Growing your best Tomatoes… The simple way.

Any person that has had a vegie garden before has tried to grow Tomatoes. Tomatoes are a plant that requires a little bit more than just a bit of water to make it thrive. I have had a few tomato crops fail over the season and here is some of the stuff that I have learnt, I hope it helps you to grow your best crop of Tomatoes yet!

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The first thing I like to do is test the PH of the soil that I am going to use. Tomatoes like their soil pH around 6.0 to 6.8. On the pH scale 7.0 is neutral; so the range which tomatoes prefer is slightly on the acid side. If your soil isn’t sitting within the right range it is easier to fix before planting then it is after you have already planted you tomatoes. The simplest way is to mix some good quality manure into your soil.

Tomatoes burn very easily in the sun. They need sunshine to stop them going moldy and getting nasty diseases. I recommend a spot where they get direct sun in the morning until around lunchtime, then in the shade.

Watering most people believe the more water the better. This is not necessarily true I only water every second day to give them a chance to dry out. I also do not water until after dinner in summer to make sure that they the get the most from the water. (don’t forget to spray the fruit and the leaves to make the most out of your water.

I am a firm believer in planting a whole raw egg underneath each plant to stop blossom rot. Many people have laughed at me for that one but I tell ya it works. I also like to sprinkle egg shells around the base of the plant maybe once a week. This will leach valuable nutrients into the soil.  

Don't forget the final part a good quality mulch. I use the dirty saw dust from the chicken boxes.

If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments and will be happy to help out.

Getting a handle on anxiety naturally

Living with anxiety can be hell! Unless you know the feeling its difficult to explain, I have struggled with anxiety since being a teenager after spending most of my young adult life on various medications that usually just left me doped out and off the planet. I researched into natural remedies for managing anxiety. Here is everything that I found helped me to get a firm hold on my anxiety.

Essential Oils for anxiety
I have found that making a roll ball anti anxiety mixture a great way to get a handle on anxiety in public. Its very low key and easy to hide if you aren't ready to share with the anyone how you are feeling.

Here is my top list of essential oils.

Lavender
Rose
Vetiver
Ylang Ylang
Bergamont
Chamomile
Frankincense
These also work well in a oil burner for creating a calming home.

Herbal Tea

Studies have been done and show that drinking herbal tea can reduce anxiety in many patients as much as standard medications.

Chamomile - Soothing
Lemon Balm - help with sleep

Feeling Fit

When you work out/ be active your body releases endorphins. endorphins are the bodies natural happy hormones. I have found that if I am really getting anxious and feeling like the world is going to come down around me. I step out and take a brisk work it helps give me a boost of happy hormones. It also gives me a chance to clear my head without anyone watching me. Yoga is also a great way to get a boost of happy hormones it also teaches you to clear your mind.


Create a haven
Create a haven for yourself where you can go and shut the door and just take a breath. Maybe have some essential oils to sniff and somewhere comfy to sit. This is a great way to escape and just take a few minutes to yourself.

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Ways to stop Constirpation in kids

This was a battle that went on in our house for 2 years my youngest struggled with constipation. We really struggled with helping him. I was inclined to not give him an over the counter or prescribed medication. I started to look at our diet first of all.

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More fibre was ultimately what we wanted to include in our diet.
This is my list of foods that we started to include in his diet:

Prunes:
If you can get them to eat them. I usually mix them into a fruit salad with other fruits from the list.

Pears
Pears are naturally really high in fiber, Make sure they are on the smaller side because the larger the pear the less fiber.

Flax Seed
As well as being full of fiber they also have good omega 3 fatty acid (the good kind of fat).

Brocoili
Brocoili is best served raw because cooked vegetables lose a lot of there fiber content. If you can't stand the thought of raw brocoili try lightly blanching it.

Carrots
As with Brocoili carrots are best served raw as this helps to retain its natural fiber.

Peaches
Dried peaches work just as well as fresh peaches to releave constipation in kids. This is a great on the go snack.

Figs:
Figs help to soften the stool, making it easier to pass through.

Pinapple:
Pinapple juice is a natural laxative. Its also great to give to kids as a cool drink. They aont even know that they are drinking something that's good for them.

Watermelon:
I have found that watermelon works great to releave constipation in kids because of its high water content.

Treating Exzema Naturally

Ever since my son , has been 2 years old he has suffered from eczema. It was so difficult to watch your child go throw that sort of pain and feel so powerless to stop or control. After a few misses I started to notice patterns, this helped me to develop a eczema management plans.


