sunday

I leave before everyone wakes with a wicker basket in tow. The local Farmers Market is alive and bustling early and I select our weekly nourishment from heaving tables.  Yesterday there were new season apples and tiny Cole pears, just right for little hands and mouths. And cavelo nero, baby carrots and fresh borlotti beans for a warming soup.  When my basket can hold no more I return home as the house is stirring with coffee and warm croissants. It is warm and sleepy inside and as I feed Ines  the babies unpack my basket like pirates unearthing golden treasure. There is much sampling and commentary and questions. Stock will be made later with last week's lack lustre remnants.  Leftover fruit will be stewed gently with a little water and maple syrup and a cinnamon stick.

Sunday is sheet washing day.   Sometimes there is a blanket tent erected, sometimes not but always there is rough housing,  jumping on bare beds and shrieks of laughter as bellies are tickled.  As the sun warms the back deck, pillows are lined up like soldiers to bask in its rays. This simple practice kills germs and dust mite and brings a certain freshness to a newly made bed that only the sun can do. The garden will be perused and Darren and I make plans of this and that. I might sand back the wooden painted high chair for a time and he might push them on the swings. We stay close to each other and let the gentle day unfurl.

As the light changes and the cool afternoon wind brings us inside I begin my Sunday potter. There is no real urgency nor list of to dos rather a gentle wander from room to room setting things right for the week ahead; a study in mindfulness and gratitude for my home that sets the tone for a calm week. Jam jars of flowers dotted about the house  receive fresh water and pot plants given some attention. Books are re-shelved and surfaces cleared whilst rose otto and sandalwood oils imbue the air with uplifting notes, their aromas bringing harmony and grounding after the week's push and pull.  There's a row or two of knitting, maybe a board game and many cups of tea.

We bath the babies early and settle in for the evening with soup and crusty bread for dinner.  I smile as I look across the table at the clean and shiny little people in flannelette pjs. It's been a day without rush, without demands. A day of nourishment and rest. Sunday - It's a good day.

17/52

" A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  She's all willowy limbs and pensive gazes.

Remy -  So much independence lately. 

Inès -  Captivated by the big black box Mumma keeps putting in her face.

Steph x

eco baby

Rewind six years ago and the contents of our home were far removed from our current simplified lifestyle.  Every Fisher Price toy that beeped and buzzed amused our first babe and her cupboard groaned with outfits for every occasion. Baby magazines were consulted to determine the "must haves" when raising an infant and lists were checked off as a plethora of bunny embossed items made their way into our world. There was so much stuff! Garish colours, plastic aplenty, man made fibres with those alarming fire warning tags, and so many things never used. We soon came to realise that her needs were few.

Now, not only has our aesthetic changed as we favour a more subtle palette and natural fibres, but more importantly, our ideals. In our bid to live a greener existence we have cast off outdated notions that only new will suffice for a newborn and have pared back what we really need. And frankly, it isn't much. Along with the clutter comes much strain on our environment - energy for production, water wastage, land fill...the list goes on. So here is a small list of ways we are trying to raise our "eco baby".

• In the corner of Inès's room is an old white cupboard.  A happy secondhand find it houses  seagrass baskets of clothes; knitted hand me downs, vintage florals and neutral basics. Very little of  what she wears is new.  Regular, quick scans of op shop shelves yield a treasure trove of often unworn cast offs and ebay has proved fruitful for special pieces. Type purebaby, country road, seed and gaia into the search bar and be astounded at all the loveliness on offer (just be mindful of the postage costs). This post may be useful as you explore dressing your children in secondhand clothing.

• A vintage dresser was rescued from the side of the road and cost no more than time (a gentle,   meditative task over the months of my pregnancy) and a pot of sweet scented beeswax. It now   holds a piece of foam encased in an embroidered pillow case; a simple yet beautiful change table. The storage drawers below are filled with cloth nappies, a natural bottom balm and time softened  muslin wraps. I like to think the lavender scented furniture wax is soothing for those more stressful nappy changes.

• Our house move last year meant a small room for Inès. The white cot with change table and drawers attached that held her two older siblings was just too big; it consumed the tiny space and hence was moved on. A simple wooden cot with turned bars was purchased on gumtree for $50 and came with the nostalgia of a Mumma whose babies had long flown the nest.  By finding an inexpensive cot we could justify the outlay for a eco friendly cot mattress and since our babies have slept in theirs til they were almost three we thought it a wise investment. Two mattress protectors  made from eucalyptus fibres will ensure it lasts the distance.

• Pure cotton sheets in bright whites were found on op shop visits for a dollar a piece (I paid       particular attention to check for worn or perished elastic). Thick and sturdy, yet soft they hold no odour of chemical dyes or processes and will soften further with use. Now, I have my sights set on a knitted pure wool baby blanket for Winter, no doubt there is something out there with my name on it

• I bought a dozen or so organic cotton breast pads when Remy was born and they are still going strong. Thrown in with the regular washing and hung in the sun to dry and sterilise they are soft and comfortable and  avoid the unnecessary abundance of  wrappings that disposable ones come in.

• We used cloth nappies sporadically with Bijou, a lot of the time with Remy and now almost     exclusively with Inès so I'm the first to admit it was a learning journey that took time (I have a post coming about all we've learnt) . We have used peapods and totbots chosen for their ease of use and simply because I can't resist a white cloth nappied bum. A warm wet washer is   used for nappy changes with a spritz of a natural, homemade cleansing spray. 

For now our baby girl's world is small and simple; at the moment she is grasping at a small cloth doll and mesmerised by the black and white stripes of my shirt. And by reducing the chemicals we expose her to and limiting the "stuff" that goes hand in hand with child rearing we'd like to keep it that way as long as possible. 

Do you have any frugal tips for baby? Are you on a green mission? I'd love to hear.

Steph x

16/52

" A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  Trips to the nursery with this girl take a long time. She stops to smell every flower and wants to buy them all.

Remy -  Warming his back in the morning sun.

Inès -  The sun filtering through the trees make the most beautiful light show for her.

Steph x

15/52

 

" A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  So content just pottering in the back yard.

Remy -  He has worn this dinosaur costume all day, every day.

Inès -  So serious, so soulful. The second after I took this shot she gave me the biggest grin (her usual face).

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Jodi.

14/52

 

" A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  Artistic eccentric.

Remy -  A boy in a wheelbarrow.

Inès -  They tuck her in and fuss over her constantly.

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Jodi.

small accomplishments - potting plants

There is an undeniable sense of satisfaction that comes from a freshly potted plant. Mismatched earthen pots with mossy patinas, rich soil and a tin watering can all elicit such feelings of pleasurable domesticity. I get dirt under my fingernails as I kneel on the earth to strike small jade cuttings. There's a creeping thyme for the windowsill; a few small rocks at the bottom to help with drainage. And a butterfly plant to perhaps add some green to the bookshelf.

A few minutes of quiet business in the morning sun and I feel as if I've achieved something for the day. A tangible result to my simple activity that uncounted breast feeds, baskets of folded washing and the daily stoop and put away dance can never achieve. With a start and finish - a before and after, three small potted plants fill me with a definite sense of accomplishment. It will be a good day.