Take an hour to help save the planet

from plastic bags! This bag will fold up and fit in a hand bag. Well, it fits in my hand bag. I suppose if you are Super-Efficient-Trendy-Woman it might be too big. In which case it will fit in your glove box. This bag takes me about an hour to make from cutting out to finished product.

Make Your Own Eco-Bag

You will need:
2 panels of material 34 cm x 38 cm (13"x15") for the front and back
2 strips of material 8 cm x 104 cm (3" x 41") for the side panels and handles
thread
sewing machine
stamps
stamp pads
scissors
pins

1. Cut out your bag. You can make the bag bigger if you like but it may not fit into your hand bag if you do that... which is not a problem if you don't want it to!














2. Stamp your images on the front and back panels. I used some Tia Bennet clear stamps to make the Eco-Bag title, and on the other side stamped a rondel stamp I got at Spotlight.











3. Fold down the top of the front panel by 3 mm. Then fold again so the raw edge is inside the hem. Sew the hem. Repeat for the back panel.
























4. Take one of the side panels. Fold the strip in half so you have a 8cm x 52 cm side panel. Measure the height of your front panel and mark this on one edge of the side panel. Sew a french seam down from this mark.

To sew a french seam, join the wrong sides of the material together and sew. Clip the top of the seam to enable you to make a handle seam. Trim the seam fairly close to the stitches. Then fold the material so the right sides are together and the raw edges are contained inside the fold. Sew again, enclosing the raw edges. See here for better instructions.










I used french seams because they are strong, hard wearing seams. If you want, you could overlock the material and use a triple-stitch running stitch instead.









5. Now make the handle seams. At the clipped mark at the top of your french seam, fold over the edge 3mm, and then fold again.











Or you could make a rolled hem if you wish. Pin and sew the first edge of the handle seam.















6. Reinforce the base of handle by running a V shaped stitch line back and forth from the handle to the french seam.





























7. Repeat the folded/rolled hem for the other side. You will have to clip a little to enable you to make the folds on this side.











8. Take the other side panel and repeat steps 4-7.

9. Now join the side panels to the front and back panels. Again, I've used a french seam for these seams as well. The photo shows the side panel pinned to the front panel to begin sewing.











10. After sewing those 4 seams, you are ready to make the bottom hem. Fold the side panels inside the bag and line up the edges of the front/back panels. Pin and sew.







Trim the raw edge back close to the stitching line.

11. Fold the bag inside out and make sure the side panels are sitting nice and flat. Finish the french seam by sewing along the bottom edge, enclosing the raw edges. Turn the bag the right way out and voila! A finished bag.


I can fold mine up to about 10cm square.

Flaunt it Friday (late, late, late)

themommykellys theme this week:Flashbacks.
Post a photo of a time when you were/are one hot chicky!

And one

that spontaneously elicits an emphatic “what the hell was I thinking?!”

Hehe!

I can't say that I have any photos of me in my younger days where I was particularly succulent. Mum has most of my old photos. I have to say I mostly I was/am a nerdy geek!

But I do like this photo-shopped version of me that DH took.

This one was when I was... oh.. 17 or so. Taken by the ex-boyfriend of the time. I guess I don't look too bad. Wish I'd known DH then, but anyway, life doesn't always work out that way.
















As for the terrible one - this one is fairly awful. 9 months pregnant and ready. for. baby. Ack! So.... I DARE you to join in!

Beach Babes

Visited Cornwallis on Friday. Gorgeous morning despite the clouds around. Water was a bit cold though. I did get in and under... briefly! LOL!

It was good to have my sister along to help with the children. There was a lot of sand digging and contructing by DS; much eating of sand/shells and destroying of said sand constructions by DD. :-) I wonder if she was trying to get her iron intake up from the iron sand. heh heh.


A duck came and sat on our blanket. LOL!

DD is at the stage when hats do not stay on. So despite me slathering around 30+ sunblock she managed to get pinkified. Bad Mother Award to me.


It was so nice to sit near the gently lapping waves and absorb the seascape. There were hardly any other folks there. The fish were jumping 3 metres away from us and DS was fascinated by the Black Backed Gull leaping up and then diving to catch them.
I do love the beach. There was a time when I seriously intended to be a marine biologist and could identify (and name in latin) at least 5 species of barnacles.

No more. But I do maintain a deep fascination for the marine environment.

Recently Read

The Kite Runner by Ali Hosseini
Great story - highly recommend it. It's not what I'd call a "happy" story. There are some sad and dark undertones, but while the ending isn't overtly positive it is satisfying. Waiting for the sequel to become available in the library now.

