First week of the summer holidays.

After an amazing birthday party for Liam now 15 we were left a little jaded after tidying the village hall and debris of 30 odd teenagers. The sense of achievement was great but made better I think by the fact that it was the first weekend of the summer holidays and we all needed a party.
I am a stay at home mum, but I stay at home with other people children too, yes I'm a childminder. I love it but I am really excited to spend some time with just my family!
So is it just me, do I find it hard to adjust or am I someone that just can't stop writing lists and ticking those actions off as if my life depended on it? Well yes I am but I think I am torn in many directions. My mind is saying yay its the holidays, do fun stuff and experience life. One of my main aims has to live more in the now, particularly in British summer time. I did manage this I spent two great days on Dartmoor with Arthur, the weather was perfect and I did feel free, I really find it easier to be outside with children. Climbing, pic-nic and sheep spotting with the most amazing views made those lists of things to do just disappear. I wish you could see better but photo's never show off the real thing.

So fun time was had, and it does feel like summer here, really warm! Any time I have been at home has just been filled with things to do, I I my own worst enemy, I create more than I need to. Mr PB has been away working this week and we are also getting everything together to go on holiday to Wales. By the end of this week I will need a holiday! Although I have been shopping and washing and lots of paperwork stuff has been done I did sneak a lovely walk along Tiverton canal where the it was peaceful and the nature was brimming.

So I feel I have been learning about myself this week, little ups and downs, learning to let go of stuff that isn't important (like putting new stuff on Etsy - it's  supposed to be fun!) I find I push myself harder when Mr PB is not here, but my older children do help out more. Maybe I have had a different routine that actually has allowed myself to think differently than the normal term time routine. I think I think to much!!

Electric changes, why did it take me so long?

Today I am making a big change in my life. The sad thing is I have been meaning to do it for so long, why are we so often full of good intentions and struggle to do simple actions that have big impacts?
 I am changing my electricity company, a simple step that takes five minutes but is probably the biggest step I will take in reducing our household emissions.
I will be changing to Ecotricity the green power house. The first UK company (maybe the world) that uses all the money from out bills to make more wind mills so they can provide more greener energy. In four years they have doubled the amount of green energy that they are supplying, with just over 50,000 customers. I will be very proud to be one of them.
Ecotricity don't just build wind mills either, they now have a solar powered farm too. They are also planning greener gas powered by algee and food waste, sounds interesting, whats more these new aspects can become a reality is we put in the support.
It's not support for a company to become big and rich (after all isn't that all we have known so far), no this is far far more important. By changing my power supplier I will be reducing my emissions and helping our beautiful planet.

Ecotricty, take a look http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/about/

Getting Crafty

Since Jan 2011 I have been a dedicated dressmaker. It was my pledge to leave the high street behind and make all my own clothes. I have been really proud and slightly big headed of my own achievements, yes I do have a summer wardrobe, I now wear at least on item of hand made clothing a day!! I
Although this is a great achievement I have come to a stop recently as I feel I have enough summer clothes and I'm not ready to start thinking about winter yet. So what is a girl to do, have rest maybe, I wish I could. I am just one of those people that needs to be doing.
So that brings me back to my other loves, crafting of one kind and another. I have been enjoying it so much. I have made two more table top puppets that can be bought from my Etsy page, Sew Excited. I think they are a little cute.
I have also dug out of the unfinished projects pile 4 hessian bags, with lovely fabric trims. These too may make it to the Etsy shop, or presents.
I am keen to build up some stock and gather ideas from fellow crafters for some easy makes. There will be  a community market in September and I would like to have a stall.

Wild Swimming or Extreme Paddling!

I have yet another new book (we all have our vises!) Wild Swim by Kate Rew, it is fantastic! If you are not from the UK do excuse me but I'm sure will appreciate the feeling rather than know the places!!

The photos are just lovely and inspiring if you love wild places, and it is a easy referance book for the whole of the UK . Lots of areas described in detail and how to get there, and a whole map of the UK with lists of 300 different places to swim. I was so thrilled to see that I had one been to  a few of them already and two knew sevral of the others aswell. I was so inspired that I wanted to be off wild swimming that very evening, luckily it was a sunny day, and luckily I knew of a lovely little spot just a few miles away from home, perfect!

My enthusiasm was there but not queit enough, it was freezing!! So rather than wild swimming I managed extreme paddling, but I really enjoyed myself and the best was yet to come.

Being out and about can be a hard time when you know we were all going to be hungry, so we bought dinner with us. I was so lovely shelling broad beans that I had picked from the garden an hour earlier, Arthur was a little dissapointed as he thought I was going to catch a fish and have it for our tea! Ater paddling and eating we just explored and threw stones into the water and genrally had the best evening, I even had enough time to get back for my yoga class, all simply perfect but slightly amazed at ouselves as it's not alway like this.

Just lay back and relax

I have not mentioned before but I am in love with yoga! Tuesday nights is by one night a week where I know I will get some dedicated me time, I am also very lucky to have a very inspiring yoga teacher that lives in my village. I if you are familiar with yoga classes you will know that there are moments of relaxation and breathing, Vivian hands out eye cover that are scented with lavender and they work wonders! I have thought how boring they are in the navy blue so I have made a batch of my own to sell to the ladies of my class, and also put some of the money towards the natural play toddlers group they I run. They are amazingly easy to make up from scraps, I'm not going to tell you how, but I recommend giving them ago even if your not into yoga. x x

Steiner inpired table top puppets.

I would like to share my first table top puppet. I have made it by hand which was really enjoyable as I do tend to use my sewing machine alot, this gave it a real sense of slow creation, time and thought. Puppetry is such a wonderful way for children to be imaginative and use a medium to express themselves. Puppets are just so entertaining, colourful and fluid with wonderful stories that to be introduced to this at an early age is a great gift. The fact that this style of puppet is accessible for the very young too. I enjoyed this so much I am planning to make more, soon!

DRESSMAKING join the go slow clothes movement

DRESSMAKING join the go slow clothes movement

I would like to invite you all to join me in the Go Slow Clothes Movement. This is simply aims to celebrate and support those that make or refashion your own clothes. By making or refashioning we are  breaking the curse of fast fashion which actually comes at a price to the environment and those that work within the industry. We are also celebrating the fact that we are not all a standard shape and by making our own clothes we are able to look good in clothes that fit properly. Finally if you make you love, which means are clothes are cared for and last longer which is a positive outcome in a material/ throw away society. I have created gadget/ picture, please feel free to put it on your own blog to show your support, just remember to mention this blog. There is also a go slow clothes group on flickr.com to join and share photos (only one photo per day please).
http://www.flickr.com/groups/1721158@N23/

Thankyou for your support.

Also feel free to come and visit my other blog charlottesewfarsewgood.blogspot.com, yes you've guessed it it's about my sewing journey that I started in Jan this year.