Finding joy in the everyday

FINAL REMINDER . . . FINAL REMINDER. .. FINAL REMINDER Don't forget the fabulous giveaway I have running this week — if you have (O'dear I hope you haven't), click on  LINK  and go check it out.  You don't want to miss out.  Open to the entire world!!! Yes, everyone, in every corner of this planet — including the penguins in the Antarctic, the polar bears in the arctic, lions and tigers in Africa and the sloths of Costa Rica and you too :) * Closing date: 18th April  * (Aust. time)  

Hand washing  After discussing hand-washing earlier this week ( LINK ), I thought it would be fun to look at some art on the very topic. I enjoy hand washing a few things, but if I had to do it all the time, I think the enjoyment would wear off very quickly!!!  And I am sure it would be more fun in summer than in the middle of winter. We also use soaps and detergents that are kinder on our hands — not that many decades ago, soap was much harsher and damaged the hands. Plus we all have water in our homes that supply hot and cold — really ladies, its a luxury to hand wash in 2016 compared to 1816 or even 1916!! "Laundry Girl" by Morgan Weistling Laundry duty - Morgan Weistling This Is the Way We Wash Our Clothes by George Dunlop Leslie A Little Laundry Maid~Vintage Postcard Whilst I might enjoy doing a small amount of hand washing during the week — most women of the past were thrilled to see the invention of the machine washer. I...

Don't forget the fabulous giveaway I have running this week — if you have (O'dear I hope you haven't), click on LINK and go check it out.  You don't want to miss out.  Open to the entire world!!! Yes, everyone, in every corner of this planet — including the penguins in the Antarctic    and the polar bears in the arctic. * Closing date: 18th April  * (Aust. time)  

The master bedroom In 2015 I started a series called "Room by Room" where I focused on ways of making our homes more comfortable and cosy, home decorating tips, ideas for storage, ways to keep it organised and other general information. These posts were quite popular, however I never finished the series (sad face!!) and now its time to do something about that! Today I want to talk about The Master bedroom . There was a time when the lord and lady's bed chamber was a multi-functional room: home office, library, living room, a place to have important meetings, an operating theatre, place to be born and to die and a bedroom for sleeping. Rarely did ordinary folk of the past sleep just the two of them — children shared the bed and others could also sleep in the same room perhaps on the floor. The bedroom was once a very communal and busy room. It wasn't until more recent centuries did people start to have their own private space and the lord and lady of the h...

Who hand washes their clothes?  Do you chuck everything into the machine and hope for the best? I hand wash my good clothes — why:  1. It makes clothes last longer as its much more gentle than a machine. 2. It stops stretching particular with t-shirts and jumpers. 3. Removing stains is easier as you can target the spot directly. 4. Energy efficient as it saves using a washing machine for a small load which also in turn saves water. 3. Drip dying requires less ironing. And its a bit of work out so its good for one's health — and its fun to play in water!! Every afternoon when I get home from work I place my work clothes in this bowl and hand wash.  I do love splashing about in water and hand washing gives me that excuse to have a play!!! I never get my clothes very dirty so they do not need an extensive wash, its more about removing the sweatiness and freshening them up. It might sound mad, but I find hand washing quite re...

To celebrate Autumn its time to do another  GIVEAWAY  and this one is cool!!! My dear cousin Clara, a stay-at-home mum, homeschooler and a brilliant seamstress will be making the winning giveaway and I think you will love the options!!! Instructions: 1.  In this giveaway you will be selecting one of the options below (and there are five to select from) and a custom order will be made just for you. 2. You will be able to talk directly with Clara and she will make the item to your specifications (within reason). 3. You will be able to choose your own fabric and colour and for some options, the particular style you would like.  4. You must leave a comment on my blog (with contact details - blog or email) with a nice friendly comment and which option you would like to win. 5. AND you need to pop over to Clara's page and LIKE her Facebook page too: LINK   (her Ad is on my sidebar "Claradan and Co") 6. This giveaway to open to everyon...

Artist: Evgeny Lushpin Russian born I love this art - the paintings, whilst many are set at night have a feeling of warmth and welcoming you into the scenes. What do you think?