It is just over a week since the start of our summer break and I am loving every minute of it. This last week has been a whirlwind, beginning with a school picnic and ending with a graduation. Initially, the idea of squeezing so much activity into a short space of time seemed almost impossible, but a general buzz of excitement in the air and planning for the weeks ahead quickly took over and, before I knew it, it had gone in the blink of an eye. Another school year over and time to unwind.
I intentionally didn't plan any activities for our first week at home and it has felt quite satisfying to spend some time catching up with chores and getting on top of the housework again. I don't feel at ease when home life is chaotic. I prefer a calm and organised environment and recently it has felt anything but - constantly chasing my tail and still feeling one step behind. Already, I feel so much more relaxed and my sleep has improved, probably down to not anticipating an early morning alarm. With having the time to enjoy the warm sunshine and drink tea in the garden, this slower pace of life is suiting me perfectly.
For a while now I have been meaning to buy some cotton and knit some new dishcloths, so last week I did just that. The previous ones had been looking past their best for ages, even after regular bleaching and, although they worked perfectly well and hadn't got any holes, they were looking pretty grim. Hardly surprising really. When I thought back I realised I'd had them for around six years! Not bad going and even now I will get use out of them as cleaning cloths. The new dish cloths are now in use and it will be interesting to see if they last as long.
The house plants have been receiving some TLC too. I have been re-potting, watering and polishing leaves and there is currently a Pilea and Chain of Hearts nursery on the dining table (which makes a pleasant change from a pile of ironing!) I'm keeping my fingers crossed they grow now. I have quite a lot of plants dotted around the house which I have grown this way.
I've spent time in the (now tidy) kitchen. As well as my usual flapjack I baked some lemon shortbread biscuits. They are so light, crispy and delicious. Perfect for this time of year. I mixed 125g plain flour, 60g corn flour, 60g caster sugar, 120g butter and the grated zest of one lemon. and baked at 150° for 10 - 15 minutes.
It's been an enjoyable week, although there may have been one slight incident.....
I've spent time in the (now tidy) kitchen. As well as my usual flapjack I baked some lemon shortbread biscuits. They are so light, crispy and delicious. Perfect for this time of year. I mixed 125g plain flour, 60g corn flour, 60g caster sugar, 120g butter and the grated zest of one lemon. and baked at 150° for 10 - 15 minutes.
It's been an enjoyable week, although there may have been one slight incident.....
J. X
Bless her. I am sure the tooth fairy will understand!
ReplyDeleteSuch lovely, homey photos . . .
xx
The Tooth Fairy was very understanding. X
DeleteLovely photos! I have a week off next week YAY!! We have nothing planned and I'm just going to relax. A bit of knitting, crochet, gardening and maybe a few jollies if the weather's nice. Best, Jane x
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jane. It can be quite lovely to go with the flow sometimes. Enjoy your week off. X
DeleteI hope the tooth fairy saw Lily's note and left her something anyway. What's the going rate for teeth these days? - was sixpence in old money when I was a kid ;) I love the cat curled up in the basket :)
ReplyDeleteThe Tooth Fairy did indeed see the note and left a shiny gold coin! The basket appears to be Mog's new favourite place to sleep. It's just a pity she's lying on my clean laundry. I guess I'll be washing it again. X
DeleteHi Jules glad you are enjoying the slower pace of life.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of knitted dishcloths, so you don't have to wash in the washing machine then, just soak in bleach?xx
It's great to have some time at home to relax, although I'm sure I'll be ready for a return to routine by the end of August. I do put the dish cloths in the washing machine but I bleach them regularly too. X
DeleteOh dear what do you about a tooth that has been swallowed does the tooth fairy still leave some pennies????
ReplyDeleteYour biscuits look lovely. I have one more week before I have a week off and I just can't wait I've got lots of plans but if this heat keeps up none of them may be achieved but at least the thought will have been there. You never know I may even bake some biscuits too.
Mx
Apparently the Tooth Fairy does still leave pennies if you leave a note to explain what happened. There was a slight moment of panic when Lily realised she had swallowed it.
DeleteEnjoy your week off. X
Oh bless her heart, I'm sure the tooth fairy understood, easy mistake to make. What a perfect start to the summer break.
