Small things
Hello, and welcome to my little post about small things! Little things can make a difference & we can too 😊
Another one I’ve been trying recently is the Aussie Koala Bear Shampoo Bar. This is so cute sitting in my soap dish & lathers up really well with a nice soft foam. There’s a ribbon to hang it up too (keep away from running water when not in use). https://aussiehair.com/aussie-products/shampoo/nourishing-hug-solid-shampoo-bar/
Another thing I’ve been trying lately is Dr Beckman’s Magic Leaves Detergent Sheets for your laundry. https://www.dr-beckmann.co.uk/products/magic-leaves-bio-25-sheets/ They dissolve quickly into water even at low temperatures & can cut out plastic bottles altogether.
I found if you add one sheet you don’t get much scent so I added two without a fabric conditioner, but the fabric was still left feeling a little cardboardy. My conclusion is that due to the water quality in our area, that some sort of water softening is required!
I didn’t like these as the ball makes an awful clonking noise through the whole wash & the scent was non existent. Plus it takes up space in the washer that the magic leave sheets don’t so I do prefer the sheets to the ball, in fact I gave away the ball + refill for someone else to try!
I've also tried Method Kitchen Spray refill. Available in a tiny bottle the size of my hand, this is strong enough to make up 10 bottles using water & re-using an old spray bottle. The citrus & mango one we tried so far & the smell is divine!
Caught the bug?
Talking of small things it has been lovely to see bees & butterflies in the garden this year but we have noticed a drop in numbers. I saw mostly small white butterflies, even though we have a large selection of flowers including allium, buddleia, clovers, daisies & home made wilfdflower seedballs, plus we leave parts of our lawn to grow wild.
We avoid using any pesticides in the garden & leave out shallow bowls of water with bug hotels dotted around (for solitary bees). The butterfly watch survey results will be published later this September so will be interesting to see what the trend is countrywide.
Talking of small things it has been lovely to see bees & butterflies in the garden this year but we have noticed a drop in numbers. I saw mostly small white butterflies, even though we have a large selection of flowers including allium, buddleia, clovers, daisies & home made wilfdflower seedballs, plus we leave parts of our lawn to grow wild.
We avoid using any pesticides in the garden & leave out shallow bowls of water with bug hotels dotted around (for solitary bees). The butterfly watch survey results will be published later this September so will be interesting to see what the trend is countrywide.
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If you want to help bugs in your garden why not check out https://www.buglife.org.uk/get-involved/gardening-for-bugs/ for some ideas.
Don’t forget the hedgehogs need our help too. Encourage them into your garden with a small gap in the bottom of your fence for them to travel across spaces. You can map your hedgehog friendly gardens on this site https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/. Why not get the kids involved in designing a wildlife friendly space around your lawn.
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Remember, remember the 5th of November & remember the hedgehogs too. Make sure they’re not hiding out in log piles, if you’re planning to light a fire on fireworks night.
Meanwhile next year why not take part in a Butterfly Count? You can load an app on your phone to help with recording & identification. You’ll be an expert before you know it! https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/
If you have a wild space you can record your patch in the following site: https://wild-spaces.co.uk/. Folks with just a patio or window box are encouraged to take part too, we can all do our bit to help wildlife thrive & be(e) strong!
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According to bug life, 8 out of 10 wildflowers rely on insects for pollination. Our crops depend on insects too.
Did you know also that 25% of native UK beetles are pollinators too as they like to feed on pollen & nectar? More useful tips here at: https://earthwatch.org.uk/blog/the-different-types-of-pollinators-and-why-we-need-them/
Video on wild spaces:
A cool idea for bringing more insects into your garden is planting wildflower seeds. Pollenize is a company that sells a blend of 34 native seeds & grasses with an extended flowering season. Once planted they’re encouraging businesses & citizens to record their planting on an interactive re-wilding map https://www.pollenize.org.uk/seed-map.
