I wrote a blog about some of my money philosophies, obviously dear Anna liked what she read. So she asked for more...
So, this week we are talking about washing. Oh yes, washing.
I have been using Radiant washing powder for years and years. I love the smell, I love that you can buy it in big boxes, I love that it works - every time.
But, I read a blog post written by a friend called Ness who is doing a blog challenge called, '100 Days of Hippiness'. Ness is into being green, she thinks about the environment as well as products that work. I was amazed at how simple some of the products she uses are... like vinegar, and bi-carb soda and stuff like that. I read her instructions for washing liquid and thought 'what the heck, let's give it a go'. So I did...
It was easy to make, literally took about 15 minutes from start to finish. It does have to sit overnight, so you will need to allow time for this. I did not and had HEAPS of clothes to wash when the detergent was finally ready... drat.
I have been using this detergent for over a week now and honestly, I really like it. I miss the smell of Radiant, but I cannot complain about the cleanliness of our clothes. I like that I am being a bit kinder to the environment by using this detergent. It is also saving me money... Look at this...
I just checked into my blog this morning and look what I found....
8000 hits on my blog. Wow!
This number seems significant somehow, I guess because there is no way I could click onto my own blog 8000 times. There must be some people out there in the big black hole of the internet reading my stuff!
I just looked at my analytics... Wow #2!
People from 39 countries have checked out my blog in the last month alone. People from Pakistan, Russia, Brazil, France, the UK and even Sweden!
391 new visitors have popped in.
I am really chuffed. If you are reading this, I just want to say thanks. Thanks a bunch!
Writing my blog has been such a great thing for me to do. It gives me space to be creative and to share and to write. I love that. My blog is a place to physically store the stuff that buzzes around my head. That people read it, is a bonus.
I wonder how long it will take to get to 10 000 hits? When I do, I am opening a bottle of bubbly - anyone want to join me?
I came across this recipe through one of my favourite blogs, fatmumslim. I thought that I could use an easy, tasty biscuit recipe... So I tried it. It is a great recipe. Had to share.
Condensed milk biscuits are easy to make, cheap, delicious and the recipe make HEAPS of them! I have wrapped up sets of two biscuits in cling film, packed them into large zip-lock bags and frozen them for school lunches. They are a big hit around here!
Ingredients: 500 grams of softened un-salted butter 1/2 cup of caster sugar 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk 5 cups of self-raising flour
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius, line LOTS of baking trays!
Cream butter, sugar and condensed milk together in a BIG bowl
Add flour and mix well
Roll teaspoonfuls into balls and pop onto the lined trays
Press with a fork or see 'Variations' below and bake for 12-15 mins depending on your oven and how dark you like your biscuits
Do try to wait until they are cool before eating, we don't need burnt tongues!
Variations:
Push a chocolate freckle into the top - my kids' favourite!
Roll into hundreds and thousands
Push the end of a wooden spoon into each biscuit making a little hole. Then put 2 tbsp of jam into a zip-lock bag, twist it up so that all the jam is pressed into one corner. Snip off a tiny hole in the bag and squirt a dollop of jam into each biscuit
Roll in chocolate chips or mini m&ms
Roll in cinnamon and sugar
All of the above for a biscuit tin of fun!
I have also tried to use my biscuit press with this dough. I think that with some more trials, this dough would work - I just have to kneed it a bit more to make the mixture softer
*edit* Just realised that the photos above show my massive baking trays full of biscuits... I have a 90cm oven so I only have to make 2 trays of biscuits. Makes them super quick to get through the oven!
I put my hand into my handbag to pull out my purse the other day and felt something.... kinda squishy and wet... Not something you want to happen when you put your hand into one of your most personal fashion items.
This is my current handbag. It is not any known brand. It is not leather. It is not a colour I would normally choose. But, I am loving it. It is the exact same colour as my new knee high tan leather boots. It is slouchy - which is very different to the structured bags I usually choose.
I like the draw string opening, it means I can simply pull the toggle thingie and instantly the whole bag opens up. The best part is the two zippers on the side, one for keys, one for phone. It is nice to have these things handy when juggling babies, carparks and school drop offs.
When I tipped out my bag, this is the heap that I found....
