August purchases

As mentioned, I want to keep a summary of each month’s purchases to make sure I don’t deviate from my set goals. In August I got the following;

1.       An ice-blue sparkly sweater from Witchery (on sale at R449)

I did have a warm jumper on my wish list for a while. I found most of my jerseys this winter too light meaning I was layering a couple of them and still chilly. I wanted a jersey that was above all warm! On my wish list this was expressed as either a grey hoodie or a warm, slightly embellished grey cardigan. Instead I bought this sweater. It fulfils the warmth criteria and is super soft. It is slightly embellished and I bought it in a slightly larger fit on purpose. The sparkles make it feel fancy but the looser fit means I can get around in more casual settings as well. Love this sweater. The fact that it’s a bit long and loose also covers the start of any bump fantastically. It’s also my first jersey to contain cashmere. The only downside is that I didn’t pay much attention to washing instructions and this is hand wash only. I will need to take better note next time.

 

2.       A pair of linen/cotton blend grey pants with elasticated waist from Earth Addict (a gift)

With it being my birthday this month, hubby wanted to buy me something useful. As I was at the time feeling very bloated and fat (yay pregnancy!) I suggested some looser pants with a more forgiving waistline. They are very light so I think they will come in handy towards spring/summer time. I can fold over the elastic waistline to sit very low across my hips and therefore underneath any expectant bumps.

3.       A pair of plain black flip flops (R24.99 at PicknPay clothing)

Since I am spending more time in the pool at the gym I finally got around to buying some flip flops. These are purely for the gym. I don’t intend to wear them anywhere else and they will live in my gym bag.

So grand total: R474, 3 items

And that’s it! I must admit to spending some time looking for some comfortable metallic flats but I couldn’t find any that were comfy from the get go. I then also reckoned it might not be the best time to buy shoes as everyone says my feet will swell and maybe even permanently change size (also due to baby).

I have also started looking around online as to where I can buy cheapish maternity wear once I need it. As yet I am pretty lucky that at just over 16 weeks I am still not really showing. Below are some items I’ve seen at Mr Price that don’t look too bad and are not expensive. The shirt is R110 (and comes in three shades), the linen pants R130.They also have extra-long Tanks in a wide variety of colours for R50 a pop. Lastly they have a maxi skirt in the non-maternity section with an elasticated waist that might work; it is R100 (and comes in 4 shades, including a lovely mint colour that could look fantastic in the summer).

 

Looking forward into purchases for September I reckon I will continue to put things on hold and see how I progress with my bump. I might have to buy one or two bottoms but am very aware that it’s best not to buy too much up front as everyone’s body changes differently. My mum says she didn’t even look pregnant until she was 4.5 months along so I could possibly get away without any maternity wear for a while still.

Partially tucked

The last couple of years it has seemed a bit of a trend to partially tuck in your tops. Until now I was mostly unconvinced. I dislike tucking in T shirts as I feel it looks too forced and I usually fully tuck or untuck my work shirts. I always felt the in-between look was sloppy. Until now.

Most of my work shirts, especially the summery types, are fairly loose and I’ve always worn them untucked. However, at almost 16 weeks along my tummy is still pretty flat and it’s probably silly but that makes me very happy. I love that I can button-up my jeans and slip on a belt. I want to celebrate this state of being as long as I still can. So... I have now gotten into the habit of partially tucking the front of my blousy tops in to show-off my belt, as per pic. Please don’t misunderstand that I am dieting or anything like that, I wouldn’t sacrifice the health of my unborn to look slim, but I do like that I don’t look like a whale yet and am embracing that feeling while I can.

Summer wardrobe

The last couple of days have been absolutely lovely and warm. Spurred on by our big bedroom clean this weekend I decided the time was right to unpack my summer clothing and put away my winter gear.

I kept most jerseys in my cupboard since they are almost all fairly light and can still function for cooler summer evenings. For now I packed away a thicker winter jacket, some woolly scarfs and hats, my long socks and thermals. I also packed up some of my long sleeve work shirts and one pair of knee-high boots.

