jeff probst i heart you so

Have you seen this? I've been a huge Survivor fan since the very start, missing a few series in the middle when Channel 9 decided to either screen it at Midnight Saturdays or not at all. And I'm loving this new series to bits - especially now Jeff's blogging about the episodes! I adore how he's sitting at home, watching with us and offering up insights - and how he loves and loathes the same people I do {Naonka - evil piece of work}. Tragically they've now moved it back to a later time slot so I'll need to prop open my eyes with match-sticks to keep viewing it - but oh, it's worth it...

my baby's a buddy!

It feels like only yesterday when my gal went off to Kinder Orientation to meet her 'buddy' - and today she's training to be a buddy herself! She's desperate to meet her little kinder friend and to guide her through that first school year.

Today's an out of uniform day for Buddy Training and my gal's looking cute-as-a-box-of-buttons in shades of pink and green {right down to green toenails, bless!}. In just a few short weeks she'll meet her lil buddy - can't wait!

aaaaand, back to bed

Ouch. Have a migraine. Developed last night, and has refused to abate despite drugs and sleep - so more drugs and sleep it is.

See you tomorrow x

glee + rocky horror = squeeeeeeee

Can.

Not.

WAIT!

Go here if you want more {more, more, more}

penny pinching for paris {and provence}

I think the most important thing about being frugal and saving is to make it enjoyable. Rather than concentrating on what you're missing out on, focus on what you're creating. Keep tabs of how much you've saved and celebrate milestones with something the family can enjoy.

We had a family picnic the other day with my sister-in-law and her two gals. Now, normally when we picnic I head straight for the shops for baguettes, cheeses, olives and all manner of yummies. This time I made chicken, avocado and lettuce sandwiches, popped some popcorn, grabbed some crackers and a dip from the fridge. I filled a big bottle with water, took down a tablecloth and we set up at the beach. Guess whether we had just as much of an enjoyable time with a put-together meal as opposed to a $50+ banquet?

It's easy to fall into expensive traps. I know that I've done so in the past. Spending money's a helluva lot easier than saving it. Saving takes a little thought and preparation - but boy, does it make life simpler in the long run.

It also helps to include your child in the frugality - and helps set them up on the path to financial freedom in the future. They don't need to worry about money, just learn that there are more frugal options - and often ones that are more environmentally responsible too.

you little sew-and-sew

With the Australian dollar virtually equal to the US dollar I'm going crazy checking out Amazon and Etsy. On Amazon I found THIS what I believe to be the book that will help me learn to sew. I need it, I want it, I must have it...

meal-planning monday

Woohoo, school's back! Now we can get back into something resembling normality. Starting with meal-planning: here's what we're eating this week.

Tonight: twilight netball resumes, so it's an easy, thrifty dinner. I've removed some salmon patties from the freezer and we'll have them with salad. Perfect!

Tuesday: We'll be eating the pork roast I bought from the markets but didn't have time to cook last night as we were out visiting until late.

Wednesday: Chicken and chorizo pasta bake.

Thursday: French lessons resume, and then I'm off to a party afterwards {I know!} So I'll put a beef curry in the slow cooker for the boy and the gal. There'll be plenty leftover for a thrifty freezer meal next week.

Friday: Now the weather's warming up I want to start bbq Fridays. I'm thinking some fish on the bbq with a thai salad on the side.

Saturday: Steak and salad will be easy/peasy.

Sunday: Roast chicken and vegies {normal meal traditions will resume...}

I also need to get in and do some school lunch baking. I'm thinking pizza scrolls {puff pastry, pizza sauce, cheese, diced onion and bacon, rolled up and baked.} Luckily I bought a yummy banana bread at the markets yesterday so it's been sliced and individually-wrapped and frozen. I love having options in the freezer ready to load up the lunchbox - the more the merrier.

purple power

There's just something about the colour purple that screams strength to me. I don't know about you, but I'm extremely influenced by colours. Even though navy and white are a classic combination I still can't wear them as they remind me of my school uniform and signify the opposite of elegance. In winter I love black and not because it's safe, or 'slimming' but because I think it's a truly striking colour when accessorised well.

In spring and summer I burst out in colours - the brighter and bolder the better. I'm also lusting after paler shades of peach and apricot and shall need to find at least one item in these colours.

