Happy Monday - Go Get 'Em Tiger!

To Wear or Clear Out... ?

On the tail end of a busy week, I finally forced myself to do my behemoth mountain of ironing last night....certainly has opened up my wardrobe options once more! Looking at the stack, it occurred to me that I probably don’t need to be purchasing much more in the way of clothing for some months. A bit of layering, along with more accessorizing (which to be honest – I struggle a bit with) & I should be good to go for the seasonal weather transition.

Ideally, once my weight stabilises a bit more, I’d like to downsize & streamline to create a capsule wardrobe although, not sure I’ll get there any time soon!

I’ve been reading a few blogs about only wearing the one dress daily, but it’s not something I would try. It wouldn’t fit into my current lifestyle & not an additional stress I’d want to worry about! I like having wardrobe options, but recognise I’m holding on to items that no longer fit, flatter or suit me.

I think another hard wardrobe clear out is looming for me in the upcoming months.
When was the last time you did one & what was the result?

Australian Retail Prices

After spraining my ankle badly & being told recovery would take a minimum of 3 months (damn!), it had come to my attention that I didn’t own any flat shoes suitable to wear daily at work or for social events. The days of me gallivanting around in high heels have been numbered for now, so I resigned myself to the tedious task of shoe shopping for flats (sigh).

I noticed whilst out on my mission, just how many empty stores for lease there are currently within the CBD and on Chapel Street of Melbourne. And I’m not surprised. Retailers in Australia are (generally) vastly over priced for poorer quality products than what you’ll find in the USA or Europe. And it seems the public are finally waking up to this – hence the popularity of online shopping, along with the strong Aussie $.

Take for example these shoes:

Originally priced at $59.95 ! (yes – seriously) ....... reduced to $20 and still within the current season  (supposedly summer here in Melbourne – but that’s debatable most weeks).

I mean come on – they’re pretty enough for flat summer shoes & suit my current predicament – but there’s no way I would consider paying the supposed recommended retail price. And that’s the catch 22 situation shoppers are in. On the one hand – we’re sick of being ripped off and finally taking advantage of overseas retailers.

But on the other – the more store closures = less competition & retailers continue to get away with their ridiculous pricing.

I look forward to when this isn’t the case, but in the mean time, I’ve reached the stage where I believe it’s become more cost effective for Australians who are considering an overseas holiday, to combine it with a shopping budget included for wardrobe updating. Even if you just purchase key pieces, the higher quality and money saved over purchasing in Australia is well worth the effort.

For some who know their exact sizing / measurements, the internet sales are perfect & a welcome relief to rip-off prices within Oz. Extortionate shipping costs can take that shine off & alas - I'm in the group of people who actually need to try on items before purchase, otherwise return postage is a major drawback...
 

Your thoughts?

Inspiring

Some months ago, I received a web link to watch a documentary for free.

It had apparently been winning awards in America and was touted as being very motivational...

And inspiring it is! If you haven’t already heard about Joe Cross or watched his documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, I recommend sitting down with a cuppa & checking it out. Below is the synopsis & link to watch.
Happy Friday Folks! 

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 

100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Australian Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well- with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind.

FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health. With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long-term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.

Whilst talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well. What emerges is nothing short of amazing - an inspiring tale of healing and human connection. Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves



The Trials & Tribulations of Food Intolerances...

Yes, I’m one of THOSE people...that annoying person who can’t eat just anything. Woe is me.

Being gluten free sucks! The extra kicker is the lactose intolerance. Makes dining out a right pain in the posterior – not only for me but my fellow diners who endure my complaints about lack of menu options for me to choose from. Don’t even get me started about the price mark ups for the limited options coeliacs have. Bakeries are my hell!!

So, despite reading many minimalism blogs, where they tell you to purge items & declutter your home, I’m quietly accumulating more & more kitchen gadgets to satisfy my feelings of always missing out food wise!

Pretty sure it started with the bread maker (shipped over from the UK – so now requires an adaptor to work here – pah!) & most recently – a waffle maker just this week. Cos you know what – I wanna eat waffles too just like NORMAL people can!! And no – I can’t just pop to my local supermarket & buy some gluten free versions – as I’ve never actually seen any here in Melbourne.

Frankly, brunch menus are a major headache for me. The prices are ridiculous for food I can cook cheaply at home & then slob out in front of the tv catching up on stockpiled shows / blogs to read. No dressing up, dealing with snooty hipster wait staff or rushing around required!

I figured the waffle maker will have paid for itself after only 5 uses – 5 times I’m spared schlepping out to overpriced disappointing cafe menus. And once I figure out the magic gluten free recipe that not only works but tastes GOOD (cos it’s constantly a game of hit or miss) I’ll be able to freeze my efforts for future convenience. Good thinking huh!

So, after some research, I opted for the Cuisineart 4 slice belgium waffle maker......Americans RAVE about it – so you know – it must be good !  Shall be trying it out over the next few days......here’s hoping it was worth all my justifications after all ;)

I Love Books & Reading...

...But one of the first steps I’m taking on reducing clutter, is slowly whittling down the number of print books I own.

That’s right – I’m on the Kindle bandwagon!

Having purchased one as a Christmas present for my parents – who love to read but baulk at book prices charged in Oz & have to wait ages for reserved library books to materialise – I promptly bought my own on boxing day.

I have the current version – keyboard less – and find it very compact & convenient to carry around daily in my handbag.

I recommend a book style cover (can purchase cheaply off ebay), as it not only protects the kindle screen & gadget from any hard knocks, but also makes holding it whilst reading easier – I’ve found.

Often the ebook version is much cheaper than the print copy & there are ways in which to share your copy with others – which I won’t get into now. There are also loads of free ebooks out there on websites to download.

I’m finding that I’m more inclined to read these days by having it in my handbag at the ready. No more lugging paperbacks for me & you can forget about hardbacks!! The battery life is terrific as well – seems to last well over a month before needing to recharge. And yes – it does show pictures included in books – sometimes not that great – but for the most part good enough. I now have quite a few recipe books to browse through......if only it were just as easy to whip the dishes up!

So, the next step is to actually make time to read my way through the current hoarded books up the top of my wardrobe, in order to donate them to friends / family / charity & finally free up some storage space...or as a stop gap weekend project – move them to under my bed where I can access them more easily AND have the wardrobe space free to use finally....
Oh to have an actual book case – ha!
Has anyone else made the transition over to just ebooks?

New Beginning

Having relocated across the world to Melbourne a few years ago, it had come to my attention that I’d shipped over quite a lot of stuff that with hindsight, shouldn’t have made it into the cargo boxes....

My small make do apartment (was only meant to live there for 1 year!) has incrementally become cramped with CLUTTER. Along with fluctuating weight (I’ve lost approx. 7 kgs since moving here), my limited storage space is groaning under the weight of stuff I’ve stockpiled, unnecessarily shipped over & forgotten about or clothes that no longer fit.

This annoys me on an almost daily basis.

2012 is the year I attempt to live more frugally & transition into a more minimalist lifestyle....

I did say attempt – I make no claims of being successful at it!