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?

Frugal, I bought Aveda shampoo about 6 weeks ago. I couldn't believe how awful my hair looked with it. I was so disappointed after all the rave reviews I had read. Well I persevered as the bottle I had bought was so huge, and something happened, my hair adjusted or something, because my hair is looking great now, thick and shiny. So stick with it!

Well we're over halfway through January now! At this halfway point I haven't bought any new clothes (not counting the new pair of running tights as that's equipment for a hobby ), have had one glass of wine and trying hard but failing miserably to cut back on chocolate. I reckon two out of three ain't bad. Oh and I've also increased my running in frequency and distance so not far off pre injury levels which I'm happy about. How's everyone else doing?

Over the past few days I have been concentrating on my online course in Sustainability. Instead of browsing aimlessly on the net I'm concentrating on something that really matters to me. It's also helping me focus my thoughts on being less of a consumer.

Frugal I've had terrible problems in the past with natural haircare products leaving a greasy residue. I'm currently using Avalon Organics lemon clarifying shampoo which leaves my hair squeaky clean, my experience with Faith in Nature products has been quite good too.

Ooh thanks Mother and Annabelle - I'll give Aveda some time and look into Avalon Organics! I used Aveda a lot ten years ago, then gave up and have been perfectly happy with Wella.

And yes we are halfway through January! I've had about four drinks this month, not too bad, am on budget (my total H&M splurge well under 100€), have lost some weight, and although the month has been much busier than intended (actually I believe my goal was to overcome winter inertia...) I'm pretty happy. Hope you ladies have felt good too!

My perioral is almost gone!!! It's incredible because I've had it for about 6 months and it healed in 7-10 days when I did the product overhaul and ditched all makeup and skincare except Fissan nappy cream and castile soap To my surprise, I don't actually look terrible barefaced, it's a mainstream look in Italy, and I've been unhappy with foundations that go patchy and clog my pores and pull orange for a long time. Cannot believe how much simpler life is without all that and how much healthier my skin feels!

Need to pack up, leaving tomorrow. Travelling very light and wearing a simple black cashmere sweater dress to the reunion, but need to figure out one really formal outfit. Loving my streamlined toiletries...

This is how I've solved my chocolate/sugar craving. Every day a big cup of this:
Large spoon of pure cocoa + lots of cream + some water + teaspoon of coconut oil + some cinnamon. Delicious and warming! That and of course low carbing and thinking of how the money will add up, everytime I want to sneak away and buy something sweet. I felt like a total addict before but I haven't bought and eaten anything with sugar in it so far. It feels great and it's weird how easy it has been. Low carbing = Great. I only start to get the cravings when I'm alone, when I'm with others and busy I'm so full of tasty low carb food that I don't care about sweets/biscuits and can even easily say no when offered...!

I thought the first days would be hellish but they haven't. So far so good. I highly recommend giving this diet a try too if you have problems with sugar addiction/overeating.

Thursday already, how did that happen? My January is also proving much busier than expected. I don't mind too much, as it's a fairly soul-sapping time of year.

I've also realised that I work harder than my current role requires. I haven't quite worked out how to go slow at work. Partly though I get real satisfaction out of running a service well and making improvements. I inherited a nightmare two months ago and I do feel a sense of satisfaction that things have turned around so quickly. As I work in healthcare, there's an added motivation because it directly benefits patients.

I've been reading a book called French Women Don't Sleep Alone (don't laugh!).

It's basically another one in the series of books that punts the myth that French women have the answers to everything. The author has targeted her market (North American women looking to meet and snare Mr Right), but the book isn't actually about that, although she keeps adding in paragraphs on 'so if you want to meet a man...'.

However the book is more about the good bits of European culture - having a varied and interesting life, enjoying the good things in life (mainly food and lingerie so far) and spending time with interesting people. Her hook is that if you spend more time doing these things and less time hunting down a man, you'll have more fun. But the book actually describes a lot of what we're talking about here - balancing work, friends, family whilst still having time to do the things that interest us. At the moment she's talking about developing a coterie of friends to do all sorts of things with, which is something that appeals to me.

