch before, but were able to make it easily with this recipe from the Metagenics website as our starting point.
Since we couldn't actually use mince during the detox, we cooked up some chicken breast cut up into small pieces in the fry pan, then used our Turbo Chef to 'mince' it. I was surprised how well it worked - I've never used it for meat before. We had no water chestnuts, but added finely chopped mushrooms, carrots, onion and whatever else we had (again, using the Turbo Chef to save time - best invention ever!). I couldn't believe that using only fresh ginger and gluten free soy sauce would give such a delicious flavour.

As well as introducing new meals to our repertoir, this detox certainly made us more aware of what goes into the food that we buy and has lead us to make better day to day decisions in that regard. But, more about that later, I reckon.

algae in a glass - detox time!

I mentioned that I was feeling bloated in a status update on Facebook several weeks ago. I was surprised when my whinge about rice crackers generated a huge response from different friends who have had similar issues. It's more common than I thought and there are so many different causes for bloating and other symptoms. I was convinced to go and get some proper advice in order to get to the bottom of my health issues.

So, I booked myself in to see a local Naturopath. In my initial consult, Susan asked me about everything. Every aspect of my life. Diet, work, hobbies, nearby electrical equipment. (At least she'll never be accused of not being thorough.) She then sent me off for a stack of blood tests. These tests revealed vitamin deficiencies, the main ones being protein and iron, and a couple of other unusual things. Also, my digestive system is all out of whack; "not enough of the good guys", I was told. This explains so many things!

That is how I ended up here. Deviating from my mission to organise the house and, instead, doing a 'command-delete' on my insides: detox!

Yep, I'm now one of those "weirdos" on a restricted diet. I never in a million years thought that person could be me. And my lovely husband is coming along for the ride. What a good guy.

The aim of this special diet is to remove toxin exposure, remove bad bacteria from the digestive system, renew and improve digestive function and release existing toxins. Mostly, it's avoiding gluten and dairy, as well as processed and packaged foods for three weeks. (This is called an 'express' detox). There are actually a lot of things on the "allowable foods" list, so the food has been quite good. It's just breakfast that has been the major challenge. But, more about the food another time.

We have just completed day 3 of our 21 day detox. And if it was just the change of diet that we had to deal with we would be cheering. But, and I believe this to be a fairly big BUT, we have been given some powdered supplements to "assist" with our detox. Morning and night we have to drink this stuff. The first, Thermo Phase Detox, is "vanilla flavoured" which I think is a very generous description. I guess it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the texture. It's quite gritty and hard to swallow.

You should have seen us both. Standing over the sink, gagging, trying to get the stuff down. Urrggh.

Now, for the even bigger B-U-T: this "vanilla flavoured" powder is actually really enjoyable compared to powder number two. G-Tox Express curiously hasn't been labelled with a flavour. We soon found out why. Have you ever drunk a glass of pond water? No? Me either. But, if I ever did, I imagine this is what it would taste like. (And feel like, for that matter). Even my eldest son said "Yeah, it looks like algae. Like the algae in the Octonauts Algae Cleanup!" Awesome.

Check it out:

It's the most torturous thing I can ever remember doing to myself. And probably the thing that will make my husband hate me.

I just keep remembering that in a couple of weeks we'll be feeling awesome!

(And keep not remembering that we have 18 more days to go.)

the crusts

Most of the time, my children just will not eat their crusts! And it seems that this is a common problem for most parents.

The boys would make their requests for "peanut butter and buzz butter" on sandwiches. I would make the sandwiches and cut them into squares (another special request). My eldest (3.5) would gobble up everything at great speed - except the crusts - and my youngest (1.5) would eat the toppings off and leave all of the bread behind. Sigh.

Scraping all of that yummy bread into the compost was beginning to wear thin. What a waste!

I had attempted to make other things for lunch that weren't sandwiches. Especially for the little one. I served up lovingly prepared sticks of cheese, carrot, cucumber and ham, after which he ate all of the ham, took one bite from each stick and threw the rest on the floor.

Both of them keep insisting that they really do want sandwiches, so I came up with a way of making sure that every last bit of those darned sandwiches got eaten.

When the boys have 'finished' their lunch and leave the table, I grab their plates and take them to the kitchen. There, I have two small containers labelled with each of their names. I put their leftovers into the corresponding container.

After rest time, when the boys are hungry, I produce the creatively named "special containers" and make a big deal about presenting each boy with his own container that has his name on it. They choose a place to sit and then eat up all of the contents of their container.

The first time I tried this, I was amazed that it actually worked! And I didn't have to force them or anything. (Not that I was planning to force them, I just expected more of a fight about it!) After they finish the leftovers, they can then choose a piece of fruit (or whatever) to complete their afternoon tea. Woo!

(If there is still a little bit left after that, I just throw it out.)

For a little while, I was doubting myself. "Am I being too mean?"

But I soon realised that they were happy and the bread wasn't going to waste. Everyone wins!

the kitchen!

I've been completing a little bit here and there in the kitchen for months now. From the start I thought I would like to have it completed by the end of the year.
Well, I've just scraped in!

