Amazon Prime

On the 11th of July I signed up for Amazon Prime. It was Prime Day, and a steam cleaner I had been thinking about buying for a while was on special offer. (The Vax steam cleaner has been great. We have used it on laminate flooring, vinyl flooring and carpets. All have come up beautifully.)

Part of the Prime deal (free for the first month) is a slew of films, 'television' programmes, music and Kindle books, as well as free shipping on a huge number of different items. I'm just about to watch a film that's been on my wishlist for a little while. This is at no additional cost to me. Likewise, I have just finished the first Harry Potter on Kindle.

At the end of the month I will decide whether I wish to keep the Prime service going (about £8) per month, or not. If I'm reading one book per month, and watching one film, then it is cheaper to do it via Prime than by buying the Kindle book/film directly. However, the question will be whether I can get the titles I want.

Gardening Continues

The brick terrace at the rear of house is starting to look rather subdued in places. The area nearest the house was the least weed infested and that is where we started. At the rate we are going, a third of the terrace will be cleared by the end of the weekend. Admittedly it's the easy third, but a third is a third, and it's not to be sneezed at. 

One lovely discovery is that the rhubarb plant has survived. I'm taking it as a symbol for the rest of the garden. There is hope. With a bit of nurture and care. things will start growing.

In other news, the Sea Foam Shawl is continuing. It's the first time in ages I have worked with mohair and I had forgotten how much it can shed!  Perhaps a black dress was not the best clothing to wear whilst knitting.  Although, I stop knitting from time to time just to feel the beautiful fabric I am creating. 

Sea Foam Shawl

The shawl will start out in stocking stitch. When the first ball of yarn has been finished I'll switch over to a variation on 'Old Shale'.

Gardening

My attention for the last 6 months has been focused on decluttering the contents of the house. Things have slipped in the garden. The place is a bit of a jungle. There's weeds everywhere!

I'm going to employ the strategies that have worked inside the house. The primary one is working in specified chunks of time. Fifteen minutes worked well in the house, but in the garden, it needs to be ten minutes. There's so much low level work my knees and back can't handle the bending for more than ten minutes at a time.

The garden consists of a brick terrace with various planters and pots. I don't think there's anything in the garden I wish to keep, apart from the pots and planters. The weeds, plants, contents of the shed, mirror and broken bench can all go. The plan is to start at the dining room window and work my way down the garden. At the weekend, I'll empty out a couple planters and pots, and ask the Beloved to take the garden waste to the amenities site. The load will be topped off with unwanted items from the garden shed. 

Bit by bit it will get done.  And when it has been done I'll start planning for ways to improve it. It would be good to have a garden to grow things, rather than just a place to dry washing.

Sea Foam Shawl in Drops Kid-Silk

The socks for Elder and Younger Offspring have been completed and handed over. It's time for a project for me now. My choice is a shawl in Drops Kid-Silk. It's a variegated yarn that takes about 50 metres to go from the darkest teal to the lightest. It has to be said the darkest teal isn't actually terribly dark, but it's the darkest colour in the ball.

Normally, the thickness of the yarn informs the size of needles used. However, with mohair it is common to ignore this. Mohair has a bloom, an aura, and it needs space to show.

Company: Drops

Yarn: Kid-Silk

Composition: 75% mohair, 25% silk

Colour:  Sea foam (25)

Dyelot: 7619

Pattern: 

Needles: 5mm

Balls used: (expecting to use 2 balls)

Cast on 11 sts. Knit two rows.

1. K3, yo, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, yo, k3.
2. K3, purl to last 3 sts, k3. (All even rows.)
3. K3, yo, k4, yo, k1, yo, k4, yo, k3.
5. K3, yo, k6, yo, k1, yo, k6, yo, k3.
7. K3, yo, k8, yo, k1, yo, k8, yo, k3.

Continue in this manner until there are a multiple of 36, plus 7 stitches on the needles. For my shawl, this was 223 stitches. Finish with a purl row.

1. K3, yo, (PM, k3, (yo, k1) x6, k3,) yo, k1, yo, (PM, k3, (yo, k1) x6, k3,) yo, k3
2. K3, purl to last 3 sts, k3. (All even rows.)

