A Simpler Life 2018

jackyann

I am finding this thread interesting - especially as we are coming at it from different points.
Those of you struggling with craft projects because of arthritis might want to consider crochet. As arthritis is so individual, I have no idea if it would suit any of you. I am beginning to have problems with my hands - as did my mother and grandmother before me. I can still sew, although the very finest is now beyond me. But we have all found that crochet is very good - it is more forgiving than knitting, and the action is much less painful (for them and now me). Indeed, my grandmother's hands were very arthritic when she taught me, and I hold the hook and thread exactly the same as she did!
I am lucky to have a local group of Loving Hands. Even if you don't have a group, they welcome things, but postage may be an issue. Here they are: http://www.lovinghands.org.uk/
I am so glad to have found something useful to do as some of my voluntary work had to be curtailed because of the arthritis.

System

lessonlearned wrote: »

As part of my simple living philosophy I like to cultivate a living space that is calm and peaceful. So no extraneous clutter in The form of ornaments, family photos on display etc Instead I will have a couple of nice plant or some flowers. Plants also improve air quality.

I don’t have the TV blaring out as “wallpaper”or mindless chatter on the radio. I am selective in both my viewing and listening habits. I enjoy the peace and quiet.

I also reduce “white noise” to a minimum. The washing machine and dishwasher are used at night.......on the economy tariff of course.....the kitchen is far enough away from bedroom not to disturb me.

Less clutter certainly means less work and effort but i think it is also more “restful” and less “overwhelm” to the senses.

I havent reached a point where I think I can’t simplify further. Maybe I’ve not been radical enough yet but I’m not ready to do a Steve Jobs and live with no furniture. I do like a few creature comforts. :rotfl:

This week I emptied a cupboard/bookcase which stood in an alcove In my dining room. I will be donating it. I love the empty space where it stood, it makes the room look much bigger and brighter.

Recently I went through all my glassware. I bought a few new really nice pieces from Ikea and donated my rather large collection to a charity shop.

I have stopped saving things “for best”. I have got rid of all the mismatched “everyday stuff” and now every day is “best”. :rotfl:

Less is definitely more.......more style, more quality, more freedom, more time.

You and I have a lot in common. Id be a lot more extreme if I lived on my own.

SimpleLiving

kittie wrote: »

I think I am already living as simple a life as I can. I don`t have a mobile phone and only use the internet at home in my free time. I have done the full konmarie works, after joining the amazing and helpful KM thread, every single room, my wooden storage outbuilding and my garage, which is my wood hobby space and holds my house maintenance stuff. Yes, I am widowed and now do all the house maintenance jobs on top of hobbies. I have given away the equivalent of a small house, bar furniture, not expecting anything in return but as per the release of chi, I have so far received three cheques over the whole time I have been doing KM and two were unexpected

So energy starts to flow after KM and it releases stuff psychologically too and it helps one to live in the moment, which is not stressful

I have earthy hobbies, to do with plants, bread, wood and wool, all grounding. Spinning, carving and running my allotment, which feeds me just about the whole year around. I make bread all the time, usually sourdough or long fermentation, have done for 50 years, my grandad was an artisan baker, so it must be in the genes

I could get simpler, ie could get rid of more clothes and some of my nordicware baking forms and spinning wheels and carving equipment but I won`t. These things bring joy and so they are staying. Why should I go simpler now, at my stage of life, it could be enforced on me when I am 20 years older, so now I will enjoy what I have

The only way in which I will now adhere to konmarie principles is one in and one or two out, that will maintain chi, that and moving things around in the house so that feng shui principles also apply

lessonlearned wrote: »

As part of my simple living philosophy I like to cultivate a living space that is calm and peaceful. So no extraneous clutter in The form of ornaments, family photos on display etc Instead I will have a couple of nice plant or some flowers. Plants also improve air quality.

I don’t have the TV blaring out as “wallpaper”or mindless chatter on the radio. I am selective in both my viewing and listening habits. I enjoy the peace and quiet.

I also reduce “white noise” to a minimum. The washing machine and dishwasher are used at night.......on the economy tariff of course.....the kitchen is far enough away from bedroom not to disturb me.

Less clutter certainly means less work and effort but i think it is also more “restful” and less “overwhelm” to the senses.

