Where I was and where I am

I'm finding it partially very therapeutic and partially almost painful to read through old posts. Have only read the first few months of this blog for now. In many ways, I have come a long way since I started all this. But, in many other ways, I'm dismayed to have not come further and, in some cases, to have stayed exactly where i was or even gone backwards. I'm taking some small comfort from the fact that I am about to make a huge change (job - all very uncharted territory until I get a new one but getting closer to quitting day now). Today is my sister's second anniversary and it doesn't seem possible that it has been two years already. I still miss her just as much and go through periods where it doesn't seem possible to feel that much pain and keep going. But of course you do keep going and it passes on again until the next time I find myself thinking "must give A. a ring and tell her about that" or something similar.

At any rate, I do want to continue on with going through some of the old lists I printed to see where I was then and where I am now so here's an update (in red) on one very old list:

Chemical cleaning products at home - I decided when I wanted to switch to eco products that it would not be a good idea to simply flush away the products I already had and am still trying to use them up (a year later! I was always a sucker for special offers, didn't realise how much I of a stock I had built up). At this stage I think I'll try and give them away.   -  If I remember correctly I ended up trying to use up what I had and eventually, months, if not years later ended up bringing them to the recycling centre, which had a hazardous waste disposal section. These days I mostly use vinegar and bread soda, with a handful of eco products (toilet cleaner and washing-up liquid from Frosch, mostly, although I also mostly use vinegar and bicarb to clean the toilet with. I’ve lived here for seven years and think I’ve bought toilet cleaner twice or three times). 

Shower gel/body lotions etc. - as above, I've been using up what I had. Nearly finished.  -  Well, a few months after this I gave up shampoo altogether. Nowadays the only one you’ll find in my place is the leftover bottle from when my brother came to visit. Handy to have something when visitors are looking because they’ve forgotten their own and/or only had hand luggage so didn’t bring many liquids. As for shower gel, well, I mostly use proper soap nowadays (will get to making my own soon, really I will). I do also have a Weleda lemon shower gel to use – just ‘cos sometimes it’s nice to have something different. And, again, if I have visitors, some don’t like to use soap. I had the body lotion thing sorted by starting to use the hemp oil and body butter from Innocent Oils but then Helen closed the company in order to focus more on her family. Still miss it and haven’t really found something good to replace it with. Mostly just grabbing stuff when I’m desperate. I currently have the following lying around. This is definitely one I need to work on.

The Elizabeth Arden stuff was a birthday present last year. So far have only used it once because, quite frankly, it has a horrible smell. The aloe vera lotion and bio-oil I bought last year when I was in Ireland in June and it was unexpectedly sunny - I needed something to soothe my nearly sun-burned skin and got the bio-oil because there was one of those buy two things get second half-price offers on and I'd heard about it being very good. And the marigold tub is a German traditional type of moisturiser - vaseline based and I use it on my feet.

Deodorant - tough one this. May use some holiday time to experiment with eco products - it took me years to find a "conventional" one that works for me. – I went all around the houses on this one. Used rock crystal for a long while, found it mostly great and then at some stage it just sort of seemed to stop working almost all the time and I was frequently quite stinky. Then I got a skin infection under one arm so I dumped the rock crystal (it wasn’t the cause of it but had to get rid of it in case there were any nasties lurking, better safe than sorry and all that). I switched to Weleda lemon deodorant and it was pretty good but not consistently so and for the most part, I’m back to just using a conventional one. I do still use the Weleda sometimes but mostly when I’m off work and it’s not such a big deal if I end up a bit smelly. The whole thing is a bit of a mystery to me really – no matter what I use, I will still have occasional days where within a couple of hours I stink. And other days are completely fine. It’s all a bit strange but I’m not inclined to spend the time monitoring my life/diet so closely that I’d be able to find any patterns. For the most part, I know that cleaning myself properly once a day is the best way to not smell unpleasant.

Toothpaste - need to replace soon and will try Kingfisher or similar brand.  – I now use the Weleda ratanhia toothpaste. Tried a couple of the others but didn’t like them. Sometimes miss the minty-fresh feeling of your standard toothpaste but then when I use a standard one it seems so strong and you end up with so much foam in your mouth that I’m happy to go back to my Weleda.

Make-up - I don't wear much so will stick with what I already have and think more about it if/when I need new stuff.  – I dumped almost all of my make-up before moving to Germany. Kept lip-liners and eyeliners but pared them well. Also kept a few lipsticks that I’d never actually used (bought multiples trying to get a good match for when I was a bridesmaid for my sister’s wedding). About four years ago, when I first started seriously thinking about getting a new job, I got a few basic bits again (and got a few as a christmas present that year, too). But given the price of make-up these days and the fact that I still almost never wear any, I’m not really putting any thought into this one. I wear a very small amount for choir performances but just eye make-up and lipstick. The less I have used over the years on my skin, the more sensitive it seems to have gotten and I’d rather not aggravate it by slapping on foundation and multiple layers of whatever it is you slap on these days. In fact, I think the last time I wore full make-up was for my sister’s wedding (in 2006). 

Face wipes - so convenient. Have been reducing use but can't quite give them up yet.  – Have totally given these up. Well, I say totally but I do have a small travel pack that comes into service on those rare occasions (i.e. choir performances) when I need to remove make-up. Or just to freshen up between performing and heading out to celebrate all night long. But, I’ve acquired a couple more small Tupperware containers and started knitting my own cotton facecloths so just need to be a bit more organised in bringing a pre-soaked face cloth with me when needed. MFin3 also had a good idea that I might try out. Although if I buy the stuff to make those I'll have to make mega amounts to give to people as presents, I think - otherwise I could end up with more bottles hanging around for years.

Sanitary towels - have used organic ones before and they're okay, need to try and get them more often but they are more expensive.  – Well, long-time readers will know that I first switched to washable pads (love!) and then finally, a few years ago, to the Mooncup (love!!!). Won’t ever go back to disposables and will try and encourage anyone who cares to listen to consider switching to non-disposable options. Actually, just looking at that old post again, Liz from Pocket Farm suggested the Diva Cup to me - that was the first time I had ever heard about it (and I actually thought she was sending me to a joke website at first). 

Petrol - until I can afford a hybrid/runs on vegetable oil type car the only thing I can do about this is minimise my use of the car. Already use bus for to and from work. Must get fit enough to use bike.  – Got rid of the car a few months before I left Ireland and don’t have one here at all. Have a monthly ticket for public transport, got a second-hand bike and am a member of several car-sharing programs (and even so haven’t driven a car here for more than two years). May someday need to get a car again, especially if I manage to end up living in the country or a small town but for now it’s just not necessary.

Philadelphia light - a Weight Watcher's necessity. I have a serious weight problem but eating more fresh food and less processed food will help a lot. There are certain products that are very useful in making low-fat meals and this is one of them. – And how very far I’ve come since writing this. Still very overweight but have learned so many new dishes and, more to the point, have changed my eating habits quite a bit so that what I do cook involves far more vegetables. And if I do use something like cream cheese it’s more often a full-fat version from a local farmer but using less of it. My use of processed foods has gone way down.

