KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

GreyQueen

Space is surprisingly joyous, I find, and all too often under-appreciated. I like looking at an empty space where Something used to be.

Sometimes, saddo that I am, I will even open cupboards and drawers to admire the newly-vacated space where Something formerly roosted.

Plans to go to the allotment this aft/ evening after work have been derailed by the weather which is preciptating with vim and vigour and has been for a few hours already. It'll be great for my growing spuds, unlike this time last year, hah!

Last night, I did a little much-postponed work on my WIP, which roosts untidily on the back of the sofa so it can't be forgotten because it's in plain view. May well do a little more tonight. When the WIP eventually leaves, it will represent a major shedding of craft materials and free up some space.

Fear not, I have another WIP in the wings, waiting for its turn.

pavlovs_dog

DVD unit has gone and I am £20 richer. I also dropped my MM parcel to the collection point, will keep you posted how I get on. These items tip me over the 100 mark of items that have left my house since late March. I'd struggle to tell you what most of them were, which speaks volumes :D

I'm hoping to put some more [STRIKE]junk[/STRIKE] treasure on gumtree this evening during my hour in front of the tellybox. The pennies earned are going towards the plant fund for the garden revamp which is slowly underway and will be our major summer project.

Igamogam

GreyQueen wrote: »

And another 0.1 of a kilogram has disappeared overnight

Its weird how that happens isn't it?? I love the low carb thing.....couldnt do carb free. But I like the flexibility and not worrying too much about what i am eating - Big cheese fan. Love butter and full fat yogurts, cream, etc but do a like pizza or pasta or a home bake or my favourite pick me up - honey on toast - every now and then......just doesnt make up the bulk of my diet now. We fry in butter and veg oil ( actually always have done) and dress salads and other veg with a drizzle of olive oil. Loads of veg, salads, fish and eggs and snack on nuts and seeds:D Basically we eat as much as possible anything that hasnt gone through a factory more than once to get to the table;)
Very interesting article in this weeks New Scientist about low carb diet......the science behind it all makes sense. Also listened to The Food Program on Radio 4 today about the fat myth..........equally thought provoking

On the kondo front....OH has 'moved' some piles of paper. I suspect he has just made one humongous pile somewhere.....in his shed I hope

GreyQueen

There's suddenly a rush of info in the mainstream media which supports the whole low carb/ healthy fats diet, rather than the heavy carb/ low fat diet which has been dinned into us for the past 30 odd years as the healthy option.

It's quite astonishing, there's something new virtually every day. Only it's not new, this stuff has been out there in books and medical papers for 10 + years.

The lastest is that there is no correlation between high cholesterol and heart disease and that statins are worthless. Their sales are worth billions each year to Big Pharma, tho.

I use my common sense; I cannot sustain my energy on carbs. Carbs send my blood sugar haywire and give me the shakes every 2 hours. They make me crave more carbs and over-eat and gain weight.

I also notice that every single vegetarian of my acquaintance who is in early middle age or middle middle age, is obese. As in BMIs up about 40 +. Yet they're adamant that they're eating right, they're keen cooks, well-educated professionals. And yet each time I see them they're getting bigger and bigger and bigger - it frightens me what will become of them, particularly since one of the gang is currently being treated for bowel cancer.:(

Metabolic syndrome is the natural inheritance of low fat eating, and it co-travels with depression and any number of life-limiting illnesses. And we were sold this as a healthy lifestyle. Even Ancel Keys, whose doctored research was used to start the whole thing rolling, recanted in 1997 (if memory serves). Madness!:(

shanks77

For those on the low carb/gluten diets I have been reading that you can make "toast" out of slices of sweet potato cut into 1/4" slices and popped into your toaster. Haven't tried it yet but have bought a potato in preparation. Will let you know how I get on, or if anyone is inspired to try it please let me know thanks xx

PollyWollyDoodle

I also listened to the Food Programme with interest, I'm going to go back and listen again as I only picked it up halfway through. It's all making a lot of sense to me. I'm just anxious about cost, one of the reasons I eat pasta, rice etc is that they're cheap and home made lentil curry is one of my standbys; I suspect low carb is going to be a bit more expensive.

