Natural cleaners

I used to be one of the biggest consumers of chemical cleaners. A few years ago my shopping trolley would consist of glass cleaners, floor cleaner and bathroom cleaners-anyway you get the picture. Last year I came to realize that the only one who profited from these chemical cleaners were the manufacturers and they were laughing- all the way to the bank! Meanwhile I was literally pouring money down the sink. And on top of that was exposing my precious family to chemicals that I couldn't even pronounce the name of.

I must admit I am somewhat of a novice when it comes to natural cleaners. My first information came from reading a post on Rhonda Jean's blog 'Down to earth'. This post has pretty much every recipe you could ever want for a cleaner.My Other inspiration comes from a book I found at a thrift shop 'For Goodness sake!' by Merren Parker. This book has everything from how to make your own yeast,to eliminating household pests to making your own cosmetics. I have found it invaluable.

I was amazed at how well white vinegar cleans! from my floors to my silver, I have never had my house so clean! I used to spend five dollars on floor cleaner a month now I would spend that same amount on white vinegar in six months, and I know that it is not harming my family.

My little project over the weekend has been to make up lavender bags whilst it is not a cleaner it is still so lovely to open a drawer and have all my clothes smelling sweetly of lavender.

Lavender bags

Lavender flowers (dried), 1 cup

Thyme and mint (dried) 1/2 cup of each

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp orris root (optional)

Mix well together and sew into bags. This mixture deters moths and smells lovely.

Christmas time (mistletoe and wine?)

I love Christmas as much as the next person! I love the carols, the decorations, the brightly wrapped presents under pine trees and I guess the part I love most of all is the way that it brings out the good in most people. It is a time when people truly want to help each other out for the most part, especially those less fortunate than them.

What I don't love is the way most people in our society spend this time accumulating debt very fast, preparing drunken and gluttonous affairs and generally making themselves so stressed out and tired they can't wait for it all to be over. Most children in this country would have no idea of Jesus, ask them what Christmas means to them and they will reply with Santa and presents. On this most precious day of celebrating our saviours birth it breaks my heart to think how many people instead choose to spend it becoming inebriated.

In the past I have made the mistake of trying to get the best and brightest for my daughter and other friends and family. Now I realize more than ever that it is not the expense that matters at all. Yesterday I brought some beautiful Russian Sunflower seeds and some cheery yellow Eco pots. And on Christmas day I plan to give the women in my family these beautiful flowers in a pot (this would equal about $5 each) it would be cheaper by buying plain plastic pots if you wanted to get the price lower. At our local thrift shop I found all the materials to make two beautiful single size quilts ($10 materials, for both) And for my daughter I will be sewing and embroidering two ballerina pillows to go on her bed. For the men in our family I will be making homemade fudge and chocolates and assembling them in a box that Aviva and I will make. As for friends or anyone else I will be giving them homemade preserves. And for my husband I will be having a go at making him a box full of loukoum ( Turkish delight) if that turns out it will be a real surprise!

For our Christmas dinner I am definitely keeping it simple-Pesto potatoes (made from the basil and new potatoes in our garden) Roast chicken (which we accumulate from a friend free in exchange for my husband killing them!) and several seasonal vegetable dishes straight from the garden. For dessert chocolate dipped strawberries with homemade ice cream (and perhaps a birthday cake for Jesus :)

Our Christmas, food and presents included will cost us around 70-80 dollars. I am not saying that we should all ban all nice food and presents on this day because after all it is a celebration! But I know that it breaks Gods heart to see this wonderful day turn into something that people are paying off for the rest of the year.We Plan instead to make Jesus the focus of the day (after all it is his birthday) and put our emphasis on the beautiful church service in the morning and how grateful we are to know and have had Jesus in our lives for one more year.

Giving with what we have

In the midst of our economic recession, prices are skyrocketing especially when it comes to dairy and fresh fruit and vegetables. I read yesterday that cases of infection and diseases such as cellulitis are becoming commonplace in children from lower socioeconomic families. It has been a long time since I brought fruit and vegetables from the supermarket because the prices border on extortion!

Yesterday whilst visiting my friend I took a walk around her garden and found some apple trees, rhubarb and parsley growing,none of which she will use-they will simply rot away. My friend is not the only one, how many people have fruit growing in their back yard that they simply leave to fall on the ground?

Now when I look back to our Grandmothers during the war not one thing went to waste, those lemons would have been turned into marmalade or cordial, the rhubarb stewed and added to hot Oatmeal and the parsley added to one dish or the other. Old shirts were turned into girls dresses, sheets were cut down the middle and the outsides turned in and sewn to get even more wear. Comparing this to the absolute wastefulness of the society we live in is remarkable. If we just shared what we never used imagine the outcome. Children would not go to school hungry, disease would slow considerably and communities would come together to help each other.

My daughter and I sat last night talking about the blessings God has bestowed upon our lives and decided with the surplus God has given us from our own backyard we would begin next week making chutneys,canning fruit and making relishes to distribute at the Salvation Army to give out in Christmas food packages, so far it is not much but it is a start.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says that our giving is not to be done “grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. We should not give because we feel we have to but because in our hearts we truly want to reach out with the love of Christ.