Cuppa Daisies has been involved in markets for many years i.e. we’ve organised many markets, we’ve been vendors at even more markets and we’ve spent an endless amount of money shopping at markets over many decades. 😊
But what is a MARKET? The Oxford Dictionary describes a market as “a regular gathering of people for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other commodities.”
Of course, the type of markets we are referring to are less about trading in livestock and more about the selling of craft and hand-made items (ranging from knitwear, leather goods, woodwork, paper crafts and cards, jewellery, gifts-in-jars, and so that list goes on. But, as the public demand for markets has grown, so has the type of products that you will find at markets e.g. gone are the days of hosting a Tupperware Party; you can now find your favourite storage container at a market.
Markets have provided a space for many, many small business owners and entrepreneurs to show a public face for a relatively low cost and the upside is that the public can stay away from the busy malls, if this is not their preferred way of shopping. Many shoppers prefer the more casual and relaxing experience of shopping at a market.
Boot sales have been around for many, many years i.e. parked cars on an open field and folks selling their 2nd-hand items from the boot of their car and off camping tables. However, not all markets accept boot-sale-type vendors and so T1-Together Cuppa Daisies is grateful to have been selected at two Christmas Markets this year.
We are honoured that the Table Bay Mall Christmas Market selected us as their charity of choice and you will find our table flooded with a variety of lovely bric-a-brac as well as CDs and Vintage LPs.
We are also represented at the Market at the Barn in Klipheuwel. This fun market, inside a lovely farm barn, offers visitors over 70 exhibitors.
Mabu Vinyl was started in 2000 by Jacques Vosloo, who later partnered with Stephen “Sugar” Segerman. This iconic Cape Town record store was featured in the Oscar-winning movie, “Searching For Sugar Man“. Mabu Vinyl buys, sells, and trades most kinds of vinyl – vintage and new. They also trade in CD’s, tapes, comics, and music related DVD’s and books.
We will be hosting a private event on 14 November 2020 at which all our stock will be available for viewing and buying and Brian Currin (who has been involved with Mabu Vinyl and SugarMan.org for many years) will be available to share his music knowledge. Please Whatsapp if you would like to receive an invitation.
Shake that feather duster, folks! We’ve found some tips to help you on your journey to a house you’ve never met.
We’ve done a few posts on the joy of spring cleaning, the benefits you can reap, and the benefits others can reap.
Here are some of our favourite (and easily done!) cleaning tips to have everything sparkle in a way you’ve never dreamed of before. Be sure to get some elbow grease in there too, there’s no better cleaning liquid than determination!
Here we go, in no particular order:
Doormats
Trap more dirt by using two mats, one outside the door and one inside. To refresh, hose off and air-dry mats. Vacuum indoor ones on both sides — going over the back will push trapped dirt out onto the floor where it will be easier to pick up.
Microwave
Enough with the tomato sauce stains — this trick will make cleaning them easier. Place large microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup of water and a chopped-up lemon, lime, or orange or several tablespoons of vinegar inside. Turn the appliance on high for several minutes or until the solution boils and the window is steamy, then let it sit to cool for 15 minutes before opening the door. Remove and wipe out the inside and outside with a sponge.
Grocery Bags
Reusable grocery bags cut down on wasteful plastic, but they can get grimy with time. Run your reusable bags through the washer regularly to remove any lingering food bacteria, turning them inside out before you toss them in. Pay attention to the bag’s fabric when selecting a dryer setting.
Cutting Boards
Run the cut side of a lemon over the board to remove food stains and smells. Want an extra cleaning oomph? Sprinkle it with salt or baking soda first.
Fridge
You probably wipe down your fridge’s interior shelving regularly already, but don’t forget about the rest. Pop out the door shelves and bins, and wash in warm, soapy water to get rid of food bacteria and spillage.
Pots and Pans
Soften burned-on residue by adding water and dish liquid to your cookware and letting it simmer on the stove. Use Brillo pads to remove any remaining stuck-on bits. Ketchup (yes, really!) helps dissolve tarnish on copper pots and other copper cooking accessories. Just massage the red sauce over the surface and add a pinch of salt to your polish if you come across exceptionally stubborn spots.
Oven
If your oven doesn’t have a self-cleaning option, place a hot, wet cloth on top of burned spots to help soften the gunk. Then scrub with a heavy-duty pad and wipe dry.
Stainless Steel
To make this surface sparkle again (see ya, fingerprints), mix a solution of 1 teaspoon dish detergent and 1 quart hot tap water. Using a microfiber cloth, rub the detergent solution onto the marks in small sections, going with the grain. Rinse with clean hot water only, and dry immediately with a clean cloth.
Shower Curtain
Yep, you can wash a plastic or vinyl curtain in your washing machine. Do it on the gentle cycle with detergent and add a couple of bath towels for extra cleaning power. Then hang it to dry. To keep the curtain cleaner longer, spritz it a few times each month with a bleach-containing all-purpose cleaner. Then just let the shower rinse it off (before you hop in).
Makeup
Getting rid of expired makeup, skincare, and hair products is a quick way to declutter. Not all products note an expiration date, but many say how many months the product will last after opening. “To stay on top of their expiration date, use a thin-tipped permanent marker to write on the date you opened it,” suggests organizing expert, Jeffrey Phillip.
Makeup Brushes
To degunk your favorite foundation brush, squeeze a few drops of shampoo or dish liquid into your palm and rub the bristle tips into the soap, then gently work the suds through them. To rinse, hold the brush (bristles down) under warm running water. Gently shake over the sink to remove excess water, and lay the brush down on a paper towel to finish drying.
