What's in the Give Away Bag today?

What's in the Give Away Bag today?

6 books
14 plastic toys
3 items of clothing

Total: 23 items

It was not a huge bag, but it had to go out the door before the kids "find" it in my room.

Too Much Choice

I bought some undergarments recently. The last time I purchased underwear was approx. three years ago. It was high time actually.

Even a Minimalist can't survive on four underpants. :)

So I go into Target...there are rows and rows of undergarments. I began to feel quiet overwhelmed and a bit stressed about all the different choices available - the colours, the patterns, the designs, the materials, the prices etc.

In the end, I chose a simple pack of 5 plain black cotton ones.

I don't know if this is a Minimalist thing or a slight unhealthy OCD thing...but the overwhelming choice is ridiculous and unnecessary. Why does this one shop have about 80 different types underwear? Do we really need this? Is this what we call Freedom and Choice?

Some people love doing a very thorough research when they need to buy something. They search high and low for the best quality, best price, best everything...but for me, give me four things and I will choose one out of the four. I find too much choice quite debilitating.

I think this is why we like Choice.

And also shops like Top 3. Where somebody else has chosen the "top three" items, all ready and picked out for you.

Too much choice = Headache for a Minimalist.

Give me Simplicity!

Cleaning out the Pantry

After blogging about it, I got down on my hands and knees and cleaned out the very Messy and very Massive Pantry.

The Result:

1. It was good to put all the similar items together. I now have a lovely little tea collection. I didn't know I owned so much tea!

2. It was good to throw out the expired items e.g. coconut cream.

3. It was good to bring to the front the items I use frequently e.g salt, pepper, olive oil.

4. It was good to see what I've got so I can do some more menu planning.

I think I will simplify my meals further. I really don't need 8 different sauces. This is especially so with the Baby arriving in 4.5 months.

This is what I would like. Rows of white pantry cupboards:

7 Reasons to Buy Second-Hand

1. Secondhand Goods are less expensive

2. Secondhand Goods don't require new resources to make

3. Secondhand Goods are better made

4. Secondhand Goods don't generate pollution

5. Secondhand Goods don't come with plastic packaging

6. Secondhand Goods - You are stopping it from going to landfill

7. Secondhand Goods - You are supporting a charity and/or the local economy

Read more here: Peak Oil Hausfrau

Of course, there are times you cannot buy second-hand with safety and hygiene issues, e.g. underwear, swimmers, car seats, helmets.

And sometimes, you don't have Time to look for something secondhand. Buying from garage sales, vintage shops, op-shops and ebay takes time. So for convenience, we need to go the Shops.

But most things I reckon I can get second-hand. And there are some gems I have discovered at vinnies, flea markets and garage sales.

I have bought:

Sass & Bide jeans
Lee jeans
Country Road pure wool black cardigan
Milkshake skirt
Easiyo yoghurt maker
Vintage Smurf hankerchiefs
Silk scarf
1920s vintage vase
Books
Vintage wooden Babar puzzles
Photo frames
1950s melamine trays
Glassware
Vintage Weet Box tin
Airplane cutlery

This is my most recent purchase...I know, this is a Minimalist blog, and I shouldn't be adding things to my collection...but how could I resist?

Even a Minimalist couldn't resist ;)

Good-bye Steve Jobs: a Genius & a Minimalist

Sad news of Steve Jobs' passing. He was a creative Genius. And he gave consumers products we didn't even know we wanted.

He was a Minimalist for sure.

Take his Uniform for example - his black turtleneck, a 501 Levis denim jeans and New Balance sneakers. At every convention, every product launch, every speaking thing, he wore the same outfit.

According to an Apple journalist Matthew Powell, Steve Jobs switched to his more casual outfit from suits and bow ties "so that he didn't waste time thinking about what to wear when he should be thinking about Apple."

I think Steve Jobs embodied Simplicity and Perfection.

Sure he created Products we don't really Need, but if we could Choose one, we would choose Apple. (I say this as I type this post on my macbook).

Good-bye to a Genius and a Minimalist.

Saying No to Freebies

I joined the local gym the other day, and the gym guy tried to give me a "free" bag. I politely said, "No thanks", adding that I already had a backpack.

He looked at me like I was crazy.

Hey! I'm not going to do Free Advertising for you!! and as I said, I already have a backpack.

There are so many "freebies" given away these days - free pens, free mugs, free mousepads, free fridge magnets, free notepads etc.

I really don't need to bring these home. It's easier to not bring stuff into the house in the first place, rather than trying to sort through, recycle, donate, and declutter at the other end.

No Thank You!

One In One Out Policy

My mother-in-law has a One In One Out Policy with my father-in-law's boats. I think he's capped out at 3.

I really like this Rule. It forces me to be disciplined. When I am being lazy, and not thinking, this is when I start accumulating Stuff. This is especially so when you have loads of storage space to just store stuff.

I recently received a present for my new house. It's a lovely retro looking, colourful, stainless steel mixing bowls. Because I have a big kitchen I can just store everything. But I won't. I'm going to donate the old mixing bowls. The ones I've had since we were married, but still have life in them! So off to vinnies...

One in One out. A great rule!