Free Google Wave Invites

I've recently discovered in myself that I'm not as technophobic as I thought I was. Suddenly, all things techy are attractive to me. The usual - forums, blogs, facebook, twitter are a fabulous way of keeping in touch with friends and family all over the world. So, when I caught wind of Google Wave, I wanted in. I draw the line at buying one though - they are known to sell for £££s on ebay! I've posted begging for invites on facebook and twitter a few times, but still no joy. Well, today, I caught wind, via twitter through Afrigator of a competition being run by the Web Design Bureau of Mauritius offering FREE 15 Google Wave Invites. The competition starts today and closes at midnight on Wednesday 4th of November 2009. I'm hoping for an invite and blogging about it so you too have a chance, if you fancy one. Just tweet or blog about it and leave a comment on the WDBM with a link to your blog or tweet then sit tight and hope. Or if you're like me, tweet AND blog about it and also BEG for an invite lest someone with one to spare reads your blog or tweet. Now, if you have one to spare, please please, please, gift it to me? My email address: jacsquests [at] googlemail dot com.

Many thanks and bright blessings!

Is Green Living the antidote to Climate Change?

This post is in response of Blog Action Day - a call for all bloggers to unite in blogging about climate change.

I do believe Green Living is an antidote to Climate change. I'm not perfect by any means. I'm just a regular person trying to live as clean a life as possible on this earth, not to 'save the world' as the world will still be here regardless, but to leave a better world for my descendants and the other living organisms that God/Mother Nature put on this earth. The deeper I get into the greener lifestyle, the more aparent it is that man is the enemy. Our unsustainable habits are not only killing us, they are killing nature as a whole, and all that depend on it. We take, take, take and forget to give back. Yet we have the higher intelligence.... A little action by all of us can make a big difference.

Anyway, how can Green Living help tackle climate change? Here's a reflection of what I try to do:

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: I try to keep waste to a minimum. Keep stuff that is still usable going for as long as possible. If I get bored, I give away what I have and get used stuff that's new to me. This way, there's less need for manufucturing new things, thus reducing the strain on the raw material. Freecycle and freegle are great for ridding yourself of things that may be useful to others and gaining new stuff. There are more alternatives to reusing, reducing and recycling... sure to be a preferred method for all out there. I love all as ultimately, it's all keeping waste to a minimum.

Growing my own and shopping smart, locally: I try to grow as much as time and organisation allows me to. I call myself a natural gardener, as I'm very wary of freely using pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers based on petrochemicals, though I couldn't swear to not using a bit of glyphosphate (roundup) and tomatorite. Having said that, these are products I acquired at the beginning of my gardening experience - inherited the glyphosphate with the plot when I took it on and bought the tomatorite in my first year only. I'd love to be able to use only organic compost and manure too, but the expense makes it out of my reach at the moment, though I do try!!! The plan is to get myself organised so I'm eating 50-70% of my own homegrown produce all year round... I believe it is doable! My local Farmers' Market and farms in the UK take care of most of my diet. And ofcourse, I have to mention my aspirations for a beehive, and some livestock.......

Unit Watching: Keeping an eye out on our electricity and gas use. We're on green energy but that's not enough. Using as little of that as possible is our my aim and this also helps with the bills, hence the heating is on for 6 hours a day MAXIMUM even in mid winter. On warmer days, 2 hours are enough for heating water - an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. To keep warm, we wear warm clothes and have a toasty duvet on the sofa for lounging underneath.

Using Earth Friendly products around the home, and on skin and hair: Soapnuts, natural soaps (I love African Black Soap, AKA Shea Soap) etc... I know these can be expensive, however, they are worth it. And they get you using stuff wonderfully frugally as waste is more painful, lol. I love Miessence for my skin and hair amongst others, but going into it all is a whole of another blog post.

More will sure follow these. Till later, Happy BAD09!

Blog Action Day 2009

'Good Hair' vs Good Hair

If you're like me, and into Healthy Hair Practices (HHPs), hearing all about the new documentary film produced by Chris Rock, probably awakened a part of you that wants people to know that not all black ladies conform to the 'Good Hair' practices exposed in the film (not watched it yet, just saw some trailers, read some reviews and listened to some interviews). If you're not that into hair, you're probably wondering what's all the fuss about 'Good Hair'. This post looks into the debate but only very briefly.....

No what is GOOD HAIR? There's 'good hair' and there's good hair. I refuse to call non-relaxed, kinky, coarse hair 'bad' because it is not bad hair, like some believe it to be.

'Good Hair':

Many videos here - I've also embedded a whole episode of Tyra Bank's show talking about 'good hair' and what it means to some people......














Good Hair:

This is what my hair journey is all about. I had my share of  'good hair' practices till I got tired and decided to nurture and care for what I have naturally so I can have good hair. See, good hair to me means nurtured, loved, well taken care of hair in it's natural form. I see natural afro haired ladies with good hair and I drool. I'm not opposed to relaxed hair, and well cared for relaxed heads sure look good too, but the kinky, nappy, natural hair is what awakens my passion. Take a quick look Sera's hair - one of my natural hair inspirations. Isn't her hair just beautiful? I can only hope my hair grows up to look that beautiful (not able to embed).

I also feel I ought to mention Locs. Like loose hair, the care given to locs determine whether they look good or not. Now, in keeping with the topic of 'Good Hair', however, would locs fall into the 'good hair' or 'bad hair' category? I vote for good, as I believe locs are beautiful if looked after well I wonder what Chris Rock's venture reveals of them. Well, I guess I'll have to go see the film once it's out over here. And I sure as heck will be sporting my beautiful, natural, kinky FABULOUS hair when I do!

My hair progress since I got started in my hair journey are journaled here if anyone fancies a sneak: Year 1, Year 2 . Be warned though - all is revealed - good, bad and ugly, so proceed with caution!

Oh, by the way, it's my birthday today, so Happy Birthday to me!!!

It's raining

Thank God!

I'll be back soon with allotment updates.

Till then, cheerio!

I think I want a Blackberry or an iPhone.

Do you ever have so many thoughts running through your head that you need to blog about at the most inappropriate times, then when you have time to blog they're all gone? Been suffering from this lately.... hence I need an iPhone or a Blackberry!