Dump it on me

The end of the year is nearing which means I have a lots to do. First of all, it has been ages that I have vacuumed the carpet and wipe down all the surfaces. I still don't have a home for all the great stuff that has been coming through the door.

I already bought presents for a house warming party but till then you can find the gifts somewhere under my pc table. Which I still have to clear for the first of January when my nephews are coming. My siblings clothes still drying on the radiator.

Did I mentioned I still have to iron my clothes? So much to do in so little time. But if I think about it and just do it, it will be done in 3 hours tops. I mean all those chores are easily done and I am a fast worker. My bedroom wipe down doesn't take 5 minutes because there is so little in it. Ironing just a few items doesn't take an hour. Folding the stuff around the house takes even less.

The difficulty lies in the start because when I start there is no end. I know myself well enough to realize that. And don't forget the last minute groceries that the family will dump on me, last minute. Yeah, lets get everything done today so tomorrow will be a nice last day of the year.

Christmas Feast

Oh my, over the past few days I had a eat festival. Starting with Christmas eve with fried snacks and beer. In the morning I had a late breakfast with the family and after two hours of doing nothing until the delivery sushi came. Being stuffed with raw fish and rice was nice but after two hour it was tea time. The expensive chocolate cherry cake was delicious and nice but I was still full from the lunch.

I got to nap in between the lunch and tea time still didn't burn enough calories to eat more. So diner was last and that means we got to go outside for a drive. A medium lamb steak was made for us and I sipped a glass of wine.

Honestly, Christmas is all about food and coming together to drink and chat. Looking back this year, I find that I could have done more but my clutter pile didn't grow and I didn't bought things that I regret. I also shrunk the all-round stuff around the house.

This Christmas has been spent with those I love and cherish.

Back Up Box

Like any other girl, I have my back up box filled with daily supplies of things. Yesterday at night I find out that I am running low on my Vitamine E cream and it was about time to get something new but before I buy, I needed to check my box. But because it's all the way in the attic I didn't check it. I remembered that I've seen something on sale but I ushered myself to wait.

In the morning I got up and went to the attic and found out that I still have a spare pot of my night cream. Okay, it's not half full but still enough for a whole month. After that, it came to me that I can buy if I just combine the cream in one container.

But the back up box isn't meant to be used like that. So I have to finish both containers before buying a new one. Luckily the sale is now all-round the year and don't forget that the new year sale is coming up.

My treasured back up box is going to be a bit empty but next year it will be filled with new things I want to try and experience.

To Realize

No new post for more than a week, I just realized when I watched my post. It's bad because this blog put a lot of my daily happening in perspective. Thanks to it, I have learned to reflect in a short timeline. Something I haven't learned to embrace. I mean looking back in my own life I can reflect but on daily basis it would become a nuisance but not anymore. I have learned to embrace the fact that I can reflect on daily basis. Honestly, I also missed it.

Yesterday night I was sitting on the couch watching telly and looking into the advertisement. I found the hand cream that my mom uses is on sale. I told her that and asked if I needed to buy it for her. She told me that she still have enough and if she bought it, it would only encourage her to use different hand creams at the same time and let it lay around everywhere in the house.

It's true, just in the living room I can find two hand creams and don't get me started on her other bottles or tubes of things. It's nice that my constant bickering and nagging made her realize that she has so much.

I think that it is a nice moment where both my mom and I were made to realize we learn from each other.

Pissed

Last night I got pissed as hell. Why? Because my family doesn't put the stuff back where it belongs. I really hate the fact that whenever I put so much effort to declutter and organized it get messed up so easily. The fact that they don't even try is even the worst.

A month ago my siblings came back from their holiday but just brought back the suitcases. Two suitcases. I stocked it up with clothes so it doesn't take much space but they never put the clothes back They just dump it and let others fix it. One thing, I have promised myself is that I won't clean up their mess anymore. 

So yesterday night I was a b*tch towards my mom. She always thinks I am the one to fix it but this time I was the unfriendly one. Cause whenever your the ancor in the house to clean things up, people will take you for granted. And it felt good and still does because sometimes I need to make sparks to convey my feelings. 

Letting emotion flows and vent for once in awhile it's healthy. I mean being nice is good but I need to love myself once in awhile. Placing myself in the number one spot.

The Downside

Sometimes I do hate minimalism. For example today I got a great offer in my mailbox about
lip balm 50% off. The price would be around eighty euro cents, a great deal for a lip balm but
I still have some around the house and in my backup box.

Also this year I bought two Burt's bee balm for half the price but it's still expensive and one of it
is still in the box. So right at the moment when I got the mail I was a little pissed off. Like that's a great deal but I can't buy it.

I think it's good to recognize these situations because if I acknowledge it, I can at least do something about it. I try to think back before I started minimalism. I always bought cheap stuff but it was so much that I have to start shrinking my belongings. So it was a great decision to buy Burt's bee lip balm instead of a half priced intensive care balm because I already have something like it in my box.

And I still remember that I once had my Vaseline lost underneath my bed and bought a new one. And after a year or two it's empty. When reflecting on my days before being a minimalist it makes me happy to see the changes in my environment.

There are times that it's not fun but almost everything comes with a downside. I am fortunate that the downside is so small and all the other reasons to be minimalist nullify the negatives.

Difficulties

It is December and that means just one thing. It's sale time. With the economy still in it's recovery stages after 2008 retailers are pulling every little trick to get money out of our pockets. And I don't mean it in a bad way. For now we consumers are the lucky ones. We think we got really good deals. But as I have mentioned before the really good sale is starting after the holidays.

I did got some vitamins that were on sale in house and a comforter. Last week my siblings got one in sale for €30,- and I got the same thing for €23,-. Yes that's how I do it, I always wait until I find the price is right. Thirty bucks is too much but twenty three is reasonable.

Anything else that's crawling in the house is food or things bought by others. In the meanwhile, mom and I have found really inexpensive and quality sponges for our dishes. Yes, last month we bought a packet and the quality and durability is great. 

There are a lot of things I want to buy but it's all so unnecessarily so I haven't bought any. I am currently waiting for the clothes sales in January. Other things that I really want aren't things I can buy. For example, the bag that I want to have, own and use is only available in Japan. It's the Busy Beaver Glasgow and I like it so much. 

The pictures shows the functionality and it's also very good for my back. I love it and it's also a reason why I don't buy any new bags. Seriously, I think I will buy it after all my other bags are worn out but for now I use what I have. 

It's also possible that I will purchase the healthy back bag but it's just doesn't measure up to the 'Glasgow'. Still, I have to wait until the real sale season starts and start selecting things to donate.

Cold

It's getting dark very soon and that means I spend more time at home. I still love to be outside but the weather is getting colder and grimmer. I already have my fleece vest on and it's very cozy. I even use the electric heater at night to get warm. Yes, I don't use the central heater cause it works on gas and that's much more expensive than electricity.

I love the way that such a small heater can make me feel warm. Of course I also have my thermos pants out of my closet. I really want to spend all my time in bed and warm up but there is also life. I have to get out but it's very difficult.

The wind does bring chills on my cheeks when I ride my bike but it's also nice. The last few days, I have been going around but that's not really a problem. I love the fact that winter can brings us together. I have been sharing the blanket with my siblings when I sat on the couch.

