Second-hand Shopping with Thrift +

 

Hi, do you like my dress? I absolutely love it as I think it ticks all the minimalist boxes as well as being classy. 

I got it from Thrift +, an online kind of charity shop. I discovered Thrift + via someone on YouTube who was using Thrift + to donate unwanted clothes during lockdown. I immediately checked out their site and was won over.

At Thrift + you can donate unwanted clothes for free, raise money by nominating a charity of your choice to get a donation from your sale and also get some money back yourself in the form of credits to spend on their site. They do all the photography, listings and other admin. 

During lockdown I was frustrated because it was difficult to donate unwanted clothes and at the same time I was shocked by hearing how many people were clearing out their wardrobes for the first time in years. 

I've always shopped some of my clothes second-hand, as you know, but I've also bought new. The availability of good quality second-hand clothes is better than ever probably because so many people are constantly adding to their wardrobes. I'm now convinced that buying pre-loved clothing is a better choice for me, my budget and the environment. 

As I've told you before, my wardrobe has grown from the 40 piece capsule I created a few years ago. However, I now only own as much as I can comfortably fit into my wardrobe space, which means my 1 wardrobe and 3 drawers hold my all year-round 4 season wardrobe. This helps me to remember what I've got from season to season. I actually like all my clothes being visible as I can see them and know that the next season is around the corner. Hello, summer!

So, I've been donating and buying from Thrift + for a few months and have now joined a small team to become a Thrift + ambassador to help with their #1millionsecondhandshoppers campaign. I will be getting some Thrift + credits as part of this partnership, but this is also a great opportunity for me to help a good cause. I sincerely believe that second-hand shopping via Thrift + is one of the easiest ways to donate as well as having the benefit of being able to browse pre-loved clothes from the comfort of your sofa without having to enter a bidding war or be worried about the restricted space of some charity shops! 

As part of my partnership on Thursday (tomorrow) which is also Earth Day, I'll be able to give you a unique link to gain access to £10 off an order of £30 or more plus free returns. The offer is available for 1 day only, so if you're interested pop back here tomorrow and in the meantime go and check out their listings and see what you could get.  Thrift + will also donate £5 from each new customer's order to the charity WWF. A great way to honour earth day don't you think?

I'm so excited to share this news, my new to me dress and this offer. The pink bag and white trainers (5th image) are also second-hand via Thrift + too. I hope you'll join me in trying to buy second-hand clothes instead of new as well as trying out Thrift +. I'm also posting about this on my Instagram account @clairejustalittleless.

I'll post the link tomorrow xo

55: Happy Friday Links

Hello again, how are you? It's been quite a week here in the U.K. with some easing of restrictions, such as non-essential retail opening. I've not done anything different this week apart from visit one charity shop as I needed to return a dress I bought just before Christmas (it seemed to be about 3 sizes too small even before Christmas, haha.) After getting my refund I had a thorough sift through the rails. And no, I didn't leave empty handed. I'd love to share a few of my thrifted items with you and outfits that I'll make from them. Let me know if you're interested.

Today is my Mum and her twin sister's birthday (83). Unfortunately, 2 positive cases have been confirmed in her care home (she has Alzheimer's and vascular dementia) and so today's visit has been cancelled. No more visits are anticipated until the middle of May. I'm so disappointed for everyone: for Mum, other residents, their families and the staff who work there. It's depressing to just park at the care home, drop off gifts in the porch and drive away again without seeing a soul. At least I can visit my aunty and I'm pleased that babies and young children are now allowed to visit family in care homes.

I hope you've had a good week. If you've had a bit of a wonky week like me, these links might perk you up. 

Alvin Wayne's 800sq Ft New York City Apartment via Apartment Therapy on YouTube. Alvin is an entertaining host and I totally agree about surrounding yourself with things that you love. 

5 Ways to Optimise Your WFH Setup & Stay Productive by Christina at Style Apotheca. Great advice from Christina who says, "Do your best to keep work at work and out of your pocket."

Health Benefits of Indoor Plants via Bibico. I think I might move a few succulents and an orchid into our bedroom.

3 Tips When Health Messes With Your Goals on Catherine's YouTube channel, The Life Tidy. I recently discovered this channel and I'm really enjoying her minimalist journey.

Me and my 'she shed': women on the joys of their garden retreats by Nell Card via The Guardian. I love Angela's lilac shed. 

A Guide to travelling as a Vegan, or with Dietary Requirements is a beautiful and informative resource from www.loveholidays.com and is a great read regardless of when you're planning to travel again. It includes eye-opening stats, helpful phrases for ordering vegan food abroad and recommendations for vegan-friendly travel apps and websites.  

Did you see the sweet photo of the late Prince Philip and 7 of his great-grandchildren? It made me smile.

Enjoy and have a great weekend xo

My Alcohol Detox Update

Hi there! As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I'm currently on a 30 day alcohol detox which I started last Tuesday 6th April (the day after Easter Monday in the UK.)

After a week off the booze I feel brighter, more upbeat and I have started to have some better nights sleep. For motivation, I've been listening to the alcohol free podcasts, Alcohol-Free Life by Janey Lee Grace and Over the Influence, as well as rereading The 10-day Alcohol Detox Plan by Lewis David. According to David, it can take up to 10 days for alcohol to leave your system depending on your previous drinking. I know, that's quite alarming isn't it? After, my 3 month no alcohol stint in 2019 I know that I can do 30 days. 

Alcohol is a very addictive substance and like any bad habit that we may fall into, the initial period of abstinence can leave us with diminished dopamine. But if we hold tight and stay alcohol free, those levels of dopamine can normalise and other benefits begin to happen. 

