And So I'm Back ...

'And so I'm back, from outer space.

I just walked in and found you here with that sad look upon your face.'

To slightly misquote Gloria ... I'm back  :-)

I pulled up the photos I had gotten lined up on the computer for my next Challenge and then decided I'm not ready for this Challenge yet.  But here they are anyway and my reason for taking them was shock and surprise, so it would be a shame not to share them and chat briefly about them. 

I photographed the Ecover refill station in Booths at Garstang as I was so pleased to see it there.  I immediately bought myself a bottle of liquid clothes washing stuff for use at the van and a small bottle of conditioner, with the idea that now I could just fill them up whenever I needed to and no longer have to worry at the lack of local recycling facilities.

Then literally along the next aisle, I came across this.

WTF!!!

Crisps in a plastic bucket.

Bloody ridiculous.

Do people actually buy these ... and why?

My eyes were also drawn to this 'Natural Multi Cleaner' in a cardboard bottle and I thought what a brilliant idea ... then I saw the price!  

My first reaction was total astonishment, then I saw the little bottle in the bottom left-hand corner of the label that states '25 spray bottles' and I realised that this was a super-concentrated formula and therefore yes, a brilliant idea.  One bottle of this and you have enough product for 25 refills of your empty spray bottle and no need for an extra 24 plastic bottles needing recycling or going to landfill, and sooo much cheaper as well.  But I do think they need this information to be a lot bigger and a lot clearer at first glance.  How many just like me, have disregarded product this just because of cost and moved off before reading the label properly.

I Googled the company this morning and I am now of the opinion that yes, this is a good product and a really good idea ... they even say you can split the recyclable packaging when you have finished using the product and use the cardboard as a little planter.

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Anyway, this is all by the by as for now this is not my next Challenge, to be totally honest I'm not entirely sure what is, as we are still working our way through simplifying the cupboards, which was if I remember correctly Challenge Four - Down to Basics, the Challenge that was never really finished off properly on here as I jumped feet first into the Ration Challenge.  We have continued and done well, albeit rather slowly at this and although we have been shopping numerous times since I left the blog back in June, we have slowly but surely either eaten or gotten rid of lots of the foods that were in the cupboards and freezers both at home in Wales and here at the Van.

That we still had some foods remaining after such a long time ... and after so many similar Challenges ... was an indication that we were just not eating some things that we had in store.  It made me think that I really needed to do an assessment of what we do actually eat and therefore what we do actually need to buy on a regular basis.

Which gives me a glimmer of an idea of what could be my next Challenge.  I'll be back again when I've figured it out ... or a bit sooner if you would like to see the current state of the cupboards.

Sue xx