I’ve been feeling kind of Meh lately. A bit run down and lacking motivation or energy to do anything. In the Meh state I tend to forget what helps, so now I’m feeling a bit more up, I’ve written a list. It will become part of a book or course later, I’m writing it now. Possibly as a distraction from …
How to make easy stock from food scraps
Even if you compost all your food scraps you can get more out of some of them by making stock. It is very easy. Stock cubes are a store cupboard standard for most people but vegetable stock is so easy to make there is no need to buy them. You can use your home made stock to boil rice, for …
Free personalised online veg garden planning calendar
In a nutshell – gardenfocused.co.uk have a free grow your own fruit and veg planning calendar that you can personalise. It even helps you plan crop rotations Unless you are growing indoors under lights you will need to pay attention to the seasons. I forget from year to year what I need to do in the garden and when. Books …
Starting a compost bin in a tiny garden
I have a very tiny garden for growing fruit and veg and relaxing in. I’ve just got a second compost bin and this is how I’m getting it started. I’ve got a pretty good system going with composting at home. Old teabags, leftover food and veg peelings go into a container during the week as I cook. When it’s full …
Traditional hand sewn patchwork – step by step – part 1
A cautionary tale The earliest hexagon quilt found was made in England in the 1770’s. The earliest hexagon quilt in my house was made in the 1970s. It was a family project and I have a distinct memory of trying to sew in a small dark and smoky room. We all sewed a bit of the quilt. My grandmother and …
Reuse old jumpers to make a soft felted wool rug
How to make a soft and warm felted wool rug Did you know that you can buy old wool jumpers for crafting from Oxfam? I didn’t until I read this brilliant tutorial from Shirley, who is a less-stuff, less-waste Patreon. I’ll let her introduce herself! “I’m Shirley. I’m a Christian, a Labour Councillor, and for most of my life have …
Reuse your recycling – Découpage and Papier-mâché
Don’t put out the recycling yet! If you have corrugated cardboard, some paper scraps and glue these little boxes are a brilliant way to turn your scrap and recycling into something useful. They are easy to make and once you know how to make them you can use the same method to make square or rectangular boxes. What is Découpage …
B is for Boundaries – Working from home
Thank you to George who is a lovely less-stuff Patreon for this idea. I’ve been working at home for so long I’m hopeful that some of my strategies will help other people. Do you work from home? Putting boundaries in place can help you feel more relaxed and in control of the situation. I’ve worked from home for 15 years …
How to plan a staying in schedule
I mostly took last week off because I’ve been hit with total overwhelm and loads of anxiety. My normal weekly routine of work, college, teaching etc. has been blown away and it has thrown me. I need to get back on track and get on with things so I’m working on a schedule for the week. I don’t think this …
EcoVibe Compostable Sponges Unbiased Review
This month the nice people at EcoVibe sent me some of their compostable sponges to review. I’ve tested them alongside my normal sponges which I get from Tiger purely because I like the colours. The Tiger ones are just bog standard sponges with a scratchy side. I’ve used them both in the washing up bowl and for general wiping of …
Use the cold weather to control moths naturally
Any fellow knitters out there? Anyone who likes the feeling of natural wool fibers, or who owns a sheepskin? If you have anything made of wool there is always a risk that tiny little moths can destroy it. Moths are tricky to get rid of and can ruin a yarn stash or sock drawer in a horribly quick time. If …