green things...

OK - so I have been working on my new green living list.....I never got one done last year...

Here is my list....10 things I can do... in the next 6 months or so....

Start composting... I have recently purchased a BOKASHI...they are a composting system you use in the kitchen...I have mine in the pantry...you can put fresh fruit and vegies, prepared foods, cooked and uncooked meat and fish, diary, eggs, bread, coffee grinds, teabags, wilted flowers and tissues in it...it isn't supposed to smell and so far it hasn't...We would like to have some chooks one day to eat up the vegie scraps but until Ben has time to build a yard that won't happen...and I think it is great that most of our food waste can go in here! Especially all the stuff that ends up on the floor when Morganne is eating! I got mine from One Earth Outlet in Balcatta...they have a special deal on at the moment...

Reduce water use in the house....need to get Ben to cut down his long showers....recycle some water at least from the shower...the girls share a bath so that helps...I try to have full loads of washing or dishes...

And reduce the amount of garden we have...We have mulched the garden which has helped...if things don't survive too bad...

Find a less harmful sunscreen....some have a lot of bad ingredients in them and I would prefer a safer option...not really related to the environment but more to our healthier living I guess...but to me that is all part and parcel of the same thing...I found some at One Earth...

Grow more vegies ourselves...as organically as we can....our vegies have been going great and taste terrific so I am keen to keep on with this one!

Get the chook yard built and get some chickens....to eat the scraps....

Find out about renewable energy in our state and see if we can switch....and keep trying to cut down on electricity usage in general....

Put up some shade cloth to shade the west side of the house so we can reduce the use of the air -con this summer...it gets so hot out here in the valley...we have had a few trees die and so will be planting some more to provide shade but they will take a while to grow...

And I like the idea of make more, buy less which I read about ages ago on another blog Lottielulu...I don't plan to turn into a a modern day version of The Good Life (does anyone remember that TV show with Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal, Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington?? I loved it as a kid!) But so much we buy is unnecessary and it is fun to make your own things...and food wise it sure tastes better...especially if you can throw in some home grown vegies! I am not sure how I will go with cutting down on what we are buying...especially non food wise but I plan on giving it a good go...

Recycle...I still have more clothes and house hold stuff to clear out and take to the charity shops including some furniture and toys...I am trying to reduce the amount of possessions we own that are just not used and unnecessary clutter...and so want to recycle as much as I can...I will still be collecting and taking stuff to school too for craft and so on...I think this has to be an ongoing process...

I found making a list last time really helped me actually put most of my goals into action...and the couple that I did not are still on this new list....

As I have said before I am just trying to do my bit....because I want to and I think it is important for the future...and all the little bits do add up.....Lissy

scrapbooking and such...

Post number two for the day....Another Christmas layout done....I did this one at the farm...it is not pink...bad lighting...There was a link to this post by Molly Irwin on Ali Edward's blog recently...interesting read about why we scrapbook....I agree with what she thinks...I want to preserve the memories and the little details...the everyday...I am doing that with scrap booking and this blog...

And the layout I did from Sharon's class at the retreat...I absolutely love this whale paper...again this layout is very different to Sharon's but the basic design is hers with the tabs and flaps for hidden journalling...And here is the journalling....under each photo...

...You have always loved to dig in the garden and help plant things. You helped plant our first veggie patch and are living picking and eating what we grow!
...Grandma and Grandad gave you this bike for Christmas 2006. It was a bit big, but now you love to ride it around everyday at Caversham! You love to carry things in the basket…
...Drawing is one of you favourite activities and you spent a lot of time drawing with Grandad. You especially love to do very small detailed pictures on little bits of paper and will spend a lot of time on your creations.
...Painting…you ask to do this most days…You like to have a big selection of colours so you use my paint collection and brushes. You can do quite detailed paintings and like to mix paint colours.

Today E has been making a train.....
And putting on a performance starting with " Ladies and Gentlemen....I am Evangeline Rose Cassey..." and so on...have no idea where that all came from!And look what I found today, Neco the Eco Superstore via Hollabee's blog...so shall be checkign that out...I am still working on my next Green List...

Off to do some more sewing now! Lissy

environmental foot prints...our planet needs a hand...

I have been thinking about my (and my family's) environmental foot print.....I am wondering how we are doing....I am trying to do little bits in our everyday lives...with a few goals...

Back in March I made a list....time to review it.....

so here it is...my list...10 Green Things I am Trying to Do: from March 2007

Open the windows....doing that more now the weather has warmed up!
Take shorter showers I am good at this...but Ben isn't....have to work on that one
Use lower energy florescent bulbs Have done this where i can but some of the old light fitting they will not fit into...
Recycle what I can for school...and give unwanted stuff to charity Have done a LOT of this!
Conserve energy by turning off lights, appliances etc Turning a lot more off than before but still could do more
Use reusable cloth shopping bags Do this most times I shop unless I have forgotten the bags
Buy more environmentally friendly cleaning products I am now using all Melaleuca products and LOVE them...not only do they clean well I do not get eczema on my hands from using them! by the way I don't sell them...I just buy them!
Use Enjo type cloths I am mostly doing this, combined with the Melaleuca products
Reduce the size of the garden Working on this one but hard when I am pregnant...but the watering system has been turned off for months and wont be on again for another month yet...just hand watering my vegies and the rest is coping well...
Get some chooks to eat the kitchen scraps! Not yet accomplished but a job for Ben in the near future I hope...he is keen too!

What else have I been doing....

I am trying to making sure the washing machine and dish washer are full...

I am trying not to use the dryer...it has been pretty wet this winter so I have been very disappointed to have to use it so much as usually we can dry everything outside...

I have been buying local...as much as I can including going to the Grower's Market on Sundays....

I recycle paper more around the house

And I suppose that is about it...that I can think off....so today I am going to do some research and see what else I can do....

Looking on the net...
Zero Foot Print Calculator
How to Go Green
We Can Live Green
Green Living
Carbon Planet

and it is Zero Footprint Week ....Sunday 14 – Saturday 20 October 2007 ....Have a look - it is organised by The One at a Time Foundation

and then to make my next list (stay tuned).....what are you going to do about your environmental foot print?? Our planet needs a hand....Lissy

blog action day

So this is happening on October 15th.......blog action day.....this years theme is the ENVIRONMENT...I am joining in but have no idea how yet....lol....

Go and check it out and get your thinking caps on!
Now I just have to actually remember when the day comes around...lol...

Other news....

Ben did his usual last minute job frenzy last night....putting up curtain rods in the girls bedrooms....so now I can finish the curtains...from past experience I have learnt that the curtain rods have to go where Ben puts them so to have some leeway including leaving the hems until the rods are up....fortunately E's curtains are far from finished as I have to make them wider....lol...so will head to Spotlight tomorrow and get something to make some sort of border down the sides!

And so Ben left today in a taxi at 4 a.m. off to work for 5 weeks...so he gets home a few days before E's fourth birthday and about 3 weeks before the baby makes her appearance...but he also has to be in Tasmania for a few days in late November....so hope the baby waits until he gets back! I have mum and a couple of friends lined up to help if not!

E and I are home all day today - YAY! No plans other than cleaning etc...including my studio - YAY! I am not promising to perform miracles but my work station is looking a lot better already!

And my sister and mum and nephew get home tomorrow - YIPPEE! It has been very quiet without them :)

Happy Wednesday all - Lissy