Chotto ... a little bit of a catch up snapshot

A little bit foodie-

 beetroot, heaps of garlic and some potatoes.  Some fruit this year- strawberries, raspberries, an apricot and a lemon.  

A little bit sciencey - I've been making science-themed bibs, card wallets and scrunchies.

** this is a paper towel holder - I feel the need to point out that it isn't a toilet roll holder.

And another thing.

Some photos of what's been happening - 

Harvesting & processing: olives, jeans & quinces

Reusing: cardboard boxes & opshopped abc poster to make a READ sign

Made a denim rag cushion & am prepping for 2 quilts

Lots of juicing general pulverising in the new kitchen blitzer!!!

You reap what you sew!

Last November I said goodbye to my sewing group.  It was one of the hard parts of moving - I had settled in and realised I was super lucky - access to a knowledgeable teacher and a super supportive and fun group. Ahhh…I am looking for that again here in Bendigo- fingers crossed!

The group gave me skills, confidence and introduced me to appliqué.  Applique is a fun and creative way to use fabric scraps.  Here are a couple of cushions I made:

The blue wings on the second owl are from a fabric I purchased in Japan about 8 years ago!! I bought the fabric to make a cushion for my mum, but never had this one in mind. Because the silky material wasn't ideal for appliqué, I bought some iron-on interfacing.  The pink Chinese material was bought when I was travelling with Mum - in Hong Kong from memory.  Originally cushion covers, parts were looking worn so I felt this was a nice way to reuse the still ok parts.  

I have also been making more bibs.  I was so excited when I found this material at an opshop: 

I am planning to make cushions and maybe a play rug.  I love that the material is a bit of a literacy prompt - where is the nest?  Can you find an 'L'?  The opposite side is made from an old towel - absorbent for drooling or cleaning up after meals.

Next projects, sewing-wise, are gathering on my Chotto Nanna Pinterest board.  

Also on the go: making a play kitchen from a thrifted set of shelves…

This has been a joint effort with my husband.  Lots of fun - for us and our daughter!

…and then suddenly it was February 2015!!

Since November, we have been quite busy … AGAIN.

We have moved towns! Now located in Bendigo, my brain is buzzing with the possibilities a slightly larger community presents.  I have moved before and know how important it is to get right in there and make connections early on.  So we have been getting out of the house - and comfort zone - pretty regularly.  Today's theme is about getting out there after a move to tap into local networks.  Back in Nanna's day, it would no doubt have been very different - letters of introduction come to mind!

I am no stranger to moving.  For a while in my 20s it was my goal to live in a town and stay in a job longer than a year!! People expect this of the young, I think, and I certainly encourage it. As I approach my 40s, I am beginning to appreciate the upheaval a move brings to a family as well as social and professional networks.  So, if you are going to move, you need to jump right in and be pro-active.  You can't expect invitations or opportunities that happen in your home town.  Don't think the hard work is over once boxes are unpacked - that is when you need to lay the foundations for making the new town your new home.  Based on my experience, this looks like:

Research:

1. Making best friends with Google and Facebook (so you can get stuff happening in Real Life).  Searching "Bendigo" on Facebook brought up groups and local information.

2. Read the local newspapers and ask colleagues, neighbours or any other locals for recommendations - best supermarkets, jogging tracks, playgrounds etc.  It is a nice easy conversation starter!

3. Visit the tourist information centre.

Don't spend too much time in the research phase, it is the next phase where the magic happens.

4.  Join local groups: use that research to get you into the places you'd like to be.  For example, try out some yoga, gym or book clubs and see if they are for you.

My thoughts here would be to persevere, while also listening to your gut instinct.  I played a season each of netball and touch footy and now no longer feel bad about saying an outright "no, thanks" when these come up as a way of integrating into a new community.  I also found the local CFA to be a no for me, but only after giving it a good shot.  On the other hand, I love boot camps, classes (like sewing or Spanish) and sustainability and hiking groups.

