Going Bananas

Happy Monday to you!

So it is the start of another week, and I have a busy one ahead including a rent inspection (and lots of cleaning and fussing to do), a day of work and parent /teacher interviews and then I've squeezed a trip to the city into the mix for the weekend! Phew

But seeing as though we are talking about busy , I thought I would share just how I store our bananas when I pop them in the freezer. Quick and easy, just my style!

Surprisingly only 2 out of our four kids like Bananas. The twins don't, funny little things they are. Regardless they never seem to last long in our fruit bowl - with our weather up here (always hot) and the struggle to get fresh produce that hasn't been frozen or in a truck for days , our bananas life span is rather variable. (Such an in depth conversation about a fruit, hehe)

Anyhoooooo, like a lot of people, when things go on special, I buy them in bulk , even if they are to be popped in the freezer to be used at a later date. When I score bananas on sale, or if they are nearing the end of their little lives , I peel them and pop them in a shallow square container (just like the ones to store pastry sheets etc) . They are the perfect depth, I can still take out one banana at a time or multiple and I even add smaller pieces to put in our fruit smoothies etc. The container also doesn't take up a lot of space and is great for stacking items in our upright freezer with drawers.

We also store our mangoes like this during the season (as we get close to 300 mangoes all within a few weeks) and often grapes also. 

Then when I have a baking session , I always have bananas on hand and can take them out of the freezer as needed. 

Then all that is left to do is enjoy your efforts and sit down for a cuppa ! 

Berry Banana Loaf - Recipe

I love to bake, but I love to bake simple things. Simple, yummy and freezable are my main requirements in a recipe and this one fits the brief perfectly!! Banana bread is a big favourite for our kids , and when I found some frozen raspberry's in the freezer ( they are safe , I promise!) that our house sitter left  behind , I knew exactly what I was going to make !

I've had this recipe for years and love it. It was from an amazing blog I used to read religiously and now, through fate and a whole lot of laughs , I now call Jade a wonderful friend. Jade has a Facebook Page called Project Happiness  where she shares lots of crafts, home decor and organising tips! 

You can add whatever berries you have to this recipe, originally it was with Blueberries but I have used Raspberries and the kids love it with some strawberries too! The berries keep it light and moist and its perfect served with a scrape of butter. Yummy 

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cups Self Raising Flour

1 tsp Cinnamon

20g Butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg beaten lightly

1/4 cup milk

1 banana - mashed

1/3 cup berries ( Raspberry, blue berry , strawberry etc)

Method

1)  Sift flour and Cinnamon into large bowl and then rub in butter

2)  Stir in sugar , egg, milk, berry's and banana. Do not over mix the batter , it should be lumpy

3)  Spoon into a prepared pan and bake in hot oven for about 30 mins 

NB- I used my Thermomix for this recipe as I do for most,  and still did step one separately on speed 4 for about 10 seconds. Then added everything else in Step 2 , on reverse and speed 4 for about 15 seconds. 

Delicious served warm and perfect for school lunch boxes! 

A Seven year old Room

Within the blink of an eye, your baby is SEVEN! It incomprehensible , but somehow so very true!

Not only is she 7, she is also growing up. Watching and observing. Asking and listening. Maturing and changing. Somewhere, along the way I realised that Stella needed a space of her own (she used to share with Lacey , 5) and a space that was a little more on the 'grown up' side. 

Don't get me wrong, I still look at her as a little girl. She has so many years ahead of her to be a 'tween' or 'teen' but for now, seven is still young. Still pretty and girly  and still a time for playing and being a kid. Well that's my opinion anyway.

Stella still asks me to pick her clothes for the day ( I am holding onto this for as long as possible), she still likes to play with her siblings, she still likes to play with Hilda her bunny in a role play Mummy situation and she still likes a soft cuddle toy at night. Hallelujah! 

When we decided to give Stella her own space ( and me stop working from home) , she moved into the smallest  and oddest shaped room in the house. Regardless, she was stoked!!  A space to call her own. And a space to kick her siblings out of when she was sick of them! We wanted something pretty but inspiring, a little area for her to write and draw (her favourite things to do) and some storage and display for her 'precious items'. All while being rental friendly! 

Now, seeing as though we live in the desert ( Ok, not quite the desert but it sure can feel like it at times!) we only have one shop, being Kmart. Its a pretty good shop to have at the moment, as they are busting out some awesome homewares but it still makes of limited shopping, especially when you are looking for something in particular. So sourcing bits and pieces we wanted for her room was the not the easiest task. 

Plus budget. Always back to the budget! We are a single income family (or were until this week when I returned to work) and therefore everything needs to be budget friendly.

