Organic Beginnings

“By the wholesale use of powerful insecticides, of which far too little is yet known, we may well be upsetting the whole balance of Nature. We are like schoolboys rat-hunting in a munition dump with a flame-thrower.” Soil Association Journal, 1947

The organic food movement really started in the post war years, when most farmers were turning to chemicals to increase yields. Some clever people realised that if we substitute animal manure for chemicals, then we deplete the health of the soil – and so too the plants, insects, animals and people that rely on it. So Lady Eve Balfour established the Soil Association in 1945 to highlight this relationship between the soil and man.

But chemicals in our soil don’t just affect agriculture and horticulturists were also starting to assimilate these practices into their gardens. The Henry Doubleday Research Association, now called Garden Organic, was set up in 1958 to address this issue.

It was when the anti pesticide movement really took hold in the 60′s and the Soil Association developed the first organic standards that we first started to see organic products in health food stores. Increasing environmental concerns over the course of the 70′s and 80′s contributed to a growing eco organic awareness.

Organic Rebellion

Fast forward to 2010 and the last 5-10 years have seen an explosion in organic awareness – but there are many opposing views gaining coverage as well. And so most of us procrastinate, unsure which choice is the right one to make, with little confidence in which will really make a difference to our health, our family, our planet. We choose organic labels sometimes, but wonder if we’re being duped by the advertisers.

The Soil Association and Garden Organic are two UK organisations that continue to work to increase awareness of organic practice. Organic awareness is a global issue and there are many others working in the field, such as the Organic Trade Association in North America. This video was commissioned by them and produced by Free Range Studios. It’s a great way to share the organic message, don’t you think?

Organikal Challenge

I’m working on my very own Organikal Challenge so that you, Dear Reader, can join the organic rebellion – and understand which decisions to make for the best when you create your organic home.

Why should you care about an organic lifestyle,  join the rebellion or take the Organikal Challenge?

The Committee for Advertising Practice (CAP) has approved the following statements for use in organic marketing, and you can find them in the Soil Association website. Why organic? I think they’re pretty convincing on their own:

Five reasons to choose organic?

• Knowing what’s in your food – Hydrogenated fats and controversial additives including aspartame, tartrazine, MSG are banned under organic standards

• For the environment – Organic farming releases less greenhouse gases than non-organic farming – choosing organic, local and seasonal food can significantly reduce your carbon footprint

• For animal welfare – Organic standards insist that animals are given plenty of space and fresh air to thrive and grow – guaranteeing a truly free-range life

• For wildlife - Organic farms and havens for wildlife and provide homes for bees, birds and butterflies. In fact, the UK Government’s own advisors found that plant, insect and bird life is up to 50% greater on organic farms.

• GM-free diet - Genetically modified crops and ingredients are banned under organic standards

Are these the only reasons? I don’t think so, but we don’t wish to get sued

Ingesting artificial fertilisers and pesticides doesn’t really do it for me, though – and I hate the monopoly that non-organic – or should I say non-Organikal? – corporations have. Yes, we live in age of consumerism gone mental, but you know what? We can be switched on, savvy consumers who don’t sacrifice the planet, our health or our basic human rights in the process. Don’t you think so?

Still need some convincing to go organic? Then take some advice from Hammy the Hamster – you know he’s right

First things first, will you join in? There’s prizes to be had, you know

National Zero Waste Week is in its 3rd year, and this year it’s all about one of Organikal’s favourite activities – food!

Mrs Green over at My Zero Waste has rolled out this fabby campaign to highlight how much food waste we throw away – a whopping 8.3 million tonnes of food & drink every year, according to WRAP. Feeling suitably disgraced?

I’ve reported before about how much we favour leftovers here in the Organikal kitchen, and what with those and the composting, we’re pretty good – but we’re by no means perfect.  So we’re joining in from 6th-12th September, creating some delicious leftover recipes and other food upcycling projects.

You can join in, too. Head on over to My Zero Waste for some more ideas on what you can do to create Zero Food Waste, leave your comment to let us know your ideas and report back on your achievements. Do it, and you could win some great prizes

Camping on an organic farm in northern Spain: one of our favourite weekends during this summer’s house-swapping adventure!

A little research before leaving the UK introduced us to Vinyols Camp – an organic farm just a couple of hours south of Barcelona. A family business, the farming consists in the main of harvesting fruits and nuts. The camping is done under the trees, in tents, mobile homes or wooden chalets, with 90% of the guests from the city.

