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Slow Living Essentials Monthly 9 Link up - April 2014

 

I have been following Christine at Slow Living Essentials for a couple of years 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 at the beginning and really get a lot out of it. 

Here is what I have been up to!

Click on the link to go to the link up and visit other linked up blogs!


Slow Living Essentials Monthly 9 link up - Grab my button!
NOURISH: Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch over packaged, over processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. 

 
Birthday picnic brunch for my Brother in law  - Yum!
All made from scratch! Yoghurt, muslie and stewed fruits followed by frittata, smoked salmon and cream cheese filled croissants and an apple banana and pecan loaf - Oh and Humming bird birthday cupcakes!
 
PREPARE: Stockpile and preserve. 

Each month I buy an item for my stock pile. Last months item was toothpaste. I figured 12 would be enough for a year and so when it came on special - I grabbed 12 tubes. The check out operator was very good. She didn't lift an eyebrow (nor look at my teeth) I guess they've seen it all!  
 
REDUCECut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. 
  
 
Winters coming! We dropped right down to 15 degrees here in Brisbane a couple of nights ago!!!
 
I pulled out some socks to discover they needed darning (again) and so an evening was spent darning  over old darns and repairing the same few pairs of sox again. My family thinks I'm nuts and should just go and buy a couple of new pairs. But its kinda fun to darn and re darn - a different colour each year! 
 
GREEN: up our lives. Start (or continue!) using homemade products. 

Cant think of anything new for this category.... 
 
GROW: plant/harvest. What's growing this month?

 
After managing to kill off 4 unkillable zucchini plants, I wasn't sure I should bother with the choko that came in my vege box ready looking ready to plant instead of eat... But I did and its growing... At the moment...
But I'm not getting excited about my vege gardening skills. They have been very unremarkable in recent years...

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



 Still taking lots of photos of random things and enjoying it!

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

I'm studying a new unit at Uni and am busy reading text books on event management.... Interesting stuff but right off the scale for the usual events that happen in my life! Although it give an amazing insight into what goes into organising even quite small events like a dawn service for Anzac Day...
 
ENHANCE: Community: The rewards for your time are often returned tenfold.

We host international students for a local English school and over Easter they decided they wanted to go camping for the long weekend. Booking a campsite the week before Easter was an impossibility and so plan B was dreamed up. They ended up camping in our back yard and did day trips around the area. It was great fun! Different days bought different faces and on Sunday night - we had 14 people for Pizza! Cantonese, Dutch, Korean, German, French, Taiwanese, Japanese and even a Kiwi and a Pom!





Before and After pictures of ANZAC Day Dawn Service - We attended a 5.15am dawn service, along with about 2,000 other people. I am always amazed at how many people come and how silent it is even with 2,000  people in attendance. Always a wonderful community gathering and I always manage to see someone I haven't seen for ages!!


 


 
ENJOYLife! Embrace moments with family and friends!

 
Birthday fun!
 
Dinosaur egg birthday cake! There is nothing like a cake made with lots of love, laughter and lots of white chocolate! 
 
 
These are 'armless non fire breathing dragons made by my niece!
 
IMPROVEChange or create a habit, work on an aspect of mind, body or soul that needs a wee tweak.

 This one is my addition to the 9. I have been setting myself wee challenges that improve my life over the month. I have gone carless one day a week, stopped buying anything but petrol from a petrol station, paid out my credit card, and tried to exercise more.
 
Last month I wanted to consciously increasing our fruit vegetable consumption. Not just the meatless meal I have been scheduling into the week, but in each meal, increasing the quantity and the variety of fruits and veges. I have had quite a bit of fun with this coming up with some interesting meals such as kale and ricotta pastry puffs and also simply adding more veges to regular meals. Sometimes they were "hidden" in the sauce, other times there was 7 or 8 veges in the dish instead of lets say 3 or 4. Frittata's have had a bit of a work out along with vege laden pies and pasta's.

This month I want to catch up with some friends I haven't seen for a long time! I have at least four friend that I'm well overdue to spend some time with. This should be an easy challenge really!
 
I find these bitsy blog challenges to be really motivating. Because I know I have to report back here, I tend to stay honest and it stays in my consciousness - or is it because I write it down... Either way its a good way to make some changes for me!

As always I enjoy popping over to see what other slow livers are up to. Sometimes I can't 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

Comments

Love the camping out and the dinosaur eggs are too cute! Lovely month.
Chris said…
Ditto to what Wendy said - the camping solution was genius! What fun the campers would've had! And Kara, your food spread up top looks delectable - you make your own croissants? Have a wonderful month. x
Cath said…
Kara, your spiderweb photo is really lovely and as for the brunch, it sounds like it was a delicious meal.
Kathy said…
I love the dinosaur egg cakes they are so clever. Good call on the camping alternative, I suspect many 'lifetime' type memories were made!
Linda said…
We've had a couple of camping trips in our orchard when it was just too hard to get away. They were great!

I've been teaching myself to darn too. I think I'm getting the hang of it! And, lol, I think your next challenge should be getting past the 'number thingos'!
Loving Learning said…
The birthday picnic from scratch sounds fantastic!
EMMA said…
Birthday brunch looks delicious - love the dinosaur egg cakes.
Great pictures of random things.
Kathryn Ray said…
Hi Kara! It's been a while since I've been here. ;-)

I love camping, but especially back yard camping... stove-made coffee, a toilet and a shower... but still the stars and sleeping outside. ;-)

I love your photos.
Evi said…
Good to see I'm not the only one having trouble with the 'green' category! Not that I'm too worried as there are other eco habits in my life that make up for it, but still, I don't much like that empty category!!!

PS can I send my socks to your house to get darned?? Please???!!!
Practical Frog said…
Hi guys,
I haven't been to this space for a while due to our beloved dog suffering a stroke and dying very suddenly last week. It really sent my world off balance as she was so happy and healthy and it was very unexpected.

But to answer a few comments; No I didn't make the croissants (wish I could tho..) They were a special request by the birthday boy.

Yes the backyard camping was great fun. A highly recommended activity!

I do lots of green things too. Its really hard to find something new these days...

Yes - a challenge for next month is to see why I cant leave comments on some sites!

And Evi, I have a better idea. How about I come for a visit and darn your sox on site sometime!!??

Thanks guys! Talk soon - K xx
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