I can't believe it's almost a year to the day since I wrote my last blog. So much has happened since then! A quick run down of last year for you, before I get on to why I'm actually writing the first new blog for 12 months...
First things first, I got engaged in September! We were on our first holiday with my family in Spain and Tom proposed at midnight on the roof of our villa in a blanket fort. It was the cheesiest, most romantic thing ever and I loved it. :)
My business was also a rollercoaster - growing impressively fast early in the year then tailing off towards the end. December was hibernation mode for me and January has started with a million and one ideas on how to change my business to reflect me a little better.
My relationship with my family has only grown stronger - our experiences in 2013 really did cement some already pretty awesome friendships. I've also made new friends and gotten closer to existing ones, so 2014 was definitely a good year for relationships all round in my life. :)
But that's enough about life. Onto why I'm writing! And how fitting that it's one year since my last post - completely unintentional I assure you. I'm about to enter the next stage of my Endometriosis journey, having some scans to check up on everything and then (all being well) having the Mirena coil removed. This is partly to start the journey of having a family, although I think that one will still take some time, but more importantly I'm taking a much more natural, holistic approach to my endo. My experiences with the diet have been bitter-sweet; when I stick to it everything goes pretty well and I'm largely symptom free still, but if I slip up even slightly it can have some nasty consequences. The first step I'll be taking is to get more strict and more healthy - introducing fitness as well.
What's this got to do with the blog you might be asking? Well I want to document it all. I'll finally be sharing full details of the diet that I failed to finish last time, including recipes I find useful and alternatives to things you can't have on the diet. For example last night I made some caramel cookies that were completely endo friendly. Would you believe it?
I'll also be including any therapies that help, product alternatives to the chemical-filled ones you'll find in supermarkets. exercises that ease pain... all of it. Much like I used to track my eco adventures, I'll now be tracking my endo adventures (with some eco thrown in of course - I haven't changed that much!) in the hopes that it could help someone else going through the same. And the therapeutic effect writing gives me. ;)
I've already got billions of ideas for blogs popping into my head, but I won't be posting everything all at once. If my past unreliability has taught me anything, it's to pace the blogs and have some prepared in advance, so that's what I'm off to do!
If you have any questions about endo, the diet, recipe requests - anything at all - just leave them in the comments and I'll be sure to respond! :)
Showing posts with label eco-friendly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eco-friendly. Show all posts
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Electronic Devices Prevent Proper Sleep
Sorry for the time lapse since my last post, it's been a busy two weeks getting ready for another operation this Friday. I've also been setting up a new business and that's taken off quicker than I ever imagined so it's been all go on that front too!
Things might be a little hit and miss for a few weeks while I'm recovering or I could be posting daily from boredom - we'll wait and see! But either way bear with me, I've got lots of exciting things to share with you over the coming months. :)
For now I wanted to share this article with you:
Things might be a little hit and miss for a few weeks while I'm recovering or I could be posting daily from boredom - we'll wait and see! But either way bear with me, I've got lots of exciting things to share with you over the coming months. :)
For now I wanted to share this article with you:
Light From Electronic Devices Prevents Proper Night's Sleep
The results of the study are really interesting and I've experienced first hand the difference having no devices can make. I have to put my hand up and say I've been sleeping with either a lamp or fairy lights on pretty much my entire life. When I was old enough to go without a night light I was sleeping in the attic room with a ladder, so I had a small light to stop me falling in the night and I never really grew out of that habit.
Since reading the above report I thought I'd experiment a little, first banning our mobiles from the bedroom (I'm a 4am facebook surfer) and then turning the fairy lights off too. I found my quality of sleep improved instantly - just 3 nights in and I'm falling asleep much faster, being less restless and waking up naturally before my alarm rather than groaning and hitting snooze. Mid-night bathroom visits have become a bit riskier and we need to find a solution to the loud ticking of our new alarm clock, but overall I'm very happy with the results. :)
And of course I have to mention the eco benefit of not having the light on all night - a habit I was reluctant to break but am glad I did!
What do you think? Are you tempted to have a technology ban in the bedroom to see the results? Let me know in the comments below. :)
Posted by
Ami Marshall
How To: Turn a Jumper Into a Cat Bed
We have 3 cats, 2 of which are outdoor cats who sleep in the shed. We've had one of those climbing towers since the 2 younger cats were kittens and it's in a precarious state of disrepair these days. It's still their bed in the shed, although they've grown so much that only one can fit on at a time now. Through the summer this wasn't a problem but as the days are getting colder it means one cat is sleeping on the cold shed floor.
Rather than buy a new cat bed that'd cost anywhere from £15-30 for something cosy, I thought I'd turn my hand to upcycling and see what I could create. I'd seen a post on Facebook months ago showing how someone else had turned an old jumper into a bed and since Tom had a pile of jumpers waiting to go to charity I nabbed one!
Here is how I did it in picture form...
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| Sew up the neck hole |
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| Sew from armpit to armpit then stuff the arms & neck to create the sides of the bed |
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| Tuck the end of one arm into the other then stitch them together |
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| Pad the body of the jumper and trim the excess from the bottom, turn it over and stitch the body to the arms |
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| And you're done! Donate to a furry friend |
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Recipe: Endo-Friendly Banana 'Ice-Cream'
I chose this recipe today to celebrate as today was the last Zoladex injection I need before my lap next month! Avoiding dairy and sugar has been difficult (and I've slipped quite a bit on sugar..) so finding this recipe has been a god send. This is definitely one for your sweet tooth, saved for those occassions when you absolutely need something sweet but don't want to slip off the bandwagon. Obviously it isn't real ice-cream, but it's close enough! It does take some pre-planning and you may not get to the ice-cream stage - while preparing my first attempt I couldn't wait for it to freeze and ended up with ice-cold mashed banana! :)
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 Banana
Fruit Syrup (optional)
Method:
1. Break the banana up into chunks
2. Freeze then part-thaw the banana
3. Blend the banana until it's smooth and creamy
4. Serve with fruit syrup
Very budget friendly, very tastebud friendly!
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 Banana
Fruit Syrup (optional)
Method:
1. Break the banana up into chunks
2. Freeze then part-thaw the banana
3. Blend the banana until it's smooth and creamy
4. Serve with fruit syrup
Very budget friendly, very tastebud friendly!
Eco-Friendly Easter Ideas
Hi guys!
With Easter just a week away I thought I'd give you some quick ideas on how to keep things green and save money. :) The activities especially are either very cheap or free!
Easter Eggs:
1. Buy easter eggs with as little packaging as possible.
2. Try to buy fairtrade/organic wherever you can.
3. Make a list of everyone you're buying for and get them all at once to save on transport costs.
4. Buy the eggs on your regular food shop to save an extra trip to the shop.
5. Keep the plastic packaging from the inside as moulds so you can make your own next year!
Activities:
1. Why not try using natural dyes to create your own coloured eggs?
2. Organise an Easter Egg Hunt for kids or even adults!
3. Bake your own Easter Biscuits.
4. Make an origami rabbit!
Some friends are coming to stay at the weekend and their little boy is 3, so I'll definitely be trying some of these ideas myself. :) I'll make sure to take pictures and post the results!
With Easter just a week away I thought I'd give you some quick ideas on how to keep things green and save money. :) The activities especially are either very cheap or free!
