We have a friend whose mum would never ‘throw away’ a jar, all year – because they were all needed for the annual jam making. Containers were not just for one use – they were for multiple. And preserving makes a virtue out of this. So what do you do when you’re in the supermarket, …
Continue reading “Eco audit: buying containers that can be reused”
There’s nothing like Not Eating the Same as Others to make you stand out. Â It doesn’t seem to matter what your difference is. Â It gets trickier. Â Sometimes you are seen as being Difficult. In your teens, it is important to find a few ways to be different from your family. Â To embrace causes. Â To have …
Continue reading “Eco audit: going against the dominant food culture”
Childhood is not complete without a little pick-your-own strawberry activity. Â (And of course eating, while picking.) I don’t know that my parents were choosing to do it for ‘support the farmers’ reasons. Â I think we did it because it was fun, because the fruit was so fresh, and because it made a family outing out …
I grew up with a golden rule for what to do with Christmas cards at the end of the festive season. Â Turn them into tags for next year’s presents. Â Ideally, cut with pinking shears to make zigzag edges for greater interest. I can visualise my mother doing this. Â The pinking shears were a particular source …
Continue reading “Eco audit: reusing items for wrapping presents”
In my teens, I reached a stage where I was fairly independent for travel. Â I was at a point where I wanted to buy presents for friends for Christmas. Â Where did I go? I got on a train, and went to Oxford. I lived in a smallish town, with a larger town about half an …