Colour catchers - can't afford to keep buying new white underwear. – Still use these. Feels like I really should find out what exactly they’re made of, do they decompose harmlessly and so on. But, as long as I’m only washing for one I think I’m going to continue needing these because I don’t feel like starting to only wear one colour clothes for the rest of my life.  Actually, a quick google leads me to conflicting information. The company claims they're environmentally friendly (because of less washing mostly, I think) and that they're fully biodegradable. Comments from various other people online claim to want to stay away from them. However, without any actual information to back up their actions, I think I'll stick with them for now. I generally use one a week for the two or three small loads I might wash.

Clothes - don't buy many and because of my size don't have much choice anyway. When I lose weight I would also like to start looking at buying more organically. – Same here as well. I try to avoid buying clothes at all and when I really have to, can’t really afford to do anything but buy cheap (which in my size means C&A or M&S Mode, and occasionally on a trip back to Ireland Marks & Spencer (although they don’t do long in my size anymore so that’s less and less until I lose enough weight to get back into sizes that do have long versions) or Evans). Actually am reaching a stage of badly needing to get some new work clothes but hopefully the weightloss will continue this time and in a few months I’ll start fitting into other stuff I already have again.

Saturday shopping

I spent a lot of money today. Most of it in the form of lunch vouchers. This is one of the perks I get in work which I will really miss when I leave. Every day that I spend at least an hour in the office, I get one voucher. Since the value of these vouchers went up a couple of months ago from 3.07 to 4.50 each, it's a sizable chunk of change, especially for those months where I have no holidays. Normally I use these vouchers for going out to lunch or buying unplanned for stuff at the supermarket. Most supermarkets take them, some of the bakeries near work, most of the restaurants near work and so on. Yesterday, I remembered that one of the butchers on my road also takes them and since I had seen a sign outside there yesterday for a special offer on pork belly and my sister sent me a packet mix of spices to make Chinese red pork something or other last week, I decided adding a bit of meat into one or two of my meals this week might be nice. And since my vouchers had arrived last week it really felt a bit like the pressure was off and I went into Edeka and stocked up on some rubbish, too.

It was a bit of a running hither and thither afternoon though. I had hoovered and tidied up a bit before leaving the house so that was something. And I had a shower and washed my hair, even though we're having the kind of weather again that makes it feel like it's a waste of time, since two minutes after getting out of the shower you start sweating again. Still, at least it's not raining, I suppose.

First off I popped across the road to throw a bottle into the recycling and then I went into Rossmann to print out some passport size photos. Since I was there I also got a packet of washing soda. Then it was into the butcher to get some pork belly and chicken pieces and I threw in a couple of the nice spicy dried sausages they have, too. Round the corner to hop onto the scales in the chemist (5.5 kg down in the four weeks I've been properly back to doing the 5:2 fast diet) and then I jumped onto the tram to head to the other end of my street as I had a package I needed to drop off at the Hermes shop (sending my broken Kindle back - I miss my old Kindle, but that's for another post). Once that was done I stopped into the small shop with lovely meats and cheese and treated myself to 50g of a French salami with hazelnuts. And then finally it was off to Aldi and Edeka, stopping only on the way to bring two letters to the post office. One a form for my health insurance place informing them that I'll be finishing work at the end of October and so my status will change to "voluntarily" insured rather than "employed". And the other my application to join the German Association of Interpreters and Translators (which was what I needed a passport photo for). So that's two big things ticked off the list. Oh, I also found time to stop into the opticians to get my glasses adjusted, they weren't sitting quite right and it was just enough off to be a bit annoying. So it took all afternoon but I feel like I got a good bit done. And now for the food - I squished everything in but I think most of it is visible, although the buttermilk seems to have been covered by the crackers. Oh well.

Rossmann (€2.94 cash)
8 passport photos - €1.95
Washing soda - 99c

Brosi (€9 vouchers and €1.25 cash)
Pork belly (598g @ €7.50/kg) - €4.49
Turkey pieces (218g @ €13.90/kg) - €3.03
2 spicy sausages (124g @ €22.00/kg) - €2.73

Tischdame (€2.10 cash)
Salami with hazelnuts (50g @ €42.00/kg) - €2.10

Aldi (€15.40 cash via debit card)
1 lt. milk - 99c
1 kg museli - €1.49 (looking back I bought this on 25th July so looks like a kilo lasts me three weeks)
500g organic lentils - €1.55 (special offer this week is a whole load of organic stuff - not sure Aldi normally sell lentils so good to get them)
500g organic white beans - €1.55 (same special offer)
Yoghurt - 45c
Labello - 99c (near cash register - I know I'll need one soon so grabbed it)
6 fair trade organic bananas - €1.31 (you can just see one at the top of the photo - very green bananas but in the heat at the moment, these should be just nice by Monday)
1 tin tuna - 99c
1 tin tomatoes - 39c
Organic mozzarella - 89c (after taste testing both the organic and non-organic I prefer this one. The other is a bit creamier, which is nice, but this one just has more flavour, even if it is a bit firmer)
Quark - 45c
1 A4 folder - 99c
2 packets 8 wraps - 99c each (these were a special offer a few weeks ago and only seem to be selling very slowly but since they're delicious and in date until December, I grabbed another couple of packets)
2 x feta - 69c each

Post office (23c cash)
23c (one of the letters I was sending was over the standard weight so I had to add to the stamp I already had)

Edeka (€13.50 vouchers and €4.48 cash - annoyingly she wouldn't just take another voucher and keep the 2c - the till wasn't programmed to allow her to do that and if the till won't allow it there's no flexibility. I would have put stuff back but there was already a long queue behind me so I just paid the cash for the rest and moved on - no point in annoying everyone else just 'cos I was hot and bothered.)
1 lt. cider vinegar (for hair) - €1.69
1 large tin coconut milk - €1.29
Washing-up liquid - €1.49
1 lt. white vinegar (for cleaning) - 39c
1kg frozen green beans - €1.69
Buttermilk - 39c (special offer - so I think there's some soda bread on the menu for next week)
1 large packet maltesers - €2.79
Riffels crisps - €1.99
Sensations crisps - €1.69
Chips crackers - 99c
Dark chocolate - €1.09
Spray bottle - €2.49 (want to make my own cleaners to spray on tiles and so on so will be stocking up on a couple more of these over the next while)

So all told, I make that €45.31, which is a lot of money. I've gotten quite a few things for the store cupboard and enough rubbish to easily see me through two weeks, I think. Next week I should only need milk and yoghurt. In fact, I think I'm going to give myself a little challenge to not spend anything more than one €4.50 voucher next weekend. It means buying slightly more expensive milk and yoghurt (Aldi don't take the vouchers) but I have more than enough otherwise to get good food on the table every day.