Gross huh?
I felt compelled to arrange the contents...
Baby wipes
Nappy Sacs
1 X Pezz Piglet with refills
7 X Lollipops
1 X Smarties
6 X Starburst Sweets
1 X Cherry Sweet
1 X Organza Bag
2 X Empty Baby Food Jars
1 X Baby Spoon
1 X Can of Bandaids {empty by the way}
Toddler Sunscreen
1 X Feminine hygiene product *blush*
Hand Sanitiser
Rennies and Nurofen
4 X Hairclips
2 X Hair ties
Folding Brush
Used tissues, receipts, wrappers
Black Purse {with too many coins, so it wont even shut!}
iPhone
2 X Biros
4 X Handkerchiefs
Wowsers - that is a whole lotta stuff to lug around!!
It was what was missing that really struck me though....
There are no nappies - oops... And no lipstick... Oh dear.
I have since gone through my bag and sorted it all out. I have put things into zip lock bags, so finding things is so much easier... But, I plan to either make {or get a crafty friend to make me} some zippered bags that are prettier than zip locks.
I also endeavour to keep my bag in a much more organised manner. I also think I should let my kids eat the lollies given to them at parties - all those lollipops!
Anyone else game to tip their bags out? I would love photos! Email me photos at bbeingcool@gmail.com
I took a walk along Love Street on the weekend. I spent a day talking and thinking about love. And it wasn't all chocolatey love. One of my best friends in the whole wide world asked me to meet her in a leafy trendy suburb in the big smoke for a good old girlie chat. This friend has been through a marriage break-down. It has been and is messy, complicated, difficult and is drawn in shades of grey.
It was so good to catch up with her though. Over the past few months we haven't talked much. This is due to me saying some dumb things I shouldn't have and then feeling so awful and stupid that I just didn't know where to start piecing things together again. Thankfully, this friend is gracious and kind and didn't want to lose me - bless her soul.
So, we had a day together {with wee BabyCool along for the ride}. We had a lovely morning tea in a cute cafe where the temptation of brownies and mudcakes and french pastry nearly over took me. Then we strolled for a bit and found ourselves at a ferry terminal. We thought it was such a perfect day for a boat ride, so we caught the next ferry and found ourselves in bustling markets near the city. Then after a cob of corn and a good dose of people watching, we ferried back to the leafy trendy suburb in the afternoon sun. After a scrummy burger and a final wrap up of our day, we headed our separate ways.
It is so nice to have a friend who you don't see that often, but who is still someone who is 'inner circle'. Someone who can see beyond their own self to check that others are okay. Someone who you can spend a whole day with and not struggle for something to say. Someone who appreciates a good cut of jeans and sees this as a valid discussion point.
For reasons not worth airing here, our friends have become unstitched. Torn apart. Separated. Walking through life with friends who have separated is tough. My friend's 'husband' is Mr Cool's best friend in the whole wide world. And these two are not just good friends, but CLOSE CLOSE friends... The first people we told about babies, the friends we used to go camping with, the friends we would have weekends away with and share lots of long weekends with. Peeps. Good friends.
But, as in all aspects of life, there are things to learn from this great sadness. Mr Cool and I have had to do some really focussed work on checking the health of our marriage. We have had lots of long discussions about fidelity, communication, dreams, affirmations, and the future. It is so great to be able to say that Mr Cool and I have a great marriage, we talk ALL the time, we laugh everyday, we love being together, we are the best of friends and we are so committed to our marriage that we have cemented our future.
I loved seeing that my friend is okay though. Still hurting. Still sad. But, seeing good things in her future and being excited about these things. She is still a super mum to four children and is inspiring in the way she is dealing with their tough questions and times of uncertainty. I am proud of her. She is amazing to me.
Unfortunately, she is not the first to go through a marriage break-down, and sadly, she won't be the last. On the quiet, long drive home I listened to Regina Spektor's song, 'The Call' and these words really hit home...
Just because everything's changing
Doesn't mean its never
Been this way before
All you can do is try to know
Who your friends are
As you head out to the war
Pick a star on the dark horizon
And follow the light
You'll come back
When its over
No need to say good bye
I guess I wanted this post to get you all thinking about your own relationships.
