Gift Ideas For Easter
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Ordering For Someone Outside Of Your Household
I know we're not seeing as much of each other as we'd like at the moment. And if you can't do a doorstep delivery for your loved one this Mother's Day, don't panic. Just pop their address in for the shipping address and we'll post it straight to them. You can even add a message for them, which we will pop in the box for you, so they know where their gift has come from!
Stay Strong Mums - We've Got This! xx
Make Your Own Bath Bombs With This Simple Recipe
Did you miss our deadline to order for Valentines? Or are you home-schooling and need something fun to do with the kids to entertain them? (Surely it counts as science right?!) Or maybe you're bored and home on lockdown and need something to do for an hour or so?! Then this simple recipe to make bath bombs might just be the solution you need!
You can experiment with colours, fragrances and shapes. This recipe is easy to adapt to whatever you have in the cupboards!
Ingredients:
100g Bicarbonate of Soda
50g Citric Acid (available from Wilko, Holland & Barrett or online)
25g Cornflour
25g Epsom Salts (optional)
2 tbsp oil (sunflower, olive oil, melted coconut oil...)
Water
1/4tsp essential oil or fragrance oil (available from Holland & Barrett or online)
A few drops of liquid colouring (either cosmetic or food colouring)
Edible cake sprinkles, Dried flowers or orange peel to decorate (optional)
You will also need:
Mixing Bowls
Whisk
Sieve
Plastic or Metal Moulds
Pretty much anything can be used as a mould for your bath bombs! From yogurt pots, to plastic packaging from toys, Easter egg packaging, silicone ice cube trays, silicone cup cake cases or even plastic biscuit cutters placed on a tray.
What to do
1. Sieve all the dry ingredients into a bowl, and whisk until mixed together.
2. Pour the oil, colour and fragrance into a separate bowl and mix together as well as you can.
3. VERY slowly add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients bowl, whisking as you go.
4. When they are mixed, add a few drops of water and whisk again. Whenever you add wet ingredients to the dry it will fizz, so make sure you keep whisking! The mixture should clump together in your hands when you press it together - be careful not to get it too wet!
5. If you're adding any decorations, drop them into the bottom of your mould. Pack your mixture tightly on top, pressing down and smoothing out the top.
6. Leave your bath bomb in it's mould for a few hours to dry and harden. Then carefully remove it - it's now ready to drop in the bath!
Top Tips
- If your using a two sided mould, you need to overfill your mould before pushing the two sides together. This will help the sides to stick, although this can be tricky to get the hang of!
- Make sure you use either cosmetic colouring, or LIQUID food colouring. The gel colouring will clump and not spread as well.
- Make sure you leave them to dry in a warm dry place. Humidity is not a bath bombs friend - they can be fickle little creatures!
- If you have more than one colour, why not make your bath bombs in layers?!
- Use your bath bombs within 6 months of making - as if they won't be used by then?!
- If you're giving them as a gift, it's a good idea to leave them for a few days to fully harden. Otherwise you'll have bath dust!
- You can colour your Epsom salts separately using your food colouring, and then layer them at the bottom to create a sparkly geode type effect!
- We add buttermilk powder to our bath bombs for extra foam.
- Steer clear of glitter - not only does it make a mess of your bath, but some can also be toxic when added to hot bath water.
Here's The Science-y Bit!
If you are home-schooling, and want to add a bit of science into the mix, here's how bath bombs work.
Bath bombs fizz because of a reaction between the water in your bath and the combination of bicarbonate of soda and citric acid. The bubbles are made of carbon dioxide gas, and this is an acid-base reaction. The cornflour helps to slow down the reaction between these ingredients, making your bath bomb last longer.
For a complete science experiment, why not see if they behave differently in hot water and cold water? Do they fizz for longer? Do they dissolve quicker?
Or maybe you could try adding more or less of some of the ingredients to see if this changed the reaction?
Of course, if this all seems too much of a fuss, you can always buy them from us! ;-)
But if you do make them yourself, make sure you tag us in your photos on Facebook or Instagram! We'd love to see what you've been up to! xx
Valentines Day Is Just Around The Corner - Are you ready?
