Winter bucket list 2018

It's getting slowly chillier down in these parts as we head into Winter, and with daylight savings ending next weekend I've been starting to piece together my survival plan for the gloomy cold days ahead.

1. Make our living areas cosier with better lighting
We have overhead lighting and it's so bright and glarey. I'm halfway there as I found this unused lampstand at my parent's house and added a shade to it. 


2. More cushions/throw blankets
I made this 'Home' cushion the other week on a total whim (it started out as a way to practice very basic quilting) and it made me realise how cosy cushions and throws can make things look. We have ginormous blank couches and sometimes they make the whole room feels quite stark. (We also don't have a rug or coffee table, so that doesn't help, but they're not priorities in our budget and with little kids sometimes it's easier this way.). One day I'd like to get all our cushions etc sorted out and coordinated instead of the random mix we currently have.

3. Plan a trip away
Fiji would be great... but realistically we'll be staying closer to home this year. Something for when we're at least halfway through winter should make that second half not drag quite so much.

4. Make these peppermint marshmallows and hot chocolates again.

Husband requested it!

5. Family Night
A couple of times now we've had a Friday night family night where we do something together, beyond what we normally do. The first time, I managed to convince everyone to make donuts with me (based off a recipe from the Farmer Boy book in the Little House series I read as a kid) and it was so different for us to cook all together (minus Josh who was in bed asleep). Ella was really excited by it which made me chuffed. We often do outdoorsy things together ('family adventures') but doing an actual activity together is pretty new for us. Another time we took a soccer ball to a field we've never been to before and kicked in around in the howling gale, getting absolutely freezing with all our noses running. It was memorable tho.
Other ideas we had for this were: a scavenger hunt; a board games night; doing a fun science experiment; making something together; etc.

6. I was going to write embrace the slow-cooker but in all honestly I'm still tired of slow-cooking from last winter! Or am I just tired of all cooking? Hmmmmm...........

7. Make a quilt + other projects
I'm trying to get started on making:
- a quilt for Ella's room (the planning is hard!)
- a rag doll for Ella (I'm up to embroidering the eyes and it's looking so creepy with my novice embroidery skills)
- a wooden bear name sign for Josh's room (it's cut out, I just need to stain it and paint the name on) 
- maybe a top for me? Something long sleeved in a pretty fabric, but a basic cut.


 





    

Ella-isms Vol 3

Life is crazy these days but I thought I'd take a minute to record some of the things my 3-yr old says!
She is so much fun and getting more chatty by the minute. She's recently started making her own bed (un-asked) rinsing her dishes and loading the dishwasher (un-asked!) and asking "can I be your helper?" whenever I am doing some kind of chores. I'm making the most of the novelty before she gets over it. She is also super into her stuffed toys and doll, and is constantly lining them all up to play 'kindy teacher' (she sits on a chair in front of them and calls them up one by one to be sung happy birthday to) or else making birthday parties with her pretend food.

Without further ado. Some pearlers from the little miss:



"I need to go poopoo because I ate too much muffin. Yeah. It went fast down to my butt."

In a decor shop: "EUCH. Mum.... this shop is too yucky."

On her way back from the toilet: "Do you know the cupcakes and the crackers came out of my butt right now?"

Playing doctors with me: "I'm just gonna take your blood pressure and get all the blood out of your heart. Don't move ok? You need to stay there until I'm finished with you."

When Calum was late getting back to the car after our walk up a hill: "Is daddy pooing on the grass?"



"I am a princess. Where are my angel wings and my crown?"

"Oh no, I think the teddies are getting a little bit margerated. They have a little bit of fire up on their head, and a sick coming out their mouf.  I know just what to do with margeraters. You can't give them biscuits - that just makes them more margerated. They can eat ONLY medicine ALL day. That will make them just right better. They need a long story because they will be a-margerated. They can't eat sugar or flour or...or....pavalova! And veggies makes the margerated only more sick."
(Mystery revealed when she later said "Don't take Pooh Bear daddy! He's got a margerain!" And we realised "margerated" = someone with a migraine)

"I heard Joshy waking up and it was HORRIBLE."

"Mummy, can you please hold Joshy forever?" when he was crawling around grabbing her toys.

When I gave her a tiny speckled chocolate egg: "Mum, this is the specialist day dat I ever seen!"

Singing "You are my precious dolly and I don't want anyone to breeeeak ya... coz you are my precious dolly of the woooorld"