Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Planting a bromeliad garden...

we built out house two years ago and found out upon moving in that the $20k landscaping package we "added-on"...didn't actually include plants - doh!

what we have instead is a backyard 19m across, with two layers of retaining walls, so a total of almost 40m wide garden beds that need planting out. it's pretty barren at the moment...(excuse the lattice, it was part of our Side Show Alley for Alex's circus party last weekend).
2 layers of retaining wall, needing planting out
after a few failed attempts at planting it out (we tend to just get the whole area weed-free before the rain starts again, and the weeds pop back), we now decided to stage the process. we've decided to work on little sections at a time, filling it with low maintenance tropical plants.  the first area is my "bromeliad station" I started on today.  as these plants can be expensive, and we have quite a large area to fill, a little call to mum & dad was in order (they have quite a few bromeliads).  next day dad arrived with a carton of "pups" from their plants, that I've been growing in pots for the last couple of months.
Bromeliad pups growing, with some rhoeo (I also got from my parents garden)

today was the day to start putting these guys in the ground. the weather was awesome, the kids were happily playing on the trampoline - perfect! so in they went...
I've planted a row of red/green ones at the front, with some pink/green ones behind. once they grow up and bulk out they should look good. behind I'm popping in some xanadu and cordyline, with a majestic palm in the back corner.  i think next time though I need a longer pair of garden gloves, cause this is what my arms look like this afternoon....
OUCH!!! (when bromeliads attack, lol)
Wishing you well with your gardening efforts this weekend!


Cass xo

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Time for a home detox...


Yes, it’s time for a home detox!

Last week we chatted on the facebook page about my current desire to do a home detox.  You see, as much as I try to “do the right things” it’s gotten easier over time to cheat on things that didn’t seem to matter too much, like buying toothpaste from the supermarket instead of ordering the natural one; using chemical cleaners around the home on occasions (after helping a friend clean her house to move, I accidentally “adopted” some of the chemical cleaners); or grabbing the occasional loaf of “plastic bread” from the supermarket.

Yes, on their own these things are little I guess, but they do add up…let me tell you the story…
A little under 2 years ago we moved into a brand new house. We built it, selecting all the bits & bobs, decorating it how we wanted. But our budget didn’t extend to some of the low-allergen & eco friendly options we would have liked (like low allergen paints, carpets, solid timber cabinets etc).   So , we compromised & got what we could afford, now two years on we’re wondering why we did that.  Our little family now has a raft of health issues, that seem to be getting worse.  That’s why I think it’s time for a home detox.

Let me tell you a little of what’s going on…
1. My kids have developed asthma.  My youngest has an immune deficiency, so this is a BIG concern

2. Both my kids are more reactive these days, every little thing sets off their allergies, plus their allergies are increasing

3. Sleeping is a nightmare! Both my kids are unsettled at night (they’re 3 and 6)and get up multiple times each a night, due everything from night terrors & breathing issues, to overactive hypnagogic reflex

4. And although I’m exhausted, I have insomnia and can’t sleep

5. My youngest son isn’t growing. He’s the size and weight of an 18mth old…and he’s 3yrs….

6. Personally, I feel sick and tired all the time, literally. I have constant headaches, migraines, dizzy spells, vertigo and all sorts of weird and wonderful things going on.  An MRI, catscan & blood tests failed to find reasons for it.

7. My family’s immunity seems to have completely deteriorated.  My youngest get’s sick every couple of weeks, each time now it’s very croupy, and the rest of us get it too.  We just get over one thing, when another hits us.

Generally, we just don’t feel “right”, and feel like we are never getting past the sickness.  I think, among other things, we are dealing with MCS (mulitiple chemical sensitivity disorder), VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) and off-gassing issues (house paints, carpets, furniture etc) which is why I’m setting a course for a total home detox!

So I’ll be clearing out, cleaning up and fixing up everything I can to get my family’s health back in shape! Moving out isn’t an option for us, as I”m sure it’s not for many of you, so follow me as I take you step by step through things we can all do to make our homes healthier places for our families.
So, who’s with me????  Why not visit our facebook page to introduce yourself too, we’d love to get to know you all better!


I’d love to share this little journey with you! Please share this post so we can get as many involved as possible :)   Add a little comment below & tell me about your situation and why you’re joining the Home Detox Journey!  The first post in our detox journey will be Mon June 4th so be sure to keep a look out. I’ll post a link on the fb page too…


Cass x