Category Archives: simplicity

DIY plant ladder

Posted in plants, simplicity, Uncategorized by

So, I got this off Pinterest, 

It was such a good idea to centrally locate lots of smaller plants.

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I’m sure I will move some around as needed or to change up the look. But I really like it and am pleased with how well B made it and without a lot of fuss.

Here’s the other side of my office area

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The Bob Dylan poster for you fans was the original from one of his albums and done by the famous artist, Milton Glasser.

Here’s one on Etsy

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You can still find this album at thrift stores or LP stores. It’s fairly iconic of the era.

Then there’s the Woodstock Life magazines and our ticket .

 

Then the Star Trek poster is one of my favorite things ever. I found this one at a yard sale many years ago. I’m sure you could find one on eBay if you looked.

Then to the far right is my Heywood Wakefield wishbone table that I use as my desk. I love the birch wood.

My daughter and I had a fun romp to Auburn and went to Target, and then over to Michaels. I got new pinking shears to cut towel rags up.  The lady over at Down to Earth recommended pinking shears to cut rags and then you don’t need to hem. I’ll try it on my linen first and then some old bathroom towels.

Dinner is leftover cheese enchiladas, salad, and some Niman hot dogs that are from their pigs that are raised humanely over on the coast. I think Niman Ranch is over near Point Reyes. I had one the other day for lunch and it was mighty good. They are not cheap, if I’m going to eat meat, I want to eat the best quality and raised humanely as possible.  I don’t don’t this 100% of the time, but when I can I do.

Tomorrow is my oncology appointment. Since I had my labs over 3 weeks ago, it’s really just about touching base with him. He was out sick for my regularly scheduled appt. So this is the re -appt.

I’ll probably ask for labs in 3 weeks since that’ll put me at 7 weeks.  And then see him again in July probably.

All is good right now.

Minimalism: older and wiser

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Most blogs about minimalism are written by younger people. Some quite young in their 20’s. I kinda chuckle at their take on being minimalists for a year or so. Plus, there’s only so many years they’ve got under their belt. That is NOT a criticism. I applaud their courage and journey.

Still, having been on this journey for over 7 years and probably longer at different times in my life, with experience and age does come wisdom. In our twenties, we were total minimalists simply because we had no money to be otherwise. Poverty or lack of money makes minimalism seem petty as it’s really not a choice as such. Yet, we built our little wood couch, used orange crates as bookcases, gleamed free stuff from the dump when we could. We were hippies and loved our simple life. Yet, we were also broke.

Back in the 1970’s, after college, we couldn’t find any decent jobs, so we started our own business, Shiatsu massage and, spiritual counseling( I had just finished my graduate work).  We later opened a bookstore and that was great too but made no money and we eventually closed it.

Most of that now,  I see as part of our life journey but none the less the quips of the popular psychology of ‘follow your dream, follow your heart’ didn’t ever bring us fame or fortune, or a job, but years of struggling. We were minimalists out of necessity.

 

So many years later, after raising 2 children, and being in a different phase of our lives, minimalism comes full circle intentionally.  We had a good number of years accumulating stuff too.

People getting older need to simplify their lives. They need to have less clutter and crap around them in order to be more present in their older years. Plus who wants to burden their children with stuff.  Plus, it makes keeping up with housework and chores easier and more efficient.

We’ve decluttered many times and I’m sure there will be more to come. Moving toward being in ones mid to late 60’s is quite the experience.

With all things, there are many seasons to one’s life.  Living minimally now is so important. We don’t need a lot of extras, just enough.  I think just enough is perfect.9aff9c2e96b462ea1d37c12c64c687dc

 

Simple cleaning, the bathroom.

Posted in Flylady, simplicity, Uncategorized by

We have a very small bathroom. It’s 6×6. Yes, quite small for 4 people although my son is generally not here a lot.  When they were younger it was maybe more challenging.

