Tales From the Box

When we were doing the renovations to the Box, polished concrete floors weren’t that common (our builders had never done them before, and it took some research to find someone relatively local who could make it work).

Most polished concrete floors are actually a thin layer of concrete poured over the existing floor (often with colour, dye or other effects mixed into it). But ours is quite unique (we’re so special).

Our concrete floors are the actual original slab of the house, complete with faults, chips and oil stains (you can see where the previous owners used to park their cars). New sections were added where it was necessary to reinforce the structure, or to cut into the slab to insert plumbing and pipes and the kitchen island bench.

The guy who did the actual polishing commented on the aggregate (the little tiny stones embedded in the cement to make it stronger), saying that it was rare these days to get aggregate that looked like that (we think it was poured in the 1950′s).

But how does it wear as a floor? Well, we love it. It’s easy to keep clean (just vaccuum, mop with warm soapy water, occasionally it needs a coat of protecting sealant). I never worry about spilling anything on it, since it doesn’t stain and everything just wipes off. It’s especially awesome with kids. We have the concrete floors across the whole bottom storey of the Box – kitchen, dining and living areas.

In summer, it’s cool to walk on, and keeps the temperature of the house just lovely. We rarely have to use the air conditioner in summer (upstairs where we have carpeted it’s a different story). But we truly believe the concrete keeps the overall temperature of the Box down.

In winter, it’s quite cold. We do need to put the heaters on, and it takes a while to heat up the concrete (I would say a few days). Once the concrete has warmed up a bit, and as long as you don’t let it get too cold again, you’re pretty right. But we have needed to buy a few rugs to cover as much of the floor area as possible (we take these rugs up in summer).

It also doesn’t help that one whole wall of the downstairs living area is floor to ceiling glass bi-fold doors. Well, again, it’s great in summer when we can open up the whole house to let the beautiful cool breezes flow through the whole Box. But it sucks in winter (as the warm air escapes straight through the glass). So we have curtains to pull across in winter to add some insulation.

If we had the funds, there are things we could easily do to increase the heat-efficiency of the Box (like double glazed windows). But overall, we love our polished concrete floors, and we would definitely have them in any future house.

(See what we wrote about our concrete flooring during the actual reno process here).

I really should have taken some “before” pics, just to show you how bad my old ironing board cover was. To give you an idea, my husband made fun of how “shiny” the fabric had become, and a friend asked if I had set it on fire. It was one of those things that you don’t really notice until someone draws your attention to it. When I took the old cover off, the fabric was as stiff as a board (pun not intended, but couldn’t really be helped). Ridiculous.

And I know I could have just bought another cover, but I found a tutorial for making one, so I gave it a go. It’s pretty self-explanatory (use the old cover as the pattern, cut, sew a casing for the thread or elastic). Except that I’m impatient and wasn’t concentrating, and made it a bit too small. Technically it does fit, but it bugs me, so I think I’ll make another one.

The hardest part was threading the elastic through the casing, simply because it was so long. But I love the result, it almost makes ironing enjoyable. Oh, and the fabric is from Ikea.

It occurred to me recently that we use several terms here on the blog that we may not have explained very clearly. Like the Widg, the Box. Allow me to clarify.

When we were pregnant with our little boy, before we knew he was going to be a boy, we wanted to be able to call him something. “Widget” came up pretty much straight away. It fit perfectly for a couple of reasons:

“An unnamed, unspecified, or hypothetical manufactured good or product (also a thingy or gizmo)”. In other words, the name you give to something that you don’t know the name of; and

“Any one of the components of a computer application’s graphical user interface, such as a Cancel button or text input box, that a user interacts with”. In other words, the little “buttons” on your computer screen that you click on to do stuff. With the hubby being a bit of a tech-geek, this totally fit (thanks Wiktionary).

My boys watching Top Gear.

And because we called him Widget (or the Widg) for so long, it just stuck. In fact, for the first few months after he was born, he was “the Widg” more than his actual name. Which brings me to his actual name: we’re still not sure how much of his life we are comfortable revealing here on the blog, what with ownership of online information being such a moving target, as well as him being not quite old enough yet to make his own decisions on the matter. So for now we will stick with “the Widg” for his online presence.

And while we are discussing names, I’m not entirely sure who reads our blog and thus how well you know us, so perhaps proper introductions are in order. I’m Jo (hi there) and he’s Dann. Delighted to make your acquaintance.

Now, the Box. When we first purchased our beautiful abode, it was slightly less beautiful. It was a small 2 bedroom/1 bathroom shack built up on stilts. From the street, it literally looked like someone had stuck some poles in the ground and plonked a box down on top of them. Hence, the Box.

The Box circa 2005.

Back view of the Box circa 2005.

It was originally a holiday house built fairly cheaply, and was then used as a rental property. So it had never really been owned by anyone with the motivation or means to give it a bit of love (not that we have a lot of means, but just enough to gradually upgrade over time). As we have renovated, it’s no longer a box balancing precariously on stilts; it has become a larger box resting safely on the ground (we basically filled in underneath to make it a 2 storey house).

