Little Tweaks

I'm back! As promised the blog looks a little different now ... but to be honest it is essentially the same. Hope you like the changes! (Those of you who get the posts emailed directly to your inbox may not even notice anything different at all!)

Ever since I started this blog I've wanted to put more of a personal stamp on it but wasn't sure if it would last the distance (which I'm very excited to say it has!) and also I just haven't had the opportunity. These last couple of weeks I've enjoyed playing around with all kinds of things to make it look like this and had lots of frustrations too! I have also found lots of other little things that I want to adjust here and there. They will only be little tweaks now that I'm up and running again and you may not even notice them but it is still a work in progress, even if the majority of the work has been done!

I've also been thinking a lot about how life in Tanzania feels quite normal to us now. There are lots of little tweaks and adjustments that we have learned as a family to make over these first few months, allowing a lot of our day-to-day stuff to feel familiar ... although like the blog, life does 'look' totally different out here. 

I thought I'd share just a few of of our little tweaks with you!

• Before you leave the house, either lather up with sunscreen or bug spray (depending on the time of day/activity you are doing)
• Freeze Weetabix, crackers and other dry goods for 24 hours after purchase to kill off any weevils before you eat them
• Remember to keep the water filter topped up at all times ... it's amazing how much water we get through and all the different things you need to use clean water for
• Don't get frustrated when post (mail) takes weeks to get through/gets returned/doesn't make it at all, just appreciate what does make it when it does arrive
• As certain things aren't available in the shops, add extra steps to every recipe ... like chopping your own chocolate chips before making Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins

• Keep your mosquito nets closed at night so no little bugs can come and get you
• Put the solar powered bedside lights out to charge once a week so that they don't run out of charge and you can read in bed or use them when the power goes out
• Float your eggs after purchase to check for rotten ones ... they don't come in packaged, dated packs here!
• However naturally it comes to stick your toothbrush under the tap to wash it out DON'T (I can't count the number of times I have automatically gone to turn the tap on in the morning or last thing at night!)
• Be content with or without electricity and internet ... sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't ... life goes on!