Simple Living

As I have finished all my Christmas shopping except for the fresh food I will need on Christmas day, I am staying well and truly away from all large shopping centres.

Luckily we have a small IGA in our local area which doesn't get too busy for day to day needs but as for going near a Westfield plaza - forget it!

Time to get on with some of the craft projects that have been sitting in the cupboard.

One of the easy and quick things I wanted to do was to dress up some of my plain pillowcases.

I like to buy white pillowcases as they are so easy to napisan back to a lovely fresh white again.

But they are oh, so boring.

I picked up a fat quarter in Big W a few months ago with the intention of adding it as a border to some white pillowcases I already had.

Just a bit on the entry side of the pillowcase.

Makes our bed look nice and fresh. Took me about 30 minutes to do the two pillowcases.

The other thing I've been doing a bit of lately is stockpiling.

Firstly, because I hope to avoid the shops as much as I can for the next month and secondly, because the school holidays are approaching and I know I will be grocery shopping with an irritable 8 year old.

Last week, Woolies had this great special on toilet paper. Sixteen rolls for $4. I grabbed two lots.

I also love to grab shampoo and conditioner when it's on sale.

I have absolutely no brand loyalty. I try to buy organic when I can but sometimes the other brands have such good specials it's hard to say no.

My shampoo collection.

I've also gotten back into op shopping. I had given up on it a bit because I wasn't finding much in the stores lately and when I did, I found they were charging too much for vintage items.

But a girlfriend reminded me to just take my time when I'm looking through the stores, don't go looking for a particular item and don't buy anything unless I love it.

Well today I feel in love.

My Nan used to have one of these bags/baskets. Made of fabric with cane looking handles. Nan used to keep her knitting projects in hers. I was walking past the local cancer op shop and saw this in the window. I quickly walked in and snaffled it up for myself.

It's now right next to my bed ready for some Autumn/Winter knitting projects.

And 2012 is going to be the year I learn to crochet. (No laughing)

A Quiet Day

I'm off to the hospital tomorrow for a day surgery.

Today is all about getting ready for the surgery.

I have to stick to a clear fluid diet today (Oh Joy!!!) and this afternoon I have to take something called Picoprep which will make myself and the bathroom best buddies from now until tomorrow morning. It just gets better and better doesn't it?

So this morning I headed up to the Op shop to drop off some donations.

While I was there I had a little poke around - as you do, and found this board game in brand new condition.

It's called Tipayatung. It's all about remembering the end line of famous sayings and quotes.

I think I'll put it aside to play on Christmas afternoon. It was a whole $3.

I also got some cheap magazines and a book to take to the hospital with me. I know from experience there can be a lot of waiting around.

The book I got for 50 cents is called Choosing Eden.

I have wanted to read this book for ages and was so happy to find it in an Op shop.

It's about a family that turn their backs on the big city lifestyle and go to live in the country to live a much simpler life including growing as much of their own produce as possible.

It is just the right size to pop in my handbag for tomorrow.

This afternoon while I'm taking it easy I'm going to be working on a craft project . I tore this craft page from a magazine ages ago.

Today I've gathered the supplies to have a go at it myself.'

I've made some yoyo's from some vintage scrap material I had lying around.

The cushion was a $5 bargain from a furniture store. I've pinned the yoyo's onto the pillow to get an idea of colour placement and now I just have to sew them all on.

Can't wait to pop it somewhere in the house.

I may be away for a few days while I recover from my surgery.

Will be back as soon as I am able to.

Three Degrees of Buying

I have been reading a good book lately called "Enough". It's about (funnily enough) having enough. Enough food, enough stuff, even enough work and happiness. It's got me thinking about stuff though today. In this house we definitely have enough possessions.

To create our current standard of living we have farmed one quarter of the land on this earth, overexploited our ocean life, increased the level of carbon dioxide by 30% and mutilplied the extinction rate 1000 times. Not much to be proud of there!!!!

Now when we have to buy something to add to the house I try to buy in the following ways.

I always op shop first.

Firstly, because the "stuff" in those shops already exists. Meaning resources have already been used to create them. So it's best to get as much use out of them as possible.

However, op shopping is an art. Yes, really.

Say I needed some jeans as mine are falling apart. You can bet your bottom dollar if I went to an op shop looking for a pair of jeans for myself I wouldn't find them. No way! That would be too easy.

No op shopping requires forward thinking. You have to browse with the future in mind.

last week I picked up a t-shirt foR Rhianna - almost new and she has very few shirts.



I also found two great non-fiction books to add to our collection. Both of them at her reading level and she has been interested in both these subjects lately.

Now, I am not perfect and I did manage to squeeze in a non essential purchase - a vintage handbag to add to my very small collection.

