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Posted on February 7, 2015

It is great to feel that the decluttering efforts are really making a difference. This morning I noticed that the shelf where my recipe books are stored was very grubby and needed cleaning. It was a simple matter of grabbing an armful of books and placing them on the bench while I wiped down the shelf and then replaced the books. This took me less than 2 minutes.

I have never had hundreds of cookbooks but nevertheless it has taken about 3 rounds of culling to get it to this. You can read about a previous effort here.

Cookbook shelf

That was about 14 months ago but a few more have moved on since then, too. I do not miss any of them and have not have occasion to regret my decision to move them along. Recipes are something that has really been revolutionised by the advent of the internet. There is nothing you cannot find. Also, recipes are like clothes – there are definitely trends and fashions.

Do you have recipe books? Have you reduced your collection?

Project 333 – One In, Two Out

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Posted on February 5, 2015

I think we have all heard the mantra of “One In, One Out” in order to keep the clutter under control. This week I have gone one better. I made this skirt last week.

Now I have sent these 2 skirts to the op shop.

I bought the navy/white one when we were in the USA in 2012 and it is wearing out. The lightweight fabric is pulling away from the seams at the sides of the waistband and I noticed that it has actually split along the fold of the hem in a couple of places so definitely time to go. The red/white skirt is one that I made a while ago. I attempted to make a pattern from the navy/white skirt. It was reasonably successful and I have certainly worn it many times but it is far from perfect. Now that i have a perfect pattern I will be using that for future skirts that I make. Time for these to go.

More To Go

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Posted on February 4, 2015

A couple of days ago I read a comment online by someone unknown to me that they had decluttered so much that they had nothing left to declutter. I have no idea what their circumstances are or what they consider essential but I know that I have not reached that point. In fact, I am not sure that I ever will or even want to. We do not have a huge amount of stuff but for me it is more about carefully streamlining what we own to a selection of good-quality items that match our lifestyle. Our needs change and therefore, our possessions will change accordingly.

On the weekend I was cleaning in the kitchen and one thing led to another and I ended up re-looking at the cooking utensils that I use. I have supposedly decluttered these on at least 2 previous occasions but it never hurts to look at them with fresh eyes and a more detached point of view.

This is what I am taking to the op shop today.

There are a couple of sharp knives that have seen better days and I simply do not use them. A scraper for cleaning a George Foreman grill which we no longer own. A cleaning brush for something – I don’t know what and as far as I can see it has never been used. Spoon and spaghetti strainer which are not used. Meat mallet – I haven’t beaten meat for over 20 years – our diet does not include recipes that require it. Spaghetti measure – was part of a corporate Christmas hamper a few years ago and has never been used. Small aluminium skewer – I have a set of stainless steel skewers and this is no longer required. Chip cutter – this came from my mother’s place when she was decluttering some years ago and I have never used it. A good idea but I cannot remember the last time I made chips at home and I am quite capable of cutting potatoes into chips if the fancy happens to take me. Anyway, aren’t “hand-cut chips” the latest craze on menus??

So what stays?

Electric knife
Carving fork
Scone cutter
Rolling pin
Fine grater
Metal tongs
BBQ tool
Pineapple peeler/corer
Apple corer
Cheese slicer
Cherry/oliver pit remover
Garlic press
Ice-cream scoop
Citrus zester
Grapefruit knife
Skewers
Vegetable peeler (not shown)
Jar opener
Tea strainer
Tea infuser
Wine vacuum sealer
Cork remover
Bottle/can opener
Measuring spoons
Corn cob holders
Egg rings
Knife sharpener

The electric knife/carving fork and cherry pit remover are the only items that would be rarely used. Everything else is used regularly, mostly on a weekly basis. Some, like the grapefruit knife and corn cob holders are seasonal but still essential.

I also have 2 jars of cooking utensils that I use almost daily. There location on the bench means that they are easy to grab as I am cooking and preparing food.

Wooden spoons x 4
Metal whisk
Potato masher
Metal spatula
Non-stick spatula
Non-stick spoon
Slotted spoon
Small sieve
Can opener
Pizza cutter
Rubber scrapers x 3
Brush
Citrus juicer
Pie slice

I also have a knife block with 6 assorted sharp knives.

To a hard-core minimalist this probably looks like a huge number of utensils, however, I prepare and cook most of our meals and use these items very frequently. It is important to keep and use what works for you.

There are lots of areas of my life where I could reduce my possessions but I think I have completely decluttered the kitchen utensils to my satisfaction.

What utensils do you use every day? Are they much different to what I have shown here?

Mastering Technology

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Posted on February 2, 2015

Or as it is otherwise known – reading the instructions.

I bought a digital SLR camera before we travelled overseas last year. I have downloaded the instruction manual which is about 350 pages, however, I have barely read it and have just used the camera on the automatic settings.

