A visit to Florence Food Market

Oh how I wish I had access to such a brilliant market!
The morning after we arrived in Florence, CBC and I discovered the building that is the Florence Food Market.  How we regretted not finding this place last time we came to Florence! There were food stalls and shops in abundance boasting the finest of Tuscan goods.  Pasta in all colours, shapes and sizes- dried and fresh, alcohol, jams, preserves and then there was the delightful fact that so many items were free of packaging. Don't get me wrong- there was a LOT of pasta and items IN plastic but there were so many options without!!!

 On the stall below, all sorts of dried fruits were available to buy. If you took a bag, it was a compostable one.

 Sun-dried tomatoes as pick and mix! CBC and I bought 500g!

 Nuts and seeds.

 The vegetables were all as nature intended and HUGE!  Nothing here was in packaging and there were so many different varieties!

 The beans to the middle and right were around 40cm long! I was utterly amazed.
Courgettes retained their flowers.

Peppers were enormous as were tomatoes.

CBC and I decided to buy the ingredients to make dinner for the 7 of our party who would be there at our villa in the evening.

We bought tomatoes, Basil, peppers, Parsley, Garlic, aubergines, courgettes, onions and just put them in our bag.  They cost us 7 euros for a lot.

Then we headed over to the fresh pasta stall and bought Spinach and Ricotta Tortellini and Ricotta and Lemon Tortllini- 1kg of it for 11Euros. It came in a paper bag and we put it inside one of my old toilet paper bags.

I decided to grab some olives also- I had a takeaway tub with me so I got them in that.

3 Plastic free Deodorants- a review

In my continuing journey to try and eliminate as much single-use plastic as I can from my life, I have been addressing the bathroom cabinet and one of the throwaway culprits which is harder to recycle is Deodorant.

Deodorant and I have had a long and difficult relationship.  My body seems to 'get used' to particular deodorants and then fail.  Over the last 15 years, I have investigated a large variety of natural deodorants because of the fears of Aluminium having a link to Breast-cancer but have returned to conventional ones. All of the above come in solid plastic which, until recently, most recycling authorities that I lived under, didn't accept. I find it scary to think about all the deodorant tubes that I am responsible for which are in landfill somewhere.

As a consequence, I had seen various cardboard-wrapped deodorants on Instagram #Plasticfree posts and wanted to give them a go.

It was therefore, a glad moment back in December last year, when I discovered our most local Zero-waste room, The Refill Room, stocked different cardboard deodorants.  I bought CBC one to go with his Christmas presents (along with a bamboo pot scraper and an olive wood soap dish- romance is alive in our house!) and purchased myself one.

As you can see from the picture below, I am showing you what the products look like used!  It's all glamour here.

I've reviewed the two I have used and CBC will review his one (his is the smallest one).

For the record- the cost of these IS more than your average deodorant. If you are on a budget, it is a lot.. However, since I have used natural deodorants over the years, the price is comparable to ones I have purchased and since I don't use makeup really or vast amounts of products, for me, it is worth spending that bit more.

Kutus Lemongrass and Tea tree- 50g.  (I think the price was either £5.50 or £6.50)

CBC's words:

The product itself was a good deodorant. It was effect, had a nice smell and an organic flavour to it.  Being a 'dry' product meant that sometimes, it was less comfortable to use than a liquid roll on; you had to warm it up or soften it in your armpit before it came off effectively and then when you took it away, it resulted in hairs being left behind. The cardboard container is robust enough for a short use but if you are taking it places or using it lots, it doesn't compare to your traditional deodorant.  All-in-all, these are small inconveniences to pay for an effective deodorant product which uses no plastic and can be composted or recycled.

The details:

• 100% Natural ingredients
• Plastic free – packaging is biodegradable and recyclable
• Cruelty free
• Ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients
• NO Palm Oil, Aluminium or Parabens 
• Handmade in Wales

Ingredients:

Butyrospermum Parkii** (Shea Butter)
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil**
Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa Butter)
Cera Alba (Beeswax)
Arrowroot
Bicarbonate of Soda**
Grapefruit Oil
Lemon Oil
Peppermint Oil
Sweet Orange Oil

Linalool*, Limonene*, Citral*

**Organic Ingredient
*Naturally occurring components in essential oils.

Your Nature Sandalwood and Bergamot deodorant - 70g (I paid £7.95 for this)

