How I may ends meet as a single parent

I love love talking about saving and simple living so thought I would share a post about how I make do as a single mother raising 2 boys. 

Furniture
When I separated from my kids ex. We did the usual thing and split what furniture who would be taking. I didn't have much money if any to spend so I had to get crafty and shop frugal to replace what I needed. I ended up getting a terrific preloved bunk bed from a secondhand store that sold ex-display home furniture (JJ cost savers in Fremantle).

I also took a peek at verge collection time and I have scored some cupboard shelves, outdoor cane setting and cane bedhead for free. And they all thankfully fit in the back of my car.

Schooling

*My ex and I go halves in our kids uniforms and stationery. I pay for out of school care and daycare expenses.
*For my eldest child. I kept his extra lead pencils and glue sticks home last 2 years and I didn't need to buy as much come this year.
*I ended up finding Dylan some mint condition school shorts for $2 each in the op shop.
*Our families bought Dylan a school bag, school library bag, school hat as part of his christmas gift over toys. And he was delighted.

Values

*Getting rid of unhealthy spending. I am resisting my urge to pop into op shops. Thats my vice. Im so lucky I am not frivolous by nature as I would be in struggle town right now.
*I avoid buying excess its so wasteful. I was so very tempted to buy some Peter Alexander pj's on sale just because to lift my spirits. But I realised it would be an emotional buy that would bring me joy for a few days then I would regret afterwards when I could of spent that money elsewhere. Yay to saving $55 (which I spent on 12 sessions of Dylan going to a play gym instead). When temptation arises I pin on Pinterest all my wants.

Groceries

*Growing what we can to reduce buying more. My boys and I have garden beds set up at my mums house (which my dad and her tend too. Score!!). I can't wait to harvest tomatoes, rockmelon, butternut squash, potato and zucchinis. 
*Buying the generic brands over the brand names. I compare the unit price per 100 grams. I have actually been trialling out some Aldi brands in the tin goods & the kids don't seem to notice.
*Meal planning with what I have in my freezer & pantry first. And taking note whats on special in the weekly catalogues.
*I try not to stockpile. Although when I saw a giant Kewpie mayonnaise for $4 each I bought 4. The same when I saw bamboo toothbrushes for $2.99 each (compared to $4.99 I usually buy them for), I bought 10. Buying things on sale if you don't need it is a waste & I always think of this before I buy sale items.
*I don't shy away from the markdown section.
*Embrace loyalty cards if you are a loyal shopper. I joined my local Brumbys loyalty program & I scored a free loaf & rolls the other day using my shopping credits.
*I have a weekly food budget of $100. I don't go over. I actually have a savvy frugal like-minded friend who we report what we spend to every week to keep myself in check (thank you Rach!!:))
*Making use of fruit on the way out or in abundance. Mangoes, apples & bannanas are fabulous in smoothies. I also like to bake apple & bananas into either pancakes or muffins.
*I make my own sushi, imitation subway meatball sub and imitation kfc twisters and they are amazing:). No need to splurge weekly on those takeouts, only once in a while for us.

Talking the financials over with my eldest child

After reading the "Barefoot investor. Families". I was inspired to talk money with my eldest hopefully instilling my frugalness into him.
*Talking with my 8 year old about what is essential to what is not. Needs vs wants. And being honest that we don't have the money to afford certain luxuries as I choose to feed them over his materialistic requests. He still whinges but not as much #winning.
*I only give Kobe $8 pocket money a month which he can spend on whatever. It use to be on Roblox app but since he got a year long ban (for bad behaviour). It goes on junk food or scooter related things. He has to save for what isn't a need. Dylan gets $4 which goes on hot chips (lol).
*Kobe & I did a chart from the week I took them out twice (in a moment of weakness) to Dome & also San Churros for treats. We estimated what we spent on both outings then times that by if we went every week (52 weeks in a year) to get how much we would spend. Then we went thru grocery catalogues & wrote down prices if we bought the ingredients. Then estimated how much cups/teaspoons were in each ingredient bought to break down how much it would cost if we made these treats at home (note: I did not take into account electricity or water usage). After that we added up how much we spent if we dined out for treats & compared to how much it is I we made them at home. And how much we could save. Why could we spend it on instead that would add more value (saving for Japan next year).


