Green Floor Cleaning

I have been very happily using natural based cleaning and homecare products for at least the past 7 years.  Maybe a bit longer.  In the past few years I've been privileged to share them with friends and a couple of women's groups.  But I don't know if I've written much about them on my blog.  My delightful sister-in-law recently decided to investigate some green cleaning self-made products, so this one is for you, Elizabeth!

Materials:
Bucket
Mop (or cloth if you prefer to get down on hands and knees)
White Vinegar
Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)
Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Method:
Put 1/4 c baking soda in bucket.
Add 1/4 c white vinegar (and wait a moment to watch it fizz - your kids should love that part!).
Add 1/2 t eucalyptus oil (or if you're like me - a dash!).
Half fill with hot water (the hotter the better!).

MOP.
Yup, you still have to do some hard work folks!

Baking soda is a scourer, and vinegar a disinfectant.  They work well apart, but even better together.  In fact, baking soda and vinegar form the basis for most of my cleaning.  They are very gentle on our waterways, don't hurt animals, don't sting my eyes or affect my breathing. And they are super cheap.  Our vinegar is $3.49 for 2litres (Homebrand from Countdown).  That's about 1.5c per 1/4c.  Baking soda is around $3.50/kg at Bin Inn in bulk.  Eucalyptus oil can be found at PakNSave or New World for about $4 a bottle (MedCo brand).

You don't need the eucalyptus oil, but it's a good disinfectant and also leaves things with a really 'clean' smell. (adding it to your washing apparently helps kill of dust mites too!).  The smell of vinegar does dissipate once it dries, but if you don't like it, try adding some essential oil (lavender or orange are other lovely clean smelling fragrances).  I have even cleaned floors with just hot water and eucalyptus oil.  That's how I first came across it - on request by a cleaning client.  Works just fine.  I did however, sneak a little baking soda in to help lift dried food and mud from time to time.

A special secret to a squeaky clean, shiny floor:
Dry with an old towel straight away - this stops any streaks drying, although it is of course completely unnecessary in terms of hygiene provided you're happy to blockade your nicely cleaned floor from people in muddy boots!

Happy cleaning!  I hope you are inspired to try some green cleaning.  It's easy, good for you, the environment, and your wallet!  Let me know how you get on.

Amy

What Can You See?

Here is our front garden on a nice sunny day earlier this week.

Serene and peaceful, wouldn't you think? Needs a bit more weeding, which is what I'd just been doing down in front of the spikey plant to the left. Now look a little closer. What can you see?

Closer.

Oh, and here's the other spikey plant...

They do look rather beautiful. Fortunately for me, they were rather dozy and more interested in creating their nests in the gentle morning sunshine than in the silly human's head that got rather close. We bought flyspray. Wasps are about the only thing I will use flyspray on (nasty, chemical stuff, stinks and is not good for our world at all, so usually we just use a flyswat if we really need to kill something)...Boyo did try using a shoe on these instead first, but they were a bit hard to get at. I do feel a little mean killing the wasps, as they are simply living their own lives and minding their own business. I'm sure they must fulfill necessary jobs in the grand scheme of things (such as parasiting other bugs maybe?), but I personally feel rather uncomfortable being anywhere near a wasp, let alone having two nests right by my front door. So it was bye-bye wasps. I am now checking plants before I get too close, just in case any of their friends have similar plans.

Amy

Saturday, 16th October, 2010

Beauty Everyday

Look at this beautiful thing.



I noticed it when I visited Mum and Dad's on the weekend. Originally this was the stump of a nashi tree that sadly had to be taken out because it was blocking most of the sun to part of my parent's house. The stump has sat there for a few years, looking pretty unremarkable. I hardly even noticed it, other than wishing it wasn't sticking up in the middle of the lawn! In the last few months though, a miracle has quietly been taking place. This old tree stump has been transformed into something artistic and beautiful. Now I know that the fungus that has decided to grow here is simply living its life and probably not trying to be artistic at all, but just look at the colours and patterns it has created. I just love the swirls! God's handiwork is amazing! I am just in awe that something functional (a dead old tree stump being recycled by a fungus) has also been designed to look so incredible.





