The love that flourishes when you let go of stuff

by Midlands Minimalist

There’s bound to be something among the things you own that you really love. Some people love shoes (and are famous for it); others love clothes or have a signature scent that they truly adore (and which others associate them with). The list goes on.

“Love begins in a moment, grows over time and lasts for eternity”

I love rings. I always have. I own my paternal grandmother’s wedding ring that she first wore on her wedding day in October 1932. Having had it cut off because of dupuytren’s contracture, she kept this simple band of gold then had my birthstone set into it for my 18th birthday. It has little monetary value, but I enjoy wearing something today that my grandmother wore decades ago.

Can you be a minimalist and still love stuff?

Everyone’s definition of a minimalist lifestyle differs. My minuscule keepsakes take up no room but I value owning a bit of family history (and I wear my rings frequently). I suppose that’s the point: if the stuff you keep adds value to your life, then enjoy it. Use it. Wear it and let it bring you joy.

You may fill your home with stuff but it won’t fill your heart

We all know that the acquisitive pursuit of stuff can lead to anxiety, debt and emptiness. You may fill your home with stuff but it won’t fill your heart. On the contrary, clutter can be detrimental to wellbeing. That’s why decluttering is such a powerful tool.

Furthermore, the kind of love that flourishes when you let go of stuff is truly remarkable. It changes lives.

With This Ring

Bearing in mind my love of rings, I find Ali Eastburn’s story remarkable. Eastburn attended a women’s retreat when she found herself asking what might happen if she sold her stuff to help others. She then had the most daring and radical thought of all:

“I bet if I sold my wedding ring I could feed an entire village in Africa.”

Well, she did sell that ring and went on to found her charity, With This Ring. Eastburn’s own ring funded the drilling of a well in Africa, but the charity has since grown to change the lives of so many people through acts of generosity and love. Eastburn’s donation didn’t just change the lives of other people; it changed her own, as she was finally able to end what she called ‘an insatiable love of stuff.’

The Hope Effect

Joshua Becker is best known for his writing as the founder of Becoming Minimalist. However, the charity he founded is likely to have a more profound legacy. The Hope Effect seeks to implement family-based solutions for orphan care around the world. With a ‘two-parent’ style home, the charity’s mission is to transform the lives of children who would otherwise experience institutional care. How much hope and love abounds when ‘stuff’ is no longer the focal point of people’s lives!

The experientialist approach

Using your precious time and resources in the pursuit of activities or experiences (as opposed to things) will ultimately provide far greater reward than the short-lived rush of pleasure experienced when buying something new. Even better, enjoying activities with others helps build social bonds, which are a very important ingredient to wellbeing and happiness.

The month of love

Whilst February may be the ‘month of love’, June is traditionally the most popular month for weddings. A quick search on the web explains that, since the goddess Juno was the protector of women in all aspects of life (particular in matters of matrimony and childbearing), a wedding in Juno’s month was considered most auspicious.

This summer, my husband and I celebrate 20 years of marriage. We had so little when we started out so, inevitably, embarked upon the pursuit of ‘more and better’. Only now do I truly understand that love can flourish even more when you let go of the things in your life that no longer add value.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll take a closer look at that little pot of rings I keep at home. Letting go of them would no doubt generate more love than wearing them on my finger ever could.

9Jun2017

Interview with Jen Gale

by Midlands Minimalist

Jen Gale

What would it mean if you spent a whole year buying nothing new? What changes would you have to make? What impact would there be on you, on those close to you and on your finances?

5 years ago, Jen Gale set herself this very challenge. It not only changed her year, but changed her life.

In this exclusive interview with Jen, I discover what prompted her challenge, the experience of living through a ‘make do and mend year’ and asked how her life had changed as a result.

Jen, you first came to prominence when you wrote about your ‘My Year of Buying Nothing New’ during 2012/13. What was the catalyst for this?

