Different look

I now see that I have power that I knew exist but never tapped into it because it does scare some people. In the last month I decided not to do anything or think about things just let it be. Let faith lead a way to what's supposed to be.

Just for your information I didn't went to any special believe system/church. I just let life lead me without thinking too much. In the past I would say or stand up for someone when I see something wrong. For example the silence wagon where you're not supposed to say anything. I just ignore it now, I kinda grown some invisible plugs.

Even with my nephews I didn't really care anymore, I din't see them as my responsibility. Their action doesn't reflect my teaching it reflects that of their parents. Though I find them at times very annoying when they don't do what's "normal" like eating on their own and not be spoon fed. But hey I don't decide or am the person spoon feeding them.

This small change made me realize it's not that important to do what right, it's not always a problem or something that I will need to solve. This month I've tried to use the knowledge that I acquired and used it.

Testing my mouse

I finally go the time to clean my wireless mouse. It had a logo in it front but I don't like making advertisement or getting distracted by logo's in my working space. I have connected it but somehow the pc doesn't recognize the mouse. I already checked online for some solutions but I will try after turning the machine out and then on again.

You can get logo's that are stamped on it away depending on the surface with an eraser. Due to the friction the logo gets scrubbed away. But be careful for very glossy and smooth surface which can be damaged.

PS: I used the wrong dongle to connect to the computer (very smart)

A different I

When I'm going on a holiday and stay over at a hotel it's important to be prepared. I used to easily get sick during holidays because I was stressed out and didn't know if everything I needed was packed and how it would be at the destination place.

I think with age, I have a different view of tasting a different culture. I used to want to have a picture of everything. Now you would rarely see me picking up the camera to shoot pictures. Being in the moment enjoying the view and the atmosphere became much more important. What also changed is the planning. I used to had to visit every tourist place on the map that was planned before the airplane left.

I've learned to adapt to the fact, time is limited and I won't be able to see everything as scheduled. Now I would pick a top 3 for the day that I want to see and search a way to see all three of them. In a way my personality changed with time. Minimalism has of course played a part in it too.

I want this!

I've been thinking about buying an internet radio for I like to listen to shows without thinking about it while surfing on the web or cleaning up. Of course I don't want it to run from my laptop or computer every time I want to listen. But the devices I've seen range from €50-200 so frighting. Then I was thinking about streaming from my phone but that doesn't work either since it will eat up my battery.

Second thought was Chromecast audio, that should be my savior right? I've checked but the Chromecast audio would also require a soundbox so that means an extra thing to buy and extra electricity uses. Think, think wouldn't something else be better like the AI's from Amazon and Google?

I searched online how both the Google home mini and Alexa dot 3rd generation works. Would it be able to listen internet radio. Because I'm already a bit familiar with the Google environment I would prefer the Mini instead of the Dot. I know that both of them are basically listening into my home environment but since I can always unplug it I'm not that afraid.

After searching online about the Dot3 and Mini I decided to go for the Dot since it also had easier buttons to manage the device instead of the Mini. Considering it will be used by an a-technical mom it would be great to use the voice assistant to ask for the radio to be played instead of using the mobile app.

The nightmare starts now when I wanted to order it from the site. I went to the familiar amazon.de and it didn't ship to the Netherlands so I went to the amazon.fr and on this site the Dot3 isn't available until March 2019. This was so terrible since I finally found a solution to my problem.

This situation is really frustrating since I really want to have it!

Remember no import tariffs

Something I find very annoying are extra/hidden cost. It's something that happens to the best of us. I never liked the fact of paying import tariff. It's one of the reasons why I haven't bought a lot from the web until I figured it all out.

I made sure that my parcel includes shipping cost won't reach the maximum for it to be liable for import tariffs which is around €21,- in the Netherlands. So I am very cautious when importing stuff from outside the EU.

My Mi band for example are things I normally wouldn't buy form China directly since it cost more than €21,-. So I wait and checked for the correct price and then buy it. In my opinion the €21,- is also good since I'm so used to the warranty policy in the Netherlands which I won't enjoy when buying from Chinese websites. That's if something goes wrong I won't lose over €21,- in a way the import tariff is a way to protect the citizen to think twice before importing and not taking too many risk with it.

Fan of MI

You have Apple, Samsung or any other brand fans those who swear their life on a brand. Ever watched Mac vs. PC man or Apple vs. Samsung. Well, I'm not a fan of either brand but lately I dare to say that I like the products form the MI family. Two years ago I already bought the Redmi Note 4 for my mother to use. I was super jealous since it had the fingerprint unlock remember two years ago it was advanced. Compared to mine own which was the Windows Lumia 640 LTE dual sim France device.

Nonetheless it's up till this year I invested in some more MI devices. First of all my Yi camera which is nice to take with me during trips. Even though it's not exactly Mi but it's part of the family. Next thing is the wifi repeater, a fan and the mi band 3.

I wanted to have a new watch that does call me to do some exercise. I've been made aware that the human body wasn't created to sit all day. Just as in high school I sometimes forget the time. Honestly now as an adult I still have this problem. So it's nice to have the band telling me to get off the chair and move.

I love the static of these products and find the price value/quality very nice. So I'm not exactly a fan but a appreciator that like the product they produce.

Question yourself

I continuously ask myself why? Why do i need this. Why am I tempted to buy this. Does this item really makes me happier. I can remember the first time, I decided to become a minimalist I had the urge not to go to any shops. Turned out that is only a temporarily solution. Cause all of us need to go to the groceries and shop, one way or another.

So I created the shopping card. Just to remind myself not to buy. The card is nice and really a good physical reminder not to buy in a store. But for internet shopping it's a bit a difficult so I have to continuously asks myself why?