Week 29: Decluttering the Bedroom

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #29: Master Bedroom

Tuesday: Declutter nightstand

Wednesday: Clean out and declutter under bed

Thursday: Declutter top of dresser

Friday: Declutter dresser drawers

Saturday: Declutter jeans and pants

Sunday: Declutter t-shirts and tops

As with last week's decluttering tasks, it's all already done.

Bye Bye Chest of Drawers

Whilst helping the Younger Offspring to declutter their clothing I realised they have so much!  So very much. We brought down a second wardrobe two weeks ago and this helped greatly, but I realised they didn't have a good storage solution for sweaters and bulkier item. 

The Beloved and I found we didn't need all of the clothes storage we had, so a decent sized chest of drawers in our room was swapped for a small bedside table chest of drawers from the Younger Offspring's room. We can but hope this will enable the Offspring to keep their bedroom a little tidier.

When we were last at the amenities site getting rid of various bits of rubbish, the nursing chair and various cushions, we picked up a simple bench for the Offspring's bedroom. The arrival of the chest of drawers meant the bench had to go. Today, more rubbish left the house. We noted the nursing chair and cushions had been claimed by someone(s). We hope the bench can find a new home too after its little holiday with us. Also picked up were two books, and a brand new paint roller.

Green Mann

Nicola Dixon is a Manx artist who lives in Peel. She was recently commissioned to design a set of stamps for Isle of Man Post. The image above is one she created to accompany the stamps. At CeltFest, I bought a print of the picture and also a mug. A lovely way to spend birthday money.

I love the Manx-ness of the images and that they have such a strong Celtic influence. The colours, landscape and animals are all the ones I see on my little island.

Rent!

Last night was the final production of Rent. The Younger Offspring has been rehearsing in this production for weeks, and it has really paid off. The show was brilliant. There were several times when the tears were just flowing from my eyes. "Will I lose my dignity" set them off big time. The cast brought together the words and the emotions. The layering of the lyrics and the harmonies were sublime. I am at a loss to know how these young people managed to pull of such emotionally charged performances.

I was reminded of my thoughts and feeling when AIDS made its appearance in Scotland. Initially, I fell for the inhuman, amoral, no immoral, rhetoric being spouted by many. There was an overwhelming lack of compassion. The overwhelming noises I heard were 'It's a judgement on sinful lives.' Utter bullshit! It's a disease, and a terrible one. Thankfully, I soon learned to be more compassionate and to see the person, and the utter hypocrisy of the line on sin. Sheer hypocrisy!

The song 'Will I lose my dignity?' brought back memories, not of the ravages of the disease, but of the way in which people with HIV and AIDS were treated. They were stripped of honour, of respect, and shown such disdain. It wasn't a case of losing dignity, but having it violently ripped away.

The young people last night were amazing. They reminded me, I need to speak up for those whose voices are being ignored, and for those whose dignity is being ripped away.

Le Creuset Heaven

For around 25 years, on and off, I have lusted after Le Creuset cookware. This was brought to a head once again whilst watching a cookery programme where the Hairy Bikers were using a beautiful purple skillet. However, as always, the weight of cast iron was too much for my joints. When we were in Gloucester visiting the Elder Offspring, I visited a shop selling Le Crueset and found the skillet above was sufficiently light for me to lift.The skillet can be used on the hob (gas or electric), in the oven, and under the grill. It was added to my wishlist.

So far, it's proved to be very useful in risotto-making and chicken and cider stewing. I've also used it make pancakes, and it was okay, but Ill be using my pancake pan in the future.

It was expensive, one of the most expensive kitchen presents I have received. I'm rather overwhelmed to receive such an expensive gift, and for having that amount of money spent on a skillet. However, it is something that will last and last, and will be used again and again. As items wear out the decision will be taken whether to replace them or no. If we decide to replace, they will be replaced by an item that will last. Buy once, buy well.

Bagels and Hot Chocolate

Oh my goodness! I am loving my new toaster. This morning I had toasted, butter bagels with hot chocolate. It was utterly wonderful.

