Simplifying Life - Mark II

ceridwen

SIMPLIFYING LIFE - MARK II


Hi all

Me again - only I'm not really starting up a new thread;) .

Nope - this is still my "Simplifying Life" thread - only its the Mark II version. It's all about simplifying life - to have time to concentrate on more important things. To this end - I got shot of several part-time jobs I had (on top of my full-time one) over the course of the "starter" thread and have been attempting to declutter my house, mind and life generally.

Reason for starting a Mark II version - I've been told by the mods. that they will be "splitting" the longer threads - as people with slower computer connections are having problems with them.

This is one of the longer threads - currently 132 pages long (or - put another way - 2,633 posts and 126,410 views). So I'm glad you've all been finding it useful/interesting and we start again here now with the Mark II version.

So - please put further "Simplifying Life" posts on this thread now:D

I give below my (amateur-style) link to my original "Simplifying Life" thread:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=643755

So - do "read the story so far" of all our simplifying back on the above link if you are new to this thread.:D

Welcome chez ceridwen - well you could always have a looksee at my blog as well (yep - I started a blog as well in the course of this - and a link to that is there by clicking to get to my M.S.E. "homepage").

Beki

looking forward to keeping on reading! thanks! xxxx

ceridwen

Found another blog that I know some regular "readers" of this thread will like - though I think everyone who reads this thread will relate to the 13 September post "This family know what life would be like without reliance on oil".

So - its Fr. Peter's Environmental Notes - and, as one would expect from the title - its written from the viewpoint of us being good stewards of the Planet.

http://environmentalideas.blogspot.com/

lilac_lady

This thread will run and run. Thanks to ceridwen for starting it and all the MSE-ers who post here frequently. Although I don't post much I follow some of the tips and am kept on track by all your good advice.

mary43

Thanks ceridwen - just goes to show how popular this thread is. So many have benefited from reading it. Thanks for starting it off in the first place.

ceridwen

Glad to hear its being of benefit. Only shame is I felt I'd better remove the YouTube clips I inserted sometimes on the Mark 1 version - as things were getting a bit "heated" about what one can/cant do re YouTube - so I played "safe than sorry" and removed them in case:think: :whistle:

Jacks_xxx

Excellent - added it to my subscriptions - although I am still only about half way through the old one!

Love Jacks xxx

mary43

:wave: (Throws hat in the door...........) Not been in for a while so thought I'd better say 'Hi' to all.
Been busy trying to 'simplify' in the form of sorting our christmas 'concoctions' I'm trying to do and actually get some finished off and out of my way up to the spare room which is now looking like a kind of 'alladins cave'...........lol
I'm getting there slow but sure ............slow mainly being due to kids starting WW3 yesterday.:eek: ...........left me so whacked I was worse than useless at anything............but all is quiet now............oldest one has gone off to a party -having found himself a job, only for four weeks but better than nothing at all - and youngest one off for visit to Mum..........back tomorrow:T So, tonight we can have some 'us' time at last.
Been one of 'those' weeks......................................lol

ceridwen

A basic essential for the simple life - indeed any life - and I found an article today that might be helpful to those people plagued by noise in their own home:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2008/sep/23/healthandwellbeing.pollution

mary43

ceridwen - thanks. Interesting read. Somehow don't think our oldest lad will think too much about it as he whacks his stereo up another notch...........lol
Thankfully, now he's working hes in bed early and all is peaceful when we retire.
Well, trying hard to 'simplify' things at home..........ploughing through the endless christmas projects that are cluttering up my once cleared little 'den' -getting there slow but sure and yesterday OH decided to have a clear out of general 'stuff' as we'd had two charity bags left us............actually ones been collected, the others still there...........umm......maybe they didn't think stuff was good enough ??? Well, it was just curtains and bits of bric a brac and a few books...........thats what they asked for.
Oh well, if they don't collect, maybe now its out on the pavement it will make its way to the boot of our car at least...............lol

Runner beans have now had their day as have the courgettes..........OH pulled up couple of carrots at the weekend...........never seen carrots like it !!!!! about 2 inches long...........................lol We knew they were the short dumpy ones but not that short..............lol:rotfl: He's left the rest in thinking maybe they need more time.............and just as I'm trying to clear one room.......he's now cluttered up the kitchen windowsill (well, worktop as the tups are too big for the windowsill) with two big chilly plants !:eek: Worried they'll die off outside now as its getting so cold at nights !!

Young lad and myself went to see his new school this morning - such a long long meeting there - already had one last week about it. Anyway, forms signed etc. but they can;t take him till beginning of November :eek: So, till then he has two hours a day at a Unit and the rest of the time mooches around, in and out like a yo yo, getting in grumpy mood etc. Hence taking me such a long time to get around to finishing off stuff.

Not to worry.............time will roll round and we just might get some normality back in the household (she says hoping..........lol)

Aril

Hello virtual friends:j
Apologies for my absence of late. Real life keeps getting in the way. How outrageous!!
All is well and fairly settled at the moment. One small thought I had along the lines of simplicity which need not cost the earth that works for me is that I have an area just for me where I keep beautiful things that not only bring me pleasure to look at but also evoke happy memories. In my case it's a corner cupboard that my husband made that hangs half way up my stairs. It's full of items that bring me pleasure...it originated from when the small person was a tiny one and into everything and there were certain items that I did not want to risk being broken and it's continued from there. I enjoy looking at it every time I walk past.
Some of you may be aware that I am lucky enough to have a stunning dollshouse which my husband has built for me. It's not anywhere near finished but I enjoy making bits and pieces for it and carefully choosing other bits to go in it. Some may say that a grown woman shouldn't have one but I've wanted one ever since I was a child. The following quote reminds me why it's so important to hold onto our inner child and try not to become too jaded:
We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.
George Bernard Shaw

I hope you like it
Arilx