Stocking up

Despite my longing to have a day where I sleep till I wake and then stay lazing in bed for another couple of hours or even the entire day, I did get up at a relatively reasonable hour this morning. Partly because I'd forgotten to turn off the alarm. Sigh. Anyway, I got up and then did go back to bed to read for a while but all the time, in the back of my head, was a little argument with myself going on about how I'd feel great if I'd just get up and do some cleaning and shopping versus how nice it would be to just laze. And at the same time planning out the order in which I'd need to do things if I did get up.

In the end I got up around quarter to eleven and immediately set to doing the hoovering. That also involved getting the recycling and the rubbish ready to go out the door, since underneath those bags seems to be one of those natural gathering places for crumbs. Once I had done that, I put a wash on, gathered a couple of Tupperware containers and was out the door.

Once I'd gotten rid of the rubbish and recycling the first stop had to be the market. I was paid yesterday so it's a new month with new money but I want to make sure that I stay in budget so had a list to stick to. And resisting temptation at the market is just as difficult as ever. I had some money left in my purse from "last" month and didn't want to spend anymore than that so I deliberately didn't go to the bank to get more cash. And, with a pain that was almost physical, I left behind all the gorgeous looking stuff that I really didn't need and managed to only buy one thing that wasn't on my list (as they didn't have one thing that was on the list, there was money for it). Then I popped over to the fair trade shop to get a couple of things there.

The lettuce is so fresh it's practically melt in your mouth, hmmm, can't wait for it

From the market:

• Big head of organic oak leaf lettuce - €1.60
• 2 organic courgettes (568g at €3/kg) - €1.70
• Organic tomatoes (1kg at €6/kg) - €6.00
• Organic chives - €1.50
• Sunflower oil - €2.90

That lot left me with a bit less than €2 in change in my purse so I called into Drogerie Markt and bought a packet of washing soda for 95c. The rest of that change went into my sealed pot and so everything else comes out of this month's money.

From the fair trade shop:

• Organic olive oil - €10.90
• Organic chocolate - €2.30 (big increase. I haven't bought this for a while but it used to be €2.00)
• Organic raw cacao powder - €4.80 (expensive for 250g but I want to try making some healthier sweet options, like these raw brownies from Deliciously Ella so hopefully this is a good investment)

Once I had gotten that expensive organic stuff out of the way, I wanted to get the most bang for my buck and that means heading to Aldi. I'm spoiled by having five supermarkets within a few minutes walk - Aldi and Edeka are the furthest away, being, oh, a good six minutes stroll around the corner. So, I did the sensible thing and stopped in home first, dumping my first bag of shopping in the hallway, tucked in beside the stairs. I love living in the kind of building where I can do that and leave something sitting for an hour or so and come back to find it exactly where I left it.

I had a list going into Aldi and a plan to not spend more than €20. In addition to the list, I also wanted to get one or two basics. If I do that every couple of weeks, I should be well stocked over the winter. My plan is to not need to spend any money on food during November or December, other than for my vegetable box delivery. And this is what I was able to get for €19.25 (yes, I did indeed traipse around Aldi adding up every single thing on the calculator on my phone).

There might have been one more banana in that bunch that didn't actually make it home with me - what a delicious breakfast though

From Aldi:

• Organic low-fat milk - 99c
• Flour - 32c
• Tin of tuna in water - 99c
• 1 jar green olives - 69c
• 1 jar black olives - 69c
• 1kg muesli - €1.49 (giving it a try as it was the same price as the Edeka one which I got last time and liked. This has a very similar ingredients list and was the only one with no sugar. There is a lot of dried fruit in it which will probably make it a bit too sweet to I'll add extra oats from time to time to lessen that a bit)
• 1 carton passata - 39c
• 1 tin whole tomatoes - 39c (costs 5c more to get the chopped ones, I can spend a fortune on organic and local foods but refuse to pay the extra to get chopped. Go figure.)
• 1 tin kidney beans - 45c
• 1 bunch organic, fair trade bananas - €1.20
• 1 large packet fish fingers - €1.49
• 2 small tubs of cream - 40c each
• 1 tub of low-fat yoghurt - 45c
• 1 tin sardines - 75c
• 1 block of gouda cheese (at €4.99/kg) - €1.96
• 1 block of parmesan (at €14.99/kg) - €2.88
• 1 tub quark - 45c
• 1 ball of organic mozzarella - 89c
• 2 packets of 8 small wraps - 99c each (it's hard enough to get wraps here, unless you want to get the expensive Old El Paso ones so I was pleased to see these "special" items this week)

And so I just had a quick trip into Edeka to buy some totally non-frugal, non-healthy treats. And see if they had any of the elderflower and raspberry yoghurt that I like. They didn't.

That packet of Sensations might not mange to make it through the day

From Edeka:

• Sensations Thai sweet chili crisps - €1.69
• Riffels salted crisps - €1.99
• Chips crackers - 99c
• Large bag maltesers - €2.22
• Chocolate raisins - €1.09

And half a loaf of bread from the bakery next door. I took €25 out of the bank on the way home, bought the bread (€1.59) and the rest is to do me for the week, including going to the quiz tomorrow evening. 

Of course, shopping is really the easy part. It's using the stuff up and letting nothing go to waste that's the real skill. To give myself the best chances of doing just that, some of the above was decanted into Tupperware immediately and stored in the freezer, fridge or storecupboard. Like so:

Salted crisps into the big white "Bellevue" Tupperware container. Gouda and parmesan cheese grated and into the freezer (popped the rind of the parmesan into the box, too, as I've read you can add that to soups/stews for a bit of extra flavour). The muesli went into a 1.7lt flip-top but since I still had some left over from the last time, it didn't quite fit. So the rest has gone into a small round one and I'll use that up first. The crackers have gone into a 600ml Hit-Parade (am probably going to have guests sometime this week so wanted to have something on hand just in case) and the maltesers and chocolate raisins into a 1lt Clarissa. That's in the fridge and, along with the nice fair trade chocolate, should be more than enough to satisfy any cravings for a couple of weeks. 

When all that was done, it was time for lunch and the lovely roasted sweet potatoes from yesterday that had been heating up were ready and waiting for me to dig in. And then, I have to admit, it was a bit of a struggle again to convince myself to put down the book and wash the floors. But I wanted to wash the floors before putting the second wash on so that I'd be able to wash the e-cloth, too. Took a while and I had almost convinced myself that hoovering had been enough. After all, I'd washed them last week and I do live alone, no messy kids or animals or anything and I do spend most of my days out so they wouldn't really need to be washed. Or do they? I took a picture to remind me in future when I'm having this argument with myself that washing the floors is a really, really good idea.

Okay. Hoovering is definitely not enough. This was the state of the water (and look at that cloth!) after washing the floors. 