With our soaps taking at least a month to cure, we're always working ahead of ourselves, (It's the 1st February and we're already working on egg-shaped goodies for Easter!) but have you bought your gift for your loved one yet?
With us all spending more time apart, Valentines Day seems an amazing excuse to send our loved ones a gift. It's usually a day devoted to our other-halves, who most of us are living with, but this year I vote we spread the love a little further!
All our products are ideal for showing someone you care and that you're thinking of them. But we thought we'd round up our top 5 to help make choosing between them all a little easier.
With us all spending more time apart, Valentines Day seems an amazing excuse to send our loved ones a gift. It's usually a day devoted to our other-halves, who most of us are living with, but this year I vote we spread the love a little further!
All our products are ideal for showing someone you care and that you're thinking of them. But we thought we'd round up our top 5 to help make choosing between them all a little easier.
5 - DIY Kits
With many of our loved ones being on furlough, or having self-isolate, one of our eco-friendly DIY kits is the perfect gift for them to kill an hour or so!
You can chose between a kit for making your own beeswax wraps, or a kit to make your own beeswax candles. Both kits come with full instructions, are eco-friendly and handmade with love. Discover the wonders of beeswax!
4 - Handmade Beeswax Soap Bars
We're all being encouraged to wash our hands regularly at the moment. So why not do it in style with our handmade natural soaps?! Because giving a bar of soap in times like these just makes sense! Our 2 favourites for Valentines are the 'Bee My Valentine Beeswax Soap Bar' and our 'Pink Rose' bar. Both are coloured with French Pink Clay and scented with English Rose fragrance, giving a light floral aroma. The perfect companion for your bunch of roses.
3 - Medium Gift Set
This gift set features the 'Bee My Valentine Beeswax Soap' as mentioned above, alongside some other beeswax goodies! Packaged in an eco-friendly gift box, you also get a 5oz Beeswax candle, handmade using local beeswax and a bag of beeswax melts, available in a variety of fragrances. And at just £20, it won't break the bank! We've also listed some of our smaller gift sets below, to give you some other ideas.
2 - Plastic Free Shaving
Don't worry! We haven't forgotten about the men in your life! We have a lovely range of handmade and sustainably sourced razors, shaving brushes, shaving soaps and beard balms. Available separately, or packaged together! Time to tame that lockdown beard!
1 - Queen Bee Gift Set
And coming in at number one, the biggest of all our gift sets! This plastic free handmade gift set contains: 8oz beeswax candle, 100g beeswax melts (available in a range of fragrances), beeswax lip balm, 'Bee My Valentine' soap bar and a bamboo soap dish to keep it on. We've also listed a similar gift set below, which has a bath bomb in it.
Male or female. Young or old. We've got you covered this Valentines Day! xx
Making and Maintaining Your Beeswax Wrap
We're a big fan of beeswax here at Mersea Mudd Shack, so much so, we've built a business on it!! Beeswax is a truly versatile material and it's uses are almost endless, but one of our favourites is the beeswax wrap.
A simple plastic free swap, a beeswax wrap replaces your cling film, going around sandwiches in your lunch box, ends of cheese in the fridge, over bowls of leftovers. Basically anywhere you use cling film, a beeswax wrap can be used instead! You can even use them to make piping bags, to open difficult jars, or to wrap up toothbrushes or soap for when you're on the move.
Our beeswax wraps are made using 100% cotton fabric and local beeswax. That's it!
A simple plastic free swap, a beeswax wrap replaces your cling film, going around sandwiches in your lunch box, ends of cheese in the fridge, over bowls of leftovers. Basically anywhere you use cling film, a beeswax wrap can be used instead! You can even use them to make piping bags, to open difficult jars, or to wrap up toothbrushes or soap for when you're on the move.
Our beeswax wraps are made using 100% cotton fabric and local beeswax. That's it!
How to Use Your beeswax Wrap
When you first receive your wrap, it may be a little stiff from being folded and sent out. Just open it up and give it a wiggle to revive it! Flexing it and folding it will have it ready to use in no time.
When you're ready to use it, just use the heat of your hands to mould it over whatever you have chosen to wrap up. The beeswax is naturally adhesive, and your wrap will seal around your food.