Here is what I started with:

Surprise, surprise - another embarrasing mess!

Here is what I did with the kitchen, with help from my lovely husband...

I think the pictures will speak for themselves, but I'll still point out a few highlights.

1. Installing a shelf above the bench to keep the space clear for preparing food. ($50 from Ikea)
2. Purchasing a set of tins to keep bread, tea, coffee etc in. ($16 from Kmart)
3. Investing in Tupperware! The Access Mate "Veg Out" containers were $117.65 for both. I justified this expense by repeating a "they have a lifetime guarantee!" mantra in my mind. My husband loves these. They are much more suitable for potatoes and onions than the rotting box we had previously. And they are impenetrable for creepy crawlies!
4. Ikea shelf inserts in plates and glasses cupboards.
5. Large plastic tubs for plastic containers and bake ware. (About $6 each from Kmart). These allow the containers and drink bottles to be a little more organised and I can lift them out easily to access the "occasional use items" in the hidden corner of the cupboard.
6. Moving all the dishes, bowls and platters that I use all the time into a more accessible place. 
7. Getting a new bin. We now have a bin that has two sections; a smaller section on the left for rubbish and a larger section on the right for recycling. (About $70 from Bunnings from memory). Now the recycling doesn't float all around the place in an enviro bag. Much better!

I actually feel excited to be starting a new year with a new kitchen! My whole family has noticed the difference. We can find things we need more easily, and I don't feel angry every time I need to prepare a meal for everyone. I think a happy cook produces better food. 

And, just today, James came in as I was adding the final sparkle and said "thanks for cleaning the kitchen, mum!" Nice to know I am appreciated :)

The challenge now will be to maintain that level of cleanliness. All I can do is try.

Happy New Year to you all. May next year be full of love, fun and organisation!

puddle on the floor

There's a puddle on the floor in the kitchen. Not sure how long it's been there. Maybe it appeared this morning. Maybe yesterday? Pretty sure it's water. (hope it's water). How did it get there?

I haven't cleaned it up yet. I stepped in it a couple of times while trying to put breakfast things away. Cringed as I felt the cold liquid touch my toes. I just walked it off onto the carpet as I went to fetch more things off the table.

I managed to avoid it while getting some toast for the boys. I have memorised where it is now. It's almost invisible on the lino, but I know the spot I should avoid.

Why haven't I cleaned it up? I don't know. Instead of doing that, I started folding some towels. I got through half of them. They are now sitting on the floor in the lounge room.

The puddle is still there. And I'm sitting here writing about it.

Am I lazy? Or don't care? Or just exhausted? I don't know.

The puddle sits there as a reminder of all the things that don't get done - or get
half-done - the story of my life.

I should be mopping up the puddle right now, or finishing folding the towels, or hanging out the load of washing which must have finished by now.
Or getting dressed. I'm still in my pyjamas.

I'm feeling paralysed by this simple "to do" list. It must be time for a holiday.

But first... I suppose I'd better grab that mop.

we have a WINNER!

The winner of the Boon Frog Pod is Paulina Cox! 

Congratulations Paulina. I hope you and your girls have fun with the Frog Pod and that you enjoy the order it will bring to your bathroom :)

I'll contact you shortly to get your details.

Apologies to those who missed out. Thanks for your entries. I enjoyed reading about the toys you and your kids like to play with in the bath. One toy that sounded awesome (thanks Sara), was the Dirty Dishes by Alex that you 'wash' in the bath. How fun!

In the end, though, how can you go wrong with a plastic cup and a face washer?

Happy December everyone.

And the count down towards Christmas begins!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

command delete GIVEAWAY!

In case you didn't already know, I really value all of you who take the time to read my blog. Thank you for reading my posts and for your informative and encouraging comments. By doing this you are keeping me on task and excited about my goals to provide a more sane environment for my family.
So, to say 'thank you' - and also because I'm feeling
a bit festive - I am running a giveaway!

I am excited to be able to give one lucky reader a brand new Boon Frog Pod. Valued at $69.95, this funky bath toy storage system will keep your bath more organised and tidy than it has ever been. It's drainable scoop lets you gather and rinse toys, helping to prevent scum and mildew issues. The wall-mounted base, with built-in shelf, holds all your essential bath products. And it sticks really well to bath walls with semi-permanent adhesive strips, but won't harm tile or wall surfaces. (There's also an option to screw it onto your tiles if you prefer.) 

Bonus: With the Frog Pod your child may actually want to help clean up!

How to enter:

If you would like to go in the draw to win this prize, simply comment on this post, and tell me; what is your child's favourite bath toy? 
OR what is your own favourite bath toy?

Make sure you include your full name in your comment so I can identify and contact you if you are the winner. (If you have been referred by a friend, please include their name as well.)

This giveaway is only for people who have an Australian postal address.

I will be randomly drawing a winner on Thursday 1st of December after 2pm. 

Good luck!

loving lentils

Goodbye meat!

Not forever, though. Just sometimes.

