Strange Machines » Green Living

Handmade Flour Bites

Mephala — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 09:52:22 +0000

The kids and I made homemade flour bites (flour and water) ready to fry tonight. They had a great time making the dough, kneading it and pressing the animal shapes.

Moleskine is Toxic

Mephala — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:38:22 +0000

So disappointed to read on Wikipedia that Moleskine notebook covers have phthalates. Plus they are made in China. Surely for the price they charge, they can afford to make them in Europe with a safer option for a cover? I’m throwing mine away and sticking to the £6 made in England leather notebook I bought in Oxford.

T-shirt Playmat

Mephala — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 08:17:40 +0000

Upcycled this old tee my son grew out of into a cute playmat!

Felt Kitchen Playset

Mephala — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:29:21 +0000

Kitten is now busy with cooking and marketing. She carries her basket and picks up items and pops them inside. She also loves to play with the pots and pans I bought Wolf before and I’ve seen her standing with a pan pretending to cook.

So what’s a Momma gonna do? Make her a playset of course.

I cut the pieces out but did not sew them together. Just put the pan on the black felt and cook!

Made an egg sunny side up for them to cook. More on the way!

The Flowers Have Bloomed!

Mephala — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:49:31 +0000

Is it possible to upgrade my brown thumb to light brown? My yellow bamboo wilted and one corn plant decided to go yellow but this one bloomed!

PovertyJane Wool Longies and Shortie

Mephala — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 08:19:25 +0000

Kitten is on cloth by day but at night both kids are still on disposables. Previous night leaking was due to very full cloth diapers leaking from the waist and legs so I decided to get them longies which they can wear at night.

PovertyJane makes beautiful wool shorties and longies from upcycled wool sweaters. Upcycled clothes are the best for kids because any possible chemical residues have been washed off already.

Here are the lovely ones that arrived today.

Flowers!

Mephala — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 02:37:30 +0000

I have brown thumbs but these flowers bloomed!

Project Cupboard

Mephala — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:52:34 +0000

Hubby fixed this $59 unfinished solid pine cupboard from Ikea and Wolf and I painted it. I liked the used look but am pondering painting another layer over it to look more finished. We will put a layer of beeswax over it after. That’s as natural as we can get for furniture around here.

Mom, the Roach Hunter

Mephala — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 05:47:40 +0000

It seems like since I became a mom I had to overcome many of my fears in order to be a hero to my children. One of them was getting over my fear of roaches.

I used to flee at the sight of a roach but now I have to arm myself with a newspaper and swat it till it is dead. The spray is only allowed if:

1. The roach is unreachable by newspaper.
2. Can find way quickly to the bedroom.
3. Washable area.

After all that stuff is poisonous to everyone and the environment but I have made peace with myself for using it only one out of 20 roaches if at all after trying virtually every safe and environmental method out there but failed miserably.

I have had to resort to roach poison traps which they bring back to their nests and that has been the only way they can be stopped. That and swatting the live ones.

Last night I had to take out 3, rolled up newspaper in hand. Wolf was very proud of me in the morning.

Blue and Red Painted Step Ladder

Mephala — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 08:25:50 +0000

Wolf and I painted this Ikea step ladder with non-toxic Crayola water colours and sealed it with beeswax.