Simplifying the linen cupboard

There was a time, not so long ago, when I was sure I needed new towels and sheets. I shopped for them, but didn't find anything in my budget that I was happy with, so didn't buy anything. Now I'm really pleased I didn't.

As part of our decluttering this month, I've given the linen cupboard an overhaul, and a whole new look. It seems that I didn't need new linens at all, but actually needed less! We had a linen cupboard full to bursting with things - ridiculous quantities of towels, numerous sets of linen for each bed and piles of beach towels. There are also a small amount of tablecloths and napkins. There were so many things in there that I couldn't find what I needed and had that sense that people often feel about their wardrobes "so many clothes but nothing to wear". So I've given it all a good clean out and am much happier now!

In the bed linen shelves, I have one change of linen (doona cover, fitted sheet and pillowcases) for each of our three beds, and for winter, flannelette sheets and hot water bottles. I threw a few sheets from our sets to the rag pile a while back as they had started to pill and fray. Now I have just the right number of sheets and doona covers for us, and will only replace when more become damaged (and then I will be buying quality organic cotton/bamboo sheets). From the boys linen, we cleared out linen printed with preschool pictures and sent them to the opshop, and they were short a couple of fitted sheets but had a pile of unused flat sheets, so they've gone to my sewing pile for conversion (I learnt to convert flat to fitted a few years ago - so easy and makes sheet sets better value for those of us who don't use flat sheets).

More preschool printed bath towels joined the sheets in the opshop pile, as did a couple of tablecloths.

Our bath towel shelf was the worst. For our wedding (11 years ago), we were given about six full sets of towels! Many if these sat unwrapped until the boys came along 8 years ago, then we used them as baby towels. Since then we've been given more towels (why? Are we that hard to buy for?). So there were simply an insane number of towels in the cupboard - all used, but only one was fraying, and only a little bit. A few odds and ends of towels in weird colours and with stains were donated to a friend of ours who is a wildlife officer. Then the boys and I selected 2 sets of towels, a few changes of hand towels and bath mats and a set of guest towels. The guest towels were put aside in a box (so they don't get muddled) and the others fit neatly on the shelf. All the rest of the towels have been folded and will be put into storage. The plan is that the towels in the cupboard will last us for sometime yet, and when they eventually get retired to the rag pile, we will 'shop' for 'new' towels from our stores.

It's just a linen cupboard, but I feel so much more in control of the contents now, and pleased from an economic and environmental perspective that it will be some years before we need to buy anymore linens.

A productive morning

Not every day goes according to plan, but today seems to be flowing along very nicely. It is just about lunchtime and I've achieved a lot. I've:

• Made lunches and breakfasts, listened to readers and gotten the kids out the door on time.
• Washed two loads of washing and hung them out to dry together with a woolen blanket that needed cleaning

The sun has made a rare appearance today to dry my washing!

• Cleaned the toilet and laundry
• Had a shower and gotten dressed (this doesn't always happen, sometimes I get so busy I forget!)
• Made all the beds and tidied the bedrooms
• Tidied and cleaned the kitchen
• Made some more chai tea blend as I'd run out in the pantry
• Cleaned out the recipe pile and found a sultana loaf recipe I had scribbled down but didn't remember what the result was
• Baked the sultana loaf, then threw out the recipe as the result was not great!
• Baked a loaf of bread and a batch of rolls
• Written the week's menu plan and tomorrow's shopping list
• Given the dogs and cats their worm treatments
• Made arrangements for dinner on Saturday with family
• Booked an appointment to give blood next week
• Booked accomodation for a belly dance weekend next month
• Made some chai tea from the new blend - its delicious!

And I have the whole afternoon stretching out in front of me to work on lesson plans and choreographies for next term.

Days like today make me feel warm and successful.
Days like today make me feel not only justified, but proud to be a stay at home mum and homemaker.

I hope you're having a productive day too.

A visit to my home.....

I love it when people visit us. 

Sometimes its a friend who shows up unannounced.  These times they get to see my real home - the one that is a little shabby round the edges, with crumbs and pet hair; crochet projects, an empty wine glass and last nights earings on the coffee table; kids beds unmade and their toys and books strewn on the floor; and a basket of yet to be sorted washing or dishes on the kitchen bench.  I'm always a tad embarrased at first when this happens, but then I remember that if I was the unannounced guest, I wouldn't mind a mess in their home.  So I relax, wipe away the worst crumbs, put on the kettle and get out the biccie tin.  Work stops when a friend visits so we can chat and enjoy my home - warts and all.

Then there are the expected visitors.  These come with the bonus of prep time and anticipation.  They get a vacuumed floor; a tidy house; me in clean clothes with brushed hair; and food cooked just for them.  Everyone waits excitedly for them to arrive (my kids sit in the window watching for arrivals!).  Again, work stops, the kettle goes on (often more than once) and we chat and enjoy my home. 

We make a home for ourselves.  We put in it all the things we need for our immediate little family and decorate it the way we like it to be.  We cook the things we like to eat and live the way we like to live.  But when we get to share it, it makes it even more special.

If you've ever visited my home - thank you!  Know that your visit makes me feel special and that I loved having you here.  I hope you'll come again soon.

If you've never visited my home, but have stumbled across my blog some way or another - Welcome to my virtual home!  Thank you for visiting, it makes me really happy to share a bit of our life and home with you.  Please leave a little comment below so I know you popped by and by all means, help yourself to the virtual biccie tin! :)

12 months of greening - June - Chemical Audit

We don't make New Year's resolutions in my family, but this year we decided on a 12 month challenge in which each month we do something to reduce our carbon footprint.  We write the challenge on the calender and we try our hardest that month to complete it.  We've done really well so far and many of the changes have become permanent!  I will post about the last 5 months soon, but as it is now the start of June, I will write about what we're doing right now.

This month's challenge is to do a chemical audit of our home.  This means that I plan to go through the whole house (particularly the kitchen, bathroom, laundry and shed) and identify chemicals that we have.  I'll then clean them up - removing as much as I can and disposing of them at the next safe disposal day in town and replacing with greener alternatives where needed.

The kitchen is already pretty good, I have a basic phosphate free, biodegradable dish detergent and I use Ecostore brand dishwasher powder which I'm really happy with.  I have made my own spray cleaner from vinegar and water for years, but I have just started brewing some citrus cleaners that I found on the lovely Enchanted Moments blog (thanks!!).

The bathroom has begun too - I cleaned out the old petro-chemical based moisturiser and replaced it with a Sorbolene that is entirely plant based and not tested on animals, and will be endeavouring to use this instead of a face cleanser too.  I need to make a homemade toner next.  I tried washing my face with soap and water only, which works on normal days, but when I've been at work and needed a feel face of makeup, I need a good cleanse/tone/mousturise routine.  A few months ago I also started making our own soap (using Rhonda's soap recipe at Down to Earth) which I love and went "no-poo" (ie. washing my hair with diluted bicarb and a vinegar rinse).  The kids just use some of our soap to wash, but Stu seems to need shampoo, so I'll be looking for a good eco-friendly one for him.  I then have a few hair producrs to clean out - most of which we never use anyway!


In the laundry, I started making my own laundry powder from this recipe and it works great.  I have a collection of bicarb and vinegar for cleaning and with a bit of elbow grease they seem to tackle just about everything.  But there are some other icky things in there that need the heave-ho! :)

And the shed..... we did a bit of a clean out when we tidied up in there recently, but I know this is going to be a big job - pehaps we'll tackle it next weekend.

Do you use green cleaners and alternatives?  what are your favourites?  Are there any yucky chemicals that you have decided you just can't live without?