1. To live by the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, gentleness, patience and self-control) – something hard to do when you are rushed, busy or focusing on material wealth.
2. Choosing to focus on that which is most important!
3. Living simply so that others may simply live!
4. Sticking to my value of choosing time & love over money.
5. Treading lightly to respect all life and the precious planet we live on

What does this mean practically? What things won’t I compromise on in order to make sure no matter what the temptations, I don’t choose money {building wealth or buying cheap} over the most important things?

1. Continue the Ne stle ban – to read why see here, there is also a good article in the Guardian. Companies targeting the poor, promoting a product that poor communities can not sustain and don’t have access to the resources needed to do it safely, is just inhumane and nothing I want a part of. 

2. Cooking most of our meals from scratch. I know that life sometimes gets in the way, so I say most and not all. I would hope that we eat 99% of our meals as something made not simply heated. My own goal is to have one meal a month “off”!

3. Use cloth instead of disposable in all areas of our lives!

4. Buy second hand rather than cheap & new – generally they don’t last and they are cheap because someones rights were violated {often children & poor widows working for pennies a day in squalid conditions}.

5. Buy whatever we can get fairtrade – the selection here is so so limited {it is scary since by far people have more disposable income} but what we can get, we will.

6. Avoid shopping in stores that have poor ethical practices or buying meat & dairy produced unethically!

7. Continue with a pestiside ban in the home, instead using baking soda & vinegar for everything!

8. Continue to avoid certain fast food restaurants which not only keep their animals in appalling conditions, but also target children through adds.

9. Going without so that we can give – continuing to give monthly, as well as whenever need arises! Three real blessings I’ve had through giving are: sponsorship of a cot through China Kidz {now called Butterfly Children’s Hospices} and watching a child go from palliative to being adopted, being a daily prayer warrior for Reece’s Rainbows children {isn’t Mark on the right hand side of this post a treasure?}, and watching lives being transformed through Kiva loans! It is far more beautiful to give than receive {unless you are trying to adopt Joking. Kinda }

10. Reflecting each day on whether my choices celebrated that of which I believe in so passionately and what my choices demonstrate to myself, my children, my God and the world around me. Did I choose the easy option or the right option? Were my choices reflective of the fruits of the spirit? All the while remembering tomorrow is another day!

Because I make far too many mistakes, far too often, I’m going to write out this list on a scrap piece of paper and stick it on the fridge. Sometimes it is so easy to do something without really thinking about the consequences, hopefully this is a gentle, little reminder. No one is perfect, I’m certainly not, but each day if you let it, provides promise of new hope and many new possibilities!

What choices do you make which you are unwilling to compromise on? What is most important to you when it comes to a frugal, green and simple life?

Recently I wrote a post about how I’ve cut back on tv watching and many people commented on the fact their challenge was time spent on the internet. Oh how I could relate!  I really and truly don’t think I have it all figured out when it come to time on the internet, but I’ve made a few choices which have really helped me. Hopefully some of you will share what’s worked for you and give me some added tips!

1. I have a rule that I don’t turn on the computer in the morning! The exception to this is if absolutely everything is done, Sophie is walked and I’ve had my quiet time to read and pray. The reality is, after all the morning chores and the fact getting to work 10 minutes earlier is always a good thing, I probably turn on the computer before work once a month maximum and always regret it when I do! In fact just writing this makes me determined to stick to a no internet before work rule!

2. I do not blog or check my personal email account at work. I don’t think it is fair to any employer for my attention to be elsewhere and I think the constant ability to check in with friends or social networking feeds the addiction because you really are getting used to constant contact via blogs, email, facebook etc, making it harder to unplug!

3. I don’t go on facebook - if you’re a facebook friend you know this!  I tweet once a fortnight (on average).

4. I have an internet free day every single week, rain or shine!

5. I don’t have a cell phone that has internet function! In fact I don’t have a cell phone at all

6. I periodically count how many minutes/hours I spend online and then tally it up for the week. If I spend more time online in a week than I do praying, reading my Bible or volunteering, something is desperately wrong!

