tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2195552392828425262024-03-18T19:50:08.092+08:00Jarrah JungleA Home Improvement + Lifestyle BlogMichelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.comBlogger1038125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-91786747990425979502020-09-21T22:50:00.001+08:002021-02-07T22:32:04.245+08:00A Long Overdue Update<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hey guys,</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I feel like I owe you a big apology for my ridiculously long absence from the blog! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We finished our home renovations and sold our block which was the reason I started this blog in the first place - for the before and afters, DIY projects and how tos, which are all documented here. I don't want to leave my readers in the lurch, so just so you know, I'm alive and well! I absolutely love the home that we have created and after many years of renovating we can now relax and enjoy our renovated home.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm still very active on my <b><i>Jarrah Jungle social media channels</i></b> <b>- <i>if you don't follow me yet please do</i> - I'm on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jarrahjungle/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JarrahJungle" target="_blank">Facebook</a></b>. I share lots of yummy recipes for easy home cooked meals, family life and the occasional book review.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/jarrahjungle/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Quick and easy dinner ideas" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8AV2EQfbL1w/X2isN_nyHWI/AAAAAAAAzGw/M3EO7Ehmw9gHg_d85FyyODKPBg9QCQ-bgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/chinese%2Bfakeaway.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So what else has been happening ....... Work wise I decided not to return to my corporate job, after working in the city for over 20 years and doing the 9-5 grind every day I'm having a much needed break from that lifestyle for a while.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Instead I'm enjoying a change of pace being a stay at home Mum to Miss A who has just turned 3, she is a gorgeous little girl, kind, happy and loves books (just like her Mum!). Mr P has become a BBQ King and between the smoker, weber, and BBQ we are being well fed as are our friends and family who love to join us for tasty BBQ!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JarrahJungle" target="_blank"><img alt="Miss A and Lexi" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pNd2YRpcbMk/X2iWc2BG9RI/AAAAAAAAzFw/PGIDCd4mUSUbV3dCHkpgEKctaHkCtSlrACLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/83037139_10156800830165857_9087876422940229632_o.jpg" title="Miss A and Lexi" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My passion for home decorating has lead me down a completely new path and I'm in the midst of setting up my own small business <b><a href="http://bringontheboho.com.au/" target="_blank">BRING ON THE BOHO</a> </b>an online store with beautiful bohemian style home decor - big floor cushions, beautiful hand stitched quilts, vibrant embroidered scatter cushions and soft furnishings.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'd love for you to check out <b><i>Bring On The Boho on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Bringontheboho/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bringontheboho/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> </i></b>- I'm currently building <a href="https://bringontheboho.com.au/" target="_blank">the website and online shop</a> which is due to launch later this year. I've always had an eye for interior design and decorating and it feels so good to be working on something I'm truly passionate about - finding stunning decor products to fill homes with colour and life.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Bringontheboho/" target="_blank"><img alt="Bring On The Boho" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1514" height="270" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UYMuFixOk34/X2iT8Mt4DEI/AAAAAAAAzFY/UwRd7sYdmdo--A1_vudfPBe4gmO-SUqUgCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h270/200901_WA_ProductPhoto_105808-web.jpg" title="Bring On The Boho" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thanks for reading, I hope you are well and happy, please pop over to my social channels and say Hello!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Take care</i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Michelle x</i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-78818895078947384592017-09-11T06:30:00.000+08:002017-09-11T06:30:29.447+08:00Book Club Book Review: The Alice Network By Kate Quinn<div style="text-align: justify;">
My Book Club's pick for the month of August was this new release novel <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-alice-network-a-novel-by-kate-quinn-9780062654199/#.Wa5h8Ih97IU" target="_blank">The Alice Network by Kate Quinn</a><br />
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This novel has two exciting stories being told in parallel chapters, one from 1915 in World War 1 and the other in 1947 at the end of World War 11.<br />
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Based on the true tales of 'The Alice Network' of female spies in wartime, there are two main female characters who tell their stories - a young Eve who was recruited in France as a spy in World War 1 and then Charlie a young American girl who travels to London to search for her cousin who disappeared at the end of World War 11.<br />
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These two stories eventually connect and along the way you are taken on a wild journey of the horrors of war, self discovery, love and revenge.<br />
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I really admired the strong female characters and the way they did their part for the War. Learning the untold stories of how women made an impact in the War and held their own in a mostly male dominated time period made this story even more enjoyable to read.<br />
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I recommend this book to anyone interested in female spies during the War.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">I give this book 5 stars out of 5</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read</span></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image via <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/the-alice-network-a-novel-by-kate-quinn-9780062654199/#.Wa5h8Ih97IU" target="_blank">Dymocks</a>]</span></i><br />
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-74953178832366839552017-09-05T12:45:00.001+08:002017-09-05T12:45:16.426+08:00How I Organised Our Wedding Photos <div style="text-align: justify;">
I can't believe Mr P and I are just about to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary and can I just say married life is awesome I could not be happier being a wifey!<br />
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So today on the blog I thought I'd share what I've done with our wedding photos.<br />
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Our wedding photographer was a friend of ours who photographed the wedding as a gift to us which was amazing. He printed out some photos which I've stuck into <a href="https://t.cfjump.com/31379/t/36585?Url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.etsy.com%2fau%2fshop%2florgie" target="_blank">our wedding album</a> that I had custom made for us and the rest are on a USB stick for me to print out.<br />
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I've turned our wedding album into our <i>book of love</i> - Mr P cringes everytime I ask friends and family if they want to look at our <i>book of love .... </i>I think it's funny and I feel like Isla Fisher from Wedding Crashes you know the scene when she pulls out the wedding album when she just starts to date Vince Vaughan and everyone cringes! <i>Yep that's what I do!!</i><br />
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The album holds the engagement photos, <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/avery-product-review-engagement.html" target="_blank">engagement invitations</a> and <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/engagement-party-message-in-bottle.html" target="_blank">messages in a bottle</a>. Plus <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/mrs-mr-p-got-hitched.html" target="_blank">from the wedding</a> it has the <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/diy-with-avery-wedding-invitation-pack.html" target="_blank">invitations and stationary</a>, a copy of poems read and our vows, <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/diy-bride-photobooth-wedding-guest-book.html" target="_blank">polaroids from the photo booth</a> and printed photos from the wedding.<br />
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I just love having this one book with all our memories captured from our engagement and wedding.<br />
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As for framing photos this is the only enlarged photo I have printed from the wedding which I have put into a copper frame.<br />
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I really must pick out some more favourite photos and frame them!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IYSIByQJbxU/V85NC_h92uI/AAAAAAAAc-I/2HsDdsmsyS8d5rKEAJYe4-yLOE55plSGACKgB/s1600/20160903_130559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IYSIByQJbxU/V85NC_h92uI/AAAAAAAAc-I/2HsDdsmsyS8d5rKEAJYe4-yLOE55plSGACKgB/s640/20160903_130559.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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With the digital photos on the USB I created a wedding album for my parents which I made online with <a href="https://www.snapfish.com.au/" target="_blank">Snapfish</a> which they print and post out. I added mostly photos of our family and us getting ready together the morning of the wedding and special shots which I thought my parents would like.<br />
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I have started to do another Snapfish album for Mr P and I with most of the wedding photos but it's just finding the time to play around with the album online.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vvygXBgyZRE/V85QfPHD7lI/AAAAAAAAc-U/P-UB4yvOAAAoXOp2G_w8l2RIENDy2ptgACKgB/s1600/IMG_20160421_182845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vvygXBgyZRE/V85QfPHD7lI/AAAAAAAAc-U/P-UB4yvOAAAoXOp2G_w8l2RIENDy2ptgACKgB/s400/IMG_20160421_182845.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESQjQ-P7ujI/V85QfLaZTEI/AAAAAAAAc-U/XSoFI4EmKJIcn13_T9HQNSMlrVaAlv3pgCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160421_155646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ESQjQ-P7ujI/V85QfLaZTEI/AAAAAAAAc-U/XSoFI4EmKJIcn13_T9HQNSMlrVaAlv3pgCKgB/s400/IMG_20160421_155646.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For gifts for my Matron Of Honor and Bridesmaid I used <a href="https://www.snapfish.com.au/" target="_blank">Snapfish</a> again to print a copy of a photo onto a wooden block and added some text. They come with a little stand holder but they also sit on their own as they're a block shape.<br />
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I like this as an alternative to printing a photo and finding a frame for it and they work out pretty reasonably priced at $20 each delivered.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7sqR7jb3tB0/V85Tr0nIlOI/AAAAAAAAc-o/I-XwnHMUJR8D6g9biY7gaTOmlUjAw32-ACKgB/s1600/20160421_140646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7sqR7jb3tB0/V85Tr0nIlOI/AAAAAAAAc-o/I-XwnHMUJR8D6g9biY7gaTOmlUjAw32-ACKgB/s640/20160421_140646.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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I also did one of these as gifts for my Nanna and Mr P's parents (or should I say my Parents-In-Law!)<br />
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I am going to order some more of these photo blocks for Mr P and I and they also make great gifts.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqT1aWq62gI/V_r_Ub0PEaI/AAAAAAAAd7E/Csd43hJTEs4PpTviMRTYwS9OchuiRmZogCKgB/s1600/20161009_160815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RqT1aWq62gI/V_r_Ub0PEaI/AAAAAAAAd7E/Csd43hJTEs4PpTviMRTYwS9OchuiRmZogCKgB/s640/20161009_160815.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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I printed out a special photo onto a canvas and added the 'our wedding day' text.<br />
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Snapfish always have deals on their website and I got this canvas for 70% off!<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wW79tYdhcv4/WFIaK43AU2I/AAAAAAAAf2I/tMdIbyQJ0FAPIKj5rMxeCXuVbqZnSi2QACKgB/s1600/20161210_133113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wW79tYdhcv4/WFIaK43AU2I/AAAAAAAAf2I/tMdIbyQJ0FAPIKj5rMxeCXuVbqZnSi2QACKgB/s640/20161210_133113.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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I had some heart shaped ornaments printed on Snapfish as well which I thought would make nice Christmas gifts. The first lot I ordered the text was cut off and so I asked them to reprint them which they did (at no cost) and they came out perfect the next time.<br />
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It's taken well over a year but I've finally managed to organise all our wedding photos.<br />
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<b>Now be honest .... How long did it take you to print or frame your wedding photos?!</b></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; text-align: justify;">Sharing with link party:</i><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; text-align: justify;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.curlycraftymom.com/2017/09/the-creative-corner-link-up-party-weekly-recap-090317.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner</a></i><br />
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<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-13386093119994196132017-08-14T06:30:00.000+08:002017-08-14T06:30:30.306+08:00Book Club Book Review: The Dry By Jane Harper<div style="text-align: justify;">
My Book Club's pick for the month of May was <a href="https://t.cfjump.com/31379/t/29692?Url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.dymocks.com.au%2fbook%2fthe-dry-by-jane-harper-9781925481372%2f%23.WYQAcYiGPIU" target="_blank">The Dry by Jane Harper</a>.<br />
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It took me a little longer to read with our little Miss A's arrival thus why this book review is a few months late! Hopefully I'll find the time to get back into my reading list soon as I have a few new release books I'm dying to read and review.<br />
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This is an Australian outback murder mystery set in a rural drought affected town called Kiewarra in Victoria.<br />
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The main character Aaron, now a Federal Police Investigator, was accused of a murder 20 years ago and reluctantly returns to his home town to attend funerals of his former best friend Luke and his family.<br />
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The story quickly unfolds as Aaron tries to solve two murders - one from the past and one from the present.<br />