By doing this I already ask myself even before putting in my shopping basket.

For example the MI Wifi repeater 2 wasn't on my list for a month. I know that in the attic the wifi isn't so good especially when I'm streaming. So I looked  for a solution in the Netherlands for a wifi repeaters and wlan extenders they all cost over €10,- not exactly the price I want to pay. So during the preparation of Singles day I've checked the repeater. Simple, easy and compact just perfect for a minimalist.

I did want to have the repeater because when the pc is so slow due to the technical problems it's not nice. I would not like that and I don't want to be upset due to slow connection. That's why I decided to buy it.

Except I could use it at home, during holiday I could use this too to stream when I bring the Chromecast with me. This way I can relax in familiarity and feel better when I'm not at home, noted that the place has a tv with HDMI connection.

December

The last month of the year is difficult to just let it past by. The time to reflect on the last year. Be grateful for all the small and mundane things. Just by listening music while writing makes me thankful for all that I have and had.

I want to thank the person(s) upstairs/downstairs for what I've been through this year. Thank you for letting me ride the rollercoaster called life. Thank you for the small and big things. Thank you for the opportunities.

This is basically a great time to reflect and honestly it's been great. 2018 has been great and I'm happy and that's all that matters.

Worth it!

In the past, I would hold on to things even though they are broken. I do think that as people we should take care of the things we have but I didn't think like that in the past. I would find it a wast to just throw it away. The picture shows a plastic container for cd-roms, which I have rarely any left. But it's missing only a flap but that's all.

What I am thinking now is that it can be cut into something nice but would I really use it and don't I have enough containers/pouches in the house that can do that even better?

So I decided to throw it away, just for the sake of not having more containers is better for myself and the environment I'm living in. This decision would have been unthinkable in the past but now it makes super sense. Get rid of this thing and get happier!

Vitamins

I find being healthy very important. That's why I eat a lot. I am cutting back on rice already since I changed my rice bowl 2 years ago. I intake less rice compared to 10 years ago. I also eat a little bit more vegetable and meat. I know meat isn't so good for global warming but I've learned that it's necessarily to eat it. My diet before exist out of rice, green and processed food. I've cut down on precessed food formidable. Of course I still crave for a hamburger once a while but I like the real normal meat way more than the processed ones.

One year ago I've already learned that I have a vitamin D shortage. Continuously sitting behind a desk not being in the sun does that to you. So I've been adding vitamin D supplement in my diet. And I also get ver tired very easily and have cold feet and hands. So I added iron too and it did help feeling much more energized also during menstruation while losing blood I can feel it.

And due to screen time I also added melatonin to get better sleep. Knowing that hernia and fragile bones runs in the family I also added glucosamine to strengthen my bones. I do have to say that I don't take all the vitamins everyday. It really depends on how I feel on certain days.

Time to let go!

There are some things that are difficult to let go. Even I as a few year minimalist has the same trouble of letting things at the correct time. As some may know I'm currently using the Unblock tech with Chromecast as my main entertainment devices. Before the both of it, I used the TVPAD 3rd generation. I've been holding it in the basement for over two years. I thought it's possible yo install Kodi on it. From time to time I would pick it up and try to look for ways to install Kodi or Android on it. But yesterday I decided it wasn't worth my time and place anymore.

I've searched online if anyone has ever succeed in installing regular Android on it. Without luck I saw the latest post dated from 2016. Thinking about the Chromecast and Unblock that is fulfilling the task without any problem why am I hanging onto it even now? So I decided to part with it and recycle it.

This way it parts can be reused? At least it's not in the basement anymore. Making the decision on the spot while behind the pc searching for a solution on it I came with some question to decide to part with it.

1). Do I need it? or can I upcycle it?
2). Is it possible to upcycle it in one week?
3). Do I already have a replacement for it?

On all the question I gave a negative answer, which makes it time to let go of the TVPAD3

Catching up and putting it online!

This new years resolution was about selling my stuff, even though I didn't participate in any garage sale I managed to sell a lot more stuff then I thought I would.

Today is Sint Nicolaas, it's the birthday of an old saint but the festivity has been overshadowed by the fact that in the past the saint also used slaves. So a lot of people are still searching for a last minute present. Just two days ago I put some last minute advertisement online.

Also due to last weekend I sold two items that were laying around, one smart watch and a water boiler. I'm very happy about it but I still want to sell even more things I own. I'm very happy when my stuff gets sold for a proper price and cherished in the next hand. Loving this concept. I also had to put the details of the sale on my sheet to keep up the amount that it cost and sold. I do see an increase of people searching the internet for deals before the holidays. Due to this fact I also put a lot more time in selling in November and December.

Updates are necessarily!

Yesterday I wanted to update my laptop but it didn't worked. I pushed the button multiple times and downloaded as needed but it still didn't work. This morning I opened up my laptop and it gave me a faulty message. I was about to cry until I tried again with everything unplugged (usb/SD card) and downloaded the new updates again.

Software updates are very important to do for my appliances cause I want them to work for a long time. Also replacing a laptop isn't cheap either. I don't need the best of the best or the newest things. I just want my appliances to work as is. This is way more important since I carefully think and rethink about my purchases.

For example I bought a new Chromecast 2018 edition. It needed an update immediately and that is kinda funny since it's new I would expect it didn't need any update so fast. I think I guessed wrong.

So now is the perfect time to update my devices.

How I decide not to buy

I use Unblock tech to watch series on both the unblock app and Youtube. The remote that comes with the setup box is okay until I need to insert keyword in the search balk. Then it becomes a hassle to type it one by one.

