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Are your energy bills so high they've got you feeling down? Maybe you're wondering where that draught is coming from or where all that expensive heat is going?
Or maybe your home feels (dare we say it) MOIST?
The truth is that there are lots of things that contribute to how healthy … View moreAre your energy bills so high they've got you feeling down? Maybe you're wondering where that draught is coming from or where all that expensive heat is going?
Or maybe your home feels (dare we say it) MOIST?
The truth is that there are lots of things that contribute to how healthy a home feels and how well it functions.
That's why Wellington City Council in partnership with us (Sustainability Trust) offer free personalised home energy plans specific to your home. The end goal is to arm you with the information you need to create a warm, dry, healthier home. You can even find out if your home is EV or solar ready.
This is a completely free service for homeowners in Wellington City.
Book your free home energy assessment today.
No one dreams bigger than an Olympian, and nothing connects us as a nation quite like sport!
As a proud partner of the New Zealand Olympic Team, we’re getting behind our Olympians so they can turn their dreams into a reality.
This week we feature a stunning close-up but what type of bird is it?
The photo was supplied by Andrew Gorrie.
This weeks contribution is from Louise Thomas.
"When I was young I didn’t like the boatsheds. To my eye they looked derelict and unkempt – a hotchpotch of too bright clashing colours, and all of them peeling to reveal bleached wood underneath. They reminded me of my Nana’s crocheted … View moreThis weeks contribution is from Louise Thomas.
"When I was young I didn’t like the boatsheds. To my eye they looked derelict and unkempt – a hotchpotch of too bright clashing colours, and all of them peeling to reveal bleached wood underneath. They reminded me of my Nana’s crocheted rugs with frayed threads and darned patches. I liked things shining, new, and squared away. Anything else smacked of some sort of failure, either of duty or poverty.
Now that I’m older, and not untouched by time myself, I realise that decay is inevitable, and, more importantly, there is texture and beauty in it. The sea, like life, can be a rough place. The winds carry salt and sand, storm surges leave marks and baggage piled around the high tide mark, sometimes spilling over onto the little docks. But in this flotsam, rotting seaweed, silt, and tangled tree branches are a million little bugs, fish, and crabs – a roiling primordial soup seasoned with iodine and salt and feasted on by the birds. Nothing is lost - just transformed. Sacred kingfisher/kōtare (Todiramphus sanctus) catching the light at the Hutt Estuary boatsheds, Hikoikoi Reserve, Lower Hutt."
Bring some ordinary storage baskets to life using a few Resene testpots of Resene Nero, Resene Glamour Puss and Resene White and some leafy house plants!
Find out how to create your own.
What is an Eco-brick?
An eco-brick is a plastic bottle packed with shredded, single-use, non-recyclable plastics, compressed to a required density to create a reusable building block. They are a sustainable way to reusenon-biodegradable plastic waste as they are regarded as a long-lasting and … View moreWhat is an Eco-brick?
An eco-brick is a plastic bottle packed with shredded, single-use, non-recyclable plastics, compressed to a required density to create a reusable building block. They are a sustainable way to reusenon-biodegradable plastic waste as they are regarded as a long-lasting and durable material.
Eco-bricks = a low energy solution to keeping plastic out of the ecosystem!
What is the purpose of an eco-brick?
Making an eco-brick can be a tedious and time-consuming project (but great to do whilst watching TV!) and the purpose of it is to make you responsible for your own plastic waste and encourage you to reduce your own consumption.
The aim is to help you cut down on what you’re buying and ultimately produce less waste whilst creating something beneficial for yourself or the community!
What goes into the eco-brick?
The most important thing about an eco-brick is that the contents are CLEAN and DRY before they get stuffed. The reason for this is to prevent any bacteria or mould forming inside, which will undo all your hard work as they will not be validated!
You can put inside an eco-brick:
Potato chip, biscuit, cake packets etc.
Stretchy plastic e.g., carrier bags, bread bags, clingfilm etc.
Pasta/rice packets
Packaging – bubble wrap/plastic envelopes
Styrofoam/polystyrene
Hard plastic – meat trays, flowerpots etc (however, hard plastics will need to be cut up into much smaller pieces than soft plastic to allow you to reach the weight requirements)
What can I make with an eco-brick?
The most common personal projects are footstools! They can be as small or as large as you want, you can be creative with the bottle bottom colours to make a cool pattern or cover them in some fabric to make a decorative piece around the house!
There are other smaller projects you can make, like doorstops for example! I am personally taking inspiration from this one found on Pinterest:
Ok, so how do I make one?
It is very simple! The picture below shows you how in 5 simple steps. The key is to just keep stuffing until you can’t any more! With time and patience, your brick will come to life.
