Welcome to my Propagation Station. š± We grow mint and basil on our windowsills.
You too can grow your very own healthy, verdant herbs from the plastic packaged stuff – thus cutting down on the amount of packaging you bring into your home, and then have to recycle the soft plastic wrapper and plastic flower pot.
These two herbs grown from cuttings, at home, actually saved me last night, as I was scrabbling to think of something healthy to eat, too hot to shop, all I had ā¦ two courgettes, some @boldbeanco butter beans, Parmesan and Pine Nuts – and masses of Mint & Basil – result. š±š±š±
Did you spot me popping up on @everydayplastic? Follow this petition link to sign to ask the UK government to fix the UKās plastic waste crisis: reduce single use plastic by 50% by 2025, ban waste exports, ban incinerators being built, and roll out a deposit return scheme. #PlasticFreeJuly and beyond
Big love
Ali x
(now can I have my shot glasses back? #Tequila)
~
Eco Style Notes š„“
T-shirt : @rosannaprints
White undershirt : @stripeandstare
Belt : @elvisandkresse
Jeans : @ilovelowie
What a shock! David Holmes and Jimmy Turrell video
What are the chances… I do LOVE a small world scenario. My friend Yogi Erasmus* shared a post on instagram this morning, and as I swiped through the images, I nearly fell off my chair!
There was my SISTER in an iconic photograph taken in the eighties, my cute little punky sister Pam! (pictured left, and her friend Jo).
David Holmes and Jimmy Turrell video, featuring my sister Pam – what a shock!
This image features in David Holmes recently released video 14th March 2022 – It’s Over, If We Run Out Of Love (Featuring Raven Violet)
Written by David Holmes and Noel Gallagher Video created by Douglas Hart Vocals from Raven Violet
Stream and Download: https://ffm.to/ioiwrool
Jimmy Turrell directed the video, and created some amazing art for āItās Over Now If We Run Out Of Loveā in collaboration with Heavenly recording artist David Holmes.
Follow David Holmes on instagram @davidholmes_1969 and RAVEN VIOLET @byebye_birdy4
Check out Yogi’s website ND Positive* – focus on the positives. “Because we believe NDs are changing the world, one idea at a time”. Visit their website for +Stories interview blog posts
Right to Repair – those fridge freezer drawers
It hadn’t really crossed my mind to write about some of the household ‘fixes’ we have achieved over the last year. However, reading this morning about the ‘Right to repair’ law which is to come in this summer, had me thinking about our washing machine door, the downstairs loo seat, and our ancient fridge freezer drawers. All of which between us, we have repaired with the aid of a few spare parts, and youtube tutorials!
I wasn’t forward thinking enough to take photos or videos of Paul fixing the washing machine door when it jammed full of wet washing, or when he repaired it, and then replaced the washing machine door! And I didn’t think to take photos of the toilet seat maintenance either (nobody wants to see that surely? I’ve added a link to the YouTube post that saved my life, later in this article).
Fridge Freezer broken drawers
However – I did manage to get some snaps of the fridge freezer drawers. We have had this giant fridge freezer for about 15 years, and the drawers have cracked and broken one by one, from heavy handed use, and general ‘old age’.
I tried to replace them, however the cost was exhorbitant and there was no real way of knowing if they would fit as the model is now obsolete.
My neighbour had some out of date Sugru in her fridge, so I thought I’d try it – and so far six months later – they are still holding fast – I’ve told the kids to be gentle with the drawers and use two hands to open and close them (should have suggested this same method years ago!) and so far so good.
So – a quick post to share this, and add the links to the EU’s rules for cutting energy and bills, and reducing the new need for replacing fridges, washing machines and televisions. From 2021, firms will have to make appliances longer-lasting, and they will have to supply spare parts for machines for up to 10 years.
Right to repair updated
Appliances such as fridges, washing machines & TVs should last longer and be cheaper to run under new rules. Implementing EU rules aimed at cutting energy and bills ā and reducing the need for new materials. https://bbc.co.uk/news/business-
The move could directly save ā¬20bn on energy bills per year in Europe from 2030 onwards – equivalent to 5% of EU electricity consumption.