The Brotherhood of the Blade By Diana Gabaldon
Always enjoy DG's writing. Though in terms of story I prefer her Outlander series perhaps because it appeals more to me. I found the continual reference to Lord John's sexual orientation a tad wearing by the end of the book. I know it is an essential part of the story but it did seem to intrude where (IMO) it wasn't necessary. But maybe that is more to do with me and MY tastes than the writing! LOL! Nonetheless, Lord John kept me captured throughout, and I'll be reading the sequel when she's written it.

Blue Smoke
Fire
both by Deborah Challinor

Blue Smoke is the final in a trilogy. As such, it ties up a number of loose ends but in doing so it tends to fall down as a cohesive story. It jumps from one character to the next like a flea from dog to dog and you never feel like you're getting into their skin. I read it to finish the trilogy and mildly enjoyed it.

Fire was something different. The story flowed better although it had multiple characters because it dealt with one time, one place, one incident. I liked it that it is set in Auckland, and I like the kiwi flavour. Some of the "issues" peripheral to the story were dealt with in a rather heavy handed way rather than subtly permeating the relationships between the characters. I thought the ending was a tad unrealistic but seeing as I like a happy ending I wasn't complaining! Recommend it.

Menu Plan Monday

Last weeks plan was going well until SIL rang and said she was coming down to stay Sat so I had to revise the Lamb Tagine plan. Having got out a whole chook to thaw on Sat morning she rang to say that she wasn't coming; her car was having problems so she bought a new one (as you do) and would be coming next weekend!

Oh well. No harm done and I didn't really mind though I did have to laugh at the car thing. SIL is 36, single, lives at home, has been working since 17 and is on a very nice wage with annual bonus's ... what can I say? LOL! Love her heaps and we get on just fine, but sometimes our different lifestyles contrast rather dramatically. ;-)

Anyway - here's the plan for this week.

Mon - Brats on buns
Tues - the Lamb Tagine I didn't do last week! LOL!
Wed - Smoked Chicken, Melon and hazelnut salad from the latest Dish which came last week
Thurs - Chicken curry (also from Dish)
Fri - friends bringing takeaways for fun and we're having a card making night
Sat - taking pizza bases to a casual 3-yr-old's birthday party
Sun - corned beef(?) not sure... depends on the weather

Flaunt it Friday

themommykelly's theme for this week is : From the desk of...
I've taken a photo of two desks.

Firstly, the computer desk. I time share this with DH. I get it during the day. He gets it in the evenings! ;-) At least, that's how it mostly works out. That's his big mother printer to the left. Yes we have 2 screens. Yes I am married to a mad photographer husband. The scanner is up on the shelf above. The film scanner in the cubby on the right. Let me repeat... I am married to a mad photographer! LOL! But it does have it's benefits - the printer for one because I can print my own photos and in any size I please. I also get to use DH's photos if mine aren't worthy.

The other desk I use is my scrapbooking corner. This is in my bedroom.

I am afraid I am just not a very tidy person.

What can I say... it's like an artist's palatte. I like to have all my stuff spread out so I can see what I'm using.

So...show us yours?

Tim's Birth Story

Tim's Birth Story

For the Birth story carnival hosted by greenstylemom Kristen

Tuesday 16^th September, 12.30am: Waters break while getting back into bed following a visit to the bathroom. I can’t sleep so get up and go into the lounge for a while.

Tuesday 16^th September, approx. 2.30am:Contractions start irregularly at first, and not very close together. The Swiss ball helps to deal with the contractions, but I still can’t sleep.

Tuesday 16^th September, 4.00am: Wake up DH to put on the TENS machine since the contractions are getting stronger and my back is hurting. Both of us are too excited to sleep now so Rod reads his magazine while I rock on the Swiss ball.

Tuesday 16^th September, 9.00am: Contractions are coming regularly now, about 5 minutes apart and lasting for about 60 seconds. I ring B (my midwife) to tell her what is happening. I really would like to go to hospital now because I am feeling like it's getting out of control already and need the moral support but she persuades me to wait until 11.00am.

Tuesday 16^th September, 11.00am: Arrive at the hospital. The nurse greets me by name which makes me feel welcome and we go into the delivery room where B waits. I am only 2cm dilated which I find disheartening since I had hoped to be further along.

The Swiss ball and TENS machine are helpful in dealing with the contractions, and I now start using the gas as well. B administers an IV with antibiotics since it is now 11 hours since my waters broke.

