Lavender Bath Bags

My crafty mojo has been sadly lacking recently. What I really needed was a simple, easy project whose benefits could be immediately enjoyed. I turned to Cheryl's how-to for Lavender Soap Scrubs over at Time to Craft. As I used mine for a luxurious long soak in the bathtub rather than a shower, I found myself thinking of them as bath bags.

If you haven't visited Time to Craft, you absolutely must - there are loads of easy crafty and baking tutorials, and most are designed to be done for or with children. So head on over there right now!

Week 4: The bedroom

When I normally try to have a clear out, usually what I do is gather up all the useless bits and bobs from around the house and dump them next to the bed. As my bedside table is next to the eaves of the roof, stuff shoved under said table or under the bed is pretty much out of sight, out of mind.

Not this time! And just to mix things up a bit, I'm going to start with the AFTER picture - because it's so lovely!

How to: make an all-purpose cleaner

I use this cleaner in the kitchen, the bathroom, and for cleaning windows, tables, doors, walls... Basically, everything. It works fantastically well, cuts through grease and limescale and soap scum, and leaves surfaces shiny. As it has tea tree oil in it, it also acts as a mild antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal, but is completely fine to use around asthmatics.

It's really, really complicated. Seriously. It will take you ages. Are you ready?

A much-needed facelift

Visitors to my blog today may have noticed some... ahem... changes. I have changed the template and banner of the blog. It was about time - the previous layout was cluttered and I felt the colours were distracting from the photos I am increasingly using. Since I am trying to simplify things, I thought - why not simplify my blog as well? It looks much cleaner now, with the colours standing out more vividly. Plus sometimes it's good to change things around.

Winterising: Your feet will thank me

A lot of winterising post and advice I have seen is targeted at changes to the house - but you also need to get  your clothes and shoes ready for winter. Shoes in particular! They need to be warm, comfortable and rain-and-snow-resistant. 

Put away your summer shoes (sandals etc) and get out all your sturdier shoes. Check the heels and soles, and get them repaired if necessary. If your shoes are leather, give them a thorough treatment - you can buy products to help keep leather waterproof, but I use my homemade shoe polish as the beeswax does that beautifully. If your shoes don't fit or have holes, now is the time to go out and buy a new pair - you don't want to find yourself without suitable footwear when the snow starts getting slushy. While you're at it, check that you also have warm socks that extend as far up your leg as the boots.

If like me you live in an urban area, you are unlikely to have a pair of wellies or walking boots. While you probably can't wear these at work, I get a lot of use out of my sturdy walking boots for trips to the supermarket, and walking to and from work (I change shoes when I get there.) My feet thank me, I save on damage to my other shoes, and I can walk around more quickly and safely with the better grip.

Week 3: The coat cupboard

I'm really enjoying the planning stage of the simplifying - identifying what can go, what needs to stay, and what I don't yet have (eg storage containers). I am finding that as I go along, I usually manage to solve the puzzle - I spot something somewhere else that is unnecessary there and can be repurposed in another room. In fact, I have already thought of some better uses for items I have already thrown out, but that's just tough.

As I have recently acquired a new coat, and with winter coming on, I made my next target the coat cupboard. Take a look at it. It's 'orrible!

The coat cupboard - BEFORE

Making me smile today

::Homemade almond and oat cleanser::

::Hot homemade fish soup with toasted homemade bread for lunch::

::My new jeans, fitting like a glove::