Small Details

Today I want to tell you about something that’s changed my life. It’s a dehumidifier. A totally magical piece of equipment I can’t believe I waited so long to buy. Disclaimer: Although this post goes on like a ridiculous advertorial, I chose our dehumidifier myself and paid full price. I’m raving about it now because it’s TOO GOOD not to share.

Y’all know how much I love The Spring Cottage, except for this one thing: it’s damp. When Brisbane gets rain our walls grow mildew and my beautiful clothes turn musty with mould. It’s gross and it drives me crazy. Sound familiar my sub-tropical friends? Can I get a witness?

The only person more incensed by our soggy state of affairs was Mr. Spring. I say ‘was’ because like a true romantic I did my research and bought him a top of the line dehumidifier for his birthday last week. And can I tell you, this puppy has already pulled litres of moisture from our bedding, carpets, his books, and our clothes. (Including my most beloved antique Chinese silk evening coat that I thought I’d never wear again because no matter how many times I had it dry cleaned it kept developing a horrible mildewy stench.) The whole house is smelling fresher and healthier and I’m not exaggerating when I tell you – it feels like a miracle.

What is this dream machine?

So glad you asked! We got a Slimline 12L Climate Dehumidifier. It’s not the cheapest model on the market, nor the most expensive. Here’s why we love it – the design is clean and sleek, it’s super quiet (makes about as much noise as a ceiling fan), and it shuts off automatically when the 2L water catcher fills up so there’s no risk of a spill. It’s also light enough that I can easily move it from room to room, small enough to tuck away in my very full closet, and it only uses 57¢ of power ever 10 hours. Bargain.

A Special Offer from Damp Solutions Australia

I was so impressed with our dehumidifier (and the fact that after I put off buying it until the last minute, it was delivered to The Cottage in less than 2 days, just in time for the birthday morning unveiling!) that I emailed a copy of this post to Damp Solutions as a ‘thank you’ testimonial. Darryl then wrote back thanking me for my kind words with an offer to pass on to you… So… The Spring’s readers get 10% off all purchases over $100 with the code SSOffer10 at checkout until the end of May AND a free phone consultation with a Damp Solutions technician to save you time and take all the guesswork out of finding the right machine for you. Just call them at 1300 353043. Thanks Darryl!

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I was queuing with an armful of Spring Shop parcels in my local post office this week when my eye was magnetically drawn to this – a real-life paper version of the Fête Magazine. Fête began in early 2012 as a free bi-monthly online mag covering every aspect of entertaining – food, flowers and decorations, parties for grown-ups, parties for kids – all with a distinctly Australian feel to it. Created by Adelaide based stylist Annabelle Kerslake and graphic designer Jane Cameron, the issue of Fête on news stands  now is actually its second print publication. (If anyone has a copy of issue no. 1 they’ve finished with, pass it over!) We all know there’s nothing better than carving out some quiet time on a weekend afternoon to sit down with a cuppa and a beautiful magazine… which is why although I don’t usually post on Saturdays, I couldn’t resist sharing this little gem with you. Enjoy your day!

All images via Fete Magazine

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Just cause I know y’all love a peek around the house…

1. antique oil lamp 2. our turn table & record collection by the reading chair 3. design books, a deck of cards & diy faux craspedia on the credenza  4. herbs as house plants and framed family photos 5. a crochet throw & throw pillows on the sofa 6. antique bottles & Australiana tapestry.

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Like many people in South East Queensland we live in a simple home without an AC or tumble drier… Where ‘outdoors’ and ‘indoors’ are pretty fluid concepts. And most of the time it works just fine. Most of the time. It’s not news to any of my local readers that February has been an incredibly wet month, and while the days of bucketing down rain are starting to get a little tiresome, it’s the house and our stuff that really cop it in this intense humidity. If you’ve been noticing a twinge of mustiness around your place as of late too, keep reading because I’m offering up 5 easy ways to beat humidity in the house to the sun gods today.

1. Get yourself a ceiling fan. The worst thing about humidity is how the air just hangs around, stagnant. So even when the house is closed up, a ceiling fan or two makes a big difference to keeping the air moving and making the atmosphere feel much fresher.