The family toaster is is gluten-laden, and I can't use it for fear of contamination.It's years since I've had a toasted bagel at home. I've had bagels warmed in the microwave, and they've been fine. But toasted bagels! It's a moment of pure joy, the hot crunch, the slippery, butteryness, and the softness inside.

This toaster has a frozen bread function, and it produces perfect bagels. I tend to keep my gluten-free bread products in the freezer as I don't eat them terribly frequently. Perhaps that should be 'I didn't eat them terribly frequently.'

Many Happy Returns!

Surprise celebrations can be a bit strange. I knew we were going out to dinner, and I had suggested we change the date. The Beloved told me it was not going to be possible, and I could tell something was up, but he wanted it to be a surprise, so I didn't push it. My friends stopped talking to me. My husband was a bit weird, and the Offspring asked a few difficult questions whilst I was in the room. I ignored it all.

The plan, as far as it was told to me, was to go to my favourite restaurant for dinner. When we arrived I saw my friends, F, L and B. I wasn't surprised, but I was very happy. My happiness continued to grown when the Beloved explained to the waiter the table was too small. Another five joined us.

To state it simply, it was wonderful. All the people (on the island) I care most about were there. It was so good. So good I needed to borrow the Beloved's handkerchief  because my eyes were leaking a little. They sang 'Happy Birthday' in with harmonies.  I love these people.

Thank you, my Beloved. You did an excellent job, and I understand how difficult it was not to tell me about your plans.  I love you.

Week 28: Wardrobes and Chests of Drawers

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #28: Master Bedroom Closet

Tuesday: Declutter clothes you don't like, fit into or are out of style 

Wednesday: Declutter hanging clothes

Thursday: Declutter formal wear and dresses

Friday: Declutter closet drawers/shelves

Saturday: Clear and declutter closet floor

Sunday: Declutter and organize socks and underwear

'Tis all already done!

Marshmallow flowers

Some of the cakes from Friday were decorated using marshmallow flowers. 

Place a third of a cup of granulated sugar in a ziplock bag. Add some gel colouring on the side of the bag. Close the bag and work the colour through by massaging the bag. Using scissors, cut marshmallows in half, and add them to the bag of coloured sugar. The cut surface will pick up the coloured sugar crystals. If you make the petals the night before the food colouring seeps into the marshmallow a little, tinting it. This gives a rather lovely effect.

Use the 'petals' to decorate a cake, and mini Smarties or M&Ms for the centres of the flowers. Pipe a swirl of butter cream onto the cake and arrange the petals and centre.

Summer Cleaning

Over the last few weeks I've been trying to get into regular habits of cleaning rather than the random, hit and miss system I have been using. It's starts off with a deep clean, and then regular top ups. So far, I've been doing a daily wipe and swish in the wee room, and a weekly clean in the sitting room, bedroom and bathroom.  The kitchen is wiped down every day.

We have visitors arriving tonight, and it was a perfect opportunity to finish off the deep clean of the bathroom and the shower room. We have also been working in the Younger Offspring's bedroom (where the visitors will be staying), the front porch and the front of the house.

My aim is to establish cleaning routines and for them to be so routine I don't have to think about them, they just get done. I don't like cleaning, but I like the results.

There's been a mild spot of decluttering. The low nursing chair has gone. It was the one I was nursed in as a baby, and was given to me when we moved into a house (rather than a one bedroom flat) when the Elder Offspring was 18 months old. The springs had gone on the seat, and we have not used the chair in at least 6 years. Various cushions have gone to the amenities site along with the chair.  It might be someone else might find them useful. But we don't need them.

Baking, Baking, Baking!

The Beloved has agreed to a cake sale at his work tomorrow. This is to raise funds towards a production of 'Rent' at the Youth Arts Centre. So far, there's lemon drizzle, vanilla sponge, chocolate marble cake, chocolate cupcakes, and Snickers crunch. 

I adapted one of my Mam's recipes, Lemon and Coconut Slice, and made Orange and Coconut Slice instead. It worked well, but the base needed a bit more of something to hold it together more. However, it proved popular.