Time starts to blur from now on: 4cm dilation and starting to have real trouble dealing with the pain. I try the spa, it doesn’t help with pain relief. The pain is all in my back. B is concerned about my fluid levels so I am given some through the IV line. (I end up getting 5 bags of fluid). I try pethidine for the pain but it just makes me sleepy. Sometime after this the anaesthetist administers an epidural. My contractions aren’t coming as fast and as strong as B would like I am also given syntocin. I reach 9cm dilation and the epidural is wearing off on one side, so I have a “re-insertion”.

Tuesday 16^th September, 11.50pm: Fully dilated. More antibiotics administered which makes me vomit – or maybe it’s the gas since I’m onto my second cylinder. I start trying to push the baby out. It is hard work, and I can’t feel anything to help me know if I am getting anywhere. Firstly B wants me on my back with legs up by my chest but that is so uncomfortable I ask to change. I lean over the elevated bed head and try that way. It's better but I can't feel a thing and B keeps telling me not to bend my hand because of the cannula in it. So annoying!

I keep thinking B is lying to me when she says that there is something happening, even when she uses a mirror to show me the top of the head which has dark hair! I push for about an hour and then run out of strength and motivation. I'm so hot and fling off the hospital gown to be naked. The obstetrician is RK called and appears beside my bed wearing white gumboots! I'm so glad to see him even though I'm starkers and not in the most charming position.

Finally things are set up and RK uses the ventouse. I push and he pulls. Part way through he says "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to make a cut". My heart sinks because I wanted to avoid this but by this stage my main concern is to get this baby out!!! Finally with one last push our baby is born by ventouse delivery at 2.19am Wednesday 17^th September. The reason for the long labour, inefficient contractions, and my difficulties pushing is revealed – he is completely posterior. His cord is loosely around his neck and slips off easily - a long cord according to B. He starts crying almost immediately without any need for suctioning. His APGAR scores are 8 and 10.

The nurses lay him on my tummy and I savour the strange feeling of the baby outside my stomach! I lift him up to see if we have a boy or a girl and tell DH that “It’s Timothy!” And then he poops on me. Nice!

Timothy Royston Dugmore

Born: 17^th Sept 2003 (EDD: 25^th Sept)

Weight: 3.43kg (7lb 9oz)

Length: 51 cm

Head circumference: 33cm

Just born - his poor mis-shapen head from the ventouse is quite obvious

Tim and Mum the next day... I look as awful as I feel! But his head is now round although still bruised. He had fairly bad jaundice and nearly had to go under the lights but fortunately his numbers stabilised.

Lydia' Birth Story

Lydia’s Birth Story

For the Birth Story Carnival hosted by Kristen (GreenstyleMom)

Lydia’s due date was the 29^th December 2006. This day came and went with no sign that she was intending to grace us with her presence. I saw K (my midwife) that day and she monitored us for a while, then did a membrane sweep. I was already about 2 cm dilated. She booked me in for another appointment a week later for the same procedures, fully expecting that we wouldn’t need the appointment. The week went by so slowly. We went for lots of walks and tried to keep ourselves amused while we waited. DS went to stay at Nan’s house just in case.

At the next appointment the monitoring showed that baby and I were both fine and because I had had a “show” K didn’t do another membrane sweep. From the ultrasound we did find out the good news that Lydia was facing the right way for a normal delivery. K consulted with the obstetrician and I was booked in for an induction Monday 8^th January at 8am. I was feeling despondent about having to be induced and quite uncomfortable with such a large baby to carry around.

On the 7^th January we went to the Sunday morning meeting fully expecting to have a "normal" quiet Sunday. After the meeting we went to Mum & Dad’s for lunch. Around 2.30pm I realised my waters were leaking over Mum’s kitchen floor.

We came home and I rang E (my sister) to let her know things were happening. Meantime, we went for a walk in the hot sun around the block. My skirt got soaked from all the amniotic fluid; there was no doubt to anybody who we passed what was going on but frankly I didn't care. E arrived and we went for another walk. While we were walking, I estimated the contractions were around 5 minutes apart though not lasting very long. We came home and I sat myself on the birth ball in order to time the contractions properly so we could let the midwife know our progress.

K was not on call that weekend so we called B (her back up) who for various reasons I'd never actually met. By bizarre coincidence she had noticed us in Mitre10 the previous day and had thought to herself, “That lady is going to have her baby very soon!” We rang her first around4.30pm and her advice was to call her when I wasn’t sounding so happy! At this stage the contractions were about 3 minutes apart and lasting longer. They weren’t particularly painful and I could still talk through them normally.