I always say that I’m not entirely sure..! I do remember becoming suddenly aware that our eldest, who was about 3.5 at the time, seemed to have already tuned into ‘stuff’. He was doing that thing of demanding (very vocally!) to be bought anything bright and shiny that caught his eye whenever we ventured out to the shops. I remember feeling quite shocked that he had already tuned into these societal messages that ‘more’ is good.

At about the same time, I read an article about a lady who was doing a ‘Secondhand Safari’ – a year buying nothing new; I slightly naively thought that it sounded like a fun challenge!

How did those around you respond to your ‘make do and mend’ philosophy?

The kids weren’t really old enough to understand what we were doing, or indeed to really argue about it, which certainly made things easier. I think it would be a very different challenge to undertake with them now at the ages of 8 and 6, or as teenagers!

My husband was great. We had an initial ‘heated debate’ about whether a newspaper counted as something new, but after that was ironed out, he was really supportive.

I think he was probably more attracted to the money saving benefits of reducing our consumption, which was never really a driver for me, but he got stuck in fixing the washing machine, the toaster and even the microwave. He also made a ‘Fix-it box’ where we put anything that needed mending – he ended up fixing all kinds of things, from toy cars to wooden railway track!

What did you find most challenging about it?

In all honesty, the year buying nothing new wasn’t anywhere near as hard as I thought it would be. The most challenging thing ended up being the blogging. Somewhere along the way I decided for some reason that I wanted to blog every day through out the year, and as you might imagine, this ended up being the most difficult part of the whole thing!

Christmas was also a challenging time. We started our year in the September, so the festive season came upon us very quickly. I decided that in addition to making all of the presents, that we also needed to make all of our own decorations, including the tree… After hours scouring Pinterest for inspiration, I found a picture of a tree that looked fabulous and was made of egg boxes! I decided to try and emulate it, and the result was a little…underwhelming.

Jen’s eggbox Christmas tree

Now that you’re through it, what did you learn? What were the benefits?

I learned so much, and it has totally changed my life. It has changed not only how I shop, but how I see my place in the world.

I used to see things that I wanted to change in the world, but never really thought that I could do anything about them.

The biggest lesson of the year was that I CAN do something about the things I want to change. They might only be little things, things that seem almost inconsequential, but it is really important that I do do them.

If we all make small changes, then collectively we can make a big difference.

What aspect of your experiment have you maintained, all these years later?

We are more relaxed now that we are no longer constrained by the ‘rules’ we set ourselves for the year, but we are still far more conscious and thoughtful about the things that we buy.

I try whenever I can to find the things that we need second-hand and charity shop shopping is still my favourite type of shopping! If I can’t find it second-hand, then I explore the most ethical option available. Sometimes that means buying an ‘ethical’ product from a business with values that align with my own, and sometimes that can simply mean choosing to buy from a local independent shop rather than a large chain store.

Tell me about your interest in sustainable living: was this always part of your values, or did this develop over time?

I always thought I was quite ‘green’ – I did my recycling! But as the year progressed, I was forced to confront so many of the big issues that are affecting the planet and our global society – issues I had been vaguely aware of before, but had somehow chosen to look away from.

I had never really joined the dots together and seen my role as a consumer in the whole system. I had never believed that my actions could make a difference, but now I know that they do.

Having developed a wonderful community of like-minded people, you’ve recently launched a business helping ethical and environmental entrepreneurs unlock their potential. Tell me about this!

I’m so excited about this!

As you say, over the last few years an amazing community has sprung up around the blog, and we have an amazing Facebook group of over 6k people, all making small changes every day, and inspiring and motivating each other to keep doing one more thing.

I’m really passionate about encouraging and empowering people to take responsibility for the impact of their actions, and this applies to business owners as well as individuals.

There are so many amazing ethical businesses and social enterprises out there making good stuff happen and having a really positive impact on the world. I work with them to help them to unlock their potential, and to amplify the impact of their businesses. I really do believe that all businesses should be ‘good business’ and should take into account people and planet as well as profit when they are making decisions.

