LIGHTS OUT

Well what a wintry weekend that was. The power certainly
 gave us a few problems going on and off on Friday.  Some areas were with out power for quite some time.

I love the glow of candles but lets face it they're not the safest form of lighting, especially when you've got little ones and pets in the home. And why is it that even though you stock up, when you need the torch the batteries are always flat or on the way out.

So I was staring out the window watching the storm and all across the garden by the patio were these little glowing lights. Yep you guessed it. Here I was sitting in darkness and the garden was enjoying its own little light party.

I grabbed a couple of the solar lights and brought them inside. One I left with its own bowl on and placed it on a saucer, the other I took  the bowl off and rested it on a glass vase with the light section hanging inside.

The result was great. The little one gave off a soft warm glow and the one I put into the vase glowed bright enough for me to read by. I checked them after a couple of hours and they didn't get hot.

This is a great safe alternative for families with young children. It's always seems really dark when there's no power and a lot of children like a night light. Here's a solution that's safe, doesn't use power  and will turn itself off during the night. The large one can be turned off using the switch underneath so the glow doesn't keep the rest of the family awake. All we have to do is remember to put them outside each day to get  a bit of sunlight and recharge.

Solar light, night light

Roll on the next blackout.. I'll be ready for you :-)

IT'S THE WEEKEND

Taking my sister for a ride

Another week has come to an end and I'm looking forward to the weekend. I have a few things I'd like to get done but it will depend on the weather.

I've always got something to do and I would like to finish the throw I'm knitting. If the sun comes out to say hello I really need to start setting up the vegie garden. It wont belong before spring is here and I don't want to get caught unprepared.

I started keeping track of the vegetables that I eat and I'm only growing them. Like everything else we can get over enthusiastic about growing vegies, but we're really creatures of habit and tend to eat the same ones most of the time so I'm going to be stern with myself and not get carried away.

Whatever the weather throws at us remember to take time out and enjoy the moment.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend

NATURAL SHOWER HEAD CLEANER

Here's a very good way to clean your shower heads
without the scrubbing or all the chemicals.


INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 baking soda
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 plastic bag
• 1 bag  twist tie

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put baking soda into bag and SLOWLY add vinegar.( Foaming will start immediately )
2. Place bag over shower head making sure the head is submerged in the solution and secure with twist tie.
3. Leave to soak 2 to 3 hours or overnight.
4. Wipe clean

COMMUNICATION

This may not be a priority with some but it is for me.          

Hello !! Is anyone there?

My first thought when the proverbial hits the fan is whether everyone is ok. I really need to check on my family and especially my mum who is getting on a bit.

Make sure they have everything they need and if not to tell them to come to me.

Most of us have mobiles and that's great but after more than 24 hours the batteries start to die. My land line is digital and is plugged into the power. No power = no phone.

I'm going to pick up a normal  plug in phone that (yes I'm going to have to dial the numbers into it). The phone lines don't run on the electricity grid and I'll be a lot more happy knowing I can be reached if needed. It will also allow me to check the emergency services to see how long I'll be affected so I have some idea to what extent I need to plan for. Oops all my numbers are on fast dial on my phones.

Must add  a small notebook to my folders with all family, and emergency numbers.

Hopefully family will also get a plain phone for emergencies because otherwise I wont be speaking to anyone.

AN EASIER LIFE

I like anything that makes my life easier. I have always been happy each day if the beds are made and the dishes are done. It doesn't matter what else is out of place, if those two things are done then the house seems tidier.

One of my bug bears is the mess that accumulates on the kitchen table. We all do it. We walk in the door. Dump our bags on the table with the keys before putting the kettle on. Mail and junk mail join it and before you know it the table is looking like the proverbial dung heap.

I think this is the next habit I need to address. While the kettles boiling I will walk my bag up to the bedroom where it belongs and put my keys in their spot. I will pick through the junk mail and put the stuff I don't even look at straight into the recycle bin. 

While having my cuppa I'll go through the mail, put the bills into my bill folder for paying. The rubbish into the recycle bin. 

I'll then go through the rest of the junk mail. If there;s anything that catches my eye I will tear it out, write the store on the picture and put it in my purse. The rest can go straight into the recycle bin.

If I did this over a cuppa every night when I walk in the door my table will stay clean and ready for dinner. Between doing this, my beds made and dishes done, add a quick fifteen minute walk round after tea my home will always be manageable and ready for unexpected visitors.

What do you do to make your life a little easier?

IT'S THE WEEKEND

   

Well here we are it's Friday and the weekend beckons...I smile as I write this as we're in for a rough one.

Wind, rain, hail and snow all within 24 to 48 hours. I know it's winter but really this is Australia.                         

So I guess it's time to batten down the hatches, put away anything the can be thrown around in the wind and get out the torches and candles just in case. 

I just want to thank every one for visiting and your comments. It certainly boosted my confidence to continue. I look forward to seeing you all again next week.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend.

BEING PREPARED

Oh No !! Now What ?

NO POWER

I

It's funny how a simple conversation can get you thinking. We get used to the inconvenience of a blackout every now and then. It never lasts for long. A couple of hours, maybe 6 on a bad day and we just deal with it. But what if the power went out for longer. Some idiot flipped the wrong switch and now we're told no power for a least 2 days. Even worse the grid got overloaded and now we're looking at a week. What would you do to keep your home and family running smoothly and how prepared are you?

Some homes have gas ( I don't ) so that will help for a while but for the rest of us everything comes to a screaming halt. I wrote a list of everything I rely on power for and found that yes it was just about every thing so how can I continue with my day without too much of a hiccup and without running off to a family members home ( who I hope isn't affected ).

Looking at my basic needs list as a starting point, there are a few things I need to prioritise but more importantly I need to collect the information for each item in one place. So that's where I'm going to start. I might want to live simply but I am a technological user and if your anything like me you keep a large portion of your life on the computer. I'm also a survivor so I'll look at the worst case scenario of 1 week without  power. If I can manage that then a day or two will be a walk in the park.

My first task this week is to  

• Back up all my files onto a flash drive.
• Make a folder and print off all my necessary information

I proberly would have a couple of folders for different things to make it easier for myself to find what I'm looking for.

•  Favourite recipes that aren't in my cookbooks
• .Instructions on making cleaning products
•  Personal information
• "How to" folder with D.I.Y in it.

I'm sure I would think of of a few others as I go along. At least now I can access the information I will need. I will also go through my library and see if the books I've got have everything I need in them. If not I will look around and pick up some more.

Here's a couple that I have that I would recommend but there are plenty out there that may be more to your taste.

Back to Basics by Readers Digest

The New Self Sufficiency Book by John Seymour

Now I can work through my list. It wont be in order of importance but in which I can achieve easily. Some things I will need to research a bit and then practice, practice, practice. There's not much point in having the information and not being able to do it or put it into place when needed.

This post is getting a bit long so I'll finish up for today, I'll have a cuppa and decide which step I'll take next. Let me know what you would do and and share your ideas. Every little bit helps and we'll help each other to sail through whatever gets thrown at us.