A Trip To The Beach { Opthalmia Dam }

Well this is obviously no Whitsunday Island. No white sand. No clear blue waters.

Just red dirt. 45 degree temperatures and a whole lot of water after all the rain we've had recently. To locals here, this is our beach. 

Let's just say, even with the hot temperatures, that I wasn't keen to pull out the bikinis, sunbake and go for a swim. In anyway. But it was a refreshing paddle, wet your toes, nonetheless. 

And the girls loved it. Which really is all it's about anyway.

Before moving here, you would have never seen me in such a place. Let alone catch me dipping my toes into water quite so dirty looking (let me just say it's not actually dirty, it's just stained red). Funny what 7 months of living in the Pilbara can find you doing. And being totally comfortable with!

A box of tissues and endless fun.

Toby, overseeing our drive home.

Happy summer beach days x

Make Your Own : Spreadable Butter

Sounds tricky doesn't it. But it's really not at all.

Ever taken a glance, at the ingredients list on a tub of margarine, or spreadable butter from your local supermarket. Surprising isn't it? It's not just butter in there is it? More than likely, you'll find some kind of vegetable or canola oil (not good for you), a whole bunch of numbers that you know nothing about, maybe some colourings, and a little bit of preservatives to go with it all if you're lucky enough.

Seems ridiculous doesn't it. When all you really want, is just some butter on your toast that won't make a whole in it when you spread it on. And one without all the junk.

If this is important to you { as things like these are slowly becoming in our household }, then you have two options. You can buy the more expensive Lurpak spreadable butter. Or you can make your own. And making your own is easy peasey, and cheaper.

So what do you need:
250gram of soft organic butter (just leave it out the night before)
1/4 cup of filtered water
1/4 cup of oil { I used grapeseed oil }

If you have a thermomix, place ingredients into the bowl and blend on speed 5 for 30-40 seconds. Stopping to scrape the sides down mid way through. Place in a container and keep in the fridge.

You could also use a conventional blender. Just avoid really high speeds so the butter doesn't splatter all over the bowl/jug.

And now the question of which oil you "should" use. Ideally olive oil, but it does of course have quite a strong flavour, so you need to make sure you use a very light flavoured oil. You could also use flax seed oil. Sunflower, canola oils are big no no's for your health, so try and avoid using these if you can. Grapeseed oil, well it depends on which book or report you read. Some will place grape seed oil in the big no no column alongside sunflower and canola oils. Others consider it to be an oil very beneficial to your health.

In all that confusion, I went with grapeseed oil. And the taste was delicious. No oily taste at all. Just soft spreadable butter. Next time I'll attempt it with a very light olive oil.

Better for your health over margarine. Without all the crap. And so easy to make.

Have you ever made your own butter before?
Love your thermomix for making random stuff like this?

Six Months of Blogging { and a GIVEAWAY } CLOSED

The turtle

only makes progress

when it's neck

is stuck out 

- Rollo May -

Six months of blogging and 63 posts later. Who'd have thought. Certainly not me.

When I started my blog with My Red Adventure back in August, I really wasn't sure what I was doing. I had played around with the idea of a blog for awhile, but was too hesitant and self conscious about putting myself out there, to ever go through with any of my ideas. And so it had remained simply that. An idea.

And then we moved to the middle of nowhere to be together as a family. And it just felt right. My early to bed husband, and my night owl self, left me with a couple of hours every evening, twiddling my thumbs....and wanting to start writing again.

I have loved so much about starting my own blog. It is, if nothing else, easily the best diary I've ever kept. It has given me a new creative outlook on my day, and the opportunity to notice more of the little day to days of life, which can be so easily lost amidst the tantrums, mess and noise that is a life with 2 toddlers.

This blog has allowed me to focus on all the good things that exist in my life. And during those times where I've asked myself,  "What the hell am I doing living in the middle of nowhere for?", it has made me look to the positives that surround our choice to live here. Kept my head out of living in this town. And kept me a little closer to happy.

So, thank you to everyone who reads and has supported my blog with your lovely comments. I'm truly flattered that you take an interest (whatever your reasons may be for doing so) in my little place on the web. And to those good friends and family, who have unwaveringly supported, liked and commented on my every Facebook post, big hugs and thank you to you also. You made me feel a little less self-conscious about what I had started here.

So a little giveaway to say thank you to the lovely small group of friends, family and followers I have slowly gathered. I love a good Etsy find, hope you like this one as much I do!!

A French knitted and hand knotted woollen necklace from Stuffed Nonsense.

To enter via Facebook please
1: like my yellow heart's Facebook page
2: comment below the original link to let me know you've entered

And you can also comment below this post for an additional entry.

Winner to be announced on the evening of 12th February.

Good luck!! x

Turning Three { Amelie }

Little miss. Soon to be three. Inspired by Sonia from Life Love and Hiccup's. And her post about protecting the memories. Because time passes by so fast. And the small things can so easily fade from your memory.

Our little girl. Not so little anymore. Growing into her own. Before our very eyes. Her little quirks and nuances. All the little things that make her Amelie. That make us smile. That test my patience. All the little things I don't want to forget.

A moment in time. Captured. All her favourites. At the age of three.

