free living challenge - 'it's over' wrap up

 a belated happy easter to you all!  with family visiting and the subsequent recovery time for me i'm a little delayed in this final post for this challenge.

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

my final days of free living joy....

quite a lovely time to have this challenge end. easter when we celebrate the amazing act of Jesus in his sacrifice for us to live free from our brokeness in a personal relationship with God.  and anzac day when we celebrate the sacrifice of our fellow Australians and New Zealanders for us to live free in our amazing country. 

for all Australians i feel anzac day is one of the most spiritual experiences no matter what your faith and belief.  went to our local dawn service. there is a beautiful peace, thankfulness and feeling of community at these services. 

other easter/anzac weekend free living adventures included....

gardened.... with the help of my gorgeous nephew...

my first attempt at hot cross buns.  hmmm... need to find the right recipe for gluten free flour!! bit of a 'the blob' look happening...

made dolls clothes from my collection of materials for a rubber doll my mum picked up for my nephew who's younger brother is due in august...  so cool to see him cuddle 'his baby'.

made some herb bouquets for some friends...
the rain has turned my parsley and coriander into super bushes taking over my carrot and radish rows!

and enjoyed the overcast, rainy days. picnics in the car were a favourite of mine in the last days of april... just had to get out of the house. was lovely to go and sit at different sites around town to take in the weather...

and there we have it.  free living challenge for lent in 2011 complete...
with only 1 or 2 little hiccups!

it's given me a focus of being more creative with the resources i have around my house - in cooking, creating, in giving... i've really enjoyed going back to hand made gifts of sewing projects, hand made cards, extra vegies or herbs from my garden and pickle or jam creations.

i've become more aware of how i spend my time and now get out and about more... whether it be for walks or rides, to be more intentional with time spent with wonderful people through my week and being more aware of what is happening in my community... for free events to get out to and for ways to be involved in looking after the people and environment in which i live.

contentment is something i believe we are all searching for.  i hope sharing my adventures and thoughts through this journey has made you think about where you find fulfillment in life.

i look forward to sharing more of my days with you. sending you blessings for your week and year ahead, nais. x.

free living challenge - day 8&7... home days

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

was family dinner and nan & pa's.  the familiarity of family. the weekly ice-cream brand debate... the rare sharing of past memories from nan & pa's upbringing... such a lovely evening sitting round the kitchen table just sharing life. so good to be able to do this every week.

bit of a dreary weekend down my way.  indoor adventures were the order of the day.

my other joyous moments came from...

a spontaneous decision friday night to have a garage sale over the weekend while school holidayers were in town. the good old cardboard signs worked a treat! what a great feeling to sit back at the end of the day and have the bonus of a slightly emptier, clearer house and a few more dollars back in the wallet. i'm getting a lot  better of letting go of things and being realistic about what we need in the house.

these little guys kept me company... smarties were the treat of the morning...

we won't comment on the stereotypical gender status of these characters.... funny that my hubby is going to be a teacher and we had a female ambulance office stop by the garage sale. :)

did decide to keep a couple of things from my market boxes to grace my shelves...

got my rummage cases out starting to get ready for the may brissy suitcase rummage. took way to much stuff last time. decided next month's cases will be filled vintage sheet squares and clothing only. kiss. oh i find it hard letting go of some cute sheets! but i do oh so enjoy sharing the love with other crafters.

with only one more week to go of this challenge i am stoked and excited.  i miss my op shop adventures and think the goal of finding a better balance of my shopping hobbies and finding some free adventures through my week will be a natural progression after these free living days. 

how's this for timing... forget the wallet, this could be my reward!! there is a vintage market being held in a community hall down the road over the easter long weekend! i might limit myself to one dress or skirt to practice the self discipline and balance i aim to keep for my future. :)

free living challenge - day 9

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

my afternoon ride.

saw this little guy and identified with him... just sitting alone, chilling, enjoying the warm afternoon.

