The GREEN Thing!!

At the cash register of the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman that she should bring her own shopping bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."

The cashier responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations. You didn't have the green thing."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soft drink bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycling. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every shop and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's nappies because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the post, we used wrapped up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn.. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank water from a tap when we were thirsty instead of demanding a plastic bottle flown in from another country. We accepted that a lot of food was seasonal and didn't expect that to be trucked in or flown thousands of air miles. We actually cooked food that didn't come out of a packet, tin or plastic wrap and we could even wash our own vegetables and chop our own salad.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, city people took the tram or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart-ass young person.

10 Tips for a Better Nights Sleep

10 Tips For A Good Night’s Sleep Naturally

1.             Stick to a schedule. Mum was right when she set a time we always had to go to sleep as kids. Sticking to a schedule allows your body to set its internal rhythm clock so you can get up at the time you want, consistently, every single day. Also, make sure you try to keep the same schedule on weekends too, otherwise the next morning you will wake later and feel overly tired.

2.             Sleep only at night. Avoid daytime sleep if possible. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to 20-minute, power naps when needed.

3.             Exercise. It’s actually known to help you sleep better. Your body uses the sleep period to recover its muscles and joints that have been exercised. Twenty to thirty minutes of exercise every day can help you sleep, but be sure to exercise in the morning or afternoon. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.

4.             Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax tense muscles. Try a lavender soap for the calming aroma.

5.             Avoid eating just before bed. Give yourself at least 2 hours from when you eat to when you sleep. This allows for digestion to happen (or at least start) well before you go to sleep so your body can rest properly during the night, rather than churning away your food.

6.             Avoid caffeine. It keeps you awake and that’s not what you want for a good nights sleep. If you need a warm drink try a soothing green tea or warm milk with honey.

7.             Read a fiction book. It takes you to a whole new world if you really get into it.  Then take some time to ponder over the book as you fall asleep. I find as I read more and more, regardless of the book, I get more tired at night and so find it easier to fall asleep.

8.             Have the room slightly cooler. Your body temperature does not need a warm room and bed covers so turn off the heat and allow the night air to circulate in and out of the windows. If I get cold, I wear warmer clothes or use a heavier quilt in the colder months.

9.             Sleep in silence. I find sleeping with no music or TV far more restful. I guess others are different, but sleep with no distractions is best for a clearer mind.

10.                Avoid alcohol before bedtime. It’s a depressant; although it may make it easier to fall asleep, it causes you to wake up during the night. As alcohol is digested your body goes into withdrawal from the alcohol, causing nighttime awakenings and often nightmares for some people.

 

 

Ecosleep The Home of Coshee: Terms to help you shop for bedlinen around the wor...

Ecosleep The Home of Coshee: Terms to help you shop for bedlinen around the wor...:                                                                    The beauty of shopping for bedlinen online or in store…...

Terms to help you shop for bedlinen around the world

                          

                             The beauty of shopping for bedlinen online or in store…

                       Here are some helpful terms to assist and make the shop worthwhile!

