Looking After Mature Skin

Obviously I have beautifully moist and dewy skin, I take great pride in it.  Of course I am very careful with it and never go out in the full glare of the sun.  I realise you guys don't have shells, but maybe a parasol?  Ok, the subject of this post is mature skin ladies and how to look after it.

Firstly take my advice on not exposing your face to full sunlight, however vitamin D is important to your overall well being (and therefore your skin) so I would still advise you to get 20 minutes a day of sunlight on your arms and legs, just avoid the hottest part of the day - maybe ten minutes exposure in the early morning and ten minutes in the late afternoon.  That way you should get the best of both worlds

Keeping yourself well-hydrated is important, however this doesn't mean you have to be constantly glugging back gallons of water.  The water found in fruit and other beverages still counts.  Of course if you eat lots of fruit you are not only benefitting from the water content but all those lovely vitamins aswell.  (Why do you think I'm always on your salad crops?)

It is also possible to exercise the face.  Sit comfortably in front of a mirror and relax, move your head from side to side and up and down gently to dispel any tension.  Now face the mirror directly, keep all your facial muscles relaxed.  Tip your chin up slightly, open your mouth as wide as you can, keeping your mouth wide open attempt to smile.  Do this until you can feel your facial muscles working, hold for a count of ten - don't forget to breath- and then relax.  Repeat three times every day. 

Finally you need a good skincare routine to manage mature skin and keep it looking good. Ensure that on a daily basis you cleanse, tone and moisturise. (moisturize if you're an American snail!)  Try to avoid soap based cleansers they are alkaline and will be too harsh and drying.  Similarly harsh toners should be avoided, it is now possible to buy facial mists containing pore tightening agents as well as moisturising the skin, some times referred to as two phase toners.  Finally find a good moisturise containing AHAs, peptides, and phyto-collagen.  Please choose organic products these are better for your skin and for the environment and us snails.

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The World Of Small: A wooden dolls house

I walk (or slide if you prefer) among giants.  Being small I like to think small, to shrink my universe into something of a size that I am able to comprehend.  I have discovered that small humans need to do this as well, it helps them understand their place in the world and make sense of their experiences.  Big stuff can sometimes be overwhelming for newbie humans.  Child development experts refer to this behaviour as small world play.  Where little humans manipulate even littler figures, such as dolls, animals and dinosaurs and create a make believe world where they can try out ideas and express a range of emotions withing the safe confines of the small world they have created for them.  There are lots of toys that support this type of play for example a train set, a model farm or a wooden dolls house.

Providing toys like this for little humans gives them plenty of opportunity to explore the world without taking real risks.  But grown up humans can do an awful lot to help them.  They can provide a variety of materials to encourage children to solve problems and get creative.  If you have bought a wooden dolls house you can encourage the child to furnish it with things they have made out of fabric, such as curtains and little cushions, give them paper to make pictures for the walls, carpet samples can be used to carpet the new home.  They can even make furniture out of other toys such as Lego or Ello. 

A wooden dolls house will supply many happy hours of playing.  There is a huge range available on the market from traditional wooden dolls houses to a thoroughly modern eco-house kitted out with recycling bins, wind turbines and a rainwater tank. 

This kind of play promotes social confidence, language skills, creativity and imagination and even fine motor skills.  You are unlikely to regret the purchase of a wooden dolls house for your children and because they are well made you may even be lucky enough one day to watch your grandchildren playing with the house.  Generations of fun and development are in your hands. 

Now I have to go and shine my shell, I'm incredibly house proud you know!

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Better Soil With A Soil Sieve

So you think your worst enemy in the garden is me do you?  Well lets see what your bifurcated carrots have to say to that.  Besides carrot fly they might tell you what they really don't like about your garden is the incredibly stony soil.  How are they supposed to put down long, straight roots if they keep hitting stones?  By the way the parsnips are feeling pretty sore about this as well.

In medieval times of course children were kept out of trouble and usefully employed picking stones out of the fields.  In this day and age of molly-codddling that isn't an option, you will have to seriously up their pocket money first!  So what is the gardener to do when faced with angry root vegetables and stony soil? 