In the past I found the air remote with keyboard and touchpad. Few years ago it cost around €12,- but I found it to expensive so I didn't buy it but last 11.11 I saw it for less than €5,- including shipping cost. I almost would have bought it.

But in October I tried hooking up my mouse with the Unblock and it worked. I could easily pinpoint the letters and input search request. And when I already had the product in my digital shopping cart and reviewed all my purchases I thought again is it really necessarily to have it. Doesn't buying a new product makes my old mouse absolute that it goes in the trash, do I really value it so much that I create more trash?

In the end I didn't buy it and I'm very satisfied with what I have. Sometimes just thinking again and re-evaluate it makes sense to not make this purchase.

Too many discounts

These few days I received couple mails for Cyber Monday and discount updates. I already made sure I unsubscribed from the most of these mails. I don't need to buy anything for the next few months. During 11.11 I already bought the things that I needed and the rest is not needed. In fact I want to get rid of more stuff.

I already took the steps to get the small stuff out of the house. By reusing the bags which delivered my online orders I am putting the stuff that needs to be trashed directly into these bags. Even evaluation those small stuff that are part of my belonging.

I also didn't get outside too much so I wouldn't be tempted to buy. On Black Friday, I went out to the city and saw the line as if it didn't cost anything. I did compared some product which I may wanted to buy but considering that a vibration plate uses electricity I rather not want to buy something again that will increase the electricity bill especially if I can get fit by myself too.

The discount weren't so appealing so I didn't bought it either. I only bought some clothing to gift and two advent calendar which I already gave one to my nephews. And now I feel bad because this C&A calendar is off 50%.

Samlip Red bean cream bun

This October I opted to go out for a change. Two days to the city called Dusseldorf, it's known for the streets filled with oriental shops. Especially Japanese food that's why it's also called Little Tokyo. Since there are an amount of asians there there are also some Korean groceries which I wanted to visit. By accident I found a big Korean supermarket that also sells sweet buns. The ones you just can't get in the Netherlands. So what happened...

I bought food to try and it's awesome. Since it's so nice to try but my luggage isn't really fit for bread. It would basically flatten the contents, I only bought one bread but some small stuff like seaweed as souvenirs.

This Samlip Red Bean Cream bun is so nice. I especially like that's not too sweet. There are nowadays a lot of snacks that are overly sweet but the balance between the red beans and cream is so good that I am already craving for one now.

11.11 Backpack arrived!

Oh, I love the 11.11 Singles day. And this year I also bought some stuff from AliExpress. It's the MI backpack that I have set my eyes on for a half year. I may need to replace my Healthy backpack so I already went searching for something new. My whole wardrobe exist out of dark clothing and I decided that my next bag shouldn't be dark blue. So I settled for this small but strong red backpack. It's simple, has enough outer pockets and inside a tablet sleeve. Only downside is the small logo. So what did I do, remove it so it looks cool without any branding outside.

Now I still have to wait for the rest of my orders which will be shown later on this year. At least that's what I hope for.

Kids clothing

The clothing industry makes clothing for different categories. I normally shop at the women section but there are a lot of times I like to peek into the kids section with the sizes 170-176. As an asian women I fall in this category length and I'm able to shop the child price. It's not the first time I've mentioned it but by not letting categories define myself, I've been able to see much more capabilities.

In the fast changing clothing industry I see less physical shops that are in the shopping districts. Last month one of the old names in the street disappeared. It sold quality kids clothing, price ranging from €25- €30 per piece. Normally I wouldn't even spent any time in this shop considering I don't have kids and my nephews outgrown their clothes too fast to spend that kind of amount on them.

The shop has it's own teenager brand that sold the remaining clothing for 3 pieces for €20,-. I found a very nice sweater and basic shirt. The quality of the fabric is magnificent and really nice. Of course I've checked the labels and it was all 100% cotton.

But that's not all, I even go to H&M to buy kids leggings. Cause why spent so much on normal tricot women legging for €9,99 for one instead of €14,99 for two. And did I mentioned that the kids pair are branded with their conscious logo. Don't even get me started about the fabric difference either.

If your length is not over 170cm it's easy to find kids clothing that can fit you but it does ask a little bit of courage to wear as if it's made for you. Honestly, I don't really care anymore since the labels are inside the clothing and most people don't care what you wear as long you smell clean.

It didn't work

I love the small desserts from Pots&Co. I have tried almost each kind that's available in my supermarkets. Sticky Toffee pudding is one I haven't tried yet. I bought it around Eastern when it was on discount. The build up to the tasting was around the same time that I started my new job. I worked already a few days and in the weekend I warmed it up and tried it.

And I was disappointed the dessert was too sweet, the fragrance of the dates was in my opinion too present. I like toffee but the sugar smell is too much for me to bear. I ate the rest with a bad mood but that's why I try things even if it can hurt my taste buds.

It was free and I didn't took it

On 9th of June, a Saturday we went to Amsterdam to play tourist. I am Asian so everyone is greeting me in English. The capital of The Netherlands is nice and I never took canal boat trip so we decided to just go and do it. I was very fortunate that it wasn't really warm and enjoyed the one hour trip. At the end we could decide to take the earbuds with us. These are in-ear buds which I don't use and find very uncomfortable. It's also the reason this post isn't accompanied with a picture.

One I forgot to take a picture on the boat and two taking a picture of something that I didn't bring back with me. Of course I understand the fair includes the earphone but when I don't use it, what is the reason to take it with me. 

