on the eve of a new year i had one of "those" days // reality check.

I already signed off for the year in this space. Then today happened and I had to pop in again for a little reality check. Today, amidst my patient other half repainting our entire open plan living area {of exposed external brick no less} my two children decided to pull out every single irritating noise they could create. They were miserable. One playing the ever so exhausting role of velcro baby. The other spent every spare minute seeing if hands on hips and sharp tongues really do win you every single thing you demand {for the record, they don't} and how many times she could say "mummy, mummy, mummy."

To top it all off, our bank account is depressing, our home a bombsite, my head muddled with a hundred ideas but no time to start/ complete even one of them.

Our children made me struggle to like them today. I am tired. Left wondering how it is possible for every older person to tell us that one day we will look back on these days as the most amazing {seriously?! Is it all down hill from here?}

I have had a few people point out lately that blogs seem to "hide" reality. To show the pretty stuff and hide the messy. Honestly? My life has loads of messy, so do the lives of many of those around me. This space is not for the messy, it is for the good.

That's the thing. Life is so messy. Those people who look back on this stage as the best, they only remember the good. I want the same. I don't want to look back and see that a lot of the time my little people drove me crazy, the floors needed sweeping, my dinner was from a package... I want to remember the other bits. The parts where the crazy in me laughed until my tummy was sore, there was a space in the room clear of clutter for us to make a new mess in, and dinner came from our home grown vegetables and was made from scratch in a tidy kitchen. Those things make me happy, not all the messy bits. I want to see the magic, to breathe and live it. This space lets me do just that.

So, in 2014, I will continue to capture those moments that make me feel happy. To keep my glass half full. I hope that visitors are inspired too, but also remember that there is no such thing as perfect. Just messy, happy, and about a million other things in between.

Happy New Year to my messy friends, both real and online. Thank-you for being you. Covered up or unravelled.

♡ ashley

p.s. mid writing this I had to rush to the bath to help with a code brown. Indeed, the icing on 2013s cake? A baby bath poo! See you next year.

lil' fella.

These two spend more time 'playing' together everyday. Piper has taken to calling Poppy "lil fella" which tickles my giggles like nothing else.

"Come here lil fella," "Awe, you're a cute lil fella aren't you?" and when crying "It's okay lil fella, don't you cry."

So good.

See you next year folks. Tonight I will be sipping bubbly before retreating to bed by 9pm. Cause me? I'm a clever lil fella and want to soak in the sunshine on the beach tomorrow morning.

52/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Boxing Day beach time. 

Poppy:: you love the sand and the surf. so much so we need to chase you and make sure you don't dive under the waves and gobble too much sand. your zest for life is infectious and you are making everyday of my life that much brighter.

Piper:: you spent a great majority of our beach time trying to get sand off your bottom. the other half collecting beautiful shells. you are all yin and yang, all of the time. 

See all 52 portraits from my project here.

linking up with Jodi.

dropping the balls // life's crazy juggling act.

Some mornings I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling feeling a little foggy. You see, I still have a baby who wakes up at least twice a night and I haven't had a full nights sleep in...years. Which I have become accustomed to. To the point where when I do sleep a full 5 or 6 hours I wake up feeling hungover. Lethargic, confused, more tired than the "regular" sleepless nights.

This tiredness is finely balanced with raising my girls, being a good partner, caring for a pack of animals, keeping a home, building a little business, slowly paying off debt and soon will include returning to work part time.

The circus of life has placed me in the big top. Centre stage, throwing up my life balls all at once and seeing which I can keep afloat and which come tumbling down. So far, so good, but it does leave me spinning in my top hat and lately feeling very overwhelmed. The ringmaster coat is a heavy one.

I suppose that is what I am going to work out this next year. Which of the balls I need to keep up and which can be wiped away, or joined into one, to make my "act" a manageable one.

My peace comes from two things. One is order and having my little world uncluttered. The other is escaping and breathing fresh air, running free with only the smiles of my people beside me. These are my reset buttons. They help me keep up the juggle and not drop my balls.

I said it before, 2014 is a big year. We have a lot of plans to develop and goals to reach. I am taking stock, preparing, airing out the bigtop.

How do you keep your balls afloat, advice??