Are you a good friend? Do you give time to those friends who are hurting?
Is your marriage healthy? There is no time like the present to check the vital signs.
Anna really loved the post I did about Scarves... She said she wanted more things like this. Unfortunately, there is only one amazing youtube clip like that that I can find... So I thought I would take a bit of license and talk about fashion trends coming up for Spring...
The advantage of being in the Southern Hemisphere is that Spring comes here half a year after our Northern counterparts. So, in the middle of a freezing bleak winter, one can snoop through European and American fashion shows and get a glimpse of what to start looking forward to wearing when the weather warms up.
After spending a lot of time trawling through youtube clips about everything from the New York and London Fashion Weeks as well as loads of teenagers putting together their own 'lookbooks' {shudder}- I thought this clip summed up the coming trends in the most concise way...
Here is a basic wrap up of things to look out for in Spring 2011
5. Hats - Fedora or Bowler Hats - I think these are cool and edgy. A hat gives a fresh new look to outfits.
4. Neutrals - I think these look chic and classy when worn with blocks of bright colours. My sister has a darling pair of neutral shoes that may go missing one night while she sleeps...
3. Faux Fur - collars, cuffs, hats, this is going to be big apparently. It must not be as cruel to harm a muppet than a fox....
2. Comfort - thank goodness! I am looking forward to the relaxed, easy to wear wardrobe that is versatile and able to be dressed up or down
1. Wide Leg Pants - clearly those in the know of fashion do not have any idea of just how painful it was for me to find a decent pair of skinny jeans to wear with my new tan knee high boots... Or that I have short legs, so wide leg make me look all out of proportion. Sigh...
Fashion does frustrate me you know. Those in the know tell us that the new Seasons colours are brights and beiges. The new shoe is a wedge. The jean for the season has a wide leg. The dress is floral etc etc.
I don't know about you, but I don't actually buy a new shoe for every season, I choose carefully and aim to get a shoe that I can wear for at least two seasons {ie Spring & Sumer etc}. When I buy accessories, like a handbag, I am not thinking that I will only wear/use those items for the 12 weeks that they are 'in' {unless I can get them at a great price}. I can't actually justify buying a new pair of jeans simply because the style has changed. And to be honest, who can afford this?
So, my advice for Spring is... Just choose bits and bobs from the list above and spruce up your wardrobe that way. I am hoping that my trusty classic items that I have in my stash will be able to be adapted to look modern and fresh. I didn't wear my Summer clothes last year as I had a brand new baby and wore clothes that are now too big {yay for B!}. So I am looking forward to pulling my Summer things out and seeing what I need to add to snazz up my look for Spring.
A very stylish friend shared a tip with me a while ago. This tip has really helped me realise that keeping up with fashion does not mean you have to shop in the exclusive stores. Her tip: she simply looks at the websites of her favourite brands and takes note of what they are doing. Then, she looks through K-mart and Target and tries to find similar items for a much more reasonable price. I have tried this, and department stores are copying the big designers and filling their stores with items that are eerily similar to their more exclusive counterparts.
So, keep your eyes peeled for those 5 items above and see how you can add them to your wardrobe.
Here are some websites you might want to check out for some inspiration for Spring Fashion.... Enjoy dreaming of having bare arms again!
Country Road - classic styling, great colours. I think I might have to justify buying the red striped t-shirt.
Jag - more classic styling, quite relaxed and easy to wear items involving lots of denim.
I thought that on Fridays I would post a recipe...
So - due to popular demand {and graciousness from other friends who want to post this recipe on THIER blogs but are patiently waiting for me to post it so that they can repost it} I thought I would start off with my Slow Cooker Corned Beef...
The idea of the 'Friends Who Cook' blog started when dear Anna asked around for slow cooker recipes. CraftyMummy then came up with the fabulous idea of starting a blog. So when people say, "Why that is the most delicious {insert baked goodie here}I have ever eaten in my whole entire life! Where oh where can I get the recipe?" You could say, "Why darling, click on over to 'Friends Who Cook' and you will see."
So... do you have a recipe worth sharing? Feel free to email it to me with a photo and a bit of a story and the step by step instructions and we will pop it on the blog and you will be world famous! Cool huh?