KitKat

I haven't bought really commercial chocolate with less than 70% cacao until today. In my Scoupy app that is a Dutch refund app I saw this for 75% off. So thinking about it for at least two weeks, I decided to just buy it and try it.                                                                                                                                    I haven't taste the normal KitKat for years, I can remember eating a Japanese Green matcha KitKat last year with my friends but the normal ones I can't even remember when it was the last time. What I really like about this is the design of the packaging. Less plastic and smaller portion.                                                                                                              But honestly if I have to buy it full price, I wouldn't even think of it. And that's one of the reason I still have the app on my phone, or else I would also delete it. The app introduce me to new food and beverages. 

Influence

I wrote before how I am living with my siblings in a an apartment and that I cried after the first week I've really lived with them again. In these past 3 months a lot has changed. They went on holiday for a month. In that month I have made sure that the apartment is clean and I can at least open a window and blinds. Somehow they don't like to open the blinds and let sunlight and wind inside.

Begin May I made sure the toilet worked and that with even the smallest thing I see, like dripping water I called the person who installed it. That is finally done and now I can normally use the toilet again. During their holiday I also tried to apply a bird net but that failed. I am really afraid of hight so I only hanged one part of it.

It's been almost two weeks that they have been back and I am chasing the pigeons away every day. And last night my younger sibling bought a raven dummy to scare of the pigeons. I think she sees me chasing them everyday and she feels bad for me. Honestly, I don't really care for the reason. As long they take action to improve their living situation. They really didn't open the balcony door because of the pigeon poo and the pigeons.

During the hot days last week I felt crazy. I opened my window because I chase them away but I also bought a ventilator for myself for cooling if needed. So some action is better than no action.

Yeah, I really think I rubbed off on them, they still have a long way to go but at least they care about the pigeons disturbing our living area and action on it.

Plastic straws

Remember my huge shampoo bottle with a pomp. It's great but the original straw that comes with the pomp is too short and I already tried with normal straw to extend the reach but since two weeks ago I couldn't get shampoo out of it normally. I had to unscrew and pour it out. So in the weekend I went to the Amazing oriental with my mother and before that we made a stop at the Ikea.

In there I picked up this package of long thick durable straw. The opening is a little bit larger than normal straws but not big enough to fit over the pump. So I had to use a little bit of force with my pliers to increase the opening. I started to think to warm the plastic up with an lighter but both the pump as the straw is plastic and I let the idea fly away out of my head. I had to push and wiggle the straw over the end of the pump and the end result is perfect. I love how I can use the pomp again as usual. The way I try to improve the stuff that I have is amazing. The package of straw didn't even cost me an euro. I can also give away these straw to my nephews whom would love it. It's like hitting two birds with one stone.

Mochi's

Last weekend I went to the Amazing oriental for groceries. I usually buy snacks or candy that I haven't tried. There is a brand of mochi of Taiwanese origin that I always buy because it's cheaper. Okay, I always calculate with 1KG price instead of package price. 

So instead of my normally mochi, I chose the green tea with red bean paste and my mom the purple one. It wasn't expensive and it's easy to take with me. I am not a fan of individually packed food but with such small mochi it's very handy. In each bag there is only 9 pieces and as you can see it stand in it's own bag. Yes, all 18 pieces fit into it. Of course I also tried it or else I wouldn't post in on my blog. And I have to say it isn't bad at all, I didn't expect it to right on point, not to sweet and not to big. One mochi in one bite can be easily done but I don't recommend it.

It really doesn't work out as planned

I have the great intention to write in total 7 post in the weekend but I still haven't done anything. I am feeling very down because of it. In the past I would even feel bad but since I've learned to read more about self forgiveness and trying to see it in a positive light I don't feel bad. I still have great ideas and I still have the intention and will to write.

Okay it didn't work this week how about I turned it into 2 post on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This way I am giving myself measurable deadlines and I won't feel hopeless and the pressure. This should be doable but only by trying I will know for sure.

Talk behind your back

It's something that happens all the time. People talking behind each other back in a negative way. I honestly think it's the most stupid thing to do. If you have a problem with them please talk to them directly and don't escalate it until it's too late.

I am now in an environment which makes me a little bit sad. The group I am in feels that they are the trash bin. They do voice the problems but not to correct person. Last week I feel like the negative energy is coming in from them and it's disturbing. I feel that it influence my energy level and mood.

The only thing I know is that whatever I say about someone behind their back I would also say in front of them. This makes sure I will not participate in those talk and rumors.

Nice beer

I like to drink once in a while and last week this typical sweet beer was on sale including the glass. I immediately bought two of the gift packages. I always joke that this beer is cassis (in dutch a soda drink) with alcohol but I do indeed smell or taste the wood. I don't really know but the beer was enjoyable. 

What I also do as a trick is to put my beer glasses in the fridge and instead I don't put ice cubes in it, it won't water it down. Also I found out that I didn't need to bring or buy a new bottle opener. The end of our can opener function as that too. 

 

Deodorant

I never really used deodorant. In high school I used it because everyone was spraying. At that time I was already very conscious about environment and pricing. I used a roller deodorant that worked without alcohol and was caring for my skin. Afterwards I found out I was not really sweating the smelly odor. I also made sure that my armpits are dry after sporting. 

So for around a decade or so I didn't use deodorant and especially not in the winter. But during the summer I do feel the sweat and want to prevent it. I have seen the French using a rock as deodorant and want that too. I looked and saw the expensive variation. The ones that are marketed as deodorant cost around €6,- to €7,- but the one for men stopping the bleeding cost a fraction merely €2,-

The active ingredient of both product is aluin so I don't care how it's packaged and choose for the less package and marketing. Also if the product doesn't work as deodorant I can always use it as blood stopping product. So if you live drop by in the Netherlands or Belgium don't forget to take one of these as souvenir or as deodorant for traveling. I forgot to say it's so small it fits in the palm of my hand (7x2x2,5 cm). At the time of writing it's still priced at €2,- at Kruidvat but if the price gets higher after this is not my fault. Also I don't get paid or get sponsored by them. 

