Soy Candle Workshop

This weekend saw me participating in a soy candle workshop.  A generous Christmas gift from Jessie from Rabidlittlehippy.  Can i tell you upfront that i didn't think that there would be much in this. Do you really need to do a workshop? Melt a little wax, couple of drop of oil  and pour it into a mould with a wick.  Easy Peasy!  How arrogant and ignorant was I?   I felt a little foolish but also very grateful for the detailed information that Kim from Little Green Workshops provided.  She covered all the safety and creative information with such a relaxed friendly manner.

Each workstation was provided with all the tools that we would need throughout the workshop.  It must take forever to set this all up.  We had detailed notes giving us quantities and measurements of wax and fragrances for easy reference as well as being provided with a detailed instruction booklet to take home.  We didn't even have to clean up in between our different candles.  No sooner had we finished with a jug we had melted the wax in than it was whisked away to the kitchen by Gavin to clean-up for the next round. EcoSoya wax is water soluble and easy to clean up.  They are certainly a well oiled machine when it comes to customer service these two.

Apart from our workstations, there were other tables with fragrances and colour chips that we could select to personalise each of our candles.  Here is a nifty trick used - in between smelling the essential blends of oil we were given a tea bag to sniff to clear our nasal passages.  It really worked. Another table was loaded with all the utensils and supplies you would need to start creating your own candles at home.  I bought a full kit with my birthday money so all my friends had better expect candles for Christmas this year.  I picked up a lovely Christmas fragrance of Blackcurrant and Plum, a fresh Wild Mint and Lime and a sumptuous Ralph Lauren Blue.

Each of us made a large fragranced coloured square candle and four tea lights.  We also made a plain candle inside a lovely mosaic mould which looks stunning when lit and a packet of fragranced melts that go into burners.  All of these supplies were included in the $72 cost and we got to take what we had made home at the end of the workshop.  Its amazing what you can learn and create in just a few hours.  I found the workshop very good value for money (even though i didn't pay for it).

I don't want to go into my usually huge post on the workshop.  I want all of you to book in and experience a few hours of creative fun yourself.  I did learn heaps.   If you are in another state then you can go on line to gather information and buy your supplies.   Gav accepts PayPal, EFT and Credit Card payments.

Little Green Workshops - Soy Candles

So here is just a few facts to wet your appetite:

Gav & Kim use EcoSoya Wax which after much research they have had to import from the US.  All soy wax in Australia comes from GMO crops.  Parafin from oil is cheap (and toxic) and is often added to some soy candle products to make it cheaper.  Many "Soy" candles found in $2 shops are more paraffin than soy. So either spend a lot of time researching where something comes from (don't trust the labels) or buy direct from Gav and Kim.

Wicks come in different thicknesses to allow for a wider spread of burning.  If a wick is too small you will end up with a small radius of burning and unburnt wax on the outside.  If you have a large mould, use a thick wick or several smaller wicks to cover the entire radius.  Wicks should be trimmed to no shorter than 6mm to avoid the wick being drowned in wax when it expands as it melts. Trims wicks when hard and cool.

Another reasons this happens is Candle Memory.  Ever noticed how you end up with a big whole in the middle?  I guess its because we are so rushed that we light a candle for a few hours and then blow it out.  In order for a candle to burn across the whole width (and if your wick is the right size) then you must allow it to burn long enough to melt the wax all the way across.  A candle will remember where it burnt to last time (this wax will be softer) and do it again.  See How to burn a candle properly

Did i just say above, "blow a candle out"? Not only can this be dangerous but it also can dry the wick out and it can snap.  I've had this problem myself.   You should always use a "Wick Dipper" to lower the wick into the melted wax (which will extinguish it immediately) but then lift it out straight with a nice coating of wax ready for lighting next time.

I bought one similar from Gav for just a few dollars.  Or, you could make a simple one yourself from wire.  

Essential oils have a low flashpoint and as such are usually blended with a carrier oil for candle making eg. grape-seed oil.   Still this blend must never be added when the melted wax is above 57 degrees.   It may (depending on the essential oil) ignite.   A candy thermometer in the melted wax will tell you when you can safely add the oil.  Stir for at least 2 minutes to thoroughly mix the oil through the wax.

There you have it.  An invitation to book into a few hours of fun with some friends or just go yourself.  Kim is such a darling you want to take her home with you.  Now if she would just supply her famous Cornish Pasties for lunch i would be over there every Sunday.  Gav could add some home-made ginger beer into the mix.

On leaving the Melton South Community Centre i noted across the cricket oval a pathway up a small hill. Wearing my FitBit i took a photo and phoned a friend to ask if she thought i could do it (remember my crazy feet).  She told me to go for it and since i was wearing a brace on my worst ankle I took off at a pace.  It was easy and wasn't i surprised when on reaching the top (great 360 view) to receive a few little buzzes on my wrist letting me know that i had reached my first 5,000 steps for the day.  Being elevated i also recorded 5 flights of stairs and all before lunch time.  I think I'm going to have to reassess my daily targets to 10,000. Slowly, Slowly.......

Thanks for Visiting Living In The Land of Oz

De-Cluttering Workshop

My shameful secret is that i am a hoarder of paper.  Bills, statements, receipts, policies, assessments, you name it, they are all in about 3 large plastic tubs and all over the house in little piles.  I'm not even sure how far back some of it goes back and it scares me to think about it. Several years, at least.

Well,  i am whiter than white and large (but don't forget adorable).

I'm accountant and at work when a piece of paper hits my desk, its dealt with and filed immediately.  Since i work on several companies, any inter-company transactions are processed in their respective systems first before being filed, probably in both. I never do one side without the other (saves reconciliation).  Folders are colour coded. I'm surrounded by book cases full of blue, red and lime folders.  Previous years are archived and boxed.  If you asked me to find the hard copy of an invoice 5 years ago, i could within moments.  Its not hard, its habit and I've worked this way for (Oh Lordy) 34 years.  I de-clutter my mobile phone, deleting messages and recent calls everyday.  Before i started this post, i cleaned my email inbox.  Sorting all the emails into their respective folders or deleting them.  I defrag my computer regularly to reshuffle the files on my hard drive and open up space.  Someone hand me the halo polish, quick!

So WHAT THE ! happens when it comes to this paper pile?  It grows every week.  We (and by that i mean me, in our household) have never filed anything by the looks of it.  Oh, Ive tried. I have little filing cabinets with hanging files and labels.   I've sorted through my mountain of paper several times and then run out of time to complete and so had to store it and, well you know the story.  I'm a busy girl.

Do you think my Bestie is trying to send me a message by inviting me to a de-cluttering workshop?  I think she must because she has the tidiest house and very little to de-clutter at all.  I'm thinking that my accompanying her was a ruse to get me to address my issues.  Clever girl and I'm sure one day when my clutter is gone i may forgive her and be just be a little bit grateful.

So, did i learn anything?

Yes, i guess i did but first a bit of info on the workshop.  It was run, for free, by our wonderful Wyndham City Council as part of their Green Living Series.  They are going to have to start paying me soon.

You'll remember that i recently did a post on a visit to an Off Grid House in Little River.  If not, check it out here. It was only one of many workshops on offer.  They are very popular and book out quickly. Its great that so many local residents are interested in living more sustainably and supporting the councils green initiatives.

Tanya Lewis, the creator of EcoOrganiser was our presenter.

Do you know that you can hire Tanya or one of her team to come and help with the de-clutter?   Tempting.  

I highly recommend visiting her website and looking under her resources tab for her blog which includes Home Organising Tips & Tricks.  I like her style.  She calls a spade a spade.   No one is going to do anything about a problem if they are patted on the head and given a "there there dear".

The presentation was based around the 10R's.

