Today, for lunch, I brought clam chowder that my lovely upstairs neighbor (and landlord) made and offered generously. It was delicious.
Today, after lunch, I thought about just shoving the dirty tupperware into my lunch bag and going back to my office to read. But instead, I made the deliberate choice to simplify my life by washing the tupperware now. Why is this more simple? Because it SAVES TIME LATER, and because, for goodness' sake, I HAVE THE TIME NOW. I have way less to do at lunchtime at work than I do at home in the evening.
There, one thing checked off the to-do list. See how easy living simply is?
This, by the way, is an example of one of my goals, which is "pick up things as you use them."
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Some thoughts on simple living
Living simply is not about simply living. Simply living is what everyone else is doing. Simply living is going through the motions without thought or meaning.
Living simply is living deliberately. It's about thinking things through. It's about making choices about your own life instead of having society choose for you.
Ironically, simply living involves doing a lot more, but living passively. Living deliberately is about doing less, but living actively.
Living deliberately is much more difficult because it involves questioning, being confused, going against social norms, and requires much more self-confidence. But like most things in life, things that require more effort are often much more rewarding.
Living simply is living deliberately. It's about thinking things through. It's about making choices about your own life instead of having society choose for you.
Ironically, simply living involves doing a lot more, but living passively. Living deliberately is about doing less, but living actively.
Living deliberately is much more difficult because it involves questioning, being confused, going against social norms, and requires much more self-confidence. But like most things in life, things that require more effort are often much more rewarding.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Slow food: Pumpkin Roasting
I'm sure this exists elsewhere, but here in Vermont where all the tree-hugging hippies live, there's this concept called slow food. It's supposed to be an opposition to fast food, and includes several different facets, including organic food, localvore eating, farmer's markets, urban homesteading, farming, and generally just being in touch with where your food comes from. Want more info? Try this: Slow Food USA.
In any case, I imagine some people are thinking, "I don't have time for that." I totally get that. I'm a busy girl, too, and frankly, I love me some Pop Tarts and Campbell's Tomato Soup. Not necessarily together. Also, although I try not to eat it much, I also like good old traditional fast food. Taco Bell is my friend. That said, I appreciate the idea of, well, appreciating the origin of our food. I also appreciate that, in some cases, it's more economical to do things the slow food way (as long as you ignore the tenet that time is money). In that spirit, I present to you: The Homemade Pumpkin Roasting Extravaganza.
I love pumpkin. Seasonally, I do a pumpkin chocolate chip cranberry muffin for breakfast that is awesome. Pumpkin is so autumnal! And delicious! So last week, when I went to buy a can of pumpkin to do the muffin bake, I was horrified that it cost $2.50. Not that that's necessarily a lot, but for goodness sake, canned corn only costs $.50!
So I decided to use part of my afternoon off on Friday, and do the slow food thing. Pumpkin style.
In any case, I imagine some people are thinking, "I don't have time for that." I totally get that. I'm a busy girl, too, and frankly, I love me some Pop Tarts and Campbell's Tomato Soup. Not necessarily together. Also, although I try not to eat it much, I also like good old traditional fast food. Taco Bell is my friend. That said, I appreciate the idea of, well, appreciating the origin of our food. I also appreciate that, in some cases, it's more economical to do things the slow food way (as long as you ignore the tenet that time is money). In that spirit, I present to you: The Homemade Pumpkin Roasting Extravaganza.
I love pumpkin. Seasonally, I do a pumpkin chocolate chip cranberry muffin for breakfast that is awesome. Pumpkin is so autumnal! And delicious! So last week, when I went to buy a can of pumpkin to do the muffin bake, I was horrified that it cost $2.50. Not that that's necessarily a lot, but for goodness sake, canned corn only costs $.50!
So I decided to use part of my afternoon off on Friday, and do the slow food thing. Pumpkin style.
Gettin' all cleaned up in the sink.
Prepped for surgery
Surgery
Pumpkin guts! All ready to scoop out the stringy bits and separate out the seeds.
Then, you just cover the top with foil, and pop it in the over at 375 for an hour or so (it was about an hour and a half for this guy, since he was hugenormous). There's enough water content in the pumpkin to generate steam under the foil, which softens the sucker right up.
When the inside is the consistency of basked potato, it's time to SCOOP! I used a big metal serving spoon, and put all the soft mushy pumpkin insides into a bowl. These are the decimated shells.
Mmmm! Giant bowl of PUMPKIN!
Pumpkin carcass.
After a little blender puree action and some oven seed roasting, the total yield for this pumpkin was the equivalent of 4 cans of the store-bought stuff, and a delicious bowl of salty roasted pumpkin seeds. All for $6.00. Boo-yah! Slow food rules!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
De-cluttering the Closet
I promised pictures of the newly decluttered closet, which I shall now deliver on:
It's not minimalism by any stretch of the imagination...but it IS an improvement, and one I'm quite pleased with.
Old
New!
Look, only a SINGLE LAYER of clothing high!
