Easter Parcels

Would you be happy to receive one of these?


I have just finished popping together a few little treat bags for some colleagues for tomorrow, before we separate for the Easter long weekend. It is almost midnight here.

Talk about last minute :)

Hopefully, you are more organised than I am and have already started to prepare your little parcels, baskets, egg hunts, cards, and other wee little treats you have planned for this festive occasion.

I got this idea from Tara Dennis's Easter page. She has a number of really cute and relatively frugal ideas for gifting during the Easter season. I saw her little "Bunny Bags", and thought that it seemed like just the thing for me. Of course, I never follow recipes or instructions to the letter, so added my own little spin on it.

First of all, you need to get your tools and bits-and-bobs together...

For the parcels:
Decorative paper
Cellophane bags
Scissors


For the tags:
Black card (pre-cut into tags shape of your choice)
Hole punch
White-out pen to write name
Cotton/twine/ribbon to tie tag


Once you're organised, measure the size of your cellophane bags and cut out squares/rectangles of paper large enough to fold around the bag. I folded mine in half and glued the sides together to make little pouches - think envelope without the flap.


Next, you'll want to get your sweets ready. Because I'm making about 10 of these in total - some for work and a few for close friends, I wanted the portions to be even. I divided my sweets into 10 cups to make sure everything was correct, and so that eggs didn't go rolling about all over the place.


Once I was happy with portions, I placed one of the cellophane bags inside my paper parcel.


Fold the open edges inside - staple the cellophane bag closed if needed, and punch with a single hole punch. To make sure the contents don't go spilling out, make sure you pierce the cellophane bag as well as both sides of the paper wrapping.

Thread with cotton/twine/ribbon and tag, and you're done!

Oh yes - but make sure you label your tags first. It might be a bit tricky once you've already tied it to your little pressie :)


And the lovely thing is that you can apply this principal to gift wrapping for any occasion. I just love these little tags and use them everywhere. Take a look at what I've used them for in the past :)

Well, given that the clock is just ticking over to midnight now, I'd say I'm done! I've got a few posts planned for the weekend; we've been very busy at home these last couple of weeks and I've got quite a few things that I'm eager to share with you! :)

Have a wonderful Easter, but most of all stay safe and enjoy the time with your family and loved once.

You never know when you might be enjoying precious time with someone dear for the last time.

Lots of love,
Laura
Xx

Loyalty and Love

I have been really sick the last few days with a viral infection. This has left me feeling pretty yucky, and I've had all the charming symptoms of being sick - loss of appetite, nausea, dizziness, headaches, and running back and forth to the loo. Needless to say, I wasn't too happy. I spent most of my time in bed napping, trying to get rid of a constant headache, and trying to relax with some Frasier.

Everywhere I went, I was accompanied by my true and constant furbabies. Sleeping at my feet, curled up near my tummy, or just trying to squash me in general :)


Aren't they just precious?




And such good friends...


I love our little furbabies :)

Laura
Xoxo

Project Autumn-Cleaning & Project De-Clutter

Well... I just can't tell you how lovely it is having some space back in our lovely home. For quite some time now, we've been jam-packed in with boxes, bags, baskets and JUNK just falling down around our ears. I really shouldn't call it that... I'm just stressed. It's all of my beautiful mum's beloved treasures that we have rescued from being thrown out and sold. My "inheritance" that I am having to fight for, or what's left of it anyway.

It all needs to be sorted, cleaned, and assigned a new purpose - does it stay or go? If it's staying, where will it live in the house? If it's going, will I donate it, give it to friends, sell it, or is it really just good for the bin?

This is tiring.
Stressful.
Draining.
And I've been doing it for the last four months :(

So naturally, I'm very excited now that our living/dining room is now void of these boxes...

And these...


These...


And these too...


I've lost count. In the last few weeks, I must have thrown out upwards of about 50 boxes of junk (and that's an approximate figure, not an exaggeration). I call it junk because it was everything from badly aged artificial flowers, magazines, newspaper clippings, small fabric scraps, broken toys... And more. Stuff that was intended to be sorted and fixed eventually, but no-one ever got around to doing it.

You can't even begin to imagine how heart breaking this is for me.
So many precious things.
Once cherished and loved.
Reduced to nothing but recycling and land-fill.

I have to keep reminding myself that I can't keep everything, and these weren't really the things that mattered to mum anyway. As it turns out, we've got space once again in our pretty little apartment, and it is filled with light once more...

Our entrance and dining area.


The lounge/living area.


Just a pretty little feature, inspired by our beautiful close friends who have regularly checked in on us and kept me distracted when I needed it.


You have no idea how wonderful this is. It was seriously so bad that we could barely walk around. We were even considering moving to a larger place just so we would have room to sort, because there wasn't even room for that! I got through it by just forcing myself to sit up at night and go through everything, one by one.

Phew.

So, did you spot that fabulous grandfather clock in the entrance way? My Bisou spotted that baby on Gumtree some weeks ago.