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Here is my list things that can help manage eczema

Wash everything in hot water
Line dry in the sun for longer then 4 hours
- This will kill any dust mites that might be living in your bedding and clothes.

Use Dove Soap or an Oatmeal Bath
- Both have a natural PH this will stop the skin drying out even more

Keep the shower at a medium heat
- Extra hot showers will dry the skin

Dry yourself extra well after a bath or shower
- Air dry for 10 minutes if you can

Reduce the amount of processed foods
- A lot of additives can cause eczema to flair up

Stop skin rubbing
-This is an important one, when skin touches the air is unable to dry the sweat and will stop the skin from healing

Stick to natural fibres
This will again help the sweat on your skin to dry and heal.

Dust regularly
- Dust is a common cause of Eczema

Test for food allergies
This is a common cause of eczema, Ask your doctor to do an allergy test.

These are just simple ways to treat eczema. Having an allergy test done at the doctors is a great place to start. Once you discover what is causing your eczema its easier to manage long term.

Ways to slow down everyday

Facing the rat race everyday can be stressful it seems that everyone wants everything done yesterday. I have been working hard lately and I have discovered easy ways that you can slow down and take a break. Here is my favorite ways to slow down and just breathe.

Savour Nature:
This is a big one that I have been working on, Just to stop and look at the beauty that is around me. I have been posting a lot of the things that I have come across on my IG account.

I snapped this cheeky little guy after a rain storm.

Take off your shoes:
Every lunch time I sit on the grass and look at the beautiful trees and things around me, I also like to take off my shoes and enjoy a bit of grounding. Good for the soul.

Solo Coffee Date:
As a teenager I wouldn't be caught dead out in public without a group of friends but as I approach 30, I began to stop caring what people think and started doing what would make me happy. Its soothing to sit in a cute little café and people watch or read a book. It doesn't matter so long as you are enjoying some alone time. No one else to consider but you.

Technology Ban:
For 1 hour a day I place a technology ban on everyone in my house. Nothing with a screen it starts at the same time everyday so everyone can just organise around it.

Cook:
Take time to cook something so delicious that it has the whole house waiting with baited breath. Get out your grandmothers old cook books and bake something from scratch.

Eco Fashion: What does it all mean

Eco fashion has so many different names such as sustainable fashion, ethical fashion, Fair Trade fashion and conscious fashion. In the end what it all boils down to is its products that are designed and created with the social and environmental impacts in mind.
It seems that there is a new trend people are following every month, its easy to get caught up in trend chasing and forget about how the garment was created.

What defines something as Eco/ Sustainable fashion?
Made from organic natural fibres
Recycled/ Reused fabric
Minimal chemical treatment
Animal free
Well crafted, good quality fabric
Vintage
2nd hand
Socially/ environmentally and economic responsible

 There is a growing market of brands that are focused on fashion that isn't going to harm the earth, that's good quality.
Some of my favorite are:

Adidas - Making yarn out of plastic sea debris
Puma - Committed to reducing the amount of chemicals that they release into the environment
Stella Mc Cartney - Stopped using and fur and PVC in there garments. They also use organic cotton in there lingerie.
Burberry - Launched a fair trade cotton agreement in Peru
People Tree - Sustainable fashion that makes clothes that anyone can afford. Totally gorgeous vegan accessories.
Rant Clothing - A classic fashion brand that makes clothes that will last a life time in a classic casual style.

Micro Farminng - The basics

Micro farming is the basically the process of growing a large amount of produce or livestock on a small area. It can be any size from growing greens on your balcony to raising 50 pigs on 10 acres. The point of micro farming is the ability to be able to grow your own food.

The first thing that you need to consider before you get started on your micro farm, is planning! Planning how you plan to lay the your block out, to achieve the best results from the space you have. The next thing to plan is your planting roster and a marketing plan. This is often the first mistake people make they fail to plan and end up wasting money and time.

When considering animals please don't forget to consider time! Animals take a lot of time and work also its hard to nip off for a mini break with pigs and chickens that need feeding. However animals make an amazing addition to any micro farm by not only providing meat but also manure for the compost.

If animals aren't your thing then maybe consider cropping, before planting anything do as much research as you can this will help you to achieve the best possible results. Also you may want to consider organics with a smaller crop organic farming is much easier and organic produce can sell for as much as 20% higher then standard grown produce.

 Options for selling your produce, Its easy to sell your produce and cut out the middle man. There are a few options for selling your produce particularly in a technology driven world. A couple of options are Facebook more and more people are turning to Facebook to purchase everything. There has also been a couple of websites that have been cropping up my personal favorite is www.ripenear.me Its designed particularly for selling and buying fresh produce. A market stall is another great option for selling fresh produce and products that you have made such as jams and spreads.