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If you don’t think your little space helps why not check out ‘The Every Garden Matters’ report? They say ‘green corridors begin at home’.
Small gardens can connect wildlife as they move from one garden to another. We built our houses in their way, maybe we can give back a little to encourage nature to return. https://gardenorganic-assets.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/documents/Every-Garden-Matters-report.pdf
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The organisation ‘State of Nature’ writes regular reports on wildlife & habitat decline in the UK. Can be depressing but also a reminder on how we can (& must) do more to turn things around.
If you want to help out with insect & wildlife counts in your local area then their site has a list of organisations they work with, including bat counts, mammals, butterflies, birds & marine life https://stateofnature.org.uk/
Old from new
So what else have we been up to? My hubby has been busy growing tomatoes & chillies & I love to grow herbs. I decided to venture into micro herbs this year. Re-purposed plastics can be good for this (we’re not against plastics but wish to cut down heavily on single use plastics, finding a new life for old is always a good).
Old tubs can be used as containers for growing seedlings. Drill a whole in the bottom of one tub & add some chord. Put water in the bottom pot & the plant with chorded hole next level up & it becomes self watering as the water soaks up the chord.
Cut the top off the upper half of a lemonade bottle & you have an instant cloche which can be watered from the top. Or you can even use an old cleaned Ziploc bag as a mini greenhouse placed over the top.
So what else have we been up to? My hubby has been busy growing tomatoes & chillies & I love to grow herbs. I decided to venture into micro herbs this year. Re-purposed plastics can be good for this (we’re not against plastics but wish to cut down heavily on single use plastics, finding a new life for old is always a good).
Old tubs can be used as containers for growing seedlings. Drill a whole in the bottom of one tub & add some chord. Put water in the bottom pot & the plant with chorded hole next level up & it becomes self watering as the water soaks up the chord.
Cut the top off the upper half of a lemonade bottle & you have an instant cloche which can be watered from the top. Or you can even use an old cleaned Ziploc bag as a mini greenhouse placed over the top.
Meanwhile, you can use old margarine pots as a micro herb grower (see photo above). You can even turn lemonade bottles into a make shift vase!
A new project for self is to make something ornamental for the garden using old medicine spoons. I have donated old spoons to an artist for paint stirring but built up more since. I have plans to create a flower using the spoons as petals – let’s hope I’ll get around to it some time!
Stocking up for Christmas!
Meanwhile, there’s only a few months ‘til Christmas so I’m pleased to announce that our Christmas shop is now open! I make cotton fabric crackers with seedballs & a poem inside or cracker sleeves so you can make your own crackers using loo roll. Add your own mini gifts inside. They can be used time & time again & can be washed & ironed if they get mucky paws on them!
A new project for self is to make something ornamental for the garden using old medicine spoons. I have donated old spoons to an artist for paint stirring but built up more since. I have plans to create a flower using the spoons as petals – let’s hope I’ll get around to it some time!
Stocking up for Christmas!
Meanwhile, there’s only a few months ‘til Christmas so I’m pleased to announce that our Christmas shop is now open! I make cotton fabric crackers with seedballs & a poem inside or cracker sleeves so you can make your own crackers using loo roll. Add your own mini gifts inside. They can be used time & time again & can be washed & ironed if they get mucky paws on them!
We also have washing up cloths of various designs that can be composted as they’re all made from natural materials. Plus fairylight bottles made from upcycled whisky, gin, rum & wine bottles. The batteries can be replaced keeping your gift going for longer & helps to light up a Winter’s eve.
New for this year, get a 12% discount on multiple items in your trolley.
New for this year, get a 12% discount on multiple items in your trolley.
💬 Quote SAVE12 to get the discount when checking out
Meanwhile enjoy that last little bit of summer, it’ll be soon time to get out your winter warmers!
Check out some of our previous posts to help you make eco friendly choices this Christmas:
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