Simple Pleasures #3.

The first little snowdrop on my balcony garden.  Spring is coming.

Going Low 'poo, Weeks 3 to 4.

Here's an update on my low 'poo adventures.  You can see the start of my no hair washing experiment here.

Week 3 - I upped the amount I brushed my hair and it seemed a bit happier.  It was actually quite shiny.  It looked most unhappy when I just wake up, I move about quite a lot in bed and I wake up with it matted and in crazy shapes every morning which take a bit of brushing out.  I seem to have less dandruff, which I used to have quite often before.

Week 4 - It's greasy again this week, which I think was caused by my using a bit of my lush solid conditioner bar on my hair.  It was a bit dry and fly-away so I thought the conditioner would help, apparently my hair disagrees.  I have only washed it one other time this week, with the solid shampoo and vinegar.  As the week went on, with lots of brushing, it felt less greasy.  It was really straight after not getting wet and bring brushed a lot, so I started dipping my brush in water while I was brushing it, which seems to have brought some curliness and bounciness back to my hair.  Yey!

It seems to be getting a bit better.  Brushing it often seems to be the key.  I shall update you again in a few weeks.

Has anyone else tried this?

Simple Pleasures #2.

Snow!  Yesterday morning the rain turned into snow, settled, then melted away by lunchtime.  So pretty.

Charity Shopping, Hornsea Deer, Pink Poodle, Bunny Egg Cup.

My most recent treasures!

Hornsea deer vase, £2, charity shop.

Pink poodle barometer thingy.  I want to take the barometer out and put a tiny clock in the space instead.  50p, charity shop.

Bunny egg cup.  I don't know why.  I don't even eat eggs. 20p, charity shop.  

Have you found anything good lately?

Linking up with Magpie Monday at Me and My Shadow.

How to Make a Studio Ghibli Soot Sprite Pom Pom, for Valentines Day.

My boy and I both like Studio Ghibli, so I decided to make him a funny, cute little Soot Sprite for Valentines Day.

You will need...

Pom pom 

Felt (white, black and whatever colour you want your heart to be)

Embroidery thread

Black pipe cleaner

Glue

In case you didn't know, this is what we're making.  Except our Soot Sprite will be holding a love heart instead of stars, to be cute and valentines-y.  Soot Sprites are in the Studio Ghibli films Sprited Away and My Neighbour Totoro.

Start by making a pom pom.  You can do this the traditional way with black yarn and 2 rings of card, use a pom pom maker (I just bought a clover pom pom maker which is super!) or use a pre-made pom pom.

Thread the pipe cleaner through the middle of the pom pom, give it a wiggle, it should go through.  These are the arms.  Give the pipe cleaner a trim if the soot sprite looks like it has really long arms!

Cut out 2 white ovals from the white felt, for eyes and two tiny dots from the black felt for pupils.  Stick them together and then stick onto the front of the pom pom.  It might help to use the end of a pin or something similar to apply the glue, it's a bit fiddly!

Cut out 2 tiny hearts from the coloured felt, sew them together with the embroidery thread.  You can make a star for your soot sprite to hold too, if you want.

Stick your shapes onto the end of the soot sprite's pipe cleaner arms.  You can do this by pushing the pipe cleaner into a gap in between your stitching.  Or by gluing them on.  I just pushed them onto the pipe cleaners, so they're removable.

Out-take photo, just 'cause I think it's cute!

Have you made any presents for Valentines Day this year?

Featured on Tangled Happy.

Granny Triangle Crochet Bunting.

I've been busy making some colourful crochet bunting to brighten up my home.  I used the lovely free pattern from Attic 24.  These granny triangle bunting's work up quickly, I used DK yarn, in all sorts of colours from my stash, a 4mm hook and did 4 rounds in each triangle.  I joined them all together with a quick chain and then my bunting was ready to go.

And the perfect place to put my crochet granny triangle bunting?

Outside my front door, of course!