What you need is a soil sieve.  For sifting large quantities of soil you need a free standing soil sieve, such as a rotary soil seive, or one that will sit in  or across a wheel barrow.  You can make your own bespoke wooden frame for this purpose that sits across your barrow, supporting a wire mesh through which you sieve the soil.  The seived soil in the barrow is then easy to tip back into the beds where you will plant your very happy root veg.

For smaller quantities of soil or for sieving compost in preparation for seed sowing then a small hand sieve will do the trick.  You can buy fairly cheap plastic ones  or something like the traditionally handcrafted soil sieves above.  These are beautiful and pleasant to use.  Use them not just for sifting soil but also to separate bean seeds from pods and for dusting a light covering of soil over small seeds to optimize germination.  These will hang very neatly and beautifully from a peg on the shed wall. 

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Lovely Wooden Toys

Now you guys know how much I hate plastic, it is enough to make a snail explode. (Quite literally!)  So whenever I get the chance I like to promote products that are non-toxic and plastic free.  Now as it happens I quite like small humans, they seem to like snails more than the adult of the species.  And like us, as yet at least, they don't have much say in how things are done, but they will inherit the results of whatever you do.

So in the name of fun and in the name of sustainability and for the sake of all gastropods I'm going to suggest that when you buy toys for children you shun cheap, nasty plastic toys with their bells and whistles and opt for something a little more natural and sustainable. 

Childrens wooden toys are fabulous, children love them because they free the child to use their imagination (supply their own bells and whistles instead of relying on batteries) and explore the world on their own terms.  Wooden toys are well thought out to stimulate a variety of learning experiences from promoting gross motor skills to fine motor skills as well as inviting small-world play and imaginative role-play situations. Encouraging children to improvise their own play enables them to make connections between different experiences and understand how we communicate and symbolize those experiences. 

High quality craftmanship is always evident in such toys, these are not cheap mass produced imports, but sturdy durable toys that you will find not only serve your children but grand children and future generations beyond.  They will not be found decaying in land fill sites but will be treasured forever, furnishing families with happy memories.  Childrens wooden toys are bright, attractive and appealing to the eye. They do not clash horribly with our homes but supply a cosy,well worn and casual atmosphere that is relaxing. Wooden toys suggest a family life that is connected, happy and easy going. Wood feels warm and inviting and is pleasant to the touch, inviting tactile sensory play. We should not assume just because a toy doesn't move, bleep or have bells on they will not appeal to children. That is condescending. We should trust their judgement and appreciate their gift of imagination, they will play with wooden toys quite happily and put them to ingenious uses you would have never thought of.

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Living Christmas Trees

Now being a snail you know how much I hate plastics, what with all those leaching chemicals and in any case plastic, fake christmas trees are hideous, no matter what anyone thinks.  I can't imagine that plastics could be good for the environment. I acknowledge that various people claim they can be used again and again and consequently cut down on chopping down trees but I read in a newspaper (being a very clever sort of a gastropod, I must admit I did leave a bit of a slime trail across it) that the truth is, a sizeable percentage of them end up in landfill within two to three years. All things considered I think you humans should opt for potted Christmas trees. 

It is entirely possible to keep your tree in good health for quite a few years in containers before they eventually have to be planted out, but even then you'll have preserved a tree instead of destroying a tree. If you explore online you will come across reliable garden suppliers that can deliver living Christmas trees to your home, and if you look after your tree and keep it thriving, the following Christmas you will have to do no more than retrieve it from the backyard. This represents a year on year saving also. This seems a lot less complicated than going out to buy a Christmas tree and then asking yourself how you will ever fit it into the car! And that's one more bonus, the car will not end up full of pine needles. Potted Christmas trees have healthy rootballs that help the tree to stay in good condition and because of this your tree will not drop hundreds of needles everywhere. The repeated brushing up of pine is one of those jobs you would be happy to avoid during this busy time of year!


Now a few tips to help you keep your living christmas trees in tip top condition:-

a. Allow your tree to gradually get used to indoor temperatures and don't boot it back out into the garden suddenly when Christmas is over, the shock could damage the tree.
b. Fairly obvious, but keep your tree watered.
c. Don't place your tree next to sources of heat.
d. Dress your tree gently and then enjoy!