This actually looks about the same, but I've switched the sweaters
onto the shelves for fall.
My drawers are openable! And not stuffed to the gills! Hooray!
It's not minimalism by any stretch of the imagination...but it IS an improvement, and one I'm quite pleased with.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Making Time to Do Nothing
One of my goals for simplifying was to begin meditating. I've been working on that this week, and chose to tackle it in the morning when I get to work. I'm an early bird--don't get me wrong, I love when it's the weekend and I can sleep til 10, but during the work week, I'd just as soon get up and get going. In the morning, I get up and go running, and get in to work at the college by 8:00. No one else is in that early, so I have a bit of quiet time to myself, which is part of the reason I make a point to come in; I value the quiet, the time to wrap my head around my day, pull my files, drink my coffee, check the weather. So I folded my meditation time into that routine.
I like to sit on the floor. I tried my chair, but almost fell asleep. I set the alarm on my cell phone, close my eyes, and walk through a process of progressive relaxation from head to toe, and then focused meditation on a "mantra." Nothing fancy here: my meditation word is "still." It's a reminder to be quiet, to be calm, to cultivate an inner stillness when so much goes on outside.
As I mentioned before, a monk at the retreat I attended this spring gave me a brief tutorial on this type of meditation, and he told me a couple things that I feel are especially important. First, your brain takes time to get used to meditating, and it will become clear when it starts to move out of a meditative state. Sometimes, that happens before my alarm goes off, and I do a mental check to see if we can go back. Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't. The second thing he told me is to be kind to myself about the meditation. It's not about judgment. Some days, especially now at the beginning, I'm not able to do it for very long. 10 minutes and I'm just done. But that's 10 minutes I carve out for me and for nothing else, and that's valuable. I've been trying to add a minute here and there this past week, and today I did 14 minutes no problem--could have gone longer. So it's about practice.
Meditation is good for me. I am horrible about letting myself take breaks in my life, and this gives me a structured time to just be with myself. So far, a success.
I like to sit on the floor. I tried my chair, but almost fell asleep. I set the alarm on my cell phone, close my eyes, and walk through a process of progressive relaxation from head to toe, and then focused meditation on a "mantra." Nothing fancy here: my meditation word is "still." It's a reminder to be quiet, to be calm, to cultivate an inner stillness when so much goes on outside.
As I mentioned before, a monk at the retreat I attended this spring gave me a brief tutorial on this type of meditation, and he told me a couple things that I feel are especially important. First, your brain takes time to get used to meditating, and it will become clear when it starts to move out of a meditative state. Sometimes, that happens before my alarm goes off, and I do a mental check to see if we can go back. Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't. The second thing he told me is to be kind to myself about the meditation. It's not about judgment. Some days, especially now at the beginning, I'm not able to do it for very long. 10 minutes and I'm just done. But that's 10 minutes I carve out for me and for nothing else, and that's valuable. I've been trying to add a minute here and there this past week, and today I did 14 minutes no problem--could have gone longer. So it's about practice.
Meditation is good for me. I am horrible about letting myself take breaks in my life, and this gives me a structured time to just be with myself. So far, a success.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
No Time or Not Making Time?
So I realize it's been awhile since I've last posted. I never actually posted my last day. I feel like I have a good excuse. I've been busy. I haven't had time. And to be honest, no, I haven't had time. But that's because I'm not making time. I'm so tired of being busy. I'm so tired of not having time. What am I doing in my life that is leading me to not have time to do what I enjoy? What kind of a person lives a life they don't like? Why is it so much easier to continue living a life I don't like than to make changes so I enjoy my life? Why is change so difficult?
Unfortunately, I do not have the answers to these questions. But I feel slightly better knowing I made time in my schedule to find five minutes to type these questions.
Unfortunately, I do not have the answers to these questions. But I feel slightly better knowing I made time in my schedule to find five minutes to type these questions.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Simplifying My Mind: Mental Chaos and Changing the Voice Inside My Head.
My quest for simplification stems from the internal voice that is always in my head. I'm kind of an overachiever. I'm also kind of hard on myself. I get ideas into my head about what I should do, and then I stick to them or feel guilty. I also have a tendency to goGoGO and try to do a million things at once. This makes me incredibly productive, but also makes me incredibly mentally stressed out. At night, when I am packing my gym back, packing my lunch, helping with dinner clean up, checking my e-mail, brushing my teeth, cleaning off the table, gathering up my library books to return, feeding the cat...well, I forget to breathe. All I want to do is sit and relax because my days are long, but I literally CANNOT STOP. Every time I sit to enjoy Community (or whatever), I'm up at every commercial because I feel compelled to DO the thing I remembered I needed (wanted?) to do. The thinking goes like this: "Well, if I just get up and get it done, then it'll all be done and I can relax." But I'm never relaxed because there's always something else to do and hell, this is life. It's never all done!
So, one of my goals for simplification? Do one thing at a time, and change the words the voice is saying. Instead of "Don't forget this and this and this...Get this done, you're not done yet, can't relax til you finish everything!" I want the voice to say, "Dude, relax. You can brush your teeth later. Enjoy the show right now...and only the show."
