Category Archives: Philosophy

The Sun Rose Today

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Despite all of the gloomy predictions about the impact of the carbon tax which begins today, the sun still rose  and life goes on.

The aim of this tax is to move Australia towards a more sustainable future and I support that wholeheartedly.

I have previously written about this topic and  my original post is here and Part 2 here.  I also wrote a follow-up post 3 months later which is here.

This is a You-Tube video I found today which is well worth viewing.  This is a compliation of comments from several prominent Australians.  Check the associated videos of the individuals speaking in more detail about their support of tackling Climate Change.

Routines

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Much of what I write about on this blog is one-off organising projects but today I want to tackle a different subject.  What about the routines? The simple everyday things that you do regularly and consistently.  Why have routines and what difference do they make to the running of a household?

Many of us have routines imposed due to the constraints of going to work and school each day.

I love this quote from a colleague with whom I worked.  When asked about why he worked a particular way, his response was, “I always do this the same way because then I don’t have to waste time thinking about how I am going to do it”.

This really sums up the essence of a routine.  It becomes so ingrained that you do not really think about it.  This does take time, so in the interim you need to set up a plan to incorporate new routines.

The routines I am working on are ones to simplify and streamline my time during the week.  Here are a couple of examples:

Every Sunday I refill the tablet dispenser for my medications for the week.  This takes about 3 minutes to do once a week.  The tablets are at my finger tips and I do not have to open several bottles twice a day.

Menu planning – On the weekend I generally do at least a rudimentary plan of evening meals for the week.  I cannot afford the time to spend thinking about what to have for dinner, when I am out of the house for about 13 hours each day.  By having a plan I can take food out of the freezer the night before and start cooking the minute I arrive home.

Wardrobe planning – My morning preparation is 40 minutes from the alarm going off until I walk out the door so there there is no time to waste on thinking.  Before I go to bed I decide what I am going to wear for the following day.  I do not set it out but with a relatively uncluttered wardrobe I can simply open the door and grab my pre-determined outfit.

Naturally, you need to seek a balance between routines and flexibility.

My routines are based on my need to minimise the time wasted during the working week.  What are some of your routines and how do they help you?

Book Review – Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

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I have just finished reading the book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver.  I had seen it mentioned at times on the Simple Savings forum but there was no real detail of what it is about so I had forgotten about it until recently when I finally remembered to download it to my Kindle.

This book was first published in 2007 and documents the attempts of one family to eat mostly local food for a full year.  It is a substantial book and full to the brim with detail and information so is definitely not a light read.  I think I will need to read it a few times to extract the maximum benefit from it.

I found some of the detail quite confronting at times, especially the descriptions of CAFO’s (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) and the harvesting of the chickens and turkeys which they raised for meat.  This is not necessarily a bad thing as it forces us to examine our feelings about how our food is produced.  Out of sight should not mean out of mind.

Although it is written from a North American perspective there are many universal truths for everyone, no matter where you live.  By the time I had finished the book I was inspired with renewed enthusiasm to seek out as much local produce as possible.

During the course of the year, they travelled to Italy and also on a road trip north from Virginia, through Vermont and into Canada.  The local food that they ate and people encountered makes fascinating reading.

I also intend to apply the same principles to the food we eat during our upcoming trip to the USA.  Since we will be in the north-east states during late summer we will have an excellent choice of fresh food.  One of the things we had planned to look for is Farmers’ Markets in the cities and farm gate sales in the more rural areas.  My goal is to eat as much locally-sourced, organic and unpackaged food as possible while we are away but more about that another time.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle contains numerous recipes based on seasonal produce which are also available on their website.

The book contains an engaging mix of passion, theory, humour and science related to a topic which is the essence of every one of us – our food.

I would strongly recommend that you read ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’ and take the time to really think about what you are eating and how it came to be on your plate.

Follow The Sun

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Generally our winter months are drier and mostly sunny but we have had a couple of weeks of quite cool, wet weather.  This has meant that we have not generated much solar power from our panels and have also had to turn the booster on the solar hot water on every couple of days.  I also used the drier once or twice to finish drying clothes.  They would at least partially dry on the airer indoors.