If you follow these tips you may avoid having to fork out for a new tree next year, and I'm sure at this time of year folks are always looking to save money.  Here is a living christmas tree in my garden, they taste disgusting so I never eat them, but they are quite pretty to have around!

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Birdwatching

Man has been both enchanted and enthralled by birds throughout history. Maybe we covet their capability to take flight, and also the liberty it symbolizes. Observing birds also illustrates the frailty of life in the wild – how do our fragile looking garden birds get through a bitterly cold winter? Well now you might have the opportunity to find out.

Bird watching is an easy, interesting, and tranquil pastime that everyone, young or old, can engage in, in any locality. Some of the enjoyment in birding is attempting to keep over the years records on the general trends in local bird populations. Nowadays Wild life organizations invite the general public to take part in bird count exercises. Bird watching can be a relatively healthy interest, feeding both mind and body in the glorious outdoors.

What paraphernalia is required? First, binoculars; 10x50, 10x40, or 8x30 work most effectively. It's best not to opt for more powerful binoculars. They're just too bulky to cart all over and will not provide better vision of the birds. Smaller ones won't give the views of the birds necessary for accurate identification.

Please do not dress in bright, noticeable colours. The birds will see these from a long way away and will be scared off. The advisable thing to do is to wear dark shades of green or dark brown colours. Such colors will be less noticeable and partly conceal any approach to where the birds are. Ensure apparel and shoes or boots are right for the climatic conditions and terrain. Additionally, carry a slimline pocket notebook or pocket recorder to jot down what has been observed, and a detailed description of those birds which can't be recognized precisely.




If trekking in the wilds is not your idea of fun you can open up a whole new world of “nature at your doorstep” by tempting birds into the backyard. Even city or urban yards can become a nesting haven for birds with some attention to detail. Plant indigenous trees and shrubs, more compact trees suitable for gardens include things like mountain ash, hawthorn and crab apples. Or perhaps make use of trees such as hazel and willow which can be cut back hard to contain their shape. Whenever possible make natural hedges, which include dog roses, guelder rose, hawthorn, wild privet. Pyracantha and Contoneaster are good shrubs to have around the garden, think berries when you decide upon shrubs. Blanket garden walls with climbing vegetation, this will provide refuge both for birds and the insects that birds depend upon for food. Grow native flowers in your flowerbeds, especially those with sizeable seed heads for example teasel,these supply food as well as providing attractive sculpture in the winter garden. Even the smallest pond will make your backyard popular with birds. Stop chemical use within the garden as you may risk eliminating insect food resources and possibly even harming birds. Hang birdfeeders out in the cold months and put up nesting boxes.

Enjoy Garden Birds Too!
A bird feeder outside the kitchen window offers you ample opportunity to enjoy wild birds, however if you would like to see birds close up then a bird box camera is the answer. With one of these you can actually observe the baby birds when they hatch and study their progress in to the world. You will get your own personal wildlife programme on tap. There's a lot of types to choose from. Make sure the model you decide on is made from durable, FSC wood. Hinged sections that contain the actual camera allows quick access and resetting without disturbing nesting birds. Straight forward focusing and integral infrared lights enables a nest box camera to record highly detailed, high standard footage by day and also by night. When the nesting season is finished it should be possible to detach the camera from the nest box and make use of it for viewing other animals in your garden. The majority of nest box cameras feature adjustable entrance hole sizes that allows you to draw in many types of birds. You should make sure your nest box camera set up comes complete with a lengthy extension cable, a minimum of thirty metres, as well as a scart adaptor which will allow you to plug your camera directly into the tv set or recorder.



Needless to say you must ensure your nesting box attracts some lodgers, so give consideration to the intended location of the box. The bird box must be put at least two metres off the ground. A wall or simply a tree is alright, but ideally in a quiet section of the garden and situated away from bird feeders and possible predators - ensure that they aren't accessible to cats. If at all possible site your box with the opening between north and east. This provides some protection from the worst of the weather conditions and stops the box and your tenants getting too hot in warm weather conditions. Make sure you alter the opening to attract the particular species of bird visitors you would like, generally bird box cameras come with a variety of access options. Do not forget practical factors, how long is the cable for example? Where is there an appropriate point in the house wall to feed a cable through? If you bear these tips in mind you should enjoy happy bird watching for very many years to come.

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