A busy week and quarantine restrictions

There is a lot work to be done here today. We have our new floor and kitchen repairs happening tomorrow week, and I only have six free days before it starts. I want to do a few extra things like make some food for us for the time we won't have a functioning kitchen and start moving plates, pot, pans and glasses to another room. I'll think about relocating food later next week. I also have to do a fair bit of writing on projects separate to my blog. It looks like I'll be busy today and all next week.

I love change and the chance to reassess past choices. When everything is repaired and the new floor is down, I'm changing how I store things in my kitchen. This upheaval is giving me the chance to do that. Everything must come out of the kitchen, and when it goes back in, it will mirror how I have changed and how I now use my kitchen.

I also hope to do some sewing today, although that might be a late afternoon activity. I would like to finish off my swap aprons so they can be posted in the next couple of days. If I don't finish them today, they'll have to wait until late next week. I hope everyone is having fun with their apron and the swaps in general. The purpose of these swaps is to make contact with fellow blog readers and to give everyone the opportunity to work on small and fairly simple craft projects we all use. I see it as a way of building skills for those of us who need that and hopefully it will also build confidence so that you continue on and plan other projects for yourself.

Last time I received a swap package it was opened by Australian Customs. Being the only island continent and very mindful of protecting our unique flora and fauna, we have very strict customs regulations. I want to make everyone aware of the restrictions so that when you wrap up your packages you know what is allowed. This is a very helpful site that gives information about what is not allowed to be sent to Australia:

http://www.daffa.gov.au/aqis/mail/cant-mail

This is from their website:

If you are sending international mail to Australia:

• do not send prohibited food, plant material or animal products


• make sure you fill out the declaration label clearly and correctly, itemising everything inside the package, including any packaging materials you’ve used


• do not pack items in egg cartons, wooden boxes, or cardboard boxes that have been used to hold fruit, vegetables or meat/smallgoods - this packaging is a quarantine risk and is prohibited


• do not pack with straw or dried plant material, use newspaper or foam to wrap fragile goods

So basically you can't send any seeds, nuts, plants, food, animal products or anything with soil on it. It's fine to send extras in your parcel if you want to, but please check the website above to make sure we in Australia can legally receive what you send. It might also be a good idea if you're sending to other countries to ask your swap partner if they're aware of any restrictions. I will put this information in my side bar too.

Sunday is usually a restful day here in my home. We still do our regular chores but there is also a lot of sitting around and relaxation. I doubt I'll be doing that today but I hope you are. I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend and that you take time to look after yourself as well as your family. Thank you for stopping by today.