The 10R’s© Eco Organising Solution

“Because life is too short to be looking for STUFF”

1. Rethink
    Do I need it, do I want it?
    How will it make me feel if its not here?
    Is there an equivalent with less packaging?
    How can I reuse the packaging?
    Do I have similar already?  Once you have de-cluttered you will know what you have.

So simple - bull dog clips on side of desk.  Dont forget to use bread labels (you know those little plastic doobies) for labelling the cords.  

2. Responsible

    Is it in good condition, is it saleable?
   Where will it go if no one buys it?

3. Refuse
    Say no thank you to free things.  Use a "No Junk Mail" sign on your mail box. Say no to samples.  

Say NO NO NO to a bathroom cupboard full of products and packaging that you will not use.  Don't be a victim of marketing!

4. Re purpose

    Rethink clutter, re-purpose before buying new

These shoe organisers are great for all sorts of things and take up no space on the inside of a door.
  Children's toys,  underwear sets, that dreaded "i don't know where to put it" stuff.   Also great on inside of pantry for packets of spices, soups, gravies etc.  

5. Re organise
    Fit within our current footprint.  Can an old set of drawers be used inside cupboard or turned into shelves.

Tanya brought in a fitted sheet and showed us how to fold it flat and pop the set into the matching pillowcase.  This keeps the linen cupboard organised and neat.

6. Repair
    Can it be repaired?  Buy quality that can be repaired rather than cheap throw away items.

7. Reduce
    Clutter and waste.  Buy less packaging and refillable items so nothing extra comes in.  

Cut up plumbing pipe - genius!

8. Reuse

    Before landfill.  Glass jars are fab storage solutions both in the home and the garage.

    Share magazines with friends or drop off at medical centre or aged care facility.

Reused packaging

9. Recycle
    At home.  Tanya provided us with some great links to find how and where to recycle.  See Below

10. Reward
     Yourself, your home and your planet

Its important to note that Tanya's business is based around Eco Organising.  This means creating more time and space within the home in an environmentally friendly way.  Landfill should be your last option. We could all spend a fortune, and have, on plastic tubs and cute storage containers in matching patterns and colours. Tanya teaches us to focus on storing items inside things we already have. Eg. pots within pots.  We shouldn't have to spend more or bring more stuff into our homes when what we are trying to so is de-clutter.

There was a sample of an Ewaste collection box on the table and guess who got to take it home.  OH, i just broke a rule.  I brought home a sample!!!  Lets just hope that a lot more things leave in side this box.  Its sitting here in the office beside me, empty - so i guess its become more clutter!

What is Clutter?

Anything that is no longer relevant or useful TO YOU!

Anything that brings you down - like my paper piles.

The term "clutter" means different things to different people.  

If something is important to you and your life would be less without it then it is NOT clutter to you. Sentimental things that enrich our lives are NOT clutter.   If you want to keep them then don't hide them away in boxes, bring them out so you can see them.  Perhaps rotate items, keeping them all in the one box marked as such.

Emotional factor - questions to ask yourself when deciding what is clutter.

What practical value does it provide?

If I got rid of it what would I miss about it?

If it was taken away from me, would I try to recreate it?

Does it invigorate my life now or deplete me?

What’s worth more-this object or the opportunity to achieve my vision?

How to maintain the harmony

How to get past “I’d love to but I don’t have the time”

• Focus on three priorities a day

• Put a cap on the favours you do each week

• Put a limit on the time you spend on everyday things

• Get the important tasks done

• Remove something from your to do list

• Know when good is good enough

• Focus on the important stuff

 

These are Tanya's suggestions for successful de-cluttering:

Ask yourself

 

1. What area/space do I want to transform?
2. What will my space or life look like without clutter?
3. What will I use this new space for?
4. What will I do in my de cluttered life?
5. What was my OMG!!!! moment that made the decision to change easy?
6. How will I spend a de-cluttered day?
7. How will I maintain this beautiful new space?
8. When will I start?
9. When will I finish?
10. How will I reward myself?

