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Southland Lones

It is Time to get helpful around
the house this month.
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Helpful brownie to mum

How To Write an Invitation
Here's all the information to include on your next written invitation.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 5 minutes
Here's How:
1. Names of party hosts or sponsoring organization.
2. Type of event (birthday party, business networking meeting, etc.).
3. Place.
4. Date.
5. Time.
6. RSVP date and phone number.
7. Any special dress requirements from black-tie to bathing suits.
8. Rain date (if any).
9. Be specific about who is invited, whether addressee only, with guest, or with spouse and
children.
Tips:
1. Always send written invitations for formal events such as business gatherings, formal dinners,
and special occasions like showers, weddings or events honoring someone.
2. If guests are not from your local area, include a map to location of event.
3. Send anywhere from 8 - 2 weeks in advance depending on formality of occasion. Weddings
require the longest lead-time; casual dinners and brunches require the least.

How to Make Your Thank You Notes Special
Make thank you notes special so loved ones know you care.
Thank you notes should be a sincere expression of your gratitude to friends, family and coworkers for a
gift or gesture that you appreciate. When such is the case that you have to send a large quantity of
thank you notes (after your wedding, for example) expressing your gratitude in a sincere fashion can be
a challenge. After all, how many thank you notes can a person write before they fall victim to cliche
thank you messages? Don't worry, with a little extra effort, you can make your thank you notes special
and let loved ones know you appreciate them.
Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
1. Step 1
Make Thank You Notes Special by Being Specific
The number one rule in writing thank you notes is to make them personal. A thank you message
that says thanks for the gift simply will not do if you really want to express your gratitude in a
special way. As you write each of your thank you notes, pay attention who the note is to and
specifically mention what you are thanking them for (the wedding album, the toaster from your
gift registry, etc.)
2. Step 2
Thank You Notes Should Be Handwritten
As tempting as it may be to create a one size fits all thank you card message on the computer
and then send out 200 copies, you simply can't. Your thank you notes should be handwritten, by
you.
3. Step 3
Thank You Notes Can Include a Token of Your Appreciation
While it would come across as obnoxious to give an elaborate gift to everyone you send thank
you notes to, you can include a small gift to express your appreciation. A bookmark, a
refrigerator magnet or a packet of seeds for the garden are all good choice to add a little extra to
your thank you notes.
4. Step 4
Thank You Notes Should Be Timely
While etiquette experts have varying opinions about how long you can wait to send thank you
notes, there is no one who will disagree with sending them sooner than later. People appreciate
a timely acknowledgement of a gift.

YOU Can Help By Doing The Three R's... Back
Every year, the average
New Zealander throws away:
* 160 cans
* 107 glass bottles
* 45 kilograms of plastic
* 2 trees worth of paper products
Everybody needs food, clothes, a warm house, books and many other things. To get these
things people...
* Cut down trees to make wood and paper products
* Clear forests to grow grass for sheep and cattle
* Build factories that pollute the air and water
And we still throw away things that can be used again!
We must Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!
A typical household rubbish bag could contain up to 93% recyclable
material...
*55% garden/kitchen waste, which can be composted
*21% paper, which can be recycled
*8% plastics, some of which can be recycled
*5% glass, most of which can be recycled
*4% metals, most of which can be recycled
*7% other
How YOU can Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!
Reduce means... having fewer new things - this saves you money and reduces pollution and waste going in to the
environment. Reducing also means choosing things with the least amount of packaging.
Say 'no bag needed thank you' when you are shopping - take your own bag or back-pack to use instead
Be careful with your things and if they get broken try fixing them before buying new stuff
Before buying new things, think whether you really need them - or maybe a second-hand one will be just as
good!
Get refill packs of cleaners and detergents (refill packs save about 60% of the plastic needed for a new
squeezy bottle - and saves money too)
Take a home-made lunch to school - rather than buying lots of things that have heaps of packaging.
Reuse means... thinking before you throw things away - Can it be used again? Would someone else be able to use
it? If you can't reuse it, maybe someone else can. Swap, sell or donate items such as toys, clothing, furniture,
sports gear, tapes and records.
Use old shopping bags again. This way you won't need new ones - and you will be saving resources.