Dining out 

*I limit my social outings that I may be tempted to spend big. I do adore dinners out with friends. I just tone down the drinking out afterwards. Alcohol does add up. I have invested in the entertainment book (its so worth it!!). I went out with some of my mums group for dinner Friday night & it saved us $34 off the bill with the use of the entertainment card.
*I have been known to bring a container to take leftovers home too :)). Nothing better than having lunch sorted the next day.
*If I do a day catch up, I tend to go do coffee catch ups over brunch. 1 coffee + muffin = $10 compared to 1 brunch + coffee = $20 upwards... I do have a Dome & San Churros loyalty card too (on memory I think its the 10th coffee free).

Style

*I like fabulous clothes as much as the next fashionista although Im far from one lol. My wardrobe is 85% preloved. Any purchase I make I ask myself "Will I wear this 30 times?" If the answer is no, I leave it behind. Im glad I waited on impulse buying a check blazer as I found my dream blazer in Salvation Army for all of $2.
*Utilise "Facebook marketplace" and "Facebook buy nothing" pages. I manage to get a box of clothes for Dylan off there for free.
*At the start of every year, I write in the Bindaring Red Cross warehouse op shop sale in. I hit this up to add any lust  haves into my wardrobe. I got the most delicious green check pants (currently worn once weekly).
*Dylan lives in Kobes handmedowns.
*Kobe has been lucky to be given handmedowns from his mate Sol (I say my thanks with fresh mangoes from my mum's tree during mango season). I top up his wardrobe with op shop buys. Anglicare in Fremantle has a curated store of preloved brands. I have picked up a bunch of Adidas & Nike tops for him for $3-$6 & in mint condition.
*I also take a look when Salvation army has 5 for $5 kids clothing.

Gifts

*I have asked my ex to go halves in any gifts for any parties our kids are invited to.

Entertainment

*A friend of mine can get me discounted Hoyts tickets so I utilise them if I want to take my boys to the movies (we have only been twice in 6 months).
I also pack bulk snacks. Nothing taste sweeter than home-made popcorn that costs less than $1 to make.
*I organise free park/ scooter park playdates over paid playcentre dates if the weather is sunny.
*Last year I enrolled Dylan into a playgroup which costs $30 a term (roughly $3 a session).
*My ex neighbour Kym recommended a local toddler gym, & sessions are only $5. Bonus you are able to bring your own snacks as opposed to buying them from the usual overpriced in-house snack bar.
*Taking up a low cost hobby. I am adoring cross stitch at the moment. I have been furiously pinning ideas on Pinterest. I was so lucky to find a giant wad of cross stitch fabric at an op shop for an absolute bargain & it will get me thru many craft projects. For a house warming gift for a friend who has everything she is excited for me to sew a Zombie themed cross stitch for her gift. I am so close to finishing.
*Borrowing books from the library every week.

The main tip I can give is living below your budget/means. Going without if you can't afford something and always look for a cheaper alternative.

Love to hear how you keep costs down.
Happy Saturday friends!!

Things to make and gift this Christmas

If your like me and get the nervous sweats heading to the main shopping centres I have done a round up of things I am making at home this Christmas or have made previous Christmas's to gift.

*I had so much fun rediscovering cross-stitch (my new mindful activity) and sewing reusable stocking gift tags for the boys and family. We are loving the Grinch this year.

*Kobe and I made his class cards and gifts this year. This was a mammoth task and had to be done in a few stages; painting stencil onto cardboard (from cereal boxes etc), cutting up scraps of fabric and card then glueing it on, stamping brown paper bags and making chocolate crackle. Kobe whinged for tv the whole time... But was delighted once they were finished.