Friday
£80 was raised at the sale.  The Younger Offspring took some of the leftover cakes along to Rent rehearsals and added another £5 to the total.

Laa Tinvaal Sonney Diu! Happy Tynwald Day!

The fifth of July is Manx National Day. It's a public holiday.

At the beginning of the day, there is a church service in St John's. When the service finishes, the members of government and guests process to Tynwald Hill. There the new laws are promulgated in Manx Gaelg and also in English.  It forms part of the normal sessions of Tynwald. It is the oldest, continuous parliament in the world. 

After the formal proceeding, there's music, dancing, a Viking village, craft workshops, a Global Village, kipper baps, displays, stalls, demonstrations, meetings of friends, etc.

Reach Up High!

We have reached high, the coving and picture rail have been dusted and wiped down. Then it was down low, and the skirting boards done. Everything has been dragged out of place, and cleaned behind. The sitting room has also been dusted and swept.  I would like to do wash down the door. 

Clothes Decluttering

On Sunday, we brought down a second wardrobe into the Younger Offspring's bedroom. There had been piles of clothing on their floor. Clothes were brought into my bedroom, and we went through them all. The criteria for keeping were 'Do you love it?', 'Does it fit?' and 'Does it need mended?' We categorised everything and the Younger Offspring decided which items to keep and which ones to ditch.

There were a few items past their best, mostly underwear. We ditched the worst and ordered new undies. When they come the Younger Offspring will review their underwear and decide which items they want to keep. Underwear was also ordered for The Beloved. It was something we identified he needed when he was decluttering his wardrobe.

The Younger Offspring's bedroom is looking considerably better, but even having the second wardrobe is not enough to contain all for their clothing. The sticking point is the drawers on the wardrobe are not deep enough to comfortably house their woollens. I suspect we need to buy a new chest of drawers. With the woollens moved, there will be more space for t-shirts and leggings. 

The Socks Near Completion

The heel has been worked for the first heel, and I'm half way through the second heel. After that I will need the Younger Offspring's feet to work out the length of the sock. This will ensure a good fit.

Week 27: Linen Cupboard

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #27: Linen Closet

Tuesday: Declutter towels and wash cloths

Wednesday: Declutter sheets and pillowcases

Thursday: Declutter blankets, throws and comforters

Friday: Declutter pillows

Saturday: Declutter rugs and floor mats

Sunday: Declutter broken objects 

The linen cupboard was decluttered in February, and again last week. It amazed me how much decluttering I could do in a decluttered space! The cupboard is looking much tidier, and it's so much easier to find exactly what I want.  In this recently bout of decluttering I moved the extra toiletries into the cupboard along with bathroom cleaning supplies. The bathroom is looking tidier too. 

We only have two rugs, one in the sitting room, and another in the bedroom of the Younger Offsping. Both are wanted.

We have been trying to deal with broken objects as we find them. They are either mended or eject from the house. An exception is prescription sunglasses. The frame has broken, and I would like to see if I can get a new frame for them, but I haven't been in town at a suitable time yet.  If this has not been attended to by the end of July I shall put them in the bin.

The Everlasting Socks!

not actual socks

One of the things I've been trying to do is finish one project of a type before moving on to the next one. This means one knitting project, one crochet, one patchwork/quilting and one other. That's up to four projects. Surely that should be enough to keep me busy, occupied and entertained. It seems not.

A while back I completed (as far as I was able) socks for the Elder Offspring. These will be fully completed when she is next over, and I have her feet available for a fitting. From there I went straight into socks for the Younger Offspring. I don't like the colour, and the design is almost exactly the same as EO's socks. I am bored, and I avoiding knitting them. 

Perhaps the time has come for bribery?! I'm normally good at bribery. Others have tried to tell me it's 'delayed gratification' and 'rewarding good behaviour', but deep down, I know exactly what it is, bribery.

And while we are about it, what's going on with having two patchwork projects running at the same time, and making a sample for a third?! Come on. One project, and only one project per type, at a time. Play nicely!

Clutter has left the building!