Top Tips

• Only organise one space at a time!!!
• Take before and after photos
• Acknowledge and reward your efforts
• Learn how to say "no thank you"
• Use the D word- Delegate.
• Believe in yourself.

So where do I start?  Obviously for me the thing that bothers me the most is this paperwork.  Its a big job and before i start I'll need to set myself some rules.  Am i keeping hard copies of bank statements?  Can i scan anything and create electronic copies?  I have a shredder so at the very least the paper can become garden mulch.  Which pile am i going to tackle first as i cant do it all in one go?  

Do you have more suggestions.  

Tanya's Resources

EcoOrganiser

Recycling Near You

EcoActiv - Batteries

EcoActiv/Mobile Muster/Kings Storage - Ewastebox

Wyndham City Kerbside Collections

Wyndham Waste Directory 

Wyndham Recycling Stations - Location Map

There was a recycling station in the foyer of the community centre in Point Cook where the workshop was located.

Clothes         Wear for Success

Furniture       Habitat for Humanity

Fridges and Whitegoods for Refurbishment  Phoenix  (best of all, free pickup)

Ozrecycle

Freecycle

Gumtree  I had a glut of cliveas in my fernery so i gave them away by putting a FREE ad on Gumtree  - they got free plants and i had them removed with no effort on my part within a week.  

Clothes Swap  SwapStyle

Old Computers  Computerbank   Must tell Rob about this one.

Ziilch

GIVIT

If you have a favourite charity you donate too then pop a link in the comments section.

Thanks For Visiting Living In The Land Of Oz.

Off Grid House - Open Day in Little River

                                                                   
At last, something for me to write about.  Last weekend Rob and I went to visit the home of Emma & Mark Sutcliffe and their two teenage children, in Little River.  This small settlement between Melbourne & Geelong includes many small acreage holdings.  The Sutcliffe's  inspired choice of  finding an alternative for bringing power to their 17 acre property has resulted in the creation of their very own personal power station.  I'm not suggesting they are unique but it is a great example of how with good design and planning, it is possible to live off grid.  Imagine never having a power bill and being self reliant.

During the day they use the free power generated by 30 panels on their garage roof and in the evenings they rely on the stored power contained in their bank of single cell batteries.   These batteries are stored in a purpose built ventilated box in the garage.

Inside their beautiful home is a small panel on the wall which indicates the capacity of stored power.
At 2pm on a sunny summer afternoon, it showed 100% which i guess is what you would expect.  Emma explained that the previous evening after a regular night of usage (with two teenagers at home) it dropped to 97%.  In two years they have not used their generator once.  It seems to me that the size of their system can more than meet their power requirements.

This kind of fully off grid system is not economically viable for those that live in suburbia where there is a power pole/pit outside the house.  Emma and Mark had a choice of spending $35,000+  on bringing grid power to the house or spending more and never having a power bill again.  The batteries are by far the greatest single expense at this time.  As we were recently told, great advances in this field are under way and we are all hoping that in the next 5-10 years they become more affordable for domestic users.

OK, at this time, i should point you in the direction of the TOGSH blog and Facebook page.  In there you will find tabs for costs, specifications and frequently asked questions.  Emma would be most helpful if this was something you were looking at so pop onto the Contact tab.   Though Emma is a "Climate Reality Leader" she is careful to distinguish between off grid living and climate action. Of course these go hand in hand but she is focused on this being a economic and lifestyle choice rather than environmental.

Emma asked me if i knew Gavin Webber from Melton and i had to laugh, I'm practically his disciple.  She also knew my good friends Jessie from rabidlittlehippy and Bronwyn from Shoestring.  Funny how its such a small world.  

I did have some indication of what the house looked like on the outside.  There was a photo on the invitation i received from our Wyndham City's Department of Environment and Sustainability.  The open day was part of their Green Living Series.    You can sign on to receive the Experience Wyndham's monthly enewsletter here.