Anyway, floors are done, bathroom has been cleaned, one wash is done and hung up to dry and the second is nearly finished. I do now have a few things to wash up (it never ends, does it?) and need to spend a bit of time cooking but apart from that, I'm calling the housework more or less done for this weekend. The basics are covered and I'm going back to my book.

Zero waste

I've made great progress over the last few years in ditching the disposables and trying to reduce the amount of waste I produce.  And I was doing pretty well in only producing a small bag of rubbish every two or three weeks.  Unfortunately, living in an apartment now I have no possibility of setting up a composter anywhere (no garden, no balcony and don't even know anyone who I've been able to persuade to set one up in their garden), which means that I now have a full small bin full of rubbish every week and sometimes twice or three times a week during the height of canning season.  Funnily enough, I've found that the habits I've built up over the last few years are more difficult to break than the habits they were replacing, which I'd had for much longer.  So even after more than four years it still bothers me every single time I throw something in the bin that I know could be perfectly well added to a compost heap.  I've considered trying to get a small wormery going in the kitchen but I don't really have space for it and there is a clause in my rental contract that states that I am responsible for ensuring there are no infestations of insects or bugs.  I've already managed to acquire moths (of the clothes eating variety) and somehow it seems to me that bringing a whole lot of worms into the building might not go down too well.

Germany was probably one of the first countries to introduce rubbish separation and recycling so we have three bins available to us in our building.  One for paper and carton, one for plastic packaging and one for general waste.  I'm also lucky enough to live just across the road from some glass bottle banks, for those bottles that don't have a deposit to be claimed once you return them to the shop.  Once I've separated out all the stuff for those bins I don't have much left to get rid of except for veg peels etc.  Switching from disposables has certainly made shopping a lot easier, too.  No need to remember to buy sponges or dishmops every couple of months, I just use my own knitted cloths.  No need to remember to buy serviettes, I have cloth ones that I bought nearly fifteen years ago that are still going strong.  No need to remember to buy kitchen roll, I have lots of rags and cloths to soak up any spill.  No need to remember to buy toilet roll except once a year or so, I have an old towel cut up into squares that work so much better than paper.  No need to remember to buy sanitary towels, I have my mooncup and washable pads.  And no need to pay for any of those things anymore makes it all even better.

I don't think I'll ever get to the stage of producing zero waste but it's still a goal worth aiming for I think.  Top of my list for the next place I move to, though, is enough outside space to have a small composter or wormery on the go.  Until then, this post marks the end of the April A to Z challenge.  It's been interesting but I'm not really sorry that it's over.  I may take a few days rest from blogging now.  Or I may be back tomorrow already, since it's a bank holiday here and all.  Can't believe it's May already, time is really flying by.  A sign that I'm getting older, apparently.  I like to tell myself that that's balanced out by my getting more childish, though.  You take what comfort you can get, I suppose. :-)

Mooncup

Disclaimer: Yes, this post is about the use of a mooncup and other non-disposable methods of sanitary protection during a period.  That means there'll be some frank descriptions of things such as the pill, periods, bodily functions and possibly vaginas. Yes, if you're the type to be offended or feel uncomfortable reading about those topics, you can run away now.  You've been warned.

I first heard of menstrual cups just after I started this blog and Liz from Pocket Farm left a comment (on this post) asking if I had ever considered using a diva cup.  I followed her link and seriously thought it was a joke.  I few months later I came across a thread on one of my favourite discussion forums and realised there was a whole world of disposable sanitary towel and tampon alternatives out there.  That discussion can be found here and is highly recommended reading.

For those who aren't already aware, a menstrual cup is a small medical grade silicon receptacle which is inserted into the vagina during a period to collect the fluids, which can then simply be tipped out and the cup re-inserted.  Washable cloth sanitary towels/pads are also widely available or can be made at home.  There are different types and lots of lovely, lovely different fabrics to choose from.  Sea sponges are another alternative to tampons but as I've never used them, I can't offer any other information on them than that they exist.

On reading the thread mentioned above, as I was trying to 'green' my life, and also because I was intrigued by people on that thread mentioning a noticeable decrease in pain and cramping after switching from disposables, I decided to give it a go.  Although by now I had accepted that menstrual cups weren't actually a joke product, never having been a fan of tampons, I wasn't sure I'd like using one and so I opted to get some cloth pads instead.  I ordered 12 from Wee Notions and honestly never looked back.  They come in lots of lovely different fabrics and I have to admit that especially at the beginning, I got a real kick every time I went to the toilet and instead of looking down at the same old white, I was looking at swirls of blue and pink or black and white.  That might be just me though.  I get the same kind of kick when I (very, very occasionally) paint my toenails, even though I don't ever wear open-toe shoes.  My own secret little splash of colour, so to speak.

I became a dedicated fan of washables and although I still liked the idea of the mooncup (that's the type I have now, there are lots of different brands available - menstrual cups have been around since the 1930s!), I decided that I was so happy with my washable towels it didn't matter.  I went from needing to take the pill and using strong prescription painkillers just to make it through some days when I had my period and even then sometimes having to miss a day or two of work to having minimal pain that could be either just borne with or handeled using ordinary painkillers and being able to come off the pill, too.  A while after starting to use washables, I was invited to a wedding and happened to have my period.  Not wanting to have to carry around dirty towels with me all day, as well as having bought a ridiculously tiny handbag to use, I decided to just go ahead and use up some of the always towels I still had lying around.  Within a couple of hours I had started to have the most incredible cramps.  Of a type that I hadn't even realised I was missing.  Definitely different than the ordinary cramps I had since gotten used to and it reminded me that when I first started using them, I had noticed that the type of cramps I was having were not only far less severe but they reminded me of when I first starting having my period.  I managed to get through that day and after that made sure to get rid of any disposable towels I still had left and have never used them since.

That day convinced me, however, that I should consider at least trying the mooncup, as it would be ideal for a day when you don't want to be carrying supplies with you.  So I bought one.  And then did nothing but take it out of the packaging for a look and think to myself, "Must try that sometime".  Eventually I did try it once or twice but really didn't click with it at all.  I waited until I got my period at a weekend, and luckily it was a weekend when my housemate was away, too, so no-one to notice if I was spending longer than usual in the bathroom or wonder what the hell this silicon thing was boiling away on the cooker.  I didn't heed the advice I'd heard over and over again to cut as much as possible off the stem and, well, ouch!  I eventually did get it down to something I feel comfortable with, probably a little bit over half a centimetre.  But I also really struggled to just contort my body in such a way as to be able to get the bloody thing (pun intended) in or out.  Once the contortions had finished, I really did like it, but it just all seemed like too much hard work somehow and since I loved my washables so much I just left it in the cupboard.