Folding correctly

Yesterday morning I was checking out this huge bag of plastic from my mattress. Last year I bought it and some howe it was still in the house. Of course it's easy to cover things that needs to be covered. But it takes so much space. Even before the pictures that have been taken it was ruffly folded and was also taking too much space. So much that I wanted to trow away immediately.

But then I thought, this plastic is quite nice and if I want to fix something or while cleaning. I could use this huge sheet of plastic. So instead I folded it open and made sure it will be folded correctly. It became a small package that could fit in my closet. It doesn't take more space than a A5 notebook. It's just amazing that it takes just less than a minute to create more space in my environment. 

Only replacing inner pot

Our rice pot is quite nice and it still works because it does. But the inner pot has in a few years time some scratches. It's very small but it's there. That's why instead of searching for a new rice cooker I searched for only a inner pot. My mom wanted to buy a new rice cooker because of it but I convinced her to look for a inner pot first. Especially when I told her the price difference of a whole new rice cooker and the pot. Instead of buying a new one for around €70,- she could also buy a €20,- inner pot. The price does matter and knowing that we need less material to survive on and that our appliances still works but sometimes it needs new items to function better. 

Then you would think that just a few small scratches in the inner pot isn't  that dangerous. I agree to a certain degree. But we use the rice cooker almost every day, why risk any long term health issue when it can be solved fast and easy. Learning to replace only the thing necessary is indeed difficult and you need a certain insight to decide. Only with practice was I able to make this calculated decision. In the past I would just throw the rice pot away but being more aware of the environment and the actual cost behind it, I've learned to appreciate replacing only parts of things. 

Good Buy

Last month I received my stuff form March. There are some things that haven't arrived yet but my most useful and sought after is this bag hanger. As it has been on my wishlist for a while I was looking forward to receive it. In total I bought 3 of them in different colors. I already gave one to my mom because before I ordered I asked if she wanted. She received the blue one and is also using it when going outdoors. Last week when I was eating out I already used it. Also at home I use it to hang my bag on the side of the closet. As I don't like having my bag on the floor. I still do this in the office but everywhere else my bag is on a hook. 

As you can see it's very simple but very useful. I used it and can claim that it's really nice. The quality is good and the silver thing that I don't know what's called is also handy to hang on your bag. I can recommend it to anyone that needs it. The one that I wanted was a little bit expensive and heavier because of the material. I am very happy that I instead chose this one. It's very cool. 

Difficulty of posting

Honest, the last few weeks I did really wrote down inspiration during my day but typing it over just didn't happen. Yesterday when I put on a picture and reading just a little bit of what I wrote all the ideas came back rushing out my head. In the end I wrote two post and planned it in and was thinking what to do with my pictures on my phone.

So what will happen to me and my lovely blog. Easy, post pictures first or upload it and then write. This is not how I want to work but perhaps it does work and I will keep writing more often.

This small snail was on my way when I was walking during my lunch break. I like to take a quick walk of 7-10 minutes just to breath and relax.
I hope this does help me and make my writing more often again. Sometimes just taking a break is good.

Foodie

Last week I have been cleaning up my phone because it's beeping the memory storage isn't enough. When I looked into it most of the pictures are from stuff, situation or people I hold dear. I don't have a storage full of pictures of food. 

I remember last week Saturday, I went to a kid birthday party and I bought egg waffles with ice cream. It looks very delicious but I am not inclined to take pictures because I only want to taste it. With a lot of scrolling I found these three pictures that are made in October 2017 in a lunchroom nearby my mothers place. 

As I have siblings that are foodies I never found the urge to make pictures of my food. In my perspective food should be in my mouth filling my tummy and not letting good food get cold because you need to take pictures. 

I only give people just the first two minutes to make pictures and then I am eating. 

Bulbs in a box

All the bulbs in my home are LED. In 2013 I switched out all the old original bulbs into LED's. I indeed skipped the energy saving and halogeen bulbs. I used to not know how I should choose the color code for a specific room. Like in the bathroom near the mirror to see if you washed your face clean I am supposedly use a bulb with 6000 kelvin coulour and in the living room depending on the season, I switch in or out for 3000 to 4000.

Cause in the winter a very warm light also makes it feel warmer and in the summer you want it colder so I use a brighetr color of white 4000K.

In the fridge for example my light bulb is also 6000K because it keeps the products inside looking cooler and fresh. The reason I now regulary switch it out is because a friend and old colleague has told me how lights are supposed to be implemented. We both worked in a trading company that sells LED lightning. She used to sell those to USA customers and she had proper training about the technical details of leds.

So she taught me a lot about it and my knowledge about it increased significantly. I could talk wit suppliers about the details, convince them and sell the products. So the color does matter when you buy bulbs.

And as you can see I just put them in a drawer with two plastic crackers container to form a box, genius right.

Time to prepare!

In the short amount of time I had before starting a full time job again I look forward to it and want to do my best. This job has found me instead of the other way around. I didn't really actively searched for this position but got it in the end. It means I have to no problems and no other headache before I go to work.

Since last year I have put more focus on myself. I had to learn to put myself on the number one position in my life. My last job took so much energy from me and wasn't well paid. I did had great colleagues or I wouldn't been able to go to work every day.

