Of blankets and being comfy {Review & Giveaway}

GIVEAWAY FINISHED

Disclaimer: I was given a Laila cushion and throw to review. All wording (unless noted) and opinions are my own.

Now that we’re into winter again it’s time to dig out the comfy, warm blankets. Things that make you feel good when you snuggle up in them on a cold winter’s evening, or day if you’re like me. What? I’m pregnant, don’t judge me :p If your snuggly blanket looks great even better and another upside is it makes you feel good too.

I was recently sent a gorgeous Laila throw and cushion by the lovely people at Angads.

Now I’ll be honest and I wasn’t really sure I liked them to start with. Red really isn’t a colour I’ve used in our house BUT after snuggling up under the throw in bed one day when I was feeling a tad rubbish I realise it goes with the colours in our bedroom really well. The 150cm square, 100% cotton quilted throw is really warm despite it’s light weight. The ruffle is really cute but not too girly (ie hubby won’t mind having it on the bed). The 45 cm square decorative cushion cover is also 100% Cotton.

After spending that day snuggled up under the throw I decided to check out the Angads website and make a bit of a wish list, as you do.

For the bedroom I’m quite partial to :

L-R: Geisha, Lush Plum, Embroidered, Richard

For the Kids:

L-R: Laila Cot set, Tara Cot set, Twinkle Cot set, Snoopy Sean

L-R: Happy Daisy, Laila (what? I really like this one, so does Miss K), Princess Tara, Alex

Other bits and pieces I like:

I love masks and the Lucy Low, Feather & the Joker are my favourites and I’m partial to the small Buddha.

There are soooooo many pretty things in the ceramics section and I really love the Peacock Jug & Bowl, Topino Bird Leaf Platter, actually most of the Topino Bird series and the Nadia Tea Pot

I’m not even going to go into the sleepwear section LOL. Do yourself a favour though and have a look!

To feed your love of gorgeous things I have a throw and cushion pack to giveaway to one lucky reader. If you’re not lucky enough to win though there is a sale on at the moment. For your chance to win, please enter via the Rafflecopter below.
PLEASE NOTE – ENTRY OPEN TO AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And that’s a wrap

I can’t believe it’s been 100 days! Looking back over my photos, food has played a big part in my life over that period (not sure what that says LOL) AND, surprisingly, working on bub’s pregnancy album.

So for you viewing pleasure, here is the last of my photos (days 83-100).

I’m a bit sad to be finishing this project BUT I’m now more determined to play along with Fat Mum Slim’s photo-a-day again for a full 365 days. I’m really hoping her new app, Little Moments, helps out. I’ll be back at the end of July with my pics & a review of the app.

14 days of cooking with the Thermo #2

The current challenge (9/6-22/6) is

Who has an enormous “TO DO ” list – or a folder of recipes you have printed off to try one day …….or heaps saved to the computer somewhere ?

Your next 14 day challenge is to work through that list !!! Go on …. give some new recipes a try – and don’t forget to share a pic – and where the recipe was from .

For all of our very new owners – just keep working your way through your EDC ( everyday cookbook)

I have a huge list saved of recipes to try and my Thermo Pinterest board is growing daily AND this fortnight falls during the ThermoFun Week Cook Along so there are some new recipes to try there too.
I will be totally honest, I’ve had my Thermo nearly a year and I still haven’t made everything in the EDC cause a lot of it we wouldn’t eat so therefore not cooking it 😉

Monday 9/6 – Lemon butter tea cakes – converted from this recipe & using ECD Lemon Butter (p47)*
Tuesday 10/6 – Confetti Cookies
Wednesday 11/06 – Shepherd’s Pie
Thursday 12/06 – cinnamon scrolls
Friday 13/06 – yoghurt (this is my second time trying yoghurt, last time was a failure)
Saturday 14/06 – best ever chocolate milkshake (so rich but soooo yummy)
Sunday 15/06 – mayo from EDC (p40) + curried eggs

Monday 16/6 – Pikelets (for the Thermomfun Cook Along)
Tuesday 17/6 – Chocolate-Orange Shortbread Pinwheels (forgot to take a pic but where yum)
Wednesday 18/06 – Sweet & Sour chicken with vegies (Thermofun Cook Along recipe)
Thursday 19/06 – Honey Lime Prawns & noodles (done with chicken) (Thermofun Cook Along recipe)
Friday 20/06 – Mars Bar Brownie (Thermofun Cook Along)
Saturday 21/06 – Passionfruit cheesecake (except I made mine with raspberries)
Sunday 22/06 – Choc-chip cookies (Thermofun Cook Along)

Really enjoyed the Thermofun Cook along and am looking forward to the next one in July. I’ve also enjoyed trying some new recipes – there are a few that will go in our favourites book, some need to be tweaked to our tastes and others, not so much for us. That’s the joy of trying recipes out.

