The cover, a cap? A bag too!

My girl wants a woolen cap for her trip to Beijing in Autumn and I am pondering if I should get her something that she is not likely going to wear again.

She solved the problem for me as she has discovered an alternative from my kitchen.


So, what you do think? Does it look OK? I looked at my mother-in-law for answer and she said, "Make one for me too".

Now what is there to stop me from adding a strap to make it handbag?

Travelling light and cosy.

Traveling light does not mean that I have to pack in less and bear the cold in the place I will be going to. Check out this little piece I have just created for my next holiday trip.

It's a one size fits all blouse...


cum bag...


...so that I don't have to buy another bag to hold souvenirs I will be buying.



It's one of my "1 more need less" ideas that my daughter is looking forward to bag and wear. And have I reuse anything to create this? You bet! The draw strings looped into the top of the blouse were from a paper bag while the one that gathers it's bottom into a bag is from a pair of my son's sports pant.

Hmmm, do you think I can turn this green idea into a business venture?

Useful wares. Save time and money.

Here is another "1 More Need Less" kitchen ware to look out for.

This is a grating tool that came with a cook pot my husband bought me.



It is also supplied with a ring that is large enough to sit on top of the cooking pot.



Place the grating tool onto the ring and you have incorporated a steaming function for the pot.



This is great for steaming, fish or meat or heating up leftover rice or dishes when I am stewing a dish or brewing my soup in the pot. I also like to use it to boil my eggs. To do that, place the eggs in an empty bowl and put that on top of the steaming rack. And no, you do not pour water into the bowl. Steaming the eggs this way, they will not crack and you do not have to worry about water boiling out of the pot.



This is one of the covers for this pot. It has a suction handle for its top that can be removed. With the handle removed, I can use it as a mixing bowl. It is also large enough for me to use it as a container for washing my vegetables or serve food in it.



I am able to keep my food warm by placing it on top of the cover. Of course, your food must be in a covered container to prevent flies from getting to them before you do.



So, the next time my friends ask me how I managed to find time to write blogs, I think I will send this link to them. That way, we can do the "1 More Need Less" together.

1 More Need Less

Of functions and gadgets, one more of the former means that you will need less of the later. Working on this, here are some ideas to play with.

Instead of buying one more ingredient for the recipe you are working on, consider finding substitutes already in your kitchen.

What do you do with microwaveable wares that you rarely use? Here is what I did to my collection when I was advised that microwaving is not a healthy solution to quick cooking.

This used to be for microwaving fish. Now it helps me keep my mugs neat and clean.



I used to put them on a tray without a cover and it's gross when you can see traces that a lizard had visited.



This is meant for steaming buns but it holds my tea cups perfectly.



Both these cookwares come with draining trays. So, you can also use them to store your vegetables you have washed up and put them in the refrigerator. The water will drip out of the vegetables through the trays.

Do you need to buy more egg trays for your refrigerator? I cut the egg carton from my supplier in half and...



... stack one on top of the other in the refrigerator. I am able to hold three stacks of eggs that way.



I love the packaging boxes for storing A4 size paper from Xerox. They are so solid that I kept them for storing my stuff.



Just wrapped them nicely with wrapping paper and they look as good as the ones selling at Ikea. If I use them to keep my children's toy, I will cut out a picture of the toy and stick it to the side of the box. That way, the children will not rummaged through all the neatly stacked boxes of toys.



I am glad I kept this bag for packaging some herbal product I bought.



It is useful for storing my utility bills. I segregated the bills with cardboard cut out from boxes. That way, I do not have to staple each month's bill together or punch holes on them to file. It makes looking for a bill easy.

And don't discard that old pair of slippers. They make great door stopper, at least for your back door, if style is an issue with you.