Saw this and thought of you @Stephanie Kara https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZohdmJyCMU/?igsh=MXdpM3Jlemc5cjNqcQ==

What a lovely Sunday surprise to come home and find a familiar name at The Creative Cottage door! Let's give @Georgi Allan a big cottage welcome! Georgi and I have known each other for many, many years since before we had babies! Years later we live on opposite sides of Australia = and that happens to be a huge distance but we've always stayed connected over the years, and often through our creativity! Hey Georgi tell everyone a little about yourself, where you live, your creative ventures, and don't forget your cottage garden!

I wrote in my "Cottage Dreams Blog" a couple of days ago... "There is something special that happens when we slow down, steep a warm cup of tea, and decide to share our journey with others. Often, we trick ourselves into believing that to live a "quiet life," we need a little cottage nestled in the woods with a rambling garden. But true cottage living is simply a posture of the heart. It is choosing intention over rush, finding joy in the quiet, gentle rhythms of the day, and nurturing the things we love." You can read more about ways to build a slower cottage styled life even if you are a city dweller in the blog post below! https://cottagedreams.wordpress.com/2026/06/10/when-we-all-work-together/ • •

Warning - long rant - but I could do with some help here at my busy cottage! 😉You're probably going to thInk I'm about to add a great recipe or secret to being prepared because I have the perfect little cottage life - Ahhh NOPE - I actually failed today - I got caught out big time today and probably served up the most terrible food I have in a long time! 🥘 Admittedly, I've cooked lots of great meals for the extended family a few nights this week. Some for my son and the little boys while his girl is studying in the city, and then some for my daughter and three little ones, because she broke her wrist roller-skating. I've also fed my other daughter at odd times as she pops in unexpectedly from her work at the daycare around the corner - breakfast lunch or dinner 😂 HOWEVER, today when one of my other girls, hubby and bubba came by to sit by our outdoor fire, I had nothing that I could serve them other than some fast ready made oven baked food - needless to say it was a epic fail that the chickens will enjoy for brekky... 💡The moral of the story is BE PREPARED Why did I not listen to that little voice calling me to be prepared? This morning I grabbed the brisket from the fridge and thought to myself "I should put it on in the slow cooker - just incase someone comes," but then I thought "we're going out for lunch so maybe we won't need a big dinner...." Well I was wrong and when the kids turned up unexpectedly I had nothing ready or easy to whip up! LESSON FOR THE DAY Always be prepared for the unexpected - a homemade soup in the fridge, some pasta sauce ready to go, Whats you go to when you get unexpected guests for dinner?

My children used to make little encouragement kits and sale them at the market. They were all similar but different. I kept one that my son did in 2010