Running any business on your own can be lonely, and there are aspects of running an ethical and ‘conscious business’ that provide additional challenges. I provide the support and accountability that is often missing when we are working on our own. I can help ethical entrepreneurs to get really clear on their vision for the future, and to work out a strategy to get them there more quickly and easily.

What’s your vision? What kind of businesses are you looking to work with?

I want to make ‘good business’ the norm, and for that to happen we need more enterprises that are gently disrupting the status quo of ‘growth at all costs’.
I work with anyone wanting to run a business that makes a difference. Entrepreneurs who have a clear passion and a purpose that guides their actions, and you want to develop truly sustainable businesses, both environmentally, and financially.

What’s the one thing that we can all do to live more sustainably?

I think it comes back to the thing I touched on earlier about taking responsibility for the impact of our actions. So often we buy things, we do things, almost on auto-pilot. We very rarely stop and really think about what we are doing, and what the impact is on the environment, and on the people who have made the things that we are buying.

We all make hundreds of decisions every single day, and we all have the potential to make the best choices we can, just be taking a bit more time, and being a little bit more thoughtful.

I think that’s why our year buying nothing new worked so well. Because we couldn’t get the things we needed straight away from the supermarket or on the High St, it put a stop gap in the way of our purchasing, which was enough to create the space and time needed to think about the things I wanted to buy.

What would you advise anyone looking to live a more intentional life?

Take the time to stop and think – it doesn’t have to be a deliberate mindfulness thing – it’s just that fraction of a second before knee-jerking into doing something out of habit or because we are stressed/tired/busy.

As you might expect, I am a massive fan of the power of a period of buying nothing new – a year might be a little extreme for most people, but I really do think that even a week, or a month, is enough to make us more aware of what we are buying, and where from. It helps to create that stop gap and that space, and to be more conscious of what we are buying.

Where can we go to find out more?

I have continued to blog at My Make Do and Mend Life, and we are part way through a year of One Planet Living – looking at a different aspect of sustainable living each month.

My coaching business is at jengale.co.uk and you can find out more about me and my work with ethical businesses. I’ve got some great blog posts up there about things like ‘how to face your fears’ or ‘how to beat comparisonitis’ and I’ve got a podcast launching very soon packed with interviews with ethical entrepreneurs and changemakers!

What or who inspires you?

I’m really inspired by the online community! Social media can be a mixed blessing, but it has enable me to connect and engage with so many wonderful people and do build a wonderfully supportive and inspiring community, all inspiring each other to change the world, one baby step at a time.

About Jen

Jen is an ethical business coach, inspiring change makers and purpose-driven entrepreneurs to create positive impact and a better world.

Having originally trained as a vet, Jen responded to her inner voice, telling her that there was something more! So, she made a bold move and now spends her time coaching business owners and start-ups who want to make a change too, unlocking their potential and enabling them to live the lives they dream of and to genuinely be the change they want to see in the world.

Listen to Jen’s podcast, Making Good or visit Jen’s homepage for free resources, courses and coaching!

Making good

5Jun2017

UK changemakers who are making good

by Midlands Minimalist

AND, WW, Camp folded diagonal square

It’s rare that you’ll find a minimalist blogger writing about – or recommending – products or services. That goes against the grain, right?

Minimalist or not, we are all consumers. We consume to survive and to function in society. However, our journey towards minimalism or simple living may help us to be more intentional in our purchasing. We may become curious about where our clothes were made, wonder if the packaging from our foodstuffs can be recycled, or whether the products we use in our home are helpful (or harmful) to the environment.

UK changemakers

Here’s where some new UK brands are setting out to make a difference to the way we buy and consume everyday things. Changemakers to the core, these people are running purpose-driven businesses designed to have a positive impact on both people and planet.

I did a bit of research and was amazed at the creativity and ingenuity of these small businesses that are definitely putting values first, so I thought I’d share them with you. Let me know what you think! Do you choose to buy certain products because the values of their company align with yours? Note that I have not been sponsored to write this post; it’s simply for interest and to get the conversation going.