A while after moving to Germany I decided I really should give it a proper go again.  Same thing, I used it once and then felt like it was too much like hard work and gave up.  But at the beginning of last year I really, finally, actually made a proper effort.  I re-read through the thread I've mentioned above, I read through all the FAQs on the mooncup website and anything else I found that I thought might help and I gave it a proper go, telling myself that I was going to use it every month for at least six months, even if I only used it for one day each month, and that if after that I still didn't like it, I'd just leave it be.  It took about three months for me to get it figured out and by the end of six, I couldn't imagine ever being without it.  

I had blamed a lot of it on being overweight and therefore not as agile as I felt I needed to be but really, it turns out that I just needed to find the way that really worked for me.  For what it's worth, for me that means a slight squat and then going up on tiptoe.  I discovered this completely by accident but this position seems to tilt my pelvis at just exactly the right angle to allow me to really easily insert the mooncup.  The body is a funny old thing.  Before I figured that out I had had some success with making sure that my back was against a wall (otherwise I sort of kept pushing myself backwards and could never get a grip on the ruddy thing).  Lots of people say that using the mooncup really made them feel more in touch with their bodies and I must say, I have to agree.  I had already had some of that feeling from using washable pads but using the mooncup took it to a whole new level.  I've always been a big fan of masturbation so I would have thought that I was fairly well acquainted with my body.  But now I really am (maybe it's just because I'm less, er, distracted when I'm putting the mooncup in or taking it out and therefore I'm paying more attention) and I've found that to be a fairly powerful thing.  I wasn't brought up to be ashamed of my body but women aren't generally encouraged to pay too close attention beyond what's absolutely necessary to "down there" (oh how that phrase annoys me, even if I do use it on occasion) and that, I find, is a pity.  

So anyway, the mooncup gets a big thumbs up from me.  It is especially wonderful when travelling and as I managed to time my long holiday to Australia in December to be having my period on both the flight there and the flight back (only me!), I was extra pleased to have taken to the time to really give it a chance and make it work.  It may not be for everyone but if you do decide to try it out, please do give it a few months.  It takes time to get used to but it is well worth it.  Although I did have the initial cash outlay for the washable pads (which I still use as panty liners) as well as for the mooncup, I had recouped that money after only a few months of not having to buy disposable towels.  So over the five plus years I've been using non-disposable forms of sanitary protection, I have saved myself a LOT of money.  And saved a huge amount of unnecessary waste adding to landfill or worse, ending up polluting our seas.  If you're a woman who gets periods, please do consider switching to non-disposables and for all men and all women, even if you don't have a use for it yourself, please do consider telling your daughters, friends and anyone you think might listen.

My first eBay purchase

I registered for eBay a couple of years ago but to be completely honest found it all a bit overwhelming so never really got into it or bought anything. Today I needed to make a payment through PayPal which turned into a big pain in the neck as my account was in Ireland and you can't change your address to another country, you have to open a new account in the new country. But, since I've changed my address with the credit card company to my German address I definitely couldn't use my Irish account as the details would no longer match. So, after faffing around getting the German paypal account set up I thought I would just have a quick look at eBay. That was when I realised I couldn't remember my log-in for eBay so I decided to go ahead and create one straight away.

After all that 'admin' work I decided to see if the pottery set I have was up there. I have more than enough dishes but one thing I am missing is a butter dish. I've been meaning to buy a butter dish for a couple of years but wanted to take my time choosing a really nice one rather than just a generic one from the kitchen reject shop or somewhere like that. So I've been checking charity shops and the like for something a bit special and thought if I could find one from the set I have it would be perfect. There is one posted but it's up as a rare collector's item so I'm not sure I'll even bother bidding on it - will wait till closer to the end of the auction to see if the price has gone mental or stayed reasonable. It's really nice too - I like the shape of it.

While I was there I decided to see if I could find a dehydrator as that is something on my list of things to get someday. And in my search for that I came across a yoghurt machine, almost brand new and with the auction about to end in seven minutes. So, I am now the new owner of a yoghurt machine (something else I've almost bought several times in the past but thought I shouldn't as it's so easy to make without any special equipment - the only problem being I've never been quite able to make it work!). For the very reasonable price of 2 euro I have to add and even adding the 6.90 for shipping it is a bargain I think.

I have set myself an eBay limit of 20 euro (including shipping) and a commitment to only look for things that are on my list of to-buy anyway. If I ever have a big purchase to make I can reconsider this but as a general rule it should stop me getting in trouble. One of my sisters developed a bit of a bad habit of buying stuff left, right and centre and often paying more than she would have in a shop, often for stuff she didn't need at all. I have more than enough money issues without going down that route. But, for today, I am pleased with my purchase and will in future try to emulate one of my other sisters, who just uses eBay to keep an eye out for stuff she needs, presents for the kids etc and so is able to get some very good bargains and put stuff away for when it is needed. I think the important thing is being able to let stuff go. The butter dish will be a good test for me. 20 euro would be a bit expensive for a butter dish but if I were to buy a new hand-painted one (which I had contemplated for a while) I would more than likely pay more than that. We shall see.

In other news I used my Mooncup for the first time today. Will post about that later in the week but fair warning now to anyone who may be a bit squeamish and prefer not to read about that kind of thing - I make sure to put mooncup in the post title so you can avoid it if you prefer.

Shopping - 14th Feb

From market:
148g turkey salami - 3.48
122g duck tornados - 2.43 (a kind of kebab with duck meat in a spicy marinade)
114g turkey pieces - 0.92
I also bought six eggs from this farmer but realised today she didn't charge me for them, will have to pay next week.

6 elstar and 2.5 kg bag of boskoop apples - 3.70

1 kg potatoes and 100g mushrooms (both organic) - 2.40

From kaisers supermarket:
Milk - 1.09 plus 0.15 cent deposit on bottle
Bar of chocolate - 1.89
Jar of yoghurt - 1.09 plus 0.15 cent deposit
Frosch washing-up liquid - 1.59
Bacchus wine - 4.69

From baker (this is my main foodie treat of the week usually):
Half a loaf of organic wholegrain rye - 1.60
2 organic slawiner (a type of bread roll) - 0.74
2 chocolate croissants - 1.96 (only actually asked for one but had a newbie serving me so didn't make a fuss - was glad of it later as I had to go straight from my new tai chi class to a four hour choir rehearsal and was famished by the break so the second croissant and an apple went down very well)
1 slice organic apple cake - 1.60

Yesterday was a good day. I had one thing planned which I didn't manage to get to due to sleeping later than I thought I would. I found out that the VHS (volkshochschule - local community college) also has an organic garden in the town where you can go along and help out on Tuesday afternoons or Saturday mornings from 10. As I'll now be doing tai chi from 12 every Saturday morning I would only be able to spend maybe an hour there but it would be good to be doing something outside and, hopefully, I might be able to start bringing my fruit and veg peelings there to compost. Otherwise it was a long, busy, tiring but satisfying day.