As a side note here, in the last town I lived in, I arrived knowing no-one.  There was a local young professionals social group, so I went along for "1 drink".  Turning up to a bar when you know no-one isn't everyone's/anyone's idea of fun, but that's what you have to do sometimes!!! I chatted to one woman for a bit who basically introduced me to a group of blokes and then disappeared.  Luckily the guys were friendly and one that arrived 5 minutes later is now my husband.

Be a big kid & tourist : get to know the neighbourhood and local attractions

5. Get to know the place by going for walks, bike rides or taking the long way home from work.  In Tokyo, poking around the neighbourhood led to finding a great international supermarket, a bamboo forest, a lovely park and the local 100 yen shop.  When my mum visited, she also found some great shopping a bit further afield.  From experience, the initial weeks in a new place go quite slowly - you are super aware of time.  So filling up this time with explorations and getting your home sorted is a winner.  Soon, you'll be busy and ensconced in the local community and might not get a chance!  We went on the Talking Tram in Bendigo early on - bit of fun to see how much my daughter loved it as well as getting some local history.  If you are a Bendigo local, you can get an Ambassador Card - basically it means I get in free when I am with another visitor (be it my husband or visiting friends/family). Ask at the Tourist Information Centre for details (plus bring something with your Bendigo address on it).

Spend time in the new place.

This means not leaving town at 4:30pm Friday arvo and returning Sunday night to do your washing!!!  Sure, go "home", but make space and time for the new place.  This also goes for online - spending a lot of time reading newspapers or listening to radio from home means you reduce the new opportunities available to you.  Again - I'm not suggesting you disown your former life, just that you don't overdo it. 

Make your own group.

I tried all these strategies when I returned to Melbourne from Japan.  Maybe my head was still a bit in "Expat" land - I craved the conversations and shared understandings that you develop when you live overseas.  So I started a "meet up" group for expats and former expats living in Melbourne.  The group met monthly in friendly bars and other venues.  I can be super shy, but being the organiser meant I was a lot more outgoing.  I welcomed and chatted to newcomers and introduced them to others.  I met up with people between official meet ups and loved it.  There wasn't anything just like it locally, so if I had waited around for it to happen, I wouldn't have meet so many ace people.  

So, back to February 2015.  

We have moved a bit over an hour away and people are asking, "Do you know anyone?".  In this case, I do know a few people: a close friend, some former colleagues and extended family.  But in some ways that is irrelevant.  They have their full lives and I want to grow my full life in this new home too.  I think of all the places I have arrived and thrived as just one: the USA, Japan, Korea as well as a handful of more local communities.  Each place was different, including locals that were more or less welcoming to new people, but in the end it all comes down to the individual and how much you are will to invest in making the "new place" your "new home".

Nanna Moments from October

Busy times here at Nanna Headquarters!  While my blogging has slipped, I have been enjoying moments of Nanna Technology that keep me inspired and excited.  Here's a taste AND I would love to hear about your Nanna/Papa moments!

I discovered applique!  This is such a fun activity - perfect for those new to sewing.  As you can see, I appliquéd the owl to make a cushion.  I bought a pack of scrap material from an opshop and also used some other scraps I had.  It was fun to see which colours worked best together - that probably took the most time.  Then I just used the zigzag stitch to attach the pieces.  

Beetroot quiche! Yum!  Each year when the beetroot crop matures we go scrambling for a recipe for cheesy beetroot parcels with dill.  They are great.  This year, I adapted the recipe a bit to make it less fiddly/pastry-y.  Really lovely with green salad. (And how good is dill?! My favourite scent/taste at the moment!!)

Pants!  I found this material at the opshop for $2.  I was able to make my daughter pants and a pair of shorts.  I have had some great finds with material at opshops recently; my guess is that people buy gorgeous material but never get around to the project OR buy too much and have big scrap pieces left over.  I also made cushion covers for my outdoor bench- the fabric was a bright Ikea design for about $4.  

Peas! We had so many beautiful snow peas and sweet peas.  My daughter loved eating them raw.  I loved the peace  of podding. 

Over to you!  What's been on at your place?

Latest Research: What NOT to get your friends and family for Christmas rant

Here I am back at the keyboard ready for a chotto rant.

