Clean Scrubs

I constantly keep an eye out for new facial scrubs that are truly "clean and green".  I don't want to put my face through some sort of chemical wash each and every day.  A simple pure non creamy facial scrub is my preference.  Acure organics sea kelp scrub is the one I really want to try but with shipping costs higher than the actual product cost, I will have to wait till I am stateside to try it.  In the meantime I picked up a local Australasian brand that contains no icky ingredients.  Unfortunately it is another creamy scrub that leaves my face feeling moisturised rather than cleansed.  Browsing the supermarket a few days ago I found St.Ives green tea scrub which is new in their range.  I used to use their apricot scrub until I decided to forgo the chemicals for something more natural.  This new one claims to be on the "eco-friendly" side.  I found out otherwise on this website.  It's really worth checking your products on this sight to see how much exposure you might be giving yourself to nasty and unnecessary toxins and dangerous chemicals.  Now my dilemma: what do I do with my 2 brand new scrubs that I am really not satisfied with?!   Any suggestions on good scrubs or facial wash products would be much appreciated.

Finishing Touches

I am still working on the finishing touches in our new rumpus/guest/yoga/movie room .  Two of the majors I finally completed were adding a bit of color to the room by painting the manrobe and a leftover free desk that we inherited.  For the desk I knew I wanted some sort of cool handles and pulls to add that perfect je ne sais quoi so I browsed Etsy and came up with this gorgeous handmade hardware from VintageSkye. 
Now I just need to find a good chair for the desk and perhaps a colorful cushion for the bed and voila...fini!

sorry, the photo is a bit dark and I can be bothered trying to fix it!

Another Project Complete

It's not perfect but I am quite pleased.  Pleased that I knitted someting that I will probably actually wear and pleased to have it done finally.  I've already got the next project in mind, just waiting to have enough cash for the wool.  Deceptively expensive, this knitting hobby!

Finished Projects

I am on a mission as of late to finish all outstanding projects in the house.  In the past few days I have managed to tick off quite a few.  First the new room, then a pinafore sewing project and finally my crocheted house jacket.  Some of my crafty projects have been a success and others not so much. 

reversible pinafore for messy projects

goofy model

the ugliest jacket in the world!  how grandma-ish; will I ever wear it!?

Now I can carry on with my knitted cardigan (I think it's actually going to be quite pretty and usable), the repainted manrobe and a desk rescue project.  I must keep repeating the mantra "don't start the next project until you finish the current one".

Browne Family Guest Quarters.....Open For Business

It's official: our garage conversion project is finally finished.  We have already had our first weekend of visitors and it is a total success.  When are you going to book in?
Of course I am still fiddling around with the decor.  The manrobe will soon be repainted a vibrant shade of blue and a red desk and sleepover ottoman will also make their way into the setup.
Until then the children are already enjoying the space as their private home theatre.

Remember what it looked like before?

A Perfect Moment

Yesterday as the baby took her afternoon nap, I retreated to my bedroom to read a book.  Gazing out the window, I was overcome with contentment at the scene below.  The girls played happily together practicing on their balance beam using Rex as a stabilizer.  Beyond them, the sea was blue, the sun was shining and a boat sailed past.  It was the perfect moment.

clean green living

What do we mean by clean green living......sustainability......... eco friendly......... leaving a smaller carbon footprint?  Does this mean buying "eco-friendly" disposable items? Using unbleached compostable disposable nappies?  Purchasing an energy efficient clothes dryer?  This whole realm of being clean and green has been on my mind lately.  In New Zealand everyone talks about losing our clean green image that we hold on the international stage.  I tend to disagree.  The very core of Kiwi existence is clean and green......a frugal mentality in all aspects.  We collect rainwater off the roof to use as the household and garden water supply, everyone hangs their washing out to dry on a clothesline.  Some families don't even own a dryer.  When something breaks it is mended or recycled to make something else instead of being chucked out.  Kiwi ingenuity in action.  Never throw anything away because you might need it later or you might find a way to use it in some other manner. 
After living here now for 6 years my mentality has certainly changed.  On our annual visit to California, I cringe every time I see people doing dishes and just leaving the tap to run while they finish a conversation or something.  Water, water, water just pouring down the drain for no reason.  There is never a thought to where it comes from or how much it is costing them to just let it run down the drain "unused".  If your water supply were limited as ours is, you certainly would make every drop count.  And with all that beautiful dry hot California sunshine, I have yet to see someone hang their washing out to dry.  It is natural and free and only takes a few minutes.  A few minutes that you can spend outside with your children while they have a play or help hang stuff up before heading off to work for the day.  Get some fresh air, take a moment to slow the pace of your life down and appreciate mother nature before heading into the corporate concrete jungle world.  Having a picnic or party?  How "green" is it to buy eco friendly disposable plates and cutlery?  Is it that hard to just have a picnic set that you chuck in a cloth bag and bring home to wash and reuse?  Not, really and you save money and energy by reusing instead of buying disposable goods.  Cloth nappies anyone?  I've started using them again with baby number 3 and they are great.  It doesn't take much time to put the dirtys in a bucket and wash them once the bucket is full.  Hang them out to dry in the sunshine for a natural bleached effect.  Of course I use eco disposable too when I am out for a full day but for every nappy I save from the rubbish bin by using a cloth nappy, I feel pretty pleased with myself.
I won't go into personal care products because I've already had a rant about that before.  Why smear chemicals all over your body and hair when you don't have to?
Perhaps you could give it a try:
Can you set up some sort of water tank in your back yard to collect the rain even if only to use to water your garden?
How about buying a clothesline and giving that a go?  Every load that is naturally dried is that much money in your pocket and that much less energy pollution to the planet.
Lose the disposable mentality!  Re-use and recycle everything.  If you no longer want something, give it away.  Buy only good quality items that will last a lifetime.  Need something new, look at a second hand shop first.  You never know what you might find.  Shop on craigs list for items you need instead heading somewhere for a brand new something. 
We need to think about the core of what sustainability means?  Forget about consumerism marketed with eco or green as the tagline.  Do you even need to buy that eco product or could you use something you already have at home? 
And with that I reckon your pockets will begin to fill with lose change as you save yourself a bundle on things you've never considered were putting strain on your budget.  Imagine your power or water bill being $20 less each month.  You might even be able to take a trip overseas eventually.........to New Zealand!!

Anyway, good to get it off my chest.......just food for thought.

Side note:  This is not directed at anyone imparticular.  I just want to chuck it out there for anyone in cyber space who happens to read this blog to consider.