Tag Archives: minimalism

The Things You Own End Up Owning You

One of my very favourite films is Fight Club.

Granted, Brad Pitt spends a considerable amount of time bare-chested, which indeed has it’s own appeal. Regardless there is most definitely more depth to the story-line than superstar skin. If eye-candy were purely my motivation for watching, surely it would be more efficient to devour a True Blood box-set?

I was reminded of how much I enjoyed this film whilst cyberspace cruising (aka time-wasting) yesterday afternoon.

(Time wasting is not something Tyler Durden would approve of “This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time”)

Looking for reading material I hit the oldies but goodies. Starting off with the new Zen Habits post (which instructed me to write everyday – so here I am – although you’ll be reading this on Monday not the Sunday I wrote it).

Not finding what I was looking for, I entered into the minimal world of Far Beyond The Stars. Time-travelling way back to December 2009. It’s an archived blog now as the author took it down when he moved on – and move on he did!

December 2009 was 10 months into my journey toward a family life simply done. I credit much of the progress I made to reading Everett’s blog at the time.

My aim was to reduce in order to reclaim my life. To reduce stuff, commitments, obligations. But, somehow I lost my way.

I’m spending an inordinate amount of time, once more, decluttering and organising. I’m old enough, and ugly enough, to know there is no finish line with decluttering, but still – it’s turning into a full-time occupation.

Brooke recently wrote about decluttering not being the final answer. I concur, it’s not. It’s where I started, as many of us do, but simplifying or minimizing needs to be so much more.

Even decluttering can benefit from being simplified. Too much time can be spent on how to eliminate the item effectively. Should it be sold, gifted, donated? Ultimately it needs to be gone.

Rather a random post, I admit. But cathartic. Sometimes we just need to give ourselves a bit of a talking to.

Anyhow, time to stop typing. I’ve an episode of True Blood to pop on the DVD whilst I declutter the Kids toys!

How’s it all going with you, are you beating stuff?

Click here to enjoy Placebo (with special guest) covering Where Is My Mind from Fight Club… a little Monday morning treat for those rock chicks and guys among you.

Still Decluttering? Join The Club!

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It’s been over 3 years since I began our journey toward a family life simply done.

I’m still decluttering.

Is this possible?

It would appear so.

Decluttering is a bit like trying to lose weight. It’s easy to gain, not so easy to lose.

So, as a non-believer in crash diets, I’ve taken the slow and steady approach to stuff reduction.

What I’ve found as an ex-hoarder is that my mindset has changed gradually. My habits have changed also. As I said above ‘easy to gain, not so easy to lose’, for me anyway. So I’ve stopped acquiring. This has suppressed the growth of items in the home significantly. But there was always going to be the backlog to deal with.

My initial impetus was to reduce my sentimental hoard. But what I found, once I started the simplification process, was that actually I needed to do the ‘easy’ decluttering first, until there was little left to purge apart from the things I held the dearest.

I’m at that point. The wardrobe’s gone, the books have gone, most unnecessary items have been removed.

I’m still however left with this:

There’s little left to hide behind. It’s time to get ruthless.

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Let’s see eh? Can I do it?

Are you struggling to make that final push, are you nearing the finish line? Is there a finish line? Please share…

Looking For Inspiration?

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My writing mojo has taken a hit this week. I have to be in the right frame of mind to write. My thoughts have been elsewhere. This is not something I’m proud of. I feel I should be able to write-through whatever life’s throws at me, but I can’t.

So, looking for inspiration I put out a call to action on Facebook. To which Shelley kindly responded. It was suggested I post about saving on electricity by line drying etc…

Well…

I do line dry, but I don’t think I could write an entire post about it. However Shelleys’ much-needed suggestion made me think.

What is it that we do each day that makes a difference, not only to our wallet, but to reduce waste of resources?

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Simply Being Mum’s Spring Sale 2012 Starts

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I read a while back that the average UK household contains £600 worth of stuff that is no longer required and could easily be sold.

Now it’s very annoying when someone quotes a statistic like that and cannot find the source to back it up. Sorry but, I’m going to be one of those annoying people today. I have a good idea it was an article in one of the Hubby’s finance magazines, but can I find it? Alas no. A couple of years ago I would have presumed I’d hidden it away, my opinion this morning is that it’s been enthusiastically recycled (aka chucked)!

The reason this value sticks in my head (and thus I’m confident to quote it) is that lovefoodhatewaste.com also claim the average family throw away over £600 of food each year.

£600 saved by not wasting food + £600 generated from selling unwanted stuff = £1200

Enough for a family holiday in the UK, me thinks!

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My 3rd Anniversary – Looking Back…Yet Moving Forward

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27 February is my 3rd anniversary. Of what? Discovering minimalism? Life simplification? How exactly is it defined?

I don’t think it can be defined.

(photo taken by Joanne Wright 23 February 2012)

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Not Buying It – Bread

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One of my first TV memories was a programme called “Living in the past“. I was just 4 when the show aired. It was the first reality TV show of this type to be shown in the UK, 22 years before Big Brother hit our screens.

‘Living in the past‘ focused on 15 volunteers who in 1978 sustained themselves for a full year, equipped only with tools, crops and livestock which would have been available in Britain in the 2nd Century BC.

There’s very rarely a week that passes in which this programme does not cross my mind.

