Community Gardens, week 38

I love spring! It provides the perfect amount of warmth and sunshine to motivate keen gardeners like myself. It also helps when allowed to raid a friends garden and rip out an abundance of plants. Thanks Pete & Dan :)

I am also keenly motivated by the lack of uni assessments due. Yay for free time! I can't believe how much we have achieved this week. In only 2 days, the garden is starting to be transformed. But don't just take my word for it, look on...

Monday was plant collection day. Here is a rather large clump of agapanthus. I expected around a dozen plants from this baby. How wrong was I!!!

I absolutely adore agapanthus group plantings. So on Tuesday, I was so keen to plant out a section beside the pathway, I got a bucket full of separated aggies ready to go.

In between, I planted out some more plants, purchased from Bunnings earlier that day. This little plants, whose name has currently escaped me, are perfectly suited to the garden bed beneath the trees.

Back to the aggies, planted out in their new bed. Now, to keep the water up and wait for the blooms.

Another angle of the same bed. Perfect addition to the path.

Now, we arrive at Thursday. Here, the ride on is having a rest in the shade after once again having the belt come loose. A loose belt means no blades turning.

Thankfully, it was swiftly fixed and went on to mow again.

Here, Mick & Paul are putting the fence together, and doing and awesome job!

The boys all worked hard today, assembling the fence and new gate.

That left me free to garden. Yay!

I attacked the slope and planted some more aggies down one side. 

I also read up on how to plant frangipani cuttings. If I've done it right, the 2 I  planted on the slope will grow in several weeks time.

Until today, I really wasn't sure where I wanted to plant out the remaining aggies. When Ben offered to help me dig holes, I got an idea. And here is Ben, digging hole after hole along the bottom edge of the slope.

The agapanthus baby plants seemed never ending, I must admit. Even though it took some time, each one has found a new home. 

And here it is, the newly improved slope! I've  removed a daisy bush, added several agapanthus and 2 frangipani trees. I absolutely love the new look, and can't wait to see it flourish.

The daisy now lives here, between the trees :)

Look, a new fence! The guys did an amazing job-it looks so good!

The newly planted out flower bed is slowly prettying up. Thankfully, all the flowers have taken well. Regular watering and a bit of rain has helped too.

The aggie slope looks fantastic! Go me, and Ben :)

I have some plants in mind for this. Actually, I have some plants in the boot for this! To edge the slope, these planter boxes will be filled with a simple plant I removed from a friends garden today. Sometimes, simple, inexpensive plants can have dramatic effects.

Watch this space.

There you go, another week of great achievement. I'm so excited to show you what I plan to do with the remaining frangipani cutting and 20 liriopes we have been gifted with. 

So much going on-it's all just a bit exciting!

Until next week, thanks for reading :)

My health challenge Day 2

Day 2, done and dusted, thank you very much.

T'was a lovely day out in the sunshine. I spent a large chunk of it happily gardening away :) See the Community Gardens week 38 post for details.

As I sit back enjoying my chai tea between sentences, I'll fill you in on my day. Before I start, I want to point out-I'm not following a specific diet, not purposely eating low fat (except milk-hate the taste of full cream in my coffee), but rather, just trying to portion control my day, and eat real food. It's that simple.

DAILY FOOD 

Breakfast: repeat of yesterday. Remember, I made 3 serves :) Coffee also.

Lunch: A super thick slice of grainy sour dough, topped with 1 mashed avocado, 1 thin slice of bacon and 3 cherry tomatoes. Followed by 2 soft boiled eggs.

A coffee with skim.

Afternoon Tea: 1 apple.

Dinner: A bit of a throw together...

a small serve of Herman Brot low-carb pasta, cooked with a tablespoon of green peas, sauteed garlicky mushrooms and celery, some diced, raw red capsicum, red onion and lastly, a  boiled, then fried bratwurst. 

Um, yum!

  

For your viewing pleasure, a collage showcasing some of today's delectable food.

DAILY ACTIVITY

Approximately three hours of moderate to heavy gardening. Lots of digging, lots of trips up and down the slope, lots of carrying and planting/ transplanting going on today.

I have to say, a pretty satisfying day. 

There you have it, Day 2. Go me! Feeling pretty darn proud so far. Let's see what tomorrow brings, shall we :)

My health challenge.

Ok, today is the day. It's not Monday, I know. Why not start a new life mid week, I say.

Wednesday is the day of choice because I started my 10 session training plan today. 

I aim to document my daily meals and exercise for the next several weeks to help me shed the 5+ evil kilo's that have crept back onto my person.

With no uni to cram for, a much better sleeping pattern, I really have no excuses. I want my health back!

The posts will be simple, and where applicable, have a recipe or two. 

Take a look at today's success. I was actually too busy to overeat. Woo!