 

How to Make any house a home, even if you are renting

Making your space a place where you want to be is a matter of making it comfortable. This does need to be an expensive exercise. A few simple touches can make your house feel like a home.

Art
Art makes us feel something every time we really look at it. The best part about art is it can be anything that you find beautiful. I once read a article about a woman who framed the dress she was wearing on her first date with her husband, because he remembered how beautiful she looked in it. You can make some amazing art for less then $20, grab a canvas, some tubes of paint and start splattering it around.

Upcycling Old Clothes
This might seem like a strange thing to upcycle old clothes to make your house more of a home but I have made some great projects from old clothes I was planning to throw out. Turn old woollen jumpers into comfy cushion covers. Another favourite project of mine is I turned all of our old holey farm t-shirts into a floor rug.

Paint old furniture
With Facebook and gumtree its super easy to buy second hand furniture, or you may have some ugly hand me down furniture hanging around that you could paint or distress. This can instantly give you a feel of being home.

Display your favourite things
I have a misfit collection of things displayed around my house but I love each piece and each piece has a story, I love to tell them every time some one admires it. It might be my favourite set of wine glasses from Mexico or my old travel journal sitting on top of my coffee table.

Display photos
Nothing makes it feel like your space more then photos. I love photos if I start to feel lost or tired I look at my photos on the wall and I remember why I need to keep going and working. There is some great renters hooks out there that don't damage the paint.

Smells
This is something that really makes a house a home I personally love the smell of clean linen! It smells clean and fresh to me. I keep this smell around by using clean linen scented wax melts and using a fabric smell with a clean linen scented oil in it.

Pets
Nothing makes a house more of a home then a pet. Even if its a fish, there will always be something to put a smile on your face even on the worst days.

I hope I have helped you turn your house into a home.

Reducing your carbon foot print

There is so much information out there on reducing your carbon footprint. We have all heard the generic information such as try not to use the car so much and bring reusable bags blah, blah and blah there is a lot of simple things that you can do to reduce your carbon foot print. Here is some new information to help improve your carbon footprint.

Green bags:
Don't buy the reusable green bags
We have all seen them at the supermarket for 99 cents the truth is they are made from a synthetic fabric, which is a bi product of petrol. We are supposed to reuse them over and over again but the truth is most people stuff them in the back of the cupboard and never really use them again. The single use plastic bags that Coles and Woolies give out for free are recyclable!! and can be made into a lot of great products.

Buy Local:
Buy your fruit and vegies from local farmers and green grocer
Most of the items that you find in the large corporations have been made in sweat shops in China or India, they have travelled for 1000s of miles. Buying local means that there is no or little transport. For most communities is everyone spent $100 in locally owned stores that's almost 3 million back into the economy in just 1 year.

Water usage:
This is a simple thing to do cut down your shower by 2 minutes will save roughly 50 liters of water. Water is the life blood of everything! Everything needs water to survive.

Rainforest Alliance Products:
Agricultural expansion is responsible 70% of deforestation, it is the biggest threat facing tropical rainforests. Rainforest Alliance provides training and education in sustainable farming practises to people of developing countries. This is good for everybody by ensuring that there will be tropical rainforests for the next generation.

5 plants for a Medicinal Garden

Please note straight off the bat, my advice does not replace the advice of medical professionals if your leg is turning blue, Go to the doctor. Now that everything is cleared up home herbal remedies can be great way to heal minor aliments.

1) Aloe Vera
This would of been in every grandmothers garden, its great for treating burns, it also works wonders on eczema and cuts. It needs to be grown in full sun with well drained soil. you can cut off the lower part of the plant and squeeze just near the cut part until the sap starts to flow rub the sap on the affected area.

2) Great Burdock
The leaves and seeds should be crushed into a poultice and applied directly to the area. Can be used to treat boils, ring worm, bites, acne, herpes, rashes and bruises. It grows in moist soil and full sun its an easy to grow plant.

3)  Pot Marigold
The petals can be used as a tea to treat varicose veins. The crushed stems can be used to treat bites, stings, minor wounds, sprains and sore eyes. It grows in almost any soil type so long as its moist.

4) Tea Tree
Has been used for centauries to treat a wide range of conditions. The young leaves can be chewed on to relieve headaches, leaves and twigs can me used to make tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is anti fungal, antiseptic, can be used for nits, cold sores, insect bites, warts, acne and minor burns.

