Skip to main content

Round Up


Hi guys, Happy New Year :D
Would you believe it'll be a year in late Feb since we moved here, where did that go?


And what a year!
I've made so many new friends, in real life and through blogging, and i was kept busier than i ever expected to be. For which i am eternally grateful.


When i first started this blog i had a list of things that i wanted to learn and do throughout the year
Some of them i have done, but a lot seem to have fallen by the wayside, so i am going to keep the list and add to it for this year


The Old List


Crafts and Home


Master the knitting machine- nope, but in my defense i need 4ply yarn which i am still looking for a bargain on.

Make jumpers/socks/blankets etc from said machine- As above
Crochet more clothes and things for the home- Check- i am currently crocheting a blanket, and have made a few small things including Christmas decorations
Spin yarn- Check!
Weave-not yet, i have the kit, but just need to find the right project
Make all home made Christmas gifts- not quite, but as above, i have made my own decorations
Decorate the house- Not yet, as can't afford the paint i want :)

Garden

Convert at least half of the garden into a veg garden (the other half paved over to add a table and chairs etc and flowers for the bees)- still in the pipeline for next year

Build raised beds- As above
Grow a variety of veg and herbs successfully- As above-this year most of them died :(
Make a compost bin- i've made a compost pile instead ;)
A pond? (i doubt it, but i can hope, can't i?)- still possibly in the pipeline
Acquire a shed (again, pretty hopeful, but you never know) As above
Acquire a small greenhouse-As above

Cooking

Master bread baking! Check! First on the list to be "ticked off"
Make more sauces from scratch and can them-going to can them next year if i can afford the jars,otherwise i'll freeze them

Herbs

Dry herbs and make loose leaf teas - still waiting to grow the things first! Though my rosemary is still alive :)
Make basic medicines- waiting to grow the herbs to make them with
Make soaps and cleaning agents- I've made rosemary scented all purpose cleaner and apple cider vinegar so far :)








So, what can i add/change on this list?
For a start, more homemade drinks, which i have already got a head start on, i would LOVE to try and make my own alcohol , so i shall certainly be adding that.
Preserving foods, i would like to make more jams/chutneys/pickles etc

I would also like to start water bath canning, as soon as i can get the proper jars (Soooo expensive!!)
Build/find bigger and better shelves for the pantry





To be honest, i've ran out of ideas lol
Maybe monthly goals of some form?
Ideas, anyone?

Labels:

Comments

  1. Pam31 December 2015 at 07:39

    A massive list for one year, why not break it down into smaller segments it will not seem so daunting then. Perhaps build one raised bed and plant it up, then Level part of garden for patio area. I have a large collection of seeds and would happily send you some if you like. Pallets will break apart for raised beds if you can find some.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown1 January 2016 at 03:47

      Good idea Pam :) problem is, i'm terribly impatient and want it all done at once haha
      Partly because we can't afford not to at least start growing our own food :( that's the main priority, i don't mind really if the some of others don't get done as quickly, but quite a few rely on me growing the food to use them in other parts of the list
      I'm actually thinking of putting cardboard down over the whole thing and seeing if it kills off all the grass and weeds by spring

      Some seeds would be lovely, i do have some, but they are mostly herbs, and it's always interesting to try new varieties
      You're very kind :) xx

      Delete
    2. Pam2 January 2016 at 04:16

      Woo Hoo you have won the Kirstie book, let me have your snail mail address and I will send it off to you, and pop some seeds in there too.

      Delete
  2. Simple Living31 December 2015 at 07:41

    Well I think you have plenty to keep yourself busy, looking forward to seeing your progress, happy new year to you and the bearded wonder xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown1 January 2016 at 03:49

      Definitely! Fingers crossed nothing scuppers my plans, but i have a feeling it's going to be a very good year :)
      Happy New Year to you, your hubby and son :) xx

      Delete
  3. Amy at love made my home31 December 2015 at 11:25

    Happy New Year! Here's to a good 2016! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown1 January 2016 at 03:51

      Happy New Year Amy, here's to a very good new 2016! *Raises cup of coffee* Cheers! xx

      Delete
  4. Dawn31 December 2015 at 12:34

    you have done really well and deserve a pat on the back, wishing you both a wonderful 2016 how about adding foraging to your list :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown1 January 2016 at 03:54

      Thank you Dawn :) I'd like to start foraging, and have done it few times, but only with something i know really well, i don't trust myself yet to correctly identify most things haha :D i shall be educating myself more on foraging and obscure herbs though :)
      Happy New Year :) xx

      Delete
  5. Jo@awholeplotoflove31 December 2015 at 23:33

    All the best for 2016 & good luck xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown1 January 2016 at 03:55

      Thank you Jo, here's to a great year :) xx

      Delete
  6. sustainablemum1 January 2016 at 13:06

    A Happy New Year to you. That is a lot to do in a year I agree about breaking it up into smaller chunks, would it help to prioritise too what will save you the most money in the long run maybe? Have you looked in charity shops for yarn? I have often seen cones of yarn in charity shops round our way ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown1 January 2016 at 13:28

      A Very Happy New Year to you too :) Has it been good so far?

