Short Hair and a List

No it's not new year but I wanted to get going with blogging again and it kind of feels like a new start as we've just had Easter and the clocks went forward just over a week ago.

I definitely have the most energy at this time of year and so I thought I'd make my first post of 2021 a list of what I'm hoping to achieve this year. A few have already been started.

1. Be gentle with myself and others. Expect to not complete everything on this list and accept this as being normal. I would like to work on some self-improvement or self-care though. I love a challenge!

2. Commit to at least 30 days without alcohol. In 2019 I did both dry January and had 3 months without alcohol. I feel ready to give it another go. 

3. Make an inventory of my current clothes and accessories. I've been donating and selling some items over the last year and I'm working on making my wardrobe more versatile, practical and sustainable as well as smaller. 

4. Grow some veg for my community garden plot. The last couple of years I've mainly concentrated on growing flowers for cutting.

5. Clear some space in our tiny garden for a bench. This will involve removing part of a border and putting slate there instead. 

6. Walk every day for at least 20 minutes. I usually walk every day with Tim before lunch and often have a longer walk once a week with a friend. I've also become a litter legend which gives me an excuse for an extra walk most weeks.

7.  Stop going to the hairdressers. The last time I had my hair cut professionally was December 2020 and I cut it short just over a week ago. I cut my Mum's hair before she went into a care home and have cut Tim's for several years now so I think I know what I'm doing. This is the shortest I've ever had my hair and it's so liberating.

8. Read every day for at least 20 minutes. I have plenty of books on my 'to be read' pile.

9. Try some new vegan recipes. We had a subscription to 'Vegan Food & Living' magazine as a surprise Christmas present from my brother-in-law and so I shouldn't be short of inspiration.

10. Update my blog more regularly. There's so much I want to write about and I enjoy both writing and photography so what's holding me back?

I hope you're well and keeping safe wherever you're living. I would love to hear from you. 

Claire xo

Minimalist Monday: A New Start

So, I resigned from my full-time permanent teaching job. It was easier to do a second time around but still a very difficult process (I last resigned from a part-time permanent teaching post in October 2013). After having worked part-time for five years, full-time teaching has felt hard and has taken its toll on many areas of my life (although, I've had the opportunity to work in a very supportive school and gain new experience, for which I'm grateful). 

I vowed when I left my last job to never stay in an unhappy work situation again, and I feel proud of myself for recognising that being in a permanent teaching post was not for me and that teaching is exhausting especially for an inherent introvert like me. 

Luckily, having downsized and developed a more minimalistic lifestyle since 2012, I know my supply teaching income will be enough to supplement our income. 

So, it's time to start looking forward and finding balance in my life and to not feel guilty when not working or when turning down work. Supply teaching will be my main income and will give me a lot of flexibility and freedom. I'm open to finding other ways of making a living and using my time as I settle into this new lifestyle.

Minimalism was new, fresh and exciting when I first embarked on decluttering and downsizing and it feels just as exciting now. 

A simpler more minimalistic life is one that I want to continue to build. I don't ever want to feel as time-poor as I have during the last nineteen months. Through full-time teaching I have developed self-discipline, resilience and determination - all of which I can apply to living more simply. 

The good news is, I would still call myself a minimalist or at least an aspiring minimalist.

The great thing about minimalism is that it gives you the opportunity to wipe the slate clean (very appropriate for a teacher, I guess). Never be frightened to start again. And again. Remember minimalism is a tool which can help you to create a simpler life. Minimalism is about experimenting with less. It's about selecting what you want to own and creating new routines and habits. It requires discipline, personal challenge and asking yourself tough questions.

You too could make a new start. Just stopping every now and then helps: evaluate the last year, month or even this morning. Take simple steps: stop buying in excess; breathe deeply; try meditation and mindfulness to be present; seek out the beauty of nature; exercise to improve your mood; and practise gratitude. Gratitude always brings perspective in a world where the distribution of wealth and freedom is so unequal. 

And often it's those with the least who show the most gratitude and who are the most generous and happy.

Exploring London

Exploring London with my twenty-two year old son today was very different to the last time we visited the capital together, which was probably ten years ago. This time, we had a different purpose (to collect his visa for teaching English in China) compared to the sight-seeing of our previous visit, but we still had fun. We explored Shoreditch, Hackney and Camden, perusing record shops, independent bookshops, vintage clothes shops and vegan eateries. He was a great guide and good company. These photos are a record of our day - I hope you enjoy them. 

5 Ways to Belong That Don't Cost Money

Just as young adults feel the pressure to belong by behaving in a certain way that isn't true to their natural personalities so adults can feel unnecessary pressure to buy stuff to belong. I know in the past that I've bought clothes to belong just because they were the latest fashion and not because I actually liked the garment. I've chased status and a bigger mortgage debt to belong in the belief that these were part and parcel of being a successful adult.