I unpacked my summer items and went through them, most seem ok but some need to be ironed before I can wear them again. I also didn’t bother to unpack my bikinis. I thought that by the time it’s warm enough to wear them I’ll probably be showing quite a bit of belly and I am not that comfortable with preggie bellies on display that I would want to show off mine like that. There are also one or two pairs of pants that are getting a bit snug so might pack them up as well in a couple of weeks. I took the opportunity to give my wardrobe a general clean while busy and plan on picking some more lavender from the garden to replace what I have in the cupboard now. I always keep a small cup full of lavender in the cupboard; the smell is supposed to keep moths away and is quite fresh.

Only thing is with my side of the cupboard looking so clear and minimal I am itching to get into hubbies side! His side is overflowing, all items are mixed up (ie shirts, underwear and shorts in one heap) and I know he has quite a few items that are damaged and he doesn’t wear anymore. Gah, He made me promise last year when I started cutting down that I wouldn’t touch his things. I will stick to that, although I find it difficult and will have to just avert my eyes I guess. I am hoping, as with the bedroom clean, he will all of a sudden feel it’s time for a spring clean in his wardrobe as well.

Bedroom Spring Clean

So, our bedroom, hmmm. We have damp issues in our bedroom. We have a solid glass block window with only a tiny section at the top that can open. This little slice that can open sits underneath our blinds so it is very difficult to get any fresh air. When you add in the fact that the external wall has been badly sealed and moisture leaks in through this wall you have a prime situation for damp mouldy grossness.

We had a friend, who’s an electrician, come by this weekend to help us get more plugs, we only had one in the bedroom and wanted to extend the line through to the bathroom (where we had no plugs!) so we can at least plug in our washing machine without having to run an extension cord though the house the whole time.

In order to help him out we moved all our cupboards from the wall and ... gross! So much mould growing there it was shocking. Luckily I had bought a big bottle of white spirit vinegar a couple of weeks before so we attacked the mould with it and scrubbed our walls down. It was a fair bit of work but the mould and even the damp stains seemed to lift easily with the vinegar and the wall looks so much better it’s almost like we re-painted!

Since we were then in a cleaning blitz we also wiped down all the furniture (removing all knick knacks lying about) and moved the mattress outside to air and soak up some sun. While the mattress was outside we lifted the planks under the bed and vacuumed the whole floor (goodbye all the dust bunnies under the bed!). We had been keeping some old mats under the bed as well (Hubby wanted to keep them for camping) but they were so gross I took them straight out to the bin and hubby didn’t even complain.

We have gotten a quote for new windows along the whole back of the flat including the bedroom. The new windows will be larger and allow us to get more air circulating. The body corporate has also agreed to re-seal the outside wall so hopefully we will have less damp issues next year.

I am very happy with the new bedroom, it feels so much cleaner and healthier. I feel like it has inspired us to tackle the rest of the house. Such a big change for about R30 in cleaning materials and some elbow grease!

Expecting!

So .. Big news, I’m pregnant!

We are 12 weeks along and almost out of the first trimester which has been fairly rough. I am hoping things will smooth out now and I will get some energy back.

I am slightly conflicted and unsure how I feel about it. It is a planned pregnancy but went a bit quicker then I initially thought it would. I am excited but also anxious and apprehensive; a child is after all a major life changer!

Also the pregnancy has thrown a bit of a curve ball at my desire to start building my minimalist wardrobe this summer. I was all keen to seriously cut down and invest in more classic, time-less pieces but now I feel like there’s no point to buying new clothing when my body is going to fluctuate so much in size over the next year. Now I’m thinking things like I need long, loose tops, preferably with button fronts in case I want to breast feed.

I am hoping I can get away with non-maternity items for a long while still as, more exciting news! I can finally button up my pants fully again. You can’t believe how excited I was this weekend when buttoning up and even wearing a belt again became possible. Maybe I should explain, after all its a bit weird that I couldn’t for a while at the start of my pregnancy and now when I should be starting to show my belly has actually decreased again. The last couple of weeks I’ve been feeling very nauseous and pretty bloated, any sort of pressure on my stomach made me feel unwell, hence the looser pants. Now that my stomach seems to be settling down and I am feeling better my pants fit again. I am fully enjoying this window of fit while I can.

New rules

Today marks the end of my no-buy year. At times it was tough and frustrating, mostly though it was rewarding and thought provoking. Even though I am allowed to spend again I have decided to impose some regulations on myself to prevent a spiral back into major consumerism. I want to be able to buy pretty new things if I want them but also want to better understand the difference between impulse buying and well thought out purchases.