Chloe Fayole of environmental group Ecos said: āFrom the US to Europe, people are demanding their right to repair things they own because theyāre tired of products that are designed to break prematurely.ā
The UK Green Alliance‘s Libby Peake told BBC News: āThese new standards are a massive step in the right direction and could result in nearly 50 million tonnes of CO2 emissions savings.ā
The UK government says that after Brexit the UK will continue to “match and even exceed EU eco product regulations” as part of its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
If you enjoyed this post – check out Caroline ‘Kittie Kipper”s Affordable Upcycled Home Ideas.
External helpful links
How To Install Soft Closing Toilet Seats.
How to Release a Stuck Washing Machine Door
Click here for The European Parliament details on the āright to repairā rules, making it easier to fix broken devices and reduce e-waste. āTo be sustainable, products must be repairable, so that they can remain on the market for as long as possible. It is time to stamp out practices which prevent or hinder product repairsā.
Theatre review – Admissions Play, London
We recently went to see the “Admissions” play at the Trafalgar Studios in London.
Watch my review here:
It’s a play that encourages us an audience to grapple with difficult questions that in real life I’m sure we try to avoid.
We felt that watching these five characters who are in a school system that has long benefited some over others got us talking about something we had not done so before. It was a real thought-provoker and one that we discussed the whole way home on the tube!
As Joshua Harmon (the playwright) himself says: “Itās easy to understand why people are scared of saying the wrong thing. We live right now in a moment where people are very unforgiving – say one wrong thing and you “cancelled” – that climate breeds fear not trust when we are afraid of saying the wrong thing we say nothing but silence is never the way forward, silence is not how we learn or grow or make progress – we do it by engaging in dialogue by speaking by listening by learning.”
It’s odd doing a video review of a PLAY, because I can’t really take my video camera into the actual theatre, so I thought I’d talk about the play in my OWN office as the main characters and a lot of the ‘action’ if you like, takes place in an office, so that’s where shot my own video review – at my desk, in my own office… https://youtu.be/Oaq0r0rNz38
About the characters
Alex Kingston (ER, Doctor Who) and Sarah Hadland (Miranda) star in Admissions, the five star award-winning āBold New Comedyā (Sunday Express) The Sunday Times calls āProvocative. Outrageous. Entirely grippingā.
Sherri is Head of Admissions at a private school, a liberal who is fighting to diversify the student intake and a mother who wants the best for her son.
When her son is deferred from his university of choice, and his best friend – who ‘ticks more boxes’ – is accepted, her personal ambition collides with her progressive values and she is forced to make a choice between her beliefs and whatās right for her son.
Written by Joshua Harmon (Bad Jews), Admissions has āthe force of a bulldozer and the precision of a scalpelā (Metro) and this āSharp. Thoughtfulā (Evening Standard) new play will leave you questioning the status quo.
Find out more here: https://www.admissionsplay.com/
Book your tickets here:
London Trafalgar Studios 28 Feb – 25 May 2019 BOOK NOW
Richmond Theatre 27 May – 1 June 2019 BOOK NOW
Cambridge Arts Theatre 3 June – 8 June 2019 BOOK NOW
Malvern Theatres 10 June – 15 June 2019 BOOK NOW
The Lowry, Salford17 June – 22 June 2019 BOOK NOW
We were gifted a pair of tickets to the London show, however I would highly recommend Admissions – it’s an excellent play, and this current cast are fabulous.
Follow @incredibusy on twitter and on instagram here
Pinch pots made from air drying clay
Pinch pots made from air drying clay
“Hey, kids? How about we make some Pinch pots made from air drying clay?” I suggested this pre-holidays to the boys… and it transpires, it’s not about the craft, it’s about how you PHRASE the craft…
Try – “Hey kids, how about we make some funky pots for your new cacti?” and that seemed to work…
My older boys aren’t quite as keen as crafting with me as they were when they were little… however, they do have a NEW hobby… and thatĀ is – collecting Cacti – (yep, that’s the plural of Cactus, and probably all I can tell you about these little prickly plants – apart from the word ‘succulent’ which, it turns out, is a very popular hashtag on instagram…)
So we ordered some air drying clay off t’internet (it’s heavy and I’d have struggledĀ to carry it back from the art shop without a wheelbarrow).
And we had a go at making some pinch pots!
Pretty easy… and you don’t need any fancy tools either.
So – you’ll need some clay – and to follow these instructions, to look as cool as me with your pinch pot!
