I've been planning to make Little Eco an advent calender for weeks. I'd been thinking maybe something made from recycled fabric, or sticks and recycled coffee cups, or recycled paper, or vintage buttons, or even toilet rolls. Before I knew it, it was only a few days away from the 1st of December and I was trying to think of how we could make a quick eco advent calender in less than an hour. I remembered leaf bunting. Perfect! When out and about doing some chores yesterday, we collected fallen dead leaves along the way. I also picked up a... Read more →

Our tired little family is feeling much better after a quick weekend camping trip. Children running wild for hours on end, river swimming, treasure hunts, cooking marshmallows on the fire, lazing around chatting, and four little girls beaming with pride after enjoying their first horse ride. Magic. We stayed at Glenworth Valley. This beautiful valley is the perfect place for a quick weekend get-away. It's only an hour or so from Sydney or Newcastle and minutes from the central coast. Need a little magic yourself? Ignore all those excuses that usually keep you at home and head out on an... Read more →

I can't believe its almost two years since I started this blog. Two years ago Little Eco was much littler. I've started reading through old posts to see what we were up to at the same time a year ago. Here's a few of my favourite posts from November 2009: I love passive design Vintage suitcase toy storage Could park benches connect our communities? Homemade moisturising body bar recipe Have a lovely weekend. We're off camping. I'm hoping a little time with nature will provide the restoration we need. The three of us have had a rotten chest cold for... Read more →

I resorted to buying a birthday gift for one of Little Eco's friends today. I just couldn't find the energy to 'whip something up' like I usually do. So I did the next best thing and bought someone else's handmade goodies. I popped into Blackbird Corner and bought some hair clips by Sheeps Clothing and elastics by Oopsidaisi. I thought it was a sweet, practical and ethical gift. But it didn't look like much. So I made a simple draw-string bag out of a vintage sheet. The bag took less than 10 minutes to make and made the not-made-by-me gift... Read more →

We're planning a backyard natural playground. After spotting Marganita's cute fairy seating area I decided we had to have one. But I had no idea where I was going to find a tree stump. By chance, we visited my mum shortly after an old tree had been cut down due to safety. They were going to use it for firewood! I'm so glad we saved it. So far these stumps from the tree that grew outside my childhood bedroom window have been stepping stumps, doll seats, a table for a delicious garden salad, and a seat for a vet. I... Read more →