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This is a really fast paced mystery, with realistic characters which really made the story believable, and an interesting storyline from both the past and the present.<br />
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It took me a couple of months to finish this book as I was only able to read a chapter here and there but it was an easy story to pick up from each time and was a really easy book to read.<br />
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I recommend this book to Australian crime readers.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">I give this book 5 stars out of 5</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read</span></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image via <a href="https://t.cfjump.com/31379/t/29692?Url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.dymocks.com.au%2f" target="_blank">Dymocks</a>]</span></i><br />
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<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-49735644441857359122017-08-07T06:30:00.000+08:002017-08-07T06:30:15.319+08:00Introducing Our Little Baby Girl ... Miss A<div style="text-align: justify;">
Apologies for my absence on the blog these last few months this has been the longest break I've had in the <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/jarrah-jungle-blog-7-year-milestone.html" target="_blank">7 years I've been blogging!</a><br />
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I have a pretty good excuse .... Mr P and I welcomed our little baby girl Amelia (who will be known as Miss A on the blog) into the world on 16 May 2017 at 1.21pm she weighed 3.040kg and was 48cm long.<br />
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I had plenty of time before Miss A was born to nest at home, re-arrange all the cupboards and do a big spring clean, <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/05/nursery-tour-pretty-in-pink-glimmers-of.html" target="_blank">get the nursery ready</a>, and was on Dr's orders to rest and take care of my health. By the end I was a bit over being pregnant and some of the health issues that came with it and was ready for our little Miss A to arrive and that she did a bit earlier than expected, when I was 38 weeks pregnant, the day after my Birthday so we'll now be sharing a Birthday weekend!</div>
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The birth was nothing like I thought it would be and was the opposite of my birth plan although I'll spare you all the details other than to say I went into labor at home and thankfully Mr P made it home from work and got me to the hospital because 40 minutes later Miss A was born. </div>
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I'm so very thankful Miss A is a healthy baby and while I had some health issues during the pregnancy and after the birth I'm happy to say I'm feeling back to my normal self now, well besides the sleep deprivation that is!</div>
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These last few months have been a blur of sleepless nights and newborn cuddles and getting to know our Miss A and working out this whole parenthood gig.<br />
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I still can't believe that I'm a Mum .... but the endless loads of baby clothes I am washing, the nappies I have changed and the constant feeding certainly proves that I am! Speaking of clothes my Mum unpacked an old trunk full of baby clothes that were mine when I was a baby, a lot was handmade and knitted or crochet by <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/holiday-for-cause-family.html" target="_blank">my Nanna</a> (Miss A's great-grandmother) and it's so special to dress Miss A in my old baby clothes (<i>like the yellow and blue cardis, white bonnet, booties and shoes above</i>) I just need to dress her in a mix of vintage and modern clothes so she doesn't look too old fashioned!<br />
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I'm on maternity leave for a year and after 20 years of working I'm really enjoying being at home. Mr P had a few weeks off work in the beginning and is a very hands on Dad and was the one who had to show me how to change a nappy!<br />
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I'm lucky to have support from friends and family who drop in when I need a hand and give Miss A some cuddles so I can have a shower or get dinner ready - <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/my-top-5-slow-cooker-recipes.html" target="_blank">my slow cooker</a> has been a lifesaver I can make dinner while Miss A naps (babies sleep A LOT!) and dinner cooks during the day and keeps warm until Mr P gets home from work and we can eat together.<br />
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Our rescue dog Lexi has been really good with Miss A and taking on the protective big sister role well. I just know these two are going to grow up being the best of friends!<br />
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We are loving spending time at home as a little family and while the days blend into weeks and months already I am enjoying this slower pace to life right now.<br />
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While I'm in this newborn bubble I won't be blogging as regularly as I was before but you can keep in touch with <i>Jarrah Jungle</i> daily on my social media pages - <em style="color: #009900; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; line-height: 19.404px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/JarrahJungle" style="color: #009900; font-size: 13.86px; line-height: 19.404px; text-decoration-line: none;">Facebook</a>,</em><em style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; line-height: 19.404px;"> </em><em style="color: #009900; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; line-height: 19.404px;"><a href="http://instagram.com/jarrahjungle?ref=badge#" style="color: #009900; font-size: 13.86px; line-height: 19.404px; text-decoration-line: none;">Instagram</a> </em><em style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; line-height: 19.404px;">and <a href="https://twitter.com/Jarrahjungle" style="color: #009900; text-decoration-line: none;">Twitter</a>.</em><br />
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<b>Welcome to the blog Miss A!</b></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[All images my own]</span></i><br />
<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-38258058035326397512017-05-05T06:30:00.000+08:002019-01-10T09:20:44.015+08:00Nursery Tour: Pretty In Pink + Glimmers Of Gold<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our little jelly bean is due this month and I've finally finished furnishing and decorating the nursery for her so I thought I'd take you on a nursery tour.<br />
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This use to be <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/p/studycraft-room.html" target="_blank">my craft/study room before</a> we turned it into the baby's nursery and <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/nursery-design-working-with-what-we-have.html" target="_blank">the design plan </a>was to work with what we had and stick to a budget which I'm happy to say we've done. You really don't need to spend a lot of money when decorating, I shopped around home a lot using decor and furniture I already had, we purchased furniture secondhand, plus inexpensive stores like <i>Kmart </i>and <i>Target </i>are great for affordable decor and everything baby!<br />
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I've added links to similar products throughout this blog post to <a href="https://www.templeandwebster.com.au/" target="_blank">Temple and Webster</a> Australia's largest online furniture and homewares retailer as they have a great selection of <a href="https://www.templeandwebster.com.au/Baby-and-Kids-C1813153.html" target="_blank">baby and kids products and furniture</a>. I have my eye on a <a href="https://www.templeandwebster.com.au/Toy-Boxes-C1810542.html" target="_blank">toy box</a> and of course every little girl needs a <a href="https://www.templeandwebster.com.au/Doll-Houses-and-Accessories-C1812344.html" target="_blank">doll house</a> or a <a href="https://www.templeandwebster.com.au/Teepees-C1954249.html" target="_blank">teepee</a> ... there's so many adorable things to pick from!</div>
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I wanted to keep the design neutral and calming making it a perfect place for baby to sleep so nothing too bright or out there. The colour palette started as white, grey and black and evolved with added pops of pink and gold to make it feminine and pretty.<br />
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We bought and hung new blockout blinds over the silver blinds as it's such a bright and sunny room and we need to make it dark for daytime naps!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Some of the furniture we already had (the bookcase, wardrobe and side table), plus the rug and light fitting black chandelier we kept as it suited the colour theme. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We purchased some furniture items secondhand from <i>Gumtree </i>like </span><a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/nursery-inspiration-organising-ideas.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">the Ikea wing chair</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> - I did lots of research on </span><a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/nursery-design-perfect-nursing-chair.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">a perfect nursing chair</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and Ikea's wing chair was a winner and it's really comfortable. Although I still need to find a foot stool to go with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The bookcase had to stay in this room and still holds all my books but I've kept the top two shelves for the baby's books and decor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I shopped from home and used my own decor items for the bookcase - anything white ceramic or animal seemed to fit well as nursery decor. I bought a salt lamp to use as a night light as it gives out a nice soft glow and also has lots of other healing and purifying qualities.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you're looking for some adorable kids bookcases check out <a href="https://www.templeandwebster.com.au/" target="_blank">Temple and Webster</a> they have a great range to pick from <a href="https://www.templeandwebster.com.au/Kids-Bookcases-C1810543.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The <i>Ikea Hemnes drawers </i>were also a bargain secondhand find on <i>Gumtree </i>as they are actually brand new and were still in the original packaging. I decided <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/nursery-design-drawers-change-table.html" style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank">the drawers will double as a change table</a> with a change mat on top and all the change supplies in the top drawers and then clothes in the drawers underneath. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I just love how much storage this piece of furniture provides and for a small room it's great having furniture that is multi-purpose. I'm also using the top as a dressing table with jars for headbands, dummies and vintage jewellery boxes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Baby's clothes are so itty bitty tiny so a few sets of the Ikea drawer dividers are perfect for keeping all the clothes neat and tidy. But let's just see how long they stay this way for!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also typed up some labels for each divider so you can see at a glance the size and what the item is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over in the wardrobe there's heaps of storage space as well for all the hanging items like dresses, jackets and sleeping bags. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I made little size dividers from some butterfly blackboard pegs I had in my craft supplies and tied them to string which hangs down to separate the clothes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was lucky enough to get a big bag full of matching baby hangers in different sizes for free from <i>Pumpkin Patch </i>as they were closing down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I've used a hanging wardrobe organiser that I already had for storing all the baby's linen, blankets and swaddles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The vintage bassinet was lent to me by a friend and our little one will sleep in this in the bedroom with Mr P and I until we decide to move her into her nursery and into her cot. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The purple netting was from when I was a baby and covered my own bassinet. I just love that it's been kept all this time and can be passed down through the generations. My Mum has also unpacked all my old knitted and crochet baby clothes which are just beautiful I can't wait to dress my little girl in the same clothes that I wore over 30 years ago! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The cot is another special item as it's been passed down in Mr P's family. It's the only timber item in the room so we were going to paint it white but like the contrast the timber wood adds so we've kept it as it is.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Above the cot hangs a bird cage I've filled with paper flowers and bird decor and on the wall are some bird mirror wall decals. Both of these were already there from my craft room/study design and I think fit in nicely with the nursery so have kept them there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The art in the room I'm sure I'll change around over time but for now I have - </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">"The First Kiss" angel print is a special one I brought back from Rome on my first overseas holiday 20 years ago. The gorgeous girl with goose art was <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/04/my-its-girl-baby-shower.html" target="_blank">a baby shower gift</a> from beautiful friends. An Ikea butterfly wall art I've added some flower vines too. Lastly I DIYed the wooden art from a print I found on Pinterest, printed out and framed.</span></div>
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I really love how the nursery has turned out, the room has such a nice feel to it and hopefully I've got everything ready for when our little bundle arrives this month.<br />
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<b>What do you think of our little baby girl's nursery? </b><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-90925867835264099972017-05-03T16:41:00.002+08:002017-05-03T16:41:21.242+08:00DIY: How To Make A Wheelie Bin Screen<div style="text-align: justify;">
Our local council supplies us with 3 big wheelie bins for general rubbish, recycling and garden waste and we keep them at the front of the house in the driveway.<br />
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The bins don't make the best first impression to our visitors who walk past them on their way to our front door plus they take up space in the driveway where we want to park our cars.<br />
