A new kindness idea... for books!

I have been reading prolifically. I’ve been purchasing about 10 books a fortnight from charity shops. I must admit that most of them are Romance. I like to think part of it is research. I love writing and have for years and have been reading and writing romance for years. None of it is publishable yet, but I love to read them to see what types of stories I want to write. What I enjoy and how different people tell their stories. I am blessed to have a few family friends who are prolific and published Romance authors and Life lit writers. They are very successful at it too.

So I read Romance stories a lot. Which leads me to think about what to do with these books once I’ve finished with them. 

In the past I’ve been giving those books to a friend for her to read. My friend just got herself a new job and is moving to London in a few days! 😭😭😭 I’m going to miss that girl. 

But it leaves me with a question as what to do now with my large collection of romance novels. Not many other people have the same taste in books as I do. So finding someone else to read them has been harder. 

I no longer feel the need to keep all the ones I’ve read however I have kept a couple that I really enjoyed as inspiration. 

So, I decided to do something with a lot of the books I’ve been getting. I’m leaving them for people on public transport. Like this one.

“I’m in no mood for love” by Rachel Gibson was a sweet story of a woman getting over the heat break of discovering her fiancé in bed with another person, the washing machine repair man. 

I liked this book because it was set over a longer period of time. Not a couple days like a lot of the other books I have read recently. It is still a fast paced story with the two protagonists being writers in different genres. And it’s a lot of fun. It’s kind of a sweet romance rather than hot an steamy. 

I left a little note for someone to find. I was visiting a friend in London. For me to get from Reading to London it takes a 30 minute train ride to get there ( I don’t know why I don’t go to Reading more often). 

So fun to leave the book on the train on my way to London. :) 

I must admit I did wait till almost everyone else was off the train to leave it there.  

Here is a great kindness idea for you to enjoy! 

Love Daena x 

Sustainable September 2017 - Day Thirty

SEPTEMBER 30 (SATURDAY)

FASHION & BEAUTY - OPSHOPPING/UPCYCLING

Welcome back Sustainable September-ers. It is the last day of the month of Eco Kindnesses. What a crazy wild ride it has been.

One thing I have to say is that it is my Mums birthday today. It is always such a lovely way to end Sustainable September by honouring the woman who gave birth to me. 

You, Mum, are the best, most couragous, genuine, compassionate, determined woman I know. You make other people see the best in themselves even when they didn't realise there was more to them. You have championed so many causes, helped so many people, affected so many lives and you have done so much of it quietly, in the back ground. You are a marvel. I am so blessed that I was put on this earth with you. Thanks for being my mum!

Back to the blog post now...

I love that every September I learn new and interesting ways to reduce my waste and make my life, and everyone else's lives a little better. I forget how much I have done and continue to do for this great planet of ours. It is like a journey I forget I am on. Iimpliment small changes that I forget about as they become normal. It is only as a result of doing Sustainable September that I realise just how far I have come in my journey to reduce my waste. I am a long way off being Zero waste but each year I get a little closer to living with no waste. It is by no means a fast swap. I feel like my small changes are sustainable though. I like it like that. After all this is Sustainable September for a reason. Small changes that can be sustained for a long time to come. 

Kindness is always my priority when it comes to this blog. Kindness to our planet equates to millions of people in poverty having support. People living in poverty are the first casualties as a result of climate change. Being kind to our planet is simply thinking more about our actions so that we can help those who need it most. So everytime you choose glass packaging over unrecyclable plastic... just remember you are doing a kindness for those less fortunate than yourselves. 

What is Sustainable September all about on the last day of the month? It is about FUN!!!

Two of my favourite ideas when it comes to being environmentally friendly...

Sustainable September Day 30 - Op- Shopping and Upcycling. 

The idea and the ACTIVITY are one in the same today. Go Op-shopping (go to the thrift store, buy second hand, even look up pre-loved or used items on ebay). or Upcycle something that needs new life.

Oh... how I love Op-shopping. Usually when I am looking for something specific now though. By now you will have figured out your Capsule Wardrobe and decided if there are a couple holes in your wardobe. I know that as the summer months come into it I have a few more holes in my wardrobe because I have changed shape and a lot of my clothes.