Only one hour and a half to set up our tent and famished, we made our way to the pavilion, which is the hub of the site. A great hall was being swept clean of the day’s activities, whilst a television showing the latest World Cup game attracted the attention of a few male guests. The dining hall was mostly empty, with coffees being served on the terrace.

Farm Produce Vegetarian Restaurant

Joan Mas laughingly assured us that 10pm was relatively early for dinner in Spain and after a brief discussion over likes and dislikes, he offered to just “bring us food“. As I write this it was almost 2 months ago and I’m sure over time my memory has played tricks, but I recall every member of the family delivering platters of delicious vegetarian food in steady succession. I knew I was going to love this place…

Guests are free to roam the farm, pet the horses, sit by the (essential for bio diversity) pond and – most fantastically – pick produce from the veg garden to cook. To be honest, cooking wasn’t really on my agenda – I was on holiday this weekend!

There was an attractively designed swimming pool to offer much needed respite from the blazing June sun and although it was lively in the morning, there was certainly plenty of space for everyone to enjoy. The free WiFi attracted us all to the pavilion, where we greedily consumed ice lollies – I wish they were natural home-made creations, but alas, Nestle had infiltrated even this small organic oasis.

That evening we were entertained as a by-product of some ladies who visited the camp to chant whilst playing some mysterious instruments. They didn’t mind us gawking at them in wonder.

Rosa, the mother of the business – whose forward thinking eco & spiritual philosophies ran through the very heart of the enterprise – came and went from the hall to the kitchen, with a kind word for everyone and by this time I was aching to speak to her, but alas, we had no shared language, other than lots of smiles and hugs.

Our next meal was, to borrow from Ruaridh’s vocabulary, awesome and we were already thinking how we could arrange to stay longer – but we were due to arrive at our next swap the next day. Perhaps we could come back – and bring some workshops with us?

Expanding Into Eco Tourism

Vinyols Camp has expanded into the eco tourism market not only to spread the word about organic agriculture, but to survive. It’s a tough economic climate, and the produce alone doesn’t fetch enough money to support the venture, so the camping is used to generate much needed revenue.

Because it was high season, the site was occupied by families in the main. Mostly down from Barcelona for a quiet, safe and natural holiday – we noticed that those guests didn’t seem to be participting in the ‘organic’ activities: the hall was quiet and the restaurant wasn’t full.

Joan Mas (Rosa’s son – in situ for a 5 year long development project) was generous with his time and explained that a campsite full of kids probably wasn’t conducive to a lot of quiet meditation or Tai Chi workshops. That accepted, we didn’t understand why more of the eco nature wasn’t on offer. The shop inside the hall was limited to only a few organic products and although there was an abundance of literature dotted around, the message wasn’t inherent in everything – case in point, the Nestle full freezer!

However, the Catalans were the forerunners of the organic movement in Spain – many spurred on to diversify after Spain was allowed to join the European Union, but exports were still restricted. All of these years later and the Catalans alongside the other inhabitants of Spain were still not consumers of organic produce – the majority of what they produce is exported to us folk here in more northern climes.

Swimming Against The Tide

This was an amazing family who were battling against a culture that was slow to adopt what is a fast growing movement elsewhere, in the US and UK. A family who were prepared to stand up to the harsh economic climate where bookings were lower than forecast and later than usual. And where an unfavourable municipal environment was doing its best to usurp them and their desire to live organically and share it with the holidaymakers.

An oasis of wellbeing in a natural environment where, enhanced by some magically healing wholefood, I felt completely at peace. I’ll let you into a secret : I’ve never camped in a tent before. Never, not even when I’ve been at festivals. I was always the girl who bagged the caravan, or the mattress in the back of a van, or slept in the car. And here I was, willing to exchange my next home swap for a few more nights in a tent, just to absorb the life force of a family I’ve just met and a farm where the frogs croaked day and night.

And so we have a mind to return to Vinyols Camp. Perhaps we can learn how to farm? Perhaps we can learn some new some skills and share some old in the pavilion? We’re not quite sure what or when – but you’re welcome to join us when we do. And if you can’t wait on us to decide, then you can always book yourself a natural holiday in the meantime. Reus airport is only 30 minutes away. And the beach only another 10. I really couldn’t recommend it more than to say I was in tears when I left … but then again some places just get to you, don’t they?

Organikal Leaf Rating: 5/5

It’s Sunday in late summer, and while the forecast is rubbish for the rest of the week, today is okay. Not too hot, not too cold. Not too wet, not too windy. Not a summer salad day, but not yet an autumn stew day. So, what to have for Sunday dinner?