Soon after this I had to breathe through the contractions and E or DH administered acupressure to my back. I had the TENs machine put on. Around 6.30pm I wanted to go to the delivery suite. Things were getting more painful and intense. It felt good to hum or let out noises during these contractions. We got to the delivery suite at 7.00pm. I had no idea about my progress and asked for an epidural because I felt I couldn’t cope with too much more. B checked me and said, "The good news is you're 9cm, the bad news is, its too late for an epidural!" I had mixed feelings about this. On one hand I felt triumphant I’d got so far without drugs, but on the other hand I wasn’t sure I could handle much more pain!

B bought in the gas for me which took some of the rawness out of the contractions, but they were still very intense. After a bit, B had me get up on the bed on my hands and knees. I wasn't there long and I started pushing involuntarily at the peak of the contractions. E, B and DH encouraged me by telling me they could see hair. Pushing was hard work.

Finally I managed to push her head out! What a relief! I didn’t have time to relax because then her shoulders got a bit stuck. DH pulled the emergency cord and the room filled with four midwives. I got flipped onto my back and with one final push, Lydia was born into the world at 8.19pm. Her cord was quickly cut and she was whipped over to the newborn station to have a bit of oxygen. DH called out, “It’s a girl!” as she went by. Within seconds she had “pinked up” and I heard a little cry.

I lay there stunned and amazed that I had given birth so quickly, with no major analgesia apart from some local for the three stitches I needed.

Finally I got to hold my little girl. She was so alert and looked around at her surroundings. We hadn’t totally decided on what name we would choose for a girl baby, but when I turned to DH and said, “Lydia?” he agreed. Our daughter was born.

ROM: 14.30 hrs

Labour Established: 18.30 hrs

Full dilation: 20.00 hrs

Delivery: 20.19 hrs

First gasp: 1 minute

Breathing Established: 2 minutes

AGPGARs: 7/10

Birth weight: 4270g

Head circumference: 35 cm

Length: 53 cm

Just born..

Lydia and Mum

First Bath

A 4 year old observes

DS has some amusing little ideas. Having discussed about where fluid gets stored and then comes out into the toilet he now tells me that there is a tank inside him. Or several it seems.

DS: Mummy, my juice tank and water tank are full but my milk tank needs milk! Can I have cold fridge milk?

---

Changing DD's nappy he observes and then asks, "Where's her wee thing?" So I gesture in the general direction.... "She's a girl so she doesn't have one like you."

---

Driving along he sees a rottweiler being walked (from behind).

DS: I can see a bottom!
Me: What!? Oh... a dog's bottom.

---

Driving along he tells me from the back seat "That man has no clothes on!"
Me: Where!? Where!?
Long-suffering-husband: Settle down, he's just got his shirt off.
Me: Rats!

Menu Plan Monday

This is working quite well for me actually...



Monday - Steak sandwiches
Tuesday - Lamb meatballs with Pinenuts in Tomato Sauce
Wednesday - Fish (homemade crumbed and oven baked) & chips (oven baked wedges), salad
Thursday - roasted chicken legs, ratatouille, salad
Friday - Gnocchi of some sort
Saturday - Tagine of lamb with apricots, couscous, carrot salad with garlic and mint
Sunday - Stirfry beef and veges, rice

Can you tell I've borrowed Claudia Roden's Arabesque: a taste of Morocco, Turkey and Lebanon from the library?

The Spring Broth from Healthy Food Guide (November 2007) pg. 49 I made last week was very good. Have included recipe here:

Spring Broth of chicken, asparagus and basil sauce

Serves 4
2 cups chicken or vege stock (good quality)
2 medium carrots thinly sliced
2 chicken breasts, skin removed and sliced into bite sized pieces
2 T olive oil
Fresh basil - 1 handful, shredded
1 T lemon juice
1 bunch asparagus, sliced
1 x 400g can butter beans
1 cup baby peas, frozen or fresh

Put the stock and carrots in a pan and bring to boil. Add chicken, cover and simmer for 6-8 mins until carrots are tender.

Put the oil, basil and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well. (I used a whizzy choppy thing).

Add asparagus, beans and peas to the soup. Cover and bring back to boil. Simmer 1-2 mins.

Remove half the mixture and blend, then tip back into the pan. Divide into bowls and stir in some basil sauce into each.

Flaunt It Friday (or in my case, Saturday)

themommykelly has started a new meme Flaunt It Fridays and this week's theme is Let the cat out of the bag. What do the contents of your handbag reveal about you?!

Mine doesn't have a cat in it, but it does have a hedgehog. And a multitude of crap other bits and pieces.

Not shown: a mass of dockets, several desiccated raisins, 2 Eclipse lollies, some catnip, crumbs from a cookie DS was eating...

One day too late!

For the NZ Dare entry - oh well.. here is my take anyway. I'm still not entirely happy with it.

















