What's in your closet?

Last night I read about Project 333. Project 333's basic premise is that you live with just 33 items including clothing, accessories, outerwear and shoes for 3 months. It initially sounded extremely minimal to me but after looking through my clothes last night, I've realised it really isn't that extreme!

I read through a lot of other posts about the Project and came across this guide for sorting through your closet:

Start making piles of clothes and be ruthless.

• Pile One: I love these items. They fit me well and I wear them frequently: Keep
• Pile Two: I want to keep this but I don’t know why
• Pile Three: These items don’t fit me or my style: donate.
• Pile Four: These items aren’t in good condition: trash.

Source: bemorewithless.com

I was spurred in to action and ruthlessly attacked my closet. I didn't exactly take a before picture, but take a look at this:

All that was left in the closet were roughly 25 things, half more formal or work wear and half casual wear.

I took out all of the don't-quite-fit items, the sentimental stuff that I don't wear any more, the worn out clothes, pieces I'm sick of, etc, etc, etc, and just take a look at this!

Over at bemorewithless.com there is a suggestion to box up all the sorted stuff, put it in the back of your closet and then if you haven't worn anything from the box in 30 days, donate it.

I think I would have a hard time parting with most of my clothes, but we shall see. I'm definitely pleased with the immediate results of easily being able to see my clothes selection and not having to go through it all several times struggling to find what I'm looking for.

So yes, I'm still very much on the decluttering and simplifying path, I'm just having to modify how I go about it to suit my time limitations.

On being an optimistic pessimist

This year I started wearing optimism coloured glasses. I am not at all an optimist by nature. When I was seeing a psychologist for my anxiety and depression, she asked me what triggered my anxiety. I told her that I felt anxious as soon as I woke up in the morning. We figured out that as soon as I woke up, I would imagine how the course of the day would go, anticipating worst case scenario. Of course I was waking up anxious! She asked me, how would it feel to wake up every morning and think ‘Today is going to be a great day’. Well that was quite a change!

It’s not that I wake up every morning now with a spring in my step or anything like that, but it’s a small shift of my internal thought from assuming the worst to remembering that the world is full of possibilities, and it’s up to me to make the best of all of my circumstances.

When I get caught in a downward spiral of anxiety I stop myself by realising that whatever it is that I'm stressing about, it's probably more imagined than real, it's a momentary thing, just breath and shake it off.

For me it’s also about recognizing the ordinary beauty of things and appreciating the little things. That’s one of the main things that struck me when I really started writing this year. The world is very interesting once you stop to pay attention to it.

Reverb10: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

Image source: jurvetson

Stronger Than She Knows

January 21, 2010, 9:50pm; Freya's birth.

Body takes over. Body knows what she's doing; you couldn't stop her if you tried. You blurt out 'The baby's coming!' as she bears down with a pressure and power beyond your control, a strength you didn't know she had, strength that amazes you as the intense pressure propels the baby in to the world quicker than you expected. Hands pull you down to the floor, helping, encouraging, aiding. The baby is already there, quick words of encouragement and baby rushes in to the world with a big splash of amniotic fluid.

Body and mind pull apart, shock at the swift delivery, confusion at the pain anticipated but never felt, disorientation. Baby slides across the waterproof mats on the floor, a newborn slip-and-slide. Hands exam baby, happy reassurances. His voice breaks through your confusion, "Why aren't you looking at the baby?". World noises come rushing in and you hear yourself voice what your body is feeling "That was so strange...". You turn to baby who is screaming, so unlike the last baby, you ask for reassurances that she is ok, then reassurances that she is indeed a she. She is, and she's perfect, and she looks exactly like her sister did.

The roar of the world reminds you of when as a child you would float in the bath, your ears submerged, listening to the dull clunk of the cup clanging against the side of the bath. Lifting your head the water rushes out, the world rushes in.

Reverb 10: Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

Image Source: Ell Brown

I'm Wasting My Time Here

Many of my regular daily activities can be stress-relieving, but are a huge waste of our greatest resource - time.

