Journey Clumping!

Now that we live out of town in a village we find ourselves asking more and more as to whether an item is 'worth the drive'. It is funny as we are really not that far from the town we used to live in, in fact distance wise we are longer but time to get there is probably the same. Where we used to live there was always traffic and traffic control systems where as now we can just nip down the dual carriageway or go through the back roads. It just feels like more hassle and I don't know why.

At first I thought we were being lazy so and so's but actually when I started thinking about it, it makes absolute sense to 'clump' journeys together and only go places when you have to. Think about it, it saves you time and stresses of driving places, it saves you money on petrol and on those little 'extra' purchases you make each time and very importantly it is kinder to the environment.

In some ways it is like good old times when you would go into town and spend the day running your errands, butchers, bakers, pharmacy etc. All individual shops that you had to go in. I think the convenience of super markets have made us loose touch with the buying process, I mean, it is all too easy just to run out for that one thing and buy it without thinking. Now I really think about what we need. I plan meals better so that I know we will have food in, but also in doing so there is less food wastage as I try and knock up a meal with what we have in rather than jumping in the car to go to the shops.

I am also finding it quite a time saving device. I can dedicate a day off from work that I am going to spend shopping and running errands, putting food away and all that stuff. It means I don't have chunks out of my day or week popping places unnecessarily. 

It wasn't even a really conscious thing that I was doing but then I wondered why less food was going to waste and how our food bills had gone down. When I looked at it I have to say I was surprised!

It makes perfect sense all round really.

The view from the van window

Materialism vs Spiritualism

We recently had a mini break in Glastonbury. I love Glastonbury so much for the chilled out vibe, the scenery, abundance of vegetarian food.. need I go on!

Following on from my last post the time in which we went was during my really busy work period where I had more money than sense and it was burning a hole in my pocket!

If you have ever been to Glastonbury, you will know that the streets are lined with shops many of which are new age, hippy shops (I never know what the right term is!) and in those shops are trinkets and statues and bits and bobs that cater for pretty much every religion and practice known to man. Now if I had to define my religion I would say that I am Christian as I do go to Church (not very often I have to admit, a couple of times a year), I do believe in God and I do pray. However, I also believe in other religions. I believe that there are elements of other religions that are important too. I am very into Buddhism and Hinduism too, although I am not practicing in these areas, I do find them fascinating and live by some of the principles. I find religions interesting and inspiring. So these shops are fascinating to me. I have a few Buddha statues in my house already but I was looking at more in the shops.

Jon came out with a little nugget. I am not sure if this is because he was trying to stop me from buying more "tat" to fill up the house or whether he had an epiphany. I can't quote it exactly as I can't remember it now however it goes along the lines of...

"why do you need to spend your money on statues of deities in order to believe or confirm your beliefs. Surely being religious is more about spiritual beliefs and it shouldn't matter how many statues you have in your house. At the end of the day it is just 'stuff'. Having 'stuff' isn't going to make your life better or enrich it. Isn't it better to give that money to the church or a charity than to buy 'stuff'. Isn't that materialism rather than spiritualism?".

That kind of struck a chord with me. Needless to say I didn't buy any ornaments. Instead I bought a couple of books which had enriched my life. Jon can be quite enlightened although part of me wonders if he was just being tight lol! Either way it is kinda eco. We don't need stuff!

Being eco is not for the busy!

I am sure that being eco is for people with lots of time! I hate to say it but for me it is kinda true. Life got really manic at one point and work was busy busy busy. It was at this time that I found that I was just getting through. It was quicker and easier to go to the supermarket for the household shopping. Can you believe it! As sad as it is it really is true. I simply didn't have the time or the inclination after a hard days work to then spend the time going round lots of little independent shops. As for the garden, well I pretty much gave up and am sorry to say that all the salad has gone to seed.

That is just how it is. I can't say that I am happy about it or enjoyed it per se but equally I think it was kind of important to be this way to appreciate how hard it is for working families. The convenience and time saving just simply takes precedent.

I even found that cooking went out the window. We went out to eat or got take aways. We were actually spending the money we were making at work on feeding our selves because we didn't have time to make healthy cheap food. It is insane when you look at it like that. We were basically working to buy the things that we couldn't do because we were at work.

And you know what, the more money I made the more I spent. The more I wanted to spend too. When I don't have so much it is not a case of can't spend it is a case of not really being bothered as I get my feel good factor from the cooking, gardening and craft activities.

It really is all very nuts!

A different approach to Fathers Day

I am very mindful at the moment of the importance of shopping locally, supporting independent traders, buying something unique, something that is not mass produced and that everyone has (this really hit home to me when I was shopping in Italy at a well known home furnishing store, that they had exactly the same products as back home in Blighty. Homes all over Europe could be furnished with exactly the same stuff, aghhhh!). It was with this in mind and with Father’s Day fast approaching that I started to rack the brain as to what to get for our Dad’s. Now the Mum’s are fairly easy to buy for but the Dad’s...not so much! In their 60s, not wanting just “stuff”, having most things they need and want it starts to rule out quite a lot of options.

