39/52

 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Experimenting with the black and white function on my camera.  These 3 were quite willing to play along.........

Bell
Tom

George

Very happy to be joining in with Jodi's "52 project".

 

 

 

 

The Family Design Store giveaway winners!

Hello readers, old and new!

Thank you all who entered this giveaway.  It was another popular one.  Welcome to all the lovely new readers.  I hope you enjoy reading this space as much as I enjoy putting it together.

Thank you again to Chelsea and Gene from The Family Design Store for sponsoring this great giveaway - make sure you stop by their online store  The Family Company to see their gorgeous products, new items are being added all the time.

All names where written down and placed in the crockpot (!) and four lucky winners names were drawn.

The winners are..........

 

Trillina Palemi

This mum rocks

Elizabeth @ all that is beautiful

Things for Boys

Please email me your address details and preferred colour to alittlebitcountrynz (at) gmail (dot) com and I will organise delivery of your prize.

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Family Company is the online store - High quality products are sourced by members of Chelsea and Gene's extended family from across the globe and range from homeware (kitchen, lounge, bathroom and bedroom), clothing (men's, woman's and children's), stationary, art and design.

Check out:

Facebook: The Family Design Store

Blog: The Shopkeeper | shopkeeper, mother and wife

Pinterest: Chelsea Thorpe (primroseandcoco) on Pinterest


 

A list

Little M

 

This little guy arrived into the world last Friday.  My sisters little boy.  To say I'm besotted is an understatement.  He is in Brisbane so I'm not sure when I will get to cuddle him.  I'm in love.

I am.............

making: vegemite scrolls for Bell's end of term shared lunch......I have to hide them in the cupboard.
cooking:  won ton soup for the first time ever the other night.  It was so good.
drinking:  tea.....always.  Soy lattes in town at a favourite café.
reading:  Elizabeth Bergs "Open House"  an easy read.  Its been at my bedside for months.
wanting:  another pair of Saltwater Sandals.  I can't decide on which colour though.
looking: forward to school holidays.  Last day of term tomorrow.  I can't wait!
playing:  Pirates......walking the plank (ramp) - I'm too heavy for it and broke it....embarrassing.
sowing:  nothing at the moment, but am weeding, weeding, weeding and a little flower planting.
wishing:  for good weather over the school holidays.  I want to spend most of it outdoors.
enjoying:  Wednesday morning to myself.  My sister n law Em looks after Georgie.  Loving it.
waiting:  for December......Mr H and I have a 2 night/3 day trip away........just the two of us!
liking:  Tom's dance moves.  He is FINALLY not shy about shaking his tail feather.  Hilarious.
wondering: when I will get to meet my little nephew........
loving: watching the brotherly bond emerging between my boys.
hoping:  not to hear the words "I'm bored" over the school holidays.
marvelling:  at the energy of Tom's kindy teachers.  At parent help I was knackered after 2 hours!
needing:  A housework fairy at the moment.  Feeling unmotivated at the moment.
smelling:  The sheep being dipped across the road..........ewwww pong!
wearing:  short sleeves and my Saltwater sandals.  Summer is coming.
following:  Maybell around the garden.  She keeps digging up my hydrangeas.
noticing:  the sudden bud burst and new leaves on the grapevines over the fence. 
knowing:  that everything happens for a reason.
thinking:  about paint colours.  We are painting this weekend!
bookmarking:  online stores......can you recommend any great clothing sites?  Dresses in particular.
opening:  packages from bloggy friends.  There are some amazingly generous ladies out there.
giggling:  at Mr H, always.  He is so funny when playing with the kids, and he thinks I'M a nutcase?!
feeling:  content.

Have a great week!

***  this great giveaway ends Friday night - make sure you enter here.

 

Around the garden

 

 

 

 

We have a severe weather warning in place for this afternoon.  Whether it reaches us or not is yet to be seen!  It has started raining now so we will just have to wait and see.

Over the past few days we have had lots of great sunny spells.  We have been outside as much as possible.  I've been weeding and planting and deciding on what to plant next and where.  I'm hoping to successfully transfer some of the rosemary around to the front.  It grows in abundance and is happy left to its own devices.  I love low maintenance plants.  The raised vege boxes have been cleared and will be filled with strawberries and blueberries.

My vege garden (as always) needs some TLC.  I have been neglecting it, but with the warmer weather nearing I feel more motivated to work in it.

My very strange hydrangea plants are heavy with flowers.  I'm hoping that this corner will be filled with these, my favourite flower.  I'm hoping that they fill out more and keep flowering.  I have already had to re plant them once (this time a little lower so they stay sturdy) thanks to our pooch Maybell digging them up.

The blossoms are turning to bright green leaves - I can't wait for the fruit to appear.  We have plum, apricot and two different types of peach trees.  The apricot tree was heaving last year, fingers crossed it does the same again.

This week while Bell has been at school and Tom at Kindy, George and I have been pottering around.  The make shift ramp above that Bell found has been worth its weight in gold!  Hours of fun and George just loves it.  He drags his bike up the stairs and scoots down with his feet held high.  So cute to watch.

I'm not green fingered but I really enjoy it.  I love being outside digging around.  I find it really calming and like the fact that I have something other than the house and kids to focus on.  I like that the boys come and dig/weed by me  Getting dirty and having a natter.  What's more I seem to be getting more and more successful when it comes to keeping plants alive.  Although I seem to weed more than anything else at the moment.

