Op shopping our way into summer

You might remember that I recently cleared out my oversized or under appreciated clothes to unclutter my drawers and make way for the "new" style of things that would reflect (the new and improved, lol) me.

The weather is warming up in Perth and I had just one pair of shorts to wear. They were a pretty plain beige pair I picked up at the op shops last year for casual use around the house. They just weren't going to take me far into summer alone.

I decided a trip to the op shops was on the cards to rectify the situation. I was struggling to get there until we miraculously had free time on Saturday morning, after a very quick stop at the air conditioner shop, hunting a split system to install in Turtle's room. We have conceded we need to install one after the stress of shifting her back and forth between our room and hers last summer.

There are three op shops within walking distance from each other near our house. We only had time for one and it came through with the goodies.

The summer 'goodies'

Apart from shorts, I also need casual (but not too casual) t shirts. Turtle has a mix of gifted summer clothes for her birthday and secondhand clothes from a friend. She was, coincidentally, also needing new shorts. Her size 1 clothes are just fitting her so we will need to upsize through summer.

I went straight to the women's clothes section (spurred on knowing Turtle would need a nap shortly) and found so many t shirts and shorts that I liked. After my recent shopping experience I have taken a liking to flowing tops. I found a yellow flowing t-shirt with a big studded love heart that I loved but hesitated to buy. The idea of wearing a love heart in public seemed kind of weird to me. But I loved the yellow colour and the faded gold metal of the studs was really simple and not flashy at all. I'm so glad I gave it a go. I really like it. I also found an orange button up sleeveless top that is great for casual wear, albeit a touch baggy on me.

There were a range of shorts that I actually wanted to try on. That was surprising since I struggle to find shorts I like. They are often too short or too baggy and shapeless. It is hard to find a flattering style that is in a good colour to mix and match. I bought two pairs of fitted long shorts (almost like cut of jeans) in black and denim. I also bought a pair of stripy purple and white shorts, inspired by Turtle's favourite colour.

said 'stripy purple shorts' which I am really enjoying wearing - it's nice to have some colour on

While I was busy sorting myself out Turtle was happily playing with the myriad of toys that the op shop had for sale. They had keyboards, the little plastic balls in a bag (think Maggie getting lost in the ball play area in the Simpsons), and activity tables just to name a few. We somehow refrained from buying any toys.

Mr Fix It was on task looking for size 2-3 summer clothes for Turtle. We ended up buying some Country Road stripy cargo shorts for her (I'm not sure if they are boys shorts but I'm sure no one will notice) as well as some casual green shorts. We also bought a gorgeous grey and white stripy top with a sequined pink star on it for her too.

It turns out Mr Fix It has found himself similarly depleted of shorts in the lead up to summer. He also, surprisingly, found a nice green pair of green shorts that fit him well.

I think you will agree that we were doing extremely well at that point. To buy one item of clothing on a shopping trip can be rated as a successful outing. To buy 6 pairs of shorts and 3 tops is pretty impressive. With a price tag of less than $50 for all of it we could not complain.

The final moment of joy from this experience was finding a Thomas the Tank Engine melamine plate for Turtle, which reminds me of visiting grandparents as a child, and a set of striped colourful summer drinking glasses, which we needed.

I paid around $50 for it all and then realised, when I got to the car where Mr Fix It was sorting out a pooey nappy that had presented itself in the changerooms when Turtle decided to "try on" her shorts, that the check out boy had forgotten to charge me for a few items.

I went back in to get him to ring through the difference (he had taken a call while serving me and I had put some things in our bag that he hadn't rung through yet) and another customer commented how honest I am. The sales boy (he was so incredibly young I can't call him a man!) agreed. I pointed out I was already getting bargains and the money was going to charity.. Why would I bother stealing?

I felt so lucky to have found such wonderful things and to be paying so little for them. If I had bought all of that new I would have paid over $200 easily.

Since this expedition we have had a few spells of warm weather and I have happily worn all of my new things. It feels great to have some new favourite clothes to wear.

Have you been shopping your way into summer? Have you been lucky enough to score some new favourites too?

Decluttering is Such a First World Problem

I have just started decluttering my clothes using the KonMari method. The first items I went through were my underwear, socks, t-shirts, shorts and skirts. I found it easy to decide what clothes "spark joy". I realised they are the ones that I actually want to wear. Choosing my wardrobe isn't something I usually spend a lot of time thinking about so it was a great opportunity to decide what I really like.

My blissfully tidy t-shirt drawer

Nevertheless, it was scary throwing out some of my "safe" go to clothes that I have been wearing for years. Such as my well-worn denim shorts that are just a little too short for the more "mature" me. Or the shorts that I bought to accommodate my baby fat after Turtle arrived. They were comfortable (and fitted me!) during that time but they are too big for me now. Normally I would have just kept them anyway.