2. Fling open the closet doors (or lose them altogether). Moist air trapped inside inside a wardrobe promotes mildew growth, even on hanging clothes. So while it’s impossible to prevent the air from being damp, you can at least keep it circulating. Clear out closets so they’re not over-stuffed, and get a fan on near the open door in wet weather to ensure your best loved pieces survive unharmed.

3. DIY some desiccants.  Clothes in drawers need extra tlc  to keep them smelling fresh in super high humidity too… In the past I’ve found home-made dessicates really effective… all you need is a needle, thread, silicone kitty litter and some disposable dish clothes… you can get the full tutorial here.

4. Keep cosmetics in the fridge. Light, heat, and humidity all work to break down make up, skincare, and nail products by promoting bacteria growth, rendering their active ingredients less active, and turning their consistencies gloopy. Keeping beauty products in the fridge – especially nail polishes – will extend their shelf life and ultimately save you money.

5. Fight mould where it grows… on the walls. This last tip comes from Cyril the painter who recently stopped by the cottage to discuss my redecoration plans. He suggests filling an empty spray bottle with water plus 1 tbs bleach, spritzing the solution on walls that are starting to look discoloured and potentially mildewy, then wiping the area down with a clean rag. The marks may not disappear straight away, but come back in a few hours and they’ll be gone.

Since the forecast isn’t set to clear any time soon I’m curious… what are your top tips for making sure your house, your stuff, and your sanity wins out over mustiness, mildewiness, and yuckiness in super humid weather?

photo source: ‘Brisbane in the Rain’ via Linda on Pinterest

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Huge news from The Spring Cottage garden today, my friends… I’ve discovered the secret of how not to kill my plants! (no jinxies!)

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Juicing is awesome. It’s the easiest and most delicious way to pack a lot of fresh veggies and fruit (especially greens!) into a daily diet. Nothing makes me feel more virtuous and full of goodness than a beautiful, naturally sweet, nutrient packed juice.

Choosing a Juicer: I really missed juicing since our move to Sydney (the Breville Juice Fountain we used in Brisbane was on loan) but before choosing a juicer of our own I took it upon myself to do a little research into the types available. Basically there are two: centrifugal and masticating. Centrifugal juicers (like the Breville) are the most common and least expensive. They work by using tiny blades to shred food into a pulp as the spinning motion of the inner chamber extracts the juice. These juicers are best on hard fruits and vegetables and can often take the whole, but don’t perform as well with soft fruits like mangos or leafy greens. Masticating Juicers, on the other hand, use an auger to crush food and press out the juice. While they’re more expensive and require food to be cut up before being fed down the shoot, they are smaller, quieter, able to extract more nutrients, and are less wasteful (the pulp expelled is drier).

And the Winner is… We can all see where this is heading… considering space, noise, versatility, and nutrient integrity I decided to splurge and go masticating. This type of juicer is still a speciality item in Australia and isn’t available in mainstream shops. I found my Hurom Slow Juicer on the Echolife site and after hovering over the ‘purchase’ button for a couple of days ($420 is a big spend for me!) I finally committed. My juicer arrived just three days later and I’ve never looked back.

The Review: I’m super happy with the Hurom’s performance and would recommend it to anyone in a position to invest in a higher quality juicer or upgrade. I wouldn’t know about oxidisation levels, but the juice tastes whole (it’s still juice, but perhaps just a bit thicker than juice from the Breville). Clean up is a snap, it has the same footprint as a bar blender, and it’s quiet enough tearing through the veg not to wake the house (or the building) in the morning.

Juice Recipes: When it comes to ‘recipes’ a daily green juice packed with spinach, kale, celery, herbs and an apple, beetroot, and/or carrot to add deliciousness is the way to go.  For a beautiful sweet treat (a dessert juice, if you will) we’ve been finding it hard to go past an afternoon tipple watermelon, cucumber, pineapple, mint.  What’re your favourite combinations?

For more inspiration check out the juicing posts on Louise’s blog Table Tonic and this vitamin booster recipe card too!

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