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So when <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/our-courtyard-garden-design-plan.html" target="_blank">we designed our front courtyard</a> we included in the design putting the bins in the corner of the courtyard so they are out of the way. Having 3 bins all lined up was still pretty unsightly so we decided to make this wheelie bin screen in front of them to hide them from sight.<br />
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<b><i>The finished timber look wheelie bin screen</i> </b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lPLSaYzq9F0/WQAqR-fOSCI/AAAAAAAAi-g/64YlSXnY7sIcEgtv8tl_A7bIH1HjTdHBgCKgB/s1600/20170425_164817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lPLSaYzq9F0/WQAqR-fOSCI/AAAAAAAAi-g/64YlSXnY7sIcEgtv8tl_A7bIH1HjTdHBgCKgB/s640/20170425_164817.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RJfEMha80Ws/WQAqkYJGC3I/AAAAAAAAi-k/w0x-bXKYJNg5rZjqPg_A49Pv_VRGodtpgCKgB/s1600/20170425_164844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RJfEMha80Ws/WQAqkYJGC3I/AAAAAAAAi-k/w0x-bXKYJNg5rZjqPg_A49Pv_VRGodtpgCKgB/s640/20170425_164844.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Initially <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/courtyard-ideas-outdoor-decorative.html" target="_blank">I wanted a screen made from decorative privacy screens</a> but because of the patterns you would still be able to see the bins through them and the screens and a frame would cost over $400.<br />
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So then we had the bright idea of making a screen from the Alitimber metal fence slats which we used on <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/diy-installing-alitimber-fence-slats.html">the courtyard fence</a>. This would mean the screen will blend in with the fence behind as it's made from the same product, plus we could make little to no gap between the slats so the bins were hidden properly and we had a few lengths leftover so the cost would be less.<br />
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<i>The pack of metal fence slats, support posts, inside channels, caps and cement cost us about $300. The other items needed for this DIY is a circular saw, tape measure, level, drill and screws.</i></div>
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<b>DIY: How to make a wheelie bin screen</b></div>
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First things first we worked out how long we wanted the screen to be to fit the 3 bins. Then Mr P cemented a support post into the ground on one side and attached the other support post to the exterior brick wall of the house.<br />
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Next we fitted an inside channel to the middle of the support poles with a few screws and used a level to make sure it was straight. The inside channel is what you screw the metal fence slats to. </div>
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Once the two support posts were in place <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/courtyard-garden-paving-garden-bed-grass.html" target="_blank">we waited until after the courtyard had been paved</a> before making the screen otherwise it would be in the way of the guys laying the limestone pavers.<br />
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This may have taken us almost a year to get around to finishing but as the saying goes <i>Rome was not built in a day! Renovating takes time as well but we get there in the end!!</i><br />
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So over the weekend Mr P got out the circular saw, measured the distance between the support poles and cut the metal fence slats to size.<br />
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Using the level again to make sure it was straight Mr P attached the fence slat with screws into the channel in the support pole. Working from the top to the bottom once the first slat is in and straight then the rest are easy to install. We didn't want a big space between the slats or you'd be able to see through the screen so we used a 2mm spacer so there was only a very small gap.<br />
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A cap is placed on the top of each support pole to stop any water getting in and then it was done.<br />
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Now all 3 wheelie bins sit behind the screen out of sight. The screen also hides <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/courtyard-garden-setting-up-automatic.html" target="_blank">the reticulation controls</a> and power supply.</div>
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We now have our entire driveway to make use of for parking the cars and it just looks so much nicer at the front of the house without the big green wheelie bins in the way!</div>
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<b>This was a great DIY weekend project to tick off the <i>to do list </i>and in fact is the last project to tackle in our front courtyard garden - it is now officially done and we can sit outside in our outdoor oasis and enjoy what we've created.</b></div>
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<b>Where do you store your outdoor rubbish bins? </b></div>
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<i>Sharing with link parties:</i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.curlycraftymom.com/2017/04/the-creative-corner-link-up-party_30.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;">Curly Crafty Mom - Motivational Monday</a></i><br />
<i><a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2017/05/wow-us-wednesdays-324.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays</a></i><br />
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<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-82868357021416346542017-05-01T06:30:00.000+08:002017-05-03T16:23:21.883+08:00Book Review: Gizelle's Bucket List By Lauren Fern Watt<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a book review of <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Gizelles-Bucket-List/Lauren-Fern-Watt/9781501123658" target="_blank">Gizelle's Bucket List - My Life With A Very Large Dog by Lauren Fern Watt</a> that was published by <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/" target="_blank">Simon and Schuster</a> on 7 March 2017.<br />
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Lauren Fern Watt is an author (this is her first novel) and travel journalist who has a great website <i>Bucket List Adventures </i>you can find <a href="http://laurenfernwatt.com/gizelle/" target="_blank">here</a>. Lauren was born in Texas and now spends her time between Nashville and Los Angeles.<br />
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This is a true story and memoir told by 20 something year old Lauren about her life with her pet dog a 160 pound English Mastiff called Gizelle and the adventures they go on.<br />
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Lauren moves out of home and takes Gizelle with her to College and then onto a tiny apartment in New York City, they job hunt together, go through boyfriends and Lauren grows from a teenager to a young woman along the way as they tackle life together side by side.<br />
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Their story is written by Lauren in a diary style of their adventures together, a girl and her dog, best friends and companions. It's a lighthearted and easy read, although there is sadness as to why Gizelle has a bucket list, it is written in such a way that embraces and sees the good and simple things in life between a girl and her four legged best friend.<br />
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Being a fur mum to a rescue dog myself I was drawn to the cover of this book instantly and it reminded me in some ways of <i>Lily and the Octopus</i> another brilliant read for dog lovers (<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/book-review-and-preview-lily-and.html" target="_blank">you can read my review here</a>) and it has also be likened to the movie <i>Marley and Me</i>.<br />
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I recommend this book to dog lovers who like reading memoirs.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">I give this book 4 stars out of 5</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: blue;">Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read</span><br /><br /><b><i>Gizelle's Bucket List </i>can be purchased from the author <a href="http://laurenfernwatt.com/" target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/" target="_blank">Simon and Schuster</a></b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">Sharing my book review on Good Reads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1819355866" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Netgalley</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Disclosure: NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Simon and Schuster to review. As always, all opinions are my own.</em></span></div>
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-21516372028844257702017-04-26T14:57:00.001+08:002017-04-26T14:57:08.362+08:00My 'It's A Girl' Baby Shower!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today I want to share with you my Baby Shower which was thrown a few weeks ago to celebrate my baby bump and to get ready to welcome <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage.html" target="_blank">Mr P and I's new addition</a> as we're just weeks away from starting our own little family.<br />
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I wore a flower crown <i>because when else will I have an excuse to wear one! </i>It was made by a talented local <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheFlowerCrownCartel/" target="_blank">The Flower Crown Cartel</a> and it made me feel every bit the glowing Mum-To-Be. When I eventually (<i>and reluctantly!</i>) took the flower crown off I dried the flowers out and it's become a pretty dried flower crown which I've hung in the baby's nursery (<i>more to come on the nursery tour soon!</i>).<br />
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The Baby Shower was a combined effort by my two beautiful bridesmaids who impressed everyone with their Hen Party planning <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/mrs-mr-p-got-hitched.html" target="_blank">for my Wedding</a> that when they offered to throw me a Baby Shower I was very grateful and happy to accept!<br />
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My two friends did the invitations, decorations, games and were the hostess with the hostess on the day which meant I could relax and socialise with all the guests which really made the whole day so much more enjoyable for me.</div>
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We had the Baby Shower at my house out on <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/diy-how-to-oil-timber-deck-with-cabots.html" target="_blank">the newly built deck</a> and the girls decorated it beautifully with a pink, black and white theme with bunting, balloons and paper pompoms it looked so pretty.</div>
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I made a dozen or so flower arrangements with a few bunches of pink and white flowers from my favourite florists on Beaufort Street in Mount Lawley. I recycled the jars from <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/diy-vintage-candle-holders-and-vases.html" target="_blank">my engagement party</a> and replaced the ribbons with pink, black and white ribbons to match the theme.<br />
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I placed the flowers on the tables out on the deck and by the front door and they looked so pretty.<br />
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My lovely Mum made all the food for afternoon tea - little finger sandwiches, quiches, fritata, sausage rolls and for the dessert table this was a combined effort I made cupcakes, my Mum made slice and my Auntie made a cake and biscuits.<br />
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I gave my camera to a friend to take photos on the day so I didn't need to worry about it and she did a great job at capturing all the happy snaps (<i>including the odd selfie per below!</i>). <br />
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Friends and family traveled near and far to make my Baby Shower and I especially love that my 90 year old Nanna (<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/holiday-for-cause-family.html" target="_blank">and cruise ship companion!</a>) rang the morning of the party saying she just didn't want to miss it and organised for a 4 hour round trip from the Country to come to the party and I'm so glad she did.<br />
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I was showered with gifts from friends and family and feeling ever so grateful for all the thoughtfulness and love our little one will have when she enters this world.<br />
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I have <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/baby-shower-vintage-travel-theme.html" target="_blank">hosted two Baby Showers</a> for friends and family and it really is a special occasion to celebrate.</div>
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<b>Did you have a Baby Shower?</b></div>
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-82944216847490187102017-04-24T06:30:00.000+08:002017-04-24T06:30:21.228+08:00Cookbook Review: I Love Soup By Beverly Le Blanc<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a book review of <a href="http://www.nourishbooks.com/shop/love-soup-beverly-leblanc/" target="_blank">I Love Soup: More than 100 of the world's most delicious and nutritious recipes by Beverly Le Blanc</a> that was published by <a href="http://www.nourishbooks.com/" target="_blank">Nourish Books</a> on 13 September 2016 and released in Australia in February 2017.<br />
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Beverly Le Blanc is a food editor of the UK edition of Readers Digest and has written 12 other cookbooks including slow cooking and student meals.<br />
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The name says it all really - this is a cookbook for soup lovers with over 100 recipes for well known and delicious soups, from indulgent and creamy soups, to hearty and filling meal in one soups, to delicate summertime chilled soups it has it all in this a one stop guide for soup lovers.<br />
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I really like cookbooks that focus on one dish like this one and with over 100 soup recipes to pick from if you feel like soup then this book is bound to have a recipe for you.<br />
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This cookbook is perfect for beginners as the recipes are very easy to follow and there's some fancier recipes as well if you are hosting a dinner party or feel like something a bit more indulgent.<br />
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I would have liked to see more images of each recipe there was only images for half the recipes and it's really a necessity for cookbooks to have images of every dish to be inspired to cook them and to see how the finished dish should turn out. Reading this as an ebook was a bit difficult and a hardcopy version of this cookbook is a must to use in the kitchen.<br />