Splosh

Splosh is first on my list. It offers an innovative approach to how we buy and consume home cleaning and laundry products, which made me curious to find out more. The Splosh method means that you buy a starter kit of the basics, followed by re-usable refills that come directly to you in the post. The company claims that its products are not only great value but they are more convenient and miles better for the environment. As soon as my current batch of ECOS washing liquid runs out, I’m going to give this a try.

Screen Shot 2017-05-11 at 15.07.54

Lost Shapes

lostshapes

Anna Brindle’s runs ethical clothing company, Lost Shapes, selling fair wear certified, organic cotton and sustainable fabric tops that are hand printed with original designs. We all know that the most ethical way to consume clothing is to buy secondhand, but if you don’t want to do this (for whatever reason), it’s great to know there are companies out there, making clothes on home turf and selling directly to the customer. Anna’s designs are fun and easy to wear. Check out her ‘optimist’ collection. I like her slogan: Another nice day, which works well whatever the weather!

Anna Brindle printing

If you’re into ‘cool clothing that tells tales’, also check out:

Where does it come from?

Imagine buying something and being able to trace its entire journey. Jo Salter wanted the assurance that the clothes she was buying for herself and her kids weren’t contributing to cruel labour practices or contributing to the world’s pollution problems. So, she set up Where does it come from? which allows the customer a chance to trace the story of each item purchased by typing a unique code into the organisation’s website.

Jake and Maya Kids

Jake and Maya Kids pride themselves on waste reduction, offering clothes that grow with your kids, as they include adjustable features to maximise the lifespan of each garment. If you have little ones, this sounds fun, especially if the clothes can be passed down from one child to the next.

Bough to Beauty Bespoke

Not a beauty business as you might infer, Bough to Beauty Bespoke is a UK-based organisation run by Vix Lawson using laser engraving to create name badges, coasters, keyrings (and more) out of sustainably-sourced wood. If you’re an events company, in particular, how lovely it would be to produce name badges for delegates that they can take away and re-use?

I love their little challenge:

“Do you take your own bag to the shops? Ever considered taking your own badge to work events?”

Upcycled gifts with a social conscience

Harjit Sohotey-Khan’s approach is to partner with social enterprises in India to produce a range of handmade accessories made from upcycled materials.

How many organisations can claim to espouse fair trade and zero waste, as well as using upcycled materials that are made by hand by artisans from women’s cooperatives?

Harjit’s www.jewelledbuddha.com sells beautiful scarves and necklaces whose proceeds are improving the lives of the artisans who make them. If gifting is your love language, it’s worth checking out these unique designs. They’re not cheap, but then you wouldn’t expect them to be; they’re beautiful and made to last.

Deodorants with a difference

earthconsciousdeodorantrang_grande

Angela Manton treads as gently as she can with her own consumption, seeking out eco-friendly and ethical options whenever she can. It follows that her natural deodorants contain ingredients that are kind to the body. When washed away, they also pose no threat to marine life. Packaged in plastic-free packaging too which also helps the environment, her company, Earth Conscious, supports the Marine Conservation Society with donations from its sales.

I sent for one of Angela’s vegan lavender deodorants, which I’ve trialled for the last few days. I liked the gentle fragrance; the application was straightforward and – most importantly – it did its job.

Mooncup

Whilst we’re on the subject of personal products, boys you can look away now.

Designed by women for women, Mooncup® is – and I quote – “the original, soft, medical-grade silicone menstrual cup designed by women as the convenient, safe and eco-friendly alternative to tampons and pads”.

I’ve tried this product for the first time recently and I can simply say that I really wish I’d used it before. It takes some getting used to, but once you’ve trimmed the stem to the perfect length, you’re good to go. Not only is this product good for the environment, given the reduction in waste, but it’s good for your purse, too. Once purchased, a Mooncup will last several years. In my case, it’ll probably see me out. Even better, Mooncup’s doing some amazing charity work, which is both humbling and inspiring.

What about you?

Do you have a preferred supplier of ethically-sourced, sustainable goods whose products you love? If we’re going to buy something, it’s great to know that we’re contributing to the greater good in so doing.