*Bird seed hangers. My neighbours and a couple mum friends at school and close friends are getting some bird seed feeders with an upcycled gift card (I cut up last years card to make a tiny gift card).

*DIY bon bons with activity sheet and homemade crown (or a crown saved from previous Christmas lol). This year we are using the wrappers from Who gives a crap toilet paper.

*Beeswax wraps. I went to a class earlier this year to learn how to make this. I did not realize how easy it was. All you need is scrap fabric (or christmas fabric would look amazing!!), grated beeswax, towel and iron. You place the grated beeswax over the fabric. Cover with the towel or tea towel and iron. Then it takes less then a couple minutes to dry. And goodbye gladwrap!!

*There are so many great options to make food to gift; preserved lemons, lemon curd, jam, cookies, cake, gingerbread cookies, chocolate crackles, rocky road, coconut roughs, the choice is endless. Just make sure of any allergies or dietary requirements first. Its no use giving someone on a diet a upcycled jar full of sugary treats.

*Clay ornaments. This was a messy exercise but Im happy with how they turned out.  All that is left for the kids is to paint them. There are also some dough recipes online but they will disintegrate over time. I used Crayola air dry clay.

*With the plastic bag ban in full swing and if you have basic sewing skills, make a boomerang cloth bag. You can never have enough reusable bags.

*Santa sacks. Grab some Christmas fabric and cut into shape of a pillowcase (leave around 3cm for stitch length) and sew. I made my boys a few to store grandparents gifts in.

Well I hope you got some handy ideas. I would love to hear what you are making and gifting this year.

Happy Tuesday friends:)

Grace

Raw Kitchen cafe & Zero waste shop

Its very rare that I rave about a shop as I really hate shopping (unless its op shopping lol). I frequently go to Fremantle so Im delighted that there is a zero waste shop that sells minimal waste practical things like reusable menstrual products, minimal waste beauty products (Im currently testing the "Dirty hippie" lipstick/blusher & "Lip therapy" lip balm , I love how the packaging is cardboard which I will cut to tiny pieces & compost after I have used the product fully), kitchenware, natural kids toys, low waste bathroom products, healthy cookbooks, cloth bags, salt lamps & essential oils. The only downer is the nearby Queensgate car park is closed for renovations so finding a car park nearby can be tricky. 

I have a weakness for stainless steel bento lunchboxes, Kobe uses one for school morning tea & Dylan uses one for out & about (as well as a Tupperware bento box for their lunches). You cant put juicy food in the stainless steel bento boxes as it seeps thru & no child wants a soggy sandwich tasting of watermelon to eat so the stainless steel bento boxes are perfect for dry food only.

They have a great range of stainless steel straws, reusable teabags, beeswax wraps, water filters & natural compostable kitchen scrubbers.

Plastic toys will always be made, just as well that these "Green toys" products are produced with recycled plastic milk jugs & are very sturdy. Dylan was given the sand toy set a couple years ago & it has survived 2 summers so far. No cracking or sun damage as yet.

 I was first introduced to "The Raw Kitchen" by my clean eating friend Chevaun a few years back (when it was just a cafe).  I love how clever the owners were to combine a plant based café with a zero waste shop, a yoga lab & also pop up workshops. When the owners Emma & Heath moved to their current location in the warehouse they stripped back the walls to expose the brick giving off that raw industrial look. The booth seats are actually salvaged from old buses & the tin cutlery holders once stored food oil.

 My friend Christine & I ordered the zucchini bolognaise (it had a lingering after taste of olives I didn't mind but if you did, I would skip this dish) & the mushroom gnocchi which was delicious (but a little bit petite), I salivated over the creamy walnut sauce. Naturally I went for something sweet after dinner, the hazelnut torte. So chocolatey & filling too. If you have leftovers, they place your food in cardboard containers (or you could bring your own container).

If your after food free of addictives, preservatives, refined carbohydrates, cane sugars or processed then this cafe is for you. There are lots of nuts in their dishes so beware those of you with a nut allergy.