So, back to the issue of being hard on myself. This morning, I went for a run. I do this a few days a week on my way to work, which I've mentioned before. I have no passion for running (I don't get a "runner's high" or go to that Zen place where my legs just move and my mind empties and I can fly), but I like to feel healthy and I recognize that I am naturally someone who enjoys being at rest, so I overcome my natural state and pound the pavement a few mornings a week. But this morning, I just felt slow. I shoot for 4 miles in the morning, but this morning, I decided to do 3.5 instead. You might be thinking, "Well, no biggie..." but when you have a tendency toward rigid thinking, 3.5 is VERY DIFFERENT from 4. It's not really quantitative. I had to do with my expectations for myself.
Today, though, I decided to give myself a break. "Cool," I said to my body. "You're having kind of a hard time getting started. Just do 3.5. That's legit." My body thanked me. It also told me that it wanted to walk a bit today. My automatic thinking went like this, "But if you walk, it's not really a run, now, is it?" Today, we examined that a little and I gave myself a second break. "Walk if you walk, body. Thanks for moving me around this morning. You did some good running. Interval training is helpful, too!" So we took walk breaks.
This might sound like I'm a little obsessive (I am). I also fear that it sounds lazy. But hey, my exercise is about me, and not about what something thinks of me. So I'm trying to be kind to myself and just get over it.
Tiny steps, huh?
So, one of my goals for simplification? Do one thing at a time, and change the words the voice is saying. Instead of "Don't forget this and this and this...Get this done, you're not done yet, can't relax til you finish everything!" I want the voice to say, "Dude, relax. You can brush your teeth later. Enjoy the show right now...and only the show."
So, back to the issue of being hard on myself. This morning, I went for a run. I do this a few days a week on my way to work, which I've mentioned before. I have no passion for running (I don't get a "runner's high" or go to that Zen place where my legs just move and my mind empties and I can fly), but I like to feel healthy and I recognize that I am naturally someone who enjoys being at rest, so I overcome my natural state and pound the pavement a few mornings a week. But this morning, I just felt slow. I shoot for 4 miles in the morning, but this morning, I decided to do 3.5 instead. You might be thinking, "Well, no biggie..." but when you have a tendency toward rigid thinking, 3.5 is VERY DIFFERENT from 4. It's not really quantitative. I had to do with my expectations for myself.
Today, though, I decided to give myself a break. "Cool," I said to my body. "You're having kind of a hard time getting started. Just do 3.5. That's legit." My body thanked me. It also told me that it wanted to walk a bit today. My automatic thinking went like this, "But if you walk, it's not really a run, now, is it?" Today, we examined that a little and I gave myself a second break. "Walk if you walk, body. Thanks for moving me around this morning. You did some good running. Interval training is helpful, too!" So we took walk breaks.
This might sound like I'm a little obsessive (I am). I also fear that it sounds lazy. But hey, my exercise is about me, and not about what something thinks of me. So I'm trying to be kind to myself and just get over it.
Tiny steps, huh?
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Continuing to Simplify: The First Day of the Rest of My Life
Tonight, I had to pack for an overnight conference I'm attending Wed/Thurs this week. And I froze. I looked at my closet (which has its clothes back), and I froze. I started with the premise that I wanted to wear brown shoes for two days, and then I "couldn't find two outfits that required brown shoes." I stopped, realized I was being ridiculous, reevaluated the importance of the shoes, freed myself from the idea of wearing the sweater I had picked out, and put together two outfits with a slightly less-brown shoes. I hope that I can continue to have a pleasant, easy, clothing mindset and not get frozen, but I might need to do some more purging. Or just wait until a true switch-over to fall clothes begins. Right now we're kind of in-between and it's a little overwhelming to have two seasons of clothes to work with. Incidentally, my closet also still needs to be organized. Pictures of the clean, new, re-full closet to come this weekend.
Today at work, I did some thinking about what it means to simplify, and what I want that to look like in my life. It was a little tricky, to be honest, and here's why: When I Googled "ways to simplify your life," a lot of the suggestions were things I/we already do around here. I'm kind of an efficiency nut, and so I'm pretty good at making tough things as quick and bearable as possible. Case in point: all our payments that can be automized are. We already do menu planning and weekly shopping to match that menu. And we have a chore chart/rotation so that a major house cleaning never comes all at once and it's always clear who is responsible for what. Word.
So those things are already in place, but life still seems complicated and busy. I've done a little thinking about some potential goals I have for simplifying, and here is what I have come up with so far:
1. Find time to meditate. I recognize that technically this is adding something to my life. But it's adding time to do nothing to my life, and there is value to that. In the spring, when I went to a weekend-long silent retreat, I talked to the monk/spiritual director of the retreat about finding time to slow down my mind and my life, and he recommended making time to meditate. I did it for about a week, and then stopped. It was just one more thing. But I think that it's really important for me to take that time, to just be, to "feel my feelings" as my supervisor says, and to just give my mind a chance to relax. I'm thinking that I might do this in the early mornings when I get into the counseling center. I come in at 8 each day, and never schedule clients til 9. Sometimes I have a bit of paperwork, but honestly, I mostly check USAToday, the weather, and facebook. I think that meditating would be a better use of my time.
