Simple Self Improvement

  Title added to graphic by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay The weather has warmed up and in fact we have had a couple of days I would class as 'hot'. Then we go back to cold because, well it's spring which means the weather goes from one extreme to the other. I realised my wardrobe was lacking a couple of items for inbetween weather so I used that as an excuse to visit local op shops. I also replaced two tops that I have had for five or six years and I am just tired of. While out buying essential items today I came across a comforter set in one of the bargain shops. It is exactly what I pictured earlier in the year when I thought about updating my bedspread. Back then I decided not to make a purchase. I could probably have justified the purchase back then because I have had my plain blue bedspread for nine or ten years and I bought it second hand. If you look closely you can see a few places where I have darned little holes. It was easier to resist buying a ...

                                                                      Image: Public Domain Pictures from Pixabay This self imposed shopping ban experiment is interesting. I have bought the odd item here and there but only after careful thought. I have to admit being a bit like a naughty kid in that I have got a kick out of 'breaking the rules', even though I was the one who made the rules in the first place. Most of the time I 'obey' the rules and don't buy stuff I don't need. I certainly am thinking more carefully about my purchases. I resisted the urge to buy a novel A couple of weeks ago I went into a lovely bookshop with a friend. I was ...

                                             Image:Gerd Altmann from Pixabay We make choices every day, some of them big and some small. We make choices about many different things, what food and how much to eat, how to spend our time, what to do in our spare time, what time to go to bed, what sort of exercise to participate in, which people to spend time with, how to interact with others, who to vote for, whether to have pets, how much money to spend, which companies to buy from, what to spend money on and how to treat the environment.  As children we often do as we are told or follow the example set by the rest of the family. During the teenage years some rebel and do the opposite.  Later in life we start to actively make more choices based on our pers...

Adapted from image by Clkert-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay I have been doing my self imposed shopping ban for nearly 3 months now. Overall I would say it isn't proving too difficult but I have made a couple of purchases recently. They weren't essential but I don't regret making them. Op Shops I have been staying away from op shops because I will be tempted to buy things I don't really need if I start browsing. Instead I have been spending time at the library or a cafe if I have time to fill in when I am in the main street area which has a number of op shops. I did go into an op shop yesterday but that was for the purpose of donating some folders, books and a dvd I no longer wanted. Rather than looking at all the bargain priced items for sale I left the shop quickly! Yes I made a couple of unnecessary purchases There are always racks of marked down items of brand new clothing outside a lovely shop in the main street. At the moment there are some fantastic ...

Street art at Kilburn Station in South Australia                     Image:Marie Vonow It seems a common tendency to want more. More furniture, more clothes, more food, more holidays, just more of everything. It may hark back to times when things were scarce so people stockpiled during times of plenty and used it up when hard times came. Perhaps it's just in the human DNA or perhaps it's because of advertising, I don't know. There is also a tendency to want better, to upgrade your stuff, and if not your stuff, then your experiences. For some people these days it isn't all about the stuff, it's about experiences but perhaps not just any old experience, it has to be flashy. Consumerism Consumerism encourages people to buy more, more, and upgrade what they already have. There is plenty of pressure to earn more, spend more and if you haven't got the money, then put it on ...

Child from painting on shop window     Image:M Vonow Okay, firstly I think I need to give a definition of 'fun'. According to the Oxford Living Dictionaries, fun means 'enjoyment, amusement or light-hearted pleasure'. I learnt something new when I simply googled 'fun' without asking for the definition. There is an American indie pop group named Fun. I didn't read any more detail because I was determined not to get distracted. As you may have noticed, the internet can be distracting, oh look over there, what a cute kitten. The difficulty is different people find different activities provide them with enjoyment, amusement or light-hearted pleasure. For example one adult might enjoy blowing bubbles and seeing how big they get before they burst and another person would find that just boring and a bit embarrassing because, well, adults don't do that sort of thing! However, studies have found it can be beneficial for your health to let go of beliefs o...

 'Hunted Home & Vintage' in Lobethal. So tempting to buy something    Image:M. Vonow It's easy to use shopping as a recreational activity even if one doesn't have lots of money. There are garage sales, op shops, markets and various internet sites such as Gumtree.These days there are bargain shops that sell all types of new things at low prices. It can be easy to justify purchases when they are within your budget. Garage sales There was a time, long ago, when I went to garage sales most weekends. I think I have been to only two or three in the last year. I bought a pretty outdoor decoration for $1 a few months ago and I am glad I bought it. I think it looks so lovely when the sun shines through the blue glass.  This blue glass hanging decoration brings me joy                   Image:Marie Vonow Op shops I love op shops but am mostly avoiding them now that I a...