Easter Eggs:
1. Buy easter eggs with as little packaging as possible.
2. Try to buy fairtrade/organic wherever you can.
3. Make a list of everyone you're buying for and get them all at once to save on transport costs.
4. Buy the eggs on your regular food shop to save an extra trip to the shop.
5. Keep the plastic packaging from the inside as moulds so you can make your own next year!
Activities:
1. Why not try using natural dyes to create your own coloured eggs?
2. Organise an Easter Egg Hunt for kids or even adults!
3. Bake your own Easter Biscuits.
4. Make an origami rabbit!
Some friends are coming to stay at the weekend and their little boy is 3, so I'll definitely be trying some of these ideas myself. :) I'll make sure to take pictures and post the results!
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Eco-Friendly Hair Care
Hello! I've managed to get on the internet from work and wanted to squeeze in a sneaky blog post while I had the chance!
Earlier I saw an article about a shampoo bar by Lush explaining it's eco-credentials and it's had me thinking all day about the hair care products I use. I've heard of shampoo bars before but it's never been something I thought of using. Having read this article I'm seriously considering investing in some to see what it's like. I especially like the look of their Reincarnate Shampoo as it might revive the colour in my hair. :)
Up until now it only occurred to me to save water during a shower, but this has brought a whole new aspect in for me. I love that you just get a re-usable tin to store the shampoo, saving on hundreds of plastic bottles over the years! Plus they've come up with a solid conditioner bar too, so the entire hair care process becomes plastic free.
This has even lead me on to discover solid perfumes! So I'm guessing there are a whole host of products out there that I could be switching to and saving on packaging. As a result, this blog is now my pledge to replace any products I can with a solid counterpart as and when I run out. I still stand by my original aim: to become more eco-friendly without sacrificing the quality of my lifestyle, so if they really suck I'll be switching straight back! But if they do as good as/better than my current products there's no reason not to go Green!
Have you tried Solid Shampoos/other products before? Does anyone want to join me with this experiment? Let me know what you think. :)
Earlier I saw an article about a shampoo bar by Lush explaining it's eco-credentials and it's had me thinking all day about the hair care products I use. I've heard of shampoo bars before but it's never been something I thought of using. Having read this article I'm seriously considering investing in some to see what it's like. I especially like the look of their Reincarnate Shampoo as it might revive the colour in my hair. :)
Up until now it only occurred to me to save water during a shower, but this has brought a whole new aspect in for me. I love that you just get a re-usable tin to store the shampoo, saving on hundreds of plastic bottles over the years! Plus they've come up with a solid conditioner bar too, so the entire hair care process becomes plastic free.
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| I love that it's called The Smell of Weather Turning! |
This has even lead me on to discover solid perfumes! So I'm guessing there are a whole host of products out there that I could be switching to and saving on packaging. As a result, this blog is now my pledge to replace any products I can with a solid counterpart as and when I run out. I still stand by my original aim: to become more eco-friendly without sacrificing the quality of my lifestyle, so if they really suck I'll be switching straight back! But if they do as good as/better than my current products there's no reason not to go Green!
Have you tried Solid Shampoos/other products before? Does anyone want to join me with this experiment? Let me know what you think. :)
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Cut your bills to pay for your luxuries!
At the moment we're cutting back on the luxuries so we can afford our bills. Now it's time to cut back on our bills to afford our luxuries!
My easter present from mum was a little unusual this year, but I love it. She got me Ideal Home magazine, which is full of really expensive design ideas that I will be copying for half the price, and interesting articles that led me to todays blog.
They have a wonderful article on Oliver Heath - a TV presenter who completely remodeled his house to be as eco friendly as possible. I'm not suggesting you go to quite the effort he has, spending £440,00 to buy the house and a further £130,000 in refubishment (!) but there are steps you can take that don't empty your bank account. Oliver estimates that it will take just 10 years to make back the refurbishment money with the savings he will make, which is incredible. If he can make back £130,000 in 10 years then we're all capable of making some pretty hefty savings ourselves with the right steps.
You need to start with the most obvious thing: changing your habits. Being green is a lifetime goal, not an instant save. Think of each habit you change as saving you 5p every time you remember. Add in just 1 habit a day and you'll only save £18.25 a year, but add 3 habits a day and you've saved £54.75!
Do you leave the door open when you take the bin out? Or leave lights on in various rooms even when no one is in them? How about leaving the shower running for 5 minutes to 'warm up' while you're getting ready? I'm not suggesting you lock yourself out of the house, sit in the dark and take a cold shower in the morning. That would be my worst nightmare! But pull the door almost closed, flick the light off when you'll be out for more than a few minutes and only leave your shower running the 30 seconds it needs to warm up before getting in.
Other ideas include keeping the doors in your house closed, only boil the water you need, switch things off instead of standby, don't leave things plugged in if you're not using them. All of these suggestions don't sound like they add up to much, but over the course of a year you'd be surprised.
Next you move on to simple solutions; conserve your heat and save water. A quick run down shows what you can do and how much you will save per year:
Seal drafts around doors, windows and loft hatches: £55
Insulate your hot water cylinder with a 75mm jacket: £40
Switch an old boiler to an A-rated condensing boiler: £100-£300
Fit a low-flow shower head: £90 (based on water-meter bills for a household of 4)
Swap incandescent lightbulbs to fluorescents: £55+ over the bulbs' life.
Swap a 70W halogen bulb with a 6W LED light: £70 over its' life.
It doesn't sound like much, less than £5/year saved on a lightbulb. But think of the bigger picture; most people will have 10-20 bulbs in their house as a conservative figure. That's £50-£100/year!
Insulate your loft to 270mm thick insulation and you can save £175/year. Add cavity wall insulation into the equation and you'll add a further £135/year. (based on a 3-bed semi detached house)
The final and biggest step is to start generating your own energy. This is where it gets a little complicated, so I'll be devoting another blog to that one!
So there you have it, some quick and painless steps to make your house more energy efficient. What habits will you be changing? Write them in comments below and we'll all try them together!
My easter present from mum was a little unusual this year, but I love it. She got me Ideal Home magazine, which is full of really expensive design ideas that I will be copying for half the price, and interesting articles that led me to todays blog.
They have a wonderful article on Oliver Heath - a TV presenter who completely remodeled his house to be as eco friendly as possible. I'm not suggesting you go to quite the effort he has, spending £440,00 to buy the house and a further £130,000 in refubishment (!) but there are steps you can take that don't empty your bank account. Oliver estimates that it will take just 10 years to make back the refurbishment money with the savings he will make, which is incredible. If he can make back £130,000 in 10 years then we're all capable of making some pretty hefty savings ourselves with the right steps.
You need to start with the most obvious thing: changing your habits. Being green is a lifetime goal, not an instant save. Think of each habit you change as saving you 5p every time you remember. Add in just 1 habit a day and you'll only save £18.25 a year, but add 3 habits a day and you've saved £54.75!
Do you leave the door open when you take the bin out? Or leave lights on in various rooms even when no one is in them? How about leaving the shower running for 5 minutes to 'warm up' while you're getting ready? I'm not suggesting you lock yourself out of the house, sit in the dark and take a cold shower in the morning. That would be my worst nightmare! But pull the door almost closed, flick the light off when you'll be out for more than a few minutes and only leave your shower running the 30 seconds it needs to warm up before getting in.
