On a miserable rainy night, some intrepid souls headed to Kaeo to participate in an Eco-Solutions workshop making safe cleaners. Anouk and Katharina, both timebankers, brought a collection of non-toxic ingredients, essential oils and a list of DIY Cleaning Products recipes. We decided to collaborate and each made one cleaner to share with the others. I chose the All-Purpose Spray since I don’t use commercial cleaning sprays at home and wanted something I could use safely. The cleaning paste...

Talking to the fixers at Tai Tokerau Timebank organisational member Kerikeri Repair Cafe about how they might fix my Bissell upholstery cleaner which had stopped squirting water inspired me to tackle this mop which had also stopped squirting water ... over a year ago. I'd had guys look at it, half-heartedly admittedly, but to no avail. Well, I was going to take it to the Repair Cafe and thought, surely I can do this myself. Turns out I could. I decided to be systematic about pulling it...

I’ve always wanted to know how to keep my tools sharp so when Transition Towns had a workshop for just this, I jumped at the opportunity! Held at Mara Tui community gardens in Kerikeri, we drank fresh Kawakawa tea and learned how to care for our tools. Alex, who also volunteers his German engineering skills at the monthly Kerikeri Repair Café, got us in the zone by explaining how different cutting tools work and to “be one with your tools”. This understanding and way of thinking will...