But using FlyLady’s swish and swipe daily, cleaning is a breeze.  So here’s the cute hack I just came across. You take a toilet brush and set it in a bowl with some bleach, water and I use a little Dawn. You probably could easily use vinegar which I do use for most of my cleaning. But somehow bleach is needed for a few things( like to spray diluted on my shower curtains).

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This is the cute one I found at Goodwill.

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I bought a new toilet brush too.IMG_1287.jpg

 

 

I think this is so cute. So once a day I take out the brush and swish the toilet. I also swipe our pedestal sink and little shelf above the sink. We actually have a clawfoot tub in the bathroom ( yes it does fit) and a shower ring that is made specifically for a clawfoot tub. I do use Kirkland wipes on the floor most days but they’ve been out of stock so I will use a rag washcloth with some vinegar solution.

I also buy the hotel white towels from Costco and use them exclusively.  The washcloths are 24 for like $10 or 12 dollars, so that’s a great deal.

I think having routines creates a simple efficient way to keep your house tidy. Of course, it does help to have a small house like I do. but I think even with a house with multiple bathrooms do a quick daily swish and swipe would help maintain.

When in the Flylady bathroom zone, I then wipe all the shelves and tops of pictures etc.

 

Simple Sunday

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Thanks everyone for the feedback. It looks like it’s going along well. I’ve wanted to buy the domain for a while and before it was under christina1952(of course my birth year) but then the tech help checked and said Tahoegirl was available so, I jumped on it.

In April I will have had my blog for 6 years.  It has been lots on my journey with Myeloma and its struggles. Relapse, Remission, Relapse….. drugs…. and about ordinary life.  I do believe that it’s in the most ordinary and simple things that we find the most meaning in our lives.  But it wasn’t till I put minimalism and simplicity together that the bigger picture of an intentional life emerged.

One thing that drew me to Quakerism at 17 was their purposeful queries focusing on simplicity and living intentionally.  I moved on from Quakerism to Buddhism also focusing on simplicity, zen things, and mindfulness. There clearly is a theme too what I’ve sought to be and do in my life. Even educating my children in Waldorf education and being involved in Waldorf things was a focus on nature and rhythms and an uncomplicated life.

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Today is a gym day and then I need to go to Target for cat food and bleach and other misc.

The sun is finally out although it’s still quite cold. The weather is supposed to turn to snow and rain again on Wednesday.

Dinner is an Ina Garten recipe : chicken parmesan,  and then I’ll do a tofu parmesan and a simple green salad with a lemon vinegarette.

 

Simple Sunday

Posted in cooking, simplicity, Uncategorized, Walking by

It’s a beautiful sunny day with the temperature in the mid 60’s. Really lovely. But snow and rain are coming back in from Tuesday till forever it seems. Oh well.  We need the rain, I guess.

Today was a gym day. And being Daylight savings, it was kinda empty. Some guy was waiting for the yoga class that (he didn’t know) had started an hour earlier.  I walked at 6:55 to 7:30am. No one was there, which was nice. And tomorrow I’ll leave 5 minutes earlier.  I’ll keep backing it up 5 minutes a day till I get back to 6:30.  But I’d like it to be at least first light.

Then I went to Target to get a spring smelling candle and quite a few dollars later left.

Target is always a magnet for me. I don’t buy stuff I don’t need per se, it’s just I see stuff I was needing to get and then throw it the cart. For instance, I needed some decaf Peets coffee to make in my thrift store find Moka pot. Then I needed some hash browns for a menu item. Then cat food. So you see how it adds up. So, generally, it’s better for me to stay out of stores, which I do mostly. I don’t shop department stores or the like.

Yesterday I was reading the blog ‘reading my tea leaves’, and Erin was mentioning in her tiny bathroom how she doesn’t have any clutter in that room, as the room is too small. And visually it makes it crowded.  I thought a lot about that. And I completely understand as our one bathroom is 6 x6.  I try and keep shampoos and body wash in a white plastic container that you don’t see. But there’s still some stuff that is out like our towels are just folded on a small dresser. So, I guess there’s always room for improvement.