I noted from the photo the very traditional homestead architecture with wide verandas that provide shade and living space. What wasn't obvious was the number of environmental design features that were included internally and externally.  All the windows are double glazed.  This might be quite common in the Northern Hemisphere but for some crazy reason it is not that common down South.  Why?  I guess cost but you would have thought that this very effective method of insulating from the cold used by our European fore-bearers would have also been used here to keep out the heat and the cold.  I would suggest that 99% of all windows in Oz are not double glazed.   Gavin from Greening of Gavin has recently installed them and you can read about it here.

Click here to enlarge

Other features included breeze-ways, overhead ceiling fans (no air conditioning needed), polished concrete floors (so cool on a hot day),  two wood fireplaces.  One fireplace is in the open kitchen, dining and living area at the rear of the house and the other is central.  The warm air flows throughout the house.

Though Emma kindly gave me permission, it seemed invasive to take photos inside someones house.  So this is it.  

Isn't this kitchen beautiful.  I love how the gas hob stove is mounted into a fireplace with mantle and the range hood is (i think) up the chimney.  This is a two and half year old house so you know this was designed. It all looks like a remodelled old homestead.  Well done guy's.   You cant see it but there is a massive walk in pantry behind those two sliding doors on right.  It all looks like it came out of a "Country Living" magazine.

OK, so we are all goggle eyed at the solar system but i bet i can do (or perhaps they can) one better. They have a gravity fed worm septic system.

This is so cool.  I don't know the actually distances but it looked like the pit with the wormies was about 50m from the house.  It did not smell at all and i had my head over the top of it looking inside.  It just looked like a small chimney with a little whirly gig  on top sticking up out of the ground and on inspection of what looked like a domestic compost bin a large pit with some sort of tank inside.  A a gravity fed pipe entered on one side from the house.  Down in the bottom were lots of wormy (Emma told me she just started with a box of 2000 from Bunnings) which number roughly around 20,000 (no one is going down to count them).  On the other side there is another pipe that runs out about another 80m via a filtered agi pipe and into long pit full of gravel for further filtration. The fertilising was evidenced by the lush patch of canola growing above the pit. I'm sorry Emma, if my measurements are all out.  Feel free to jump in on the comments and correct my mistakes and I'll edit.  

So that's it.  A great few hours with hubby giving him inspiration and motivation to build his own off grid system for use in the garage.  It would certainly be handy to have an alternative when there is a blackout.  I am certainly looking forward to watching the Sutcliffe's develop their veggie garden, water tanks (i think one will come before the other).  If you look at the soil in the above photos you will see it is very rocky.  There are piles of massive rocks left over from building the house. Emma is interested in aquaculture so keeping it local I'm sending her across to Western Aquaponics in Melton.   I've seen a presentation and experienced their system for domestic use at Shoestring Gardening.  See Gav's post here, we both went.  They have now eaten their first batch of trout and the second lot are growing, and pooping and doing their bit for the Shoestring veggie garden.

Don't forget to click on links and go say Hi to Emma.  I am but a conduit.  LOL.

Thanks for visiting Living In The Land of Oz

Solar Panels Have Arrived

Yep, there they are.  Aren't they beautiful. All twenty of them.  Our roof is ideally place as the the length of it (or at least half) is North facing.  Can't do much better than that.  This has been a very long process and there arrival has been much anticipated for over 5 months.  That's 5 months of keeping a secret and not blurting it out to all of you that they were coming. OK, so i told a few of you.  Well, maybe just a few more than just a few.

I paid my deposit in September and have been waiting for first one installation contractor and then another. Good thing is that these installers were contractors for Simply Energy.  I didn't have to deal with them directly. I had a SE Solar team i could harass, loudly and often. Read "very often".