Happy Sunday friends!
Grace

9 Low waste Easter ideas

In a just under a week, the Easter bunny will be hopping his way around households dropping off chocolate eggs & an abundance of goodies. If your looking to downsize your waste, here are a few easy tips I shall be implementing.

1. Reuse the same bunny ears, masks, plush toys & baskets every year. I have a box marked "Easter" that I store in my laundry cupboard to bring out every Easter to reuse the same props year after year. We also opt out of easter gift bags & any trimmings.

2. Bake your own hot cross buns or bring a cloth bag to the bakery. That one plastic bag out of landfill makes a massive difference.

3. Bulkfood shops (like Wasteless Pantry in Mundaring or Source bulk foods in Victoria Park) have an abundance of loose chocolate & even Easter eggs for sale if you want to forgo the wrapper. Coles also have a section where you can buy some snack foods & nuts package free. You just need to ask a staff member to tare your container so your not paying for the weight of it. Or bring a paper bag.

4. Op shops are a good source to find bunny ears, costumes, soft easter plush at a fraction of the cost. All it takes is some washing first. I have some Golden egg books that are bunny themed I bought Kobe 5 years ago still going strong & now loved by Dylan.

5. Keep all your foil wrapper, then bunch them up & once they are tennisball size you can recycle as normal in your recycle bin.

6. For family gatherings. Each family brings a dish or 2 to share, split leftovers & compost scraps.

7. For toddlers, you could take them to an animal farm instead, make some homemade play dough or download the "egg surprise app" on your iPad.

8. For 4-10 year olds, you could gift money, books, a movie ticket, bake bunny shaped cookies or do some dyeing of eggs.

9. Spread out the easter joy. I really don't want my boys overindulging this easter so they were brought gelato by my sister last week as an early easter gift, my dad is gifting them money, my mum has taken them to a garden maze with mini golf & Lukes parents will do the Easter egg hunt whilst Luke & I have bought Kobe a search it bunny book & Dylan a Easter sticker book (pictured above).

I hope you all got a tip or 2 out of this post & feel feel to share any more tips in the comment below.

Happy Tuesday friends!
Grace

16 minimal waste Valentine ideas

Luke & I shall be skipping the boxed chocolate, oversized stuffed bear, diamonds & flowers this Valentine’s Day & embracing one of these ideas. (Please note most of these ideas are catered to Perth, WA but there may be similar places in your area).

For the romantics
*Gin gin observatory- for something different view the night sky with state of the art telescopes. Located over an hour out of Perth. Open Friday & Saturday nights, bookings are essential.
*Or you could name a star for your beloved.
*Ballet at the Quarry (you will score extra brownie points). (Photo above)
*Dinner out somewhere special; Nobu & Neho are tops for Asian food!!
*Write a poem.
*Laze on a beach whispering sweet nothings to each other at Penguin Island. Or you could join a yoga session (bookings essential).

For the adventurous
*Hiking at Serpentine national park (photo above taken at Serpentine falls).
*Climbing jacobs ladder.
*Shooting guns at Lonestar (we have been before & it’s loud & a bit overwhelming for me).
*A date at the WACA (you will score extra brownie points).

For the budget conscious
*Pack a picnic at Araluen botanical park (everyone will surely be at kings park).
*Website minimalist baker has a plenty of healthy sweet recipes for you to make.
*Cake cafe “Greens & Co” in Leederville. Something for every taste bud. The ceiling is covered in lanterns which provide a lovely ambience.
*Break out some board games (ok I do love a board game but not for all).
*Complete a crossword together or better yet design your own crossword with the answers of all your partners favourite things. You can also check out the range online here (header crossword is from this site).
*A sunset walk along the beach.

And most importantly appreciate each other.

Happy Sunday friends!
Grace ox

The sharing economy

*Gratefully receiving bulk handmedowns for both boys (thank you Michelle & Sam! and Belinda for the cloth nappies! ox)

*Passing on outgrown clothes, toys, rockers, highchair.