I went to a local op-shop today. My family and I have been blessed with the most amazing gift of a holiday away. My niece, nephew and I went into the local town and went to the local op-shop... like you do! We didn't buy anything but had a look around. My nephew was looking for something very specific, so when that something wasn't to be found, he was out of there. It was probably all of about 4 minutes in the shop, but thankfully it was just a look around. I thankfully didn't need anything and the only thing my neice wanted they didn't have either so we all left. 

Normally I probably would have spent more time riffling through the back rooms to find little treasures... but not today. My nephew is pretty determined when his tummy rumbles... I guess that serves me right for not feeding him BEFORE we went into the opshop. oh well. I wasn't really looking for anything and I don't need to add to my piles of stuff at home... a lot of which is already destined for the opshop.

This is what i look at when I need something new.... Use what i have first... borrow second, swap third, then thrift, make is the next option leaving buy new a final resort. It takes into account all of the Zero Waste principals too.

If you have nothing that you need when it comes to opshopping/thrift shopping, then look at your waste and think of creative ways to Upcycle some of that waste. Have an old flannel shirt with paint stains? then turn it into a couple of gift bags, some hand warmers and a Apron.

Or you can thing about other types of waste too. What do you often throw out that can be upcycled and given new life, without going to the tip? Can't figure out what to do with an old tyre? Turn it into an ottoman. or a swing for your kids in the back yard, or a planter box. There are so many ideas for giving old things a new life... and therefore keeping them out of landfill. It just calls for creativity.

If you are interested in Upcycling then there are a huge range of boards and ideas on Pinterest.

I know, for those of you who have followed this blog ALL month, that Upcycling is not a new idea. But tomorrow is a saturday when people are most likely to be able to do fun things like op-shopping and upcycling... so i thought... why not bring it back again! :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Sustainable September for 2017. I always intend to do so much more stuff, be more creative and more informative... and then life gets in the way and you end up with a interesting shorter version of what i had planned in my mind. I guess living life and living this sustainable ecofriendly lifestyle is what the whole month is about so I guess that is part of the fun... not knowing what life will bring in a month.

I hope you will all continue to work to make this world better for everyone who lives here... make it kinder for everyone.
Sending love to you all.
Love Daena xx

ps. if you need a challenge for October starting on the 1st... it is "Buy Nothing New Month". Which puts another spin on reducing what you buy in Fast Fashion and also looking at alternative ways to help the environment.  Give it a go. I really enjoyed doing this last year. It was a little bit of a challenge but ultimately it was worth it. 

Sustainable September 2017 - Day Twenty Nine

SEPTEMBER 29 (FRIDAY)

FASHION & BEAUTY - RESPONSIBLE DEJUNKING & RECYCLING

Making life a little kinder for our planet and all those who live here.

Welcome back to the last week of Sustainable September. This week is all about Fashion and Beauty.

It is simple the less we consume and the more we wear the clothes we already have the more environmentally friendly they become. However, there are times that it is impossible to keep clothes. They don't fit, they are unflattering, they are out of fashion, they are stained or ripped, they are thoroughly warn out.

Sustainable September Day Twenty Nine: Dejunk your excess.

This may seem a little strange to talk about Dejunking now after talking about waste this last 28 days. However consuming less and owning less is a massive part of reducing your environmental foot print. So I am here to talk about responsible dejunking and recycling.

If you are going to be creating a a capsule wardrobe (check out the last two days worth of blog posts for more information) it often involves getting rid of lots of clothes that no longer fit, aren't your style and are are stained or broken. Even though I will be talking about this in terms of clothing, some of these ideas apply to all the things you are getting rid of. 

Yesterday you would have started going through your wardrobe and putting aside the things that don't fit, are broken or stained, are too big, too small and aren't your personal style. Instead of just chucking all this in a bag and dumping it in landfill, I want you to look at what you have. 