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I recommend this book to soup lovers it's a great one stop guide to making soup and a must have for the kitchen shelf at home.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>I give this book 3 stars out of 5</strong><br /><br /><span style="color: blue;">Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read</span><br /><br /><b><i>I Love Soup </i>can be purchased from <a href="http://www.nourishbooks.com/shop/love-soup-beverly-leblanc/" target="_blank">Nourish Books</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;"><b>Sharing my book review on Good Reads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1695763264" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Netgalley</a></b></span><br />
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<em style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">Disclosure: NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Nourish Books to review. As always, all opinions are my own.</em></div>
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<i style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image via <a href="http://www.nourishbooks.com/shop/love-soup-beverly-leblanc/" target="_blank">Nourish Books</a>]</span></i><br />
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-17506354405307593442017-04-20T12:06:00.001+08:002017-04-20T12:06:58.046+08:00Jarrah Jungle Blog - 7 Year Milestone<div style="text-align: center;">
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<i><b>I hit publish on my first blog post 7 years ago on the 24th of May 2010 </b></i></div>
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<i><b>and have written </b></i><b><i><span style="text-align: left;">over </span><a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/1000th-blog-post-milestone.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">1000 blog posts</a> since then !</i></b></div>
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I know I'm a little early but I wanted to write about my blog's 7 year milestone before our new addition arrives as our little girl is due in May and who knows it could be any day now so I thought I'd better hit publish on this post now before <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage.html" target="_blank">my hands are full as a first time Mum!</a> </div>
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If you're reading this <b><i>THANK YOU </i></b>for coming on this blogging journey with me all these years and for sharing in my adventures (and misadventures) of turning Mr P and I's first house into a home we love.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JM65d90q3MM/VPlC1KIJ4lI/AAAAAAAAOVs/YjdWlFXoVb4yTXXmMq6QOIeJlJS382G7gCPcB/s1600/20150302_134103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JM65d90q3MM/VPlC1KIJ4lI/AAAAAAAAOVs/YjdWlFXoVb4yTXXmMq6QOIeJlJS382G7gCPcB/s400/20150302_134103.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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What changes we've seen in <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/p/house-tour.html" target="_blank">our home</a> over the last 7 years - we've completely gutted, renovated and restyled our home inside and out, <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/p/how-to-plan-garage-extension.html" target="_blank">built a garage extension</a>, added a front courtyard and built a backyard deck and patio. There's not a wall we haven't painted or door we haven't replaced we've transformed every inch of our home with love and care to turn it into our own abode. </div>
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The property goal for us from the beginning was to renovate and retain the front house and <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/our-property-plans-to-subdivide-our-land.html" target="_blank">to subdivide our block in two</a> and I'm thrilled to say we have finished <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/backyard-subdivision-progress-last.html" target="_blank">the last stage of this</a> and are awaiting the subdivision to be signed off as complete which should come through any day now. <br />
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We can then put the back block on the market for sale or we will wait for Perth's property market to pick up a bit - it will depend on what advice we get from Real Estate agents once we're read to take this next step.</div>
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We'll continue to live in our renovated Jarrah Jungle home on the front block until we feel it's time to move into a bigger family home <i>(which may be sooner than we thought with a baby on the way!).</i> But we really want to enjoy all our blood, sweat and tears and the home we have created for now.</div>
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On a personal note you've been there when Mr P and I become fur-parents to <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/meet-our-new-addition-lexi.html" target="_blank">our rescue dog Lexi</a>, the excitement of <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/back-on-blog-and-special-announcement.html" target="_blank">our engagement</a> and then <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/mrs-mr-p-got-hitched.html" target="_blank">our DIY wedding</a> and now <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage.html" target="_blank">our journey into parenthood</a> as we will soon be welcoming our little baby girl into our home.</div>
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I promise I won't bore you with too much Mum life stuff but I will continue to write about how our home and style evolves as we turn our couples retreat into <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/creating-family-friendly-home.html" target="_blank">a family friendly home</a>.</div>
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<b>Thanks again to you my amazing readers for all your support over the years and coming on this home loving journey with me xxx</b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>[All images my own]</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /></i></span>Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-62835841476992601562017-04-03T06:30:00.000+08:002017-04-03T06:30:04.586+08:00Book Club Book Review: Modern Girls By Jennifer S Brown<div style="text-align: justify;">
The March book picked for my book club to read was <a href="https://t.cfjump.com/31379/t/29692?Url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.dymocks.com.au%2f" target="_blank">Modern Girls by Jennifer S Brown</a><br />
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This is a story set in the 1930's in Manhattan and New York and is told in parallel chapters by mother Rosie and daughter Dottie.<br />
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Rosie immigrated from Russia when she was a young woman and for the past 20 years has been a housewife and mother to five children. Dottie has a great office job, friends and a boyfriend and lives an American lifestyle but maintains strong Jewish beliefs and family traditions.<br />
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Both Rosie and Dottie fall pregnant and deal with their pregnancies in very different ways.<br />
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There are many issues touched upon in the book such as the Jewish community and the war in Europe and I wondered if this was going to be a wartime story but it turned out not to be the case. Of course the pregnancies which are the main focus of the story bring with them many different reactions, scenarios and dramas as well.<br />
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I really enjoyed following the lifestyle of Rosie and Dottie, they are both strong female characters, and it ended in such a way that a sequel could be written. I can see this being turned into a movie one day.<br />
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I recommend this book to anyone looking for an easy and pleasant read about the American way of life in the 1930's.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">I give this book 4 stars out of 5</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read</span></span></div>
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-27423033459843947982017-03-27T06:30:00.000+08:002017-03-27T06:30:19.837+08:00Book Review: The Pretty Delicious Cafe By Danielle Hawkins<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a book review of <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460752586/the-pretty-delicious-cafe/#sm.0000ly7azt9ugd4hzj41nkrcqn541" target="_blank">The Pretty Delicious Cafe by Danielle Hawkins</a> that was published by <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/" target="_blank">Harper Collins Australia </a>on 1 December 2016.<br />
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Danielle Hawkins is a New Zealand author who is a qualified vet and lives on a beef and sheep farm with her husband and two small children. When she finds the time between juggling family and farming life she writes books and this is her third book.<br />
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Set in a seaside town of Ratai in New Zealand this is a light-hearted, modern and quirky story about Lia who runs a Cafe with her twin brother's fiance Anna.<br />
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The Cafe is at the heart of the story and each day the girls work hard to cook meals and serve the customers. There is a bonus section at the back of the book with recipes made in the Cafe which is a nice touch.<br />
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There's the usual small town characters which play a part and add interest as well as dramas, a wedding, and a few romance stories thrown in for good measure.<br />
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When I saw this book was recommended to fans of <i>Offspring </i>an icon Australian tv drama series I instantly downloaded it and I wasn't disappointed.<br />
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I recommend this book to take on your next holiday as an easy to read contemporary women's fiction.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">I give this book 4 stars out of 5</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read</span><br /><br /><b><i>The Pretty Delicious Cafe </i>can be purchased from the author <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DanielleHawkinsAuthor/" target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/9781460752586/the-pretty-delicious-cafe/#sm.0000ly7azt9ugd4hzj41nkrcqn541" target="_blank">Harper Collins Australia</a></b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">Sharing my book review on Good Reads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1825713736" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Netgalley</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Disclosure: NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Harper Collins Australia to review. As always, all opinions are my own.</em></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image via <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/" target="_blank">Harper Collins Australia</a>]</span></i><br />
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-56403672050426247792017-03-24T06:30:00.000+08:002017-03-24T06:30:07.949+08:00My Top 5 Slow Cooker Recipes<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's no secret that I absolutely love my slow cooker it is hands down my favourite and most used <a href="https://t.cfjump.com/31379/t/37610?Url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.kitchenwarehouse.com.au%2f" target="_blank">kitchen appliance</a>.<br />
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So today I thought I'd share with you my top 5 tried and tested slow cooker recipes for easy, tasty, slow cooked dinners.<br />
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Be sure to check out my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jarrahjungle/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JarrahJungle" target="_blank">Facebook</a> pages as I share a lot of recipes on there as well and have included links to more of my slow cooker recipes at the bottom of this post .... <i>happy slow cooking!</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4mgwzGnvnXg/V614vWkX1yI/AAAAAAAAchU/lrwKv3uoDnYIep-42BPWw40TEc4E6jaMgCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160531_203440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4mgwzGnvnXg/V614vWkX1yI/AAAAAAAAchU/lrwKv3uoDnYIep-42BPWw40TEc4E6jaMgCKgB/s400/IMG_20160531_203440.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Slow Cooked Chicken + Vegetable Curry<br />
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I have a <i>Sunbeam Sear and Slow Cooker </i>which means I can brown in it and then slow cook in it as well which is great as it means just one pot to wash up after dinner, it retains all those lovely flavours in the one pot and it makes it quicker and easier to prepare.<br />
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For these recipes if you have a normal slow cooker you can just brown in a pan and then add it to your slow cooker.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">My Top 5 Slow Cooker Recipes</span></b></div>
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<b><i>1. An Old Favourite .... Slow Cooked Apricot Chicken</i></b></div>
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Apricot Chicken is a favourite dish from my childhood that I have adjusted with some added spices. Remember to always <i>heat up spices before using them </i>as this releases the flavour and brings them to life. </div>
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RECIPE: Brown chicken thighs and chopped onion, celery and carrot. Add the spices - coriander, cumin and garam masala and heat until fragrant. Stir in a packet of french onion soup mix and a tin of apricots in juice and season with salt and pepper. Put the lid on and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove lid and cook on low until sauce thickens. I throw in some extra vegetables at the end like green beans and peas as these don't take long to cook. So tasty served over rice or couscous. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DcwCaYWjC28/V61g-VsKvgI/AAAAAAAAcgE/b_3M6B37Z_k-P_SUO6knH_ZzFJKZcfsdgCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160808_215509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DcwCaYWjC28/V61g-VsKvgI/AAAAAAAAcgE/b_3M6B37Z_k-P_SUO6knH_ZzFJKZcfsdgCKgB/s400/IMG_20160808_215509.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apricot Chicken</td></tr>
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<b><i>2. When You're Feeling Fancy .... Slow Cooked Chicken Cacciatore</i></b></div>
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Chicken Cacciatore was the first dish I ever cooked for friends I think I was about 20 years old and they were over to watch a <i>Big Brother </i>finale on TV as I recall! I thought it was a very grown up dish as I got to cook with wine!!</div>
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RECIPE: Heat oil and brown chicken (thighs or drumsticks) and remove. Cook a chopped onion, celery, carrots and crushed garlic. Add the chicken back in with a jar of tomato passata, 1 cup of red wine, 1/2 a cup of chicken stock, mixed herbs, bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Stir well, put the lid on and cook on low for 8 hours. Add mushrooms and olives in last 30 minutes of cooking. Serve over creamy mashed potatoes and pour the remaining red wine into a glass and enjoy!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cevnhU6kZFI/V61mo-1KpCI/AAAAAAAAcgY/tNQk5F4b0BA17FGph407Yrd0iKRjD9ISQCKgB/s400/IMG_20160723_211346.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken Cacciatore</td></tr>