*I’ve blogged this recipe if anyone is interested 🙂

Blessed Winter Solstice

Today marks Winter Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, the shortest day and longest night. It’s the time to celebrate the return of the Sun’s warmth and light, and the promise once again of a productive Earth. Yule logs are burnt and gifts are given.
I’m celebrating this year with some quiet introspection, enjoying being pregnant and getting ready to bring our little bubba into the world soon. I also thought it would be the perfect time to look back over my 100 things list.

bold is started, strike thru is finished & red isn’t done

So here we go

Increase my social media following
Go to a blogger meet up in Tassie
Get more Twitter followers (Jan 1 – 626 June 21- 656)
Get more Facebook followers (Jan 1 – 127 June 21 – 142)
Organise my Pinterest boards
~~Blog everyday for 1 month~~ (March #30Lists & Blog Every Day In May)
Learn a new recipe each month. Blog about it.
Get a ProBlogger event digital pass – looks like this isn’t happening this year
Attend more Brand meets Blog Twitter chats #bmbchats
Use twitter more, especially for my blog
Sort bookmarks (not really a bloggy one but it does need doing)
Do the June blogathon
Create a back up of my blog monthly
Try something I’ve pinned and blog about it.
Finish garden beds and start to use them
Get a garden shed
Set up a gazebo/outdoor dining area
Do HabitHacker –Nest
Get front yard finished
Finish custom recipe book – decided i didn’t like it so restarted something simple
Finish laundry – need to paint
Finish lounge – need to paint and get curtains
Finish kitchen – need curtains
Start our bathroom reno all done (last post about reno coming soon)
Organise RPG room (aka the garage) so hubby & mates are out there by August
Re-organise K/bub’s room
Re-organise our bedroom
Pull up carpet in lounge/dining room
Start a garden journal
Work thru Creating your Goddess Haven e-course
Redo the pantry
Sort linens and make less cluttered (they are currently piled in our bedroom as we have no linen closet any more)
Have a candlelit dinner
Birth a healthy bub in August
Tattoo for J
Family holiday to Qld or Melbourne
Have parents and in-laws over for dinner more
Go to the Dawn service (didn’t happen, was too sick)
Get a family photo of me, mum, dad & bro done
Get a family photo of me, J, K & bub done
Have a dirty weekend away with hubby
Put min. $5 a pay into Christmas club account
Write a letter to Miss K to open on her 18th
Have a family movie night (complete with popcorn & choc tops)
Write a letter to bub to open on his/her 18th
Spend a day at the beach
Go on a picnic
Go for a drive somewhere for no reason other than getting out
Spend a rainy day in PJs watching TV/movies
See more of Tassie
Work on family tree
Go to the Botanical Gardens
Visit QVMAG
Get some guinea pigs for K
Get BAS in on time
Keep up to date with work accounts
Get office sorted and start using it!
Work thru Business Goddess e-course
Finish work portfolio
Upgrade laptops
Make laptop & pc better organised – less double ups of files
Setup server
Find an inspirational quote & make it into a piece of artwork
Finish JYC 2012 & 2013
Scrapbook with mum more
Art journal once a week
Finish wedding scrapbook
Do #30Lists (did March)
Organise all my paper scrapbook supplies
Organise & cull my digital scrapbook supplies
Scrapbook with others more
Organise a scrapbook day
Complete a cross stitch
Work thru Creative Goddess ecourse
Project life date one weekend a month
Do some more classes & finish them
Do Before your story class
Create a scrapping binder
Apply for more design teams
Get dt work done before it’s due
Actually DO some of the things I’ve pinned
Create more pages about me
Start bub’s PL book
New tatt for me
Get my L’s
Rejoin the biz & life academy
Raise at least $1000 at Afternoon Teal (Final tally – $1738!)
Do Frocktober
Watch sunrise & sunset in the same day
Write a letter to myself to open in 10 years
Keep a gratitude journal every day for a month (0/30)
Do Habit Hacker’s Create
Get a massage
Get a manicure
Make a list of 30 books I want to read & then read those books (0/30)
Exercise every day for a month (0/30)
Create a mini Goddess altar
Meditate more
Enjoy life
Live a more spiritual life

It’s a bloggy weekend

Well, here we are again the Biannual Blogathon. Can you believe the last one was January? Where has that 6 months gone?