But really, it was only $2 and will be loved forever by myself and Rhianna who has taken a bit of a shine to it. It's the gold one.

After second hand I try to buy green and organic. For instance, I always buy recycled toilet paper and purchase things such as cosmetics and sunscreen from reputable organic sellers - usually off the net.

Lastly I'll buy new if I have to. Things that fall into this category are specialised clothing such as swimmers, electrical goods such as cameras and of course food that I can't get organically.

The whole purchasing thing is such a juggling act sometimes that often I do without.

Then there is always the law of the universe that says when you need something it will come to you.

Like yesterday, I mentioned to a girlfriend that I was going to begin teaching Time to Rhianna and she mentioned that she had an old magnetic clock set that she was finished with - a match made in heaven.

Do you buy green or organic or second hand. Or are you trying to reduce your consumption in other ways. I'd love to know.

Op Shop Opportunities

Some days I am in the mood to op shop and other days I just can't be asked to poke my head in. And similarly, sometimes my visits are rewarded and sometimes they are a complete waste of time - like a lot of other things in my life (crochet anybody?)

In the last few weeks I've found these couple of bargains:

I've been hunting and stalking Ebay for some vintage tapestries and I really wanted some vintage rose tapestries. Well, what did I spy in my local cancer support Oppy. These 2 beauties - just sitting on the wall waiting for me to grab them. $10 each. Bill later remarked he wouldn't have paid 10 cents for the two of them. But that's a different matter. He kindly put them on the bedroom wall for me. And ohhhh I do love them.

In the next op shop along the way, I found this gem of a book - full of everything a young girl needs to know - if she was living in 1972 which I very happily was thank you. What a trip down memory lane.

And in the same oppy, this vintage eiderdown. It had a few suspicious looking stains but I took a gamble and parted with a whole $5 to own it. Napisaned it overnight and there you go. More vintage loveliness for the little persons room.

And finally I have worked out the cause of my almost constant headaches. At the age of almost 42 my eyes are failing me. Although goodness knows how many books these poor eyes have had to read over the years. I guess it was high time that they had a little help. And the up side is that Bill thinks I look like a librarian and he's very attracted to librarians. So my glasses are a success in more ways than one.

Have a great week.

Not so Fantastic Plastic

There's been a lot of press lately about the dangers of plastic that is used to store our foodstuffs and especially plastic that comes in contact with food when it is being heated.

There is now conclusive evidence that plasticides (DEHA) from some food wraps (clingwrap) leach and migrate into food - particularly when that food and plastic are heated. (Such as in a microwave) Here are some of the steps I have taken to reduce the amount of plastic being used by our family.

If I use clingwrap (rare now) I make sure it does not come into contact with the food it is covering.

I got rid of the microwave and thus the temptation to quickly reheat things.

I use nude food containers for Miss R's lunch or waxed paper if required.

I have now converted my entire pantry to glass storage containers. I did this gradually over time to cut down on the cost. I do have quite a small pantry but because I am at home full time I can pick up what I need for dinner fresh each day. Storing less food means less food waste at the end of the week.

Here is my pantry

Is anybody else reducing the amount of plastic in their homes?

I knew I was kidding myself that I'd have a restful school holidays but today was full on. After Rhianna cooked herself some breakfast, we went op shopping and then to the park.

Back home again, I started on dinner as my energy was getting low. Pumpkin soup and a batch of scones.

A spot of cubby house building and then into the cubby to colour in and play some games.

Then outside for some trampolining and then some ironing. Phew, I don't think I can keep this up for another 2 weeks.

Tuesday Happenings

The knitting is coming along nicely. I have decided to make Rhianna a full sized single bed blanket. I guesstimate that it's going to take about 64 squares and so far I have done 3. But I am really enjoying it and an added bonus is that it stops me picking at food late at night. If I'm lucky enough to still be awake after everybody else then I just pick up my knitting while I watch T.V. And you can't knit and nibble - it's just not possible.

The squares start to pile up

Well, I have finally accepted it. I am not a camper. I have tried to camp - many times. I have been in tents and caravans and then we bought this camper. I have hated camping, I have endured camping and sometimes I even tolerated camping but I never came close to liking it.

So, in a massive declutter we are selling our camper. Hopefully we'll make enough to enjoy some 5 star hotels sometime soon. Now, that's what I call a holiday.

And this is my Op shop find of the year so far. I found it at an op shop up at Mum's on the Central Coast (Toukley, if you know the area). Being a teacher and having had to buy these for various pre-schools I have worked at, I know they cost about $40-$50. I got this in mint condition for $2. Rhianna is using it in her room for motivation. As you can see motivation is low when you have a slave, I mean, mother like me.

Have a great day everybody.