i think i'll eat some...

I don't think I've really blogged about our little pets. Unfortunately, it isn't a sweet little puppy (yet!!!), or a fluffy little kitten. It most definitely is not a bird!!

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Look at those eyes...
Couldn't start with a yucky picture!!

It's worms. Hundreds of the writhing, slimy, wriggling things. We have a worm farm. 

It started off at school last year when our SOSE unit was about waste management, and our Science unit was about bugs. What else to do but make a DIY styrofoam box worm farm. It was more about keeping the worms alive-what living things need to survive, what they eat, how to treat them, similarities and differences with other bugs we studied, feeding them our food scraps and a bit of a sensory experience. We weren't using the castings or worm juice. At the end of the year I bought a proper worm farm from Bunnings, and brought them home. 

They are so easy to care for, and actually give back too! We have a container in the fridge that fills up amazingly quickly for two people who are away all day! At the moment our worms are eating lots of egg shells, banana peel, strawberry ends, kale stalks, as well as all of our general vegetable waste-peelings and ends-carrots, lettuce, zucchini, beans, potato and sweet potato. Basically any fruits and veggie that isn't too acidic-so no citrus, tomato, kiwi fruit, onion and the like.  We just chop them up so they are fairly small bits. 

I feed them every 2-3 days, burying the food a little to stop mice and flies and the like, and give them a bit of a water if the 'blanket' on top is feeling a bit dry. Any excess water drains though to the bottom, and I collect the tea to use on our veggies, herbs and citrus and chilli bushes for some extra nutrients, diluted to about 1:10. I try to alternate worm tea and seasol. 

I also used the worm castings (basically the soil and food waste they have chewed through) to mix in with potting mix when I plant, especially for our veggies and herbs. It also helps to bring the level of soil down in the farm (as you are constantly adding matter, and the worms are aerating the soil). 

I'd really recommend a worm farm-it was great for the kids I taught, it's a fantastic use for all of that food waste that you create (and it's shocking how much you go through). I also don't feel as bad about getting rid of a rubbery carrot buried in the fridge when I can feed it to the worms. 

Do you have a worm farm, or a compost bin? What happens with your food waste?
I'll post something pretty next!! Promise! :)

veggie pots

I mentioned here and here that we had planted some veggies in pots. 

Sometime soon we will build some raised garden bed, but for this season (unless we start quite soon!) we will grow them in pots. I'm actually really pleased we went ahead and planted in the pots, because after just a day or two, we moved the pots from their original location (where we were thinking of building the raised beds) to where they now sit. Their new spot gets a few extra hours of sun each day, so that will be where we make our raised bed. This side garden is just down a set of external stairs from our kitchen, so will be nice and close when it comes time to harvest.

We used a few bags of potting mix, and added extra goodies to it, including dynamic lifter, some kick along, and some worm castings, from our worm farm. We also used some Seasol to give them some extra nutrients. 

Probably should have worn gloves...

We planted some new basil, coriander, parsley and mint-we have grown these for years, but they were kind of at the end of their lives, so we started fresh. We use them all the time in cooking. 
We also chose to plant mixed lettuce and cos seedlings, as well as kale, tomatoes and capsicums. We figured they will be the most useful to us, and will grow well in pots. Hopefully next year we will be able to expand a bit more. 

Our lemon and lime trees already have baby fruits on them, and our chilli bush has lots of green chillies just waiting to ripen. Unfortunately, last year our chillies all were eaten by birds as they ripened, so we have hung some CDs this year, in the hope that the reflections will  scare them off. Will see how we go. 

Have you every tried a veggie patch? How did it go?

shifts in thinking

Over the past few months I've made a few changes to simplify life, and especially how we eat. In a lot of ways it is a fairly natural progression, with one change leading to another, leading to another.

I love my job teaching in a Special School, but it can be physically and emotionally draining. It's full on, loud, there isn't any down time, and no matter how prepared I am things often happen that mean you are thinking on your feet.   I am passionate about my job and the kids I teach and I find it difficult to switch off, and not give 100%. Most of the kids in my class have autism, and when I'm not on top of things, the day can go downhill very quickly! I was getting to work by 7, and getting home after 6, and often spending part of my night laminating or cutting or velcroing resources.

I was exhausted, my skin was crazy, and I was relying on sugar hits to get me through the day (I lived for my 3 o'clock chocolate!!). I realised that my body couldn't keep going like that. Between this I was also planning a wedding, and trying to (slowly) renovate a house. I was staying up too late, and pressing snooze time and time again, I was too tired to exercise and luckily L enjoys cooking, because if I was living alone I would have been eating breakfast food for dinner every night. I actually made some mid year resolutions here in April, which was at the point when I realised that things had to change.