Our family is as carnivorous as they come. My husband's parents are well known for their top notch barbeques. The vast array of perfectly cooked meats they serve up is amazing. My family are into their meat too. Last Christmas my dad fired up the barbie and cooked Kransky wrapped in bacon. What better thing to wrap meat in, than more meat!? (boy was it tasty, though)

With that extremely brief history in mind, you may understand our excitement in making some very yummy meat-free discoveries lately. We never really thought to do anything other than include a meat with every meal. But, I am so glad that my husband suggested that we try branching out a bit.

My latest effort was pasta with lentils and feta. Yummo! Everyone shoveled it down within a matter of minutes. It didn't look half-bad either.
I loosely followed the recipe, adding in any fresh vegies we had in the fridge; mushroom, zuccini, onion, carrot, capsicum and a few cloves of garlic. Also, I used Australian Feta. mmmm

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni has been another favourite.
I have also made an Indian Korma with chick peas and a lentil spaghetti bolognese. These meals have been super-easy to make and are delicious.

One of the boys' swimming instructors suggested I make mushroom rice where you cook arborio (or basmati) rice in vegetable stock and add vegies. Thanks 'swimming lady'! - I'm going to try that one next week.

I think I was expecting to feel like something was missing by removing the meat from a meal. How wrong I was! Why didn't we think to try these things sooner?

I am smiling at the thought of how much money we are going to save by not having to buy meat for every single meal. And we will have much more space in the freezer too! Hooray!

I'm keen to find more recipes. So, if you have any yummy vegetarian meals that you would recommend, please let me know.

Oooh. And make sure you check back in to Command Delete next week. I'm going to be having a giveaway! And that doesn't mean I'm going to be giving away my unwanted, used junk - it's something brand new and really cool!
So, look out for it - you've gotta be in it to win it!

a morning in Fänland

I just spent the morning being treated like a VIP in Tempe
at the brand spanking new
Ikea store! 

I entered a competition on Ikea's Facebook page to win tickets to Fänland at the Tempe store's grand opening. You had to submit your best fan photo or video to enter. They must have enjoyed my crazy photo, because I was lucky enough to be one of the winners!

So, after an early start - which was totally worth it, by the way - my friend, Jacqui, and I were treated to massages (!), hot drinks, a spread of yummy treats, goody bags, and gift vouchers. And all of this while sitting in a luxurious tent decked out with comfy Ikea furniture, cushions and rugs. No lining up in the rain for us. 

We enjoyed listening to some live acts on the stage nearby, including Abba tribute band 'Fabba'. It was great fun. We also got invited up on stage to spin the 'Wheel of Flatpack'. We each won a hotdog. Yeah! haha. I might pass that prize on to my husband. He's a huge fan of the dollar hotdogs.

I was relieved that I didn't win an allen key - because that was a possibility - we have about 50 of those at home already. Note to self: purge allen keys.

The friendly lady, who had been serving us food and drinks all morning, eventually led us and the other lanyard-wearing winners into the store through the back entrance. (So rock star!) We stood amidst a sea of yellow staff shirts and swedish flags while the 'official ribbon' was cut, then joined in with the crowd as they opened the doors.

We marveled at the beautiful styling of all the display rooms, while not really pausing to take too close a look (we were trying to stay ahead of the crowd), and I took many mental notes of the clever storage ideas I saw. I'm filing those away for future reference. We then picked up a couple of things we were after and were out of there. Proud to be still alive and in one piece.

That was one cool, yet slightly weird, morning!

(Last two photos courtesy of Jacqui. Thanks!)

here's an idea...

I have compiled a list of unusual household tips and tricks for you. Some ideas are from friends and family, others are my own. Enjoy!

• If crayon finds its way onto every visible surface, then use a rubber, aka an 'eraser', to get it off.
• Baby wipes will clean almost anything. (Even if you don't have a baby, I reckon you should have a pack of baby wipes handy.)
• Put a bit of Napisan in with every wash and you'll rarely have to
  soak things.
• If, for some reason, non-washable markers end up all over your 'older' bathroom sink, rub toothpaste (yes, toothpaste!) onto the marks and then wipe off with a damp cloth. Best!
• Store all cards / money / play pieces from boardgames in snaplock bags within the game box. Environmentally friendly? Not really.
  Sanity saver? Absolutely!
• If you spill rice on the carpet, or if it gets thrown there, wait til it dries then vacuum it up. So much easier than picking single, sticky grains of rice from the floor. Also, the sound of all those bits 'pinging' up the tube of the vacuum is very satisfying. "ooh yeah. so much cleaning happening right now"
• If you use jar sauces (hey, we're not all out to win Masterchef), rather can spending hours scooping and scraping the last bits out with a spoon, add a little water, put the lid back on, shake it up, then pour it into the pan.
• After chopping onions, rub your hands on the kitchen sink to get rid of that onion smell. It really works! Try it.
  (I must check if that works for other things too, such as baby poo. That smell never seems to wash off.)

And, one more from my husband:

• If you drop zucchini on the floor, rub your face on a tea towel.

I am yet to find a way of successfully removing lipstick from carpet and getting an umbrella stain (??) off our dining table. Who knew that umbrellas could stain things? If I find an answer I will definitely let you know.