DAILY FOOD

Breakfast: Berry apple bircher muesli, which includes 1 apple, 1 cup blueberries, LSA, soaked chia seeds, cinnamon, oats, a hint of lemon juice and plain yoghurt, soaked overnite (makes 3 serves). Yum! 

A large coffee with skim.

Lunch: Herman Brot low carb bread (1 slice, toasted) topped with cream cheese, 100g smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes.

Another coffee with skim-about 1/2 cup.

Dinner: 200g tabbouleh, 2 soft boiled eggs, cherry tomatoes, 1 small avocado.

Mineral water.

Plus plenty of water throughout the day.

A pic collage of my meals. Honestly, very satisfying, and super healthy.

DAILY ACTIVITY

1 hour of pilates.

30 minutes of strength training.

2 hours of housework.

As far as starting how I want to finish, I nailed it! I'm now in the overweight category for my height. That will be rectified soon, but safely. It took weeks to gain excess lard, so I will aim to eat balanced meals-at least 3 a day, and exercise regularly. 

I can do this! 

Let's see what tomorrow brings!

Community Gardens, weeks 36 & 37.

Here is the latest! Follow the pics to see what we've been up to :)

The epic shed assembly has begun. Not an easy task when some bits weren't in the box, which of course means I have no completed shed to show you.

A new side fence needs is going in, to protect little kidlets from accessing the work area/sheds. 

Hubby and I did an early morning Bunning's run to get the timber.

Mick, and our newest worker, Paul, going hard at it, digging post holes.

Today, I swept the path from the trillion spiky casuarina seed pods, other leaves, and of course, copious quantities of sand. Then I placed the remaining hardwood containers where I wanted a garden edge.

As some kids pilfered a planter box for the bike track, then destroyed it after I attempted to move it, I wanted to use these before they succumbed to a similar fate.

Awesome Ben dug out the edge so the planters could be neatly placed just off the path.

So neat! My planter path is nearly ready. Just need to add a lick of white paint and plant these babies out.

I purchased some humble colour whilst at Bunnings this morn. The bird of paradise has been patiently waiting to be planted after being gifted to us months ago.

After a spot of weeding by me, the boys started dumping real soil onto the prepared site.

If I was brave enough to go near this to give you a scale, I would have. Never before have I seen an ant this HUGE! It came courtesy of the new dirt. Yikes!

Ben and Paul are loading the dirt from an unused section of the property. 

Hubby getting his workout for the day.

Another load of real dirt...

Followed by some more. Great team work, boys.

Once the dirt was down, Mick and Ben started digging holes where I guided them. The garden planting is my domain, the back breaking work is theirs!

Some cow poo, organic compost and potting mix was added to give the plants a little boost. After planting, the boys covered the area with leaf mulch, free from the property. Why spend when you can reuse.

Lastly, after watering in well, I added some seaweed solution.

And here you have it, a $57 new garden bed, filled with vibrant colour and a few transplanted daisy bushes. Cottage charm coming up!

Not much to look at now, but in the coming weeks, this bed will flourish. Thankfully, it has been raining on and off since planting out-I haven't needed to stress about keeping the water up.

There you have it, two more weeks down. There will be much more planting, prettying up and new construction too. Stay tuned!

Until then, thanks for reading :)

Community Gardens, weeks 34 & 35

I'm just so excited to bring you a community gardens update that I'm putting it in front of uni assignments. No, I'm not procrastinating. Really. Ok, maybe just a little. 

I am thrilled with our progress though. Another picnic table has gone in, bricks and pavers have been cleared, long grass has been slashed. Take a look for yourself...

Ok, while these aren't my rain lilies, I'm a bit excited to see mine erupt into flower like this. 

See, another setting in place, near the bike track so that parents can keep an eye on their offspring. The bracing will be removed later and the area will be leveled and grass sewn.

I purchased some weed mat felt squares. They work great, as these gazanias growing on a sandy slope show. They not only suppress weeds, but keep the plants moist.

Thanks to hubby doing a bit of overtime, we have a complete shed base. Now, to find some able bodies to help build a massive shed...!

My sweet little garden helper. I love how much kids love this garden :)

Hubby and Mick had the fun task of clearing a path for the ride on mower. Not easy when the heavy shed is covered in wet cardboard thanks to an air-conditioned shipping container roof.

It's spring, the season of growth, and snakes. 

The new grass has already reached a height that allows for mowing. 

can't wait to have a complete grass lawn soon.

Oh dear, the belt came off again. A vital screw seems to be missing, but Mick and hubby saw to it quickly. Granted, i may have been a tad adventurous with the mower. 

Note to self, it isn't a 4WD.

The little veggie patch, just prior to harvesting, 2 types of carrots and beetroot. The next crop to go in will be cherry tomatoes.