Today I was op shopping and came across my bugbear:  vast collections of gift-type items that seem to have been used once or not at all.   I went a bit secret squirrel and took some photos to show you what I mean:

Piles of gift boxes and tins

Bags of plastic toys - mainly happy meal toys! Also soft toys that you can tell have never been loved.

Unopened decorations

There was also a pile of unopened pamper packs with bath supplies and hand creams that I didn't get to photograph.  I often see these types of items in oversupply at op shops.  

I am not anti-gift-giving, but I am anti-thoughtless-gift-giving.  It is a common scenario - you have people to buy for on your gift list and you have no idea what they like. I am thinking this is especially common for work or group Kris Krindle's or for the in-laws you don't spend much time with.  It is a busy time of year and and you have no time to research an appropriate gift.  What do you buy? A gift tin with biscuits or chocolate?  Some soap?  A little plastic toy?

Jump forward a week in this scenario and you are now appraising the newly gifted stuff you have accumulated.  How do you sort your piles?  Do labels like: keep, regift, return and op shop come to mind?  What I am trying to say is that we need to stop giving these generic gifts when they are unsuitable.  Gifters are throwing away their money while meeting society's need to provide a wrapped package.  Giftees are all generally so affluent that they can pick and choose the gifts they will keep and redistribute the rest. It seems so wasteful when you consider how the money could otherwise be spent .  And if the money wastage doesn't bother you, consider this: these gifts are shitty to receive.  If it is the 'thought that counts', the thought behind these gifts is: 'I don't know you well and don't have time to think about you' (and that is a best case scenario).

So what CAN you buy people?  I suggest it is possibly better to get that information from them.  It is October so there's still plenty of time to get some snooping in before Christmas.  Perhaps just ask them, their friends or family for suggestions.  If you are at their house or desk, get some clues there.   Could you get them a coffee voucher, refill their chocolate stash or a movie ticket?  Lastly, if you must take the generic route, at least save yourself some money and buy from the opshop!  Or maybe you could get crafty and try to up cycle some opshop finds, like these:

tutorial here

From this blog

My American Quilt Experience & some sunny inspiration

Recently I thought of something I said here back in February:

I want to learn how to look after myself and my family and feel the self esteem that comes with doing it myself.  I also want to spend time with my daughter and my older relatives to learn and teach and do - and while learning get that intangible bonding time that we are missing in modern society.

I want to step in to the movie, "How to make an American Quilt".  

I just joined a local beginners sewing class and on my first night I thought how lovely it was to be in a room with a mix of ages.  I provided the mix, I guess, being about 15-20 years younger than the other students.  The class is currently student-centred; students bring their sewing project and the teacher supports. However, there are plans to all complete one project so the teacher can take us through the process from start to finish.  Another student and I have decided to attempt a simple A-line winter dress pattern for her grand daughter and my daughter.  One student was altering a top from round to V-neck, another added lace details to towels while the third was starting a pants suit.  Can you tell I am excited? I am!

My family and I are just back from a trip to the Sunshine Coast.  It was great being warm, walking everywhere and watching the waves.  We went to the Eumundi Markets and I came away super inspired.  Madzara skirts are Chotto Nanna!  Made from recycled cloth - including curtains and table cloths - they are gorgeous!  And go nicely with boots for the cooler climate I (**currently**) reside in.

There were some gorgeous owls at the market that I loved. I'd also like to make more toys - below is a first attempt at a sock monster for my daughter.  She likes it - Monster was given a big hug and got to join in many interesting activities.

I have also been working on my BIG project: slippers from a blanket.  There's been some progress... After several effort to make the blanket in to felt I have given up - I don't think the front loader is up to the job.  Instead I used the blanket, making a pattern and prototype.  AND breaking my sewing machine needle.  More to come!

Totes Nanna in Winter and House Wear

There's nothing like a bit of cold weather to bring out your Nanna tendencies.

As I type, there is a likelihood that I will have:

• a beanie 
• a rug around my waist
• a daggy 'house' jumper over my other clothes
• slippers
• scarf
• a down jacket on
• leggings or tights under my clothing
• a warm drink (to warm hands!)
• heater on, door closed, 'snake' (or cushions/towel) by the door
• a little jog around the room or a break to do some household task that will warm me up

What are your secrets for keeping warm?  

