Supermarket Sweep

I came across the Traidcraft Supermarket Shoppers’ Survey on their website the other week and I must admit, it has been troubling me ever since. Having started to answer questions on my shopping habits, one of the many distractions in my life stopped me from completing and submitting the survey, so my contribution will count […]

Water, water everywhere

I’ve just had the most fantastic experience. Ten minutes on my own in the local swimming pool. Completely on my own, swimming along with the sun streaming through the window. Bliss. Marred only by the anticipated arrival of the rowdy class of kids I’d passed on the steps on the way in.

Gadget man’s suggestion for […]

The Perfect Present

It was my sister’s birthday last week and the hunt for the perfect present was underway. Nothing too expensive and yet something special. Nothing too difficult to get hold of and yet something meaningful. Nothing extravagantly pointless and yet something memorable.
I’ve never had the confidence to give my granny a goat, my kid a kid […]

Use Less

People Tree sell a T shirt with USELESS on the design. Strangely, my husband is keen to get himself one. Not that he suffers from crushingly low self-esteem. On the contrary, he definitely has enough self-confidence to carry it off. Me and the kids haven’t knocked it all out of him yet. No - he’s […]

It’s a wind-up!

Couldn’t resist the title and it’s the least I deserve, given the inconvenience my gadget man’s latest eco-gadget has caused me.My bedroom has not experienced such noise and action in quite a while, I can tell you. Any ideas yet?
Sorry to disappoint, it’s just a Freeplay Summit wind-up radio. I shouldn’t say ‘just’ because there […]

Moving Mountains

Having been away with my brood for five days, my greatest preoccupation since my return has been moving mountains. Mountains of washing. Colour-co-ordinated damp dirty smelly clothes into the washing machine. Then cottons into the tumble drier, synthetic fibres onto the line, underwear onto the airer in the bathroom. After that, the ironing pile reaches […]

Stop the Traffik!

Just been away with the family to Spring Harvest, an annual Christian conference - at Butlins Skegness, no less! And ‘stop the traffik’ is not a misspelling of any fears, hopes or prayers for the journey: it is the slogan for the coalition that was flagged up throughout the time there.
Tying in with the launch […]

No Sweat!

Maybe no sweat, but definitely a few plasters to cover the blisters created as I try to wear in my new fairly traded sneakers!
I needed a pair and was about to visit the cheapest sports shop in the area, when I was struck by an attack of conscience. I sat down at the computer instead […]

Fish food

A day after my comments on fish last week, the National Geographic Magazine landed on my doormat. Its leading article was on fish.
Actually, less about marine pollution and more about over-fishing, but the link can still be made. With fish very much in my thinking, the stark images really got to me. Bycatch being thrown […]

Retailer 1: Ethical Consumer 0

A couple of days ago, I decided to make a momentous purchase. All my trousers have been a size too small since my excesses at Christmas, but I thought the best incentive to lose weight was to resist buying any new ones. It didn’t work. So, having seen M and S adverts for fair trade […]