• Bed skirt (also bed ruffle, dust ruffle or valance): A decorative piece used to cover the boxspring and legs of the bed. It fits between the mattress and boxspring and hangs to the floor.
• Bed spread: A bed cover with sides that go to the floor. This does not require a bed skirt, and was particularly popular in North America after World War II.
• Bolster: A long, narrow and commonly cylindrical pillow filled with down or feathers.
• Boudoir pillows (or breakfast pillows): Small rectangular decorative throw pillows.
• Comforter: A filled bed cover that is quilted and usually reversible. Also referred to as a inner quilt or duvet by some countries. They typically are paired with a bed skirt to form a complete ensemble, as the sides only go about halfway to the floor.
• Drop: The length of a bed skirt.
• Duvet: A soft flat bag traditionally filled with down or feathers,silk or wool or a combination of both, and used on a bed as a blanket, doona, quilt or comforter. Needs to be enclosed in a cover to keep it clean.
• Duvet cover: A decorative and protective covering for a duvet or quilt. Most duvet covers have a button or tie closure at one end.
• European sham (or Euro sham): A decorative pillow covering which fits a large 26” x 26” pillow. These are often placed behind the standard size pillow shams as a backdrop, or on top of standard pillows as a coordinated set with a duvet cover.
• Feather bed: Feathers contained within a fabric shell and lay on top of a mattress as a mattress topper. The feather bed will normally have elastic straps or even have a fitted sheet on it so that it fits over a mattress and stays in place.
• Fitted sheet: This is the bottom sheet used to fit tightly over a mattress. Fitted sheets are available in a variety of pocket depths, which refers to the thickness of your mattress. 
• Flanged: Including a decorative band of fabric that is straight or tailored; often used to describe pillows or pillow shams.
• Hotel bedding: Sheets with a high-thread count and unadorned designs, marketed to replicate the bedding materials that hotels use. Hotel bedding is typically designed to be soft, durable and inoffensive to variable tastes, and the expansion of business travel created a consumer demand for similar products.
• Mako cotton: A high grade of cotton, the long staple or long fibre of Egyptian-grown cotton has more continuous fibres to use when creating threads or yarns. This yarn is smaller in diameter yet stronger than other cottons. Smaller yarn means that more threads per square inch can be used to create stronger fabrics which are lighter in weight yet breathe well. Mako cotton is frequently used to make up scale sheets and towels, which are marketed as a luxury product.
• Mattress protector:  Also known as a mattress pad, mattress topper, or underpad. This is typically used underneath a fitted sheet to add comfort, protect against allergies, and protect the mattress.
• Neckroll: Small cylindrical decorative throw pillows.
• Pillow shams: Decorative coverings for pillows, often designed with trims, ruffles, flanges, or cording. Shams are normally placed behind the pillows used to sleep on, which would be covered with regular pillowcases.
• Pima cotton: A high grade of cotton. It has the long staple similar to Mako cotton, which is what gives it its exceptional softness and brilliant luster, as well as its durability. Its superior characteristics improve with wear. Pima cotton is used to make up scale sheets, towels and clothing, which are marketed as a luxury product. Peru produces the most of the world's Pima cotton and of the best quality.
• Pleated: Material that is sewn in folds, like a fan.
• Tailored: Fitted closely, i.e. made to fit the bed exactly.
• Thread count:  The number of thread ends per square inch in a woven.
• Around the world we use so many different terms but in the end it all comes down to a bed, pillow, mattress, sheet set, duvet or quilt and the cover to go over them to give you a great nights sleep!

Sleep well :)

Jane

Bamboo Sheeting from EcoSleep

Bamboo SHEETING BY ECOSLEEP

Bamboo sheeting on our Coshee quilt covers by Ecosleep Australia® is made to be durable, but soft, wearable, washable and affordable.

       Bamboo is a natural and hypoallergenic fibre which naturally breathes. This keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer.

       Bamboo has antimicrobial and antibacterial qualities ensuring that body odours are minimised.

       It is machine washable and very easy to care for.

       Bamboo is grown without pesticides. It also grows quickly, requiring no replanting. It absorbs carbon dioxide, releases oxygen into the atmosphere and uses very little water to grow, leaving only a small carbon footprint.   This is the ethos of Ecosleep Australia.

What are the health and other benefits of using bamboo sheeting?

Bamboo absorbs moisture and unlike many man made fibres, it will wick perspiration away from your skin.

Bamboo has great thermal properties ensuring it is warm in winter and cool in summer.

Bamboo is non-allergic and is ideal for people with sensitive skins.

Bamboo does not shrink like other fibres, nor pill or lose its colour when washed.

Bamboo is a renewable easily grown plant that requires little water and no pesticides.

Bamboo has anti microbial and anti bacterial properties minimizing body odours in people prone to this.

Bamboo is very cost effective and easy to care for.

Bamboo sheeting can be washed in the washing machine gentle cycle and in cold water.

What is the best way to care for bamboo sheeting?

Bamboo sheeting can be used in all seasons. It is very easy to care for.
A good gentle laundry powder works well on bamboo sheeting in cold or cool water on a gentle cycle or hand wash.
Never use bleach on your bamboo sheeting. Dry normally outside and do not tumble dry.
Cool iron if necessary but most wrinkles fall out naturally when the sheeting is placed back on the bed.

House or Home?

HOUSE OR HOME?

Its cold outside so we tend to nest during the colder months and stay indoors. While doing this the eye will roam around our abode picking up on the things we need to upgrade....but my question is do we live in a house or a home?
I moved a lot as a child and this made me think of home being when my family where all together and the house was a place we resided.
In todays world we tend to make our house a home in a similar fashion....we decorate with family shots, we add little momentos from travel, and we use colours that make us feel safe and loved.

 So today here are a few of the items I love to have to make my house a home!

                              My beautiful Grandelier from Who did that? in natural timber

My soft, natural mulberry silk quilt to snuggle under.

My red/beige hemp cushion

My beach memories the children have collected ....and still add to!

http://au.linkedin.com/pub/jane-tepper/15/886/299

How much sleep do our babies to teens really need?