I love it!

This is what I'm actually supposed to be working on, an Attic 24 granny stripe blanket.  It's a surprise present for a friend, so I won't show you it again, until it's finished and given, just in case she sees it.  I'm enjoying making it, but it seems to be taking a while, so I cheer myself up with some little projects along the way.

What are you making at the moment?

Easy Green Actions, February 2014.

Here's this month's list of simple online actions that have an impact on our world...

Sign this online petition, to ask Brazilian lawmakers to uphold a ban on big seed companies being able to supply Brazilian farmers with 'terminator seeds' - seeds that produce infertile fruits, so farmers are bound to buy these genetically modified seeds each time they want to produce a crop.

Sign Greenpeace's petition, asking big clothing companies to stop using harmful chemicals in dyes and printing inks while making garments. 

Sign this petition to ask pesticide manufacturers Bayer and Syngenta to drop a lawsuit, suing Europe for banning bee-killing pesticides.

Join in with the Plastic Polution Coalition's campaign to Resolve to Refuse single use plastics in 2014.

If you have any causes or actions to add then let me know in the comments and if I like it I'll add it in.  And feel free to share any of this info (or the whole post) wherever and with whoever you like - if you sign any of the petitions and use social media then please consider using the share on facebook or twitter options that pop up, it increases the reach of these actions and awareness of these issues even further.  

Things I Loved This Month, January 2014.

This month I've loved...

* starting a shiny new year, with my boy, fizzy wine and Indian food * lie ins * new hoover * nice work-y chums * watching Girls series 2, Sherlock, Call the Midwife and 13 Going on 30 * crochet magazines * treating myself to a Hellbunny dress, it's lovely! * skyping * eating lots of veggies and healthy stuff * vegan croissants and pain au chocolat, sooo good! * learning to make dhal * take away * blankets and pink PJs * seeing The Hobbit part 2 at the cinema and buying a bag of popcorn as big as my torso (popcorn for brekkie and lunch the next day too!) * Going to the Barbican in London to see David Tennant in Richard II, it was sooooo good and we had such good seats.  (He is beautiful!) I went with mum and we had lovely falafel for tea before coming back and all the trains were on time * my pom pom maker came in the post! Pom Poms! * visits from lovely people * doing courses at work and getting certificates! * making crochet bunting * 

I want to say thank you to all of you who have visited or followed me here at my new blog, that makes me very happy too!

Hope you've had a great month!?

Follow me on Bloglovin', Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Pins of the Month.

I love pinterest.  Arguably, I spend waay to much time on pinterest.  Here are some of the best things I've pinned this month...

Susie Stars's pin on Pinterest.

Do you use pinterest?  Maybe we could be pinterest friends?!

Vegan Oat, Flax Seed and Coconut Flapjack Recipe.

My breakfast's were leaving me hungry mid morning, so I decided to add a bit more variety to my morning feast.  These are quick and easy to make and definitely fill you up until lunch time!  Although they are nice to eat at any time in the day, of course!

If you click on the emboldened text in the recipe, you can see that I've linked to the nutritional details of each ingredient, because that's something I'm thinking about these days.  (Unfortunately finding nutritional info was hard, I had to resort to Wikipedia, if any of you know of a better source for nutritional info online I'd appreciate it).

2 desertspoons vegan margarine
2 desertspoons golden syrup
2 desertspoons white sugar
2 desertspoons desiccated coconut
3 desertspoons golden flax seeds
1 desertspoon poppy seeds
Oats

Melt margarine, syrup and sugar together in the microwave.

Add enough oats to soak up the mixture but still remain wet enough to stick together.

Mix in the coconut and seeds.

Line a baking tray and fill with the mixture.  Press down.

Sprinkle sugar on top if you want a crispy finish (I used soft brown sugar).

Bake in the oven until firm, about 15-20 minutes, cool, cut into as many pieces as you want, then store in an airtight container.

Yummy!

Linking up with Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways.