Ann Leach

After much sorting, donating, disposing, and giving away of "stuff", and shipping not a whole lot, Husband and I have decided to be much more intentional and thoughtful about the things we buy as we set up our new home. We are taking the time to define the characteristics and values of our family so we can ask before each potential purchase "Does this fit with our family's values? Does this fit with who we are?" The mattresses and bedsteads were non-negotiable. We have to have a comfortable place to sleep, preferably up off the floor. And so, our for first purchases. we were able to shop together online and find a bedstead we both like. Daughter was able to choose hers too. Husband had them all set up by the time we arrived. That gets us up off the floor for sleeping, and on to the living room. Our house has two dining/living rooms, both off the kitchen, but in different directions. (It may be an Australia thing. We saw a lot of houses with 2 living/dinin...

You know...  all those UnFinished Objects.  The ones we are so inspired to make so we start them, and then run out of steam before they're completed. But we can't throw them away, certain at another time we'll be inspired to pick up the pieces and finish. And I promised myself that when we got back to the US, I would have no more UFOs.  None.  Nada.  Either finish it, tear it apart to make into something else, or hand it off to somebody else to finish.  And it's a good plan, but what I didn't expect to find when I unpacked the boxes left here in storage was the UFOs that I packed away.  :( An infinity scarf -- now in my defense, I actually didn't start this one until after we came back.  It was the yarn itself which I found packed in a box...  full of yarn.  Happily, I am making good time and progress on this particular project and expect to have it done in the next few days. Oh boy...  this is the beginnings ...

Part of being a stay at home mom and making sustainable living choices is keeping expenses down, but the other part is to increase the income, too.  And working from home allows me to develop multiple small income avenues rather than just going after the one big avenue of income. With that in mind, I've been brainstorming, trying to come up with a project for the cold winter months.  I've kicked around various crochet ideas, but was truly inspired when I came across the idea of making custom pillowcases. Here are some photos of the one I whipped up this morning specifically so I could take photos to promote this new business venture. Isn't that a lovely pillowcase?  I can't wait to share with you all the pillowcases I have planned! Come spring, I'll add chickens, well eggs, as another avenue.  And of course the garden will go in which will reduce our food spending in a big way. What small avenues of income are you working on? ...

Actually, I'm not sure how much resting is going to happen today, but I have been working on some relaxing projects and also rejuvenating my spirit.  These are small projects on my homemaking list -- those little things we do to make a house into a home for our families. After catching up the dishes this morning, I jumped right into one of my favorite projects -- baking bread, and turned out these 2 beauties. Look at that crumb.  Don't you just want to spread a big glob of butter on a slice and eat it with a glass milk??  Maybe it's just me, but that's exactly what I did! Watermelon for afternoon tea is cubed and ready for eating. We found a recipe for a banana smoothie to make and drink for breakfast this morning.  Daughter was too happy to help with the honey! While looking for the curtains, I found the tablecloth I made in Australia and brought back.  It was so easy to just lay it on the table, but it makes such a di...

If you had the opportunity to start with a clean slate in your kitchen and purchase only essential items, what would they be?  Would your kitchen have in it exactly what it has now?  Or would you do it differently? A year ago, when we arrived in Australia, I did have this opportunity, and I'm quite pleased with how it turned out.  Most of our kitchenware and tableware came from the thrift stores and the local buy/swap fb page; although I did get a new set of cast iron pans from the camping expo, and a few bakeware items came from a regular retail store. The only item that I would have like to have was a food processor for weekly chopping of onions and grating of cheese.  But that said, I didn't lose any fingers doing it manually, so it's not so much a necessity as much as a strong like. Searching "kitchen essentials" on pinterest pointed me to some websites like this one:    http://jeanetteshealthyliving.com/2012/08/essential-equipment-supplies-for-firstcol...

The final days are flying by.  But this story started 2 weeks ago on a Tuesday.  Husband was home not feeling well, and somehow we both got to poking around the immigration website to find out what we needed to do next for me to get permanent residency in Australia. It didn't take long until we reached a point where we looked at each other and said we need to go to the office.  So in the span of a half hour, we went from pajamas to fully dressed and snacks packed.  We headed over to the kindy to pick up our daughter and hit the road down to Brisbane (3 hours) to meet with an agent at the immigration office. We were stunned to learn our best bet for getting my permanent residency approved was for the paperwork to be filed back in the states, and it would take 8 - 9 months for it to be processed.  We weren't expecting that.  Not even a little bit. Should I go back by myself?  Take our daughter?  How would we manage being apart so long?  W...

