All posts filed under: Minimising

A Dress for That Occasion

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Since downsizing my wardrobe at the beginning of the year, I’ve noticed a couple of gaps needing filled. Specifically, I had nothing to wear in the event of a somber occasion. And let’s be honest, in the midst of a crisis, the last thing we want to do is shop for clothing we’re going to wear to mark a sad time. So I decided to buy a dress now and wear it at other times so that the garment doesn’t become a symbol of death and sadness. Because I’m trying to be mindful of my purchases, I decided not to simply buy a black dress to keep in the closet. I wanted the dress to be something I could wear in any season and for things other than funerals, so I was delighted when I came across this beautiful linen dress from Gudrun Sjoden. It’s a simple, elegant dress with 3/4-length sleeves and subtle embroidery. The fabric is light-to-midweight, so it can be worn year round here in Scotland. I chose the ash grey version …

What’s Your Kibbe Type?

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I’m sure it was someone effortlessly stylish who said ‘fashions change, but style never does’. I imagine they were tall, thin, rich, and beautiful – and any advice they had didn’t apply to someone like me. I’m a skosh over 5’2″ and I’ve struggled with my weight since my mid-twenties.  I have tried so many ‘looks’ but until recently, I’ve never been able to determine what works best for me. This has meant a lot of wasted money on all sorts of things that didn’t suit me. The fashion and beauty industry is weird, and its nomenclature is bizarre. Am I an apple? A pear? Is my face an oval or a diamond? What colour season am I? Should I wear all black to hide my roundness? Statement jewellery? Balayage? So much to consider and all of it confusing, at least for me, but I recently discovered something that clicked everything into place and I am so sad I didn’t come across it 30 years ago – long before I spent loads money on clothes …

Goodbye, Facebook

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I’ve deleted my Facebook account. For years I suspected they’d been careless with data, and I knew they’d tracked my every move online, but when they helped deliver Trump and Brexit by passing data to nefarious companies and allowing them to target users with fake news and disinformation, it was a step too far. When I think of the misery of families torn apart by ICE and the Home Office, that bigots are happy to operate in the open, and that liberal democracy as we know it is in grave danger, I can’t willingly support the midwife. My leaving won’t make one bit of difference. And I do understand that Facebook is important to many people as a tool for keeping in touch with friends and loved ones. I’m fortunate that I can continue to do this in other ways. I certainly don’t judge anyone who uses the service. I do wonder what I’ll do with the time I used to fritter away. Maybe I’ll cook or go for walks. Maybe I’ll write a bit …

Stuff I’ve Stopped Buying

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Stage one of decluttering is complete! I was so tired of trying to organise and store things I was holding onto for daft reasons – the silliest being ‘I might use that one day’. If it’s been stored out of sight for more than six months, there is a good chance I’ve forgotten it, and if that’s the case, I certainly don’t need it. I do not want to get into this state again, so I thought about things I really don’t need to buy anymore. I have based this list on some of the things I’ve just removed from my precious space. Books. This is probably a shocker. I do enjoy reading, but I do not enjoy having to find a space for a book once I’ve read it, so I plan to only buy for my kindle in future. My collection of books is down to twelve and I’m almost happy with that. I can probably reduce to ten. Magazines. I actually quit buying these ages ago. I use an app called Zinio …

Easy Online Minimising

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The Brexit vote kicked me hard. I’ve been deeply depressed about it since it happened, not only because of the suffering it will cause me and my family, but the awfulness it has unleashed on so many people. It’s horrible in every way, and it threw me into a dark pit. At the beginning of the year, I decided I couldn’t continue being so sad, and I began to take steps to make myself feel better. Living with so much uncertainty is hard, so I had to find a way to deal with the fact that uncertainty is the new normal. I identified that my most immediate need was to reduce the ‘noise’ around me because there was a lot of it, especially online. The first thing I did was unsubscribe from email lists. I was getting a lot of newsletters, advertisements, and updates that I didn’t need or want. Most of the time the ‘unsubscribe’ link worked, but occasionally, I’ve had to contact companies directly to ask them to remove me from their mailing …

Clothing Reduction

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It was unpleasant realising my clothing consumption was out of control. My wardrobe was full of things I didn’t wear, and I stood many mornings in my dressing gown thinking that today would be the day I finally went to work naked. How did it come to this? Why did I have have garments with the tags still on hanging unloved and unworn in my closet? After a bit of reflection, I began to figure out where I was going wrong.  It was not a nice process. I was doing dumb things. Sales. Yes, that dress is ok, I guess, but knock 30% off and it becomes more attractive. But does it really? No, it does not. It goes into the wardrobe to hang for a year and it never gets worn because I don’t really like it. I just bought it because it was cheaper. That’s the definition of a false economy. Body Denial. Does this garment fit my shape? I am not slim and I’m quite short, and while the outfit looks fabulous …

3:3:1 – Simplified Skin Care

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Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been on a mission to simplify. I began by examining parts of my life that I felt were overcomplicated, and skincare was one of these areas. I was spending too much money, effort, and time on my regime – and I was constantly buying things I didn’t finish – always on the lookout for the next miracle product that would be ‘the one’. After a final clear out, I’ve settled on a system which uses a few carefully curated products. I’m not longer layering loads of products on my face and am instead using one product at a time to achieve smooth, clear skin that doesn’t need much makeup (another money/effort/time saver). My system works like this: I alternate three nights of retinol treatment with three nights of alpha hydroxy treatment and then follow up with one night of skin nutrition, hence the 3:3:1. It’s simple, easy, and I don’t need to spend a lot of money to get great results. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights, I …

The Minimiser

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Today I’m decluttering my office in a ruthless fashion. I’ve been on a bit of a journey since February. I wouldn’t say I’m becoming a minimalist, but I am minimising. Does that make me a minimiser? I’m not sure, but I’ll go with that for now. It’s a frustrating process, probably because I’ve begun with the unseen – my wardrobe, cupboards, and drawers. I’m unable to stand in the middle of the room and survey my progress, so the feeling of accomplishment is fleeting. It’s also an uncomfortable process as it’s forced me to face up to stupid choices I’ve made through the years: loads of nail varnishes I’ll never wear, clothes I bought on sale just because they were cheaper, and handbags. Oh lord, the handbags. How much money have I wasted? And how could that money have been better spent? Or even saved? Just the thought of it is enough to halt my progress. But I can’t let that happen. For years I have tried to fill up the inadequacies I’ve felt with …