To this end I’ve set myself some limits. I’ve been reflecting on them a bit recently as the next year might be a period of some change (more on that later) so I’ve been a bit more lax about the rules then I suppose I could have been.

Here they are:

1.       When I establish a need or want I will first ask around in my circle of friends to establish if anyone has what I need and could loan me or possible swap me something for it.

2.       If I cannot find it this route I will put said item on a 30 day wait wish list, if after 30 days I still want said item I will go out and get it

3.       Limited to 3 new items per month

4.       Total cost of new items not to exceed R1500 per month

5.       Total cost of new items not to exceed R10000 a year (so about R830 a month on average)

6.       Above rules to apply to personal items ie things that I spend my own money on. Not items bought from our communal account for use by hubby and me. For instance my cloths, electronics, accessories etc.

7.       Keep track of all purchases. Blog each months summary

So far I haven’t actually thought much about what I want this August. Most of the items on my current wish list are spring/summer orientated and it’s a bit too early to start buying those items just yet. Most stores are still having winter sales.

The only item I might try and snatch-up in the winter sales is a warm grey hoodie. I want one with a zipper down the front and a soft fleecy lining. It has to be extra warm (as that was my number one issue with my jumpers this winter!). I am a bit on the fence with this one though. I keep wondering whether it’s wise to buy a jumper now when I’m hopeful that the weather will be improving soon. Will think on this a bit more.

My No-Buy year

31^st July marks the end of my no-buy year! Before embarking on a new year I thought it was time to assess the progress I’ve made over the past year and take stock of my current situation.

When I started last year I owned 236 items. This included all clothing (except pyjamas and underwear) and shoes. I now own 80 pieces. So that’s almost 2/3 less in 1 year! It took some serious purging. A couple of months ago I actually had to stop purging as I found I still needed enough items to get me through the no-buy period. I have found now that the only way I can further my purge is by replacing current pieces with more versatile options in colours that mix and match well. Or, for example by focusing on tops that work for at work and home so that I can consolidate my work and home wardrobes (right now these are two distinct very different groups of cloths).

My current amounts:

Dresses: 4
Skirts: 2
Pants: 6
Shorts: 4
Work shirts: 10
Tops: 20
Jerseys: 12
Jackets (summer): 3
Jackets (winter): 5
Shoes: 14 (includes my hiking boots and gym shoes)

Observations I’ve had in my no-buy period:

1.       Fewer items mean every piece has to work overtime. Wear and tear is greater and I could see a drastic difference in my quality pieces and cheaper items. Where possibly invest in better quality. The only exception being when you want to try out a new trend you’re not completely sure of yet.

2.       Bright colours are great to liven-up a wardrobe but do require more thought when mixing or matching pieces. To stick to a truly minimalist wardrobe it’s better to limit your coloured options

3.       Buy warmer jerseys! I tend to run very cold. At the start of this winter I tossed two thicker, knitted jumpers as they were itchy when worn directly on my skin. With nothing to replace them I’ve been forced to layer up on my thinner jerseys. On cold days that has sometimes meant I’m wearing 3 light-weight jumpers over each other and I am still cold! So in jerseys it’s good to have a warmth variety (not just style and colour variance). A thick, warm jumper is definitely on my to buy list.

4.       Even with such a limited wardrobe there are still certain pieces that get pulled out a lot more than others. I am trying to learn from my go-to pieces. So far I know that I prefer pants to skirts

5.       Re-evaluate lifestyle. I own plenty of pretty, delicate items for going out. Dainty dresses and strappy high heels. However I’ve found that I don’t go out that much anymore. Me and hubby don’t go clubbing or to many fancy events. We still go out but it’s turned into more like the local pub to watch a game or dinner at friends. So I don’t have the occasion so much to wear my pretties. Do I really need three pairs of going-out heels? Having said that though it’s tough to purge here as items are usually very pretty and were expensive to purchase.

All in all I am glad that the experiment is winding down and that I’ve managed very well so far. I will continue to think about any new purchases I make and want to pen out some restrictions before I allow myself to the shops again (ie a budget or max quantity kind of thing). I will post these later on but before August! :)