HUGE New Year's Eve Sale !!!

I am having a massive MODA Pre-Cut Sale on my website - MOTHERS CUPBOARD. All Jelly Rolls are $35.00, Layer Cakes - $30.00 and Charm Packs for just $10.00 Each. Go to the Specials Tab on my web site to access these bargains.

Strictly whilst stock lasts !!!!!

Be Quick

HUGS,

More De-Cluttering, Swap Gifts & Frugal Living

I joined up for Chooky Blue's SCCS Swap and sent to the lovely Dawn. I made her a project bag and needle book from one of my own designs. I also sent her lots of little goodies.

I received from Sherry. Sherry made me this lovely tapestry bag - It is a lovely design and I think I will use it to carry around my knitting in the winter. Thanks so much Sherry.

The advent swap was a success other than a few hiccups I think that most swappers have enjoyed the swap and have made some lovely new friends. My partner was Lizzie. Lizzie made me this lovely bag which I think is made from an April Cornell range? And there is a flower stitched on made from some of those hand dyed woollens that Lizzie dyed a few months back. Thanks so much for being my partner Lizzie.

We have all been busy around here de-cluttering and changing things around. It has even made Billy sleepy - LOL

The front porch is finished. What do you think?

It looks so much tidier and moving some furniture out brightens up the area.

Hubby says that I will have this shelf cluttered in no time.

Today we have been moving bedrooms around. Amy is having a larger bedroom now and the spare room will be the smallest bedroom in the house which has Tom's bed and Maddie's cot for when they sleep over. I have not taken any photo's of Amy's room as it is a typical girl's room and quiet terrible really. There is not very much going into the garbage bag at the moment so I need to give her more of a helping hand in that department I think.

2010 will be the year of "frugal living" here at Mothers Cupboard. It will also be the start of a healthy eating regime in our household. Both Rod and I have put on weight in the past 12 months and instead of using the "D" word we are just saying that we are going to make healthier choices and cut down on our intake.

I have been to the supermarket and purchased the basics for cooking from my "Symply Too Good To Be True" Recipe Books.

Have you seen these before? They are written by Annette Sym who herself has had a massive weight transformation over the years simply by making healthier choices and cooking from her own developed recipes. The books are recommended for Weight Loss, Diabetes, Heart, Cholesterol and Good Health. Each recipe has a full nutritional value breakdown per serve and include lots of favourite dishes which are just cooked using healthier choices like Flora Light Margarine instead of Butter or Fatty margarines , Olive Oil Spray instead of cooking in oil, Splenda instead of sugar, Skim Milk instead of Full Cream and the list goes on.

There are 5 books in the series and each has recipes for Starters & Light Meals, Vegetables, Seafood, Chicken, Meat, Desserts & Baking. They are available at all good newsagents in the recipe book section for $12.95 each. I have been baking out of these books for quite some time.

The web site if you are interested is http://www.symplytoogood.com.au/

My frugal living tips will start on Friday. I have lots and lots to share with you over the coming weeks. One of the best things about frugal living is the sense of satisfaction when you either recycle, repurpose or grow something for your home. It felt so good this morning to go to the garden and collect today's fruit and vegetables and the cost was just some TLC and forward thinking.

To get you starting to think about re-using and recycling join your local Freecycle web site. Have you heard of it before? It is when people offer things that they want to give away. You just e-mail them and arrange for collection. I have given and received so many things on this site. Our 6 goegeous hens came from the Freecycle site as well as some garden pots, a hat box and just recently enough curtains and tracks for my daughters home. I have given away kitchen items, aloe vera plants, porta cot, fax machine and boxes of knick knacks. The only rule really is that there must be no payment - hence the name FREECYCLE.

Until next time,

HUGS

Did You Have A Merry One?

Did you have a Merry Christmas? We had a lovely day - It is always lovely when you are surrounded by excited children and the people that you love. I have lots of photo's of gifts sent and received which I will show you in another post, but for now, here is a little quilt that I made for Maddie. I have called it " Chasing Butterflies". She loves it - I have made it in soft colours from the Aviary Range. I am yet to write the pattern - One day..........

I always seem to find motivation after Christmas - I am not sure if it is because of the weather, the fact that I am on leave or because the new year is looming. This year will be a "frugal" year for our household. It will be about saving $$, debt reduction and the sharing of hints and tips with you my blogging friends. To start it all off I have decided to give each room a make-over, a clean and what hubby calls a "de-clutter". Well just a little de-clutter because I actually like it. I forgot to take before photo's but do have these from grand final day so you will have to imagine it without the streamers.

The whole room has never really worked since we moved here 4 years ago and I have never been happy with it's layout - So a little bit of de-cluttering has occured, a big clean and a change around.

And this is how it looks now. It is so much nicer this way. There is no dust and even the windows sparkle.

My quilt stand holds some of my favourite quilts. The quilt folded on the bottom is the first quilt I ever made.

Some of my favourite things still clutter the place - LOL



My sewing spot in the room works well - I tested it out last night.



Toby the dog and Billy the cat have given it their seal of approval.

The best part about changing a room around or cleaning it out is that you find things that you had forgotten you owned. I have found lots of books that I now have on my MUST read list. Over the next year I will be sharing lots of frugal tips, gardening tips, recipes and lots lots more. If you want to save $$ join me in my 2010 challenge. It is going to be fun.

Now what am I going to do today? I am going to tackle our entrance foyer which has become a junk magnet.

Until next time,

HUGS

Christmas is Coming..........

I suppose that you didn't really need for me to tell you that - We can all feel it looming. There is sewing still to be done, baking, cleaning and wrapping.

I am down to just 4 projects left to complete - I will be much more organised next year - HAHA - I say that EVERY year. Why is it that we run out of time?