♡ ashley

ps. if you are looking to advertise your blog/business, we have 50% off all spots for january only. boo yah! x

no more mrs. poor guy // meal planning on a budget. {+ the best homemade cleaning spray recipe}

We are expecting a lot from 2014. It is the year that we plan to finally knock off the lingering baby debt. I have no idea if everyone gets it, but we have not been able to start a family without accumulating some financial stress. Returning to work part time next year will help but we also have some savvy plans up our sleeve to pay off our debt and in fact start a little nest egg.

Stage One // Slashing our Groceries.

One of the best ways to cut your spending is to be smart. To plan and be careful. With an added bonus of less stress on our precious earth. No waste, not as much packaging, careful consumption.

I have played with a lot of ways to plan meals and cut down of food spending. Here is what I will be using this next year to help manage food affairs.

1 // Take stock. So often we have mass amounts of food in our pantry/ fridge/ freezer. Look through each and make a list of what you have. This is a great example. Then use it. Plan your meals to use as many items up as you can. This will cut your weekly spending significantly until you whittle away the items in there taking space and costing money. This is the list I will be using once my pantry is empty. A minimalist pantry sounds perfect for being healthy, cost effective and earth kind. The basics covered without all the excess.

2 // Find a good meal planning template. These are my favourites. I print 4 of them at a time and have them pinned to the side of the fridge. They are quick to complete and include a categorised shopping list.

our favourite spray bottle for make your own sprays found here (not sponsored!)

3 // Make your own. Don't waste money on items like cleaning products, washing detergent, sweets and treats. It takes a few minutes to make your own. Mr. google can help find some great DIY cleaning recipes, muesli bar recipes, even DIY baby wipes. Becoming more self sufficient is a great feeling. It boosts self esteem and your pocket.

\\  Homemade all purpose spray cleaner recipe //

1/4 c. white vinegar

1 tbsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla essence {or mandarin, lime, lavender, tea tree etc. essential oils {wish drops}}

Warm water to fill the bottle.

Place the baking soda & essence/oil in the bottle. Add a cup of water and shake. Add the vinegar and let it fizz. Add the rest of the water. Swish the bottle around. Happy spray on counters, doors, sinks, toilets, spills, anywhere you want so fresh and squeaky clean.

image 

4 // Buy local/ Grow your own. Where we live we are blessed with an abundance of local food makers. Gourmet producers. Creative artisans. We can buy organic camembert and home grown garlic in the same market place every Saturday morning. Making careful choices I can cut my produce spending by at least half every week and bring my family fresh and local foods. We also have a humble veggie patch and 6 chickens which provide abundance of greens, tomatoes and fresh eggs amongst other seasonal goodies. We have friends who share their lemons, limes, passionfruits, avocados. We would never go hungry if we just looked around our own community to survive.

5 // Stick to the plan. So often we get stuck in the busy-ness of life and feel so rushed that takeaway or an "easy" supermarket dinner seems the answer. Plan a few nights on your weekly plan to be simple meals that take little energy and can leave leftovers for lunch the next day. 

This week I have set a $20 challenge. We are allowed to buy milk, bread, and fruit. That's it. Stage one of moving ahead. The excess of Christmas should carry us through without a worry!

Do you have any tricks to help pinch pennies in the grocery department? Favourite sites?

Do share below!

♡ ashley

on christmas traditions // keeping the good & letting go of the clock.

This Christmas we skipped making any solid plans and focused on spending time as a family of four (plus two dogs and six chooks.) Soaking up the sunshine, eating, drinking and being merry.

Our morning started when Piper RAN from her bed to attack her parcels beneath the tree. Taking turns at coffee sipping and baby holding we opened presents and felt thankful. A breakfast of croissants, jam and butter, orange juice and mashed banana (for some.) Skype and family phone calls. Playing with our new toys. French champagne. Gourmet cheese and nibbles.

A visit to the neighbour's house that resulted in an early dinner of leftover turkey, salads and other treats. A true display of Christmas friendship and kindness.

A late bedtime for two tired little souls.

It was perfect in all it's unplannedness.

Today is boxing day and has already included a beach trip. We are all happy in our little family bubble. Poppy napping, me photo editing and pottering, Lindsay and Piper painting the picket fence white.

Tonight I will cook a turkey dinner. On Boxing Day.

