For the Love of Water

Bonjour, Travellers

The 2000’s is legal now.  We’ll leave it to 2018 to tell us what exactly that means! Meanwhile, I took a three-month break from blogging and focussed on exams, spending time with family and friends and re-charging for the new year.

I spent a few weeks in Cape Town over the festive season.  As per usual, I had a grand time but I felt extremely guilty whenever I used water. My time in the Cape forced me to face the reality that water is a precious and scarce resource and it is about time we treat it that way. Who’s to say Bloem isn’t next in line? We’ve already experienced a week without water last November and it can happen again. Also, how terrible does our water taste at the moment? With all these revelations, I would like to recommend a few water-saving tips I picked up in Cape Town and I urge you to start using water sparingly, as if every day will be the last day you have access to water.

Here they are:

  • Shower instead of bathing
  • Aim to stop-start shower for no longer than 2 minutes. Only turn the water on to wet and again to rinse
  • Collect shower water while you’re showering; alternatively, only collect the nearly 5 litres that go to waste when you’re warming up the water. This water can be used to fill your toilet bowls
  • If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If brown, flush it down. Use hand sanitizer instead of washing your hands with soap and water
  • Water your garden and/or fill the toilet bowl with collected bath and basin water
  • Don’t let the tap run whilst brushing teeth or washing your face
  • Wet wipes work wonders
  • Collect rainwater
  • If you’re willing and able, invest in a grey water system. For further information, inbox us at Arista Guesthouse
  • Wait for a full load before running washing machines and dishwashers. The rinse water from some washing machines can be re-used for the next wash cycle.
  • Defrost foods in the fridge or naturally, rather than placing it under running water

Put aside your convenience and get saving! These methods are inexpensive and worth it in the long run.

 

 

Speaking of run… who will be running through your mind this Month of Love?  Don’t let your love run dry. Here’s what you and your partner can get up to in Bloemtown in February:

Side note: Not exclusively for singles. 😉

6 Feb – 59Plenty’s Cake Table Special, 59Plenty @9h00

7 Feb – Girls’ Night Out: ‘Fifty Shades Freed’, Nu Metro Loch Logan @19h00

7 Feb – Movie Night, CoffeTalks Café @19h00

7 Feb – Mini Food & Wine Paring, 59Plenty @18h00

7 Feb – Bloemfontein Business Women’s Networking Event @7h30

10 Feb – Stellar Brewery Tasting with Down South, Blend Restaurant and Bar @17h00

10 Feb – Kloppers Marathon 2018, Bloemfontein Achilles Sports Centre @5h30

14 Feb – Candy & Cognac Valentine’s Day Dinner Dance, Windmill Casino @18h00

14 Feb – Valentines outdoor movie, Emoya Estate @17h00

14 Feb – Valentine’s Day “Make a Wish” for Couples, 59Plenty @18h00

14 Feb – Valentine’s Day at The Beach, Kaya Beach Bloemfontein @10h30

14 Feb – Valentine’s Charity Ball, Monte Bello Estate @18h30

16 Feb – Varsity Jam Bloemfontein / The Other Venue @20h00

16 Feb – 21st Birthday, Mystic Boer Bloemfontein @21h00

17 Feb – BLOEM LIFESTYLE MARKET, Bloem Showgrounds @11h00-22h00

17 Feb – Valentine’s Day Movie evening: showcasing La La Land, Oliewenhuis Art Museum @17h30

17 Feb – Vintage & Hobby Market, Reizis Square @9h00

17 Feb – Jack Parow Live at University of Free State @19h00

17 Feb – Hip Hop Poetry Extravaganza, TheHide-Out  @20h00

20 Feb – Drumability Workshop #3, CoffeeTalks Café @18h00

22 Feb – February Chocolate Workshop, 59Plenty @18h00

23 Feb – Tasting With DIE MAS – Gin , Wine and Brandy, The Tredenham Boutique Hotel @18h30

23 Feb – Gypsy evening with ‘Unlock the Gypsy Within’ workshop, Gallery On Leviseur @18h00

27 Feb – Bookbinding Workshop,  Oliewenhuis Art Museum @9h30

28 Feb – Startup Grind Bloemfontein Hosts Jaclyn Engelbrecht, Mazars @18h00

28 Feb – Sweat Gear Happy Valley Trailrun Night Race – #TrailrunSeries2 @18h00

28 Feb – February Sushi Workshop, 59Plenty @18h00

Masha and I wish you and your loved ones a twenty-great-teen and hope you’ve managed to tick a few items off of your resolutions list. Now would be a great time to add “save water” to the list. We look forward to sharing more Bloem adventures with you.