Simplifying Life

ceridwen

Plastic "bags for life" are still plastic bags. No need for them - even if you are as cackhanded (for which read - totally useless) at sewing as I am. Its surprising how often one can get given free cloth bags these days - and, if not, its easy to get loadsa choice for under £5. Besides clothes shops (and I did get a huge one from Next - though bit annoyed when I subsequently found they had printed their name on it - doesnt matter too much, as that particular bag is where I put my stuff for recycling en route to a suitable bin). Newspapers often do (local and national)/libraries/charities (Oxfam at least)(I dont mind going round being a walking advert for Oxfam or a library).

ceridwen

My personal little thought here - "You know your thread is getting r...aa...th....r long when you've had to make an index out for yourself to find the bits you want to refer to again":D (right now - I keep referring back to YouTube clip at post 1372 - o'ding on it...as I find it so beautiful). Cant find another post I put it (think its been removed) - with another YouTube clip I was hoping to use for "remind myself" type purposes....oh well....

(My osteopath laughed when I said I keep my lists of blogs I like and meaningful thought stuff on line - where lots of other people seem to be enjoying reading it as well!) LOL. Well - why not share stuff? - and I'm learning loads and deriving lots of inspiration from other peoples posts myself. Speaking of which - glad to see you back again Aril - I look forward to seeing your cheerful little greeting coming up and wondering if you've found any more nice quotes for us.

Have a good day all.

jinny

Quote for today:
I am rich. I have 24 hours to spend. Like gold coins they shine for me. Let me not waste them; neither let me feverishly spend them in hectic, nerve shattering activity. I would take thought before using them. Let me spend a good portion of them for my daily work and for some form of creativity. Let me save some for friendliness and helpfulness to others. Let me spend at least one day in looking up for guidance, with moments of quiet enjoyment of the wonderful worlds of nature, books, art and music. A little I must save for fun and then a number of coins for a well earned rest. And if, at the day's close I find that some have been spent other that on the way I have planned, let me not fret or despair. When I wake up tomorrow my purse will be filled with twenty four more coins- all shining and new! And I shall be twenty four hours older and wiser than today.
Esther York Burkholder
Aril
Thanks for quoting those wise words, this will help me a lot with my procrastination problem. I could take the idea further, and think of my hours as gold coins, half hours as silver coins and minutes as shiney new pennies.:T

ceridwen

...and quickie organisational thought for the day:

Dont't get supermarket deliveries myself - so didnt know supermarkets put the goods in plastic bags....

.....well....whenever they make that delivery it just takes them slightly longer than they had anticipated...whilst we take the goods out of the bags and hand them back to them....!:D That'll soon stop 'em - if enough people do it.

Rowan9

wonderful quote Aril - I will make sure that I use my 24 gold coins wisely. This is our special day remember - our extra day all to ourselves - yippeeee.......... a whole extra 24 gold coins
w

lilac_lady

Supermarket deliveries can come without plastic bags if you ask them not to pack your groceries in them.

I'm old enough to remember having a bag for eggs(to take to the farm), one for potatoes (they were shovelled straight into the bag after being weighed) and a general grocery bag.

I also remember sugar, flour etc being put into brown paper bags and butter being patted between large wooden paddles, stamped with a thistle design and wrapped in greaseproof paper.

I'm glad that we're going "backwards" into the future.

PS Remember string bags and cane baskets?

Ellidee

Lilac_lady I bought a string bag in M&S the other day. Some really day-glo colours but I got black. Short & long handles too which decided it for me.

mary43

aril - beautiful quote. I'm printing that out to send to my friend.
You're not the only one who hasn't decluttered this week............I've fallen from grace a bit until this morning then I did clear the top of my desk.......amazing what you find ........some things have been chucked, but I'd got pretty pots to put my pens in that I've swapped over for a mug thats a bit chipped but I like the design on it. So, the one I had can go in my pile of 'stuff' for christmas/birthday presents. Haven't tackled the drawers yet. Did something to my wrist during the night - trying to prop my head up for some reason - anyway it don't half hurt !

ceridwen - We used to take out plastic bags back to the supermarket - they had a bin just inside the door for putting them in............not sure if they still do it as OH does the shopping. I normally grab a handful when I go into town and pop some into one of the local charity shops. They're always glad of them.

lilac lady - found a string bag I'd bought a few years back when I was having a de-clutter. I love it. I can pop it into my handbag -just in case I need it and its surprising how much they hold and how strong they are.
Years ago I had one of those 'gondola' wicker baskets.............couldn't get much in them, then I had all sorts of various wicker baskets till the cats decided they were a good scratching place/bed..............lol
I've got three shopping bags altogether...........(excluding string bag) and I got them all from the charity shop. Ones just a grey sort of canvas,ones a lilac woven sort and the other I used to say was 'plastic' but really its not.........seems its very 'shabby chic' ..............floral oilcloth..............lol

Rowan9

I used to have a floral shabby chic (!) oil skin bag which I bought years and years ago from the National Trust. My kids used to argue who had to carry it on picnics since they both hated to be seen with it. Eventually gave it away and DD, now aged 23, would definitely like to be seen with it!

We have my in-laws coming tonight so have simplified this by making a pot of soup (Wed), buying ready salad stuff for main course, included cooked and sliced chicken (simplifies things for me!! I know, I know...if I'd had more time I would have made it myself) then tomorrow is mince and tatties - mince cooked already, and Sunday will be steak pies etc from butcher. farmers market tomorrow morning for veg. We'll have trifle for Sun - it is so easy - a real cheat's one I've been making for years - mash up a swiss roll (big or 2 small) with either a tin of mostly drained rasps (I've bought strawberries because they were 25 p a tin!) or tin of pie filling, that's your bottom layer, make a custard for the next layer then when set top with whipped double cream. Finally crumble a flake all over top. Very more-ish. For my trifle-rejecting ones (step sons don't like) I have straight forward jelly and ice cream! In days gone by I would have made more complicated food to serve but for now I find it more enjoyable to do things that are easy.
Might not be able to get on here so much over the weekend so any simplifying thoughts appreciated!
Take care all
w

Ellidee

wmf hope you have a fab weekend. Your food sounds good to me and I think it's so much better to be able to enjoy your visitors rather than spending too long slaving over a hot stove. Enjoy !