5) Lemon Balm
Lemon balm gets its name from the scent that the plant produces. The leaves can be crushed into a poultice and used to treat herpes, gout, insect bites, minor sores it also makes a great mozzie repellant.
The leaves can also be used to make a tea to treat colds, fevers, digestive upsets, headaches and mild insomnia.

Organic pest control in the vegetable patch

Organic gardening can be a tricky thing to get right. If you don't you can lose all your harvest to pesky pests or end up with a crop that doesn't ripen properly. Here is some basics that every organic gardener needs to have in there arsenal.

White Oil - Is a handy pest exterminator. Its simple to use and easy to make with ingredients from home. It works by sticking to the bugs and suffocates them.
To make White Oil:
- 1 cup of vegetable or white mineral oil
- 1.5 cups of water
- 2 teaspoons of dishwashing liquid

Neem Oil - This works in much the same way as white oil does, you can however buy Neem Oil already mixed. Its great for all sorts of minor aliments including nit treatment for your kids hair.
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COMMON PESTS

Aphids - nasty little green bugs that typically are found on roses, however they can be partial to the odd vegie or 2.

Snails - Make a beer trap. Put a small amount of beer in the bottom of a container and dig into the soil. The snail will go in, get drunk, drown and die a happy death. Another option is to make a salt ring as snails can't cross salt. This is also a great way for kids to help out in the garden, get them out in the morning picking them off.

Caterpillars -  The little buggers eating the life out of all your plants. There is a couple of simple ways to get rid of them with out Caterpillars first of all is just like with snails go along and pick them off. Neem oil also works a treat to sort these buggers out. Another easy way is to get rid of them is let the chickens in!! they will get a great feed.

Reasons to live in the country

Here is my list of reasons to pull up stumps in the city and move to a large block in the middle of nowhere. We made the plunge around 3.5 years ago, I believe it was the best move we ever made.

1. Wide open space
2. Room for the kids to play and be kids
3. House prices
4. vegie gardens, fresh vegies.
5. Teaching kids valuable life skills
6. Community values
7. Smaller class sizes at public schools
8. Safe communities
9. Local characters
10. Views to take your breath away
11. No neighbours on your doorstep
12. Pets, Dog, Cat, Sheep and maybe a pig too
13. Freedom to live your own way
14. Building resilient kids
15. Allowing kids to have responsibilities, the locals will be quick to tell you if they get into any mischief
16. Local events - CWA markets, Rodeos and country fairs
17. Wood fires
18. Room for a shed or 2

Ways to make money from the homestead

Making money from the homestead is a great way to help pay for the upkeep or pay for those few extra things that the kids need.

1) Selling excess crops.
This year I have 40 pumpkins from this years harvest, I preserved some and sold the rest on Facebook. I got $3.50 each for them.

2) Riding lessons/ Shearing lessons.
Use the skills that you have to teach the next generation. Its a great way for kids to get a chance to learn real skills to help them get a job on the land.

3) Selling excess preserves.
CWA markets is a great place to sell some excess preserves and crafts.

4) Clean up old furniture.
I have done this a few times picked up something cheap from the tip, cleaned it up and painted in a shabby sheek fashion and sold for a profit. In the world of today when everyone has access to the internet its easy to buy and sell online.

5) Farm stay/ bed and breakfast
If you have the space this can be a way to make quick cash, particularly around tourist seasons.

6) Use the skills you have.
I worked in a IT position and have a bit of knack for fixing computers. This comes in handy in a small town. It could be anything such as cutting or colouring hair from home, or school holiday care. Any skills that you have will be valuable to someone you would be surprised.

Quotes for living a simple life

Everyone has those days that it all seems to much, that trying to remain calm and the simple life just seems all to much! Its at those times we need a little extra motivation to keep calm and carry on. I keep bright post it notes on surfaces I look at everyday.

Here is some of my absolute favorites:

Be who you are!
Not who the world wants you to be.
I have this written on my mirror where I like to get ready in the morning. It reminds me to keep being my crazy self that has some how always worked in my favour. Working in a corporate role it easy to get sucked into a world of grey.

Note to self:
Let shit go
Its way to easy to bring the stress and all the niggly little things that get piled on you every day. I need to be reminded to take a breath and let shit go!

Every child needs to things, a pet and a mother who will let them have the opportunity.
I love animals in every shape and size, I am a self confessed animal hoarder. My partner is not and doesn't quite understand that there is a love that is easy and unconditional. I love this quote because every time I bring home some new creature that has been abused or mistreated, and my partner tells me its not staying I just smile and say every child needs 2 things a pet and a mother who will let them have the opportunity.

