Tummy Massage

A nightly tummy massage can be helpful in dealing with bloating and aiding digestion. Do the following moves lying on your bed, for three to five minutes before going to sleep. Always work clockwise, in the direction of the large intestine and colon; use a cream or balm if you wish.

• Gently place your hands on your stomach and stroke in a circular motion five times, applying a little more pressure on every circuit.
• Trace your hands in a circle again, making light kneading movements with your knuckles. Repeat five times.
• Gently stroke the stomach but use the fingers to apply light to medium pressure (as if you are making waves on the stomach). repeat five times.
• Finish by kneading the sides of the abdomen and gently applying an upward pressure on the stomach, from the base to the rib cage, with flat hands. Repeat three times.

Katherine Mackenzie Paterson in Good Housekeeping, May 2010

Tag Clouds

Tags are keywords attached to web pages or websites. Initially they were always displayed as simple alphabetical lists, but now there are other options.

One is Wordle,which generates 'word clouds' from text you provide. Words that appear more frequently are given more prominence. You can tweak the clouds with different fonts, layouts and colour schemes. The images you create are yours to use however you like.

Another is Tagxedo, which does the same thing and has a great variety of options.

Ethical Fashion

There is increasing interest in ethical fashion. I haven't tried any of these yet myself, but intend having a look at them before too long.

Fabrics to look out for:

• Regenerated natural fibres: Tencel, Lyocell
• Hemp derivative: Crailar

To avoid chemicals at dry cleaners
Green Earth Cleaners at Johnson's dry cleaning chain

Fashion Brands
People Tree ~~ Anatomy ~~ From Somewhere ~~ Edun ~~ PeaceSilk ~~ Terra Plana shoes

Re-cycling

• Junky Styling: a London company that re-tailors your old clothes.
• TRAID (Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development). Look for their lime green bins to donate unwanted clothing. Shop for remade items online or at their shops in London. 

Marjoram - Oregano

Sow: Buy small plants in March as seed germinates erratically.

Aspect: Sunny, warm spot with light, well-drained soil. Thrives on chalky soil. Loved by bees.

Care: On established plants, cut back old stems in autumn after flowering or in March.

Water: Not needed.

Harvest: Dries well.use with tomato, cheese and fish dishes.

Crops for Partial Shade

If you your garden does not enjoy a great deal of full sun, there are still a number of fruit and vegetables that you can grow in partial shade.

• Chard and Perpetual spinach
• Peas and Beans (in very light shade)
• Radishes
• Salad leaves and lettuce
• Spring onions
• Currants
• Gooseberries
• Rhubarb