bit too early for happy hour...
he's waiting for all the galahs who hang out there later on every afternoon after 4.
funny thing is its right opposite the rsl. :)

had some ups and downs this week with some things not going as smoothly as hoped and other unexpected things causing further upset.  chilling by myself has been therapeutic and needed indeed. 

they say habit and behaviour change takes over 30days... can be up to 60.  i have definitely noticed a difference in how i look at my days since starting this challenge and find it so rewarding to look for projects round home and ways to enjoy my town and the people in it, in no cost creative ways.

the other highlight of my day was dropping over to a friends place for a cold drink and watermelon. i've found myself much more comfortable dropping round for a cuppa or for no reason at all living in my beachside town. different to my old city life where a cafe or a meal out and about was necessary for a catch up. definitely saving some money now days.  and finding the real community of visiting in each others homes so much more fulfilling.

my challenge for the day? book in a drop-in at a friend or neighbours home in coming weeks. enjoy each others company for no other reason then sharing life together.

wishing you a relaxing, revitalising weekend. nais.x.

could this be it?

been looking for a new wallet for a while now....

been following beach vintage blog for a while now too and browsed her online store today.

i think i've found it!

definately suits my floral obsession. not usually a pink girl but the colours in the fabric balance it out for me.

maybe a little reward for me following the end of my  free-living challenge? :)

free living challenge - day 10

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

came from more sewing fun. a quiet day at home today.  searched some of my sewing books and came across this cushion pattern that i've been wanting to give a go for a while.

made it to go with the quilt i've started for my sister. all recycled materials (and button) salvaged from opshops.
buttons are to be my new op shop obsession i think!

doesn't appear to be much but this is my full days sewing results!  i hold onto the hope that as i get more and more practice it won't take me so long to produce such a creation. sat back quite stoked with myself. however if i was getting paid would wish it to be per hour and not per cushion!!

free living challenge - day 11

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

continuing my current cushion cover fetish. decided to save some fun t-shirt prints from the rag pile and use them as features on cushions.  great for something a bit different and to continue the life of pieces that have sentimental value like one from my hubby's travels. there's been a thrifting vs hoarding theme this week on a few blogs... vic at punk & me blogged about the benefits of hoarding today... and erica louise from recycled fashion blogged about the fine line between thrifting and hoarding earlier in the week.

i'm glad i can prove my hubby wrong that you can never have enough potential materials around the house! he's quite impressed with these creations. so yes, past spending was necessary for this no-cost project in recent weeks. maybe i just have to find a bit more of a balance with my spending hobbies in the future. :)

however as my goal exceeds my skills these may stay in this state until i master piping and zippers!!

spent a lovely sunshining morning at the beach watching the dolphins, taking some pics and picking up rubbish along the way.  have been thinking for a while now about creating a beach junk sculpture or sign to hang at the beach entry round holiday time when tourists numbers are at their peak to make a statement about personal responsibility with rubbish and our overuse of plastics.  only 2 bags of rubbish picked up at the beach today. seems april holidayers are better then new-years holidayers!

the start of my collection for my future creation...

not sure how hubby will feel about my collecting rubbish however!!

overall a very satisfying day. :)

free living challenge - day 12

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy... came from...

lunch. brown rice with greens (all from my garden!) salad with honey/lemon/soy dressing. yum. so great to be starting to reap the rewards of my first 6months of vegie gardening. i've been off work for a few weeks recently and have had fun getting creative living from my cupboard and garden instead of buying lunch or dropping to the shop for more exciting ingredients in the spirit of this challenge.

and one of my favourite things to do which we never do enough... picnic in the backyard chilling with hubby in the cool of the evening waiting for the stars to come out. where ever my rug is, a picnic can be.

i have great plans for my rug and me. pulling it out and sitting in the peace of nature always clears my head and brigthens my day. being still can be such a challenge in our busy lives.  i've noticed i avoid being still by distracting myself with tv, dvds, gardening, sewing, organising... and previously shopping... to avoid thinking through some tough things on my mind.

i challenge you to take a moment out sometime this week to be still and settle your mind in a favourite spot in your world. sit, breath, enjoy. :)

free living challenge - catch up... day 34-13!!