I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. Television, Internet... not all aspects of the two are a waste of time but more often than not I'll realise that I've spent the last few hours watching shows I don't care about, browsing sites I have little interest in, and otherwise tuning out from the real world.

I believe that escapism has it's place. I love a good movie and I love to read. I read every night before I go to sleep. One of the things I enjoy most of all is being able to lose myself in a good book or story.

This past year my reading time has been quite limited so I made the decision to start reading more consciously. If I'm not feeling captivated or interested in a story after a few chapters, I don't finish it. I will never be able to read all the books in the world, probably not even all of the books that I mean to get to someday. So why waste my time on a book that I'm not connecting with?

Now if only I could get that attitude to carry over to my Television and Internet usage.

I've been back at work for two days now. I'm far from having my new routine figured out, but the reality is that I only have about 5 hours of awake non-work time to myself now, and that is including the time the kids are still awake. So somewhere in there I have to figure out how in the world I'm going to keep up with one of the things I enjoy the most - blogging, and thus writing!

The answer is quite simple. Reduce the number of garbage e-mails I read by unsubscribing from everything I don't need. Don't get distracted by browsing from site to site. Turn off the television. Write write write!

Now here is something that I hope will help me stay in touch with my creative writing inspiration, a Christmas present that is on it's way to me from my Mum, via Etsy.

GetSassed on Etsy

It should easily fit in my purse without taking up too much room and has just a touch of my favorite color purple. I hope to take advantage of times such as when I'm stuck on the bus going to and from work, and to be able to jot down ideas as they come to me. Yup, one of these days I'll probably end up writing about the regular characters that I see on the bus such as... 80's hair guy.

In the meantime I will continue to unsubscribe from nearly every miscellaneous e-mail that appears in my Inbox, think twice about what tv shows I watch or record, and try to remember that there is a whole lot more to the world than mindless, pointless, escapism.

Reverb 10: What do you do each day that doesn't contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

One Word for 2010 and 2011

Metamorphosis; a striking change in appearance or character or circumstances

I can't view myself as an outsider so I don't know how different I seem or appear, yet this year has probably been the most changing year of my life.

When it becomes more difficult to suffer than to change... you will change.
Robert Anthony

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
E.E. Cummings

It is more difficult to hide who you are, then to be who you are. I'm imperfect. I hold myself up to an unattainable high standard. I feel dreadful guilt over all of my short comings. I'm often so crippled by anxiety and depression that some days I don't know how I'm going to make it to the next.

Having said all of that, I'm doing a heck of a lot better now than I was months ago! It's difficult to explain how I can say the above, and still say I'm in a fairly good place. Maybe it is that I have good coping mechanisms in place now, I recognise that many of above feelings are fleeting, and I know how to get myself out of that place.

Confidence; belief in yourself and your abilities.
a state of confident hopefulness that events will be favourable

For 2011, I want to become even more certain of the person that I am, to be myself without fear of judgement. Moving closer to who I really am and away from who I feel I need to be. I also want to have more confidence in the outcome of things, to spend less time worrying about the things I can't control. Events will be favourable!

What would be your words for 2010 and 2011?

Image source: Son of Groucho

Thanks to Belladorable for blogging about Reverb10.

If you haven't heard of Reverb 10, stop by right away and check out their writing prompts. Reverb 10 provides a new writing prompt for every day of December to help you reflecton this year & manifest what's next.

Working Mother

My maternity leave is up and I am headed back to work tomorrow.

Realistically I may not be able to keep up with posting as often as I have been. A few months ago I tried writing every day, which takes some effort but is achievable. I think the more realistic goal for me at this time is about three times a week. As a blog reader I find that it is easier to keep up with a blog that is updated about that often and not every single day, but then again I read way too many blogs to keep on top of them all!

Writing is something I find great enjoyment in, it’s a wonderful way to express myself. Sometimes it feels silly to call it creative when I’m not physically making something, but I find that this is creative expression for me. I want to reassure you that writing here is a priority to me, although of course my family takes higher priority.