Also by becoming a minimalist I am more focused on the essentials in life. Something that made my life way easier. As you can read on my blog the stuff that I once bought are already gathered to be sold or given away. But the stuff that I really use is so little compared to before it's easy to move around and no not everything I own is digital. I still love to touch my books or crafts. I now need to prepare my papers to be shredded and having my administration streamlined so all my bills are going to be paid on time.

New vacuum cleaner

I bought a new vacuum cleaner for only €5,-. I used my shop points to get a reduction of €10,- so 30\2-10= 5. My mother wanted to buy a robot vacuum or a Dyson. But a robot doesn't get a lot of dust and with a Dyson I pay just more for the brand name, it's too expensive. We would only buy it for the name and quality. Indeed the dyson is a very good and reliable brand but knowing how our home looks like and the ability of my mom who abuses/uses new tools it is a good decision to start of with a cheaper alternative.

First thing that I did was getting the vacuum out of the box and use it immediately. I won't allow new items in the household that doesn't fulfill any role. So together with my mom we tried and used the vacuum cleaner. It works like a charm and my mother decide to bring it to the attic so it has a natural home to return to.

I love it when a good buy works out!

Repair my grocery bag

 Sometimes I abuse my belongings, recently I found out my favorite bag has a hole in it. I was a little bit sad because the bag is very useful and it can fit most of my groceries or items I bring back home. It's one of those foldable bags for your purse with a long handle so I can trow it over my shoulders.

I have seen online what kind of tricks I can use but I thought I still could use things that I have laying around the house. Still having a repair patch from the airbed from one I already sold on the online market place, there is no need to buy any other supplies to just repair a €2,- bag. I cut out two pieces one for the inside and one for the outside.

Now I can confidently use it again. There are still some small hole but those won't influence the durability or the risk of getting bigger. I just leave them until the bag is unrepairable and can go into my old clothing bag.

Less is more, again

How many times have I already use this sentence? I am referring to the title, too many times but so true. As you may have read my previous post my new adventure has already started. Last week I was crying during diner with mom. Now I am continuously improving my quality of life at the apartment.

Within one week I decided to switch out the old unstable clothing closet and bought a new plastic one. My first thought was to not buy the smaller one but then I thought of the empty space it created and the anxiety of the old one falling. So now a side by side comparison. Everything that was on or in the old one fits in the smaller one. No need to waste extra square meters just because I can. Also the cleaning with the new one is way easier.

Sure my basket may not fi in it but I will find another way to use it. I may even want to buy another set to attached to it but only when the price is right. This time I used some shop points to get some discount.

What also plays a part is that I have become more selective in what I keep and discard. I throw away garbage much easier and sell stuff way faster. Minimalism has helped me in a way to be kinder to myself and get the value out of the things or occasions I want. Less is indeed more!

Driving without efficient lighting

Last week Sunday I was at the pomp station waiting in line to add fuel. I was in a neutral mood until an other customer at the pomp saw one of my light wasn't working. He was signaling with his hands that one of my light didn't work. I rolled down my window and asked is there something wrong and he told me the story of my lights.

From my neutral feelings I became a little bit nervous. This is the first time with this car that I needed to switch out light bulbs. I am scared, do I have the right bulbs in the car and what if I needed to... All kind of scenario's was going through my mind. I just couldn't put a finger on it. I decided to go and search online.

It was a disaster the whole week I was fuming around, I already found a youtube tutorial how to unscrew and all that but in the end I only needed to open a cap and pull very hard at the connection to get the broken lamp out.

All this nervousness and anxiety all for nothing. I am writing right after finishing that task and I am glad to say that I am very proud and happy at myself at the moment. It's a great way to start the Second day of Eastern.

Clearifying

My last post about my bedroom doesn't really makes sense. I have two bedrooms, one near my work place and one at my mothers home. I have put a lot of effort in my mom's home to make things as easy for her and myself when I'm there.

The bedroom I was referring to yesterday is the home that I share with my sibling near our work places. I am the last one to join and last few years I already sleep there regular but still prefer going to my mom's place.

It means that the place that I share with my siblings is like a student apartment that needs cleaning and organizing. Yes that's basically what's happening with me right now.

Bedroom

I already once showed how my room looks like but at the moment my current bedroom looks like hell. One part is great and organized and the other part that is used by my siblings looks like a janitor closet. I find it important to separate my own stuff with the common used stuff. So how does it look, the day I came back into my bedroom, cartons and carpets are down on the floor.

Those things I need to get rid for them, laying around for years and forced out of sight. So I tried to cut the carpet up so I can dispose it in the trash. No box cutter or good scissor anywhere, in the end I took a brand new vegetable knife and cut the carpet in pieces and threw it away on my way to work in the trash collection bin.

I am very sad that a place that is supposed to be for living has been downgraded to a store room. I really cried when I came back home to my mom's place. I am not a neat freak but I like everything not needed out of sight out of mind. Old suppliance that should be recycled are collecting dust and left alone because they can. Papers bags, plastic bags and cartons are all over the place.

But I am already happy that at least my room is clean and organized. The part that is used as storage I won't and can't touch because it's common place. This means a new adventure for a minimalist to clean and organize the place.

Working

These past two weeks the updates on my blog are not as frequent as in the beginning of this year and that has a reason. I am working again full time, I wanted to work parttime but that's not available but hey at least I am getting paid for working. I am still getting inspired during my everyday life but the time to get writing got less.

I already shoot some inspirational picture to write about and that's is a way to remind me to write. I am also currently under training which means a lot of information is pumped into me in a very short amount of time.

But I see that my minimalistic lifestyle does improve my quality of life. I make better decisions and see the difference in how I used to be and am now. I don't settle for less than I want and also feel good about it.