Haggis, Tatties & Beets

Vegetarian haggis, of course – supplied by MacSween, world-famous purveyors of haggis – accompanied by roasted organic salad potatoes (using rapeseed oil and sea salt from the Camargue) and roasted organic baby beetroots, splurged in Spanish olive oil with a hefty coating of freshly ground organic black pepper and a pinch of salt.

The earthiness of the beetroot compliments the spiciness of the haggis perfectly, with some perfect potatoes, crispy on the outside and almost fluffy inside. No fancy techniques – just plain and honest ingredients, helped along with a little seasoning and some heat from the oven.

Oh, and some leftover leek salad – it is still summer, after all.

I haven’t included a recipe – because there is none – think of this as an idea. Something quick and easy to give your vegetarian friends perhaps.

After Dinner Cappuccino

And for afters? How about an elegant cappuccino cupcake with chocolate icing?

Most of the ingredients flung into the food processor and 20 minutes later you’ve got a cup cake fit for a prince. Melt some milk (yes, milk!) chocolate together with some butter, then stir in some crème fraîche and a few tablespoons of icing sugar, add the icing to the top and now you have a cupcake fit for a princess

The cupcake recipe is from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking, adapted to be more Organikal:

125g self-raising wholewheat flour
125g unsalted organic butter (soft)
125g organic golden caster sugar
2 organic eggs
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
1 heaped tablespoon instant espresso
3 tablespoons organic milk

Whip up the ingredients in your food processor and bake for 20 minutes at 200 degrees C.

The original recipe calls for a white chocolate, but I can’t imagine many people like white chocolate – and all that icing sugar? I can feel my teeth rot just thinking about it. So, I use my own version above. Do as you will.

Home Sweet Home

This was such an easy meal to throw together – I had enough time to relax with some tissane, a wee scone & a gardening magazine I’m a lucky girl – oh yes, I am!

The summer’s nearly over and so you thought you’d missed your chance to grow your own food? Well, you’d be wrong!

I just signed up as a Gardening Guru with the One Pot Pledge® campaign. Part of being a Gardening Guru is to get more people to make the One Pot Pledge® - and have a go at growing their own food for the first time.

Organic gardening is primarily about the health of the soil – and therefore the plants, insects, animals, and people – but this new campaign from the national charity for organic growing Garden Organic, is to sign up 30,000 people who will pledge to grow their own food for the first time – in a pot!

Will you help us reach our target? It’s really very easy …

1. Make the One Pot Pledge®

2. Choose your crop!

You can still sow seeds for the autumn and winter months. I’ve just ordered this Autumn Salads kit from the Seed Pantry, and used the code: OnePotPledge for a 5% discount and a further 5% donation to Garden Organic for every sale.

Indoor growing is really very easy, and my favourite indoor crop is sprouting seeds. Sprouting seeds come in all sorts of varieties; alfalfa, mung beans, sugar snap peas and way more. I’ve just started off a batch of beet sprouts and broccoli sprouts. They’re still so tiny and my camera can’t take a good macro so I’ve used a shot of 2 day old sprouting broccoli seeds from vigilant20 on Flickr.

Sprouts make healthy and nutritious additions to sandwiches, salads, stir fries and more. And you can grow them all year round! Check out Living Food of St Ives for some great organic sprouting seeds & sprouting starter kits.

Join the campaign today and leave me a comment to let me know when you’ve signed up! Only 3 people to make the pledge and I’ll reach my Gardening Guru quota. I know you want to!

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None of the links above are affiliate links.

I don’t get paid any money by Garden Organic, Seed Pantry or The Living Food of St Ives.

I’m always surprised when I hear a news report about the importance of nutrition in its relation to our health and wellbeing. Surprised, because isn’t that stating the bloody obvious?

However, there are still some folks out there who aren’t getting the message. Why? Because there’s a lot of very powerful folks that don’t want you to. They’d rather you spent all your cash eating manufactured gunk and taking a myriad of pharmaceuticals to deal with the after effects.

Don’t worry, there are some people fighting back and one of them is Tina Gibbons (no disclaimer required – we’re not related ). Tina set up The Mind Sanctuary as a source of inspiration and information to both sufferers of mental illness and mental health professionals alike.

Tina decided to put together a new feature for The Mind Sanctuary called The Good Mood Food Project and I was delighted to participate. The aim? To work with a list of ingredients Tina has researched which are known to affect mental health and create some easy recipes.

