Little ways to save... the environment and your pocket

I'm always trying to reduce our household eco footprint and off the back of Plastic Free July, which aimed to raise awareness about the amount of single use plastic, I'm even more determined to do what I can to reduce house hold waste. A good friend of mine took the challenge and updated regularly about how she was doing. It was a bit of an eye opener to see how much in our daily life is single use only, and people just accept it.

See, it turns out that single use plastic is everywhere - it's in plastic bags, water bottles, takeaway coffee cups, straws, food packaging... I could go on and on. It's not just plastic that I find really wasteful, but I find that society these days is always chasing the next big thing, upgrading gadgets to something bigger and better. I was raised to be frugal, and so I'm sort of ok using my current things until they're old and threadbare and then mending them and using them a bit longer instead of just throwing them away and getting something new.

Really, it's just as easy to choose reusable alternatives, to make do with what you have, to be a little self sufficient and as well as helping the environment, this can sometimes have the added benefit of helping to save you money. Who doesn't like having a bit of extra cash in your own pocket right?

Here are 10 little ways that I save with very little extra effort.

• Instead of buying water to drink while out, I have gotten into the habit of carrying my own water bottle around
• Instead of using disposable nappies, I use cloth nappies. Babies go through so many clothes and cloths, it really is no extra effort to wash nappies as well. This can also extend into other cloth items, such as tea towels and cloths instead of paper towels and disposable dish cloths. Using hand towels instead of paper towels
• Instead of plastic straws, I have a glass one. Mine actually lives in my water bottle that I carry around with me anyway
• Instead of throwing out vegetable peelings, I compost them or feed them to chickens
• Instead of putting paper and cardboard into the recycling bin, I shred it and add it to the compost heap. For thick cardboard boxes or newspapers, I lay these down when I redo the garden beds to stop weeds from growing
• Instead of doing grocery shopping daily, I write a regular meal plan and do the grocery list at the same time. If it's not on the list, I don't buy it! I make sure that I have the meals organised to take advantage of what is freshest and already cooked. This has the added benefit of everyone knowing what's for dinner so you can avoid takeaway on those indecisive notes
• Instead of buying produce, I reduce cost and food miles by growing my own. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but I'm proud of every food item I produce, and my children love helping in the garden
• Instead of buying bread that is mass produced and tasteless, I bake my own. I have grown to love the process of waking the starter, feeding the dough and I'm chuffed to know exactly what goes into my bread and have it taste exactly the way I want it
• Speaking of baking, I love to cook. I love to make my own food to my tastes and to know exactly what goes into it. I can use quality ingredients and make something really tasty that is superior to anything I could buy
• When something breaks, I like to mend it, or repurpose it for something else. Like the time my wheat pack burst, and instead of throwing it out, I used a pair of my husbands worn out pants to sew a new cover
• I like to sew my own clothes and other household items. This lets me reuse material, but for some items, a cover can help it last a little longer so you don't need to replace it

I'd love to hear in the comments little ways that you save!

Sewing a new wheat pack cover

My beloved wheat pack was getting rather threadbare, but when I finally found an actual hole in it, I knew something had to be done, because I really would rather not wake up in a sea of wheat.

Fortuitously, Mr Fork had alerted me that a pair of his flannel pyjamas had busted a seam recently, and close inspection really deemed them beyond all hope of repair (I had already fixed them a number of times but they were a favourite). So I took these two events as a sign that I should make a new cover out of his lovely soft monkey pyjamas!

It was a relatively simple project that really needs only very basic sewing skills.

The old wheat pack was cut open and the (well roasted but perfectly useable wheat) was decanted into a large bowl.

I took the pants legs, where the material was still nice and thick and cut four rectangles from the bottom, a little larger than the size I wanted the wheat pack to be. My old pack was lined, and I saw no reason to deviate from that, hence four rectangles.

I hemmed it all together around three edges, then turned it right way out. In this case, it didn't really matter so much because I did the lining the same as the outside so I didn't have to be overly concerned about how the material was facing.

The wheat was carefully poured back in via a stiff piece of card which acted as a funnel. I then just turned the ends in on themselves and sewed across the opening a few times.

And it was done! I now have a funky new flannel covered wheat pack with happy monkey faces. My achey pregnant self is grateful! I'm thinking of taking the tops of the pyjama pants and making mini pants versions for Ellie and Attila.

