This is not my... Week 45
12/12/06 - Christmas was a far spot on the horizon
11/12/06 - Rainy old morning
08/12/06 - A relaxing weekend?
07/12/06 - Is it because it is dark?
This Section; Background; The point
12/12/06 - Christmas was a far spot on the horizon
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and then everything went a little bit festive... |
It started on Sunday.
I decided to eschew exercise as it was raining (a small issue for the winter jogging regime) and head straight to my friends house to get fed delicious food.
Not a bad way to spend an afternoon at all. But it got so much better when she asked if we would help her make mince pies.
Hmmmmmmm mince pies.
Possibly my favourite part of the Christmas eating calendar.
And I was not only in charge of the 'cutting shapes in pastry with a glass' but 'establishing the perfect amount of brandy that needed to go in'. Brilliant.
Much testing and singing of silent night later and they were made.
It was like 'being a child plus'. We made stuff, we ate as much of it as we wanted and we got to fortify ourselves with liquor during the process.
Which got me thinking about the homemade Christmas.
One of the great things about Christmas is that it is generally when you get to spend time with your nearest and dearest, are allowed to sing spontaneously and cook a proper meal.
Which are all fantastic things.
So I reckon anyone who isn't overly religious (my mother is now referring to me as 'that Pagan') could get away with doing it every few days.
And we could mitigate the expense by making more of the things.
I read an article at the weekend where a lady planned her festive giving in October so she had time to make her presents rather than endure the hell of Oxford Street.
Very sensible.
With only two weeks to go, however, the chutney making might have to wait but there are loads of things that we can do.
The recycling bins at work are about to be pilfered for paper to make decorations, the old rolls of wrapping lurking at the back of the cupboard are being retrieved and the trip to the high street replaced with some on-line searching for things that people really want and a spot of baking for those who have everything they need already.
Which should make it a bit cheaper and a lot more fun.
Then we could do it again the next week.....
x
11/12/06 - Rainy old morning
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It is becoming quite a struggle to get out of bed... |
In fact, if I am honest I haven't quite managed yet.
Don't have to be in the office till late and so made some coffee and retreated back to work under the duvet.
Still haven't got the heating sorted which is doing wonders for the electricity bill and helping the environment but also means that getting up is a fairly bracing experience.
Mind you it does have its benefits.
Once you do intrepidly get a toe out from under the duvet the short sharp shock of cold certainly wakes you up and you don't waste any time getting dressed!
I have been talking about getting it fixed for a while though so the time may very well be nigh.
So, in order to make up for my increase in carbon, I guess I will just have to try harder to get others to reduce theirs.
Turning everyone's monitors off at work has been going well but I'm not sure how long it will be before I start getting hate mail (hopefully on recycled paper...) but I have a new tack.
The promotion of the London Development Authorities new branch LESS or London Environmental Support Service. (0845 6000 787)
It is quite new but apparently...
"Members of LESS can help your business to:
* Improve resources efficiency and utility usage, there by reducing your costs
* Understand current and future environmental obligations set by the Government
* Implement environmental management systems to show your suppliers and partners your environmental awareness"
Which sounds quite handy.
If you have a business it might be worth a call.
Anyhow - best brave the arctic temperatures.
Hope that you have a fabulous start to the week xxx
08/12/06 - A relaxing weekend?
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Nahhh - what about some more pseudo porn... |
Yes, it is back to all that again.
Earlier in the year we made some video viral's to encourage environmental living based loosely on some very sloppy writing, Carry On style innuendo and the maxim that the more times there was a raised eyebrow and a turkey baster the better.
The second half of filming is tomorrow.
Can't wait!
It was one of the funniest experiences.
They wont be out for your enjoyment (and my utter horror) until the New Year but I will try to take some more photo's this time. If only to assure my mother that the closest it gets to real porn is a dodgy lab coat and socks in the bra.
We were tidying up the scripts yesterday (some say writing...) and I realised I needed a new character.
Ollie mentioned that he would help out if required.
Lucky Ol!
But it is all for a good cause.
Tomorrow's filming should highlight - eating seasonal organic produce, saving electricity and recycling.... and will inadvertently highlight some unusual uses for a plunger!
Fun.
Anyhow - hope that you have as entertaining a couple of days. Back on Monday with all the gory details.
Starting to think about Christmas decorations too so will track down some ideas for that (further than 'we could make big balls of snow from the paper in the recycling' which I think is genius but others have suggested would just lead to a big mess of old paper... no imagination!!)
See you later!
Susie xx
07/12/06 - Is it because it is dark?