I am not stopping. I will continue to bring you my widely varied content and hopefully it’ll be a smooth adjustment for all of us!

If I could ask for a little feedback, what are the topics you are most interested in continuing to read about here?

Thank you so much for reading Journey Mum!

Image source: Rhys Alton

If Friends Were Flowers

I've been waiting for the right opportunity to share these gorgeous ball mason jars with you. My Mum decided she no longer needed them and mailed them here to me in Canada all the way from Australia. I am so glad they survived the trip!

The beautiful blue-green tint makes the jars so gorgeous to look at on their own, however yesterday when my dear friend surprised me with flowers I thought they could also make beautiful improvised vases. What do you think?

Linking up to: The Shabby Nest

Small Home Solution: Use Vertical Space

Living in an open concept house can present many layout challenges. The TV has always been my biggest issue. Every few months you can find me rearranging the furniture, trying in vain to make it all work better. Until now!

We purchased a mountable LCD television last Christmas and just recently got around to mounting it. Here is the before shot:

Here's the after! We debated for quite awhile about what to do with all of the tv paraphernalia, we have a blu-ray player, dvd player and our cable box. I was leaning towards rigging up some kind of shelf at the top of the wall but Matt wanted the cut-through. I'm happy that is what we decided to go with. If the next owner doesn't want to mount their tv, the shelf can work nicely to put candles and decorative items on too.

Below you can see our old tv. This was also where we had the new tv before it was mounted.

This is our living area now. The amount of floor space that was cleared up by wall mounting the television is really nice. I particularly like that the tv isn't the first thing that people see when they enter the house.

As usual the work isn't 100% complete yet, I still want to put a smaller hole through the wall behind the tv to run the cords through, then have them tucked out of site on the other side of the wall. For now they are mostly out of sight.

Of course my kids are climbers and Desana moves chairs to climb up and press buttons, but it is better than it was before. ;)

Before I go I just want to say HELLO! and thank you to all of my new subscribers! Please don't be shy, feel free to say hi by commenting and letting me know a little bit about you.  I'd love to meet you!

Gifts With Meaning

Less is more. Quality over quantity. We've heard these lines so many times that they have almost lost their meaning. What if this Christmas we made the choice to not get caught up in the mad rush of purchasing and instead take the time to carefully consider what it is that our friends and loved ones would find true joy and meaning in?

I've heard this floating around the blogosphere:

Something to wear
Something to read
Something you want
Something you need

It's usually applied to giving gifts to your children, but let's apply it to adults.

Something to wear

Bracelets - Leather cuff

Personalised jewellery can make a very meaningful gift for a man or a woman. Children's names, anniversary dates, your life slogan; on a necklace, bracelet, cuff-let or key-chain, the options really are endless!

Something to read

Book - Magazine

While these examples are specific to our family, I am sure you can relate. A new book by someone's favorite author or a pertinent magazine subscription. Books can be re-read, and with each issue of a magazine comes a reminder of how thoughtful you were in purchasing the subscription!

Something you want

Blu-ray

This year my Mother-In-Law asked us what we wanted for Christmas. I really want to learn how to sew so I asked for a beginners sewing machine. Matt had seen Planet Earth playing on a TV at work and was amazed by the film work, so that is what he asked for.

Let's get over the stigma of asking people what it is they would actually like, or what they need. It's not tacky, it's thoughtful!

Something you need

Bra - Multi-Tool

Need gifts can be very practical, there is nothing wrong with that. If something is truly needed, it will be truly appreciated. I struggled to come up with some examples as I am viewing my world through abundance-colored-glasses right now, so bare with me!

I have been breastfeeding for three years straight, perhaps it is time to treat the girls to something less practical and more racy. I'm sitting here failing to remember a time when they served as something other than a food source... huh.

Our bathroom re-model has been in progress for over a month now and I can not tell you the number of times I've heard "Where did I put that tool?!" Here perhaps is the solution, one multi-tool to rule them all.

Here are some things that could be real needs.