*Abundance of homegrown passionfruit, mandarins, oranges, mangoes & lemons going back & forth between friends so none is wasted.

*Welcoming empty Moccona jars to be reused (thanks Louie!)

*Being kept in the loop on sustainable events & hacks (thanks Kym & Kaysey!)

*Community gardens welcoming anyone to learn about gardening, to be involved in their community & even peruse their compost bins.

*Checking the mail for neighbours whilst away.

*Letting someone push in line at the checkout because waiting that extra 5 minutes is A-ok (this time lol).

*Wanting the best life for my boys & paying it forward by volunteering time to help at a local op shop/ foodbank to help those struggling to get back on their feet to have the best life they possibly can too.

*Friends & families getting in on it & clearing out their pantry's to stock up the foodbank.

*Gifting a care package for someone doing it tough.

It really is the season to be jolly & grateful that so many people are getting on board with sharing excess stuff with people who can use it without expecting anything in return.

Happy Wednesday friends!!

Grace

Adventures with DIY dyeing

I was determined not to buy Kobe a new school hat to replace his faded hat from last year, it turned from a navy blue to a faded grey (I blame harsh uv rays from the sun). And a kind friend gave me a Spotlight voucher to use so I bought some fabric dye. I would of loved to experiment with dyeing with nature but unfortunately nothing is naturally blue, the closest I could think of is blueberries which is purple which isn't the school colour ( Although I could easy dye my clothes with spaghetti, I could just put it on Dylan then feed him lol).

So I settled on Rite dye in a navy blue. I found a couple pieces of stained clothing that could also be frreshened up with a new colour. I love the shorts, the cut is so abstract, it's just a pity Kobe had a blood nose & wiped his nose straight on them. The white shirts had stains on them.

Dyeing wasn't as easy as I first thought & I'm not sure if I will attempt this ever again. Even though I may redye the shorts if I do another attempt.

I'm lucky I had a stock pot which I use to mix diy laundry powder which I could use to soak the clothes in. I had to sacrifice a bowl to mix the dye in hot water before it goes in the stockpot.

Another thing I had to buy was plastic gloves, which I have washed & will reuse as cleaning gloves to get more use out of them. I had some elastic bands (from vegetables like baby carrots & broccolini) which I tied to the shirts to get the tie dye effect.

I stuffed way too many things in the stock pot & didn't stir enough so the dye came out unevenly which was ok with the tie dye as it was that effect anyway. The hat miraculously turned out ok. The shorts I was hoping were going to be an even colour but were patchy:(

The packet instructions said to wash under warm to cold water the excess dye but instead I washed outfront with hose quickly then left in rain to wash out excess dye.

I worried if sweated the dye would leach onto skin but so far in this heat, no blue stains on the skin.

According to here, the carbon footprint of a t-shirt is 20 times that of its weight. Considering how much resources it takes to make a new garment; taking into account water to grow crops, energy to manufacture t-shirt & fuel to transport a cotton garment. It was more sustainable to dye these items then buy new. It will be even better if I could naturally dye them. The dye chemical ingredients were sodium chloride, anionic & nonionic surfactants & I have a tiny patch in the garden that I poured the excess chemicals onto. Its where I also pour the oils/fats from the kitchen & dirty water from soaking nappies, I did not pour to pour these into the drain). I shall be experimenting with more stained clothing in the future dyeing naturally with coloured flowers & anything of colour I find in nature.

I would love to hear your dyeing/upcycling stories.

Happy Sunday friends!
Grace

Living on a tiny budget

It's another year of me tightening the purse strings of this family of 4 on 1 income so that we can save for a holiday & also be able to dine out where possible. Here's a few pointers if your also reevaluating your budget. And I would love to hear your tips!

