Hmm I thought I'd blogged before about detergents but seems I've just talked about various laundry balls i wanted to talk about the boring topic of laundry, mostly because my long held traditions have changed. In the post about balls i talked about the magnoball and laundry balls as well as dryer balls. Well dryer balls are the only ones I'm still using.

I didn't get on with laundry balls because I'm a bit dyspraxic so my clothes do get mucky and need real detergent. I'd been using ecover laundry products and washing up liquid for years, bought on-line, in bulk from wiggly wigglers. I've also tried faith in nature and BioD and found them all much of a muchness. I also tried the Method laundry detergent which is fab but prohibitively expensive. Towards the end of last year I'd ran out of laundry liquid and in the shop noticed that the ecover product was nearly 3x the cost of the supermarket own brand. I bought own brand and have ever since, I'm not sure I'd say it was better, but it sure as hell is cheaper, and I can't see me switching back anytime soon.

Then between Christmas and new years we had a crisis of washing up liquid (No dishwasher here :( ). I sent husband round the shop and he returned with a bottle a fairy liquid. Well it was a 650ml bottle and we are only just over halfway through it, we would have used a litre of my usual brands by now. Is it better to use a smaller amount of less biodegradable detergent, or more of a more biodegradable detergent? There is a stream near where I live with hideously foamy water and I'd hate be contributing to that. But I need clean, clothes and plates and so on without breaking the bank. What's a girl to do?

On a cheerier note, I would still heartily recommend dryer balls. Noisy buggers but they make things softer and dry in less time, and believe me I have done a lot of tumble drying this winter.

Does anyone have stong feelings about laundry they want to share?

An Invite from Ed Milliband?!

Was very surprised this week to get a letter from Ed Milliband (s press machine). I've been invited to meet Andy Burnham at a top secret location on Friday as part of the fresh-ideas.org.uk campaign. Not really sure what to think about this, I mean how do they know who I am? Why pick me? Exactly what have I been invited to? I'm guessing this sort of 'engagement event' is about mining for ideas to reshape Labour policy.

As fortune has it I'm off on Friday, so I'm gonna schelpp along and see what its really about. I'm a little concerned my head might explode. The ConDems are making great haste in wrecking this country, and the opposition Labour are providing is pathetic. There are so many things that make me crazy (in no particular order):
The Health Bill
Changes to disability living allowance
Library Closures
Threats to bookstart
Replacing nurse - led NHS direct with NHS111 with 1 nurse per call-centre
Forest Sell-Off
The 'Universal Credit'
Cuts to all areas of local authorities particularly, children's (and adults) social services
Decimation of Sure Start
Removal of public transport subsidies

There are probably a ton more, that's just off the top of my head. It upsets me when people's main response to this is "well what would you cut?". These cuts are not an economic necessity, they are an ideological assault on all of us. This brilliant video from the blog at False Economy, explains it well. Its said you should judge a society by the way it treats its most vulnerable members. Many of these cuts target the most vulnerable whether that's children, people with disabilities, older people, the long term unemployed etc etc.

So what do I say? Where do I start? Do I bring my list of vitriol with me? The opposition Labour provide has to step up a gear, or we are all lost. Sadly I just don't see it happening. Many of the ConDems ideas are building on the 'work' of New Labour.

I will report back on what happens, I hope I will come home happy and convinced Labour speak for people like me. But I seriously doubt it.

My Vegetarian Preganancy (no not mine!)

I am feeling just a little smug as last night I found out my letter was published in latest edition of Vegetarian Living magazine. I wrote in about an article in the January edition called "My Vegetarian Pregnancy". I was one woman's experience, and, undoubtedly she did have a bad experience with her health visitor, who told her she had to eat meat. Because it was one woman's story there was no explanation of why we weigh babies and worry if their not gaining as much we would expect (clue: it's because there's something wrong!).
Reading the article, it struck me that if I wasn't a student Health Visitor, this article would totally have put me off seeking advice from my HV (er, if I had a baby, which I don't); hence the writing in. Very happy to see my letter published in an issue which also gives some very sensible vegetarian and vegan weaning advice; a teensy bit disappointed to have lost out on letter of the month to a finalist of Miss Teen GB (really? they want to endorse beauty pageants?).

Its been nearly a year since I posted here. The reasons are many, some will become clear. I think this blog is goin to have a change of direction though

Robin Hood Tax

Ok, not really a proper post here. Just a shout out about this Robin Hood Tax

Early sowings

Hmmm forgot the camera again.

Planted up the bed I talked about preparing last time - 'Solent Wight' garlic and 'Yellow Moon' and 'Jermor' shallots. I was keen to get them in (esp. the garlic) while it was still cold. We also prepared a bed for parsnip sowing, and started compost trenches in the bean bed.
I'm looking forward to seeing what results this produces, as it was mostly filled with used rabbit bedding, which I have an almost unending source of (my beloved mischief). I'm also being given a cat this week which i'm very excited about but I can't compost it's poo or feed it things from the allotment (mischief is currently existing off sprouts (stalks n'all) and kale (as well as hay, water, and bunny nuggets of course).

As I was (ahem) studying hard today I came across the transition Southampton website and found out about a seed swap this very weekend. Very exciting indeed!

Talking of seeds we sowed outdoor cucumbers and Brussels sprouts last week. I now think it may have been a bit early (note to self read books before sowing) but I guess i'll just have to pot them up indoors until they're ready for the great outdoors. Mind you i'm counting my seedling before they've germinated there.

Oh sorry, I forgot the camera :(

On the upside no longer horribly waterlogged (woo); on the downside too much to do (boo).
We focused on preparing a bed for us to plant shallots in which will go in next time (don't know when that will be though). We used the raised bed but without edging reccomended by Bob Flowerdew and used by our neighbours on the allotment (who inspire a lot of plot envy!) we'll let you know how it goes, it looks quite good now though! The best thing though was finally having some of our own home made compost to dig in (after 2 1/2 years). It looked good and felt nice to be using it instead of relying on bought in stuff. I am hotly anticipating the spring with so many ideas I'll never fit them all in, I think it was ever thus.