Other ideas include keeping the doors in your house closed, only boil the water you need, switch things off instead of standby, don't leave things plugged in if you're not using them. All of these suggestions don't sound like they add up to much, but over the course of a year you'd be surprised.
Next you move on to simple solutions; conserve your heat and save water. A quick run down shows what you can do and how much you will save per year:
Seal drafts around doors, windows and loft hatches: £55
Insulate your hot water cylinder with a 75mm jacket: £40
Switch an old boiler to an A-rated condensing boiler: £100-£300
Fit a low-flow shower head: £90 (based on water-meter bills for a household of 4)
Swap incandescent lightbulbs to fluorescents: £55+ over the bulbs' life.
Swap a 70W halogen bulb with a 6W LED light: £70 over its' life.
It doesn't sound like much, less than £5/year saved on a lightbulb. But think of the bigger picture; most people will have 10-20 bulbs in their house as a conservative figure. That's £50-£100/year!
Insulate your loft to 270mm thick insulation and you can save £175/year. Add cavity wall insulation into the equation and you'll add a further £135/year. (based on a 3-bed semi detached house)
The final and biggest step is to start generating your own energy. This is where it gets a little complicated, so I'll be devoting another blog to that one!
So there you have it, some quick and painless steps to make your house more energy efficient. What habits will you be changing? Write them in comments below and we'll all try them together!
Bee Busy This Summer
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| Don't worry, it's not real! |
I'm probably the last person anyone would expect to want to help bees, but even I have to admit they do us good. About 1/3 of the food we eat has made it to our plates thanks to pollination from bees, across the EU they're responsible for pollinating almost 84% of our crops. So as long as they do their thing far away from me I'm happy for them to do it!
Sadly, the worlds' population of bees are dying out and Britain is losing them the fastest. We could be a bee-free country by 2018 and as much as I'd enjoy my summers more without them, we do really need them. It's estimated that the British Agriculture Industry could lose as much as £440 million a year without them, not to mention the devastation to our eco-systems.
Neonicotinoids (Neonics for short) are largely to blame for the disappearing bees - they're 7,000 times stronger than DDT (banned in Britain in 1984) and studies have shown that they damage human health as well as killing off all insects that ingest them. For more information on bees and why they're disappearing, check the links at the bottom of this blog.
But this post would be useless if I just told you the sad story that bees are facing. Now it's time to tell you what you can do to help them out! And if you're anything like me, you'll be relieved to know you can help the little pests out without getting up close and personal. I can even feel your sigh of relief from here! So here's the run down of things you can do:
Buy local honey.
By creating a demand for it, you're ensuring that the investment goes in to keeping local bees. You're also getting honey that isn't full of preservatives and hasn't been flown hundreds of miles to get to you. So you can give anyone buying foreign honey a smug look as you pat yourself on the back for being kind to your body AND the environment!
Wash out empty jars of foreign honey.
If you've gone for the cheaper option of buying foreign honey (which in the economic climate is understandable) do your local bees a favour and wash out every last remenant before putting the jars out for recycling. Local bees will be attracted to the remaining honey in the pot, which contains foreign bacteria that is harmful to our native bees.
Plant Bee Friendly Flowers.
Even if you only have a small plot of land, you can use it to encourage bees to visit and pollinate. There are plenty of bee friendly plants to choose from, for a list of them click here.
Adopt a bee hive.
You can help out bee hives without going anywhere near them by adopting a beehive. The British Beekeepers Association will use the money to fund research into best ways to keep bees and for training new bee keepers.
Buy Bee-Friendly products.
Neal's Yard do a fabulous Bee Lovely Hand Cream and donate £1 from each sale to help save the bees. It's a win-win situation - the bees get saved and you get soft hands! If you want to buy this product and live in the Bristol area get in touch and I can order it for you. :)
If you want to help the bees and you don't mind getting a little more hands on, The British Beekeepers Association run all kinds of courses in bee keeping. You can even lend your garden out to a bee keeper if you have the space. I for one, will be sticking to the distance methods of helping them out!
That's all I have to say on the subject, but you can find plenty more information about bees by clicking these links:
The British Beekeepers Association
Neal's Yard Bee Lovely Hand Cream - Scroll to the bottom of the page and they have lots of handy information links for you to follow.
So what are you going to do to save the bees?
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Twenty-One: Icing Flowers and Egg Shells
Good Afternoon lovely readers!
I apologise for my absence over the weekend, but as my wonderful partner Tom pointed out I have to have some down time, and I spent that time pretty well! The strawberry & vanilla muffins turned out brilliantly - getting compliments from everyone who has tried one (or two, or three..) so I'm pretty pleased with that result. Plus I learned a new skill, courtesy of my friend Rachel who is pretty amazing at cake making! I give you...
...an icing flower! The method is pretty simple and one day I'll get around to doing a How-To Guide but for now you'll just have to admire our efforts and be jealous. ;)
As for the egg shells, I've found a lovely picture of an old egg carton and egg shells turned into a mini garden, with an article on how to make your own. The article can be found here.
I'm loving the idea of a mini garden right now and I'm wishing I hadn't thrown the eggs in the bin after making muffins at the weekend! Luckily I still have the carton left, so I'm sure I'll find another use for that somewhere along the line.
How was your weekend? Did you get out in the garden with the lovely weather, or cook up some delicious treats?
I apologise for my absence over the weekend, but as my wonderful partner Tom pointed out I have to have some down time, and I spent that time pretty well! The strawberry & vanilla muffins turned out brilliantly - getting compliments from everyone who has tried one (or two, or three..) so I'm pretty pleased with that result. Plus I learned a new skill, courtesy of my friend Rachel who is pretty amazing at cake making! I give you...
...an icing flower! The method is pretty simple and one day I'll get around to doing a How-To Guide but for now you'll just have to admire our efforts and be jealous. ;)
As for the egg shells, I've found a lovely picture of an old egg carton and egg shells turned into a mini garden, with an article on how to make your own. The article can be found here.
I'm loving the idea of a mini garden right now and I'm wishing I hadn't thrown the eggs in the bin after making muffins at the weekend! Luckily I still have the carton left, so I'm sure I'll find another use for that somewhere along the line.
How was your weekend? Did you get out in the garden with the lovely weather, or cook up some delicious treats?
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Twenty: Green Gardening
I know what you're thinking, gardening is about as green as it gets already! And you're right for the most part, but there are still a few ways to get extra green when you're growing things - whether it's just some pretty flowers or some veg. Recycled household items are brilliant to use as pots - some can even be broken down into compost once the plant outgrows them! You can use your imagination for things to recycle, anything from the plastic trays you get meat in to egg shells! For some obvious ideas and even a couple of weird ones check out this article.
Now I warn you, I'm not a keen gardener. Even my best efforts end up dead eventually (sorry Aji!) and that's when I try really hard. But I'm told that growing herbs is ridiculously easy and that even I could do it... so in the spirit of being green in every aspect I'm trying to grow Basil. I use it a lot when making bolognese and I'm told it's the easiest of the lot. Here's my simple guide on how I've done it:
Take two meat trays (clean of course!) and make small holes in the bottom of one.
Now I warn you, I'm not a keen gardener. Even my best efforts end up dead eventually (sorry Aji!) and that's when I try really hard. But I'm told that growing herbs is ridiculously easy and that even I could do it... so in the spirit of being green in every aspect I'm trying to grow Basil. I use it a lot when making bolognese and I'm told it's the easiest of the lot. Here's my simple guide on how I've done it:
Take two meat trays (clean of course!) and make small holes in the bottom of one.