However, today is a return to the winter weather that I love.  Sunny with a cold breeze – perfect weather in my opinion.

2012-06-14 01I am making the most of this sunny corner of the verandah in the early morning.  The portable clothes airer which was indoors has been wheeled out  to finish drying the clothes in sun and wind.  The hanging frame with pegs has socks, underwear and plastic bags hanging out to dry as well as 2 woollen sweaters on hangers out to air.  The doormat was washed the other day and is draped over the railing to dry.

I have a rotary clothesline in the backyard which I rarely use and my everyday clothesline is at the other end of the verandah under cover.  That is great for wet weather and also in the summer to help prevent the clothes from fading but at this time of the year I definitely follow the sun.

Meanwhile, the solar panels are generating power which is being exported to the grid as we are using very little power here at the moment.  The only things that are turned on are the computer, refrigerator, small freezer and the bedside clock radio.  The hot water is heating up thanks to the solar hot water system.

The sun is beginning to stream in the windows and warm the house, the winter vegetables are thriving because of it and the chickens are out in the yard searching for their breakfast in the sunshine.  And all of this for free!

Decluttering – How & Why

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Tonight I have copied a piece I wrote and posted on the forum at Simple Savings.

I was intrigued at what seems to be a sudden and exponentially increasing interest in decluttering.  This does not seem to be confined to a particular generation or socio-economic group.  I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

I am not sure of the reason but lately there have been many, many posts from people wanting to declutter or who are overwhelmed by their stuff and do not know where to start.

I have written this in order to lay out my thoughts and experiences in a logical manner. I am also happy to answer any questions.

  • I am not a professional organiser
  • I have had a cluttered, messy house in the past

I started my decluttering journey in a very small way about 10 years ago with 2 teenagers still living at home. We have moved house in that time and now there is only The Duke and I at home so our circumstances have changed significantly.

Recently, I have read several books on minimalism and decluttering as well as numerous blogs on the subject. I would strongly recommend that you read at least one. If you have a Kindle, download a book or otherwise borrow it from the library – you don’t want to be bringing more stuff into your home.

Here are a few to get you started.

  • Winning The Clutter War by Sandra Felton
  • The Joy of Less by Francine Jay
  • Simplify by Joshua Becker
  • Basics of Minimalism by Janice Becker

They are all good and have their place but my personal favourite is ‘The Joy of Less’. As well as gentle, practical advice there is a good deal about the psychology of stuff and actually changing your mindset to enable you to let things go. I found this particularly useful.

There are a few things that were important for me to consider.

  • I did not throw things out as I consider this wasteful and would rather take my time and use things up and not replace them.
  • I re-homed things that I no longer required – via either the op shop or Freecycle
  • Making money was not important for me but you may choose to list things on E-bay or Gumtree
  • Do not fill up the space that you create with more stuff – this is why it is important to read and understand the psychology of keeping stuff.

The big question is always ‘where or how do I start?’

This really depends on your circumstances and why you want to declutter. Is a particular thing getting you down, such as children’s toys? Or is it years of accumulated papers? Do you have to eat dinner on your lap because the dining room table is covered with piles of clean washing waiting to be folded?

Whatever the reason, you need a 2-pronged approach. As well as decluttering you need to maintain the regular daily chores such as washing dishes, preparing meals and washing clothes. If the clutter is impacting on your ability to do the basics you will need to address that as a priority. Do one small thing first and work from there.

Whatever you decide only tackle an area big enough for you to actually complete. There is no point in emptying out an entire wardrobe only to find that you run out of time or inspiration and you are left with piles all over the floor. It is better to do your underwear drawer and enjoy the feeling of opening it and seeing everything folded and in its place. Then you maintain the order in it and you will find that you want all of the drawers like this so gradually you will work through until it is all done.

Organising goes hand in hand with decluttering but is not a replacement for it. Stashing things into umpteen boxes and crates is not the answer. I understand that it is difficult in some houses with minimal storage space so you will have to come up with some creative solutions, however, best of all is to ask yourself whether it really needs to stay in your home.

There is a lot more I could write, but it is over to you, now.

What is your story?

A Plastic-Wrapped Impulse Buy

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If it was a perfect world I would not have bought these.

