REVEALING Our Hand Crafted Stone Fireplace (And HE'S LEFT!)

Somewhere over the rainbow, these skies are blue.

Good news.

And our dreams really are coming true.I think.This week, we're splitting our time between two very different worlds.While the boys and I are soaking up these gorgeous blue sky winter days in Zimbabwe, John's busy in Portugal, battling a proper heat wave.

Because it's hot right now.

Before he heads our way, there's just enough time to finish the stone fireplace, get things in order, and make sure he doesn't leave the place looking like, well, a dog's breakfast.

Sit, sit.

Good morning, you guys.Oh, it is so beautiful this time of day.The sun is literally just peeping up over the horizon.Sorry I'm still asleep.Crusoe's just woken up.I've made myself a cup of coffee.

I've fed the dog.And the day's about to get underway.We are in the final stages of waiting for John.We've got two more sleeps, two more sleeps till he gets here and we're all so excited.It's just felt like the longest time, three weeks apart is the longest we've ever had apart.I think it's fair to say we haven't all loved it all that much, but he's been doing an amazing job at holding down the fort in Portugal and I'm so proud of him.

So we'll soon be reunited and all back together again on Wednesday's video, but I thought I'd take you along today for little bits of my day as I get ready for John's arrival and we kind of, you know, tick off the last few boxes of bits and pieces that need to be organized before he gets here.For now though, let's just enjoy a cup of coffee and that beautiful sunshine coming up through the trees.Magic.I think it was Ernest Hemingway, was it?Who said, there was never a morning in Africa where I didn't wake up happy.Excited for dad to get here.

Not today.

How many more sleeps?Who knows?Two more sleeps.Sit.

Look at those.Yum -oh, yum -oh.Thornless blackberry bush.Yum -oh.I know that the boys have been really, really looking forward to picking these.Unfortunately, they're not here.

It's just all for me today.And, well, this is the last episode of Peace and Quiet before Bedlam ensues once more.I am heading to Zimbabwe in two days time but before I get on that aeroplane I really, really, really want to make sure that the fireplace is finished and I've got a whole bunch of jobs to do around the farm to prepare for the summer.I'm going to be away for the entire month of July, leaving the farm in the capable hands of those that will be here looking after it.But of course there's a concern about water, making sure that that's all working and also we need to make sure that the farm is prepped, ready, clean and tidy so that nothing is going to go wrong, including making sure the chickens are well looked after.I'm also going to want to make sure that the bio pool is in ship shape condition and that everything around here is locked up.

Anyway, I'll enjoy the peaceful day.I'm going to go show you what Marcus and Daniel are up to today and well enjoy those blackberries.

I'm just back from dropping the boys off at school, and my first task for the day is to get my bread in the oven.I've got really back into making sourdough, and I brought some starter with me from Portugal to Zim, and it has been so nice having fresh bread baked in our own oven here in Zim.So I had a loaf that I made yesterday, got it ready.It's been proofing in the fridge, so we'll get that in, and then it's time to head up to the office, do a bit of computer work and editing, and then we'll head out to town.and go and get some bits and pieces that we need before John gets here.The gas just hasn't switched on.

That's so annoying.I put the oven on when I left with the boys because this oven takes ages to heat up.And so I thought I'd put it on so that it would be nice and warm for my bread when I got back.Turns out it wasn't on.So let's let it warm up a bit and then we'll cook the bread.I wanted to flag with you that one of my all -time favorite brand partners, FOREO, are having a birthday sale.

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And I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I am so excited to get to Zimbabwe, not just to start another project, of course, to see my boys and my wife.I've missed them.It's been three full weeks that I've been hanging around here.Look at that.I've had to wash my own clothes.I've had to cook for myself.

It's been unbelievable, Barbara.You wouldn't even know the half of it.Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing everybody.And I can see Marcus down there bashing those stones away.It'll be the last bash, I think, for a little while that he has to do.So we'll go down and see him now.

He thinks that's probably enough fireplace so then we can use in the garden or somewhere else.Had a lot of comments over the course of the last I don't know however long we've been building this fireplace and there's been a lot of comments talking to us about how much hard work that looks like smashing up stones and you know it is really really hard work especially on heavy muggy days like today when we're waiting for it to rain so that it can just cool down a little bit because it's hot right now.