Clean out jam jars and use them to put pens and things in. You might like to decorate some jars and
put flowers in them - this will make a great present for someone.
Give away clothes you don't like or have grown out of, and buy clothes from the second hand store - you
will find some great bargains!
Collect used writing paper and photocopier paper with only one side used. Use the other side for scribble
pads, drawings, notes... or even for writing more letters.
Recycling means... sorting your waste so it can be turned into new things.
Start a compost bin - Food scraps go in the compost bin and worms LOVE food scraps. The worms eat up
the food scraps and make new, healthy soil, which is good for putting in the garden. If you would like more
information about composting you can contact your city, district or regional council or to Forest and Bird.
Kerbside recycling - some cities have recycling bins that you can
buy from the city council. This makes it very easy to recycle at
home because all you need to do is put all the things for
recycling in the bin and then put the bin out on the kerbside to
be collected. Contact your local council for a brochure about what you can recycle
- make sure you put the bin out on the correct day!
There may be a recycling collection depot near where you live. The recycling
collection depot is a place where you can take all of the things to be recycled. You
will need to phone your city, district or regional council to find out where the
closest one to your house is.
If your city or town does not have kerbside recycling or a recycling depot, you will need to write LOTS of
letters to the Mayor, who is in charge of your city or district council. Your letters will need to explain that
you need a kerbside recycling collection.

Recycling all you can
So what's the problem?
Sixty-five percent of the average rubbish bag could be recycled or composted. Each month, New
Zealanders dispose of enough rubbish to fill a rugby field 30 stories high. This means the portion of this
that could be recycled or composted is around 20 stories high - that's a huge waste of space in our
landfills and most of that rubbish won't break down for generations.
What can I do about it?
In many parts of New Zealand, people are using their local recycling centres
or kerbside recycling service to recycle increasing volumes of paper, plastics,
glass and metals. This is reducing the amount of rubbish being dumped in
our landfills and providing valuable job opportunities through the businesses
involved in collecting, sorting and selling the recycled materials.
Find out how you can reduce your rubbish by reusing and recycling in the
guide below.
Think about ways of reusing things before you
recycle or dump them
Plastics and glass
You can wash and reuse plastic and glass containers for storage and there are many things you can do
to reduce your mountain of plastic bags - check out our recycling tips for ideas.
Textiles (rags and old clothes)
Take clothes you don't want to your local opportunity shop or put them in a clothing bin. Rags are still
useful so pop them in the clothing bin as well.
Furniture
Take old furniture to a second hand store, donate it to the local opportunity
shop or take it to the recycling centre at your local landfill or transfer station.
Paint
Donate unwanted paint to community groups, marae or schools. If you can't
find someone to use it up, let the paint dry out and recycle the container
(check with your local council to find out if you can do this in your area) or
dispose of it with your rubbish.
Stronger plastic
bottles can be used
to hold tools and
nails etc in the
shed. Simply cut 3
sides and leave
one side longer
and nail to the wall
in the shed.
more recycling tips
Aucklanders threw
out 990,000 tonnes
of rubbish in 1999.
That's 842
kilograms per
person and around
65 percent of it
could've been
recycled or
composted instead.