Pop the one with holes in into the one without and press them together so there's only a small gap at the bottom. Then fill the top one with compost - leaving about 1cm at the top. Next get a coke bottle (or fanta, tango sprite..) and chop the end off to create your own mini greenhouse. You might need more than one depending on the size of your pot, I used two for mine. Use the end to indent the soil so you can see how much space you have for the seeds.
Put the seeds in the little circles making sure you don't overcrowd them. I probably put too many in mine, but whatever! Add a thin layer of compost over the top of the seeds, approximately 0.5cm, then sprinkle them with water. Finally you just need to put the greenhouses in place and wait for them to grow! Don't forget to water them now and then though or nothing will happen. ;)
Have you ever tried growing something edible? How did it turn out? Or are you now going to try basil seeds with me? Let me know in the comments below. :)
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Seventeen: Banana Muffins, yum!
What a wonderful Wednesday! Today I thought I'd share with you a recipe I found for Banana Muffins, which I made last night and can personally advertise as the best banana muffins I've ever eaten! (Note: I haven't eaten banana muffins before, but these are nom I promise..)
I bought some bananas last week and they were coming to the end of their life, so rather than throw them in the bin I decided to get creative!
You might need to jiggle the cooking temperature/times around a little, as I found the sugar content made the tops brown a little too quickly for my liking. The middle was definitely cooked, but perhaps a little squidgy.
Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
125ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
250g plain flour
100g caster sugar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
150g white chocolate chips
This recipe will make 12 decent sized muffins.
I only had 100g of the chocolate chips, so I improvised with 20g of mini-marshmallows. To be honest, you can't taste the marshmallows so you're probably better off sticking with more chocolate. I can't hear you complaining... ;)
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 200 (This could be where I went wrong - I assumed that meant fan assisted ovens and it probably doesn't. So next time I'm going to try 180ºC instead.)
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl - not the one you're going to be mixing everything in.
3. Mix the eggs and oil together in the bowl you'll be mixing in.
4. Mix the dry ingredients together, then add them to your mixing bowl.
5. Add the mashed banana and chocolate chips (plus marshmallows if you go with that).
6. Divide into muffin cases and place on the baking tray.
7. Cook for 20 minutes, checking frequently in case they're finished sooner! (Mine only took about 16 minutes.)
And there you go! Banana muffins. :) Like I said mine came out a little brown, but they are delicious and don't taste at all burnt.
I bought some bananas last week and they were coming to the end of their life, so rather than throw them in the bin I decided to get creative!
You might need to jiggle the cooking temperature/times around a little, as I found the sugar content made the tops brown a little too quickly for my liking. The middle was definitely cooked, but perhaps a little squidgy.
Ingredients
3 very ripe bananas
125ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
250g plain flour
100g caster sugar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
150g white chocolate chips
This recipe will make 12 decent sized muffins.
I only had 100g of the chocolate chips, so I improvised with 20g of mini-marshmallows. To be honest, you can't taste the marshmallows so you're probably better off sticking with more chocolate. I can't hear you complaining... ;)
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 200 (This could be where I went wrong - I assumed that meant fan assisted ovens and it probably doesn't. So next time I'm going to try 180ºC instead.)
2. Mash the bananas in a bowl - not the one you're going to be mixing everything in.
3. Mix the eggs and oil together in the bowl you'll be mixing in.
4. Mix the dry ingredients together, then add them to your mixing bowl.
5. Add the mashed banana and chocolate chips (plus marshmallows if you go with that).
6. Divide into muffin cases and place on the baking tray.
7. Cook for 20 minutes, checking frequently in case they're finished sooner! (Mine only took about 16 minutes.)
And there you go! Banana muffins. :) Like I said mine came out a little brown, but they are delicious and don't taste at all burnt.
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Sixteen: The Importance of a Green Business
The modern customer is looking for more than just great service these days, they're looking to see if your company has a conscience and isn't just profiteering. Fairtrade has taken huge steps in recent years to ensure better conditions for third world farmers and without consumer motivation it wouldn't have been possible. This is proof that today you need to think of more than just how your shop looks and whether your front of house is smiling.
One of the ways to show you care is to make sure you are up to date on your Green policies. Recycle, Reduce, Re-use is one of the best philosophies you can stick to when trying to improve your business. It can be practiced in any type of industry but I'll be focusing on the Hospitality Industry since that's the one I currently work in.
The Hospitality Industry sends a huge amount of food to landfill each year by overestimating their needs, using inefficient equipment and not doing all they can to minimise waste. I work in a coffee shop so I know we're limited by health & safety standards left right and centre, but that doesn't mean we can't take some big steps towards making the industry more environmentally friendly.
Our industry relies on the planet more so than others; our products come directly from the earth and without it we're out of business. If we don't keep the rainforests alive, we lose packaging. If plants soak up chemicals we are endangering our customers. The animals in turn eat these toxic plants and then our meat because contaminated. It's a vicious cycle that ultimately ends with us being closed.
Looking at it from a reverse view there's a much more positive image we can create. Support the Rainforest Association and there will always be trees for your packaging. Use organic products and organically raised animals and no one will be exposed to chemicals. Reducing your carbon footprint actually cuts your costs and raises your profile to customers. That's why more companies are turning to these policies to give their businesses a makeover.
From recycleable packaging to vegetable based inks, reusable containers, energy saving appliances, the resources are all there to make things as easy as possible for you. In this day and age there is no excuse to sit back ignoring the issues that people are crying out to be acknowledged. If your company can take even the smallest step you'll be changing the planet for the better. To give you an idea of what you can do here are some small examples I've already implemented here at The Witches Brew.
Fairtrade products and locally produced foods wherever possible.
Cut down your carbon footprint by reducing the distance your products have to travel. All of our coffee and hot chocolate is Fairtrade and our cakes and crisps are from local suppliers.
Only order what you need.
Buying in bulk only saves you money if you're going to use all of it, so companies who buy in by the hundreds and end up with a lot of wastage are actually just throwing money into landfills. We have fresh cakes ordered each week and usually stick to minimum orders of everything else we stock.
Use compostable cutlery.
Or napkins, takeaway cups, there are a whole host of compostable products out there you can use. Check out Vegware products for loads of ideas. We're introducing new compostable products as we run out of their throwaway counterparts.
Re-purpose everything you can.
Keep waste out of landfills by seeing if there's another use for it first. Our used coffee grounds are used to keep bugs off plants, down the drains as a de-odoriser, a tint for fixing wood furniture.. Check out some more ideas here. Old tins/pots become plant pots or pen pots. Empty handwash bottles become vases - Neal's Yard bottles are especially pretty for this idea.
Have your own compost heap.
There are loads of products these days that stop pests being an issue with a compost heap, so why not create your own? Throw all your food wastage onto the heap then find a local company or gardening group that will be happy to use it for you. We don't do this particular idea, but it's something I've looked into and would be viable in a business bigger than ours.
Is your business or the company you work for taking these steps? Are there any other steps you can think of that I haven't mentioned here? Get in touch, I'd love to hear from you. :)
One of the ways to show you care is to make sure you are up to date on your Green policies. Recycle, Reduce, Re-use is one of the best philosophies you can stick to when trying to improve your business. It can be practiced in any type of industry but I'll be focusing on the Hospitality Industry since that's the one I currently work in.
