I LOVE days like this...

Ruby has gone to her nana's for a holiday all by herself until we get there for christmas.  She is having the time of her life...and so am I !! 

It's just me and Marlise home all day until Daddy gets home after work, so we have plenty of time to do stuff together, just me and my baby.  Life is so much easier with just us two, and today was one of those perfect days...one of those days where you have lots of things you want to do, and you find time to do them all..and more !

On the menu today...bacon and spinach out to defrost to make quiche for dinner, butter out to soften for an orange cake , and buttermilk ice-cream churning - to go with the cake of course !

Ice-cream tastes best when you get to lick the bowl!

First  job for the morning was the orange cake. 

She looks like she's busy mixing, but really, she's busy sticking her fingers into the bowl.  Note the evidence on her fingers on both hands !

What?  No !  Nothing on my fingers mum...(such a beautiful innocent face - she can get away with anything).

Not long after, the cake was in the oven, and we had a visitor.  Ruby's little friend  came over to play with Marlise !  She decided the house needed a clean - no offense taken !!  So she cleaned up the lounge, picked up all the toys, wiped down the play kitchen and all the cups and plates...Katie, you can come over anytime !!!

So Katie cleaned and tidied and Marlise untidied, but they were both occupied, so I decided to make some hula hoops.

A while ago, I made  hula hoops for Ruby and Marlise using the instructions found here at Hinterland Mama.  Ruby and her friends have had so much fun with them, they really are a cheap and versatile toy - and I love that it keeps the kids active.  Anyway, the girl next door asked me ages ago if I would make one for her, and since I had enough materials left over, I told her I would...one day....today was that day.  We made a few more hula hoops, and Katie helped.

Here's Katie decorating the hula hoop with coloured tape - a good exercise for little hands.

..and here she is showing her style !!  She really enjoyed making the hula hoops, and ended up making one for herself too.

Here's our pile of hula hoops.  We ran out of tape so had to run to the shop for more...don't know why Marlise was so upset - maybe coz there were no pink ones???

But never mind, chocolate cake and ice-cream chased away the tears...it's healthy if it's home-made right?

mmmmm....so good, orange cake with chocolate icing = a jaffa cake ! 

PARCEL POST...I love getting parcel post, and today was a real treat.  I won these little wool creations on a giveaway.  They were generously donated as a prize from Playing Fair,   - a Fair Trade business.

And here's my other parcel - 1kg of beautiful Australian garlic, straight from the farm.  Check out Patrice Newell Garlic.  this was actually my birthday present to myself  ha ha!!  And I'm so happy.

I read somewhere (can't remember where) that you can freeze garlic cloves.  So I thought I'd give it a go.  This was 2 bulbs worth of garlic cloves, and that was enough - peeling garlic isn't the funnest way to pass the time.  I used some tonight though, and gee...how convenient is it to be able to pull out a clove of garlic ready to chop...loving it!  I just might get around to peeling some more some day soon.

Ho hum...are you still here?  Not bored yet?...There's plenty more...

Remember not so long ago, I learned how to crochet a dish cloth?  Well I've been busy crocheting some more - not today though!  As you can see, none of them are square, despite that being the objective !  I really don't mean to pick up and drop stitches so easily, it kinda just happens.  The last one I did was the best - the dark blue one with the border - its pretty square, so maybe I'm getting better...a few hundred more dish cloths and I might get it right...but then again who wants a boring square dish cloth anyway ?  These random shapes will still wash dishes.

This afternoon while Marlise slept, I sewed some gift bags...trying to do my part to be greener this christmas. 

And this is my little mermaid doll.  She's been waiting for some hair for about 6 months now, and today she finally got some.  She looks a bit awkward I know, I made a mistake with the pattern - cut it wrong, then I ran out of felt, but I still think she's pretty.

And my biggest project for the year - Marlise's doll.  I think she is so wonderful - quite proud of her I am!  I finished sewing her nappy today. 

So this was my wonderful day.  Wonderful because there was peace in my home, and I got lots of little things done.