I was worried about my problem that often natural deodorant wasn't always effective on me as it isn't an Anti-perspirant- you will still sweat but wanted to give this a go.  It is lovely to use.  It ACTUALLY works on me and I don't smell. It feels really good and smells really natural.  Unlike CBC, with less hairy arm, it goes on smoothly and feels nice- no irritation. One thing is I worry I use too much of it in one go.  Sometimes it ends up around the rim of the tube so I try to wipe it onto my armpits with the edge.  Pushing up the deodorant to get more is as simple as shoving a finger up the bottom but occasionally, I pushed on the bottom too much -it's kind of hard to get it back in and I've taken to carefully puttting the lid on, but not pushing it right down- not so easy if travelling.  It seemed to last for quite a while- I can't remember how long it lasted but seemed to go on for a while. However, as I got towards the end, because this tube is longer than CBC's, I couldn't reach up the tube anymore to push it up.  I used my bamboo toothbrush end to do this which was fine but make sure you push it in the middle- it went wonky when I didn't.  At the end, it is hard to know how to use it as the last bit of deodorant is sort of balanced on a cardboard disk- I took the disk attached to the bit of deodorant out of the tube and rubbed it on my armpits which worked fine and just put it back on top with the lid balanced on top.  The packaging did get a bit 'shea-buttery' as you can probably see from the pictures and did get a bit knackered with travelling but it stood the test and was not a problem. Don't leave it standing in the sun though!! I'd definitely use this again if they hadn't stopped stocking it in the refill room.

I've added some close-up shots of the product close towards its end to see
how it holds up in terms of appearance etc.

The details:

ECO CREDENTIALS

• Plastic free. Your Nature reduce the amount of waste going to landfill with completely zero waste packaging.
• 100% Natural - contains no aluminium, parabens or carcinogens
• 100% Vegan and Cruelty Free
• Palm Oil Free
• Recyclable and/or compostable packaging
• Handcrafted in the UK

INGREDIENTS

Coconut Oil (Cocos nucifera) *
Arrowroot Powder (Maranta arundinacea) *
Sodium Bicarbonate,
Mango Butter (Mangifera indica)
Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii) *
Candelilla Wax (Candelilla cera)
Vitamin E (Tocopherols)
Lavender Essential Oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
Bergamot Essential Oil (Citrus Bergamia)

Citral ** Geraniol ** Linalool ** Citronellol ** Limonene **

* Organic
** Naturally occurring potential allergens

Earth Conscious Rose and Jasmine Deodorant stick  £6.95

I  bought this one as a substitute since the previous one was not being stocked again. This tube size is more sensible and seems quite robust. It survived being away for 3 weeks in a wash bag.

It rolls on really easily and feels really pleasant on the armpits.  The smell is attractive. It worked on most days that I used it although on a hot day in Siena, I felt like ONE of my armpits was smelly and the other wasn't! What is that about? It's easy to push the end of the tube up and I felt like I had more control over the amount I pushed up compared to my other one or maybe I was less gung-ho with this one.  It seems to last well though again, some of it ends up around the side of the rim so again, I am wiping off the edge onto my armpit so as not to waste it. I've not got to the end yet so I will let you know if there are any issues with that but all in all, I am very pleased with this product. I like the Shea butter- it is a lovely deodorant base and I feel it works for me and feels healthy for my skin. I will be buying this again (in fact, I have a second tube lined up!)

The details:

No aluminium, parabens or carcinogens

Allows your skin to breath and perspire naturally

Will not block your sweat glands and will allow your body to remove toxins as nature intended

Totally cruelty free

Supports healthy marine life

Biodegradable, Recyclable packaging, no plastic

Suitable for men, women and teens

Vegan Friendly

Made in the Isle of Wight.

Ingredients:

Certified organic coconut oil, arrowroot powder, certified organic shea butter, sodium bicarbonate, sunflower wax, Jasmine Absolute, Rose Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil

*Ingredients naturally occurring in Essential Oils

All in all, this is a swap I definitely want to stick with. I like the products hugely and think the extra expense is worth it for a deodorant that works, that isn't full of harmful chemicals and that I know can be disposed of super easily.

What do you think?  Would you try them?

xx

TARDIS Tuesday- Clara Oswald's date dress in Listen

Greetings!

Hope you are well!  I was in a bit of a quandry as to what to wear for TARDIS Tuesday this week since I have worn most of the summery ones I could do well recently but I suddenly thought that I should wear an incomplete cosplay so I can feature it once I'd done a bit more with it!

