The things that got me through January....

My local library

Carmex (Cherry) Lip Balm

Fenjal Bath Oil

Aero Lambs

Endless cups of tea from my 'Jeeves' mug

Happy February! The days have started to get longer and the daffodils are starting to appear and I am already in Summer planning mode (a trifle optimistic for sure but it is pleasant daydreaming after the cold and grey January we've had).

Where's your money growing?

Today marks the start of the third National Ethical Investment Week (NEIW). NEIW is a campaign to raise awareness of green and ethical options for your finances. I think it's an interesting campaign for a number of reasons....firstly, finance and 'green' choices poses an interesting disconnect. Many of us who try to live in a generally sustainable and ethical way don't make the logical connection to extend this to our finances. It's great to to buy fairtrade coffee and recycle and make various other green and ethical choices but what about what we do with our money? What is our money financing and have we actually stopped and asked that question about our bank accounts, pension funds and investments. Finances may not be the most exciting topic to discuss but it's a huge issue and NEIW tries to raise awareness of this....much like Fairtrade Fortnight.

Easy ways to support the Week:

• Visit the NEIW website to find out more


• Take the NEIW green and ethical money quiz to discover your green and ethical money profile and really get started with thinking about your financial decisions


• Attend an NEIW event taking place in the next week

Where's your money growing? It's certainly a question worth asking!

Coveting....Northern Lights Birchwood Tray

Along with teapots and enamelware (and many other things) I have always been a big fan of trays....it's not that I use trays that often to be honest, but I just love them and am particularly loving this one which is now available at Amnesty International's online shop for the reasonable sum of £21.50. The illustration is by Finnish artist Emma Laiho. And should you be browsing the Amnesty site....I am also loving these gorgeous hand-painted cups, although I would probably want them more if the Winter wasn't closing in as they seem to me more of a Summer purchase.

On the note of Amnesty's website though, it is one of a list of online 'shops' from NGOs and other organisations that are a great source of inspiration for original Christmas shopping (aah, yes...I am joining the hordes of annoying shops that have already started pushing Christmas in our faces!).....but seriously, just thought I'd mention it now for all the super-organised out there......

Beauty Review: Burt's Bees Pore Refining Mask

I have been a fan of Burt's Bees ever since a friend bought me one of their travel kits a few years ago while on holiday in the US. At the time, particularly living in South Africa, the range of 'natural' beauty products was rather limited and I found the lack of synthetics combined with interesting natural ingredients a refreshing approach.

I am actually now on my second jar of Burt's pore-refining mask with french green clay. I bought the first in Summer last year and have just purchased the second, which I suppose is enough of a review in itself.

The mask is 100% natural and basically contains French green clay and dried herbs and flowers. The product comes in powder form and needs to be mixed with a little water to make a thin paste which can be spread onto the face. Although I do find this a little fiddly, and occasionally messy, the advantage is that you can mix up as much as you like and the product has an excellent shelf life. For me, the reason why I like this so much is that my skin is slightly sensitive and I have found that other purifying, clay-based masks tend to irritate my skin. This one does leave my skin slightly flushed for a while, but it doesn't itch and the after effects are that my skin actually feels soothed and perfectly clean. I can't say huge pores are my major skin issue so I can't speak for those who suffer from this affliction but as a general pore-refining, deep cleansing mask this one is the best I've used.

I heart these...

I have always had a bit of a 'thing' for enamelware and I was in a bit of sulk recently as this enamel mug from John Lewis had been sold out before I could get my hands on one. But they are now back in stock and I will definitely be purchasing some. Yes, such simple things give me joy! Particularly as it is also Friday and nearly the weekend, hope you all have lovely ones...

Organic Fortnight starts today....

Organic Fortnight (3-17 September) kicks off today. I have previously blogged about my feelings on organic food and other products [Organic debate (en)rages] so I won't go into it again. Generally though I am definitely a supporter and Organic Fortnight is an excellent way of getting involved in celebrating 'all things organic', to quote the Soil Association's website.

The website gives a number of simple ways to get involved. Those of you near Bristol Habourside on the 11th and 12th of September could head to the 10th Organic Food Festival. Another idea is to visit an organic farm or host an organic dinner party. The website also has an excellent section on 'Organic on a budget' which addresses a concern that I often encounter among those who would ideally like 'go organic' but are concerned about the increase in costs.

This, that and homemade pasta...

So my Bank Holiday weekend was as wild as anticipated! I delved into Gordon's 'Great Escape: 100 of my Favourite Indian Recipes' and made a delicious (in my humble opinion) Badami Chicken Curry and Sag Aloo. Badam translates to Almond in English but the curry had a very different flavour to a Korma, less sweet. Both recipes turned out well although I would modify the curry slightly the next time by adding some extra chillies, it was spicy but a bit mild for my taste. The book seems great so far though. There are a number of other recipes I'd like to try and many that are a bit different from what you might find in a standard Indian cookery recipe book.

The other culinary adventure of the weekend was totally instigated by the OH who bought a pasta machine (this one actually) from a charity store which we were browsing for books. I was, it has to be admitted, a little unenthusiastic. I love cooking of course but it just seems so much easier to buy pasta from the shops. But we followed (well the OH followed and I observed) the recipe in the recent Guardian article 'How to make perfect pasta' and after a bit of trial and error with the rolling and the folding it turned out wonderfully, although we made far too much. Served up tagliatelle-style with a carbonara sauce the pasta was honestly so different from shop bought that it was well worth the effort (probably not for every occasion on which I fancy pasta though). Next we are going to use home made pasta in lasagna and I have a feeling it will be a bit special.

Leaving food matters aside, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Liz Earle shampoo and conditioner. I have pre-ordered their new haircare range which officially launches today. Finding a decent shampoo that contains no sodium lauryl/laureth sulphate can be a struggle for natural beauty product fans so I am excited to see whether the range lives up to the Liz Earle high standards which I have always found with their face and body ranges.