A country girl in the city and the end of our ditch the credit card month

I'm not long back from a trip to beautiful Melbourne.  I had a couple of doctor's appointments and was able to do them over a few days, thanks to the hospitality of some dear friends and family.  So here is a quick run down on the photos.  The one above is of my homemade sandwich for the train ride.  Beats the hell out of a microwave not really chicken, chicken roll just quietly!

A bottle of special bubbles and a shared meal cooked by the birthday boy no less, was a lovely night in.

Although it was fabulous to catch up with friends, the highlight was going to La Manna , right up my ally!! These photos don't do it justice.  It's huge! All Australian grown fresh produce and aisle after blissful aisle of treasures.  They are giving the 2 big boys a run for their money and I love that.  I could have spent hours here, and a small fortune but I only had a small suitcase, will know better next time ; ) I got some muscovato brown sugar, almond & chia spread (can't wait to try that combo!! Its a peanut butter substitute), extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and mung beans for sprouting which were a pressie for hubby. Helps to have a partner in crime! 

An appointment in the city lead me past my favourite place to go, Grossi Florentino.  Anyone who knows me, knows I am smitten with this place.  I know I should branch out, but this morning I was after familiar and it helped it was close to where I needed to be.  I had already had a light breakfast but had room for more, and their Dr Marty's Crumpets with wild honeycomb and butter won me over.  The honeycomb pictured below was a lovely touch.

Time for some R & R in Treasury Gardens and a laze in the sun.  I loved seeing the Rosemary hedge, Melbourne surely has foragers that would benefit from this green mile!

Amongst the appointments, I was thrilled to catch up with a dear old friend whom I haven't seen for over 15 years.  Life drifted us apart, but it has put us back together again.  She found me through this blog. It was pure serendipity, and our friendship has been well and truly rekindled. 

As much as I love the city and all it offers, its lovely to be home to my family.  Time to get back into the routine that I love and feel secure with. 

On to pressing issues.  It's here, the final days of the no credit card for November challenge.  I'm so pleased with the result as now leading into this christmas season of over indulgence and spending, and a trip to the big smoke full of temptation that was avoided, I feel for the first time, in control and out of credit card debt for this month.  How did you go with the challenge?  What I've learned from this month's challenge is that it is just a knee jerk reaction to hand over my credit card instead of using my eftpos/debit card to make my bank balance look better for a short while.  Its a false security.  It's a habit I now hope I will kick and leave the credit cards for real emergency and now concentrate on building up an emergency cash fund in my savings account.  No mean feet on one income but I think with planning and cooking from scratch and turning a blind eye to the materialistic madness that has some how taken over our society, especially at christmas, I can stand firm.

This coming Monday marks the start of the Decluttering for December Challenge.  I'd love you to join me.  I will also be posting a couple of recipes for the things I love to make for my friends and family at this giving time of year.  I think gifts of the homemade variety are becoming more appreciated and cherished.  This personal touch is usually met with joy for both the giver and the receiver as it shows you have taken time to provide that combination of your skills and time, mixed with a spoon full of love that will hopefully be unforgettable.

So tell me, do you make any presents to give at christmas?  Do you even like christmas? 

I hope the next month isn't as busy as it usually is and you take the time to take a breath and relax with family and friends because that is really all we are chasing, wouldn't you agree?

Ciao, Jan