Ever the aspiring minimalist I like to pare things down before I commit to new purchases. With Christmas just around the corner and extra food to buy and store I knew it was time to declutter the freezer and tackle the ice mountain that was beginning to build there. A long overdue job put off partly because of fear of how long the task would take and the chaos it would cause in my kitchen.
Last weekend I threw caution to the wind and began the job of defrosting our built in fridge/freezer - neither space was completely empty but I still decided to give it a go (I put the contents outside in a covered plastic tub early in the morning when it was still quite cold). I've done this job many times but nonetheless researched it a little just in case there were any new time saving tips I could try. I decided to go for the simple method of bowls/jugs of boiling water to speed the defrosting process. Any stubborn thick layers of ice were wiped over with a hot cloth - I avoided using any scraping devices or a hair dryer to speed the process (both potentially dangerous). I put several layers of newspaper down to protect the floor and a bowl to catch the water. Two hours and a lot of melted ice later I had a completely defrosted freezer. During the defrosting time I cleaned the interior, drawers and shelves and also took a stocktake of the contents of both the fridge and freezer.
The result - a clean and ice free fridge/freezer and a declutter to boot. Not much was thrown out but I did discover two jars of redcurrant jelly and two jars of mango chutney that I was unaware of. Within hours I had a sparkly clean and roomy fridge/freezer just like the ones you get when you rent a holiday home. There was room for our regular freezer favourites and also room for newly baked mince pies (frozen in pairs for hubs and me to enjoy as treats). A turkey and favourite stuffings for our Christmas meals will soon be added. With only one small three drawer freezer (I used to have two fridges and two freezers) this space has to be used well.
I can think of more ways to have fun in December but there's a simple pleasure in being able to open the door and drawers easily and in knowing exactly what's in the fridge/freezer (which will hopefully kerb any overbuying). Not a bad return for just a few hours of domestic chaos.
At this time of year it's all too easy to get caught up in the collective consumerist craziness. Even wannabe minimalists like myself find themselves agonising over whether the gifts bought are good enough, the decor fashionable and whether they can really wear the same party outfit that they wore last year.
I have found myself obsessing over these matters recently. Luckily I've seen sense and remembered that less has its own magic. Last year's party outfit worked after all and I still like it - who am I trying to impress? I have bought one or two new items this year already that are enough to give it a twist (new earrings, black jeans and smart jacket) and I have different shoes that I can wear too (black patent courts). Despite having reduced my Christmas decs I still have more than enough for my small house. And if I have gift buying dilemmas I will stick to buying consumables.
This year I want to enjoy the traditions of Christmas and enjoy a little more baking and crafting but I don't need to put myself under the pressure of perfection. This year for me, it's time for a little more restraint both financially and emotionally. Less buying, less doing and more being in the moment. This December I shall enjoy the magical moments of Christmas but I also hope to enjoy quite a few moments that aren't festive.
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Some moments from the first Sunday of Advent - some with photos, some without.
♥ Last night's beautiful sky
♥ Seeing the Advent wreath at church
♥ Baking from one of my first cookbooks given to me by my Nana one Christmas
♥ Making mince pies in my Mum's old tins
♥ The first sherry of the season
♥ The smell of unwrapped clementines
♥ A mild December canal walk
♥ Reminding my teenager to open his Advent calendar...
Welcome this season of hope, joy, peace and love.
Thank you all for reading, commenting and following here this week. Have a great week xo
Follow Just a little less A Simple Christmas on Pinterest
Hello. As November slips by and the Christmas production machine slinks out of control, I find myself rejecting the commercial shebang of the season more and more in favour of a simpler, greener and homespun version. I want to enjoy plenty of time at home with my family and friends and the least amount of time possible in the shops.
Last year I wrote about my views on the over commercialism of the season. See here for tips on minimalist festive shopping and here for my ideas on simplifying Christmas. This year I hope my gift buying will be even more modest and mindful. I shall plan, research, shop online and avoid the shops as much as possible, especially at the busiest times.
I've already heard many declarations that it doesn't feel like Christmas this year and I wonder if that's because so many people have such high expectations of Christmas. The festivites seem to start earlier each year. If you spend weeks rushing around shopping, over committing yourself to social occasions and generally feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to make Christmas perfect then it's no wonder that you'll have no enthusiasm left for the main event. Most of us will have to do more shopping at this time of the year but I believe it can be kept under control and shopping should not be the main focus of the preparations.