Check whether it can actually be recycled in your area
Cardboard, paper, glass, cans and type 1 and 2 plastics can be recycled in most areas. Check with
your local council to find out what can be recycled in your area.
Glass
You may be able to put out glass if you have kerbside recycling and some landfills and
transfer stations have bins for recycling glass.
Remember, you can only recycle food containers (bottles and jars) - you can't recycle light
bulbs, drinking glasses, mugs, cookware or window glass.
Paper and cardboard
You should be able to put out paper and cardboard if you have kerbside recycling and
most landfills and transfer stations have bins for recycling paper and cardboard.
Remember, you can't recycle paper or cardboard contaminated with food or other stuff
(like pizza boxes).
Food and drink cans
You may be able to put out aluminium and steel cans if you have kerbside recycling and
most landfills and transfer stations have bins for recycling cans. See the Steel Can
Recycling website to find out more about steel can recycling in New Zealand.
Plastic
You may be able to put out plastics if you have kerbside recycling and most landfills and
transfer stations have bins for recycling plastic.
Most areas recycle plastics type 1 and 2 and some areas take other types as well. See
the plastic identification code to find out what types you've got.
Chemicals and used oil
Contact your local council to find out what services are available in your area for disposing of unwanted
chemicals or used oil.
If you'd like some ideas for less toxic alternatives to use in the place of common household chemicals,
check out the Auckland Regional Council's Healthy Alternatives to Household Chemicals brochure
(PDF 261 KB).
Make sure the right materials go in the right recycling bin
Look on the recycling bin to see what should go in it. There may be separate bins for different coloured
glass or for different plastic types.
Check with your local council to find your nearest recycling facilities.

Recycling tips
There are lots of innovative things you can do to help reduce your rubbish – check out some of the tips
below to get started.
Making use of your mountain of plastic bags:
Use them as bin liners.
Place them in the bottom of plant pots and hanging baskets - they act as great drainage systems.
Children can use them for carrying PE gear to school.
Scrunch them up to surround items when you're packaging as an alternative to bubble wrap.
Use them in the garden to hold your grass cuttings and hedge trimmings before transfer to a
compost bin.
Use them when packing for a holiday to keep dirty/wet clothes and shoes away from dry clothing.
Use them as 'doggy doo bags' when out walking your dog!
Some supermarkets recycle plastic bags, so you can return plastic bags to them.
Re-use washed zip lock bags for sandwiches and snacks rather than using plastic wrap.
Ideas for recycling paper:
After children's drawings and paintings have been displayed for a while they can be used to
wrap presents - this also makes the present special.
Discarded A4-sized paper can be cut and stapled together to make notepads. Alternatively, if
you save five reams, it will cost you about $5 to get a print company to convert this paper into
'proper' notepads.
'Use the envelopes you receive in the mail a second time by placing a new address label over
the last address. I call this the OMT System ("One more time system"). Old envelopes can also
be used for scribbling down shopping lists, to-do lists, and notes.'
Resealable envelopes can be reused many times: 'My daughter takes one to school when she
orders her lunch. The envelope has all details written in felt on the front and the money sealed
inside. She brings the envelope home and we use it again until it gets too shabby.'
Old calendars, colourful pictures, etc. can be used to make your own envelopes. You can
unstick a used envelope and use it as a template for making envelopes.
Old rolls of wallpaper can be used for childrens' drawings.
Junk mail can be used as scrap paper, or as bedding for pets.
Cardboard cartons can be used to collect paper for recycling, instead of plastic bags (even
breakfast cereal cartons are good).
SPCA and pet shops appreciate old newspapers.
Toilet roll centres can be recycled - they're made of cardboard.
To fill in a rainy day get a paper recycling kit and get the kids to rip up old used paper to make
recycled paper, it can be great fun.
Old magazines are appreciated by:
o Doctor and dentists' surgeries
o Motels
o Friends
Ideas for recycling household waste in the garden:
Aluminium trays from pies and cakes make ideal 'drip saucers' to put under pot plants.
Old tyres can be used outside for plant pots - especially good for plants that like warm soils as
they trap the heat.
The following waste items can be modified and used for planting seedlings:

o Egg cartons
o Tetra-pak cartons
o Plastic bottles
o Plastic containers for cherry tomatoes
o Old boots and shoes
o Plastic containers for takeaways
o The cardboard centres from toilet rolls
o Plastic icecream containers.
Lawn clippings can be used to cover weeds and keep from growing in the garden through winter.
Broken crockery can be used as drainage at the bottom of pot plants.
Tin cans can be used as:
o Water reservoirs for new plants and trees. Tape a piece of hose pipe in a can and fill the
can with scoria or pumice. Then, when you plant a new tree or plant, bury the can below
the root level and leave enough hose poking out of the ground. You can water the plant in
summer by pouring the water into hose pipe. If the hose is short enough it can be mowed
over on a lawn and does not look obtrusive.
o Pot plant holders. Decorate the outside of the can to your liking, put some soil in it and
plant away. (Make sure you put some drainage holes in the bottom of the tin before you
start potting the plants.)
Old newspapers (including those gathered from your friends) can be used to mulch and weed
control the garden. Wet newspaper and place thickly on the garden. Cover with bark or stones.
Plastic milk bottles can be used to hold snail bait and are pet proof.
Old stockings can be used to tie up plants in the garden.
Plastic icecream containers can be cut into strips for seed labels.
Ideas for recycling organic/garden waste:
Local pig farmers often appreciate any kitchen scraps that you can offer them. If you know of
any in your area, get in touch with them and find out if they are interested in your kitchen scraps.
If you've done any trimming of trees and hedges, contact the local Zoo to see if they can use
these for their animals, either as food or environment improvement.
Avoid using kitchen waste disposers and compost food scraps instead. This reduces the load on
sewage treatment plants and local government can concentrate on the treatment of real sewage.
If you need leaf mulch for your garden approach a local school and ask what they do with the
leaf litter. Some schools throw theirs away.
Get a couple of hens for the household. They eat all the kitchen scraps and provide fresh eggs
as a bonus.
Ideas for recycling other items:
Old or broken household goods such as toasters, transistor radios can be used by others for
parts. Sell them cheaply at a garage sale.
Carry a supermarket bag with you when you go walking so that you can pick up glass, litter or
other plastic bags.
Creches, schools and kindergartens often need boxes, plastic bags, old buttons, used wrapping
paper, greeting cards, ribbons, tiles, crockery and other materials for art resources. They may
also want old phones, keyboards, etc as learning toys. The DonateNZ website provides a way to
put donors and recipients in touch with each other.
Wrapping paper, bows, ribbons, and boxes can be used to wrap someone else's presents.
Recycle jars by using them for home preserves.
In Auckland, batteries from toys and other electrical items can be saved and taken to the
hazmobile once a year for recycling.
Ice cream containers can be reused around the home in a number of ways:

o Storing food in the freezer
o As a container for toys, crayons, clothes pegs
o Biscuit container
Meat trays, yoghurt containers, egg cartons, and film canisters can be kept and used by the kids
to 'create stuff'. This is a great way to keep the kids amused and even make gifts for family and
friends.
An upside down bottle with small holes in the top can be used to provide water for your pets
while you are on holiday.
Materials left over from home sewing can be used by schools for collages. Larger pieces can
also be used for patchwork and crafts by people in rest homes. In Wellington (and possibly other
centres as well), there is a group in the women's prison who choose to do patchwork as part of
their rehabilitation.
After you have finished a ’family-size’ yoghurt pot (and since they aren’t recyclable), rinse it out
and use it as a lunch box or cookie jar.
Use ice cream and other plastic containers to put kids toys in. Also good for nuts and bolts and
taking away camping, or clothes peg containers.
The black meat trays from the Supermarket make great paint trays for both adults and kids.
Stronger plastic bottles can be used to hold tools and nails etc in the shed. Simply cut three
sides and leave one side longer and nail to the wall in the shed.
Old furniture, clothes, kitchen gear, and bedding are always wanted by organisations like Drug
Arm, and the Salvation Army.
General tips for recycling and avoiding rubbish:
Buy a smaller rubbish container for the kitchen. This makes you to remember to recycle.
Make sure bottles and tins are clean before putting in the recycling bin. This prevents flies both
at home and the recycling station.
Reorganise the kitchen so it has an efficient recycling area with good sized bins to help with
sorting and holding. This will encourage other members of the household to contribute and help
share the work instead of it being reliant on one person.
Cutting both the tops and the bottoms off tin cans (and placing them inside) and squashing them
makes them smaller to fit into the recycling bin.
Put a 'no junk mail' sticker on your letter box. You'll be amazed at how much this reduces your
rubbish.
Spread the word. By telling other people and helping them to get started, we increase the
savings that can be made. Also get your children involved – if we can educate them early, they
will grow up and appreciate waste reduction and will be able to apply these skills in later life.

So, why does "Recycling Make Sense" and why should I recycle?
There are several reasons:
1.) It saves resources, like metal, oil, and landfill space. There are only so many
resources in the world. You can do your part to save those resources for future
generations by recycling.
Think of it this way: Americans throw away enough glass bottles and jars every week to fill up the Sears
tower! If all that were recycled, think about how much landfill space would be saved in a year, not to
mention the amount of electricity, fuel, and raw materials.
2.) It also takes less energy to make some products using recycled material:
* Recycled glass bottles melt at a lower temperature than raw materials.
* It takes 95 percent less energy to make new aluminum cans from recycled cans
* The energy conserved by recycling one pound of steel will light a 60-watt bulb for more than one day
3.) It's FREE!!
OK, you have convinced me. But how do I recycle?
It's easy - separate your recyclables into four categories: paper, plastic, cans, glass. When your
containers are full, take them to your recycling center. It's that simple! (Here's a tip: recycling makes a
great project for kids.)

How to Use a Steam Iron
Ironing used to be a way of life before polyester became popular. Every item of clothing had to be ironed before it
could be worn, and the steam iron was a necessary item, hidden under every kitchen sink. A chore that many a
housewife had to do weekly is now a once-in-a-while quick fix. Every now and then, what you need is a steam
iron to the rescue!
Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need:
Steam iron
Ironing board
1/3 cup Water
1. Step 1
Fill the reservoir of the iron with water. Distilled water is best because it leaves no mineral residue. If you
are only ironing one or two items, just use a few tablespoons of water. Filling the water reservoir when
you won't need to use it all allows sediment and minerals to settle in the iron, possibly clogging the steam
nozzles. Pouring remaining water out after using the iron doesn't always drain all the water out. Only put
in what you'll use.
2. Step 2
Turn the iron on. Set the temperature gauge to the setting appropriate for the fabric, such as cotton or silk.
The steam feature of the iron is usually turned on with a button marked "steam." Turn this feature on.
Allow the iron to come to its ready temperature. You will hear the water sizzling in the reservoir.
3. Step 3
Begin ironing the item of clothing. Your iron most likely has a "blast" setting, which sends a quick spray
of steam from the iron. This is good for small areas or very wrinkled areas. If the iron is set to the steam
setting, it will disperse steam as soon as it is in the horizontal (ironing) position.
4. Step 4
Drain the remaining water out of the iron by flipping it so that the pointed end of the iron is down. Do this
over a sink. Be careful because the water is very hot.

How to Use a Vacuum Cleaner
Vacuum cleaners are one of the most convenient appliances of our modern times. Without them, cleaning basic
wall-to-wall carpeting would be nearly impossible. Older vacuums were heavy and expensive but newer
technologies have enabled the creation of much lighter and more compact versions. The smaller vacuums are also
less expensive than their older predecessors are, which makes it much easier for everyone to have a good one.
Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
1. Step 1
Examine the area of the vacuum where it deposits dirt. In older vacuums, this is a bag. In new ones it is
often a removable and reusable canister. If the bag is full, you need to change it; if it is a reusable
container it should be emptied as often as possible. If the deposit area is full the vacuum won't be able to
pick up dirt effectively.
2. Step 2
Check the vacuum's height. Most vacuums have an adjustable indicator for carpets of various lengths. If
your vacuum has one, make sure it is set to the appropriate length for your carpet. If it is set too high it
won't have enough suction and if it is set to low it won't have enough airflow.
3. Step 3
Move all of the smaller items out of the vacuum's way. Even if you don't plan to move the furniture when
you vacuum, such as ottomans and coffee tables, you can remove the smaller items easily.
4. Step 4
Turn the vacuum on and push the vacuum forward and backwards over your carpet, in slow, even strokes.
If you move the vacuum too quickly it won't pick up dirt as well.
5. Step 5
Use the vacuum's attachments such as the simple hose with exchangeable ends, to clean corners and under
the edges of furniture. Most vacuums have a series of attachments for these sorts of jobs. It is a good idea
to do this extra bit of cleaning so the normal airflow of your room doesn't push unwanted dirt into your
newly cleaned areas.

How to Use a Dishwasher
Simple steps on how to use a dishwasher properly below.
Difficulty: Easy
Instructions
1. Step 1
Using a knife or rubber spatula, scrape residual food off of dishes, pots and pans.
2. Step 2
Refer manufacturer booklet for correct stacking methods but in general the following applies.
Place dishes in designated slots: glasses and cups on top rack, plates on lower rack, silverware in
silverware rack.
3. Step 3
Place pots and pans around other dishes, making sure other dishes do not block spray access to pots and
pans.
4. Step 4
Fill dishwasher cups with dishwasher detergent.
5. Step 5
Close tops of cups where appropriate.
6. Step 6
Add rinse agent to rinse agent dispenser; replace top of dispenser.
7. Step 7
Close door securely.
8. Step 8
Choose a wash cycle appropriate to the load.
9. Step 9
Choose a dry cycle. Air drying saves energy, but may cause spotting.
10. Step 10
Start dishwasher.

How to Use a Washing Machine
Washing machines may have different technology, but ultimately have the same features and purposes. They all
require the proper settings, soap, water and clothes to wash. Yet, there are some things you should know to
properly use a washing machine. Follow these steps for success in doing your laundry.
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
1. Step 1
Read thoroughly your washing machine owner's manual. These instructions are designed for your
particular washing machine. If you don't have an owner's manual, read the button control labels on your
washing machine to get an idea of what they do.
2. Step 2
Sort your clothes. You should wash white or light-colored clothes together and dark-colored clothes
together. Clothes should be further sorted according to their material. Heavy fabrics should be washed
together and light fabrics should be washed together.
3. Step 3
Add detergent to your washing machine. Follow the instructions on the detergent box. The detergent
should go on the bottom of the washing machine unless your washing machine instruction manual
specifies otherwise.
4. Step 4
Use the special bleach or fabric softener dispensers for your particular washing machine, if you are adding
bleach or fabric softener. Otherwise, follow the instructions on the bleach and fabric softener packaging to
find out how much and when you should add them to the washing machine.
5. Step 5
Load your clothes loosely into the washing machine. Load the laundry as high as your owner's manual
specifies or to the top row of holes in the tub.
6. Step 6
Close the lid and set the controls of your washing machine according to what you are washing. Use hot
water for only white cottons. Use warm or cold water for colored fabrics. Set the other controls according
to the weight and durability of your clothing.
7. Step 7
Turn on your washing machine. Allow it to work through all of the cycles and turn itself off before you
unload the washed laundry.

The Best Way to Mop Floors
Mop Floors
Floors are the largest surface in a home or office that needs regular cleaning. Removing the dirt helps to prevent
damage to the floor's finish. Scrubbing off built-up residues, scum and scuffs can make the floor look almost new
again. There are several ways to mop floors in homes or offices, all of which get good results. The method you
choose will depend on the size of the flooring area and how much you want to invest in cleaning equipment.
Mop and Bucket
1. Mop types are a matter of preference. Using a sponge mop with the push-down handle that squeezes the
sponge head without coming into contact with the water is better than the flip-over method of squeezing
the sponge mop.
A simple floor-cleaning solution that does not leave a residue is 1/2 cup vinegar mixed with 4 litres of hot
water. After saturating the mop with the solution, squeeze the excess water out and mop the floor one 1
metre by 1 metre section at a time. Mop in a W-pattern, then back in an M-pattern. Dip the mop, rinsing
out the dirt, squeeze, then repeat the mopping over the same area.
Some may prefer using a rag mop. There are many more fibres to trap the dirt, and as long as the mop is
rinsed and squeezed well, it will produce good results.