What a bargain!

I couldn't believe my luck when I won these items the other day from my favourite on-line store... eBay!


The first picture is a timber Buddha wall hanging that is 1200x800 which we want to hang on the large blank wall (outside) near the front door. I'm not too fussed with the colour of it at the moment so no doubts I'll wave my magic wand...aka paint brush, and stain it a little darker.

We've been after something for the entry for sometime now but everything we see is really expensive. I only paid...wait for it...$20 bucks, well $20.50 to be exact (the bid started at $20), what a bargain!

The timber buffet next to it is from the same seller and I bought that for the office...that I'm still in the process of doing up!

It was another bargain at $122.50, and solid as...and look at all that storage! I'll go ape filling this little beauty with all my craft...and office stuff of course!
I love the colour too, dark chocolate perfect for what I want to achieve in the office (bidding started at $75)

The little black leather chair is still yet to be won (finishes today) but I thought I'd show you what I wanted it for and yes again it's for the office as I'll have a spare corner which will be perfect to house it. It's currently still $20 bucks and I won't pay anymore than $50 as it's a little warm on the bum but otherwise it's perfect

The desk was won last Sunday at a bargain of $300 (bidding started at $300) and currently still worth $1000 brand new! It's in perfect nick with no scratches and a leather in-lay and 2 filing drawers....not that master J will need them but they're there if he should one day!

This will be going in the activity room in the alcove already provided. I wanted to just have a slab of timber (floating so to speak) but we couldn't get anything decent and didn't want to pay mega bucks for so this will have to do and besides, it came with it's own leather high back chair and once again...in perfect nick!

We'll be picking the items up on Saturday, so once we put them in place, I'll do another post!

I tell you folks, eBay is the way to go and you can always...always grab a bargain if you know what to look for and do your homework.

My personal tips:
1. Never pay more than what it's truly worth
2. Be patient and don't bid over your head just because you want it.
3. If you miss out the first time....there's always something else that'll come along and sometimes something better and or cheeper!
4. If you have been bidding and still miss out, you may get a second chance if the sale doesn't go through.
5. As with the step above, always let the seller know your still interested
6. If the pictures are not clear enough, ask the seller to send you extra, they won't mind and after all, a sale is a sale. Alternately you can arrange to view the item before bidding depending on time
7. Sometimes the item isn't described in great detail, so ask the seller every question you need to to be sure your getting what you want.

If your selling something on eBay:
1. Always take more photos than needed, there's nothing worse than seeing something for sale with only one picture to go by.
2. Take nice photos of the item/items just like you would see it in a shop...dress it up a little and if selling furniture, have photos with a little decor and definitely no MESS!
3. Always include correct measurements
4. Describe your item clearly and if there's any marks or defects, make sure you take a photo and add a clear description of it, people will appreciate your honesty and you'll be covered should anyone say they weren't aware when picking up
5. Make sure you have some type of change when they come to collect their item if paying by cash

Until next time...

A clean home is a healthy home!

Do you hate cleaning?....I know I do but hey, someone has to do right?  and that my lady friends is usually us...well especially if we want it done properly and and to our satisfactory!

You probably think that I'm a clean freak when you see all the photos of my kitchen and bathrooms, but believe me when I tell you, they certainly don't look like that everyday...trust me!

Being a mum of 4 boys (two teen still at home), well one's 15 and the other 12 but I'm sure you get were I'm heading, cleaning up after them and giving the house a somewhat spotless appearance, is a full-time job!

I'm certainly no different to the average stay at home mum, but I do like having a clean home and am always trying to use non chemically based products which is always better for both our health and that of the environment. But lets face it, everything has chemicals of some sort in it even the "Natural" ones, but I try to go green whenever I can.

I've sourced many a different cleaning remedy here and there and have asked anyone willing to admit what they, or their grandmother or mother used.

I've been flabbergasted by some of the old remedies and by jingoes they really do work!

Who would've thought that cleaning windows or glass would be a breeze when just using some water mixed with a bit of vinegar and a couple of drops of lavender and lemon essential oil? I tell you, I'll never use windex and newspaper ever again.

I've also heard that by adding a tablespoon of cornflour to 1 litre of water works well too, use a micro-fibre cloth to wash and use another dry one to wipe!

Did I mention the good 'ol "bi-carb soda"?...OMG this stuff is amaze-balls! I've cleaned my oven twice now with it and it's probably cleaner than when it was brand new!

I've cooked 2 roast porks in it now and you know how much mess they make due to getting the skin to crackle? I swore after trying to clean the oven (with normal oven cleaner) the first time that I would never do it again, but that soon went by the wayside over christmas!

Usually when I do a roast (lamb), I place it in an oven bag and voila' no mess woohoo, but you can't do that with a roast pork unfortunately so the good 'ol bi-carb strikes again.









All you have to do is mix it into a paste with a little water and spread it over the oven (make sure oven is cool) and leave over night. The next morning you just wipe down and clean with hot soapy water (use gloves) and just like magic...it's all shiny and brand new again. You may have to repeat if necessary.

To clean your grout in the bathrooms, again use bi-carb and water made into a paste and scrub using an old toothbrush, then rinse well!

To make sure mould never forms (especially) in your bathroom, get plenty of air to the room by leaving a window open, turning on an air vent when showering, wipe down tiles after use and leave the shower door open when not in use. Also, make sure you take off and wipe the plastic seal under glass screen doors as it can be a haven for mould.
 For cleaning (glass) shower screen doors, use the remedy of water, vinegar, lavender and lemon essential oils as above...not only does it clean the glass, but it leaves a beautiful aroma in the bathroom too.

To clean your drains, don't use bleach or other detergents, a more natural way is to pour some boiling water and a handful of salt down it. Clean around the top by rubbing with a cut lemon.








If your like me and are always at your desk, clean your keyboard (where germs are constantly lurking) with a damp micro-fibre soft cloth, add a dab of Eucalyptus oil and not only will you have germ free typing, but a wonderful aroma added to the room as well.

Do the same with all of your door handles....how many times do they get used and forgotten about?

If you have a pool too, don't leave it up to your creepy crawly to get the tiles perfectly clean and don't forget...it can't get into tight corners!
So how do you keep your pool tiles from mould....bi-carb! Yes bi-carb will bring them back to "like new" within minutes. Just use with a little elbow grease and a scrubbing brush or cloth and don't worry about it getting into the water, the creepy crawly can eat it up no probs!




If you have your own favourite remedy or anything else to add, please let me and my viewers know