ReplyDeleteShe didn't even realise she had swallowed it, so it must have been ready to come out. X
DeleteOh dear hope the tooth fairy was generous. All looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jill. The Tooth Fairy was very kind. X
DeleteYou sound so happy and productive. I agree with you about the home environment. I am working on mine, too. My brother swallowed a marble once, and found it in the toilet...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Stephenie. Yes, having a calm home environment makes such a difference. X
DeleteOh how wonderful, that you finally have peace and quiet and can relax. And your body is telling you, how _good_ it is for you. Sleeping better...
ReplyDeleteSomehow, some way, some thing, you *should* make your non-summer-time, more relaxed. I don't know how. Only you can know that. But I'm pretty sure, you need to drop some duties. The ones, which "In A 100 Years, Won't Make Any Real Difference." -smile- Those.
And-there-are-always-those...
But for now, revel in the more peaceful life at home.
Oh my! I'm sure the Tooth Faerie understood! And a small crisis, was averted. -smile-
✨ 💛 ✨
Thank you, WoW. I think my main stress has been my studying and although I haven't completed everything yet, I should be finished in early September. Yay! X
DeleteA perfect week, other than the tooth! Hadn’t thought of knitting dish clothes, what a great idea. Will give the lemon biscuits a go, they sound delicious. B x
ReplyDeleteIt feels good to be a little more organised and on top of things, Barbara. X
DeleteI bet that tooth fairy gets loads of notes just like that one... :-)
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. X
DeleteOh, what a precious message to the Tooth Fairy!
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear that you're on summer vacation and able to relax! Does this mean that you have now finished the classes you were taking or will there be more when autumn arrives?
Beautiful pictures, as always - they capture the essence of summer! I love the one of Mog curled up in the basket! Your lemon shortbread cookies look and sound delicious, too.
Enjoy your summer and the more relaxed pace. :)
I haven't quite finished yet. Although the classes have stopped, I still have some assignments to submit. I'm giving myself a couple of weeks off as I can't complete until September anyway, but I'm feeling a lot let stressed about it all now. X
DeleteIt's nice to just slow down the pace and relax for a while, no early morning alarms can do wonders. Your dishcloths look just like the ones I make, I much prefer them to shop bought and they always last so much longer. I do hope the tooth fairy was still generous even though there was no tooth for her to collect.
ReplyDeleteThe alarm not being set makes such a difference and yet I'm still usually up early. I think it's more the not having to rush around and get out of the door by a set time.
DeleteHome made dishcloths are so much better aren't they? X
Lovely to know that you are now relaxing for a few weeks and enjoying the summer break. I hope the weather stays nice for you to get out and about taking wonderful photos for us to enjoy.
ReplyDeleteDid the tooth fairy pay up ? Lol.
Hugs-x-
The Tooth Fairy was very understanding and left a shiny gold coin. X
DeleteIt's always nice to unwind …
ReplyDeleteAlways a joy to see the lovely photographs you share.
I'm smiling at Lily's lovely note to the tooth fairy, and I feel sure that the tooth fairy will understand …
All the best Jan
Thank you, Jan. X
DeleteThat’s a cute message to the tooth fairy. I’m sure she will understand 😊
ReplyDeleteThe biscuits look delicious. It’s great you have a relaxing time at home. I understand very well the feeling of not having to wake up to the sound of the alarm clock.
Enjoy your summer break.
It feels good to be able to get on top of things at home and not be rushing around in a morning, although I expect I'll be ready to get back into a routine again towards the end of summer.
DeleteEnjoy your break. X
Love the little white pitcher of sweet peas in your baking photos. So pretty. I'm retired from teaching now, but will always remember the beginning of summer vacation. Such a nice feeling when it stretches out before you and you can slow down the pace and relax. Hope you have a wonderful break!
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful feeling isn't it? We've enjoyed a relaxed week at home but I'm sure we'll be making a few plans from now on. X
DeleteBless her, I am sure the tooth fairy must get lots of notes like that. Thrilled for you that the pace of life has slowed and you are getting some quality time together. The shortbread looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It feels good to unwind. X
DeleteWith my experience of the tooth fairy, I think she is very understanding of little hiccups with lost teeth...not that I've ever met her myself though. I can totally relate to not feeling at ease when home life is chaotic. Sometimes I think I spend most of my waking hours trying to avert the chaos. Enjoy the break...and the tea...and the biscuits. Can I join you? :) xx Susan
ReplyDeleteYes, that's exactly how it feels sometimes, never really being on top of things. Although, I'm sure I'll be ready for a return to the chaos by the end of summer.
