freemans


freemans, at 2-6 spottiswoode road marchmont, is a big space. lots of height and a very relaxed vibe with a mix of sofas to lounge in or tables to sit up to.

they're a creative bunch with thoughtful takes of salads, soups, cakey-things, tray bakes, breakfasts and great looking bread.

you order and pay with the friendly folk at the counter and then they bring your goodies to you.

the coffee has been great every time we've been. we go for the flat white which always comes with great milk texture and temperature bringing the best out of the coffee.

they offer v60 and aeropress as well as espresso based coffee and change their coffee constantly, using small independent suppliers and varying with the seasons.

we drop in regularly.

(also some good looking teas, fresh mint & honey and yunnan green grabbed our attention)

- coffee: small batch regularly changing
- coolness: very chilled, very coffee savvy
- website: www.freemansfood.co.uk
- dog friendly, child-friendly




Christmas So Far...

Made some simple Decorations...



Made a small Himmeli Ornament...


And branches with stars...


Watched a preschool Christmas program...


Hosted a work Christmas party and gave these away (a Christmas mix and Nutella fudge. Yes. Nutella fudge)...






Watched the girl play with her Christmas present from Herman's work party...


Let the clearing begin.

Today is the first official day of holidays (when you don't include the weekend).

We had an early start but not as early as we hoped. Madeline, Brigette and I have joined Curves. We had our first workout this morning. We were suppose to meet the trainer there at 7.30 but I slept in and woke up at 7.40. We got there at 8.00 and went around the circuit. It usually takes about 30 minutes but we took a bit longer today because we were been shown how to use the machines. We will go back tomorrow and Wednesday but won't be able to on Thursday due to other commitments. Friday we will go for the last time this year because they shut down for the Christmas new year break. After that, I am going to try and go every Monday - Friday.

As I mentioned last week, we are in the process of changing rooms. Steve and I decided we would go through the entire house and have a complete clean out. We rang a mini skip company today and we are going to have one delivered here on Friday. We started our cleaning today and have a nice pile ready to put in the skip when it gets here on Friday. It will be here for 3 days and we are pretty sure we will be able to go through everything by then and have a clutter free home.

Once my house is had it's clean out and we have finished our Christmas celebrations, I am going to do a heap of sewing.



I have been looking for a dress pattern to wear to mass for a while and haven't really come across one that I am really  happy with. Yesterday, I came across Bebe.


 It is just the kind of pattern I have been looking for so bought it last night. Because it is coming for Texas, I will have to be patient. I have the cleaning out this week and lots of sewing I need to do for the boys too.

Enjoy the last week before Christmas. We are getting excited about Christmas here now.

steampunk coffee


steampunk roast their coffee in north berwick and are regulars at the weekly sunday stockbridge market and the portobello market on the first saturday of the month. we visited the stockbridge markets where you'll find them 10-5pm-ish each sunday.

they make and serve their coffee from one of their vw campervans (the black one is called melvin and the orange one is mavis), especially kitted out by the owners. the owners (cath and hans-erik) have partnered their business strengths of 'cake' and 'coffee' to form steampunk and also sell teas and specialist drinking chocolate alongside lovely cakes, brownies etc. we're sure they'll continue to evolve their produce as they go

if you're more of a coffee geek than us (and there are plenty of them) you'll marvel at their coffee machines cosily housed in both campervans as every part of the making of every coffee is controlled by hand by the barista. by way of example hans-erik likened creating an espresso to pulling a real ale - its all mechanical, in line with the steampunk ethos which underlines their approach

needless to say the flat whites we've tried on multiple occasions are lovely - round, flavoursome, sweet.

steampunk coffee is now available in edinburgh at leo's beanery and the chocolate tree (who also stock their chocolate) as well as others further afield (see their website). there'll supply more coffee shops in time no doubt so look out for them.

it's exciting to see another roaster on edinburgh's coffee scene, providing uber freshness and variety. they've started small and are growing slowly. equally exciting is steampunk's just-launched and stylish website on which you can order coffee and get it shipped to you within the optimum few days of roasting and just how you like it - whole bean, cafetiere, filter and espresso

- coffee: their own roasts
- coolness: the campervan factor in real life, the locally roasted bean choice online
- website: steampunkcoffee.co.uk
- dog-friendly




Changes.

This week is the last week of school before we start our Summer holidays. It is the end of an era for us. Next year there are lots of changes taking place in our house.

Sam is talking about going to Adelaide to study Audio Engineering so our second child is leaving the nest. Madeline will go into year 12 at PASS and Brigette and Tom will join her there too. Brigette has been at our local Catholic school up until now but has decided to finish of her schooling at PASS because they have more subject choices. Amelia and Christopher will be going to the local primary school around the corner and Joseph will be home with me.

We will be changing the bedroom set up too. This week we will have a temporary change and when Sam moves out, we will have the permanent change. . Madeline and Amelia have been sharing a room and Brigette has had her own room for the last few years. Since Madeline will be in year 12 next year, we thought she needed her own room so Brigette will move in with Amelia and Madeline will move into Brigette's bedroom.

When Sam moves to Adelaide, we will put Tom and Christopher into Sam's bedroom and Amelia will move into the bedroom next to ours with Joseph. Everyone moving rooms will be a good opportunity for us to have a dejunk as well. We moved house 3 times in 3 years back in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Since then, I have become much more discerning about what we keep and what we don't when we go through our stuff. I have tried to go through rooms and things each year since. This will be the perfect opportunity for us to do it this year.

With all these changes, I am expecting to have more time for blogging. I really want to keep my blog going and keep all the memories of the things our children do and say here for us to look back on. Hopefully when school is finished, I will get more time for it and you will all here from me a bit more often.

Therese.

leo's beanery


leo's beanery at 23a howe street, slap bang in the middle of the new town, is a lovely spot

deceptively large, as you'll find when you step down the stairs and through the back. leo's has a friendly, elegant but cosy feel

we've had flat whites and cappuccinos regularly and they've always been a joy. they're currently using local roaster steampunk coffee which is excellent

as well as their coffee they take their food seriously with lots of yummy, locally sourced fresh options. their coffee is served at the perfect temperature, warm but not scalding which allows the rounded milk texture and flavour to come through. they also sell steampunk beans to take home

this one's a charmer and one to put on the regular visiting list

- coffee: steampunk coffee
- coolness: newtown nooks and crannys
- website: leosbeanery.co.uk
- child-friendly



A blast from the past.

I put this you tube video on my blog back in 2007. It is one of my favourite ones. I just watched it and decided to post again for those that haven't seen it. 


I hope you enjoy it. 

House Tour Part Two.

And the rest of the house...

A quick note. The walls are all painted a pale gray color (except Emilia's room, which is light blue), but everything in the house photographs with a red tint due to the fact that our entire back yard/fence is covered in bright redish/orange painted wood. Yup. Some day we will redo our back yard...but for now, we live with the red glow. 

House Tour Part One.

Before photos here.


















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