Slowing Down the Slow Living Essentials way - March 2013

I have been following Christine at Slow Living Essentials for over a year now! And in 2012 she started a monthly round up to record on our blog, how we have "slowed down" under nine categories - I have been doing this since she started it in 2012 and really get a lot out of it. This is my March 2013 reflection on Slowing Down - the Slow Living Essentials way! 

NOURISH: Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch over packaged, over processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. 

We host International students for a local language school and its heaps of fun! Whats even more fun is having students interested in what you are cooking and how. Even basic bangers and mash are greeted with praise and wonderment! In return we get all sorts of yummy meals cooked in return - the latest being French chocolate cake and Belgian waffles - all being cooked from scratch - yummy!

We went over to Stradbroke Island over Easter just for a day trip and I took plenty of food with us. I made bacon and egg pie, savory muffins, nibbles plate with home made roast potato dip, fruit and hot cross buns and plenty of water and cordial. I threw in a bit of junk food as it was a special occasion but as it came from the supermarket and was on special - it wasn't so expensive! It saved us a fortune, as feeding five people at takeaway shops all day would certainly have cost more than the $40 I reckon I spent!

PREPARE: Stockpile and preserve. 

Not big in this category so far this year...

REDUCE: Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. 

Done a bit more repairing of washing baskets this month! I'm loathe to throw them out when its just the handle - fixing them is very satisfying!

GREEN: up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade products. 

Its a bit of a challenge to find areas to green these days. Got the basics down pat. Got all the easy and cheap ones going well. Its the big stuff like ditching a car or going solar that are left to do these days...

GROW: plant/harvest. What's growing this month?

I have bitten the bullet and joined Food Connect here in Brisbane and I'm really enjoying it. It takes a few weeks to get your head around what you get (just seasonal produce) after so many years of "having what ever I fancy whenever I want". Food Connect has about 70 farmers that they buy direct from and each week deliver a box of veges (from a selection of sizes and types) to your local city cousin and then I go around and pick it up. Its a great way to meet people and a fresh, seasonal and sustainable way to eat. I did a whole post on it if you want to hear the whole story - here!

CREATE: to fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. 

I'm STILL working on the big quilt! If this was back in the days before sewing machines, I'd be 100 before I ever got to sleep under it!!! Each time I do a bit more (especially with the machine) I have even more admiration for the women who used to make these by hand and by lamplight!!!

DISCOVER: Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests.

Finally got a copy of "Sweet Poison" that another blogger recommended a while ago and I'm still going on Kitchen Literacy, which is very enlightening! Got a stack of books on Globalisation for my next Uni unit (People and Globalisation) and we get to make up our own question for our next essay and I'm hoping to do something on Food Systems and Globalisation... will defiantly be interesting!

ENHANCE: Community: The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.

Really enjoying my communities at the moment. I'm out and about meeting new people and doing lots of new things recently!

Still working on making the host family community website for the language school we host students for, a lot broader and more useful for us all as well as a few face to face meetings with other host families!

ENJOY: Life! Embrace moments with family and friends!

Ah - what a wonderful month! We hosted another afternoon tea party, had dinner with some old friends, helped out at my in-laws church working bee and went out for lunch with one of my dearest friends whom I though was overseas for three months but she hadn't gone - confusing... but great to see her!

Also had morning tea with a neighbour that we have had for 10 years but barely know, farewelled one student (Missing you so much already Elodie) and welcomed another (Hi Janika!).

Oh and my brother took his new baby and wife to NZ to meet the rest of the relatives which I got to participate in by email! (Thanks Mom!)

IMPROVE: Change or create a habit, work on an aspect of mind, body or soul that needs a wee tweak.

For January I wanted to get involved in three exercise activities each week - I have finally managed it after two months of trying. I do aqua on Mondays, play basketball badly on Tuesdays and have joined the social swimming group at the local school pool on a Wednesday - I was hoping social swimming involved li-lo's and champagne but so far it has involved swimming a few kilometres each time I turn up - the coach assures me I can have my Li-lo and champange  on the last night of the year!

March was all about not eating at the place I get my petrol from - I found this quite easy. Except for one time I was driving away with a full tank of petrol and a bit of beef jerky when I realised what I had done. I think it was because its a petrol station I have never used before in the late afternoon when I am most vulnerable to eating things I shouldn't or don't want to - at least that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

March is going to be all about having breakfast! I am so bad at it and I pay for it in the late afternoon (see above!) Lets see how I go with that one!

As always I enjoy popping over to see what other slow livers are up to. Some times I cant get past the security things (You know, put in the letters or numbers thingos)  but even if you cant see my comment, know I have been and enjoyed!

Thanks for the opportunity to share again Christine!!! Have a great month everyone! - Kxx xx