10 Ways To Help My World

The coolest little book arrived in the mail today from Book Depository - 10 Things I Can Do To Help My World, by  Melanie Walsh. A gorgeously illustrated hardback, each eco-tip that even kids can do is presented in a simple lift-the-flap format. My daughter was most concerned about the eighteen glasses of water one can waste by leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth, and demanded a trip outside to the recycling bins to make sure we were separating our rubbish properly.

FYI: we are. Promise.

Deep Breath - New Buys for a New Decade

We might look back on the noughties as a fast paced, consumer-driven, bling-encrusted decade with fond memories and maybe a cultural cringe or two. In theory, that means we can look forward to a decade (what are they called? Teens?) where we learn to slow down, appreciate quality over quantity, and focus on the whole (I'm talking friends and family, community, planet) rather than looking inwards.

With that in mind, I want to borrow that wonderfully understated British WWII slogan and gently suggest we all bare it in mind:

In order to do this, let's borrow some of that noughties spirit and buy a few little things to get us on our way. Good things though; useful things. I promise.

An inspirational notebook to jot down your thoughts. And get this: you could even use a pen to do so! A PEN! Notebook, $24.95; 'Bow' pen $6.95; both from Notemaker.

A book which not only looks pretty, but teaches you how to grow your own vegies and how to cook them. That's right, rants about Coles will soon be (mostly) a thing of the past! Delia's Kitchen Garden, $36.45 from Book Depository.

Some cute fabric to create your very own Sound of Music curtain-dress moment. $12.95 per 1/2m from FunkyFabrix.

Bling doesn't have to disappear altogether - in fact, give it a new lease on life by supporting independent artists who use recycled or reclaimed materials. Brooch, US$34.99 from ecobling at Etsy.

Tread softly on the earth - but make sure it's in a jazz style shoe in organic leather. Dorothy, $219 from tHeHorse.

And float about like a cloud in a supersoft organic cotton tee. $120 by Bassike.

Deep breath.....now, doesn't that feel better already?

Why I'm not working for the rest of the week:

All I'm going to say is that this book arrived today from Fishpond so I'm not going to work tomorrow:


Sigh. I actually really just like the cover, and the bold black and white spine looks awesome on my Fantastic bookshelf. Joke, joke (partly) I'm hoping the content is as informative and inspirational as it looks.

Aside from Book Depository (where I recently bought Mary Queen of Scots for a bit of light reading, and pre ordered the new Phillipa Gregory, my guilty pleasure), Fishpond has been my most clicked on site lately. They have seriously everything there, and while the shipping is slow, it's ok, cos it's sorta a cyber version of a lazy afternoon browsing in a bookshop. And it means if you buy several items, you get staggered deliveries so stuff comes for days! Though earlier this week the postman left my new books in the recycling bin, which took the gloss off a little. Good old Aus Post!