DONATE: The things that are too big and small and aren't your personal style can be donated to a local thrift store, asuming they are in good enough condition to be sold exactly as they are (anything else is not going to be resold). You could also resell them yourself if you want to (to earn some extra cash). This means that anything with stains or breaks must not be taken to a thrift store, it is the same thing as throwing it in landfill because ultimately that is where it will be sent. 

First lets talk about REDUCING what you going to be sending to landfill. After all your resellable stuff is donated or resold you can then move on to the next group of things. The ones that are broken.

BROKEN: If they are broken, see if they can be mended. If they can be mended, can you rewear them? If you can rewear them, do they fit? are they stylish enough? do they go with more than one thing in your Capsule Wardrobe? The best thing you can do is repair them even though they no longer fit you, your style and dont match anything in your wardrobe. Then they can be sold or donated. I did this with a pair of shoes I owned at the beginning of the year. They were ones that i had worn to be bridesmaid at my best friends wedding, but i rarely wore them. The only times i did wear them, the straps broke on them. The straps pulled out of underneath the sole of the shoe. So I went to a cobbler and had them repaired. It cost me $10 to have 2 shoes fixed but then I was able to donate them as they were going to be useable/saleable for a charity thrift shop. It might seem silly to have something fixed to then give them away, but they were good shoes and I knew they would come in handy to someone sometime in the future.

Is something ripped or stained so badly that it can't be donated? Is it so bad it can't be fixed?  Then there are two options 1) Upcycle it into something that will be useful. 2) Rip it up and use it as rags.

I have done both of these.

UPCYCLING: For the first one I turned an old Flannelette t-shirt into a bunch of different things. Hand warmers, gift bags, a BBQ apron and more. I even had someone love the Apron so much they bought it off me and someone else loved it so much they commissioned me to make another one in Red! :) 

RAGS: Then there is those clothes that are stained so much that they can become nothing but rags. I had an old t-shirt that was so badly stained and holey that it would have ended up in landfill if I had decided to take it to an op-shop. Thankfully it was a cotton t-shirt so it could be ripped up fairly easily and then used as rags. I use it now in the shed for all kinds of things. From wiping up the paint from my projects to dusting, to using it for checking the oil guage in the car. I didn't realise how many tissues/papertowels I used that have been saved because I reused my own rubbish and turned my old clothes into scraps. I turned my old university t-shirts and promotional-shirts (one off t-shirts that no-one would buy from a thrift shop) into rags and now they have a use and have not ended up in landfill. I have been able to wash these rags over and over again. They are mostly made of cotton so they can be thrown into my compost once they are well beyond washing.

FANCY DRESSES: I have a bag of dresses at home that are waiting to go to a new home. And i have a plan for them rather than sending them to an opshop. There is a school not too far away from me that is looking for pretty dresses. They loan the dresses students whose families cant afford to purchase ones for school dances or School Balls. Everytime i find a fancy dress (in an Opshop) or I grow out of one of the ones id worn in the past, or ones my friends is getting rid of some of their fancy dresses, I put them aside ready to take to this school. There may be something like this in an area near you.

Those of you who want to donate your wedding dresses can either resell them, donate them to charity or even donate them to a cause where they will be Upcycled. What i am talking about when i say Upcycled is turning these dresses into Angel Gowns. "
"Angel Gowns Australia Incorporated ...provides services to bereaved families who have suffered the unimaginable stillbirth or death of their baby, families who are or have gone through the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or families who are impacted on by a child's life-limiting illness or special needs.From donated wedding dresses we lovingly hand craft Angel Gown garments which are then donated to hospitals, funeral homes and directly to families through special orders.

To bring a ray of sunshine into special children's lives we use the left over tulle from wedding dresses and transform it in to the most beautiful Tutus, which we also donate to hospitals and other children's charities all around Australia" 

Currently they have an over-supply of wedding dresses. They will be taking more dresses in the future, when they are work their way through their current supply. So donating your wedding dress to this cause would mean that you would have to hold on to it (in Australia at least). 

I am sure there are a lot of other things that you can do with your old clothes!

TOWELS, SHEETS & BLANKETS: If you want to donate old towels, blankets and sheets you can donate them to homeless shelters and pet shelters. The worse condition they are in the better they are for animals and less for human use. Donating these items can be a huge kindness particularly in winter times and when blankets and sheets are needed to keep people and animals warm. 