You can email recipes to...
bbeingcool@gmail.com
B's Slow Cooker Corned Meat in Ginger Ale
I read a similar recipe to this one ages and ages ago. Mr Cool just loves corned meat, so I thought it might be fun to try this version.... It is quick, easy and oh so tasty! It has become a family favourite, my girls get so excited about it - which is nice given I have quite a fussy 3 year old.
I apologise for the photo, I have made this dish several times with the intent on taking a photo, but in the thrill of the moment, I forget. But, isn't an empty plate a cook's dream come true?
Prep time: Under 10 minutes Cooking time: 6-8 hours in the slow cooker Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
Corned Meat - I usually buy a piece that is around 1.5kg. This guarantees some leftovers. 1 X 1.25L bottle of Ginger Ale 1 Tablespoon of Wholegrain mustard 2 Onions peeled and cut in half top to bottom
Method:
Put the corned meat into the slow cooker
Pour in the Ginger Ale, put in the mustard and add the onions. Give the liquid a quick stir.
Turn on the slow cooker on low and walk away for about 8 hours!
To Serve:
A white sauce is essential for this meal
Potatoes - either crispy baked potatoes or creamy mash
Vegetables - I love cauliflower with corned meat {and white sauce}, but also great with tender green beans, carrots etc...
We love to eat the onions on the side, they are juicy and tasty
You can also put potatoes and carrots into the slow cooker 4-6 hours before you eat, for tender tasty vegetables
Variations:
I have also used apple juice and water, 1tbsp balsamic vinegar and onions with the corned meat
I have used water, 1tbsp honey, 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard, 1 tbs balsamic vinegar and onions
I have often wondered how it would work with Ginger Beer...
I mentioned in my post about gift wrapping, that I would reveal what was inside the parcel...
Well, first you must look back at the inspiration for the gift Click here to see . A lovely idea, don't you think?
So... Miss A and I put together this gift....
So exactly what did we put together?
a cute silicone cup cake baking tray - pink love hearts were a nice touch
a fancy pink cake mix - any cake mix can make cupcakes, so don't limit yourself to just cupcake packs
some gorgeous sparkly pink sprinkles in a very cute twisty cannister
We normally don't buy cards, we prefer to make them - but we were well under our budget and this card with cupcakes and pink swirls on it was too hard to resist.
I love this idea, I mean toys are fun but they don't hold interest for a long time. I thought that the cup cake pan and sprinkles might encourage some family time and encourage cooking skills. All good in my books...
Some other ideas I would like to use for cooking inspired gift ideas for children...
Cute tea towel, apron and oven mits
Pizza stone, rolling pin and an apron
Cookie cutters, rolling pin and apron
A recipe for biscuits with all the ingredients
What are some other 'out of the box' l gifts to give to a youngster?
I really like what Peter Walsh says about gift wrapping in his book 'It's All Too Much'. Who is Peter Walsh? Why, don't you know? He is an organisation guru who has been on Oprah a lot, he has his own show about reducing clutter etc. Peter said that all you need to keep in the house for gift wrapping is a roll of brown paper and red, black and white ribbon. This should cover pretty much every occasion.
I hate wrapping paper. I mean I love it, at the time, because who doesn't love getting presents? But, it is the storing paper that is still pretty much perfect that is hard in my 60s chamfer-on-brick. I thought about Peter Walsh as I, yet again, had to remove the enormous bag of bags and bags of pretty paper from on top of my slow cooker to get the slow cooker out to cook dinner slowly....
I thought of Peter Walsh and thought about the logic behind keeping heaps gift wrapping. I don't have enough room to store my Summer Clothes in the house during Winter - they go into the shed. So why would I store something like gift wrapping that I don't use all that often?
So... I put all the wrapping paper I had been keeping for some reason or another, into a folder that the girls now love to 'snip' and decorate various things with (causing another world of problems -sigh). Then I gave all the gift bags to my mother-in-law, as she uses them a lot. Now, I literally have a roll of brown paper and a variety of ribbons to decorate gifts with. Oh it is so nice to have some space and not have things fall on my head when reaching into my hall cupboard.