Shower Drain
To freshen drains (not unclog them) and help keep them free-flowing, mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup table salt. Pour the mixture down the drain, followed by 1 cup heated vinegar. It will foam and bubble. Let it stand for 15 minutes — longer does not work any better. Follow by running hot tap water for at least 15 to 30 seconds. This is especially good for seldom-used drains, like in a guest bathroom.
Bookshelves
After all of those cozy winter reading sessions, your library (and likely your kid’s too!) is in need of a cleanup. Take a few minutes to organize your coffee table books, bedside novels, or favorite magazines. You can alphabetize, coordinate by color, or sort by size. And don’t forget to dust!
Ceilings
Spring cleaning season is all about focusing on the spots you forget about the rest of the year. Grab an extendable duster and attack ceiling fans, hanging and recessed lights, moldings and more.
Kids’ Toys
Don’t overlook the convenience of your dishwasher. It can take on more than just plates, including your children’s (and pet’s) plastic toys. Just choose the crystal or quick cycle and skip the heated dry. For stuffed animals, check the care tag first and then gather in a mesh bag or pillowcase and throw in the washer on a gentle cycle. A quick once-over with a lint roller can help too.
Bedding
It’s time to tackle bulky items you typically avoid, like pillows and comforters. You only need to clean these items two or three times a year, so they should be at the top of your list during spring cleaning season. But make sure you check the manufacturer’s label before tossing ’em into the washing machine.
Closet
Go through clothes and shoes from the season that’s just ended — and remove anything stained, in need of repair, or worn out. Make a second pass through spring and summer clothes as you take them out of storage. Try on anything you’re unsure about before giving it closet space.
Purse
Take everything out, toss trash, and organize items by category. Sort smaller items, like lipsticks, into little pouches or purse organizers, before you put them back inside. And wipe it down the exterior with a disinfectant wipe while you’re at it.
Vacuum
Yes, you have to clean your cleaners. Replace the bag, clean the dust cup, and replace or wash the filters. Snip threads snarled in the brush with scissors or a seam ripper.
Broom
Another cleaner that needs to be cleaned! Clear any dust bunnies stuck on your broom’s bristles by swishing the broom head around in warm, soapy water, or vacuum it with the end of the vacuum hose.
Patio Furniture
With warmer weather on the horizon, it’s time to get your outdoor furniture ready for lounging. To do this, add a squirt of dish detergent to a bowl of warm water, then wipe down tables and chairs. Finish it all off with a spray of water from the garden hose.
Out with the old, in with the new! but we’re keeping the old, because it’s great.
Your house is all shook up (if you don’t know what we talking about, see our previous blog post here); you have washed the curtains and those couch cushions brought out so much dust you don’t want to touch your freshly sprouted squash! And, in the process you managed to unearth some golden oldies – and I don’t mean you’re in-laws – I mean some old wooden furniture!
So, how do you pop a spin on your old-found goods? (I could’ve said new-found but we’re doing some redecorating here!) In this article, we see 20 photos of furnishings that have received a makeover fit for the royals. With just a bit of spare cash (from some spring-cleaning sales) and time (thanks, Covid) you too can spruce up your house.
Grab the paint, grab the screwdriver, and get the show on the road!
PS – while the article shows beautifully redone furniture, remember it takes time and patience and a bit of knowledge, so don’t be afraid to spend some time learning how to do everything properly, to insure your refurbishings last you just as long as the first time round.
It starts with the age-old little white lie we tell ourselves in January, “I will keep my house tidier this year! I will be more organised! I will no longer be the hoarder you once knew!” and ends with us frantically searching in old boxes for a Tupperware lid lost in the Easter brunch shuffle.
And so, we weave our way through the year, finding lost items on the way and then when September hits, we all collectively dust off our dust pans and brooms and proudly declare, “it’s time for a spring clean!”
The dogs flee. Partners scatter. Children rush out the house to avoid being roped in. It’s no small feat. And so it begins.
But what exactly, begins? Wikipedia tells us that “spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. The practice of spring cleaning is especially prevalent in climates with a cold winter. In many cultures, annual cleaning occurs at the end of the year, which may be in spring or winter, depending on the calendar.”
We also use the term “spring cleaning” metaphorically for any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organising activity e.g. a person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning.
As for its origins, there are various articles that cite different sources as the start of spring cleaning. The Persian New Year, which falls on the first day of spring, is one of them. Iranians start the practice of khaneh tekani (which here means “shaking the house”, and my new term for spring cleaning). Everything in the house is thoroughly cleaned, from the drapes to the furniture, and everything in between.
Another possibility has been suggested that the origins of spring cleaning date back to an ancient Jewish practice of thoroughly cleansing the home in anticipation of the springtime festival of Passover. And then we have the Catholic Church, who thoroughly cleans the church altar and everything associated with it on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday.
Regardless of its origins, I think we can all agree there is something cathartic about digging up old clothes, dusting off unused tea cups, and sifting through various canned goods. Not only are we sprucing up our own lives, but for those who decide to donate some or all of the unwanted items, there is the amazing opportunity of helping those in need. We so often take the things we have for granted and a good spring clean can help the mind “reset” and appreciate the lives we have, while helping others.
Be it by donating to a friend or someone organising a really nifty fundraiser, giving some of our less-needed goods away helps people more than we can think. Someone organising a fundraiser has the opportunity to earn some money from the things you’ve donated, and in turn you’ve ‘technically’ bought a dog a bag of treats, without actually spending your money. How cool? Way cool!
As we all lean into the spring-time festivities, remember to set some time aside to go through your junk drawer, that old box of jerseys, or even your car. Not only will you benefit from the sense of peace and accomplishment, but others can too.
Best get started now, those Tupperware lids aren’t going to find themselves!
Cuppa Daisies 