One of Clara's most beautiful outfits comes from an episode called Listen.  She's going out on a date with Danny Pink (which keeps going wrong) and she dresses really beautifully. But then she keeps messing up the date and ends up going all over the place with the Doctor!  You can see a little clip from it here and spy the dress.

Her beautiful blue dress is by an Australian designer called Alice McCall and apparently the retail cost of this dress was around £430!  AGH!&(*((**(*(*(!!!

Image borrowed from this Pinterest

She wears it with a navy blue blazer from Urban Outfitters, tights and shiny black high heels.  Her blazer features a beaded Skull brooch. Plus she wears a whole bunch of other jewellery with it.

IMage borrowed from Claraoswaldcosplay.com

I never thought I'd ever own this dress. You know, it's quite rare, it's Australian and designer. That price tag is huge!!! 

But around my birthday in February, I came across the white version of the dress on a second-hand site for 40 Australian Dollars.  Which was about £30.  And somehow, since it was my birthday, I decided to just go for it with the help of my cosplay friend Lauren who ordered it and got it sent to her and sent it to me.

As you can see, I am wearing it very differently. Well, I am just donning it for the photos right now. Even though I've had it since February, I haven't investigated dyeing it yet. Confession- I am scared to ruin it.

It IS very short. I think I would have to wear it with legging rather than tights to feel confident in it.  But, that is a very good price for an amazing dress!

So... stay tuned to see this on transformed.... at some point!

What do you think?

xx

dfdfd

The 8 R's for the Environment

I saw something wonderful on Instagram that I wanted to share on here.  An Artist called @Tozersigns (Her website is here.) made a mural for @ZeroGreenBristol's refit. Their website is here. 
We've always been told the 3 R's-  Reuse, Reduce, Recycle but even-better- there are 8 R's!!!!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tozer Signwriter (@tozersigns) on Mar 9, 2019 at 3:50am PST

That's beautiful, isn't it!

Recycle- Close the Loop and remake:

Yep- done.  I recycle everything I can, even to the extent of carrying round rubbish with me from other people.
Refuse- Don't consume what you don't need to.

Yep- done.  I refuse boxes and straws and cups and bags.

Reduce- reduce consumption of energy and materials

Done partly.  Although the majority of my wardrobe etc is second-hand, I still own a lot of new things I don't need and jewellery etc.
That said, I do try to walk where possible, turn off lights for me and other people (I am the light and Smartboard Police at work) and try not to take new things.

Reuse- Share with others and find new uses for old objects.

Yep- done.
I have tried to send items of clothing to friends, sell them.  I've tried to reuse items such as the plastic fruit boxes and takeaway boxes etc, paper bags, cereal bag.

Repair- Fix or upgrade your objects rather than throwing them away.

Done only partly.
I got my sunglasses fixed by a friend.  I have repaired a holdall with a rip in it with an old umbrella cover (which I now need to do with another bag).

Re-gift-  Share and be a part of the gift economy.

Definitely done this on various occasions where a gift hasn't quite worked for me.

Recover - Energy and materials recovery and upcycle.

Hmmm, not so sure about this though I frequently save items from binning at school (e.g. scrap paper, gift bags etc).

And finally
Re-think- Be mindful of your consumption, your relationship with things and with the Earth.

Definitely trying to do this.  We 'rethought' a trip to Italy by travelling by train.  I rethink how I pack and how I consume.

Two others you could include:

Research:  Not happy with something to do with waste?  Research a way to solve it!

Reach out/React:  Tell companies when you are not happy about the way they are doing something.

Respect:  Assess what you are doing.  Are you showing respect for the Earth and your local, national, global environment.


What do you think? Can you think of any R's to add to this dialogue?

xx

60 questions Part 3

Here's Part 3 to those questions I've been answering.


41. Cooking or baking?
Cooking definitely. Am extraordinarily resistant to baking.

42. Favourite Baked goods?
Bread rolls? Or nice oaty biscuits. If I'm cooking, Roasted vegetables! See question above.

43. What is something you wish you could be good at?
Not worrying. I stress out far too easily. I also wish I were good at going to bed and managing my time better.

44.  Skiing or surfing?
Neither.  Both are likely to result in broken limbs or a head injury. I am clumsy and a wuss.

45. First celebrity crush?

Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, John Hasler who used to play T-shirt in T-bag on ITV.