It felt so good leaving the amenities site this morning. We felt behind so much clutter.  Gone are loads of worn out t-shirts and other clothing.  Old study materials and notes have said 'goodbye', make up said 'farewell', and random computer bits said '01100011 01101001 01100001 01101111'.

I wonder, will the Elder Offspring notice a difference when she returns home in a few days?  A huge number of goods have left the house. Is it noticeable?

The Beloved was commenting on the house and the improvements he has been seeing. Sometimes I wonder if this is in part because he reads this blog and therefore knows what to look out for. If I didn't write about what I have done, would it be seen?

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It's been two months since our bedroom was decluttered. That's two months of tidiness, two months! It still gives me pleasure to see my clean, tidy, decluttered bedroom.

Lusting after a Luscious Laundry

After watching a youtube video on organisation, I've started having lustful thoughts regarding laundry rooms. My laundry room is small, dark, dingy, and desperately in need of some love! It would be great to have a clean, tidy, functional and pleasing place to do laundry and store cleaning supplies.

There's a dishwasher in there we don't use. I'd like to see the back of it, and replace it with the dryer which is sitting in the back vestibule. The Belfast sink was improperly plumbed, and isn't usable. The ceiling is a golden yellow. The floor has carpet tiles that are rolling at the edges. It's a place I go into because I have to, and I'm out again in the shortest possible time. It's time to dream!

My new laundry room will re-use the Belfast sink, but lower it. It will be easier to fill the mop bucket at a lower level. New taps will be installed. Next to the sink will be the washing machine and dryer, with a work top over them, making a folding area for laundry. This will probably have to be hinged against the wall as the space is so tight. Above the washer and dryer, wall cabinets with plain, flat, white doors. On the opposite wall will be hanging hooks for the mop, broom, dustpan and brush, vacuum cleaner. The ceiling will be white, a new light fitting installed, and new flooring.

The predominant colours will be white, with few touches of aqua. It will be clean and fresh.

Consolidation of the Foundations

It feels like this week has been a time to consolidate the foundations of decluttering and housekeeping. There's still be decluttering, and the 30 Day Declutter Challenge has been smashed. But I've also been maintaining several room, bathroom, loo, bedroom, sitting room and kitchen. None of them are perfect, but all are clean and 'picked up'. I'm starting to get the hang of the concept of tidying and cleaning 'as you go'.

This morning the bathroom and loo have been cleaned and tidied. A number of months ago the shower in the shower room was not working and we were using a hand held shower that fitted onto the taps in the bath. These were tapped in place to prevent water from skooshing everywhere. The shower was fixed months and months ago, but the hand held shower was not removed. This has now happened!

My decluttering focus today has been to help the Younger Offspring with their stuff. Together we decluttered a wardrobe, three drawers of clothing and a set of drawers containing make up and hair stuff. This wardrobe will be brought down to their bedroom at the weekend. An old small chest of drawers has been removed.

After dinner, the Beloved and I started work on his wardrobe. Everything apart from his sweaters and cardigans has been done! There's two large bin bags, one for recycling and one for donating.

Our rubbish bin was emptied yesterday morning. It was full by the evening, and there's even more things to be disposed of. I suspect a trip to the amenities site and the disposal containers will feature in our weekend.

It feels good to be reclaiming the house!

Just a Minute

Nicholas Parsons host the wonderfully funny radio programme, 'Just a Minute'. The guests are given one minute to talk about a given subject without hesitation, repetition or deviation. One minute can be a very long time under those circumstances!

One of the instructions given by many home organisation/decluttering experts is if a task will take less than one minute, then do it NOW. This might be wiping the bread board of crumbs and putting it away, taking a mug through to the kitchen, picking up a fallen towel, etc. These little tiny tasks can often make a difference out of proportion to the time they take. 

At least a month ago I noticed the pictures in the hall had slipped in their frames. Whilst dusting in the hall I decided to rectify the situation. It took about four minutes to do all three pictures, but I don't begrudge that extra minute. This small change has improved the hall.

It's part of the crazy way of tidying and cleaning where you do a little bit each day. If you make a mess, or get something dirty then you tidy/clean immediately afterwards, but the rest is done incrementally. The advantage is the place looks clean and tidy. The downside is you don't get the 'Wow! Look at the difference I have made!' I'm trying to prefer the former over the latter, but I love 'My goodness, the place looks fantastic now.'

