As we’re heading into the Easter weekend craziness I thought it was a good time to think about what it is we are celebrating this time of year. Sometimes I get the impression it’s all (and only) about buying stuff. The meaning behind the festivity gets lost in a rush to buy bunnies, eggs, and […]
Working out at home
I don’t have a gym membership. Running and swimming are not my favourite exercises. I get my workout done at home. No, I don’t mean running after kids or hanging out the washing. I exercise at home in front of the TV every morning for around 30 min. My husband got me a (very) good […]
Storing skin care products
The most important rule for storing any homemade skin care is: moisture is your enemy. Any water in your product can result in mold growing. So, the number one rule for storing homemade skin care products is to keep water out of your jar(s). There are two main stages where water can enter jars are […]
Opshopping – second hand clothes shopping for beginners
This morning I had a little time (and no kids) on my hand so I went to our local opshop. I came out with a bag of items which should get me through the changing season. I love opshops and I’m a frequent costumer. Today I want to share a few lessons I’ve learned over […]
Tech-Freedom
I like technology as much as the next person. I have a smartphone, a tablet, a notebook, ebook reader … you name it. But sometimes I like to switch off. We have established a few zones in our house where technology is not welcome. Before you read on, let me just say that I don’t […]
A life of choices and privilege
I want to clarify something. It’s about where I see myself (and this blog) with regards to a global movement to whole foods, ecological living, zero waste, and sustainability in general. It’s essentially about the privilege to choose my life. Let me begin with an example from my life: picking my son up from daycare. […]
Is sugar bad?
Any respectable book on nutrition and cooking advises against sugar today. Moving away from it seems to be the answer to any health concerns with regards to eating. Jamie Oliver shows some effects of sugar on health in his documentary Sugar Rush. I agree to some extent but not all the way to the evil […]
Straw bale workshop – recap
Four days have past without me working with straw, mud, or render. My clothes and shoes are clean again and I get my physical workout through my normal fitness routine. What has changed? I feel a different connection to buildings now. I walk past at least one construction side every day and I look at […]
Straw bale workshop – day 4
Day four, the last day of the straw bale workshop. I admit, I’m exhausted albeit it was an awesome experience. We did a lot of work on the house in a short amount of time. It’s amazing to see the progress from a timber frame to rendered walls. Today’s biggest job was to begin rendering […]
Straw bale workshop – day 3
Day three of building a straw bale house with natural materials and I’m starting to get comfortable with the process. I spend most of my day today on the interior mud walls, just like yesterday. We tried a different technique by forming mud-straw-sand-balls in our hands and ‘staging’ them into the timber frame. This technique […]