Recent Comments

1. Sort Out Your Unused Paint - then give it away - 04 Sep 2005

   Mmm – we’ve got a cupboard full – must remember to find out what to do with it.

2. Recycle Your Inkjet Cartridges - 04 Sep 2005

   We get ours refilled at Cartridge World rather than recycling them. After we’ve refilled 8 they plant a tree!

3. Put Your Money Where Your Heart is (Bank Ethically) - 09 Sep 2005

   I’ve been trying do decide what to do on this one. The Co-op doesn’t have a local branch whereas my current bank does and therefore provides what I consider to be a useful service to the community. So my dilemma is which is more generous as opposed to ethical? (I do have a Co-op Christian Aid credit card though!)

4. Encourage Others To Go Generous - 25 Sep 2005

   We’ve been asked to run a ‘bar’ at our harvest supper (non-alcoholic – we’re Methodists!) so have decided to run it on the LOAF principles (local, organic, animal-friendly, fairly traded) and have some info available for people to look at. Hopefully this might encourage others to consider this way of shopping! Also I wrote an article on the generous project for our church newsletter.

5. Go Local - Join A Food Cooperative - 13 Oct 2005

   To answer your question Frangellica, there is an online shop www.goodnessdirect.co.uk that stocks many fairtrade and organic products and the delivery service is excellent. I don’t know where you live but there is a small chain of ethical cooperative shops called Out Of This World who have stores in Nottingham, Newcastle and Leeds (website www.ootw.co.uk).

6. Send a Child a Christmas Box - 13 Oct 2005

   Our church is organising a collection of boxes this year and has come to an arrangement with a local charity shop who are going to stock little gifts to go in the boxes – so two lots of people will benefit.

7. Improve your home's energy efficiency - 13 Oct 2005

   Done a lot of these already over the last couple of years and it has made a big difference to the bills though I still think they’re too high. Now I’m going to try keeping the thermostat a bit lower and wrapping myself in a blanket if I’m sitting still and feeling chilly! Guess I’ll turn it up a bit when we have guests though! Might seem a bit off to give them all blankets when they walk in the door! I need to redo the draft excluder things on the sash windows or maybe invest in some secondary glazing sheets. I also intend to train the rest of the family to TURN OFF THOSE LIGHTS AND THE TV when they leave the room!!

8. Ditch The Disposable Items - 06 Nov 2005

   Old terry nappies are great for mopping up spills on the kitchen and bathroom floors – mine are still in use after 16 years!! (I guess the new shaped ones won’t have this extended life!)

9. Donate winter woolies to a homeless shelter. - 06 Dec 2005

   We’ve just passed some jumpers on to the local Pakistani centre which was collecting them to send to people in Bangladesh. I’ll see if I can find some more for those closer to home too.

10. Buy Ethical Palestinian olive oil - 06 Dec 2005

    After managing to find some of this at a local fairtrade Christmas fair, we’ve decided to buy a good few bottles as Christmas pressies this year (and have treated ourselves to some at the same time!)

11. Recycle Your Greetings Cards - 07 Dec 2005

    My great aunt Dorothy (a wonderful Sally Army lady who used to shake her tin at the wrestling and in the city centre pubs until she was well into her twilight years!) was ahead of her time on this one. She used to get a some stick for resending all her Christmas cards the next year with the middle replaced or a sticker over the old writing – but I always thought she was great!

12. Energy Efficient Cooking - 22 Apr 2006

    I was a bit sceptical about whether this would work – especially with pasta – but it’s great!

13. DIY vegetables! - 27 Apr 2006

    Yes – you can grow all sorts of veg in containers. Gardeners World on TV showed it last year with all sorts of reused containers too – from old cans to stacks of tyres. I’ve grown cut and come again salads, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes (all good for kids). Courgettes not so good – or maybe just needed a bigger container or more feeding/water. This year I’m having a go at salad potatoes in an old dustbin, rocket and baby spinach. Dwarf French beans supposed to be easy in a container too.Then of course herbs such as basil and coriander. I think it’s best to concentrate on 1. Things you like! 2. Things that are expensive to buy.

14. Sit down for a Big Lunch on 19 July - 01 Jul 2009