Here is another I finished off last night. Used some sparkles from the Pesto kit. :-) I'm working on some other ones using the kit but I can't post them here - they are going into the SBO Christmas competition things so you'll have to check out their gallery. Haven't uploaded them yet though...

And I have made my banner more festive. That's the Christmas pud from Nigella Lawson's Feast. And boys does it taste GOOD! It is now residing in the freezer waiting for the special day. I have deviated from my normal recipe this year and made Nigella's.

Why?

Apparently the Puritans thought Christmas pud was a "lewd" custom and the Quakers condemmed it as "an invention of the Scarlet Whore of Babylon". Nigella set out to create one worthy of such a moniker and of course I had to make this version this year because it appeals to my sense of humour. Take a good look at the SWB up there in the banner because come the 25th Dec it will be in my tum.

mischeif maker

Found Missy Moo getting into my handbag already!


And just for the sake of it I took a photo of my cookbooks - a collection which is gradually taking over my kitchen.

Menu Plan Monday

Yeah well I know it's Tuesday but I never got to the 'puter until today.



Monday - was going to have BBQ for Guy Fawkes but the weather put me off so we had a Lamb roast instead since I didn't cook it on the weekend like I meant to.

Tuesday - Spring Broth from HFG (chicken boobs, asparagus, beans... hopefully warm us up)

Wednesday- American hot dogs

Thursday - Sublime Salmon & Avocado Salad (recipe below)

Friday - Ham, pumpkin, pea risotto

Sat/Sun... still haven't totally decided. One day will be a vego curry I think. Might do a BBQ if the weather is good, or maybe leftovers from the freezer.

Sublime Salmon & Avocado Salad (from my friend S who got it from... somewhere.)

350g fresh salmon
2 T grated lime rind
1/4 cup lime juice
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 small pita breads
6 handfuls salad leaves
2 avocados peeled and sliced
2 oranges peeled and sliced (opt)

Preheat grill. Remove bones from salmon, Slice into thick slices crosswise. Arrange on baking dish. Combine oil, lime rind, juice and garlic. Split pita and cut into wedges. Place on baking trays. Brush dressing generously onto salmon & pita. Grill salmon and pita medium grill turning and basting salmon once during cooking (10-12 mins) or until salmon flakes easily and pita is golden brown. Arrange salad leaves on plates, add avocado, orange, pita wedges and salmon, tossing gently. Drizzle with remaining dressing &/or cooking juices. Serves 4.

Thursday already!

This week has gone fast for some reason. I've been busy trying to do housework type things - so boring. I'd much rather be playing with this!

Yep - the delightful Pesto kit arrived on Tuesday. I had been listening for that sweet sound of the courier but didn't hear a thing so assumed it would come the next day. But no! I opened the door to take DS up to kindy and there it was. It is beautiful, (Hannah you were right), and I am itching to get into it! I did like the way it was presented wrapped in tissue with a seal. Sweet! I do think it is worth purchasing - is that cheeky of me to tout their business when I didn't actually buy it? :P

I did some layouts on the weekend and Monday night. This one I finished, the other two are waiting for ... something. Not sure what yet. I've attempted the NZ Dare for this fortnight but I'm not totally happy with it. Might have to cogitate some more. I really want to enter the challenge at SBO too but am not sure if I have the photos or the time...

Bother - looks like the photo cut off the bottom of the dot circle. This one was based on a sketch from the Aussie sketch blog. The title needs some more black on it. Will have to touch it up.

On yer bike!

DH splashed out on a Trailgator and 2-wheeler for DS so we can do some bike riding for exercise. DS was naturally delighted about it all. DD needs a better helmet but the bike shop didn't have one small enough. I'm using DS's old one and padding it out with hats. Not the most ideal. She likes riding in her seat though and sings happily while we (I) pedal and puff along.
We went for a test cycle on Friday and it worked well. DH found himself pedalling happily along but then suddenly the bike would slooooooooow down. Looking back he would see DS had put on his back pedal brake! LOL! So he is still learning about his bike. He has been spending a lot of time in the garage sitting on it, ringing the bell (very important to help it go) and riding round in circles.

I finally finished this dress for DD. I thought it would be an easy job and while the dress itself it very simple, that frill was so annoying to get right because it is so long. I wish I had a gathering foot for my machine. I should look to see if I can get one.

BackFront

Menu Plan Monday

I'm going to try and do this more regularly. It helps to keep my shopping normalised and reduces the stress of having to decide at 4.00pm what we're having for tea.

Monday
Roast Chicken (nothing particularly fancy - just going to shove a lemon up it's bum with some garlic cloves and sprinkle with paprika) and roast veges. Hopefully I'll have some leftover chick for sandwiches.

