Back to Basics

On Saturday, I finally took down the Christmas tree and decorations. I seem to be reluctant at both ends of Christmas, reluctant to put up the decorations and reluctant to take them down. I'm sure I'll get used to the bareness of the house within a few days, but I miss those twinkly lights, making the room feel cosy.  Maybe I should keep a set back to use all winter.

Luckily, it's LB's birthday next weekend, so a few cards about the place will fill up the room a bit more.

Anyway, the decorations are back into the three or four storage bags, one for wrap, one for wreaths, one for decorations and one for the tree.  I did manage to declutter a few more items whilst I was packing everything away, which is all good.

I was reading somewhere the other day how if you want to be eco friendly, you should stop using plastic trees. It really didn't make any sense to me. 

If you've already got a plastic tree, why throw it out and stop using it.  Surely it's more eco friendly to continue to use it and then you wouldn't need to ever buy another or a real one.  Besides, many Charity shops (like ours) don't actually accept Christmas trees in January, as they don't want to give room to them for a year, before anyone is likely to buy them. So, despite preferring a real tree, I'm going to keep our artificial one and continue to use it, whatever anyone says.

After reading a great post on Where the journey takes me about re-using Christmas cards, I cut up those cards that seemed to make good Christmas gift tags and put them with my wrapping paper ready for next year. Here's a couple of pictures of the ones I made. 

A bit of a mixture, but I'm sure they'll look great on gifts with a bit of added ribbon.

After a quick dust and hoover around, it's like Christmas never happened. Oh well, I'm sure it will come round again soon enough. Best get on with 2018 now.

My New Phone

Anyone who's read my blog for a while, will probably know, that I'm a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to technology.  In an attempt to bring me into the modern age, OH bought me a new phone this Christmas. It's the same brand as my previous phone, but with a much better and more current operating system (if that's the right term to use).

It's a very nice phone, but I don't know if I'll make good use of it's potential.  It has, however, caused me to get to grips with a few new apps, which is a good thing. I've joined What's App, which is very useful for contacting LB when I need to. I feel like I've finally joined the party, although I don't really know what to do with myself now I'm there, if you know what I mean.

I've also signed up to Castbox, which is an app for listening to podcasts. I came across it after watching a new favourite YouTuber Gillian Perkin's video on Android apps that she uses. It's working for me and I've subscribed to lots of interesting podcasts that I can now listen to on the bus to or from work.

Yesterday, saw me listening to the end of an Oprah Winfrey interview with Gretchen Reuben and then another with Cheryl Strayed, author of that wonderful book I read a couple of years ago, Wild. Very entertaining on the bus journey to the shop.

I'm know I'm going to really enjoy indulging in this new activity, as it will provide a little pocket of me time on my commute, which should make the journey pass a little quicker uses my commuting time more efficiently too.

Other than this and the fact that I've downloaded a pedometer app, so I don't need to buy another one, I don't know if it the phone is going to change my life too much. Although, having a camera whose pictures are easier to download should make life easier, and I'm looking forward to using that more now that I have it.

Are you like me and need to be dragged kicking and screaming into the present day when it comes to technology?

Making Again

Yesterday afternoon, after bemoaning the fact to other bloggers that I hadn't done any work on any creative projects for a while or really done much at all with my time whilst on annual leave, I decided that there was no time like the present and headed up to my sewing room.

It's still full of Christmas stuff at the moment, namely the Christmas decoration boxes which are waiting to be refilled, once I get around to take down the decorations. In spite of this, I was still motivated to get on and start a project that I'd been meaning to do for at least 6 months, namely making some new cushion covers for the living room.

I have so much fabric and decided that after four years or so with the same cushion covers, it was time for a change.  I'd picked out some suitable fabrics and put them aside and I finally got them out and started work.

I didn't intend to finish the covers that day, but after completing a couple, I decided to just carry on and make the other two that I needed.  They're not perfect (far from it), but they will freshen up the living room as we move towards spring.  The print on the fabric is a tulip print, which seemed appropriate, and the colours are pretty. 

I made envelope style covers, as I didn't have any co-ordinating zips and didn't want to spend any money on the project or have to go out to get any. After having mismatched cushions in this room for years, they are all now co-ordinated which feels a lot more grown up.

Whilst I was at it, I also decided to make a new cover for the footstool, that would tie in with the new cushion covers, as it was previously covered in the same fabric as the old cushion covers.  I decided not to use the same cushion fabric this time, as it had a cream background that could get dirty easily and the footstool cover isn't removable, it's sewn on.