It would be good to see your recommendations, so feel free to reply below.

30May2017

What’s your love language?

by Midlands Minimalist

If you’re a recipient of my bi-monthly newsletter, you’ll know that I’ve been reading Jonathan Fields’ How to Live a Good Life. If you haven’t read this book, it’s a cracking good read and worth buying an actual physical copy, as there is much in the book that is worth reflecting on and returning to.

Fill your buckets with vitality, connection and contribution

Fields’ model centres on 3 ‘Good Life Buckets’ – Vitality, Connection and Contribution. Fill your buckets, says Fields, and you’ll be on track towards a more rewarding experience of life.

Know your love language

One aspect really struck me, as I completed a section of the book on ‘Connection.’

Fields draws on the research of Gary Chapman, which defined people’s preferences about the way they give and receive love and appreciation. Fields explains Chapman’s 5 ‘languages of love:’

They are:

Physical Touch
Receiving gifts
Words of affirmation/appreciation
Quality time
Acts of service

It won’t surprise you that, as a minimalist, I instinctively knew that ‘Receiving gifts’ would not score highly on my list, but I had a hunch that ‘Acts of service’ would come out tops.

I was right. When I took Chapman’s online test, my results were in the following order:

Acts of service
Words of affirmation
Quality time
Physical touch
Receiving gifts

So, anything you do to ease a burden for me will speak volumes. It’s also possible that I might show my appreciation for you through an act of service. As Chapman’s profiler says, “Let me do that for you.” is my love language.

Know yourself and understand others

By understanding my love language, those around me will know what makes a difference. By understanding theirs, the connection becomes stronger, as I begin to ‘speak their language’ through the actions I display towards them.

Different types of love

Of course, there are many forms of love and myriad ways to express and receive it. Friendship is a form of love I value greatly. I also observe – and am deeply touched by – the type of familial love displayed my parents to our daughter, Amy. Their deep, unconditional love towards her is the type that comes in spades from grandparents. If you have ever known this type of love (or been able to share it with grandchildren of your own) then you have been truly blessed.

What if you crave a certain type of love?

Fields suggests,”Conversation is the gateway to connection.” He describes how he overcame his natural introspection to build relationships with amazing people.

By setting an intention to be interested in others; to ask questions; to give them his undivided attention; and to truly listen took Fields’ ability to build connections to a new level.

In the process of building the conversation, Fields focuses less on himself and more on others. However, in so doing, he derives as much benefit from the conversation as the one with whom he is conversing.

How can minimalism help?

Minimalism allows us to create space and capacity in our lives for something new. That ‘something’ is unlikely to be ‘stuff’ (unless you’re an experientialist for whom a whole bunch of kit might be needed) but it could be new experiences, new places or new people. Defining what matters and discovering something (or someone) new is a natural by-product when minimalism and simple living become a key tenet of our lives.

As Courtney Carver neatly puts it: simplicity is love.

If you know what it means to embrace a simpler life, then you will know and discover love in its many and varied forms. Who knows? You may speak its different languages, too.

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26May2017

One spare tube of toothpaste: 5 toiletry and makeup minimalist tips from a beauty writer

by Midlands Minimalist

This is a guest post from Rae Ritchie

Last night I used the last of the toothpaste. I opened the door of the cabinet under the sink and got out a new tube. When I popped the old one in the kitchen bin, I added the item to this week’s shopping list.

This straightforward series of events left me with a deep sense of pride and satisfaction. I had a spare but not too many. The cabinet was well-stocked but not jammed full. I retrieved the new item without knocking over several other products in the process.

Veering between over-buying and under-buying

It hasn’t always been like this. When it comes to toiletries and cosmetics, I’ve swung through every stage of over-buying and under-buying. I’ve had to make a special trip for contact lens fluid when I’ve run completely dry and hoarded multiple spares because I didn’t realise there was already some in my cupboard or drawers.