Do you have a confident colour?

sunny sundays - hurrah

It's a lovely sunny sunday today - which is lucky as we've quite a bit planned. We've just finished breakfast and soon we'll be heading off to the Darby Street Fair, followed by the Farmer's Markets and then off to Morpeth with the English rellos. We're also hoping to fit in a quick visit to our fave nursery just outside of Maitland - and, as I have nary a bottle of champers in the house, I think we'll need to stop off at Dan Murphys too.

Dinner will be something roasted from the Farmer's Markets. Love a Sunday roast.

What are your plans for the day?

my favourite monster

Please: go here...

Grover+Old Spice = Much Hilarity.

soggy saturday

I have an awful feeling we're in for one of those horribly long soggy patches we get in Newcastle in Spring. Weeks of rain that seem like they'll never let up. So much rain that you have to continually fertilise the garden as it washes away the nutrients. Eep.

At least I'll save money on washing my car...

friday flowers

Today I'm going to love this day so much I'll want to marry it.

I'll be carrying this bouquet naturally.

ridiculously gorgeous

perfectly pretty

I'm just heading out to collect my gal from her sleepover party and then, at lunchtime, I'm off to pick up my sister-in-law and two neices. They're coming to stay for a few days which is very squee-worthy. Hopefully the weather will pick up, although I don't think the overcast sky will stop three girls from swimming up a storm.

I can't wait to see them all giggling away together, and to spend the time giggling and chatting with my sis-in-law. I'm sure there'll be a fair bit of plotting what we'll do when we head over to see them next time...

PS: This shot? Just because...

a question...

Does anybody know why my blog links don't seem to be updated? Specifically my Best Read column where blogger is stubbornly refusing to post Maxabella Loves as today's post {ie MINE}.

pssst

Hey, I'm guest-posting today over at Maxabella loves. Guess what I've written about...

bathing beauty

This is the bathroom in our 'second choice/second house in Provence' {yeah, I know, I hate me too...}. I'm thinking I'm needing similar tiles when we renovate our bathroom so I'm saving this for inspiration.

Le lovely.

taking flight

Guess what? We've booked our tickets for our holiday next year. Squeeeeeeee! We have a friend who's a travel agent and my husband gave him our dates to check out any early bird deals and oh boy, did he find a deal. Next year we're flying with Singapore Airlines, in the swishy new airbus for a price less than what we paid in 2006 - and 1999 for that matter! I know!

Now, I just need to work on looking as glamour as Ms Dietrich here - that'd get us an upgrade to business class wouldn't it!

double duty dinners

Here's another chapter in my on-going "Penny Pinching for Paris {and Provence}" and it's all about dinners. I don't know about you, but one of our greatest expenditures is on food - and I'm not going to start eating baked beans and two-minute-noodles! Instead, when I cook I look to see how my food can do double duty.

Buying big and buying bulk is often cheaper, but as we're a family of three we don't usually need the huge cuts of meat. So now, I look at how many meals I can get out of a piece of meat. For example: Sunday night's roast chicken. It was a whopper - 1.8kg Lillydale. I simply put a few pieces of lemon and some sprigs of thyme in the cavity, popped it on a roasting rack and poured some water in the roasting tin. After an hour and a half it was golden brown and so juicy thanks to the lemon in the cavity. Mmmm. For dinner hubby and I had a drumstick and thigh, gal had the wings and a little breastmeat - with our salad and veg. After dinner I took off the remaining meat {probably two cups-worth of shredded breast meat} and put it in a container ready for tonight's dinner {linguine with lemon, chilli, chicken and basil}. Finally, the carcass of the chicken went into a saucepan, along with some roughly chopped shallots and was covered with water and simmered for an hour and a half. There's two litres of chicken stock next time I need it!

When I cook a leg of lamb I make sure it has the bone {for extra flavour}. We have the roast one night and the next I'll make a shephard's pie with the leftover shredded meat - or a lamb salad. With salmon I'll cook an extra slice or two for a salmon nicoise salad - cheap and a great way to boost your omega 3 intake. If I make a meatloaf I'll buy a kilo of mince and use half for the loaf and make meatballs with the remaining mix to serve with tomato pasta sauce and spaghetti.

I'm also going to look to totally use my oven. Why cook one meal on one shelf when I could be cooking tomorrow night's dinner on the other shelf - saving electricity and time.

What are your double duty dinners?

lanvin, le lovely

The colours! The fabric! The fabulously swooshiness of that skirt!

Oh, I'm a-swooning alright...