2. Make work time for work. When I'm at work, I always have gmail up on my computer, in addition to my work e-mail. That means that every five seconds, I'm checking my personal e-mail. And when I don't have clients because no one is scheduled or they no-show, that time should be used for making myself a better counselor: reading, meditating, reflecting on my practice, or even just getting outside and taking a walk. Not checking e-mail. Or playing solitaire with Vegas scoring. Or checking facebook. I think I need to do some internet compartmentalization so that my work can stay focused and I don't feel all multi-tasky all the time.
3. Cut down on computer time. I am a big believer in the power of the internet and the awesomeness of communication. As I have mentioned, I love me some Facebook and Dailymile and Ravelry. And e-mail. But damn it, I also love to read a book or just talk to my husband, and I find it hard to do so when there's always something online to check. "Being online" is SUCH A TIMESUCK. So I think I'm going to institute some unplugged evenings, or weekend days. I mean, there's no reason I need the internet on Saturdays. At least not usually. And if I need it for directions to get to the apple orchard, cool. But if I just want to get on facebook and kill time, not cool. I gave up facebook for Lent this year and it was awesome. I kinda love/hate it now. So I think going cold turkey, at least for some set amount of time, will really be beneficial for me.
4. Get rid of a thing a day. I read about this online, the idea being that at the end of a year, you have 365 fewer things. Sure, I'll shop in the meantime, but at least this way there's a cycle of in and out. I like it, and it doesn't feel so hard to get rid of a thing a day. I also like that this doesn't HAVE to be so slavish as finding the time each day to get rid of something -- you can just as easily get rid of 7 things a week or whatever. Also, this will produce good visual content for the blog! :)
5. Pick up as you use things. This is something that's suggested on some of those simplify your life lists, and it's something I'm alright at, but could be better. Especially with shoes. But I do admit, that the idea of NOT having to pick up before I vacuum is appealing. By the same token, my dear husband bears the brunt of the dishes in our house. This is partly because he cleans up after dinner, but also because I do not wash out "just this one glass" when I have a drink, or "that plate" when I have an English muffin for breakfast. I could do better to just clean up these dishes as I use them, too, and then no one is left with extra to do later.
6. Single-tasking. I am a multi-tasker, and I am a pretty efficient person. But I FEEL cognitively jumbled, and I think it's because I never focus on one thing. I have talked to friends and family recently about my "cognitive decline." I really am making more verbal slip-ups, I'm not able to retrieve words as easily, I can't get the information from the mental filing cabinet as quickly. I'm convinced it's because I have SO MUCH going on all the time up there. I need to slow down and do one thing at a time. I know that sometimes it's not possible, but it often is, and I don't take the opportunity. I think I'd be happier, for example, if I just walked slower, instead of always walkingtogetsomewhereimmediately.
7. Consider the obligations I have. I was working a (very) part-time job on a couple weekend days a month. I love this job, the people are great, the discount is great, but right now, my internships are pretty consuming, and I want a weekend. So I dropped it, temporarily. And right now, I'm much happier. There's not a ton of other things I can drop, but I'm keeping my eye on myself and the commitments I feel an urge to take on. And trying to talk myself out of such things.
This list isn't exhaustive, and I imagine having varying degrees of success with it. But I think, at the very least, I'm going to start with trying to meditate 3 days a week when I get into the office. It's a good first goal.
Today at work, I did some thinking about what it means to simplify, and what I want that to look like in my life. It was a little tricky, to be honest, and here's why: When I Googled "ways to simplify your life," a lot of the suggestions were things I/we already do around here. I'm kind of an efficiency nut, and so I'm pretty good at making tough things as quick and bearable as possible. Case in point: all our payments that can be automized are. We already do menu planning and weekly shopping to match that menu. And we have a chore chart/rotation so that a major house cleaning never comes all at once and it's always clear who is responsible for what. Word.
So those things are already in place, but life still seems complicated and busy. I've done a little thinking about some potential goals I have for simplifying, and here is what I have come up with so far:
1. Find time to meditate. I recognize that technically this is adding something to my life. But it's adding time to do nothing to my life, and there is value to that. In the spring, when I went to a weekend-long silent retreat, I talked to the monk/spiritual director of the retreat about finding time to slow down my mind and my life, and he recommended making time to meditate. I did it for about a week, and then stopped. It was just one more thing. But I think that it's really important for me to take that time, to just be, to "feel my feelings" as my supervisor says, and to just give my mind a chance to relax. I'm thinking that I might do this in the early mornings when I get into the counseling center. I come in at 8 each day, and never schedule clients til 9. Sometimes I have a bit of paperwork, but honestly, I mostly check USAToday, the weather, and facebook. I think that meditating would be a better use of my time.
