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  • Homemade exfoliating coffee and cinnamon soap

    Homemade exfoliating coffee and cinnamon soap

    craft, natural home, natural skincare, sustainable living

Homemade exfoliating coffee and cinnamon soap

Recycle used coffee grounds into a luxuriously exfoliating and all-natural homemade coffee and cinnamon soap.

Koren Helbig2021-04-26T17:27:21+09:30March 20th, 2015|craft, natural home, natural skincare, sustainable living|16 Comments
  • Homemade soap, the traditional Castile way

    Homemade soap, the traditional Castile way

    craft, natural home, natural skincare, sustainable living

Homemade soap, the traditional Castile way

A Spanish grandmother shares her traditional recipe for homemade soap from Spain's Castilla-La Mancha region, the original home of the popular Castile soap.

Koren Helbig2021-05-06T15:03:28+09:30December 16th, 2014|craft, natural home, natural skincare, sustainable living|31 Comments
  • Natural homemade laundry detergent powder

    Natural homemade laundry detergent powder

    natural home

Natural homemade laundry detergent powder

Learn how to make your own all-natural homemade laundry detergent powder and ditch the nasty chemicals of store-bought laundry soaps for good.

Koren Helbig2020-06-09T18:51:54+09:30July 16th, 2014|natural home|2 Comments

+ A freebie for you

My Top 25 Permaculture Books list to get you going with organic gardening & sustainable living.

I read a lot. These are the books I’ve found best for practical inspiration and actionable skills. I’ll also send you my occasional newsletter, full of even more good things to try at yours :)

"The practice of growing and eating flowers is ben "The practice of growing and eating flowers is beneficial mentally and emotionally, for me. And they make you very happy when they're on your plate."

Yum! 🌻

In my latest story for @abc_everyday, I chatted all things edible flowers with Geelong-based horticulturist and permaculture designer Michelle Mairs from @sprouthousefarms.

Michelle has grown flowers to eat and sell for almost a decade — and all from rental properties. 🙌

"You should aim for 10 to 20 per cent of your total garden space to be at flower," she suggests.

So many good tips in this story (link to the full thing in my bio).

Time to get edible flower-growing, yeah?
#BeekeepingWorldRecord :: This is pretty cool. A b #BeekeepingWorldRecord :: This is pretty cool. A bunch of bee-stewarding folks who identify as women are attempting an official world record for 'The Most Photos of Women+ Beekeeping Uploaded in 24 Hours'. 🐝

Last month I celebrated my two-year anniversary as a natural beekeeper — I use the Warré hive system.

I'm in awe of all the bees have taught me already, about observation, calmness, collaboration and embracing seasons of busyness and seasons of quiet.

Thanks, steady little bees. ❤️

And here's a cool bee fact for you, from the book 'Common Sense Natural Beekeeping' by Kim Flottum:

"The oldest known bee fossil, preserved in amber, is 100 million years old, which means bees lived beside dinosaurs and survived when the mighty reptiles didn't."

Cooooool. ☀

More info about the world record thingo over at @sister_hives.
Throwback time :: it's fiiiiinally warmed up here Throwback time :: it's fiiiiinally warmed up here in South Australia, which feels like the perfect time to reshare this story I wrote for @abc_everyday a couple years back.

Link in my bio to heaps of rental-friendly ways to use plants to cool your house down.

Because strategically growing plants against certain windows and walls can help block heat and act as a kind of living air conditioner. A free one, at that.

This cuts down on energy-hungry air-cooling systems — a win for the environment that can also save money on power bills.

Plus, choose the right plants and you can grow yourself some food at the same time.

🥒🙌

I've since bought my rental, but I still haven't added any further air conditioning.

Passive cooling all the way...

Right now, it's about leaving doors and windows open at night (I have security screens, so it's safe) to let cool air in, then shutting blinds and internal doors during the day to keep heat out.

The future plan? I'm soon to build an open pergola along my home's northern and western sides, where I'll grow grapevines for summer shade and delish fruit.

It's literally the same theory I played with while renting, just done in a more permanent way now that I own the place.

I'd love to hear your low-energy and/or low-cost ways of keeping homes cool, too?

🌞
Bit late to the party posting about this one... De Bit late to the party posting about this one... December has kinda flown past, right? 🎄

Anywho, a reminder that a sustainable Christmas tree is super easy to make. No need for plastic or bought natural ones, if you want to go a little lighter on the planet or your wallet.
⠀
A fallen eucalypt branch collected from my local park, hung with paper origami stars I folded myself — that was my Chrissy tree this year. 🤶
⠀
All entirely free, all entirely compostable come the New Year.

Beautiful in its simplicity, I reckon.

Christmas can be *such* a wasteful time of the year. It makes me pretty sad, to be honest. Because it's so unnecessary and causes so much stress too. With some slight tweaking of traditions, it really doesn't have to be that way.

What about you? Found some ways to help lighten your holiday impact?

✨
⠀
(And hat tip to my sis @alanajadestudio for helping with my tree and capturing some of the vids in this little reel. Soundtracked to Boney M, as per her request. 😁)
Garlic harvest :: I love how gardening is a slow a Garlic harvest :: I love how gardening is a slow and steady learning process that simply can't be rushed.

Take this ongoing lesson in garlic growing, which I've been studying for 3+ years now... 

First year, I didn't enrich my soil with enough organic fertiliser and compost before planting. So I learned: not enough nutrients = tiny garlic bulbs. 

Second year, I planted them in a spot that was a bit too shady. So I learned: not enough sunlight = small garlic bulbs. 

This year, I got those two things right yet planted the bulbs too close together. So I learned: competition against each other = medium-sized garlic bulbs.

At least they're getting bigger each year as I cotton on to what's needed?

And those tiny bulbs are great for making honey fermented garlic, for scoffing to ward off all manner of illnesses.

Fourth time lucky, I guess. 

Bring on 2023.
Celebrating my 10-year anniversary... with this me Celebrating my 10-year anniversary... with this metal drink bottle. 🍻

Bought in Tassie in 2012, while travelling around the island in a van with my sister.

We (the bottle and I, obviously) then flew to the other side of the world together and lived for four glorious years in Spain. And when I came home to Australia, Old Mate Bottle was of course by my side.

It looks a bit scrappy these days, admittedly.

But — if it ain't broke, don't buy a new one. Right?

That's one small and simple way to minimise the scourge of STUFF, and all the environmental and financial impacts that come with buying new for new's sake.

If I ever do need a replacement bottle, I'll first look in secondhand shops. Metal water bottles are super easy to thrift.

And I'll hunt for one without the painted colour, as they don't end up looking as battered.

But hopefully that day never comes. Me and this guy are rather well attached. Here's to another 10. 🥰

I acknowledge and pay my respect to the Kaurna people, the traditional custodians of the land on which I live, learn and work.

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