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

joy from past days...

got a lot to summarise in today's free living post.

have to confess... i visited my mum a couple of weekends ago and our favourite thing to do is op shop together. so we went to 1 store... only 1!  i'm now 27 and she still treats me with 'just coz' spending money to make me feel special. love you mum.

so what have i been up to?

i organised up my sewing space...

love watching the weather out the side door...

the space is about 2.5ms sq... have all ready decided this is not enough space! i've already filled 3 lots of shelving with materials i've had around the house.

have had a play making my own pattern for some of my own softie creations... hmmm... need more practice for consistency!!

and started making some quiltes... discovered i love sewing much more than hand needlework!

 

and made some practical things like bread bags from old linen tea-towels. very impressed with these. we go through a home-made loaf of bread in 2-4days. it stays moist in these bags for that time. they would dry out and be only good for toast after 2days using our old recycled plastic bag method. definately an improvement.
(yes yes, i'm a queenslander through and through!! squeezing a bit of QLD love into our very NSW dominant family!!)

have enjoyed the growth of my peppermint plant being able to pick a few fresh leaves and make my own peppermint tea. so lovely.

and of course there have been many bike rides to the beach...

the other most fun adventure was my sister-in-law's wedding where i got to play with flowers and decorating... could do it every weekend!  as i said in my flower joy post a few days ago, so lovely being able to go to the farm where the flowers were growing, pick them with a group of great girls and play with them the night before the wedding for bouquets and vases for the reception. here are some more pics for you...

such a lovely location. yamba shores tavern.  if you're ever in the area, i recommend a look-see. its a lovely spot on the river.  we were there at sunrise (yes ohmygoodness) on the day of the wedding and then there at night for the reception. just as good feel at night.

phew!  great to be able to share my adventures with you. 

would love to hear of some of your free-living adventures.  we can't always achieve it but i think there is a greater sense of fulfillment when we are able to fill our day with nature, with family and friends, with simplicity and free joy. i challenge you to look for a way to simplify your adventures this week. then share it with others and maybe you'll inspire another one or two. blessings, nais.

free living challenge - day 35... home of homes

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

was enjoying my parents garden in a misty toowoomba morning.

growing up in this house from the time i was about 13... my sister and i helped with renovations, painting, gardening... i have such fond memories of coming home from school, sitting on the back steps and chatting to mum and dad as they gardened.  a piece of my heart will always be with this house.  have taken some pics to share with you of some of my favourite corners of this home of mine...

and my most favourite corner of all to visit... my brother beau... the son my dad never had...

home is where the heart is. and visiting my folks and my old puppy dog gave a lift to my heart that nothing else can.  hope you can visit those places that fill your heart sometime soon. blessings.

free living challenge - day 36... doily joy

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

came from a fabulous girls night in with my mum... read through some mags, had left over home made pizza... AND... browsed through her doily collection... sourced from her local op shops in toowoomba... didn't realise she had so many!  

here are some pics...

she has ideas for these for cushions, quilts... but she doesn't sew!! i think she just needs to start learning but she's want's to recruit the help of her sister.  we'll have to wait and see what these lovely finds turn into. if only i lived closer! we'd have such fun. :)

not difficult to guess where i got my love of op shopping and all things vintage from!

free living challenge - day 37

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

easy to avoid spending temptations today... spent half of it driving to visit family!

reading is the joy of today.  thought i'd bring you some reviews of my favourite books of the moment...

ordered this magazine a while ago and it arrived this morning... love those knocks on the door for deliveries!
its more than a just a mag... organic gardener essential guides - this was the first of 3 that are now available. great gardening resource for things like pest management, planting/variety/season/climate advice, pruning techniques... first one released was 'getting started', then there is 'fruit' and 'vegies a-z'. 

