UsedEverywhere.com

Used Tips: Tell Us Yours

My friend Deanna inspired this post. I joked recently about buying her some Used angel wings. Seriously, this woman finds everything on UsedVictoria.com. If you need something, just ask Dee, she will find it for you on a Used site. Anything you want. Just ask. It’s kind of a running joke with our friends, but it’s also really useful!

So I checked in with Dee to see what her tips are and I’ve added some of my own. I am guessing everyone uses Used in a different way, so please share your tips with other bargain hunters and environmentally responsible shoppers:

• Bookmark it baby – Dee has UsedVic bookmarked and centre on her favourites tool bar. I thought this was strange, but it turns out about 90% of my friends have the same thing
• Search – it’s an obvious one but remember to search in different ways. One person’s patio set might be one person’s garden furniture set. If you want something specific, be specific. Search for Nissan, but if you know the model you want, search Nissan Altima. Use the advanced search option to narrow down to area, price and types of sellers
• Alerts – You have to have an account to sign up for alerts, but this really is the smart way to use Used. This way you can save yourself the trouble of the refresh button and let those ads come to you. Alerts go by category and can either be sent to you via text or by phone
• Account – Sign up for an account and have access to more special features, such as the alert service explained above. If you are a frequent seller, an account makes everything so much easier, no need to add contact info each time you sell, it’s all set up for you already
• Barter – Dee always barters. Always. I however do not and I should. The worst people can say is ‘no’ and then it’s up to you how much you want the item in order to pay the asking price
• FREE – The Sunday just gone, Dee alerted me to a free ladies’ bike and a free car bed (any mom of a two-year-old boy can likely tell you how coveted these twin beds are!). There she was at home riding that free button and I know she wasn’t the only one, because despite emailing both sellers minutes after their ad went up, I was next in line for both! For tips on finding only free items on Used, check out this interview with Karen Bragg,  a local Victoria woman who renovated her whole property for free! Karen talks about etiquette, which can go a long way with being a successful Used user as well as offering other insights into being a pro searcher on Used
• Wanted – A wanted ad may just catch the eye of the person about to upload an ad for exactly what you are looking for
• Help – Hit the help button if you want to know how Used can work for you. There are lots of tips and FAQs covered on this page
• Social Media – When it comes to interesting and unusual finds, curiosities and collectibles, you can bet your dollar, that our Used team has scoured their home site and will post their finds on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If you are a serious collector, this is a great way to have an extra alert

Bubble and Squeak and Other British Delights

When I saw my fellow blogger Carly’s last post on leftover veg, I was pretty excited. ‘She is going to mention bubble and squeak’ I thought, but of course there was no mention of this British dish! I’m sure most Canadians have never even heard of it!

I call bubble and squeak a delight because I can’t call it a delicacy! Bubble and squeak is a dish made from leftover vegetables, specifically from a traditional English roast dinner. You fry up your veggies with mashed potatoes or crushed roast potatoes and usually serve with breakfast or brunch. The name bubble and squeak comes because the dish does just that as it is fried up.

In the earliest know recipes bubble and squeak was fried up with either leftover meat or whatever meat you were planning on having for breakfast, but nowadays this isn’t the case and your meat is always on the side.

Here is a simple bubble and squeak recipe for you to try, but to be honest, this really is as easy as throwing everything in a pan with some butter:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• Any leftover vegetables, cabbage, swede, carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
• ½ cup onion, diced
• Leftover mashed potato or roasted potatoes crushed up
• Salt and pepper

Allergies 101: What Treatments Work For You?

Here in Victoria it takes about three weeks for most people to realise it’s not a cold they have but in fact, spring has sprung and they have seasonal allergies.

Allergy season here is long and mighty, the blossom drives most people crazy and combined with our relentless April showers and sea winds, pollen really does get up our noses for a good part of the spring, summer and early fall.

