No more washday blues!

Well I say no more washday blues, let's face it , tackling a huge pile of laundry probably isn't anybodies idea of fun , or maybe it is? (edges away from you slowly.....) Anyway , as I mentioned in my cruelty free cleaning post , I've been trying to cut down on the amount of chemicals I use around the home. This will be a slow task as I have quite a few to use up and I don't want to waste them, but I have for the last 2 months stuck with something that is cheap, effective and won't hurt the planet or you.

Vinegar as fabric conditioner. Yes. Seriously. I was myself rather sceptical at first but it really does work! I started to use it when I switched to cruelty free products. I didn't realise at the time that Marks and Spencer or the Co-op's own brands were BUAV approved, that said , now I know I wouldn't switch back.

I use plain white vinegar. Just a small amount in the conditioner drawer of your machine, or you can add it to the water for hand washing. It makes clothes soft, the colours are bright and my machine drum is super shiny! I used to have a problem with the drum smelling if I had forgotten to take out laundry quickly , but since using vinegar I haven't had it once. Nowt.

Now then a word of caution........I haven't used it on very delicate fabrics. I probably will because I'm not the most conscientious of washers but if you have your prized vintage silk negligee , I would exercise some restraint or at least spot test first. To be honest, the vinegar can't be much worse than those horrible dry cleaning fluids or chemical fabric conditioner , but use your common sense.

I did try adding essential oils to it , but they seemed to wash out and not leave any scent behind. You may get a very faint odour of vinegar when you take the clothes out but I assure you it disappears on drying.

I get my vinegar at Asda , it cost 45p and does about 20 washes. I'm looking into buying it by the gallon as this will work out much cheaper.

Try it out and see what you think! xx

Bats!

I love bats :) as soon as I get the money I'm going to join the Bat Conservation Trust . This is a great organisation that helps promote awareness and helps to try and dispell the urban myths and negative  associations with bats. I think they are quite magnificent. Marcus and I want to put a bat box in the garden so we can see them at dusk in the summer :)

Do you find bats cute or scary? xx

Oh crap....

Just found out that my beloved GOSH brand may be owned by a testing parent company........one is not amused!

Cruelty free cleaning

When I first started to change to cruelty free products, I concentrated on make up and toiletries , and then I started to think about cleaning products too. Through my research I've found that everything from dishwasher tablets to pet food could possibly be tested on animals for safety :(

All is not lost however! I've now found alternatives that I love. The first is the more expensive, yet greener option. Method are an American brand that focus on simple and eco friendly cleaning. Their products are easily available in supermarkets or online. They aren't the cheapest but the bottles are quite generous and they contain fewer nasty chemicals than most.

The washing up liquid is amazing. It comes in a lovely bottle and you can buy refills which work out cheaper. I currently have the tangerine scent but I'd like to get the cucumber for summer :) I also use the multi surface cleaner in pink grapefruit, the bathroom cleaner which smells of mint, the shower cleaner which is ylang ylang, the lemon verbena floor cleaner and the laundry liquid. I also have two more specialised cleaners for stainless steel and wood surfaces. They also do bathroom wipes which aren't the best from a waste point of view, but very handy for quick cleaning. I really would recommend this line!

A cheaper option is Astonish products. These are BUAV approved! These are slightly harder to get hold off as not all places carry a full range but you can order online. The oven and cookware paste is brilliant. It's like a cruelty free version of Cif cream! Gets rid of stains on cups, burnt food and cleans sinks. I also have the fabric freshener (like Febreeze) , fabric stain remover, oven cleaner , carpet cleaner and anti bacterial spray. These are an absolute bargain! with most available for 99p or £1. The 99p stores here have the best selection of products. They also make harder to find cruelty free items such as descaler and windscreen wash for the car!

I do also have a few products from Marks and Spencer, again all their own brand is BUAV approved. As they are more expensive than Astonish and not Eco friendly like Method, I generally only buy things like air freshener (not earth friendly I know but I live with boys ;) and they also do a nice range of BUAV approved scented candles and oils. I also buy the biological washing liquid as the Method isn't quite heavy duty enough for Marcus' work clothes!

You can also buy BUAV approved cleaning products from The Co-op supermarkets. These are reasonably priced and they do a pretty good range. I have the rinse aid and furniture polish which both do the job well.

Over time I would like to cut down the amount of products I use in general, but sometimes needs must. When you have children and pets you do need something for those unexpected spills and accidents!

I guess I couldn't do a post on cleaning products without mentioning Ecover. This company actually owns Method, but I personally don't like their products as much. The toilet cleaner and washing up liquid are good options if you cannot find anything else "green" where you are though.

So, there are plenty of cruelty free options available for all budgets! No excuses xx

Rollin , rollin , rollin......

I'm pretty excited to be starting Roller Derby this month. I've been thinking about doing it for the last couple of years and never really made the time, but I've decided that this year shall be the year!

There are two teams local to me , the Killa Hurtz and the Seaside Sirens. I've decided to give the Killa Hurtz a try at first as although my skating skills are ok,  I could definitley do with some polishing and they will teach you how to skate better. The practice times are also better , sunday mornings rather than evenings , and they also seem less pressurised about competing etc etc. Although I guess being in a team that bouts all the time would be fun,  the time I could commit to it may be limited at certain times as Aaron's needs and work have to come first.