- obtain some air drying clay
- cut off a slab of clay – make sure to wrap up the open clay, as obviously, ummm, the air, will umm dry it…
- start to squish the clay in your hands to just taller than the pot height you desire
- squish the slab to make it into a squat, cylindrical shape
- roll the cylinder to smooth it
- push your thumb into the ‘top’ of the clay
- Ā push your thumb whilst pinching all around the edge
- smooth and pinch a bit more
- check it’s the right height for your cactus
- smooth off any cracks with a bit of water and your finger
- keep smoothing
- trim off the top if you’d like a flat level lip on the pot
- Leave to dry for a couple of hours before you add any decorative marks, to avoid cracking.
- Leave to dry thoroughly for a couple of days before you paint your pots, if you prefer, you can leave them naturally unpainted!
Air Drying clay is not food safe or waterproof, however,Ā applying a waterproof sealer or couple of coats of varnishĀ will help it to be more waterproof. Fortunately cacti don’t need as much watering as other indoor pot plants, so a light misting or small drops of water shouldn’t penetrate the air dried clay pot.
So let me know if you’ve ever made any of these yourselves?
Tag me on twitter or instagram, I’d love to see what you’ve been up to with clay!
I’m @incredibusy over on twitter, insta, pinterest and facebook too….x
WATCH ON YOUTUBE:
Toilet Paper Roll French Knitting DIY
Toilet Paper Roll French Knitting DIY
How to make a toilet paper roll french knitting tutorial – A really great craft activity idea – and who doesn’t like a recycled craft for kids and grownups alike? How about making your own ‘knitting nancy’ or French Knitting loom.
When we were little, my Grandpop made us our own little looms from wooden cotton reels – tacking four little pin nails into the top of the cotton reel, and we’d spend hours making long ‘woolly worms’ of French Knitting – it’s really rather fun!
So today isĀ International Recycling Day
In many countries around the world celebrates on May 17th the International Day for Recycling.
ApparentlyĀ Americans use over 17 billion toilet paper tubes each year. Woah!! So that’s a LOT of recycling/re-purposing possibilities.
Here are some lesser known items you CAN #recycle
It’s all about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and where better to start than with the free craft resource, the humble toilet paper roll – a cardboard tube just desperate to avoid landfill, soĀ we’ve been looking at a few ‘repurpose ideas!’Ā and wanted to try and make our own ‘French Knitting Loom’!
You will need:
- toilet paper roll (or other cardboard tube, you could cut up a kitchen roll tube, or use the inside of a roll of wrapping paper, or string as we’ve done here too)
- coffee stirrers or craft sticks
- sticky tape*
- wool, yarn, or string
- optional – pretty paper to decorate
How to make:
- cut two coffee stirrers in half – sticky tape the four shorter sticksĀ to the toilet roll tube so that a section protrudes by 1-2cm above the edge, so – if you don’t have coffee stirrers, you can use craft sticks.
- Sticky tape around all four sticks so that they are firmly in place
- decorate by covering with a patterned paper –Ā optional –Ā it just looks pretty!
And that’s it – you’re ready to start ‘knitting’!
This video below shows you how to French knit with your own homemade knitting Nancy.
*and before you ask, we are using up the plastic tape we had in the cupboard – never buying that stuff again! Search for ‘plastic free tape’ to find a more eco alternative such as https://naturallywrapt.co.uk/
Follow Ali on Instagram.com/incredibusy
And her kids’ crafts and projects on Instagram.com/KidsChaos_Blog
Sophie la girafe cosmetics collection
Sophie la girafe cosmetics – a collection of vegan, organic loveliness!
Sophie la girafe Baby – an award winning certified natural and organic skincare for babiesĀ (and sensitive skin all ages)
You may well be familiar with Sophie la girafe? She is a natural rubber teething toy – born in France, on St Sophie’s Day way back in 1961 – she’s OLDER than me!!
I used to work up in North London, and EVERY baby in every cafe on my lunch break was clutching (and chewing)Ā a Sophie la girafe. I worked for Green Baby back then, and we stocked Sophie la girafe in the IslingtonĀ and Notting Hill stores, so I knew her well, and always had a really soft spot for her – babies just seem to love her!