7. I try to only allow for one evening a week, usually in conjunction with a good drama, to catch up on friend’s blogs, comment, research and be inspired by people in the world doing wonderful things. Because my longer internet time/evening spent plugged in is a weekly rhythm, it’s something I look forward to that doesn’t interfere with daily life! I honestly think that is the key, not making it a daily habit to literally sit in front of a screen!

Finally I think what really helped me was being honest with myself. The week this blog  first took off after being featured in a big name newspaper, I read an update on a blog I read at the time about simple living; the author did a whole series on how she never lets the internet interfere with family time. The author mentioned that she only blogs when her children are asleep, even though she maintained a forum/email group, a popular blog which was updated several times a day with elaborate & thoughtful posts, replied to every single comment, participated in online contests & blog hops, had a blog facebook and a blog twitter account, both of which were updated several times a day. I wasn’t sure how she was doing it and I felt like I was positively disorganized and unaccomplished in comparison. That same week the blog author came back and said she was devastated and embarrassed when her child was asked what mummy’s favourite thing was and her child said mum’s favourite thing was for them to be quiet while she went on the computer, or something to that effect. For me it was a harsh wake up call to be honest with myself and others (!) and to remember what I do now will largely effect the person I become later. It was also a bit of a wake up call about self-imposed/competitive blogging because I realized the person mentioned was largely following a mega-bloggers themes, almost to a T; I decided then and there to also be far more selective about which blogs I read and to approach my blog like I try to approach life – non-competitive, non-commercial, gentle, loving, accepting and honest. That night I made the concrete decision that I would not get an internet enabled phone, I would unplug one full day a week and only spend one evening a week with dedicated computer time. And you know, a couple of years later I still occasionally think about that blogger I mentioned and hope she isn’t being too hard on herself and she’s found some time to unplug!

Do you have any tools for cutting back on time spent surfing? How much time do you spend online each day? Please share any other tips you have which I’m sure I and others could learn from!

As the sun poured in this morning, with Mary Ieto on the radio and the furry ones snuggled beside me, I gave thanks for this moment right now, for the existence of Sundays {perhaps the most glorious of all the days}, for eyes which allow me to see the light from the sky, hands which allow me to feel the earth and legs which allow me to walk. When I remembered I now have an extra clean home, I gave an additional moment of thanks. And as I was pondering about just how much I have to be thankful for, I remember the beauty of the sky and how often I forget to take the time to simply look at it.

And after Psalm 40 was read, I settled on a healthy breakfast of yoghurt mess {soy yoghurt, flax seeds, strawberries, almonds}, a swim and then four loads of laundry {some day I will tell you a story about my attempt to do laundry this month}.  An hour and a half later, with four loads of laundry washed, dried {a rare event!}, folded and put away, those effusive feelings returned. What is it about clean laundry that makes one feel such gratitude?

And then there were cats to feed and a bit of work to be done. The latter can wait until Vinyl Cafe is done, my knitting has been tended to and my belly has been filled. I have carrots to roast and chickpeas to turn into chickpea burgers and a large cabbage that is calling my name {cabbage, tomato & raisin salad is the plan}.

And some time after lunch, there will be that favourite Sunday nap, with Writers & Company on the radio, an inviting bed and a wee one who loves to snuggle.

Happy Reclaimed Simple Sunday to you and yours. I hope yours was special too?

I am not normally a routined sort of person, I grew up with a lot of routine and structure and well, busyness. I’m quite sure I packed 40 years into my first decade, which perhaps explains my level of exhaustion.  As an adult I try never to schedule my weekends, I was the same when I fostered the children, our Mon-Fri was busy enough, our weekends should simply allow us to follow our feelings and needs. However, as of late there is one little routine I’ve sort of fallen into, a routine which is about rhythm, rest and rejuvenation.

