life is good

Life is good. I've been happily busy, making invitations and preparing things for Everly's first birthday (oh my, how is she possibly one year old on Wednesday?!?!). Balloons, plates, cutlery, cups and straws have been purchased for the party this weekend, decorations will be made, and a special cake will be baked. I'm writing the finishing touches to her naming ceremony, and asking special people in her life to read out blessings. My sister, brother-in-law and darling niece arrive later this week too from Melbourne which I am just a wee bit excited about! After five long months, Everly will finally again be able to play with her cousin in real life (and not just kiss the screen during FaceTime calls!).

I have also been focusing on the small things, like I promised myself I would. Simplifying, overhauling and de-cluttering (much like this lady!). Menu planning is going really well. I have been de-cluttering like mad, using the amazing 27-Fling Boogie to kick-start my butt into gear (I have already dropped off three boxes to the local Salvo's and Vinnies!). I'm writing lists and planning my day, consciously sticking to our gentle daily rhythm and being careful not to overwhelm Everly with pre-birthday errands and rushing rushing rushing.

Ahhhh... I'm really enjoying the extra space and time to just breathe.

*Completely unrelated, above is a cute little video Mark took of Everly at the park a week or so ago. 

everly's first birthday invites

I still can't quite get my head around the fact Everly will be twelve months old in two week's time!

Our baby girl will be ONE on the 6th June!

With Everly's first birthday nearing, I am thinking more about her birth, which in the past has sent me into a downward spiral of what-ifs and lots of tears. So I am trying to be kind to myself, to go gently, to be positive, and to rephrase negative thoughts.

And I am choosing to embrace all things wonderful about planning a party!

First up, the invitations. I had lots of fun with these! Who would have thought hand-stitching bunting would be so therapeutic? :)

turquoise trolley

I am in love with this kitchen trolley from ikea. I have a voucher to use too! The stars align.

I'm not sure I would use it in the kitchen though? I desperately need storage in the bathroom -- hand towels, toiletries and Everly's bath toys -- though I risk Everly pulling everything out of it on a daily basis (she likes to destroy the bathroom while I'm in the shower!)

I might just buy it and figure out what to do with it afterwards!

From Tiger found via AMM.

happy mother's day

Some beautiful afternoon light finally prompted me to dig out the SLR and take some 'proper' photos.

1) flowers from my Mama, who on Saturday brought over homemade chicken soup and a pantry-full of groceries when she found out Mark and I were sick with the flu. She also took Everly out for two hours to the local park so we could have a break, then cleaned our kitchen and folded all the washing while we all napped. Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful, kind-hearted and generous mother - I love you to bits!

2) jars of dried goods. I currently have an obsession with quinoa. I have made quinoa porridge with almond milk, lamb koftas and quinoa tabbouleh, and am going to make quinoa patties this week from this book. Do you have any favourite quinoa recipes?

3) I am in love with our freshly painted white kitchen, and our new rangehood. (I still can't believe we survived for two years with no fan above the stove. Windows were open in the middle of winter and the smoke alarm went off quite regularly!)

Despite being poorly on my first Mothers' Day, I've had lots of cuddles and kisses from my baby girl, had breakfast in bed and was surprised with a lovely handmade card and an endota spa massage voucher which I can't wait to cash in!

I hope all the Mums out there have had a wonderful love-filled day! xxx

the magic basket

Everly's toy collection is fairly minimal - a wooden rainbow, a wooden stacking ring, some soft dolls and stuffed animals, a few balls in various sizes, and a couple of wooden musical instruments (xylophone, maracas).

I'm super glad we haven't gone overboard with toys for her, as she tends to gravitate to anything but -- my iPhone, the TV remote, the laptop, and my bedside table (jewellery, cups of water, tissues and iPhone charger - aka the motherload) - something I'm sure all babies do. She also has her own cupboard in the kitchen with some tupperware, a wooden spoon and a few other odds and ends. These are the toys she loves the most -- everyday, simple items around our home.

So when I noticed Everly becoming bored with her current toy collection, I decided to create something new for her to play with. Taking inspiration from this Mum and this article, I went searching around the house, bought a few kitchen utensils from a $2 shop, scrounged around in some oppies, and popped it all in a basket.

Behold, the Magic Basket!

The idea is to bring it out once a day (when Everly's had a nap, is fed and happy) and simply place it in front of her. Then I sit back. She has total control over discovering what's inside and choosing what to play with (sometimes it's the whole basket's contents, some days only a couple of items). I don't show her how to 'use' anything, and I don't help unless she clearly asks (and even when she does get frustrated, I wait a little while as she often figures it out for herself in time).