Food
*I will be meal planning lunch, dinners & snacks every 2-3 days to elimate bought lunches or impulse buys at the shops.
*Using whats in my pantry. Basing recipes around ingredients I already have. Food wastage is the number 1 item binned in our house.
*Eating leftovers or freezing them for another day. I definitely need to work on getting creative with leftovers.
*If we dine out at a restaurant or cafe, I will pack a take home container incase I have leftovers. Instead of wasting food if we don't finish a meal, we may have lunch sorted for next day. It's also worth it to see in getting an entertainment book or going in with a friend or family member to receive discounts at eateries.
*Attempting to grow more herbs and vegetables. We sadly only got a small amount of beans, potatoes, silverbeet & tomatoes last year. I have a brown thumb but maybe 2017 is my year...
*Gifting excess produce, we were lucky enough to receive excess passionfruit, lemons & mangoes last year from family & friends.. I also plan to go here to this produce swap to check it out.

Clothes
*I will be trying my hardest & going without buying new the lastest fashion & instead opt for preloved threads (but not underwear). I am being realistic & allowing 4 slips up of new items for the year but I'm hoping I will find a happy substitute on Ebay.
*Upcycling & mending my clothes. Earth Carers hosts every Saturday a crafty mend season for gold coin entry. There is also a craft session at Yangebup with crèche for charge if you need little ones looked after on Tuesday's afternoon during school term.
*I found Kobe some new school uniform shorts at an opshop & saved about $22. I'm hoping I can find some secondhand shirts at the uniform shop.
*Dylan will be wearing mostly hand me downs from Kobe bar some new clothes he received at Christmas.
*At Easter instead of chocolate, I'm asking grandparents for pajamas for the boys. They will def receive chocolate as well.
*We use half cloth nappies & cloth pads (to save buying bulk disposable ones). It's not for everyone & the majority of people cringe at having to launder sh1tty nappies & bloody pads (including myself). But hey it's even dirtier putting your disposables into landfill & letting it sit there for aeons until it disentegrates. Out of sight shouldn't mean out of mind when it comes to your personal rubbish into landfill.

Entertainment
*Embracing the local library- we rely fortnightly to borrow books & dvds. I joined up with 2. Plus I let Kobe watch abc iview or you tube on the free wifi. It's a bonus that there are free workshops & kids events. Instead of buying magazines I borrow titles like Australian traveller, Delicious & Vogue magazines which save me around $150 a year.
*Free kids entertainment; like Froggys on the green & parks. If your kids are into recycling or fire engines def go to this & this (thank you Kym for letting me know about the fire engines).
*Using any coupons from this free kids pamphlet, Lets go kids.
*Buying preloved where possible. Over the years, I have found duplo, activity books, reading books, puzzles all at tiny fraction of what they are new.

(Lastest thrifted bargains are these Teletubby sheets & 3 Teletubbies for $6.50).

*The hardest thing at the moment is teaching the value of a dollar to Kobe as he is going thru a want it now "toys phase" (damn you Grossery gang!!!). So he started a cleaning business for grandparents 😭.Where he wrote down all jobs he can do for a $1 a job (which is the blog header photo). And has boxed up some old toys (mostly Dylan's toys he has outgrown) that "mummy will sell at markets" (at some point).

Home
*I sewed curtains from op shop fabric for my loungeroom a couple years back & lined with thermal lining & when I find enough fabric at the opshop for the boys room I will sew some for them too.
*Placing a bucket in the shower to collect cold water, which will supplement herb garden.
*Sleep timer on tv incase I/Luke fall asleep infront of it . Better yet turn appliances off at wall when not in use.
*Using a fan instead of air conditioning.
*Utilizing the back of paper to write shopping lists, Kobe's recipes/drawings.
*Verge collection; councils usually organize this twice a year. I have seen many a great thing on the side of the road, I have scavenged a booster chair & artists board which both needed a good clean but otherwise perfect working order.