Episode 1 of The Good Mood Food Project is live, and I’ve enjoyed working another couple which we have in the pipeline for you. I’ll be putting together more in the next few weeks, so be sure to subscribe to updates to make sure you don’t miss out – and for more top tips on creating good mental health.

You might see this bright packaging in your high street store and assume the “organics” label mean its contents are harmless for your baby. But is that really the case?

Organic Baby Products From The High Street : Are They Safe?

I usually shop for my organic products online. It means I can be very selective about the ingredients that we ingest, and with some careful purchasing, I can also limit the amount of lotions and potions we consume as a family. But what about the high street?

I was making a visit to Boots the Chemist a short while ago and was interested to see a whole plethora of “organic” and “natural” labels emblazoned across bright plastic packaging. Look, I’ve been in the sales & marketing business all of my professional life, so I’m naturally skeptical, but am I being unfair? Are these labels really what they make out to be?

Little Me Organics Hair & Body Wash – available at Boots for £3.99

My baby days are long behind me, but I was attracted to this Little Me Organics Body Wash. The label tells me the wash is made from “Chamomile & Organic Lavender” and states

“I am a very gentle formulation & have no synthetic fragrance”.

So far, so good? The blurb on the back of the bottle goes on to say

“Lots of mummys got together to create a range that was carefully selected to be the best for their little ones. Little Me Mmm Moisture Babies uses the safest and most gentle organic essential oils and botanicals to help comfort and soothe baby’s skin, whilst Aloe Vera provides extra moisturising care.”

Pretty convincing I’d say. However, I immediately noticed that there is no organic certification, by The Soil Association or any other body. So the first question I’d ask as a consumer is “How do I know the ingredients are actually organic?“.

Next up is a check on the list of ingredients. I’m no chemist, and so I’ve used a database of cosmetic ingredients : Skin Deep – from the Environmental Working Group.

What’s behind the label?

Ingredients, listed in order of appearance after water (just click on the ingredient name to click through to the full report);

1. DECYL GLUCOSIDE : This product is listed as “Not assessed for safety in cosmetics by industry panel” and with 100% data gap listed, no meaningful result can be listed here.

2. PEG-80 SORBITAN LAURATE : The database lists this ingredient as a “moderate to high hazard depending on product usage”. Concerns include “Human skin toxicant – strong evidence” ; “One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at high doses” ; “One or more animal studies show skin irritation at moderate doses”.

3. COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE : “Moderate hazard”. Concerns listed include, “Known human immune system toxicant”; “Suspected to be an environmental toxin”, however this ingredient has also been “Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations – Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications”.

4. GLYCERIN : “Low hazard. 74% Data Gap”. Did you know “This ingredient may be derived from animals.”? Other concerns include “One or more animal studies show kidney or renal system effects at very low doses” and “One or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells show positive mutation results”.

5. PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE : “Moderate hazard to high hazard depending on product usage”. Concerns listed include “Violation of industry recommendations – Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions – Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin” and “Limited evidence of sense organ toxicity” although the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments states “Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations”.

6. LINALOOL : “Moderate hazard”. I don’t like the sound of this ingredient. The first concern listed is “Possible human immune system toxicant” ; “Recommended restricted in cosmetics” ; and more worryingly “One or more animal studies show brain, nervous system, or behavioral effects at moderate doses” ; and “One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results”. According to the EU Banned and Restricted Fragrances, this ingredient is also listed as a “Possible human immune system toxicant”

7. TETRASODIUM EDTA : “Low hazard” with an 81% data gap. The European Union – Classification & Labelling source refer to ”limited evidence of eye toxicity” whilst the Environment Canada Domestic Substance List list this ingredient as “Classified as expected to be toxic or harmful“.

8. SODIUM CHLORIDE : “Low Hazard. 0% data gap”.

9. CITRIC ACID : “Low hazard to moderate hazard depending on product usage” with a 72% data gap.  ”Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) – use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions – Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics.”

10. DEHYDROACETIC ACID : “Low hazard”, 85% data gap. European Union – Classification & Labelling lists this ingredient as “Classified as toxic or harmful” in the category of “products for use around the mouth; products for use on the lips”.

11. ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN :  ”Low hazard, 90% data gap”. European Union – Classification & Labelling references “Limited evidence of eye toxicity” and “Classified as irritant“.

12. POLYAMINOPROPYL BIGUANIDE : “Low hazard, 76% data gap”. Japan’s Standards for Cosmetics has listed this ingredient as “restricted for use in some types of cosmetics (concentration limit)”.