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Taking it a drawer at a time…

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When I first stumbled across the concept of minimalism, life simplification or however you personally define it, the first thing I started doing was decluttering. Decluttering physical stuff. I believe this is where most people start.

For me, the journey of life simplification is so much more than just throwing a few things out, particularly as momentum builds, but initially that was what it was all about. If I need a feel-good fix decluttering still hits the spot.

2 years and counting and I am still battling the clutter. Some weeks are good, some not so good and there are setbacks. Take your eye off the ball and it is as if stuff starts breeding. Things appear from nowhere (aka – well-intentioned family! to name one culprit).

You wake one day to find

But what I have learnt is rather than turning a blind eye, tip the entire contents onto a flat clear surface and start sifting through.

Then PEEP (place for everything and everything in its place) – put everything that has a home in it, find a home for anything that is absolutely essential and chuck the rest.

10 minutes later and…

What a beautiful sight!

Just take it a drawer at a time, it’s what you do every day that will make the difference, little steps… there’s no miracle cure to clutter, as there is no miracle diet, keep going and the reward is there.

Is your perseverance paying off?

Crazy or Lazy? I’m Getting Busy!

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The procrastinator in me was well and truly awoken this morning, as I sat to do some work, turned on the PC and fired up the e-mail…
Oops!

Over at Minimalist at Home Faith posted Are Your Summers Lazy Or Crazy

Head on over and check it out for the low down. My post is semi-related although off on a tangent somewhat.

ps – nice to see Faith back at the keyboard

Without a doubt my most productive time of year (personally) is Spring, March-June.

It is also my favourite time of year.

Spring brings with it new life and optimism. I feel I can conquer the world. The sun tends to shine this time of year in the UK (Summer’s tend not to be so great anymore…)

When the sun shines it brings a sense of invigoration, and of energy.

There are grand plans afoot this year.

2 major projects (make that 3 in reality! oh yes sentimental hoard you are still sitting there taunting me!)

Grand Plan 1 – The Spring Sale

Inspired by The Minimalist Mom Rachel’s big move to The Manx, I have decided to step up my game with the decluttering and get ruthless.

I have been slowly reducing our stuff for over two-years and can see the fruits of my labour. I am now left with more saleable items rather than clutter/rubbish. I’m planning a Big Sell. I know Rachel is fantastic at this. I not so! I find e-baying, listing etc… rather overwhelming and time-consuming – those two characteristics tend to bring out the procrastinator in me.

Not this Spring – I’ll be keeping a tally to keep me motivated – watch this space. How much can I earn through selling redundant items. No doubt there will be many a story along the way. There normally is! Mr Bean has nothing on me! I’ll fill you all in one-day on how I got locked in my garage in Winter in nothing but a Little Miss Naughty dressing gown and running shoes and had to be rescued by a dog-walker.

Grand Plan 2 – Gardening Girl

Over the years I have attached the label ‘Not a Gardener’ to myself. I kill off most houseplants and leave it all to the Hubby outside. My pathetic and only partly true excuse for this is that my dear Mom is a gardener and a very good one. As a child she tried to engage me on many occasions, and I resisted. It was something I believed old people did. Well I’m getting old – I’m nearly 37 and guess what? This Spring I became interested in the garden, and have spent my first weekend outside weeding, pruning and generally looking around and considering what could be done.

I phoned my Mom and asked her what to do with the dying off daffodils casually throwing in ‘You won’t believe this – guess what I am doing?’.

She wasn’t surprised at all… I suppose she always had faith it was in the genes?

Have you any grand plans this Spring or is it Sun-lounge City? I’d love to hear how you get Crazy or Lazy…

No Waste Tastes Great 15 April 2011

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It’s Friday Guys! It’s time for

No Waste Tastes Great

Fridays I take a little time first thing to strip down the fridge and perishables cupboard, clean both of them, take note of anything that needs replenishing, return any items back to the fridge leaving what needs using up on the counter.

Click here to find out more about my Friday Routine

So what is sitting on the counter in anticipation this week?

This week I have 5 apples… and absolutely nothing else…

Quickly peeled and thickly chopped, coated in a little sugar and popped in ‘Brenda’ my Vegetarian Slow Cooker topped with hot water, they will in a couple of hours be ready to freeze and kept for a nice apple sauce in the future.

As we were away last weekend I didn’t do a weekly shop and all week have been using up store cupboard ingredients to feed the family.

How’s your fridge looking this week? Anyone want to confess to food waste? Or redeem themselves by commenting on what they are going to do with their leftovers?

I’m sorry this post is a little harsh on the eye! It is of course RED WHITE & BLUE in honour of the Happy Couple.

Many Congratulations to William and Kate!

No Waste Tastes Great 15 April 2011

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It’s Friday Guys! It’s time for …

No Waste Tastes Great

Click here to find out more about my Friday Routine

So what is sitting on the counter in anticipation this week?

Once again it’s CARROTS!

And this is going to be the end result of what I do with those carrots – the nicest soup (even if I do say it myself) that I have ever tasted!

I am writing a recipe post as soon as I have finished this one.

Slow Cooked Carrot, Ginger and Lentil Soup Recipe

How’s your fridge looking this week? Anyone want to confess to food waste? Or redeem themselves by commenting on what they are doing to do with their leftovers?

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