Recently I bought a super snuggly and warm cardigan that I was looking forward to adding to my winter outerwear arsenal for 2014.  Alas, my husband has dubbed it my Chotto Nanna cardigan and now I find it being relegated to "House Wear". Admittedly, it isn't super flattering.

Do you have a collection of House Wear - clothes just to be worn at home (or maybe for a super quick trip to buy milk, if you are feeling particularly daring)?  I think House Wear is a great nanna technology as it prolongs the life of your clothing- both your good outfits and the older/worn/stained etc. but-still-delightfully-comfy stuff.  

Japanese people often do House Wear well.  As well as taking off their shoes when they return home, they also change into comfortable clothes.  I love the Japanese idea that home is a sanctuary - leaving the dirt and stress of the work day or outside world behind them when the shoes are removed.  I was given a pair of winter pyjamas by a boyfriend while I was in Japan.  Initially, I wondered why a boyfriend would be giving me (ugly) flannel pyjamas with a fleece overcoat... but the idea that he wanted me to be warm was romantic in its own way! (I found many houses in Japan were uninsulated and often cold). 

Often we don't change our clothes when we get home as we feel too busy or we worry that a visitor might arrive unexpectedly.  I guess I am challenging myself (and you, if interested!) to try out House Wear for a week or 2.  For those that work at home, you may find the challenge in dressing up when you leave the house.  For those that work out of the home, it may be to consciously designate "knock off time" when you change into your comfy house clothes.  It will be interesting to see if  a new system can prolong the life of your clothes and maybe cut down on washing.  

Yes, a bit of a taboo to challenge the idea of reducing washing;  what if my clothes are stinkyyyy?!  I just wonder if I am often lazy and wash things if they need it or not- reducing clothing life and using resources unnecessarily. Hanging clothes up to air between wearings and spot cleaning were recommended in Make Do and Mend to help families reduce resource use and prolong clothing life during World War 2.

So my husband is likely to see a bit more of my Chotto Nanna cardigan this Winter.   Rather than challenge my $4 opshop cardigan choice, maybe he should be thankful the blog isn't called Totes Japanese…

source

What are your secrets for keeping warm?  Or looking decent when an unexpected visitor arrives?  

Children's Day Activities for Chotto Kids

Children's Day is celebrated in Japan on May 5.  If you completely missed it, like I did, here are some activities that you may like to do with any Significant Children in your life.  

These activities are suitable for:

- Australian Teachers of Grade 5 and 6 -  Japan is studied as one of our Asian neighbours.  

- Guides and Scouts, youth groups, playgroups, holiday programs or similar.  

- If you are planning a staycation this school holiday, these activities are a great way for children to experience Japan without the crowds and airports (and can work well inside, out of the wet!).  Staycations are a great Nana technology: reduced cost, fuel and time while relaxing and exploring close to your home.  Just don't fall into the trap of feeling like you need to do lots of major cleaning/ home projects.

I have arranged the activities in a rough schedule - of course, pick and choose as you see fit!!  I have conducted some of these activities as a teacher and with youth groups, so I have added some tips below.

1. Make a Japanese headband.  (Click link for instructions)  These are a good way to start the day and get children into the Japanese vibe.  

2. You could learn to bow in greeting and some Japanese words:

Konnichiwa - G'day

Konbanwa - Good evening

Dozo - when offering something (please use these scissors) or please go ahead. 

Thank you - arrigato

hai -yes

Bye bye- see ya

Sayonara- good bye (when you won't see someone for a long while)

If you like, add kun (boys) or chan (girls) to end of names and call the teacher or group leaders sensei.

3. Karaoke or Group Dance.  Kids can practice a dance or song to be performed after lunch/snack.  If you walk through Tokyo's Yoyogi Park you will often find large groups performing a dance.  Karaoke is popular too- either inside karaoke booths or in the park at cherry blossom time.

