Frugal Slow January

[FrugalFashionista]

Happy New Year everyone!

As promised, here is a space for anyone who wants to take things more slowly in January. If you like minimalism or want to simplify your life in some way, please do join us! You might, for example, consider decluttering, Project 333 or a shopping-free period. Or you may be focusing on change in one or more areas in your life. Or you might just generally wish to take things more slowly and mindfully. Here is a space where you can share your thoughts and goals with other people.

Did you make any New Year's resolutions? What will be important for you this month?

Oh no QoW very sorry to hear that, sounds awful. Please do take good care of yourself. Hope you'll feel better this year! And I hope you'll find the clothes you need!

Mother thanks for the tip, will look into it! The busyness you describe sounds so familiar - work, stress, holidays etc etc have eaten away my quiet time. I'm definitely a doer and achiever, and slowing down is very hard for me. I have a good friend who does weekly group meditation sessions, visited one of them and really loved it - sadly she's far away.

FBR I discovered joys of gardening last summer (very small scale for me, potted plants and small trees on our terrace). I've been thinking about how to make compost from biological waste, but it's not straightforward in a big city. Small scale jelly jar salad and herb farming might work better...

Sorry if this thread is overun with FODMAP stuff. I usually never talk about this with anyone (my family does not get it at all) so it's nice to exchange ideas with JustIn and Teta. It helps if you understand that FODMAP is an umbrella concept for many different hard-to-digest sugar-based substances found in food. Most are natural, but some are artificial or added substances - high-fructose corn syrup, sugar-alcohols in sweeteners, and inulin that is sometimes to added to aid digestion (the irony!). Gut bacteria break them down, but the byproduct of the process is intestinal gas formation and pain. Avoiding all FODMAPs is rarely necessary: when you find your personal triggers you can narrow down the range. We all have different gut flora and different pain thresholds, and because of this the lists of foods to avoid can be highly individual. I don't have problems with lactose or gluten, and I dont get symptoms from table sugar and fructose. In fact, white wheat pasta and white wheat bread and white sugar are my 'safe' foods For most people, FODMAP avoidance does not need to be total - a 80% reduction in daily intake is enough for substantial symptom relief. I deliberately choose to eat many symptom-triggering foods in small quantities

Like someone above I want to try and develop more of a personal style and also assess what I might like to wear once spring arrives...

Quite a few good ideas how to increase the amount of fruit&veg <a class="break-all" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/01/dining/sustainable-resolutions-for-your-diet.html#json8.nytimes.com/pages/dining/index.jsonp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here - go flexitarian!

I have just filled the gaps in my wardrobe in the sales and am having a shopping ban in 2014. I am allowed to replace essentials like tights and underwear but nothing else. I have plenty of lovely clothes including some unworn with tags still on. I do not need anything else.

I have also just had a clear out and sent a large bag to the charity shop and binned another bag.

I will try and accessorise more and make the most of what I have in my wardrobe. Also will wear nicer clothes more and not save things for best.

Will not buy any more toiletries until what I have runs out.

Also I just want to make more of an effort as feel I have let myself go a bit in 2013 having left trendy old London for the sticks where I seem to spend all my time in wellies.....

Hi! After completely clearing my whole wardrobe of stuff that didn't fit, look good or suit my sultry winter HoC diagnosis, I blew £200 yesterday filling some gaps and now I'm finally happy with my lot

I'm 50 this year and have spent a few months whittling down my skincare and make-up collection to stuff I love, use and am happy with. Goodbye Clarins Double serum and Decleor aromessence - you both brought me out in spots!!!

My goal is to enjoy 2014 and enjoy becoming 50. There are many people that don't have that privilege and I'd like to make it count.

I also intend to:
Cut down my wine habit
Not buy any make-up other than when I run out of something
Not buy any skincare until I run out of something
Buy clothes rarely and mindfully rather than randomly
Keep to my Homeroutines app
Enjoy every day and keep a type of gratitude journal entitled 'Enjoyed'

I'm already wanting wine . Must. Not. Give. In.

Interesting stuff about the triggers. I had a lot of IBS symptoms after having dc3 and through trial and error I've worked out that the main culprit is bread followed by pasta.

How is it going, ladies? Did you give in QC?

I'm definitely taking things slower Instead of doing something important, I read a light novel. I also remembered that endives (served as individual leaves, crisp-like in texture) with a pea and avocado hummus and carbonated water is much tastier and healthier than my normal wintertime evening meal of wine, bread, olive oil and cheese.