Oh, you guys, I cannot tell you how lovely it is to work in this little office.It's absolute magic.John worked wonders with this tiny house.I need to go and check on my bread.I left it in that not yet warm oven and we'll go and see how it's turned out.Obi basically lives on that step with me. I'm also in John's jumper, so excuse my slightly, not that you're an old man love, but my slightly old man vibes.

It's kind of cozy though.Every time we talk to each other, he's like, why are you in my clothes?Why don't you just wear your own clothes?But there is something so nice about a bloke's jumper, isn't there?So yeah, fingers crossed we've got this bread working.Let's go and have a look.

Winters in Zimbabwe are all about blue skies, crisp mornings, long shadows, watering the gardens, and it's just very, very peaceful.

In our next episode...Oh wait, we've still got our chickens as well.They're doing really well.We've currently got six little baby chicks and the chicks that we had last time we were here are now big chickens.Have a look.

Love how they just couldn't give a hoot about Obi.Hey, good dogs.You're looking after your chickens.

In our next episode, when John's back with us, we'll do a full tour of the property and show you how everything is looking at the moment.It's definitely a much drier time of year from the last time you guys were here.When we were here at the beginning of the year, it was rainy season, so everything had leaves on the trees.It was all very green.There was kind of brush everywhere.This time of year, everything has died back and it's dry.

But the garden still looks beautiful.And as I say, I just can't get enough of those blue skies.I really can't.So yeah, look out for that.We'll do a little tour and we will tell you guys what our project is going to be for the next few weeks.

Home is starting to look much more cosy and beautiful, which I am very, very pleased about.

There's Cuda.Cuda works for our branding agency.So if anybody is interested, give us a shout.We've got a little company called Think Big Creators.And what that company does is helps YouTubers just like us find sponsorships with all of the wonderful brands that we love.with.

So, if you are a YouTube creator with a small to medium -sized channel, or even a massive channel, please give us a shout, drop us a comment, and we will get in touch with you guys and see if we can help.Our ambition is to try and help as many creators as possible to make YouTube into their full -time businesses.So, yeah, if we can do that for you, then please do reach out and let us know.Okay, moment of truth in here.Here we go.It's looking good.

I think it needs probably another half an hour.This oven.Right, let's head back up to the office while that bread finishes baking.Cuda is working in the dining room today because we're having problems with our Wi -Fi extenders.So for some reason, my computer picked up Wi -Fi just fine in the office, but hers is not.Otherwise, we usually sit together.

And it's so nice having a colleague and someone to kind of bounce ideas off and to get to know her better as well, because obviously she's been here while we've been in Portugal.And yeah, it's really nice to have something else going on that's kind of related to YouTube, but not just YouTube, you know.

Marcus says he thinks we've now got enough stones to finish the fireplace off, and that's very exciting.Okay, let's go and have a look at the fireplace.

Okay, here we go.Look at this.

Oh man, it's too hot this morning.You can see the bay window seat across there, the terracotta tiles.I think we're probably heading in that direction at the moment.

It's the day's run away with me after a bite of sourdough bread I got stuck at the computer then had to fetch the boys from school and then we've just been running a few errands in town we bumped into our favorite place Halsteads and I picked up some little houseplants and an amazing little fig tree which has been propagated for us by Joseph so thank you so much Joseph so grateful for thatSo I'm going to get those out.But I really want to get these little palms into some pots and into the house, ready for when John gets back, because there is something so transformational about houseplants.They instantly make a place feel so much more homely, so much more cozy.And they're just, I don't know, I'm obsessed with them.And I really want a lot of plants in this home, because it is a house that there's lots about it that isn't very us, you know, turquoise walls and kind of things that we we can't change there's no point in changing because we're going to be renovating this house we are kind of i'm trying to focus on the things i can change like just the general atmosphere and houseplants are a big part of that so let's get these into pots and get them into the house i'm sure the boys will pop in and out and then it'll be nearly time for john to be home boys are having an absolute ball on their bikes.

They love riding their bikes.Soraya has still got his stabilizers on, but Crusoe is riding completely competently.Maybe a little bit too fast for mum's liking.But it's amazing how quickly they learn when that ability just clicks, they're off.Right, there's the first one.And there's the pots I got.

Nothing overly fancy, but they'll do the job.Right, let's get planting, shall we?Beautiful Zimbabwean compost here.which Kofi just helped me get.Kofi is around.I'm sure he'll come and say hi in a second.

Oh, look at that.Always, always a beautiful worm, you guys.Always.

Hey, boys.

Yeah, of course you can.

What can I do with you?

I thought I had helpers there, but apparently not.