The beauty writer’s dilemma

Being a beauty writer exacerbates these problems. As well as my stash of toiletries and cosmetics, I have products to review (and I keep the packaging for used items until I’ve written about them).

Keeping on top of it all is difficult, especially as I’m also committed to minimalism and mindful consumption. I try to feature eco, ethical and sustainable brands as much as possible in my work, but what’s the point if I’m creating profligate waste?

5 small steps towards saving money, space and resources

Over time, I’ve developed an approach that helps me to navigate through these issues calmly and simply without compromising my principles or my pleasure. I’ve outlined this below along – five small steps towards saving money, space and some of the earth’s resources.

1) Question what you need

I bet that every bathroom and dressing table harbours products that we buy because our parents did, or a friend recommended it, or we read a good review about it somewhere. Perhaps we assume that the mythical ‘everyone’ uses it. But do you need it?

Have a rummage through your supplies and question everything. Clue: start with the dusty and hard-to-reach items! Do you need five bath foams if you don’t like having a bath? A selection of combs and brushes if you use your fingers instead? A serum when you honestly can’t tell the difference whether you use it or not?

I eventually stopped bothering with conditioner when I realised that it just makes my hair greasy. Don’t use it, don’t buy it.

2) Know what you like

When asking what you really need, you’re likely to encounter lotions, potions, tubes or compacts that fall into the opposite camp: the stuff that you genuinely like. Enough varnishes to open a nail bar, all half used because you change the colour three times a week? The brow products that you think you look strange without? The shampoo that you add an extra dollop of because of the scent?

My well-used favourites are night cream, which I ritually slather on before bed, and red lipstick, which I feel under-dressed without. Knowing what you wouldn’t want to live without makes it easier to discern what you’re not so bothered about – and therefore can cull from your home and your shopping list.

3) The over-blown promise

A popular trick employed by advertisers to get us buying things that we don’t really need is to prey on our dreams about who we wish we were. Individual fantasies might vary but there are some standard themes such as slimmer, richer, more poised, more glamorous.

Beauty marketing is rife with aspirational allure, seeming to promise that a swipe of fat on our lips or rubbing water and chemicals in our skin will magically transform us to who we long to be. While a bit of wishful thinking is harmless enough, be alert to these tactics. No toiletry or cosmetic can fundamentally who we are.

If you love the colour or adore the smell, go ahead and buy. However if you’re looking to fix a problem or improve your life, step out of the beauty hall or toiletry aisle! Make-up and its close companions can occasionally change how you feel but they won’t transform your entire life, as I know having spent several months trying to boost my self-esteem with a very expensive bottle of primer.

4) The false economy

At the opposite end of the money scale to aspirational buying is the false economy. We see a reduced or offer sign and mistakenly tell ourselves that the product is a bargain, even if we don’t want it or need it – or worse still, don’t actually like it and won’t use it. I’ve done this with lip balm, picking up so many with a special price sticker on only to later remember that I just like Carmex and one pot will see me through half a year.

Whether it’s 50p or £50, it’s false economy. Question what you need, know what you like and buy what you intend to when you plan to. The world will not end if you find yourself a bit short of bath crème.

5) One in, one out, one spare

Closely linked to false economy is the lure of the multi buy, the BOGOF and all of the other special offers that encourage us to stock up on more. Alongside stuff we don’t we need, we often have products that are genuinely useful but feel overwhelming because we don’t need quite so many of them.

Instead of filling your cupboards with spares, spares and mores spares, trying buying the next moisturiser/shampoo/eye liner/whatever when you start on the last of your stockpile. Depending on how quickly you or your household get through a particular item, you might need to modify this, perhaps purchasing your next lot when you’re down to two or three.

Developing your own buying schedule helps you to arrive at that elusive sweet spot where you have just enough of something.

Not too much, not too little.

One spare tube of toothpaste: my beauty writing minimalist dream.