The Hospitality Industry sends a huge amount of food to landfill each year by overestimating their needs, using inefficient equipment and not doing all they can to minimise waste. I work in a coffee shop so I know we're limited by health & safety standards left right and centre, but that doesn't mean we can't take some big steps towards making the industry more environmentally friendly.
Our industry relies on the planet more so than others; our products come directly from the earth and without it we're out of business. If we don't keep the rainforests alive, we lose packaging. If plants soak up chemicals we are endangering our customers. The animals in turn eat these toxic plants and then our meat because contaminated. It's a vicious cycle that ultimately ends with us being closed.
Looking at it from a reverse view there's a much more positive image we can create. Support the Rainforest Association and there will always be trees for your packaging. Use organic products and organically raised animals and no one will be exposed to chemicals. Reducing your carbon footprint actually cuts your costs and raises your profile to customers. That's why more companies are turning to these policies to give their businesses a makeover.
From recycleable packaging to vegetable based inks, reusable containers, energy saving appliances, the resources are all there to make things as easy as possible for you. In this day and age there is no excuse to sit back ignoring the issues that people are crying out to be acknowledged. If your company can take even the smallest step you'll be changing the planet for the better. To give you an idea of what you can do here are some small examples I've already implemented here at The Witches Brew.
Fairtrade products and locally produced foods wherever possible.
Cut down your carbon footprint by reducing the distance your products have to travel. All of our coffee and hot chocolate is Fairtrade and our cakes and crisps are from local suppliers.
Only order what you need.
Buying in bulk only saves you money if you're going to use all of it, so companies who buy in by the hundreds and end up with a lot of wastage are actually just throwing money into landfills. We have fresh cakes ordered each week and usually stick to minimum orders of everything else we stock.
Use compostable cutlery.
Or napkins, takeaway cups, there are a whole host of compostable products out there you can use. Check out Vegware products for loads of ideas. We're introducing new compostable products as we run out of their throwaway counterparts.
Re-purpose everything you can.
Keep waste out of landfills by seeing if there's another use for it first. Our used coffee grounds are used to keep bugs off plants, down the drains as a de-odoriser, a tint for fixing wood furniture.. Check out some more ideas here. Old tins/pots become plant pots or pen pots. Empty handwash bottles become vases - Neal's Yard bottles are especially pretty for this idea.
Have your own compost heap.
There are loads of products these days that stop pests being an issue with a compost heap, so why not create your own? Throw all your food wastage onto the heap then find a local company or gardening group that will be happy to use it for you. We don't do this particular idea, but it's something I've looked into and would be viable in a business bigger than ours.
Is your business or the company you work for taking these steps? Are there any other steps you can think of that I haven't mentioned here? Get in touch, I'd love to hear from you. :)
Post Fifteen: Light Bulbs!
Happy Monday Everyone!
This weekend was so fabulously sunny Tom and I decided to get out and do something despite the fact we were both ill. Saturday was spent mooching around the shops and treating ourselves to a few new clothes (which went onto my printed wardrobe diary!). I got some amazingly comfy trousers and a pretty pink top from New Look - I'm really feeling spring colours at the moment so I love the delicate flowers on the trousers and the pale pink of the top. :) I also got myself some No 7 nail varnish in Me! Me! Me! which is a bright pink colour. Then it was off to Asda for the weekly shop.
We managed to last nearly a week on just my Saturday shop last week - so happy! Only had to pop in for bread for Tom's lunches. :) Might not have the same success this week as I was nowhere near as organised and we didn't really buy anything except picnic food this week, but thanks to bulk buying last week I don't think I'll need to go in until later in the week at least. I also remembered to take in one of my bags for life, so that cut out 2 or 3 bags that would've been wasted. Next goal: remember both!
Sunday I picked up a casette to iPod converter for my car, because it's so old I could only listen to the radio up to now. Then Tom and I got some new trainers each, since his are falling apart and I haven't bought any for 5 years! Shopping finished, we headed to Victoria Park for a picnic. I was really excited to use the hamper I got for my birthday. :) We had some yummy sandwiches, pork & pickle sausage rolls, pringles, smarties cookies and amazing Ice Cream Soda to drink. Not the healthiest, but considering all the walking we did over the two days I'm giving myself a break!
Now I'm back at work glaring enviously at the people out in the sunshine, but it's made a little better by the fun Upcycling Ideas I've found for used light bulbs on pinterest. My favourites on the page are the mini hanging-basket style vases and the glittery christmas tree decorations. Can't wait to try out some of these ideas. Now I just have to wait for some bulbs to blow.. (at which point I'll pop in energy saving ones of course!).
How did your weekend go? Did you get crafty or go out in the sunshine?
This weekend was so fabulously sunny Tom and I decided to get out and do something despite the fact we were both ill. Saturday was spent mooching around the shops and treating ourselves to a few new clothes (which went onto my printed wardrobe diary!). I got some amazingly comfy trousers and a pretty pink top from New Look - I'm really feeling spring colours at the moment so I love the delicate flowers on the trousers and the pale pink of the top. :) I also got myself some No 7 nail varnish in Me! Me! Me! which is a bright pink colour. Then it was off to Asda for the weekly shop.
We managed to last nearly a week on just my Saturday shop last week - so happy! Only had to pop in for bread for Tom's lunches. :) Might not have the same success this week as I was nowhere near as organised and we didn't really buy anything except picnic food this week, but thanks to bulk buying last week I don't think I'll need to go in until later in the week at least. I also remembered to take in one of my bags for life, so that cut out 2 or 3 bags that would've been wasted. Next goal: remember both!
Sunday I picked up a casette to iPod converter for my car, because it's so old I could only listen to the radio up to now. Then Tom and I got some new trainers each, since his are falling apart and I haven't bought any for 5 years! Shopping finished, we headed to Victoria Park for a picnic. I was really excited to use the hamper I got for my birthday. :) We had some yummy sandwiches, pork & pickle sausage rolls, pringles, smarties cookies and amazing Ice Cream Soda to drink. Not the healthiest, but considering all the walking we did over the two days I'm giving myself a break!
Now I'm back at work glaring enviously at the people out in the sunshine, but it's made a little better by the fun Upcycling Ideas I've found for used light bulbs on pinterest. My favourites on the page are the mini hanging-basket style vases and the glittery christmas tree decorations. Can't wait to try out some of these ideas. Now I just have to wait for some bulbs to blow.. (at which point I'll pop in energy saving ones of course!).
How did your weekend go? Did you get crafty or go out in the sunshine?
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Fourteen: The Colour of Your Money
I'm poorly today so I'm sitting out in the garden to enjoy one of those rare days that the sun is out and I have nothing to do. Admittedly I would rather be in good health doing this, but I'll take what I can get.
Recently I've been seeing a number of different articles, newsletters and websites that talk about how your money can be green ethically as well as in colour. Since I'm constantly thinking about our finances and how we can put them to best use, this has intrigued me and I thought I'd share my findings with you. Please remember, nothing in this blog is meant as financial advice. Where you put your money is completely up to you.