46. Most recent celebrity crush?

JJ Feild who played Mr Tillney in Northanger Abbey.  Phwoar!

47. What colour was your prom dress?

I never went to the prom. We had discos at school which I never went to as I was always at a concert.  In sixth form, I also had a concert for the prommish event. 

48. How do you manage stress?

Talking to people, walking, praying, reading, playing my flute. I'm not so good at managing stress. 

49. What do you do to relax?

Read, go for walks, drink tea, sleep, play music, dance, blog - mostly the same as Bev.

50. Shoes or bags?

I have lots of shoes, less bags nowadays as I have a train journey and cycling and a rucksack is essential (though lots of reusable ones) so I will say shoes. I would say Dresses instead!

51. How do you know if you’re in love?

Worrying about that person, wanting to make things better for them, still loving them even when they are mean to you or drive you mad.  Not sure really.  Only been in love twice!

52. Who do you turn to when you’re sad?

CBC, my sister, my Dad, my Mum.

53. What are you most enchanted by?

Nature… water, the sea, the trees, the mountains, great expanses of beauty.

54. What is your biggest strength?

Well, I am not sure I have HUGE strengths but my musical ability to be able to write down a tune and rhythm when I hear it and sing something straight off without any other instrumental support at pitch (and play) are incredibly useful skills in my life. It saves me a lot of time and means I can compose on a train platform.  In terms of things other people have said, Empathy.  I feel things deeply though this can be a bind. Stacks of energy- I seem to be able to operate on very little sleep and a great enthusiasm for things.  Apparently I am a good listener though I'm not sure  I always am.

55. What is your biggest weakness?
I stress out really easily and cause other people to stress (mainly CBC). I worry endlessly about things until I have a resolution for them.  I care about what other people think too much and this makes me a bit paranoid at times if I think I have upset someone or someone says something which I read too much into. Also, I am really messy and a bit of a hoarder.

56. What are 3 words to describe living in your city?

I live in a town.  Chelmsford is the nearest city to me and that isn't that close.  

57. Cutest thing on planet Earth?

I find these questions really hard.  Er, seeing a couple really in love who are really good at interacting with their children.  Cats tucking themselves into a ball.

58. Favourite colour?

Kingfisher blue.

59. Favourite time of day?

The moment I get home and sit down with a cup of tea.

60. Favourite band?

No idea though I did really like a folk duo called Cardboard Fox.

And that's the end! Tell me your answers to some of these questions in the comments if you wish. Or let me know if you’ve done/are going to do this and I’ll come and check out your post as I love nosy posts!

60 questions Part 2.

Here's Part 2 to the 60 questions quiz I began.

21. How do you start your day?
Usually trying to ignore the alarm clock then leaping out of bed frantically after drinking a class of water and medication. I then get into the shower, get dressed and cycle to work. At the weekend, drink tea and read if I have no other plans.

22. Would you ever live anywhere beside where you do now?
I would live in Northumberland.

23.  What is your favourite dessert?
I love Chocolate eclairs, Strawberry Pavlova (you know, meringues, strawberries and cream)

24.  Is there a dessert you don't like?
Most of them!  I don't like stodge, none of those traditional suet puddings, Spotted Dick, Bread Pudding. Bread and Butter Pudding, Summer Pudding, Banofee Pie.

25.  It's a brunch! WHat do you eat?
Mmm, I like this:
Well, I'd like an English muffin, lovely sloppy scrambled egg with chives OR a crispy fried egg with a soft yolk, Avocado, Halloumi, fried cherry tomatoes with Marjoram, Courgette Fritters maybe, spinach, tiny cubed fried potatoes with Paprika and salt.  I'd have Apple Juice and then Earl Grey tea. Or a lovely chocolate milk shake! 

26.  Where was the best vacation you've ever taken?
I adored Croatia  and it was a very happy holiday. Though I have to say, our honeymoon in Switzerland was amazing except for being unwell at the start.  We visited and stayed in Geneva, Zeneggen, Zermatt, the Engadine, Guarda, Lake Como, Lugano, Lucerne, Spiez, Interlaken and Basle all by train!

27.   Favourite Disney animal?
The Fox Robin in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.

28. What is a book you are planning on reading?
That's like asking what I'll eat! Well, I've just downloaded ALL the GK Chesterton Father Brown mysteries onto my Kindle for my holiday in Italy.  I would never have bought a Kindle but my friend was getting a new one so she gave me her old one and I am only downloading free books onto it so I decided to get all these!