Siebrie

I am getting a cold, and I have two very busy weeks ahead! Trying to kondo the cold before it settles by drinking thyme tea (boiling water over a sprig of thyme fresh from the garden), and gurgling with it.
Last Friday the local Belgian WI had a secondhand ladies' clothes sale, and I got six items for €7! One skirt I wasn't sure about, and dh said he didn't like it, so that is already in the cs bag in the attic. I have to make sure I spark joy in my dh
One bottle of white wine was kondoed...into the sink. There are more and more types of alcohol I cannot drink, but this was the first white wine that gave me palpitations. Too bad, but not heartbroken. I can still drink the a.ldi ros!

Serendipitious

I worry about the low-sugar thing too - can't stand the taste of sweeteners and they seem to be in so many products. I bought a dozen yoghurts the other week and had to give most of them away - all I could taste was plastic and sweetener. My own fault for not reading the ingredients panel in the shop.

GreyQueen

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

I also listened to the Food Programme with interest, I'm going to go back and listen again as I only picked it up halfway through. It's all making a lot of sense to me. I'm just anxious about cost, one of the reasons I eat pasta, rice etc is that they're cheap and home made lentil curry is one of my standbys; I suspect low carb is going to be a bit more expensive.

I hear what you're saying and cost was a concern fpr me, too.

Prior to switching to low carb living, I was spending a monthly average of £38.06 on housekeeping in 2015. I switched over at the beginning of March. My stats thus far are; March £40.75, April £44.48, May £67.55.

My housekeeping budget includes non-food items like t.p and cleaning materials. May's spend was a bit high as I stocked up on extra virgin olive oil and bought an 18-pack of t.p.

Overall, it's pretty affordable. Look at it from this pov; you will not be spending money on processed food, which is poor value for money as well as poor value for health. You can still shop YS; I got 2 lettuces at 6p each and trimmed their bases and sat them in pyrex basins of cold water in my fridge to cut-and-come-again. And frying steak is pretty cheap, particularly on YS - got 4 portions for £2 at the same time as the lettuces. Three are now in the freezer.

Yes, good quality oil such as EVOO is dearer than vegetable or sunflower oil, but they're a metabolic horror, not an excellent and life-extending natural product. And you'll save every penny you won't be spending on bread and milk, that's a few quid a week off my budget on those items alone.

I buy the veg which is on special, such as Liddly offers or the Aldee Super 6, too, which keeps the cost down. I also buy nuts and seeds when I see them at a good price.

My May spend equates to £2.17 per day. And, remember, some of that wasn't even food, it was household consumables. And plenty of that is still on the premises, such as the three bottles of EVOO (just started the first on them yesterday) and the items which I have in my freezer.

I'm pleasantly surprised to find it's not that expensive, and as I'm feeling so disgustingly healthy and happy - am bouncing around at home to Talking Heads and decluttering as I go - I think it's worth every penny.

Besides, it saves a fortune on clothing if you can get back into the 'too small' stuff instead of buying more.:rotfl:

MMF007

Item I had put for releasing to CS but was retrieved by DH :mad:, on the basis that he would 'find somewhere for it' :mad::mad: has now been dismantled by ME (!), the excess packaging and parts were seperated out and the rest was in the back of the car by 8am. Recycled by lunchtime.
The bits that DH had his eyes on are now nestling on his side of the bed as a non-too-subtle hint that he needs to put the dratted thing away. If I had my way the whole thing would be gone as I have no idea why he is clinging on.

Impressed by everyone's efforts, esp 6 years of bank statements gone, well done Serendipitous!
Yes please, Pavlov's dog, let us know how you get on with MM. I too have heard negative things
about them so it'll be interesting.

PWD, i have been spending more on food since low carbing, not sure that I need to but I took the decision that as it is in a very good cause, and I can afford it, I will treat myself with the right foods. For example, I splashed out on some dressed crab, and a lovely piece of lamb which did mean the meals I used them for cost a few pounds per person. I justified it on the basis that it was still cheaper than a Starter if we had eaten out and a treat that is allowed will keep me on the diet!

Don't forget that the diet still includes loads of veg and salad so the addition of a few ounces of cooked meat, or a couple of eggs, or a piece of cheese does not necessarily make for a lot of expense. My HM lunch today cost less than a sandwhich from a supermarket and it was FAR healthier, although I appreciate that may not be a fair comparison for anyone who always makes their own lunch.

Off to wrap some presents for upcoming birthdays (kondo-ing wrapping paper and stash of presents bought in the sales!)

M