About the writer

Rae Ritchie is a writer specialising in fashion, beauty, mental health, sobriety, gender, women’s magazines and mindful living. Discover more at https://raeritchie.com/about/

22May2017

Simplify your…. laundry

by Midlands Minimalist

When we first got married (20 years ago this year!), I have to say that – in the laundry department – we would have scored very badly on expertise (and on attention to detail).

If our washing had entered Eurovision, our score would have been “null points”.

As a couple, we were laundry novices, in spite of me having been trained the Swiss way as an au-pair and both of us having done our own washing at university.

How we did our laundry in the old days

We first lived in a small rented flat, with no garden. So washing and drying anything involved the use of:

washing machine
tumble dryer
clothes horse

We owned all of the above, but here’s the reality:

Everything went in the washing machine together. Everything got tumble-dried together. Everything ended up in a heated ball of tangled washing.

Reset

Fast-forward 20 years and things are so much better.

Here’s how we keep on top of our laundry and how we keep it simple.

Divide and conquer

Our laundry arrives in front of the washing machine, mainly via the washing basket (sometimes straight out of sports bags) in its usual mixed-up jumble. This is where the sorting starts.

Sort….

We sort by type to bring bedding together, towels together, dark items, coloured items, whites, delicates etc.

Wash…

I don’t own anything that needs hand washing. Most often, we use a quick wash programme that’s just half an hour; that gets different washes done speedily. Some of the delicate programmes take a little longer. We only do a hot wash if we really need to. That’s better for the environment.

Dry…

I’d like to tell you that I’m outside every morning, pegging out my washing in the garden. However, those of you who follow my Instagram account will know that we actually live in the land of sunshine and showers, so leaving the washing on the line at 07:30 and hoping it will have been gently wind-blown dry by 17:30 is somewhat optimistic. When we have a spell of good weather, we do dry washing outside, but throughout 3/4 of the year, we turn to indoor drying methods.

I use the tumble dryer, but only for certain items such towels or bedding that can tolerate this and which don’t dry well on the clothes horse.

I do not tumble dry clothes, principally because it’s bad for the longevity of the fabric but I am also mindful of how much electricity the tumble dryer uses.

We have a condenser dryer, which means I can salvage the water in the tank for re-use. Tumble dryer water does fine for mopping the floor. We’ve even used it for watering the back garden with no problems.

For clothes (and for items such as pure cotton duvet covers), we have two drying methods.

Heated clothes horse/air dryer

This is a wonderful machine! It holds more than one load of washing, is cheap to run and does a very good job. It’s an investment – and you need space to place an item like this – but I wish I’d got one of these sooner.

Heated dryer

Retractable wall-mounted dryer

This is great when you have a small amount to dry; ours is above a radiator so the clothes benefit when the heating is on. My Onjenu dresses go perfectly on this dryer. All I need to do is hang them up, then transfer them to the wardrobe when dry – no creasing, no ironing. Wear, wash, dry then wear again. Simple!

Baskets

Once things are dry, we have two baskets into which they go:

Items to be ironed (as few as possible)
Items to be smoothed, folded and put away (which don’t stay here for long)

Basket 1 gets lots of attention on Sunday, as this is my ironing day when I can listen to all my favourite podcasts and do my ironing right next to the wardrobes where the clothes are to hang. Occasionally, I’ll whip out the ironing board if I need to something mid-week, but normally this isn’t necessary.

Basket 2 is a breeding ground for things like towels, tea-towels, e-cloths, sports kit etc. The key to the success of this is keep things moving. As soon as there are a few items in there, we fish them out, fold, then put away.

I am self-appointed Head of Sorting and Folding, after which I leave little “gifts” on the island in the kitchen (piles of washing to put away) or on the bed of the owner.

Products

I’ve recently switched to a US product called ECOS. It’s a plant-based liquid detergent that is ultra-concentrated; a little goes a very long way. Even better, its chunky container fits perfectly in my cupboard. Plus, I’ll be able to recycle the bottle when all the product is used up.

I do use Vanish stain remover gel for stubborn stains, but have also experimented with undiluted white vinegar, which works reasonably well on lightly soiled items.