Dinner is a mushroom gruyere frittata and a green salad.

 

 

Simple Sunday

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Yikes, the cold is just not going away. It was 29 degrees this morning and tomorrow looks more snow.

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We’ve had our wood stove going 24/7. At least we have the wood from the trees we had taken down plus B bought the wood splitter which really has been an excellent non-frugal purchase.

Flylady has 2 zones this week as March 1 is Thursday. So we’re starting in the Living room zone and then move on to the entry ways. Yesterday, I was listening to a vlogger and she mentioned going into a room and determining what you use it for and then getting rid of whatever doesn’t support that. So, I looked around and saw the vintage suitcase I have by the couch and realized it didn’t really fit there but would be a nice side table next to my bed. On my husband’s side, there isn’t a bedside table so I put it there. He doesn’t have a pharmacy like I do in my nightstand.  I take acyclovir at night and then I take levothyroxine sometime in the wee hours of the night when I get up to use the bathroom.  Plus, before I had to take dex and Revlimid and who knows what else, so I kept them in the Heywood bedside table.

So, I’m going to scrutinize the room and other rooms to see what can be or needs to be moved. There’s not a lot to declutter but with fresh perspectives comes new thoughts on what is needed or not.

Today is a gym day and then I may go into Target. We need cat food and I wanted to look for a candle. Candles for me are non-negotiable.  I use beeswax tapers every evening at dinner. I get those from Amazon( the best price I’ve found for 4 pairs is $40) from Blue corn bees wax.

But I like one or two fragrant candles around. I don’t keep more than that and then either I recycle the glass or reuse it.

But, look at what I received from my sweetheart….

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they are so beautiful

I’d completely recommend FARMGIRL FLOWERS!!!!

 

 

Midweek

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We went over to the pet bookstore this morning. I love that ALL the books are $1.00.

I picked up 3 new cookbooks to peruse and maybe get some ideas. One is a Classic French cooking book. For $1.00 if I don’t like it I can just give it back. Plus it supports the Foothills SPCA.

Then, my van wouldn’t start the other day which was weird as it always starts. So we thought it was the battery and B went dutifully to go buy one to the tune of $157. ( that includes the fees). Well, it wasn’t the battery but I’m sure we needed one anyway. So he called and had AAA tow it 1/8 of a mile away to the garage in town here.  So, today, I stopped in to check and the mechanic and owner said the grounding wire had deteriorated so he fixed it. All is well in van land. Not that I use it that much but I still love it. And we do use it to haul hay and Ikea (ha ha) stuff.

Tomorrow is gym day and then some errands I need to run. No one will be here, so I’ll be on pet duty for the day. The doggies expect lunch promptly!!:)

I may venture out to the barn to view what I need to do.  I went out there the other day and it looked pretty good. B’s work samples are on one side and he needs these for work so that’s where they live. The middle area is where I need to just kinda re -organize. Most things have been decluttered once, twice, three, four times but there’s always room for improvement.  Until the temperatures start hitting 70 which is now, it’s too cold out there plus it’s dark. I mean there are lights but it’s much better if the doors are wide open. My plan is to start with bring out a vinegar water solution and at least wipe the bins down and then look at a little better system of organization.  Last year, I must have given away 4 bins of magazines so I’m not sure there is more to get rid of right now. I’d still like to only have 2 bins of the best but that’s still aways off.

Dinner is a stir-fry with leftover chicken from last night.

 

Minimalism, create white space

Posted in decluttering, minimalism, simplicity, Uncategorized, White space by

9a1fb140b9232e6ec8deba592897d9cb.jpgAhhh, to have the things out of the house. It’s very freeing and leaves open lots of possibilities.