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<i><b>3. Easy As Slow Cooker Pulled Beef or Pork</b></i></div>
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I never knew how easy it was to do pulled beef or pork in the slow cooker and now that I do there's no stopping me! I make this dish quite often and serve with either hard tacos with salad, cheese, sour cream and salsa or with soft tortillas and a coleslaw.</div>
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RECIPE: Coat the beef or pork roast in a dry rub made from chilli powder, mixed herbs, salt and pepper (do this the night before if you can for extra flavour). Heat oil and brown the meat all over and then put in the slow cooker, lid on and cook on low for 6 hours. Just before serving remove the meat and shred with forks and then return shredded meat to slow cooker so it can soak up any juice in the pot and be delicious and tender. You can find my detailed recipe for <i>Pulled Pork</i> <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/04/recipe-easy-as-slow-cooked-pulled-pork.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jXgzCSH-up0/V61nPw7Hd1I/AAAAAAAAcgc/PI82FLegsswRlJzp6ubu0B4qMllhk1cmQCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160717_205725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jXgzCSH-up0/V61nPw7Hd1I/AAAAAAAAcgc/PI82FLegsswRlJzp6ubu0B4qMllhk1cmQCKgB/s400/IMG_20160717_205725.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulled beef tacos</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulled pork tortillas</td></tr>
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<i><b>4. Not Just A Sunday Roast ... Slow Cooker Turkey or Beef</b></i></div>
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Roasts are no longer just a Sunday treat we are now enjoying a roast and vegetables midweek because it's so easy to prepare. I am a fan of the chicken and turkey rolled roasts (like this turkey roast) as they're stuffed it keeps the meat tender. You must brown the meat well before slow cooking so it holds its shape - if you don't brown the meat it will fall apart and be more like shredded meat.</div>
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RECIPE: These roasts turkey (first photo) and beef (second photo) I cooked with the same method. Heated oil and browned it well all over and sat it on top of roughly chopped carrots, potatoes and onions. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hours. I use some of the lovely cooking juices to make gravy and keep the rest of the juices to use as stock (it's a delicious stock to add to soup).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CRe7Q0r2_hY/V61pa_Q7oSI/AAAAAAAAcgs/dMvm4qq5sXo2-6MA1B3CH4f8MsdR8mUfACKgB/s1600/IMG_20160712_183340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CRe7Q0r2_hY/V61pa_Q7oSI/AAAAAAAAcgs/dMvm4qq5sXo2-6MA1B3CH4f8MsdR8mUfACKgB/s400/IMG_20160712_183340.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolled turkey roast with vegetables</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beef roast with vegetables</td></tr>
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<b><i>5. Best Ever Pasta Sauce ... In the Slow Cooker</i></b></div>
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I can whip up a pretty quick pasta sauce on the stovetop but a pasta sauce slow cooked all day tastes amazing as it makes all the difference letting the tomatoes cook out for hours. </div>
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RECIPE: Heat oil and cook crushed garlic, chopped chilli, finely chopped onion, carrot and celery. Add chopped chirozo or bacon for extra flavour and some Italian style sausages (skins removed and cut into bite size pieces) and brown. Add a cup of red wine, tin of tomatoes, jar of tomato pissata, mixed herbs and fennel seeds. Put the lid on and cook on low for 6 hours. Add a handful of olives in the last 30 minutes. Cook pasta, drain and mix into your delicious tomato sauce and serve topped with cheese.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EkfhNELSQcw/V61sy_NJ3yI/AAAAAAAAcg4/g8WO4TcX4Y8mNenQHBmf7YOdAFgSz1eRgCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160710_220809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EkfhNELSQcw/V61sy_NJ3yI/AAAAAAAAcg4/g8WO4TcX4Y8mNenQHBmf7YOdAFgSz1eRgCKgB/s400/IMG_20160710_220809.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sausage, Tomato + Olive Pasta</td></tr>
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I have not given exact measurements for these recipes feel free to add a bit of this and a bit of that you can't really go wrong with one pot dinners like these. If you have any questions or want to know quantities please leave me a comment :)<br />
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<b>What is your favourite slow cooker recipe?</b><br />
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<i>Check out my other slow cooker recipes:</i></div>
<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/recipe-best-ever-bolognese-sauce-in.html" target="_blank">Best Ever Bolognese Sauce in Slow Cooker</a><br />
<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2014/05/recipe-slow-cooker-sausage-stroganoff.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooker Sausage Stroganoff</a><br />
<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/recipe-slow-cooked-old-fashioned.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooked Old Fashioned Curried Sausages</a><br />
<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/recipe-slow-cooked-chinese-chicken-hot.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooked Chinese Chicken Hot Pot</a><br />
<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/recipe-slow-cooked-beef-in-soy-orange.html" target="_blank">Slow Cooked Beef in Orange and Soy Sauce</a><br />
<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/sear-and-slow-cooker-recipes.html" target="_blank">Sear and Slow Cooker Recipes</a><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[All images my own]</span></i><br />
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<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-9597020207716166432017-03-22T06:30:00.000+08:002017-03-22T15:18:26.857+08:00Backyard Subdivision Progress: The Last Retaining Wall + Fence<div style="text-align: justify;">
A few weeks ago we had the last of the limestone retaining walls built and a new Colorbond fence installed. </div>
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As you can see in the photo below we have <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/backyard-subdivision-progress-retaining.html" target="_blank">retained and installed new fences</a> on the left side and the back of the house when we did <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/backyard-progress-patio-build-fence.html" target="_blank">our patio and deck</a> a few months ago. This is what our house looks like from behind now with the new patio coming off the house and the land subdivided in two.</div>
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<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/subdivision-progress-backyard-side.html" target="_blank">We removed the old fence</a> dividing us and the neighbor a few months ago in preparation for the new fence to be installed and it has taken a bit of toing and froing with our neighbor to agree on the style and heights of the retaining and fence but we got there in the end and when everyone was in agreement we could start the work.</div>
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For the other retaining walls and fences we put them on our side of the boundary so within our own block but for this one we were unable to do this and so we had to agree with the neighbor and both sign and submit a form to our Local Council stating that we built on top of the boundary line straight down the middle of where our two properties meet.</div>
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We used the same stonemason who has done all our limestone work to build the limestone retaining wall which is a 40 meter long wall from the rear fence towards the road at the front and goes down 3 blocks deep into the ground in a stepped retaining design. </div>
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There was a lot of excavating to be done as the land is so high on our side and the bobcat dug up our sewer pipe on the first day which we had to repair and then the next day it hit our neighbors pipe which he had to repair and then over a week later we realised they had broken our pipe again so we had to repair it yet again! <i>The joys of renovating I don't think we've ever had excavating work done that didn't involve busting open one of our pipes!</i></div>
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Once the retaining wall was built Mr P <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/courtyard-garden-waterproofing.html" target="_blank">painted on waterpoof sealer</a> to protect the limestone from water damage - that's the black paint you can see on the inside of the limestone blocks. </div>
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Next we had fence guys out to install a <i>Colorbond fence in classic cream </i>on top of the limestone wall - they core drill into the limestone blocks and install the fence posts into the wall so they are really strong. This fence went up in 2 days which is super fast as there were 4 guys working on it to get it done.</div>
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This new retaining wall and fence will define the newly subdivided backyard and will be the driveway for the rear block.</div>
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We are now ready to <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/our-property-plans-to-subdivide-our-land.html" target="_blank">finalise our subdivision</a> with the Local Council to split our original block in two.<br />
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As soon as that's done we will be looking for a Real Estate Agent to help us put the block on the market to sell so that someone can build their dream home on it. Exciting times ahead!</div>
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<b>Have you been tackling any renovating projects lately?</b></div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px;">Sharing with link parties:</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px;"><a href="http://www.curlycraftymom.com/2017/03/the-creative-corner-link-up-party_19.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner</a></i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px;"><a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2017/03/wow-us-wednesdays-318.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays</a></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[All images my own]</span></i><br />
<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-52499654567017537972017-03-20T06:30:00.000+08:002017-03-20T06:30:19.088+08:00Cookbook Review: The Pho Cookbook By Andrea Nguyen<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a book review of <a href="http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533494/the-pho-cookbook-by-andrea-nguyen/" target="_blank">The Pho Cookbook: Easy To Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam's Favourite Soup and Noodles by Andrea Nguyen</a> that was published by <a href="http://crownpublishing.com/imprint/ten-speed-press/" target="_blank">Ten Speed Press</a> on 7 February 2017.<br />
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Born in Vietnam, Andrea Nguyen is a cookbook author, food writer and cooking teacher now based in San Francisco. Andrea has a brilliant website <a href="http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/" target="_blank">Viet World Kitchen</a> with lots of great recipes.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c-84gFTxvwo/V4RhdT8bLII/AAAAAAAAavc/nCeXkx-UDXgeX46LoC5qG7doyZEB-AlTgCLcB/s1600/The%2BPho%2BCookbook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c-84gFTxvwo/V4RhdT8bLII/AAAAAAAAavc/nCeXkx-UDXgeX46LoC5qG7doyZEB-AlTgCLcB/s400/The%2BPho%2BCookbook.jpg" width="355" /></a></div>
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This is a cookbook with both easy and adventurous recipes for Vietnam's favourite soup and noodles - pho.<br />
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There are lots of different ways to make pho and this shows you 50 different recipes from quick weeknight cheats to five hour weekend feasts.<br />
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It also includes recipes for snacks, salads and accompaniments to go with the pho including Vietnamese coffee <i>(which I have become addicted to thanks to my brother's Vietnamese girlfriend!)</i>.<br />
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There are lots of helpful hints and tips about preparing pho and Vietnamese cuisine in general which I found really useful.<br />
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The photographs of the finished dishes are beautiful as are the photos taken on location in Vietnam which add interest to the book. Reading this as an ebook was a bit difficult and a hardcopy version of this cookbook is a must to use in the kitchen.<br />
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I recommend this book to anyone who loves Vietnamese food and wants to make this cuisine, especially pho, at home.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>I give this book 4 stars out of 5</strong><br /><br /><span style="color: blue;">Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read</span><br /><br /><b><i>The Pho Cookbook </i>can be purchased from the author <a href="http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/" target="_blank">here</a> or <a href="http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533494/the-pho-cookbook-by-andrea-nguyen/#" target="_blank">Ten Speed Press - Penguin Random House</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;"><b>Sharing my book review on Good Reads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1695423881?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Netgalley</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Disclosure: NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Ten Speed Press to review. As always, all opinions are my own.</em></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image via <a href="http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533494/the-pho-cookbook-by-andrea-nguyen/#" target="_blank">Penguin Random House</a>]</span></i><br />
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-90295307812655892012017-03-15T13:24:00.001+08:002017-03-15T13:24:54.564+08:00How I'm Being An Organised Mum-To-Be<div style="text-align: justify;">
When <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage.html" target="_blank">I found out I was going to be a Mum</a> and after the initial excitement and warm and fuzzy feelings I became a bit overwhelmed with all the medical appointments, what I need for the nursery and baby, what to pack for the hospital etc. There were so many things running through my head of what I needed to do and being that I like to be organised I started to make lists for everything and anything and these lists wouldn't fit in <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/05/getting-organised-life-planner.html">my Happy Planner</a> in an easy way.</div>
