Energy Saving Thermos Pot

     [(1) put all your ingredients into the pot; (2) boil for 30 mins with lid on!; (3) pop the inner pot into the outer container immediately and snap the lid shut!!]

Here are some pics of my Thermos pot as promised! Mongs from My Thrifty Closet was wondering how I could cook and work. Well, I have home help and a supportive hubby, and I do rely a lot on my Thermos Pot especially when it comes to making stews and soups. You see, Chinese soups requires hours of boiling (morning til night) and mummies (or grandmas!) would have to keep watch over the stove to ensure that the soup wouldn't boil over.  With my handy Thermos pot I don't need to do that. I just boil the soup for 30mins and then pop the pot into the the Thermos, snap shut the lid and I don't touch it until 9 hours later! Everything is cooked and still hot!  I've had it for 12 years now and it still looks brand new :-)

I wanted to calculate how much energy would be saved but I had trouble finding out how to calculate it in the first place. Hope your convinced about the energy savings, and I think it is an alternative to the Wonderbags I blogged about earlier. 

Greeny Crafters 14 - Shoe String Pavilion

My gosh, this week has been like a typhoon. No time to think or refashion or do any recycled crafts, or even relax. I really don't know how moms with more than 1 kid manage to stay calm and look beautiful all at once - ladies, you're amazing!!!


Today's Green Crafter is a Swede, Titti of Shoe String Pavilion, who lives in Texas, USA. Somehow, I thought of the cowboy hat - am I stereotyping?   This lovely Swedish lady (who has very penetrating blue eyes, mind you) has been  married to her American sweetheart for 8 years now and has two wonderful kids. Texas must be a contrast to the colder weather in her native country!!

I think I failed....

I've been really busy. Practically the whole week has been full-time when I'm supposed to be on part-time so had to leave all the groceries to hubs, who wasn't really convinced with the challenge. BUT, at least we had home cooking. Then today, I purchased an inflatable globe (for my son) from a friend who was clearing out the stock of her mum's shop which had closed down.  Think I have to start over.  Well, here are some photos:

Homemade bread  - yummy! This lasted 4 days.
Then we had homemade waffles for breakfast -
premade and put in the freezer.

Lunch on Monday.

Greeny Crafter 13 - Recreation Station

Easter came and went. Unfortunately, we don't have Easter Monday off like they do overseas - oh, I really dragged myself out of bed this morning and I think I'll be dragging my feet into work later this afternoon. OK, think positive!!!! 

Well, I can't be lazy as I need to introduce my next Greeny Crafter, Steph of Recreation Station!  Over to Steph now!

Trying Mindful Consumption

Okay, I think so far this challenge has been.... a CHALLENGE!!!  Before I took this on, I wasn't making the extra effort to purchase local produce. So far, I haven't bought any clothing, well, I haven't bought any clothing since I can't remember when, and have been refashioning. But, consciously making an effort to purchase local, organic or sustainable produce? Well.... I'm trying, although my hubby frowned a little when he looked at the prices of the organic stuff - to be honest, I think it would double my grocery budget. I'll have to look into that.

Okay, let's see what's happened yesterday and today in pictures:

Do I really, really, really, REALLY need this? :-)

Happy Easter everyone!  I signed up for "Mindful Consumption" of  Evon's DIY Lifestyle Challenge. 


Here's what I have to do. 

"New" bag from old bag

Managed to finish off my bag project. There were a few learning points from this. Firstly, was that I should have bought myself a good set of sewing needles for leather, and secondly was that instead of cotton thread, nylon thread would have been the better choice to sew the project together.  And thirdly (yes, there's lesson number 3!), my mum told me (when she visited and when she saw me struggling with it all) that I should sew on BOTH ends of the thread with two needles going in opposite directions so that I could pull on two ends (instead of one) and tighten the sewing - does that make sense?  

These are the before pics of my old tote bag - I bought it in HK and I love the colours but the seams were breaking, the lining has gone sticky and the bottom has turned splotchy.  It was too nice to throw away so I decided to make something out of it :-)

Here's the after:

 

Greeny Crafter 12 - Operation Overhaul

My gosh, where has March gone too and it's Good Friday next week! I remember telling a friend that with work and motherhood, life feels like a washing machine. I think I need a cycle that says "Relax" on it.  

Check out this quirky pair!!

This week's Greeny Crafters is a pair of sweet ladies from Singapore who love making pretty things. They are Juu and Ros of Operation Overhaul.  Juu & Ros started creating crafts before they set up the website and had very different styles despite sharing the same love for DIY. Their first project was a bodycon skirt created from one leg of a thrifted XXL pyjama pants.  Juu & Ros get their inspiration from everywhere -  other DIY blogs, Pinterest, magazines etc - "Anything can inspire you to come up with a creation! :) ". Nicely put!


Juu & Ros have a lovely range of refashion tutorials and also have posts on inspiration. Hop over and take a look. Here are two of my faves down below. Which are yours? :-)