Prosperous soul embraces creativity & mortgage neutrality

MovingForwards

I've finally been able to charity bag a few dresses I've had for over 15 years. I still like them, but they added pressure to drop to the size to wear them. 

What I've also started to do is create outfits in my wardrobe. A dress, cardigan, jewellery are all put on the hanger and I can grab and go. My plan is to do it with all of them as I don't need to work out what goes with what when I should focus on getting ready.

You're trying to undo years of getting by along with having a journey of self-discovery, it's not an overnight thing. Keep pulling information from loads of sources and a mix of them will work for you.

boxofpaws

When you talk about your organisation slowly improving - well of course it is! You don't need to do it all at once. As long as you keep chipping away at it, eventually, you will have reviewed everything you own. Any progress, even slow, is progress. I am using this philosophy on weight loss. I don't care how slow it is, as long as it is going down. 

I share that same sense of looking after basic needs, food, health, fitness, creativity and, for me, repaying debt, also feels like a lot. I am trying not to over commit, I am quite target-driven but it feels like I would have to set myself a lot of targets which I would then fail. So I have gone for a very vague 'eat better, exercise more, play piano, don't spend'.  I probably do need to set myself some goals. I will be watching how you approach it for inspiration!

Thank you for sending me a pic of the glass, very pretty. I do know a couple of people who do stained glass art. I asked for something to be made but when I got it, I thought the soldering was quite thick and ugly, and like they had rushed it. Its so much nicer without the soldering. Would love to see your other art. I bought a few things during lockdown through the Artist Support Pledge, I got some lovely pieces. Unfortunately, my facebook account was hacked around 6 months ago so I no longer know how to find them. Probably a good thing, considering my overdraft.

I also have the recurring dream about missing flights because of packing! Who knew it was so common!

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

savingholmes said:

Hi Jwil and Stripey.
Stripey I know you can get great CS finds and I didn't mean to denigrate that choice. A better statement would have been new to me/you wardrobe. I think what I was trying to say was having more than we need is actually reducing rather than enhancing our quality of life.

I will feel so much freer when I have reduced my 'stock' of things I don't/no longer need. At the moment my stuff that needs sorting makes me feel guilty when I do anything other than declutter. Once it's gone it will feel amazing. I will have more mental energy to create as well as be more active.

Hi savings  i didn't think you were being critical at all - i think i probably mis-understood or mis-represented in my posts so it sounded like i am buying lots (as in too many)  'bargains' because they are a bargain rather than a need. I have done this in the past on all fronts - clothing / food / cleaning / toiletries. And I am then storing things here without the space for them! Although it it helping my bank balance at the moment. But for clothes, when I've done this in the past ,it is a drain because i don't love the item enough. I do buy the odd item now in the charity shop because i love it - it's the make / fit / style for me but also it must fill a need. Mainly that need is my expanding body shape   

I am the same about reducing what i have to free up space and time for what i do want in my life - isn't it strange how these 'things' are a drain on my free time, creativity and mental head space?

Alchemilla

Hello SH. Just spent most of the morning reading from November.

I love your positive attitude and hearing about your home making.

SandyShores

When I went up a couple of clothes sizes I started shopping in charity shops and its a habit I've kept.  But, like stripey socks I now only buy things I really like or are a bit special (I've been known previously to re-donate clothes with the label still on!).  In my teenage years my wardrobe consisted of jeans, shirts and sweatshirts - and that's what I'm aiming for everyday - things that are easy to throw on.  Supplemented with a few nice things for different occasions.  I've kept a select few of my old size 12s that I would really love to get back into, and a pair of jeans that I try on every now and then to encourage me to keep losing weight (into 14s now ).  I kept lots of my old clothes for ages, but it was just getting me down, so I ebayed and CS'd them - it feels much nicer to be able to go to your wardrobe and only find things that fit - even if its only a few things.  I've tried having a capsule wardrobe but prefer the move stuff on method / don't buy it method.

savingholmes

MovingForwards said:

I've finally been able to charity bag a few dresses I've had for over 15 years. I still like them, but they added pressure to drop to the size to wear them. 

What I've also started to do is create outfits in my wardrobe....

You're trying to undo years of getting by along with having a journey of self-discovery, it's not an overnight thing. Keep pulling information from loads of sources and a mix of them will work for you.