Nostalgia and tradition is a big part of Christmas for me as is the simplicity of the Christian message. It doesn't seem right to me that we should spend excessively at a time when we are celebrating the birth of someone who lived humbly and reached out to the poor. Shouldn't we be doing the same? And no matter what our religious beliefs shouldn't we be reflecting on how much most of us have in the western world and making an effort to help those who have less? How many people in our own towns don't have enough of the basics of life - food, warmth, shelter and love? As I write this I feel I need to do more to support these people this Christmas.
However, my Christmas won't be too austere and I'll be indulging in little rituals along the way that help create that Christmas feeling. Here's a list of some of the things I'm hoping to enjoy over the next few weeks. Most of them cost next to nothing.
clementine eating
garland making
baking mince pies the way my Nana used to using my Mum's old tins
sherry drinking (only in December)
listening to carols (I love Classic FM for this in December)
wreath making
dipping pine cones in white paint and glitter
quiet reflection at church
late afternoon walks to enjoy the solitude and the twinkly lights
making something new for the Christmas tree
movie watching
ice skating (even though I'm rubbish at it)
How about you? Do you have plans for a more modest Christmas this year? What simple things give you that Christmas feeling? I'd love to hear.
We...
awoke on Saturday to a frosty morning - wish I'd photographed this but I was too lazy lingering in my pjs
cleaned the house quickly
shared the ironing but didn't find the end of the basket
abandoned a Saturday night out due to hub's bad back
ate almond croissants for Sunday breakfast
watched the Great Gatsby on DVD - wow, I loved the glamour
debated who was the best Doctor
escaped to the woods for a kick through the leaves
supported hubs singing in the community choir at our local Christmas lights switch on
retreated to a wonderful pub for a glass of Merlot and a warm by the fire with friends
A quiet but restorative weekend. Today was a real challenge for photography. Even though we went out early this afternoon (2pm) the light was scarce and everything seemed dull. And my final picture of Dr.Johnson amongst the Christmas lights is blurred but I still like it. Hubs' back seems to be improving - this cold weather doesn't help.
Hope you all had a good weekend folks xo
I thought I would share with you my skincare basics.
Nowadays I like to keep my beauty products to a minimum. Overflowing window ledges and cupboards full of products scare me. Yes, clutter does frighten me sometimes. I like my bathroom to be a tranquil place, as second to the bedroom, its the first and last room I encounter each day.
Don't get me wrong, I like make-up and beauty products and the possibilities for self- improvement they offer but I'm too much of a cynic to believe that any one single product will transform my appearance, my life and my happiness. I'm done with overflowing toiletry bags and bathroom cabinets. And I never had or will have the budget of a beauty editor so I've had to get to grips with budget beauty buys.
So here's my essential skincare kit. Simple products that can clean, moisturise and protect your skin.
1. Face wipes. I don't like soap or cleansers as I find them too much of a faff and too drying. Facial wipes seem to clear the day's grime yet leave my face feeling refreshed. I love buying more expensive wipes when they're on offer but it's reassuring to know that I can get 25 wipes for 45p at Tesco and they'll do the job.
2. Baby oil. I don't remember when I discovered this but baby oil is the simplest, cheapest and most effective product for removing the toughest eye make-up. Just dab a little onto a cotton wool pad, gently wipe over your eyes and the most stubborn mascara will be removed in seconds, I've tried commercial eye make-up remover pads and honestly prefer my simple baby oil. It's also wonderful as a body moisturiser – just a few drops in the bath will leave your skin silky smooth. I use Aldi's brand - 99p for 300ml.
3. Baking soda. This is my latest discovery. Too skint to buy an exfoliator I began to research cheap and natural alternatives. I found that baking soda with its tiny grains acts as a gentle exfoliant as well as a cleanser. Just use 2tsp of baking soda to 1tsp water to make a paste and gentle rub into your skin before rinsing. It does leave your skin a little dry so I wouldn't recommend using it everyday. However, it does leave your skin feeling wonderfully smooth. I use Aldi's bicarbonate of soda at 69p.
4. Face moisturiser. Finding a cheap product which feels light yet provides a SPF of 15 was a godsend. This product, AldIi's Lacura Q10 SPF 15 (£1.49 for 75ml), is such good value for money and feels luxurious.
So a little beauty inspiration for you this weekend. I do believe that although beauty is partly genetic, a healthy and positive attitude to life is the cheapest and most effective beauty aid.
How about you? Do you use any of these products or have any of your own to share? It'd be great to hear from you.
So you've got the perfect jeans, a classic trench and the ultimate court shoe but what about the basics? Do you have enough plain black socks, proper fitting underwear and basic good quality jersey tops in a variety of neutral colours and sleeve lengths?
No... me neither.
