16 Comments
User's avatar
Lia Vieira Domingues's avatar

I know I'm kinda of late, but, well, life. And summer, and sister with nieces visiting! :D

Anyway, for years I've been scraping the lemon/orange/any citrus zest, then I put on alcohol vinegar (the cleaning type), and leave there for about 2 weeks. It works like magic to cleaning stuff!

I use specially as fabric softener. The citrus essencial oils keeps bugs at bay, and the vinegar makes sure my washing machine is always cleans, as the softener usually becomes a nasty goooo inside the poor machine. This was a tip I received from a mechanic that came to fix my first washing machine, I think it was 2000.

Anyway, I hope this helps!

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

Thank you, I'll definitely give that a try

Lennette Daniels's avatar

My sister lets orange peels soak in vinegar for a few days and that gets rid of the smell, too.

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

Aha, thank you. I'm definitely going to give that a try

Claire Kinton | Ink & Ivy's avatar

“What if they really are doing their best?” is such a simple question, yet it has the power to soften so many of our assumptions. Thank you for the reminder that perspective is often one of the kindest gifts we can offer each other. X

Sandra Paul's avatar

I found this lovely and uplifting. Thank you! ❤️

Christine's avatar

It is about perspective! And every morning we wake up with choices. We can choose to be hopeful, to be happy, to be thoughtful, or we can choose to me downcast, to be angry, to be bitter. Is it always easy to choose the light? No. But ... it is possible. Some mornings, you have to work your way towards it. You have a cuppa, pull out your knitting and knit a row or two or 20, breathe in, and let the rhythm of each stitch centre you again so you can choose the light and let go of what isn't serving you.

Thanks Louise, I always enjoy your posts. Hope today brings you what you need.

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

This reminds me of something Donna Ashworth said on Instagram the other day - when people accuse her of toxic positivity or being endlessly positive. It's a choice - and sometimes the people who are feeling the lowest are the ones who are most vocal about finding the light. Because they know how much it matters.

Lyn Zalk's avatar

Louise I’ve made the switch to not using any styrofoam as well as not buying beverages in plastic bottles!

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

Oh, that's fantastic. Here in the UK styrofoam can't be used any more in the takeaway industry, thankfully. We still get it when large goods are shipped, in packaging sometimes. But it is a pain to get rid of - so bulky

Gabrielle Treanor's avatar

Brene Brown tells a great story about sharing a hotel room with a fellow conference speaker, getting annoyed and employing the ‘what if this is her doing her best’ thinking.

Currently waiting for the plane home from Canada (hence the radio silence) - if all the hospitality industry did was replace the little pots of milk/cream for your coffee with jugs to pour from there’d be a phenomenal reduction in plastic.

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

Oh…all those tiny travel sized things. My husband travels internationally a lot (usually business class) and brings home so many of those pouches they give you with the free toiletries. I'm trying to get him to leave them behind now as he never uses them and neither do I, apart from the odd tiny tube of hand cream - that instantly gets lost at the bottom of my handbag. Hope you had a great trip .

Isilsartari's avatar

What are your pens? One looks like a Kaweco pen top.

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

The apricot one is a Kaweco sport - my favourite (I have it in sage green and beige too)

The other one is just a Muji 0.5mm gel pen

Isilsartari's avatar

I have a fair few Kaweco sports in various colours. The Muji is new to me. My current favourites are a TWBI Vac 700R Iris, a child of the 70'sand 80's loves some iridescence; and the Benu minima classic black skull which the goth in me adores.

Louise Tilbrook's avatar

Oh I do like a bit of iridescence too