This guy is becoming a little bit cheeky and bold, especially round lunch time. My 2 year old is terrified of him. 

This area has been cleared of all the excess bricks and pavers, brush cut, and now has a string line marking out the new garden bed edge.

Can't wait to build it up and plant it out.

It's amazing what a difference a mow makes, even when the edges haven't yet been trimmed. And a dumped foam mattress really does make a brilliant weed mat.

Sitting on the bench appreciating the view.

*Sigh*

Looking forward to seeing blooms as I glance across this view come summertime.

And there you have it, the up to date details. I know, I'm excited too! 

More soon! Until then, thanks for reading :)

It's update time

The pro's of taking so long to post again means that I have oodles to tell you!

Life, as it does, has thrown some pretty awesome curve balls. It's what makes living interesting, and also, allows for growth. 

One thing I have definitely been struggling with is diet. Not that I haven't started including some pretty awesome colours and nutrient rich foods, because I have. It's that good ol' balance. Portion control. Not eating my feelings.

And here is where I groan.

I've done well on somethings, failed in epic proportions in others. 

Take a look through to see what I mean :)

This mornings breakfast. thank you, The Protein Bread Co for this amazing, cakey bread. I topped it with a cup of frozen, mixed berries, a squeeze of lemon juice, a golden kiwi fruit and some fresh mint.

Yum!

Enter my high fibre, refined sugar free, gluten free nutritious Sunday start. 

See, something done right :)

And now, let me introduce you to my curve ball. 

After a few weeks of feeling absolutely fatigued beyond words, when my monthlies were due but didn't start on time, I decided to take a test, not expecting a positive at all. 

Are you as shocked as I was?!

Hubby was too. Incredibly so. It happened just before my 47th birthday, completely unexpected.

The elation was short lived. At 5 weeks, bubby went to heaven.

Just like that.

What a way to celebrate our 3rd wedding anniversary.

It involved much chocolate (thanks Max Brenner).

And that is where the diet went pear shaped.

Sadly, during this time, uni suffered a great deal.

Conceiving unexpectedly really shifted my focus and priorities.

I felt such relief that at last, I could do what has been held inside for so long.

I struggled to study, especially as some of the subject matter was down right offensive.

So, I now find myself 6 weeks behind in studies with one week left to do 2 critical reviews. However, come what may, I will be stopping studies for a season. Hubby is doing a grueling full time study load, and with travel to and from Brisbane a few times a week, it's just too much pressure for us both to be under.

And now, I can do what is really on my heart and not put it off. I'm actually really looking forward to a new direction. 

Having said all of that, I have managed to eat well often. Like this breakfast. perfect balance of protein, fruit and veg.

I have discovered this chewy, divine lower carb pasta from Herman Brot. I love it, and find that I need a smaller portion than recommended to feel satisfied, with less protein needed. I'm not vegetarian but am really trying to limit animal fats in my diet. My body loves me for it when I eat like this.

I finally found a way to make veggies that my family devour. This experimental veggie loaf used up several potatoes not eaten the previous night. When combined with some other grated veg, cheese, breadcrumbs and eggs, it was a winner! Seconds were had, and the loaf vanished quickly.

Portion control done right. A macadamia and parmesan crusted chicken breast with a simple salad. Incredibly delish.

Baked chicken breasts, tabbouleh and strawberries in a green salad, more healthy eating with good carbs. 

A successful experiment- beetroot protein balls. I had less peanut butter than usual, so wondered what would happen if I added a beetroot to the mix. I also added psyllium husk powder to thicken things a little, and success! Divine, chocolaty, guilt free bliss balls.

This is the freshly baked bread from The Protein Bread Co. It's definitely cakier than other breads, and takes longer to toast, but is so high in protein and fibre, it's super satisfying.

It also freezes very well.

Thanks to Woollies Taste magazine, I made this asparagus pesto, tweaked by me of course :)

And here is a divine dish for dinner, slathered in the above pesto.

Another breakfast done right, protein pancakes layered with fresh strawberries. So, so good!

Now that all is said and done, I'm keen to move forward. Weight gain isn't fun when spring is here and the daytime temps are already soaring. 

I miss exercise, and need to stop making excuses and get my butt back into it. Yes, its magpie swooping season, but as I've discovered before, with sunnies and a hat, a hit doesn't kill. Ok, it kinda scares the absolute poo outta me, but yet, here I still am to tell the tale.

One week of uni left. Though I considered withdrawing and accepting the penalty, I have to finish what I started, and give it my best, come what may. Who knows, I must just pass :)

I hope this encourages you to not give up, even when life gets weird, messy, busy and/or painful. 

Fingers crossed I bring you much more soon. 

Until then, thanks for reading :)