Beauty is all around us. Even annoying old tree stumps sticking out of lawns have their merits. We simply need to stop, open the eyes of our souls, and really see the beauty that surrounds us every day.



Have you seen something beautiful today? Why not take a moment to stop and drink it in before carrying on with your day.


Amy

'Disposable' disposables!

We have ticked another 'to do' off our baby preparation list, and purchased a box of disposable nappies.

You might be wondering what on earth I am doing, buying disposables, if you have read any of my previous posts about nappies. Well, I noticed that even people who sell the new generation cloth nappies often suggest that you start with disposables for the first 2-4 weeks, just to give a bit of adjustment time for Mum, Dad and the new bubs before the washing routine kicks in. It sounded like good advice! The only issue is that I really do not like disposables. The idea of putting all that plastic and chemical load on my baby's butt somehow seems so wrong. Then having to throw it out knowing it will take 500 years (or whatever the attrocious time frame is) to decompose, well that seems so wrong too.

So I've gone for the clean, green 'disposable' alternative. Which really is disposable in every sense of the word! They are called Moltex. They have no chemicals added, are unbleached and breakdown properly. They also still operate and look like a standard disposable in every other way. So we get the convenience of something that does not need washing, and my conscience can sleep peacefully at night knowing I'm not creating more pollution than necessary.

We got 208 'newborn' ones (3-6kg I think is the actual weight range) for $120. Not cheap, particularly when compared to how little I made my pocket nappies for...but I think it will be worth the extra help when Munchkin is first born.

For now, that is all we have the money for. Later on we might look at getting a few more, for outings and going away and such, but we will see. I did notice a new range in PakNSave's supermarket recently. I think they were called Natural Care or something along those lines...they looked more enviro-friendly than a standard disposable and a more affordable price than Moltex, but don't do newborn. So we might get a pack of them every so often once Munchkin is up to the crawler stage, we will see. It is nice to know the option is there if we ever decide we need it.

Now I just need to work out where to store all the nappies, both Moltex and Pockets! Hmm...



Amy

Meatless Monday

Yesterday we had a really nice, vegetarian dinner. I did not purposefully set out to have a meat-less meal. It was simply what I felt like eating when I was arranging the menu for the week. It wasn’t until we sat down to eat that I realised it was Monday. I’ve read on a few blogs about Meatless Mondays. It is a ‘movement’ I guess where people are taking meat out of their diet on just one day a week. The idea being that meat is a very expensive commodity in environmental currency. Meat production costs a lot of water, a lot of grain, a lot of petrochemical fuels and fertilizers, and uses a lot of space. These are all things that we actually need for other things, such as feeding the world’s starving. Then there are also the ethical aspects of meat production – the way animals are housed, fed, transported and slaughtered. I have not worried too much about researching further, as I believe that these concerns sit well and relevantly for me, so to speak, fitting well with my own personal philosophies.

The other issue I feel comes into the meat versus no-meat debate is that we really do we eat too much meat in our Western diet so it sure wouldn’t hurt to eat a bit less and instead eat some more veges! It is this reason predominantly that has led me to progressively reduce the amount of meat Boyo and I eat. Not being very skilled or knowledgeable about preparing meat-less meals, I instead spent a few years reducing the meat intake of each meal. Our average meat portion is now around 200g for the two of us (so 100g each). I have no idea how this compares to ‘average,’ just that it is less than we used to have! I have learned how to make meat go a longer distance by combining it with beans, rolled oats, or vegetables.