2. Make work time for work. When I'm at work, I always have gmail up on my computer, in addition to my work e-mail. That means that every five seconds, I'm checking my personal e-mail. And when I don't have clients because no one is scheduled or they no-show, that time should be used for making myself a better counselor: reading, meditating, reflecting on my practice, or even just getting outside and taking a walk. Not checking e-mail. Or playing solitaire with Vegas scoring. Or checking facebook. I think I need to do some internet compartmentalization so that my work can stay focused and I don't feel all multi-tasky all the time.
3. Cut down on computer time. I am a big believer in the power of the internet and the awesomeness of communication. As I have mentioned, I love me some Facebook and Dailymile and Ravelry. And e-mail. But damn it, I also love to read a book or just talk to my husband, and I find it hard to do so when there's always something online to check. "Being online" is SUCH A TIMESUCK. So I think I'm going to institute some unplugged evenings, or weekend days. I mean, there's no reason I need the internet on Saturdays. At least not usually. And if I need it for directions to get to the apple orchard, cool. But if I just want to get on facebook and kill time, not cool. I gave up facebook for Lent this year and it was awesome. I kinda love/hate it now. So I think going cold turkey, at least for some set amount of time, will really be beneficial for me.
4. Get rid of a thing a day. I read about this online, the idea being that at the end of a year, you have 365 fewer things. Sure, I'll shop in the meantime, but at least this way there's a cycle of in and out. I like it, and it doesn't feel so hard to get rid of a thing a day. I also like that this doesn't HAVE to be so slavish as finding the time each day to get rid of something -- you can just as easily get rid of 7 things a week or whatever. Also, this will produce good visual content for the blog! :)
5. Pick up as you use things. This is something that's suggested on some of those simplify your life lists, and it's something I'm alright at, but could be better. Especially with shoes. But I do admit, that the idea of NOT having to pick up before I vacuum is appealing. By the same token, my dear husband bears the brunt of the dishes in our house. This is partly because he cleans up after dinner, but also because I do not wash out "just this one glass" when I have a drink, or "that plate" when I have an English muffin for breakfast. I could do better to just clean up these dishes as I use them, too, and then no one is left with extra to do later.
6. Single-tasking. I am a multi-tasker, and I am a pretty efficient person. But I FEEL cognitively jumbled, and I think it's because I never focus on one thing. I have talked to friends and family recently about my "cognitive decline." I really am making more verbal slip-ups, I'm not able to retrieve words as easily, I can't get the information from the mental filing cabinet as quickly. I'm convinced it's because I have SO MUCH going on all the time up there. I need to slow down and do one thing at a time. I know that sometimes it's not possible, but it often is, and I don't take the opportunity. I think I'd be happier, for example, if I just walked slower, instead of always walkingtogetsomewhereimmediately.
7. Consider the obligations I have. I was working a (very) part-time job on a couple weekend days a month. I love this job, the people are great, the discount is great, but right now, my internships are pretty consuming, and I want a weekend. So I dropped it, temporarily. And right now, I'm much happier. There's not a ton of other things I can drop, but I'm keeping my eye on myself and the commitments I feel an urge to take on. And trying to talk myself out of such things.
This list isn't exhaustive, and I imagine having varying degrees of success with it. But I think, at the very least, I'm going to start with trying to meditate 3 days a week when I get into the office. It's a good first goal.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Day 30: How Sweet It Is
And the grand finale:
Pretty swanky, huh?
And you thought it couldn't be done!
Pretty swanky, huh?
And you thought it couldn't be done!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Day 29: Almost There
Day 29, and I'm looking disheveled and slouchy:
Whatevs. It's the end of the day, and I like to think of it as an absentminded but caring therapist look. I mean, I have the cardigan, right?
I like Caroline's idea about blogging to live more simply, and I think it will be good to hold myself accountable. I won't post every day, but I do have some ideas for things I want to try to live more simply, so I think it's a fine idea.
One day to go. Phew!
I like Caroline's idea about blogging to live more simply, and I think it will be good to hold myself accountable. I won't post every day, but I do have some ideas for things I want to try to live more simply, so I think it's a fine idea.
One day to go. Phew!
Caroline Day 28-29 Thoughts on the future
The image on the left is what I wore on Sunday. I was tired after the game on Saturday, so I threw on some sweats. Then I slept in the sweatpants. Then I wore them on Sunday. Don't judge me. They are super comfortable. Originally, sweatpants weren't on the list so:
57. sweatpants
58. another pair of socks (despite only having 7 pairs of socks, I managed to lose a pair)
59. another pair of underwear because I failed in planning out my laundry days.
60. another pair of jeans (it got cold here)
Yup, nothing like adding a few more items on the last day of a challenge. Oh well, I've still met my goal of 60. Also, I never wore my capris or my grey dress pants. Interesting.
