Busy Busy Busy........What's Been Happening ?

Christmas: Organising, shopping, making.

We take turns each year of going to my husbands family or having them come to us. This year it is our turn to head West to a little town on the North West Slopes and Plains of NSW, population 3050, soon to be 3054 for a couple of days. Santa, therefore, needs to be completely organised beforehand so that presents are there on Christmas Eve without little eyes spotting them. Santa says..... God Bless Australia Post.


Family Fun: We have been having terrific fun down on our fabulous local river. Early in the morning the water is like glass and perfect for skiing.


Local Entertainment: We went to a play night in a little country hall up in the mountains. The local "players" put on a play a couple of times a year and different community groups do the catering as a fund raiser. 

On the night we went the local Rotary group catered and the food was delicious. Serving 130 people is a big job !




And to my readers....Thank you for all your emails. I love the feedback.

STOP THINK DO: Are You Ready For A Merry Christmas

Most people start complaining about Christmas in October. It often coincides with the appearance of decorations in the shopping centres.

Instead of complaining about how quickly it is sneaking up, be proactive and get yourself organised. Aim to finish all your shopping and preparing by the end of November so that December is stress free and you can really sit back and enjoy this social time.

1. Make a list and check it twice. Never wander around the shops thinking 'what can I buy for my mother-in-law'. I keep a list throughout the year in my diary. I write things down as they come to mind.

2. Can you DO instead of BUY. Are there things that you can make from the heart ? Can you sew, cook or craft. Can you make a scrapbook album or write a poem. Can you give someone vouchers for your time e.g. 10 free lawn mows or foot massages. Be creative - it will make a memorable gift.

3. Less in More As I have said before, we buy 'gifts' from the worlds' most useful gift catalogue. You can buy a goat for a village, sink a well, buy school books or medicine.

4. Create Strong Family Traditions Traditions give us a framework to pin our memories to. We always put the tree up on 1 December and wear Santa hats and play old fashioned Christmas music like Jingle Bell Rock ! The kids always look forward to it ( and funnily enough, so do I)

5. Plan Plan Plan Get out your notebook and make your list. What are you eating, where are you going. What can you do now to make things run smoother for busy times.

Christmas is a season of joy, not stress. Remember.... don't fall into the habit of busyness.

STOP. THINK. DO. Take this time to celebrate the joy in your life.

Frugal Strategies

Get it for Less- Find a cheaper source for things you already buy.

Make it last longer- Look after the things you do buy.

Use it less- Driver less, use your dryer less, use your air conditioner less...... you get the idea.

Use it up Shop from home first. Look at what you already have and make do. Make meals from leftovers, re-vamp some clothing, use things that you would through out for another purpose.

Wear it Out - Get the most from everything that you use before you throw it out.

Make it do Substitute things where you can or be prepared to settle for things that are less than perfect.

Do without - Stop and think! ... Do you really need it ? Can you do without ? Can you wait until the 'trend' of the item passes and you can pick it up cheaper ? Can you borrow or share with someone else ?

Make it yourself - What can you make yourself. Bread ? Clothing ? Restaurant style meals ?

Grow it yourself- Can you grow even a few small things ? Can you trade with someone who grows things that you can't ? Can you at least have a herb garden or grow sprouts on your windowsill ?

Trade it- Revive the forgotten art of bartering. Barter your goods or your time.

Put the word out- When you do need/ want something - tell others and then wait. You will be surprised what can come to you once you put the word out and are prepared to wait. Experiment with this idea.

BusyWoman has been......um....busy !

My online name has been an accurate reflection of my life recently. I have been busy.

As a result my computer time took a back seat. So.... you're probably wondering what I have been up to ?
Well.... I have been trying to balance family, fun, friends and work. I have been water skiing quite a bit and have been able to get up on one ski ( with great difficulty), we have had friends come from Sydney to stay with their two children, I have been scrapbooking in my family journal ( must record all these great times) I have been to Sydney for work, I have had a pampering facial ( hubby gave me vouchers for my birthday) and even had a beautiful hand soak and massage at a Bodyshop party.

So...... this weekend we will relax and have some family time.

The funny thing is that because I have had a lot on I have been able to achieve a lot. Sometimes I think because I am so busy I don't procrastinate when I have to get something done.

For those of you that are following my blog ( and thanks for the emails) I am still doing my homework for the $21 Challenge. I have been gathering my recipes. It's amazing what comes to you when you put the word out there !

So... if you have any ideas for meals that may be useful, please let me know.

STOP THINK DO - Part Four

Step Four is: PLAN PLAN PLAN

Planning stops things from sneaking up on you. Planning reduces your stress. Planning gives you time to save money or time to do something little by little.

Plan what you will eat for the week.
Plan what you will where and lay everyone's clothes out the night before
Plan what is coming up in your next week or next month
Plan for big events many months out
Plan you errands to make better use of time

Good Order Is The Foundation Of All Good Things - Edmund Burke

$21 challenge

I am currently preparing to do the $21 challenge at Simple Savings ( see my link at the right hand side).

 The reason that I am preparing this is that I have to really think about how I will tackle it.

The idea is to be able to feed your family for a week for $21. You don't have to do this all the time, but doing it from time to time means that once a month or so you have a considerable chunk of your budget not spent.

You are allowed to use things from the pantry that you already have, so the $21 doesn't have to buy every little ingredient.

Is anyone keen to have a go or at least swap some recipe ideas ? There are two adults and two children aged 6 and 9 in my family.

Eating Local - A Successful shopping trip

I went to the local farmers market yesterday.

 It's only one once a month at this stage, although there were quite a few people there yesterday so, here's hoping it will become more frequent.

Yesterday I got some great stuff including the usuals like tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs, bananas etc. I also got some lemon myrtle soaps and essential oil and a ginger herbal drink.

The prices were really good. These products come from the Colonial Herbal Company, makers of Norfolk Punch. They are located at Kendall, a small community just up the road. http://www.norfolkpunch.com.au/

The picture is of some local oysters I got for Hubby. He made "oysters kilpatrick' for his dinner last night - that's where you add worstershire sauce and bacon and then grill them.

I am not an oyster fan, but he loves them! ( The kids and I had spaghetti bolognaise LOL)