Year: 2021

Continuing with my decluttering I’m moving on to the wardrobe……this might be the hardest one for me. It’s a long one again as I am thinking out loud about why this is hard….then get stuck into the job asking questions as I go which I hope will help prompt any of you tackling a similar job. With some thoughts on upcycling garments which may be beyond repair…

Another month has flown by! So much of this month has been about catching up with long put-off jobs…..and so much of this month has been spent on the telephone on hold…….which has been infuriating and led me to wonder; where are all the humans?!

Let decluttering commence! This first video about my decluttering/downsizing is a bit long because I spend some time at the beginning talking about the subject in general…and what we might do to help ourselves move forward if we’re a bit stuck with too much ‘stuff’. Then I get stuck into my books and share examples of questions and thought processes which might help you too (I hope!). The next video will be more ‘on my feet’ and a bit shorter…hopefully…as I tackle the first part of the wardrobe. I sincerely hope some of you will find this useful……and start on your own decluttering path….we can do it together!

My life has changed so massively in the last five years…..and now my home needs to change too. I have been thinking more, in the last few weeks, about what I need from my new home, about how my new home needs to accommodate this new life I have made for myself. I am excited and daunted in equal measure as I prepare for a big change…..

Today I am taking stock of what’s in my pantry……what food have I managed to produce and store to live on over the coming months. Hahah – pantry is a bit of a misnomer as I have food stashed all over the place, including my shed, which is where we start today….

It has been a couple of weeks since I last managed to get to the garden so I was delighted, on my return, to see signs of new life. It was just a short visit today to make the most of a beautifully bright day….and to begin to do some tidying and tackle some long-overdue jobs using some old junk….

I’ve been a bit AWOL from YouTube for the last week……I’m absolutely fine, I just needed to get on with a lot of boring stuff…but today I’ve got a chance to have a bit of a catch-up with you. I had a glorious day with friends in the flat…..and my ‘new’ old crockery got its first outing…….and I used my tablecloth for the first time in ages! I’ve also been catching up with Kate’s videos and loving thinking about our tools of the trade…….and finally I’m thinking about lovely things to do with vintage linens.

Today I am continuing to prepare the garden for winter. My brassicas (cabbages, kale & broccoli etc) will be out there and working hard all winter so I need to give them a bit of care….against the wind (they hate wind!) and pelting rain. I also have a bit of a think about how to prepare the ex squash beds for winter……these are the beds that had the addition of horse manure in the early spring…..will that addition change how I do things this winter?

Recently a beautiful gift and the conversation around it prompted some wonderful memories of Wales and my connection with the country over the years. My Dad was particularly fond of Wales because of what are now known as Heritage Railways…….here I chat about why…..and what an amazing connection it is! I get in a bit of a muddle about dates……my Dad would have been in his mid-20s.

The weather has suddenly turned a bit chilly and the morning after our first frost the garden is beginning to look a little wintery. Join me for a tour of the garden at the beginning of November as I take a look at the food still to come….and the last few jobs to get ticked off the list.