It's also one of the ways why I get things done so easily and fast. The information that I get to process during the training period is huge, right after the training or session my head gets very stuffy and I want to get out for air. I also think that during that time I am processing the information my brain needs more air.

So what does it means, it means that for the next few weeks there will be less posted but right after I got settled in my new position (around mid April) I will be able to write more frequently as I used to.

Buying days

November is the month to do buy gifts in advance for Christmas and Thanksgiving. November has Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Singles Day. It's all happening this month because the last month of the year is the most busiest for all. Singles Day is on 11th of November, last year I bought quite a lot of stuff on AliExpress and all but one purchase didn't arrive.

In a few days at 28 or 29 March there is another sale from AliExpress and I already filled my shopping cart with products that I want to buy. The current price would be around €40,- but with the sale pricing it would be around €20,- and the items I choose are not easily to find in the Netherlands or the alternative would be to expensive.

A water filter, hooks for bags, hooks for kitchen/bathroom, bluetooth headphones and shower head. All items that can't be found in my local store or at Amazon.de for a reasonable price. Yes, I found some great stuff at Amazon.de but for free shipping my order has to be over €29,- and most of the items combined don't even match that amount.

Now I am anticipating the sales and even asked mom what she wanted. Let me warn you don't buy really expensive stuff that needs warranty from AliExpress cause it's way to difficult to get in touch with them after the sale, I had that with my Picun bluetooth headphones, didn't work for 2 months and it got broken. Never buying that brand for that price, period.

New monitor

Two weeks ago I shipped my laptop again to sell and last week I decided to buy a new monitor. I wanted to buy a second hand but the specification I had didn't match the budget.

Here is my list:

• internal speakers
• HDMI connection
• Full HD
• < 2 second response time
• 24 inch or more
• nice design
• budget €95,-

With all these requirement I opted for a Benq GL2580HM. Last week it was on promotion for €119,-. That's over my budget but with airmiles I used, it cost €87,92 so under my budget. I had two other option for less but considering the design I really don't want to regret not having to make the right decision just because it's a little bit more expensive. 

I did looked at the warranty policy, so if even one pixel is dead I can get a new one or let it be repaired. The one from Benq was better, it has pick up and return policy. I also looked at the resell value and the AOC is a new name, the specification looks good but I didn't date to take the risk so decided to take the Benq. 

The bucket

Two weeks ago I bought a bucket for the trash. Do you see the difference. The stunning old trash bin was a batter bowl and the bucket holds a 5 liter volume. The batter bowl is fantastic for doing the dishes but not for the trash, it's okay but nog great.

Once the trash hits the rim and the bag is still not full it becomes dangerous to just tosh rubbish in it. It's not stable and you're never sure if it will fall or not. The bucket cost only €0,89 and it wasn't a planned buy. I was in a shop and was thinking about it how to use and if I will use it. So thinking I could always bring it back with a receipts, I bought it.

Bring back the bucket in the kitchen and put a plastic bag in it, it fits perfectly. Even mom loves it, this way she could easily put trash in without letting trash fall out. I love it!

Inspirationless

When a week pass by without any real new discoveries on how to improve my own life standards it's bad for my mood because as a very curious person not discovering or getting inspired it impact my humor and my positive eyesight.

I like selling my stuff not only brings it cash but it also increase the space I live in. I had succes last month but that's in the past.

Going outside in this rain it's not very inviting. The sun doesn't shines much and that also add up to the mood.

The Ikea Thrones are ready to be installed on the wall. For Friday I requested to borrow a drill. I want those shoe shelves on the wall so it won't fall down anymore.

Currently I am falling in a hole without light, that's how I feel. Like the darkness is sucking my inspiration and that I won't come out of it. That's the reason why I am already making plans for Friday to put things up.

By doing so I make small mission and that in it self can get me better and motivated. Also it will get me thinking and inspiration can get streaming back in. This post is a bit messy with random paragraph with no real connection but by doing this it can help me get inspiration.

How Sundays should be

Every once in awhile I drink even on a Sunday. My snacks in a cleaned cashew butter glass container now only has healthy nuts to go along with my beer. The glass is not made for the beer but it works and I enjoy it very much. The small container is always in the living room so when someone needs a little bit to nibble on has it in hand. Do you see that even on the table there is only the beer bottle, glass, snack container and in the far end a phone charger?

Most of the time this long table is empty and now it only has these 4 items on it. By having it always empty we clean things up faster. Sundays should be relaxing without a list of to-do's.

Sudden burst

Today I was babysitting my nephews whom love to go out. Every Friday they don't go to kindergarten and are at home with my sister. My sister always have household chores to do so she always ask my mother to babysit. My nephews love eating and going outside, so on Friday she doesn't always take them out for a stroll or doing shoppings with them.

My nephews needs stimulation while walking to a store and going back home. When we go out they are full of energy and want to go as soon as possible to the store to eat and play. They know that I have put banana's in my bag to replenish their energy level. They are focused on that almost the whole time when they aren't playing. Today they didn't talk much but when I got the kneading eraser for them to play they were so talkative.

My mother promised them strawberries and apple after watching a 30 minutes video. But suddenly while they were sitting next to me playing under a blanket they fell asleep. For over an hour I was clamped in by my twins nephews.

The twins didn't wake up after an hour for their afternoon snack but by constant poking and calling they sat up and watched television. When I announced that I was leaving, my youngest nephew cried: 'Strawberries'. He burst out of tears and continuously recite strawberries. He is afraid that when I leave that they can't eat it.