It’s best to follow, though, the one in one out rule once you’ve done a good purge. So, if you buy a new T-shirt and the old one goes out. Same with everything, although, one caveat might be if you are buying something you need and don’t have one like it to discard. In that event, just find another item not related to donate.  Of course, I don’t follow this to the letter at all. For Christmas, we all received(from Santa) 2 Easton Press books. Since I’ve decluttered almost all my other books, I didn’t feel the need to reduce the books.  They are beautiful classics that are leather bound and gold gilded. I bought a lot on eBay before Christmas for an amazing price of 80.00 for 7 books.  Very sweet deal.

Creating white space is leaving some spaces unfilled. Perhaps a shelf only with a few items. I try and keep one open shelf or at least 1/2 of a shelf open. It’s much easier on the eyes not for it to be packed.img_0363

Also, creating white space allows you to open up to new possibilities and ideas. Rearrange your furniture or think of a creative solution to small space living(or medium, or large) but something new.   The possibilities are endless really when we have decluttered down to the essential, purged all the unnecessary things that we hold on to, white space let’s us be creative.

Plus, it’s really fun!!

Try to empty a shelf, a cabinet shelf, or a drawer.  Let it be a  space for light to come in.

 

 

Minimalism, inch by inch…

Posted in decluttering, minimalism, simplicity, Uncategorized by

I always loved the song, ‘ Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow’…  When we were Quakers, we would often sing this song before meeting.It reminds me of what minimalism is. Doing a little at a time, inch by inch to get to that place where simplicity lives.

Minimalism is a journey into simplifying life. To get to the place of “lagom”. That’s the Swedish word for ‘just enough’, not too little, not too much.

When I started on my minimalist journey, I decluttered for many many months. Then I eased off and then started again. There have been many rounds of removing the non-essential.

Sometimes it has been a very small thing that has been decluttered or something that I’ve looked at but didn’t feel ready to let it go. So it really has been inch by inch, so to speak.

I thought I’d start a mini minimalism series, mostly, because I like talking about it.

So, today is the first.

There are many ways to begin decluttering, but I think the most important is to just start somewhere.  I liked to have a visual win for when I first started decluttering. So perhaps for you that might be a counter in the kitchen or the top of your dresser. Look around and even take pictures with your phone( I have found this enormously helpful), and then tackle the area that irritates you the most.

Gaining control over your space is partly what I love about minimalism and simplifying. Your home is your space, create the space you want.  This has been a real motivator for me.  I always wanted a white couch, and eventually, I got one. Of course, it’s an Ikea, so affordable. Plus I happen to love white as it is very easy on the eyes and I love that there are many shades of white.  Maybe you love blue or green. It doesn’t matter, what matters is you creating the space you are comfortable in. Decluttering non-essential things from your home is the first step.

Go for it. Do 15 minutes a day like FlyLady suggests. It is amazing what you can accomplish in 15 minutes.21317537_2008716379361964_2892595769604685335_n

 

 

 

 

13th of December

Posted in books, cooking, Political things, simplicity, Uncategorized by

YES! YES!YES!, Doug Jones won. I am beyond excited that he beat that racist, pedophile Moore.

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I love this quote and that it’s by Einstein.

I actually decluttered a few things that just don’t have a home (ie, a toothbrush thing that came with the sonic care). I haven’t  used in in year so I put it in the thrift store box. There were a few other things too, like 2 small snow globes that really don’t have a place for.

I walked alone as B is on the north coast. Then I sliced cheese and prepped sliced meat for the FOAL luncheon.

Then I started laundry and made polenta. I didn’t go to the gym yesterday so I went today and just did a 30-minute workout.

I’m heading out to the luncheon soon.

I received a pre-release e-book of ‘ The Minimalist Kitchen’ and it is absolutely fantastic. I love it. I would highly recommend buying this book when it comes out it in March.

I still need to get a gift card for my brother at Tractor Supply this week. Other than that Christmas is going to very simple and minimalistic which I am thrilled about.