So back to Monday’s dinner. I just decided that we’d have a meat free meal, so we did. Then I realised that it was in fact Meatless Monday. The idea behind Meatless Monday is not to turn the world into vegetarians. It is simply to encourage people to eat a little less meat each. If all westerners ate one meal a week without meat, a lot of grain and water could go to those who really need it. Well, we really enjoyed our meal...even Boyo who loves his meat. And I can quite happily contemplate the bacon and egg pie that he is making us tonight.

Here’s our dinner. Beetroot leaves, celery, tomato and herbs from the garden. Capsicum and lettuce from the farmers market. Kumara, onion, carrots from the supermarket. I also did sweetcorn, but we were in a rush to pick up a lawnmower and decided we didn’t really need it anyway!

It was a really yummy dinner and I’m thinking of making Meatless Monday a regular event. I haven’t told my meat-loving husband yet though!

Have you had a nice meat-free meal recently? Do you have any favourites you’d like to share?

Photos are coming...just as soon as I get the camera cable out of a box to download them!
Amy

Boxes and Loo Cleaner

Boyo and I have just moved into a little unit on the weekend. There are boxes just about everywhere! Our internet and phone line are still down. Apparently there’s a line fault that they have to find and sort out so I will probably have to head back to my parents to work out my study requirements for the week and post this entry. We spent ages yesterday rearranging the lounge furniture, sitting on it and discussing, then rearranging it again in an attempt to make the space work better. It will probably be rearranged again today. We are accumulating a rather large pile of empty boxes in the conservatory which will at some stage have to go out for recycling. There is one box we think we will keep though, a large washing machine box that looks just made for Munchkin to play ‘house’ or ‘fort’ or any number of cool games in. Last night we purchased a small electric lawnmower too, for our little patch of grass.

The kitchen is probably about the most organised room in the house. There is food, for starters. I spent around 4 ½ hours shopping on Saturday so we now have all the spices I thought I’d possibly be using, flours for breadmaking (now, where is the breadmaker?!), dried lentils and beans, and so forth…none of it in jars just yet, but hey, we will eat. The freezer is stocked with meat too. It is out in the garage, there not being room in the kitchen area. I must say that something in me feels VERY satisfied when I know there’s plenty of food in the house. I believe I have located all my small kitchen appliances, so they are all in various cupboards. And we bought some dishwash liquid, a dishrack, cloths and scrubbing brush so have even been doing our dishes!

There’s still plenty left to do though. The spare room/office is still to be set up. There are 2 rows of boxes decorating the garage, waiting to be unpacked. Unpacked into what, I’m not quite sure yet. Need to get some cupboards and bookshelves only where will we put them?

Yesterday I did one very important little job. I made loo cleaner. This is where I rave madly about the great benefits of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda). How cheap it is ($3/kg at Bin Inn bulk foods). How environmentally friendly (well, it’s a food so what do you expect). How versatile (if I had only baking soda in my house, I could likely clean every single thing I needed to). How nice on the hands (they feel nice and soft). How it cleans and brightens (kind of like a cream cleaner like Jiff only without the chemicals). How it absorbs odours (seriously, it does). And how hypoallergenic (no silly artificial fragrances). Baking soda is simply amazing! It is the secret agent of the kitchen cupboards. During the day, it lives a normal life as the occasional rising agent for baking. But at night, when we are all sound asleep, baking soda slips out, puts on its black balaclava and trench coat, and gets to work! Seriously, it has so many uses there have been books written solely about baking soda.

But anyway, you get the general idea. If you want to clean something, try Googling baking soda. Or check out http://www.simplesavings.com.au/ for loads of hints and tricks including, but not limited to baking soda’s myriad of uses.

As for loo cleaner, I can get you set up with that in about 5 minutes flat. Get some baking soda. I used 3 cups. Put it in a metal (not plastic) bowl or pot and use a metal spoon to squish the big lumps out of it. Add some essential oil of your choice. This is not a necessary step, but it does make the bathroom smell a whole lot nicer. I used 10 drops of lavender, 10 of mandarin and 10 of lemon, but you can use whatever you like (tea tree, rose, etc, etc, etc). Stir and squish it all some more to mix the oils in well. If you happened to use plastic utensils for this project, you will be able to smell and taste the essential oil for months as it gets absorbed into the plastic.