At least the house is decorated. We eat in the formal dining room on Chrismtas Day and have the table decorated which means that I will have to find new homes for the ornaments on this side buffet which is where we serve the food.

And this vase will have to be relocated for the day. I use all of my good china on Christmas Day. Do you have any little family traditions for Chrismtas lunch? Hubby's mum always makes our brandy sauce for our Christmas Pudding . How do you serve your pudding?

A new offering on the christmas buffet this year will be these delicious Lemon Tarts that I have discovered at Bakers Delight. I heat them slightly and then serve with scooped creamy french vanilla ice cream - DIVINE !!! Try one before the season ends - You will not be disappointed.

The little peoplemake Chrismtas so special. Yesterday afternoon Tom had a plate of fresh raspberries from the garden and decided to host a tea party for some of his festive friends. Poor Santie was forced to eat his raspberry - I could hear his screams of protest but in the end he succumbed.

Just a few little morsels left. They are so much fun aren't they? So many lovely memories and of course Grandma was there with camera in hand as usual - I just can't help myself.

I hope that you are trying to relax and are not too rushed. I am off to do battle at the supermarket this morning - Wish me luck !! Luckily I have ordered my Turkey & Ham so they won't be a problem.

Festive Hugs,

The Countdown is On !!

Not long now before "Santie" as Tommy calls him comes down the chimney. Last night was spent wrapping gifts and re-writing of the list of things to do which has not really shortened very much.

I still have quiet a bit of sewing to be done in the last few days and a few small items to purchase. How are you going with it all? I thought that over the next few days that I would show you a few corners of our decorated home - I love Chrismtas decorating and each year try to add a few items to my collection. Do you decorate your whole house too?

Until next time,

HUGS,

SSHHH - It's a Secret

How is your Christmas Shopping going? I think I have finished. Each year I try to buy something for my girls that they can keep forever (like an heirloom item) - Something that is not just a trend or a passing phase.

This year I wanted to give them each a set of rosaries. I

remembered that a friends daughter (Jenny of Elefantz) made some exquisite ones so I ordered them each a set. They were promptly hand made by Blossom.

Aren't they just beautiful? They are made from

- GreenAmethyst with Rose Quartz Paters
- Blood Red Jade with Rose Quartz Paters
- Pink Rhodonite with Night Stars Blue Sand Sun Sitara Paters
and each rosary has a floral bead for the main Pater which is shouldered each side with Swarovzki crystals. Now for the big decision which daughter gets which set? I think the Blood Red Jade one is an easy guess as Sam's middle name is Jade - LOL

I hope that you too are close to finishing your shopping.

Hugs,

Advent Gifts & Catching Up

How are you? I haven't been around much this week things are just so busy which I am sure is the same for you all? I have lots of projects that I had hoped would be finished by Christmas - A lot of them my own designs, like the one above which I am calling Bunny Crossing made from the lovely Hushabye Range. But realistically they will not be finished........
Thanks so much for all of the lovely e-mails regarding the loss of little Buddy - I appreciate each and every one of them so much - Thanks.......


It was TJ's birthday this week which of course meant a party and a cake. Here he is with his mum - Sam.

He had lots of fun opening gifts.



And lots of little people to help celebrate - Maddie is sitting up properly now that is her with the head band on. She had so much fun playing with her friends.



There have been some fabric purchases happening including the French Hatbox range ready to make the "new" BOM to be started in the January edition of Homespin magazine. It is such a lovely range.



Here are the items that I sent my partner in the Angel Swap. I hope that she liked them. The saying on the bag is one of my favourites. "A family stitched together with Love seldom unravels"

Last week I made a trip to the "Cadbury" factory. It is only around 10 minutes from my home - I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing? I purchased lots of Christmas Chocolates including these Turkish Delights. It says 60% less fat on the wrapper - Does that mean that I can eat 60% more? I am looking forward to the christmas fare but I can feel a new years resolution coming on. Especially after all of the lovely desserts over that period.

An Australian tradition at Christmas is the lovely Pavlova - This is how I will be serving ours on Christmas Day.

Are you enjoying the advent swap? Are you also checking out the daily advent posts on the Among The Gum Trees Blog for lot's of festive ideas? It is so much fun. Here is a little collage of some of the gifts that Lizzie has sent me.

Make a Smilebox collage

Today I have to Clean - Boring !! And then hopefully I can spend an hour or two at the machine ......... Until Next Time

Festive HUGS,

Catching Up and some sad news ........

Sadly our little man that I chatted about HERE - Lost his battle on Wednesday of last week. It really rocked our family as he had touched all of us with his sweet little heart. We named him "Buddy" as suggested by Robin. It really suited him and he did become my little bed buddy. He is now resting in our garden. Robin please drop me an e-mail and I will post something off to you - Thanks so much for the lovely name and thanks to everyone for all of the suggestions.

I have kept myself busy working through my gift list. This week has seen many projects started and a few finished. This little bag is for "Emma" who is my best friends grand daughter. She has 4 other grandchildren and I have items chosen to make for each of them.

And this is the bag that I have made for my friend. She adores bunny rabbits and travels around Australia as a judge at rabbit shows. I thought she might like to have a nice tote bag to take with her on these trips.

Burp cloths for a brand new baby boy and an expectant baby girl.



Guess who I baby sat today? Yes sweet little Maddie. Now I am pretty sure that she doesn't get her love of chocolate from me - LOL....... I had to bathe her after this episode and soak her clothes. But we had lots of fun as she is crawling now and finds the christmas tree very interesting......

I received my SSCS swap parcel from the lovely Sherry. This is the sweet little christmas stocking she made for me to hang on my tree.

I am off now to have this delicious Chicken Caesar Salad that I have made for dinner.

Until next time,

HUGS,