Slow Living Monthly Link Up February 2014

Linking up with Christine again this month but because of my recent hospital stay there has not been much going on round here, well that's how it feels.

Nourish -Make and bake as much as possible from scratch. Ditch over packaged, over processed convenience foods and opt for 'real' food instead.
Before heading off to hospital I did a heap of cooking and froze lots of meals for Hubby so that he had go to meals for whenever he needed them.  I suspect that there were a few meals of bacon and eggs and toasted sandwiches while I was away but that just means there are now meals left that I also get to enjoy.

Prepare - Stockpile and preserve. Freeze extra meals or excess garden/market produce. Bottle/can, dehydrate or pickle foods to enjoy when they are not in season.
In addition to the above there have been more pickled jalapenos and some vegetable soup for me during my recovery.

Reduce - Cut down on household waste by re-using, re-purposing and repairing.

Our main thing at the moment is to clear out as much clutter as possible.  One of our local  churches are having a garage sale to raise money for a local charity so we packed up 10 boxes and sent them off, plus some floor rugs, lamps and a fish tank.

Green - Start (or continue!) using homemade cleaners, body products and basic herbal remedies. The options are endless, the savings huge and the health benefits enormous.

Just the usual happening on this front.

Grow - plant/harvest. What's growing this month? What's being eaten from the garden?

The garden is pretty bare at the moment.  We have had a good supply of beans, herbs, chillies, tomatoes and eggplant but it has been dry for a while and while I was away some things have died.  I am also about to face a pretty lean period as I have not got any seeds or seedlings growing yet, something I need to get on to.

Create - To fill a need or feed the soul. Create for ourselves or for others.

This has been a bit of a void in February so I must make time to get some balance back in this area of my life.

Discover - Feed the mind by reading texts relevant to current interests.
I have had had plenty of time to read this month due to my hospital stay and recovery period so I have had my nose in a book permanently.  I have worked my way through Bill Mollisons - A Permaculture Designers Manual.

Enhance - Community
Planning for this years Classic Car Show is well under way again and will be keeping me busy for many months to come. Other than this I have taken a step back this year as I have other things I need to dedicate my time to.

Enjoy - Life! Embrace moments with friends and family. Marking the seasons, celebrations and new arrivals are all cause for enjoyment.
My bother in law and sister in law are about to have their first baby so we celebrated with a baby shower.  I am looking forward to meeting the newest edition to our family and Hubby's family are all excited too as this will be the first grandchild.

What have you been up to?