13. PHENOXYETHANOL : “Moderate hazard, 64% data gap”. “Classified as irritant” by European Union – Classification & Labelling ; “One or more animal studies show sense organ effects at very low doses” and a 1980 study shows “One or more in vitro tests non-mammalian cells show positive mutation results” in relation to Cancer Concerns.

14. BENZOIC ACID : “Moderate hazard depending on product usage”. Some of the previously mentioned concerns and the 65% data gap lists “Safety unknown for products that may be inhaled”.

What do you think? Doesn’t sound very organic, does it?

The ingredients list also contains the following more natural ingredients;

“Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice” ; “Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil” and  ”Anthemis Nobilis (*Chamomile) Flower Oil. Only the aloe juice and lavender are indicated as organic. That’s 2 organic ingredients out of 18 listed …

Organic labels on the high street : are you being greenwashed?

I’m not out to run a scare campaign against high street brands – Little Me Organics included. It’s really heartening to see organic labels on the increase and there’s obviously more demand for ‘natural’ products. However, just splashing an ‘organic’ label on a set of otherwise dubious chemicals is not the future of organics as I see it. We’re often asked to pay through the nose for an ‘organic’ label – wouldn’t you like to be sure you’re paying extra for organic ingredients?

It pays to do your research and it pays to think twice about what cosmetic and toiletries goods you are purchasing.

When it comes to looking after baby’s fragile skin I’d think you could do no better than using water. If you need a wee bit of extra power, then perhaps consider an alternative like Dr Bronner’s Unscented Castille Soap* – Dr Bronner’s soap is completely biodegradable and vegetable-based. They’re made with Certified Fair Trade and Organic oils.

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* Organikal runs an affiliate programme with Ethical Superstore. If you make a purchase by following this link then Organikal will receive a small commission.

Thank you all for visiting today. Years ago I worked in an office with some friends and we were proud to think of it as a space as comfortable as our living rooms. A space where we can put our slippers on, grab a coffee and make some chat. Chat that provides comfort and inspiration. I like to think of my online office as just such a space – and the people I make chat with every bit as important as those colleagues who were also friends.

And so my thanks today must also go to writing coach Joanna Paterson who is just such a person. A mainly online friend (but luckily sometimse online, too) who provides chat, support, inspiration and more and who was kind enough to grace this erstwhile blog with a One Lovely Blog Award – 10 Blogs for the Artist in Each of Us on one of her websites, The Mid Life Journal.

Remember, we all stumble, every one of us.  That’s why it’s a comfort to go hand in hand.
EMILY KIMBROUGH

With the concept of ‘pay it forward‘ the condition of accepting the One Lovely Blog Award is to recommend 15 other blogs that may be new to you. And so here is my list.  I can’t even make it to 10, but I do hope you will take a few moments to invite the 7  I have chosen (in no particular order) into your living room:

1. My Zero Waste : ‘Mrs Green’ and her family set out to reduce their landfill waste by as much as they could in 2008. In 2009 they sent only 1 wheelie bin’s content to the landfill. This year they’re hoping to create zero landfill waste. Everytime I put something into my landfill bin I question whether it can’t be reused or recycled, and if I couldn’t have found an alternative in the first place. I even took photos of the recycle bins on the beaches in Spain – all because Mrs Green and her family take the time to remind us “there is no away” when it comes to waste.

2. Isabel Losada : Joanna included some Facebook pages in her award post, and this is one I just couldn’t leave out. Isabel is a best selling author who really does change the world. Her writing is authentic, humorous and heartfelt. I know, I’ve read every book so far! Using Facebook comes so naturally to Isabel, you’ll be provoked and amused in equal measure.

3. Magical Meditations 4 Kids : A new blog from therapist and storyteller, Heather Bestel, Magical Meditations celebrates children. Together with her husband Peter, daughter Zoe and Sid the Lab – Heather inspires me to seek out more magic with my own family every day. I’m so delighted that Heather’s wonderful expertise has manifested in this blog site and set of 4 Magical Meditations CDs. If you’ve got kids, or grandchildren you’ll find lots here.

4. Little Dishy : Juliet is what you might call a ‘class act’. I was ever so pleased she started blogging again at Little Dishy. Cooking, making, sewing, baking! I read this blog in the hope that Juliet’s elegance will rub off on me. Even just a little … please?

