Back to Basics Day #14
Doing: Steam cleaning the carpet. I borrowed my MIL's Bissell Quick Wash unit and spent ages looking for homemade cleaning solutions on the internet, when I finally stumbled upon a forum post that had numerous people raving about the cleaning powers of just vinegar and hot water in the machine. Ideal! I've been giving it a whirl this morning. Verdict: the used water is filthy so it must be cleaning the carpet, LOL, but it's not getting out the stains I think it should (it's a given that it won't get the older stains out). Hmmm. In the same post one lady had recommended using a solution of vinegar and borax with hot water, so I will give that a go another another day I think (I don't want to over-wet the carpet today).
Making: Ginger beer, using Rhonda's instructions. The plant stopped fizzing about a day ago though, despite feeding, so I am not feeling overly optimistic about this batch? Ah well, it will just be ginger-flavoured cordial if it doesn't work I suppose, LOL.
Dinner: Leftovers.
Challenge/s: Christmas cards. Every year I tell myself I will make them from recycled cards from previous years, and some sort of lovely cardboard (preferably also recycled)... and I never get around to it, buying a pack from the supermarket in a last minute rush instead. And then feeling incredibly envious of friends who have *WAY* more artistic skill than me who sent cards featuring screenprints of their childrens' artwork, for example. Sigh.
Solution/s: OK, so "card-making" didn't make it into the Complete Guide to Self-Sufficiency, but my resolution for the second year of my journey was to "make more things", and I figure card-making qualifies. Someday soon, I'd like to make my own recycled paper (although I gave away the papermaking kit I bought about 15 years ago, d'oh!), but for now buying it will have to suffice. Sadly, the nearest art supply shop is a half-hour drive away, and all the newsagents near here only stock your "average" sheets of cardboard, nothing with any recycled content. Bugger. I know you can get nice stuff on eBay but in the interests of saving fuel (both mine and the postie), I decided to just go with what they had so grabbed a pack of cardstock.
I was thinking of cutting up last year's cards to embellish this year's, until I realised I threw them into the Planet Ark recycling bin at the Post Office in January! I don't really want to buy anything else like stickers and such, so I'm going to go and hit some crafty websites for recycled art concepts :-)
Transgressions: I bought an ice cream maker on eBay... Yes, I know, another kitchen gadget. My rationale was that we love gelati in summer and the kids like ice cream, and this way we know what's in it, we can use our own fruit or local fruit from the Farmers Market (with organic milk), and save on packaging and food miles.
Reading: Gardening Australia magazine, December issue.
Utilities for November: Gas 38.1MJ/day; Water 326L/day; Electricity 13.6kWh/day.
Contemplating: The contents of my daughter's craft box.
5 comments:
I think you'll be glad you bought the icecream maker. I've put away the microwave oven, the electric wok, the sandwich press, the food processor, the blender, the bread maker, the coffee maker and the coffee grinder!! I'm embarrassed by that list but we didn't buy them all, some of them were gifts.
I'm even experimenting with no fridge this week BUT I'm not giving up the ice cream maker or the toaster and I have the stick blender hidden away just in case the mortar and pestle or the potato masher aren't enough.:-)
I have thought about getting an icecream maker as my children love a small serving after dinner, sometimes with fresh fruit.
As far as cards go you cna find lots of simple ideas online. Using squares or strips of coloured paper(even wrapping paper) works well. Thne you can just print out some simple words on white recycled papaer, cut into strips to go across the top.
This year I am hoping to do some family portraits (a friend is going to take them for me) - print them in black and while and stick them onto a blank card. Then I will embelish with either a printed message form my computer (thousands of free fonts out there!) or ise some of my existing christmas stamps :)
Hope this helps. Email me if you can't understans what I mean :)
I have done a lot of card making over the past few years for both birthdays and Christmas's. I recycle a lot of coloured card from things like tissue boxes, paper bags from shops, packaging etc. even from the card/paper layers from boxes of chocloates I've been given. Remember that Christmas cards don't have to be in just red, green, silver and gold colours ~ they look great in using other colours too!!
I love these posts.
LOL Polly :-D At least *this* appliance was a carefully considered purchase - as opposed to the impulse buys we used to make - and I had been looking for a suitable one second-hand for a while before buying it.
Hi Lis, thanks for the tips! (Yes they make sense, LOL). I've found some excellent ideas online, I'm actually quite enthusiastic about doing them! I think the family portrait idea is excellent, something I'd like to do in future.
Hi Ali, more great tips thanks :-) Now I'm scrounging around the house, all the "rubbish" has a whole new light on it, LOL.
Hi Gwyn, thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying them :-) I'm enjoying doing them.
Cheers, Julie
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