The Greening of Gavin

TGoG 130 – Budget Gifts

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Kim came up with a brilliant theme for this episode that will get you all fired up to start making budget gifts to give during the Christmas season.  We all know that this time of year can be expensive if others expectations are high, so cut your costs by making your own personalised gifts.

We talk about some of the great homemade presents that friends have given over the years.  It was because they were homemade that we remember them many years later, unlike all the crap that we used to buy and be littered under the Christmas Tree before our sustainable living journey began.

Thoughtful, simple, yet memorable gifts, made with love.  Who would want for anything nicer?

We also mention that the show will be more regular and that we are already planning our Christmas Special.  If anyone has any duet suggestions for our song, then send them in via email, the more the merrier.

Whatever the song is, it will be fun to produce.  It will be our budget gift to you!

TGoG 129 – Downshifting Again

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Downshift (ˈdaʊnʃɪft) verb – change a financially rewarding but stressful career or lifestyle for a less pressured and less highly paid but more fulfilling one.

Yes folks, after another sorrowful wakeup call, I have decided to downshift another work day.  Life is just too short, and I have so much more to give.

Have a listen to the show to understand the circumstances behind reducing my hours at work, but ramping them up here at home.  If I’ve learnt anything on this green journey it’s that happiness is not just around the corner; you have to make it happen yourself!  So that’s what I did.

Downshifting Again

Next week I am hoping that Kim will join me for a Q&A.

If you have a question that you would like either Kim or I to answer on the podcast, leave us a voicemail via the SpeakPipe widget below.  Just remember to play the recording back to yourself before sending it to ensure that we will be able to hear your question.

Looking forward to hearing from you!  Remember, the more questions, the longer the episode.

Here’s to downshifting again.

TGoG 128 – Major Events Around the Yard

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Some major events around the place this week so this week’s episode is a bit of a round-up.

We had to remove the greenhouse due to catastrophic failure of the polycarbonate sheeting.  Its being replaced with a storage shed for soap making supplies for Little Green Workshops.  I will make some trellis against the new shed to espalier a couple of dwarf fruit trees, so all is not lost.

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We just past 30 megawatt hours of electricity generated by our 2.8kw solar PV system!

Solar hot water has been free this month and will be until late March

Our garden got scorched from 4 days over 30°C.  In fact we had a day of 37°C which turned all our apple blossom brown.  I think we may lose the entire crop.

Next Wednesday we join get the National Broadband Network hooked up to the house and will be able to provide more video content.  Currently on our ADSL2+ connection, it takes me 5 hours to upload a 20 minute YouTube video.  Think of all the extra time I will have to produce more video content instead of waiting for uploads!

Oh, and lastly, check out the “My Videos” menu item on the blog.  You will find a gallery of selected sustainable living videos that I’ve uploaded over the years, including my four national television appearances!

If you have a question that you would like either Kim or I to answer on the podcast, leave us a voicemail via the SpeakPipe widget below.  Just remember to play the recording back to yourself before sending it to ensure that we will be able to hear your question.

 

Looking forward to hearing from you!