Pay if Forward

From HERE
I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 interested people who comment on this post. I have 365 days to do it in…What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!
The catch is that you must participate as well: you must have a blog and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Just cut and paste this one if you like, which I did.
Also, let me know if you would prefer a knitted something, or a sewn something :) I will try to do either as requested!

Please read this

I just want to ask that anyone who comes across my blog takes a couple of minutes to read this post by Sheye. It almost broke my heart, but the message is too important not to pass along!

Book Heaven

I am in love right now with this little book. If you dont have a copy I would highly recommend that you get one, it is calming and sensible and celebrates family which is awesome to me.

I have been away from the blog world for a little while, trying desperately to get my scarf done before the mother in laws birthday. Its a disaster! I am probably two thirds of the way through and have just noticed that at some point I have missed a row of the pattern and now the purl side is the knit side and vice versa, so.....halfway through the pattern is one way, then for no good reason it swaps over!

I will not be showing a pic of the train wreck as I still have some pride left. I have to work every day up until her birthday which is Saturday so I cant see any way that this can be finished, I will have to pull apart more than half of my hard work, it almost breaks my heart!

Thats the end of todays update, I will be off now to sit in the corner and have a little teary moment and see if this mess can be salvaged.

I want a container deposit scheme

I found this awesome link on Gavin's blog today. If you are not familiar with his blog, please go and have a read. This is one of my favourite blogs, Gavin is a normal bloke who has changed his life in the most remarkable ways, moving one step at a time toward a more sustainable life with his family.

I have sent my email to Mr Garrett about the deposit scheme and if you have a second, it would be great if you could too.

Pink Ribbon Day

In case you are not aware, today is Pink Ribbon Day. My mother-in-law battled breast cancer 5 years ago and has had a double mastectomy. Obviously this is a cause that is very close to my heart and that of my family.

http://lushyarn.com/ have a special sale today of a multitude of pink yarns and each is named for a woman who has fought this terrible disease. I suggested my mother in laws name to beconsidered as one of these, and I am happy to introduce Suzanne.

Isnt she lovely? You cant buy her though, there was only one skein and she is all mine I am happy to announce.

Sue's birthday is coming up next month and when I saw that a yarn was named for her, I thought a perfect birthday present would be to make her a scarf in this lovely yarn that is just for her. If I can bear to part with it that is! The pattern I have chosen is here I just hope that it is relatively easy, I am not an expert knitter by any means. I will have to knit fast, I hope it arrives pretty soon. The quicker I can get started on this the better!

The simplest things are often the best

Yesterday was my day off for the week, and while I usually spend it washing and cleaning, the weather was far too nice to waste. We switched the TV off, and ventured outdoors.

This is my darling, with water and a paintbrush "painting" EVERYTHING! I got to weed the bed that will become our veggie garden, and Riley spent the day painting. Fun, dirt and laughter. What more could I ask for.

This is my new plan, more time allowed for living in the moment, and less time anticipating what comes next. I think it will work out just fine.

Bliss in the midst of Chaos

This is where I had lunch today. It is only a ten minute walk from my work, and the weather was too perfect to waste.

I work 6 days a week, having only Thursdays off for shopping, this is entirely opposite my desire, which is to be a stay at home mother. Sometimes fitting it all in can be overwhelming, this week has been really tough, and I have not been as focused or as organised as I would like to be, the washing is piled to the roof, and 3 days in a row I have completely forgotten to take meat out of the freezer. There are only so many times you can declare toasted sandwiches for dinner.

Today I spent lunch at the lake. In the pic you will see my sandwich in its little Tupperware container, my book, and my drink and my bag which was a tablecloth in its former life. 45 minutes of bliss, and I feel like my batteries have been recharged. I can pick myself up, dust myself off and get in control of things again....I hope!