Just about bordering on odd, I see things through different eyes.The heading says it all - I live, I love, I craft, I am me...

08/11/2021

Time travel

 A day or two ago, whilst doing some valuable research (erm perusing Pinterest) I stumbled across a link (like you do) and followed it's enticing invitation which lead from one thing to another then suddenly I discovered I could time travel and had been missing in action for hours and hours and days and days (well - that last bit was a slight exaggeration) However, I did come across 'Simple Matters' by Erin Boyle.

I did a bit more research and found a second hand copy from a smaller independent book seller and promptly bought it. Which, as I was reminded, was a bit of a contradiction - purchasing a book on how to declutter - hmmm - may have to think on that conundrum. Any hoo, it landed today and I decided that I would curl up with a brew, the book and some knitting and quietly read away. The weather outside was doing it's best to be dreary and I really wanted to get on and knit.


So that is exactly what I did. Sort of.....

Because by page 20 I was up and in the bathroom going through the cabinet and sorting out the shelf of shampoos of doom (we have more than we need - I may have mentioned it before - there are spares of all shapes and sizes kept by both boys and their girls). I had not realised how many were half bottles of the same varieties, so they were all upended to reduce the quantity. Nearly finished tins of hair wax, old sponges and nearly empty shaving gel and deodorants (all the lads I hasten to add!) were sorted and thrown away, the shelves wiped and the few survivors returned trembling to stay another day.

While I was up there I changed the towels, chucked them in the wash and gave all the plants their weekly sauna (they all jump into the bath, have a shower then drain before being returned to their usual places). 

I came down to take out the now washed towels and decided on a quick brew and another glance at the book - I devoured several more chapters and found myself taking all the 'stuff' off the dresser and dumping it on the dining room table. The dresser was given a good clean and each..and..every..item was given a good looking at before being moved either back to the dresser or into the paper skip (why on earth do I still have a catalogue from a company I don't use?) or in the recycling, charity shop box or bin. It felt rather cathartic.

I noticed that the carpet where'd I'd been sorting things out needed vacuuming as snippety bits of paper and fluff had been produced by my over enthusiastic tidying up. 


By mid afternoon - I'd decided that I was ready to stop, it seems that I once again I had been time travelling! 

So I put on the kettle and rewarded myself with a few rows of knitting and a chunk of the softest fluffiest chocolate vegan cake. It is scrumptious and I shall share the recipe with you tomorrow - until then you can feast your eyes on this ....

And know that each mouthful of chocolate cake is laced with the sharpest drizzle of lemon icing and the contrast is mouth watering!

I shall now go and walk off the calories with Moss - until tomorrow!
#blogmorevember

14 comments:

  1. I love a bit of decluttering … it’s definitely good for the soul 😃

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    1. There has been several studies saying that ridding your home of excess clutter actually helps with your mental health!

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  2. I think I might need to read that book :)

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    1. It is a gentle read - lots of conversational 'advice' and certainly gave me the incentive to do a bit of decluttering

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  3. Looks a good book; I did a bit of trawling and found a copy for £4.85, free p&p. I'll give it a review when I've read it. Thanks for the inspiration :)

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    1. You are welcome! what I liked about it - it was not a 'how to do' manual type book more of a gentle read of her experiences and how she deals with life and clutter and how she simplifies it down to a comfortable bare minimum without being puritanical - she still admits to liking things and having to live with life as it is - not everything is perfect and it is how to accept/deal/come to terms with it - I hope you enjoy it as much as I have done so far!

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    2. That sounds a good book to read!
      I am aiming to declutter..not easy when someone else is resisting strongly!!

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    3. I live with someone who can't throw away, so I do it on the quiet. Things are put 'away' and if not asked about (sometimes for months or years) they go. Ideally I would shift out a lot of inherited furniture but that is not going to happen, they sit there staring at me!! grrrrr!

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  4. Well done on the sort outs. I am having a major declutter, brought on by necessity. Managed to fill a skip and restock charity shops, and have a trip to the tip and the end is not yet in sight. Think I need cake..

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    1. Cake is definitely the way - both as reward and as incentive! well done with the clearing 😊

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  5. I wish reading would be the catalyst to actually get things done for me. I'm wimpy at decluttering but it needs to be done.

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    1. I was already feeling like I needed to sort things out - finding the book was just the catalyst I needed. I was already in the right frame of mind but needed that 'kick' and it seems this book did it for me!

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  6. Since we moved here nearly 7 years ago (what????) I have done a lot of decluttering and I can say it makes me feel so good. All my surplus 'treasures' have gone to good homes so they can be enjoyed/used for a bit longer. I have gained space and also found things I've 'lost' or forgotten I had. My husband's aunt did not throw anything away so when we came to clear her house we were dealing with stuff going back 40 years plus... so much work because she could not part with stuff. So, continue to declutter! x

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  7. Oh! thou art a temptress! Chocolate cake indeed one of my favourites and I can practically taste it! Yep! I do have a vivid imagination! I use olive oil and yoghurt when making lemon cake so I should think I could use the same for chocolate. There's a thought I should be pushing to one side! Naughty choco cake! I am looking for that book as I desperately need to get rid of stuff...not my stash of yarn of course that stays, much to Sr P's disgust. Take care. Amanda x

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Hawthorn x

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