Red cabbage!

No, not those kind of worms! Tiger worms!!!

I bought an "original organics" junior wormery, and had to send off for my worms with a postcard. The poor things arrived in the post today (They must have a headache from hitting the floor after being dropped through the letter box!).

Stupidly though, between buying the wormery a week ago and the worms arriving today, I have managed to lose the instructions. So, I had to try to remember what to do with it. Hopefully, they will be ok, they have all disappeared into the worm bedding, but haven't touched their food yet. (You would think they would be hungry after their trip, wouldn't you?)

Talk about bizarre clubs, but we have set up this weird collective up at work. In my office we have people living in three different boroughs, so we are doing our bit for the environment by swapping our rubbish!!!!

Why? Because no joined up thinking is going on between the bordering authorities and they are all collecting different things for recycling. So, as my doorstep collection won't take card (actually you are lucky if they take anything made of paper that wasn't originally a NEWSpaper), I am now swapping it and some more dubious plastic items (such as liquitab BOXES - type one plastic)for glass and type 1 and 2 plastic BOTTLES which they will collect.

We are doing this because we care about our effect on our environment.

But the real question is this: If we can organise this between us, why can't three neighbouring boroughs of the same county do the same. It would be far more efficient!

I need to come up with a business idea of my own. I am just sick of the daily grind, all the time for someone else to take the credit. I'm sure I could do well if I struck out on my own.

Problem is...That fantastic idea just hasn't turned up yet

My energy direct debit has been put up by £23 per month, so I am trying to save energy. One of my things is to use the tumble drier less. Today my shiny new brabantia drier arrived - it looks like a rotary drier but it attached to a wall and folds up flat.

I decided this was needed, as my current washing line is in a perfect position to garote anyone who steps out of the back door! (This won't look good next time I have a barbeque!)

In other news: I am seriously thinking about packing in my gym membership. They too have hoiked up the price recently, (but seem to be spending less on on their cleaning staff).

Unfortunately not in alcohol, but vinegar.

Today I have been making up jars of pickled shallots (to my mum's recipe!)and the house now smells of a rather unpleasent mixture of onions and vinegar. It'll be worth it when I can eat them in a few weeks time.

In other news I think I need to take a photo of my pumpkin seeds. I think one is actually alien spawn - you wouldn't believe how long it has grown since this morning!!!!!

No.1 Cheap compost bins!
My Aldi compost bin that I had for a few years is full and falling to pieces, so I thought I could do with a new one. However, the price of £40+ has been putting me off for quite a while. Howver at the weekend I came across this website where the 330litre bin cost only £10 with £1 discount for ordering online! I ordered it on Sunday, and my shiny new bin was waiting on my doorstep when I got home from work yesterday!

Unfortunately, I should have read the dimensions, because it was too big to fit through my front door I had to squash it (and several of my fingers in the process) to get it out into the back yard

No. 2 The joy of pumpkins
A further propagator excitement this morning was that 4 out of 7 pumpkin seeds have started to grow. I have tried many time to get pumpkin seeds to grow but have never managed to germinate any at all! Whoohoo!!

Without my new electric propogator!

Maybe this is a little sad, but every morning I rush down to see how my seeds are getting on, I am enjoying unprecidented success! (13 tomato plants, 5 aubergines, 2 chillis, and more basil and mint than you can shake a stick at!

In other news I have decided to reduce the use of my tumble drier, so I had ordered a wallmounted fold away drier.

I think these are sure signs of getting old when you get excited by these things - or maybe its a sign of contentment maybe?

Well I'm not really going to see any difference for my "small portions" (a new year resolution) if I can't stop eating left over Christmas food.

And my other half isn't helping matters by buying cut price party food every time he visits tesco's.

Still no visits to the gym

Thanks to Usksider for letting me know how to do this!

Over the last two years I have gone up two dress sizes, and several people have made coded hints such as "wow, you are looking healthy" (code for "when did you get so fat?". But I regularly weigh myself, and over the last three years my weight has only increased by 1 kilo!

How can this be?

Perhaps I am getting shorter?

1. Have eated small portions all week.
2. No takeaways
3. Trips to the gym: still none
4. Took my own shopping bags to town with me yesterday so I could buy veg from themarket without the use of wasteful carrier bags. Unfortunately, I left them in the car on the top floor of the the multistorey carpark and only realised when I had gone down the eigth flights of stairs to the bottom (tried to retrieve them but my other half thought I had gone insane).
5. Drank two pints of cider.

Verdict: Could do better.

And I have already got my first headache of the new year.

Funny how work manages to do what 2 pints of bitter, 1/2 a bottle of white wine, 1/2 a bottle of rose, and 4 glasses of champagne didn't do on new years eve!

When's the next holiday????

Only ate half a fried breakfast (lunch?) yesterday (well I do have an irrational fear baked beans), and only ate half my usual portion of chese on toast for tea.

Walked to the shops today: Remembered my shopping bag! All vegetables purchase were organic.

So far then:

no booze consumed
two meals with smaller portions
no wasteful supermarket carrier bags used
no trips to the gym (oh well, no-one's perfect)

Question is... can I keep it up? It is only day two after all.

I think these must be the most boring yet, but I think they are necessary.

1. To eat smaller portions.
2. To go to the gym at least once a week.
3. To get my work life balance sorted so that I do less work, and spend more time on myself.
4. To decorate the dinning room.
5. To remember to take my shopping bags to Tesco so that I use less plastic bags.
6. To grow more of my own vegetables.

Having spent many frustrating hours Christmas shopping this year, I have decided that next year all my family will be getting homemade pickles and preserves for Christmas instead!

- is a lay-in.

I'm so tired.
I don't know why, but I am exhausted.
I have to go to bed as soon as I get home from work. I have had to cut short two evenings out with friends because I can barely keep my eyes open. The house is a tip because I haven't been able to quite keep up with it.

I would do anything just to sleep through Christmas day this year.

My first message on the new bcuk message service is spam!

How pleasant it was today, to travel home in only half the traffic! Yay! Local schools are on holiday!

Usksider: would this solve your little "flashing" problem?

Travel John Disposable Urinal
2 used & new available from £4.70

Sorry, no customer review of this one!

1) They will not buy anything that requires going out of the house: Therefore, if it cannot be purchased from Amazon, they won't buy it.

2) They will seriously suggest items like this as a present for your mother:

Here is a really helpful Amazon review of the item:

I bought this item on the spur of the moment whilst shopping in the Lake District. As we climbed our first hill the next day I packed it into the top of my ruck sack a bit unsure if I'd be able to use it or if it would work. Normally I'm running down the mountain, hiding behind a rock while my husband stands watch for passers by or exposing my rear to the midges but with the Shewee it offered easy to use complete freedom without exposing a jot. So good I'm now buying one for each of my daughters who both hate sitting down in public toilets. Really good to keep in your bag for all occasions anywhere.