I hope this helps you with your donating and recycling of old clothes and fabrics. 

With Love,
Daena x

The gift of joy

I didn't post yesterday, because I fell asleep instead. I really needed the sleep too so it was a win!!! What I wanted to share was the days 4&5 of the gift bag I got from the church ladies. If you read the last 3 blog posts you will be able to see the progression of receiving kindness. Love it. 

Day 4 was a gorgeous purple wrapped gift. 

 

 

It was the gift of perfume. I don't wear perfume so I will pass this on to someone else (or donate to the charity shop). I am blessed to have received a gift though. One that I have happily received, enjoyed opening and can now bless another with its contents. 

Day 5 was sweet too. 

 

  The little book and soap were very much appreciated. I will probably keep both, unless I see someone else has a need greater than my own, to which I will pass it on. I am so blessed to be given something so thoughtful. Someone  mwanted to make my day/week better and they have done that. 

Tonight I had the privilege of catching up with the lady who organised the gift bag for me. So I was very profuse in my gratitude because I appreciate all the well wishes and kindness behind the gifts. Sure it might not all be bits I'll use, but the thought behind it was wonderful. The love, kindness and consideration that went into a gift like that was very much appreciated. It makes a person feel very special. 

I hope you are all going well. A lot of people are on holidays as of now (Easter weekend here in Perth) so stay safe. Sending lots of love to you all. 

Love Daena x

Ps. I've gotten rid of 4 more items of stuff to go in the opshop donation bin. I didn't photograph them all but I'm pleased to have gotten more stuff out of my life to make more space for the activities and people I love. Xx

Lent gifting day 33

I don't know about you but Lent is flowing FAST!!! I feel like I'm only just getting the show on the road and it's almost over. Woweee. They say time flies when you are having fun! 

I'm sticking with the soft toys for now because I have so many of them. 

 

This little guy will be small enough to fit inside a shoebox. So I'll vacuum him thoroughly and then give him to a friend who collects small toys (in very good condition) and donates them in shoe boxes to kids in 3rd world countries around Christmas time. 

He was a free promotional Teddybear for a company that has since gone bust so there is no reason for me to keep it. It might bring joy and love to the life of a young person. I had a collection of soft toys that I've loved over the years so I know what one soft toy can do for the life of a child. 

So thank you to the teddy bears and fluffy penguins who I have loved over the years (I collected penguins in my younger life). Thank you for the kindness you have bestowed on me: Being there to cuddle when I was afraid of the dark or when I was scared; reminding me I am loved and am capable of love; letting me dress you up in stupid clothes; forcing you to drink/wear "tea" which may have in fact been toilet water; being there to hold when I cried. See, to a kid these seemingly inanimate objects come alive and support our younger selves in the darkest days. 

I am reminded of Toy Story 3 where Andy is able to pass his old toys onto a new generation of toy lovers. The toys are happy and Andy is happy because his toys are being loved by someone else who loves them just as much as he once did. 

Sending big fluffy cuddly hugs to all those who need it at the moment in honour of all the stuffed toys we have loved over the years. 

Love Daena 

Lent gifting day 31

Today I'm donating a book. 

 

A tiny book but a book nonetheless. It took me an hour to read so I recorded it on Litsy. I have a Litsy account which is basically an online booklist crossed with twitter. I wanted to record the books I've read and to create a wish list of books to read in the future. So many books to read. 

I wrote a short review so I'd remember what it was about. So now I can pass the book on. Books are something that give wisdom, transport you to other worlds, open your mind & can bring hope. So giving them to other people is really good.  Or at least it is in my opinion. 

I hope this finds you well & with lots of books to read! 

Much love, 

Daena 

Ps. What is your favourite book of all time? And do you have any to recommend here? X

Sharing my first video for kindness...

hello my lovelies,

So I am keeping as busy as ever!

If you read my last post you know that in February mum and I moved house. So I have been a little chaotic. They say the inside of your house reflects your mental state. So chaotic is a very good description at the moment! hehehe.