I'm proud of my wardrobe and the way I've managed to streamline it in recent years. I have some lovely individual pieces and a core of tunics, trousers and skirts to build a capsule wardrobe on. Every item in my wardrobe fits, is loved and gets worn enough times to validate its existence.
But what about the basics? The vest tops, the t shirts and the long sleeved jersey tops that go with everything?
Hmm... these are sadly lacking in my wardrobe.
In my past spendthrift days I've been too much of a magpie, coveting and collecting the glory pieces: the sensationally shaped tulip skirt, the studded jeans and missoni like tunic. Shopping for basics has always seemed too boring.
I admit I've ignored this important part of my wardrobe and my clothes are beginning to whimper, nay shout, that they need some consolidation. In other words I need some basic pieces: socks, underwear and jersey tops (vests, t shirts, three quarter length and long sleeved) in a range of neutral colours. Like most people I can't afford to build a new wardrobe from scratch and therefore have to work around existing favourites. The bottoms that I own are not all the same colour and some are patterned so I could really do with a range of plain tops to pull them all together. The few plain black tops that I do own are beginning to look worn and will need replacing soon. Replacing basics is I realise a fundamental part of maintaining a reduced wardrobe.
My dilemma is that I also need a party/smart outfit for at least one Christmas/New Year event. Or is this a want? Surely I can wear what I wore last year or be thrifty and bag a bargain bonanza somewhere/somehow? I love the challenge of a bargain outfit or reinventing last year's Christmas outfit. I had this same dilemma last year and solved it by updating my wardrobe with a piece that wasn't solely party wear and could be worn more than once.
Right now I am committed to building the basics in my wardrobe and compiling a list of the good quality essential pieces that I need. I won't shop for them all at once but will forgo other wardrobe purchases until these are met. Meanwhile my wants (a.k.a. the party outfit) will have to be governed by serendipity, creativity and the bargain bin.
My wardrobe gaps
plain v neck jersey tops in black, white and grey
t shirts in black, white and grey
cotton camisoles in black, white and grey
black socks
underwear in black and white
new black flats (patent?)
black/grey ankle boots
a dress for autumn/winter (smart day wear)
Not very exciting, eh? But these pieces will give my wardrobe and everyday life a lift and a little more harmony.
I like the sound of that, a harmonious wardrobe. Woo hoo! Why didn't I think of that earlier?
Over to you, my friends.
Have you built your wardrobe on basics or frivolous purchases? Does your wardrobe need consolidation like mine? What are your wardrobe gaps?
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Sharing platters are in vogue in restaurants and are easier than you may think to replicate at home. The secret is to use a large plate, tray or slate board and to layer the food as casually as you can.
We bought our large slate serving plate in France two years ago (at well under £10 from Casa) and it has been used over and over again for serving savoury platters. This week I used it for a Mediterranean platter for book club (cold meats, olives, mozzarella, shavings of Parmesan and rocket) and then later in the week for this fruit platter as a dessert. We cooked a Chinese meal when we had family over and wanted something simple and light to follow.
As one of my autumn/winter health goals is to eat more fresh fruit I wondered if I could make a fruit based dessert that was a bit more up to date and sociable than an ordinary fruit salad. And if you can have savoury dips surely you can have sweet ones too! After a little research I decided to use mascarpone as a base for a lemon dip.
I bought all my fruit from Aldi including the wonderfully exotic but cheap persimmon fruit (also known as sharon fruit) which is one of Aldi's Super 6 offers this week (89p for four fruit). I was extravagant as we were having family over and I used grapes, blueberries, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple and persimmon but you could use less fruit, different types or just whatever fruit is on offer that week. Persimmon is simple to prepare - blanch them in boiling water for a few seconds and then peel and slice them as if they were a tomato. They taste good, similar to apricots and mangoes.
This dip transforms the platter and you really don't need much as it's so luxurious and creamy. Think all the richness of lemon cheesecake without any of the faffing. Most supermarkets sell a light version of mascarpone if you wish to curtail the calories! With just three ingredients it's super quick and easy to make.
You will need
250g Mascarpone
3-4 heaped tablespoons of the best quality lemon curd that you can afford
2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
Method
In a bowl simply loosen the mascarpone cheese with a fork, gradually beat in the lemon curd and then the lemon juice. The mascarpone will become more liquid and silky as you beat it. Adjust the amounts of lemon curd and lemon juice to suit your taste. Spoon into small dishes and chill until needed.
We added bought ginger cookies to our platter but you could add other biscuits such as shortbread. If you prepare the fruit and dip in advance this fruit platter takes minutes to assemble and means there's no frantic checking of the oven as with other puds.
Et voilà!