The thing is, the winter is cold but it also brings us together and that is warm.

Sinterklaas

It's almost the birthday of the holy old guy Sinterklaas. I never believed in it and I think Santa Claus is a rip of version of the guy. I mean they have so many thing in common like servants and animals helping him. But honestly, I don't really give a damn about both holidays.

It's not that I never got something but how the heck is it humanly possible to register if a child has been good or bad for a whole year by just one person. Nevertheless, today I got something Sinterklaas related, a facial washcloth.

I really like the fact that it's free of charge. I went out to buy something for someone else and I got it as an extra catch. I had a blast today. It was calm and the weather was not bad.

And in a few days Sinterklaas is going back to Spain and Santa Claus is coming from the North Pole. I really can't wait.

Watching others shop

Wow, I went out shopping with my siblings and I almost spent nothing. I only enjoyed a €1,- breakfast and a €2,- lunch. My sisters bought new comforters and head pillows. I just watched how they did their shopping. It was funny because I am always the one that tells them where to buy and if they can get a discount coupon. 

Eventually I came back home with just some kids cutlery and plates that where on a wishing list for my nephew. But really spending money for myself and getting new stuff in the house is a big no, no. The thing is, I enjoyed the company and the events of the day but I didn't need to spend a penny to get it. 

The feeling is great obtaining something intangible. So watching others shop can also bring happiness to oneself. The downside is that after printing the discount coupon I need to find a new printer. I thought I still had inkjet cartridge but it's not. With the coupon that my sibling gave me for my birthday I plan to buy a laser printer. 

Still I am waiting after the new year because then the sale starting and I can get the best deal. 

Reflecting on

Last weekend I went out shopping with my siblings and that was fun. I didn't bought anything expensive for myself. Just two anti-slip hair band in sale for 35 cents each and two snacks for less than €2,-. The rest is just shopping for others.

The thing about getting nothing out of hours shopping doesn't upset me anymore. When I started with minimalism it's about saving money and spending less. Nowadays I don't care if I walk out a store without anything. It's more about the experience not the thing I buy.

For example last month I got a free teddy bear. It's nice and all but in the end, it didn't fulfill a purpose. I gave it back to my nephew of course in the box that I folded up nicely. It's not bad or something. I think owning something new for a while made me realize it's not important and it was just a gimmick.

The gift of giving is also something I learned to appreciate. Something small or cheap can still be valuable to the receiver. As a child I got a lot of things and everything was a treasure that I didn't want to part with.

Stuff is just stuff but it also holds value and I know that being a minimalist isn't easy. But finding those small things that really matters holds much more value. I try to get less in the house and it works.

New things I got

This week has been a bit hectic around the house. More like I wasn't at home for a long time and I need to do a lot of chores around the house. I wanted to do more with my crochet projects but didn't had time for it. So instead I am writing this post while watching tv. Yes, a little bit of multitasking in between or I wouldn't been able to write this post.

So today I made some time to sit and relax. So what did I do this week concerning minimalism. I had to give back my uniform for a different staff. So more space in my closet. I even had the courage to donate my old comfortable undershirt. I also took my other undershirt and I am using it. Those has been laying around for a while unused.

This week I got some new stuff because my siblings came back from holiday. I asked for some things that are way cheaper than in the Netherlands. My first gift is a box of sheets masks and a small mp3 box I requested. The other thing I got is a flexible tripod cause the one I had is broken.

And a new pair of pants is going in my closet. My mom was planning to shorten my other pants but she didn't had time to do. Instead she bought a new one. It's something that she did to say sorry for not fixing my other one.So now I am think about donating other things because something new in means two out. So now it's time to get rid of stuff.

Online buy

This week new buy is a rice cooker for ourselves. Our current one still makes beautiful rice but the downside is that a very important part is broken. The button which I have to press to open the lid and lock it. For months we have been using tools like our hamer to put pressure on it and used it. But it was about time to replace it with something better.

For my nephew who isn't aloud in the kitchen steps on the line to test our limits and a hammer falling accidentally on my foot and knocking me out for weeks wouldn't be ideal. So considering all those factor it was time to go hunting.

The thing with rice cooker is that there is so much choice. Three years ago I bought an American Originals Multi Chef. I love it because it had so many functions but I use the cooking rice the most. I bought it in sale for around 30 euro's which I found reasonable at the time.

This week I didn't had much luck, the multi purpose rice cooker ranged from 50- 100. Never the less I bought one. One for exactly 54,95 euro's. I ordered it online and got it the next day in house. Blokker promises and gives excellent service. And I got my sister to pay for it with credit card because it's better than Ideal which doesn't guarantee safe delivery and it is basically a direct money transfer. It's not possible to get your money back if something happens.
So be smart and use advantage of your cards instead of directly transferring money to a webshop.

A whole week

It just slip my mind, not blogging. The fall is great but less sun is bad for my health so every dry moment outdoors I spent it wisely. This weekI took the oppurtunity to do some more recreative cycling. Just riding my bike. I know the fall and the winter in the Netherlands is quite cold and I won't get the chance to do something outdoors except for walking around the cornor and doing groceries.

I can't even wait for the snow to fall. Last year and in the beginning of 2014 there wasn't much snow. However, I did got the free salt and put it in the empty cleaned up detergent containers. Those containers have handles and it's easier to distrubate the salt if needed. No more bucket with salt and a hand shovel.

In the mind of a minimalist, this week I have given away our huge washing basket. It used to be used for a household of five. For the past several years we used it as the toilet paper container and now it's gone. So it's been great minimal effort can give a huge return because that basket ain't small. Less stuff, more living spaece.

Recap

Wow, I went through my own post and saw that this month I got a lot of new things. I already have put away old items accordingly to the 1 in 2 out rule but never got the chance to really get it out of the house.

The pile of donation is getting bigger each week and it's about time to donate. I love the fact that I see the pile growing slowly instead of scrambling stuff once a month just to donate. It's also gives me a peace of mind of that what I trow away really isn't useful to me. 

Now I have a huge bag with old clothing which I still have to drop off at H&M or C&A to get a reduction coupon. I am really a fan of these clothing companies because they at least try or make an effort towards those who make our clothes. 

Never the less, tomorrow I will go donate my clothing and put away the donation stuff in a box. I even need to buy an electric heater. Yes another buy this month but November this year is really cold and getting out bed sneezing daily isn't really healthy. 

So for short this week has been great and tiring but it doesn't end. Tomorrow is another day.

Ooops!

I just came to a conclusion that some of the things I do are very useful in everyday life. Like how do I review my own clothing. The the labels I cut out of my clothing are very nice and I forgot to make a picture of the bundle last week.

So I recently asked for a free shopper and in the weekend it came in with the mail. I love it and am planning to use it but know I need to get rid of two things. I thought really hard about it and planned to donate a singlet and my eye roller.

This is how I do it, two object for one. This week I also got a free stuffed bear and now I need to donate something. I think something like a bag but I am not ready to let one go yet. Still, I am getting closer to shrinking my collection of bags.

Happy B'day to me

Hurray it's my birthday and I spent it so meaningful. I got messages from around the world but it's not that special. Yesterday I celebrated with diner outdoors. I still had a coupon for a the second free diner. I spent just €50,60 for the whole diner. I got red envelops and a giftcard.

