Simplifying Life

teacup_2

I totally agree I read in a magazine once they call them " frenemys"!. I think good friends make you feel good about yourself & vice versa. You go out your way sometimes to cheer them up , do something nice. Get good advice etc when unsure . Being criticized is not a good trait in anyone. I always think to myself when a friend wants advice/opinion then what would I do in those circumstances and answer with their best intrest at heart. Some are unreliable , you know the ones !

Greenshieldstamp_2

Hello there,

Just a quick post to say I am really enjoying this thread, and starting to work out my plan for de-cluttering etc.

Part of my plan is to rename my kitchen food cupboard and the freezer "The Supermarket" and when I think I need to go shopping I will go and see what is in the "Supermarket". Usually there is plenty there to make a tasty meal. Often my best meals have come from nights wondering what on earth am I going to make for tea and then getting inspired that way.

For magazine and newspaper addicts like me one thing I have found is that most of the papers and magazines have an online site with gossip (shallow I know but sometimes a look at the celebrities reminds you to be grateful for what you have or wouldn't want!), homelife and whatever pages similar to their paper versions. So I am going to stop buying and read online instead.

Has anyone else come across Microsoft One Note? (I am not anything to do with Microsoft). It has tabbed sections for notes like a ring binder and you can cut and paste sections from websites and it keeps the online link . Handy for copying MSE Old style recipes and tips and making plans etc.

It comes free with Home and Student Edition of Microsoft Office, so some people may have it already or something similar, not suggesting anyone should buy it , it is just proving quite useful for me.

I have had an Old style Christmas and I too was shocked at the sales pictures on the TV, so determined to make 2008 the year of Simplicity.
Best wishes

[Deleted User]

I have read and re read the whole of this thread. It is inspiring and oh so friendly, like a group of like-minded people getting together for a chat. No nastiness and so many offerings

I feel guilty about clothes. I am short and dumpy and find it terribly difficult to get clothes to fit me. I bought some this week on the internet. I find I have to get them when I can. None of my clothes are labels, they are just comfortable and useful and I admit I would duck and dive if I ever saw Trinny and Susanna near me. Now a big BUT because I know that I would get to wear more of them if I could only lose some weight.

So, I am going to kill two birds with one stone and I am getting my bike (folding) out from under my desk and I am going to get my cycling clothes out and I intend to USE it

cycling ----> some shopping

---

> losing weight

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> using the clothes I already own

re `friends.` Have you noticed how many people are what I call `energy drainers` ie they feed off you and leave you exhausted. I have been dropping some of these over the last three years. Slowly and gently of course but I find that I have, more and more, developed a protective bubble around myself.

BallandChain

Ceridwen thanks for your helpful posts and keep them coming! I think the one thing about yurts is unless you have money to buy the land the only alternative is that of the eco village. The downside to that is that it is land owned by the 'originator' of the village and they seem to have their own politics in place.

I'm enjoying reading everyone's contribution so far and I am always decluttering. I am guilty of loving my laptop ( few people mentioned not being able to get rid of their computers) and the mine of information out on the web is amazing. To think we had to suffer the dire selection of books at the library if we wanted to know anything.

Nobody should feel they have to do without or get rid of something they love doing or need to do, it's really just getting rid of stuff we no longer have a use for. Funny thing is when you start to declutter other things start to follow, like changing your life, the people we no longer wish to be involved with, jobs, etc.

I still want to do the unconventional thing and if anyone has any ideas please don't be afraid to add to this thread. I'm open to all suggestions, nice ones of course!

tooties

Hi everyone, just lost a little bit of my life reading this whole thread... and its time im more than happy to have lost because i am going to gain back so much on other areas of my life.
this year i have only worked for about 3 months due to depression and anxiety, back in august i took an overdose as i couldn't face living this life anymore, my family and myself are still comming to terms with this. however it has taught me to look at life and see what i can change in order to improve my life.
i am to declutter everywhere
not buy any more books or magazines
i rarely wear any make up or nailvarnish but i do have literally 100's of pounds worth of the stuff will need to ebay that.
i need to draw up a budget and stick to it SSP runs out in feb and i need to try and get incapacity benefit.
i need to be more diligent with menu planning and shop accordingly.
use up all stores of cleaning and toiletery products.
loose weight.
cut down or stop smoking
use the library more
buy only needful things not wantful things (i suspect this may be the hardest change to make)
dump the emotionally draining people from my life (but then you cant really do that with family can you)

In the new year i also need to personally thank everyone who has provided me and my family with support since August, not that there are many people on that list but it has taught us who our real friends are.

thanks for such a great thread and sorry for ranting on
regards
tooties

JenniO

Now that I have decluttered quite a lot and feel comfortable with the house, I just wanted to share a little mantra I say to myself when I feel I need to buy something. It goes, "Everything you need you've already got".

I know it sounds a bit silly but saying that to myself makes me think, OK then, I will challenge that. And by god, soooo many times I have found a solution to whatever it is I thought I needed 'to buy' around the house.

A for instance, is I wanted a long rectangular table for my box bedroom and thought I'd either have to buy one or make one from wood, which isn't really quite a cheap option either! Anyway, I said my mantra and I realised that I had a 5 ft by 2.8ft old snooker table that belonged to my ex up in the loft. In the end all I bought was hardboard and chipboard, had it cut to size and screwed it on top - presto - a long table perfect for my 'workshop' for £10.

BallandChain

That's the thing when you start decluttering, new ways of thinking happen and new ideas!

bails

Yes!! This is the thread for me! A big part of my 2008 is about simplifying my life (as part of a bigger picture of improving my health) so count me in please! I have loads of clutter, clothes that don't fit, endless paperwork etc which WILL all be sorted this year (and hopefully make some cash out of it too ). I'm off to read all the ideas people have so far. Good luck everyone!

ceridwen

BallandChain wrote: »

That's the thing when you start decluttering, new ways of thinking happen and new ideas!

yep... to use another of my favourite phrases "lateral thinking".

ceridwen

bails wrote: »

Yes!! This is the thread for me! A big part of my 2008 is about simplifying my life (as part of a bigger picture of improving my health) so count me in please! I have loads of clutter, clothes that don't fit, endless paperwork etc which WILL all be sorted this year (and hopefully make some cash out of it too ). I'm off to read all the ideas people have so far. Good luck everyone!

Well.....put like that.....it sounds like you've decided this is your Personal Challenge 2008. Well....good luck to you.

Different horses for different courses. Chez Ceridwen its a bit more organic - incremental changes - the longest journey starts with the smallest step.

Baby steps - knew there was a phrase lurking somewhere in the corner of my mind.

Thanks for the good luck wishes.