The very first time I offered her the basket, she moved metal bracelets and jar lids back and forth between two containers for an hour. Not once did she ask for help or for me to sit with her (what usually happens). She looked up once or twice to catch my eye and smile at me - she was having so much fun! Everly has a short attention span and has never coped well with independent play, so this was a huge thing for her! (and for me! Ummm, helloooo Instagram and blog reading time!)

After only a week or two playing with this, Everly is now showing signs of boredom with its contents, so tomorrow I will add a few new items - a lemon, a large avocado stone, some squares of fabric and an old scarf.

If you'd like to try this out yourself, this is what is currently in our Magic Basket:

metal tin lids
wooden spoons of various shapes and sizes
metal whisk
small cane basket with lid
small cardboard box with lid
ribbon
pastry brush with natural fibres
metal scoop
glass jars of various sizes
pine cone
pebbles
shells
natural loofah
napkin ring
metal bracelets of different thicknesses
painted wooden bracelet
mirror
egg trays
wooden dolly pegs
cardboard tubes from alfoil/cling wrap
toilet rolls
old leather wallet
egg ring
small teak compartment tray

There are a few more suggestions in this article.

The concept of heuristic play has been a huge eye-opener for me, and a joy to watch. I'd love to know if you have your own type of 'treasure basket', or if you have any other ideas for imaginative play.

Our week

Everly and I spent the last week living at my Mum and Dad's while Mark painted our kitchen/dining, laundry and toilet. Ceilings, walls, skirtings, window frames, door frames. My amazing husband used the Anzac Day public holiday, two days of annual leave and his entire weekend to get it finished in time, only stopping for a quick lunch break. He is truly awesome! The walls were a horrible dirty grey, now they are a crisp white to suit the rest of the house (which we painted before Everly was born). We also (finally!) had our vintage industrial light shade installed, after it had been sitting in storage for two years. It sits directly above our dining table (which isn't in the picture as we hadn't moved the furniture back in yet). I'm in love!

Everly loved looking out the windows at her Oma and Nonno's. Our house was built in the 50s so the windows are all adult waist height, so she was loving the fact she could see outside into the garden from every room of their house!

We recently signed up to a CSA (community supported agriculture) with Jupiter Creek Farm and we received our first box of organic fruit and veg on Thursday. Our usual shopping routine is Sunday mornings as a family to the farmers market for fruit, veg, eggs and bread, then Everly and I take a solo trip to the central market on Tuesdays to buy meat, dried goods and gluten free/dairy free things, and fruit and veg we can't get on Sundays, like bananas. But with our weekends full for the next month or so (birthdays, baby showers, weddings), it will be impossible for us to get to the farmers market. So I decided to give Jupiter Creek a go. It will be different menu planning after instead of before, and I'm really going to miss our Sunday morning adventures, but I'm willing to give it a shot. Even if we do it for a couple of months until our weekends quieten down.

Especially if we get delicious organic produce like this every week - a pomegranate, shared in the backyard with Mark and Everly (and Billy).

I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Chocolate coconut bliss balls recipe

I made a double batch of these yesterday as my 'treats' for the week (the problem is how to justify several 'treats' a day when these are in my fridge!) and I thought you might like the recipe. If you make them, please tell me what you think!

Chocolate coconut bliss balls
Makes approx 15 balls
These chocolate coconut balls are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, sugar free and vegan but, best of all, they are delicious! Sweetened naturally with dates, one of these easily satisfies my sweet tooth (well, for at least an hour!). The mixture should be quite clumpy when combined, and it shouldn't stick to your hands too much when rolling into balls. If you find the mixture is too sticky add a little more coconut and/or cocoa to taste. The chia seeds give them a lovely crunch but can easily be omitted. I recommend using a good quality European cocoa powder. Oh, and I challenge you to stop at just one!

1 cup dried dates, pitted
1/3 cup cocoa, sifted
1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
extra desiccated coconut for decoration

Place the dates in a food processor or blender, cover with half a cup of boiling water and soak for 10 minutes. Process or blend into a paste. Transfer the date paste to a medium sized mixing bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix well until combined. Using your hands, roll a tablespoon of mixture at a time into balls, then roll in coconut until covered. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and enjoy!

Everly and Jimi

Mark gave me a Jimi Hendrix record for my birthday a couple of weeks ago - we put it on and Everly promptly crawled to the TV cabinet, pulled herself up, then started shaking her head back and forth while bouncing up and down and wobbling her leg to the beat. She'd never done this before so, as you can imagine, we were pretty excited (please excuse my giggling and terrible singing!) She now 'dances' whenever she hears music. Oh I love this girl to bits!