4. Craft activity 1 (See below)

photo source

5. Make sushi and/or onigiri.  Onigiri works well - less fiddly and messy.  Children don't have to actually touch the rice ball- they can make it in clingwrap.

photo source

6. Picnic time.  Whether you are inside or out, put a blue camping tarp down as a picnic rug.  At cherry blossom time, parks are packed with people celebrating the blossoms - and presumably the end of Winter.  Children can take their shoes off and place them neatly around the edge of the tarp, just as they would be expected to do in Japan.

7. Perform karaoke song or group dance.  

8. Craft activity 2 (See below)

9. Active games.  Baseball and soccer are popular, if you think either will work with your group.  I'd also suggest tail tag using the Japanese headbands tucked in to the back of pants/skirt. Students could also follow this morning exercise video that is very common in Japan (Just over 3 minutes), perhaps try it at the beginning and end of your Japan day.  

Craft activity suggestions:

- a cherry blossom-inspired activity (older children) : worked well with grade 6.  We sat on the blue tarp, with Japanese pop playing, while making fingerprint (or cotton bud print) cherry blossom paintings.

-a carp activity (good for younger  children): Preps loved this.  I pre cut lots of circles from origami paper, but kinder squares, old gift paper/magazines would work well too.

- origami, If you choose origami, please note that it can be frustrating to teach in larger groups.  If possible, teach a smaller group, let them practice and then they can be roving mentors to help others.  

- manga drawing If you choose manga drawing, be aware that there are many characters online that are either suggestive at a minimum, X-rated at the other end of the scale.  I'd suggest printing out images or tutorials for students to copy and follow.  I am not very good at sketching, but was able to have some success with the manga tutorials online and in books (try your local library).

- or try these other ideas.  

Hope you enjoy your Japanese Children's Day! 

Please add other suggestions in the comments below.

Sunday Night Comfort Food & Kids Chair Update

When I think Sunday night tea, I think of Grandma's tin tomato soup and toast cut up into soldiers or one of my mum's omelettes. Lovely, light and quick meals that is enhanced by eating in your pyjamas.

Lately, when I am after some comfort food I enjoy Japanese favourites.  There are 2 stand-outs: oyakodon and okonomiyaki.  Oyakodon is egg and chicken cooked with onion and a soy sauce - based mixture, with rice.  It is a hearty and healthy meal.

Okonomiyaki is often described as Japanese pancake, however in many ways it is closer to an omelette.  It is easy and quick, but you do need a few pantry items on hand.  From the Nanna perspective, it is a great way to use cabbage and eggs from the backyard.

I am no great cook, but I thought I'd share my simple version of okonomiyaki. I've found it to be a fairly forgiving recipe, so I encourage you to try it and adapt as you see fit.

Makes enough for 2 for dinner, with leftovers. (Microwave leftovers, then add mayo and sauce. YUM! You are at work and it is Monday, but you still have a bit of Sunday night to enjoy.)

Pre - preparation

You need to have on hand:

Dashi stock and Okonomi sauce: available from Daiso or Japanese/ Asian supermarkets.  You can omit the dashi, but the sauce is essential!!  If you are unable to source the sauce, make your own.  Try here, or google (there's heaps).
Tempura flakes: Woolworths
Japanese mayonnaise: Woolworths.  I prefer my regular mayo, but some feel it makes it more authentic.

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour

1.25 cups dashi stock (or plain water) 

4 eggs

1/4 of a medium cabbage (I have used a few, purple was used in the photo), shaded

3 spring onions, chopped finely

8 tbsp tempura flakes

vegetable oil for frying

Toppings: okonomi sauce and mayonnaise 

Method

1. In a large bowl, mix flour and stock (or just water) in bowl. Cover and leave for an hour in the fridge.

2.  Add the eggs, cabbage, spring onions and tempura flakes to the flour batter and combine.

3. Heat a large frypan (or BBQ hotplate) on medium-high and add a tablespoon of oil. Put 1/4 of the mixture on to the cooking surface, shaping into a thick round pancake. Use a spatula to gently raise the edges and flip when no longer gooey. Cook on the second side until no longer gooey.  Add some okonomi sauce to the top of the pancake (in a stripy pattern) and flip again (this step makes it messy but "cooks in" some yummy sauce!). Eat straight away or repeat with the rest of batter and serve all at once.