Have you saved anything from being thrown out lately and repurposed it?

My pregnancy wardrobe essentials - styling the bump

I wanted to write about my wardrobe tips for pregnancy. Specifically, this probably relates more to the type of clothes that I wear to work, because when I'm home, I like to dress comfortably, and that means tracksuit or yoga pants and tops that may be slightly indecent for public view given my expanding girth.

I'm one of those people who are pretty frugal, and if I can help it, I'm not going to buy something specifically for maternity wear (unless I get it for an absolute steal of course). I'm more the sort of person who will wear regular clothes for as long as possible, and then when/if I absolutely have to, I'll go buy something cheap in a larger than normal size, but still from a regular store. Maternity wear is expensive ok, and if I can't make use of it after the nine baby-carrying months, I lose interest.

So, having said all of that, these are some of my favourite essential items I've been wearing to style the bump to date. I'm midway through week 29 now, and don't anticipate I'll need to change my dress style too much to accommodate the remaining pregnancy countdown.

The wrap tops

I have the one above from Abi and Joseph and it was worth the hefty price tag ($129 when I bought it). First of all, wrap tops are incredibly flattering. It's versatile, and to help cover the expanding assets I can also wear it with a singlet underneath for extra modesty. The wrap style means it's great as Attila grows because I can tie it to suit, and the fact that it's 100% merino means it's both warm and cool as required. It can also do double duty post baby as I imagine it'll be great for feeding in too.

Sweater dress (or tunic dresses)

The one pictured was sent to me by Mesop. It's the 'Wild World Sweater dress', and I almost fell over when I saw the price tag was $189. Then I looked closer at the dress. It's 100% merino and so soft and drapy. It's also not a maternity dress, but because of the stretchy, soft fabric, it can definitely cope with an expanding bump. Both of my babies have been due in Spring, so I have had winter pregnancies, which I am grateful for, as it allows me the flexibility to layer. This dress is great on it's own, or paired with some leggings for extra warmth. I love it a lot, and it's super flattering on.

I've got a couple of others that are lovely as well, without the price tag. Watch out when shopping because what you don't want is what I will dub the 'potato sack' tunic dress. Find something a little bit special, with a little bit of shape - that always helps me to feel more stylish.

Singlets

Alright, I may have bought something maternity specific here, but I was thinking ahead for feeding purposes. I got mine from Sorella and Me, and who could resist something made with organic cotton and so flattering and that it can be worn pre, during and post pregnancy? It's super versatile and I use it for layering under tops while it's cold, but I also plan on packing it in my hospital bag as well because it's super convenient for feeding in too with the button up neckline.

I have others (non maternity) that I got from Kmart for about $4 which are also awesome - just plain spaghetti strap ones which are fairly long so good for layering as well.

Cute flats

I don't own the above ones exactly, but I have several pairs that are similar. I don't know if it happens to everyone, but my feet swell when I'm pregnant. It happens gradually so I don't really notice until I am the same width from my knees to my toes, but it definitely happens. So, I tend to reserve a subset of shoes for pregnancy wear. I live in cute flats or sandals, and just rotate through them. I'm sad to say by the time Attila is born, all my pregnancy shoes will be too stretched for me (or anyone else) to wear again, so they'll get binned. Still, decent shoes are a pregnancy essential as your poor feet need to carry a bit of extra weight for awhile. I like to trawl around the outlet stores for good brands at reduced prices.

Leggings, tights and socks (similar to those pictured)

Look, let's be honest here. No matter how comfortable a pair of leggings/tights is, they will stretch as your belly grows, so there is no need to get expensive items here. Don't even buy them from a maternity section.  You're after things that will add versatility to your dresses or for modesty under an oversized shirt, or just plain fun under pants (who cares if no one sees them?!). I like to buy mine from Big W or asos, depending on who has the best deal or whether I can wait for postage. I kept the ones I wore while pregnant with Ellie, and they looked ludicrous over the small Attila-bump. So we're talking cheap and comfortable consumables here... although to be perfectly frank, I will probably re-purpose them for staking up my tomatoes when they're too holy and stretched to be decent.

Not pictured, but definitely recommended:

Various scarves, brooches, chunky jewellery and belts. These help to shape an outfit, drape over overexposed cleavage and generally help take the focus off my belly when I don't want to show it off.