Your Favourite Things

Tutu's 

Jumping off the couch while flapping your wings. Your attempt to fly like a little bird

Toby, your beloved companion

Turning your Mum and Dad into a frog with your fairy wand

Dancing, dancing, dancing

Butterfly kisses before bedtime

Your door being left open "a little tiny bit" at nighttime
Your baby Jessie
Drawing faces, green grass and the sun

Chocolate and cheese

Melon

Dipping your toast soldiers into homemade soup

Running races

Glue, sparkles and pom poms

As many books as you can persuade before lights out ( you have become extraordinarily good at stretching out your bedtime)

Climbing and swinging high into the sky
Your make believe shop, where everything always costs twenty dollars, regardless of how much I buy
As many cartoons as you can negotiate in a day to watch
Colours, the brighter, the better
Mumma's long hair
Daddy's big muscles
Jessie's soft brown baby hair

Happy birthday darling girl. We love listening to your now, very confident chitter chatter. Helping ease your worries { no I won't let Dad put you in Jessie's night time nappies again, yes he was very naughty for doing that }. And watching you slowly grow, into a protective and gentle big sister.

I know in the past I have been reluctant to use my children's actual names. It was, it is, a privacy thing. That line I'm trying to define in my own mind. What I'm willing and feel safe to share. What I'm not.  It sometimes gets blurry. The line hard to judge. And this one has. On my Facebook page, my children are referred to by their names often, and I'm more than ok with that. But it's pointless using pseudonym's for them on this blog, if that's going to be the case. So no longer Miss A or J. Simply Amelie and Jessie.

Turners Beach { The Growers and Makers Market }

I love a good little market. And an afternoon spent pottering my way through one. It was the nicest way to spend a quiet Australia Day afternoon. A growers and makers market. Complete with street cricket, and a quick visit to the beach.

Turners Beach is a quaint little seaside town, not far from Mum's house. It has so much to offer, particularly now that it also has a monthly farmers market, a gorgeous little cafe in La Mar's, and the loveliest of beaches too. It's all a bit Home and Away really. Minus the Bra Boys.

The lovely Susan who owns La Mar's, has helped to bring a really lovely village feel to Turners Beach with not only her cafe, but now the market. And she is also planning a community vegetable garden for the area too. Another little town to add to my search properties list on realestate.com.

We bought a healthy amount of produce, artisan bread, bakery goods and succulent plants. Which is why there are few photos. My hands were full with food and damp children from their paddle at the beach. So the camera mostly stayed in the bag.

The beaches. Aren't they just stunning. I won't deny, the water is a little crisp.  But, the longer I'm here, the more I can see the advantage of living here again. Especially with a young family. So many more chances to enjoy the simple things in life. Be close to my own family again. And enjoy a great quality of life.

Twelve years ago I left here paralyzed by the sameness and quietness that was this place. Now, with Tasmania really coming into its own, and a change in my own pace since having the girls, I find myself doing a 180. And thinking to return. For all the same reasons that made me want to leave in the first place.

The Cling Factor

 

Sigh. My daughters, sitting in my Grandparents dining room, away from the rest of my family sitting in the room next door. Their choice. A case of whatever keeps them happy and quiet so I can finish my conversation, just this once.

What an absolute exhausting week this has been. Any patience I had left has just disappeared, along with all the sleep and rest that I'm just not getting. And we're on holidays. So it makes that exhausted feeling, just feel all the more worst. Because I would have liked to have felt a little more rested on holidays than I actually am.

While the household has recovered from it's bout of norovirus, the girls have been slow to settle and relax with the unfamiliar faces that are around them. It's meant lots of time fighting over who gets to sit on Mum's lap while I'm trying to have a conversation with somebody. Sick children wanting to only be comforted by Mum. And more whinging or whining than I can stand or care to listen to. And lets not talk about the crying and running into another room if somebody from my family happens to look at them or feel affectionate and try to pick one of my daughters up.

This last week has been hard. Even after all the vomiting stopped.

We cancelled our trip down to Hobart. While I desperately wanted to go there, it was becoming plainly obvious that to do so, was biting off more than I could chew. And would require more effort than I have left in my reserves.

My youngest waking up in the night, and taking 2 or so hours to fall back to sleep, is not helping matters either.

I can't help but want my girls to enjoy spending time with my family. But all my wants are futile. To my girls, these faces are unfamiliar. While they might be able to sense my relaxed nature around my family, they haven't been quick to copy it. I guess walking in the door to a house that isn't your own, and vomiting uncontrollably within the first hour of arriving, can make you feel wary of a place for awhile.

Also, there's that unrealistic expectation. For your children to be on their best behavior, for everybody to be able to enjoy and see them at their best. Completely unrealistic at moments during this holiday. 

And so it goes with living far away from family. That just as you start to near the date you leave, that they both start to feel more comfortable. In their surrounds, with my family. Finally going to them now for comfort and cuddles. Their behaviour more settled (mostly!) It currently feels very unfair!! For all of us.

Do you live away from family? Finding it sucks big time too?

Ring-a-Ring o' Roses { Mum's House ]

Ring-a-ring o' roses,
A pocket full of posies,
A-tishoo! A-tishoo!
We all fall down.

Such lovely weather. It has meant lots of time spent out in Mum's garden. And the girls couldn't be happier.

With such hot weather in the Pilbara at the moment, we often find ourselves cooped up inside longer than we'd like to be. So we are really trying to make the most of every part of our holiday. Especially now that we're feeling a little healthier.

Ring-a-ring o'roses, and at as quick a speed as their little feet can manage. Their new favourite thing to do.

I can't help but love those small moments in the day, where the girls make their own fun together. It happens only occasionally. But when it does, it is so joyful. The spontaneous laughter. The girlish silliness.

At times like these, I can't help but feel secretly quite pleased to be Mummy to two beautiful little girls.