They're too excited.about the pig tree.

No, we're not going to plant the pig tree there, buddy.We've got to go right up where it's nice and sunny.

Are we up the stairs?Really?

So are you sure, my love?

Um, Obi, where have you been?Why is Obi so dirty, boys?

You are not coming now.

Are you off?

No doubt.

No, get...

Well done, Buzz.

You're going to get it all the way in for Dad, so...

There you go, there's the plate in the corner there.I put it on the plate.so here we go guys this is what home is looking like currently we'll give you a full tour in the next episode when John's here but we have a palm we have a palm We've got a little delicious monster.And once you get started with houseplants, you just want more and more and more and more.I'm already like, I just want to go back to the shops and get a whole nother load of them.It just makes the place so much better.

I'm not convinced these are all in the right place, but we'll find their home over the next few days.But for now, it's time for me to start cooking supper.I'm getting ready for the end of the day.So, yeah, I'll see you guys really soon when the whole family is reunited and we're all here together.And we'll be telling you all about the project that we're going to get started while we're here.We're only here for about a month and a half.

So we are going to be getting started with the project here that will continue when we go back to Portugal.And yeah, we'll fill you all in on Wednesday.We'll see you then.

Wow, this could be...Okay, that was me thinking that's the electrician and a plumber turning up.But no, that'll be José with some more sand and cement.So that is the actual finished height of the fireplace, of the stone on the fireplace.We're going to be lowering the ceiling down by a fair amount in order to be able to run all the ducting, all the cabling, all the conduits, everything that need to go in the ceiling.And also the lights need to pop into the ceiling.

So it will be a suspended ceiling, which means that the stones don't need to actually go to the very, very top.I've been in meetings all morning with brands and all other things, but there we go.I've just come out and it's been de -scaffolded.So we've got a few bits and pieces left to do, and then we can call it finished.So as we know from the outside, when we were building the outside walls of the house, it looks great.And then when you do the rustica, when you do the plastering,

you finish off those stones perfectly, it looks really, really special.So I'm, I'm super excited.I can't wait to see how Marcus finishes this off.And then, like I said before, we're going to have to do something about this piece of wood here, tidy it up and just make it feel a little bit more finished.it's great well done okay here we go big moments does it work we're gonna test it folks no pressure marcus if it doesn't work we can just take it all down and start again okay let's do it Is that smoke going?Is it going up?

The first fire in the fireplace.

It's funny how one little flame can mean so much.It's easy to picture the years ahead now.Cold winter evenings, storms outside, muddy boots by the door, mugs of tea, stories shared, maybe even some of those with you guys here in Portugal with us.And there's just so many memories waiting to be made in this home and it's all starting to feel so very real.

okay so the the chimney currently the chimney stack the pipe goes up into the attic so i guess right now the attic is completely filled with smoke never mind but we have proved something that the fireplace when you burn a cement sack in it works good news well folks um there you have it i'm equally No, that's not true.I was going to say I'm equally sad and excited to leave.Obviously, I'm excited because I'm going to see Tara and the boys again.I can't wait to give them all a big cuddle and just be around that noise and that chaos again that those boys have got surrounding them all of the time.Why am I sad?I'm sad because there's a lot of me and my ideas that have gone into creating this space.

And every time I leave it, I'm always like, I'm so torn away from those projects that I'm in the middle of.We finished pretty much the fireplace, so I don't feel too bad about that.But there's so many other things that I need to be doing, that I want to be doing.Now here we go, we're heading off in a completely different direction.We're going to go and do something else.Then in four or five weeks time, we'll be back here carrying on with it.

So this time around, it's not a long departure from Portugal.It's just a few weeks.But I think it's really important that when we go through these journeys, it's important to say to You guys who are watching out there, there are days when it's hard, like everybody's life.Today is a hard day.It's going to be a great day when I get on that aeroplane.to go and see my family.

We're building something really incredible, beautiful in fact, here.And yeah, well, it's difficult to leave.And we've made about 22, 23 episodes since we got back from Zimbabwe the last time.It's flown past, hasn't it?That time has just zipped past.The next project will be to make sure that we get the walls finished outside.

We want to make the courtyard area great.We've got plans to also put gate posts at the top of the hill.And then, of course, we are starting to look at building the interiors of the house.We have already got the electricians and plumbers on site.We're already looking at having all of that work, all of the conduits put into place by the time we get back, which means that we can start doing the really, really exciting stuff, which is designing the interior.and I can't wait.