Happiness comes from inside.
This is written on my wallpaper on my phone, its a great reminder that happiness is an inside job no body is going to make you happy unless you have a inner happiness.

Live, Love, Laugh.
This isn't written any where its ingrained in my mind. If nothing else remember to live, love and laugh everyday.

5 Things to consider before moving to the country

I am country girl in every sense of the word, I wanted to bring my children up in a rural setting where they were free to be kids, make noise, have pets and just enjoy there childhood. I pitched the idea to my partner and the boys father, he was a city boy born and raised. At the time he was all for moving out of the city to a block of land. It all sounded so simple at the time.

Here is my 5 of things I wish people would consider before moving to a rural block.

1) Organisation is the key to success.
There is no just quickly dashing in anywhere. You need to be organised and keep a stock pile of everyday items. Because its really annoying to have to run out for milk and nappies when its at least an hour round trip. Also if you look like crap or wearing your slippers you are guaranteed to run into everyone from town.

2) The neighbours are nosey
This is a can cause some people discomfort particularly if you are used to being anonyms in the big city. This isn't something that can be avoided in a new small town. My advice would be to head down the local pub for a beer and introduce yourself around, it will help things to calm down a bit.

3) Animals are not polite
They will make noises before 9am, smell, and have sex out in the open! It can be a bit shocking to look out across the paddocks and see a bull mounting. It can also be a little awkward to explain to the kids. But that is the way of the land.

4) Always allow extra time for the commute.
I remember one day my commute usually is a 40 minute drive down the highway, on this one day I was cruising to work at around 6 am when I had to come to a complete stop because there was around 400 sheep on the highway. They had pushed through a fence. It took me almost 20 minutes to get them back into the paddock before the farmer turned up. Things like this can happen without warning always allow 20 minutes extra to be anywhere.

5) Phones don't work
There is very little to no mobile coverage in the country. Its very simple phones don't work. However there isn't a shortage of things to do.

I still believe that moving to the country was the best decision we ever made. I get to see my son excel at school because of the smaller class size he gets more attention. I get to watch my vegetable garden grow, and the excitement on my kids faces when they get to pick and eat what we grow.

More life less gym

I have always enjoyed exercise in various forms, I have even joined a gym but it just made me feel like I had another thing to cram in to my already packed day.
I cancelled my gym membership and took to walking and working out in my lunch break in the park.
Never truely appreciated the world around me, (check out my IG account for some inner city greenery.
Its amazing how much detail we see when we stop to take a breath.

In a place like Australia why lock ourselves in a stuffy old gym.

Green Pest Extermination

I am a huge supporter of live and let live. However I don't want creepy crawlies anywhere near me or the kids.

Peppermint Oil
Peppermint oil is great for getting rid of spiders and mice both hate the scent. Mix 20 drops of Peppermint oil and distilled water in a spray bottle and spray everywhere!!

Fill any gaps
Fill any gaps that mice or spiders can get through. If you are renting fill the spots with steel wool as the mice cant chew through it.

Put any open food in an air tight container.
I also make sure I vacuum under the kitchen table, to remove any crumps dropped through the day.

Put any pet food away
Feed early in the morning so that its gone by the evening.

Clean up grass clippings
Mice can use this as bedding.

Create a mozzie repelling pot
This can be done by using lemon grass place next to back door or BBQ area.
It can also be used as a hedging plant for garden beds.

Apricot Nectar

I love making Apricot Nectar, its a great activity to do with the kids on a Saturday afternoon. Its super easy for those who have never preserved before.

You will need:

A large supply of apricots (2 cups will fill a jar)
Sugar
Lemon juice

A slow cooker
A pot for sealing
A funnel
A jar graber
Measuring cup
Measuring Spoons.

Peel and remove the seed from each apricot. For every 4 cups add 1.5 cups of water.

Once all the apricots and water is in the slow cooker turn on high for about 5 hours.

When you are ready place your jars upside down in oven on a wire rack along with lids and bake for 20 mins at about 180 degrees.
This will ensure serialized jars.
Turn off oven and leave them in the oven.
When you are ready take your jars and in the bottom place 1/2 cup of sugar and a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Pour the water from the slow cooker into the jar.
Leave some room at the top for adding a bit of pulp if you wish.
Continue this until all the liquid is gone.
Optional
I like to mash the cooked apricots at bit and add some to the top of my jars.

Close the lid tight and seal using the large pot and boiling water.
Pop in the boiling water and wait for the click thingy in the middle of the lid pops back in.