Last night I decided that I really should figure out how to use the self-timer on the camera. I read the instructions several times, set up the camera on the tripod and hey, presto! I managed to take a reasonable photograph of my self wearing my new skirt.

The thing that I find most difficult about instructions of any kind is trying to assimilate information that I am not necessarily about to use. Just reading something about a particular process or technique and trying to store it for future refence tends to be fairly useless in my experience.

Having used the self-timer function several times in my quest to get a reasonable photograph, I am fairly confident that I will be able to recall this process when I next want to use it.

Sew My Stash Sunday – 4

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Posted on February 1, 2015

Just a short post tonight but I can show you the completed skirt. This afternoon I inserted the zip, finished the hem and facing on the yoke. It is now ready to wear.

The fit is absolutely perfect so I am very pleased with the pattern making which is based entirely on the hip measurement for this skirt. I will definitely be making other patterns from the system. I will share more of the details with you next week.

The yoke on the skirt sits nicely and means that it can be worn with a fitted top like the one in the photo. The skirt is lightweight and will be perfect for our Singapore trip but in the meantime I will probably wear it to work as our weather is hot and humid at the moment. I will probably team it with this blouse.

I am pleased to have been able to create an entire summer outfit using fabric from my stash. The total cost was $2.70 for the buttons and $1.15 for the zip.

Tracking 2015

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Posted on January 31, 2015

Today is Saturday. Where did the week go? I am very busy at work so although I have been thinking about my blog that is as far as it went.

Not only is it Saturday, it is Saturday 31st January. The final day of the first month of 2015. 1/12th of the year gone. Have you already forgotten what you resolved to do better/differently/more consistently in 2015 already?

One of my goals was to actually track how much we spend. We have never worked to a real budget – actually allocating a certain $ value to each item/category but we keep careful track of the regular bills – rates/insurances/phone/internet but is the variable spending that is more difficult to calculate. I do not have a specific amount of money for groceries each week as I tend to bulk shop for dry goods and meat and buy perishable items on a weekly basis. I need to average my grocery spending over at least 6 months to get a fair and accurate idea of how much we spend.

As I said it is the last day of the month and we have been shopping so there will be no more spending today. The grand total of our variable spending in January was $5,134.53 – yes, over $5K! Almost exactly half of that was airfares and accommodation for our Singapore holiday later in the year. So, $2,618.73 looks somewhat better. This figure includes food, clothes, gifts, hobbies, eating out, entertainment, alcohol, car fuel and maintenance, haircuts, public transport, pets, medical/dental and incidentals.

Apart from the holiday spending which is really a one-off, the categories with the highest spend were food $623 closely followed by public transport $620. This is really interesting because what finally prompted me to track our spending very carefully was that I wanted to know how much we would need to live a comfortable lifestyle on our terms in our retirement. Giving up paid work is a few years away yet but it is important to budget for life without regular employment. We will still need to eat when we are retired but public transport will cease to be an issue as all of that expenditure is related to our lengthy commute to the office.

Do you know how much you spend? Working or retired? I would love to hear your comments.

What Does It Really Mean?

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Posted on January 26, 2015

WARNING: Political opinion ahead.

Today, January 26th, is a public holiday designated as Australia Day. Two years ago I wrote this post and it is equally as relevant as when I wrote it.

We have been to a barbecue with friends and neighbours which was pleasant and on any other day would have been just that – a barbecue with friends. Because it is deemed to be Australia Day was I celebrating the invasion of this country and the declaration of the colony of New South Wales? I do not believe that this is necessarily the case.

I am grateful to to have been born in this country and look forward to the future in the hope that one day we will know what it is to have a truly inclusive society – one which includes all of our citizens from the original residents to the newest arrivals.

As always, the debate has been raised over the spectre of Australia becoming a republic, the relevance of our flag and the national anthem. I have read many and varied opinions on these topics today and I will not bore you with some of the drivel which has been written.

A reasoned conversation to discuss and choose a day of significance to all would be an excellent first step in creating an inclusive culture in this country. The anniversary of constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians could be an appropriate day for all Australians to be able to celebrate and be grateful for all that this country has to offer. I hope and pray that this will soon become a reality.

Meanwhile, Mr Abbott has surpassed himself with the announcement of two new knights in the Australia Day honours list. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was named as a Knight of the Order of Australia. As if it was not bad enough that Mr Abbott re-introduced the honours of Knights and Dames of the Order of Australia last year, 26 years after the abolition of these anachronistic titles, he has now awarded one to the consort of a foreign monarch. I have nothing personal against Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II or the House of Windsor but I cannot fathom this choice. Decisions such as this are divisive and do nothing to contribute to a modern, forward-thinking and inclusive Australia.

Today is not a day for looking backwards or resorting to out-dated practices. Let us move forward and work towards creating a better place for all of our children and future generations.