Yesterday, I popped a pork roast into the slow cooker with some potatoes, carrots and seasonings for a few hours.  And during clean-up, I poured off the liquids left into this jar for some pork stock.   Not sure yet what I'll do with pork stock, but I for sure wasn't going to just dump it out. What do you save back that others might be willing to toss?

French Bread -- hot right out of the oven Do you love crusty bread with a soft crumb on the inside?  I know I do and today, I ventured into the world of baking it at home. Baking bread is not as difficult and time-consuming as I want to think it is.  The biggest chunks of time go to rising which I don't need to be present for!  So join with me and we'll make french bread together. My set-up for bread-making:  mixer with large bowl, flour, yeast, salt, water, egg, whisk, rubber spatula, metal bowl for rising, and the breadbox. This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. French Bread 5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour 2 packages active dry yeast 2 tsp salt 2 cups warm water (115F to 120F) cornmeal 1 slightly beaten egg white (optional) 1 TBSP water (optional) Close-up of the ingredients In a large mixer bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, and salt.  Add warm water. Beat at low speed of electric mixer f...

The Sustainable living group is off to a good start with the number attending meetings increasing.  This month we had a lively discussion about household budgeting which is so much bigger than just crunching numbers. People have different goals in budgeting.  Some do it to save money and to stretch their dollars further.  Others are discovering new, better, more economical ways to live. It takes discipline to set goals and stick to the plan to meet those goals.  And getting the whole family on board with a new system can be one of the biggest challenges of all. Some folks have a vision of a budget, but nothing on paper.  Some have no plan, but are in a reactionary mode to the bills as they come in.  And still others are keeping track right down to the penny. Is there a right way and wrong way to budget?  Is one way better than another?  What is a budget?  And why don't they teach us about this in school? There is definitely a righ...

Ever notice the clutch purses that the Duchess is typically carrying on her outings?? They're always small, strapless, and hand held. I figure she's carrying her cell phone and a photo id. Because that's what every millennial woman (and mom away from her child) needs. Well, being a woman of the 21st century woman, and mom, I decided I, too, need a Kate Middleton bag for my days out attending to my royal and social duties. A bit bigger than Kate's, but I love it.  And, it matches my red hat and my red shoes. Of course, mine also came from the thrift store because there was no way I'd pay full retail price for a limited use item, no matter how much I love it. Do you have a Kate Middleton purse??  I think everyone should have one for those times you go out and don't want to be mom or royalty.  You just want to be....  you. Cheers! Ann

....  to make a tablecloth and an apron. I've had it in my mind for a while to make a housekeeping apron for myself and more recently I decided I wanted a tablecloth for our dining table.  These are wants, not needs, so not a high priority, but just something I browse for when I'm at the thrift store. A couple days ago, it happened.  Looking through the buy/sell/swap page, there was a listing for 2 king size flat sheets and a super single fitted sheet for $7.  Two solids and a geometric print.  That'll do!  Sold!! This afternoon, with a movie playing to keep me company, I've been cutting and hemming the red geometric print to be a table cloth.  We have a round dining table, but I've decided to cut it square for more versatility.  And I'll shop for some clear vinyl to put over it so it doesn't have to go into the washer after each and every meal. (You know how it is eating with a little one at the table.  :) ) I'm qu...

Yesterday was a day for cooking!! For afternoon tea and playgroup, we're having the best scones that money can't buy! And an amazing thick hot chocolate. For supper, a simple, real macaroni and cheese. For the scones, I opened up my handy-dandy Better Homes and Gardens cookbook to page 84 to find THIS recipe for Biscuits Supreme: 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams) 3 tsp baking powder 2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup shortening (115 grams)  I use butter. 2/3 cup milk (160 ml) Sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt.  Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Make a well in the center, add milk all at once.  Stir just until dough clings together.  Knead gently on a lightly floured surface for 10 to 12 strokes.  Roll or pat to 1/2 inch (1cm) thickness.  Cut with a 2-1/2 inch (6cm) biscuit cutter, dipping cutter in flour between cuts.  Transfer to an ungreased bakin...