Tuesday
Pork mince meatballs with stir fried green beans

Wednesday
Chicken marsala

Thursday
Felafel and pita salad

Friday
Kedgeree crockpot dish from HFG

Saturday
Oregano & lime roasted leg of lamb with Spanish Paella (from Dish)

Sunday
Leftovers? Or carrot, Kumara and lentil soup (crockpot)

Thanks to Kristen for introducing me to the concept. You can read all about it at Org Junkie.

O happy day!

I am so lucky. I'm the recipient of the NZ Dare draw - a kit from Paper Pesto! So awesome :) Thank you!

This fortnight's dare is sounding good too.

DD discovered the laptop open on the coffee table and proceeded to pick off several keys off the keyboard, including the Enter key. I've managed to fix most of the keys back on but her manipulations have not improved things! So I hope I can keep typing without driving myself crazy.

DH (the mad photographer) has discovered an interesting site with a whole lot of photography related podcasts including various tutorials like how to take good photos at the zoo, photoshop techniques etc. Photocast Network also has links to video tutorials on programs such as the Gimp - a free photo editing program. Some of the podcasts are very interesting!

Looks like I've been tagged by themommykelly - go check out her photos :)

I shall try not to have food items for all of the letters though it is usually what comes to mind first when I think of words!

A - pile of laundry awaits my attention in the lounge room. *sigh*
B - books. Well what did you expect from a librarian? Come on!
C - Cranium is a board game I like to play but only with people who can answer the questions.
D - my maiden name and my surname begins with it. So convenient that my initials didn't change.
E - elementary my dear Watson. I like reading mystery stories, crime and adventure.
F - Flanders and Swann. Make me laugh. Especially their Gnu song.
G - geckos. I am fond of them and collect them. I have 2 gecko stamps, a ceramic one for my wall, a beautiful ornamental one in it's box waiting for the time when I finally have a china cabinet. I also like dragonflies.
H - have a cup of coffee? Sure! Especially if it's Atomic coffee.
I - ice cream. Sorry. But I had to have it for this letter. Favourite.
J - Jahangir. Am reading a fictionalised story of this emperor right now. Or more particularly his wife. I really want to visit India before I die.
K - "K-K-Katy, beautiful Katy you're the only g-g-g-girl that I adore". My mum used to sing this song.
L - lounge room. Laundry. See A.
M - motherhood is probably the hardest job I ever did but the one I do with the most love.
N - nearly finished!
O - fortuna... from Carmina Burana. I once saw Uwe Grodd conduct this at a graduation festival. The hairs on my arms literally stood on end.
P - First letter of my name. I was going to be called Amanda Gail until my parents saw me when born. Then they decided I didn't look like Amanda and was called Penelope. Most people call me Penny though.
Q - questions, questions, questions... what I get from DS.
R - Rusty. Is sitting here beside me. He is DS's favourite at present.
S - singing. I love to sing and have sung in choirs throughout my life. Should like to do so again one day.
T - Tanekaha, celery pine, Phyllocladus trichomanoides one of the few latin names I remember from my botany days.
U - underwear. I do wear it. I'm sure you're pleased to know that.
V - vacillate. I am a chronic fence sitter. I most often see both sides of an argument.
W - waiting for me. Laundry. In the lounge room. See A.
X - x-craft. What I named my first car, a Mazda hatchback. So called because I could reach all parts from the driver's seat! LOL! All subsequent cars are now named x-craft in memory. DH used to call it the Rustang.
Y - younger sisters. I've got two of them.
Z - zzzz... my kids are sleeping at the moment.

Now I know my A,B,C's
Let me think, yes, I'll tag thee
(if you feel like it of course!)

Shell
Kristen
CW

Oratia Farmers Market

I was delighted to find that there is a new Farmer's Market started up - in my neighbourhood! Yay and Yay!

My sister and I went last Saturday. My sister is allergic to mornings and by the time we got there it was well started by a good hour and half. Unfortunately most of West Auckland appeared to be there as well so many of the stalls we were interested in had sold out. There were quite a few stalls with blackboards saying "so and so coming soon" too. So my delight was somewhat diluted!

But even so - it's great that the Westies have finally got something going. I hope to patronise it frequently. And earlier.

Find a Farmer's Market near you...

*PS. Thank you for your uplifting remarks. I feel very blessed to have understanding friends.*

Sometimes it can be hard

to know where to spend your charity dollars... but today it wasn't.

My shampoo is trying to brain wash me. But I like the swirl around the box. Excuse the bad photo.
Layout and some cards I've made. I'm in a flowery mood I think.