• Money to contribute towards the purchase of a big ticket item such as a car seat
• Help with a project that has been on the back burner, such as repainting or rearranging furniture
• A gift card to their preferred hair salon or the grocery store
• Babysit for a single parent or couple so that they can have some much deserved alone time. Why not make it a regular thing!

One of the most precious gifts I have been given is the gift of friendship; having someone tell me many times that if I need her, she's there for me. When I found myself in a dark place, needing a helping hand to pull me in to the light, I called and there she was.

The reality is that in the end we don't get to take any of this stuff with us. The thought and meaning behind a touching gift, or an act, will last longer than the gift itself.

6 Tips for Selling Your STUFF

Decluttering. Now there is a word we haven't heard around here in awhile. Never fear! My quest to free our lives of excess is ongoing, I just became a little overwhelmed by the many things that are happening in our lives right now.

You've all heard me talk about Kijiji before. Kijiji is like craigslist in that you list things to sell locally. It's really handy when you don't want to go to the trouble of having to ship items, or hold a yard sale. I've made hundreds of dollars by selling things we no longer need on kijiji.

Here is the hard part for me. I've learned to distinguish between what will fetch me a decent amount of money and what is not worth trying to sell. But when something isn't selling, how do you decide that it's time to let it go to donation?

Here are some of the things I am learning (and relearning):

Price items higher than what you want to sell them for. Things are worth as much as people are willing to pay for them. People will almost always try to negotiate on the price, so you have a better chance of getting what you really want for an item if you price it higher. I just sold our highchair for $90, it was listed for $100, and I would have taken $80!

List books in one ad, not individually. Books are difficult to sell because someone has to be looking for that specific title. I just posted one ad with all of the books that I am currently trying to sell. I listed the book and author names, as anyone can use google to find more information about a book and that saves me a lot of time by not having to list all the story descriptions.

Sell kids clothes in 'lots'. I have been selling about 40 pieces at a time for $20, usually a specific age group (for example, 6-9 months). In your ad note the price breakdown, 40 pieces for $20 is about .50 cents a piece. How often will you find clothes for that price in a store? It's a good selling point.

Maintain a presence by posting new ads regularly. Thousands of new posts appear online every day, if you want your items to be seen you need to be listing new things regularly (or alternatively paying to have a top ad that is displayed above all the others on each page). You can do this either by keeping a copy of your item description and pictures, deleting your ad and reposting it, or by posting an ad for new items every day or several times a week. Be sure to include a suggestion that the viewer look at your other ads. Perhaps a little time consuming, but ultimately rewarding.

If selling isn't for you, participate in a stuff swap! I attended one of these a few days ago. Lots of mothers brought clothes that their children had grown out of, along with toys and books. Everything was free, you just went through and took what you wanted. When we were all done the rest was donated to charity. I picked up one outfit for each of the girls and a little toy purse for Desana. We are blessed to not need much right now.

Now here is the part I am struggling with;

Set a deadline to sell items by and firmly commit to that deadline. If something hasn't sold in a month, six weeks, or whatever length of time you deem sufficient, it may be time to let it go to charity. The exception to this would be big ticket items, for those you might need to consider reducing your asking price.

I get stuck and trick myself in to keeping clutter because I think, "But it's worth something!" The reality is that things are only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If no one wants to buy it, it is worth nothing. In the meantime all the STUFF takes up space in your home, and I personally find it depressing to see giant bags filled with things I no longer want or need, just sitting and gathering dust. Especially when I consider that there are people in the world who don't have the many things we take for granted.

Just let it go. In the end it is all just STUFF!


Image source: Smemon87

I Believe In 'Home'

I struggle with wanting to live a simple life and the modern mentality of keeping up with the Joneses. I think that it is important to not allow our definition of home to be defined by commercialism and by what we read in magazines or see on tv. Easier said than done!

When I came across the I Believe In 'Home' Manifesto a few days ago, it resonated with me so much so that I had to e-mail the author, Linda, and ask if I could share it with all of you. Happily she said yes.

I Believe In 'Home'

by Linda @ Heartfire At Home

♥We believe HOME is so much more than just a shelter... it is an extension of the soul, a representation of the people within, a repository of personality.