Last winter, I wrote an article on Cold Treatments, comparing how different remedies work for the treatment of the common cold. Today I am going to take a look at allergy remedies:

• Antihistamine: I’ll be honest, I have tried A LOT of allergy remedies, but for the most part, I always go back to a decongestant with antihistamine. Reactine, Clarityn, Allegra, Alleve – I’ve tried them all. Just be aware that there are different ingredients in different allergy medications, and what works for me might not work for you and vice versa. For example pseudoephedrine can have caffeine like effects for some although it is more effective than phenylephrine as a decongestant. It can raise your heart rate and keep you awake, so if you are prone to high blood pressure or restlessness, you might want to avoid the medication that includes it. Talk to your pharmacist, they will be able to help you choose which medication will work best for you and try different ones to find the best fit. For example, I now know that Diphenhydramine works better as an antihistamine for me than Loratadine, so that’s how I choose what I buy.
• Eye Drops: don’t laugh – I know that people on the West Coast are notorious for carrying eye drops for very different reasons, but for those with itchy and painful eyes, eye drops can provide a lot of relief. Just be careful that eye drops don’t increase your symptoms in the long run. Ask your pharmacist about natural tear eye drops that offer relief without unnecessary medicines. Some eye drops contain lubricants as well as astringents such as Zinc Sulphate. Check with your pharmacist to see if this is necessary for you.
• Nasal Sprays: you can get decongestants in nasal spray form but again, check with your pharmacist as with prolonged use, they may not be effective. If your nose is dry and cracked, a simple saline solution spray could provide a lot of relief.
• Neti Pot: I was a neti pot user for years until I realised it wasn’t helping! I just thought it was the best way to go because it was natural. No, I wasn’t brain washed by Oprah, this was years before the neti pot hit the mainstream, but it really has grown in popularity over the last few years. What the neti pot does is allow you to clear your sinuses by filtering sterilised salt water solution through them. You pour water up into one nostril and the mucus flows from the other, then you swap nostrils. This is a really effective treatment and preventative measure for many people. The reason it didn’t work for me is that my sinuses were just too blocked to drain. If you do decide to try a neti pot, make sure you read some proper drainage instructions. I have seen so many neti pots sold by people who don’t actually know how to use them – you have to get all that water out.
• Painkillers: yup, I’ve popped a painkiller when the throat burn and headache has been too much to bear… you do what you have to do!
• Wash: sounds crazy doesn’t it, but remember if you are outdoors, the pollen can get all over your clothes and in your hair. Shower regularly to get rid of it! A hot shower with steam may also open up your sinuses just a little and the clean water can help with itchy eye relief.
• Peppermint Tea: hot tea can help with a sore throat or go a little way in relieving the sinuses. Peppermint apparently acts as a decongestant, and substances in peppermint contain anti-inflammatory and mild antibacterial constituents. Interesting.
• Wear Sunglasses: protect your eyes from pollen.
• Steam: you don’t need to visit a sauna, just fill a bowl with hot water, cover your head with a towel, lean over and breath. This for me has replaced my neti pot action and when I was a singer, my doctor advised I do it every day to keep lubricated. I ofetn add some Vicks vapour rub or a tiny scoop of menthol crystals.
• Mustard: and if all else fails, eat some hot English mustard (or wasabi). It will definitely clear your sinuses, though you might cry like a baby!

What do you use for your allergies? How effective is it? Leave a comment and share with our readers.

Soap Stars: Local Soap – where do you buy yours?

It makes me a little crazy when folks who want to go green with their household cleaners and body care products tell me there is nothing available to them. Here in Victoria, we have many local soap specialists who create safe and effective products that are 100% natural and good for both the body and the earth.

What I do understand though is the notion that the green cleaners in your average shopping aisle might not be all they seem. Green washing was a term that was explained to me by local Victoria cleaners Green Wheel Cleaners (see article here) and is a marketing term given to products that bombard us with all the right words ‘natural’, ‘green’, ‘eco friendly’, whilst really being anything but.

This is where the smaller health focused soap and cleaning product stores step in.