A handy website that gives you the run down of banks and their ethical pros and cons can be found here. It's called Your Ethical Money and it has sub-categories for all kinds of investments, savings and everyday bank accounts. In each category it lists each bank that offers the product and lets you know how they score against other banks. The criteria they have to meet is pretty extensive - covering not only their green policies, but their equal rights, how fair they are to people in financial difficulty, all sorts of things you just don't tend to think about when choosing a bank. They even let you know if the company invests in good causes or if they actively support bad ones. I don't know about you, but I quite like the idea that my money can help others and still stay in my pocket!
I also found an article that goes through some of the other ways you can put your money to good use, for example lending your savings to help others. There are a lot of complicated rules and you can't just jump straight in without doing a little research, but in its simplest concept someone will tell you why you should lend them the money and you decide if you want to or not!
The article itself can be found here.
Tom and I haven't started saving just yet, which has nothing to do with my recent trip to New Look I swear! But when we do, I'll definitely be looking for the best ethical bank as well as the best savings rates. :)
Recently I've been seeing a number of different articles, newsletters and websites that talk about how your money can be green ethically as well as in colour. Since I'm constantly thinking about our finances and how we can put them to best use, this has intrigued me and I thought I'd share my findings with you. Please remember, nothing in this blog is meant as financial advice. Where you put your money is completely up to you.
A handy website that gives you the run down of banks and their ethical pros and cons can be found here. It's called Your Ethical Money and it has sub-categories for all kinds of investments, savings and everyday bank accounts. In each category it lists each bank that offers the product and lets you know how they score against other banks. The criteria they have to meet is pretty extensive - covering not only their green policies, but their equal rights, how fair they are to people in financial difficulty, all sorts of things you just don't tend to think about when choosing a bank. They even let you know if the company invests in good causes or if they actively support bad ones. I don't know about you, but I quite like the idea that my money can help others and still stay in my pocket!
I also found an article that goes through some of the other ways you can put your money to good use, for example lending your savings to help others. There are a lot of complicated rules and you can't just jump straight in without doing a little research, but in its simplest concept someone will tell you why you should lend them the money and you decide if you want to or not!
The article itself can be found here.
Tom and I haven't started saving just yet, which has nothing to do with my recent trip to New Look I swear! But when we do, I'll definitely be looking for the best ethical bank as well as the best savings rates. :)
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Thirteen: The Sustainable Wardrobe
Good Afternoon!
The sun is shining, I'm in a flowery maxi-dress to mark the occassion and the sunglasses are tentatively in my handbag. I've got pink nails with white crackle on them and a flowery headband on and my only concession to the chill is a long cardigan. It's definitely getting close to summer weather even if we have only just started spring! So following on from this post about your summer wardrobe I wanted to do a blog about how you can make your wardrobe more sustainable and eco-friendly.
I found a brilliant article by Amisha Ghadiali called 12 Rules To Dress By which you can read here. It has a fab print-out that you can keep in your wardrobe to remind you of the rules before you go shopping and a little chart where you can keep track of how sustainable any new additions are.
If you want the full run-down on ways to keep your wardrobe up to date and still eco-friendly you'll need to read the article, but the basic principles are:
Do you really need new? I love the term pre-loved that's now used to describe clothes from charity shops or something you've been given by a friend. We're not talking your grandmas cast offs here, getting a group of friends together to swap clothes is a great socialising opportunity and you all walk away with a new outfit.
Research Ethical Designers. Green is the new black on the fashion scene, which means it's becoming so much easier to buy clothes made from organic or recycled fabrics, or that ensure fair trading standards are met for their suppliers.
Clear out your wardrobe. Not only will you find clothes you forgot you had and will now be wearing all the time again, you'll get extra space in your wardrobe once you give the stuff you don't want to charity. Now you can fill that space with pre-loved, sustainable clothing instead!
Get creative! You can pick up a sewing machine for the price of a new handbag and with it you can make hundreds of new creations - customise your old clothes, use old clothes to make a jar of hearts or even turn old clothes into fashion accessories. A fancy cuff from a dress/top can easily be turned into a new bracelet!
I'm going to be printing off the chart and writing down everything that goes into my wardrobe this year. Hopefully it'll get more environmentally friendly as the year goes on! Who wants to join me?
The sun is shining, I'm in a flowery maxi-dress to mark the occassion and the sunglasses are tentatively in my handbag. I've got pink nails with white crackle on them and a flowery headband on and my only concession to the chill is a long cardigan. It's definitely getting close to summer weather even if we have only just started spring! So following on from this post about your summer wardrobe I wanted to do a blog about how you can make your wardrobe more sustainable and eco-friendly.
I found a brilliant article by Amisha Ghadiali called 12 Rules To Dress By which you can read here. It has a fab print-out that you can keep in your wardrobe to remind you of the rules before you go shopping and a little chart where you can keep track of how sustainable any new additions are.
If you want the full run-down on ways to keep your wardrobe up to date and still eco-friendly you'll need to read the article, but the basic principles are:
Do you really need new? I love the term pre-loved that's now used to describe clothes from charity shops or something you've been given by a friend. We're not talking your grandmas cast offs here, getting a group of friends together to swap clothes is a great socialising opportunity and you all walk away with a new outfit.
Research Ethical Designers. Green is the new black on the fashion scene, which means it's becoming so much easier to buy clothes made from organic or recycled fabrics, or that ensure fair trading standards are met for their suppliers.
Clear out your wardrobe. Not only will you find clothes you forgot you had and will now be wearing all the time again, you'll get extra space in your wardrobe once you give the stuff you don't want to charity. Now you can fill that space with pre-loved, sustainable clothing instead!
Get creative! You can pick up a sewing machine for the price of a new handbag and with it you can make hundreds of new creations - customise your old clothes, use old clothes to make a jar of hearts or even turn old clothes into fashion accessories. A fancy cuff from a dress/top can easily be turned into a new bracelet!
I'm going to be printing off the chart and writing down everything that goes into my wardrobe this year. Hopefully it'll get more environmentally friendly as the year goes on! Who wants to join me?
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Twelve: How-To Make A Jar of Hearts
How To Make A Jar Of Hearts
If you've been following my blog for the last few days you'll know that I've been working on a secret project for Mother's Day. Since yesterday was the big day, I can now let you all know what the present was. :) I made the card myself and all the hearts in the jar (obviously I didn't make the jar!).
I should've got a smaller jar if I'm honest, as I wasn't able to make enough hearts to fill it in time. But now I have present ideas for the next few years - I plan to get some really nice fabrics and add to mum's collection each birthday, christmas and mother's day. Along with other presents of course!
To give you an idea of what the hearts look like here are a few of them:
So here's the how-to guide. There are a lot of pictures to give you a good idea of how to do each step, so don't be put off by the length of the post - it's actually very simple! Each heart takes about 30-45 minutes to make depending on how good you are with a needle and thread and how big each heart is. I'm sure the experts out there could do one in about 15-20 minutes even.
You Will Need:
Fabric - I used old clothes I didn't want anymore.
Rice (or some other form of filling - why not scraps from cutting out the hearts?)
Needle & Thread
Optional
A sewing machine (way easier than stitching by hand!)
A funnel (makes filling with rice easier)
Method:
1. Draw your design on the WRONG SIDE of the fabric, with a border around to allow for a seam.
 |
3. Cut out the second heart and sew the two together RIGHT SIDES facing inwards, leaving about an inch gap along one side.
