Power House membership and reciprocal rights

For those of you in country NSW or 150km from Sydney and like to take your children to museums etc check out the powerhouse membership offer. We have one for our family and today we took the children to Questacon in ACT under reciprocal rights, so no cost :o) We found it cheaper to belong to Power house than to Questacon, but still can go unlimited times. Interesting hey. (However it doesn't work if you live in ACT, they don't let you go to Questacon  on a PH membership)


I confess this was an accidental discovery, we went to take the kids to the Lord of the Rings exhibition years ago and it was cheaper to get a membership than to pay individually to see the exhibit. We have had a membership since:o)


Powerhouse: $160 for 3 years. For "Country Household".
Questacon: $220 to join for only 2 years then $195 to renew. For a "Family" 2A 3C extra children $23 each for 2 year memberships.


Powerhouse membership
Reciprocal rights


The little ones had a ball today and it cost nothing other than fuel.

One lovely blog award

I have been awarded a "One lovely blog award" from Sammy http://myhealthyhappyfamily.blogspot.com/
Sherrie from http://simpleliving-sherrie.blogspot.com/
and Peta at http://greatgoogamoogas.blogspot.com/


They have gorgeous blogs and so worth making time for a coffee and a good read!


7 facts you might not know about me:


1. I love hand made gifts
2. I don't like cooking
3. I long to live Henry Thoreau style
4. I would have loved more children
5. I want to be a missionary once the children leave home/old enough to be left
6. The thought of sago makes me dry reach 
7. Pooh and I met under the shower

The cost of home cappuccino

We do enjoy a nice cup of coffee and we used to treat ourselves to shop bought ones. I though homemade one might be good but I was too nervous to buy a home coffee machine, when I looked at them I got over whelmed by the choices and did away with the plans.


However, we were blessed to recieve a machine from friends who didn't use one they were given. 


So how much does it cost? 90 cents!  *Obviously not including the cost of the coffee machine.*


We use Organic fair trade coffee beans. We had a grinder that I used for nuts. We use lactose free milk.


33c for 14grams of beans
50c for 200mls of milk -Bearing in mind it's expensive lactose free stuff
5c for power usage of coffee machine
1c for grinder usage
1c for chocolate dusting powder


I think it would be cheaper with 'normal' milk 


I honestly think they taste better than the shop bought in most cases :o)

Oh so yum!

Tea Cosy

Just because you are thrifty it doesn't mean things can't be fun. I'm making a tea cosy for our tea pot.
Here's it being tried on the teapot for size.

I got the pattern from Wild Tea Cosies by Loanie Prior that I borrowed from the library. I also learnt to knit on a round! Here is a link to her blog and a free pattern.

Waldorf Steiner Dolls

This is my doll, Elsie, she was made by someone else. 

I LOVE these dolls so much. They are made from natural fibres, cotton tricot and filled with wool. I am making some for Christmas gifts but gee they are a lot of work!
I'll add a tutorial later but just thought I'd share what I am up too.

We had a birthday in the house.

We had a wee one celebrate a birthday! We made a Tissue paper star for the occasion. These are popular in the Waldorf world for brightening the windows in winter.

Here is a link to a tutorial if you want to make some.


I had got my knickers in a knot recently about the poor quality food that is often served up at children parties. While some argue that it is only a party, I struggle to see why we serve completely nutritionally defunct food as a celebration! My healthy suggestions were declared unappealing by some and tasty by others. So the pressure was on of course to serve edible food!
Menu was homemade pizza and blue fluff and cake.


I made pizza bases in the bread machine. I assume most have a pizza/pastry setting.
I made huge ones and tiny toddler sized bases.


I had ham, cheese, pineapple with carmelised onions and potato (oil, garlic, salt) for the children to make their own. They and juice and water to drink.
The adults mediterranean - chargrilled veggies, fetta, olives and pesto base
Tandoori chicken- 2 chicken breasts cooked and marinated in Tandoori paste and yoghurt. Yoghurt and cashews on top (I forgot the mint leaves) 


Then flummery and cake. Cappuccinos for the adults.  Big sister made 3 gollywog cakes From Enid Blyton's Three Little Gollywogs, a fav book at the moment with the little ones.


For a quick midweek party in the pouring rain, it was great and everyone was happy and full!

Saving money in Winter

Trying to save money in winter!


We don't go out much if we can help it in winter so there's a petrol saving, albeit small.


We have our fire going with wood from the property so it's virtually free.


As I am more likely to be home all day in winter I do simmer dinner on the heater. I initially cook it on the gas stove, brown the meat and bring to boil etc them pop the lid on and transfer it to the heater.

Wow! I've opened the door so you could see the nice fire as it didn't photograph with door shut and now I've added to the ash layering. I can honestly say fires make the house warm 'n cosy and dusty as!


The foods we generally eat in winter are stews and soups and you can get away with cheaper cuts and frozen veg. While our waist lines don't need it, we like puds for afters too.


We continue to have porridge in the thermal cooker each night, ready for the morning. I use quick oats from Aldi, a drizzle of honey from our bees and that's it. Yum.


I think the house might also be at it's messiest in winter, with an unrelenting ash layer everywhere, throws and blankets on all the chairs and lounges (for snuggling up under to watch a movie), we add to the look with the 'chinese laundry' each night. I'm not going to add a picture because you know what I mean! All the clothes that didn't dry on the line wait in turn to hang over the fire surround ;o)


Not much is happening in the garden so minimal out lay there.


Clothes, well I don't really like to be out in the cold so I don't shop but I do like to knit.


Did you know that even the hair on your head grows slower in winter, now there's another saving! LOL


We could be guilty of having longer showers in winter... no saving what so ever there ;o)