I also went to a different village just to go shopping. I bought the pants I need for tomorrow and got some lunch. The very dutch peas soup was not bad but I didn't bought anything that I didn't need. At home I found something very special my Kellogs beach bag. It's so great to get a new bag for free.

But it means that I have to get rid of two other things because the free bag is still an item I want to keep. So lucky to get the bag on my birthday.

Another year has past and I am happy that I am still healthy!

Logic Tricks

I know some people always loose the roll of trash bags but I never got that problem after putting the bags in the bin. The life-hacks videos on YouTube has helped me in that sense. Except I don't buy a roll of trash bags. But that made me think about that a lot of chores can be simplified logistically. Never look for something when you need it.

It's just like washing dishes. When I clean up the table, I make sure the tableware is stacked and has no food in it. Second of all, I am very grateful of my utensils in the kitchen a drying rack and a dripping container for cutlery. The sponges are in hand-sight and the dish soap is next to it. Because this chore is done daily everything that's needed is always there. 

But for those who just trow away trash once the sack is full it's totally different. I try to make living as simple and easy as possible. I love how it's done in my own daily life. I went from a huge pile of clothing to smaller piles that I really like. I have less stuff in my bedroom which helps with resting and the best thing is getting it clean in under 15 minutes. 

I think thinking logically like postponing a buy when needed or thinking more carefully helps in reducing clutter. Thanks to it my mom and I have bought less and spent less. We also try to look at thing from a different angle. My mother hasn't bought any clothing this last two months that aren't need. 

Try thinking differently and see what minimalism can be for you.

Small project, Huge impact

Don't you dare to think I have been just sitting around doing nothing. This week I made something very special. It's very simple but very useful. I really love it because it helps me in storing temporary items.

I like to write in the living room because I can talk with my family but also do something useful at the same time. So I bring my laptop downstairs just for a few hours but at night I don't want to walk to the attic just to store my laptop. But it look so cluttered when I let it lay around on the table and with friends visiting it just doesn't look right.

A very easy DIY project came in my mind. Finding a plank and stick four wheels underneath it. Why would you think. My couch has empty space underneath and I can just slip it under. I do not only put my laptop under it but also my bag or anything that takes to much space on the coffee table.

This solution is so easy but makes so much of a difference for instance I sit a lot on the floor and use a cushion but it doesn't have a place to call home. Now it goes underneath the couch every time after I use it. These small tweaks in my life have helped me to maintain a clutter free room.

Accidentally bought

There are things that I have wished for a long time or seen on tv that I want to have. Beauty tricks that has been on magazines or tv but I couldn't buy it because of the price. So today I am very happy to say that I finally bought a item that has been on my list for a long time.

I was supposed to go to a furniture shop to buy a "flying" shelf because my nephew loves the phone that is in hand reach. So I went and instead I bought a satin pillow case, it was half price for €3,50. It's usually priced €6,- thus my purchase in a long time. 

The expert say that if you use a satin pillow case your hair and skin will get prettier because it doesn't leave any crease on the face. I am very eager to find out if it helps, cause a pretty skin by just sleeping is so nice. 

Don't worry about my phone cause I also bought the shelf and want to install it immediately but I haven't got a drill, which means I have to borrow it very soon. I was also surprised because the shelf was also an discount item.

A fantastic weekend and one that I will not forget so soon. 

Shift

After writing for about a year I come to a conclusion that minimalism has taken a huge position in my life. For one it's not only about the stuff anymore and how I try to get rid of it. I am in a phase where I am happy but I am still actively thinking about living with even less.

It's the small difference from getting rid of stuff and thinking about living with even less. It's a step up in my minimalistic lifestyle. I don't think of my belongings as a nuisance but more like small treasures. I understands it's still stuff but after going through and selecting so many things I kept those that are really meaningful to me. Though I don't think I am clutter free, it's a great felling where I am now.

It's this shift in mind that made me level up in the invisible scale of my minimalism lifestyle.

Just 15 minutes

This week I have been babysitting almost every single day. But it didn't made me forget minimalism, the things babies need are humongous. It's so much stuff and I can barely understand how my sister can find a place for everything. For example last night the twins were at our place. Within a hour the living room was like a mess.

Tonight when they left, it took less than 15 minutes to get it nice as I like. It's beautiful the stuff that goes back into their homes. Sometimes I forget how creepy empty it can be but on the other hand I really love how it is. The feeling that I have now is proud and calm.

Of course it also makes it easier for myself to clean everything up. I really made sure that everything in the living room is needed. Something I already have done and maintain. The maintaining part is the most difficult because the living is a shared space and I have to respect others wishes.

But it's really nice that the living is clean within 15 minutes.

Inspirationless

It's been a while that I wrote something, I am out of juice. Not because I haven't done nothing but I didn't found the inspiration and the will to do something. I wanted to sit down for a while but lately I just didn't or wouldn't make time free for writing. Now after a whole week of nothing I thought about minimalism and it's long time effect.

This week I went to a trip to my siblings apartment before they left for their holiday. My mom and I went and spent in two days on food and things less than €20,-. Amazing isn't, even my mom find it crazy the amount we spent.

Correct me if I am wrong but I already once wrote about how my lifestyle is rubbing off on my mom. She tried on three items but bought none. Even she was proud of our spending. But the most funny thing is trying something new.

My mom never have eaten doner kebab. So we were at the station and I found it's time for her to try something new. It was also on sale because it was recently reopened. It took my mom a whole bus ride to finish it off.

So do try new things, try travel on a low budget and have fun.

Nice Weekend

Last weekend I had a blast because I was entertained. My siblings were at home and they love eating out but I don't. My sister was craving for sushi. I love sushi but it's expensive if we are going to eat out, per person it would cost around €25. Multiply it by four and the bill will come around €100.
So we decided to call take out sushi and spent around 60 bucks and we are all full. I brew a pot of tea to enjoy while eating.

Afterwards we went to visit our twins nephew. They are so adorable, I could eat them up. We were supposed to spend our diner at their house but because they were so out of it we went to a fast-food restaurant.

It was nice because we also bought a lot of things. My sis bought again a bunch of stuff for her hair. If you compared her hair rituals and things she use on her body it so excess. Like a oil can make your hair nicer and you pay €4 euro for a bottle of 75ml (it was in sale normal price €10,-). I could buy a whole bottle of coconut oil to use it as a hair mask or body lotion.

We also managed to buy some diapers for half price and my sister got pissed at a cashier for being a racist for "all Chinese buy up milk powder to export it to China" he also thought we would do that with diapers.

Nonetheless my weekend was nice and I wouldn't change a thing.

Looking Way Better

Honestly, these few weeks I didn't really had time for myself and with relatives coming it's even worse. I mean I like them and all but the time that I have to make free ain't that simple. Especially when I want to make my life more minimalism. But it's normal making time for those close to you even when it's not convenient at the moment, I know I'll cherish the memories.

I love how fast I am capable to change something negative to something positive. It's that little switch in me that have helped me in my life to adjust and see things in a different perspective. One I really happy to made my own.

For example I wished I could do a packing party but knowing myself it's not possible. I am so jealous of those who can. Still I found my own pace in this minimalism lifestyle. I went on a long journey from a bedroom full of stuff to just the basics.