I intended to go and distribute leaflets advertising choir's next concert at a couple of other concers that were taking place in Dusseldorf today but it started sleeting around lunchtime and was definitely a day to stay inside. This morning I decided to make sure I did a conditioning vinegar rinse in my hair today and after heading to the bathroom to do that I decided that I should clean it first. I ended up doing a very thorough job (which was needed as I only skimmed the surface last week) and also trying something I first heard about ages ago but hadn't done before. I am now a very big fan of a lemon quarter sprinkled with bicarb as a method of cleaning hard water scum off the bath and taps. The taps on the bath, which I've tried before to get sparkling, are actually sparkling now. Once the place was clean I did the vinegar rinse on my hair and had a nice hot shower. And made an effort to keep those taps sparkling by drying them off immediately. I also moved a window wiper into the bathroom so that I can wipe down the tiles immediately after having a shower, which should help with the water deposit build up in future too.

Spent a quiet afternoon watching Jeeves and Wooster on the internet and then at one stage, after having gotten up to make a cup of tea, had a fit of energy and decided to wash the kitchen floor (also something that badly needed doing as I've just been making do with sweeping it for the last couple of weeks and mopping up any spills with a cloth). Of course, to make that worth my while I had to sweep well and since I had the brush (microfibre cloth type) out I did a quick run around the whole apartment. I also shook out the tablecloth (the thing about all the wonderful German breads is that lots of them come with seeds in them and they do tend to get everywhere), which meant I had to clear off the books that were on that. New tablecloth on table (white of course, just in time for me to spill a dirty big spoonful of chutney on it - what on earth ever possessed me to buy a white tablecloth!), floor swept, potatoes for dinner scrubbed and in a pot of water and then I washed the floor. Did a quick swipe around the rest of the place while I was at it but a really, really thorough job of the kitchen floor. Feels like a weight off to have done it. It's one of those things that preys on my mind when it's not done and yet I sometimes have the greatest difficulty just getting up and doing it. Switched the cooker on under the potatoes while I went away to let it dry and spent a while on the phone to my brother. So, kitchen is all tidy now, dinner dishes washed and put away and leftovers in the fridge for lunch and the makings of dinner tomorrow. Another good day. And time now for bed so that I can get a reasonable night's sleep and maybe get into work early tomorrow.

Crocs update

I don't think I ever posted the response to the email I sent to the manufacturers of Crocs querying what they are made of and this blog post reminded me of it as it casts some new questions over the issue.

The response I received didn't really answer my question but I decided to go ahead and buy a pair as I really needed a pair of something other than my hiking boots that I could wear for more than a couple of hours and I know that I never questioned what was in the orthotics I use. It's something of a cop-out I realise but I didn't have the energy to follow up at the time and know that in the case of any other medical necessity I wouldn't hesitate to use a product that would help regardless of its green credentials. And at €40 a pair crocs are a damn sight cheaper than new orthotics at closer to €200. I have found them comfy and am able to wear them all day walking around although after two full days walking in them I do need to use something else. So, they're not perfect but are a good solution for me to a certain extent.

Here is the response I received:

Thank you for your inquiry. Croc has manufacturing facilities all over the world including Mexico , Canada , Italy and Florida , Brazil , as well as China . Although our new shoes are stamped with “ Boulder , Colorado ” outsourcing our production is necessary to be able to meet the demand of the product. The hang tags attached to the shoes will tell you where the product is actually made. This labeling complies with all customs import requirements. Please note, that we do maintain a “Supplier Code of Conduct” that demands high expectations in labor and environmental standards. All of our manufacturing plants are required to follow this Code. Crocs take pride in its high moral and ethical standards relating to our community and other communities in which we have a presence.

Crocs are made of Croslite - an extraordinary impact absorbing resin material developed for maximum cushioning. Its closed cell properties resist odor, inhibit bacterial and fungal growth and are non-toxic. This versatile material can be worn next to the skin and be cleaned with just soap and water. Crocs contain no latex or rubber materials. As such, we cannot discuss its chemical components, or how it is made. After extensive testing by our company and independent testing laboratories, we can say that Crocs footwear contains no known hazardous chemicals, creates no known hazardous emissions and is completely safe to be disposed of in a landfill. Crocs launched a new recycling program, SolesUnited, in early 2008. SolesUnited is a first of its kind program created in response to the desperate need for quality footwear in impoverished countries and areas affected by tragedy. Blending environmental and humanitarian efforts, we are collecting, regrinding, and remolding your old Crocs shoes into new and donating these to people in need of shoes around the world. To learn more about SolesUnited, I refer you to visit our website at www.SolesUnited.com. I hope this information helps.

Crocs footwear is the first product, in my knowledge, to successfully market a truly comfortable shoe. Our shoes have been shown to ease and/or eliminate stress on the lower back, knee and hip joints. They are extremely light weight and exhibit many other features that are not found in other footwear. The comfort and light weight is what has made Crocs so popular. The comfort level, or cushioning effect, of our footwear requires a soft durometer material to maintain that attribute. Soft material does not wear very well, especially, if worn outside (during hot weather) on rough surfaces such as concrete. There are many variables that will affect wear, such as some people drag their feet during the walking process. We realize that more durable soles would increase the value of our product. The Scutes, for example, are made with a soft compliant foot bed for comfort and a harder outer shell for durability. Our shoes were not designed to be clones of shoes that are more expensive, heavy (composed of leather uppers and a hard rubber sole), and not any where close to being as comfortable as our product. We want to be unique and are still striving to increase the durability, create new & different styles and improve the overall value of Croc’s products. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me. Thank you.

I am fairly hard on shoes and so I suspect I may not get too many years out of Crocs which would motivate me to look for better alternatives. And of course, I'm moving to what is (I think) the home of Birkenstocks so access to comfy shoes should be a bit easier to come by. :-)

On a side note one issue I did have with the Crocs is that nearly all of the ones on sale in Dublin seem to come from China despite there being at least two factories making them in Europe (Italy and Romania). My desire to at least buy something made on the same continent coupled with my shoesize meant that I had very little choice on colour (good thing I'm not that bothered about coordinating outfits).

Noses and attitudes

Quick update on the whole hanky thing. I love it and it's another one of those things I can't believe I took so long to get around to. No problems with snotty dirty ones either, haven't done any special soaking, just throw them into the laundry basket and wash them with my usual weekly load. I think if I had a cold I'd be more careful and would probably soak them in water with tea-tree oil or similar while they were waiting to be washed but otherwise am happy with the way things are. My nose appreciates it too. I've been sneezing a lot with hayfever recently so all in all it was a good move.