I've been swotting up on the game itself and it looks like great fun!  I'm a little nervous about the contact part of it , but as long as I have the right safety gear it should be fine, plus the game is quite heavily regulated to prevent injury. It might be a good way to get all the pent up aggression of the week out :)

I got a great book from the library the other day called Flat Track Fashion , it explains how the game is played and also what equipment is needed. The author also talks about the "look" of roller derby from hair and make up to tattoos. This is a great starter book for anyone interested in the fashion of roller derby or who needs some basic information about the game, however for experienced players it probably wouldn't offer anything new. I recommend buying it used from Amazon or seeing if your local library has it in stock :)

So the first practice or freshmeat session as they call it, is in a couple of weeks time. I will blog more about it after my first session and let you all know how it goes!

You can read more about Roller Derby in the U.K here xx

Want!

If someone would be so kind as to buy me this beautiful bone china mug I'd be ever so grateful! Or perhaps the whole set? Need!

Sorry

I'm sorry for my absence of late. I just haven't felt inspired to write :( there are lots of things I want to tell you but somehow the effort is too much.

I can't wait for spring and the end of dull days. To see the bright yellow daffodils proudly announcing the dark is over , spring lambs bouncing in the fields, lighter evenings and rain instead of snow. A sense of promise that summer will be here soon.

As I'm stuck indoors today I decided to bake some Swedish cinnamon rolls or Kanelbullar. I've been meaning to make them for ages but on a cold day like today the taste of warm cinnamon and fiery cardamom is extra comforting! They tasted delicious!

Long time, no talk

Hej Hej! Sorry I've been away. Just haven't felt motivated at all to write this week. Maybe it's the time of year? These grey , dreary days do nothing to inspire the imagination!

So over the last week a few things have gone on, I had a photo shoot last Sunday which I have some pictures back already :) I was really pleased with the pictures but when I was getting ready to go to the shoot I was getting rather frustrated. I have put on a little weight over Christmas so my clothes were a little snug but apart from that I've noticed my back problems flaring up more and more and a real lack of energy.

So not to climb on the new year bandwagon but I've decided I need to change my habits a little in order to feel (and look) how I want. I talked about this in my new years resolution post and now the time feels right to put it in action!

I've already changed my diet quite a bit by cutting out meat to see if it helps my stomach issues, but I need to find healthy recipes that don't involve huge amounts of cheese! Vegetarian recipes seem to be quite cheese heavy, although I love it , it is of course not great calorie wise :)

Exercise is harder for me. I find it so very boring , gyms are like hell, everybody else's sweaty bits and exhaled air and equipment that has a waiting time.....no no no. So I started today with a 3km walk, did it in 30 mins so not bad.

But....on the 3rd I start ROLLER DERBY!!! So excited!!! I'll post about the team and things later from my laptop but I can't wait. That's the kinda exercise I like, where you don't actually realise you're doing it because it's fun :)

I leave you with a picture of my sexy exercise face. Oh yes.

Have you got any new habits for the new year? xx

Passing time

I had hoped to have more time to blog this weekend but it has zipped by so quickly already!

I have a lots of things to tell you, mainly about my latest research and cruelty free products, I also have a shoot tomorrow so hopefully some gossip about that too.

For now I'll leave you with some pictures from a winter walk we had the other day, bright but cold , we walked along the local river and had chips from the chip shop after to warm us up! xx

Wishing for the cloths of heaven

Just wanted to share with you my favourite poem. I first heard it at school when I was taking English Literature A Level. I never completed the course and how I wish I had listened, paid attention and absorbed it all a little more.

Now I love to read , poems , fiction and even things that are hard to really understand. I have vowed to read more this coming year and immerse myself in books again.

Its funny isn't it? Sometimes the road we abandon so purposefully is the one we end up gravitating towards anyway.....

So here it is, He wishes for the cloths of heaven by W.B Yeats.

Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and the half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet:

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams under your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

Bargain!

Got these beauties in the Clare's sale yesterday, £2.50! I'm having such a thing about cameo's right now xx

Down the rabbit hole

Today I started my new years culling of clutter and organising, more on that later but first a few treasures I found along the way.

I cannot resist old children's books, I've found quite a few in my time in charity shops and boot sales. It all started when my mum gave me a Girls Crystal Annual from 1957 one Christmas.

Growing up , there wasn't a lot of money to go round, and every Christmas she would do a book bundle for me. It was always a mixture of new and used books she'd found on her travels throughout the year, again mainly from charity shops and rummage sales. One year I got the Girls Crystal Annual and a collection was born! One day I'll photograph them all , when I get the time!

I have two lovely copies of Alice in Wonderland. I love the imagery in this book, especially the Cheshire Cat and the Dodo. I even have a lampshade with Alice on that I picked up cheap in TK Maxx once and couldn't bear to leave behind!

The first book is from 1914, as there is an inscription inside, to an Edna Hale (I wonder who she was and what she was like??) I also found a painted leaf inside, such a bonus to find keepsakes in old books. The second one I'm not sure on the age but it has lovely watercolour pictures inside.

I like to think that I am merely a custodian of these treasures, keeping them safe for the original owners, sounds silly but I wonder why these things were thrown away when they'd been kept for so long?

Tonight I may settle down and read a while xx