How do you 'style your bump'? Am I missing anything?

Easter happenings

On the weekend, Ellie had an Easter egg hunt with some of her friends. It was going to be in a park, but miserable rainy weather caused a last minute change of plans and we de-camped to a house instead. The hunt didn't suffer at all due to some ingenuity and the general age of the huntees meant they didn't know any better. In fact, I think the parents enjoyed it just as much - there was plenty of lovely afternoon tea to consume, photo taking opportunities, conversation with other adults (bliss!), and helping our small people to find eggs and play nicely together.

Putting on her serious look

I don't think Ellie is at the age where she can appreciate chocolate yet, so yesterday, while she was napping, I helped myself to some of her loot. What is it about Easter chocolate that makes it taste so much better than regular chocolate? Those simple, solid little Cadbury eggs are pure evil wrapped in coloured foil. I took to Facebook to confess my guilt about raiding my child's egg stash, and I was assured by other parents that I should take full advantage while she couldn't count how many were missing. I suppose that is one way to look at it. After her nap, I was on the phone for no longer than 5 minutes, and when I'd hung up, Ellie had climbed onto a chair and was reaching for the bowl of her eggs on the dining table. She also figured out how to peel the foil off and discovered the chocolate deliciousness inside. I suppose that is pay back for eating her stash. We then had to deal with a child on what can only be described as a sugar high come bedtime. So not fun.

Instead of giving Ellie more chocolate at Easter (because I know that her grandparents will have her well covered in that regard!), I took advantage of one of her day time naps to whip up a pair of bunny flannelette pyjamas (using my lounge pant method) and a matching drawstring bag. This cute little set took me about half an hour to complete and I was able to raid my fabric stash so I didn't cost me anything except some time and effort. I think being able to sew some basic clothing items is marvellous, especially because as she grows, Ellie doesn't really fit standard sizing. Her legs are so long but her waist so small that it's near impossible to get pants that don't show her ankles yet stay up at the waist. I'm sure day care think she has no clothes as I'm constantly using nappy pins to hold her pants up! Hopefully these pyjama bottoms do the trick and keep her warm at nights!

Flannelette bunny cuteness

Have you started eating those chocolate eggs yet? Do you do egg alternatives?

Amigurumi stars

I recently came across this pattern online for amigurumi stars and I was immediately intrigued. They seemed simple enough and looked like a fun way to use up some of my yarn scraps.

 

Source

A few YouTube searches later to freshen up my admittedly very rusty crochet skills and I was off. My  first formless blob didn't leave me with much confidence.

First attempt

However, a fortuitous visit from my crochet guru friend had me back on the right path and enthused anew, and my second attempts were better. Improved enough that I deigned to put eyes on them anyway.

Getting better

I had initially thought I might make enough to create a garland or a mobile for Ellie, but I think when I finish my current one, I'm retiring from crochet again. I don't even want to think about the number of times I have had to rip out and redo stitches here! Each little star that I have is definitely made with love.

Have you ever seen something and then when you tried to make it, maybe didn't quite 'nail it'? Please share!

How does your garden grow? March 2014

My last garden update was back in November 2013 and given that it's a whole new season (and year!) now, I thought it was high time for an update. In fact, I thought I might turn this into a monthly theme and document the changes in how my garden is growing.

So, in my garden is...

A virulent pumpkin vine. I honestly couldn't tell you what type as this little fellow grew out of some compost I'd spread into the raised garden bed. I've trained him to grow out and along the fence line, and Mr Fork is both simultaneously happy that he has to mow less grass, and disgusted that he'll have to re-cultivate that area when the pumpkin vine is gone. I was getting plenty of flowers but no fruit as the bees weren't doing their job well enough... so I went out there armed with a cotton bud one morning and manually pollinated all the female flowers I could find. I felt like a dirty pervert doing it, but I've got a pumpkin now, and I've never had that before. Can anyone advise when the correct time to pick them is?

Mystery compost pumpkin

In my garden is...

Some eggplants, which aren't producing quite as well as last season's plants did. The eggplants are also smaller, and I'm unsure as to whether that's because the plants are still small or they're a different variety. I also have a grasshopper infestation that just won't move on no matter what I do.

Eggplants

In my garden is...