And now you can use Sophie la girafe cosmetics too – This is such a lovely collection of products – I’ve made a little video about them HERE (and had to wait until Pickle the Dog had left the building as she goes bonkers when she hears Sophie la girafe squeaking!)
My two favourites are the Body Lotion, as I have really dry skin, prone to allergic reactions, it was an utter joy to find that this lotion does not irritate my skin AT ALL!Ā Easy to apply and fast absorbing, my skin feels nourished and the body lotion provides moisture, protectionĀ and relieves inflammation.
And theĀ Hair & Bodywash – which is enjoyed by all of my family. I have henna red hair, and this is a gentle, light shampoo which doesn’t strip my hair, and leaves it soft and manageable.
It has a light natural scent, and an easy to use pop up lid which means the kids don’t waste a load when they knock it over into the bath (yep).
If you’d like to try the full range, there is also a starter kitĀ Ā£12.95 – which includes Sophie La Girafe Baby Face Cream 20ml, Baby Body Lotion 20ml, Baby Oil 20ml and Hair and Body Wash 20ml.
Dermatologically tested and Ecocert approved, with 99.4% ingredients of natural origin; 24% total ingredients from natural farming
No allergens, scent allergens or strong oils included, Gluten, nut, fevefew, chamomile and calendula free
100% vegan and – Includes greeting card for gifting!
Hope you enjoy our little video, and if you’d like to WIN some of this gorgeous skincare, (along with some vegan, natural rubber Eco Flip-Flops from Olli World) please complete the rafflecopter form below. (or visit the rafflecopter on my Facebook page here)
Ts and Cs can be found HERE.
Sophie la girafe Baby made certified natural and organic skincare range
loved by babies, children and parents already in 27 countries, and growing.
No SLFs, (sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate (SLFs) which are used in a broad range of personal care products as emulsifiers, surfactants or foaming agents)Ā N0Ā microbeadsĀ (those little pieces of plastic smaller than a grain of sand, you wash your face, it goes into the waterways, are ingested by fish, and other wildlife, and end upĀ back into our bodies ā hmmmā¦.)Ā Pretty good skincare I reckon!
#sophielagirafecosmetics #sophielagirafe
Stop Motion Animation – Daffodil Timelapse
Stop Motion Animation – Daffodil Timelapse
Oh – this was quite a project – we shot these stills of daffodils over a period of four days, two years ago to the day!
We tried to make a stop FRAME/timelapse video back then and just couldn’t get it to work – so today we had a go with StopMotion app on the iPhone.
Why did it take so long to photograph? We set the camera up in front of the Daffodils, and using a blue tooth remote control, took LOTS of photographs over a period of four days… there was a small child bumping incident at one point, (where we almost gave up on the project) and the battery ran out on the camera too – luckily we had been using a tripod so we were able to return the camera to more or less the same spot!
But can you believe it takes four days from bud to bloom?! Anyway, we enjoyed the process, and hope you enjoy watching the little video – we had some fun!
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a brief history of INCREDIBUSY
Iām a London based stylist, who in a previous life ran the Design Studio for a well-known British Department Store group, and went on to be Creative Director for one of the founding organic and fairtrade kidswear brands in the UK.
I started writing an ‘ethical’ blog back in 2013 with aGreenerLifeforus.com as my family’s eco blog.
As the boys get bigger, I’ve more time to dedicate to my own ‘brand’ so have recently started writing AND video-ing on incredibusy.com which covers all aspects of sustainability, charity, wellbeing and green living.
I’m still getting crafty with my two boys, upcycling old reclaimed furniture, baking (and eating) and experimenting with Instagram projects #sgiew and #kidscrafts101- so there’s a lot to read, watch and enjoy…
We can exist responsibly ~ here’s to a more conscious, sustainable presence! #makegreenmainstream
WATCH HERE a cute stop frame animation using the same STOPMOTION APP – paper plate spinner – super cool!
Quick and Easy Vegan Pancake Recipe (no banana)
Quick and Easy Vegan Pancake Recipe (no banana)
Making pancakes is a bit of a tradition in our family – at the weekends, the boys will get out the big mixing bowl, the flour, the scales, and get making!
We have been experimenting with making a veganĀ pancakes, to try to get them JUST right (as they can be quite WRONG sometimes!!) and we think we’ve cracked it – no pun intended, in fact no egg related products are featured in this blog post AT ALL!
