Snowfall and Firelight. So another week passes by in this endless lockdown. I’m at the point where all time is blurring into one. What day is it? Who knows. But this week at least brought some change in the form of snow – a good few inches here in Yorkshire. Standing at the doorway, watching… Read More Snowfall and Firelight
Ten things I’ve learned about Minimalism. I first wrote about minimalism back in 2011 on a little blogspot blog, back in the day. I journeyed through packing, donating, decluttering, inspired by Leo Babauta and The Minimalists. I bought nothing for 2 years, in 2012 and again in 2015, and wrote about how this impacted my… Read More Ten things I’ve learned about Minimalism
Away from the News. Away from the news, a soft breeze brings a hint of coolness through green leaves. Waves lap up a pebbled shore, constant, rhythmical. A ray of sunlight falls on morning dew. Away from the news, laughter echoes from gardens as people gather in friendship. Young birds learn to fly, and feed,… Read More Away from the News
Morning Afternoon Brew, 6.1.2020 It’s actually the afternoon as I sit and sip scalding hot aeropress coffee and munch through a few lebkuchen left over from Christmas. The wind is blustering through bare trees outside, with rain coming in waves – battering the windows then retreating as clouds scud across wild skies. I managed to… Read More Morning Brew, 6.1.2020
6 years ago, I decided to stop buying things for a year. I supposed it was easy to stop consuming stuff. After all, I didn’t want to be part of that machine any more – I wanted to break free, to get rid of the knee-jerk twitch that made it so easy to mindlessly keep… Read More What does buying give me?
A few years ago, I bought nothing for a year. It seemed so simple on paper. Inspired by the OG Minimalism blogs – Zen Habits, The Minimalists, Becoming Minimalist, Slow Your Home – I loved the idea of a streamlined life, free from clutter and distraction. And so, in the January of 2012, I just… Read More The other side of buying nothing
Wrapping my hands around my mug of hot tea, I looked through the steam to the window beyond. Time stands still in the shed; a place to contemplate, observe. A chair, and a blanket, and a tiny spider spinning webs in the corner. It’s cold today. I make dragon-breath with my exhalations, pulling my hood… Read More Simple things
Clearing out – Spring Decluttering It’s spring! Finally! And along with the better weather and hints of warmth appearing in the longer days, I seem to have woken from the sluggishness of winter along with the season. Feeling more ‘spring-like’ means I’ve been looking at life with new eyes…and along with that, comes the inevitable… Read More Clearing out – Spring Decluttering
Replace: minimalism beyond the clear-out So, decluttering. Becoming a minimalist. Simplifying. The minimal movement is becoming more and more popular, as we begin to feel the effects of ‘peak stuff‘ and yearn for something more than another shopping trip, another credit card bill. Minimalism, with its image of empty, shiny counter-tops, statement art pieces… Read More Replace: minimalism beyond the clear-out
Since following a more natural lifestyle, it’s become more important to me to use natural beauty products. Over time I’ve managed to replace my make-up with natural alternatives. It’s hard to find a product that’s cruelty-free and natural, a lot are either one or the other! Here are my current favourites. I’d love to hear… Read More Ethical Beauty Products – Minimalist Make-Up