My sister was home from Oz for a couple of weeks and we had a great time. We didn't have too much catching up to do as we spend lots of time on the phone doing that (apropos of which, can I recommend www.dialwise.ie to anyone making international calls from Ireland - my call charges this phone bill were 8 euro where normally they would be at least 40 euro and I wasn't trying to make fewer calls at all - one more thing I should have done a long time ago). However, it was nice to just sit and chat about anything and nothing. We never seem to run out of conversation and we had two really nice nights out with one of our other sisters and my brother which doesn't always work out (plus spouses). It's a big family and no matter how well we get on individually, when more than three of us congregate it's not always smooth going. :-)

They headed back to Sydney yesterday and before she left she gave me two lovely presents. One was a lovely photo frame with a little poem about sisters on it - I'm going to dig through the family albums and see if I can find a photo of the two of us when we were small to go in it. The other thing she gave me was a little card with the following on it (I don't see anything credited this to anyone so apologies if I'm reproducing something I'm shouldn't and if I am, please let me know and I'll remove it). She said she wasn't sure why but it made her think of me and I really like it. It articulates some things which I really do believe. And coincidentally the card it's on is decorated with some leaves which have a connection to our family and that makes it even more special somehow.


Attitude

Your life is an expression of your mind. You are free to will whatever state of being you desire through the use of your thoughts and words. The quality of your life is brought about by the quality of your thinking. Realise, the one thing you have complete control over is your attitude. See the affect it has on those around you. If you truly want to change your world, you must change your thinking. Reason is your greatest tool. It creates an atmosphere of understanding which leads to caring and love.

In other news the One Local Summer challenge started again and I missed the deadline for registering. I've gotten so bad at blogging regularly that may not be a bad thing. I had an interview in Dusseldorf last week so will hear back in the next week or two whether I get that job or not. It's all happening very fast so I may have a hectic couple of months ahead of me which could make keeping up with any challenge difficult.

Crocs

I'm thinking of buying a pair of Crocs shoes but trawling through their website to find out a bit more about them wasn't really able to find out what they're made of. So, I've sent them off the following query:

Hi there

After hearing about Crocs on a blog I read last year I've been thinking about saving for a pair. Then they became available in Dublin airport and it turns out they're not as pricey as I thought and they come in way more colours than I realised. I was however, under the impression that they were made out of 100% natural rubber but reading your FAQs see that is not true. However, I'm still not too clear on what exactly Croslite™ proprietary Closed Cell Resin (PCCR) material is. Could you elaborate, please?

I'm particularly concerned with the eco impact of every aspect of my life and so before deciding whether to go ahead and buy or not, would prefer to be in full possesion of all the facts about them. I'm not saying I won't buy them if I find out they have a high carbon footprint (hate that expression but hey, it's the buzzword du jour so why not) but I prefer to be aware of all aspects of what I'm buying.

So, my most important question is what exactly Croslite™ proprietary Closed Cell Resin (PCCR) material is. Second, where are they made? Finally, do they wear out (presumably at some stage they will) and if so, can they be repaired, if not, how are they best disposed of.

Thanks for your help.

Regards

J.

I've very tempted to buy a pair as they do seem from the testimonials to be good for plantar fasciitis and heelspurs. Would be interested to hear from anyone using these, particularly any less than glowing reports as so far I haven't really been able to find anyone who wears them who isn't totally in love with them.

Dishcloths

Having read so many blog and comments from people who knit their own dishcloths I decided to finally try my hand at it. I plan to send these to my sister in Sydney. I wanted to try this a while ago and so when I was in a shop and saw some cotton yarn I bought it and it has been sitting in a bag for months waiting for me to do soemthing with it. Of course, that was before I really copped on that there are different sizes of cotton yarn, just like wool and these were very thin types. I'm still not sure what worsted weight is but I just went for it and knit these by using the two different cottons together, one is a light yellow and one is a cream colour. The colours don't show up well in the photos.

I also had some cotton yarn which was given to me for the workshop on continental knitting I attended during the Knitting and Stitching show and it's a lovely soft one (possibly not so good for a dishcloth but what the hell). All three cloths are slightly different lengths and widths. I look forward to making some for myself now.

Hugh's Chicken Run

1st programme of 3 aired last night on Channel 4 at 9. 2nd and 3rd parts are on tonight and tomorrow. It's all part of the Channel 4 Food Fight series with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver and whatever about the other programmes Hugh's Chicken Run is riveting and a very well-made piece of television.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (of River Cottage fame) tries to make his local town the first free-range chicken town in the UK using a variety of methods. He gets some locals on an estate to raise chickens (for eggs and meat) on the local allotments, he tries to get local businesses to use free-range chicken in their canteens, tries (so far unsucessfully) to get supermarkets to engage in discussion about stopping stocking non-free range chickens and finally, he decides, as no factory farms will allow him access, to set up his own intensive operation, one half fully intensive, one half free range so that people can see what it's really like. It sounds like it was hard for him to decide to go ahead with it and it looks like he certainly struggles with raising chickens intensively but, as he said at the beginning of the programme, if it takes the sacrifice of these chickens to save many, many more, maybe it'll be worth it.

Discussion on the programme here and probably on many other forums as well.

The Emperor wears no Clothes

Has anyone read Jack Herer's book The Emperor wears no Clothes: Hemp and the Marijuana Conspiracy? My brother has been at me to read it for ages and I finally borrowed it to use as my travelling book this holiday. It's really interesting, I didn't think I'd find it this good. I'm about halfway through although may actually be nearer the end of the book itself than I think as he has so far referenced a huge amount of appendices. My only thought so far is that it feels a bit too much like encouraging a monoculture, which of course is never good for the earth. I'd be interested to hear other views on this and also find out if anyone has any further reading materials to recommend on the subject, particularly counter-arguments (if there are any logical ones) as I like to hear both sides of a story before making my mind up about a topic when I can.

No more shampoo

Am nearly half-way through my third week of not using shampoo. The idea being your hair doesn't really need shampoo and can clean itself. It apparently takes about eight weeks for your hair to get used to not being washed with shampoo any more. I've been using Faith in Nature organic shampoo for six months or so but in the back of my head I knew I wanted to try using nothing at some stage to see if it really worked. I work in an office and need to look presentable though so wasn't sure I'd get away with it. However, as I wear my hair up most of the time in work anyway, so far it's been fine.

I have long hair, it's a bit further than halfway down my back (and I'm 5'9" so that's quite a long way :-) ) and is very thick and curly/frizzy. One thing which is also supposed to happen when you stop using shampoo is that the curls become more defined, which would be a nice bonus. So, my three main reasons for trying this are (1) to use less product, consequently (2) save money and finally (3) less frizz.

I didn't really plan this. I usually wash my hair once a week but the weekend before last I was really busy and in and out of the house a lot so never got around to doing it. I didn't really have time during the week (it only takes about ten or fifteen minutes but then a couple of hours to dry naturally or half an hour with a hair dryer which I hate using) and on Thurdsday, the first time I got a chance, I decided to just go for it since I was already ten days in. Admittedly I felt grotty and my hair was not looking great. On Saturday while having a shower I washed my hair throughly in water - gave a good scrub to my scalp as well. I used a tiny amount of conditioner on the ends of my hair just in case.