I hope you found some useful tips here.
Happy Friday friends!
Grace

The joy of bakeswaps

Put your hands up if you hate baking/cooking & the mountain of dirty dishes that come with it. Me me me!!! But you need a variety of snacks to feed constantly hungry children. Enter genius idea of asking a few kindy mums if they would be interested in doing a weekly bakeswap where we all bring something to share. Hence sorting my dilemma & only having to bake one thing but getting a variety of goodies in return. I do admit to sneaking some for morning tea while Kobe is at kindy lol but I do remember to put aside some for him. I started this in term 3 I think & have never been happier.

Here are a few snaps of some deliciousness that I photographed before it was devoured.

Muesli bars

Kobe has just started it to eat muesli bars.

 

 

Crumble

 

 

Passionfruit slice

 

Apple carrot cake

(I borrowed Belinda's bakeswap recipe & added some icing. I make this every week for my boys who love it).

 

I must admit on a lazy bakeweek on grabbing my mums homemade springrolls & passing them off as I made them. Shhh... Or my safe option is usually lamingtons as everybody loves that sugary treat. And this week Im being sneaky & using a packet mix but adding fruit to it to look made from scratch lol.

Hopefully I didn't make you too hungry.
Happy Wednesday's friends!
Grace

PS. The top relish was cauliflower that my lovely mummy friend Kaysey made.

12 days of kindness

Wanting to do something different than an advent calender for Kobe. I remembered The 14 acts of kindness list I made for Kobe a few months back & thought we could continue the good deeds theme. Then my good friend Haelee past on this article about kindness elves that I thought yes Im going to have a kindness elf drop off notes for 12 days of December that Kobe can carry out to spread the Christmas cheer. I tried to even out the deeds between charitable deeds, some that benefited me (you can easily guess those ones hee hee:)) & some crafty ones to keep it fun for him.

Good deeds.
* Prepare & donate a Christmas cheer box.
* Give a gift to a disadvantaged child (via the Kmart wishing tree, we do this every year:)).
* Make with love some Christmas cards to give to friends.
* Spell mummy & draw a picture of mummy.
* Be courteous & don't disturb your brother while he is eating & sleeping.
* Support a local business (we are going to choose a real (but small) Christmas tree from a Christmas tree farm).
* Donate a bag of toys.
* Bake treats to share with friends (It shall be gingerbread cookies ofcourse).
* Collect toiletries to give to the homeless.
* Do something kind for the environment.
* Say thank you to your teachers for all they do.
* Make cookies for Santa's reindeers to say thank you for helping Santa deliver toys.

I wrote the notes on tiny pieces of paper & placed them in numbered wooden boxes which Kobe opens daily. He is obsessed with letters & spelling at the moment so he is loving this activity. Im going to make it an annual tradition & get Dylan involved too when he is old enough.

 

 

Happy Saturday friends!

Grace

Core values

Something to grow

Something borrowed

Something handmade

Something preloved
Something to share

 

Other than trying to nurture my kidlets in being people who are kind, honest & mindful. I try to live my life incorporating these core values too.

 

Something to grow; Kobe & I are growing a number of herbs & vegetables in our garden bed & we are about to add pumpkin, cucumber & marigolds. I get Kobe to help plant the seeds then tend to them by watering & then picking.
Something borrowed; I like to make fortnightly trips to the library & borrow anything decent. Currently skimming the pages of The honest life. Kobe borrows out a couple items per trip as well, it teaches him we don't need to buy every book/dvd & to look after things that aren't ours.
Something handmade; I love nothing more than throwing myself into a creative project like these calico bags to store bought mushrooms in (& to save me putting them into brown paper bags at the shop).
Something preloved; Kobe loves repeating the mantra "reduce, renew, recycle" so it if we can rescue anything of use (like these toy dinosaurs which are perfect for outdoor play) we will. I also instilled in him how important it is to donate anything of quality we don't need to charity shops & why.
Something to share;  It must be love when I share anything sweet. I made this dirt dessert (caramel yoghurt, biscuit bits, sprinkles of ovaltine, topped with nasturtiums & a carrot top from the garden) for my grubby child.

What are your core values & how do you incorporate them into your life?

Happy Thursday friends!

Grace