Thus it is a relief to know that when the warm weather rolls around I won't just put them on (because they are there!) and feel somewhat uncomfortable about my image.

An added bonus to having enough space for the things I really want to wear is that I found a missing earring. It's from my favourite pair. I thought it was lost forever. I hadn't seen it since we got back from a trip to Adelaide at Christmas. It was caught up in a pair of socks.

My reunited earrings

I also found a brand new pair of stockings that had slipped behind my drawer because it was so full. Clearly decluttering was overdue!

I filled a plastic shopping bag with worn socks, bras and undies. This highlighted that I was down to about 7 functioning pairs of underwear. I used to dig through my drawer to find these few items before. Now they are neatly folded and I can see exactly how many I have. Half of what I've kept will also need to be thrown out soon.

Realising exactly how many pairs of underwear I had left, and their condition, helped to motivate me to go shopping and buy what I need. I am easily overwhelmed by the shops and I am likely to either leave with nothing or buy something I don't like that much to get out of there. So I generally avoid doing it.

In the month since I started going through my clothes I have already stocked up on new socks, underwear, long-sleeved tops and a jumper. I feel very clear about what I need and what will go with the things that I have kept. This is helping me to make careful decisions to ensure the things I buy will be much loved items in my wardrobe.

Whilst buying my new clothes I have realised that decluttering is a luxury for those of us lucky enough to have "too many" things. I'm pretty sure struggling single mums aren't able to create a new style by clearing out the things they are tired of. They need to wear everything they have to death.

I can relate to wearing things to death but not for the same reasons. I am a creature of habit and I am generally caught up with other things, rather than worrying about my clothes. While this is not such a bad thing I feel ready to rejuvenate my wardrobe and organise it at the same time. I deserve it. It will be so nice to have things that I really like and will get a lot of use out of... probably until they actually fall apart.

I'm also sure the millions of people across the world living in poverty would find the concept of decluttering to be an abstract dream. They most likely struggle to get their basic essentials for survival. A roof for shelter, food for hungry stomachs, and clean water to drink.

It is a sobering thought. As I clear out my unwanted things I will try to treat them with respect and pass on what I can to the less fortunate. It's the least I can do.

Do you find yourself in the cycle of buying and decluttering? Are you beginning to learn more about what items you want to have around you?

I'm joining With Some Grace and other beautiful bloggers today for Flog your Blog Friday

Decluttering: The Magic of Tidying

After visiting the baby market I started to put my newly acquired tidying skills to use. I admit it was out of necessity since I needed to make space for the secondhand winter clothes that I had bought for Turtle.

A tidy drawer is a thing of beauty

My "tidying" phase of decluttering is inspired by Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying. I am not the kind of person who can usually sit through a non-fiction book (about tidying no less!) but this one had me hooked. This may reflect my dedication to decluttering. I found the book was easy to read and quite humorous with a down to earth approach to tidying and managing belongings.

KonMari (her nickname and the name of her tidying method) is a self professed tidying fanatic who started her tidying hobby as a child. She became obsessed with storage options as a teenager, trying fads of containers, shelves, and hanging space to try and resolve mess (or clutter) in her families home. Eventually she decided that storage was not the solution. It was the amount of "stuff" that was the problem.

By focusing on her families things KonMari realised that she was avoiding the responsibility of addressing her own clutter problems. She ruthlessly began to throw out her own belongings. The way that she did this was quite different to the processes that she had previously used, as per recommendations in home magazines from decluttering or storage experts. KonMari held every item individually, focused her attention on it and asked herself, "does this spark joy?". If the answer was yes then it was kept. If the answer was no it was discarded after being thanked for its service to her.

The concept behind this method is that you should surround yourself with things that you love. As you change your belongings also need to change. This ensures they reflect who you are and where you see your life going. I love the idea of only being surrounded by things that bring me joy.

The other appeal of KonMari's method is being free to let go of the things that you no longer use or need, no matter why you don't want them. It allows you to distance yourself from the guilt that often stops you from letting things go. The spontaneous expensive purchase that you have never gotten around to using. The lovely gift that didn't really suit your style. Things that are in perfect condition but never get used in your home. It's time to say goodbye!

This is, of course, easier said than done. KonMari has a strict method that she recommends for "tidying" and discarding things. Clothing is the first group to go through, then books, papers, miscellaneous items, and lastly sentimental items. This style of decluttering (or tidying) is by category of item. Every single item in that category needs to be touched to determine if it sparks joy. The idea is that you learn to discard with items that are less likely to make you feel bad about throwing them away. Then you work your way up to the more difficult stuff.