The Box post-reno.

Back of the Box post-reno. Excuse the mess, we live here.

Anyway, I hope all this rambling goes some way to explaining our “language” here at Tales.

So the weather here at the Box has been getting milder. There is still the odd cooler day where I need a cardigan, but overall, we are heading into t-shirt weather.

I love the top of this kid’s head.

The Widg has quite the little collection of jeans and winter pants, thanks to some thrifty shopping (St Vinnies, markets, Big W, etc). But he is lacking in warmer-weather pants. Not quite shorts weather yet, but getting a bit warm for jeans.

You can see where this is going: I made some more pants.

He grew out of the last batch before winter hit. So it was time to draw up a new pattern for a slightly larger child. I think this pattern (and this batch of pants) will last longer than previously, as he isn’t growing as fast anymore. He is mainly growing in height, so I figure I can just roll up the pants as he grows and then they will become shorts (or I could actually take them up, depends how lazy I feel).

The green pears I have made before, but I love the stretch cotton fabric (and I had heaps left) so I made some more. The blue and white stars fabric I found at a St Vinnies store for maybe 50c, and the black and white check is some really cheap cotton from Spotlight (very cheap – a little tricky to sew with, but I managed).

I also found some great check fabrics in different colours – I love this green and brown. It actually has a very fine aqua stripe through it too, which is awesome. And I found some more of this orange and blue check that I have used previously.

I have also added little pockets to the back of some of the pants, just because it’s a little bit fancy.

It’s a shocking photo (husband is the wicked photographer, not so much me), but I hope you can see the little tags I have been putting into the back of the waistband (sometimes it’s hard to tell the front from the back of the pants when dressing the little man).

Here is my pants model wearing the black and white check:

I will have to take some pics of the little guy wearing the actual pants. If for no other reason than to prove that they actually function as pants. And any excuse to show my sweet little boy.

Apartment Therapy is always my first blog stop for looking at interiors, design, furniture and the like.

It’s written by a whole bunch of bloggers across the US and the world, so there are several new posts everyday.

 I think their “mission” states it quite well: “Helping people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online.” Their stated goal is “to connect people to the resources they need to improve their homes, while reducing their reliance on stuff.” I think that is a worthwhile goal.

 The site is broken down into home design (the main page), technology (Unplggd), children (Ohdeedoh), green (Re-Nest) and cooking (The Kitchn).

You can browse house tours and ideas for kids parties, or get tips on living in small spaces, using colour, de-cluttering, thrifting, gardening, the latest updates in home and personal technology, eco-living and cooking. And readers regularly chime in with their own ideas too (in the comments sections at the bottom of each post).

 For me, mostly, it’s just about looking at pretty pictures. But then I often find some great ideas, like:

• getting the pilling off clothing by using a disposable razor
• using vinegar to prevent waterspots on glassware
• using up leftover stale cereal
• a great idea for a family tree display on a wall
• a look back at the evolution of the internet
• 10 projects to do with an electric carving knife
• 5 egg nest recipes
• turning an old cot into a desk for the kids

I would like to introduce you to a blog that I love – Made.

Dana is a mother of 2, a blogger and a pretty awesome seamstress (especially in the eyes of a novice like myself).

Her blog is easy to navigate, her writing style is easy-going and natural, and her photo’s are fantastic.

She writes very easy-to-follow tutorials that have inspired many a sewing project for me. In fact, it was her several variations of kids pants that have taught me how to put together pants for the Widg (although I still have a way to go before I even get close to her standard). Her blog is my go-to source for ideas and for learning about sewing techniques.

She posts almost every day, so there is always something new to read. She also throws in the occasional recipe, thrift store find or family adventure.

I hope you find her blog as enjoyable as I do.

Just a quick one to say “Happy Fathers’ Day” to all the dads, grandfathers and dads-to-be out there.

Fathers’ Day is a great opportunity to reflect on the many ways these men have provided for us, supported us, sacrificed for us and loved us.

To the men who are our fathers and fathers-in-law, and to the men who are fathers to our children, thank you.

We have been asked quite frequently lately what “stuff” we have found useful, essential, stupid and unnecessary with regards to all things kid-related. Granted, we have only been in this gig for 13 months, but there is a lot of “advice” out there about what you really “need” to buy or have for a baby.

Wipes warmer. Really?

Well, we found a lot of it to be absolute rubbish. We went with the philosophy that we would buy only the absolute essentials to start with, and then if we found we were missing something, we would buy it only if and when we needed it. And when I say “buy”, I mean buy the cheapest (but safest) option available, or better still, borrow one from a trusted source.

The Widg's car seat

So I thought I would put together a post about the baby stuff that we found useful, and what we could live without, in the hopes that it might serve as a guide of sorts to other parents-to-be, especially if you are working on a modest budget (as we were and are). Please bear in mind that these suggestions are just that – suggestions – and by no means are we saying that anyone would be a better/worse parent for having/not having any of this stuff. It is purely our opinion, based on our own personal experience.