There are some beautiful traditions wrapped up in Christmas, our newest being to let go of which day/time things happen and just savour each moment. Perhaps this will be my mantra for 2014.

Thank-you to those who have been here to listen to me ramble, to support me, to share my world. Thanks to those who have always been here. To those who have just joined us. For you, I am thankful.

May your days be merry and bright.
I may well be popping back in over the next few days.
Either way I really hope to see you in 2014.

With love and light,
♡ ashley

51/52

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Poppy:: bathtime in the hotel room laundry basin. you never stop. i did manage to distract you for the two seconds you stared at my phone before returning to your chanting and splashing. "wawawamamamdadadapapapamahhhhmahhhh"

Piper:: we brought some of your gold coins and you chose a pair of neon pink thongs with flowers on the toes & the matching flower headband. my flower child.

linking up with Jodi.

♡ ashley

01. little treasures // pretty vintage finds.

yesterday i woke up to a baby that is sprouting fangs. she doesn't like teeth and at the moment they aren't being enjoyed by anyone. there was but one solution. drive. i turned up billie holiday, rolled down the windows and hit the ocean road south of here. blue waves crashing. sleeping baby. heaven.

on our way home we found a shed of treasures. my word. 

one // basket. not yet to have a home in our home but i know we will find a spot for him. 

two // wooden hangers. always needed.

three // desk fan. working and perfect for our next room project.

four // glass jar. my newest vase.

five // neon lace ribbon. christmas wrap love.

six // embroidery ring. this new year i have a special new crafty project up my sleeve. 

seven // leather boots. fit like a glove. my heart exploded.

eight // vintage baby dress. poppy love.

nine // lace blouse. perfect fit as well.

the drive home was not so charmed. poor poppy. these little treasures did help though.

♡ ashley

two yummy recipes for babies and toddlers // kid friendly veggie food.

The heat of the summer is already zapping my cooking enthusiasm. I would prefer an icy beer and some prawns to chopping, dicing and preparing meals most hot evenings. Kids, they still need to eat. So here are two very yummy & healthy options to keep them fed.

cheesy lentil + veggie pasta 
 {written on a piece of crumpled paper in one of my recipe collections~ author unknown!}

1/2-3/4 pkg pasta
1 chopped carrot
1 handful chopped broccoli/cauliflower
1 chopped chunk of butternut pumpkin
handful peas/ chopped beans/ spinach
1/2 c dried red lentils
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp paprika
salt & pepper
1 cup grated cheddar

cook veggies and lentils in boiling water until easy to smoosh.
cook the pasta.
drain & pop lentils/ veggies and a few tbsp cooking liquid into the food processor.
blitz.
drain pasta.
mix veggie puree, pasta and cheese.

*the puree can be frozen~ to use just defrost and combine with hot pasta & cheese

these are poppy's current favourite thing. the little one claps when she is served them.

zucchini + mozzarella ball fritters {adapted from River Cottage Baby & Toddler Cookbook}

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 medium sized zucchinis ~ diced to baby sized bites
grated zest of a lemon
1 egg ~ beaten
3 tbsp grated parmesan
100g boccocini diced
50g bread crumbs
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
garlic clove ~ minced {or tsp garlic powder}
pepper & salt

preheat your oven to 200º.
heat oil in a large frying pan over med/high heat.
fry zucchini until tender and golden ~ around 10 minutes.
let cool and then combine in a large bowl with the other ingredients.
make golf ball sized portions and place on a parchment lined baking tray.
bake for 15 minutes ~ until golden.

serve hot or cold.
*these can freeze- uncooked and defrost before cooking

♡ashley

stills // on the festive front.

1-3 // soaking up the morning sunshine and playing with a big red balloon.

4 // my new go to snack. wonderful pistachios. some serious yumminess. oh and side note fact: 30g of pistachios provides the same amount of potassium as a banana... potassium is a super duper important mineral for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance in your body cells. leg cramps? maybe you need some pistachios! 

5 // breakfast with a unicorn.

6 // snap.

7 // summer colds. ick.

8-9 // sister lovin'.

10 // seasonal decor.

11 // slowly wrapping. 

12 // MANGOES!

13 // these are seriously yummy. salt + pepper won as favourite flavour around here. they would make the perfect last minute stocking stuffer.

♡ ashley