29.  What did you read most recently?
Well,currently reading Where the River runs gold. But I JUST read Thunderhead by Neal Shustermann which I ordered from the library- second in the Arc of a Scythe. It was brilliant but devastating. I am so compelled to read Dystopian fiction like this (think Hunger Games) but it is always scary.

30. Favourite solo artist?
I rarely listen to solo artists.  

31. What is something you're tired of?
I'm so tired of Brexit. It's SUCH a waste of time and money and energy and passion.  Life has been absolutely fine being part of Europe all my life. I do not feel hard done by or cheated in any way. 
I'm also tired of Climate Change deniers.  It's just laziness in terms of responsibility for our planet. If I deny it long enough, perhaps it isn't true?  No, it is!

32.  What is a city you want to visit?
I'm more of a countryside type but I would like to visit Oslo, Barcelona, Antwerp and Edinburgh or Glasgow!

33.  Heels or flats.
Er, no contest. Flats.
34.  Where does one go on a perfect toad trip?  
Northumberland or Germany or Iceland!

35. What do you do on a rainy day?
Read! Drink tea or go walking in it!

36.  What is your favourite exercise?
Swimming or swing dancing.
37.  What was your worst subject at school?
Like Bev, I hated Design and Technology because I was so scared of all the machines, the glue pen, the soldering iron and all hot things that might maim, scar, burn or cut me.  Similarly, the Bunsen burner in Science was the thing to be avoided at all costs for the same reason. I liked the theory but not the Bunsen. I got good grades for both but did not enjoy them.  In terms of what I was worst at- probably PE!
38.  Which animal do you identify with most?
Cat and squirrel.  I like having my back stroked or scratched lightly and enjoy curling up in the warmth.

39.  What do you usually eat for breakfast?
In term time, I often don't get anything.  Since the school has started doing the free Magic Breakfast, I have managed to snag a free wholemeal bagel (without anything on it) as the ones that haven't been claimed/eaten go back to the kitchen rather than being chucked out. That or Bran Flakes.

40.  What do you usually eat for dinner?
Although we have a variety, courgettes, peppers, tomatoes feature extensively on the menu! Often with pasta. Sweet potatoes too!

That's the end of Part 2.  Remember to tell me if you attempt these!
x

60 questions: Part 1

Bev shared these questions recently as she was feeling uninspired about blog posting so I thought I'd give it a go too! I am, however, going to split the 60 questions into three posts.

1. What's the best thing that happened to you this month?
I got to play 1st flute for William Tell overture and play the big flute solo after waiting 20 years to do so (all due to being devious and opportunistic!).  A very critical conductor who I have known for 20 years told me I played beautifully a day later.  Also, the words of parents and children who thanked me for my support means a lot to me.

2. What's your favourite game?
Oooh, difficult!  I THINK I would say, The Big Taboo as it has a bit of everything in it but I do love The London Game, Slam, Scrabble and Articulate. I am a bit obsessed with Bananagrams at the moment too and am itching to buy it so might say that too!

3.  When are you most inspired?
It just happens.  Sometimes I think about something and then the creativity just flows. It usually comes from an enthusiasm for something be it something I've seen, something I've taught or something someone has said.

4.  If you could teach one subject at school, what would it be?
Hmmm, obviously, I teach Music every day so I guess this but if it wasn't that, I'd say English. I've also done this.

5.  Favourite beverage:
Earl Grey tea!

6. What's the best compliment you've ever received?
This is difficult to say.  When I was 14, I was in a competition called The Audi Junior Musician of the year.  A professor from the Royal Academy of music came up to me and told me that she thought there was an inate musicality about my playing and I will always remember that. Similarly, Ian Clarke, who is a very well-known flute player, composer and teacher told me that I was player 11 in the world of his famous piece Zoomtube.  Nowadays, stacks of people play this piece, but to be told by the composer in the early days of publication that you've are the 11th player of his piece in the world whose playing you approve of is pretty amazing for me.

7. What is your favourite birthday cake?
I'm going to say that I loved that 1980's Freezer classic Sara Lee chocolate gateau but nowadays, I ADORE a supermarket fresh cream Victoria sponge or just a Chocolate Eclair.