As the strict aunt that I am, I didn't rush to him and just told him that I left the strawberries in a container for them. Still he didn't stop, I took my coat off and told all my nephews to sit at the dining table and eat a strawberry. The youngest was already in my sister lap, so to make him sit individually I made a deal with him. If he sits in his own chair he could pick the first strawberry. It works as a charm, every time when I say it.

I was honestly quite shocked when he reacted that way. But that's the fun with kids you don't know how they react like that.

Seeing things and my reaction

One day I came back and saw a plastic ice container that I used (reused) being deformed. In the past I would feel sh*t about it and ask who did it and why aren't you careful with other peoples stuff. That would be my reaction.

Now I come back and see it. It's deformed, it's a shame but it can be recycled and it's not the end of the world. Also I learned to appreciate glass and ceramic over plastic. If instead the plastic container it was my all-day usage le Creuset mug I would go a bit nuts, I think.

The difference is plastic container cost nothing, it came with the ice cream but my mug cost full price to replace it immediately €15,-. The value that I bestow on these items are different. My mug is used everyday and the plastic container only hold condiments or other liquids.

As I mentioned before on my blog, with minimalism you learn what really is important.

Trying new things

As I mentioned before trying new food can be very exciting. It's an experience, it could turn out bad but also great. You may know the Lidl that has every now and then regional products. This time I picked out this Italiamo and a Vietnams sweet mango flavor drink from the Amazing Oriental.

With crisp and chips it's not very exciting but still very fun to try it. The Italiamo wasn't great or bad. While the surprise this time came from this Vietnamese drink. It's a little bit sweet but the seeds give it a crazy texture. The smell of mango was not very artificial, I really enjoyed it.

As a minimalist I use this way of trying new food to spice up my eating experience and habit. For example I also tried the spicy Korean noodle before it went viral on social media. I try to experience it on my own pace instead of following the big crowd. Don't let the mass influence you to make a decision you don't want. I do use Youtube as an inspiration tool but I am going to try this on my own pace. It's one of the reason I visit Indonesia or Turkish shops just to try new snack/food/drinks.

Shopping card

When I started with minimalism, I got a lot of inspiration online. There weren't a lot of minimalist videos like in 2017. I liked going shopping and find new stuff in store. Still there should be some ground rules that I need to set to get on this journey. So I made a list of what to do and how to do. I created my own shopping card.

You may think shopping card, it's not what you think. It's a way of reminding me how to be a minimalist in real life. The things I mention are so logic and simple but without an constant reminder it was difficult. Go on youtube and you hear so many minimalist that they don't shop anymore. I think it is one of the ways to not bring new items to your home but for someone like I that likes to walk and do window shopping it's a killer no. Because shops have new items and new arrangements. It can also surprise you, it can also inspire you to create things with stuff you already have (upcycle). It can cause conservations between strangers or you go meet up with friends in shops.

Currently when I am shopping I am not tempted to buy because I know I don't need it and I see the tricks.

This shopping card does need some explanation but afterwards you can easily see why this small card with only few rows of words and bad drawing works (at least for I).

Shopping cart: You only need a few items, just don't take a cart because you will try to fill it up. I used to do shopping on my bike and the volume from the cart doesn't fit on my bike. This is a no brainer.

Bread: Everything you eat, always check the expiration date and the nutrition label. Excuses like, it's too mall to read and I can never find the date, it cost too much time are no real reason to not do it. If you take the product home and eat it, got sick and having to go to the doctor doesn't that take time and money?

Candy: Once in a while it's not a sin but you can't fool yourself, if you feel the pants getting tighter it means less sugar intake and snacks.

T-shirt: If you can replace it with something similar in your closet leave it in the store, only after you donate your old ones you can go back and buy it.

Reading material: write down the title and buy an e-edition, if it has nice paper insert those are very cheap and don't justify the price tag.

%OFF: Don't get fooled by the big sales tags. Seriously when isn't it sales. Retail prices are high because they need to include transport, personal cost, etc. When you buy you never save money because the price tag says so. You still spend money, instead of think of it as in hours you need to work for the money, your likely to put it back.

Sofa: Don't buy furniture that you already have. If you really want to replace it, get rid of the old item before buying and use a measurement tool to check if it really fits in your home.

By having this in hand while shopping you remind yourself with what is important.

Doubles

I am not a fan of doubles in the house, there is one exception and that is in the kitchen. I have much more than just one pair of chopstick and more sets of cutlery but not more than 6 sets. In the picture you see two cleaning towels. We used to have 3-4 in the kitchen with no certain protocol to keep it at a minimum. Now we have these two in the kitchen and I am quite proud of it. We use the towels until in can not hold itself anymore and use it one last time for very dirty and grime cleaning before throwing it in the bin. I can say with proud that in one year time we don't even use up one package of cleaning towels. These towels are only for the kitchen and diner table. Once a week or once in two weeks I use it to wipe surfaces in the living room but more than that it won't touch. I like to keep the stuff at a minimum, this way you always have to know where it is and can use it when necessary. These towels will never go in to the bathroom because there I have other clothes that keeps that place clean. Also different surfaces need different textiles to clean it. 

Hang it up!

Last year I bought an ukulele. I wasn't going anywhere with my guitar because it's big and the effort of carrying it with me all times is tiring. So I purchased the little brother the ukulele. It has less cords and should be easier. In truth I have been trying it on/off for the past year and a few weeks ago I came across Yousician and started playing. I can play 3 children songs by picking but strumming is still difficult in my eyes.

The reason why I like the ukulele: it's so easy to take it with you and when I hang it up, it calls me to play. And I always hang it up, as levitating items makes surfaces easier to clean!