What is the Biannual Blogathon?

You know all those items on your Blogging To Do list? Those things you’ve been meaning to get to but haven’t had a chance? Now’s your chance to get a large amount of them done!

I will be hosting two blogathons a year, one in the winter and one in the summer. They will be held in January and June. The event will take place on a weekend and will run for 72 hours. 8am Friday to 8am Monday EST.

The next one is June 20-23,2014 – sign ups open May 9

100 Happy Days – I’m still going

Can’t believe I’m still going with this. And still enjoying it. Here are days 69 to 82

Lemon Butter Teacakes

I’m doing the next 14 days of cooking with the Thermomix challenge and on Monday I converted this Lemon Butter Teacake recipe.

Here is my conversion if you want to give it a go 🙂

Lemon Butter Teacakes - Thermomix conversion

The road to our new bathroom pt 2

We started the new week with our new bath in and the plaster up. The tiler came in and did the waterproofing (which Miss K thought was awesome as we had an orange bathroom!) while the builders put in our new toilet window.

Tuesday was floor tiles and our new hot water cylinder

Wednesday through Friday was more tiling and grouting.

Another couple of days and I’ll be back with the finished bathroom.

14 days of cooking with the Thermo

I joined a group on Facebook that challenges you to cook something new with your Thermomix for 14 days. The latest challenge for 26/5 to 8/6 was…

1. – “I’ve had my tmx a yr and I still haven’t made…..” that thing everyone raves about that you keep meaning to try, something that’s so simple but you haven’t got round to it yet, that thing that’s been on the to do list for ages or something you thought you would make in the first week that you just never got round to!!!

2. – winter warmers – hearty nourishing winter meals

With that challenge I decided to make a list of things I’d like to make and thought I’d blog about it.

Monday 26/5 – Yummy Chicken Pasta (recipe community)
Tuesday 27/5 – Pikelets (TM31 Everyday Cookbook p57) and lemon butter (TM31 Everyday Cookbook p47)
Wednesday 28/5 – Tomato Soup (TM31 Everyday Cookbook p 78)
Thursday 29/5 – Impossible quiche (Devil of a cookbook) – first time doing quiche in thermo
Friday 30/5 – Chicken Stroganoff (Devil of a Cookbook) – a family favourite
Saturday 31/5 – Raisin bread (from Thermo Affairs)
Sunday 1/6 – crumpets (recipe community) – a bit of a fail, not sure what went wrong 🙁 and I forgot to take a photo

Week 2

Monday 2/6 – Super simple sausage rolls (recipe community)
Tuesday 3/6 – converted mum’s one egg meringue recipe – still working on tweaks
Wednesday 4/6 – Apricot Balls
Thursday 5/6 – taco mince (using the packet stuff)
Friday 6/6 – Parmesan Garlic Bread Wheel
Saturday 7/6 – i was out all day so didn’t make anything
Sunday 8/6 – Chicken Cashew Nut (TM31 Everyday Cookbook p111)

Overall I think it was a pretty good 2 weeks. We’ve found some new recipes we’ll add to our family favourites, some that will need a bit of tweaking before we decide and a couple that won’t get made again. I’m looking forward to the next challenge 😀

The road to our new bathroom

As I mentioned in the Home Sweet Home post we’ve recently started renovating out bathroom. We looked at doing it ourselves then decided too hard and after a few quotes decided to go with locals, 2am Construction & Plastering.

When you look at the before pictures you can see why we needed to renovate – wood panelling – everywhere. Old bath. Old sink. Nearly no storage. Mould. And I hate it with a passion. It’s not somewhere I can go to relax and unwind. That & I think it was making us sick 🙁

We had no real idea of what we wanted to do except get rid of all the wood panelling and maybe use our awesome cast iron claw foot bath we’d been given. Sadly after much discussion with the builders and plumber it worked out we couldn’t really use (or afford to use) our bath. Boo. On the upside we have a bath for when we win Tattslotto and build up and get an ensuite on our new bathroom. Hey a girl can dream, right?

The first couple of days was gutting the bathroom completely, plumbing, moving power points and light switches, putting in the new bath and bathroom window. Then it was plastering the walls.

Having no bathroom has been fun but thanks to the in-laws we’ve been showering there.
I’ll be back in a couple of days with the next stage – waterproofing and tiling.