Moving right along, today I'm wearing the new jeans, t-shirt, and blue zip up sweatshirt (not pictured). I can't believe tomorrow is the last day of the challenge. My roommate asked me what I plan to wear on Wednesday. I'm not sure. I'll probably end up wearing the same stuff I've been wearing thus far. I really don't miss my old clothes. My other roommate commented that it doesn't seem like I've been wearing the same things, so I consider this challenge a success. Also, many thanks to Claire (the first roommate mentioned in this paragraph) who has been taking pictures of me everyday.
Now that the challenge is almost over, I'm looking towards the future. Like Becky, I want to give away some of my clothes. Of course, this is a lot easier in theory than in practice. Even though I've gone 30 days, I fear that I may need something for a special occasion. I'm debating whether or not it's better to have stuff "just in case" or if I'd be better off getting rid of stuff and buying new stuff if I need it. Because chances are, I could probably live without it. Most likely, I will just pack a box full of clothes to be left at home while I'm at college. Then it's kinda there but kinda not. Then in a year or so, maybe I'll be willing to donate it.
Also, I've been thinking about future challenges. As previously mentioned, I'll be going to Australia next semester. I'm thinking about trying to limit myself to 75 items of clothing for 2-4 months. Obviously, I can't bring many clothes with me, and I don't want to buy a lot of clothes there only to have no way to get them back to America. This idea is still in the works.
Also, Becky and I have to decide what we want to do with this blog. I've discovered that I really like blogging. Even if we decide to discontinue the blog, I think I will make my own. However, I have a different suggestion. I think we should keep the blog going and we can continue to document our attempts to live more simply/minimalisticlly. There would probably be fewer pictures, but the content would still be there. What do you think, Becky?
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Day 28: Fancy Dress
Today, we went to a wedding. I especially picked this outfit way ahead of time, because even though the skirt wasn't really something I would wear the rest of the challenge, the shirt was definitely a multi-tasker. The shoes, too.
The day was GORGEOUS! Perfect sunny September weather, and the wedding was really lovely: very personal for the bride and groom, with a bit of a Sound of Music theme that kind of made my heart thump. Walking down the aisle to Edelweiss? Yes, please.
This is what I accomplished yesterday:
This is a picture of a "clothes for later" suitcase. The plastic bag is full of t-shirts that I don't wear but want to keep -- things like dorm shirts and band shirts from college, and high school shirts. Memento clothing and the like. The rest of the stuff is clothing that's too big for me at the moment, but I want to keep around in case winter hibernation gets the best of me, or in case, in the next few years, I end up gestating. Might as well save too-big clothes now and avoid having to buy a whole new stupid wardrobe later.
This is all the crap I'm getting rid of. The box is stuff I'm going to take to Plato's closet and try to make a few bucks on, and the bags are going to Goodwill. I ended up with about 65 items to donate, and many more I just tossed (old shirts, socks, gross shoes, etc.) Definitely more than 75 total.
When I move things back into the closet next week, I'll take a new picture. But I'm quite pleased!
The day was GORGEOUS! Perfect sunny September weather, and the wedding was really lovely: very personal for the bride and groom, with a bit of a Sound of Music theme that kind of made my heart thump. Walking down the aisle to Edelweiss? Yes, please.
This is what I accomplished yesterday:
This is a picture of a "clothes for later" suitcase. The plastic bag is full of t-shirts that I don't wear but want to keep -- things like dorm shirts and band shirts from college, and high school shirts. Memento clothing and the like. The rest of the stuff is clothing that's too big for me at the moment, but I want to keep around in case winter hibernation gets the best of me, or in case, in the next few years, I end up gestating. Might as well save too-big clothes now and avoid having to buy a whole new stupid wardrobe later.
This is all the crap I'm getting rid of. The box is stuff I'm going to take to Plato's closet and try to make a few bucks on, and the bags are going to Goodwill. I ended up with about 65 items to donate, and many more I just tossed (old shirts, socks, gross shoes, etc.) Definitely more than 75 total.
When I move things back into the closet next week, I'll take a new picture. But I'm quite pleased!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Day 27: A New Challenge
Yesterday, I wrote that I was going to do the big purge next weekend. I had a plan: Do the purge while still in the middle of the challenge so that I was in the right mindframe when I was going. I'm afraid that if I put all the clothes back and THEN start going through them, I'm going to be all, "Oh hello long-lost friend! I need you! I can't get rid of you!" and then the whole thing will be a bust.
But then I realized that next weekend we will not be IN the challenge. WHAT? We are DONE THIS WEEK! 30 days is TUESDAY! Crappers! That went fast!
In looking back over the original post I wrote, I realized I said we were going until 9/30. This is false. I think I meant 30 days, because for goodness' sake, that's what it says on the banner of our page.
So that means the purge happens this weekend. In considering how I was going to approach the re-introduction of old clothes and combine that with the purge I envision happening with my new sense of minimalist clothing freedom, I realized I needed some parameters to stick to my guns. So my goals is this: Purge 75 articles of clothing from my wardrobe. In reality, I hope it will be much more...but it must be AT LEAST 75. I hope to do a little weeding tonight (maybe when I'm done with this entry), and then continue tomorrow.