The first contractor took his sweet time and then had no panels, made appointments for installation and didn't show up (even when i had taken a day off work) and then they lost their very large contract with one of Australia's largest energy retailers. So sad, Not.  I wasn't the only unhappy customer it appears.  I waged my phone war and just before Christmas i received a $500 credit on my energy bill for my inconvenience.  They offered me the chance to pull out of the contract but i really wanted the deal they offered me.  The new installer took only a few extra weeks as i was assured i was "on top of the list"  and that new plans had to be lodged and approved by the energy provider as well. So i cant complain, again, can I?

You bet i can.  Since i am known for having more front than Myers I'm going to push for every cent of compensation I can.  For almost all of spring and summer i could have been earning free energy up there. Tom was home all day running air cons, TVs, gaming consoles, projectors and burning every light in the house (during the day).  Yes, i know what you are thinking but you don't live here, with them.  Aspie's are very "Switched On" and apparently blind to black balloons.   I've negotiated with SE that when the energy provider finally switches over the metering to solar, my last two quarters will be reviewed and another credit WILL arrive.  If not, i think they had better get a large supply of oil. I feel more squeaking coming on.

I'm not very environmentally conscious, am I?  I could be personally responsible for the energy and oil crisis, all on my own!  (Kick me, this is no laughing matter)

So why did i choose Simply Energy (SE).  Well apart from them being my current energy retailer that gives me a very nice 30% discount off standard rates (if there was a better deal elsewhere, id be with them) they made one very important sales point that made a lot of sense to me. There are many many solar companies in Oz.  Each one trying to out do the other with gimmicks, cheaper panels etc and annoying us all with those cold calls right on dinner time most nights.  The truth is that many of these companies come and go in the blink of an eye.  So how good is your warranty going to be when they are out of business. Good luck getting service or replacements in a hurry.  Choosing a large retailer gives you peace of mind that they will actually be in business to honour their warranties.

My SE system warranty is:

Panels (Power Output Warranty) 25 years 

Inverter 10 years

Racking 10 years

Workmanship 10 years 

I have it in writing that if anything goes wrong it will be replaced there and then.  No sending off to China for parts with my system down for a month.  You know that i made them spell out these warranties in writing, in a personal email to me, so that i can flash it their face when and if i ever need to, now didn't you?.   Did you know i was like this?  Is this a personality flaw?  I could be very annoying but I'm also a handy person to know. I get things done.

For all the tech heads out there this is what i had installed.  I have PDF's full of serious writing, scribbly graphs and circuit diagrams but i haven't done Gavin's Blogging Course and i don't know how to import them into a post. I've left all this technical stuff to Rob, he's the electrician.

CNVP High Performance 60 cell Optimal Premium Poly Crystalline 156×156mm Solar Photovoltaic Module
Model Number	:	CNPV-245P
Power Range Quantity	:	245Wp 20

These are Tier 1 solar panels which represents only the top 2% of manufactured panels.  Tier 1 panels are fully manufactured using robotics (precision and quality control) by a company that has over 5 years experience in the industry (read, not a fly by night operation hoping to make a quick buck).  The silicon used by a Tier 1 manufacturer is of a higher grade and will out perform and outlast the majority of cheaper panels on the market which are rated as either 2 or in some cases 3.

My panels are actually much smaller than the ones that were first quoted way back in September.  Even in that short time (though it felt like 100 years) there were technological advances that reduced the size of the panels.  Smaller size = less materials which is better for the environment.

ABB String Inverter PowerOne PVI-5000 - TL OUTD 5KW

Both Rob and I are pleased that the inverter is an ABB product.  We both work in the electrical industry and ABB products (including the switchboards that we build for them) are good quality.  Best of all it comes with an RS485 Communications Interface allowing it to be connected to smart phones, laptops or PC's.  Rob was especially pleased about this one.  The more techy i can make this the more interested he will be in reducing our power usage.

