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Living lagom and making draft excluders

In a nutshell – as part of the Ikea LiveLAGOM project we were invited to make draft excluders from fabric scraps. Here are the instructions for a double one that moves with your door. There are huge gaps under the door of my living room. It is a rickety Victorian house with no right angles and lots of drafts. It …

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Things to do for free on uninspiring winter weekends

In a nutshell – a few ideas for things to do on a uninspiring winters weekend. None of them involve money, some need no energy at all. I’ve added some to keep kids amused too! Staying warm: make a cosy winter corner with a comfortable chair and a warm blanket, settle in by the fire for a good read. nap …

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Back to Basics; The Humble Cloth Pad – Guest post by Rachael Hertogs

In a nutshell – Instead of buying tampons monthly there are alternatives that save you money & are good for the environment. Guest Post by Rachael Hertogs. This is a guest post by Rachael Hertogs of Moon Times. Reusable menstrual products are safer for your body and more cost effective; they are not a step back in time but a …

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Live LAGOM Actions – Inspiring sustainable change

In a nutshell – As part of the Live LAGOM project I’ve been thinking about tiny ways we can all make changes for the better. Here are some ideas to live a more comfortable and sustainable life. Illustrations of key points from my Live LAGOM experience, where Ikea gave me a budget for things to make life more sustainable at …

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7 weeks from seed to salad – indoor hydroponics

In a nutshell –  how quick it is to produce your own salad indoors, even in mid winter.  48 days after planting seeds we have a good crop  we can start eating this weekend. They are growing in the darkest room in the house, under Ikea VAXAR lights, bought as part of the Live LAGOM project. You can read about …

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Live Lagom – keeping warm and saving money

In a nutshell – as part of the Ikea Live LAGOM project I chose to save money on energy escaping the house. This was easy with curtains and rugs to keep us warm and save money.   I’m the sort of person who craves daylight during the winter.  For years I’ve put up with wind whistling through cracks in doors …

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A week on WW2 rations – day 7

Breakfast toast and dippy egg, juice some cheating here with an extra egg but this used the last of the butter ration Lunch – out, T had chips, I had a sandwich Dinner – vegi sausages (in ration, I was intending vegi burgers but these were easier) mashed potato with some out of ration butter, sprouts and broccoli   The …

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A week on WW2 Rations – Day 6

Breakfast cornflakes and a small spoonful of sugar although there is loads of it left juice Lunch Toasted sandwiches, 2 x smoked salmon (bacon substitute) and mushroom for T 1 smoked salmon and mushroom for me and a bowl of vegi soup Dinner thoughts at 2pm something potato based, possibly pasties (again) We have most of my ration of cheese …

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A week on WW2 rations – day 5

Friday is an inset day at school so we plan to have a late Breakfast/Brunch Toast Vegi Sausage Baked Beans Fried Egg That will leave us just one egg until Monday and no more baked beans or sausages. It will also use up some of the butter ration with the toast. Late Lunch/Early Dinner Eating out! Yippee, hooray, I might …

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A week on WW2 rations – day 4

Halfway allready! I weigh 10st today, 1.4 down from yesterday. My neighbour has just come over with a lovely smoked rainbow trout so that is lunch for me! I still have extended soup to eat and I’m looking forward to the leftover mushroom soup, which was so easy to make despite using a little of the butter ration. Onions and …

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A week on WW2 rations – day 3

I should have weighed myself on Monday but I forgot – I’m 10st 1.4 I can’t imagine with all the sugar on the ration I will be anything less on Sunday. Breakfast Porridge and honey Juice We are out of honey and treacle, I think we will use our ration book to buy a pot of honey. Packed Lunch for …

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A week on WW2 rations – day 2

Menu plan Breakfast Porridge and honey juice Packed Lunch smoked salmon sandwich (instead of bacon which T doesnt eat) anzac biscuits juice raisins   My lunch vegi soup toasted tomato sandwich salad smoked salmon anzac biscuits Dinner smoked salmon, potato and mushroom pasty for T, mixed veg pasty for me with oven chips for both of us salad and beetroot …