To Do List

Posts have been a little thin on the ground here as a lot of things have been happening in the real world. Unfortunately, not anything that makes for interesting updates. I've been running in circles the last few days thinking of all the things that need to be done, but unable to pick one to start on. So, I figured I'd write a list of things that need to be done over the next few weeks/months, and maybe that will get my thoughts into order.

• Chicken Pen - While it has been very nice having the chickens inside, they are starting to become REALLY annoying. They are big enough to jump out of their mower box, and chirp really loudly in the evenings. They're mostly feathered now, and we seem to be having a break from the really cold weather, so it's time for them to move outside! Of course, in order for this to happen, they need a secure pen to sleep in at night. I have a few ideas, but we'll see which way we go once we get started.
• Clothes - I'm hoping this year to begin trying to make most, if not all, of our clothes myself. OK, so I'm probably not going to sew business shirts for DH, but the ones he has should last him a little while I think! Mostly the stuff I'll be making will be DD's clothes, as hers get a little messier than ours, plus, of course, she grows out of them. I have a stack of cotton t-shirts to be cut down to make shirts for her, should be more than we will need, but I'll make them big enough that at least some of them should last into next year. I'm also thinking she needs some aprons/smocks to try to keep her clothes a little cleaner, especially when painting! Plenty of winter clothes, so shouldn't need to make any of those till next year.
• Knitting - Probably really under clothes, but it's different to sewing really. I have lots of plans for knitting slippers (pattern will come one day, I promise!), trying out beanies, and if I get adventurous, knitting a jumper for DD.
• Household Items - Lots more dishcloths to crochet edges for and knit. Going to try crocheting some too. I'd like to make some patchwork rugs for the floor as it gets colder too. I have some old wool blankets that will be great as wadding for them. Also really wanting to try some rag rugs and rag crochet. Perhaps that would be interesting for dishcloths too if it were cotton? Ahh the possibilities! Adding making some cloth shopping bags! Both the carrybag type, as well as some netting/see-through bags for fruit.
• Cubby House - Apart from the fact that there is still some painting needing finishing (the accents around doors and windows etc), I want to do some work inside the cubby too. I have an old blackboard that I'd like to cut down to put on the wall with some chalk, and I'd like to make some curtains and a rug. We had considered getting a fold out lounge for her, but I've found a pattern for a cushion lounge in one of my books that I really want to try, I think it will have more possibilities for play. I'd also like to find/make a cupboard for her to put things in, as well as some hanging storage/hooks. My plan is to turn it into a sort of 'home corner' for her, instead of using space inside.
• Dollhouse - I don't even know where to start here! It still needs major work, and I've been stumped because I just can't decide on colours for the rooms/wallpaper. Can you imagine what I'm going to be like with a real house?
• Garden - There isn't too much major to do on the garden right now. I'm doing a little planting each day, but we don't eat too many of the winter vegies, so mostly planning and learning, although I have put some interesting sounding books on hold at the library. If I can find time to read them! Hmm, OK, so there is a bit. I need to finish planting out my April challenge bed, so far it's only about half planted. Plenty of room for more vegies yet! And I want to get LOTS more fruit trees and plant them - if only I could decide on some. I want them ALL!
• Cleaning up - Ahem. There is rather a lot of this to do! Main jobs though are to get the veranda organised/cleaned a little (never seems to stay that way though), and to organise my sewing/craft supplies somehow so that they're not just strewn around the shed in odd places.
• Maintenance - The gutters need to be checked (we're afraid to look though), and probably cleaned. We may need to look at getting a professional in to do some decent gutter guard, since it seems that our drinking water is going to come off the shed permanently (house is too low to feed into our stainless steel tank). We should also check our filters, clean them, and think about having some spares on hand. We need to block up the inlets for our whirlybirds on the roof, as over winter they're just going to suck all our warm air out. There's also the usual jobs that I put on, such as the shower curtain in the bathroom that never gets done, and some sort of barrier behind the sink to stop everything falling into the abyss. At some point I want to think about fixing blankets to the shed walls around the bedroom area to try to keep some of the cold out.
• General craft - At some point I really want to get into spinning. I have two library books here that I haven't even had a chance do to more than skim through, and some wool from a friend of my mum's that I can practice on. I'd also like to make some clothes for DD's doll, and some time make her another doll! (A better one!)

DH has one week off starting Monday, so hoping to get some stuff done, but still have plenty of time for RELAXING! We have a trip to the beach planned, as well as possibly to the museum/science centre (Before our yearly pass runs out). I think those seven days are going to FLY by.