Well done on letting the older items go. Creating outfits helps too I agree. Absolutely on the point in bold.

boxofpaws said:

When you talk about your organisation slowly improving - well of course it is! You don't need to do it all at once. As long as you keep chipping away at it, eventually, you will have reviewed everything you own. Any progress, even slow, is progress.... Absolutely

I share that same sense of looking after basic needs, food, health, fitness, creativity and, for me, repaying debt, also feels like a lot. I am trying not to over commit....So I have gone for a very vague 'eat better, exercise more, play piano, don't spend'... I have set a direction of travel I want to go in by no deadlines. I actually need to move away from over-pressurising myself to listen to myself more and meet my needs first more often. 

Thank you for sending me a pic of the glass, very pretty. I do know a couple of people who do stained glass art. Would love to see your other art. Sent you a PM. I also do some glass painting using recycled bottles and candle jars if that's of interest. 

I also have the recurring dream about missing flights because of packing! Interesting. It does suggest we need to let go of more stuff if we are truly going to fly...

Alchemilla said:

Hello SH. Just spent most of the morning reading from November.

I love your positive attitude and hearing about your home making.

Welcome Alchemilla. That was quite a chunk to read!! Thank you for taking the time. Your diary was much easier to catch up on!! 

So FB Sales cash in hand so far £22 so happy with that. With £12 due to come in tomorrow morning. Not bad given that I only listed about 5 new items. 

My DD who finds decluttering easy has just been giving me a lecture... I just smiled sweetly... I have a 100 mile round trip again tomorrow and then she's back to being in hotels overnight until either Thursday/Friday. 

Leaving it a little longer to make the banana bread so the bananas ripen more. I have some oranges though that are at the use or lose point so may try them. My garlic roast chicken dinner was gorgeous and I've made a spicy soup too which is tasty. DD has said I can use whatever taco mince she doesn't so that's nice. Between that and the soup I should be sorted for a few days. There was one portion left over from the roast dinner too. Lots of veg - may freeze some of that as I don't think I'll get through it all otherwise.

The dishwasher was done yesterday - but shock horror - needs doing again today!

Cheery_Daff

Enjoying all this discussion about clothes and decluttering. I too have loads of things (pretty much all charity shop) that no longer fit 🙄 Some aren't far off, but others are a good 3 stone away and I haven't fit into for several years 🙄 Some I bought over the last year or so when changing rooms were shut and they don't fit, and they're all just glaring at me, especially since we don't have proper wardrobes at the minute so everything is on a combination of open rails and the floor 🙄

I'm currently cycling through just one skirt that fits, and 2 pairs of jeans, one of which doesn't quite do up 🙄 Flatly refuse to buy bigger clothes now though, but I might have a sort out and sti k everything that doesn't fit under the bed, and have a bag with stuff that's not far off to try on once a month as I lose a bit of weight 🙄

savingholmes

SandyShores said:

When I went up a couple of clothes sizes I started shopping in charity shops and its a habit I've kept... I now only buy things I really like or are a bit special...  I've kept a select few of my old size 12s that I would really love to get back into, and a pair of jeans that I try on every now and then to encourage me to keep losing weight (into 14s now ).  I kept lots of my old clothes for ages, but it was just getting me down, so I ebayed and CS'd them - it feels much nicer to be able to go to your wardrobe and only find things that fit - even if its only a few things.  

Congratulations on the weight loss and the decluttering and reuse. Size 12 or even 14 feel a far off dream at the moment... I haven't found my weight loss mojo yet. Trying not to force it - and just try to increase my flexibility and try very small changes to incrementally lose weight. In the past I've lost loads and then put it back on a double the speed and gone higher - so trying to fing a more balanced way.

Next door have put their bin out so just been able to shift loads. DD and I inspected the unit in the metal shed - and it's too far gone to come in the house. I could use it for containerised stuff in the shed or the garage but not indoor stuff. It's a shame. If I'd realised what they were worth - I'd have sold them originally! Another lesson in life. One under my belt now though. 

StripeyTightsSpottySocks

Hi savings - shame about the unit outside. i too need my motivation on the weight loss front. Whilst i know what i need to do the doing it is the problem.

And thank you. after reading on here i tackled some of my wardrobe and fairly easily parted with at least a dozen things - the shape i am now most things don't feel fabulous on so quite easy - the fabulous bit was the bit that i focused on from the posts above  One skirt i was going to part with as a guilty purchase unworn but when i put it on i did love it and it was most forgiving of my current portliness 

SandyShores

I've just been reading an article by Mel Robbins and she was saying if you have a pile of clothes or bunch of things that have been hanging in the back of your closet for years waiting for you to get back into them ......... it is not healthy.  Holding onto them is costing you your self-acceptance.  She says she has that pile of clothes but not anymore - donate them.

I think the conversation on here savingholmes and that article is telling me something - I need to ditch those clothes!