But enough about the future. How about today?
Today, Andy and I went to the country. So I wore pig tails:
We picked a lot of apples. As usual, my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Then we went to Pizza Hut (Nom nom) and came home and I made a pie:
(It's frozen and waiting to be baked on Monday). I also made apple fritters, because my coworker mentioned this fried wonder, and I've been reminiscing about the ones at Der Dutchman lately:
These are obviously mine, not the Der's.
It has been a delightful day. Fall is here, Walt, our landlord, is taking down the cages around the tomato plants, and the leaves are just hinting at changing color. I can't wait for the cool weather to keep rolling in and the sweaters to come out. Wheeeeee!
But then I realized that next weekend we will not be IN the challenge. WHAT? We are DONE THIS WEEK! 30 days is TUESDAY! Crappers! That went fast!
In looking back over the original post I wrote, I realized I said we were going until 9/30. This is false. I think I meant 30 days, because for goodness' sake, that's what it says on the banner of our page.
So that means the purge happens this weekend. In considering how I was going to approach the re-introduction of old clothes and combine that with the purge I envision happening with my new sense of minimalist clothing freedom, I realized I needed some parameters to stick to my guns. So my goals is this: Purge 75 articles of clothing from my wardrobe. In reality, I hope it will be much more...but it must be AT LEAST 75. I hope to do a little weeding tonight (maybe when I'm done with this entry), and then continue tomorrow.
But enough about the future. How about today?
Today, Andy and I went to the country. So I wore pig tails:
We picked a lot of apples. As usual, my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Then we went to Pizza Hut (Nom nom) and came home and I made a pie:
It has been a delightful day. Fall is here, Walt, our landlord, is taking down the cages around the tomato plants, and the leaves are just hinting at changing color. I can't wait for the cool weather to keep rolling in and the sweaters to come out. Wheeeeee!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Day 26: Welcome, Weekend! ...and an intentional challenge slipup.
Sorry yesterday's post was superlame. It was one of those 6:15am-9:00pm days. As in that's when I left my house and came back. Yowza!
But it's the weekend! And what a glorious weekend it shall be...after we take care of some megacleaning this afternoon.
Today was all about being warm...because as I've mentioned, it suddenly turned to fall in Vermont yesterday! I feel absolutely thrilled about fall, even if the frost alert this morning gave me a temporary shock. I realized I'm taking it a little far when one of the students today came in with a bad cold, and I got a little thrill because my first thought was, "Oh! A fall cold!"
However...a confession. I broke the challenge today. And I did it intentionally. Here's what happened:
I've been getting up early on my days at the college so I can hit the bike path on the way to work and run before I get into the office. However, the clothing that I picked for the challenge in terms of workout wear is not sufficient for frost-inducing temperatures. So today I made the decision to wear one of my long-sleeve wicking shirts to run because, damn, it was cold. I justified it in the following way: I included a pair of cords in the challenge that I have not yet worn. I figure if I keep them off the challenge until the end, I can feel somewhat ok about having to break out the long-sleeved shirt. It is what it is. I value warmth and non-sickness. I also wore an earband to keep ear infection away, which I think is legit, much like the baseball cap I wear while running for sun protection.
On another note, I took a hiatus from my part-time retail job. I plan to go back and work some holiday hours, but in the interest of simplifying, I thought it was appropriate. I want my weekends. I want to laze on the couch and read a book and hang out with the husband and cat. And NOT worry about having to fold a thousand shirts. :)
Anyhow, here was my rest-of-the-day outfit:
Sorry the pic is kind of dark today.
Up next weekend...the big purge! Stay tuned.
But it's the weekend! And what a glorious weekend it shall be...after we take care of some megacleaning this afternoon.
Today was all about being warm...because as I've mentioned, it suddenly turned to fall in Vermont yesterday! I feel absolutely thrilled about fall, even if the frost alert this morning gave me a temporary shock. I realized I'm taking it a little far when one of the students today came in with a bad cold, and I got a little thrill because my first thought was, "Oh! A fall cold!"
However...a confession. I broke the challenge today. And I did it intentionally. Here's what happened:
I've been getting up early on my days at the college so I can hit the bike path on the way to work and run before I get into the office. However, the clothing that I picked for the challenge in terms of workout wear is not sufficient for frost-inducing temperatures. So today I made the decision to wear one of my long-sleeve wicking shirts to run because, damn, it was cold. I justified it in the following way: I included a pair of cords in the challenge that I have not yet worn. I figure if I keep them off the challenge until the end, I can feel somewhat ok about having to break out the long-sleeved shirt. It is what it is. I value warmth and non-sickness. I also wore an earband to keep ear infection away, which I think is legit, much like the baseball cap I wear while running for sun protection.
On another note, I took a hiatus from my part-time retail job. I plan to go back and work some holiday hours, but in the interest of simplifying, I thought it was appropriate. I want my weekends. I want to laze on the couch and read a book and hang out with the husband and cat. And NOT worry about having to fold a thousand shirts. :)
Anyhow, here was my rest-of-the-day outfit:
Sorry the pic is kind of dark today.
