Wagga Wagga to Worcestershire & back again
This past weekend I ticked off one of those jobs that’d been sitting on my to-do list for months. It was one I was super enthusiastic about, that just got put off when my first trimester sickness kicked in, and the put off some more.
The funny thing is, it wasn’t a hard or cumbersome job, it was actually something nice – mounting some new artworks…
The first week of April is here and just like that we’re into the second quarter of the year. Sometimes it feels like life is truly just whizzing by and when that happens I like to slow things down and reflect on the little moments. So, this is what my last week looked like…
March is set to be a super-busy month in our household, so before things get too crazy I thought I’d take the time to sit and reflect on what’s been making me smile at the start of this month…
Tomorrow marks the start of autumn in Australia, and although it’ll probably be a good few weeks until it starts feeling like autumn, I can’t wait. A huge part of my desire for milder temperatures, and hopefully, some proper rain is so I can get stuck back into some gardening again…
Can you believe we’re more than halfway through February already? Where is this year going, it feels like it’s genuinely zipping on by.
It’s time to take a look a what’s been making me happy this month…
I find there are some dishes Adam and I make over and over again for dinner, and bolognese sauce with pasta features quite near the top of that list. After a long day, nothing quite beats coming home to a comforting bowl of al dente pasta smothered in a rich, tomato dense bolognese. It’s never the most Instagram-worthy meal, but it’s darn tasty and sometimes that’s all you need right?!
I spent years tinkering with my mum’s recipe and testing out others in Italian cookbooks (this was a favourite for a long time) but then Adam came into my life, and with it his bolognese recipe. It tastes decadent, but normally we’ve always got all the ingredients on hand. Adam normally makes a double batch which ensures we’ve got plenty of leftovers. It freezes exceptionally well and tastes just a great dolloped on a steaming jacket potato or on a bit of toasted sourdough as it does pasta.
Adam has kindly shared his recipe if you’re keen to give it a go yourself…
I’ve become a bit of a homebody these last few weeks, and to be honest I’ve loved it. The end of last year was busy with my wedding, I worked all through Christmas and New Year, and this month’s been so hot, so I’ve been relishing having quiet time at home.
In pottering about, I’ve started to deep-clean and rearrange a few areas of the house, starting with a set of shelves in the sitting room…
Last year I started noting down every season a few things that were making me smile. Most of the time they were little observations, kind acts or simple pleasures to do with that time of the year. I loved writing those blog posts and found the act of sitting and writing about these little things really cathartic. It was such a good reminder, that even during what feels like a standard week/month there are moments of magic in the ever day.
So in 2019, I’m upping the ante. Every month I’m going to stop and reflect on what’s making me smile, starting with January…
A few months back I treated myself to a copy of the National Trust cookbook. Adam and I had National Trust membership while we were living in England and I have so many fond memories of spending days exploring the Trust’s beautiful old houses and stunning gardens.
We hosted a group of friends this weekend gone for a summery barbecue and I turned to my National Trust cookbook for some seasonal inspiration when it came to dessert…
I was really excited to decorate for the festive season this year. Last year, Adam and I landed back in Australia just a few days before Christmas and with unpacking the house and settling back into life in Wagga Wagga it was a low priority.
This December, and especially after seeing all the trees, lights and decorations in the U.K, I was keen to make the house feel a little jolly…
Wattle and Ash 