The attic was full of stuff never organized but now it looks decent. This week I have donated again some clothing without buying new stuff. Mind you the 1in2out still applies even now. I even made extra space in my clothing closet, 50% extra. I even hanged some shirts in it.

Reviewing clothing has helped me to give that extra push to make it nicer for myself. My shelves aren't as full and visually very appealing. I am proud of how it became and it's nice.

Reviewing Clothing

I don't like to iron my clothing but I still do it every time. It just looks nicer and a ironed and folded shirts looks way better than not ironed. Still, last two weeks I haven't pulled out the iron. Today, was just perfect. The sun is shining a bit and I just washed a new basket of clothing. Time to review my own clothing.

It wasn't much that I had to review just a few T-shirts and a pair of pants. I started of with looking at all my clothing and asked myself 'do I really need this?' To be fair, I didn't need everything but some casual clothing just are cozy enough and I want to keep it. Besides, yesterday I decided to donate my old winter coat. That is more than enough donation for this week.

The Netherlands isn't known for it's quality summer weather but I still like to own a few of T-shirt for when it's so hot and I need a new shirt every day. 2014 happened to be a hot summer season cause that did happened and on holiday I need more than just two.

What I did was cutting away all the labels in the clothing because it didn't help the ironing process and it always leave a mark when I iron on it. So cutting it all, it was an easy task. Reviewing the clothing made me again aware of what I own and what I don't really need.

In the meanwhile I was thinking about a too small undershirt that I can donate after washing it. It's all about the process and thinking about what I can do later. This reviewing made me open up my mind to do other things.

Brands & Manufactures

This is my new cutting board and why would I make a picture of it. It's the all known Swedish company but not made in Sweden. Funny, isn't it. As you can see it's made in Romania. Probably because of the labor prices.

This board is my backup board because the one I am using is tarting to fall apart. I do hope this one is getting the job done. Not like the one I bought last year or was it the start of 2014. I love to see this board in action. It's small and I can hang it up.

Just like this 'brand' a lot of other well known brand have their production line in countries with lower labor prices. I think it's funny when Chinese products are made a joke but their beloved mobiles are also made and assembled by Chinese. The thing is you pay for quality and with stuff it's the same but a lot of stuff on the market are overpriced and it's up to us to decide to pay or not.

That's why I decide what is a reasonable price before I go looking for products. I am not going to pay if the price isn't right. Knowing what the production and logistic cost are makes it so much easier for myself.

It's one of the reason I don't support a brand but certain product of a line that I personally use. Like the Sennheiser earphones MX270, love those and it still works after years. So knowing that a brand doesn't always guarantee safe production process I can never really stand behind something like that.

Progress...

Today I started again in the attic where I have my stuff laying around. Two weeks ago I made an adorable round basket for my bedroom and I started to make a crochet a square one but I haven't got enough yarn so I decided to make it a rectangle basket. So the first thing that jumps insight at the attic is this beautiful box.

A long time ago, I bought this box and used it to store huge items. Now it's my yarn box. As you can see, the lid didn't fit but after reorganizing everything it looks nice and the lid fits on top. This box has a home space on top of my wardrobe. 

And that's not all. I also got rid of a packet of used paper, from ten years ago. Things I won't look twice in it. I trow it all in the paper recycle bin and made some space in my bookcase. 

The special thing I want to make out of my yarn is winter item. Something cozy to keep me warm but not blanket. It will take some time cause I need to finish the rectangle basket first.  

Today & Storing

Today was no different than last week. I had no time for myself it also didn't really helped that the weather sucks when I wanted to go home. I had to stick for about two hours in an apartment without anything that's mine and a slow netbook from my sister. FYI the hard disks was full. Okay, I could watch tv but that will result in watching shopping channels because around noon that's all on.

The little light points was feeding the babies. It took awhile but it was nice to feed my nephews. They are cute and don't talk back. They just eat, drink, sleep and leave dirty diapers for us to clean. I am so happy because I can play with kids but don't need to take them with me home.

Eventually I left after I made myself some lunch/high tea food because after all that riding bike I got tired. Today, I hadn't got the time to do anything for myself or the house. In the weekend I made a mess in the attic. Frantically looking for matching yarn to finish the basket. I took what I needed but didn't put everything back. So bad.

People say the trick is putting everything back asap but when I was crocheting I only thought about finishing it. I was purely focused on finishing it and visualizing how it would look on my shelve. So hitting the attic after a day full of babies. It was easy to put everything back where it belongs. I think it's one of those perks of being a minimalist that I know where to put what.

Not needing to think where to put what is so relieving and fun. Yes, having fun while putting it back where it belongs. In the past I had so much stuff I couldn't and didn't want to start but now, the game is on. I know where it fits and where not. It's becoming an easy pie.

I was worrying and busy

19 September, last week  I was in the hospital, accompanying my sister. At the same time, we got the message that she was going to stay overnight. Most time you would not enjoy being in a hospital but for my then unborn nephews it was necessary. So the whole week I have been using my spare time to visit her.

Until this Thursday, I got to meet my sweet little nephews and little they were and still are. I also picked up my needle to crochet. I made a sweet basket because I was working on the minimalistic bedroom. I still had some daily basics that I want to keep but it wasn't really handy in just a confinement without a bottom. I made this sweet basket not according to the design because I want it to be multi-functional. I can use it as an small purse for just my wallet and phone but mainly as a container.

Have anyone seen the prices on those crochet or knitted basket, it's freaking expensive but making it is quite easy. Finding the right design with instruction is easy on the internet. Within clicks I even find other possible project for in the future.

I just had other things to do this week. That's why I didn't got to write and the minimalist life is about putting things that really matters to you first. Don't forget minimalism doesn't make my day worse by obligating myself to do things for others but myself. In the end I should be happy and I hope you too.

Something Funny

In the weekend something funny happened. The neighbors kids came around ringing our bell. They were looking for their ball. So I was looking for it in the back yard and couldn't find their ball. Because our yard consist of a lot of vegetables growing in buckets I had to look carefully. I couldn't find it and it was not in our back yard.

The kids didn't believe it and they want to see for themselves. My elder sister told them to go back to the yards gate to look for it. They saw how it looked liked our garden and I even asked how their ball looked liked to find it. After they got satisfied looking in our garden, I went with them to find their ball.

I eventually picked them up to look over the wall in my neighbor home. After picking one kid up the other want to go up too. Kids are really incredible and never scared. The ball was at different house and returned to them.

Funny isn't it. That kids can be fun to be around for just a limited time.

Diner out

Yesterday I went to a house warming party. I decided not to go and already had packed up a present for others to take with. But the abruptly check in to the hospital from my sibling made me the babysitter for my nephew. I am the only aunt that he listen to. So, I was kinda forced to go to take care of the baby. 

The BBQ at the house warming was nice. Eating things I would eat when out. I usually make easy things that are fast and nutritious. I had a blast and listened to the conversations and ate a lot. It was fun but also tiring because babysitting a kid ain't that fun as you may think. 

It was a new environment which my nephew isn't accustomed to and a chef walking from and to the BBQ. Him walking around and finding the diner table with bread on it. Begging for food, sitting in different chairs and blowing kisses to anyone after getting bread. 

