Slow Living - Month 11

I can hardly believe this is month 11!The year has literally flown by and we are feeling ourselves being swept up in the festive whirlwind that the end of year inevitably brings. Join me as I take a look back on the past month, reflecting on different areas of our lives that we are trying to slow down in.

Feel like doing the same? Just leave a link to your blog post written in this format at the bottom of this page and enjoy hopping over to see what others have been up to, hopefully gaining some new ideas and inspiration.  For a detailed description of each category, click here.  

{Nourish}
We have been enjoying the appearance of barbecue dinners once again as the weather warms up and the evenings are still light. Salads are also happening here a lot lately, with a busy schedule they are easy to prepare and totally healthy too! Water kefir came to the rescue this month after a nasty little tummy bug that left me sprawled on the bed and dehydrated. A couple of glasses of the strange brew felt like I was on the mend again, and the thought of those probiotics making their way into my insides made me feel good all over, no joke. :)

{Prepare}
errrr....surely this drought will have to end soon, right? It must, I say. It must!

{Grow}
ok now, lets see! We have pumpkins in, along with tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, zucchinis, button squash, potatoes, beetroot, radish, lettuce, capsicums and eggplants (both the lebanese variety which seem to prefer our cooler climate) and corn scheduled to go in over the next couple of days. Surely out of this we will see some hearty summer harvests? 

Harvestwise, we are consuming garlic, eggs, raspberries, potatoes, radish and  mizuna/lettuce. 

{Reduce}
Gates were a big feature here this month with a poochy companion to contain. All made from scrounged timber and modified to suit. I do love a quirky gate!

{Green}
I have big news to report here...I have been washing my hair with bicarb/baking soda instead of the usual homemade soap! It was the low supplies that caused such an event and I'm pleased to say that it really works! A tablespoon in a cup, dissolved in a little warm water and poured through the hair, massaged well and then followed with a vinegar rinse leaves my hair feeling clean and fresh. And many thanks to the person who suggested aloe vera as a hair de-frizzer last month..I've been trying this too and am totally impressed! So thankYOUU!! 

My daughter also was bitten by the largest bull ant I've ever seen this week and I immediately reached for the lavender oil to soothe the site. This stuff really is miraculous. 

Lastly, our soap stocks were replenished with a morning of soapmaking with a friend..see 'enhance'. 

{Create} 
a few crossovers here such as gates and soap. Things are mostly quiet on the sewing/yarn fronts with energy being focused elsewhere. 

{Discover}
Over the past month I've been discovering my own neighbourhood! It's only taken me 6 years to do so, but walking a dog is the best way to get out and explore your immediate surrounds. I am covering areas I didn't know existed and am keeping fit at the same time! A new app: mytracks is fantastic for keeping me up to date with my speeds, routes and various other statistics. 

Online, I recently came across an inspiring blog started by a couple who have ridden up the east coast of Australia on their push bikes, researching slow living, sustainability and self-sufficiency along the way. For more info, see here: Simple Lives. Very inspiring, I'm looking forward to reading more of this interesting journey soon. 

{Enhance}
This month I helped out at two of my daughters school camps, one being a practice bike ride before they embarked on their 'real thing' the following week. We were lucky as the weather was glorious and the 40 kids or so cycling were a dream. 
I also supported our local neighbourhood house by booking a stall at their pre-Christmas craft market - a lovely morning was spent chatting with a friend who shared my stall. 

The same friend also came around one morning and we spent some time making several batches of soap to hopefully cure in time for Christmas. It was lovely to pass on my knowledge that I have gained in this area so far and watch as she became inspired to try different combinations in the future. We made four batches of cold pressed soap and split them to end up with an assortment of each. Our soaps made were: Oatmeal and Honey, Lavender and Rosemary infusion, Garden herb (made by grinding up her gorgeous pot pourri and a Calendula and Chamomile - also made by grinding up the dried herbs (grown in our vegetable gardens). 

{Enjoy}
November saw the return of warm days at last (!), loads of doggie walks, veggie group sessions with abundant cakes and gardens exploding into growth, not to mention Oma's birthday!

I also enjoyed a trip into the city with my youngest to see the Christmas windows and we took the chance to stroll through the Queen Victoria markets on the way back, stocking up with fruit along the way. One on one time with one of your own is so important and something we should do more of, they just love it!

How were things in your world, this month?