I was recently in a local health food store that was selling Soap Works products. I found about 30 bars of soap each for just over $2. I felt like I’d struck gold – each bar was gluten free (their oatmeal and goat milk soaps are not) and each was aimed at a specific skin type. I wanted to buy a bar for each of my friends I was so thrilled, but that’s like going into the giant dollar store… before you know it you’re spending $50 and waved bye-bye to any hope of thriftiness. I just chose two bars that I thought would work for my family. These were Sea Kelp and Bee Pollen, both all round skincare soaps. It’s true I’m easily excited by new discoveries, but these soaps are by far the best, most effective and gentlest soaps I’ve used. Take a look at their website puresoapworks for a list of all their soaps.

The Soap Works, like many specialist soap stores was created to find a solution to sensitive skin. Based in Toronto, this soap is available all over Canada and also online – their site will give you a list of where to buy near you.

Here in Victoria we also have The Soap Exchange. I reviewed their hair care products for VictoriaMom.ca - click link for article. The Soap Exchange supplies 100% biodegradable products for the body and home. As well as having a store, they also distribute their wares all over B.C. They offer reusable packaging making them even greener. If I could have a dollar for every time a fellow mom recommended a cleaning product from The Soap Exchange, I probably could buy that bar of soap for each of my Facebook friends.

The products I hear about the most are for carpets. That’s because us moms are forever worrying about our dirty carpets and the horrifically toxic products we’re meant to clean them with. Their Carpet Clean is a fantastically tough product whilst still being gentle on the environment and their Enzymes product is one of the best odour eaters on the market, great if you have potty training age kids like I do and/or pets.

For those of you not local to B.C., there is The Rocky Mountain Soap Company, a chain of natural soap selling stores that you can find all across Canada. For a list of their stores, see our link here: The Rocky Mountain Soap Company Stores. This place has everyday-use soaps and body care products as well as beautiful gift ideas.

Similar and currently local to B.C. are Jordan River Soapworks - some of the most eye catching packaging I’ve seen, Nezza Naturals - offering body care and raved about home care products and Saltspring Soapworks - easily the widest and most varied array of natural artisan soap products ever known!

So as you can see, we here in Victoria have a lot of choice when it comes to making safer choices when cleaning our house, home and family.

But what about those farther afield….friends of Used in far off places i.e anywhere over the water! Where do you buy your natural soaps, let us know so that we can share with our readers and take a look ourselves! 

Soap Stars: Castile.

I’ve had a little theme of late with natural cleaning products. As I’ve mentioned before, there’s a reason my house smells like fish and chips at least once a week and no, it’s not because I’m addicted to succulent pieces of battered cod – though I could be. It’s because I use vinegar and baking soda to clean everything! Here is a link to my natural cleaning product article.

One of the comments on a recent blog of mine was in regard to making a natural dish soap. What a challenge! Yep, there are a lot of recipes on the web – there’s a lot of everything on the web, but do they work?

Last week, my fellow Used blogger Lisa, showed us a mighty fine and mighty thrifty recipe for natural laundry detergent. I’ll be gathering the ingredients for this this week and am very excited to save some money on laundry! But what about dish soap?

When I began looking for natural recipes for dish soap, there was one common denominator and that was castile soap. I’ve used Dr. Bronner’s tea tree castile soap for years. It was recommended for a skin problem I was having which cleared up within a few weeks of using it, but I use it for everything, including dish soap when I’ve run out of store bought.

What is Castile Soap and Why Use it?

Castile soap is made from plant based oils mixed with an alkili. It is gentle on you and the environment because it’s biodegradable and free from harsh cleansers, oleochemicals, artificial foaming agents, petrochemicals and/or chemical anti-bacterial agents.

Why use it? Because it’s gentle enough to use on you and yet effective enough to use on your rugs, kitchen floor, bathroom tiles, etc.

In fact recently I read an article on Dr. Bronner’s castile soap in a celebrity magazine! Even Lady Gaga and Gwynth Paltrow love Dr. Bronner’s so it must at least be effective on putrid meat smells whilst still being a vegan option.

What can it be used for?

What can’t it be used for?