Beeswax wraps shouldn't be used with hot foods as it will melt the wax off, naked flames should be avoided, as should ovens and microwaves. We also advise you not to store raw meat or fish in them, to avoid contamination.
When you're ready to use it, just use the heat of your hands to mould it over whatever you have chosen to wrap up. The beeswax is naturally adhesive, and your wrap will seal around your food.
Beeswax wraps shouldn't be used with hot foods as it will melt the wax off, naked flames should be avoided, as should ovens and microwaves. We also advise you not to store raw meat or fish in them, to avoid contamination.
refreshing your beeswax wrap
Beeswax wraps will last up to a year before they need some attention. You may notice at this point that they start to lose their stick, or notice a lack of wax. At this point, you can revitalise your wrap by just popping it in the oven for a few minutes. Preheat your oven to 60 degrees, pop your wrap on some baking paper, and place it in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Keep a close eye on it. When the wax has melted, take it out and just waft it about until cool. You can also do this with an iron, using two sheets of baking paper (one on top, one underneath), re-melting the beeswax and cooling again.
If you've already tried this, or they're just a bit past it, then you can give them a fresh coat of beeswax using one of our beeswax blocks. Grate the beeswax onto your wrap and use either the oven or the iron technique we mentioned a minute ago.
Beeswax wraps should last a lifetime, with care and refreshing. But if something terrible happens, and they are no longer useable you can pop them in your compost. Or why not try making eco-friendly fire lighters, by cutting them up into strips and scrunching them into balls. They burn beautifully slowly and are perfect for log burners and campfires alike.
If you've already tried this, or they're just a bit past it, then you can give them a fresh coat of beeswax using one of our beeswax blocks. Grate the beeswax onto your wrap and use either the oven or the iron technique we mentioned a minute ago.
Beeswax wraps should last a lifetime, with care and refreshing. But if something terrible happens, and they are no longer useable you can pop them in your compost. Or why not try making eco-friendly fire lighters, by cutting them up into strips and scrunching them into balls. They burn beautifully slowly and are perfect for log burners and campfires alike.
MAking your own beeswax wraps
You can also make beeswax wraps from scratch yourself. Again by using either an oven or an iron and some baking paper to melt the beeswax onto some 100% cotton fabric. Getting the right amount of beeswax takes a little practise, but start small and you can always add more if you don't have enough!
To make it easier, we've created a 'Make Your Own Beeswax Wrap Kit' which has everything you'll need!
To make it easier, we've created a 'Make Your Own Beeswax Wrap Kit' which has everything you'll need!
More than 1.2 billion metres, or 745,000 miles of cling film is used in the UK every year. Cling film is difficult to recycle, and the majority of it ends up in landfill where is takes 100s of years to degrade and can end up in our oceans. Yes, disposable is more convenient, but beeswax wraps are definitely a more eco-friendly alternative.
And they're far prettier too!
As we mentioned in our previous blog, your bar of soap will gradually get smaller the more you use it, and you will end up with small pieces of soap that are just too small to get hold of. At this point you could pop them in your soap bag, or you could get crafty and make your own liquid soap!
This recipe makes enough soap to fill around 4 soap dispensers. If you don't have that many dispensers, don't have enough soap left overs, or just don't need that much soap, you can always halve the recipe to suit!
This recipe makes enough soap to fill around 4 soap dispensers. If you don't have that many dispensers, don't have enough soap left overs, or just don't need that much soap, you can always halve the recipe to suit!
you will need:
- 100g of soap leftovers - any scent, any brand
- A knife, cheese grater or vegetable peeler
- Water
- Essential Oils (optional)
- Soap colouring (optional)
- Blender
- Saucepan
- Empty soap dispensers
- A knife, cheese grater or vegetable peeler
- Water
- Essential Oils (optional)
- Soap colouring (optional)
- Blender
- Saucepan
- Empty soap dispensers
What to do
Take your soapy leftovers and grate or finely chop them to make soap flakes. This may not take long if they are already pretty small!
Next add your soap flakes to around 1800ml of water and bring to the boil in a saucepan. Take the mixture off the heat after a minute or so of boiling and stir thoroughly to melt all the soap flakes. Your mixture will be fairly thin, but don't panic!