We have made QUICK pancakes previously with bananas, but (a) they weren’t vegan, and (b) not everyone likes bananas….
So Ā – what do you need, well, you could just watch the YouTube video HERE – as I will talk you through the recipe stage by stage, in fact, do that, but come back here to pick up the ingredients list…
YOU WILL NEED: (to make eight small pancakes)
DRY ingredients:
I cup of Self Raising Flour (you can use plain flour, if you do, just double the quantity of baking powder)
1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
1 dessert spoon of Fairtrade Sugar
WET ingredients:
aĀ few drops of Vanilla Essence
1 cup of Soya Milk (or any nut milk)
1/3 of a cup of Water
1 teaspoon of Coconut Oil, extra virgin organic melted…
Garnish:
Organic Maple Syrup
Blueberries, or any other seasonal soft fruit
A dusting of icing sugar (optional, but makes the pancakes more instagram-mable!)
To make the pancakes:
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, the flour, sugar, baking powder – make a well for your wet ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients, the soya milk, water, vanilla essence, and melted coconut oil.
Whisk up the ingredients, and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
When you are ready to make theĀ vegan pancakes, take a large ladle full of the batter, and pour slowly into the hot frying pan – we like to use a small cast iron pancake, they are easy to clean, and get nice and hot (you will need an oven glove, or tea towel to hold the handle of the frying pan, as that gets hot too!)
Let the first side of the pancake cook through, and gently lifting the edge with a spatula, to check the colour, flip the pancake to cook the other side.
Tip the pancake onto a waiting plate and garnish with maple syrup and blueberries, or if you are more traditional, lemon and sugar! Dust with icing sugar.
Do go and watch the YouTube video here to see JUST how quick and easy this recipe is, and I promise, you’ll LOVE these!!
Oh, by the way, Iām also onĀ twitter/incredibusyĀ tooā¦ Erm, funnily enough onĀ Google+,Ā FacebookĀ andĀ Pinterest!
Ethical and Luxury Scented Candles – WIN
Ethical and Luxury Vegan Scented Candles – WIN
Oh how we love a scented candle – for as long as I remember, we’ve burnt candles in our homes, wherever we’ve lived around the country.
They signify so much joy for us, whetherĀ filling the top of the birthday cakes, and the ceremony of blowing them out and ‘wishing’ – to a relaxing night in by the fire, candles flickering on the mantlepiece.
However,Ā I find they just don’t last as long as they should so we’re trying out a new range, we mentioned this brand, M&J London, in our ‘be my ethical valentine’ post last week.
M&J London – all of their candles are vegan, soya candles, made by hand in London, using essential oils, combined together to make the most amazing aromas, and the scented candles are all hand poured into a recycled-glass jar – which in turn, some 60 hours later, you can wash out and use as a drinking glass!. The candles arrive in stylish boxes, which are printed andĀ produced here in the UK, printed with eco inks in London.
And I have to say they smell AMAZING – and with a burning time of up to 60 hours – I’m delighted!
ā Large candle: burn time of around 60 hours.
ā Small candle: burn time of around 30 hours.
On top of that, M&J donate a percentage of their sales to aĀ UK based women’s charity, www.niaendingviolence.org.uk in fact, Ā£1 for each Large and 50p for each Small candle sold.
So, they are a #giftforGOOD right?! Let’s Give one away to you!
FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A Scented Candle WORTH Ā£35:
1) Click here toĀ Watch this video all the way through
2)Ā Give this video a āthumbs upā
3) SHARE this video on your social media_ (example tweet or facebook post: WIN an Ā @mjethicalluxury candle – watch @incredibusy’s video on #YouTube to find out how https://youtu.be/azD3st1j-KU?list=PLV7XW3Qc_8jU86nbRT8rTXsl-z52mthrt via @incredibusy #veganUK) remember to tag @incredibusy_
4) Comment belowĀ the video to tell meĀ why you would like to win and where you have shared the video (via twitter, facebook etc)
5) Subscribe to incredibusyāsĀ YouTube Channel http://bit.ly/1OVHKCD for weekly Thursday videos, like this one!
Add your details on the rafflecopter form below, so that we can contact the winnerā¦
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New Land ALBIS Ambient
