Selfsufficientish.com

I've just returned from holiday in Central Portugal where there's lots of forest including Eucalyptus. According to my old copy of Lonely Planet Guide to Portugal, these trees are fast growing & are used for manufacturing paper. They are a profitable crop are are planted when the native forest h...

Their owners think having one is a way of showing how high their social status is; the rest of us know it is a way of showing they are pratts! (sorry if you are an urban 4x4 driver!). Personally I would be embarrassed to drive one! I agree. I'd be embarrassed that I was seen to have been brainwashe...

I like the idea of using The Good Life & wouldn't want a piccy of me up there anyway!

My vote is not to get rid of it completely.

Hi I've been so busy I've not had time to surf much recently! I should be working right now, but it's quiet. SShhh, don't say anything to the boss :wink: The puss stayed with us for about a week then dissappeared. Found out later it belongs to a family on the next street who went away for the week a...

Hi Green-girl, sorry didn't welcome you on the other page, I'm new & still working this out. You have got the buzz, but HOW confusing! It's spring where you are and when I'd asked for ideas of what to plant, it was for Autumn. It's great that we're all world-wide. Isn't the web wonderful? Good l...

Well I've done it. Dug up patches of my lawn for veg. I've done a chequerboard effect (like square foot gardening but bigger) so I've got managable patches & am not daunted by a large area. I've dug down deep to break up the soil (which looks quite good) and just need something to plant. Any ide...

If I'd considered making my own soap, I've now changed my mind! It's far too complicated & as I'm clumsy, I dread to think what might happen. I had tried to find unaldulterated castile soap to blend & use but it was all very expensive, mixed with fragrances or in America. There's a company i...

In my experience, cats do as they please (just like teenagers) and choose where they want to be! We've just lost our golden lab. She was such a lovely animal, so good natured, easily pleased & so devoted. There was definitely a pecking order in the house - she was first & foremost my husband...

I've just been reading a book from the library on veg growing. The author suggests freezing pesto or just whizzing basil with a little water in a processor and freezing individual portions.

Hi Diver SUPE = Service User Participation & Empowerment! Couldn't expect anyone to know that! I work on behalf of a homeless charity encouraging their clients/service users to have more of a say in the decisions which affect them, felicitating residents meetings/interview panels etc. It's an in...

Yes, I've done that too with good results. Whilst on holiday this year my son phoned to say the door had dropped off the washer. Not wanting to go back with a mountain of dirty clothes and not wanting to pay out to have them laundered, I washed them in the bath in exactly the same way. Fortunately t...

Before I discovered this site, I bought some "Eco-balls". I'd already reduced my detergent use to as little as possible, but was still not happy about using it. One of the cons mentioned of using these balls was that the laundry didn't smell of anything once washed. Brilliant! I hate the a...

Tea Tree oil is a native of Australia (I don't think it grows anywhere else). Australian soldiers in the 2nd world war all carried tea tree oil in their pack. It's gentle enough to use directly on the skin but 12 times stronger than carbolic acid! It's an antibiotic, antiviral, fungicide, insecticid...

Burning lemon oil should help or simply make up a room spray with the oil diluted in water, shake and lightly spray onto furnishings. Lemongrass or citronella are good and, as they are natural insecticides, will protect against feas and mites (be sure to use pure essential oils to get the full benef...

Before I found this site I purchased a mooncup and have used it for the last couple of cycles. I feel liberated! I never got on with pads, was very concerned with the health aspects of tampons and disliked the amount of waste these items created. The mooncup has proven secure, even on my heaviest da...