Time to get organised.

I have reached one of those times in life when I have come to think that enough is enough!

I keep muddling through with no sense of organisation and direction.

I've never been much good at housework, but things are out of hand even by my lax standards.

Junk mail has piled up, not just in one place either but wherever it happened to be put down when I opened it.

My wardrobe is full to bursting with clothes that are either too big or too small, and there is nowhere to put the things that do fit me.

Everywhere I look there is clutter, clutter and more clutter...

Google Images

and I am fed up with it!

So time to make a stand.

Time to have a plan.

Stop saying "I'll do it my October break" - Let's get real it's just too big a problem to be tackled in just one or two days, it's growing worse by the day and needs to be tackled NOW!

There's only one thing for it...

Flylady.

I'm joining the Weekly Flylady Thread over at Moneysaving Expert.

I'm aiming to start low so that I do it and don't become disheartened too quickly, so for this week I'm aiming for Level 1 only.

I'll let you know how I get on - wish me luck!

You can tell I'm back at work!

Oh yes - more than two weeks since my last post!

Time just seems to fly, but I am grateful that I have a job to keep me busy and I just have to content myself with posting when I can for the moment.

I am still managing to read all of your lovely blogs though - reading them helps me unwind at the end of a busy day.

I have also managed to take part in the autumn swap organised by Blueberry Heart.

I was paired with the talented Victoria from Giddystuff.

Look at what she sent me ...
(oops my camera is playing up and  won't let me download the pictures so I hope that Victoria won't mind if I use pictures from her blog post about the swap!)

Gorgeous multi toned embroidery skeins in luscious autumn shades.

Lovely autumnal fabric.

How pretty are these buttons?

A beautifully made knitted pincushion pumpkin, already taking pride of place on my little shelf display in my craftroom, I love it!

And another hand made lovely, I've already worn this stunning bracelet several times.

With the nights drawing in what could be more welcome than a weeks supply of flavoured hot chocolate?

Thank you so much Victoria.

I love swaps.

If you want to see what I sent Victoria she has posted it on her blog here.

Love Linda xxx

Free Food

It was back to work on Monday. But before the end of last week I had a mini cooking spree, largely to use up some free fruit.

My youngest daughter has recently begun renting a property that has several fruit trees on it - plums, pears and apples. She was more than happy for us to help ourselves to the free fruit.

Plums were stewed and frozen, plum crumble was made and a jar of plum vodka is also happily steeping away.

The apples and pears aren't fully ripe yet, but there were quite a few windfalls which it seemed a shame to let go to waste.

Some made Devon Apple Cake.

This recipe is from "The Cranks Recipe Book" and is a recipe I return to again and again. It is lovely warm topped with a little cream but equally delicious once cold. Being a "Cranks" recipe it is made with whole-foods including wholemeal flour and raw brown sugar, so I like to think that it's better for you than cakes made with white flour and sugar.

As well as the apple cake I made three loaves of wholemeal no knead bread  - some for the freezer. I also used up some more of the windfall apples and pears in a Pear, Apple, Plum and Ginger Jam.

This is the kind of relaxed cooking that I miss having the time for now I am back at work.

Never mind, after this week only another six weeks to the next holiday.

Love Linda xxx