The vegetables you grow are like your children. While you may love them, others may not find them that enjoyable.
I've got loads of zucchini growing, and growing, and ...
When I turned 40 last year I was given the ultimate present to preserve my youth. It was a Fowlers Vacola electric preserving pan. Yesterday I was gifted some vintage bottles full with historical, and unidentifiable, fruit. I have to compost the fruit and then use the jars for more bottled treats.
Can you believe it? GIY has just won it's first award for best info site in the online category of the Green Lifestyle Awards. It was a real treat to be recognised.
Not since the Tooma Gymkhana in 1980 have I won anything of note*. It is really rather exciting.
Hot water systems can one of the biggest energy users in your house, especially if it's a giant electric storage system and/or you've got people who seem to get trapped in a hot-water soaked stupor when they are in the shower.
It makes sense then that you insulate the tank and pipes to keep that precious and expensive hot water in and not let it all be lost to the cold winter air.
But can you insulate 'the works'?
Stand-by power sucks.
Most of us know that if you turn electroinic stuff off at the powerpoint you save around 10% on your electricity bill. But we don't because it's too darn tricky, and a little bit, well, dull.
There are heaps of technologically advanced things to help you. The EcoSwitch (RRP $19.95) is one of them. Five hard-wired GIY reviewers put it to the test and here's what they thought.
I like puns.
I like marketing that uses word-play. It draws/sucks me in. Some people would argue that putting a pun into a business name is bad form. Au contaire. You only have to look at the success of such business as The Snuggle Inn, the Thistle Do Nicely scottish gift shop or the Lord of the Fries chip shop to know that puns = punch.
I like products with a good idea and a good heart.
Eco-washball reviews
I love opening up my power bill. Love the crackle as I tear open the envelope, the chart, the stories! And now, for added excitement, there’s a competitive element! A graph comparing your energy use with other folk in your neighbourhood (names withheld!) to see who holds the energy high-ground*.
Comparing energy bills is my equivent of looking in someones bathroom cabinet!
It was early spring and maybe I was too optomistic, but there were grapes ... and I bought them. Surely somewhere in Australia it was warm enought to grow grapes.
Daily dilemmas confound me.
I'll spare you the details but we've had a blocked loo. After trying to fix it, and failing, I called in the plumber. While he was here I popped the question - full flush, half flush or not flush at all? What is best for the environment, sewers and my own pee-ce of mind (that is the first and last lavatory joke I am going to do I promise).