Today, I accidentally invented a new lunch dish - I added some pureed carrots and overripe tomatoes and leftover lentils to the mince and garlic I was frying, and it became a great instant bolognese. DD1 is suspicious about vegetables, so the sauce is reassuringly brown.

The real challenge, however, is how to eat well, exercise and stay relaxed when the holidays are over and I'm working full time again. Staying on top of everything is so tricky. I've worked too much in the fall, so a 12-day hibernation break has been fantastic, but I have to get started again today. I'll make a gradual return, tackling the email and having a Skypecon today

Sultry a gratitude journal is a terrific idea!
Volume well done with a clearout
Volume and Sultry it's great that you managed to fill in the gaps in your wardrobe - that's what sales are great for!
Georgina winter dressing is so dull isn't it. I'm also looking forward to spring...

Marking my place-this is a great thread!

Hi I'm the one responsible for introducing the Fodmap topic so I apologise if the thread temporarily became less style and beauty Based.Frugal and Justgowithit I'm very gratefull for all the tips( especially as my family are really not interested in the whole topic).I for one am looking forward to Bouncing round the gym without looking 6 months pregnant.Good article Frugal on how to eat more fruit and veg.I puree up all manner of veggies for my DC's.They will eat my home made soups, if they are pureed only.I also hide all manner of vegetables in gravy and sauces.

Fighting winter inertia - took a long walk outdoors although it was raining. Ran some pesky errands. The fruit&veggie project continues, gazpacho for dinner, and no wine

Will definitely try the little and often approach this year Funky

Looking forward to next week now when DH and DS go back to work/school so that I can get back to some normality and routine. I find it much easier to cook and eat healthily/go running/meditate while they're not here. I'm lucky to work from home so I can squeeze things in during the day while I have the house to myself.

No wine here either......

Some of us have been back at work for ages...

Tired and worn out tonight, so we stopped off at the chippie on the way home from holiday club. Not really in the spirit of this thread, I'm afraid.

However, once the Ocado man has been I can have a bath and read my book. Book club is next week and I'm only half way through. But it's an Anne Tyler book and they're always a pleasure to read.

I'm planning on using up my remaining toiletries (I don't have a huge stash) and then switching to the OCM, only using good soap and also coconut oil to moisturise. However bubble bath is a must and DD gave me a big bottle of badedas for Christmas.

Some of us have been back at work for ages...

Me too, having to put in a few hours on Boxing Day was my start back after Christmas, there are also downsides to working for yourself!

I don't go back to work till Monday but having been ill with one thing or another for the last eight weeks, I am determined to take better care of myself in 2014 as I turn 50 in July.
Today is my first painkiller free day for eight weeks-yippee. I'm going to try a more Paleo diet (once the cheese has all been eaten).
I was very excited today- little thing I know!!!- on clearing out one handbag I found the free sample of Nails Inc polish that I got with a Glamour mag recommended on here. One coat and it looks fab! Hope the offer comes again!!
I bought some beautiful clothes in Spain when we were on our hoiday in October but resolved I would lose the first stone and a half of the seven I need to lose before wearing them. I have lost 5 lbs over Xmas due to being unwell.
I also joined the no clothes for a year challenge-I have three or four wardrobes' worth of different sizes.
So Paleo, exercise, wearing my naice clothes, nails and make up (I promised my year 5 class I would wear make up next term) is my aim for this year!

I definitely need to join in

My main thing is eating everything we have before buying more

Using the facial roller with oil

Better time management

More baking to fill my big family

Hello! frugal I didn't give in last night but I did tonight . Needs must when away with the in laws .

Will catch up properly when I'm back at home.

Mother & QoW I didn't have a summer vacation last year and most likely won't have one this year either, so the 'hibernation' has been my way to compensate. I'm back to work now anyway and feeling energetic and inspired!

Just wanted to say that it's only been a few days but I already feel that daily exercise and eating better is making a difference. I felt achy and bloated after the holidays but this morning during the 5K I felt lighter and more energetic. So whatever is your thing - Paleo, FODMAP, low-carb, or just a general rethink of eating - it's worth making the effort.

QoW a bath and Anne Tyler sound lovely - her books are such a pleasure to read. I can also recommend Ann Patchett, especially for anyone who writes professionally. Reading her is what Mozart must be for singers!