Rangy looking, yet delicious cherry tomatoes, another compost present, although I do know they're an heirloom variety. These plants have been superstar producers, giving a bowl full of tomatoes a week. They're the sweetest little fruits ever, perfect in salads and and cooked into warm dishes too.

Heirloom cherry tomato

In my garden is...

A sweet potato and galangal section, which has really flourished since I put it in over four months ago. I'm also unsure when to harvest the sweet potato, but the leaves are very healthy on the top. Mr Fork's parents tell me I can cook the leaves and use them in stir fry dishes, so I may try that one of these days.

Sweet potato and galangal

In my garden is...

A flowering geranium which was given to me by a colleague and has managed to survive despite all odds. I'm quite chuffed it's decided to live and flower, as is Ellie who pats that little pink bloom every time she walks past it!

Geranium, pretty in pink

Also in my garden, and visible in many of the pictures, is an abundance of mulch. Mr Fork bought a mulcher/shredder machine and has great fun feeding all the branches and hedge trimmings into it. I think it's fabulous as I get mulch, and all of the garden waste is recycled into something that helps my garden grow instead of being carted off to the dump. Win!

What's growing in your garden? Share with me, and if you post on your blog, please link back to here and we can start an online garden share collection!

Recipe: Mango Chutney

I had a glut of mangoes given to me from the trees of various friends. They were all green so I wrapped them in newspaper to ripen them... and then forgot about them! What's a girl to do when all those delicious mangoes are too ripe to cook with but too good to let go to waste? Why, make mango chutney of course! I know, most people say chutney should be done with green mangoes, but ripe ones just make it sweeter, and it's absolutely delicious!

Without further ado, here is how I did it. You can easily add more mango to the mix - I have successfully made this with six before, and it turned out beautifully.

Ingredients

• 4 mangoes
• 1 onion (brown)
• 2 red chillies (long ones)
• 250 g dried fruit (I use sultana, raisins, pear, dates, prunes...whatever I had in the pantry, minus citrus)
• 2 1/2 cup vinegar (I did half rice wine, half white but any will do)
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
• 1 3/4 cup raw sugar (or whatever sugar you have)
• 1 - 2 teaspoons of the following: (all powdered) cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, paprika, ginger, mustard seed (that one is not powdered)
• 5 cardamom pods (not powdered either)
• 3 cloves garlic

Method

Dice mango and soak for at least three hours (you can soak overnight for more intense flavours) with chilli, onion, dried fruit, vinegar, salt and fresh ginger.

Soaking stage

Add sugar and heat to dissolve.

Add remaining ingredients (spices and garlic). Bring to boil and then simmer till reduced to desired thickness.

Cooking away

Heat jars in the oven to sterilise then cool to touch and fill. Chutneys, jam and the like are a great way to use all those old jars that accumulate in my cupboards! I eat the ones with the not-so-great seals first obviously but others that seal properly can be stored for months.

A small sample of what was made - there was heaps

Do you do any preserving? If so, what's your specialty?

DIY: Recycled t-shirt dog toy

After having a baby, much of my wardrobe wasn't right anymore. Some of my clothes weren't suitable to be worn now that I am a mother. Some weren't suitable for feeding in or wearing to work. And some were just plain stretched out and not even fit for donation to charity.

I've already talked about how frugal I like to be here and here, so it definitely wouldn't have been 'me' to just throw these clothes out, and there are far too many to make rags. I hemmed and hawed, and in fact, I still have a huge box of clothes I'm not sure what to do with in the corner of my room, but google was my friend and provided an idea for recycling t-shirts into a dog toy. Perfect!

I picked out three shirts with stretchy material whose colours went reasonably well together.

To make it easier for myself to cut the shirts into strips, I folded them in half length ways and just cut them into approximately 2.5cm strips from the bottom. I kept cutting until there wasn't any more shirt left to cut.

Next I unfolded all the strips and cut them at one hem, so that they became long lengths (or, as long as the shirt was round anyway).

I divided them into two piles, where each pile had a fairly even distribution of the colours. Then, I twisted each pile together individually (say, clockwise). Tie the two piles together with a knot, then twist them (anticlockwise if you went clockwise for the individual piles) before knotting off the whole thing again.

Neaten up the ends a little and there you have it. About 10 minutes of effort gives, one recycled t-shirt dog toy!

How do you recycle clothes which are too horrible to sell or donate?