Tumble dryer balls are also the order of the day for improved efficiency.

Keep on top of it

The important thing is not to let things mount up. This does happen from time to time and the sight of what I call ‘Wishy Washy’s Laundry’ makes my heart sink.

So, we keep it going with a little and often approach. This way, we avoid overwhelm and no-one ever runs out of anything to wear (even when I maintain a pared-down wardrobe, Project 333 style).

What’s the benefit?

Taking a systematic approach to a necessary chore such as the laundry helps keep things simple. By establishing a routine, things just fall into place and you don’t have to think about it any more. This way, your time is freed up to do the things you’d rather spend time doing. Like I said in a previous post, that’s the minimalist way!

What laundry tips do you have? Any washing tips or laundry hacks? Please leave a comment in the reply section below!

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16May2017

Simplify your….meal planning

by Midlands Minimalist

My colleague asked me yesterday when I found the time to blog.

Well, in case you were wondering, I’m writing the first part of this post in the reception of my orthodontist’s practice! Yes, it’s good to slow down and spend time just being, but I’ve been here for over two hours and haven’t been seen yet. Appointment chaos! Maybe the practice needs to simplify its appointment system!

Today’s post is about simplifying meal planning. Getting this right has a number of benefits:

Benefits of meal planning

Saves time
Helps you budget
Avoids food waste
Means you always have what you need on hand
Decisions about what to cook are made in advance

Need a quick fix?

There are a number of ‘quick fix’ options for meal planning such as Hello Fresh, which provides a delivery service with curated ingredients plus recipes together. These tend to be very expensive, however, and with the price of food having rocketed in the last year, that’s not an option I’d advocate (no matter how quick and easy these appear to be).

Ingredients of effective meal planning

3 must-haves for effective meal planning:

A small stash of favourite cookbooks (I now have just 5, having decluttered those I no longer used)
Post-it notes or sticky tabs to place on the pages of your chosen recipe
Your favourite online supermarket or go-to local stores that will stock what you need

2 options:

A folder containing much-loved recipes from magazines or hand-written notes
A go-to online source of great recipes (Minimalist Baker; BBC Good Food)

Note that I avoid apps such as mealboard, but I’d be curious to know if you have a preferred app that you use for this purpose.

Method

I tend to select recipes from just one or two of my books each time I shop. When planning meals for the next few days (we tend to shop every six days), I flick through and select what I fancy making. This will include:

3 or 4 main courses (a veggie bake, chilli or stew; a more crunchy option with a bit more bite; and a quick and easy recipe for when time is tight)
A weekend breakfast recipe such as Apple porridge

Angela Liddon’s apple pie oatmeal from Oh She Glows!

A sweet treat
Energy bites for the lunch box

Getting organised

I tag each page of my recipe book with a sticky tab to remind myself of what I’ve selected. I find it’s the quickest way to remember why I’ve got particular ingredients in my fridge two or three days after my online order has arrived!

When doing your online shop, walk around the kitchen as you add items to your virtual basket and check what you already have in stock. Half a celeriac in the fridge? Why not buy some ingredients to go with that and make some soup to use it up? And here’s a recipe for you if you like celeriac and leek soup!

Better still, work as a team if you have someone who can help and have one person inputting what’s required from your list and the other checking what’s already in stock.

Take your list

If you shop in person, make your list and take it with you when you go to the store to stay on task and remember what you need. And don’t shop whilst hungry…

Ready, steady, cook!

Once your food is in place, you’re ready to go.

Use the time when you have the capacity in your schedule to cook up the recipes that might take longer; this way, when you’re busier, there’ll be something ready to bake or warm through when you need it.

Reap the benefits

You’ll reap the benefits by getting ahead with your meal planning; with everything in place, you can relax and enjoy your time in the kitchen (whether you’re a devoted cook or not). Then, you’ll be freed up to spend the rest of the time how you like: that’s the Minimalist approach.

Further reading:

#FrugalFebruary – Frugal Entertaining

#FrugalFebruary – Food and groceries

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