Not your average banana shake

Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with an old-fashioned banana smoothie, but this one amazing ingredient steps up the milkshake game. (Now to wait for the boys to come to my yard... Please, not all at once)

Yes, I had to be a hipster and use a mason jar

Ingredients

1 or 2 ripe bananas

1 cup milk

1/2 t ground ginger (yus this is the secret ingredient)

I'm yet to try this with fresh ginger, but I'm sure it'll work and probably taste better!

Just chuck it all into a blender (we now have a fancy Nutribullet) and you're done

I've also tried this with spinach, which you can't even taste, to add a serve of veggies and also with 1/2 cup strawberries which add sweetness if the bananas aren't ripe yet.

Ginger is an amazing ingredient with many supposed health benefits, including ant-inflammatory properties, benefits to the digestive system and new research suggests ginger can lower blood sugar levels and prevent diabetes! (I read this on the internet, so it's got to be true yea?)

I mainly add ginger because it tastes good, though.. It reminds me of Christmas which isn't too far away now yay! 

Let me know what you think if you try it!

Em x

How I Organise for Uni

Oh, the joys of going back to reality after a 5 week break... This is my second semester of uni and I've managed to find my own way of organising all my notes, important dates, lecture slides etc. that works for me.

The first thing I do is make individual folders on my laptop for each of my units.

This semester I've broken down into each class I have for that unit, instead of having everything split into a few weeks at a time. I think this way will be more effective, especially for my units with multiple classes.

To organise hard copies of documents like unit outlines and printed handouts, I use a binder with dividers and individual sleeves for each class, similar to how I organise folders on my laptop. I find this is easier than having everything in a separate sleeve and was much better come exam time.

With my timetable at the front

Speaking of exams, after each lecture I try to briefly sum up the content of that week's lecture and readings etc. on A5 pieces of paper. I then use these as constant revision throughout the semester, as well as for exams.

And finally, the thing I struggled with the most last semester... Having important dates set out in a format that I can easily see and not forget about. Solution: make a really big semester calender.

This was definitely a life saver and I love being able to see the semester as a whole, rather than individual weeks. I highlighted in green the due dates for all my assessments and have week numbers on the side as well. Now I don't have to worry about realising that Monday there's an assignment due on Friday... (Thankfully that was only for a draft assignment not worth any marks).

Hopefully this has given you some inspiration or ideas for yourself!

Em x

Crocheted Cacti

I was in Fremantle over the weekend and saw these adorable handmade crocheted cacti, but I would never buy anything I could make and besides, they were $50! I've never understood why anyone would want a fake cactus, but they're just so cute!

I came up with my own pattern for them and they're pretty simple and only take a few hours to whip up. 

Materials

Small amounts of green, light brown and dark brown yarn

Small amount of pink crochet cotton/thread

3.50mm hook

2.50mm hook

Cactus

Using 3.50mm hook and green yarn;

Ch 16, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc 15. Ch 1, turn

Rows 2-15: Sc in back loops only, ch 1 turn

(note: I did 15 rows for the tall skinny one and 34 for the fat, round one)

Join to form tube by sc ch edge and last row of piece together.

You can either leave it showing and be another ridge, or turn it inside out and attach a branch instead. (Or both!)

Gather together the top edge of the cactus (do this at the bottom, as well, for the round cactus) and fasten so it makes a round-ish top. 

Branch (optional)

Using 3.50mm hook and green yarn;

Insert hook into side of cactus near seam and draw up loop. Sc 6 in a circle by drawing up loops through stitches on main part of cactus, join with ss to 1st sc and ch 1.

Making the starting round for the branch 

Rounds 2-3: sc 6, join with ss to 1st sc, ch 1

Round 4: *sc2tog. Rep from * around. Fill with stuffing/yarn scraps before binding off and sewing opening closed.

Flower

Using 2.50mm hook and pink crochet cotton;

Make magic loop, ch 1 and sc 10. Join with ss to 1st sc.

Round 2: *ch 1, 3 hdc in next sc, ch 1, ss in same sc, ss in next sc. Rep from * around and join with ss to first sc. Bind off and sew to cactus.

Pot

Using 3.50mm hook and light brown yarn;

Make magic loop, ch 1 and sc 6. Join with ss to 1st sc, ch 1.

Round 2: *sc inc. Rep from * around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (12 sts)

Round 3: *sc in next 1, sc inc. Rep from * around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (18 sts)

Round 4: In back loops only, sc around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (18 sts)

Round 5: *sc in next 2, sc inc. Rep from * around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (24 sts)

Round 6-7: sc around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (24 sts)

Round 8: *sc in next 5, sc inc. Rep from * around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (28 sts)

Round 9-11: sc around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (28 sts)

Round 12: In front loops only, hdc around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (28 sts)

Soil

Using 3.50mm hook and dark brown yarn;

Make magic loop, ch 1 and sc 6. Join with ss to 1st sc, ch 1.

Round 2: *sc inc. Rep from * around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (12 sts)

Round 3: *sc in next 1, sc inc. Rep from * around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (18 sts)

Round 4: *sc in next 2, sc inc. Rep from * around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (24 sts)

Round 5: sc around. Join with ss to first sc, ch 1. (24 sts)

Bind off and sew to pot, stuffing well before closing to get a little mound. Attach cactus and there you have it!

Don't they look adorable on my bedside table? Love them!

Em x