Slow living month 4 - April

Welcome to Month 4 of the 2012 Slow Living diary - a record to help me keep track of my personal achievements over the past month. With Christine at Slow living essentials


{Nourish} Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch overpackaged, overprocessed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead. Share favourite links/recipes/tips from the month here.


Slowly having some success with my bread maker and getting into the swing of making it regularly. Making homemade muffins, oatcakes, fritters and mashed vege dinners for my boy. I also finished up my last weeks of wholefood kitchen and now i'm learning how to balance out all i have learned with my life.

{Prepare}Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season.


I have kilos of frozen cranberries, walnuts and almonds stored for winter thanks to my parents and i made a batch of yummy cranberry sauce.

{Reduce} Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing. A ladder into a strawberry planter? A sheet into a dress? Share ideas and project links here, allowing others to be inspired.


Repairing old quilts and pictures and hanging a few new ones to perk the place up a bit.


{Green} Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.


I've been making citrus cleaner this month and have it soaking to use in the next few weeks. I've also been using a wonderful olive oil, vinegar and lavender oil body moisturiser which i recieved from a friend. It really is very good and i might try making my own when it's finished. 

{Grow} plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden? Herbs in a pot, sprouts on a windowsill or and entire fruit/vegetable garden -opt for what fits space and time constraints.


Oh we have been busy on this front, weeding through all the beds, building another raised corner bed and pruning all the trees for winter. We are eating capsicums, silverbeet, basil, pumpkins, figs and onions at the moment. Peas, kale, kohlrabi and carrots are in but our little cauliflower and broccoli seedlings were dug out by the cats and only time will tell if they will recover. We are also putting tomatoes and fresh herbs in the conservatory for winter.


{Create} To fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others. Create something as simple as a handmade gift tag or something as extravagant as a fine knit shawl. Share project details and any new skills learnt here.


Working away on my chestnut and vine quilt and dreaming of upcoming projects for my son's first birthday, i'm thinking about sock puppets and a nice single bed quilt.

{Discover} Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests. Trawl libraries, second hand shops or local book shops to find titles that fill the need. Share titles/authors of what is being read this month.


Rediscovering the local library and indulging in cooking, quilting and craft books. Full of inspiration and new ideas. 


{Enhance} Community: Possibilities include supporting local growers & producers, help out at a local school/kindergarten, barter or foodswap, joining a playgroup or forming a walking or craft group.


Recently i decided to rejoin the local embroiderers guild and enjoy the friendship and inspiration craft groups bring. I'm also thinking about joining the local patchwork and quilters guild.


{Enjoy}  Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment. Share a moment to be remembered from the month here.


Embracing the emotional journey which has taken place during my couch to 5k training and feeling very grateful for the strength of my body and mind to carry me through. Halfway through week 7!


In some ways a slower month but also one with big changes, i look forward to seeing you all next month i feel some changes ahead.