  

' vegies a-z' is available in newsagencies now and you can order the previous guides online here.

other books on my bed side table for reading this week are...

recent op shop book finds...

for $2 each these were a bargin! there are a few recipes that a bit different from those in my nanna's recipe book in preserve and pickles....  will bring you some of those recipes when i've had a chance to try them out.... things like strawberry and vanilla jam... yum.   claire garland's knit and purl pets are very cute! found out yesterday that my sister is expecting my second nephew... oh how exciting!  i love having excuses to make cute kids toys.  my knitting skills are basic at best but this could be something fun to attempt in coming weeks with the focus of this challenge! have some bamboo wool at home that i'd love to use.

something i have not done in years... since uni days i guess... is utilise libraries for interest reading and resources.  i guess in our online world, searching the net for resources is our first instinct... however i still love having hard copies of books to flick through in my fav comfy seat and a sunny corner... and when i need to refresh my gardening knowledge or tips for a new crafty hobby to pick it off the shelf and read through rather than having to switch the computer on.

have utilsed my husband's uni library recently to check out some sewing books i've seen recommended in other books i've bought in the past few months...  this is one of them...



and might i say a fabulous layout of sewing techniques, machine problem solving etc... from one recommendation i'm searching for a pre 1978 version to buy for  my own collection.  i'm enjoying getting into the second hand books stores recently. much more fun then turning to amazon or book depository. however if i don't source the right version i may have to resort to that.

we moved recently and going through all our stuff makes you realise how much you have and having really utilised its potential. our books are definitely something i need to use more... to spend the time to read them cover to cover and then be able to turn back to them when needed now that i'd know what advice they hold. how am i to know what wonders then have inside if i haven't spent this time?!

hope this inspires you to delve into a wonderful book that has sat undiscovered for too many days. blessings to all for a lovely weekend.

free living challenge - day 38

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

pretty quiet day today so not much to report.

fav photo of the past 24hrs.... sunset from our front yard...

spent some time running errands and watching dvds...

and then hand sewed my 'handy sandy'.... figured since she's pink and all, 'handy dandy' wasn't quite the appropriate name. :)

now to source wheat and dried lavender...
forgot to add instructions for using 'handy dandy' as a wheat heat pack. have now updated that post.

happy friday all. :)

free living challenge - day 39

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

cleaning chores were the order of the day.  our kids got their bowl cleaned too... as far as i could tell blossom and shark are happy with my efforts.

continued working in the stationary theme for this week.  made some cards out of some cardboard boxes we had lying around with fun pictures from old calenders and magazines.

and made some postcards - some with space to put in a black and white picture of home. 
for the lined area sourced some unused pages from last years diary.  my husband keeps everything and eventually i find a use for it. we're a good team. :)



a satisfying day all round today. i've discovered i don't find cleaning gives me a rewarding feeling but knowing it does for my husband makes it all worth while.  after making the cards i went searching round the house for gifts i can send to friends and family to brighten up their days. created a fun afternoon!

happy hump day all... its downhill to the weekend from here!

free living challenge - day 40

goal... to abstain from spending hobbies - to focus on finding daily joy in no cost living.

today's joy...

finished off my envelopes

started to make a handy dandy for my mum... i'll need to grab some of her lavender to include in the wheat pack...

  

my ride today took me along the river through the national park... had it all to myself today.  and who said a cruiser isn't an off road bike?!

  

 

and was able to snap pics of these little guys... they appear on mass at low tide at the river... its so fun to chase them as you can out-run them unlike other ones you see at the beach.

a quiet day today but a little brigther than yesterday. didn't miss shopping at all today. and found some online sewing courses I can do in coming months. excitement plus!