While it was fun and all the participants we're talking about doing this again. I thought there is a reason why it doesn't happened frequently. I know it and all of them know it to. It's a little bit of a hassle and there are more things to do in life accept gathering in others houses. 

But for a change it was fun.

Priority

It's a shame I couldn't put the pictures up from yesterday's post. My pc has an integrated card reader but sometimes it just doesn't want to recognize my sd-card. Even the usb card reader didn't do the trick. That's why having variation of working methods is so important. Knowing that my pc will recognize the card after a reboot but postponing the task is also a possibility. I choose the last route, postponing it to today. Sometimes after a reboot the pc still doesn't recognize it and that small defect will infect my day negatively, especially when I just want to post something just before shutting down the pc and wanting to go to bed.

That's why I choose to postpone it to today. Why? I can work on my laptop and till now it hasn't let me down when it comes to card readers. The pictures where nice but was it essential to get the message across, I don't think so. And though a blog is like a diary, a day late isn't a big deal.

I have learned that decisions in life can influence a persons negatively or positively. Why not choose something positively if you can choose. Lately I haven't put up deadlines for myself but I wanted to write at least 4 to 5 post in a week. So sometimes it's good to postpone small thing as long it doesn't effect your schedule ahead.

Huge Change

Next step towards a minimalistic lifestyle. I already made the place I spent the most time on already minimalistic. Only the basic of basics but I could still do something about it. First on my list is the fleece blanket which has been laying around on the shelve. I thought of removing one of my planks on the L-trail system but it's nice to have empty space.

Still the amount is more than 100. I think it's time to change it dramatically with nothing but the things I really use. It's scary because I already have a feeling it's not much. If I start with just putting everything up to the attic. I know I only need two basic things. My day and night cream. How about just doing that.

I even decide to clean out my bottle car zone and put my remaining rose water in it. I think I am slowly reaching the point that I let my earthly belonging slip away and be happy with the things I really want and most important need.

Also the DIY project cutting glass made me remove all those plastic containers. Glass is nice because I can clean it up easily and if it breaks I can make a new one. I really like the tings like a bedroom without anything but my bed and night stand.

Magazines

When I didn't know how to search on the web fast, I would buy magazines to get inspiration or information. I still love to have a real paper magazine in hand than an e-version. The feeling is just different. But considering the price, weight and nature, I do read e-version.

I still have those magazine in my bookcase so it's time to do something about it. It's just a small batch. I just write down the interesting stuff like home network through the power line. All these things are nice but without knowledge I wouldn't be able to find it online. 

So today, I will be finishing 5 magazines and write down the useful stuff for my pc. Yes, I am entering a new age of digital but on my own pace. 

Annoying Things

It's the first time in my life that I just threw a pair of socks away. I can't remember when and I don't think I ever threw a pair of socks that doesn't has a hole in it. Never! Even when those socks were losing it's elasticity I kept using them.

Today I wore a pair of footsies that didn't keep in place not even when I just pulled them right. In one hour I had to take of my shoe several times just to adjust it. So when I got home, I just pulled them off and threw it in the trash bin. 

I used to let things like this annoy me and then I start to nag. Now I realize it's just stuff, if it doesn't work get rid of it. This little thing shouldn't have a huge impact on my day. It shouldn't make me feel embarrassed and if it does I should fix it. And this time it means eliminating the problem for good. 

There are a lot of annoying thing around the house I dislike but sometimes I still need that specific item but when it comes to things that I have in a bunch, there is no other way, except the way to the trash bin. 

Small relevation of a minimalist

Since I became a minimalist it came to my attention that my trash bin has been so empty. Every week I collect two plastic bags with almost nothing in it. Serious, the trash bin in the living room is so empty that I only trow it once in two weeks. Luckily the bathroom trash is full because I use those small bags but considering that the bag is for two floors it's considerable small.

The trash bag has been sitting in the bucket for three days but still it's not full. I think it's a downside to being a minimalist. Not having the stuff to throw away. But on the sunny side doesn't it mean I don't throw money away in the bin?

The saying about 'someone's else it trash is another treasure'. I think it's true. But as I said, there isn't a lot of things I buy anymore. I buy stuff for others which is also fullfilling. Still, throwing the bag has been a ritual, after a day of work. It also make room for another day, it became symbolic and that's something I did since I was a teenager. It's strange that nowadays, the bag stays empty for days.

In away being a minimalist means breaking with 'bad' habits but I also lost a daily ritual.

Opruimen & Wassen

Misschien is het raar maar ik plan altijd de vuilste klusjes op de dag van mijn haar routine. Als ik fysiek klusjes moet doen dan plan ik het op mijn was dag. Zo blijft het zweet niet voor een lange tijd op mijn hoofdhuid. Het is fijn want ik was mijn haar maar twee keer in de week en soms één keer. Het ligt er net aan waar ik ben geweest en wat ik gedaan heb.

Zo ben ik vandaag wel toe aan een wasbeurt alleen vanavond ga ik uit eten. Vaak is de sfeer wel lekker maar ook wel rokerig. Ik let er wel altijd op dat ik nooit mijn wasbeurt van te voren doe. Het is gewoon zonde want al dat rook in de haar is gewoon niet fijn.

Ik heb in de ochtend meteen boodschappen gedaan waardoor ik al mijn 30 min. bewegen al heb meegenomen. Het is heerlijk om al eventjes te zweten. Zo zijn mijn spieren lekker los en zit ik geheel ontspannen achter de monitor.

Wel moet ik nog wat opruimen maar dat moet bijna altijd want opruimen & wassen gaan altijd samen, hand in hand. Producten die ik onder de douch gebruik is alleen een scrubhandschoen en een scrubdoek met een beetje Sanex in een pompflacon.

Haar wassen gebeurd bij mij altijd eerst bij de wastafel en daarna het uitspoelen en douchen in de douch. Duh. Maar doordat ik mijn haar was bij de wastafel gebruik ik veel minder water en let ik ook beter op. Ik hoef niet op te letten of het water te warm of te koud is. Ik ben alleen bezig om de shampoo in mijn haar te masseren. En heel af en toe gebruik ik een haarmasker.

Tja, jezelf wassen na het opruimen is al een beloning.

Keys & Small Stuff

The list of belongings is getting shorter and shorter. The stuff I have in house is getting less by the day. It's not only because of the 1 in 2 out rule. I actively select my stuff and now I have those boxes with small stuff. I am gradually giving it away and donating it. The biggest obstacle isn't huge in size but small.

I really think that the small stuff are so incredible, it just fill up one box after another. So the trick is reducing it slowly. I have to sort it out and get rid of that I won't use. It's not my favorite thing to do but it's needed. 

Yesterday when I opened up the cabinet where the hifi-system is on, I found a box with keys. So many keys and all of them aren't named. The first I recognized is the key to my bike, I recognize the shape because I use it all the time. Next three identical keys were the front door key of our old home. I threw it away because I have one complete set of keys of the old house. 

Today I went into the garage and find the lock to which key it belong. Honestly, I hate my siblings for having two back up key but never putting it together on a key ring. I did that and in the end I threw half of the keys away. 

It's going slow but one step forward is better than one step backwards!

Package Recycle

A collection for the none plastic things but still a container. Yes, milk containers. On a weekly basis my household consume two liter of milk, which is two carton containers. It's great because I use it as an exercise with my nephew. It takes just two minutes by myself but my nephew isn't as fast, about twenty minutes.