4. To serve, "stripe" the okonomi sauce and mayonnaise across the pancake, refer to photo below.  Okonomiyaki goes well with a simple green salad. And beer.

source: okonomiyaki world.  

Chair Update

I recently wrote about being glad I bothered, when I repainted some chairs for my daughter.  Here's how the chairs turned out.  They go well with a little table I had previously used as a bedside table.  Play dough moulding, drawing and tea parties await!

Sticky Moments

My Mum gave me some very useful advice the day before my wedding day.

This pearl of wisdom has helped me out on several occasions since, as I attend to my wifely duties:

Eucalyptus Oil is great at getting gunk off stuff.

So, let me rewind to the day before I got married.  We were preparing the reception room and found that some of the coffee jars I had set aside for candles had glue and label residue.  Mum came to the rescue - after stocking up on eucalyptus oil, we left her with the jars to do her magic.  Mum came through - providing sparkling jars for our tables.

Since then I have used eucalyptus oil to clean the outer surface of preserve jars.  For example, I gave cherry jam as gifts last Christmas.  The jars had all been used before, washed and then sterilised.  However, the labels stayed on.  Over a sink of hot soapy water, I scrubbed the jars and applied the oil with a cloth.  Not only did my nasal cavities feel clear, the jars sparkled.  I now also use eucalyptus oil for washing wood floors and the bathroom.

There is so much we can learn from our elders, and yet sometimes we don't appreciate it because it is coming from OUR elders.

Please share some advice that has gotten you out of a sticky situation.

Totally Sucked In: My Story of Stuff

I have been decluttering recently and came across a plastic tub I have barely touched since my last move.  I cringe when I see it and fear not throw it out.

It is my technology graveyard and cord box.  Do you have one too?

(And this doesn't even include the 3 other cameras and video camera I bought)

In the tub are all the various music players and cameras I have bought, that still work, but that have been superseded in some way.  I also keep all cords from said technology, lest I throw them out and render technology unusable. Yes, I am not totally sure what each cord is for, so I keep them all.

I cringe because I think of all the money I have spent!! I was sucked in to the hype of better.  The items still work but are impractical…or just not as good as subsequent technologies.  Only a couple of times have I bought new just because I want, I want - the iPod shuffle and the Lumix camera are examples (I have had each for 7 and 8 years respectively and still use them).  Often it was just poor timing or I got sucked in to the idea of the product.

For example, the Pentax film SLR camera I bought in 2000.  I had wanted one since high school and when I bought it I asked about digital SLRs and was told they didn't do as good a photo.  Fast forward 3 or 4 years and most people had digital cameras and film processing was becoming inconvenient and more expensive.  Ideally, I'd like to get a new digital body to use with my lenses to lessen my guilt and get some more use out of the camera.

Another bad buy was the mini-disc player.  I bought it in 2003, just as iPods were taking off.  The player was faulty, so I had it fixed twice - an investment of 4 3-hour roundtrips.  Now I see it as a bit of a time capsule - listening to the music of 10 + years ago - and hopefully a novelty I could either rock myself or offload on ebay one day.

My weirdest buy was in early 2000, while travelling in the USA: Pocket Mail.  It was basically a tiny laptop for composing emails.  To send and receive emails, you would hold the device up to a phone and call the Pocket Mail people. It worked well in the US, but in Europe and Australia it was prohibitively expensive.

I think I am also annoyed when I think of the devices I have that I rarely use now because my iPhone has their capabilities.  Alarm clock, camera, video camera, watch and personal music device…all now in my pocket.  Which reminds me, there have been about 8 mobile phones since my first in 2000.  Laptops: 4.

So what do I do with all this stuff?   The phones have been disposed of thoughtfully and laptops have been recycled appropriately.  Any thoughts would be appreciated, especially on the SLR and mini disc player.  Or do I suck it up and just op shop them all?!


P.S. Check out Story of Stuff

P.P.S  I have started a secret group on Facebook for people who do nanna technology at their place - the idea being you can share what you have done, get inspired by others, share info and stay motivated.  If you are interested, request to join Nanna Technology Brag Book. Be warned - it is just my mum and I at this young stage, but we'd love to have you there!!