A Simpler Life 2018

Molillie

Mrs S D you are really doing well, helping out your sister as you go, and encouraging her in what must be a huge life-change. Is she thinking of getting her own place near you eventually, or are things not that far advanced?

I've brought a new Hoover into the house. I do have a big old Henry, and fancied the AEG ergorapido as suggested by Pooky, but couldn't get it in a real shop locally, and decided on a Hoover 2 in 1 which has certainly helped with starting to get the car back to cleanliness very easily. It's so light and quiet it's tempting to try it on the dog directly, but I don't want to distress her.
One success with the move towards simplicity is that I've given the big blender away, and just use the stick blender. I've been using the cafetierre glass jug to keep water by my bed at night, and in the morning after finishing drinking the water, use it with the stick blender for making a smoothie. After that, I make coffee in it. I'm really happy with just being able to keep rinsing this out, and not accumulating lots of washing-up. It also works really well with the stick blender.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Thanks Molillie :T Currently, my DSis has no plans but we are probably looking at next year before any decisions are made.

Congrats on your purchase - especially as it works so well Are you sure the dog wouldn’t think it was a game :rotfl:

You get lots of brownie points for your use of the cafetière jug - time saving to the nth degree :T & getting rid of the big blender has either given you space in a cupboard or on a worktop - makes cleaning simpler :rotfl:

My big kitchen declutter went well on Monday but not so well on Tuesday as I had one of those cba days However I will get back to it Wednesday

MrsSD

Molillie

.Thanks, Mrs SD, not least for your ability to spell cafetiere properly. None of my efforts looked quite right, it didn't occur to me it was because it's a French word originally. I'm really happy with using it in that multi-functional way, as I'm far more likely to wash-up completely and put things away if it's only a few items, and won't take long.
Summer has gone again here. I can be mainly at home today, just need a couple of hours out for a few jobs, and also dog-walks for as long as I can stand it in the rain. It's one of the good things when the dog visits, the need to do at least two decent walks a day, and amazing how the time is found when it has to be. She said "no" to being hoovered, by the way.
Perhaps you could encourage your sister out and about once she has settled in, in my area there are plenty of meet-up groups for languages, assuming that she has good French, and it's a good way to widen her circle. Is she looking for work? If she's retired, she could maybe look at what's available in the local U3A. It's a retirement hot-spot here, and the U3A has a huge range of things available. Just mentioning this as she might be needing to rediscover her roots after a long time in France.
Right, over to decluttering thread now, to keep me on track with that. (I may just need to watch one or two Youtube videos first, maybe a bit of Clutterbug and Pick up Limes) It must be something to do with watching speeded-up tidying and sorting.

surfsister

Great thread I have always tried to do many of the things on the thread but don't always manage! But not having a TV frees up so much time and prevents me seeing those awful ads to buy buy buy!!


Best wishes to all!!

Primrose

I'm another one who would recommend researching U3A (university of the Third Age ) for any key who is retired. It,s not a u iversity as such, more a common interest organisation for retired people to bring them together to share comm8n interests. Googling U3A will lead to a link of local branches. Ours has nearly 30 different interest groups and many single people have found it an invaluable way of widening their social horizons as well as having a chance to learn new things.

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Hi everyone, just a quick post to get us back on page 1 :rotfl:

The quest for a Simpler Life is ongoing My DSis’s shelving & storage units were delivered today & she & my DH are currently putting them together.

I am currently waiting for the cs to get back to me to arrange a collection - long single bed, mattress & headboard, single wardrobe, bedside cabinet, 5 old garden chairs & hopefully 4 large terracotta garden pots.

I am still decluttering & the kitchen is almost done - AGAIN :eek::rotfl:. I have 3 large bags of stuff for the cs - but I will deliver those with my DSis & then start filling them again :rotfl:

My house still looks like a warehouse but I am keeping the kitchen & living room clean, neat & tidy as I need havens :rotfl:

To a Simpler Life

MrsSD

Molillie

I've not had a productive weekend, for various reasons, and also had to get a new phone, which is making June quite a spendy month. On the plus side, my friend loves the couple of crockery things passed on to her. I've enjoyed long dog walks, and that really does seem a simple pleasure. The new cordless vacuum is also great.

Good luck this week for everyone

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

The kitchen declutter is still ongoing but I just have the drawers (with the last of my ‘aspirational stuff’ to go) & the fridge left to declutter.
Today has been a day off, as I met a friend at lunch time & now do not feel like doing anything - but it did remind me of part of my idea of A Simpler Life

My DH & DSis have been building the furniture for her room - wardrobes & shelving units - so now she can start organising her belongings :T She is still awaiting a couple of shelves but they are not due until the end of the week.

The 3 bags for the cs were consolidated into 2 & I delivered them yesterday - some me time :rotfl: Had a cup of peppermint tea & a nice chat with the cs lady

Life is gradually settling down & I am determined that my envisaged Simpler Life WILL happen, DSis’s presence not withstanding :rotfl:

To a Simpler Life

MrsSD

HoneyBee83

Ooo Hello!
Can I join pretty please? Can't believe I'm only just finding this little beauty of a thread!
We are moving into our new home soon (Can not wait) and I totally aim to be Simplifying within an inch of my life...Okay, slightly over the top there .


The only place I know I will struggle is clothes wise. DD is 12 and has developed a taste for fashion and I myself need a good selection for work...Need? Want? Not actually sure on that Lol


Lots of great ideas and tips here! I have been reading through the thread and got all excited to get started :T

One of my favourite things to do is potter around the garden so I will be focused on growing more veggies throughout the year and upping my kitchen skills, they go hand in hand (Kinda).
Exciting!

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

:hello::hello: Welcome HoneyBee83, the more the merrier :j Kind of love it when new people join us as their enthusiasm to get started re-enthuses me :rotfl::T
There is also a lovely thread ‘2018 - No Clutter to be Seen’. If you have time that is a good thread to read, great for keeping you motivated to get things out of your home - it is lovely seeing the numbers ticking over or even the weight of items leaving your home forever :rotfl:

Re the clothing, a little tip that I have found useful is to keep on top of minor repairs If you are happy to repair them, then you can be happy to keep them. Several of us have found that we occasionally fall out of love with items of clothing & are happy to either donate or pass on :rotfl:

I wish you every success on your journey to a Simpler Life & remember that we also offer lots of encouragement should things not be going as well as you would wish/want:D

MrsSD