But we all slip up from time to time.

2012-05-18 01These are 2 rolls of birthday wrapping paper that I bought this evening from Aldi when we called in to buy some milk.  I had not even thought about buying wrapping paper until I saw it.

Now for the debate:

The Good

  • Multi-purpose – suitable for child or adult birthdays
  • Bargain – 1m x 5m roll for $1.99
  • I had virtually no new birthday wrapping paper and have not bought any for over 10 years

The Bad

  • Wrapped in non-recyclable plastic wrap – contributing to waste
  • Made in China – transport costs, probable exploitation of workers
  • Impulse buy – do I really need it or could I have continued being innovative in my gift giving

It seems ridiculous to be buying gift wrap when I am currently working on making a series of re-useable bags from Christmas fabric for Christmas gift-giving.  However, even if I find I do not need it all I am sure my granddaughters will be able to use it when going to friends’ birthday parties.  You need to strike a balance between environmental and economic concerns on one hand  and ensuring that children are able to engage with their peers on an equal footing without being made to feel odd or extreme.

Would you have bought this paper?  What impulse buys have you made?  I have heard of people who go out to buy the Sunday paper and end up buying a new car.  Now that is a bit ridiculous in my opinion!

Just Because It’s Free…………

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…………does not mean you have to accept.

When you are given the option of free stuff, whatever the reason, try to fast forward to how you will feel about the item in 6 or 12 months time.

  • Will you love it?
  • Do you really need it?
  • Will it be back in the donation box for the op shop or garage sale?

Today at work someone was handing out giant-sized mugs with corporate branding on them.  After having refused pens that were being offered last week, I was approached with a half-hearted comment about me not wanting their gifts.  I simply assured them that it was nothing personal but that I really did not need a mug.  Suddenly there was a chorus from the rest of the office about how they loved freebies.

If I see a particular use for a freebie I will accept it – otherwise I do not.

Also today, it was interesting to see that one of my colleagues had a new knitting pattern and next thing I knew it had been photocopied numerous times and copies were being handed around to everyone.  While I could appreciate the pattern I have no intention of knitting it so I turned down the offer of a copy.  It is a waste of paper and will clutter up my home and I could even end up feeling guilty that I had not used the pattern.  Much simpler to just say , “No thanks”.

The other freebie was a little more insidious.  A cake recipe sent via email.  This came from another work colleague.  There had been no discussion or request for the recipe – it was just there in my inbox.  It had probably been discussed by 1 or 2 people and when it was sent to them everyone in the department was included – I expect so that nobody felt left out or forgotten.  A nice gesture, I suppose but the recipe is now in the deleted box because I do not need it.

After spending time and effort decluttering, I owe it to myself to remain vigilant and stop all sorts of stuff before it gains a foothold.

What have you refused lately?

Project 333 – More Than Just Clothes

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Project 333 is a minimalist fashion challenge, started by Courtney Carver of Be More With Less.  I am happily managing on 33 items of clothing, including 1 handbag.  Although I excluded jewellery, I am committed to wearing the same pair of earrings for 3 months.  Earrings are the only jewellery I generally wear apart from my wristwatch, wedding and engagement rings.

So what has this achieved?  I do all of the ironing each week as I need the items to wear the following week.  This means I do not end up with a huge pile of ironing.  I know what I am going to wear the next day as there are enough choices but not too many.

Realising that I can function quite adequately with a relatively small number of clothes made me consider the rest of my wardrobe and I have sent a few more things to the op shop.

I can also see exactly what I need to buy or make for the coming seasons so I am working on that.  I have 2 summer tops partly made and they are in colours that will work with my existing pieces.  I have a list of things to look for when we are overseas.

Although it is still well over 3 months before we go on holidays I have planned almost my entire travel wardrobe and bought a fleece jacket that I needed for the trip.

All of these things have flowed from the fact that having a basic selection of clothes has given me the space and time to really consider my wardrobe and hopefully continue to make wise choices.

By having the minimum of clothes to care for and maintain I have more time to do other things.  I also find myself applying the concept of ‘enough’ to many other facets of my life and possessions.