4. Turn it inside out so that the RIGHT SIDE is now on the outside.
5. Fill the heart with rice (or your other filling).
6. Finally, use invisible stitch to close the small gap you left. If you don't know invisible stitch, just use whatever stitch you know - remember it doesn't have to be perfect!
And that's it! Just repeat and make as many hearts as it takes to fill your jar. One thing you can do is add a few drops of essential oil into the rice on just ONE heart. The scent will be really strong so don't do it to all of them! I used lemon and it gave the jar a lovely smell when it was opened. :)
As for the card I made, I keep a lot of the nice birthday/christmas cards I get each year and I have some plain black card for making my own. I just chopped up old cards, ribbon and added glitter to make my own unique card. Plus some metallic gel pens for the writing. Simples!
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Ten: Green Living
Good morning!
I sit writing this gazing out onto a world of fog, so I thought what better way to cheer up than to share some new day-to-day green tips and some exciting news from me!
We'll start with the green tips. I follow RecycleBank UK on facebook and they're always posting interesting articles, tips and other things that I find fascinating. Today they posted an article 30 Days To A Greener Life which is basically 30 tips for you to try out - either 1 a day for a month, or just to encorporate a few into your day to day habits. These tips are pain-free ways to become more environmentally friendly, so I wanted to put it on paper (metaphorically that is!) that I'm comitting to the following tips. (NB: I'm only going to put the things I don't already do below. I already follow some of their tips.)
1. Start some good water habits.
I already turn the tap off while brushing my teeth, time to add in the hand washing! As for the shower, I've cut down from 30 minutes to 15 and that's the best I can do. Sorry planet. :(
5. Banish stand-by.
Our house is full of electrical equipment. Not all of it's mine but anything within my control will get unplugged when I'm done with it. I can also comit to doing this at work - only bare essentials like the fridge will be left on overnight.
11. Make a meal plan to avoid waste.
I've made an inventory of what we have in the cupboard and I'm only making meals that can be done with what's there. The only things I'm buying in at the moment are meat and vegetables. Plus I'm planning meals a few days in advance so that my goal of only shopping twice a week can be met.
16. Carry a reusable bag.
I already carry one in the boot of the car, I'm actually comitting to remember to take it in the shop!
27. Head for the local library.
Once I finish my boxset of The Sookie Stackhouse Series (True Blood to you tv fanatics) I will be searching out my local library and stocking up on some good books!
So those are my promises to the environment. Once they become habits rather than something I do consciously, I'll take another look at the list and pick some more!
As for my exciting news... *drum roll*
Tom and I have decided to go travelling! This is instead of saving for a flat, so the direction of this blog is going to shift ever so slightly but in a much more exciting way! In my first post one of my Facts About Me was that I want to go travelling, but circumstances have made that difficult lately. Things have changed about a bit recently which has allowed us to think about taking some time out to travel. :) To be honest, my tips about making pillow covers instead of buying and cool things to make for your house aren't going to stop anyway. I love that sort of stuff as a hobby so you'll get just as much of it! However now they'll be interspersed with tips on how to travel lightly, cheaply and safely!
The plan is to spend quite a long time saving, but it's never too early to start a little project book with hints and tips. So to get the ball rolling, have any of you been travelling and have tips you can share with me?
Mission accomplished, fog forgotten. ;)
I sit writing this gazing out onto a world of fog, so I thought what better way to cheer up than to share some new day-to-day green tips and some exciting news from me!
We'll start with the green tips. I follow RecycleBank UK on facebook and they're always posting interesting articles, tips and other things that I find fascinating. Today they posted an article 30 Days To A Greener Life which is basically 30 tips for you to try out - either 1 a day for a month, or just to encorporate a few into your day to day habits. These tips are pain-free ways to become more environmentally friendly, so I wanted to put it on paper (metaphorically that is!) that I'm comitting to the following tips. (NB: I'm only going to put the things I don't already do below. I already follow some of their tips.)
1. Start some good water habits.
I already turn the tap off while brushing my teeth, time to add in the hand washing! As for the shower, I've cut down from 30 minutes to 15 and that's the best I can do. Sorry planet. :(
5. Banish stand-by.
Our house is full of electrical equipment. Not all of it's mine but anything within my control will get unplugged when I'm done with it. I can also comit to doing this at work - only bare essentials like the fridge will be left on overnight.
11. Make a meal plan to avoid waste.
I've made an inventory of what we have in the cupboard and I'm only making meals that can be done with what's there. The only things I'm buying in at the moment are meat and vegetables. Plus I'm planning meals a few days in advance so that my goal of only shopping twice a week can be met.
16. Carry a reusable bag.
I already carry one in the boot of the car, I'm actually comitting to remember to take it in the shop!
27. Head for the local library.
Once I finish my boxset of The Sookie Stackhouse Series (True Blood to you tv fanatics) I will be searching out my local library and stocking up on some good books!
So those are my promises to the environment. Once they become habits rather than something I do consciously, I'll take another look at the list and pick some more!
As for my exciting news... *drum roll*
Tom and I have decided to go travelling! This is instead of saving for a flat, so the direction of this blog is going to shift ever so slightly but in a much more exciting way! In my first post one of my Facts About Me was that I want to go travelling, but circumstances have made that difficult lately. Things have changed about a bit recently which has allowed us to think about taking some time out to travel. :) To be honest, my tips about making pillow covers instead of buying and cool things to make for your house aren't going to stop anyway. I love that sort of stuff as a hobby so you'll get just as much of it! However now they'll be interspersed with tips on how to travel lightly, cheaply and safely!
The plan is to spend quite a long time saving, but it's never too early to start a little project book with hints and tips. So to get the ball rolling, have any of you been travelling and have tips you can share with me?
Mission accomplished, fog forgotten. ;)
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Nine: It's A Secret!
I'm afraid there'll be no blog of substance from me today because I'm working on a little project that needs completing by a certain special day coming up this weekend. Don't worry though, I'm using the experience to compile a How-To Guide on the project so you can use it for future special occassions. :)
Since St Patrick's Day is approaching I'll share with you some hangover cures that are good for not only your pounding head, but the environment too! Have a read of those while I go off and be sneaky for a little while longer...
xx
Since St Patrick's Day is approaching I'll share with you some hangover cures that are good for not only your pounding head, but the environment too! Have a read of those while I go off and be sneaky for a little while longer...
xx
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Eight: Mothers Day Presents
It's that time of year again! Shops are stocked to bursting with flowers, teddy bears, jewellery, chocolates, cards... you name it they have it! And they're all telling you that material gifts are the way to show your mum how grateful you are for her constant love and care.
If you have £50 to shell out on that perfume gift set you've seen or a deluxe box of chocolates, that's brilliant. Your mum's face will probably light up when she sees what you've bought her and she'll be warmed by the thought that you appreciate her. But a week later when the chocolate is sitting on her hips, the memory of that feeling won't be fresh in her mind!