Instead, I used some of this dark navy print velvet fabric that I've had in my stash for years and which used to part of some old curtains that I purchased second hand.  I had heaps of it. It's nice and tactile and cosy for the winter months and shouldn't show up any dirt. (Fluff and dog hairs, but not dirt!) In addition, I won't necessarily have to make another one should I replace the cushion covers again.

I now just need to make a new runner to co-ordinate. A pretty productive and frugal afternoon, whereby I get a bit of a new look in the living room, without spending any money.  Result.

Feeling Ready

I'm still on two weeks' leave from the CS and I have to say that I'm not really making the most of my time off.  I just don't seem to have any motivation to do much at all. It's not necessarily a bad thing.  I view it as a sign that my mind and body maybe just need the rest and I'm letting them lead the way.

It's quiet here in London, I don't think everyone has returned following the holidays, especially where I live. There's hardly anybody about, which in some ways is nice, especially on those days when I go out with the dog and don't want to see or speak to anyone.

I did do a bit of cleaning yesterday, mainly in the kitchen, which made me feel a bit better.  I'm feeling very reluctant to take down the Christmas decorations though.  They make the living room feel cosy and I'm not looking forward to how sparse the room will look once they're gone. I'll probably leave it until Saturday and do the Twelfth Night clear up. OH, can't wait, he's looking forward to it.

I've been having some gastric problems too since New Year's day.  I think my body might be telling me to stop eating red meat, as the issues seem to occur when I've eaten it. I virtually cut it out altogether last year and have subsequently relapsed, so I need to try to cut down again.  It's difficult when other people in the household enjoy eating it and I don't want to get into making different meals for different people.  As a consequence, I've been looking through recipe books this morning to get some ideas of things I can make and eat that will agree with my digestion more and that everyone will be willing to eat.

I did my first class of 2018 at the gym this morning, and felt a bit better as a consequence. I just need to shake off all of the Xmas overeating, which I vow not to do each year, but still continue to do and just get active again. I feel like a sloth. The last of the food gifts have now been eaten, so from here on in it should get better, providing I don't buy any unhealthy stuff in.

I officially start back to work on Sunday, which suits me as it's a short day. I am probably going to go in tomorrow for a few hours though and help with the backlog that's built up over Christmas.  It will be good to go in without any responsibility and find my feet again before I start back proper. I think I'm ready to get back on that particular horse and move forward with it again.

My Try to Buy Nothing New Year in 2018

As the title of this post suggests, I think that I am going to attempt a big challenge in 2018, one that I'm not at all sure that I will be able to meet, but one that I will attempt non the less.

I am going to try to attempt to buy nothing new for myself this year and see how far into the year I get with it. I've read a few posts and watched a few videos towards the end of last year, where other people are doing similar things and these have inspired me to have a go.  At the moment, I want nothing and seriously need to start saving some money, so it should help me with these aims.

I think the excess of Christmas has also made me feel like exploring this kind of avenue and I felt particularly inspired by David's post on Raptitude.com, about going deeper not wider in 2018.

Of course, there will be lots of things that I will be buying new, i.e. groceries/household/toiletry products and other every day necessities, but I'm going to try to avoid buying anything new for myself that doesn't fall into these categories, unless I  get lucky and find something new in a Charity shop and thereby benefit a good cause.

I will still be buying new items as presents for other people, for birthdays and other celebrations, but even here, I will try to buy presents that are either consumable, so won't add to the number of items entering our or their house, or I will try to buy some things second hand or new from charity shops. If, however, someone wants something specific, I will be buying it new for them, as I don't feel it is fair to inflict my beliefs onto others.

In addition, one of my aims this year (with OH's help) is to redecorate our house, so any items I might need to buy in order to do this are also excepted from this challenge.

Lets see how far I get with this.  I will keep a record of all the items I do buy new and will post about them here on my blog to hold myself accountable. I'm not necessarily expecting to get through the whole of the year this way, but it will be interesting to see if I can last at least a month or two without feeling the twitch.

A Slow Start to the Year

Well, 2018 got off to a slow and relaxing start and I'm not complaining one bit. I started New Year's day pottering around, putting away Christmas gifts/items bought whilst we were away and just generally doing a little re-organising of the sewing room.  I managed to part with some more Christmas fabrics that I no longer want to keep or use too, which was a bonus.

I did some washing and laundry too, before getting myself ready to face the day. I did forget to have any breakfast though and as a consequence forgot to take my thyroid medication, which wasn't a great start, but I'll just take a little more for the next 3 days to make up for it.

I didn't do a whole lot for the remainder of the day, other than working on my personal finances, so that I could start the year off on a financially sound footing and taking down any old calendars ready to put up new ones.  A very gentle start to the New Year.

