A very simple tuiss Love this week. For some reason this bag and its design of wild boars snuffling for truffles struck a cord. I suppose its the autumnal wintery appeal!

Available from Urban Cuckoo.

Here’s a quick one to combat covering random dishes in cling film! Why not make a reusable bowl cover or if your sewing skills or time are limited treat yourself to one from Etsy?

Here’s my quick fix, place a tea plate on top of bowls. Just watch out though, they don’t play ‘fridge Jenga’ very well!

Last year’s advent calendar blog post proved so popular I thought I’d have a whizz around the internet once more and find 2010’s advent calendar gems.

Here for your enjoyment (year after year)  …

Just in time for the chilly weather we are offering you a 15% saving on our energy saving roller blinds. These blinds are designed to keep the warm air from escaping, meaning that you don’t need to keep turning up the heating to compensate for lost warmth!

Read all about these magic blinds on the blog or click straight through to the NRG roller range. (We have verticals too by the way.)

This one really is easy. It must be because I do it myself! Mix up your very own glass or window cleaner in a jiffy.

Save one of those spray bottles then just pour in 1 jug of water and a quarter jug of vinegar. Hey presto your own cleaner.

I particularly like it for cleaning my glass hob and oven door, spray on, rub with scrunched up newspaper then buff with one of those e-cloths.

You will feel incredibly virtuous I guarantee it!

As I write this admittedly it’s pouring down! However on a windy or sunny day there’s something so undeniably satisfying about hanging out a load of washing on a washing line.

I have a Minky double retractable line (wow!) and not one, but two peg hangers for all our ‘smalls’, as well as a hot pink peg caddy. Who knew hanging out the washing could be so stylish and glamorous?

Thursday thought is all about doing easy stuff and it doesn’t come any easier than this. Replace disposable plastic straws with these rather sophisticated stainless steel straws.

Unfortunately these straws are only available from the States, but try polycarbonate straws by Zak designs, available from Funky Moose.

I must drive check out assistants barmy as I pretty much never use a plastic bag to put my fruit and veg in. I just can’t see the point of putting a head of broccoli or bunch of bananas  into a plastic bag. The only time I draw the line is if it’s pears which get bruised and dented so easily or if I have more than three of something!

I should probably invest less than a tenner in a set of one of these from Onya, tulle bags that are strong, see through and so lightweight that they won’t tip the scales ….

Onya Weigh Bag For Fruit And Vegetables

Other features include:

• Ideal for washing fruit and veg – these ingenious little bags are also designed so you can use them as a colander too
• Breathable storage prolongs life – most fruit ‘n’ veg types store better in a breathable net – not sitting in a plastic bag where they can sweat and bruise etc.
• Simply hang the bags on a hook in the pantry and again the produce will last much longer
• Just as useful in the Health Food shop for: nuts, grains, rice and lentils etc.
• Can even be used as a laundry bag for small and delicate items
• 5 mesh bags tuck into one little bag made from parachute material with karabiner hook.

If you want to look at our earlier blogs on reusable bags then just click here and here.

Blue Marmalade is a great name for a fantastic design outfit based in Scotland. Trent Jennings and Tom Marsh are the founding directors and the Blue Marmalade name reflects their love of British design “and what’s more British than marmalade?” and their unique take on things, hence Blue Marmalade. We love their products which range from the very functional to the truly gorgeous.

Blue Marmalade’s guiding principal is to create and produce products that reflect its designer’s passions: simplicity, fun, functionality & eco – friendliness.

The Bloom lampshade and Polyrap bin are bang on trend with their folded good looks. (Take a peek at Elle’s trend predictions for 2010.) And who wouldn’t love the bi-clip? It’s actually a by-product of making lampshades, genius.

Saving paper. I could go on about using both sides of the paper, creating your own scrap paper book, writing very small….

or

I could introduce you to Yoyo’s Ceramic Notepad!

Ceramic Notepad has been sculpted initially from plaster, moulded and then made entirely out of clay. This smart jotter can be used to make those lists or leave little notes for your loved ones.

Supplied with a special pencil to write on the ceramic with, wipes or washes off easily, and believe me, it is most satisfying to write on the glazed surface with these waxy pencils (simple pleasures!) The hole through the top not only mimics a spiral jotter but also keeps the pen and pad together for convenient use.

Also for use with dry wipe markers or even permanent markers – they just wash off with water.