Sticky Moments

My Mum gave me some very useful advice the day before my wedding day.

This pearl of wisdom has helped me out on several occasions since, as I attend to my wifely duties:

Eucalyptus Oil is great at getting gunk off stuff.

So, let me rewind to the day before I got married.  We were preparing the reception room and found that some of the coffee jars I had set aside for candles had glue and label residue.  Mum came to the rescue - after stocking up on eucalyptus oil, we left her with the jars to do her magic.  Mum came through - providing sparkling jars for our tables.

Since then I have used eucalyptus oil to clean the outer surface of preserve jars.  For example, I gave cherry jam as gifts last Christmas.  The jars had all been used before, washed and then sterilised.  However, the labels stayed on.  Over a sink of hot soapy water, I scrubbed the jars and applied the oil with a cloth.  Not only did my nasal cavities feel clear, the jars sparkled.  I now also use eucalyptus oil for washing wood floors and the bathroom.

There is so much we can learn from our elders, and yet sometimes we don't appreciate it because it is coming from OUR elders.

Please share some advice that has gotten you out of a sticky situation.

Totally Sucked In: My Story of Stuff

I have been decluttering recently and came across a plastic tub I have barely touched since my last move.  I cringe when I see it and fear not throw it out.

It is my technology graveyard and cord box.  Do you have one too?

(And this doesn't even include the 3 other cameras and video camera I bought)

In the tub are all the various music players and cameras I have bought, that still work, but that have been superseded in some way.  I also keep all cords from said technology, lest I throw them out and render technology unusable. Yes, I am not totally sure what each cord is for, so I keep them all.

I cringe because I think of all the money I have spent!! I was sucked in to the hype of better.  The items still work but are impractical…or just not as good as subsequent technologies.  Only a couple of times have I bought new just because I want, I want - the iPod shuffle and the Lumix camera are examples (I have had each for 7 and 8 years respectively and still use them).  Often it was just poor timing or I got sucked in to the idea of the product.

For example, the Pentax film SLR camera I bought in 2000.  I had wanted one since high school and when I bought it I asked about digital SLRs and was told they didn't do as good a photo.  Fast forward 3 or 4 years and most people had digital cameras and film processing was becoming inconvenient and more expensive.  Ideally, I'd like to get a new digital body to use with my lenses to lessen my guilt and get some more use out of the camera.

Another bad buy was the mini-disc player.  I bought it in 2003, just as iPods were taking off.  The player was faulty, so I had it fixed twice - an investment of 4 3-hour roundtrips.  Now I see it as a bit of a time capsule - listening to the music of 10 + years ago - and hopefully a novelty I could either rock myself or offload on ebay one day.

My weirdest buy was in early 2000, while travelling in the USA: Pocket Mail.  It was basically a tiny laptop for composing emails.  To send and receive emails, you would hold the device up to a phone and call the Pocket Mail people. It worked well in the US, but in Europe and Australia it was prohibitively expensive.

I think I am also annoyed when I think of the devices I have that I rarely use now because my iPhone has their capabilities.  Alarm clock, camera, video camera, watch and personal music device…all now in my pocket.  Which reminds me, there have been about 8 mobile phones since my first in 2000.  Laptops: 4.

So what do I do with all this stuff?   The phones have been disposed of thoughtfully and laptops have been recycled appropriately.  Any thoughts would be appreciated, especially on the SLR and mini disc player.  Or do I suck it up and just op shop them all?!


P.S. Check out Story of Stuff

P.P.S  I have started a secret group on Facebook for people who do nanna technology at their place - the idea being you can share what you have done, get inspired by others, share info and stay motivated.  If you are interested, request to join Nanna Technology Brag Book. Be warned - it is just my mum and I at this young stage, but we'd love to have you there!!

When were you glad you bothered?

Recently I have thought: Why bother?

I can think of 2 specific instances:

Last week, when thinking of my sustainability actions as a whole - the issue is too big, I can't see any progress...