• Shampoo – when mixed with water in a 1:3 part ratio
• Dishwasher detergent – as is
• Body wash – 2:1 castile to water
• Toothpaste – I’m not going to try this but many sources assure me it is far better for your teeth – I’ll have to trust you on that one!
• Veggie wash – just mix 1:2 ratio soap to water, but in a squeezy bottle and squirt your veggies
• Carpet cleaner – 1/4 cup soap with 1 cup water, put in blender and blend until you have a stiff foam – voila!
• Dishsoap – see my recipe below

 Homemade Dish Soap Recipe:

This is the recipe I have seen on a multitude of sites. I don’t usually write about anything I haven’t tried myself, that’s my number one blogging rule… but today I am breaking it and I vow to try this recipe in the next couple of weeks and report back. This is for you Mark Johnston, thanks for reading my blog!

• 1 ¾ cups boiling water
• 1 Tbsp borax
• 1 Tbsp grated bar soap (use castile bar soap, homemade soap, Ivory, or whichever natural bar you prefer)
• 15-20 drops essential oils, optional (find 100% pure essential oils here)

Directions: 

1. Heat water to boiling.
2. Combine borax and grated bar soap in a medium bowl. Pour hot water over the mixture. Whisk until soap is completely melted.
3. Allow mixture to cool on the countertop for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Dish soap will gel upon standing.
4. Transfer to a squirt bottle, and add essential oils (if using). Shake well to combine.

If you try this before I do, please let me know!

Cleaning Essentials: Essential Oils That are Mean on Dirt and Grime

Last week, I offered up some tips for cleaning with natural products you can find in your kitchen cupboards. I listed safe but effective cleaners such as vinegar, baking soda, lemons, salt and if you can believe it cinnamon – yep great for cleaning ovens – all of which are as effective for household spills and messes as anything you will find in the store aisle. This week, I thought I’d continue with a similar theme.

A while back I interviewed Victoria cleaners Green Wheel Cleaning about keeping your cleaning cupboards green. Helen, the owner talked about how effective essential oils can be as cleaners. Not only do they smell terrific, but many of them have anti-fungal, antiseptic and antibiotic capacities. Essential oils are plant based, so are natural, but be careful, they can still be irritants if you don’t dilute and use properly.

Here’s a list of essential oils and what you can use them for!

• Orange Essential Oil – Orange oil smells fantastic and is excellent at lifting tough stains and grime. Add 3 – 4 drops of oil to a spray bottle filled with water and a squirt of dish soap.
• Eucalyptus Essential Oil - Claims to ward off dust mites. Add several drops to your laundry.
• Lemon Essential Oil – Great on fabric stains. Add a couple of drops to the stain, let stand and then rinse or throw in the laundry. Because it is so good on stains, add it to your wash and use it in a big bucket of water to clean floors. For an effective window cleaner, add 10 drops to a spray bottle of one cup white vinegar and half a cup water.
• Peppermint Essential Oil – This oil has antibacterial properties and is a natural pest deterrent, so is a particularly effective household cleaner. Use in a spray bottle mixed with water and vinegar for your kitchen and bathroom.
• Tea Tree Essential Oil – Tea Tree is the king of essentials oils and has anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Use in a spray bottle of water to attack any mouldy or mildewy areas in your bathroom, just spritz and leave and let it do its good work! This and peppermint oil are good toilet cleaners.
• Lavender Essential Oil - This is my absolute favourite and I like to add a few drops to a water bottle and just spritz it her and there. Very relaxing. For cleaning though, lavender is fantastic. Not only does it smell incredible, it’s also a major pest deterrent and is particularly good at keeping away moths. With its antibacterial properties, lavender is great for cleaning as well as adding to your garbage bags to cut through bad smells.

DIY Cleaning Products

Last year I interviewed Helen, owner of Green Wheel Cleaners, who talked to me about what toxins to avoid in the cleaning aisles of the supermarket. She made mention of the term “greenwashing” which is basically brands throwing the words “all natural” and “green” and “safe” on their products when in fact, the product is anything but.

The best way to avoid toxins in your cleaning products is to quite simply make your own or use what you already have in your cupboards. If that invites eye rolls and thoughts of ‘like I have the time’ my advice is to hit up Google and investigate local soap makers, health focused stores and green cleaners who retail natural, non harmful products.