Mini-declutter in the Bedroom

In the course of the 21 item bedroom declutter, a few crafty bits were unearthed. These have been gathered and will be handed over to Gill. She will use them to make Twiddle Mitts (pictured above).

Gill has a friend who like to knit squares, just squares. Gill takes the squares, sews them together, and add various decorations and twiddle-able bits. These Twiddle Mitts are given to people with dementia. Many people with dementia have 'active fingers'. They keep picking at things, scratching, working away all the time. This can lead to IV drips being removed, cannulas becoming infected, skin scratched and rubbed. The Mitt gives the busy fingers something to do, a distraction. It improves the life of dementia patients, and it uses up little bits and pieces of crafty stuff.

----

Fourteen things have left my wardrobe, well, maybe twelve. There's a pair of purple shoes I like, but I seem to remember the fastenings were not staying closed. I'll wear them today and see if they work. If they don't, they will be disappearing. Three items have been given a reprieve as they are a smidge too small. Next time I'm in bottom drawer I'll look at them again. There's also three pairs of worn out shoes I shall say goodbye to.

The hair care drawer was the next place to receive my attention. More than 21 items left that drawer alone! Goodbye to a mini CD, some ribbons, a webcam(!), old booklets, random bits of paper, a hairbrush that hurts my head... just lots of little bits of crap.

The Same Message from More Than One Source

Over the last week I have been watching/listening to the Clutterbug, Cassandra Aarssen. She is a professional organiser, youtuber and prodcaster. Her central message is the same as so many others, clutter can't be organised, and 15 minutes of decluttering a day makes a huge difference.

Hearing the same message from different lips has reinforced to me that I need the constant 'drip, drip, drip' of encouragement and prodding. It keeps me focused on the goal (a tidy house where I can find things), and it keeps me feeling positive whilst I get to the goal.

A few years ago I was delighted when my bedroom was decluttered. Over time it became re-cluttered, and now it's decluttered again. Obviously, I don't have problems with decluttering, it's the maintenance I struggle with. The drip-feeding of encouragement helps me with the maintenance. Hearing it from more than once source, the same message in different words and in different voices, stops it from feeling like nagging.

And with that, I'm off to see if there's 21 items in my bedroom I can declutter. (There is.) I'm starting with the wardrobe, and then turning my attention t other areas. The key questions for clothing are: 'do I wear it' and 'do I love it'.

Week 26: Make up and Cosmetics

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #26: Make up & Cosmetics

Tuesday: Declutter expired and old make up

Wednesday: Declutter toiletries and skin care products

Thursday: Declutter old toothbrushes and other dental supplies

Friday: Declutter nail polish and perfume

Saturday: Declutter hair styling tools and supplies

Sunday: Declutter travel toiletries and supplies

Some people have many supplies in this category. I have a couple of old toothbrushes that are used to when cleaning to get into tiny spaces. There's a bottle of perfume I need to carry out a sniff test on, but apart from that, I'm good.

My Body is Falling Apart

It was around my current age my Mam was diagnosed with high blood pressure, thyroid problems, diabetes, high cholesterol etc. She is on a cocktail of drugs and looks fine and healthy. My body is currently acting up, and I could be going the same way. I want to do something about this and see if I can avoid the cocktail of drugs, and the perpetuation of bad habits just because a drug is taking up the slack.

Last month was Iron May and it got me moving. The steroids I was given for the major asthma incident changed my taste buds and sent me searching for vegetables and fruit. Both were very good changes to my life. Consumption of fruit and vegetables has reduced, but it's still better than my pre-Easter diet. Sadly, the June weather has caused my joints to be very sore, and I have taken almost no exercise this month.

This is changing. This morning I was back on my bike and I cycled 4 miles. Later today I'll walk a mile. My meals will be around about 50% veggies, 25% protein, and 25% carbohydrates. Snacks will be fruit, and drinks will be water and Earl Grey with lemon.  I need to make this work for my body's sake.  I'd rather like it to last another 50 years.