OK so the list so far to cover for Father’s Day present:

·         Not mass produced

·         Handmade where possible

·         Unique

·         Locally sourced

·         Not just “stuff”

·         Something useful and not just clutter

What to get? Where to go?

Of course Crafty Monkey in St Neots covers all of these points and what’s more, it is an activity for me to do so not only is it a present for Dad but also a lovely leisure activity for me to enjoy knowing that I have created something with love to pass on.

I decided to paint a mug. He loves tea and of course uses mugs. He loves his Morgan cars so I thought what a nice gift a personalised hand painted mug would be, with the all important Morgan logo design on the front and a bit of text so everyone else in the household knows whose cup this is so hands off!

So I started with my white mug. No scratch that, I in fact started by searching the internet for the Morgan logo, downloaded it and printed it out to the size that I wanted. I then took my mug, and laid carbon paper over the top and traced my design onto the mug. I’m sorry, I had to do this, there was no way that I could paint it free hand. It may be seen by some as cheating but not to me. I knew it would look better that way.

Once the design was on, I then began to paint. Blimey it was intricate. Of course you need three coats of the paint so it will be really bold and some where around coat two I wondered why on Earth I had chosen such an intricate design and I am sure I, at times, forgot where I was at! I painted the mug at the Thursday night adults session which was really nice and relaxing so intricacy and fine lines were not a problem.

After I painted the design, I used the end of a rounded brush, dipped in paint to create nice dots all over the mug. I just thought this finished it off a bit nicer than leaving it plain white. I also used the black writer pen to write “Dad’s Mug” on the side.

I can’t wait to see the glazed result.

I really enjoyed painting the mug and I know he will like it, not just for what it is but for the appreciation of the time and thoughtfulness that went into its creation. It is not just another mug bought from a supermarket and I am sure the tea will taste all the much nicer for it.

my new little business

In keeping with my principles I have created a little side line which I would like to introduce to you...

 

Mrs Brimbles - A little bit of curiosity mixed with a love of life, of whimsy, eco, shopping from small independent traders and a bit of up-cycle to boot!

So what will I be doing? I will be making and selling things. Lots of lovely things that I have made and up-cycled.  First in my repertoire is these lovely Soy Wax candles.....

WHY SOY WAX?

1. Soy wax in kinder to the environment as it not made from petroleum as the usual paraffin candles are.
2. Soy candles can last almost 50% longer than their paraffin cousins
3. Soy wax melts evenly and can burn evenly all the way down – it produces a larger melted wax pool around the wick
4. Soy wax can be cleaned up with soap and water
5. Soy wax does not produce as much soot so you won’t get any of those dark patches on the ceiling and you are not inhaling it either!
6. Soy wax burns at a lower temperature which means that the fragrance lingers and does not get burnt away as fast.
7. People have even been known to rub the wax on their skin as a moisturiser (Mrs Brimbles does not sell candles for this purpose so does not recommend it on this basis)

So most of my jars and containers for the candles are upcycled as are the materials I used to embellish them with.

So what do you think?

I have a facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/MrsBrimble and it would be great to see you over there!

You've Got Mail and the death of the independents

In my previous post I touched briefly on one of my all time favourite films "You've Got Mail".

 

I have always loved the film, it has always been one of my favourites. It is one of those snuggly type films that you can put on and slob out with. I have always dreamed of owning a little shop like hers, so cute and quaint, I suppose that is coupled with my love of books especially children's books and the fact that I haven't quite grown up yet!

 

I watch the film alot but usually just watch. I watched it again today and it suddenly occurred to me that for years I have been watching a film about the death of a small independet shop and the rise of the chain store offering cheap alternatives. This film was made in 1998 so it has been a prominent topic for some while now. The sad thing is though nothing much seems to have changed. Chain stores and out of town shopping parks are still taking trade away from the town centres and the independent shops.

"Fox Books threatens survival of a temple to one of the twentieth century's most profound truths: You are what you read." 

I think in our minds we are convinced that chain shopping is going to be cheaper even though this isn't always the case. It has to be said though it can be far more convenient to shop out of town in shops with longer opening hours. I am managing OK at the moment but then I can juggle my hours and be flexible. What do you do if you work 9-5 the same time as the shops are open!

I guess it is just hard for everyone and we just have to do the best we can.

http://www.channel4.com/news/death-of-the-high-street

Independent shops - help me to find you!

 

We were out and about in town (St Neots), running various errands and we didn’t really have time to pop home for lunch in between so we decided to grab something whilst we were in town. When thinking of places to eat in St Neots, I find it really hard to think of somewhere independent. We have a well known chain bakery with a cafe, a well known chain take away selling subs and a couple of chain coffee shops. There are some nice independent restaurants but they are only really great if you want a main meal. I am sure there are other places in town but none of them really spring to mind. Why is that? What are these independent eateries doing or rather not doing to make themselves known or attractive to us? Have I become a victim to expensive advertising campaigns and constant bombardment of brand awareness so that the independents just don't stand out?