Pour the finished product into a container of your choice. The one shown here was going to be recycled and even has its own scoop. My mum (a recent convert to baking soda loo cleaner) has a pretty glass jar with clip top lid, and a little metal spoon for hers. Label it so that people know it is not a poison nor for eating indiscriminately. Wa-lah! You now have loo cleaner. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Our loo cleaner stays right beside the loo. Whenever it is a bit smelly in there, someone just sprinkles a teaspoon or so of the cleaner around the toilet bowl and leaves it to sit. When we go to give the loo a proper clean, we sprinkle and scrub. That’s it. Having discovered this cleaner has revolutionised my bathroom. We no longer have a smelly room, and I no longer feel compelled to buy silly fragrance sprays that just end up making me sneeze. As a bonus, the loo is both cleaner and whiter than ever before. And if I need a nice smelling cleaner anywhere else in the house, I know I can always raid the bathroom! So 10 minutes spent in the kitchen has left me feeling so much more in charge of my home this week. Everything else is going to take awhile longer to sort out, but for now, I'm happy that we have loo cleaner.

Thanks for coming by today. I hope you have a nice week.
Photos are coming...just as soon as I get the camera cable out of a box to download them!
Amy

Chooks

I just LOVE chooks. I think they would have to be my favourite animal, followed by guinea pigs. I have always loved chooks (chickens, hens, poultry, fowl!). As a child, I had a little bantam named Henny Penny. She got a bit lonely and sad though so eventually had to go join some other little ladies.

I think part of my love for chooks is a feeling of affinity with them. Have you ever done one of those ice-breaker games where you are supposed to draw a picture of an animal that you feel is like you, and then hold it up and explain to the group how you are like that animal? Every time I do that game, I draw a chicken. I think it is that they are industrious - always busy. I like to be busy, especially with my hands. And I like how they are sociable and chat away happily and quietly to each other while they work...but that they are always busy working, getting things done. And I love that they give us eggs. They have multiple uses really - gardeners, destroyers of bugs, egg producers, makers of compost, eaters of leftovers, plus of course the quiet presence of a living thing that they bring to the garden.

My husband does not share my enthusiasm. He seems to find their clucking annoying, rather than soothing. We only got chooks after our attempt at purchasing some land (acreage/lifestyle block) fell through and he knew how disappointed I was to have to give up the dream of having chooks and a big garden. Our first 4 chooks were bantam/Arucana mix and quite stroppy. They were given to me as chick and grew up to lay beautiful little blue eggs on a regular basis. We had 5 originally, but early on could tell that one was a rooster. I was careful not to get attached as I knew he would die young, but Boyo insisted on naming him Frank. So from now on all roosters in our family will be called Frank...or at least those destined for the dinner table. Frank did meet an early death after he started crowing (no crowing allowed in town folks!); a friend came and flicked his neck for me - a very quick way for him to go. We even had him for dinner. Being a young bantam rooster there wasn't much to taste but what we did have was very tender and delicious.

The first 4 chickens when they were still babies!

The 4 girls ended up returning to their acreage home as they got into bad habits of standing in their yard and creating a fuss (VERY loudly) all day.

My second attempt at chooks went better. I was given 4 Sussex girls; a throw between the Light Sussex and Buff Sussex (not sure if those are the right names). They were beautiful, docile big girls with a mix of golden feathers. Mayberry (May), Rose, Pollyanthus (Polly) and Primula (Prim) were named on the suggestion of flower names by my mum.

Stories of their antics will be kept for another post (suffice to say for now that their antics were many and varied - perhaps several posts will be needed!).

But here they are:

Polly (dark with yellow legs), Rose (dark with white legs)

Prim (light with yellow legs)

May (light with white legs)

Thanks for coming by. I hope you like the photos! Amy