5. Attic 24 : Lucy is the owner of this rather lovely blog. I can often be found ravishing her blog and devouring her colourful photography. Primarily interested in her easy to follow crochet patterns, I have to admit to being something of a voyeur into her life and coveting a little. Be warned, this blog is a little like craft porn.

6. Sharing Travel Experiences : Do you want to travel more? It’s a dream so many of us can identify with, and it’s what this next blog is all about. Andy Hayes is That Travel Guy who operates this aspirational blog, and invites you to experience some pretty amazing places every day. Take some time out, put your feet up and use it for the inspiration for your next trip. There’s even a travel concierge on hand to make that become a reality …

7. Socks For Happy People : Socks made from organic cotton. Buy one pair, give a (warm) pair to a child in Mongolia. What’s not to love about this social enterprise from Tom and Rich? Their blog always gives me something to think about and it’s not always about socks

And if after visiting those 7 blogs you’ve got the appetitie for more, why not browse Dorset Cereal’s Little Blog Awards? One of my mini rewards for reaching milestones in my task lists is to grab a cup of something hot and spend some time exploring these lovely blogs. Sometimes, I forget to go back to my task list …

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The criteria for accepting the award are as follows:

* Post it with the name of the person who granted you the award along with a link to her Web site.
* Pass the award on 15 blogs that you have newly discovered (if possible).
* Contact the bloggers to notify them they have received the award.

Lavera Organic Sun Protection for Sensitive Skin

Sun protection is pretty big business. For us fair skinned Scottish folks, it’s a pretty big essential – especially when spending weeks on the Mediterranean.

This summer we took some Lavera organic sun protection products with us on the house swap adventure in Spain.

Do you have the kind of skin that freckles and burns? I do. In fact, I only need to look at the sun and my nose turns red (do you think glasses attract the sun to the nose?). I also have quite sensitive skin – it can quite easily erupt into all manner of nasty things if I do the wrong things or use the wrong products.

My home made organic facial moisturiser doesn’t include any sun protection factor (SPF), so this year I tried out the Lavera sunscreen for sensitive skin.

How did the Lavera sunscreen perform?

So, the question is, if you have sensitive skin and need some suncare protection for your face – and you want it to be organic, would I recommend this product to you?

For it’s protection from burning, I’d say yes. I managed the whole trip without any red nose (also aided by wearing a rather fetching straw hat) and without any nasty breakouts or ill effects.

If you don’t want any colour on your face, then this may not be a strong enough SPF for you. It’s fading now after only 2 weeks under Scottish skies, but I was definitely sporting a light golden tan.

The major problem I had with this product was the texture. It is a really quite thick white paste and I found it difficult to apply to my face, without feeling like I was tugging at skin I shouldn’t have been. (Perhaps I should have looked harder for a specialist face cream version?)

There was also the problem of looking like a mime artist afterwards. I understood that to be most effective, sunscreens shouldn’t be rubbed in until he skin totally absorbed them. But in this case, if I didn’t spend at least ten minutes working the product into my face, I was in danger of scaring the natives.

the Lavera mime artist/geisha effect

Verdict: If you’re happy with a light tan and can spend ten minutes or so working into the skin before you face the sun, then the Lavera sun screen for sensitive skin could be a good option for you.  Organikal Rating 3/5

home grown organic compost

Home Grown Organic Fruit & Veg

Are you tempted by the trend to grow your own food and turn your garden into an organic paradise producing healthy fruit and veg for you and your family?

The very first thing you need to do is start with some good soil. The best way to ensure the compost you use is organic is to make it yourself.

We’ve been composting for a couple of years, turning our food scraps (of which there are a mighty lot, what with the household being veggie and all), our coffee grinds, our teabags and such into some lovely rich soil.

You can see our latest batch of compost in the photo. Way too many eggshells… I read recently that I should be crushing my eggshells if I want them to breakdown at all. I can see the evidence right before my eyes, so crushing will definitely take place forthwith.

Does Your Council Compost?

free compost from west lothian council

West Lothian Council have been collecting garden waste for composting via a local wheelie bin collection scheme for a few years now. They use the compost for their own gardening needs and this year started a new scheme whereby they issued vouchers to local householders for some free compost.

We redeemed our voucher today and got three bags full of some decent quality soil. It isn’t organic, of course – so we’ll use it for the non-edible plants & flowers.

Action you can take: Does your council have a similar scheme? If not, why don’t you submit a request for them to start?

Pssst: Waste Aware Scotland offers compost bins for households from only £8.

Find out more: For more hints and tips on producing lovely organic compost visit Garden Organic.

Or watch this video for a quick start guide: