What you missed from Facebook...

Hello!!

I hardly ever use my desktop computer anymore, it is really only used for study, accounting/tax, and personal budgeting. As such, I haven't really been updating the blog - oops! However, I believe I have finally got blogger to work on my phone, so expect the posts to be more frequent from now on!

In the meantime, I have been able to post to Facebook to my hearts content, and here is what you may have missed from my page:

• delicious and possibly Halloween appropriate Jaffa Pinwheels
  
• My Vodka beauty tip
  
• a quick and simply easy detox
  
• My yummy Beetroot relish, perfect on a ham sandwich
  
• a healthy daily lunch wrap
  
• wanting an alcohol-free, tasty wine replacement? Try my juice concoction
  
• some more sweets, like this Choc Coconut biscuits
  

    

With Love,

Chantal

Spring Clean #1

It's that time of year again... the old spring clean! I both loathe and look forward to spring cleaning time. On one hand, it's a darn dirty job, but on the other I know that once it's done the house is shiny clean! I set myself one room per week (sometimes two, if they are tiny rooms), which takes up my entire spring. So far, I have finished our kitchen and one of our lounge rooms. I looooove to see all of my Tupperware all sorted, stacked, and organised!!

Not long before Violet was born (it's amazing how fast time flies.. it's been over three months already!), I decided to minimize the amount of chemicals in our home. The first, and easiest, step to do this was to change our general house cleaners. Now, all I need for general day to day use is two sprays that I have made, along with gumption (I don't know if I'll ever be able to give that baby up), and bleach.

The first spray is made up of 1 tablespoon of Bicarbonate Soda, 5 drops Lemongrass Oil, 3 drops Tea Tree Oil, and then filled with water. I shake this thoroughly before each use. This is a great cleaner, I use it for a multitude of purposes, including floor scrubbing, on furniture to stop the dogs from peeing, oven cleaner, rust, mold, and anything really, really sticky. This mix of oils is a bit of a bug repellent too, however the Bicarbonate soda can leave a residue behind, so I use my other spray afterwards quite frequently. Oh, and don't use it on your coloured home walls as it can cause fading.

My second homemade spray is made up of 1 cup white vinegar, 1 shot vodka (rubbing alcohol is preferable, I just like to use up my clear spirits that I don't want to drink anymore), 4 drops orange oil, and then fill with water. This is my "quick clean" spray, used for benches, tables and even streak free windows! A bonus of the orange oil is that it is a natural deodorizer, so if you accidentally spill milk in your car - this will remove that stenchy odour that seems to always linger for days (I seem to always spill milk if I have it in our car).

What cleaning products have you made for cheap at home that you have found work as well, if not better, than the chemical versions found in shops?

Love and care,

Chantal

In The Kitchen... Ginger Beer

I recently decided to start saving money, and my health, by making as many things at home as I possible can instead of purchasing them. This is no easy task, as I have always been completely useless in the kitchen. In fact, DH has always had to do any of the cooking in our household... and I appreciate it immensely! But now that we have little miss in the house, I thought it was time I step up to the plate and contribute in the kitchen. From now on, any meals, baking, beverages, or just anything in general, that I find easy to do - I shall share with you!!

I have started with a simple to make, refreshing and one of my all-time favourite beverages, Ginger Beer. It is simply superb on a hot summer day. This recipe will make a 1L – 1.25L bottle of Ginger Beer (depends on the bottle you use). Also, I encourage you to play around with it as we all different taste buds!!

Ingredients / You Will Need:

-  1 cup finely grated or chopped ginger

-  2 lemons juiced

-  1 cup hot water

-  1 teaspoon brewer’s yeast

-  ½ cup raw sugar

-  1 plastic bottle

-  Jug room temp water

-  Glass bottle / jug

-  Cheesecloth

Process:

1.       Pour the sugar in bottle, along with the hot water to dissolve.

2.       Add grated ginger, and lemon juice to bottle.

3.       Shake vigorously, and then leave to sit for approximately 1 hour.

4.       Add brewer’s yeast, and then fill the bottle with room temp water – ensuring to leave enough space at the top (I generally stop when the top starts to get small again)

5.       Shake bottle to mix up ingredients.

6.       Leave to sit for 24 – 48 hours. The longer you leave it the more intense the flavouring will be.

7.       Pour contents into your desired bottle/jug, using your cheesecloth to sift as you pour.

8.       Pop this bottle/jug in the fridge to cool.

9.       Serve with ice.

10.   Enjoy your refreshing hard work!!

Kind regards,

Chantal xx

Half Way There!

Yesterday marked that wonderful halfway point of my pregnancy - 20 weeks! It's crazy to think how fast it is all going, and my belly has definitely started growing. I've had lots of problems with morning sickness, and unfortunately seem to be catching a lot more viruses and colds than usual. Bubba has also started to kick, and it's been fantastic to share some of these with Stuart, he even got to feel Bubba turning over the other day.

We have had our morph scan done - where they measure everything on Bubba to check that they are okay - and I am very proud to say that we stayed strong and did not find out the sex. So we still have a little surprise on our hands!! The next couple of photos were taken during the morph scan, at 19 weeks and 3 days.

Side profile of Bubba - they kept bringing their hands to their face

Hello Bubba!! We've had soooo much fun guessing who Bubba will look like, and comparing this image to our own baby photos of ourselves!!

I thought some comparison photos were in order too. The photos on the left are my photos from when I finished the 12WBT program on 22nd August (as seen here), and the photos on the right were taken Sunday - one day before my official 20 week mark. The extra special thing about these photos?? The photos on the left from 12WBT were taken around conception, so highly likely your looking at a 2 day belly there!!! Ha ha.

Side profile - 20 August 2012 and 30 December 2012

Front On - 20 August 2012 and 30 December 2012

I am very happy with my weight during my pregnancy, I have stayed consistent and am currently sitting on 80kgs. However, I'm sure I will put on quite a few more kilos as Bubba continues to grow and my belly button pops out.

Hopefully I will be able to post more as I'm not suffering from the nausea anywhere near how much I have been.

Again, sorry for the bad grammar and spelling, and the poorly structured sentencing!!

Love to all, and of course a huge HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Chantal xx

12 Days of Xmas - Care and Share!

For those of you that know me.. you would know that for a few years now Stuart and I give to 12 different charities over Christmas. Well, seeing today is 12-12-12 we thought we'd start the giving today and continue until Xmas day.

Our chosen charities for this year are:

• Kids Help Line - this charity helped me a fair amount as a child, and now you can help them too by donating here.

Myself and my great big clown!

• Save the Tasmanian Devil - these cute little devils are dying from a cancerous tumour that grows on their faces, and is spreadable unlike any other cancer. You can donate here. 

Stuart and I in Tasmania with a little devil there between us.

• RSPCA - if you are a lover of all animals great and small, then donate to RSPCA here to help them continue helping those in need that can not ask for help.

Rescued injured Kookaburra catching dinner

•  Save African Rhino Foundation - the mighty, glorious, and above all my favourite animal is in dire need of help against poachers killing them for their horns. Please donate here, or even better - volunteer your time to travel with the team to help out this beautiful beasts. 

White Rhino at Werribee Open Range Zoo

• Heart Foundation - when you have a family history like mine, it'd be silly not to donate to the heart foundation here.

My Grandfather and I - he has had so many heart problems. I can't wait to give him a Great-Grandchild!!

• Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children - helping these children is an expensive process, so let's help them however we can. You can donate here. I wish I could sign so that I could teach littlies, but alas I've only ever been able to struggle my way through the alphabet.

• Fight Dementia - Stuart's grandmother suffered from Dementia, and although I unfortunately never had the pleasure of meeting her before she passed - I hope that we can help those that struggle. Donations can be made here.

Stuarts Uncle and Grandma (RIP)

• The Australian Marine Conservation Society - Stuart's turn for his favourite animal, the Great White Shark. These are a beautiful animal, and I've had the joy of seeing them in once in Africa. Stuart has cage dived with Great White Sharks in both South Africa and Port Lincoln (South Australia). It is terrible to think that these ancient animals are still being killed for Asian shark fin soup! And even more disgusting that when someone gets taken off the beach (you know, in a sharks NATURAL zone) that we then decide to kill the poor animal for what it does instinctively! To help Australian sharks in danger, please donate here.

Stuart took this photo cage diving off Port Lincoln

• Aids Trust - this is a charity that I have been giving to for years and years, but it was brought ever closer to home when a few years ago a friend found out they were HIV+. Also, all the pro-condoms advertising in Africa reminded me of how badly this disease is affecting us globally. Please donate here. Every week in Australia, 21 more people are being diagnosed as HIV+

Felt it inappropriate to post an photos of friends or family here.

• WWF - help stop the illegal trade of animals and their parts by donating here. I've generally preferred to give specifically to a species in trouble, but we struggled so hard finding donation pages that looked legitimate - so blanket canvas it was!

Photo taken at Australia Zoo 2011

• Save the Children - as a child, I grew up below the poverty line. My mother still managed to pay for me to attend my music tuition lessons - sometimes we ate the basic meals for this, or she would go without. So, personally, I don't really see an excuse for why parents can't provide their children with everything they need. I certainly never went without. If you are a parent who has children struggling to have what they need, why don't you try putting your booze and cigarettes aside, and maybe stop treating yourself first!! Anyways, it is not the children fault.. so please help them by donating.

Myself (11) and Mayumi Ishikuro (13) at Currimundi Beach.

• National Breast Cancer Foundation - now, I may be slightly off with my information here, but it is my belief that both my mother, and my fathers' mother have suffered from breast cancer - which, in turn, puts me at high risk. So for purely selfish reasons, I donate here to help find a cure.

My Grandmother, mother and I with dolly.

Finally.. seeing as we are discussing Christmas, I have found a couple of links to some last minute gift ideas that are kind to everyone!!

• The Social Enterprise Finder
• Planet Ark

With love,

Chantal xx