The Messy Shed

not my actual shed

I am so excited! I've been wanting to get the garden shed decluttered for ages. Today, we took a car-load to the amenities site and waved goodbye to some of our clutter. Some of that stuff has been in the shed, waiting to go to the amenities site, for years! It's gone, so long.

Hopefully next weekend we'll take another trip and say arrivederci, auf Wiedersehen, and sayonara to another load of clutter.

Good Morning, World

Totally nailed the sleeping thing last night!

And, now it's time to decide. Shall I use my powers for good, or for ill?

Sleep is for Wimps!

At this time of year, it's very common for me to be awake at 5-5.30 in the morning.  The light levels cause me to be awake early in the morning, and not go to bed until late (11.30pm-ish) at night. In the winter, the dark mornings and evenings result in a sleepy bear.

Goodness knows what happened last night!  I was awake until 3.30am!  I was so worried I would fall asleep and the be awake at 5.30. Thankfully, I managed to get all the way through until 8.30 (with a half-time loo break).  There was a quick nap around lunch time too. And it's only now at gone 11pm I'm starting to yawn. 

About 10 years ago I had shingles. I was exhausted all the time, but sleep was often difficult. This was when I learned that even if you are not able to sleep, then at least take the time to rest. It's so much easier now. A talking book or a Kindle, gives the brain something to react to whilst allowing the body to rest.

(yawn) Right, that's it!  I'm off to bed. (yawn) Night all. Hope you have a good night's sleep.

Decluttered, Clean, Tidy Bedroom

'Tis done!  The bedroom is now decluttered, clean and tidy, all three at once! 

Yesterday there was a fair bit of dusting, and the floor was swept. Today, The Beloved got up high to do the top of the wardrobe and the picture rails. I finished the lower dusting. The bed was drawn out, the suitcases moved from under the bed, and then the whole floor was mopped. 

I'm looking out, and there are a few, a very few items out of place. The dustpan and brush hadn't made it back to the laundry. There's a hair tie by my bed, and a pair of The Beloved's shorts.  That's it. Everything else is where it should be.

I'm sure we could do some more decluttering, especially with books and clothes, but for now, we are done. My intention is to do the 365 Declutter Challenge again next year. The kitchen was done last year, and again this year, and I'm happier with it now. The linen cupboard has also been done twice, and I'm really happy with the set up.  It was an area with a great propensity towards mess. Now the cupboard contains so much less it far easier to keep it tidy. 

The Beloved's Study and the Bathroom

The Beloved has a tendency not to dispose of old computer hardware. He keep the bits, he keeps the boxes, and it piles up. This is not a problem for me as it is all in his study, and I rarely go in there. I would never try to declutter his stuff. (This is not the same as picking up a couple of items lying around and asking 'Do you still need/want this?' That's a genuine question, and if the answer is 'Yes', then it put away.)

About a week ago, The Beloved said if I get him a couple of cardboard boxes he would do some decluttering in his study. True to his word, in less than an hour after I had given him a box it was full. The items have been taken to the amenities site.

Whilst he was off doing this, I was in the bathroom, clearing out the linen cupboard again. It was done in February, and it wasn't looking bad. It is now looking good! It was easy to work out which items hadn't been used since February, and so were neither wanted nor needed.

As I was putting away my clean laundry, I decluttered my undies and pjs drawers.  These clothes, along with the items above, came to about 50! That's a good declutter!

Hygge

A lot has been said in social media about 'hygge'. It's a Norwegian/Danish concept that encompasses cosiness, charm, happiness, contentment, security, familiarity, comfort, reassurance, kinship, and simpleness. It's being at home, snug and warm, with a mug of hot chocolate when the rain is lashing down. It's fun and laughter over dinner when family and friends comes to visit. It's about having a warm, cosy place where you know you belong and are accepted for who you are. And candles.

Yes, candles. Even around the summer solstice when sunset is around 10pm, and there is no true night, only astronomical twilight. The soft flickering light draws you in to the now, draws you into the warm, cosy place. It brings me contentment.