DeleteYou're welcome to join me for tea and biscuits any time you wish. X
What a lovely start to the holidays :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Louise. I'm feeling very relaxed. X
DeleteOh no ... I hope there were no tears when the little tooth did its disappearing act. I'm certain the tooth fairy plans for this little problem and still arrived on time!
ReplyDeleteYour post certainly sounds very calming.
There weren't any tears, thankfully. It wasn't until Lily smiled at me that I realised the tooth had gone and what must have happened to it. X
DeleteIt definitely comes across here in your writing that you are thoroughly enjoying the break from school. I know I'm thoroughly enjoying summer break with my daughter, and the slow days are so welcome. I really like the look of the book you are reading, it looks like something I would enjoy reading. Your lemon biscuits look so yummy! I'd love to make them sometime. Lily's note to the tooth fairy is just the cutest! My daughter leaves the sweetest notes to the tooth fairy. I think I've kept them all!
ReplyDeleteThe summer break is very welcome for allowing us to enjoy the slower days and recharging before the school term begins all over again. At the moment September feels like such a long stretch away but, in reality, it will be upon us in no time. X
Deleteyour post makes me feel so calm and relaxed. I agree, it's good to start off slowly and relax. xx
ReplyDeleteI think I needed to recharge a little before making any plans. X
DeleteLove the sweet note to the tooth fairy. Hope you enjoy the summer, stay on top of your studying and continue with your new found relaxed days. Cx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cathy. A little more relaxing for this next week or two, then it's back to the books. X
DeleteYour cookies sound delicious! I miss getting a summer vacation and as you said, sleeping in peace knowing that the alarm wasn't going to wake you. Coffee in the garden sounds delightful.
ReplyDeleteThe break is very welcome, although I'm always ready for a return to routine towards the end of the summer. X
DeleteEnjoy! It sounds wonderful to me. We didn't really take a regular school break this summer.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling very grateful for the break this year. X
DeleteYour week sounds lovely, Jules. It does us all good to take our feet off the pedal sometimes. I'm knitting dishcloths at the moment too. As they're simple & quick to make, it's very therapeutic, isn't it.
ReplyDeleteYour biscuits look delicious too. I might well try doing them myself! I think the Tooth Fairy is quite understanding normally and it's a sweet note Lily wrote :)
It has been quite lovely to press the pause button, for a while at least. X
DeleteI hope the tooth fairy was understanding!
ReplyDeleteShe was, Eloise. I suspect it's something she is used to happening. X
DeleteI was away when you wrote this post and missed it. I'm having a catchup hour at the moment as my brother and I were out early and back early from our morning visit to town and coffee and crossword. Like you I am not comfortable when I'm chasing my tail in a disorganised environment. So I'm pleased that things have calmed down for you (or had when you wrote this post). I usually find your posts are relaxing and good for what I might loosely call the soul. Tooth Fairies are used to swallowed teeth so I'm sure Lily need not fear!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Graham. Coffee and a crossword, especially in good company, sounds like a great way to spend a morning.
DeleteI always look forward to summer, as it is my favourite time of year, and a time when I feel myself completely relax. The change in routine gives me a chance to re-evaluate and prioritise what is important. Now, to make some changes. X
I'm very late catching up but I hope you are still enjoying the summer break. I don't know why I've never knitted my own dishcloths but I think you've inspired me to do it, I just really like the idea of it, and tea in the garden is one of my favourite things at this time of year. x
ReplyDeleteWe're having a great time, thank you. I hope we get to enjoy some more sunny weather before the end of the month.
DeleteKnitting dishcloths is so quick and easy to do, and they last for ages. X
I am so terribly behind 🙁 but you know how much I love your posts. This one, particularly - a resonance, reading your words which make me breathe in, let my shoulders drop and think "ah yes, I could have written those words":
ReplyDeleteI don't feel at ease when home life is chaotic. I prefer a calm and organised environment and recently it has felt anything but - constantly chasing my tail and still feeling one step behind
Thank you. It can be so very helpful when someone else puts it down on paper (so to speak). Feedly tells me it is 31 days since you published this post. You know, of course, why my last month has evaporated into happy chaos 😃 🐾
Thank you, Jayne. Your recent state of chaos is to be celebrated. I can almost feel the joy through your posts and I'm sure Millie will have you both trained in no time. X
DeleteThat's not joy - it's panic! ("where is she"? "what's she doing?" "what's that in her mouth?")
DeleteThis sounds just like looking after Lily! :)
Delete