Allow the mixture to cool for at least 15mins. Stir again. Your mixture should be slightly thicker now.
Cover the saucepan (or transfer to a bowl if preferred) and allow it to cool for 12 to 24 hours. After the soap has rested, check it again for consistency. The goal is to have a bowl of congealed soap. If it seems to thick, reheat it and add some more water.
Before pouring your soap into their dispensers, run your finished soap through a blender to smooth it out. Once you are happy with the consistency, you could add a few drops of your chosen essential oil and colouring if you'd like, although if it was previously fragranced this scent should carry through.
Be sparing with the essential oils as they can cause a reaction. Lavender, lemon, eucalyptus or peppermint are great choices as they are non-toxic and have anti-bacterial properties.
Next add your soap flakes to around 1800ml of water and bring to the boil in a saucepan. Take the mixture off the heat after a minute or so of boiling and stir thoroughly to melt all the soap flakes. Your mixture will be fairly thin, but don't panic!
Allow the mixture to cool for at least 15mins. Stir again. Your mixture should be slightly thicker now.
Cover the saucepan (or transfer to a bowl if preferred) and allow it to cool for 12 to 24 hours. After the soap has rested, check it again for consistency. The goal is to have a bowl of congealed soap. If it seems to thick, reheat it and add some more water.
Before pouring your soap into their dispensers, run your finished soap through a blender to smooth it out. Once you are happy with the consistency, you could add a few drops of your chosen essential oil and colouring if you'd like, although if it was previously fragranced this scent should carry through.
Be sparing with the essential oils as they can cause a reaction. Lavender, lemon, eucalyptus or peppermint are great choices as they are non-toxic and have anti-bacterial properties.
ta da!
From 100g of left overs, some boiling water and a little time, you'll probably have enough liquid soap to fill 4 or more of your favourite dispensers. (Of course if you don't have enough dispensers or need that much soap, you could halve, or quarter the recipe to suit)
I'm often asked 'how long does your soap last?'. While I appreciate the response 'how long is a piece of string?!' is not useful, it's life can be lengthened by doing a few simple things.
Here at Mudd Shack, we are ever so slightly fanatical about people converting to soap. Not only for it's benefits for your skin, but also the benefits to our planet.
A simple bar of soap can replace so many plastic-wrapped items, the obvious ones being hand wash and shower gel. Soap bars last far longer than liquid soap as they use less water, meaning you get more for your money. And just when you thought they couldn't get any better, most soap bars use five times less energy to produce than liquid soap!
Here at Mudd Shack, we are ever so slightly fanatical about people converting to soap. Not only for it's benefits for your skin, but also the benefits to our planet.
A simple bar of soap can replace so many plastic-wrapped items, the obvious ones being hand wash and shower gel. Soap bars last far longer than liquid soap as they use less water, meaning you get more for your money. And just when you thought they couldn't get any better, most soap bars use five times less energy to produce than liquid soap!
Be a good host
The trick to giving your soap a long life, is to keep them as dry as possible between uses. Using a soap dish with drainage and storing them outside of the shower can help. If you use your soap bar in a sisal bag, make sure to hang it up between uses to allow it to dry.
give it some space
Our beeswax soap bars are made using the cold process method, and are left for a minimum of a month before being sold. This is to allow them to cure, allowing the excess water to evaporate and the bar to become harder.
I know it's tempting to dig straight into your brand new soap bar, the minute it lands on your doorstep, but to get the most out of your soap you could pop it in the airing cupboard for a few days to harden even more. This is not essential, but does ensure if it has picked up any excess moisture on it's travels to you, they are evaporated.
I know it's tempting to dig straight into your brand new soap bar, the minute it lands on your doorstep, but to get the most out of your soap you could pop it in the airing cupboard for a few days to harden even more. This is not essential, but does ensure if it has picked up any excess moisture on it's travels to you, they are evaporated.
cut it up
Our largest soap bars (100g) are quite a hefty lump of natural beeswax goodness, and can almost be too large. (If that's even possible!). If you cut your bar into two, or even three pieces, it can further prolong the life of your soap. The other pieces can then be put in the airing cupboard keeping them hard and dry for when they're needed. You could also put some in a soap bag to use in the shower, or even pop some in a tin for hand-washing on the go!
end on good terms
Towards the end of it's life, your soap bar will probably break up into smaller pieces. When they get so small they are unusable, just pop them into your soap bag to use in the shower. Or you could get crafty and turn them into liquid soap. (Find our easy tutorial here!)