I can't say I have ever set out to decorate a room. I have never said - Right Liz, lets make over this room from top to bottom. And gone out and bought everything that I have needed/wanted. Our budget has never allowed it. Our rooms have just evolved over time. 

Stella's room

I think with any bedroom space, whether it be for a child or adult, its nice to have some different bedding options. By simply changing your quilt cover or throw cushions with each linen change, you are essentially creating a new look and giving the room a fresh feel. Stella has the above quilt cover and also a reversible Coverlet which we change up every time I change her sheets. This gives her 3 different looks for her room. 

Cute love heart battery operated lights (bought on sale after Valentines Day from Woolworths for $5) add some fun and a soft glow when she is having trouble getting to sleep at night.

An older photo before we sourced new drawers and painted them . 

I had the floor mat made by a local lady who used fabric I had in storage . I love that it is machine washable - a must while living in the Pilbara.

The bookcase was given to us by a friend , Stella stores all her precious and keepsake items in it, as well as her books and craft supplies. 

Her desk area is a funny little alcove in her room and the desk is repurposed from my old work area.  It fits perfectly into the space and a lot of gorgeous drawings have been produced here. 

Bits and pieces and 'pretties' are a must for any girls room!! Free printables I found on Pinterest stuck on the wall with washi tape, brighten the space nicely.

A room is never complete without a wall collage! 

The watermelon print Stella drew and painted herself and the Ice-cream print is just scrapbooking paper with a sticker of an ice-cream added. Wall art doesn't have to be expensive!
The Live the Life print is actually the front of a Typo notebook that I cut off and framed.

There you have a look inside of Stella's girly space. She loves pictures and colours, watermelons and crafting. She likes to leave her shoes on the floor and is a bower bird for anything shiny she can find. Typical 7 year old really ;)

And because I know the questions and emails will come, details of pieces in her room; 

The quilt cover was bought for $20 on sale at the Adairs Outlet store. Its reversible as well.

Her newer drawers were bought for $20 off our local Facebook Buy and Sell site and I sanded, painted and added glass knobs to them. She just needed a few more drawers for things like knickers, socks, bathers etc. 

Stella name banner- Pretty Paper Label 

Pillowcases - Adairs and Cotton On Kids

Watermelon cushion - Cotton On Kids 

Face cushion - Adairs on sale for $15

Love Canvas- Adairs for $9

S letter- made with letter from Spotlight and scrap booking paper

Your are My Sunshine Hoop- Ollie Rose

Coverlet- Gifted to us by a friend but from Kmart a while ago

If there is anything else you would like to know please feel free to ask!

And despite Stella loving her own space, she also loves the other kids visiting her, and they love hanging out in there too!! Angus can always be found laying on her bed , watching her draw or taking her a book to read to him! 

Paint and Customise a Dipped Basket

Dipped furniture and baskets are very  'on trend' at the moment , however its not always practical and can be costly to buy new items when you already have them at home. By painting your own items, you are able to customise the colours and patterns to suit your tastes and decor , and add any personal touches that wish.

Once I had seen the painted dipped baskets in Kmart (even though they are only about $10) , I instantly thought of the basket that I already had at home , that wasn't being used. To be honest, I didn't even purchase it myself - I bought some wooden toys off a Buy and Sell site on Facebook and they came in the basket. Win!

Plus I had some paint left over from my Kids Kitchen Makeover , so this little project came in at $0 is  outlay. Just the type of project I like ;)

Fancy having a go at something similar yourself? It was so easy, I have been on the hunt of more things around the house to dip paint!! Try it!

Any Basket will do, but something with more of a closed weave is more effective and easier to paint. 

I used a normal ruler and a chalk pen to measure and mark a like around your basket to act as a guide. This really is a test of a steady hand and good eye , but if you are accurate with this step, you are more likely to have an even effect.

Start by painting your line around the top , then just paint everything below that (or above, depending on the look you are after).  My basket needed 2 coats.

And that is it!! Seriously! Finished!!

Despite a groady and aged rental bathroom, the basket adds the perfect pop of colour and is a great size for this bathroom. We are using it for a dirty clothes basket, as I wash regularly and don't need anything bigger. By painting the basket in my favourite colour, it ties in so many other little bits and pieces I have around the home. 

This project didn't cost anything for me, as I already had the basket and paints, and if you had to go out and buy those items, then it would definately make more sense just to buy the Kmart versions. However, by painting your own, you can choose any colour you like and match it to your home decor. 

Next time I might try a pattern , or I would love to do some polkadots! Yes, Polkadots!