OK, so what's my feed in tariff??  It was a very lowly 8 cent/kW but from 1st Jan 2015 it dropped to 6.2 cents/kW.  No one is going to get rich with this kind of rate but what it will do is cover the cost of my system so that in five years, i will own it outright.  My calculations are based on an average of 3.7 hours of sunlight per day.  We all know that throughout spring, summer and autumn we get more than that in Melbourne so these calculations are quite conservative. The trick is to understand your system and how and when it generates power (solar hours.)  The less power you use during these solar hours the more power is returned to the grid.  This returned power can be maximised by having the largest system you can afford.  As we both work and hopefully (fingers crossed) Tom will soon have at least a part time job, there will be less usage during the day and we will have our only little power station up there on the roof.  It was only on for a moment during testing and it generated 3.6kW.  Until the inspector passes the installation it cannot be switched on.  I think im still looking at mid March before its up and running.

Did i tell you that my "Deal" with Simply Energy includes an INTEREST FREE loan for five years.  I've checked the pricing, quality and warranty of my system against other suppliers and it was comparable after the Govt Rebate (SRES) of around $3500 on a 5kW system.  Given the success of the rebate scheme it has been recommended that these government incentives be phased out and so it was a good time us to purchase and take advantage of the interest free loan.  The reduction in my energy bill will more than offset the monthly payments.

If you are considering getting solar panels, i highly recommend this government site 

Installing your Solar Panels

This is all part of my master plan to be prepared for retirement when we will have a lower earning capacity. The government might want me to work till 70, but really, I'm tired already.  Part of making our home more affordable, productive and efficient is not only paying off the mortgage (about 8 years) but also retiring some of our very old appliances.  My fridge for example was still working.  It worked ALL day and ALL night. That compressor never stopped and it was so loud.   So, as i have furnished every other item in this house over the last 20 years, the lovely people at GE have once again offered me a 5 year interest free loan.   If you couldn't have guessed, I HAVE NEVER PAID A CENT INTEREST IN 20 YEARS.   They must hate me.  I really don't know why it is so hard for people.  Total bill divided by number of payments, set up a direct payment online weekly (or whatever you pay period is) and then let it roll. The weekly amounts are so small i hardly miss them.  I usually take off 12 months and pay a little extra than calculated so it is paid well in advance.  Emergencies happen in life and you need to be way ahead at all times.

 
Rob insisted on buying a fridge with an inverter for efficiency and quietness.  I was focused on those stars and the Energy Consumption.   There were many fridges to choose from that were larger and cheaper but this one was the only one in this class of energy efficiency.  You should see how power hungry those ones are that have an ice maker in the door.  Rob's eyes were going Ga Ga but i said NO!  This one has the fridge up top and the freezer down below.  I like the working height of the fridge as i use it more often. Im going to get old, remember!  We also updated our oven to one that was more efficient.  The old one was leaking heat and took almost 15 min to pre-heat to 200.  20 years was a good innings.  My thinking is that while we are both working we should update these items rather than leave it for an emergency purchase. Rob has fixed this fridge several times already.

The next step is to make our house more efficient so it uses less electricity.  I know what you are thinking. "Turn a few things off" i hear you shout.  Well i'm working on it, OK!  The lights are all LED and im planning a few whirly gig thingys on the roof to moderate the roof cavity temperature and also looking at insulation. We purchase some individual room coolers instead of trying to make the big split system cool the whole house.  If you want to know anything at all about this topic, then go to the guru Gavin from The Greening of Gavin and check out his ebook on the subject of saving power.  I could not possibly compete.  All his advice is for normal suburbanites who just want to save money, if not the world.

So, you will be getting future posts on our journey with solar energy.  I can't tell you its going to be interesting to anyone but us but perhaps you'll enjoy the ride as Rob makes his way to "Off Grid Power Storage". More about this in next post.  See, he's getting interested already!

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Lets Gather

In Rhonda's Weekend Reading List (here) she listed an article called "Our Year Without Groceries" which certainly had me hooked.   Fantastic article but then i kept reading the others in the issue.   Its addictive, i just want more.  So inspirational.  See if you can resist.