So the long weekend came and went. Awful weather and we didn't go away which judging by the traffic reports was probably just as well. Feeling kinda blah from lack of sleep (thanks to DD), and other stuff. .. friend's marriage breaking up, feeling sad about that. Feeling sad about this mother who died while breastfeeding. My alumni magazine came and has an article about great and exciting things some graduates are doing... feeling very mumsy and drab.

Some days I think I'm just not cut out for this motherhood lark. The days when I need to put myself in time out because of my grumpiness. I hate myself when that happens. Yet I love my kids and wouldn't exchange them for anything.

I need to get over myself.

NZ Dare #32 Entry

DD really, really, really wanted to get out that gate.

The Mooncup Revealed (might be TMI for some)

Couple of you mentioned the Mooncup in your comments and CW has even got one waiting to use so I thought I'd address her questions publicly in case someone else was interested. There is also a handy FAQ here.

When I originally heard about it I thought it was kind of strange but was intrigued. The history of it is interesting.

Menstrual cups were developed in the 1930s and went on commercial sale at around the same time as the first tampon. In that early post-Victorian era it was not considered ‘proper’ for women to touch their vaginal area. The manufacturers of the tampon overcame this obstacle by providing those disposable applicators that can still be found floating in our toilet bowls today! Menstrual cups require a ‘hands on’ approach and were only purchased by the most liberal minded woman in those days.

Commercially, the tampon is a more viable product, as customers need to repurchase month after month In contrast menstrual cup manufacturers do not expect to make repeat sales to satisfied customers, only to their friends and relations! Sadly such intimate matters were not discussed in polite company back in the 1930s. Sales of tampons soared and massive advertising campaigns were launched. Disposable feminine hygiene products soon became established necessities in modern western society.

Then one of my friends bought one and I decided to do so too - bearing in mind that at the time they were offering money back guarantee if it didn't work.

Do you find it easy to use?
Yes - now I do. Not at first though because I was nervous. It did take me a few cycles to get the technique right in terms of insertion. At first I was all fingers and thumbs! I found it easiest to squat to insert it. I no longer need to do this - I think that is partly practice and partly because I've had another baby since.

Did it take you a while to get used to it?
I think I took about 2-3 cycles to trust it! LOL! Then it's a matter of learning when is good to empty it according to your own cycle. At first I tried to empty it every time I visited the lav - no point. Then I left it too long on a heavy day and had a major spill - not good. But now I've learnt when is good to empty. I used to wear a panty liner for heavy days but no longer need to do that even.

I did have to trim more off the stem than I thought I'd need to when I first got it.

Now I hardly notice it when it's in use. Unlike tampons which proclaim their presence via their irritating string, and pads which get hot, bulky and - lets be honest - stinky if you don't change them often enough, the Mooncup is simple and efficient. You no longer have to worry about disposing of used stuff in public toilets. So long as you remember to keep it in your bag you won't need to worry about whether you replaced that dodgy tampon at the bottom of your handbag along with the crumpled up receipts.

During use, I wash the Mooncup after emptying and at the end of my cycle it gets plunked in Milton to sterilise it. If I'm in a public toilet I make sure to wipe it clean before reinsertion and wash it later.

Any further questions? Please feel free to email me :)

Blog Action Day

In its inaugural year, Blog Action Day will be co-ordinating bloggers to tackle the issue of the environment.

So here's my post possums...

If I was to classify myself I'd probably say I'm a pragmatic greenie. I am concerned about sustainability, conservation and the impact human beings have on the environment. I can't say I have all the answers though! But I do believe we've been given stewardship of the earth so it behoves me to try and be a good steward. That doesn't mean I have to wear a kaftan and meditate in my backyard naked.

I can make some lifestyle choices that reduce my ecological footprint though.

Actually I wasn't sure what to post so I decided to interview myself using the questions the Herald uses to grill various "famous" people.

What are you doing personally to make a difference?

I try to reduce the amount of waste our household produces. To this end I compost all our vegetable waste, lawn clippings, hedge clippings and other bits and pieces (e.g. contents of my hair brush). We recycle through the local council's recycling initiatives (paper, plastic, glass, cans, tins etc).

I use cloth nappies (diapers) on DD almost exclusively. I do admit to putting her in disposables at night though - that means I don't have to wake her up totally by changing her. Any mum who has kids who don't sleep through will understand how maintaining every precious skerrick of sleep is to me!