I'm going to hold onto that promise as well as my alcohol free drink of choice.  With the wine witch ever watchful (she loves 6pm) I'm following Janey Lee Grace's mantra of, "Keep the ritual, change the ingredients." Wish me luck and I'll keep you posted xo

54: Happy Friday Links

Well it's Friday again, woo hoo! This gorgeous swirl of daffodils are part of a local walk that has become our default stroll. They're on a route which we take when we really don't feel like leaving the house and just want to tick 'daily walk' off the list. I usually feel better for a blast around the block even if it's cold or involves a hail storm like this Tuesday. And if the walk seems like a chore, at least I have the satisfaction of banking some steps and an excuse for an afternoon sojourn on the sofa. 

Don't get me wrong, this particular walk is lovely and includes our neighbourhood park but we choose it out of habit and not for the scenery. Lately, there's been new sights we've noticed like these daffodils that were planted last autumn which we've been eagerly waiting to fully open and this week we've seen people having picnics and a children's football team training after a long break. All signs of new life that have reinvigorated my pandemic dampened spirits. 

Today, whilst walking, a friendly woman stopped us to ask if we'd heard the news about Prince Phillip's death and whilst it was sad news it was still nice to have a chat. Over the last year I've been grateful for the care and thought people are putting into their gardens and nearby open spaces, their window displays or just taking time to smile, say hello or exchange a few words as we walk our walks. 

Thanks so much for reading my last post. It was great to hear from some of you as well. I hope you enjoy these links which may just give you an extra boost this weekend.

Why we need to be present to enjoy our lives, not just productive by Rochi Zalani via Tiny Buddha

8 ingredient Twix Biscuits via Mrs Hollingsworth's

How to inspire and encourage yourself everyday by Sandra Pawula at Always Well Within

A moving tribute to actor Paul Ritter by Tamsin Greig via The Guardian

Pet Friendly House Plants by Sophie at A Considered Life

Ethical Shopping - Where I Actually Buy My Clothes by Rachael at Our Beautiful Adventure Photography

Tiny Living on my Narrowboat - How I Make the Most of Small Spaces by Olivia at Living on a Shoestring

Enjoy, stay safe and well xo

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

A mini-break at Rowthorne Lodge, Derbyshire

Just a week ago we headed off on a mini-break to celebrate our wedding anniversary, the end of term, retiring from teaching and the fact that it's summer and with the easing of lockdown we're now allowed to go on holiday. I was as excited as Bridget Jones and the fact that we were the property's first occupants since March felt quite special. We chose to venture just an hour away to Derbyshire to a beautiful one bedroomed lodge in the grounds of Hardwick Hall which is owned by the National trust. It was a beautiful property. Let me show you around...

The clutter free and spotless interior was perfect for unwinding and the 2,500 acre estate gave us plenty of scope for exercise and exploring. For anyone who's not visited before, Hardwick Hall is an Elizabethan country house and was first built by Bess of Hardwick (see a statue of her below), a noblewoman and ambitious builder. The hall was eminently impressive  and it was such a shame that due to Covid we couldn't go inside and get to look out at the estate from the magnificent windows for which it's famous.

However, the gardens near the house were a source of pure joy for me. Such great planting involving gorgeous and unusual plants and artistically thought out colour schemes. These are just a few of the vistas that caught my eye. Boy, have I got so many planting ideas to try in my tiny garden and in our community garden. 

I've had trouble putting this post together as it's been so long since I blogged at length but really these photos are wasted sitting on my phone. Just a few more to go, I promise. 

Can you tell, we had a truly relaxing break. It wasn't perfect as we had quite mixed weather and a power failure on our last day which was time consuming to remedy but we had lots of time to enjoy reading, walking, eating simple but delicious food and a blessing... no wi fi to distract us. Just a few more photos and I think I'll have recorded enough memories of a wonderful four night break.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Take care, my friends xo

Life Changes

So this is where I'm at. I've retired early from teaching. On Friday I left my full-time teaching post after six happy years at a wonderful primary school. I've had various roles there including three years as a full-time class teacher. And, like a lot of other teachers I haven't seen or taught my Year 3 class since March 20th. However, I've been in school every week since then and have seen about a third of my class during lockdown. I've had communication with the rest of my class via email and phone calls but this wasn't how I anticipated ending my teaching career. My decision to leave was made before coronavirus and I handed my notice in during February so I felt under no pressure to change my mind. Teaching nowadays is full-on and exhausting and was not working for me or my family.

It's been a very strange end to my teaching career but a decision I know I won't regret. A simpler life beckons...

Tiny garden tour 2020

Hello there. I hope you're well and configuring your way around coronavirus. To be honest, I think my coping mechanisms are all over the place and my ability to cope changes hourly with my moods. Today I offer you an antidote, an escape, a little peep into another life - it's not a makeover perfect project just a space, a moment in history to be shared, a time when the hum of bees and the twitter of birds were more inspiring than social media, daily government briefings and the dos and don'ts of lockdown. At times lockdown has been exhausting, overwhelming and frustrating but just occasionally don't you think you're being gifted a wonderful opportunity to take stock, be authentic, still and slow down. Isn't this the way to live? Just add in your extras (mines's a takeaway soya caramel latte).

We did a 'makeover' of our tiny garden in 2014 - see it here. It's now a much more 'lived-in' space but it's giving us so much pleasure and purpose in these turbulent times. It provides us with invaluable outside space and a chance to be still, creative, nurturing and productive.

We all need escapism right now and probably will do for the foreseeable future. Whatever it takes: quiz nights, family zooming or the voyeurism of Marianne and Connell from 'Normal People' - a BBC Three series which I'm eeking out as long as I can.

I hope you enjoy my tiny garden tour and it gives you that feeling of being somewhere else.

Sending you my best wishes and love xo