QC I'm a ruthless declutterer if you want me to come round and give you a hand. I derive a worrying sense of satisfaction from it all. The best advice I got from the minimalist threads was always to have a bag on the go for the charity shop, so that every time you come across something you don't need, you just stick it in the bag and it's done.

QoW I love your writing and the book sounds fun too Bonsoir if you are still around please give us your views - do French women sleep alone? In a way, I really believe in it. I started doing the small good things sometime last year and it really seems to work! I stopped moping around and feeling trapped and pitying myself and started doing things again. I systematically renewed friendships, got out more, and started getting involved in things I used to enjoy but had given up. And now it seems that my life is full of both lovely and loyal longtime friends and new and interesting people even younger men.

The best thing of all, DH seem seems much more affectionate and appreciative these days! And when you are positive and happy and see the best in others, other people are really drawn to you too!

QoW it sounds that you are really good at your job. I'm a bit too busy too and work a lot, but a good day of work is such a satisfying thing. I feel grateful that I'm actually able to work in a field that I love...

Briar well done low-carbing! Glad it works so well!

Hi ladies

Hope you don't mind me joining you. I have been following this thread and you lot are very inspiring!

I am currently pregnant with DC2 (6weeks) and have been trying to live more simply and happily for a while.

We moved from London to the Wiltshire countryside last year. Cleared all debts and took a sunny holiday next up is clearing out the house and getting ready for baby. I am selling my old designer clubbing dresses on eBay! May there new owners have as much fun in them as I did! Everything else is off to the charity shop.
I have been improving my cooking and am trying to eat a more healthy lifestyle for myself and my family. My carrot,courgette and sweet potato muffins are a hit at least! Have also been more consistent with my skin care and taking my make off each night.

Am finishing up my cipd qualification so after maternity leave I can look at management roles. Most importantly though I am spending more time with my DS being silly! Dancing to our favourite songs, running around the garden and jumping on the bed today !

Am loving reading about all your lifestyles and the updates from Rome. I got married there and it's on of my favourite cities

Frugal Great news on the perioral, have fun at your reunion!
Briar sounds as if you're doing really well with the low carbing! I've found that I'm drinking more coffee now that I've cut back on the sugar, so have probably just exchanged one stimulant for another.
QoW interestingly my DH works in healthcare and has just moved to a new trust, like you he has inherited a bit of a nightmare. I do see how much more fulfilled he is though than when he worked in the private sector and it has made begin to re evaluate my own career.

Ellisisland Hello, welcome and congratulations

Well darn you Mr Boden, after staying well away from you for months why do you send me a £10 voucher and a discount code plus free delivery? Mind you a Breton top for less that £10 is a bargain and it will be well worn as my last one has just been retired after two years service.

Hope you all had a good weekend, and frugal, hope you enjoyed your reunion. It sounds like my idea of hell, I'm afraid!

DD and I have had a fairly quiet weekend, although did go to the cinema this morning (Free Birds, could have been anything really as I see kids' films as a chance to have a snooze). Then we went and bought DD some new pants and socks, as hers are a right state. I was starting to get embarrassed hanging them out on the line.

I've also been planning our holidays and was thinking of going camping in the French Alps, maybe Annecy in August. Has anyone been in that neck of the woods?

Unfortunately my health has not been good this week, especially my pain levels. It's a fine balancing act with taking enough pain meds to function and not keeling over from the side effects. However, being organised comes into its own at times like these - all my clothes for work are laid out, I have a brilliant cleaner and I've managed to meal plan out of the freezer for most of the week.

On a more shallow note, having had my colours done and having a capsule wardrobe means everything works, which makes me feel like I'm keeping it together. It's just a good thing no one sees my underwear, as it's starting to look distinctly shabby...

Hi all! This thread is pretty quiet, hope everyone is doing well!
Ellisisland (great name!) welcome! Your 'slow life' goals sound great!
Mother well done snapping up a useful bargain item! Sales are a great time to shop if you are able to buy genuinely useful items...