This evening I was knitting a dishcloth and it occurred to me that I have a box full of knitting needles despite the fact that I do not do a lot of knitting these days.  I will sort through the needles and take out any that I have more than one set of the same size.  I can only use 1 pair of needles at a time so any excess will be given away (Freecycle or op shop) so that someone else can have the benefit of using them.  It will not take up any less space as I will still have the box and I will have enough so that is all I need.

What things could you apply the concept of ‘enough’ to?  Love to hear your stories.

The Simple Stuff

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Sometimes we can get overwhelmed by concepts, goals and methods which cause us to lose sight of our original intention.  This can also be true when the very thing we are seeking is simplicity.

So it is time to take a step back, re-evaluate and take care of the really basic things that can make a difference.

You do not need a cupboard full of the latest fancy cleaning products with a different one for every job.  I have cleaned the majority of my bathroom, kitchen and laundry for a number of years using nothing more than bicarb and vinegar.  The only inconvenience is the method of applying the products and it can be a bit messy to use.

I found this recipe a couple of days ago for a home-made ‘cream cleanser’ based on bicarb.

1 cup bicarb soda
4 tablespoons dishwashing liquid
1 tablespoon eucalyptus oil

Mix all ingredients together to form a ‘Gumption-style’ paste.

Use to clean sinks, baths and basins by rubbing a paste over the surface and rinse clean with fresh water.  You can spray with vinegar for added effect.  As always, test surface to ensure it is OK to use.

I made this yesterday and have stored it in a glass jar as the original recipe cast doubt on whether the eucalyptus oil would react with plastic.

I have used this to clean my bathroom basin today which is now sparkling.  I also tried it to see if it would remove the permanent marker that I had used to label some bulk food buckets.  It was perfect and left the bucket as new so that I was able to re-label it.

I will definitely be using this paste in future rather than a container of bicarb and bottle of vinegar.

On another note, we went shopping today to stock up on bulk dry goods at Simply Good.  It is almost 5 months since we last went there so my plan to stock up has certainly worked.  I spent just over $200 and while that seems a lot, I plan to make this last for 6 months.  I buy all of our flour, bread flour, baking goods, dried fruit and nuts, spices, cereal and beans there.

We also called in to the Co-op in Maleny and one of the things I planned to buy was shampoo.  I have bought it from the bulk containers there, however, the brand I bought is no longer available so I was left with a dilemma.  My choices were from a 1 litre container (hardly bulk), no SLS and Fairtrade but imported from USA or I could buy a 1 litre bottle of organic, SLS free shampoo made in Australia but meant that I would be acquiring a new 1 litre bottle on a regular basis.  I also bought another bottle of the body wash that we use and noticed that it actually said “Hair and Body Wash”.  We can buy this in 2 litre containers so less packaging and I can now have 1 less bottle in my bathroom and we will use the same liquid to wash ourselves from top to toe.

What tips do you have to simplify things and get back to basics?

Pinterest – Friend or Foe?

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I am probably way behind the times but about a month ago I took a look at the latest phenomenon sweeping the online world – Pinterest.  I became aware of it because of several threads about it on the forum of Simple Savings.  I had a browse and I just didn’t get what all the hype is about.  I discarded any ideas of Pinterest as an inane waste of time with no redeeming features.  I thought nothing more about it until I stumbled across 2 blogs in the last week.

Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist took a close, first-hand look and came up with this post about the pros and cons of Pinterest.

Yesterday, one of the ‘Freshly Pressed’ featured blogs on WordPress was from Never Contrary about the same subject.

Please read these links as I think they probably put their thoughts far more eloquently than I will but here are my thoughts on Pinterest:

It can be addictive – this is almost the first comment from anyone who has joined.
The concept feeds unrealistic aspirations and can easily promote jealousy and envy.
It is an insidious form of clutter.
There could be serious legal implications.
It promotes consumerism and the acquisition of stuff.
Like everywhere else on the internet the advertisers are tracking your every move.

I have not joined and do not envisage being sucked into this unrealistic, time-wasting world of pinning.  The blogs I have linked to have helped to crystallise my views.  I would rather be creating something of value in my own home than be living vicariously through random images on the internet.

Have you joined Pinterest?  What are your thoughts?