I'm early/late again with my update! Ah well :-)
Sowing Seed or Planting:
Sowing:
* One punnet of Jalapeno chillies in the hopes they might ripen before autumn.
Observing:
* That the female kiwi fruit I almost killed has re sprouted - phew!
Harvesting:
* The remainder of the garlic - unlike the rest of the crop, these actually have decent sized bulbs, so I got about 20 decent bulbs (or about 3 weeks worth LOL).
* My first tomatoes of the season! These are the self-sown ones that came up out in the front yard, so I have no idea what variety they are with their pointy little bottoms - they are small, but tasty :-)
Planning for the Future:
* Looking back at the green/simple living goals we have achieved in the previous two years, and setting new ones for the next 12 months.
* Researching ceiling fans for the lounge and dining rooms (two of the three remaining rooms without fans). We're hoping the ones we like might come on sale after Christmas? This time we aren't going to be caught out buying fans that only take energy-hungry halogen bulbs (which is nearly all of them)!
* Researching new 5-star water-efficiency (WELS) rated tap fittings for our bathrooms to replace the original fixtures which were cheap and nasty, and are now almost beyond repair. We found some really nice ones at our locally-owned plumbing supplies store (tick #1), which are - shock! horror! - actually made in Australia (tick #2) and have a 5-star WELS rating (their flow rate is 4.6 L/minute = tick #3). Our current crummy taps leak constantly despite having had the washers replaced several times, and their flow rate is around 9 L/minute according to my calculations. Therefore the new tapware should save about 50% of our water use in tooth-brushing and hand washing in the bathroom - something we do constantly around here with three grubby kids!
* Researching new water-efficient washing machines with a view to replacing our 12 year-old not-very-water-wise top loader that is on it's way out. My current 6.5kg capacity top loader uses about 130 litres per load on the "eco" cycle (or 20L/kg) - new smaller capacity front loaders use as little as 52 litres per load! Having said that, with the amount of washing I do on a weekly basis, I am heavily leaning towards an 8kg capacity machine. I am vacillating between an 8kg top loader which uses 76 L per load (or 9.5L/kg). It has a 3.5-star energy efficiency and is manufactured in New Zealand. According to Choice magazine, the best performing 8kg front loader has a 4-star energy efficiency (but according to Choice costs more to run per year than the top loader?) and uses 73 L per load, but costs $450 more, has a cycle time of 108 minutes (versus 58 minutes for the top loader) and is manufactured in Thailand.
Either way, we would be more than halving our water use for washing, which has to be a great thing!
* Gratefully receiving my grandmother's Singer treadle sewing machine.
* Have found a great recipe for zucchini marmalade, which I plan to cook up this weekend.
Working for the Future:
* Purchased a good quality weatherproof Dynamo wind-up AM/FM radio (as a Christmas gift for DH, shhhhhh ;-).
* Sewing reusable fabric gift wraps for our Christmas presents.
* Made Christmas cards.
* Made our annual donation to Oxfam Unwrapped in lieu of Christmas presents for most of our adult family members.
Building community:
* Birthday party tours of backyard fruit and veg.
* Sending out the annual snail mail letters in the Christmas cards to friends and family, including details of our greening and simplifying adventures.
* Donation of another box of books to the Salvos.
Learn a new skill: * Learning how to use a treadle-operated sewing machine - which has no reverse!
* Sewing (on my regular machine) a notebook and pencil holder (Christmas gift for Miss Seven), using fabric from my stash and felt scraps, and learning about different grades of interfacing! The one I used here is way too stiff (after my first effrot was too flimsy), but the rest of the interfacing will be OK for the fabric baskets I want to sew next.
9 comments:
So guess what I was about to go and blog about? We bought that Electrolux machine today for $999 with a 6 yr warranty at Harvey Norman (Fyshwick store). Several hundred cheaper than appliancesonline which is where I was going to buy it - see if your local has the same price...
I would research the Aquasmart more if I were you. I wanted one then read bad review after bad review. I went into a store and chatted to a salesperson, who agreed they have big faults, and recommended a Bosch. We ended up getting a Miele (eek) but were this >< close to getting the Bosch. I do lots of washing in a week and the long cycle has never bothered me.
I'm researching Twin Tubs LOL.
I always used to have one and love them as I can really get the most use out of the water. I've found a 6kg one which is looking good.
I do realise though that most people cringe with horror at the thought of a TT :o
Hi Sam,
Ooh, thanks for the tip ;-) And congrats again on your new bubba!
Hi Anastasia,
Just as you commented I found a huge page full of bad reviews of the F&P machine, so I think I might give it a miss. Is it the 8kg Bosch you were looking at? I think I eliminated it from my list because it was so much more expensive than the others?
Hi L,
Actually no - I like twin tubs because it's so much easier to reuse the rinse water and save even more. I looked at both the Haier and the NEC twin tubs but I ended up deciding against them due to that fact that they are both 6kg machines and I can only just fit my kids doonas in my 6.5kg machine... There was something else I didn't like either but I can't remember what it was now?!
Cheers, Julie
We have a Fisher and Paykel (an older one than that, but also with a great water rating) but to be honest after living in Germany with a child I finally realised what people were talking about when they said front loaders wash better than top loaders. When it was just us, I didn't notice the difference (I don't spill food down my front that often LOL) but with my 2 year old, I noticed a huge difference in the types of stains the front load got out compared to the top loader. I'm waiting for my top loader to bust (it has already been repaired twice in 5 years!) and then I'm going to get a good front loader. I'd recommend one that has a timer - you can set a load to start just as you're waking up, or finish just before you get home from shopping etc. Very handy, especially with the long cycles.
Merry Christmas Julie,
Just wanted to leave a comment to say I am off on holidays till mid Jan.
Also wanted to say how much I have enjoyed reading your blog this year (for me it was like having a weekend in the country for this city girl).
Have a wonderful Christmas time Julie with your family!
I would still have a twin tub if my Mum didn't think I needed an automatic at one point. I enjoyed using it.
I am glad your kiwi fruit is going well. I enjoyed having those too!
Regarding interfacing: I stopped using it years ago because the non-woven stuff seemed to ruin the drape and feel of woven fabric. I use other fabric, even used, and put the layers together on my hand to try estimate the total effect. Flannel works pretty well for things like soft purses. Maybe denim weight fabric would work for stiffer applications.
I learned to sew on a machine without reverse. In order to begin and end lines of stitching I had to stop and flip the whole piece around but you can also leave long threads, pull them to one side and knot. Then the ends can be threaded on a needle and buried between layers. This is a neat way to end top-stitching.
Reading your post about treadle sewing machines not having reverse really bought back memories! I learnt to sew on my great grandma's tredle sewing machine (that is now sitting in my cupboard, all rusted up, rescued from my mum's), and I used to turn the material around, then around again to secure the ends. Or pull them through and tie a knot.
Happy Sewing.
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