Thinking about Christmas already

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Nov 19, 2007 11:12 am

I have done a lot of swaps, on flickr and on GimmeYourStuff, but it´s feeling a bit old, mostly perhaps because we tend to swap with eachother (it´s like Beverly Hills 90210 - everybody in the group dates eachother, here we´re a group that has swapped with everybody), and end up with similar packages, simply because we have very similar taste. Well, that taste (Japanese cute things) is only one part of me, another (big part) LOVES vintage and domestic things, and Laura mentioning Emergency Parcels made me think - wouldn´t it be fun to do some kind of vintage housekeeper´s swap?

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Nov 19, 2007 2:13 pm

How funny Karla, I was reading the post and got to the part about the Christmas scented stuff. Like you I thought why don't we get things like that and then you said it too. I want pretty Christmas scented things here in the U.S. Why do you suppose they don't do that here?

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Nov 19, 2007 5:34 pm

Karlanee and Holly - you can always add perfume, or essential oils, to an unscented fabric conditioner!

I bought rosemary-scented washing-up liquid in France and loved it and it simply doesn't exist here so I just buy Ecover's ordinary washing-up liquid and add about 6 or 7 drops of rosemary essential oil and it smells like the wild hillside garrigue of Le Sud de France with the wild rosemary and thyme and lavender and the wild olive trees and the blue blue sky... wa-a-a-h, wanna go back now!!!!

[sniffle]

Okay. [blows nose]

I'm fine... no, really...

I've been inspired by Malin's link to pretty household products in Sweden to try prettying my washing-up liquid bottle - AND I'm making presents of gold, frankincense and myrrh bath salts*... so I think I'll try frankincense and myrrh in the Festive Ecover and some red and green ribbon with a couple of tiny baubles tied round its neck!

laura
*coarse crystal sea salt, 95p for about 200 or 250g in Waitrose; mix with essential oils of frankincense and myrrh and then add flakes and flecks of pure gold leaf from an art shop... how festive is that?!

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Mon Nov 19, 2007 9:19 pm

laura, What great ideas.

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Tue Nov 20, 2007 3:10 am

I'd love to do some of those ideas - but now for another trouble making issue - I've never seen unscented fabric softener in our stores - have you Holly?

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Tue Nov 20, 2007 4:04 am

No I haven't. Soaps yes but not softener. Let's see if anyone else out there has.

Edit: I was just thinking, don't they have softener sheets that are unscented? Bounce sheets? Sheets aren't my favorite but I wonder if you could put a drop or two of oil on them and add them to the dryer.

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Wed Nov 21, 2007 8:16 pm

I am looking forward to the cooking myself, well actually the eating! I did a Dickens themed Christmas lunch last year, with a goose stuffed with apple and sausage stuffing, and made my own Christmas pudding. My husband and I and two of our friends a a very nice lunch. Everyone asked for a repeat this year. I made sure I made ginger bread too, for some reason I am the only one I know who likes Christmas pudding! Sheesh! Well, the more for me I guess:)

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Thu Nov 22, 2007 12:39 am

Oh,OH! You teasey Brits!
Laura Elsewhere....did you just type "Rosemary scented washing-up powder"??? Sooooo jealous I am. But happy for you. I only call it 'detergent' instead of the elegant and crisp "Washing-Up Powder". Gosh, that just makes the whole prospect of laundry sound like more fun.

Karlanee....I'm in Texas, so I feel your pain in the lack of scented-fun products. It's Tide or nothing. Great red jacket in your new photo, by the way! So glamorous but sleek.

Hmmm.....anyone have any luck making 'green' washing things? (other than the basic lemon juice & vinegar stuff).

By the way, I saw two COYOTES -big ones-on my walk today, scary. Fortunately, they were uncomfortable with me, also, and ran away.

Living so far out in the woods, I have a septic system. If noone else has that, it means we have a self-supporting sewage line. (Icky to mention, but important to mention as it limits the sorts of products you can use to clean with) SO....it's very environmentally friendly, but makes me very careful as to what to put down the drain.

So.....suggest away, please!
OohLaLaura

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Thu Nov 22, 2007 9:55 am

Ah now, you see, there's Washing Powder, which is what you put in the Washing Machine to do your laundry (known as "doing the washing"), and then there's Washing Up Liquid which is what you put in the washing-up bowl in the sink to "do the washing-up" which is cleaning your pots and pans and crockery and so on...

The manufacturers keep trying to call them "detergents" but to most British English-speakers, I think, that would mean the cleaning agent that's an ingredient in a washing-up liquid or washing-powder...

Next Session: how to say 'VITT-a-mins' just like my Mum ;-)

laura

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Thu Nov 22, 2007 10:04 am

Isn't "washing powder" the old name for detergent? I seem to recall one of my grandmothers always referred to laundry detergent as washing powder.

Dish soap is what we Maritime Canadians call dish washing liquid or "washing up" soap/liquid.

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Thu Nov 22, 2007 9:46 pm

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:49 am

FAO Laura_Elsewhere

Hi Laura,

Am delurking here as just wanted to let you know on my internet travels I discovered daylesfords organics (http://www.daylesfordorganic.com) and they make a range of organic cleaning products. Amongst these beautiful things is washing up liquid, scented with rosemary! At least now you have a source for it here in the UK.

Had to let you know as your ideas are always so inspiring and beautiful.

All best,

Helen (chronic lurker!)

Subject: Re: Thinking about Christmas already Fri Nov 23, 2007 10:44 pm

Helen, you are a star!

What a fab site... they have organic paint! I knew about paint with low VOCs for asthma-sufferers but I never even thought about managing to make the entire process organic... that's dedication, isn't it?

I shall enjoy browsing through that... when's payday... hmmm...

;-)

laura
p.s. now you've burst out and delurked, you can do it again... c'mon... heeere, Helen... c'mon girl... tea and Ecclefechan Tart for you here... come on... out you come... you can't stay hiding in there forever... ;-)