Tomorrow morning, if all goes to plan (DD has been home with croup this week.), will be time for me to do the weekly update on the budget.  Yes, I said it, the B word...  budget. Some people thing budgeting is a bad thing.  "It limits my spending."  "I won't be controlled by a budget."  "Nobody is going to tell me how to spend my money." Well, I guess you're right.  No one is going to tell you how to spend your money. Only you can do that.  A budget is a plan for how you're going to spend your money so when it comes time to make a purchase, the money is there.  Without a plan, money just disappears -- $5 for a coffee, $2 for a newspaper, $10 for a lunch. And by the end of the week, where did it all go? In our family, I do the book work, but K and I made the plan together.  It's not up to me to tell him how much pocket money he gets.  We decided that together, when we decided how much to allocate in each of our categories.  But he's ...

As the founder of the discussion group Sustainable Living here in Dalby, I had my first interview with the local online newspaper, Dalby Champions.  And it went well, I think.  Being my first interview, I am a bit nervous about seeing my ideas interpreted and written by someone else, out there for people to read.  And I've been thinking since then about what Sustainable Living is and what it means to me. It's the small choices made on a daily basis.  When I first started looking for a better life, a happier life, a life less cluttered, and more meaningful; I found books to read (Simple Living, Radical Homemakers), blogs to read (Non-Consumer Advocate, Down to Earth),  and other people's routines to use (Flylady). I was so inspired that I had found my people!  And I was going to do it all!  I was doing the daily cleaning routines, washing my hair with baking soda followed by a white vinegar rinse, de-cluttering my house, baking bread from scratch, b...

We did it!!  That's me and DD, we set the Budget, Planned the Meals (or borrowed somebody else's meal plan), got our Morning Routines done and made the big shopping trip to Aldi.  Now our stockpiles are set for a month.  whew! If I truly had a full stockpile system in place, it would be for the better part of a year, not just a month.  But this is a starting place.  And it's done!    We have bought all the necessary ingredients for 25 dinners and it came to just under $180 Aus.  This is the meal plan shared here  ( http://www.iamthatlady.com/25-meals-for-under-150-at-aldi/ ).  I bought nearly everything on the list, and made up for the few I didn't get by picking up a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread just because K loves it and a few other items. Overall, I am very pleased and surprised that food prices here in Aus are that close to what they are in the US.  In my own mind, I had figured we were paying double. In our budget, we ...

I finished the book I was reading at 11:40 last night, which sadly is WAY past my usual bedtime of 9pm.  So needless to say, this morning did not start off in a stellar way. But I'm up and going, chickens are fed, and laundry is started.  It will take a minute to wash up the breakfast dishes, and then on with the day. I had thought I would drive to the Big City (Toowoomba) today, but I think my time is best spent at home.  Somehow I've gotten behind on laundry and you know how that goes.. it won't get done if I'm not home. But I am excited about this upcoming trip to Toowoomba for a couple reasons -- 1)  since the Big Move from the US to Aus, I've only driven into the city by myself..  um, 1 other time.  I mean I drive around Dalby all the time so it's not that I can't drive.  But usually when we go to Toowoomba or on down to the coast, K is driving and I get to play tourist (gawk out the window and take pictures).  And 2)  I ...

A part ofSustainable Living that doesn't get much attention is Routines.  For some of us, it's because they're so routine that we don't give them any thought (Yea!)  But for me, it's something that I didn't learn at my mother's knee, and so it's been a challenge. When I first had children and moved from my days being dictated by my work schedule to staying home, I struggled with my home time -- how to fill it, and at the same time, how to get everything done that needed to be done.  And then one day I stumbled across Flylady (www.flylady.net) and the world of routines opened up to me. I learned about Morning Routines and Bedtime Routines.  I learned about Cleaning Routines and Meal Planning Routines.  And honestly, I cried.  Because up until that time, I thought I was the only one struggling.  And then I dove in to learn my routines.  It was hard learning these new habits, I mean I wasn't totally unhappy with wearing my pjs until 10am!  B...