The Widg's Gulliver cot from Ikea

Firstly, what did we make sure to have before the Widg arrived? The absolute essentials only. This means cot (and mattress and cot sheets), nappies and wipes, change mat (no, not a whole change table), baby bath, clothes, blankets, car seat, pram, sling, bibs, cloths for catching/wiping spit-up, and something for white noise (we use a small battery-powered radio tuned to static).

The Widg's Quinny Buzz pram.

We did get a bassinet with the pram, which we did actually use. The Widg slept in it in our room for the first couple of months or so, and it was quite useful to take with us as his bed when we went away (until he grew out of it). I wouldn’t have bought the bassinet separately, but I’m glad we had it.

Quinny similar bassinet.

With the nappies, we did have the Peapods prepared before he was born, but his little butt didn’t fit them for the first months, so we did use disposables until then. Oh, and here is a link to our previous post about setting up the Widg’s room, which includes more details about the cot, change table, etc. I mentioned a sling (baby carrier), and this is the one we used:

Our sling

We loved our sling. Noah loved our sling. For a little while there, he hated the pram, so the sling was awesome. It was easy to carry him around, he was guaranteed to fall asleep in it. We even ended up with 2 of them, which was great, as we could have one in the wash, or one in the car and one in the house. I have only recently stopped using it, because he is starting to get too heavy (at 12 months and 9kg).

Our highchair

Things we ended up getting later, as we needed them: dummy, high chair, rocker (although the Widg only used it a handful of times, but I got it second hand for about $15), nappy bag (although we only used this for about the first month, and then only for long trips, and then not at all. And we bought the cheapest one we could, $30 from Target), toys, portacot (we were graciously given one by friends who’s little ones had outgrown it).

I wasn’t too convinced on the necessity of a playmat (like the one below) and wasn’t planning on getting one. But then I saw how much the Widg enjoyed using his friends’ ones, and I buckled. It ended up being the best toy for him from about 1 month old until he could sit up. I distinctly remember watching him one day figure out that he cold control the use of his own arm when he reached for the monkey and batted at it. That monkey served as the perfect motivation to teach him how to reach and grab and pull and learn those all important motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Of course, he would have learned those skills without a playmat, but it was also a great place to put him down and keep him entertained while I put on a load of washing or something like that (until he learned to roll that is).

The Widg's playmat.

We bought a Kinderkot as a portable bed to take on trips. It was recommended to us from a friend, and it was great at first. Light weight, folds up to the size of a large satchel bag. But lately the Widg has stopped reliably sleeping in it, so we haven’t used it in a while. I’m not ruling out using it again as he gets older.

The Widg's Kinderkot

The only thing we bought that I wouldn’t buy again (if we could go back in our time machine and do it again. What? You don’t have a time machine?) would be the nappy bag. Really, any bag would have been fine, a large satchel would have been perfect. I think it really depends how much “stuff” you carry around with you, and that really depends on the parent. I’ve survived pretty well so far with just my huge nanna handbag.

Things we were told to buy, but never needed: bottles, formula, sterilising equipment (breastfeeding worked out really well for us. I know it doesn’t work out for everyone, and I am very grateful that it did for us), various bedding/linen for the cot (pillows, quilts, top sheets, bumpers, etc. Most of this stuff isn’t recommended as it can increase the risk of SIDS), dedicated changing table, bath stand, nappy stacker, and a bunch of other stuff that I can’t even think of. Put it this way: when we were pregnant, we went to a (insert name of well known baby-gear chain here) store, and we were handed a list by the salesperson. An A4 page, double sided, full of “new baby essentials”. We politely smiled, cut a lap of the store, and left empty handed.

Granted, I’m a complete nerd when it comes to researching, planning and preparing before an event, so I had a fairly decent idea of what we did and didn’t need before we went shopping. Some people might find it incredibly helpful to have the salesperson give them advice and lists and things.

So that’s our rundown. Hope you found it useful/interesting/not-completely-chew-your-arm-off-boring.

Sorry for the break in transmission folks, it’s been a little busy here at the Box lately. Nothing too exciting going on, just life in general. Birthdays and visitors and car repairs and all of us catching the cold and sharing it around.

I have been doing a little bit of sewing (just more pants for Noah really), but I have heaps of ideas for new projects and never enough time to try them all out. Now that the Widg is crawling I can really only sew when he’s sleeping. But I usually find a bazillion other things that need doing when he’s sleeping (like cooking, cleaning, showering), so sewing gets put to the bottom of a long list. Bummer.

I wanted to share this little gem with you: the lovely and sweet hubster gave me these very cute tea towels as part of my Mothers Day present (yes, way back in May).

But before you get all “he bought you tea towels?“, his words as he handed them to me were “I thought you could sew something nice out of these”. He knows me well.

I really love the colours and the prints, but I have no idea what to turn them into. Thoughts? Ideas? C’mon people, I need your help!