Would you believe it was only $60??

The poor bloke who bought it originally paid a few hundred for it, but apparently his wife made it very clear that she didn't like it and it wasn't staying... Troy snapped it up, and we love it. It's not working at the moment, but my clever little Bisou has been doing some research and thinks he can get it going again. So when I treated my Bisou to a couple of lovely new jumpers for autumn (and he treated me with some gorgeous new boots), I couldn't help myself but take a photo of him looking so debonair in front of our beautiful new time piece.


One of the things I love about us, is that between the two of us we have so many skills that there isn't much that we can't do together.

Oh yes.
I love Troy to bits :)

So that was one project out of the way. The other...?

I kind of had no bedside table for a while. Well, to be accurate there was a table...


This has been mum's kitchen table ever since I can remember. I love it. I couldn't part with it, but when we rescued it there was no room for it except in the bedroom! Once my bedside lamp got put on there it was destined to be around for a while, but because of its sheer size it meant that other stuff was just piling on top of it too...

Just awful :(

So... We didn't have the money to go out and get a couple of nice matching bedside tables, and it wasn't bothering Troy that he didn't have one for now anyway, so what was I to do? I had to do a swap somewhere around the house...

And then it hit me.


We don't use the table outside all too often because we find it a bit small, and we generally don't spend as much time on the balcony as I'd like either. I'd just have to clean it and paint it before it came inside.

Paint paint paint...


A bit of de-cluttering and getting rid of things that didn't need to be there...

And here's the result :)


A much much happier (and less cluttered!) bedside space.
Oh yes, I painted the chair too. I like white :)

I must admit, it's prone to change again sometime soon as this is by no means a permanent solution, but it is far nicer and much more liveable than it was before.


On my bedside is one of my most treasured photos... This has been next to my bed since Troy and I got married in 2009
Xoxoxoxo


My beautiful, gorgeous Bobby.
Xoxoxoxo


Another of mum's beloved little treasured. A dragonfly pin she used to wear as a brooch from time to time. Her little "libellule".

I love and adore you immensely my Bobby.
I miss you everyday.
I hope and pray that you are safe and happy.
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

How to say "I'm Sorry..."

We live in a pretty normal house. Well, as normal as can be expected in the midst of our "current situation". Those of you who know me personally know that this is the toughest time I am ever going to have to experience in my life. Ever. Somehow, some way, this lovely little blog has helped me more than I can say... I'm not sure I know why. It's as if I'm able to say all the little things I need to. I can share all the funny little things that make me smile and happy. It's helping me to remember what is positive in my life, what to work towards, and what to live for.

It's silly to think that I would even need reminding, but it's been tough lately,


Anyway, as I was saying - we live in a normal house, and we're a very happy and contented married couple. In fact, I like to think that we're happier than most. We have such wonderful communication and an openness with each other, that others have found baffling. We fit together in such a way it's like sticking two complex puzzle pieces together that only have one correct pair. Even though things are slowly starting to settle down though (I really should have bolded and italicised s-l-o-w-l-y), tempers still fly high from time to time, and they are flying more often than they usually would. We're both worn out, we're both sick of it all, and we've had enough of everything in general.

But it's during these very tough times that I'm reminded of the gem of a man that I somehow managed to have in my life, and why I feel so blessed to have him. He has a direct and unimpeded line to my heart. When I think I'm going to have a complete breakdown and I feel I'm ready to thrust a knife into his aorta and twist it violently (graphic much?) he will do or say something so completely "Troy" that the anger will almost instantly dissipate and I want nothing more than to melt into his arms again. Oh yes, and I completely abandon that notion about the knife :)

Who else would say sorry on a cupcake or two?


Or with chocolates and beautiful flowers - boring on their own - so accompanied by that beautiful IKEA cake stand that you've been eying off for a while. Although you can't see it very well, he's actually written "S:(rry XOXO" on the cake dome).


My husband is beautiful. He has the gentlest soul of anyone that I know of. His temper can flare up as high as mine can, but he will almost always be the one to apologise first. He is tender and kind, caring and gentle. We need each other equally, and we express that readily to each other. He makes me laugh when no-one else can. He reads me like an open book, even when I try to hide things from him. I absolutely could not have survived these last three months without him by my side, and I am so thankful for him each day of my life.


My beautiful, wonderful Bisou. I am so sorry these last three months have been hard on you two. I am trying so hard not to lose it, really I am. I see how hard you are trying too. I think that if we keep doing this for each other, then we will be okay. Love is always forgiving, kindness, and gentility. With a love as deep and strong as ours, I know we will be okay.

I will never stop trying for you.

Your one true love,
Laura
Xoxoxoxo

Tag dag :)

Just a quick one... I've recently stumbled onto the CUTEST way of labelling my food items in the kitchen, and also for writing out gift tags for friends. It's kinda amazing, and cheap as chips!

You need...
1 black card stock (about 250 gsm) from a newsagent
1 roll of twine from a hardware/dollar store (or wherever you get your twine from!)
1 piece of chalk OR a whiteout pen

And you get...


