Showing posts with label Domestic Goddess. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Domestic Goddess. Show all posts

Saturday, 12 July 2008

Free Fun in Sydney (even for north shore dwellers...)

The school holidays are notorious for putting a hole in the budget; but this week when Domestic Goddess and her three kids visited from Melbourne we had a great time without the need for a second mortgage.

We played in the tunnels at Middle Head.

We walked across Our Bridge.


We hung out for ages at the new Apple Store playing with all the gadgets we'd love to own. That place is a theme park in its own right.



And we played in the harbour at low tide.

Who needs a theme park when we live in one?
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Wednesday, 21 November 2007

Happy Birthday Domestic Goddess


She sews, she beads and she re-paints walls in the middle of the night. You can make a surprise visit to her home at 8am on a Sunday after she's held a party the night before and her place is SPOTLESS. She's the true Domestic Goddess, and I don't know how she does it.

I've known her ever since KelpieBlossom and Fashionista were tiny babies. And she's my ski buddy.


Happy 41st Birthday Domestic Goddess!

Tuesday, 6 November 2007

Bling



I don't think I've mentioned yet that I am 2 1/2 weeks away from a BIG birthday. Well biggish anyway. Lucky me, I will share this momentous occasion with the Federal Election this year.

When asked what I want for this birthday I've said to Firegazer that I just want to spend money on whatever takes my fancy between now and the 24th. So far I've bought clothes and shoes. No handbag yet, but I've still got 2 1/2 weeks.

This means no real surprises, but hey the shopping is fun.

So it was lovely to get a surprise gift this weekend. Domestic Goddess and her family visited from Melbourne on Saturday and Sunday and while they were here gave me the beautiful necklace above. This necklace was made by Domestic Goddess. Isn't it amazing? She makes the most beautiful things. I'm currently trying to convince her to get an Etsy shop.


Edited: It's such low light here today that none of the photos of this beautiful piece really show it off to good effect. Will keep trying and post a better photo soon. Mx

Thursday, 30 August 2007

Off to the Melbourne Writers Festival

I'm about to pack my bag in anticipation of my trip to Melbourne tomorrow afternoon. I will be staying with Fairlie and indulging in two days of Melbourne Writers Festival activities, being a 'blow-in' at Cousin It's 30th birthday and catching up with whichever members of the No. 1 Melbourne Ladies Bookclub are available to be at Domestic Goddess' house on Sat night.

When I booked this trip I didn't realise that Sunday was Father's Day. Ooops. However, KelpieBlossom assures me that she has the day fully in hand. I don't want to reveal too much in case Firegazer reads this blog; however, I hear that there is a Menu being planned. I don't recall ever giving KelpieBlossom or Padawan Learner lessons on how to make tea and toast but I guess they'll figure it out.

Luckily, the Fire Station is just up the street.

I will file a full report on my return.

Friday, 3 August 2007

Zen and the Art of Cleaning Out the Fridge

Some years ago now Domestic Goddess gave me a copy of Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson. At the time I think it was a little wink to the unassailable fact that she is the Domestic Goddess, not me. However, I love this book. In our house, and amongst other friends who own it, it is simply known as "Cheryl". Cheryl discusses how she hangs out the washing and avoids "broken windows" (mess areas) in her home in a way that reminds you how nice it is to have Shepherds Pie on a cold winters evening. She's Martha without the ribbons and lavender spritz on the sheets. Oh so comforting to read, but oh so not me.

However, after spending a long weekend with Domestic Goddess (who within minutes of hopping in my car started to wipe the interior with baby wipes she just happened to have in her purse) I felt that some areas of my home could do with a spruce up. Not the external areas, the internal-nobody-sees areas. Like the fridge.


Let it be recorded that yesterday I cleaned the fridge. Not a quick wipe out. A full clean. Over the period of two hours I stripped the interior and scrubbed every centimetre. It was cleaned as well as a toy library toy. Those of you who have ever been a member of the Stonnington Toy Library will know what I mean. I even used satay sticks covered in cotton wool...


