Internet Gone but definitely not forgotten!

Well, the internet has been cut off at home since last Friday.  Wow... not even a week yet but it feels like 10 years!!!  I actually haven’t missed it as much as I thought I would... possibly because I have been able to still have some access through my phone although I did find myself at Maccas today on Farm Town!!! LOL  Didn’t get anything done but at least I know it works.  Couldn’t figure out how to send emails through a different server though... guy at HN told me you can’t do that and if that’s true well ... that really sucks!!!  All my emails will be getting stored up to send when I have access to a phone line.  Oh well.  If it’s anything urgent I’m sure I can figure something out!

 

The meal plan has been going pretty well.  I know I haven’t posted much here since I created this blog but I’m hoping to be a bit more attentive now that I no longer have the option of sitting on my blot, mindlessly wasting parts of my day on the internet!  The house hasn’t improved that much either since I seem to have replaced the internet with exercise.  That’s not a bad thing but oh my goodness I’m still not getting the walk back up the hill.... it’s a killer!  The scales don’t seem to be reflecting my efforts but then I have been pretty naughty since disconnecting the net with shovelling extra treats in my mouth!  Will have to be more attentive to my eating now! 

 

I am in the process of working out a regime... at present my walks are taking up so much time ... I have to stop getting distracted!  Monday involves walking down with the kids to Sook’s music class... I haven’t actually made it to her class on time yet!  The first time because I didn’t guestimate the time it would take to walk down their accurately and the second because Sook had an accident and we spent a bit of time in the toilets of the PO cleaning up!  We were only 5 minutes late each time but I really am trying to be prompt!  So at any rate based on previous experience I anticipate that Monday mornings up until 11-ish will be taken up with walking there, attending and getting home.  After that the kids will want to be fed and watered so to speak and I’m sure I could do with a mid-morning snack by that stage too!  See if I’m lucky to have the kids nap at the same time so I can do some study.  Tuesdays are pretty much staying around the house unless it’s particularly wet/boring then I’ll take the kids to story time and craft at the library.  Catch up on housework and fun study times.  I decided that Wednesdays should be about fun times and therefore it’s our big walking day.  We walk into town, check the mail, go to the library, the shops and then the park for a bite to eat.  After fun times in the park we head home where I collapse for an hour or so before organising dinner etc.  Sook’s in daycare on Thursdays so I have planned to drop her there before coming home and walking with Holler to her music class.  So I guess that means most of Thursday mornings are taken up too!  At any rate Thursday afternoons are probably best dedicated to bulk cooking whilst Holler’s asleep and Sook’s in daycare.  If there is any time left I daresay I’ll do some more study/cleaning!  Friday is another day for walking... just to the PO and back so that should hopefully leave a good part of the morning free for crafty activities with the kids before lunch.  So my life is filled... obviously haven’t mentioned obvious things like singing practice, chores yadda yadda!  Have decided to leave the weekends as spur of the moment days although am hoping to finally make something from the patterns I bought ages ago! 

 

I made http://busycooks.about.com/od/cakerecipes/r/cpfudgepuddcake.htm the other day and it was a hit.  I have a larger crock pot so I found that the first  time I made it the cake was a bit hard as it was overcooked... I think 1 ½ hours for my slow cooker is enough time.  It is EXTREMELY rich and tastes great with cream but you definitely don’t need much of the dessert.  I am wanting to make the baked beans from Master Chef soon... I think I will put it on the list for an easy cooking night although it looks like it might be a bit involved!

Tiny steps

Okay so not much has been happening in relation to what's on this blog but today I purchased some swim elastic from my local Spotlight to fix the elastic in my BBs. I was going to buy loop but apparently they only sell hook and loop together so now I'm going to buy loop online. Of course I am busy looking at everything else that I can buy from the same site too!!!

The house is getting there slowly. You can actually see the floor in the kids' room now!!!!! I need to go vacuum in there now and put down their new mat. DD1 didn't know there were that many toys in the house!!!! I should get my act into gear and find the lead for the camera so I can upload some pictures.

Cats received a new (to them) enclosure today. It's a bird aviary basically but it's a lot roomier than what they've had to put up with and once we're done I think it will be really nice for them!

All thoughts and plans in the pipeline are progressing slowly.

January 2009 Already!

Craft

I have restarted my knitting efforts... so far just plain but I have actually managed not to drop a stitch yet and have kept my knitting away from S so that I still have knitting done! Woohoo! I think I've done 20 rows now! lol I am getting there slowly!

Crumbs

I have been doing a bit of cooking. I can't take photos at the moment as our "real" computer has gone kaput. I made some lovely cupcakes (Lesley's recipe) which were a hit with raves about how light they were. We are attempting Failsafe at the moment but DH is really struggling with the lack of bread and in fact we had a lapse today as S woke up vomiting and asking for toast and butter... who could deny her that when she's not well? Poor little duck. At any rate I've made chicken stew, chicken casserole, rissoles, mince topping and scones. The rock scones as I affectionately dubbed them were not a hit! lol Scarily, they were more of a hit than the rest of the food which DH says is bland, bland, bland!

Nothing has gone on with my 'Culture and Creation aspirations but I will get there!

We are currently in the process of changing rooms around... wish I'd taken before and after pictures as I think the house will look a lot better with the changes once we've finished. The study and lounge have been done and we're currently working on the kids' room. Of course the entire place is everywhere but once it's all in place it will be awesome! After the kids' room we're moving onto the entry room (which has already had some changes made as furniture has been moved in and out of other rooms). The kitchen needs a major cleanup and hard decisions on what we actually need and what is just taking up space! Actually, there's a lot of those decisions that will have to be made in the near future.

Post Number One!

I determined that one of my new year resolutions for 2009 will be to learn some crafty activities. To that end I have created this blog to chronicle my trials and tribulations.

I shall endeavour to encompass as wide a range of activities as possible before whittling away to those I like best.

Craft

I am determined to learn how to knit. At some stage I will attempt scrapbooking and crocheting but for now I am going to be satisfied if I can actual knit the possum pouch I have been trying to do for what I think will be coming up for 2 years and have yet to make one of the blighters!

Crumbs

I already know that I enjoy cooking and have been attempting some simple baking. I love Lesley's cupcakes and am so lucky to have won one of Jess' auctions for a dozen. I chose the peanut ones because they sound yummy although the lemon meringue ones look awesome too! I have been enjoying following the Cupcake Cooking Quest on NC for the past few weeks but don't feel confident enough to join in as yet. I am still on the week one vanilla cupcake recipe!!! I will get there! I am planning on trying my hand at scones in the not too distant future.

'Culture (Horticulture)

I am determined to make a vegie patch! I don't care what/how big a patch as long as there are vegetables in it and they grow! Eventually I will be combining this with cooking as I will be attempting new (to me) things to cook with vegies from my garden.

Crazy Creations

I am not the best at "creating" but have ordered some patterns from girly bits and am going to attempt re-elasticising/velcroing some bubblebubs using the tutorial from here and here. I eventually want to build my sewing skills up to embroidery and smocking but first things first!

So there it is! I am going to give myself a teensy headstart by getting organised now and then it will be all systems go!