I personally use a Mooncup instead of disposable sanitary products. It can be purchased in New Zealand from Embrace. Viva recently reviewed menstrual cups and their verdict was "Eeeuuw!" My reaction to the reviewers would be an eye roll and a "Get over it!" comment. I find the thought of putting sanitary product waste into landfills more disgusting than emptying the Mooncup. I suppose rabid followers of Viva fashion, who happily spend NZ$500 on a pair of shoes might struggle a bit with the idea of their own humanity. Admittedly, if you are nervous about touching your girl bits you might find it weird but hey - this is the enlightened age isn't it? No more bathing in your nightie, embrace your womanhood, know your ... uh ... fanny and all that.

I try to use reusable bags.

I also try to buy local produce and mostly seasonal stuff (although tomatoes and bananas are a weakness of mine). I'd love to buy organic food exclusively but we can't afford to do this all the time. I like to use "eco" cleaning products too e.g laundry powder, dishwasher powder, washing up liquid etc. Eco-store has some really nice stuff that works and it lasts for ages.

We're growing some of our own veges and fruit and we try to do this in the most "green" way we can. One of my favourite organic garden products is Neem which helps to protect my tomatoes etc from sucking bugs and some soil pests. I do some companion planting to confuse the baddies and attract the goodies. My simple method for dealing with aphids is *don't read this if you're Bhuddist* to use the old manual-squish-and-squirt procedure. That is squish the infestation and squirt it with the hose at high pressure. That's why my gardening gloves have green fingers! ;-) Alternatively, a strong infusion of chillies and garlic sprayed onto the plant works not too badly either. Unfortunately, I've yet to find a good solution to the slug/snail issue. Apart from ducks/chooks of course. But living in suburbia, they would bring their own problems.

I try to walk to get errands done - or at least combine trips so that I use the car less. Online banking etc has made this so much easier.

Simple things like picking up rubbish when I go to a beach makes me feel like I'm helping.

What more could you do?

If I could afford it I'd do a lot more in terms of my purchasing power. Eat organic/sustainable food, buy organic/sustainable products, avoid products made out of the Australasia area, buy organic cotton clothes and so on.

I would like to bike/walk more and avoid using my car. I used to bike to work and really enjoyed it. DS loved sitting in his Wee Ride seat - he even went to sleep in it. Perhaps if I got some panniers I could use my bike more often to do some basic shopping trips. Once DS can ride his own 2-wheeler I will be able to get one of those Trail-Gator things.

I would like to be more energy efficient. If we could afford to install it, I would like to use things like solar heating and roof run off for grey water. If we ever built a new house I would seriously consider such a thing.

I would like to be able to afford to donate to conservation efforts for NZ native animals, plants and habitats.

What is your biggest environmental sin?

Probably my car. *sigh*

Living at the bottom of the world means we import a lot of things too, and I do think it a real shame that some of the big NZ firms are out sourcing their factories to Asia. I wish NZ could grow cocoa beans and coffee beans... avoiding the food miles there.

Global warming: true or false?
I think it is true that our climate is changing. What I find confusing and cannot decide on is whether this is part of a natural cycle or if humans are the sole cause. I do think humans can influence the climate though, and through choices about our lifestyles I think we could learn to live within the bounds of our environment.

Hope this doesn't sound preachy or pompous... these are just my choices that have worked for me with very little to no inconvenience to my life. As for my death - I think one of these would be good.

Quick post about Lightroom

I was going to make DH post a "guest spot" on my blog about Lightroom but he's too chicken. *shrug*

So.

What is it?
Lightroom is a software product from Adobe that works mostly as a collection manager of your photo collection. If (like DH) you take LOTS of photos and you wish to organise them, then Lightroom is probably one of the better products to do it.

What does it do?
There are a several aspects to Lightroom. There is the major part of organisation of your photo collection. You can assign metadata, keywords, titles etc to your photos and group them according to a hierarchical classification scheme of your own making. You can see how this appeals to my librarian's heart! The database is searchable and I have my photos catalogued in it too. So if I need a picture of DD I can search her name and it will bring up all her photos. Or if I need a picture of a lemur, I can find them quickly without searching though months and months of photos. In addition, Lightroom also has

1. A Develop module with some photo manipulation tools (e.g. crop, contrast, vibrance, histograms etc)
2. A printing "module" where you can set up print layouts and other controls

You can do the usual import and export too and some other stuff that I don't know much about.

And the $10000 question - Should you get it?

I guess that depends how much in the money you are! We essentially lucked out on this one. DH had purchased another product that did similar things, and that product was brought out by Adobe. As they weren't going to develop this product further, they offered customers the option of converting to Lightroom 1.0 for free. Which DH did.

If you are looking for a product to manipulate your photos then you are better to get Photoshop Elements or Photoshop itself. Lightroom compliments these products and works with them rather than replaces them.

If you've got any specific questions about it, let me know and I'll direct them to the "master"! Heh heh!