My candles are sitting on a long piece of slate, on top of my dark wooden coffee table/chest. These things bring me joy. (The slate is half a roof slate that was left over from when a neighbour was having their roof replaced. I've used some Velcro dots, the fuzzy sides, not the hooks, on the underside of the slate. This prevents it from scratching the coffee table.)

I'm appreciating more the little things in life, wood, slate, soft light. Too often we are busy, moving from one thing on to the next, and not stopping to enjoy the present moment.

The Disadvantages of Decluttering

Search the internet and you will find so many positive things being written or vlogged regarding the advantages of decluttering. It's so much harder to find anything about the disadvantages. I'm totally on board with the advantages. It has been making my life so very much easier in many ways. 

My bedroom is now a calm, tidy, decluttered space. The sitting room is tidy most of the time, and can be returned to tidiness in less than 5 minutes. I love it.

However, there is one major disadvantage, now the stuff has disappeared from a number of places, I can see how many objects are drab and sad. I can see the spider's web on the ceiling, and the dust on the picture rail. My home needs some tender, loving care. It needs a deep clean, and redecorating.

Currently I'm caught in a difficult place. Various rooms have been decluttered, and I want to get them deep cleaned and redecorated, then to maintain them at this level. At the same time, I want to get the whole house decluttered. 

I didn't sleep well last night. I'm tired, and I just want a clean, calm, tidy house. I want a place of rest, relaxation, creativity and welcome.

Gluten-free Baking

Learning how to bake with gluten-free flour can be a bit of trial and error. The flours absorb liquid at different rates and behave differently. When I first tried to make gluten-free scones they did not come out as the light, fluffy morsels eaten with morning coffee or afternoon tea. The family pronounced them 'rock buns'.

This morning I decided to make some rock buns, and use the Be-Ro recipe for scones. There was no way the mixture could be formed into a ball and rolled out. Dollops were put on a baking sheet instead. And, I failed to make rock buns. Today's creation were chocolate chip, free form, gluten-free scones. Light and fluffy, and very tasty. 

The only negative comment was from The Beloved, "There's not enough currants."  Yes, of course there are not enough currants; there are NO currants in the scones!  The dark bits are chocolate. However, the lack of currants did not prevent him enjoying his coffee-time treat.

Week 25: Bathroom

Monday: Read Organized Home Challenge #25: Bathroom

Tuesday: Declutter bathroom sink and counter area

Wednesday: Declutter under bathroom sink

Thursday: Declutter bathtub and shower area

Friday: Declutter bathroom drawers and organize what's left

Saturday: Declutter bathroom cabinets and closet shelves

Sunday: Declutter and organize bath toys

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The bathroom was decluttered in February, and I don't think it needs to be decluttered again, but it does need a deep clean and a tidy. The focus this week will be 'clean and tidy'.

I just want the pretty colours

Creating a pretty quilt top is just one part of the process of making a quilt. After the top has been finished, it is place on top of the batting and backing, and the layers are fixed together.

It struck me yesterday as I was buying 6m of plain white cotton, I don't like buying plain white cotton! I like pretty colours. I like making the tops of quilts. And I sort of object to spending money on the 'boring bits'. However, if the 'boring bits' aren't bought, there is no finished project, there's no quilt.

What to buy for a decluttering minimalist?

What's a wanna-be minimalist to do at gift receiving times of the year? I like presents. I like gifts. And I don't want to do without them. But, I don't want to accumulate more stuff just because it's time to receive gifts.

My family makes extensive use of the Amazon wishlists. It's the first thing we do when Christmas or birthdays are approaching. It means the gift giver has a pretty decent idea of things the gift receiver might like. It cuts down on the 'what were they thinking' type of gift. However, it does require people to take the time to update their wishlist. This last task has been difficult for me, and doubly difficult now I'm really getting to grips with decluttering and being an intentional buyer.

Over the last few days I've been pondering this whole gift thing. The gifts I would most like to receive are either crafting materials or gift vouchers for craft shops. It's lovely to receive a gift. It's then lovely to create a crafty-thingy, and it's again lovely to give that crafty-thingy away. The gift is not the material object, but the chance to play with it and make it into something different.