We are a small family of three, who wash their hands quite alot (even before Covid!). We have one bathroom in our bungalow where the majority of the handwashing occurs, and often use the 20g bars of soap. (Usually the slightly wonky ones that can't be sold!)
These tiny bars will usually last us around 10 days, being kept on a bamboo soap dish, therefore being left to dry between uses. Then ends also get put into our soap bag to use in the shower. If these tiny bars give us 10 days worth of hand-washing, just imagine how long a larger bar of soap will last if cared for properly?!
For my second blog, I thought I'd explain the reason why we use beeswax in so many of our products.
When we started our plastic-free journey, particularly the soap making section, I was keen to use the most natural and local ingredients as possible. After some research into what makes a good bar of soap (namely a hard bar that lasts a long time, with plenty of bubbles) it led me down the beeswax and honey route. This fit in perfectly with the natural and local sentiment, so I contacted a local beekeeper and it all went from there.
The majority of our wax comes from Mersea, our lovely little island where we live. Occasionally we have to head across the Strood (the causeway which floods twice a day if there's a high tide!) to local villages including Fingringhoe and Gt Wigborough, but this is only if my Mersea bee keeper can't keep up with my extortionate beeswax habit!
When we started our plastic-free journey, particularly the soap making section, I was keen to use the most natural and local ingredients as possible. After some research into what makes a good bar of soap (namely a hard bar that lasts a long time, with plenty of bubbles) it led me down the beeswax and honey route. This fit in perfectly with the natural and local sentiment, so I contacted a local beekeeper and it all went from there.
The majority of our wax comes from Mersea, our lovely little island where we live. Occasionally we have to head across the Strood (the causeway which floods twice a day if there's a high tide!) to local villages including Fingringhoe and Gt Wigborough, but this is only if my Mersea bee keeper can't keep up with my extortionate beeswax habit!
It's estimated that one out of every three bites of food is made possible because of bees and their ability to pollinate crops.
How is beeswax made?
Beeswax is produced by honey bees. They have glands on their abdomen that produce the wax, which they then discard in the hive. To start with, it is clear, and only changes to it's beautiful yellow form once it has been in contact with the pollen collected by the bees. The bees use the wax to build honeycomb cells, which they use to house their young, and store their honey. They seal each section of the honeycomb to prevent water getting in. This is very important, as water can lead to the honey going off. Beeswax is usually collected at the same time as the honey. If removed correctly, no harm comes to the bees. The beeswax is cleaned by simply boiling and filtering to remove any impurities.
Beeswax in cosmetics
Our main cosmetic product we make is soap, and we the Cold Process method for all our beeswax soap bars. Adding beeswax to a cold process bar of soap means it is harder, and therefore lasts longer. There's nothing worse than having a lovely bar of soap, but it disappearing before your eyes because it's not hard enough! You only need around 1-2% of beeswax in a bar of soap in order to do this, and adding too much can mean less bubbles.
Beeswax also creates a protective layer around your skin, allowing all the other oils and butter to sink in and keeping them there. It's also a 'humectant' which means it attracts water, and helps to keep the skin hydrated. It heals and softens skin, and is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, helping conditions such as acne, stretch marks, dry skin and eczema.
You can also find Vitamin A in beeswax, which is great for wrinkles and age spots, and suitable for even the most sensitive of skins.
Beeswax also creates a protective layer around your skin, allowing all the other oils and butter to sink in and keeping them there. It's also a 'humectant' which means it attracts water, and helps to keep the skin hydrated. It heals and softens skin, and is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, helping conditions such as acne, stretch marks, dry skin and eczema.
You can also find Vitamin A in beeswax, which is great for wrinkles and age spots, and suitable for even the most sensitive of skins.
Honeycomb Beeswax Soap
£4.50
100g
Handmade here on Mersea, our Honeycomb soap uses Honey Fragrance Oil along with the other raw natural ingredients to give it a sweet, soothing aroma.