The thing is that milk packages took a lot of space but now it doesn't. I just stick it between the washing machine and the wall. So whenever I walk out the garden door, it's there and ready to take away. It's kinda pathetic because there are no other carton's I use because I rarely buy juice or any other beverage in box. I do buy soup but only in a bag.

So package recycle doesn't go further than dumping the milk container in the packaging recycle container.

Heaven

There must be someone that has the answers to all the worlds question. Who, who knows the secrets of life. The quick fix to make the world better and bring peace. It's funny that all kind of religions are talking about heaven or Utopia. But why, we think about this life as our human life. Perhaps this is our after life, we have to make it worth living.

We have been given a world that may not be Utopia but could be. Perhaps it's our task to make it a heaven, an Utopia. Isn't it time to make this world a better place? Why can't we live in peace. Why can't we respect and accept each other.

From experience and communicating with all different people about their religion, I have learned that none of them preach death and sorrow. Conflicts are sometimes needed to find the real problem that's not on the surface but a feeling inside, built up frustration etc. We need  good mediators in a war, a person that's not afraid to put hers or his interest aside and get the conversation moving. After pointing the fingers here and there, and conclusions made, it's time to choose a path. Walking hand in hand together or apart and never look back.

Heaven is possible on earth.

Makkelijk hergebruik

Soms zijn de makkelijkst en de meest voor de hand liggende oplossingen, het fijnst. Zo opende ik onlangs een zakjes snoep. Deze ontzettend lekker snoepjes zijn een souvenir meegenomen uit Groot-Brittannië. Het bevat 25% fruitsap dus minder suiker. Ze smaken zeer aangenaam, niet te zoet en te synthetisch. 

Na het openen van de zak, heb ik het dicht gedaan met een wasknijper. Helaas was de scheur te groot en moest ik iets anders zoeken. Eerst zocht ik plastic bakjes zoals de huzaren bakjes maar die zijn te groot voor in mijn tas. Dus de oude diele bakje gebruik ik nu voor snoepjes en het ziet er geweldig uit. Dit bakje heb ik schoongemaakt en in de kast gezet voor de volgende pak snoep want het is toch wel erg handig. Het duurt wel even voordat het gebruikt wordt want ik koop heel weinig snoep. Ik krijg het vaak as cadeau of krijg het gewoon. Toch is zo'n bakje handiger dan gedacht. 

Bakjes of ander zakjes zijn altijd handig om nogmaals te gebruiken. Zo heb ik onlangs een zak wasknijpers gekocht die in de aanbieding was, deze in een ziplock tasje gedaan om de verpakking materiaal te verminderen in mijn huis. Ik heb namelijk geen reclame nodig voor wasknijpers in mijn kast die als reserve dienen. De plastic om de wasknijpers heen was dun, dus ging het regelrecht de recycle bak in. Ik hoef nu de kast te openen en kan de wasknijpers vinden. Ziplock tasjes zijn wel mijn favoriet want het houdt alles bij elkaar en door de plastic kan ik alles netjes zien. Ik heb thuis dan ook een verzameling met ziplock zakjes om van alles erin te doen. 

Nice Feeling

Yippi, hurray a full card for a thermos cup for €2,-. I think I will add that amount to get something usefull instead of cups that I have enough. Also some older thermos cup can leave the house if I buy it. The nice thing is within one week I just bought  for €3,- two lip balm and got this card full. Of course I was buying for someone else and got three stickers and asked the lady in front of me, if I could get her stickers. I heard the cashier asking her if she collected those and she said 'no' and that's when I asked her if I could have her stickers. I thanked and told her that my card is almost full. 

Coming back home and getting all the stickers on the card, I am glad that it's full. The beeswax lip balm is for my throat. The skin around the throat area is prone to eczema and before I used Vaseline which is cheap and nice. The only downside is it sticks so much. 

I have heard that beewax is great because like you have pollen allergies you should get honey of your local beekeeper. You get kinda resistant like getting your vaccination shots which contains a small fragment of the bacteria that get us infected. So I thought I could try it and it was also in sale 1+1 free.

And if it doesn't work I have extra lip balm and could use it for those dry spots. It's also great for traveling because it's so small and cute. 

Supermarkt trouw

Er zijn mensen die alleen maar bij een winkel de boodschappen doen. Er zijn genoeg redenen waarom; mobiliteitsproblemen of maar een winkel in de dorp, gratis parkeren enz. Er zijn genoeg supermarktketen in Nederland en dat is maar goed ook. De onderlinge concurrentie zorgt voor wat lagere prijzen en in economische tijden is goedkoper, beter.

Ikzelf heb maar enkele klantenkaart in de portomonee en dat is de ah bonuskaart en kruidvat kaart. Voor andere supermarkten heb ik geen kaart nodig om korting te krijgen of punten te sparen (airmiles is gekoppeld aan ahold bedrijven). De aldi, lidl, nettorama en emte hebben gelukkig geen kaart want korting krijgt iedereen. Helaas zijn de bas, dirk en digros zijn niet te bekennen in mijn omgeving.

De boodschappen die ik in de mandje doe zijn vaak actieproducten. Vooral A-merken zijn vrij duur en bevatten vaak meer zout/suiker. Een product waarvoor ik wel de volle pond betaal is melk. Vanwege een bodycheck by een specialist blijkt dat mijn moeder minder zout hoort te eten en meer calcium moet innemen.

Hiervoor koop ik momenteel melk met extra calcium en te dure Milner kaas. Als de kaas in de aanbieding is sla ik vaak in. Omdat het toch om versproduct gaat sla ik nooit te veel in en de kaas gaat snel in de aanbieding in een ander keten dus hoef ik zelfs nog minder in voorraad te hebben.

Met snacks gaat het ook zo. Ik sla geen snacks meer in. Allereerst, wil ik het vaak meteen opeten en het neemt kostbare plek in beslag in de kast. Dus is het in de aanbieding dan koop ik het. Ten tweede snacks zijn niet de gezondste tussendoortjes en ik als een volwassene kan niet meer schuilen achter de woorden 'maar het is zo lekker'.

Verschillende supermarkten afgaan is ook een sport dus mij zal je niet snel in maar één supermarkt te vinden.

Freaking Tired

Who ever said that being a stay at home mom isn't a full time job has never walked one mile in their shoes. I just spent 3 hours with two kids, aged one and two. Even after a few hour rest, I still feel tired from their excitement and their play style. Yes, I am healthy but keeping up with toddlers is a different sport than just running. 

Chasing and being chased is such fun but a tiring activity. Please, don't even mention lunch with them. To make sure everyone eats, there was bread. So both the adults and kids could eat together. It became a mess afterwards but at least everyone left the table with a full stomach. 

I did some groceries with my nephew which is also difficult because he just learned to walk and isn't always stable. So I still had to pick him up to cross the street and in the parking zone. And at that activity my bag got ripped a little. 

It means, it doesn't really look nice anymore. Not because from one small rip that can't be repaired but it was the third rip on that bag. The bag was a gift from my sister, a Majestic Buddy Bag (two bags for the price of one( €29,95), the other was given to our older sibling) which I use with pleasure for a couple of years. But the flap of the bag that gets it's form from a plastic tube is showing and the leather around is losing it's color even after smearing shoe wax. So it's time to say goodbye to this bag. 