I do have lots of aims for this year, but I don't make resolutions any more. I just list the things I would like to have achieved by the end of the year.  It worked for me last year and I managed to achieve most of the items on the list, the ones that mattered most to me anyway.  Here are some of the items on this year's list:

Remain debt free and living within my means.
Declutter 250 items in 2018.
Continue to read at least 1 book per month.
Reduce online spending.
Save at least £150 per month.
Keep following the Flylady.
Take up Swing Dance - there's a class locally that I want to join.
Reduce cholesterol.
Reduce weight.
Redecorate/Improve House.
Save at least £50 per month into a college fund for LB.
Grow more food.
Buy less, want less, live more simply.

There are several more on the list, but some are a little more personal and I don't actually want to publish them in this post, but there's plenty in there to keep me busy, many of which were on the list last year and were accomplished or part-accomplished, and which I want to continue with or expand on this year.

Others may occur to me along the way too, so the list is not exhaustive and is open to amendments.

Today, has been pretty much in the same vein, save for the fact that I emptied the ironing basket and posted off something that I'd sold on eBay. I think I really just needed some down time, not actually doing anything, in order to recuperate from the last six months of working. I'm now starting to feel better and a lot more relaxed and once I've done a bit of cleaning and taken the decorations down, I think I'll feel ready to go back to work.

How did you start the New Year?

Donated - December

Well, it's the last month of the year, and according to my calculations at the end of last month, I still needed to declutter 97 items to reach the 1000 total I set myself at the beginning of 2017.

So, did I manage it?  Here goes:

1-2) Two old phone cases donated by LB.
3) One small satchel donated by LB.
4-8) Five items of clothing donated by LB.
9-16) Eight Christmas ornaments that I no longer wish to keep.
17) One kit to 'make your own' Christmas crackers that I'm not going to use.
18) One pack of Xmas cupcake boxes that I'll never use.
19) One Xmas cupcake stand that I'll never use and that came free with a magazine.
20-23) Four new and unused paper Xmas decorations that I bought in a sale a few years ago, but will probably never use. (As you can tell, I've been a bit ruthless with regard to the Xmas decorations - I just don't want to keep things any longer if I'm unlikely to use them)
24) One Xmas craft item that I bought very cheaply and never used.
25-33) Nine pieces of Xmas fabric that I no long want to keep and will never use.
34-35) Two individual Xmas cards that I bought in sales, but have never used.
36) One bottle bag I don't want to re-use but someone else might.
37) One lightweight sweater that I no longer want to keep.
38) One top I bought from the CS and don't for the life of me know why as it looks awful on.  Luckily it was only £2.99.
39) One gym t-shirt recycled for my rag rug.
40-55) Sixteen magazines I've read and don't want to keep.
56) One book I've read and don't wish to keep.
57-58) Two Christmas decorations I don't want.
59-61) Three pieces of underwear of LB's recycled for rags.
62) One pair of OH's socks recycled for rags.
63-65) Three unwanted gifts - I know this sounds ungrateful, but I believe in donating gifts I am not going to use, as they may be perfect for someone else, just not for me. Incidentally, I'm perfectly okay with people doing the same with gifts I've given them, if I've not chosen well.
66-70) Five gifted food items that were donated to the food bank, as we don't want to eat them.
71-73) Three hair clips - new but surplus to requirements.
74-85) Twelve part used or new toiletry/perfume items donated by LB that she doesn't use.  These will be taken to the next Give & Take, as they probably would be no use to a CS due to being part used.
86) One dressing gown of LB's which was replaced with a new one this Xmas.
87) One glittery nail varnish bought to use for Xmas, but which is virtually impossible to remove.
88) One jigsaw bought over the holidays, but not completed. It's not one I want to tackle again, and only cost £1.99, so is being donated.
89) One book I requested for Xmas, but just wasn't what I thought it was going to be.
90) One video that came free with some hair clippers. (Yes, a video - it's been sat in the box for years)
91) A part pack of tea lights I bought to use over Christmas, but which aren't very good, so I won't use the remainder.
92) One travel toothbrush case that no one uses.
93-98) Six unread books that I'm not going to read.

So, with a lot of help from LB this year (I couldn't have done it without her efforts), I did just manage to donate the 1000 things I challenged myself to donate in 2017. I know that I will struggle to be able to reach such a large total in 2018, as three consecutive years of decluttering have reduced the excess a lot, but I will still be setting myself a target to help me manage the amount of  stuff we have and bring into the house. As a consequence, a more realistic amount of 250 items will be the target next year.

I hope that if you have been trying to declutter items from your home this year, that you've had lots of success and are reaping the benefits of a more organised and tidy home.

Here's to keeping life even more simple in 2018.