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Housework

Housework!

You either love it or hate it, I really don’t think there is much in between. Either way it has to be done and it will always wait for you. My husband and I have always clashed in this area and it has often created discussions around what should or shouldn’t be done or a particular way of doing things. In this photo, I have hung everything individually. I normally would use less pegs and have clothing pegged together, however it wasn’t a very warm day and this would of hindered, how quickly the clothes would of taken to dry. It is all of the little things, like this that help get housework done faster and more efficiently at times. I really struggle to get the washing from the line to the shelves, as I tend to rush it in before the sun goes down and then start tea and never get back to it. We have been know to live out of the washing baskets for weeks at a time. I have a dishwasher and forget to turn it on! I am telling you this, as I know it isn’t easy to manage everything and want more for your health and wellness. I always say anything which is good for us, we have to work for! It isn’t always practical or easy growing your own food, but you find a solution you are happy with or a compromise. You might not want to get the washing out of the baskets all week, but your clothes are clean and the best you could do that week was get them to that stage and you will try and organise your time differently next time. House work needs to be practical and you need to allow time for it. I am still trying to figure this one out as I find I chase my tale a lot and feel like I am not getting anywhere at times. My tips- don’t try and focus on everything at once, you might have the washing machine going while you are folding washing or doing dishes but don’t try and get the whole house done in one go if you don’t have the time. Try to do a little bit each day so it doesn’t get on top of you. The big thing which has helped me lately, is looking at it as a job rather then a horrible task you never finish daily. Also be kind to yourself, it will always wait for you!

Bxo

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Herbs

Herbs!

Do you enjoy cook or want to cook more from scratch? While you need to start learning about herbs and how they can enhance your cooking and also your health. I have lots of herbs and started organising them into glass jars several years ago. They don’t have fancy labels on them, however they are practical. I would love to have more fresh herbs I could pick from the garden, as that is the best way to have them. When purchasing herbs, look for an Australian company. Make sure their herbs are also from Australia, as several companies source all of their herbs from overseas. I like to have my herbs, where I can see them and reach for them during cooking. I often google recipes, I like and try and see if I can create them with the herbs I have in my shelves. It is super easy to create dishes with flavor, you just have to be willing to taste as you go and work with the ingredients you have. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. If you are thinking of planting a herb garden, I recommend you plant it close to the kitchen and in pots. This way you can get your herbs when required and also keep your herbs apart from one another and not mix them up!

Happy Creating

Bxo

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Fruit trees in your backyard

Fruit trees! During winter it is the time to prune your fruit trees! Pruning fruit trees isn’t tricky, it is mainly about having air flow and cutting the branches just above the blossom. There are lots of YouTube clips on pruning, you really cant go wrong if you just have a go. Netting your fruit trees in our area is quite important, as birds love getting in and eating the yummy fruit. It is important to let the insects pollinate the trees before netting. Fruit trees do need maintaining and I have had a lot of success from running the chicken and ducks under the trees, picking up the fallen fruit and any larvae from fruit fly. There are now many varieties of dwarf citrus trees and trees to suit particular areas. If you are short of space these might be options for you. It is important to prepare your soil before planting your fruit trees as this will give them a really good start. I have done this several different ways through using compost, digging about a meter by meter hole and filling with horse or sheep manure and letting it break down for a few months before planting or purchasing a good soil mix for fruit trees and adding it to the soil while planting. It is very rewarding growing your own fruits and knowing there has not been chemicals used on them. If you have any questions ask and I will try and answer as best as I can!

Happy gardening!

Bxo

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Growing your own Vegetables

Vegetable Garden! If the thought of preparing or starting a vegetable garden makes you feel, like I look in this photograph, don’t worry it is ok, I totally get it! This was me about 18months ago. It was summer time and the veg garden had been put in place and I had been using it and then work just got in the way. I had abandoned the veg patch and it simply became a compost and weeds grew all over the place. I have since placed some new plastic under the beds and moved them. I now have two beds planted out with potatoes and garlic and they are my home crops for now. I have big veg gardens, I am in charge of at work but at home it is a working progress. When starting a project like a vegetable garden, it is really important to think about the time you will be able to allocate to the garden. The resources you already have and the budget you are willing to spend. Automatic or hand watering, soil, compost the list goes on. The main thing you need to think about is why are you doing it. What is your goal. Is it to be totally self sufficient from your garden or maybe you just want some strawberries and potatoes to lower the chemicals entering your system. What ever your reason, it is important to only set up a garden you can manage, or it will become too overwhelming and you will fail! set yourself up for success and you will succeed. Keep following my journey as I am going to be sharing several tips from my garden which may help you out over the next month and beyond!