Check out my top tips for alternative cleaners and cleaning tips:

• Odorous Oven – Often your self cleaning oven leaves a terrible stench. If that’s the case, load a baking tray with orange peel and bake at 350 degrees to clear fumes. Also opt for no self clean and instead use a baking soda vinegar mix.
• Baking Soda & Vinegar – There is a reason my home smells like a fish n chip shop at least once a week and that is because I swear by baking soda and vinegar for lots of kid based mishaps. For pee and vomit, a baking soda and vinegar paste is going to cut through any odour and will also lift stains. This combo makes a great oven and bath cleaner as the baking soda’s gritty texture really gets into the dirt.
• Shower curtains – Rather than having to use a cleaner on mildew build up, prior to hanging your shower curtains, soak them in a salt water solution.
• Green bathtub – Do you have an old bath tub that has a weird green or blue rim? So this might not be green but a turpentine and salt solution is going to lift that colour straight off!
• Lemons – Lemons are all purpose cleaners! Polish brass, clean your bath taps, rub into your cutting boards and let stand overnight for a great way to kill germs and remove stains. Use a lemon and water solution in a spray bottle for your windows and shower doors, it will do wonders on your mineral build up.
• Blocked Drains – Pour baking soda down your drain and follow with lemon juice to get rid of minor blockages.
• More Lemons -What can’t a lemon do?! Leave a quarter lemon on a saucer in your fridge to kill odours, change weekly. Boil lemon slices in your kettle then let sit overnight to help remove mineral build up. Dab lemon juice on clothing stains and let sit for 24 hours before washing your garment, the stain should lift. And heck, once you’ve used your lemons to clean your home, you can use some on your hair and skin too. Lemon juice makes a great hair shine product and when mixed with sugar works as a facial exfoliant (not for sensitive skin).
• Salt – A lot like baking soda, salt can clean up a whole lot. Mix with cinnamon for a brilliant way to clean oven spills, mix with vinegar to remove hard stains and my favourite – mix with olive oil for an excellent scrub to use on cast iron pans and is also a hardworking carpet cleaner.

Keeping It Clean. For The Kids.

I’m sure most of us can smell it in the air. Yes spring is just around the corner and those of us who like a good clean up will be gearing towards that big spring clean and of course using Used to get rid of all the junk that is soon to become another’s treasure. (For tips on using Used, check out the top ten tips from the master, Karen, who saved thousands of dollars on her reno’ by sourcing freebies from UsedVictoria).

For those of us with children, the spring clean is a great opportunity to organize toys and finally get rid of the broken trains, grown out of Buzz Lightyears and half intact puzzles that get shoved in the spare room until there’s more time.

The spring clean is a great way to set an example to your children. It encourages them to recycle, share (by giving to other children), organise and have respect for their belongings.

Here are a few tips to get kids of any age involved in your clean ups.

• Not the first time - Trying to get your kids to join in on a big spring clean when they’ve never lifted a finger any other day of the year is just not going to work! My advice is the seven minute clean up. I do this with my son and on my own. Set a timer for seven minutes and go! You will be so surprised at how much you can clean up in that time. If I’m feeling particularly energetic (or am going to go stir crazy with the mess), I’ll move from room to room giving each the seven minute make over.
• Music - It’s cleaning, but you can try and make it fun. I’m a Songza ADDICT so I use their playlists for most activities including cleaning, but if your kidlets have a favourite artist, stick it on your player and get them moving as they sort and clean. Just don’t blame me if it’s One Direction on repeat!
• All ages – All ages can clean, from your two year old to your twelve year old. With younger family members, lead by example and keep it simple. Wiping windows, putting away toys, using a duster – all things a three year old can do. Team up with younger children, so if you are cleaning the oven, let your kidlet spray so you can wipe – it might take a little more time, but as they get older, they will understand that helping is normal.
• Bigger Kids – Big kids can go it alone, give them their tasks and off they go.
• Heads Up – Give your kids notice of the tasks they will be doing, it will pay to be organised. Either draw up a list or better still do a lucky dip. Put all the kids’ tasks in a bowl and let them choose.
• Rewards – Don’t go overboard, cleaning is just a part of everyday life, but for a big clean that’s going to take most of the day, adding an incentive won’t hurt. Promises of a pizza party, movie night or sleepover should the chores get done well might get things moving faster.
• Goodwill – The spring clean is a great time to teach kids about giving to those less fortunate.
• Making Money – From giving your kids their own garage sale table, to helping them list on the Used sites, not only is making some money an incentive for them to clean up and sort their belongings, it’s also a good lesson in worth.
• Rules – These are my rules for everyday clean ups but the spring clean is the best time to employ these guidelines. The six month rule – if it hasn’t been played with for six months or more, it goes. The three month rule – even if you have the best of intentions, if the toy has been broken and not repaired for three months, it goes.