And yesterday, when I was doing up some play chairs for my daughter, rather than buying new.

For what it is worth, I am addressing these 2 thoughts here - with snazzy photos of my 'in progress' vintage chairs!!

Green - or Eco - Fatigue

Green -  or Eco- Fatigue are terms coined to address the reaction to the overwhelming number of choices and the knowledge of the consequences of our actions.  As the research and the consequences of climate change continue, you'd think it would be easier for us to stop the bad choices and pick up the good.  But in general, that doesn't seem to be happening.  Rather than SHOUT THE RESEARCH FINDINGS LOOOUUDDDEERR we need to stop and consider human behaviour to get some useful answers.

OR, to think about it with another common behaviour change issue...

I need to lose weight.

I know I just need to eat less and better while exercising more.

But I'll just have seconds / miss a walk etc. etc.

We know, but we don't  always do.

AND there's the choices and conflicting information that need to be weighed up before the decision.  For dieters and environmentalists!

Dieters: Eat fresh fruit and veggies…avoid sugar….try to have an alkaline diet…

Environmentalists: Is it better to shop local or organic?  Does all that water for washing cancel out the good of reusable nappies?  Plastic bag free or reuse supermarket bags as bin liners?

Bottom line: if you care about the environment, be aware you might get eco fatigue.  Give yourself a break, be kind to yourself and seek out things and people you enjoy- hopefully you'll get your groove back soon!

Chair Refurbish

When I was little, my brother and I had a gorgeous child-size table and chair set.  My mum still had the chairs, so I asked if I could do them up for my daughter.  The chairs, particularly one, need some structural work and some paint.

I've sanded and painted furniture in the past and was relying on my husband for the structural knowledge.  Two nights this week, we have rugged up and worked on our project in the shed after dinner.  I have also put in some time during the day.  One day, as I worked alone, I thought, 'Why bother?'.  I could probably get 2 new chairs for $50 and surely my time is more valuable than that.  The following are reasons to bother (not necessarily always, but when it matters to you.  Chotto, chotto!!)

1.  My daughter will sit on the same chair as my mum, uncle, brother and I. Successive adults have maintained the chair - that time commitment demonstrates a love for the child and their own childhood.  It is a warming thought. 

2. The chairs are cute and relatively unique.  I'll enjoy having them in our house.

3. The chairs are still useful.  By caring for them now, they are saved from landfill.  (Or possibly a fire, which could be useful to a really cold and family - this isn't my strongest reason)

4.  As my daughter grows up, she'll see furniture as something that can be timeless, sentimental and last a long time - rather than a flimsy, short term item that is regularly updated.  I know I am careless with items "just from Ikea/ Big W/ the op shop".  The items have similar embodied energy and will take up similar space in landfill, so maybe we should consider treating them in a similar manner, despite their relative cost or perceived quality.

5. I've loved spending time with my husband - he's part of the chair story now!  He showed me how to prep sandpaper, use a power sander and mend the chairs.  It is a good time for us to chat too - and more active than watching TV.

6. As I alluded to above, I am learning new skills and gaining experience in furniture restoration.

7.  I have enjoyed quiet-ish time spent working and problem solving and am looking forward to seeing the finished result.

So yes, I am glad I have bothered in this instance.  Now here are the pics…

 

The chairs have been sanded and are currently clamped to allow the glue to do its thing.  I have some white and red paint from past projects, so that makes colour choice easier.  More photos when complete.

P.S. In a recent post, I wrote about the cross stitch project with my mother-in-law (MIL). There's been progress and it links in well with the "Glad I bothered" theme.  On Easter Sunday, my MIL, stitched the apron, showing me some tricks and getting me involved.  The family was sitting around chatting as we did it- good memories.  I still have to add a pocket, but much closer to finished.  To compare, I have photographed another apron. The apron was 50 cents at an opshop - brand new, with price tag: $24.50.  Seriously?!  It will be good to have a back up apron, but I know which one will be the keeper.

SO, when were you glad you bothered?