 

Do you love your garden? 

Am I turning more and more into a nana?  I don't have knee rests and a "gardening hat"..............yet?!

38/52

 

 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."

Just over the fence........in the vineyard.

Bell
Tom

George

Very happy to be joining in with Jodi's "52 project".

 

 

 

 

The Family Design Store giveaway

Look!  Don't you love them!  Children's cutlery, wooden (bamboo) and in great colours - available in blue, orange, crimson, green and yellow/beige.

I'm always on the lookout for great wooden product for my children and I have always liked wooden toys and wooden bowls for snacks etc but don't seem to come across wooden cutlery......until now.

You can buy the spoon and fork sets through The Family Design Stores online store (The Family Company) here.  The quality is gorgeous and they retail at only NZD$10 a pair.

Chelsea and Gene from the Family Design Store will supply four lucky people with one set each in your choice of colour.
 

To enter The Family Design Store giveaway all you need to do is:

 

Leave a comment below telling me which colour you like.

 

For optional bonus entries (leave a separate comment for each):

 

 

Bonus entry #1  Follow the Family Design Store via Facebook.

Bonus entry #2  Follow "A little bit country" via Google Friends Connect, Blog lovin or Feedly.

Bonus entry #3  Follow "A little bit country" via Facebook.

Bonus entry #4  Share this giveaway via Social media (Facebook, Twitter, blog).

 

 

This is an International Giveaway.

Giveaway closes on Friday 27 September at 8:00pm (NZ Time) - Winners will be announced the following day and will have 1 week to get in touch or a new name will be drawn.

This giveaway is now closed, thank you!  Click here to see who won.

Four winners will be chosen so good luck!
 

The Family Company is the online store - High quality products are sourced by members of Chelsea and Gene's extended family from across the globe and range from homeware (kitchen, lounge, bathroom and bedroom), clothing (men's, woman's and children's), stationary, art and design.

Check out:

Facebook: The Family Design Store

Blog: The Shopkeeper | shopkeeper, mother and wife

Pinterest: Chelsea Thorpe (primroseandcoco) on Pinterest

Do you have stealth?

It's back! The second annual Sisterhood Ninja Bake! 

Get your whisks, beaters and camouflage gear out ladies! You have received the call up!

October 18-19th 2013

 

"The Ninja Baking weekend is all about blessing someone with a fairly simple gift: Our love in the form of bikkies, scones, muffins, cakes, or a secret recipe!"....Sophie

Sophie from the blog Sophie Slim is organising the second annual Sisterhood Ninja Bake!

I'm joining in this year.  And will be whipping up a few batches of something delicious and then secretly delivering them to the recipients door.  Using my Ninja like stealth.......of course.

Click on the links below to find out further details and to register.  You can then put forward nominations of who you think would be a deserving recipient or you can choose your own.

This is currently being run in New Zealand - but I think where ever you are in the world, next time you are whipping up a cake or biscuits, double your recipe and hand deliver to a neighbour.

 

Click on the logo above or here to register!

 

You have until September 25th to register.

 

 

37/52

 

 

"A portrait of my children, once a week, every week, in 2013."
 

Bell - Odd socks!  She has, for as long as I can remember always preferred to wear mismatched socks....
Tom - Sprung!  Jumping in the rosemary hedge.

George - And he naturally follows his big brothers lead.

Very happy to be joining in with Jodi's "52 project".

 

 

 

The leap

 And so it begins..........
 

I've done it!  After much toing and froing I have added my blog to Facebook.

 

Friends have mentioned that it would be easier for non bloggers to click over to "A little bit country" and read new posts from their Facebook notifications.

 

It will also be a great way for me to share my giveaways.

 

You can find me here.

 

Is your Blog on Facebook?  How do you find it? 

 

Pop your Blog Facebook link in the comments section below and I will stop by and say hi.

 

I'm still a little unsure......tell me it will be ok?!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Op shop showoff.........linen stash

I was thinking a few weeks ago that I never come across any great linen tea towels or table cloths.  I see some amazing ones on Trademe but they are always too expensive.  $20 for one linen tea towel plus postage.....I think not!

So imagine my delight when I called into an op shop in town (and one that I don't visit very often) and they had a table set up with piles of doilies and linen.

I came away with serviettes (50cents a pair), tea towels ($2 each) a couple of them don't look like they have been used.  The small square table cloth was $2.   And my favourite finds, the two Australian themed table cloths.  The largest one with the map was $8 - more than happy with that price.  The fabric is a heavy linen and by the look and feel of it I don't think it has been used.  Same with the pretty Australian wild flowers table cloth which was $4.

One great linen stash makes for a very happy lady!

Found anything great lately? Pop over and share it with Max.
 

Elephant and Bird linen giveaway winner!

Hello to all the new followers and the lovely regulars who stop by often.

 

Thank you to all those who entered - I love a good giveaway and will be posting another great one next week so make sure you stop by.

 

There are some other great giveaways happening around Blog land at the moment - take a peek:

 

 Creative Chaos

The golden adventures of a very dark horse

A green and sometimes blue life

 

The lucky winner of the Elephant and Bird pillowslips is:

 

Leonie from Sunshine x3

Please email me your address details to alittlebitcountrynz (at) gmail (dot) com and I will organise delivery of your prize.

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

Thank you Elephant and Bird  for providing the awesome prize!