Up next weekend...the big purge! Stay tuned.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Day 25: Exhausted
This picture almost didn't happen today. Sorry I'm not wearing shoes. Also, the fleece really was on almost all day...it suddenly got cold here in VT.
Caroline Days 23-Thoreau was one smart man
Tuesday: I wore my blue dress as an actual dress. This is the fourth time I've worn this dress, but the other 3 times I wore it as a skirt. It's funny because I've worn this dress maybe 10 times since I bought it 2-3 years ago. Who knew it was so versatile?
Wednesday: Kinda lazy. Jeans, t-shirt, the cardigan dresses it up a little. I've never worn a cardigan with a t-shirt before, but this is now one of my favorite looks.
Thursday: jeans an
d hoodie. This is my first time wearing a hoodie this fall! It's so exciting to wear a hoodie for the first time. Of course, I'll be bored of them come November. My cool autumn day was made even better by the dinning hall who served pumpkin-apple soup. That's right, not only am I trying new clothes combinations, I'm trying new food combinations as well.Now, let's finish things off with some quotes by Thoreau. I'm currently reading Walden, and last night I read the section where he talks about clothes.
"Kings and queens who wear a suit but once, though made by some tailor or dressmaker to their majesties, cannot know the comfort of wearing a suit that fits...Every day our garments become more assimilated to ourselves, receiving the impress of the wearer's character..."
"No man ever stood the lower in my estimation for having a patch in his clothes; yet I am sure that there is greater anxiety, commonly, to have fashionable, or at least clean and unpatched clothes, than to have a sound conscience."
"Perhaps we should never procure a new suit, however ragged or dirty the old, until we have so conducted, so enterprised or sailed in some way, that we feel like new men in the old, and that to retain it would be like keeping new wine in old bottles."
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Day 24: Wait, When Did it Become Day 24?
Seriously, when I saw that today's picture was named Day 24, I kind of freaked out. I can't believe it's been that long! I mean, I know that's only three weeks and a bit, but the year is well underway!
This morning when I was getting dressed, I was envisioning dumping bags of old clothes, and getting pretty psyched about it. I plan to do that work next weekend, when I'm still technically in the midst of the challenge, before I slip back into the old mindset of "But I might NEED this." I think that if I pick through just a bit at a time -- the old hanging clothes, first, then t-shirts, etc, rather than trying to see it all at once, it'll go better. At least I hope I still have the insight to purge appropriately!
This morning when I was getting dressed, I was envisioning dumping bags of old clothes, and getting pretty psyched about it. I plan to do that work next weekend, when I'm still technically in the midst of the challenge, before I slip back into the old mindset of "But I might NEED this." I think that if I pick through just a bit at a time -- the old hanging clothes, first, then t-shirts, etc, rather than trying to see it all at once, it'll go better. At least I hope I still have the insight to purge appropriately!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Becky Day 23: The Endless Day
I'm leaving my house in about 10 minutes (at 7:15), and returning tonight at 10pm. Awesome, right? I've gotta get this guy done this morning, because there isn't really other time to do it! :)
I love these polo shirts I have, and the green one, especially, is my fave:
I know I've worn this top a couple times with this sweater, but the green and brown just look so nice together! And the pants are pretty comfy, which is essential for getting through such a long day.
Like Caroline, I've also been thinking about simplifying my life, and I'm starting to work on ways to do that. Yesterday, when I was having supervision with my boss (that's what we call it when we talk about all our clinical stuff), she encouraged me to be taking 5 minutes during my day to just "feel my feelings" so I don't get too caught up in everyone else's. It's so simple, but something I don't take the time for -- I'm much more inclined to play solitaire on my computer at work, or read a book I checked out from the library (about counseling...but still) than sit in my chair with nothing to do and feel my feelings. Or maybe feeling my feelings IS something to do, and that's how I have to start looking at things. It's such a little thing, but it's a microcosm of the way I live my life; always something to do, never time to rest and just be. I want to do more just being.
I love these polo shirts I have, and the green one, especially, is my fave:
I know I've worn this top a couple times with this sweater, but the green and brown just look so nice together! And the pants are pretty comfy, which is essential for getting through such a long day.
Like Caroline, I've also been thinking about simplifying my life, and I'm starting to work on ways to do that. Yesterday, when I was having supervision with my boss (that's what we call it when we talk about all our clinical stuff), she encouraged me to be taking 5 minutes during my day to just "feel my feelings" so I don't get too caught up in everyone else's. It's so simple, but something I don't take the time for -- I'm much more inclined to play solitaire on my computer at work, or read a book I checked out from the library (about counseling...but still) than sit in my chair with nothing to do and feel my feelings. Or maybe feeling my feelings IS something to do, and that's how I have to start looking at things. It's such a little thing, but it's a microcosm of the way I live my life; always something to do, never time to rest and just be. I want to do more just being.
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