♥ We believe HOME is a safe, nurturing, supportive and happy place, where all who abide there feel 'loved' and 'free'.

♥ We believe HOME is a soft place to fall, a welcoming place for family and friends, an incubator of dreams.

♥ We believe HOME is not held to anyone's standards but our own. There are no expectations, no 'we must keep up with the latest fads', no feeling bad if we don't have lots of money to spend on it.

♥ We believe HOME is a melting pot of ideas, emotions, laughter, pets, people, books, colour, music, conversation, scents, tastes, texture, pattern.... what-ever it is that makes your house a HOME for you.

♥ We believe decorating HOME is more about the 'gut' and the 'heart', than what's 'in' and what's 'out'.

♥ And we hope everyone can find their 'pathway HOME'.

Isn't that beautiful?

Home has been a struggle for me since I moved to Canada, a newlywed at the ripe old age of 19. I thought I knew what I was leaving behind in Australia, but the true realisation didn't hit me until I was here and suffered through a year of extreme homesickness. Home, for me, isn't about a physical location, it's about being close to the people you love.

My physical home has for years just felt like the place I was living, not a place I was committing myself to and transforming with love. This year I experienced a shift in my thinking and realised that I needed to stop waiting for some day in the future when my life would begin and would be perfect, because the life I am living every day is my life.

I decided to stop living with the aspects of my home that were just not functioning for us, and to change from the mentality of 'we will fix it in order to sell it' to 'we will fix it to live with it'. Sure, you might need to make some improvements to your house to sell it, but don't you deserve a beautiful appealing well functioning home too?

If you believe in home you can head on over to the I Believe In 'Home' Manifesto and add your name and blog to the list. You can also grab a lovely little button for your blog. I have one proudly displayed over on my sidebar.

Image source: Grzegorz Łobiński

Nanna Cannon's Christmas Cake Recipe

One of my recollections of Christmas growing up as a child in Australia is of the Christmas fruit cakes that my Great Grandmother would make. They came home wrapped in tin foil and would last long after Christmas had passed. The cake was so sweet and rich that we would slather it with margarine.

In recognition of the Christmas season, here is Nanna Cannon's Christmas Cake Recipe, exactly as it is written in her handwriting in the Recipe Book that I am lucky to have (and previously wrote about here).

Xmas Cake
In large saucepan,

500g mixed fruits
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/4 lb margarine
1 tablespoon golden syrup

Bring to boil.
Remove from stove.
Add & stir in

1 teaspoon carb-soda.

Cool.
Pour into mixing bowl.

Add 2 beaten eggs
2 1/2 cups plain flour.

Mix well. Pour into prepared cake tin.
Oven on 250 for 2 1/2 hours.
Do not open oven door, before 1 1/2 hours, while cake is cooking.
Leave cake stand 3 days before cutting.

My Notes:

500 grams of mixed fruit is roughly 2 cups
1/4 pound of margarine is 1/2 cup
carb soda is baking soda

The cake comes pretty close to resembling this, although I remember it as being darker and filled with both green and red fruit bits:

Image: Randy Son Of Robert

Are there any special recipes in your family that are only brought out for the holidays?

A Simple Christmas

A few months back I rescued a medalta crock pot from my neighbours garbage pile. I loved the look of it but hadn't quite figured out what to do with it decoratively until now.

This year, more than any other, I am drawn to keeping things simple. I don't have a lot of Christmas decorations, but I think that I may keep my tree simple, decorated only by lights. There is something so beautiful about a simple tree with lights.

What you don't see is the extension cord hidden in the crock, and the Pampered Chef utensil holder stuffed with newspaper to bring the tree up to the right height. Oh yes, I can be quite resourceful when I need to be!

In my head I have visions of shabby chic garlands of silver and stars draped all over my living room, but for now I'll just live vicariously.

There's just something about Christmas lights!

How do you decorate for the holidays?

Image sources: Happiness Is The Journey, jekert gwapo, Chris_J, Marcin Wichary, ali edwards