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So I soon realised what I really needed was a <i>pregnancy journal </i>so I could keep everything Mum and baby related in one place. </div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hKJgqvzkN68/V6qthuD_iHI/AAAAAAAAcco/XUENroMCaYAJsY7KZG1ByewtVg9xIZJugCPcB/s1600/IMG_20160805_194000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hKJgqvzkN68/V6qthuD_iHI/AAAAAAAAcco/XUENroMCaYAJsY7KZG1ByewtVg9xIZJugCPcB/s400/IMG_20160805_194000.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I looked everywhere for a pregnancy journal from bookshops to online and there just wasn't much available.<br />
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So when I found <a href="http://www.kikki-k.com/baby-notes-hello-world" target="_blank">Baby Notes</a> at <a href="http://www.kikki-k.com/" target="_blank">kikki.K</a> I just had to have it - it cost $34.95 and if you sign up to be a member you'll get a $10 discount voucher to use which makes it a pretty good buy.</div>
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Essentially <i>Baby Notes </i>is an organiser with sections to write down to do lists, appointments, baby names, gifts and check lists for the nursery, hospital, etc. There's also a blank calendar which I use a lot to write down how I'm feeling, milestones, important dates to remember, etc.<br />
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After the pregnancy section there's a baby section so you can record the baby's appointments, what foods they like and sleep patterns which I think will be really useful. I really like that I can keep using the same journal without the need to purchase another one and start again.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6isOYt0DZLc/WH8c_IjRu8I/AAAAAAAAg0w/ndJ-TVfftEIgeCWfk7YnUOg898Sg5ZT-wCKgB/s1600/20170117_110845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6isOYt0DZLc/WH8c_IjRu8I/AAAAAAAAg0w/ndJ-TVfftEIgeCWfk7YnUOg898Sg5ZT-wCKgB/s400/20170117_110845.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've been using my <i>Happy Planner </i>stickers and washi tape to decorate the journal and stick in photos of the ultrasounds and special moments as well to make it more memorable and a keepsake.<br />
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I also bought some extra baby stickers from <a href="http://blitsy.com/ref/6961mg" target="_blank">Blitsy</a> as they are always having a sale it's hard to resist and I found some great pregnancy stickers on <a href="https://t.cfjump.com/31379/t/36585?Url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.etsy.com%2f" target="_blank">Etsy</a>.<br />
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As a first time Mum-to-be it really has made my life a lot easier to have all this information in one place and the organiser is nice and small so easy take with me to appointments.<br />
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If you know a friend who is expecting this is such a great gift although you would want to give it to them early so they can make the most of it from the start of the pregnancy!</div>
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<i>This post is in no way endorsed by kikki.K I just really love this journal and wanted to share it with you!</i></div>
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<b>Did you keep a diary of your pregnancy or as new Mum-to-be?</b></div>
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<a href="http://blitsy.com/ref/6961mg" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UxcVWY8ZsnA/V0-LGrAbsUI/AAAAAAAAYf4/fjbNAOEZrFA-UgC1OmHS4Z_MOYmY84SzQCPcB/s1600/Blitsy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">If you join <a href="http://blitsy.com/ref/6961mg" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Blitsy</a> an online craft discount store and make a first time purchase it would be awesome if you use <a href="http://blitsy.com/ref/6961mg" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">my referral code HERE</a> when you sign up - you will get great discounts and I get a $10 reward to spend on my creative obsession so I can share more product posts like this one with you guys! Thank you!!</i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; text-align: justify;">Sharing with link parties:</i><br />
<i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.curlycraftymom.com/2017/03/the-creative-corner-link-up-party_12.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner</a></i><br />
<i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2017/03/wow-us-wednesdays-317.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays</a></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[All images my own]</span></i><br />
<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-8207633459318634592017-03-13T06:00:00.000+08:002017-03-13T06:00:01.468+08:00Book Review: The Girl Before By J P Delaney<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a book review of <a href="https://www.hachette.com.au/jp-delaney/the-girl-before" target="_blank">The Girl Before by J P Delaney</a> that was published by <a href="https://www.hachette.com.au/" target="_blank">Hatchette Australia</a> on 31 January 2017.<br />
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This is the first psychological thriller from J P Delaney, a pseudonym for a writer who has previously written bestselling fiction under other names.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jE6aWaT8fvU/WI6c9wCm9FI/AAAAAAAAhRE/pv-tYRwV1fI3Vky-2Cfvjk60U1KYs7yFQCLcB/s1600/the%2Bgirl%2Bbefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jE6aWaT8fvU/WI6c9wCm9FI/AAAAAAAAhRE/pv-tYRwV1fI3Vky-2Cfvjk60U1KYs7yFQCLcB/s640/the%2Bgirl%2Bbefore.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
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This is a fast paced thriller about two young woman Emma and Jane - the story is told in parallel chapters by Emma who tells her story from the past and by Jane who tells her story in the present.<br />
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Both Emma and Jane rent a modern minimalist house from a renowned and unusual architect who built the house. To live in the house they sign a contract, need to follow strict rules and are continually tested to see how living in the home affects them psychologically.<br />
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Between the two main characters Emma and Jane, the relationships they have with men and the unusual terms of agreement they have with the architect, this is an interesting and modern read that is hard to put down.<br />
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As with most thrillers there's death and mystery and I suspected almost all of the characters, it is really well written and the suspense is there until the very end.<br />
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Whilst some relate this book to <i><a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/book-club-book-review-girl-on-train-by.html" target="_blank">The Girl On The Train</a> </i>I actually felt it was closer to <i><a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/book-club-fifty-shades-of-grey-by-e-l.html" target="_blank">50 Shades Of Grey</a> </i>!<br />
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I recommend this book to thriller readers.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">I give this book 4 stars out of 5</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: blue;">Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Ryan Gosling for this read</span><br /><br /><b><i>The Girl Before </i>can be purchased from <a href="https://www.hachette.com.au/jp-delaney/the-girl-before" target="_blank">Hatchette Australia</a></b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">Sharing my book review on Good Reads <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1926025274" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Netgalley</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Disclosure: NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Hatchette Australia to review. As always, all opinions are my own.</em></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image via <a href="https://www.hachette.com.au/jp-delaney/the-girl-before" target="_blank">Hatchette Australia</a>]</span></i><br />
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-83753546174579054712017-03-09T06:30:00.000+08:002017-03-09T06:30:40.649+08:00DIY: Painting + Sealing The Driveway<div style="text-align: justify;">
We have come a long way in updating our house exterior over the years - here's a flashback to what <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/saying-goodbye-to-my-sandy-bumpy.html" target="_blank">our driveway looked like before</a> when we first bought the house.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EG7SwO0pwDw/WL5GYZKZQBI/AAAAAAAAiJ8/z-M65vQm0bwJ1Re63TBHkbhtoGqczGlSACLcB/s1600/driveway%2B1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EG7SwO0pwDw/WL5GYZKZQBI/AAAAAAAAiJ8/z-M65vQm0bwJ1Re63TBHkbhtoGqczGlSACLcB/s400/driveway%2B1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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After we had <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2013/11/say-hello-to-my-new-shiny-flat-driveway.html" target="_blank">a new driveway laid</a> it was a million times better and safer to drive and walk on .... Plus we built a garage, rendered and painted the bricks, roof restoration, built a courtyard garden, <i>sheesh we've made some changes out here!</i></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K5dwWOpAWPk/WL5G2Vgc3pI/AAAAAAAAiKA/HvZqllRzeFopyKtEptUqB45Q6BxT1wmswCLcB/s1600/driveway%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K5dwWOpAWPk/WL5G2Vgc3pI/AAAAAAAAiKA/HvZqllRzeFopyKtEptUqB45Q6BxT1wmswCLcB/s400/driveway%2B2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But we were a bit slack and didn't seal the new driveway straight away and so it has faded a bit in the harsh summer sun and suffered a bit of wear and tear. So we thought we had better seal it to protect it from the weather and any stains and marks from leaking cars and also to inject a bit of colour back into it by using a sealer tinted with colour.</div>
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We used<i> </i>a <i><a href="http://www.crommelin.com.au/" target="_blank">Crommelin</a> Sealer in Enhance Satin with a Basalt colour additive </i>which tinted the sealer a dark charcoal colour. This is an industrial strength sealer which resists oil and grease so is perfect for the driveway. </div>
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We sealed one side of the driveway and then on our next free weekend (a month or so later!) we did the other side of the driveway. This way we could still park our cars and walk on one side whilst the painted side was curing.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hDckB4hIpw8/WL5LJIgtMkI/AAAAAAAAiKg/mQieI0n6QY8dDX1sKfxR8-9KNxvLPwYqACKgB/s1600/20161217_173127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hDckB4hIpw8/WL5LJIgtMkI/AAAAAAAAiKg/mQieI0n6QY8dDX1sKfxR8-9KNxvLPwYqACKgB/s640/20161217_173127.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5EWBfrPjaBY/WL5LJC7cG2I/AAAAAAAAiKg/8YIVaa6dzyoDAlF09pJlF097QOK3pVS1wCKgB/s1600/20161217_180235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5EWBfrPjaBY/WL5LJC7cG2I/AAAAAAAAiKg/8YIVaa6dzyoDAlF09pJlF097QOK3pVS1wCKgB/s640/20161217_180235.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IJTtT0pals8/WL5LJD_-eAI/AAAAAAAAiKg/qBDHb6xcV4cSrIFHATO7-j38GYOSjIcuACKgB/s1600/20161218_120110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IJTtT0pals8/WL5LJD_-eAI/AAAAAAAAiKg/qBDHb6xcV4cSrIFHATO7-j38GYOSjIcuACKgB/s640/20161218_120110.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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To seal a driveway you need to clean the surface well first and for this we used our pressure cleaner to hose off the driveway and scrubbed off any heavy marks and stains. When it was dry we went over it with the vacuum to remove any bits of sand left behind. Once it was nice and clean it was ready to be sealed. </div>
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To apply the sealer which is like a thick paint Mr P used a paint brush to cut in along the edges and then a paint roller on a pole to paint the rest. We bought a cheap brush and roller so we could throw them in the bin afterwards. We did two coats leaving it to dry overnight between coats.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UXDXtFVkPbI/WL5IwPVXgEI/AAAAAAAAiKM/Ij_eTc96nFo9yNq-q-T6RNor4KivW9vpQCKgB/s1600/20170305_095514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UXDXtFVkPbI/WL5IwPVXgEI/AAAAAAAAiKM/Ij_eTc96nFo9yNq-q-T6RNor4KivW9vpQCKgB/s640/20170305_095514.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1SvTfOCdtSw/WL5IwGRzHsI/AAAAAAAAiKM/YIQRUQrCuQUemcDfG22zLzVC1Djx_qW7wCKgB/s1600/20170306_093152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1SvTfOCdtSw/WL5IwGRzHsI/AAAAAAAAiKM/YIQRUQrCuQUemcDfG22zLzVC1Djx_qW7wCKgB/s640/20170306_093152.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RiFJULhmsqQ/WL5IwEplxKI/AAAAAAAAiKM/OyQWce4y8Rc8AZFN9KkoPe43WHNCNvfcACKgB/s1600/20170306_121555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RiFJULhmsqQ/WL5IwEplxKI/AAAAAAAAiKM/OyQWce4y8Rc8AZFN9KkoPe43WHNCNvfcACKgB/s640/20170306_121555.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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We spent under $100 on the sealer, paint brush and roller which makes it a pretty inexpensive DIY.<br />
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Painting and sealing the driveway has added a new lease of life to the concrete and it makes a great first impression to the front of the house.<br />
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<b>Have you tackled any DIY projects around the house lately?</b><br />
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<i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px;">Sharing with link parties:</i><br style="font-size: 13.86px;" /><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px;"><a href="http://www.curlycraftymom.com/2017/03/the-creative-corner-link-up-party.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner</a></i><br style="font-size: 13.86px;" /><i style="font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px;"><a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2017/03/wow-us-wednesdays-316.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays</a></i><br style="font-size: 13.86px;" /><a href="http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2017/03/make-pretty-monday-week-209.html" style="color: #009900; font-size: 13.86px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Mondays</a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[All images my own]</span></i><br />
<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-5225363542718375712017-03-07T06:30:00.000+08:002017-03-07T06:30:45.576+08:00Book Club Book Review: Ordinary Grace By William Kent Krueger<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was my turn to pick the book for my Book Club to read in February and I picked <a href="https://t.cfjump.com/31379/t/29692?Url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.dymocks.com.au%2f" target="_blank">Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger</a>.<br />
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The hardcopy book includes a list of book club questions at the back which makes it a great choice for a book club to read and whomever picks the book leads the discussion so this was really handy for me to lead our book club discussion.<br />