I love this "email" from one of my all time favourite movies; You've Got Mail. It somehow is just so true.

I did suddenly think of the little shop on the High Street called Cupcakes and I am so glad I did. We had a jacket pot with salad and it was lovely. Very good value for money and a nice portion size. It is a cute little cafe with pastel colours and vintage-esque decor. Quite darling really.

My plea really is to the independent shops. I want to find you, please help me to find you!

What to eat when the cupboard really is bare

So a couple of days again I had the Old Mother Hubbard syndrome. The cupboard seemed to be bare but I still managed to make a meal. Well actually I haven't been shopping since so this time when I looked the cupboard really was bare. I have been trying to leave it as long as possible before going shopping ...

1. To make the expenditure eek out (it's getting close to end of the month / payday!!)
2. So as to avoid wasting food, so many times I have thrown things out that have gone past their dates because I have bought more food
3. To see how resourceful we can really be
4. To test my cooking skills and creativity
5. To learn what it is like to only be able to cook and eat what you have in. We are far too used to being able to pop to the supermarket and buying fruit and veg from all around the World out of season. I want to get better at learning to use what we have when we have it.
6. To not eat so much, if we have to be a bit more frugally then portion control is better

So far we are doing OK. We haven't starved and we have still eaten fairly nutritious meals. Here is one of my "Oh y God we really don't have anything in at all" meals:

Ingredients

•  Baked Beans
• Chick peas
• Onion
• Chilli Flakes
• Tom Sauce
• Curry powder
• Potatoes

Method

Chop the pots up into bitesize cubes and boil in a pan until cooked. In another pan lightly fry the onions until transparent then add the curry powder and fry off a little. Add the remaining ingredients to the onion pan and warm through. If the sauce gets a little too thick add a couple of spoons of water to loosen. Once the pots are cooked add them to the other ingredients.

Mix together and serve in nice deep comfy huggable bowls.

Eat on the sofa in your PJs watching a nice film knowing that you are eating a heartwarming snuggle comfort food!

So you see, very little ingredients needed, mostly store cupboard items. Cheap as chips, fairly healthy, tasty and very comforting.

Old Mother Hubbard Syndrome

Is the cupboard really bare or are you just not looking?

OK so you remember when you were a kid, you used to look in the fridge, then the cupboard, then the fridge again then hollah “Muuuuuuum, there’s nothing to eat” and of course your Mum would respond that there was in fact lots to eat if you were only to look. Of course you were looking. What you saw was ingredients for meals that quite frankly you didn’t want. It had been a while since she had gone shopping and all the quick grab and go food was gone. You know the sort of thing, sausage rolls, crisps. All the things teenagers love. What your Mum saw on the other hand was a fridge full of lovely fresh ingredients ready to make fabulous gourmet meals with. So really in fact she was right, there was lots of food and you were an ungrateful teenager.

I still sometimes think like this now. You know when you are in a rush and hungry and you just want something quick to eat, you don’t want to have to prepare food. Isn’t it funny though, you open and close the fridge door, somehow hoping that rather miraculously a fairy had placed something in there. No matter how many times you look though there is no change. Still the fresh ingredients crying out for something to be done with them.

Now I try and be sensible with our food shopping. I try and make it last as long as possible eeking the time out between shops. I hate to see food going to waste or being thrown away so I try and plan meals to ensure that I am only buying the ingredients that I actually need. This works most of the time, occasionally though there are things left where you have bought too much due to pack size etc. I have already said that I am not an avid recipe follower so what I tend to do on these such occasions when we are in between shops, is scratch around and make meals from whatever I have in. Sometimes this is great and we have even had some pretty good meals this way. Sometimes this has dire consequences lol!

I opened the fridge and all there was really was a pack of cherry tomatoes and a sweet red pepper. Hmmm! What to make what to make? Ahhhh this:

Anna’s tomato and pepper pasta I have nothing in concoction

• Pack of Cherry Tomatoes
• One Red pepper
• Basil
• Thyme
• Salt
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Red onion
• Pasta
• Black Pepper

Cut the tomatoes into half, and pop in a roasting tray along with the chopped pepper and chopped garlic. Sprinkle your herbs, black pepper and salt on top and then smother with olive oil. Roast in a hot oven for approx half an hour.

Take the tray out, lightly crush the tomatoes, pour over some balsamic vinegar and put back in the oven, this time reducing the heat right down.

Pop your pasta on to boil.

Chop up a red onion and fry in a little olive oil until softened. I didn’t add this to the oven tray as I find that the onion get burnt and over cooked.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain and leave in the pan. Take the tray out of the oven stir and add the onions. Mix everything together with the pasta.

I also served with some nice bread to soak up all the lovely juices. Nom nom!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!