If you're new to a minimalism there can be times when you feel socially awkward when those around you are talking about their recent purchases, holidays and lifestyles. You may feel like you don't belong and be tempted to withdraw from social gatherings altogether. 

Whoa! Living with less needn't cramp your style. 

It can be easy to think that you need to buy things to belong. But surely as human beings we all belong. 

The Dalai Lama at Glastonbury Festival this weekend said that we're social beings. He demonstrated genuine social connection by appreciating the warm welcome and vitality of the festival goers and performers around him. 

This spirit of gratitude, generosity and acceptance is why he felt and looked so at home at Glastonbury. He was at peace with himself and with the complexity of the diverse situations of those around him. 

The Dalai Lama was welcomed for his open-heartedness, compassion and smile. Not for his material possessions.  

5 Ways to belong that don't cost money:

1. Be confident in yourself and be honest to others about your lifestyle choices. Be yourself and smile. Don't feel under pressure to conform, consume or compare yourself to others. Be a proud ambassador for being happy with less. 
2. Be happy for other people if they're happy. Express genuine pleasure in their happiness (even if it comes from material possessions).   
3. Say no sometimes. If your friends are always planning expensive get togethers don't feel like you have to join in every time. Be the one to suggest cheaper alternatives for meeting up.  
4. Steer the conversation away from consumerism if you can.  
5. Don't judge people on first appearances. Find common ground. OK, you may live totally different lifestyles but we're all human and you may find you have more in common with someone if you keep an open mind and let the conversation flow. Maybe you have people, places and interests in common.  

Belonging isn't about us all being the same, having the same possessions or social status. We can connect on so many different levels.

Money, possessions and status can irritatingly get in the way of this. 

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A Simple Easter

This Easter we tried to keep things simple with the focus on nurturing our family - young and not so young. We kept the decorations minimal with just a pretty table cloth, fresh daffodils and a few knitted chicks. All our food came from good old Aldi and was cooked with great love by Tim. We hurriedly baked some cakes - they look better than they tasted but they got eaten. Who needs mass produced perfect cakes? We had our usual fill of chocolate and moaned about the amount of packaging. Something to work on...

Time off work means time to play and I had a lovely day catching up with a school friend from sixth form. For a few hours we were tourists in the city we both spent our teenage years in and swapped notes as only friends of the same age can. 

Our next meet up is scheduled and the cake is already being discussed.

We didn't venture far over the holiday weekend but a trip to our local marina to stroll past the narrowboats was a treat. We walked from the marina into the nearby picturesque village. Old properties and quirky touches caught my eye.

On Easter Saturday our eldest turned 20 which made us feel old. A week later we visited our great nephew. With his smiles and giggles he was a great host. I tagged this photo 'hands'. Can you see why?

Today we took our eldest back to uni but stopped on the way back at one of my favourite peaceful places - The Tara Centre in Etwall, Derby. My husband jokes that I only take him there when it's raining but it was still beautiful.

I've so much to be grateful for this Easter not least my friends old and new who read Just a little less. You're all very welcome here xo

I Believe in Happiness

I believe in happiness, especially in finding it in dark places. Sometimes happiness overflows in our lives and we're like a sponge, soaking up as much as we can and then releasing it in tiny bubbles for others to share with a kind smile, a hug, a laugh or a generous act. Other times our happiness quotient is depleted and our sponge dries up to a hard crusty shell as we neglect our well-being, shut down and make less contact with others. Happiness, the kind of happiness that money can't buy and which is borne from self-acceptance and practising gratitude never disappears completely. When life gets tough or you simply feel rubbish you need to remember that you have inner happiness and how much better life can feel if you use it. On those dark days, seek happiness in simple pleasures, in the world around you, find the positives in the situation you're in and try and make some contact with others. If you can nurture yourself, appreciate the beauty and simple pleasures of daily life and be open and welcoming to the friendship of others life begins to feel better. All it takes sometimes is a quick soak, a gentle squeeze and off you go. 

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Fourth Sunday of Advent and Hello Darkness

The fourth Sunday of Advent has arrived and with it the winter solstice. Preparing for Christmas and celebrating the wonder of the natural world. Here are some highlights.

♥ Our bauble free Christmas tree. How magical are Christmas trees?
♥ We spent this morning in the kitchen. The sherry was open - couldn't quite wait 'til Christmas.
♥ First attempt at clementines in caramel. Not quite there yet. Caramel takes confidence.
♥ Our eldest son is home from uni. And his washing and his music. Love it. 
♥ Time for a Sunday roast and gravy has been made in advance for Christmas day.
♥ Lighting the fourth Advent candle at home - now hiding on the sill behind the tree.
♥ An evening carol service.
♥ Home to light more candles. 
♥ Dad has been in hospital this week. He was home after 3 days. So grateful.

Hope you are well. Not signing off for Christmas yet - I will be back before the big day xo