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This is a story set in the summer of 1961 in the small town of Minnesota and narrated by young 13 year old Frank and includes his younger brother Jake, older sister Ariel and parents who are Ministers at the Local Church.<br />
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There are a series of tragic events, mysteries and death of town folk including within Frank's family and Frank who happens to be at the right place at the right time is involved in trying to solve the mystery of the deaths. This is not a fast paced mystery but more of a slow and melancholic mystery. What starts as a sweet story about kids enjoying their summer holidays very soon becomes a more complex read about what it's like to deal with death in the family, grief, sorrow and also the unbreakable bond of love within families.<br />
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The writing is brilliant and really draws you into Frank's coming of age story and his young and innocent observations about such adult topics.<br />
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Everything is described so well so that you feel you are back in time walking the local streets passing the barber shop, exploring the railroad tracks and river. All the characters are unique and memorable and fit into the story perfectly.<br />
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I really liked the Epilogue at the back of the book where the story was all pieced together so there were no loose ends and it gives the reader closure.<br />
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I recommend this book to anyone interested in an old fashioned melancholic style mystery.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">I give this book 5 stars out of 5</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: blue;">Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read</span></span></div>
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-21395566118130984252017-03-02T06:30:00.000+08:002017-03-02T06:30:12.956+08:00Nursery Inspiration + Organising Ideas<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I've officially hit the third trimester of <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/first-comes-love-then-comes-marriage.html" target="_blank">my pregnancy</a> I'm getting into nesting mode and going on an organising spree throughout the house - the linen, kitchen and bathroom cupboards all need a good tidy up so I can make room for the baby's things!<br />
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But first things first I want to finish setting up the baby's nursery and have found so many great ideas on <i><a href="https://au.pinterest.com/jarrahjungle/nursery-kids-rooms/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> </i>to get me inspired. Here's my organising ideas for the room so far ....<br />
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As you will see in my earlier post I'm <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/nursery-design-drawers-change-table.html" target="_blank">having a chest of drawers that doubles as a change table</a>. For this I purchased the <i><a href="http://www.ikea.com/aa/en/catalog/products/00311304/#/40245369" target="_blank">Ikea Hemnes chest of 8 drawers</a> </i>on <i>Gumtree</i> <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/nursery-design-working-with-what-we-have.html" target="_blank">brand new at a fraction of the original price!</a><br />
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I have also purchased some <i>Ikea </i>drawer dividers as the baby's clothes are so tiny the drawer dividers will help keep everything neat and tidy. I've seen some great ideas for organising everything in these drawers with the baby change items like nappies and creams in the top drawers and then clothes in the bottom drawers.<br />
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I'll share my chest of drawers and change table organising on the blog once I have set this up in the coming weeks.</div>
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We moved an <i>Ikea 2 door wardrobe </i>we had in the Guest Bedroom into the nursery for our baby's pretty dresses, coats and anything else that needs to be hung.<br />
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I scored a heap of matching coat hangers for free from <i>Pumpkin Patch </i>who are closing down their Australian stores so I have all nice matching coat hangers in different sizes which is perfect.</div>
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I also want to install some shelves in the wardrobe as the hanging space won't take up much room as the clothes are so tiny and I want to make use of all the wardrobe space. The shelves will be perfect for baskets and storing the linen, boxes of nappies, toys etc ... <i>I have discovered baby's have so many things!</i></div>
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My <i><a href="http://www.ikea.com/aa/en/catalog/products/60324515/#/60305734" target="_blank">Ikea 10 cube bookcase</a></i> will be staying in the nursery (<a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/creating-family-friendly-home.html" target="_blank">which use to be my study/craft room</a>) and the baby and I will need to share the bookcase as I don't have anywhere else to store my books.<br />
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Bookcases are a great addition to a nursery because I can add some decorative boxes or baskets to store toys as well as pretty decor items and books on the shelves.<br />
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I want to keep everything baby related in the nursery so whatever I can fit in this room with clever storage I will as I figure it will make it a lot easier to find things if they're all kept in the one room.<br />
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<b>Do you have any organising tips for a nursery?</b></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Images via <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/jarrahjungle/nursery-kids-rooms/" target="_blank">my Pinterest</a> <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632319907/" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632312199/" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632312197/" target="_blank">2</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/423760646163163017/" target="_blank">3</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632316249/" target="_blank">4</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632312200/" target="_blank">5</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632312256/" target="_blank">6</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632312239/" target="_blank">7</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632280542/" target="_blank">8</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632266744/" target="_blank">9</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/307300374553748369/" target="_blank">10</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/142496775685726169/" target="_blank">11</a>]</span></i><br />
<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-20193415098497863072017-02-27T06:30:00.000+08:002017-02-27T06:30:10.215+08:00Book Review: Lyrebird By Cecelia Ahern<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is a book review of <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780007501878/Lyrebird/" target="_blank">Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern</a> that was published by <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/" target="_blank">Harper Collins Australia </a>on 24 October 2016.<br />
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Cecelia Ahern is an international best seller with her debut novel <i>P.S. I Love You </i>being adapted into a movie. As well as writing novels Celia has written several TV series including a comedy series <i>Samantha Who? </i>in the USA.<br />
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This is a beautiful story about a young woman Laura who lives an isolated life in the mountains in Ireland until a film crew find her and discover her talents of 'mimcry' very similar to the Australian native 'Lyrebird' which mimics sounds.<br />
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Laura is taken from her home and sanctuary and out into the real world and that's when the story really gains momentum.<br />
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The story is told mostly from Laura's perspective but also from the film crew Bo and Solomon. The insight into their minds and hearts so you can read what they are both thinking and feeling at the same time was just brilliant and really helped in understanding the characters better.<br />
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The writing is just beautiful, I could not fault the story nor the words, it really was something truly unique and special. This is one of those rare books that you come across that will leave you thinking about it and talking about it long after the final page has been read.<br />
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I have been recommending this book of magic and romance to everyone it's too much of a special read not to be shared.</div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">I give this book 5 stars out of 5</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: blue;">Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read</span><br /><br /><b><i>Lyrebird </i>can be purchased from the author here or <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780007501878/Lyrebird/" target="_blank">Harper Collins Australia</a></b></span><br />
<b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">Sharing my book review on Good Reads here and <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/" style="text-decoration: none;">Netgalley</a></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Disclosure: NetGalley partner with bloggers such as me to help promote authors and their books and I was given this ebook published by Harper Collins Australia to review. As always, all opinions are my own.</em></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image via <a href="http://www.harpercollins.com.au/" target="_blank">Harper Collins Australia</a>]</span></i><br />
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-63517389291852177132017-02-24T06:30:00.000+08:002017-02-24T06:30:21.687+08:00Nursery Design - The Perfect Nursing Chair<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sometimes I get stuck on finding the perfect piece of furniture and become a little bit obsessed about it and this is exactly what happened when I tried to find a nursing chair for <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/nursery-design-working-with-what-we-have.html" target="_blank">our baby's nursery</a>.<br />
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To start with I asked Mr P what style of chair he thought would be good in the nursery .... <i>He asked what do I needed a chair for?</i> If my death stare wasn't enough the harshly spoken answer that followed along the lines of <i>because I'll be up all bloody night and I need somewhere to bloody sit and rest my bloody head </i>made sense to him and his answer soon turned into ..... <i>Whatever chair you want will be perfect babe! </i>Good answer hubby, good answer!!<br />
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<b>So the mission to find a perfect nursing chair began !</b></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ihg4zxcsh2k/WKKqI_4aXHI/AAAAAAAAhu8/YSkronBEs3YjD5loNO6ddFxMGnaaCSaFgCLcB/s1600/feed%2Bme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ihg4zxcsh2k/WKKqI_4aXHI/AAAAAAAAhu8/YSkronBEs3YjD5loNO6ddFxMGnaaCSaFgCLcB/s400/feed%2Bme.jpg" width="357" /></a></div>
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I asked my Mum's advice on what type of nursing chair she had with me .... <i>She laughed and laughed and said she didn't have a nursing chair it was the bed, the couch, or whatever was close by! </i><br />
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Oh how things have changed over the years with us new Mum-To-Be's being spoilt for choice when it comes to all things baby!<br />
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I asked my sister in law what type of nursing chair she had and she suggested <i>a glider </i>which is a chair with a foot stool attached. When I sat on a glider in the baby shops it made me feel nauseas with all that rocking I just couldn't do it!<br />
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I also felt that this style of chair wouldn't fit with the rest of the furniture in our home and when it was no longer needed in the nursery we wouldn't really have anywhere to put it.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a-TJUz_cmio/WKKsCIze9wI/AAAAAAAAhvM/Rsp992wB5aItN5tqVasbajda_GXNSMpKgCLcB/s1600/glider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a-TJUz_cmio/WKKsCIze9wI/AAAAAAAAhvM/Rsp992wB5aItN5tqVasbajda_GXNSMpKgCLcB/s400/glider.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Similar to a glider is <i>a rocking chair </i>and whilst there are some great styles around the movement gave me the same sick feeling as the glider.<br />
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The main difference between a glider and a rocking chair is that the foot stool also moves with the glider whereas with the rocking chair your feet are stationery either on a separate foot stool or on the ground.<br />
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I read a lot of reviews online for the perfect nursing chair and the <i>Ikea Poang chair</i> was a firm favourite amongst Mums. It's inexpensive and it has movement in the back to bounce back and forth but it's not a rocking chair (although Ikea do a rocking chair version).<br />
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The only thing I didn't love about the <i>Poang</i> is the wooden arms as they didn't look very comfortable.<br />
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I asked friends who suggested a comfortable armchair with soft arms.<br />
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Sounds easy enough but most of the armchairs I sat in at furniture shops had a low back and were quite small and not at all comfortable. Whilst I want the chair to look good it needs to be comfortable first and foremost - practical over pretty!<br />
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<b>So I came to the conclusion my perfect nursing chair must have -</b></div>
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<b><i>Padded arms + A high back + No rocking motion</i></b></div>
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It suddenly dawned on me that a <i>wing chair </i>has all the makings of a perfect nursing chair.<br />
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It has padded arms, the seat is wide and cushioned and it has a nice high back for head support.<br />
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Plus it looks beautiful it's a really stylish design so would look great in the living room or bedroom when it's no longer needed in the nursery.<br />
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Now because I'm doing the nursery <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/nursery-design-working-with-what-we-have.html" target="_blank">on a budget</a> and didn't want to spend too much on a new chair which would most likely get covered in baby vomit in the very near future so I started stalking <i>Gumtree</i> for secondhand wing chairs.<br />
