Spring...where did you go!

Spring seems to have left us in a bit of a hurry.  The pleasantly cooler days that we were enjoying have turned into hot, humid days and the air conditioners are in use to help make going about the day just that bit more comfortable.

Indoor pursuits were on the cards in the hottest part of the day over the weekend and I also grabbed the chance to head out and do a bit of shopping while hubby looked after the kids.

It's been ages since I've had a day like this and I have to say that I was reminded why I don't really like going to the shops very often.  The people and the noise and all the stimulation saying 'buy me, buy me!' was a bit intense and overwhelming I have to say.  I really don't know how people can go there all the time but that's just me, some people absolutely love it.

I was on a mission though, not just to have a 'me' day but to start on my Christmas shopping.

My first stop is always a coffee shop and this time I indulged in something a little sweet to eat as well.  It gives me time to go through my list and work out a bit of a plan of attack so to speak.  Once I've got things organised in my mind, I can cope with the day better and find that I can enjoy the Christmas displays, the crowds and just the busy-ness of the place for longer.

I did cross a few things off my list and have ideas for other things and am happy to say that I now have most of Christmas sorted, with the exception of a few bits and pieces.  The budget didn't stretch that far on the day so in a few more weeks I'll pop back into the shops for just a quick visit and get what I need.

A letter to Santa was posted over the weekend with great excitement.  It's not often my boy asks for things so I'm hoping Santa can deliver on this one.  Fingers and toes crossed and lots of google searching will be on the cards I think Santa.

Pocket money has also been earned when Master M helped hubby mow my Uncles lawn.  He loves using the ride-on mower when he's at my Uncles place and is working out how he can earn a few more dollars because he is saving up for something.  I have no idea what but I'm sure he'll tell me soon enough as he's hopeless at keeping a secret.

I somehow found myself in the kitchen for most of Sunday even though the temperature was in the mid 30's (celcius) and it's humid.  Thank goodness for the air conditioning to help keep me cool.

As tomatoes are pretty cheap and going a bit crazy in gardens at the moment, I decided to make a batch of my Sweet Tomato Relish.  As it says, it is sweet but it's a really, really beautiful relish that I found the recipe online for many years ago and have since tweaked it over time.

Some of it will be gifted at Christmas but most of it will be for our use as hubby and I both love it.  In fact hubby's not happy about having to wait a few weeks for the flavours to develop nicely before I'll let him have some.

I've also got a new project on the go.  I wasn't intending to start another blanket just yet but I had so much yarn leftover from Miss R's blanket that I decided to make one.  As it's the same colours in her blanket I wanted to make something that looked different and decided that a basic granny square blanket would be best. 

I can keep adding to it until I run out of yarn so I'm not sure how big this one will be.  I know I'll definitely have a good size throw for the lounge so I'll keep you posted on it's progress.  My stash is already dwindling and I'm LOVING it.

Our morning walks in the heat haven't been overly pleasant but Patch is finding some lovely spots to cool down and have a drink.

Sometimes when hubby's home Patch and I can go quite early in the morning before it really starts to heat up but when he's away we're limited to going after I drop the kids off at school.  The heat can be pretty relentless at that time over summer but we do love our walks, we just go for shorter ones that's easier for my boy to cope with on those days.

I hope you have all had a great weekend and were able to stay cool, warm or just comfortable wherever in our big wide world that you live in.

xx Susan