Fan-Forced Summer Day

Opening the front door and being hit by the westerly this afternoon is like opening the door of a fan-forced oven.

Only without the cake.

But fortunately (speaking of cake) we have been enjoying these sweet cupcakes that Emily made on Sunday, while Laura and a friend played with Polly Pockets, having a mini pool party.

Emily makes a great cupcake, and cleans up, too!

(well, better than she used to, anyway ...)

When I drove Laura home from school the car thermometer measured 39 deg, and it's still almost that hot now at 5.15pm.

I'm now going through paperwork from last year, and making frequent trips to the recycling bin, bracing myself each time for the burst of heat on my face, and feeling very thankful for airconditioning within.

Each time I step outside the house I remember that three days ago our neighbour saw a snake slither under the fence from our side to theirs.

Right near our carport.

To under their car.

Trying not to think about it.

But then at bedtime these days I'm reading the No 1 Ladies Detective books and finding that snakes appear every few chapters.

Mma Ramotswe's advice is to tread heavily (easy for her, she is a woman of traditional build) ...

so ... no tippy-toeing around here from me.

It was a green snake, and apparently that's good.

But trying not to think about it.

See how quickly my mind jumped from cake to snake?

Not thinking about it at all ....

Free Day No. 1 - The Kitchen

Emily headed back to school today, and Laura went back yesterday, so that makes today my first "free day".

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my girls, and I LOVE the holidays, but since about 4th January (when Steve went back to work) I've been aching to tidy the house and calm things down a bit. Even I can only cope with so many books, craft projects, DVDs and toys strewn about the place.

But oh while the girls are home, and the weather was warm, and I was a bit sick, and my iPad is too distracting, it was too easy to procastinate!

And then I discovered Lissa's blog, and her kitchen:

It is so clear and uncluttered and light and spacious!

And for the last week I couldn't get it out of my head.

I decided that today was The Day.

So this morning after some grocery shopping I began to tackle my own kitchen.

Here are some before shots - but please remember that this is my kitchen at it worst - I haven't cleared up from making school lunches (and what a shock to the system that is!), and now I've bought in about 7 bags of groceries to add to the mix.

First thing I did was to get the groceries away, veggies into Tupperware in the fridge,

fruit in it's place on the bench, looking much better already.

Then I worked from right to left, removing absolutely everything from each section of the bench top, cleaning it and replacing only what I really use and love.

This is the back left corner of the kitchen before:

And after:

Much better!

I have always loved these little spice jars that my sister gave us when we got married, and use them regularly. But with their peach-colored design and raffia they are looking very dated! And I don't have room for them in the pantry.

Then I had a brainwave! I replaced the raffia with some natural looking string, and just turned the jars around to the plain backs! Voila! Neutral colored spice jars with cute labels! Now I can love them all over again!

I kept working my way around to the main bench of the kitchen, cleaning and decluttering. I threw out lots of old pens and nicknacks around the phone, and decided to work out another spot for my folders. I still have some stuff to go through, but this is the end result of my labours:

A clear bench, lit by the skylight above.

The living room behind me is fairly dark, the curtains are shut today to keep out the heat.

Fresh summer fruit

I found this old tea box in my Gran's garage when she was moving from her home. I stored tea in it for years in the pantry, but now it lives on display and holds lunch snacks for the girls.

It's close to hand for those busy mornings but looks better than bright packaging on the bench.

A few more jobs to do another day - clean my old electric jug collection,

Clean the windows and glass in the cupboards

Find something to go on the lower shelf here:

It's pretty much how I left it when I moved the Christmas ornaments out.

And now at last I can get out my lovely new pitcher I found at Bed, Bath & Table this morning.

But where to put it? My bench top is so lovely and clear. I don't want to add it in anywhere.

At times it can go on the dining table, filled with flowers or foliage, but it needs a home.

Aah!

Perfect.

Still' farmhouse' but more 'chic'.

The phone and stationery area is sorted and simple.

And my hens have a new home too, on the windowsill.

After two hours of hard work it was time to stop and have some lunch.

And now I have room to prepare it!

Fresh baguette ...

with filo, and tomato and basil from the garden. Yum!

Loving my new-look kitchen.

But in case you think tomorrow will be a day of rest, let me tell you about the other side of the kitchen ... where I ... ahem ... piled a few things in order to get the more visible parts of the kitchen sorted ....

Linking to:

Metamorphosis Monday

Anti-Procastination Tuesday

Changing Gears

Yesterday at the beach we were carefree and relaxed.

Today Laura started school.

Her last "first day" in primary school, so mine too.

My piano students phoned to see if we would start lessons today, and I said "why not?" and with half an hour's notice began my teaching for 2011.

Time for my brain to get into gear.

It has been a hot day, in the high 30s, and my brain is resisting getting into gear.

I walked this morning at 6.00am when it was cool, which both energised me and tired my legs.

With my energy I vacuumed and tidied a little of the detritus of the holidays in the living room.

Emily doesn't start school till tomorrow, so we had a slow day together, she is snuffly with a cold. Around lunchtime we headed out for some op-shopping then lunch and more shopping at a lovely shop, I'll show you our purchases soon.

Laura arrived home from school hot and tired and grumpy, but she had a good start to the year.

Now at 6.30pm the temperature is still 34 deg C, and I am thankful for airconditioning.

Time to make dinner (felafels)

.. and time to start getting my brain into gear.

Last Burst of Summer

Less than three hours ago I was here.

Walking in this.

Breeze in our hair,

salt on our skin ...

... enjoying the beach for the first time this summer.

But tomorrow ...

school begins ...

and life changes

and goes on ...

Crazy in the Kitchen

I finished the phone call with my mum and this is what I found.

A mad chef had taken residence in our home.

I guess that's what happens

when you leave polyfill around a creative teenage mind ...

The Taste of Summer

We have been enjoying home-grown tomatoes for weeks, now.

This year I bought organic seedlings at our local markets in a few varieties and they have all grown so well.

The little yellow pear tomatoes are the sweetest.

As you can see below, we have a variety of sizes!

Every night with our dinner we have a tomato salad:

Diced tomatoes

Basil (also from the garden)

Crumbled Feta

drizzled with Olive Oil

(and sometimes Caramelized Balsamic Vinegar)

- yum!!!

We still have bowlfuls of tomatoes on the kitchen bench, and more on the bushes. When they end we won't be eating many tomatoes till next summer, as we don't enjoy shop-bought tomatoes at all!

A New Year and a Word

It seems that although I've been reading LOTS of blogs lately, I haven't actually blogged myself - all year!

So ... Happy New Year to you!

We have been taking it easy for the last few weeks since Christmas, and it's been lovely. Christmas Day and Boxing Day were great times with extended family and after that we just settled down with our iPods and iPad and TV ... The epitomy of the modern digital family, in fact.
Lots of games, lots of blog-reading, DVDs, late nights and sleeping in. Oh I am enjoying it while it lasts ... And it will for the next few weeks -bliss!

(Oh and we have done a few things - a sleepover for my two nieces for 3 nights, Emily's birthday celebrations, a few appointments - just in case you think I'm actually glued to the sofa!)

Bloggers everywhere have been picking a word for their year.

My word?

GIVE

Giving money to the less fortunate

Giving attention to my family

Giving time to others

Giving my home for hospitality

Giving my unnecessary clutter to charity.

Giving and not hoarding

Giving and not getting

Giving and not complaining.

This is something I'm not good at, but it's time for me to grow up and learn to just GIVE!

Look what happened when Megan gave ...

And when Marla and co. gave ...

And I'm so inspired by Amy's giving!

What's your word for 2011?