A Simpler Life 2018

RicardaRacoon

Hello everyone

I tried to catch up on a good 10 pages when I couldn't sleep last night but gave up eventually. Note to self; check the tread more regularely :-)

To everyone living with / caring for relatives; I hope your other half is on board as well and gives you time to breath every now and then! I admire everyone who does that as I see how much work it is and how much nerves you are needing since my parents are looking after both my granny and a great-aunt (though none of them is living with my parents, which makes things a bit easier)

I would not give up my dishwasher, I love "Dora" dearly - yes, so much that I gave her a name! My kitchen looks much neater as I can put everything into it straight away and wash the few remainings bits like pans. In my former flat where I had no dishwasher I alway had to move dishes around as I had so little counter space but still didn't wanted to wash up after every meal.

I always thought the whole consumerism was really only sparked by telly and internet, but reading your stories I realised that it must have started ways earlier. I am still really grateful for my parents who thaught me the importance of saving and the fact that you don't have to have everything to be happy. I often felt I was missing out on something as a child because we had no telly and were often told "No, we're not getting X just because your friend Y has it." but nowdays I'm glad about it.

I will now go for a walk although it looks like it will start to rain and minute. I haven't been outside yesterday besides walking over to my sisters and back - 3 minutes each way... - and although I've already walked to knitting group and back for an hour today I still think I need another walk. I often feel irritated and annoyed by things and people at the moment, so I really need fresh air to keep my sane. Plus it might help minimising my overweight.

Hope you're all having a lovely sunday!

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

jackyann wrote: »

ITA Salad Dodger, in doing a little of what we can. I have 2 regular sayings that slightly contradict each other, but I make them work in my life:
Better to light a candle than complain of the dark
We can only do today, what we can do today

That means doing the small things such as the ones you suggest. My arthritis meant I had to stop regular volunteering at the library, but I bake cakes and make craft items for their sale.

Thanks jackyann. I like the sayings, don’t think they are contradictory as once the candle is lit you still only do what you can do.

Sorry about the arthritis:(

MrsSD

Brambleberry

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

I remember my parents using washing up liquid (fairy I think) as a bubble bath. Anybody else's family do that?

My uncle used to do that:T reckoned it kept the bath clean!

VJsmum

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Hi GQ I was responding to a post a few days ago that said older generational folks sometimes become self absorbed and selfish and Monnas post responding to the first one.

i think that we are all guilty of over generalising, some older folks become self-absorbed, some already were , some younger folks are selfish and will grow out of it and some never will.

My MiL has become more self-absorbed, but we now think that she has early stage dementia and a lot of it is her trying to process a life that is becoming more confusing for her But it is hard to remember this sometimes - especially for OH who gets very frustrated with her. Some of it is our guilt when we think she is guilt-shaming us, but in fact she is establishing something in her own mind.

My DD can also seem self-absorbed which frustrates her brother but a lot of it is her asperger's.

i think sometimes the trick is to recognise the difference.

fuddle

Two of the houses we lived in recently had a dishwasher. We lived in each for a year. That's the total sum of my lifespan with a dishwasher. I loved the dishwasher and I hold it in the same regard as the washing machine in terms of being a wonderful household item.

I can't fit a dishwasher in my forever home. Life is just the same. I just crack on. I don't like doing the dishes but I didn't like emptying the dishwasher either.

[Deleted User]

I don't think age/generation are relevant personally - it's down to individual personality. I've seen multiple traits, good and bad, in every generation I have had contact with and throughout my working life I have dealt with 0 - 97 year olds!

I'm doing what I can to simplify my life - I am organising and using up wherever possible and am planning more. I've been thrown a few curve balls this month but over all I am pretty pleased with where I am and there's still a week or so to go

LameWolf

WartimeScrapingofMarmite wrote: »

I do have a smartphone, but I've disabled Siri as it seemed to have a mind of its own.....creepy......

I've just had to replace my 10-year-old netbook, and of course he new one has Windows 10 - the first task, (well, the second - the first was getting my virus protection & firewall in place) was to disable Cortana. I don't want my computer interrupting me with random "stuff" when I'm trying to do something!:D

System

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

I remember my parents using washing up liquid (fairy I think) as a bubble bath. Anybody else's family do that?

My mum used to wash our hair in it if we ran out of shampoo! Then try and get a comb through it afterwards!!! Then to dry it she would take out the hoover bag and put the hoover on blow instead of suck.....not sure why it had that function TBH....lol

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Brambleberry wrote: »

I presume you're laughing like a very clean drain GreyQueen:rotfl:
I'd add citric acid from wilko to that list, great for kettles because it doesn't smell and costs a fraction of the price of descalers. I also have a small jar of bio washing powder under my sink for soaking various things.
I also have a huuuge stash of cleaning things that I am working my way through as I simplify, a bit like the using-up thread in the Health and Beauty board, but here's the rub - the more on-top of my cleaning I am, the less I'm using, so they are lasting stupidly well.
My reckoning is that they've already been produced, so being used gradually is still better than just getting rid by disposing of them in concentrated form down sinks or in bins. There's nothing horrendous in them that I didn't grow up around with mum using and I'm still fine. :eek:

Brambleberry,

I also have a huge stash of cleaning products which I discovered when I had my new kitchen put in three years ago. Unfortunately there was so much that I couldn’t get it all back under the sink*, so it is scattered all around the house. I think this is the one time I will have to use the Marie Kondo method of gathering everything in one place & sorting into types of cleaning products. I will try not to bin anything, but I will make up a caddy to carry around (I have plenty of cloths as well!) I am currently decluttering, simplifying & cleaning before I put stuff back, but it is slow going:(
*rest of the kitchen contents were decluttered when the new kitchen was installed - at least 30% was either gifted or cs’d & when I am feeling overwhelmed with stuff I pick a kitchen cupboard to go through again - a quick win - and so far one double cupboard has one empty shelf out of three:) & more items have been gifted or cs'd:)

Now I need to get back to it, so ta ta for now!

MrsSD:o

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

I just wanted 'one cleaner to rule them all' and lots of cupboard space

Cottage Economy,

A fellow Lord of the Rings fan:j:T

MrsSD