1 Million Women

It's been near impossible over the past couple of years to ignore or avoid all the talk about climate change and carbon emissions. With all the massive coverage, however, it's also been difficult for just regular people to know what they can do to help, and many of us are leaving this issue up to our politicians and scientists to sort because it seems just too difficult for us to do anything.

This is why the 1 Million Women campaign has stepped in; to cut through the confusing statistics and help the general population (so far only Australian women) to really make a difference in the fight against climate change. The aim is to enable 1 000 000 Australian women to each reduce their carbon emissions by 1 tonne over the year, thus reducing 1 million tonnes altogether. Here's what they have to say:

It's a campaign of daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers inspiring climate action.

Our goal is to inspire 1 million women of Australia to take practical action on climate change and cut 1 million tonnes of CO2 pollution (the main greenhouse gas causing global warming). That's 1 tonne for each of us involved.

We launched 1 Million Women 1 month ago and already over 4000 women have joined up.

Our first milestone on the way to 1 million is to get to 10,000 members as fast as we can.

We hope you will join us.

Just go to www.1millionwomen.com.au

You don't need to be an expert on climate change. We'll guide you every step of the way. On our website you will be taken to an activity centre that will show you exactly how to cut 1 tonne of CO2 pollution and you will be able to track your progress as you go along.

Great challenges are also great opportunities. They unite people. They inspire us to change our world for the better.

The site is user friendly and so are the tasks which you can pledge to reduce your emissions. I built up my 1000 tonnes of saved carbon by pledging to do small, easy things like switching off electrical appliances at the wall, not taking plastic bags in shops and recycling as much as possible. Every so often I'll go back to the site and update how I've been going with my tasks.

This campaign is putting the power to change the world into our hands, and if you're into challenging yourself and seeing results it's really kind of fun too. So, if you're an Aussie woman check it out, and if not still have a look, because there's nothing to stop you from reducing your own emissions too.

BuzzChildxx

How To: Grow Your Own Little 'bedroom garden'

Materials:

• Teacup (or other such small holding apparatus)
• Marbles (or, novel idea, you could plant your bulbs in soil!)
• Small bulbs (I used Grape Hyacinth bulbs)
• Water
• Slightly greenish thumb

Method:

Firstly, I should say, this was pretty much my mother's idea; she was inspired by a magazine cover she saw where there were many bulbs planted in all types of kitchenware. I happened to have this spare little teacup lying around (I'd bought it for a Mad Hatter's Tea Party Housewarming which, although sounding like tremendous fun, sadly never eventuated).

• 1. Put marbles in cup/container.
• 2. Place bulbs on top.
• 3. Fill with water until it's just touching the bulb bottoms.
• 4. Wait for roots and sprouts!

There are a few little extra tips for success. Firstly, wait for winter until planting your bulbs; you'll get shoots through the winter and then hopefully flowers all spring. Also, if any of your bulbs aren't taking root, put them in a separate container on some damp cotton wool or tissue for a couple of days and you'll soon see some forming. Thirdly, plant your bulbs quite low down in the container. Mine are sitting right up the top and the shoots have grown in all crazy directions, which would probably be guided by the teacup if they were down further.

After the planting all you have to do really is water and wait and tadaa! Your very own little bedroom garden!
Of course, it would be much more of a garden with a few more plants. For next year I'm thinking teapots, egg cups, candles holders...who knows what!

Plant up and enjoy!

BuzzChildxx

sweet saturdays

I've long thought that if you aren't going to do what your supposed to be doing, you may as well do something fun instead, bonus if you're going to make other people happy. So today, when I lost all appetite for my uni study, I decided to make yo-yo biscuits.

You can never have just one colour filling.

mm delicious! This one was bound straight for my tummy!

While baking, I watched Across the Universe, a film which definitely rates in my favourites. How could I not be a fan of a Beatles musical with scenes looking like this?




This is probably the sixth or seventh time I've watched it in just over a year, and I am nowhere near sick of it yet! If you haven't already, I highly recommend you give it a watch.

I hope everyone is having a similarly lovely weekend!

BuzzChildxx

watch listen love

The Roaring Twenties

Today I turn twenty and officially enter the third decade of my life.

Here are ten things I plan to do in the next ten years of my life:

• Live in Paris

• Become a published writer

• By a new, fantastic camera

• Meet these people: Nick Earls, Marieke Hardy, Hamish Blake

• Write for a (good) magazine

• Take yoga class

• Become fluent in another language

• Become organised at household chores; cleaning, tidying, washing

• Have a library in my own house

• Have adventures

There is the delicious chocolate truffle meringue cake!!!

It really is quite amazing.

I actually have a large list of things to do today before I go to uni in the afternoon, so I'd better snap to it. It is a lovely warm day outside with a cloudless blue sky, so I think I might do my work outside.

Have a great Monday!

BuzzChildxx

sugar and spice and all things nice

It has been said that all people consider their mother to be the best cook in the world. In a world of increasingly tempting packaged and pre-prepared foods, my mother bought me up on a diet of homemade baking and cooking, and for this I am immensely grateful. As I've grown older I've learned to love making and sharing food myself, particularly sweets and cakes, and have started voraciously hording cookbooks and recipes to fuel my future planned cooking extravaganzas.

Swedish photographer Therese Aldgård and prop stylist Lisa Edsälv created these amazing 'designer cupcakes' which look far too good to possibly eat, and inspire me to try my hand at more structured decoration. Check out the bright red of the Louboutin cake!

Pictures from Hint Blog

Today my mother and I have made vanilla icecream and meringue chocolate truffle cake for my family birthday dinner. Hopefully they shall be delicious!

BuzzChildxx