Dear Neighbours,
We have got the whole range of Hello Panda biscuits.
And this month, the family package of 400G is on sale!
Now it's only $11.99.
Please come and check it.
Cheers
What educational activities can you suggest to keep children busy during the holidays?
Head to a bookstore and let your child pick out a book as a treat.
Learn life skills such as cooking or helping a neighbour.
Write a story about their favourite moments such as a celebration day or a fun … View moreWhat educational activities can you suggest to keep children busy during the holidays?
Head to a bookstore and let your child pick out a book as a treat.
Learn life skills such as cooking or helping a neighbour.
Write a story about their favourite moments such as a celebration day or a fun family holiday.
Don’t forget to have some down time as well!
If anyone has lost some chickens - one brown one white they are running around at the end of Ranfurly Tce. At the moment they are in the front yards of nr 7 and nr 5
Lots of great reasons to visit the Wairarapa this weekend - Steve Carlin plays with the Rodger Fox Big Band in Carterton this Friday. Then The Smallest Beer Festival is on in Carterton as part of WBS Carterton Heart of Winter Festival on Saturday. Showcasing local brews and cideries with music from… View moreLots of great reasons to visit the Wairarapa this weekend - Steve Carlin plays with the Rodger Fox Big Band in Carterton this Friday. Then The Smallest Beer Festival is on in Carterton as part of WBS Carterton Heart of Winter Festival on Saturday. Showcasing local brews and cideries with music from cool Wellington Americana band T-Bone. Details here : www.cartertonec.co.nz... And the 2021 Greytown Village Festival of Christmas is on right throughout July. There's spectacular lighting along Main Street from 6pm each evening, along with shopping, events, workshops and festive food and beverages. Details here www.greytownvillage.com...
It's on this Saturday! Wrap up July at Wellington Community Choir's winter concert, 5pm, 31 July at Wesley Methodist Church ( the big wooden building at 75 Taranaki St). Travel songs from around the world directed by the effervescent Lala Simpson.
Tickets from … View moreIt's on this Saturday! Wrap up July at Wellington Community Choir's winter concert, 5pm, 31 July at Wesley Methodist Church ( the big wooden building at 75 Taranaki St). Travel songs from around the world directed by the effervescent Lala Simpson.
Tickets from events.humanitix.com/are-we-nearly-there/tickets
Door sales $20. Children under 12 are free so bring the family!
Has your baby been impacted by RSV? We want to hear from you. The Dominion Post is looking to hear from Wellington parents about their infant's experiences of RSV - a virus which causes infections in infant lungs and respiratory tracts. If you are keen to tell your story, please email senior … View moreHas your baby been impacted by RSV? We want to hear from you. The Dominion Post is looking to hear from Wellington parents about their infant's experiences of RSV - a virus which causes infections in infant lungs and respiratory tracts. If you are keen to tell your story, please email senior reporter Katarina Williams at katarina.williams@stuff.co.nz with your name and contact details.
Plans for improvements to the Cobham Drive area are in the works. This includes looking at how we create a safe place for people to cross, and safer speeds for everyone on SH1 east of Mt Victoria.
Have your say on the proposed changes before formal consultation closes on 5pm 28 July, at … View morePlans for improvements to the Cobham Drive area are in the works. This includes looking at how we create a safe place for people to cross, and safer speeds for everyone on SH1 east of Mt Victoria.
Have your say on the proposed changes before formal consultation closes on 5pm 28 July, at lgwm.nz/sh1safety
Take on the terracotta trend and sculpt a unique floral feature.
You will need:
- Modelling clay (air-drying or baking)
- Rolling pin
… View moreTake on the terracotta trend and sculpt a unique floral feature.
You will need:
- Modelling clay (air-drying or baking)
- Rolling pin
- Knife
- Straw
- Fine sandpaper
- Test pot brush
- Paint test pots (we like Resene Sakura & Resene Apple Blossom)
- Resene FX Paint Effects Medium
- Small sponge
- Cord to hang
Step one: Start by rolling out your clay about 7mm thick (A). It’s important to work on a clean, non-stick surface.
Step two: Use a knife to cut a rectangle as long as you want the main shape to be, then cut a square roughly twice the width of the rectangle and two-thirds the height (B). No matter what shape you’re making, the top piece must be wider to form a dome or pocket. The backing piece always needs to be taller and have enough height to support your flora and allow for a hole.
Step three: If using air-drying clay, dip your fingers in water and wet the edges of the clay slightly – baking clay does not require any water to seal together. Take the smaller, wider square piece and make an arc over the backing piece, bringing the sides together (C). Press the sides down so the clay bonds together, then do the same along the bottom (D), making sure you still have a curved opening at the top.
Keep reading: www.curtainclean.co.nz...
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