Sort, Store and Save: It's Spring. (Well Almost!)

I know, I know, most parts of the country are still covered in snow, yet here in Victoria we are seeing the sun bright in the sky and blooms poking through the earth.

As spring hits, a lot of us without even realizing start to think about blowing out those winter cobwebs and doing a big spring clean. But wait! Especially you, Victoria residents, there is still time for snow and you don’t want to be disappointed when hibernation calls again!

So instead, why not start off small, with just a few new storage and organization ideas before the big clean commences.

This first one isn’t really about storage but is more about organizing. One of my VictoriaMom.ca  team mates showed me this, The Bills Binder, a great way for keeping on top of bills. If you do live somewhere where the sky is grey and the roads are still white, this might be a good indoor activity one evening. This makes filing your bills so much easier. If you are anything like me the word filing conjures up other f words and bills get left on the microwave.

This binder tutorial comes from Echoes of Laughter. What I love about it is the great visual it gives you of your money over the month.

I also love this, the birthday card binder because sometimes, though not often, I leave birthday cards and gifts until the very last minute. This one is easy to work out for yourself but here is a tutorial and sweet blog just in case – from happycanadianhome.com.

This following storage tip is another good rainy day tidy up and is something I desperately need. Every morning, I scramble around for lids, the right size containers, anything that will hold food! I think a Lunch Kit Drawer is in order.

This next one is a really good storage solution to have in place prior to your big spring clean. If you have kids, then the likelihood is you have toys. Lots of toys. Organizing a storage solution that your kids can handle, that looks good and that does the job well is crucial.

All of the blogs I have mentioned here have hundreds of organizing tips for you. If you are planning that big clean any time soon, think about employing some tidying options so that your spring clean lasts beyond summer!

Using Used: Top Ten Tips From the Woman Who Renovated Her House for Free

Last week I put some questions to Karen Bragg who has saved literally thousands of dollars by using UsedVictoria to renovate her home.

Here Karen gives us her top ten tips for using Used.

1. Think ahead of time about what things you might need, and THEN start looking. It may take some time, but it will often turn up cheap or free.
2. There is a lot to be said for posting a “Wanted: Free or Cheap _____” with an explanation of what you need and why you need it. There are a LOT of very generous people who enjoy helping others, even if it’s just giving away something they don’t need any longer.
3. Never underestimate the power of asking! You can always offer a lower price in case the item doesn’t sell; that gives the seller a definite way to get rid of the item.
4. Always, always always be polite when dealing with sellers! Did I mention, ALWAYS? Those old-fashioned words ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’ still make a difference!
5. Be available to pick up an item as soon as possible.
6. Always make sure you are there for pickup when you said you would be. I sometimes see angry comments on UsedVictoria that say things like, “They said they were going to be here but never showed up, and didn’t even call to let us know!” However, if you are known for keeping your word, or at least making sure the seller knows what’s going on, you’ll do a lot better.
7. Make sure that when you read an ad for an item you are interested in that you check “View Seller’s List”. You can sometimes find several items you want in one place, saving gas as well as your time and the seller’s time. And you can often make a better deal if you’re getting more than one item.
8. You can try following up with sellers, to see if the item actually went when it was supposed to. I have gotten lucky several times when people didn’t show up when they said they would. The follow-up (or leaving my phone number with the seller ‘just in case’) has been lucrative for me. I’ve actually had people call me two weeks later to see if I was still interested in an item! 
9. When you get an item from a seller, send a thank-you note or leave a thank-you phone message.
10. Check the UsedVictoria.com site often, daily if possible.