8. What is one thing you still have from childhood?
Well, I have a couple of rings that my Mum gave me and a pair of Crystal heart earrings I wore as a Bridesmaid for my Mum's wedding when I was 7ish but the main thing is my Pink Panther, Pinky, who I wrote about in a blog post.

9. What is your favourite film?
I really like watching Ever After, The Slipper and the Rose, Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang but I honestly can't think of a real favourite nowadays!

10. What is something you can't do?
Like Bev, I cannot touch my toes- I am not even anywhere near them. I've also never been able to do the splits for the same reason (Hypotense muscles), I cannot drive or do those 3D book things.

11.  Window or aisle seat?
Aisle definitely. I am far too fidgety to sit by the window! I'd prefer to have no one next to me so I can move!

12.  What is something that makes you laugh no matter what?
Watching that Nicola Sturgeon gorilla clip.

Watching other people try to guess Articulate or Pictionary is also a sure fire laughter situation for me too.

13.  What are your favourite lyrics of all time?
Not a clue! I am not so good at lyrics! I do love the lyrics of How Deep the Father's love by Stuart 
Townend, particularly the last verse:
I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.


14.What is your favourite holiday?
I love the 6 weeks holiday! I know that's not what is meant by this question but there!

15. What's heavily played on your music play list right now?
Firstly, I don't really have a play list or really listen to music lots. But I was recently listening to Shostakovitch 15 and Dukas La Peri as I was about to play them.

16. If you could raid one woman's closet, who would it be?
I have to say very happily here, that Bev cited ME as her one which I was very touched about. Other than that, I would say, I would gladly raid @aclotheshorse, @KatieLovesKittyKats on Instagram's wardrobe or @passingwhimsies. 

17. Must have purse item?
I carry a rucksack- it is heavy. I have lots of must haves. Purse, phone, keys, train ticket, work ID, Spork, stainless steel straw, paper bag to reuse, pen, handkerchief, book to read, water bottle, reusable cup, reusable bag.

18. What did you want to be when you grew up when you were 12?
I remember writing about this in PHSE lessons when 12. I said then, ahem... musician, music teacher, artist, art teacher, cartographer, actor.

19. What is something you will not be doing in ten years?
Ahrgh, I don't know what I am doing in a year, let alone 10. I'd like to say, I would like NOT to be so worried about the environment, confident that all the earth are doing something about it. But I am not sure.

20 What is an important life lesson for someone to learn?
That you do not have to follow what everyone else is doing? You can do something you feel very strongly is morally right, even if it makes you unpopular. If you do it, others will start to get it eventually. But, to try and be kind when doing it. Also to trust in what you believe.

Part 2 is coming soon.  Tell me your answers to some of these questions in the comments if you wish. Or let me know if you’ve done/are going to do this and I’ll come and check out your post as I love nosy posts!

Give bees a chance

My Mum bought me a beautiful Bee dress 2 years ago from a company called British Retro. It is one of those items that fits perfectly.

I wore it on Sunday to a barbecue in Eltham.  CBC has an old friend who invited us over. I wore it with two charity shopped items- a white lacy cardigan and some lovely white lattice leather shoes from Rieker that I bought from a charity shop last year.

It was a bad choice though.  Remember how windy it was on Sunday?  

Yeh, unfortunately a big gust of wind blew my skirt up at a most inopportune moment.  When I had no hands free!!

Anyway, it is a nice reminder of my Grandad and his bees when I wear it and all the nicer because my Mum chose it for me.

Hope you are well.

xx

Eco-things this week

I  returned from my musical course with camping a week and a half ago. It is a great place for eco-living in so many ways.

They had purchased the  'Who gives a crap?' toilet rolls which come wrapped in patterned paper and no plastic and the loo rolls are double length. It was nice to try them.  I got the ladies whose job it was to stock up on the loo rolls to save the papers for me.  I used some of them, together with my cotton cloth bag to carry and wrap lettuce, Swiss Chard, Beans and cucumbers which I bought from the small holding there.  The rest are saved to use for wrapping presents or passing onto  a craft person who shreds them and uses them as packing for her jewellery- I have some of her boxes from my orders with unfranked stamps so could send them to her for free in her own packing!