We now have a tradition when we wrap a present. We roll out the required amount of brown paper and then decorate it with pretty pictures. It is great! I mean, all you really {should} do with wrapping paper is throw it out so why not make it unique and cute? My kids LOVE to help decorate the paper - they spot, swirl, squiggle, write the birthday person's name or age all over it, draw creatures and other lovely things.
Below is wrapping paper we made for a 6 year old friend of Miss A's. We copied the colours and shapes from some curling ribbon we had. We {meaning, I} made a cuff for the gift, something a bit different to our usual big sheet of paper. It was a bit fancier than we normally do. It was indeed cute though!
Of course Miss Z could not miss out on the creative experience!
People seem really touched when given a present wrapped in home made paper. I think it is nice, it shows time and dedication and creativity. How nice to give those things to someone.
I love that a roll of brown paper costs under $5 and will wrap more than a dozen presents. This is considerably cheaper than buying wrapping paper either in a roll or {gasp} by the sheet.
We are now into making cards as well. Miss A is quite the artist and loves to write the message inside. While she is keen, I am going to exploit her talents as much as I can!
The gift inside this beautifully wrapped present was really well received. Pop back in a day or two to discover what was inside it... Perfect idea for a little girl...
It is late at night, all you want to do is go to bed, you look around you and think, "Oh dang it, I am going to bed, I will sort out the mess tomorrow." But, can I tell you something? These 10 things will not take long and will ensure that you have a good rest and that your morning runs a bit smoother.
10 things to do before bed...
In this order...
Do the dishes and wipe down all benches and stove top
Plan lunches and/or make sandwiches
Lay out or at least plan clothes for the morning
Put washing and detergent into the machine - so in the morning you just have to hit 'Play'
Clean your face and/or have a shower/bath
Clean and floss your teeth
Brush your hair
Have some time in dim light
Have a big glass of water
Be thankful
{I didn't write - 'Go to the loo' - not a very cool thing to mention, but hopefully this is something that doesn't need to be on the list!}
Do you take time out to sit in dim light? It is on the list, but often doesn't happen here. It is a nice dream though....
A litte bit of cool left our place yesterday. On the back of a trailer. Sigh...
Mr Cool sold his Vespa. A beautiful black Vespa with a tan leather seat.
Mr Cool had bought the Vespa when his old white BMW 318i essentially died. At the time, buying a scooter made a lot of sense. It was cheap to buy and extremely cheap to run {around $9 a month in fuel}.
But, the best part about it.... It was cool.
Mr Cool would ride to work wearing his suit and helmet, he just looked so cute. It was like watching a slice of Europe zoom off into the distance. The girls loved hearing him come home as they could here the zooooomy zoom sound when he turned into our street. He would park it in the carport of our 60s chamfer-on-brick and it just... fit. It matched our house.
Being a Vespa rider was something that defined Mr Cool, even though at work he had to park it beside a Harley Davidson, it did not take away from the Italian styling and the adventurous spirit that is the Vespa.
It was with much sadness that the black beauty had to go. It was too hard to have three children and one car, especially when one of those children was going to the school where Mr Cool worked, and another of the children was a wee baby who slept {occasionally} at peak school drop-off/pick-up times. It was also getting harder and harder for Mr Cool to lug all his work stuff to and from work. Then there was the inclement weather we have had over the last year. Sigh... But all good things must draw to an end.
One day Mr Cool and I will go on an Italian holiday where we will ride a Vespa up to Lake Como and enjoy good food and wine and amazing views. We will scoot down alley ways in Rome dodging traffic as we admire ruins and historic buildings stopping for espressos and pizza. One day - sigh - when we do not have to cart around three small children each with their own specific car seat, prams, highchairs, nappies, wipes, sliced fruit and tissues. It will be a grand day indeed.
However, do not feel too sorry for Mr Cool....
He replaced the Italian masterpiece of engineering that is the Vespa with a German masterpiece of engineering that is the {1998} Fully Optioned Top of The Range Two Door BMW 318Ti - in Sierrarot Red parked in our carport {to help drive the children around - of course}.
Take a moment to think Vespa-ry thoughts with me.... Sigh...