The amount of sleep a child needs varies depending on the individual and certain factors, including the age of the child. Following are some general guidelines

1-4 Weeks Old: 15 - 16 hours per day

Newborns typically sleep about 15 to 18 hours a day, but only in short periods of two to four hours. Premature babies may sleep longer and colicky ones shorter.

Since newborns do not yet have an internal biological clock, or circadian rhythm, their sleep patterns are not related to the daylight and nighttime cycles. In fact, they tend not to have much of a pattern at all.

1-4 Months Old: 14 - 15 hours per day

By 6 weeks of age your baby is beginning to settle down a bit, and you may notice more regular sleep patterns emerging. The longest periods of sleep run four to six hours and now tends to occur more regularly in the evening. Day-night confusion ends.

4-12 Months Old: 14 - 15 hours per day

While up to 15 hours is ideal, most infants up to 11 months old get only about 12 hours sleep. Establishing healthy sleep habits is a primary goal during this period, as your baby is now much more social, and his sleep patterns are more adult-like.

Babies typically have three naps and drop to two at around 6 months old, at which time (or earlier) they are physically capable of sleeping through the night. Establishing regular naps generally happens at the latter part of this time frame, as his biological rhythms mature. The midmorning nap usually starts at 9 a.m. and lasts about an hour. The early afternoon nap starts between noon and 2 p.m. and lasts an hour or two. And the late afternoon nap may start from 3 to 5 p.m. and is variable in duration.

1-3 Years Old: 12 - 14 hours per day

As your child moves past the first year toward 18-21 months of age he will likely lose his morning nap and nap only once a day. While toddlers need up to 14 hours a day of sleep, they typically get only about 10.

Most children from about 21 to 36 months of age still need one nap a day, which may range from one to three and a half hours long. They typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up between 6 and 8 a.m.

3-6 Years Old: 10 - 12 hours per day

Children at this age typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up around 6 and 8 a.m., just as they did when they were younger. At 3, most children are still napping, while at 5, most are not. Naps gradually become shorter as well. New sleep problems do not usually develop after 3 years of age.

7-12 Years Old: 10 - 11 hours per day

At these ages, with social, school, and family activities, bedtimes gradually become later and later, with most 12-years-olds going to bed at about 9 p.m. There is still a wide range of bedtimes, from 7:30 to 10 p.m., as well as total sleep times, from 9 to 12 hours, although the average is only about 9 hours.

12-18 Years Old: 8 - 9 hours per day

Sleep needs remain just as vital to health and well-being for teenagers as when they were younger. It turns out that many teenagers actually may need more sleep than in previous years. Now, however, social pressures conspire against getting the proper amount and quality of sleep.

Feng Shui in the bedroom

Feng Shui Your Bedroom

The bedroom is the site of relaxation, romance, and rest. Designed well, the bedroom can inspire couples to feel more romantic and stir their passions. If not, relationships can dwindle down to a friendly, not so romantic, handshake. If bedrooms are a place of activity, such as exercise, work, hobbies, or other interests, then they will not be the restful space they were intended to be. There is a fine line between creating the bedroom that inspires you and the bedroom that depletes you.

One of the first areas this shows up in is the artwork. Feng shui has stringent rules regarding bedrooms - and correspondingly - the art that goes into them. Time after time, I see bedrooms during feng shui consultations whose artwork appears to be whatever was leftover from the rest of the house. Or, the symbolism of the art in relationship to the room it is displayed in is not taken into account, such as winter scenes in a marriage bedroom. This can fill the bedroom with all the wrong messages. Bbbbrrrrr.......

Bedrooms should display the messages that inspire the person (or persons) who occupy the room. Artwork should reflect their tastes, interests, and desires while still following feng shui guidelines. This will help to ensure that negative messages or inappropriate messages don't distract from the principal goals of the bedroom: rest, romance, and relaxation.

Look at all the bedrooms in the house. Determine if they are inspiring and if they are making the appropriate statements for the room. For example, a scary Spiderman poster that looks like Spiderman is going to jump off the wall may create a frightening bedroom for a young boy.

Or, pictures of the kids in a marriage bedroom create too much "kid energy" and can be uncomfortable for romance, causing marital passion to wither. Next, take into account feng shui guidelines, such as eliminating mirrors, pictures of dragons, deities. or vicious animals.

Sleeping is a time when we must be the most protected and cared-for. This is why it makes sense to make sure that your bedrooms support you, your family, and your relationships.

Art in Children's Bedrooms

* Avoid vicious animals and scary figures.

* Place happy, bright images in the children's bedrooms

* Display images of skill and learning, such as pictures of globes and books or any kind of learning experience

* DON'T hang pictures of water, lakes, or oceans

* Avoid pictures of religious themes, such as crosses or religious figures

* Select pictures of animals that are positive, such as horses (good for sons) that look happy and strong, not frightened. Turtles are also beneficial. Avoid frogs and toads which can appear to "eat" whatever is in the room.