When Mum and I moved house into my sister & brother-in-laws house, we basically had 3 houses worth of posessions. I have put aside a bunch of stuff for when i eventally leave the nest. Mum had her little house full of stuff. And also, my sister also had an already full house. So things have been a bit squished.

Recently we have been working to reduce down the large number of "things" in our large combined house. I mean we dont need 3 sets of dining chairs & tables for instance. Mum and I lived in a small house before moving into my sisters, and the move has given us both more and less space. For me there is SOOOOOOOO much more space in the bedroom!!!! And yet we have a lot less in the communal areas.  All 6 of us share the communal areas, which is great for a big family, it means we are always around and communicating with each other! However, when you have at least 2 sets of couches and dining settings and fridges/freezers etc, it can be quite squishee. Hence the reason we have been working to get rid of a bunch of it, to make life easier for all of us.

So how do you turn something you NEED to do into a Kindness?

You give your "stuff" people who need it.

Some of  it is going to a womans shelter. They have very specific needs and wants and we have a trailor full of stuff waiting in the Carport to be taken down the hill to the organisers. The trailor just isnt quite full yet, so i dont want to send it until it is!

So one of the things i did this week (friday actually) was take a huge load of our "junk" to an op-shop. Or as many of you call them, Thrift stores. I love op-shopping! I am sure any one who has read the "Sustainable September" posts, will already know. It is so much fun! :)

Anyway, to share a little bit of what i did, i actually made a video. A VIDEO!!! i know... a bit exciting! So much technology. It has helped that I recently got a new phone so i actually have a decent camera now that goes on adventures with me.

So I hope you liked it.    

I appologise to those who are not native English Speakers. I do talk a bit fast! Sorry!

One of my favourite Kindnesses is Op-shopping. Not only is it recycling clothing and goods and helping the environement but it is also providing services to the community. Often the money that comes from the sales of second hand goods goes to a charity or donated to a good cause. It often gets poured back into the community. Not to mention it is a great place to get rid of your things that are good quality and that have life in them still. It is so much better than throwing them in the rubbish bin/trash.

The little Church run community Op-Shop that i went to has so much for sale at really good prices. They had so many books, hats, crockery, washing baskets, storage tubs, knitting supplies, couches, bookshelves, doggy coats & beds, blankets, plants, clothes (i went back and bought 3 brand named t-shirts for my brother in law and it cost me $6 or $2 each!!!!), plus they have wedding dresses, formal gear, leather jackets, shoes & slippers, bedding... and well a bunch more stuff I mention in the video. and it is so affordable.

I hope you like the video! I wanted to do a "welcome to Daena video-blogging" video... but I havent gotten that far yet, and i couldnt wait to see what you think of this one. It is often hard to capture kindness without it seeming super contrived or intrusive. So i thought an "after-kindness action report" was the best plan!

I hope you like it. If you want to know anything more, or can think of a kindness you would like to see in action, let me know! :)

Love and hugs to you all,
Love Daena

Sustainable September 2015 - Day Twenty Seven

Welcome, Welcome,

How did your adventure go with OpShopping? Did you get a thrift shop buy that was so good you have to share? I would love to see or hear about it. :)

Half of my personal library is from the OpShops of Perth, WA. I so love books! :) And now my closet is also filled with clothes from them too.

A Salvo's Op-Shop on the way to the train on thursday. I was walking in the heat and stopped to buy a hat so I didn't get sunburnt.

All the books in the Salvos Store! So many to choose from! :)

The idea I present to you today, for tomorrow, is about the last part of the 5 Rs from the Zero Waste Home book.

September 27: Buy/Make a Compost Bin. 

The last section of the Zero Waste Home, Bea Johnson, talks about how the last thing that needs to be dealt with in a Home that is reducing its waste is the rotting stuff. Things that can be composted. In her book she lists several different systems and ways that your organic matter can be composted! :) 

One of those is the compost bin. Like mine. I totally forgot to photograph it today, sorry!