Each Sunday afternoon at 3pm I take a nap. Usually by this point I’ve been to Church, swam, finished some work, done the laundry and cooked lunch and dinner for Mon-Wed.  At 3pm I am not normally itchy and I begin to feel my body get heavy, my back feel a twinge and my eyes need to shut. I usually forget all about having a nap until those well-known signs begin to show around 2:50; when I realize what awaits I practically become giddy. Slowly I fill the hot water bottle, get a favourite blanket, put Writers & Company on the radio and sink into my bed. Usually within a few minutes of hearing the dulcet tones and relaxing theme music and I’m on my merry way to the land of slumber. It is the only time in the week that sleeping isn’t difficult and while the nap doesn’t last long (30 to 40 minutes or so), it is a cherished part of my day and week.

There are many things I could be doing instead, in fact I usually wake up to dishes needing to be washed and several to do’s which need to be completed before Monday morn. But more than I have a need to clean or tackle my list, my body needs this little reprieve. And I for one am happy to obey.

So on this Thankful Tuesday I’m thankful for my treasured Sunday nap. I’m thankful I’ve learned the art of seeking balance by not over scheduling myself. And I’m thankful for small joys always there, you just have to open your eyes and see them.

Happy Tuesday to you all! What are you thankful for today?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about debt; I loathe debt and yet for a long while I didn’t realize debt wasn’t necessarily about money.  The truth is you can be in many types of debt and not even realize the effect it has. You can be in debt to sleep, work, dreams, goals, health, money, stuff, banks, friends, family, your home, blogs, email, yourself and your pets, to name but a few. Debt can either mean owing people something {time, money, correspondence or care} or being ruled by something {shopping, busyness, emotions, the internet, socializing or stress}. No matter what type of debt you are in it has the same consequences and causes the same sweaty brow that seeing a massive credit card bill elicits and the same stress as a phone call from a creditor! It is serious stuff!

Most of the time I think we are in time debt, not giving our body, our home, our family or our friends what we should because we are too busy. As I’ve adjusted to my new life I realize I’ve been in the debt of busyness, neglecting important people & crucial rhythms in my life and only doing the motions with my Bible readings & prayer. Sure I’ve sent the odd email here and there, I’ve said my prayers and read some passages, but to me that’s a bit like giving a minimum payment, it’s a coin in a very LARGE bucket and not really a solution to the problem. It is the beginning of a cycle it is nigh on impossible to break.

We are fed image after image of busyness, our success is measured by how much we’ve accomplished, what letters we have after our names, how big the size of our home is, what our wardrobe & accessories look like, the size of our bank accounts/retirement savings and how young we can retire. Only I often look at those things and think about what debt we had to take on in order to make those choices, what relationships did we not nourish, what time did we not give people we love, what visits to see family did we not take, what phone calls to tell someone they matter were we too busy to make, because one thing I’ve learned is you simply can not have it all. Too often we swap one type of debt for another, playing cat & mouse with nothing keeping us on track, when the truth is life is a trade-off and we need an anchor in order to keep our path straight or we are forever chasing that which we can not catch. Whether we believe it or not, we can’t necessarily accomplish in one area without neglecting another. And I’d rather neglect the areas that aren’t important and cherish the people & values that are most important.

My name is Frugal Trenches and while I get that life comes with ebbs & flows, the truth is debt {of any kind} is not my friend!

Is it just me or is the passing of time engulfing you like a tidal wave? Each day seems to be shorter, each evening seems to have less time left before it’s time for yet another day to begin. I was thinking today about someone I went to Uni with {and remembering her appalling taste in food - each day she cooked pork fat with sprinkled cheese for dinner – can you say yuck?!} and suddenly I realized I met her ten years ago, ten years!

There are days I long to stop the clock right now, well maybe not in -40 weather , but I long to return to my beach and fly a kite for what feels like  a year, or even two…

My hearts desire is to stare into the abyss taking in large breaths of the sea air while holding my hands into the air and saying a loud & massive thank you!

I yearn to spend the day hiking and for there to be no. thought. of. what. awaits. tomorrow.