So after a tiring afternoon I came home and also forgot the milk at the kids place and I still have to look through my bunch of bags to replace the Majestic Buddy Bag. Yes, I am freaking tired!

It's strange

When I read my own blog, I find it funny that I keep trowing or donating things away. Like, hello you have been a minimalist for a whole year and still you have things to trow away. Are you a minimalist or are you fake? To put it blunt, that would be my reaction while reading my own blog.

To explain it, minimalism is a way of living and I, a person with emotion and stuff find this ideology fitting in my life. It means minimalism is a method that I use but the fun or difficult part is 'I'. The person with emotion and stuff has to change to achieve the kind of living minimalism gives to a person.

People do not change overnight, I don't change overnight or in one year. Instead I try to make small changes that together has a huge impact on my life. Just like one dollar is made up by 100 cents. By making few steps towards minimalism I try to identify my bad habits and try to change it. I could trow everything away and then buy anything I need but that would defy the whole purpose and I would be producing more garbage then lessening it.

The thing is minimalism is a way of living and living continues, so it's a process continuously changing and adapting to the current trend.

Sometimes it's good to stop, take a step back an look at the situation at a different point of view before making a conclusion.

Enough Toilet Paper

It's funny how things fall right on it's place. This weekend I was thinking up about a post of my toilet and what I have in abundant. It's a coincidence, I read about Japans government advised their people to stock up on toilet paper in case of emergency. 

Something I find ridicules expensive is toilet paper. I can remember when I went to middle school, I was always sent out to do groceries and at that time, recycled toilet paper cost 1 Dutch gulden for eight rolls. Nowadays recycled paper cost even more than the regular white paper which cost in sale €1,67 for eight rolls.                                                                                                                                                         That's why I always stock up when a great deal appears. It's also one of the reasons why my toilet looks like this. Except toilet paper there is also hygienic napkins and other cleaning supplies. The toilet is one of the places which is full but doesn't feel like it. There is almost nothing on the floor, except for a toilet brush. It's also one of the coolest places in the house. 

Of course I have more than what is in the toilet. In the garage there is an other bag with another batch of cheap toilet paper. I think that I don't have to buy any more for this year but when there is a great deal, I'll consider it. 

Enough about the toilet!

Cheat Milkshake

I love drinks in regular but when outside, I find myself hungering for something ice cold like a frappe or an milkshake. The thing about drinking outdoors is the price for just a small cup. So instead of a frappe, I changed my habit in brewing cold coffee but milkshake is something I recently still buy but not anymore.

When I was little my mom mixed milk with cream soda (the brand Schwepper) and I loved it. I also heard from some friends who mixed ice cream with coke, that it is delicious. I never tried that combination cause I never liked coke that much. A few weeks ago I remembered that I have a container with pistachio ice cream and carbonated water.

I spooned some of it in a long glass and add carbonated water. I did had to mix it very well for the flavor to blend with the water. It turned out delicious, nice for a quick drink in the evening. Of course it's not really a milkshake but it has a lot of aspect like cold, creamy and tasty.

I advise to those with a weak stomach to refrain yourself not to try it. Someone I know with a weak stomach who tried this had to sit on the toilet for a long time. Yes, it takes some courage to try something like this. Fortunately, my stomach is used to the crazy things I eat. It has build up some stamina and endurance.


Step 1: get the ingredients together

• ice cream
• a cup
• a straw
• carbonated water

Step 2: Put the ice cream in a cup and pour some carbonated water. At first you will see white foam appearing on the surface. 

Step 3: Mix it

Step 4: Please enjoy this cheat milkshake recipe.

New Years Resolution II

Can anyone remember your own new years resolution. I didn't remember but it's about time to see what happened in my life and what difference it has made in my daily life. There are basically three categories which are:                  
   1. Clothing
   2. Skincare
   3. Others

In the clothing department I haven't bought a lot. I bought a jean that was on sale for €4,50, a scarf for €1,25 and a vest for €6,-, that makes the total €11,75. This amount is enough for 8 months. I think this is something I should be proud of. I didn't need to replace any coat or shoes, that's why I didn't had any huge expenses. A good pair of shoes in my size (size7) doesn't comes cheaply, at least €50 but it always has been a great value. I can were a good pair of shoes for about 2-3 years.

I just bought one bottle of tea tree oil in the sale which makes it €2,25. I already stocked up on skincare products last year that's why I didn't need to buy.

Other things which excludes food or every day supplies would be: one universal battery loader for €9,- and one Bluetooth keyboard just €8,95. The total for this category would be €17,95. That's not much but I really thought about these products before buying. I was looking for the right price drop for the keyboard and knew if the price gets under 10 it's a great buy, especially when others are still priced at €15-20. The universal battery loader is an other buy that has been in on my mind and yesterday night I found it online and today I went to the store to get it.

My grand total is less than €50,-, other expenses like traveling cost, eating out, gifts or food are of course way more than €50,- but the point is that the things/stuff I see in my daily life are they worth their price. The things I buy and keep with me for a longer period are they needed or will I trow it away.

Being happy with the things you need instead of the things you have!

Before buying the stuff mentioned above, I really had to think about it. Do I really need it, isn't there something I already have fulfilling the same purpose. What is going out if I buy it because the 1in2out rule applies with every buy.

So letting go of "useless" stuff is also a must in my resolution, I have donated a lot of clothing to H&M because they give for every bag you donate one coupon for 15% discount on their items. C&A has also been great, they gave a discount coupon for 5% for each clothing. This fall, I have to buy baby clothing for my newborn nephews and those coupons are more than welcome in my wallet.

Thinking back to the resolution, I did great.

Not Perfect

It's a fact that blogging is a great way to write things down which are important. Besides blogger.com there is also Wordpress and other blogs that offer us 'normal' people to write down our feelings and share it with everyone who wants to read.

I love the way that blogging isn't accessible through pc only. Tablets and smartphones are also an option. Sometimes when I follow someone's blog, I read it mostly on my tablet. Reading others interest is a way of relaxing. I follow one blogger because she offers the nicest manga scans and through that blog I am also following her friends whom does the same.

What I love about blogging on my phone is making pictures. One of the reason why I don't have a lot of pictures is because my laziness to upload it. And with the blog app I am able to make it when I am writing. The only thing is that the pictures don't turn or can't be placed on that specific spot that I want it. I hope that in the near future that it will be solved so I can post more than that.

And after using the platform blogger.com on different platform such as android and ios it turn out to be a different experience. At least, I don't have the feel of importance and diligence while writing in bed or slouching on the couch. And because I never learned to relax and learn or write, I find it difficult to stick at one subject. Perhaps I belong in the "old" group that thinks you can only work behind a desk. I may have to make the mind shift on working on the go. 

Working freely isn't difficult, it's the state of mind while working isn't adapting to the environment. One of the reasons that my desk is almost empty and that there is a board in front of me with encouraging text that keeps me focused on the task at hand. 

No, I am not perfect and the blog app isn't either but it's good that a person isn't perfect, that gives room for improvement. And the glitches that occurs on my portable device is something I can live with.  