Issue 1 - Come Together

Issue 2 - Wellness

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Handmade Gifts From Simply Living Shop

Isn't it beautiful.  Its my new market bag, handmade by Teena.  It says so on the label inside.  Lucky me, I've met this Teena.  She is Gavin's (Greening of Gavin) sister from Queensland and we were both at Gavin's 50th. She is talented.  The stitching is first class and its lined with calico making it "like totally" washable.  I'll be sure to turn it inside out for drying to avoid the fabric fading, its so pretty.  There is also a gusset in the bottom to give it lots of width and it holds plenty,   So how was i so lucky to score this one?

Last week Gavin posted that the Simply Living Shop over at Little Green Workshops was open for business. Did you not here the trumpets blowing all the way from Melton?  I'm sure i wasn't the only one to click on the link and peruse the items for sale.  Go on, if you haven't already, have a look .........

I'm waiting for you to come back.....

I do own a sewing machine but I'm running on all thrusters at the moment and there isn't room/time for sewing and craft.  I could also do with a little tuition so feel free to start a sewing workshop as well Gav & Kim.  In fact i can think of lots of skills I'd like to learn, bread making being one of them.  That would be really bad though because I LOVE BREAD and I'm on a diet with no wheat and starches. Making dairy products like butter and yoghurt would be another workshop id sign up for but same again, I LOVE DAIRY food and at the moment I'm limiting dairy products.  I could go on and on and at the end of this monologue you would be left with the very strong impression that I LOVE FOOD!!!!!   Problem is that food loves me too and doesn't want to leave.  Its all over my on my butt, my legs, my arms, my chins, my.......

Oh, was i talking about the Simply Living Shop .   You know us bloggers, its all

Since you've all had a look at the shop now, you've seen a some lovely bags and a couple of nursery items in the handmade gifts section.  They would make lovely gifts for Christmas, especially for someone "greenish" who would appreciate that they are handmade and would use them instead of shopping bags.  There is also a range of Gavin's books, cheese making kits, ingredients and equipment and some candle products. This is only the beginning so I'm sure the range of products will grow and I for one am looking forward to it.  Don't forget to checkout the workshop tab as well and see if there is something you are interested in.

Now here is what i was most impressed about.  This is a fully functioning on line shop.  Gav has used his IT skills and created a shopping experience similar to EBay or Amazon.  I'm so so impressed.  It was a seamless transaction.  I'm so dumb about techo stuff that i really appreciate knowing people who aren't.

Once you visit the Simply Living Shop site you can register online, which is followed very quickly by an welcoming email confirming your registration and another to confirm your subscription.

You then fill in your profile and shipping details and then select payment options, including PayPal.

Then you go shopping, adding to your cart and confirming purchases.   Shipping costs are very reasonable.

I received three emails confirming my order, receipt for payment and lastly a shipping advice which included tracking details.

Two days later, on Saturday morning no less, there was a loud knock on the door and my parcel was hand delivered.  Me, sitting in bed with coffee listening to some smooth George Benson, was handed a parcel. Parcels come into this house all the time (electronics, computer and car parts) but never anything for me.  It was like Christmas morning.

Now you just know it wasn't going to come wrapped in plastic express bag didn't you.  Gav practises what he preaches and it came wrapped in brown paper, brown cardboard and some bubble wrap. The only thing missing was the reused string but i'm not sure if Australia Post could handle that.  There was a little personal thank you note from Gav & Kim inside and an extra little note from Kim apologises for the bubble wrap.  They are waiting for a shipment of tissue paper.  They need not have feared though as i have shredded the brown paper and it is already mulch in my garden and the cardboard and bubble wrap have been stored for future use.  Very handy.

I wish Gav and Kim all the best with their workshops and online store.  I'm hoping it grows and becomes not only a medium for teaching but a profitable business that they can run post Gav's retirement.  I'm sure this is his plan.    If only we were all such forward thinkers.  I am certainly happy to support any of his ventures. Through his blog he has inspired and taught me so much. I'm sure he has done the same for you and many others around the world.

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