One thing that I didn't support throughout the book was the idea of throwing things away without regard for waste. I totally support the idea of sending things on their way if you don't need or want them. I do believe, however, that they should be discarded responsibly with the best opportunity for reuse. This may mean dropping them off at an opportunity shop. Or selling them on Gumtree. Or distributing them through Freecycle. You might think of a way to repurpose or upcycle some of the things too. Whatever the method, it is important to do your best to make sure those items are able to find a new home where they will be loved and needed.

Having said this I agree with KonMari when she advises not to pass on your problem. This could be by giving your unwanted items to family members. As KonMari aptly observes, your unwanted items are quite likely to be a similar problem for the recipient of your "gift". Passing on your problem is not respectful or helpful. Why burden loved ones with your unwanted things?

KonMari found that her clients who are younger sisters often have the largest amount of unwanted things in their wardrobe. She knows the average amount of clothes people discard and younger sisters always have a much higher amount. This is because they have been so accustomed to receiving hand me down clothing that they don't find out what their individual style is. What kind of image they want to have.

As a middle child I am familiar with this problem. It was quite enlightening to find an explanation about why I struggle to decide on clothing and why I don't enjoy shopping. I am now determined to go out and find clothes to create a style that reflects me.

This has taken a weight off my shoulders since I always felt guilty spending money on myself. Now I am confident that if I really like something and will get a lot of wear out of it, because it "sparks joy", then I should buy it and feel good about myself. If I don't really love it then I won't buy it. Hence it is a shopping experience that won't get out of control.

"The amount of storage space you have in your room is actually just right. I can't count how many times people have complained to me that they don't have enough room but I have yet to see a house that lacked sufficient storage. The real problem is that we have far more than we need or want. Once you learn to choose your belongings properly, you will be left only with the amount that fits perfectly in the space you currently own. That is the true magic of tidying. It may seem incredible but my method of keeping only what sparks joy in the heart is really that precise."  

p155 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, Marie Kondo

The last thing I want to share about the KonMari method (clearly there is a lot more in her book - I recommend reading it if you are inspired by what I have shared here) is instructions about how to fold. You will have noticed the photograph I took of Turtle's drawer after it was tidied (above). All of the items are standing up in the drawer. KonMari is totally right - you can fit so much more in by stacking clothes this way. You can also see each item and don't need to dig through layers of stacks (see the mess this creates when dressing Turtle below). I am a complete convert. It truly works!

The usual mess we were dealing with each day

Starting with Turtle's things, unfortunately, means that decluttering my own wardrobe has been postponed yet again. Typical decluttering procrastination. Despite my previous post encouraging everyone to declutter I acknowledge you need both time and motivation to get it all done.

I am slowly starting on my things though. I will keep you posted on my progress. In the meantime I encourage you to start your own tidying.

Are you a KonMari convert too? Is it time to start tidying?

Linking up with With Some Grace today for FYBF

Secondhand Baby Market

I often feel like I live under a rock. This is especially true in relation to keeping up with the news. I've always been guilty of it but with a baby I am so completely in the dark about current affairs it's quite embarrassing. I just never find time to watch, read or listen to the news. After I finish writing this I will surf the news sites (well maybe :-)).

Generally I do feel pretty "in the know" with sustainability type things though (since that's what I do, isn't it??). Recently, however, I found out about secondhand baby markets from a pregnant friend and couldn't believe that I had NEVER heard of them. It's devastating really since Turtle is now 20 months old. Although I don't need much baby stuff anymore I really wanted to check it out and right this wrong in my life.

I was too busy shopping to take a photo of the market - oops! Image Source

As market day approached I considered bailing on the event since I didn't need that much and life was busy. I'm so glad I went along. Apart from seeing what it was like I also wanted to buy size 2 winter clothes for Turtle.

The markets delivered. We rocked up at 9am and entered the hall. There was a variety of clothes, toys, shoes, bouncers, and general baby "stuff" across the stalls. The first stall I saw was Booty Crawl, whose nappy packs for beginners have been highly recommended to me by cloth nappy users. Apparently they make finding the right MCN style much easier and could have saved me a lot of stress had I known.

Turtle rocking her new purple jeans from the market with a secondhand raincoat I bought off Gumtree.

I bought 2 gorgeous dresses (ok, so one was a summer dress), 2 jumpsuits or onesies, 2 jumpers, 3 pairs of jeans, two very nice long sleeved tops, 4 basic singlets, a pair of flannelette PJs, two pairs of tracksuit pants, gorgeous floral shoes (that Turtle is in love with), and a toy mobile phone. All for the bargain price of $80.

It was a very successful shopping trip. These warm, cosy (cheap, secondhand - woo hoo!!) basics will make life so much easier when we are changing her 2 or 3 times each day. She is constantly covering herself with food, or playing with dirt, or... or... whatever else takes her fancy.

I just wish I had known about the market earlier!

Can you relate? Have you come across anything lately that made you feel like you live under a rock?

Today I'm joining With Some Grace for FYBF!