Travel Motel Goodies

So although I'm loving this new minimalish-kind of-me I am still big on the consumable freebies!

This week I'm travelling with work and I've intended to get the best kind of freebies that can be used up and don't take up space.

First we have the classic toiletries:

Check them out! Bath salts AND one had a quick read and they appear good for the environment, the best kind.

Next we have the tea and coffee haul, a classic. Along with cookies and a cereal bar from the airplane, a bonus. I only take what I will use (I.e coffee and hot chocolate - if I haven't drank them first!):

Finally we have a bonus motel special. a CARTON OF MILK AND MAGAZINES. I'm new to the milk and magazines but I'm loving it!!! Milk will be drunk with the coffee but in saving the magazines for the plane!!!

Got to take the small wins when we get them!

Xoxo

I feel it

 

As I build yet another pile of stuff to be vacated from our tiny apartment, I realise I am starting to feel it.

Don't worry I'm not going all philosophical on you. So let's just say it = better.

When I first did my massive purge, I felt nothing. I didn't feel less stressed or less anxiety. But now I THINK I'm starting to feel it. I can't be sure, it could have been the elastic snapping on my knickers, but I'm definitely starting to feel better.

I'm currently working through jewellery and assessories. This was harder than the shoes. I have got round this by getting lots of my old sentimental jewellery melted into bracelets. Two to be precise, one for me and one for my sister. 

 

Minimalist yet keeping all my jewellery, I'm a fucking genius.

Xoxo

How much is too much nail varnish? The minimalism quest continues...

Part of my purge was donating some brand spanking new nail varnishes. You would think this would have left me with an average number of nail varnishes. You would be wrong.

Here is what the charity got. 21 brand new nail varnishes. This broke my heart. I was so tempted just to open one or two colours but the charity couldn't them sell them if i did, and as you will see below I have plenty opened nail varnishes!!!

So I then started going through my opened nail varnishes.

Here was what I was left with, still a ridiculous amount but that was all I was ready to get rid of at the minute! Remember I'm an ex hoarder folks. Getting rid of a paper clip is difficult for me.

Some are going to a lady Ruth in the charity shop who said she would take them as she works with the disabled and they do nails. Some are being donated to my friends daughter, along with some eyeshadow dusts:

I put it into a little bag I was going to bin for my friend:

And after my purge I sat and did my nails, I need some hand cream though..

Outing a layer of the pink, blue and purple glitter onto my wedding ring finger. Just because.

The slouchy boots that sneaked through

Well my wardrobe clear out has had the desired effect. I’ve been dressed much smarter for work this week. When you now only own 4 skirts it makes you start to wear other items!!

This morning I was in that mood where I wanted comfortable clothes, but I had donated all the scabby baggy clothes so I threw on a little black work dress and my slouchy boots and a blazer, the boots are one of the few things left that I own that SHOULD have got donated/recylced, BUT they managed to sneak through the cull. I think this is because:

1) They also help dress down my outfits at the minute!
2) I got them resoled, so there still is some life in them, even though it might not look it. 
3) They are comfortable.

Slouchy winter boots in action:

The shadow/shine makes them look like they are different colours or severely faded at one end, but they are not, I promise!!

Lastly I thought I would post a picture of some of the cull underway, this is about a quarter of what got culled. ONE QUARTER.

When minimalism meets a hoarder

I've been reassessing things recently.

Keeping up with everything often seems like a struggle. I get stresses/anxious about this. Some people don't, but I do. I feel like I am the only one but the world of YouTube has confirmed I am not.

I will admit that I'm a mild hoarder. My debt did not help this, I then became obsessed with not spending money, therefore, would never throw anything out and anything that was free/cheap would get adopted aka hoarded.

My focus for so long was just clearing the debt. Even when I was up to my eyeballs in debt it never occurred to me that having so much "stuff" could be causing emotions such as stress and anxiety. I've looked into tumble dryers, cleaners, dish washers and whilst these things have helped me cope, when you have so much stuff it will always be a vicious cycle of getting by.

This week I had my *Oh sh*t* moment when I stumbled across an article about Matilda Kahl who wears a uniform to work (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3034250/I-wanted-simplify-morning-struggle-Meet-woman-worn-exact-outfit-work-day-THREE-years.html). That lead me to finding Project333 and then onto minimalism. Then onto a girl called Melissa Alexandria on YouTube. I love her. She is just so nice! I know there are many more Icons such as Kondo etc on this subject but these are my people.

I then spent about 3 days reading blogs and watching YouTube videos. Some focused on only having 200 items in your house. Some no limits, just less. Some on cleansing your life to the bare minimal. I just wanted to remove the anxiety my stuff seems to be giving me, live more freely and spend my time, effort and emotions where it matters and not on stuff.

I was out late the 3 nights from reading the article. I literally could not wait to get home on Friday night to start de-cluttering.