Instant cuteness. I am totally going to go nuts and re-label everything in my kitchen and bathroom with these...

It's also awesome to use as a gift tags for presents. Just grab some old newspaper or butchers paper, a little bit of twine and some fresh or dried flowers, and you have yourself a masterpiece. I used lavender because it was my mum's flower, and these gifts were for two very special and very close family friends :)





My pressies were such a hit, along with the bottle of lemon syrup (pictured above) that not only did they not want to open my presents (I did of course protest), but my lemon syrup received high kudos - I added a touch of manuka honey into it this time for some added natural goodness, and also because it meant less "actual" sugar too!

Hope you enjoyed :)

Xoxoxo

Baking success

Just a quick one today... I finally got around to making Troy his "Ginger Dean Men" las night, and they came up a treat. Icing was a bit tedious, but it paid off if you took your time...


Homemade lemonade was a huge success too! My Bisou has declared that it's the best lemonade he has ever tasted, and he's happy to have that as his "sweet treat" instead of the store-bought lemonade. Yay for success! I also tried making my hot variation of the lemonade from the syrup, and it's just as tasty... About 3 capfulls of the syrup, a teaspoon of ginger past and a dusting of mixed spice, and you have one warm and revitalising drink. I plan on drinking this all through autumn and winter to keep those nasty colds and sniffles at bay - I'll let you know if it works.

PS. Maxine and John - if you're reading this, I'll bring a bottle down for you this weekend, just incase your throat is still a bit sore :)

Love love,
Xx

Showing the kitchen some love

Okay... How often is it that your husband gets more excited about purchasing items for the kitchen than you? In the last few days, we have added to our collection of culinary tools by purchasing a "Ginger Dean Man" cookie cutter from Fred...

A giant cupcake mould from Chalet that makes a cupcake that stands approximately 20cm tall (!)

And two of these super-cute canister sets from Aldi...

I'm even considering a third set, because they're just so darn sweet and handy!

I also can't wait to add this beautiful and useful piece to our collection when it finally goes on sale tomorrow!

So, these purchases have inspired quite a bit of baking over the weekend, and even last night. Troy made a giant devil cake muffin (which he was very quick to hollow out and fill with ice cream), we had home-made pizza for dinner last night (I just love Jamie Oliver's recipe!), and I used my own recipe for Apple Bread last night (which I will post below) which I topped off by quickly whipping up some homemade lemonade syrup this morning.

Tonight I'm baking some Ginger Dead Men, and doing a quick run through of some mini cupcakes before I trot them out for a work morning tea in a few weeks time.

I have been trying without much success (or rather, I do have success for short periods of time) to ween Troy off sugar and calorie laden soft drinks. I've been trying for as long as we have been together! I just don't see the fascination nor the addiction to them, and I refuse to give in to his "but water is so boring on it's own!" argument. However, I've decided that I can cut down both our grocery bill and our arguing if I make our own lemonade. That way at least, we know exactly what we are consuming too! I haven't tried any yet, but my hot lemonade recipe has always been a big hit (a winter alternative), so I'll give you the review on this other recipe once I've tried it tonight :)

So, my apple bread recipe...

Laura's Apple Bread

This is a simple and delicious treat to whip up. It comes out beautifully moist, and if made with stewed apples - plenty of chunks of apple for a great flavour hit. It keeps the sugar cravings in check, ensures a healthy consumption of apples, and smells so amazing when you're baking it that it's a treat for the nose too!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs (I use large, cage-free eggs)
• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 3/4 cup of milk or yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1/2 cup oil (I use avocado or carotino oil, but use what you have at home)
• 2 cups stewed apples (If you don't feel like stewing apples, you can fast-track by using three granny smith apples cut into chunks without the skin, and 1/2 a cup of raw sugar in your mix)
• You'll also want a loaf tin or small baking tray, and baking liners if you have them. It makes your baking so much easier, cleaner, and you don't struggle to remove your baked goods from their tin! It also eliminates the need to grease your baking tin.

Method

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees, fan-forced
• Beat the eggs and slowly stir in your milk/yoghurt, honey and oil.
• Slowly sift and stir in your flour until mix has an even consistency.
• Add your stewed apples/apples and sugar and combine until mixture has an even consistency. If you are using stewed apples, you don't want to break up the apples too much, as you want a few large pieces to bite into in the bread.
• Pour your apple bread mix into the baking dish, and bake in pre-heated oven fro approximately 50 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Allow to cool, slice, and enjoy!

I love toasting mine lightly and serving with a bit of melted butter, yum! It's also great to take to work as a healthy snack (without the butter of course), which is exactly what I'm munching on right now :)

You can also play around with other variations too, such as adding walnuts, raisins, oats... Or try other flavours such as pear, blueberry, apricot (I'm trying apricot next!) or mixing fruits. You're only limited by your imagination and your taste pallete!

Enjoy :)

Love love,
Xx