I havent reached a point where I think I can’t simplify further. Maybe I’ve not been radical enough yet but I’m not ready to do a Steve Jobs and live with no furniture. I do like a few creature comforts. :rotfl:

This week I emptied a cupboard/bookcase which stood in an alcove In my dining room. I will be donating it. I love the empty space where it stood, it makes the room look much bigger and brighter.

Recently I went through all my glassware. I bought a few new really nice pieces from Ikea and donated my rather large collection to a charity shop.

I have stopped saving things “for best”. I have got rid of all the mismatched “everyday stuff” and now every day is “best”. :rotfl:

Less is definitely more.......more style, more quality, more freedom, more time.

I have the same issue with ornaments and photo frames. I am forever moving them around because they are in the way. I have 3 or 4 nice photo frames but they take up space and seem to clutter up whichever surface they are on. Mmmmmm......Might get rid!!

Primrose

Maybe photos should only be of the deceased so they are not forgotten. The living are still with us so unless they're on the other side of the world or not seen very often, why do we need photographs of them continually on display, especially if they were taken years ago and people have considerably changed their appearance since they were taken?

fuddle

I don't have any art on my walls. My feature wall consists of 5 photo frames of my girls from baby to now in the past 13 years. I have one photograph of my deceased mam and dad on my small sideboard and at the top of the stairs a montage in one frame of our new born girls, DH and myself as children, our parents and our grandparents. That one means something. That's it. I would like a canvas on my chimney wall but I'm waiting to take a 'special memory' photograph when we're in the Outer Hebrides next year.

I make a point of not having our wedding photo on display... I live with the effects of that occasion every day :rotfl:

My 'stuff' has to mean something and if it's pretty it has to be useful. I'm now looking at my vase of dried flowers, on the living room window sill, with utter contempt! :rotfl:

LameWolf

jackyann wrote: »

Those of you struggling with craft projects because of arthritis might want to consider crochet. As arthritis is so individual, I have no idea if it would suit any of you.

Sadly crochet is one craft I have never been able to master, despite several attempts over the years.
I alternate between knitting, cross stitch, beadcraft and card making, depending on which "bits" are functional at the time.

It's all very good saying "get rid" but one does have to have one's Other Half on board, if one has one. With MrLW it's "softly, softly catchee monkey" - as long as he thinks it was his idea, he'll happily get rid of stuff; he turfed out a linen shirt and several ties the other day - this is progress!

Re photos: the only ones we have on display is a studio photo of us that was a present, and a couple of photos of my beloved Penny-Dog, who trod the Rainbow Bridge in 2002, but is still very much alive in my heart.

Wednesday2000

I was watching the youtube videos yesterday and I thought why am I keeping my shoes upstairs in my wardrobe when I should make space in the cupboard by the front door so I can take them off as soon as I get in?! So that is what I just did.:p

Primrose

How does one start to declutter when about 75% of the stuff which needs to be disposed of belongs to your other half and any attempt to get rid of it brings the exclamation of “This stuff represents my life. You might as well put me in a black bin bag and get rid of me as well!”

The fact that most of it hasn,t been used or looked at for years is completely irrelevant. Most of the time he,s probably even forgotten he’s got it until I bring it to the light of day and ask “do you really need to keep this?” when all of a sudden it has become a long lost cherishshed item and he can’t bear to be parted from it. Put it back in the cupboard and it will be forgotten about again about for another ten years!

Nonnadiluca

This afternoon I persuaded (!) OH to sort a black bin bag full of work stuff, mostly papers, which has been in the bottom of his wardrobe for about three years. I manned the shredder and he sorted everything into recycle, shred, keep and bin. Guess which was the smallest pile by quite some way? Small pile is now in a folder and going to work with him tomorrow!

Nargleblast

Primrose wrote: »

How does one start to declutter when about 75% of the stuff which needs to be disposed of belongs to your other half and any attempt to get rid of it brings the exclamation of “This stuff represents my life. You might as well put me in a black bin bag and get rid of me as well!”

The fact that most of it hasn,t been used or looked at for years is completely irrelevant. Most of the time he,s probably even forgotten he’s got it until I bring it to the light of day and ask “do you really need to keep this?” when all of a sudden it has become a long lost cherishshed item and he can’t bear to be parted from it. Put it back in the cupboard and it will be forgotten about again about for another ten years!

And what, may I ask, are you doing with my husband???:D