I need to tell you this because the reward I get for all this work is a fridge that looks EXACTLY THE SAME as it did before I cleaned it. Seriously, no-one has even noticed. I've gone to the extreme lengths to tell everyone I come in contact with of my domesticity just so it's recorded. Most friends have shaken their heads at me saying "what on earth did you bother doing that for?" and "oh, well, at least YOU know it's clean".


So I hearby declare that I feel all zen-like inside on account of my clean fridge.


Now to attack that pile of filing that has been gathering in my office since September 2005...


Tuesday, 31 July 2007

Ski Instructors: It's Safe to Come Out Now

Domestic Goddess, Army Wife and I are such party animals. Our girls weekend away at Thredbo was marked with all night drinking binges and dancing to the wee hours. Not.

Seriously, we get four nights away from the kids and what do we do? Sleep. A lot. Firegazer had left a case of beer in the fridge at the lodge and I took down some really nice wine but we were happier with a cup of tea and a choccy bickie (AmE: Chocolate Cookie). Firegazer couldn't believe it. When I rang him one night he said "Oh, the poor wittle mummies are sitting around in their jammies and woolly socks". The sad thing was, we were.

However, it wasn't all tea and woolly socks.
















Two members of our ski party are pointing to the spot where we were caught in the worst weather I have ever experienced at Thredbo. We had just got off the Kosci Express and were heading down to the top of the Supertrail when WHAM! the worst combo ice storm/wind/white out hit us. Domestic Goddess managed to lie down in front of an overhang of snow but Army Wife and I took the full force of it.

When it was over we had a long recovery session involving schnapps at Black Sallees.

This is the same section of the Supertrail two days later looking all sweet and innocent.

After rough weather on the first day we had lovely sunny days for the rest of the trip. However, our ski instructor for days 2 & 3 may not have been having such a lovely time.

Domestic Goddess and I take private lessons on this w/e each year in the vain attempt to be able to keep up with our husbands, and now, our kids. Problem is I don't take to instruction too well. I really see the instructor as a paid tour guide and want him or her to take me to interesting bits of the mountain and show me how to ski them.

Poor Ales from the Czech Republic. He wouldn't take us anywhere interesting because he thought our short turns needed attention. They do, but I am an old dog and I hate new tricks. Ales was rewarded with much muttering under my breath and terse comments. So on day 3 I levelled with him and said I would be grumpy and surly if he continued to pick on my short turns. He said "excellent, bring it on". We saw eye to eye from that point on and I spent the rest of the morning attempting to listen to him. Grudgingly, I may have even learnt something.


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Things to love about Thedbo #1:
I love it that while most of the Alpine Responsibility Code signs are made of canvas and lashed to poles with rope, sign #9 is made of metal and bolted down.


9. Do not ski, snowboard, ride chairlift or undertake alpine activities if your ability is impaired by drugs or alcohol

This is the most coveted sign by uni students on scavenger hunts and many of these are known to decorate dorm rooms in Canberra.



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Monday, 9 July 2007

Greeks Bearing Gifts

The EasternMax family may be of Anglo-Celtic heritage but we are a bit partial to Greek Sweets. In particular we love Koulourakia (in our house we just call them Greek Biscuits). Traditionally made for Greek Easter these biscuits are neither hard nor soft and have just a touch of sweetness - perfect with a cup of tea.



Yesterday, on our way back to Sydney from Melbourne, the kids and I met up with Domestic Goddess, and her kids in Goulburn for lunch. They are currently visiting their (Greek) grandparents in Canberra. I was thrilled that Domestic Goddess's mum (Yia Yia) had been baking and was there to hand over this bag of Greek Biscuits:



See how the Koulourakia are wrapped up with ribbon? We Skips would hand biscuits over on a plate - and then ask for the plate back.

The EasternMax family doesn't beware Greeks bearing gifts - we open our arms wide and wait impatiently for the next visit.
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