I found a kindred spirit. A fellow musician is exactly the same as me over my changes and approach to waste now and it was really nice for us to be able to know that we were exactly the same. Both of us had lots and lots of discussions over dinners about waste and solutions and several people got ideas from a few things I am doing.  On the clear up shift, both of us happened to be in the kitchen a and we were giggling as we rescued things from going in the bin using an assortment of old containers to take home. We had cream cheese, Dill sauce, sliced lemons, Hummus, pickled cucumber slices all in recycled packaging.  I've worked my way through nearly all the above, bar a bit of the Dill sauce.  All the remaining food was portioned into tubs for people to take home as meals.  We all made a donation which goes towards a local food bank.

We always have a picnic there and usually we get a plastic bag, crisps and then a roll, sausages, etc.  This time, the head cook bought cardboard food boxes and wooden forks and made cous-cous, salads, hummus instead.  I, in prep, had brought my own plastic container and metal spork!

Went to a party where they had reusable plates but plastic cutlery so used my own spork which I carry around. It's impossible to cut barbecue food with a flimsy plastic fork.

We are going on a train journey where I have utlized 4 old paper bags that I have squirrelled away after using and an English Heritage Magazine compostable bag for the 4 rolls we are taking.  I've made sure to pack all my Zero-use essentials- multiple water bottles, spoon, fork, container etc.

I managed to remember to refuse a straw on 3 occasions but forgot on one.  To be fair, I wasn't expecting to receive a straw in a glass of tap water, but there you are.

I wrote to Nestle about their Matchmakers Packaging after receiving a box of them. They are one of my favourite chocolates but I would like them to work on reducing their plastic. Here is my email in case you fancied sending an email too:

Dear Nestle, I am writing about your Matchmaker chocolates.  I really like these and was recently bought a box of Matchmaker mint sticks as a present. I really enjoy them BUT I have been recently really concerned with the environmental impact of products, particularly involving plastic and have thus been phasing products out of my life that use plastic as much as I can. In the case of your Matchmakers, it seems you could very easily change the wrapping on these. If you could make the box so that the plastic insert is not part of it,  you could reduce a large amount of plastic in one move. I'm not sure the Matchmakers really need anything other than the card tray they come in.  You could advertise them as no longer containing a plastic tray! This would definitely make me more inclined to continue to buy them. Also, it would be good to think of a compostable alternative to the cellophane wrapper.
With all good wishes,
Kerenza

Help persuade Pepsi to end association with nasty Indofood who exploit their workers and are ruining the environment in Indonesia: https://actions.sumofus.org/a/pepsi-ceo-ramon-laguarta-stop-dealing-with-conflict-palm-oil-company-indofood/?akid=59167.10909212.qWULcs&rd=1&source=fwd&t=11

Stop Lidl doing away with Fairtrade bananas

Persuade Waitrose and Sainsbury's to roll out their plastic free trials to all their supermarkets

Stop art institutions supporting greedy Oil companies

Sign with Greenpeace to introduce a charge for single use cups

The BBC reports that Waitrose is extending its plastic removal.

What eco-things have you done or experienced this week?

Tardy TARDIS Tuesday- Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS

I'm late for TARDIS Tuesday from yesterday because I got home late from a lovely day spent at the English Heritage Battle of Hastings site followed by a visit to Gravesend to the Escape Rooms there and a dinner at Wagamamas. It was delightful but meant I got back too late!

Today's TARDIS Tuesday is one I last shared in the new year of 2018, worn on Christmas day 2017.  It is one of my most attempted TARDIS Tuesdays of all with 4 different attempts at this. This latest one is similar to the last one with one or two additions.

Let's look at it. This outfit, worn by Clara, is one of her most iconic looks.  She wears a beautiful red sequin-print dress with a black collar from Urban Outfitters.

IMage borrowed from this Pinterest

She wears brown biker boots from All Saints,black & silver triangle earrings and then an unusual watch made out of old watch faces.

Image borrowed from https://claracosplay.livejournal.com/2921.html

Her hair is really intricate and is in fact the hairstyle my wedding hairstyle was modelled upon.

Image borrowed from https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/9781324166171713/

And here's me!

As you can see, it hasn't really changed much, other than the fact, I can wear it bare-legged since it isn't Winter.

I decided to add a 'fake hair' scrunchie round my bun which I've had since I was 16- isn't it a good match for my hair!

I wore black and silver triangle earrings and somehow lost one when taking the photos.  To create the effect of the 'watch-face' bracelet, I took a bracelet I have and I added several circular scarf-clips that I own to give the effect of watch-faces- the photo I took isn't very good but hopefully shows what I intended!

What do you think?

Hope you are well!

x