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Think I am sneaking closer and closer to hibernation... |
Hit the snooze button again this morning.
And then - worse - hit the 'Ok if I really have to get up I will' button but didn't... so fell asleep again.
Oops.
Luckily, hibernation is "a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate, to conserve energy, especially during winter."
So I'm seeing it as a positive!
Had a busy old day yesterday and met loads of amazing people doing all sorts of amazing things (to be specific...) but since I don't have time to go into all that I shall instead just focus on pants.
Two of the ladies I met were from www.greenknickers.org so are making far trade and environmentally friendly ones.
Brilliant.
And boxer shorts in fact so you gentlemen don't have to miss out.
Inspired I went in search of more which led me to knickersblog.com (ahh the joys of the internet!) and a focus on Enamore's great collection.
In fact, they are one of the companies at the Fashion Made Fair Sample sale starting this evening so hop along if you want to check out all of the stuff they have going!
Anyhow late again so better run.
Back tomorrow though if I manage to drag myself up!
Have a fantastic day x
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to you.
Happy Birthday to you.
Happy Birthday dear Ollie.
Happy Birthday to you.....
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If you hadn't guessed it from the subtle title it is thisisnotmy's Ollie's birthday today.
Yes - he is now officially older than Lara and I making him the most mature one of us. (A frightening realisation.)
I would have bought him a big present but instead of exacerbating consumerism am going to make a collage of fallen leaves instead....
All right all right. I might get something!
Hope you have an amazing day Ol x
Oooh not sure what else is going on.
Get a bit distracted by celebrations and festivities and the like.
Might have to go back to the Christmas theme. Especially now that it is December and getting excited about it is allowed.
Have inadvertently left the radio on magic fm after a tidying spree at the weekend (whilst upsetting most people in southern London singing along to excruciating power ballads) just because they keep playing things with sleigh bells in them.
It's a bit tragic.
In fact - I shall go and hang my head in shame and come back when I can redeem myself!
Susie x
This section will be a daily, well - Monday to Friday daily, editorial. (Have to keep some time aside to keep up the ritual wine drinking / dancing as if being chased by bees.)
I promise to make it my mission to investigate something each day on exciting forays to find new stuff, fun stuff, ethical stuff and anything involving break dancing men with extremely toned physiques.
Let me know if you think of something I should go and visit or if you have any great ideas or information. (Any dodgy suggestions will be politely declined... or not so politely, depending entirely on what they are!)
For today, though, please just have a look below to find out how this whole thing came about. I hope that you are having a lovely morning.
See you tomorrow,
Susie x
Background to This is not my...
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What is this site all about?
Well, as all good ventures do, it started in the pub with the ominous words "I know, why don't we...?" |
What was different, though, was that it still seemed like a good plan in the morning (and somewhat less injurious than trying out extreme ironing, the other suggestion...)
Anyway - once again we had been supping beers and putting the world to rights when someone mentioned the unmentionable, despite our disaffection with the state of the world, none of us was actually doing anything positive to change it.
Whether this was complacency or apathy, who knows - but we were definitely leaving it to others to make decisions and take action for us on issues about which we felt strongly.
We live in a free society, but often things seem to happen as a fait accompli. The war in Iraq, ID cards, the fact that we will eventually succumb to watching some of Big Brother no matter how hard we try...
And we just go along with it. But that is ok, right? I mean, we aren't exactly encouraging the abuse of others - are we?
Ok - so maybe my new top might have been made under less-than-perfect conditions and I suppose that means I am supporting those conditions, but - I have to buy something to wear, so what other choice do I have?
And that was the problem. What - and where - are the choices?
So we decided to investigate. Surely in this free society we have other options; we just need to know how to find them.
So we went online. There are some great directories already for ethical and/or environmentally friendly products, but for us these didn't go far enough. We were on a bit of a roll and decided that these products deserved more active promotion.
We wanted to make as many people as possible aware of the practical things they can do to live life in a better way.
So on this site we will provide information about easy, positive and ethical consumer choices. These are choices that won’t necessarily cost you more, either.
In our directories you will find environmentally friendly and ethical companies and products across the following categories:
Clothes
Energy
Food and Drink
Health and Beauty
Home and Garden
Office
Recycling
Restaurants
You will also find debates, downloads, fun stuff and plenty more to lure you back to the site on a regular basis.
We’d love you to get involved with some curious antics to keep important issues in the public eye – and provide us with much entertainment and amusement at the same time.
So - take a look. Explore… investigate… probe away.
We hope you like it; we hope you use it.