QC inlaws are a legit excuse

BishBash I've started to bake with my daughters (mostly muffins and the French classic gateau au yaourt, sometimes bread) - it's one of the things I really loved to do with my mother and I want to pass on the experience. Our truly frugal and very quick family favorite is bread patties made of leftover mashed potatoes (ca 1 cup) combined with 1 cup of all-purpose flour, one egg and a bit salt mixed together. Children do the patting, and the patties go directly to oven for 10 min at 250C and are eaten golden brown and piping hot with butter, yum!

Mule and Blue welcome, great goals!

No style news from Rome, all stylish people are still away skiing. The outfit of the moment is a either some serious fur (never un-PC in Rome) or a mid-thigh piumino combined with opaques, skinnies, leggings and tall boots or long flares or bootcuts worn with heeled boots, wellies or trainers. Lots of hats, caps, mittens, furry boots, and other ski accessories as it's down to 14C and drizzling

We'll go away tomorrow for the long weekend to a city known for the best beer snack in the universe. Will try to stay alchol free, but it's going to be super tough So will be taking a break from MN, hope you will still be around next week!

Frugal
If you want to make compost in small spaces - look no further than a wormery. We have one outside the kitchen door and I think of the worms as my pets.

I am spending the day updating our community garden website with all the stuff for sale for the coming season - yacon, potato onions, Egyptian walking onions etc etc and all the seeds we have saved from the community garden.

My advice to anyone wanting to get more from a garden is to do the little and often jam jar thing, plus go perennial. For example, welsh onions are perennial, and you can split them, take and eat half and they keep growing and multiplying year in, year out. And you can cut the leaves to use in cooking and they grow back. And you can grow celery as a cut and come again herb. Simples.

Egyptian Walking Onions - conjures up such a vision.Potato Patties sound good Frugal.We make Rosti/Hash Browns with an egg on top.My girls love making Brownies,meringues and I ask them ocasionally to make Nigellas GF Clementine cake ( yes i'm one of those individuals responsible for the increased hit rate on the Nigella website over Christmas).I would far rather they cook their own cakes and biscuits as i'm Wary of all the glucose/fructose syrup In kids food these days(and the direct correlation between this and obesity).

Funky this actually might work for us. I'll definitely give it some thought. As for now, households in our quartiere don't separate biological waste, but I'd like to find some alternatives. Found a place that sells worms in Italy, they are shipped , need to learn more about them!

I bought my last lot on ebay. Came in an old ice cream tub with tiny holes in. 500 for less than £5. Excellent value for money. I wasn't in and they were taken to the post office and they were slightly disconcerted with 'BEWARE - LIVE WORMS' on a tub with holes in it being on the the shelf for 2 days.

Teta röstis are a great idea, our children would love them! Nigella has some gorgeous recipes too! Italian food is great but these days many children here subsist on Kinder snacks and rates of childhood obesity are soaring. I really have to find alternatives... The school rerestarts next week, so DC are still at home and I've tried to make lunches that appeal to picky eaters. The modified bolognese (hidden veg & pulses!) yesterday was a hit. Today, I made roasted veal with oven-roasted potato and swede cubes and a green salad with vinaigrette. Homemade mousse au chocolat for dessert (not for me, sadly) provided they eat their greens...

If anyone loves quick and simple home-cooked food with gourmet appeal, I can highly recommend the Canal House blog and their cookbooks. They are top-of-the-line pros but their food is stunningly simple and delicious.

Sounds delicious Frugal.We have all eaten too much meat so DC's had air dried noodle soup with Broccoli.Have also discovered they like Quinoa (with soy sauce!).Fantastic food blog - love the 'cook a big pot of beans 'advice.

Frugal The achy bloated feeling that you describe sums up how I feel perfectly, can't wait to get back into running. Speaking of which, I made a planned purchase today of some compression tights for running in. I injured myself a couple of months ago and hopefully these will help my recovery and enable me to run further.

Love hearing the style news in Rome, I'm visiting later in the year as part of a whistle stop style tour of Italy. Unfortunately travelling around by train will mean I have to undertake a lesson in packing lightly

Funky will look to plant some Welsh onions (are they the same as spring onions?) this year. I already have a bed of perennial Jerusalem artichokes which I roast or make soup with. Such a pity that they have an unfortunate side effect

Welsh onions are not the same as Spring onions - springs are bred to have small bulbs and grow fast for quick harvests whilst Welsh onions are perennials.

If you grow Winter Savory and have that with your Fartichokes, it can counter the effect.

www.campaignforrealfarming.org/2012/01/herb-of-the-month-winter-savory/