I'm travelling, visiting family and old friends. The weekend has been surprisingly slow and nice, I've savored every moment.

I attended the reunion. People were surprisingly unchanged physically. Everyone seemed very stylish and professionally successful, but over the course of the evening people started revealing details of their personal lives. I have always felt a closer connection with the men there and they were surprisingly open and confiding. Quite a few of them seemed to want to say things they hadn't had been able to voice 15 years ago - one brave guy even confessed a crush. It was strange to suddenly feel very close to people I haven't been actively thinking about in years. I did not have a great time during my uni years - I was wrapped up in personal dramas and felt I didn't belong there. The reunion felt like closure. I felt that some of my feelings of not belonging were justified, but that I could have had a much better time had I been been able to step out of myself a bit more and take myself a bit less seriously In any case, it's great not to be 25 any more

I'm facing a busy week with more travel and long workdays. Wishing everyone a great week!

X-posting with QoW! Sorry to hear that you are in pain, hope you'll feel better soon! And perhaps you can distract yourself underwear shopping? This lingerie blog is great...

Good morning,
Hope everyone is havering a slow week . We're still settling into a new pattern here now that DH has started his new job, luckily my work is quiet at the moment.
The Boden Breton arrived, I'm not sure tbh as I think that the quality isn't as good as the ones I've had previously and the fabric seems a tad on the flimsy side. I'm fed up of having tops reduced to dish rags after only a couple of washes. Thankfully with the voucher and discount code it's probably worth taking a chance on however had it been full price it would have been sent straight back.

Frugal It sounds like going to the reunion was a good move, I can truly identify with your feelings as I was an angst ridden art student with issues, I like the idea of closure.
QoW Hope you're feeling better this week

Actually scrap that, the top will be returned. After looking at it again I've realised that if I'm not 100% happy with it now then I never will be and there's no point in keeping it.

Back on track for no clothes spending in January

I've lapsed. Not clothes but body butter and shower gel from the body shop on the cheap deal that was mentioned here at the weekend. I don't need it immediately, but it will all get used up eventually...

Good call mother.

Hi ladies, sorry about the absence, I've been travelling. Now back home, knackered.

Need to re-establish all of my goals - have eaten poorly, been too busy to exercise, impulse shopped and generally lost the 'slow' vibe. Trying to get back on track...

Take care of yourself, FrugalFashionista. It's not realistic to think that you are going to keep to the slower pace that makes you feel good every single day. We live in a fast-paced world and many external demands over which we have little or no control can easily upset our best-laid plans for a well-balanced life.

I had a hectic week - lots of travelling and to-ing and fro-ing in our family - and we were all shattered by Friday. DD - most unusually - was in a state of complete meltdown after her Friday after school two hour painting class, which is usually so therapeutic. So we have had a very quiet weekend that involved many small but not taxing household errands (and I feel we have achieved a lot of organisation), a lot of homework and extra sleep. We were all in bed by 9:30 on Saturday night, after a quick dinner at our local (excellent) Chinese restaurant.

I'm still enthused by the Clarisonic - my skin is smoother and better hydrated than it has been in years. I've started using Redermic by Laroche-Posay to boost the wrinkle reduction programme I embarked on for 2014. Seems good so far.

Bonsoir- I was looking at getting a clarisonic so good to hear you recommend it.

Go for it! The Clarisonic is amazing. My DP is hooked too, despite him running a chain of cosmetics shops.

Try not to be too hard on yourself Frugal I can only second what Bonsoir has put.
If it's any consolation I too have gone off the rails this week. For some reason I have eaten too much of the wrong things and now feel shocking, so lethargic and bloated. I also made a couple of clothing purchases and whilst they were wardrobe staples weren't exactly needed.

Good luck to everyone getting back on track this week.