Instead, why not make her a gift that she'll cherish forever? A homemade gift personalised to your mum's own tastes won't get thrown out when the house gets too cluttered and she certainly won't be damning you for the extra inches on her waist (unless you've made your own chocolate for her!). A few quick ideas can be found here but all you need to do is get creative! Knit something, weave something, paint something, bake something.. the possibilities are endless. And the great thing is you don't need to sell these items so they don't need to be perfect. They're going to the person who loves you most in the world and will forgive your little mistakes. :)
I love the idea of making your own bath bombs, so here's a simple little guide on how to do it:
Budget bath-bomb
What you need
4 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp citric acid, some dried flowers
1 tbsp almond oil
1 -2 drops food colouring
10 drops of essential oils including witch hazel
+ ice cube tray, foil
Important: keep everything dry at all times
How to do it
Step 1: Mix the bicarbonate of soda and citric acid together
Step 2: Stir in the almond and essential oils, food colouring and the flowers
Step 3: Spray on your witch hazel and stir quickly until the mixture goes crumbly
Step 4: Pack the mixture into the mould, nice and tight and leave in an airing cupboard overnight
Step 5: Wrap in foil. They're now ready to use!
I hope to try this method sometime - maybe in time for mothers day if I can get hold of some witch hazel before the weekend. :)
Are you going to make your mum something? Let me know how you get on! :)
On a side note I've finally remembered to take a picture of the box I painted, so here it is:
If you have £50 to shell out on that perfume gift set you've seen or a deluxe box of chocolates, that's brilliant. Your mum's face will probably light up when she sees what you've bought her and she'll be warmed by the thought that you appreciate her. But a week later when the chocolate is sitting on her hips, the memory of that feeling won't be fresh in her mind!
Instead, why not make her a gift that she'll cherish forever? A homemade gift personalised to your mum's own tastes won't get thrown out when the house gets too cluttered and she certainly won't be damning you for the extra inches on her waist (unless you've made your own chocolate for her!). A few quick ideas can be found here but all you need to do is get creative! Knit something, weave something, paint something, bake something.. the possibilities are endless. And the great thing is you don't need to sell these items so they don't need to be perfect. They're going to the person who loves you most in the world and will forgive your little mistakes. :)
I love the idea of making your own bath bombs, so here's a simple little guide on how to do it:
Budget bath-bomb
What you need
4 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tbsp citric acid, some dried flowers
1 tbsp almond oil
1 -2 drops food colouring
10 drops of essential oils including witch hazel
+ ice cube tray, foil
Important: keep everything dry at all times
How to do it
Step 1: Mix the bicarbonate of soda and citric acid together
Step 2: Stir in the almond and essential oils, food colouring and the flowers
Step 3: Spray on your witch hazel and stir quickly until the mixture goes crumbly
Step 4: Pack the mixture into the mould, nice and tight and leave in an airing cupboard overnight
Step 5: Wrap in foil. They're now ready to use!
I hope to try this method sometime - maybe in time for mothers day if I can get hold of some witch hazel before the weekend. :)
Are you going to make your mum something? Let me know how you get on! :)
On a side note I've finally remembered to take a picture of the box I painted, so here it is:
Posted by
Ami Marshall
Post Seven: Monday Blues
Good afternoon lovely readers!
I'm suffering a little case of the Monday Blues so I thought a little progress check might cheer me up! Starting with a look at my efforts this weekend.
My weekend was very chilled out - I started making some shorts as per my last post (although I forgot to take before pictures, oops!), did a lot of reading and made Chicken & Lemon soup which was yum! I also tried the Superscrimpers cleaning tricks I saw on the programme last week, which worked a treat.
Tom had made a start on cleaning the oven, but we didn't have any proper oven cleaner so it hadn't worked too well. I'd seen a simple method to clean the oven on Superscrimpers and decided to put it to the test. All you need is Bicarbonate Soda (88p in Asda) and a teeny bit of water - mix the two into a paste, rub it into the glass door of the oven and leave it to work its magic for at least 15 minutes. I left it for about an hour. Then you take your scourer and just scrub it all off. If you need a little help cutting through the grease you can make up a solution of white vinegar, water and lemon in a ration of 1:2:0.5 which should cost you less than £1! Remember the lemons are only for cleaning, so grab the cheapest ones you can lay your hands on. :) The oven door went from pretty gross to completely spotless in just over an hour - magic!
I've also started to notice the difference in my fuel consumption since emptying my car down to the bare essentials. On average I've been getting about 70 miles to 1/4 of a tank since using the driving tips I outlined in this post which has really helped cut back the petrol spend. My car wasn't really that cluttered, but I did manage to throw out some random bits & bobs, rubbish that had built up and take out some Aquarium Filters that Tom had forgotten to put in the garage. Since then I haven't had a huge increase in efficiency, but I'd guess I'm getting about 75 miles to 1/4 of a tank now which isn't bad going for just a little less weight. At an increase of 20 miles per tank, I'll be saving a 1/4 tank of petrol every 4 times I fill up - not bad. :)
To add to my driving efforts, I'm going to be planning my daily trips a lot better to cut down the number of times I have to drive in a day. For example today I need to pop to Asda for a few things on my way home from work, so I'm planning our meals for the next few days to get anything we need for them too. On average I can be in Asda between 2 and 4 times a week, so if I can cut it down a little that'd be great! I'm hoping to do just a weekend and mid-week shop.
What did you do with your weekend? Have you picked up any new tips that you'd like to share, or got some questions you'd like me to answer? I'd love your feedback. :)
I'm suffering a little case of the Monday Blues so I thought a little progress check might cheer me up! Starting with a look at my efforts this weekend.
My weekend was very chilled out - I started making some shorts as per my last post (although I forgot to take before pictures, oops!), did a lot of reading and made Chicken & Lemon soup which was yum! I also tried the Superscrimpers cleaning tricks I saw on the programme last week, which worked a treat.
Tom had made a start on cleaning the oven, but we didn't have any proper oven cleaner so it hadn't worked too well. I'd seen a simple method to clean the oven on Superscrimpers and decided to put it to the test. All you need is Bicarbonate Soda (88p in Asda) and a teeny bit of water - mix the two into a paste, rub it into the glass door of the oven and leave it to work its magic for at least 15 minutes. I left it for about an hour. Then you take your scourer and just scrub it all off. If you need a little help cutting through the grease you can make up a solution of white vinegar, water and lemon in a ration of 1:2:0.5 which should cost you less than £1! Remember the lemons are only for cleaning, so grab the cheapest ones you can lay your hands on. :) The oven door went from pretty gross to completely spotless in just over an hour - magic!
I've also started to notice the difference in my fuel consumption since emptying my car down to the bare essentials. On average I've been getting about 70 miles to 1/4 of a tank since using the driving tips I outlined in this post which has really helped cut back the petrol spend. My car wasn't really that cluttered, but I did manage to throw out some random bits & bobs, rubbish that had built up and take out some Aquarium Filters that Tom had forgotten to put in the garage. Since then I haven't had a huge increase in efficiency, but I'd guess I'm getting about 75 miles to 1/4 of a tank now which isn't bad going for just a little less weight. At an increase of 20 miles per tank, I'll be saving a 1/4 tank of petrol every 4 times I fill up - not bad. :)
To add to my driving efforts, I'm going to be planning my daily trips a lot better to cut down the number of times I have to drive in a day. For example today I need to pop to Asda for a few things on my way home from work, so I'm planning our meals for the next few days to get anything we need for them too. On average I can be in Asda between 2 and 4 times a week, so if I can cut it down a little that'd be great! I'm hoping to do just a weekend and mid-week shop.
What did you do with your weekend? Have you picked up any new tips that you'd like to share, or got some questions you'd like me to answer? I'd love your feedback. :)
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