      It's just figuring out what to prioritize, i know the big one is to sort out growing veg,fruits and herbs, the others can wait, over the course of two years maybe?
      To e honest, i like having a big list, then looking at it and seeing what i can do free/ for little money, it's one of my favourite things to do haha :)
      I've been scouring charity shops, but nothing so far :( either that or it's too expensive at the time, i've also been looking on gumtree, but the ones i see are always so flipping far away lol
      I'll get there eventually :) xx

      Delete
  7. faith762 January 2016 at 13:03

    I like your New List for a New year, very inspiring. The one thing I want to do is make more handmade gifts. I have also always wanted to grow mint to make fresh mint tea, mmm delish xxxx All the best for 2016! Leah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown2 January 2016 at 15:02

      Thank you Leah :) I'm actually inspired someone! *blushes and swoons* I love making gifts for friends and loved ones, it's just so much fun, figuring out what they'd like, choosing various ingredients/supplies, and of course, the gift wrap!
      Ooh mint is on my list of things to grow this year too, i'm sooo looking forward to making my own tea blends :)

      Happy New Year and all the best :) xx

      Delete
  8. galant2 January 2016 at 13:56

    I just happened to see your reply to Amy at Love Made My Home blog about loving books and I thought I must look at your blog as books are my life (well, after husband and children and grandson, and some very dear friends of course.) I've just looked at that ambitious list for 2016 and feel tired just reading it! I hope you succeed. I don't make Resolutions but I do have good intentions (with which the road to a certain hot place is said to have been paved!) but I hope to be able to keep my three intentions going for a year. Just three makes them easier to remember, so I might be onto a winner here!
    Margaret P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown2 January 2016 at 15:07

      Oooh another book lover :D Welcome to the club - we have biscuits and fresh cake!haha :)
      I think i'm going to cut them down and devise small different priority lists, if that makes sense?
      I figure the bigger the list the more likely it is that i'm going to get at least a few done :)
      I never make Resolutions ;) xx

      Delete
  9. Tricky Wolf6 January 2016 at 23:47

    Well Done! wishing you all the best with your list, and if you want a really easy project on the home made drinks front we did a super easy blog post about ginger beer this week ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown7 January 2016 at 13:22

      Thank you :) I saw the recipe the other day , i plan on attempting it as soon as get some ground ginger next week when i go shopping :D I'm looking forward to it x

      Delete
    2. Tricky Wolf7 January 2016 at 23:38

      We could post you a starter if you want? then you don't have to worry about the yeast just add water and feed with sugar and ginger :)

      Delete
    3. Unknown8 January 2016 at 04:01

      Ooh that would be lovely thank you, you are so kind! :) x

      Delete
    4. Tricky Wolf8 January 2016 at 04:48

      if you email us with your details we'll try and send it next week when we go to the post office :) you can reach us on fast_sos@outlook.com

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thank you for your comments, they are always appreciated :) <3

Popular posts from this blog

Hello?

*Peers round corner* Hello? Is anyone there? First of all, i would like to apologize for being so long updating here! It's been pretty busy around here, especially in the past month or two, and i have been updating mostly via Instagram.  We discovered that The Bearded Wonder has been having quite big heart issues , so much so that he was initially referred to get a pacemaker fitted, but on the day of his surgery the surgeon decided he was too young for a pacemaker and ended up fitting him with an under the skin monitor instead, which shall be in for 3 years, then he'll be re-assessed to see if a pacemaker is more suitable. He is doing well, and recovering nicely from the surgery. In other news, today is the day that Angus has been in our lives for a whole year! He was so tiny then. Somehow, out of nowhere, he has turned into this really fat, obnoxious fluffball! We are still enjoying going out and about on the bikes, and we are looking fo...
4 comments
Read more

Adding to the flock- Ex battery hens

Hello! How the time has flown! This Saturday saw us adding two new girls to the flock. Meet Felicity and Penelope. The poor little buggers were so frightened by this strange new world, with fresh air, room to move and dirt to scratch in, but they've soon got used to it and are coming out of their shells. Felicity is definitely the bolder of the two, and now she's figured everything out she likes to show poor little Penelope who's boss Felicity checking out the dust bath Barbara checking out the roost in the new indoor shelter (formerly a wendyhouse) Felicity stepping out into the sunshine. This afternoon saw me teaching the new girls how to peck at the broccoli i'd hung up for them. Fliss was unimpressed, she'd rather try and eat my engagement ring. The good news is that after a week they are all starting to settle in with each other, and now there is much less squabbling between them and the older girls,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Patience Is A Virtue (apparently) A Tour Of The Craft Room

Evening all :)  Sorry for it being so long, this week has completely nuts, I've barely had a chance to breathe! I've been attempting to organize my craft room. On Monday we finally got a double bed for our room ( we were sleeping on a double mattress on a sofa bed), at a bargain price of £5 :) So, we had to move the sofa bed into the spare room (that was fun!) and, up until now, the spare room was just used for storage until we got the house sorted. Let me introduce you to...The craft room! Woohoo! By the way, this is tidy by my standards! A lovely squishy sofa to curl up on and draw or read, and the spare duvet in case it gets cold and my knitting machine in the corner . (by the way, if you ever have the urge to put a knitting machine back in its' case, it is advisable not to! You need a degree in physics!) My cobbled together drying rack (and the sad looking hand made dress form in the corner) baskets of yarn and my sewing machine. Ugly ...
5 comments
Read more