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I couldn't believe my luck when I came across the <i>Ikea Strandmon Wing Chair </i>for half price (RRPs for $399 I paid $150) and it was only 6 months old - the bargain queen strikes again!<br />
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I had even recommended to a friend this style of Ikea Wing Chair as a nursing chair when <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/edesign-mood-board-jungle-nursery.html" target="_blank">I helped her design her nursery</a> so I don't know why I hadn't thought of this chair sooner!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rfbtvVhZNxE/WKZpYY9sAUI/AAAAAAAAhzM/FiTZ3Ick4HwH1u3rYvrNmipDM0cY-XYswCLcB/s1600/edesign%2Bmood%2Bboard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rfbtvVhZNxE/WKZpYY9sAUI/AAAAAAAAhzM/FiTZ3Ick4HwH1u3rYvrNmipDM0cY-XYswCLcB/s400/edesign%2Bmood%2Bboard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What I love about this chair is when it's not needed for nursing the baby it can be used as a reading chair in the nursery and when it outgrows the room it would fit in nicely in our living room or even our bedroom.<br />
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I'm really happy with our latest addition to the nursery and I'm feeling good about the progress we've made so far <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/nursery-design-working-with-what-we-have.html" target="_blank">in setting up the baby's room</a> ready for her arrival in May!<br />
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<b>What would be your perfect nursing chair?</b><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Images via my Pinterest <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/477240891747224674/" target="_blank">1</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632319940/" target="_blank">1A</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/255790453814122885/" target="_blank">2</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632564701/" target="_blank">3</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/453596993706618254/" target="_blank">4</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632303551/" target="_blank">5</a>, <a href="https://au.pinterest.com/pin/40462096632564704/" target="_blank">6</a>, last image my own]</span></i><br />
<br />Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-78189317438504960482017-02-22T06:30:00.000+08:002017-02-22T13:19:44.795+08:00DIY: How To Oil A Timber Deck With Cabot's Aquadeck<div style="text-align: justify;">
I'm thrilled to work with <a href="http://cabots.com.au/" target="_blank">Cabot's</a> again, an Australian company, that is known for their quality wood oil and stain products on <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/backyard-progress-our-new-timber-deck.html" target="_blank">our new deck</a> and <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/backyard-progress-patio-build-fence.html" target="_blank">patio project</a>.<br />
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We tried Cabot's exterior stain to <i><a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/diy-how-to-stain-pine-patio-in-7-easy.html" target="_blank">stain our new treated pine patio in 'new jarrah'</a> </i>and today I'm sharing a <i>DIY on how to oil a timber deck using Cabot's Aquadeck.</i><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itHXFe7YoF8/WJkvtFOftqI/AAAAAAAAhjQ/0IdtfMp_BcAAsI9KlvnLZAG0SQDBXOHTQCLcB/s1600/How%2Bto%2Boil%2Ba%2Bdeck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itHXFe7YoF8/WJkvtFOftqI/AAAAAAAAhjQ/0IdtfMp_BcAAsI9KlvnLZAG0SQDBXOHTQCLcB/s400/How%2Bto%2Boil%2Ba%2Bdeck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For our new deck we decided to use an exterior oil instead of a stain because we love the look of the <i>Merbau timber</i> and want to enhance the natural look of the timber which is what an oil does and to protect it from the weather and elements and also from general wear and tear.<br />
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You need to leave new wood to settle for a few weeks before oiling it (<i>its best to check the manufacturers directions for this</i>) - our <i>Merbau timber </i>was out in the weather for over 6 weeks before we oiled it.<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;"><b>To oil a new timber deck that hasn't been oiled before this is what we used:</b></span><br />
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<li><b>Cleaning products</b> - </li>
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<li><a href="http://cabots.com.au/product-listing/product-detail/cabots-deck-clean" target="_blank">Cabot's Deck Clean</a> </li>
<li>Applied with <a href="http://cabots.com.au/product-listing/product-detail/cabots-deck-prep" target="_blank">Cabot's Deck Prep</a> brush and <a href="http://cabots.com.au/product-listing/product-detail/cabots-deck-hand-bucket" target="_blank">Cabot's Deck Hand Bucket</a></li>
<li>A pressure cleaner hose and a vacuum </li>
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<li><b>Oil</b> - </li>
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<li><a href="http://cabots.com.au/product-listing/product-detail/cabots-aquadeck" target="_blank">Cabot's Aquadeck in 'Natural'</a> </li>
<li>Applied with a paint brush and <a href="http://cabots.com.au/product-listing/product-detail/cabots-decking-oil-applicator" target="_blank">Cabot's Decking Oil Applicator</a> with the <a href="http://cabots.com.au/product-listing/product-detail/cabots-deck-hand-bucket" target="_blank">Cabot's Deck Hand Bucket</a></li>
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<b>DIY: How to oil a timber deck</b></div>
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<b>1. Pick the oil </b>- We chose Aquadeck in 'Natural' as we want to enhance the look of our <i>Merbau timber </i>and the Aquadeck applies a clear protective coating to the timber but it doesn't stain or change the colour.</div>
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<b>2. Clean the deck</b> - Preparation is the key to a successful DIY so make sure the wood surface is clean of any dirt.<br />
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We pressure cleaned the deck with our trusty <i>Karcher High Pressure Cleaner </i>which you attach the hose to.<br />
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Then we gave the deck a scrub clean - you need to use proper cleaning products suitable to wood and we used <i>Cabot's Deck Clean </i>and applied it with the <i>Cabot's Deck Prep </i>which was a scrubbing brush on a pole and great for getting marks off the timber.<br />
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The <i>Cabot's Deck Hand Bucket </i>is really handy as it shows you how far to fill the deck clean too and then how far to top it up with water so no measuring required.<br />
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After we cleaned the deck we left it overnight to ensure it was completely dry.<br />
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Lastly, we went over it with the vacuum to ensure it was clean and ready to be oiled. We have a <i>Karcher wet/dry vacuum </i>which we use just for our renovations so we don't dirty or damage our inside vacuum.<br />
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<b>3. Oil the deck</b> - It's really important that the deck is dry before you oil it so we waited 24 hours before applying the first coat of oil just to be sure it was completely dry.<br />
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Give the oil a really good stir with a stick and then decanter some into a bucket - we used the <i>Cabot's Deck Hand Bucket </i>as it fits the applicators perfectly and was easy to move around the deck.<br />
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To apply the oil we used a large flat paint brush to apply the oil all around the edges of the deck just as you would 'cut in' when you paint a room.<br />
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Then to apply the oil to the rest of the deck we used a <i>Cabot's Decking Oil Applicator </i>which is a lambs wool applicator on a pole and perfect for flat surfaces for the main areas of the deck. Dip the applicator into the oil and push flat to remove any excess as you don't want to apply the oil too thickly or it will take forever to dry.<br />
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Start from the far corner and move down in long even strokes aiming to cover 3-4 boards at a time, work slowly to ensure good coverage and no streaks are left behind.</div>
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<b>4. First coat </b>- The first coat of oil took about 1.5 hours to apply on a 10 meter long deck. The oil was a nice consistency and good to work with soaking into the timber and giving even coverage. It has a sheen to it which helps you see where you've applied the oil too and it has a very light brown pigment in it but is mostly transparent and once applied it evens out the colour of the wood to make all the wood look consistent.<br />
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<b>5. Second coat</b> - It is dry enough to re-coat after 2 hours however we left it for 24 hours as it was still a bit sticky and tacky. The second coat took the same time to apply about 1.5 hours, after first cutting in with a brush and then applying with an applicator for the rest of the deck. We used a new lambs wool applicator for the second coat.<br />
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<b>6. Drying time -</b> It takes a week to cure completely although you can walk on it lightly we kept off it until the 7 days were up to ensure it was completely dry and set so it wouldn't mark or scratch. The weather and temperature has a lot to do with the drying time and as Perth had a cooler change in temperatures and our deck is covered and not in direct sunlight it was still a bit tacky after the first week and so we left it a total of 2 weeks to cure before we moved any furniture onto it.<br />
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<b>7. Coverage & Maintenance - </b>A 10 ltr tin of oil did 2 coats with enough leftover for re-oiling down the track. The deck will need to be oiled every 1-2 years. Our deck is completely undercover of the patio so we may not need to re-oil it as often as it's protected from the elements.<br />
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<i>Cabot's </i>have a <i>Deck Wash </i>which you can use between oiling to remove any build up and debris which will be what we will do next time rather than oil it again too soon.<br />
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<b>8. Clean up </b>- The oil is water based which makes clean up really easy just wash the brush out with water. We didn't keep the lambswool applicators we threw them after use. I prefer to use water based products as there's little to no smell and clean up is easy without the use of chemicals or cleaning products.<br />
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And that is an easy weekend project of oiling and protecting a timber deck to enhance the natural timber and protect from wear and tear and the weather.<br />
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<b>The new deck and patio space looks amazing I can't wait to set it up with our outdoor furniture and BBQ and enjoy our outdoor entertaining space.</b><br />
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<i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px;">Sharing with link parties:</i><br />
<i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px;"><a href="http://www.curlycraftymom.com/2017/02/the-creative-corner-link-up-party_19.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Curly Crafty Mom - The Creative Corner</a></i><br />
<i style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.86px;"><a href="http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/2017/02/wow-us-wednesdays-314.html" style="color: #009900; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Savvy Southern Style - Wow Us Wednesdays</a></i><br />
<a href="http://www.thededicatedhouse.com/2017/02/make-pretty-monday-week-207.html" target="_blank">The Dedicated House - Make It Pretty Mondays</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><em style="color: #333333;">Disclosure: Thanks to <a href="http://cabots.com.au/" target="_blank">Cabot's</a> for providing me with the oil products for review. I have not received any payment or compensation. As always, all opinions are my own.</em></div>
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-219555239282842526.post-25282357105006950762017-02-20T06:30:00.000+08:002017-02-20T06:30:07.618+08:00Book Club Book Review: Red Hill By Jamie McGuire<div style="text-align: justify;">
My book club resumed meeting again in January after having a break for our <a href="http://jarrahjungle.blogspot.com.au/2016/12/a-book-lovers-christmas-party.html" target="_blank">Book Lovers Christmas Party</a> in December.<br />
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The first book we read this year was <a href="https://www.dymocks.com.au/book/red-hill-by-jamie-mcguire-9781476763514/#.WIWpJVOGPX4" target="_blank">Red Hill by Jamie McGuire</a>.<br />
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This is a thriller about a deadly virus outbreak which takes over the world and those affected continue to affect others with a single bite which turns them into flesh eating zombies.<br />
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There are a number of stories told parallel to each other of friends and families and how they managed to escape the zombie apocalypse and all the stories join into one as they find themselves together at a safe haven named 'Red Hill'.<br />
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The writing was fast paced, thrilling and intense to read it kept me engaged the whole way through. It's about zombies so as expected it had blood, guts and gore but it wasn't too terrifying to read. The love stories added interest and excitement but they weren't all realistic which caused lots of good discussion at our book club meet up.<br />
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I found the story to be very similar to <i>The Walking Dead </i>TV series which I'm a big fan of (I even have the board game!) - the characters, location and zombie theme are almost identical.<br />
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I recommend this book to zombie apocalypse enthusiasts.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19.404px;">I give this book 4 stars out of 5</strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="color: blue;">Jarrah Jungle's Star Rating:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: blue;"></span><span style="color: blue;">1 Bad - I'd rather eat brussel sprouts topped with anchovies than read this again<br />2 Not Good - I'd rather watch paint dry than read this again<br />3 Ok - I'm sitting on the fence - its not great but not terrible either<br />4 Good - I'd give up a bottle of the worlds best champagne for this read<br />5 Great - I'd pass up a date with Johnny Depp for this read</span></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image via <a href="https://t.cfjump.com/31379/t/29692?Url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.dymocks.com.au%2fbook%2fafter-you-by-jojo-moyes-9781405909075%2f%23.WFNJ71OGPX4" target="_blank">Dymocks</a>]</span></i><br />
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Michelle {Jarrah Jungle}http://www.blogger.com/profile/06787886183163179543noreply@blogger.com2