I'm currently working through clothes (the largest amount of clutter in our house) and I've previously mentioned that some of my friends colleagues that I stalk/admire are the ones who have (or seem to have) a smaller wardrobe and wear the same clothes and accessorise them to make them look different. They switch them up with accessories or they just wear the outfit I have one friend who i kind-of-want-to-be and she wears the same dresses, shorts, tops etc. I went back facebook pictures that she has been tagged in (I kind of became obsessed this week) and she's been wearing the same clothes for the like the last 5 years.  She's had the same Marc Jacob sunglasses for about 5 years. The same striped vest worn on its own or under a white t-shirt. She is so well kept and a keen athlete and works and she is just all over things. Why do I need 8 pairs of sunglasses? 20 dresses. Even then I only wear about 5 of them. I can't find anything. Ever. I might find the dress, but where is that belt that goes with it? Or that cool bag? Or earrings? 

Anyway, I've did my first clear out in about 10 years, HUGE. I found dresses that I forgot I even had. I emptied 6 Cath Kidston sweater storage bags that were rammed full. I cleared drawers.

I had so much brand new clothes (with labels) it was heartbreaking. I have a problem. I had brand new french connection dresses once i remember costing me £110. Tag. Still. On.

I was adamant I was selling it. Think of how much money I can get back for all this stuff? But what I couldn't shake was the thought of how much money I could get a charity, or someone using it that actually needs/wants it. So I donated it all. Tags and All. 17 brand new nail varnishes unopened. New lip glosses, unopened. Brand new clutch bag. Brand new, never been worn, nine west wedding shoes. Worn once Kurt Geiger wedges, All Saints dress, French Connection dress, Autograph dress, Ted Baker toiletry bag, Dune bag, Carvella shoes, Leather Jacket, Leather skirt. You get the jist. A lot of brand spanking new clothes or items that had been worn once. I think I'm more annoyed at the items that are worn once, as the charity will likely get less money for them.

The charity shop thanked me greatly. They were so kind. They also told me I was not allowed to shop for the next year. Noted love, noted. She also told me she will take my opened, barely used makeup as she has a little charity group she goes to that uses that stuff. So that is my project for this week.

I've came home and I'm not finished. The throw on my bed, gone. The throw on my couch, gone. I don't like them - why do I have them?!

I feel awesome about the thought I may help my charity and I feel lighter, but I don't feel better about my anxiety/stress? Does that make sense? I think my house is still lightly in disarray which may be why I've not got better feelings about my purge.

I'll start putting up pictures of some of my purge! Just wanted to get the words down today!

xoxo

Upcycle: Coffee and Tea Jars

Okay, this is not technically DIY. More an upcycle?

When Mr Mars and I moved we got rid of most of our kitchen stuff. My old rusty IKEA tins got the bin (imagine these in Orange black and white: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80188927/). I then begrudged paying cold hard cash or warm plastic credit for something to go rusty again.

Then I had a brainwave... hold the applause... and I decided to use the old Douwe Egberts coffee jars that I kept my buttons and stuff in. I only had two of these, so I then went to the supermarket and bought another (we needed coffee anyway and Douwe Egberts is one of my preferred instant brands) it is expensive (compared to other instant brands) but if you wait until a special or offer you can get some good bargains.

I then had 3 big jars. Filled them with tea, grinded coffee and sugar, photo below. I also love loose tea as I got a cracking gift of a tea pot (I'll post another time) meant for fires and wood burners but I put it on my retro cooker hob, so I bought another small Douwe Egberts next time and filled that with my red bush tea leaves. Got another that I'm hoing to fill with my coconut chia tea leaves - it is lush, but it has caffeine in it, so is not my ideal pre bedtime drink.

I love them! They will go with any style of kitchen AND won't go rusty like metal containers!

When ready to re-use soak in hot soapy water and take the labels off, you may need to scrub/rub the glue.

 

Coconut Chia Tea waiting to be out into the jar (once it's emptied!)

Anyone got any other uses for their old coffee jars?

xoxo

DIY: Re-vamped penny jar

I thought I had posted this. I had not.

My "DIY" has subsided as we have settled into our new life (along with the blogging ;). We also purged most of our junk/old stuff/used items therefore not much to up-cycle/revamp. To be clear I like to up cycle as much as I can as it's better for the environment AND no-one else is likely to have it AND it usually saves a bit of cash :)

On the note of Purged, I watched the film The Purge last night. Scary.

Back to DIY. I am a fan of saving pennies/coppers/change. I did my wedding scramble from saving the change and have made payments to debt with change! We smashed a couple of our jars that were wedding/engagement gifts before we left the UK (photo below) but this one opens (no need for smashing). Unfortunately it is clearly styled for a 5 year old boy – I think it belongs to Mr Mars from his youth (oops!).  So I decided to take what I had and try and revamp it to blend into the Lodge House living room black/grey/white styling.

Jars in the first 'Life at the Lodge House". RIP Lodge House.
 

Equipment (including cup of tea):

I purchased some fine glitter (£5 GBP) and I already had modge podge, so off I went. Layer of glue, layer of glitter, layer of glue, layer of glitter. GOD it took forever to cover those bl**dy blue stripes!!!

First layer of glue...

 

First layer of glitter...

 

Another layer of glue and glitter...

 

FINALLY!!! After 100 layers of glue and glitter (an exaggeration, more like 3 or 4)...

I dried it using my pepper shaker baby cactus (cool mug from SPCA charity shop).

But I did it. With black glitter EVERYWHERE. Mr Mars was NOT happy. When I empty my purse of the coppers (and steal from Mr Mars’ pockets!) they will be stored here! Then banked at a later date. Small but effective way to gather some savings!

That's all folks

xoxo