Honey and Orange Beeswax Soap
£4.50
100g
Our usual creamy bar of soap, but with a vesty orange kick. Made using olive oil infused with oranges and orange zest, along with all our usual natural ingredients.
Honey And Oat Beeswax Soap
£4.50
100g
This beautifully exfoliating bar of soap uses our usual blend on natural ingredients, with added oats to naturally exfoliate. With added honey fragrance.
Honey And Rose Beeswax Soap
£4.50
100g
We pride ourselves on using natural, local ingredients. And what could be more local than the roses in our garden?! The olive oil used in this soap has been infused using rose petals, and we've even sprinkled dried rose petals on top.
Honey and Chocolate Beeswax Soap
£4.50
100g
This delicious slice of stripy goodness has all the qualities of our other soaps, packed full of beautiful natural oils and butters, with the added scent of chocolate!
We can't guarantee it won't make you hungry, but we can guarantee it will be a pleasure to use!
Lemon, Ginger and Poppyseed Beeswax Soap
£4.50
100g
Our usual beautifully creamy recipe, but with added lemon essential oil, ginger essential oil, ground ginger and Poppyseeds for added exfoliation. It smells as good as it sounds!
And in true Mudd Shack style, not only is the beeswax from Mersea, but the Poppyseeds were harvested from our very own poppies!
Handmade here on Mersea, our Lemon, Ginger & Poppyseed soap uses both Cold Pressed Lemon and Ginger Essential Oils along with the other raw natural ingredients to give it a fresh, zesty aroma.
Lavender & Sea Salt Beeswax Soap
£4.50
100g
A friendly neighbour offered us their lavender before they cut it back for the winter. So we went round, cut off 2 large boxes full, brought it home, dried it, striped it, and infused alot of it in olive oil! Phew!
These lovingly handmade soap bars are full of 'flavour' and even include a touch of Maldon Sea Salt, along with our usual Mersea Beeswax. (No honey in these).
'Bee My Valentine' Beeswax Soap
£4.50
100g
Made using Mersea beeswax, Mersea honey and even rose petals grown and harvested on Mersea. With a touch of Pink French Clay to colour the added heart.
Queen Bee Beeswax Soap
£3.00
65g
A slightly smaller bar, with a honeycomb and bee mould being used to give you a really cute shape.
Available in Orange, Rose or Lavender
Orange rose beeswax soap
£3.00
Our usual blend of raw natural ingredients, set in a pretty rose shape.
65g
BEESWAX IN CANDLES
As I've mentioned before, beeswax is about the most natural wax around. Paraffin wax is petroleum based, which can't be good to burn in your home. Soy wax is made from the oil of soy beans but goes through many processed to get it to wax form, not to mention the numerous soy bean plantations that have sprung up globally leading to deforestation. But I'm not here to tell you what's bad... so let's focus on the good!
Beeswax candles are the oldest kind going, and are the original traditional candle.
Beeswax had a higher melting point than other waxes, meaning they burn for longer. In fact, they can burn up to 5 times longer than other waxes.
Beeswax candles are the oldest kind going, and are the original traditional candle.
Beeswax had a higher melting point than other waxes, meaning they burn for longer. In fact, they can burn up to 5 times longer than other waxes.
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There has also been research showing that burning beeswax can release negative ions into the air. These negative ions bind with the toxins in the air, helping to remove them. People have reported improvement with their hayfever, asthma and some have even slept better!
Beeswax candles burn cleanly, leaving no soot, and if they are wicked correctly, don't drip.
Our plain candles are not fragranced... because they don't need to be! Beeswax has it's own soothing sweet aroma, which is naturally produced by the wax being so close to honey and floral nectar in the honeycomb.
They also have a beautiful bright glow, emitting a lovely warm-toned flame, in the same light spectrum as the sun.
SAVE THE BEES
We all know that bees are crucial to our planet. We hope that by supporting our beekeepers, we can also help to keep the bees safe. Because let's not forget...
If they go, we're going with them!
If they go, we're going with them!
As we welcome 2021, I thought this would be the perfect time for me to start my blog!