So far this week it feels much better than last. It feels strangely heavier but looks "smaller" - not as wildly thick or something. Even though I have had it up most of the time my face is starting to feel a bit greasier than normal. I've also been warned that you can fall victim to spotty shoulders during the run-in period so I'm going to use some almond oil mixed with sugar to exfoliate and hopefully avoid that. I don't know if that's too harsh for using on my face though so if anyone has any suggestions for natural products that can be used on a greasy face, let me know.

The important thing I have to remember is that I haven't stopped washing my hair. I've just stopped using shampoo. So, I will keep washing with water and use other things as I feel they are needed. I bought oatmeal, which is supposed to be good for dealing with the grease - will try that tomorrow I think. You put it into your dry hair, rub vigourously then brush out and rinse well with hot water . That one could get messy. Then, at the weekend, I'm going to try the old mayonnaise conditioning trick.

I'm off to sing in a choir competition in Arklow on Sunday. Must go and try and learn some words now. There's one plain chant piece we're doing that I just can't seem to get into my head - thankfully my part isn't singing much of it!

Edited to add links to update posts: 4 weeks after stopping to use shampoo and 6 years later

Payday

Finally. The end of the month. I'm not broke anymore. Well, at least not for at least a couple of days. Although it's been a short month it has felt like one of the longest ever and I am glad I've gotten paid again. I had a few unexpected expenses this month so I really want to add that money back into my savings. I like to have a bit of a cushion and although I don't ever seem to manage more than a few hundred (and not the six months salary that's recommended), I hate not having that little bit of money in the bank for emergencies.

I'm ditching all the unused chemical cleaners still left in my house this month. I've been trying to use them up but it could take years (I used to be a big exponent of the buy loads when they're on special offer style of shopping). So, instead I am going to bring what's left down to the recycle depot where they also accept hazardous substances (paint and car batteries are about the only things I usually see there). So, this month I'll have a little bit more of a spend on some more eco-friendly products. I already have ecover and Lilly's toilet cleaner, ecover washing up liquid and generally use e-cloths and very hot water with a few drops of tea tree oil for cleaning the kitchen and the floors. I'll buy some kind of eco-friendly spray cleaner as there is a new girl moving into the house and I don't know her feelings about all things green so it seems easier to have something resembling a "conventional" cleaner around for her to use. I'm also going to stock up on things like vinegar and bicarbonate of soda for future use myself.

Otherwise I have budgeted money to buy a new pair of trousers for work. Badly needed and I can't put it off any longer telling myself that I'll lose weight and fit into the smaller ones I have. That'll probably happen by the end of this summer but I need something to wear now before the one pair of trousers I have suitable for work at the moment fall apart. I have a €75 voucher for Clery's department store which one of my bosses gave to my for Christmas. I'm going to check there for trousers first but if they don't have anything suitable I'm going to head for their kitchen department and see if I can spot something useful (and fun) for myself. In which case I'll head to Marks and Spencer or Evans for my trousers.

This month I'm going to do my best to start tracking the cost of things properly and not just my spending. So I hope to start posting the cost of various meals, similar to Jeff and Joyce from Low Mileage Food's Nitty Gritty. This weekend I was supposed to go away but can't as the friend I was to visit has a family illness to deal with. So I've invited some friends over for fondue instead. Haven't done any this winter at all and can't think of anything better to satisfy my cheese tooth for the next few months (I want to try and cut way back on cheese over the next while). Am off to ring the bakery now to see if they'll keep me some bread on Friday as it's usually best to use day-old bread for fondue.

Loofahs

Excellent link on Low Mileage Food today - I'm very excited and will be looking into this to see if I can manage to do it next spring.

Soap pods

I've been spending some time recently thinking about soap pods, which I've been using happily for a couple of years now. The whole issue of them having to travel a long distance has been bothering me lately as well as some bits and pieces I've read on the internet recently about how the increase in popularity of soap pods (also called soap nuts) has led to some exploitation of this resource and those who produce it. With this in mind and considering I've nearly finished what I have I emailed EcoLogic, the organic mini-market in Dundrum where I buy them from. I was delighted to see they have a website up and running and even more delighted when I had an answer to my email first thing the next morning. Here is what John (the owner) had to say:

"In relation to air miles and Soapods yes they do travel a distance - from Nepal and North India. Our supplier advertises the fact that they are derived from sustainable plantations paying proper wages. That said they do not carry a Fair Trade stamp but we know the people bringing them in and we would trust them.

The alternatives are E-cover which is manufactured in Belgium and Lillies which is manufactured down in Cork. The ingredients for both products may travel a distance I don't honestly know but I will endeavour to find out.

Though the soapods travel I would think that their overall environmental impact is less and they also help sustain people in less advantaged areas of our planet. They use no energy in the production or disposal process for the product or the packaging. If not the soapods then our next suggestion would be Lillie's Laundry cleaner made in Cork, and though it is packaged in plastic containers we do offer refils.

Great to see people thinking things through. Looking forward to seeing you at the shop where we source Irish wherever possible and if not Irish as close to Ireland as possible."

Although I have shopped a good few times at Eco Logic I haven't been there since the beginning of summer and a lot of the changes in my thinking around the whole area of local and organic etc. have happened since then. I suspected that their policy would be local first but it's nice to have this confirmed. If you're in the area please do try and support this great shop - they also have stalls at some of the farmers' markets on the weekend see www.ecologic.ie for details.

I've decided to continue using soappods for now.

More lists...

I need to get down on paper things I use which are definitely not the eco and/or local choice. Some of these items are ones I'm not prepared to do without but I feel that if I write it all down, it'll focus my attention a bit more and perhaps lead me to changing these choices too.

Chemical cleaning products at home - I decided when I wanted to switch to eco products that it would not be a good idea to simply flush away the products I already had and am still trying to use them up (a year later! I was always a sucker for special offers, didn't realise how much I of a stock I had built up). At this stage I think I'll try and give them away.

Shower gel/body lotions etc. - as above, I've been using up what I had. Nearly finished.

Deodorant - tough one this. May use some holiday time to experiment with eco products - it took me years to find a "conventional" one that works for me.

Toothpaste - need to replace soon and will try Kingfisher or similar brand.

Make-up - I don't wear much so will stick with what I already have and think more about it if/when I need new stuff.

Face wipes - so convenient. Have been reducing use but can't quite give them up yet.

Sanitary towels - have used organic ones before and they're okay, need to try and get them more often but they are more expensive.

Petrol - until I can afford a hybrid/runs on vegetable oil type car the only thing I can do about this is minimise my use of the car. Already use bus for to and from work. Must get fit enough to use bike.

Philadelphia light - a Weight Watcher's necessity. I have a serious weight problem but eating more fresh food and less processed food will help a lot. There are certain products that are very useful in making low-fat meals and this is one of them.

Colour catchers - can't afford to keep buying new white underwear.

Clothes - don't buy many and because of my size don't have much choice anyway. When I lose weight I would also like to start looking at buying more organically.

I'm sure I had a dozen more to add but can't think of them now - will have to come back to this list later.