Memory Lane

I just decided to get rid of one old mp3-player and before getting rid of it, I checked the contents. As a teenager I learned France. I had a hate/love relationship with this language. It's just remembering vocabulary and sentences. I never could express myself in this language. In away it's not a difficult language to learn but France speaking people always speak so fast, I can't keep up.

So the song I found is Il Divo's pour que tu maimes encore. Beautiful and luckily I understand what they are singing. I mean at the time I played the song 24/7 and the melody which I knew from Celine Dion's version made it a song I love to hear. I also made it my duty to know what they sung and searched for the lyrics.

It just happens that this week is a walk through memory lane. First the plastic bags and today music I adore and still love to hear. The things that I give away have a special meaning in my heart and by writing about it, I acknowledge it importance.

Choosing & Using

Being a minimalist is all about choosing & using. It's a concept that was new to me. Only buy when your certain about and will use. So in the process of minimalizing my belongings I should choose too. One of my biggest handicap is skin care. I have so many creme's and bottles with fluids. So one weekend I took out my daily skin box.

Be cation because most skin product are quite expensive and it's no fun to be trowing away money. That's why I love samples. Whenever I go in the store and I see sample of a product that I might use, I pick up 3 to 5 of those sachets. You may think that a sample is just for one time usage but to see or feel the result it takes more than one time appliance.

What is a little bit a shame is that there is less free samples in the store. Whenever a new product launch like the new schwazkopf shampoo there was just one store that offers free samples. Seriously, try before you buy. I mean that new shampoo cost about €4,50 and I find that a lot.

Now back to my skin box. I have a aloe gel and a vitamin E for under my eyes. I love them both but two is just to much. I needed to decide about which one to sacrifice. Luckily both bottles has been used and the price was reasonable. But I decided to let go of the aloe gel because at home I have real fresh aloe plant. This was an easy job. Goodbye aloe gel and it's a pleasure to keep you in the box vitamin E.

Trying out new things

Being a minimalist ain't that easy, especially when I have limited my spending on useless stuff. Like shopping for clothing is something I find useless or decorations for around the house. So what can I do to fill that gap of getting something new. 

There is something we all need and that's food. Trying food you never experienced is a surprise, sometimes it's great and sometimes it sucks. This week I bought some beverage that was in sale at Amazing Oriental. I picked up two bottles of Japanese soda and one Jamaican Ginger Beer. I only tried the ginger beer which was not from Jamaica but Great-Brattain. Non-alcohol beer is something I tried before but this can was just disappointing. It was just a sugar rush with just a little bit ginger flavor. I think I can make this better with carbonated water and fresh ginger. Excluding the sugar because I just don't like over sweetened drinks anymore. The can does looks alluring and that's also a reason why I bought it but next time I let it stay on the shelf. 

Those two bottles are still untouched cause I am going to pop these at a nice occasion with my siblings. The fun thing about the Japanese soda is the bottle. It's really glass not plastic and opening the bottle is not by twisting or uncapping it. No, it's by pushing the glass ball in the bottle. 

So instead of owning new things, I try out new food. Take something different of the shelves just to try it. Most of the time I let the supermarket choose it for me. Cause they present it nicely and it's on sale. Next time try something new and inexpensive at the same time. 

Nostalgisch

Soms kom ik tijdens het declutteren dingen tegen die uit het straatbeeld is verdwenen. Zo kwam ik een keer dit plastic tasje tegen. In mijn kindertijd hadden wij zoveel van deze tasjes omdat dit een winkel is die redelijke prijzen hanteert. Goch, dit is toch een leuke tas en helaas bestaat het deze winkel niet meer of is het overgegaan naar een andere eigenaar.

Het is echt nostalgisch, mijn eerste sleutelhanger komt namelijk van deze keten die destijds onder de Blokker holding valt. Wat leuk is dat na al die jaren deze zak nog in uitstekende staat is.

Plastic tasjes van nu gaan kapot omdat het flinterdun is en "natuurlijk afbreekbaar" zijn. Geef mij maar dan zo'n tas dat niet groen is maar wel hergebruikt kan worden als een vuilniszakje.
Jazeker, dit tasje gaat richting de badkamer en dient als een vuilniszakje voor de hele week.

Dit is toch een uitstapje naar mijn kindertijd. Dat zoiet's normaals
als een plastic tasje mij terug kan brengen naar mijn kinderlijke ik, vind ik geweldig. Het geeft aan dat ik niet veel nodig heb om terug te denken hoe ik als kind was.

Scrub

I like showers, especially after a long day. I go home to a unnecessarily huge bathroom with just the essentials for a clean body. My favorite is the scrub hand glove. For a lazy person as I, I want to be clean as fast possible and waste less water.

So I don't use sponges because they tend to stink and are a home for bacteria's. That's why I love my glove. It's easy to rinse and easy to air. When I shower in the morning the glove is dry when I have opened the window throughout the day for the bathroom to air. And at night I just put in on the radiator to dry. It's such a simple thing to use.

The purple one cost me (full price) €1,- and the new one cost about 60 cent when I was shopping in an outlet store. And at the time, I started being a minimalist so I just bought one. Before, I would stock up on these things. But now I should be hunting for one extra so I won't have to pay full price for this kind of glove.

Today is the last time I used the purple one, I used it to pick up the hairs in the bathroom and threw it away. The turquoise one has just been washed and hangs on the wall for usage.

Gruwelijk

Ik heb er altijd van gedroomd multi-tasken terwijl ik tv kijk. Het is werkelijk geworden. Anime kijken en ondertussen een bericht typen en alles volgen. Natuurlijk is het een plus dat ik blind kan typen maar een vreemdtalige tekenfilm kijken met engels ondertiteling en tevens in het Nederlands denken. Dat vind ik gruwelijk en cool tegelijk.

Tja, niet iedereen kan het en het heeft veel tijd gekost om dit goed te kunnen. Zoals ik eerder vermeld heb komen de beste ideëen als ik net iets zit te bekijken.

Hiervoor dacht ik een voicerecoder te gebruiken maar dat leverde niet veel op.Ik moet het sowies nog eens achter de pc luisteren en dan een lopende tekst van maken.

Ik vind het absoluut geweldig dat ik nu beter kan multi-tasken met mijn smartphone. Jazeker, op mijn mobiel berichten schrijven. Dus op bed schrijven is niet uitgesloten.Heb jij ook van die gruwelijke eigenschappen die niet normaal zijn? Probeer het eens te vinden. Elk van ons heeft wel zoiets vreselijks geweldig.

3 kinds of Sponge

Perhaps you know Sponge Bob Square Pants. I have a few of it in my home. This small yellow syntantic sponge is in my bathroom as a facial cleaner sponge. You won't find it in the kitchen at the sink. No, the sponges in the kitchen are special.

For my dishes I use 3 kinds of sponges. The first one is the regular normal cheap syntatic plastic with a green scrub side. The other is a "car" wash sponge with a net around and the last is a special wonder stain remover sponge.

I try to clean my porcelain with the regular sponge. I use the "car"sponge for anti surfaces like my rice cooker pan or my frying pan. I don't want to scratch it accidentitaly with the scrub side. And for tea stain or any other I use the magic wonder stain remover sponge

As you can see I hang my sponges so it dries up fast. It's easy and better cause it's not wet which gives bacteria no chance to spread. That's why my sponges never smell bad and I use it for so long.