I did love the idea of "Trench composting". The trench composting is where you dig a 12" deep hole (30cm deep) and put your compost in there and then cover it back over. This is excellent for camping, renting (where you are not allowed a compost bin) and other options.

I have a black compost "bin". I have a bucket for scraps in the house that I then empty into the bin outside to compost. I know there is worms in there too because I have found them in the compost I moved at the bottom.

It really depends on what type of compost bin you are looking for. I remember when I bought mine that there were so many to choose from. So think about what you need before you go and purchase anything. Some can take more types of organic matter than others.

"Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste currently make up 20 to 30 percent of what we throw away, and should be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. All composting requires three basic ingredients:

• Browns - This includes materials such as dead leaves, branches, and twigs.
• Greens - This includes materials such as grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps, and coffee grounds.
• Water - Having the right amount of water, greens, and browns is important for compost development.

Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens. You should also alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen, and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter." (EPA 2015)

I hope this helps explain the Composting better.

KINDNESS IDEA: Support Second Bite. 

Second Bite is a program that helps feed people in need with food that would otherwise end up in landfill. 

"SecondBite redistributes surplus fresh food to community food programs around Australia. Food is donated by farmers, wholesalers, markets, supermarkets, caterers and events. This high-quality surplus food is redistributed to community food programs that support people who are homeless, women and families in crisis, youth at risk, indigenous communities, asylum seekers and new arrivals." (2015)

It is an awesome program. If you can help, please do. They are awesome!

I hope this finds you all well, 
Love and hugs, 
Daena xx

Sustainable September 2015 - Twenty Six

Hey my lovelies,

What do you think about your new batteries? Are they working for you? Sometimes the charging can take a bit of time, however, now i keep two bags of reusable batteries. One bag is for batteries that have been charged, and the other is for the batteries that need to be charged. Its a pretty good system. It does mean that I need more than two lots of batteries though.

Tomorrow is another fun and easy Sustainable September idea.

September 26: Go Op-shopping. 

I have already talked about capsule wardrobes, and the ability to get good quality clothes second hand from Op-shops. This is one of the reasons to go to your local op-shop/thrift shop/charity shop.

Then there is the money side of it. You can often get second hand clothing from thriftshops SO MUCH CHEAPER than your average stores. Plus there is a huge range of items for sale.

Also you can look at the environmental impact. The best way to reduce waste is to buy products that already exist, ie. Second hand products. You can do this from eBay, op shops, thrift shops, second hand shops, or even the vintage section of Etsy. Clothing is an awesome way to support the enviornment, charities (Op-shops are called so because they are "opportunity shops" run by charities), and your own hip pocket. Plus they are just fun to explore! :)

You don't just have to buy clothes either. Books, of course, are my favourite thrift shop buy. But you can buy kitchen wares, furniture, jewellery, knicknacks, shoes, toys, and so much more! :)

KINDNESS IDEA: Support a local charity. One of the simplest kindnesses you can do is support a charity with your time or money or become a patron of a charity that resonates with you. I support Telethon, a charity that helps kids and their families when they are dealing with serieous health issues, and illnesses. I support Alzheimers Australia because that is the closest charity we have to a dementia based charity in Australia. Dad had a form of dementia and he and my mum were supported by the Alzheimers Association so I like to support them while I can. There are so many charitites that are awesome and need support. From animal support funds, sports based charities, kids charities, health charities, and SO SO much more!!!! Find what works for you!


I hope you have a great day. 
Love,
Daena x

Sustainable September 2015 - Day Eighteen

Hello again my lovelies,

I've been a bit better today. I spent the morning in bed resting. I felt a bit better this arvo so I did my Dejunking, from a couple days ago. So I took Marie Kondo's advice and grabbed all my clothes from around the house & dumped them in the lounge. I have to say it's quite confronting how many clothes I had. 

And this is the lounge after i'd finished!

See all those bags filled with clothes? Yes there are 6 of them. That's 6 bags less than I needed to have in my room, and in my closet! :D So happy. Some of my clothes will go to the Thrift Stores, others will be given to friends (we have a hand-me-up swap group for clothes) and my ball dresses will be going to a low socio-economic school that offers a "rental" service for it's students for ball dresses for their school ball/prom. 