Every year over the Christmas break, I like to plan the next year and the developments and improvements that I can make to my little business. This year was full of plans and dreams for a full re-stock during January, upping our advertising and marketing a little and generally making our soap production a bit more time-effective.
Little did I know, that Mr Johnson would have other ideas! My first week back after Christmas has turned into a juggling act between trying to keep up with all your lovely orders and the dreaded return of home-schooling!
Anyway, with day 2 of home-schooling round 2 completed, and everyone still alive and still enjoying each other's company at Mudd Shack HQ, I'm counting that as a win!
January is normally a time of year, when people make New Years Resolutions. Promises to better themselves in the year to come. But this got me thinking... our new years resolutions are normally centred around ourselves. Loosing weight, drinking more water, doing more exercise... But what about a new year's resolution that goes further than that? What about a resolve to help the planet?
This year, our household resolution has been to further reduce the amount of single-use plastic. We already use the milkman, shop in charity shops or buy second hand wherever possible, and obviously have an abundance of plastic-free toiletries in the bathroom, as well as using the household liquids that we offer on our refill delivery service. But our next step is to cut down on the plastic in our weekly shop, mainly surrounding our food. So we have made a promise to shop locally wherever possible.
At some point this week, between the endless Google Meets that my daughter has to attend, we will wander down to our local butchers with old tupperware pots in hand to house our sausages and bacon for the weekend fry-up. We'll then head round to the bakers with our bread bag, and finally we'll fire up our faithful old Dorris (our 1970 Morris Traveller) and head just off to island to the fruit & veg shop, taking our produce bags on our travels.
With all this talk of both New Year's Resolutions and children's education at the moment, it dawned on me that surely one of the best things we can teach our children is how to look after our planet. And how to save our planet before it's too late.
With this in mind, and with my 8 year old daughter's help, we made up an Eco Starter Kit. It contains some really easy plastic-free swaps, at a bargain price.
- Beeswax Wrap - one of my favourite swaps, particularly good for all those last little bits of left over Christmas cheese. Just use in place of cling-film. 25cm square and made using local beeswax with a beautiful bee pattern.
- Metal Straws - with straws (finally) being banned in the UK, metal straws are the perfect replacement. You'll need one for all those take-away drinks we'll be buying now!
- Metal Straws - with straws (finally) being banned in the UK, metal straws are the perfect replacement. You'll need one for all those take-away drinks we'll be buying now!
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- Reusable face wipes - okay, so you may not need these that much at the moment if you're working from home! But when you do venture out into the world again (or more-likely have a zoom meeting) and want to wear make up, these towelling backed wipes are the perfect way to remove it at the end of the day. Fun fact - My Mum is a seamstress, and makes these for me from off-cuts of fabric she has left over at work. Recycling at it's finest!
- Soap Bag - sometimes called soap savers or soap pouches, these bags are a game changer. We have one in our shower which I fill with all our off-cuts of soap. Just get the bag wet under the shower, rub to create lather and away you go. Bye bye shower gel! Also great for those last little bits of soap that are just too small.
- Soap Bag - sometimes called soap savers or soap pouches, these bags are a game changer. We have one in our shower which I fill with all our off-cuts of soap. Just get the bag wet under the shower, rub to create lather and away you go. Bye bye shower gel! Also great for those last little bits of soap that are just too small.
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- Bamboo Soap Dish - the perfect companion to our final item, keeping your soap as dry as possible, giving it a longer life span. The tray also pops out for easy cleaning!
- Beeswax Soap Bar - yes, I saved the best 'till last. The crowning jewel of our Eco Starter Kit is one of our 100g bars of beeswax soap. I won't bore you with the benefits of our soap in this post (Have no fear - I'll do that at another time!), but our creamy moisturising bars of soap are a real treat to use. Especially in these times of excessive handwashing and sanitising.
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Whatever your New Years resolutions are. Whether you stick to them for a day, a week, or only an hour. I wish you a happy 2021. It's got to be better.... right?!
Claire xx
Mersea Mudd Shack
PS I also made a New Year's resolution to lose the stone I put on during last lockdown... But with the onset of home-schooling I never even started that one! Oops!!
Plastic Free Blog
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Just a girl, trying to save the planet, one bar of soap at a time!
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