I’ve been really wanting to go to to a pick your own farm and today we made a day of it. We went to Parkside PYO which was only about half an hour so unlike some of our other day trips (ahem, three hours in the car each way to Brighton) we had an easy journey. Parkside was a massive, well-organised and friendly farm and it was a really lovely day!

We picked strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, tayberries (apparently a blackberry-raspberry hybrid) and then headed to the veg patch for courgettes, beetroot and french beans. Blackcurrents were also in season but a bit picked over and onions, spinach and swiss chard were available too.

Here is a picture of our haul:

We started out by accidentally picking off-limits strawberries (I guess they’d just been sprayed with pesticides–eek!) so we got some REALLY nice ones. Otherwise the strawberries were a bit picked over. Blackberries had literally just come in season today so we got lucky on that. We were told the best day to go is Tuesday because the farm is closed Monday.

This really is such a brilliant thing to do with your kids. Every query of “shall we pick some (insert vegetable)?” was met by “I love (insert vegetable)!” and finding ripe raspberries was like a treasure hunt. It was really fun. Maybe I had the most fun!

Afterward we went home to make jam. I’ve never made jam but this recipe by Jamie Oliver looked super-easy and they sold jam sugar at the farm. I’m just not sure we cooked it all long enough because nothing is quite firming up. The jars are all in the fridge now so we’ll see…

Here are our lovely clean strawberries.

Here they are mashed up on the stove.

And once they’ve been cooked up.

This is the mixed berry jam before cooking. I mean, YUM.

We made LOTS! I followed Jamie’s preserving method mentioned in the barbecue sauce recipe from the Jamie’s America cookery book. Submerge the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. The lids all popped down, so I’m hoping this won’t kill us later…

Finally, we made labels.

Highly recommend!

Mumsnetters are a-buzz about this promotion! Right now, you can get a free reusable bag for life made from recycled plastic bottles from Future Friendly.

These hard-wearing bags are an eco-friendly alternative to using plastic carrier bags and come in a range of eight attractive colours. You could keep one in your bag handy for whenever you need it.

So far the most popular colours are purple

and grey!

Little Me and Mum to Be Organics products are half off at Sainsbury’s until 29th June!

Choose from the lavender-infused Ssssh Sleepy Head and the subtly soft Mmm Moisture Babies ranges or treat yourself with some luxurious Mum to Be goodies.

Plus, all products paraben and SLS free – so you can be kind to your skin and your wallet!

This Sunday, visit the Roots and Shoots wildlife park for the Spring Science Open Day!

From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. there will be loads of fun and educational activities, including microscope workshops, storytelling, a “Bee Wall”, seed ball making workshops and art projects. Kids can also look at the resident birds, amphibians and insects.

There will also be refreshments and stalls selling honey and garden-related gifts.

The Roots and Shoots wildlife park teaches horticulture and urban conservation to disadvantaged young people and provides environmental resources for schools and the local community.

The great people at Becothings.co.uk, the manufacturer of biodegradable potties and dog bowls are giving away three Becopotties to VoucherMum.com readers!

The Becopotty just launched last month and offers an eco-friendly alternative to the standard plastic baby’s potty. The high back offers extra support, while the large splash-guard helps keep potty training hygienic. It is tough and durable and will last just as long in the home as a plastic potty.

Made from rice husks – a waste product of rice farming, the Becopotty is not only 100% sustainable but also biodegradable so unlike the 17 million other potties that are sent to landfill around the world each year, once it is disposed of it will break down naturally.

The potties retail for £7.99 at JoJo Maman Bebe stores, but I’ve got three to give away to you!

Please write in the comments if you want one or email me at vouchermum@gmail.com. First three requests will win!

Note: I’ll be closing the contest on Monday morning. If you comment, I am the only person who will see your email and I won’t use it for any other purpose.

Update: This contest is now closed. If you comment I’ll keep you tops on my list for next time!

Tesco Greener Living and Tesco Photo are giving away 10 personalised jute shopping bags. Now to be green you’ll just have to remember to take it to the shop with you! (eek I always forget to bring bags!)

The ecofriendly bags up for grabs are made from jute – a natural fibre that is strong and fully sustainable – and will be printed with your favourite photo.

To enter, send your top tips for celebrating a greener Christmas this year to competitions@tescogreenerliving.com before 4 December.

Find complete details here.

A massive jug of vinegar may be the only household product you need. Not only is vinegar chemical-free and environmentally-friendly, its highly acidic so it kills germs and bacteria. Best of all, it’s inexpensive. So, here goes: ten uses you might not have heard of yet!

1. Bleach alternative—Get your dingy whites white again. Bring a pot of water mixed with 200ml white distilled vinegar to a boil. Drop in your whites and soak them overnight.
2. Toilet cleaner—Remove unsightly hard water stains. Pour in 1 pint of vinegar and scrub.
3. Rust remover—Dissolve rust from metals by soaking the rusty pieces in full strength vinegar for up to an hour.
4. Refrigerator freshener—Remove lingering smells within two days. Place 200ml of apple cider vinegar in a glass in your refrigerator.
5. Kill garden weeds—Starve weeds by spraying full strength white distilled vinegar on the tops of weeds. Repeat on any new growth.
6. Remove limescale—Get rid of limescale in your kettle by adding 100ml of white distilled vinegar to the water and soaking overnight. For tough deposits, boil undiluted vinegar in the kettle, cool and rinse.
7. Keep flowers longer—Add two tablespoons sugar and two tablespoons white vinegar in a 1-litre vase of water. Trim stems and change water every five days.
8. Set colours—To keep your colourful clothing from bleeding, soak for a few minutes in white distilled vinegar before washing.
9. Renew sponges and dishrags—Place in just enough water to cover them and add 50ml white distilled vinegar. Soak overnight.
10. Remove soap scum—Wipe with white distilled vinegar and scour with baking soda.

These and more tips can be found at VinegarTips.com, VinegarBook.net and VersatileVinegar.org.

There are now heaps of online communities and resources that match up people who need stuff with people who have stuff they no longer need, for free. Not only is free stuff great for the pocketbook, it prevents unwanted items from ending up in landfills. Freecycle is possibly the most well known, but in the UK there are several sites to try. Here are a few I’ve found:

• Freecycle
• 2recycle
• eFreeko
• SnaffleUp
• Don’t Dump That

I’m on the lookout for a second-hand sewing machine, so I’m giving these sites a try. Will report back on my success/failure!

Update: Looking for more free sources? The Guardian (Fed up with Freecycle? Try these top 10 alternatives) and BitterWallet (Like free stuff? There’s an alternative to shoplifting) have both posted on the subject with a number of other sites to try!

According to This is Not Work you can pick up 10 Philips Energy Saver Lightbulbs for £1 at Robert Dyas:

Old lightbulbs are being phased out. Get over it! As an advertising slogan might put it. And where once they cost a fiver a pop, you can now pick them up for pence; 10 pence in fact at Robert Dyas. In store only.

Dyas store finder

Thanks for the tip!