I, still feeling ill, had some vegetarian soup for dinner too! :D which is a tribute to the idea I gave for today! Being a Weekday Vegetarian as inspired by Graham Hill.

It was delicious and exactly what I needed! :) mmmm soup! :)

So today's Sustainable September idea is something I've been doing a lot of this last week. 

September 18: Use a Handkerchief/Hankie. 

Instead of filling the rubbish bin or compost bin full of snotty tissues, use a reusable, washable, tough but gentle handkerchief! I have several hankies that I actually inherited from my dad (except the floral one - that was a gift). 

KINDNESS IDEA: buy some handkerchiefs to give to someone that needs one. that someone could be YOU!!! It could be a random person sneezing on the train, it could be a neighbour, a friend, a family member. I like to have one with me that I can give to someone, that I haven't used first. So generally I take at least two Handkerchiefs with me when I am out and about when sick. Just to clarify, I do like to make sure that I am not infectious before I go out whilst sick.  

You could also add a handkerchief to a "Get Well Hamper" with some soup (home made or packet soups depending on your skills in the kitchen and time constraints), a mug, some sore throat lozenges, Vics Vapour rub, a pair of warm socks, a good book and maybe a movie. All the things to survive a cold.

I hope you are all feeling well, 

Love Daena x

Sustainable September Day Thirteen Kindness

G'day mates,

So have you got yourself a new water bottle? Or did you have one already? Did you take it to work? Uni? School? Or on your errands? Or do you even use them at home, like I do?

Me and one of my Water bottles when we went on a walk together.

So tomorrows Sustainable September Kindness idea is one of the best & most entertaining: 

 

Saturday - 13 September – Go Op-Shopping/Thrift Shopping/2nd Hand Store Shopping! 

Buy pre-loved clothes, accessories, home wares and BOOKS!!! okay so I usually go shopping for books at Thrift shops but I also love collecting interesting crockery and items for costumes. I'm currently in the market for some new Jeans so this is my next port of call. My mum mainly goes for the wool! But I also love that I can get CDs for like $1AUD instead of $20-$30AUD. 

Op-shopping can be lots of fun!!! :) 

This is the photo of the Op-Shop at the top of the hill from where I live! :) I often take my old clothing and accessories there for others to use when I have finished with them. Usually because I've gained or lost weight and they don't fit any more! :)

 

 

And who can go to an Op-shop/Thrift-shop/2nd-Hand-Shop without hearing the anthem for shopping in one of these stores... Ryan Lewis & Macklemore's "Thrift Store". It's an awesome and clean version by the Pentatonix... I love these guys! For those who have never heard these guys (& girl) before, the Pentatonix are an American a cappella group of five vocalists originating from Arlington, Texas.



(Thanks Tanya and Isaac for getting me onto these guys! :)

Hope you have fun tomorrow visiting op-shops/thrift stores/2nd hand stores.

Let me know what awesome bargains you get! :)
Luv Daena x

January 28, 2012

Hello hello, 

Well the 28th was an amazing day for me! I got so much done! Most of my work was related to the upcoming Kitchen Tea party for my best friend! 

I went to 3 second hand shops looking for tea pots, cups & saucers, sugar bowls, milk jugs, and pretty plates for the "English garden party morning tea in the high tea style" that I have been preparing for in two weeks time (or there abouts)! 

So I went to the 3 charity op-shops & bought something at each one! Ending up with an amazing array of kitchen tea party wares for $50... Check this out.... 

Or in more detail...

Mum taught me how to stack & pack four cups & saucers into each other so they don't take up as much space! Very grateful for that lesson! Thanks mum!!! 

I also donated a box of books to the first charity shop we went to because they had been sitting in the boot of the car for about a week! :) 

There is still so much to do for these parties... But I just love having the ability to share something! Sadly I can't share much of my preparation about the hens party because I want all those details to be a surprise for my best friend! After all I know she reads this blog from time to time! Hi TJ! :) xxx 

What is the most exciting thing you have found at an op-shop/thrift store/2nd hand shop? 

Luv Daena