And while I know the best is yet to come {woo hoo!}, I’m terrified the best will rush by far too quickly or I’ll get caught up in busyness instead of simplicity…

 I desire for my life to be a life in the s.l.o.w l.a.n.e, a life less ordinary, a life where there is always a field of flowers to explore

Each day I want to feel the sand between my toes, even if not literally then figuratively but I think I may be forgetting how…

I want to never tire of finding the beauty in light, even where you least expect it…

But I know in order to find that beauty you need time. Real time. Dedicated time.  And I’m scared circumstances won’t allow me to have it.

As I am surrounded by piles of paperwork and begin to embark on the next step in my life, the truth is even though I’m excited {beyond measure} I’m scared our time together will be too short, ten years will feel like ten minutes and far before I’m ready time will have slipped away...

Currently there is no formula to stop time and I suppose there’s wisdom in that, but oh how wonderful it would be to lie on a beach, swim in the waves and not ever have to worry that day will ever ever come to an end…

Time really is the most precious gift you can give those you love and yet it is the thing we are often most willing to sacrifice to chase something else…

Pray & reflect

Focus on beauty

Don’t try to accomplish it all

Try to always forgive myself

Aim to drink enough water & sleep enough hours

Focus on what I can change

Give back to others

Live by grace

Practice the art of forgiveness

Focus on things that matter

Say no to the things that don’t

Avoid the shops

Don’t keep up with the Jones

Get outside no matter what the weather

Care for others always

Limit my time on the phone

Prioritize my time

Listen to beautiful music

Give thanks daily

Focus on simple meals

Spent time in authentic beautiful relationships

Make what I can myself

Read

Sing

Laugh

Accept my many imperfections

Accept life isn’t perfect

What do you do to lead a simple life?

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” Leonardo da Vinci

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.  Hans Hofmann

Today I became really aware of how polluted my life is by stuff - it isn’t something I like, in fact I hope it is something that changes drastically due to “the impossible challenge“. I look around and see DVD’s I don’t need to own, old CD’s which can’t be that special to me otherwise I’d listen to them. I see pillows and blankets I liked the style of,  prints that spoke to my artistic side and endless books. The one area of my life I have successfully changed is clothing, I’m pretty much down to three winter tops, three summer tops, leggings, 2 skirts and a couple of more formal things for work as well as one swimsuit. I’m also OK in the shoe department as I have one nice pair of formal heels, one pair of summer sandles and running shoes, yes that really is it! But I have too much underwear, socks, nightwear, scarves and handbags, something I hope to change this weekend. I think the biggest challenge to minimalism for me is paperwork, I have far too much paperwork. The bank statements, receipts, old letters, past utility bills & work contracts just take up too much space and I really want that to change. I have come to see that my home, is a direct reflection of how I see my life, it’s either simple or just too busy. When I moved to Yorkshire for my work contract, I loved having a room that was completely minimalist. I had two wonderful wardrobes which had ample room and some left over which fit in everything I brought with me! Now, I feel I’m yet again drowning in stuff…

I’m supposed to be cleaning this weekend but in fact I’m having a good hard look at myself and the objects I own, wondering whether they reflect who I am now and whether I could bless someone else with them rather than hang on to stuff that doesn’t add any quality to my life and instead takes something from my life. I am hoping by Sunday evening I have some large bags and boxes ready for the women’s refuge and local charity shops, I am hoping all this stuff will do a lot more good somewhere else, rather than simply collecting dust in my home & heart…

Are you a minimalist? What works for you in getting rid of stuff?

Edited To Add: One room now successfully “minimalized” –  magazines recycled or in the donate pile, DVD’s gone through and many in the donate pile, vaccuming done, dusting done, plants watered and any clutter removed!

2nd Edit: It’s 10:30pm and the kitchen is now done (dishes washed, cleaned sink, sweep floor, vacuumed floor, cleaned oven, dishes away, garbage & recycling taken out and I de-cluttered and found some things to donate!) Tomorrow morning I will wash the kitchen floor by hand as well as the hallway floor! I’ve also cleaned the bathroom, done a load of laundry and hung it out to dry!