Bxo

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Create Memories

This is me as a 37 year old, on the tip of Cape
York the highest point you can go on Australia. I also
came to this very same spot as a 6 year old with my
family! I was not impressed at all when I arrived, as a 6
year old, as we had travelled thousands of Km and
through crazy hard 4wheel drive tracks, to get to this
point and their was an island straight in front of us! I
couldn’t believe it, why would anyone want to go all that
way, just to have an island to spoil the view! I
remember my mother telling me at the time, it was all
about the journey! I’m not sure I believed her at the
time, however her words have always stuck with me.
We went on several trips, as a family and I have
memories of all of them, which is pretty special. I now
have been able to take my children to the tip of
Australia and take them on similar adventures. I can’t
believe what a massive effort my parent would of gone
to 31 years ago traveling with 4 children on such an
adventure and I thanked both of them when I got home.
My husband loves an adventure and we have had
many 4 wheel drive trips together. It is so good to get
out and see our beautiful country and show our children
how amazing life can be when you are totally present.
I can’t wait to share more adventures with my family. I
think it is all of the little things that I will cherish the
most, playing UNO most nights, sitting on the beach
together, looking at the different country side, meeting
people along the way and simply having no other
destructions but ourselves and our journey! If you have
a bucket list or somewhere or something you are
wanting to do, don’t be to afraid to do it. We all get
caught up in our busy lives and are forgetting to create
memories!
Bxo

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Featured

Childhood

Childhood! I remember as a child we were nearly always outside! We played in the mud, built cubbies, rode bikes and horses and were even luckily enough to have paddock bombs. We always had animals and loved looking after them and playing with them. (I’m sure mum did a lot of the looking after in the early days). This photo is of myself and my two older siblings, we often made mud pies and played in the mud, when the rain would actually fall. I always loved using the big gumboots down the farm and splashing in the puddles with my younger brother and cousin. we got to cook with our mum and grandma and just had lots of fun. Why is it today, that we are placing so much emphasis on political correctness and not allowing our children to just simply be children! As a society we analyse everything. Children are no longer free to just be. Children don’t need labels they just need to be able to play, with nature and understand what it feels like to be grounded and have mud between their toes. We can learn so much from children, which we have forgotten or society has wanted us to forget. Being connected to nature and getting dirty, is so important to children’s development. Think about what you did as a child and let me know if you agree or not! #childhood #bs_patch #livinglife #letkidsbekids #learningthroughnature

What I am up to in the garden!

Hi it’s B here! This time of year is an awesome time for me, to get some vegetable seeds/seedlings into the garden beds and stand back and watch them grow! In Central Victoria, I have found winter to be a very productive time of the year! You don’t need a big space or expensive pots you just need something which is non toxic and can hold soil! I currently have old water tanks cut in half to house my Vegetable gardens.

Soil preparation doesn’t need to be difficult, if you have access to some sheep/ cattle/ horse/ goat manure you are well on the way to preparing your soil. If you can access compost from somewhere it is amazing for vegetable growing. I tend to add well rotted manure of animals, who do not consume meat in their diet. If the manure isn’t well rotted it may burn the seedlings.

It is important to read the spacing of sees when planting them and also look at companion planting as this helps a lot with pests and disease of the plants.

It is also a really good time to dig the wholes for an orchard. I tend to dig then now and fill the hole with animal manure and then let it sit there for several weeks until I am ready to plant out my orchard trees. Again check out which trees are suitable to your area and you may need to protect some trees for the first couple of winters if you have frosts in your area!

Happy Gardening!

Love B

xo

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.