Hi all, thanks for your kind words Bonsoir, feeling much better after a weekend I spent doing absolutely nothing. Slept a lot, did some quiet indoor activities with children, had my DH defrost ragu for lunch yesterday (we always have some in the freezer for busy/ listless days) and we went out for pizza today. (Why is it that something is always rotting in the fridge when I return from my trips - haven't tackled that yet...)

Today I spent most of the day curled up on the sofa strokng DD2's hair and reading Quiet - the power of introverts. It's well-written and absorbing. I think I'm an extravert and my quiet home life seems often a bit too dull, but I'm married to an introvert who needs a lot of quiet downtime and privacy and DD1 is very shy. The book is pretty even-handed and it helped me to understand things that constantly irritate me. Ironically DH wanted to go out tonight on his own (he never does) and I'm the homebody tonight, looking forward to a few episodes of Girls (I have a girl crush on Lena Dunham). I'll have a houseguest later this week, so looking forward to a long weekend of extreme socializing

I succumbed to a couple of impulse purchases. No new purchases are really justified, and I cannot return them any more, but at least it's casual stuff I can wear every day (a pair of slate-blue suede desert boots, two sweaters, a charm bracelet, and a pair of light-wash boyfried jeans). Slate blue and winter white are some of my best neutrals and I see them a lot in the shops right now - I used to have basics in black and navy but the lighter colors seem a lot more flattering, particularly when I'm make-up free. I only seem to binge shop when I travel these days, it seems that when I'm in transit I'm in a rule free zone It also seems a way of destressing and self-soothing. I should have gone to a museum or to see a film instead...

The perioral is gone! I'm slowly reintroducing LRP moisturizers and some makeup. Lily Lolo lipgloss and concealer and mineral foundation (their palest shade matches my skin perfectly) seem fine, but their finishing powder was horribly itchy, like glass fiber on my skin. I'm still learning, but really like the lit-from-within glow that one gets from mineral makeup...

Cloutie lapses are fine if it is stuff that you will really use! And Mother, hope you returned the subpar top! Poor quality clothes make me angry, it's just such a waste of resources...

Mother let's try to get back on track this week
I miss fruit&veg (food on the road tends to be carb-heavy and greasy) so will try to make an effort to cook something nice, and need to find the energy to get off the couch...

Hi everyone, how is it going?
I went low carb, realised that I was addicted to sugar, and haven't bought or eaten a single piece of anything sweet since my first post! Almost 3 weeks now. It has been tough but really worth it. It feels so much better to not be obsessed with chocolate and food in general.

No money saved however - I've used it to buy better food and small nice things like flowers and soap.

I haven't had sugar in a couple of months now mainly due to going off it completely at the start of my pregnancy, had a tiny bit of chocolate today and did not like it at all. Far too sweet. It's amazing how your tastebuds change and how addicted you can become to sugar

Great to hear you are doing so well Ellis and Briar!

My January was going really well but the week spent on the round was a bit stressful. And when I'm stressed I look for ways to unwind and so I've done some sales shopping and exceeded my budget. It's the final sales time now, always a difficult moment to resist, and I've picked up another sweater, a spring coat and a pair of sandals for summer, and some makeup. In some ways I can justify all that, but deep down I know I'm shopping to unwind because I feel bored and restless.

It's the eternal conundrum - I want to rest and hibernate and take things slow but there are all these pressures to be productive, travel a lot, be seen and to make an impact.

Some tiny positive things this week though. I have been able to help out a few people and have felt very close to DH. I've had some good moments reading with the children and doing things they enjoy. I've had a few of those truly lovely and rare moments of harmony with some friends, and February is going to be pretty social with lots of people coming and going.

I'm looking forward to ending the month in style, exercising, working, and enjoying the company of a friend, cooking something nice or having a nice meal out. That's a pretty tall order for the next 24 hours so perhaps I'll just do one of those things.

I would like to continue the slow mindset in February, get back to daily creative cooking and spend much less time online. I'm always happier when I read and socialize more. Still thinking about the information diet. Might also have some specific work-related goals.

How about the rest of you? How did you fare? What are you going to do in Feb?