Composting

 

 

So before I start producing my own food, I need good soil.  The best way to get good soil, add compost!

 

I'd love to try hot composting but I don't have enough space, so I've gone with the usual compost bin.  

At $40, it's cheap and easy!  By the time I get usable compost, I'll probably have my block of land, but at least it will be well practised in the art of composting...

 

And be building some muscle trying to turn it!

 

I've also got out my old Bokashi bucket and bought a huge bag of Bokashi to keep it going.  I'm thinking I can get two to rotate so I can leave each one for a couple of weeks to degrade before throwing it into the big compost bin!

I've been surprised with just how much vegetable waste we have - mostly throwing out leftovers, but also stuff that never got used.  At least now it can get back into our little ecosystem!

In the meantime, I really need to pick up some more sugar cane mulch to curb that weed growth!

Change is here!

I picked up some mason jars today - smaller sized ones. 

Yogurt, jelly, jam, dressings, and other items I plan to make will fit nicely in these! 

It's all part of my big lifestyle change!  One thing at a time, small changes, and waiting until one habit is properly ingrained before moving on to the next!

But where is this change leading?

Here is a list of things I want to be easy and stress free in my life!

Money - the big one!  That's the one everyone stresses about no matter what you're income.  It seems to me that the more money I get, the harder it is to manage.  I have so many random bills now that I never used to have.  From cable tv to gym memberships, to online subscriptions and, of course, the mobile phones!  I think it's time to review what I'm spending my hard-earned money on, and if it is worth it.  Do I really need a meal planner to write up my shopping list?  Is it really easier, or am I justifying a 'new toy' to feed my ego? All my bills need to get this level of scrutiny!

Food - surprisingly this isn't just about what I get at the grocery store.  It's what I can grow in my garden, removing chemicals from my diet, do I want to go full organic?  Can I fit that in my budget?  What about the ethics of the food I eat?  Do I buy eggs based on money, or ethics, or do I sacrifice time to get my own chickens?  How much of this lifestyle could I embrace? 

Health - And then there is the 'fat' issue.  I will admit right here and now that I am not fat.  Borderline overweight? Yes!  At risk due to abdominal fat?  Yes!  Unhappy about how much fat I have on my body?  Yes!  But is fat really the issue?  No!  The issue is the food I eat is making me tired, sick, and unhappy - literally!  It is affecting my mental health and my physical health (really, you can't affect one without affecting the other!).

Resources -  I use a lot of resources.  We try to recycle but I have a lazy family (that includes me, admittedly).  Our power bill is shockingly high, we waste a lot of food, we waste a lot of everything!  I have always thought of myself a bit of a greenie, but the reality of my life is not in any way sustainable.  I even throw our green waste in the wheelie bin!

Me - Yup, I get a category all to myself.  I need, for my mental health, ego, etc, to finish my PhD.  I need to get my confidence back and get that agoraphobia monkey off my back.  It's time to start living again, achieving my goals, and feeling good about who I am!


I've committed to a few things of late.  First is the Commando program.  Not going well!  I have been sick, or had major work commitments the last 3 weeks.  Second is my PhD - I need to get with a full-time program to finish on time.  No more 'optional' box (and yet here I am at home instead of uni!).  to meet this, we bought a new car so that both my husband and I can pick up the kids.  And lastly, I bought a Thermomix!  I don't get it for a few weeks yet, but when I do, I'm changing our food completely!

One thing that I read consistently, is that big changes mean big crash!  Small changes are the way to go.  But I want those changes to count!  I NEED a calm, easy routine to work within.  One that meets all my goals.  One that is kind to me, my family, and fits my lifestyle.

Day 2: Dress to my shoes!

  

Not only did I dress to shoes, but I painted my toenails! 

And discovered in the process that I am desperate need of some new bright coloured nail polish.. As opposed to the clumpy old stuff I currently have!

I gave myself a mini- pedi which was just some cuticle drops, trimming the toenails, and then lashing on the foot cream and cotton socks for an hour before my shower.  My feet feel delicious and ready for the summer months!  A full blown home pedi might just be on the cards soon!

I should probably put on shoes with laces once the polish dries to keep with the fly lady theme. The idea of wearing shoes is to feel ready to work rather then being casual.

Day 1: Shine my sink!

This isn't the first time I've 'done' Fly lady.  I discovered her 8 years ago when pregnant with child number three.  For six months my home was organised, I was relaxed, and then Chaos (aka DS3) arrived. I've tried a few times to get back into that same routine but my life is very different now - what worked then isn't working now.  Back to the drawing board.. Or in this case, Baby-steps.. I go!

A while back I downloaded the Home Routines App.  It is very 'Fly lady' friendly and so I entered all my old routines in and promptly forgot about it.  Today I deleted all my old routines and instead followed the apps guide to starting with Baby-steps.  I titled a routine 'Baby-steps' and numbered tasks 1-31 to be checked off each day.

It's not complex!  Over the next 31 days, with a few days off next week because I'm travelling, I will build up the basics of my routine.  But for today, I only have to keep that sink clean and dry!

Some helpful notes..

I didn't wash up - just pulled out the dirty dishes and stacked them.

It only took a few minutes so I also scraped up a tea towel and clean cloth from the washing and hung them on the convenient rails under the sink so I can keep it clean and dry all day.

I scrubbed the sink with Gumption, rinsed and dried it, then sprayed on Windex and shined it using the tea towel.

I made myself stop after I wiped the splash back and window frame, realising that I would end up in the land of perfection and failure.  There is mess on either side of the sink, and the cupboard doors below are dirty.  It was time to stop.  

I will probably do a bit more later but not as part of my Fly lady Baby-steps!  That will come later!