* DO have pictures of parents in children's bedroom to inspire better behavior and greater respect

* Clouds are very popular for children's bedrooms. Be certain that if you have clouds on the ceiling, that the child's head is not covered by a cloud as this will create "a cloud over his/her head" and this can lead to a number of difficulties. (The same is true for adult bedrooms.)

Art in Adult Bedrooms

* For couples, DO place pictures of pairs (geese, ducks, chairs, vases, etc.) to foster togetherness

* Avoid pictures of heavenly images deities, religious figures, etc.

* Avoid pictures of singular items that suggest being alone

* Avoid pictures of flowers and plants, unless someone is ill. Plants and pictures of plants or flowers will cause couples to argue.

* DO have pictures of love, such as couples in an embrace, tasteful nudes, or affection

* DON'T have pictures of children in the bedroom. You have enough "kid time" already. Have one place in the house that is devoted solely to you and your mate.

* If single, make sure you have pictures in the bedroom that represent the energy you are trying to attract, i.e., a single woman seeking a man should hang pictures that show men or have men strongly in the scene.

* To create opportunities for yourself, place a picture of an open field on the wall opposite the bed. This suggests the way of your life is open and obstacles are removed.

Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Red Lotus Letter Feng Shui E-zine and certified feng shui consultant in classical Chinese feng shui. Kathryn helps her readers improve their lives and generate more wealth with feng shui

Kermit the Frog and why we are all Green....

It’s not that easy being Green……..

Don’t you love that line from Kermit the frog from way back when we were young?

Today when we talk about being green we think hippies, Byron bay, organic foods, organic materials, no nasty plastics, solar power the list is endless but you know what, we are actually all greenies each and every day by how we think not always by how we do.

Let me explain……

When you think about turning of that power switch, or tap when you clean your teeth, or yelling out for the light to be turned off in an empty room you are thinking GREEN. You know we don’t need to use that power or waste that water and that is thinking about our environment.

I live in a green area because I love it and have been here many years. I have watched dirt roads become made, schools grow, and estates flourish but I have also seen more green vehicles, schools growing their own vegetables, children walking and riding to school, and hobby farms become more popular.

So as a first intro into Eco and Green may I say thanks for adding to my safe environment by looking after yours!

To decorate or not to decorate....

Today I am surrounded by paint colours from white to off white to antique white to soft white....the list goes on and I am still only on white!
My task is to help decorate a childs room.
Excitement is building but not about the wall colour as it currently has a soft liquorice feature wall with pale blue on the other surrounds which I do like but I thought a freshen up would be good!

It has driven me to check out other sites and bedroom makeovers..
Here are two ways to decorate the same room with different hues

What a great contrast for a simple look with a WOW factor...
Umm what about a girls room...

And version number 2..

Or for a bit more

You will notice I am a bit biased towards the red (my favourite colour) for either boys or girls!
Decorating doesnt have to be expensive or difficult. If you have your main furniture and just want to change the wall colours this can be done in a couple of days. Look for sale items for shelving and add some prints or block letters for effect. Curtains can be replaced with blinds and the job is done!

So now back to my pick of white, off white, antique white.......

Well here we are at the beginning of another fabulous year with the sun in the sky and the birds in the trees.
What a journey we had last year at EcoSleep...
We travelled to Hong Kong and New Zealand to set up customers bases, we added more stores to our distribution network in Australia and we consulted for a number of business's here in Melbourne in the Retail sector.
So what now for 2012 I hear you ask?     well...
We hope to design another range but have seen the need for customers to be able to repurchase the existing designs we have so that will still be our focus to allow items to  be available to add to your collection even a year after they were released. I was amazed when a client said this was now a large part of her business with our Coshee sets that her customers knew they could add another cover when a younger sibling entered the bedroom to keep it looking stylish!
We will be adding a few new items for 2012 as we have found some beautiful quilts made with bamboo fibre and others with alpaca both made here in Melbourne and a soft and luxurious addition to your bedroom.

I will be adding many items of interest in whats new in furniture design around the world for upto date bedrooms for all the family.

Coshee bed sets have certainly gained in popularity here in Australia and we will keep spreading the word and hope you will to as we endeavour to show people how we can give them a healthy, restful and tangle free sleep every night under our gorgeous  soft and smooth natural cottons and bamboo that have no added chemicals.

You can now follow us on many of the social networks and as always our sales are sent to you via our email list or shown on our website so feel free to join up to get your loyalty discount when you purchase!