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Simple Country Living

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Keeping It Simple | Use Fewer Products

In October I had a sort through our laundry. Now let me preface this by saying that our laundry is a much neglected room. It is in dire need of a paint, and is our central storage area. So it is jam packed with all kinds of bits and pieces including canned and packet foods, spare toiletries, a freezer, our vacuum cleaner and all our cleaning supplies.

Anyhoo… one of the things I did was to go through the cleaning products we had. There were products that we have had sitting there since we arrived on the farm, but have never used. It got me thinking about how we can simplify the type and amount of products we use, not only when cleaning, but in other parts of our lives as well.

Here are some ideas:

– Pick products that suit all the members of your household – In the bathroom, we had already limited the amount of different products we use. We use one type of shampoo and conditioner for the whole family; one type of toothpaste, one type of shaving cream and razor  (for CB and I anyway).

I’m not suggesting going without shampoo (though some people do), but having different shampoos for every family member takes up a lot of space in the bathroom, costs a lot more to buy, and takes more time to keep up.

– Choose products that can suit more than one task – The more jobs that one product can do, the less products you need. Just because a cleaner says it is for the kitchen, doesn’t mean that it can’t be used in the rest of the house. We use the same type of hand wash in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry. We bulk buy vinegar which we can use for both preserving and cleaning.

– Be intentional about how many products you purchase – Avoid the impulse purchases and consider how many products you actually use. Do you really need seven lipsticks? Seven different pasta shapes? I rarely wear makeup – it isn’t compatible with my job – so I own very little.

– Skip free samples – just because the product is free, doesn’t mean that it is useful, or that you need it. Several years back I got a free bottle of moisturising cream in a gift bag. When I sorted out the bathroom last year, it was still there. I had packed and moved house with it. Needless to say it got tossed, but it would have been easier if I just never taken it.

– Consider what products you can do without. We don’t use room deodorisers, or bug killers. We try to avoid to many aerosols and chemicals for health reasons, but it also means less products to buy. store, and manage.

– Be ruthless, and get rid of products you are keeping “just in case”. This rule applies to any decluttering task, but is always good to remember. I would much rather have to buy a product I need in three years time, rather than have one sit there “just in case”. Be realistic and ruthless!

Using fewer cleaners, beauty products and other household products just make sense. Less money spent. Less stuff to store and manage, and less waste.

What products do you do without? Do you have anything you couldn’t live with out? Share your tips!

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Hi, I’m Jo

I'm a city girl turned farmer's wife, school teacher, ideas woman, and mum to three country kids. Country Life Experiment is all about simple country living, growing and making our own food, and life on our family farm in rural Australia. Join me as I give country living a try. Read more...
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Team work makes the dream work. We were asked rec Team work makes the dream work. 
We were asked recently whether we “make” our kids work on the farm. The answer is “of course not”. Having said that, all three love to help out whenever they can. They all work hard because they want to; because they take pride in working hard and contributing in a meaningful way to our family life; because they love living on our farm and don’t remember life before we moved here. Whether it be planting trees or doing sheep work or feeding animals, they all want to be involved. As a parent, nothing is better than watching them grow in skill and confidence as they work along side you. We’re so glad that we get to spend time with our three, working together.
We’ve had an unexpected addition to the family ☘️🐑. She is a lot easier to look after than the other family members but she does try to escape her yard and head butt people. Poddy lambs are super cute but they tend to think they are a human. Clover the lamb is sure that Meg is her mum. Can’t think why… 🤔🤣
The perfect way to end a long winter weekend: toge The perfect way to end a long winter weekend: together, cooking damper around the remains of the bonfire.
It’s been a tough few weeks on the farm. We got It’s been a tough few weeks on the farm. We got through shearing without a hitch (thankfully 🙏) but we’ve had a run of the flu followed by Covid run through the family since then. The kids and I have tested positive (this is my second time getting it 🦠) though so far C has managed to avoid it. There has been a lot of lying on the couch feeling pretty ordinary. Han had to reschedule her driving test for a 4th time due to Covid, which is disappointing for her because she wants her freedom and for us because it would be so much more convenient if she could drive herself places. Just to add in to the mix, our hot water system has chosen now as a good time to die so we’re on cold showers until we’re all out of iso. This is not meant to be a whinging post but sometimes life just sucks a bit and it’s good to be real. Fortunately, the sight of the fire going with a stack of wood next to it cheers us up. Things will improve soon. Onwards we go…
A picture perfect Autumn afternoon to end the scho A picture perfect Autumn afternoon to end the school holidays. We’ve been busy spending time with friends and family, harvesting the last of the summer produce, as well as a short escape to explore the big smoke. After the craziness of last term it was the break we all needed. It’s back to school for me tomorrow, and the kids are back on Wednesday. Shearing starts soon and so it’s all systems go over the next few weeks.
Covid has made some late changes to our weekend pl Covid has made some late changes to our weekend plans so we are embracing the unexpected and doing not much at home. Plenty of time for hanging out on the dam and enjoy the perfect weather.

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Hi, I’m Jo

City girl turned farmer's wife, school teacher, ideas woman, and mum to three country kids. Country Life Experiment is all about simple country living, growing and making our own food, and life on our family farm in rural Australia. Join me as I give country living a try. Read more...
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