Some of the changes are fairly non-negotiable. I now make sure I move my body for half an hour each day. I go for a walk, I go to yoga, I do a Michelle Bridges DVD or yoga DVD at home. I often don't want to do it when I'm starting out, but once I get going, and especially once I'm finished I feel better for it. I've never actually regretted it. It's that funny thing where the more I exercise (and I'm not running marathons here...) the more energy I actually have. I sleep better and get that down time.

I've also changed my diet quite a bit. I try to eat only 'real' foods, and have cut out most processed foods from my diet. I've also cut most processed sugar from my diet-I still eat fruit and add a little honey and maple syrup at times. A by product of cutting most processed foods and processed sugars from my diet has meant that I've also cut my gluten intake considerably. I feel so good. I have so much more energy, my skin has cleared up so much, I just feel really good. I'm not strict. I definitely had cake at my wedding, and again at a friends' birthday last week, and I went out to dinner and had pasta through the week too, but I am much more conscious of what I am eating, and making sure that most of the time it is nourishing me. I'm not gluten free, I'm not sugar fee, I'm not vegetarian, I'm not raw, I'm not paleo, I'm not any of those things, but I am trying to make healthier choices around food. I've found and cooked some amazing recipes, and waited for L to say how good it was before telling him it was healthy. Breakfasts, dinners, cakes and desserts, that he now requests over the unhealthier alternative.

Well done for making it this far-why am I telling you all of this? I'm going to be making some changes to my blog, mostly it will remain the same, but I'm going to start sharing some of these recipes here along with the renovating, organising and decorating. I've also started a veggie patch to grow some of our ingredients, which will hopefully keep on expanding (as well as growing!), so I'll be sharing that with you too.

I still have more wedding posts for you. I still have more renovating and decorating posts for you in the works too. But I wanted you to know that I have had a shift in thinking and a shift in how we live in our blue house, and with that has comes some additions to this little blog.

Have any of you had any shifts in thinking lately?

resolutions

I know it's not January first, it's not even the start of a season (in fact, it's a bit of a fluke that it's the first of April). And no, this isn't an April fools. Eating my body weight in chocolate today probably didn't help too much. 

We are less the five months to the wedding now, and I want to make some changes to my life before then-mostly to be the best and healthiest person I can be. I try pretty hard at the moment (mostly), but can be a bit hit and miss. And I think some of my bad choices negatively impact other choices, making a cycle. 
My skin has been terrible the last few months, I've been stressed, and just haven't been at 100%. 

Yoga at least 3 times a week.
I currently usually do yoga once, sometimes twice a week, but I want to up that. I do quite a strong vinyasa type of yoga, so it's good as a supplement for fitness, and I definitely notice an improvement in my tone, but mostly it is a mental thing. My job is loud, busy and oftentimes crazy, and it gives me time to quiet my brain. I have been doing yoga for almost 2 years now, and have NEVER regretted having gone, but I do regret when I don't go-if I am too tired, or busy. Unfortunately when I don't go, it is usually when I need it most. 

Link - not me, but one of my favourite poses....

Bed at 9.30
I often find myself up late. Not doing anything, just wasting time on the net, or watching rubbish tv that I am not that interested in. My alarm goes off at 5.45, so going to bed after 11 doesn't work for me. 

My amazing bed... 

Walking at least 2 times a week
I currently don't do any exercise other than yoga, apart from the running, swimming, lifting and dancing I do at work (in my defence I do get quite involved in these activities-partly to encourage the kids to participate, partly as I know it is part of my exercise. I live in a hilly area, and I live in one of the most beautiful places in Australia-I should take advantage of the beautiful beaches and headlands around!

This isn't where I live unfortunately, but was taken on one of my favourite
ever beach walks-Cinque Terre in Italy, Easter 2009

Improve my diet
It's mostly pretty good, but needs a bit of tidying up. I'm interested in trying out some green smoothies to up my greens intake, need to spend some time preparing some healthy, easy lunches (I usually eat on my feet, writing in books or while dealing with kids-often peeling an apple-or all of the above). When L works night often I just eat toast, eggs on toast, takeaway or homemade pizza, so I'm going to start cooking s vegie stir fry on those nights-quick, simple and healthy. I also need to quite my Ferrero Rocher habit when I go to the supermarket. :(

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4 simple changes, that should make a big difference. I've put it out there now-to all of you-so I have to be accountable!! Will let you know how I go!!! Are you having any mid year resolutions????