Walking the long way around

For a while, I've been trying to psych myself up to cycling to work. It ticks so many boxes - being physically active, reducing emissions, saving money. But cycling in London is TERRIFYING. There are loads more bikes than a couple of years ago, but I'm a wuss.

After a while of feeling bad for lazily resorting to the bus, it finally occurred to me that there's another way for me to get to work under my own steam - walking.

It's about an hour's walk each way. It's a walk that takes me across and along the River Thames for part of my walk, and I feel connected with this city in a totally new way. Yes, it's a longer travel time than the bus - but I arrive at work feeling energised and fully awake, ready to start the day. I've already achieved something and I haven't even switched on my laptop. 

It's a really good feeling, and it's kind of surprised me. I thought the long walks would feel like a chore, but they are a real joy, especially compared to the bus. It's time to think, time to listen to music or to podcasts, time to breathe and look around me. I pass through different faces of this city - through areas of great wealth and areas of social housing, through areas of business and areas of luxury residence, through parks and along busy roads.

I'm trying to walk more travelling to other parts of the city too - a hospital appointment this week became an unexpected joy when I realised I could take a train part of the way, and then have a 45-minute walk along the Southbank - possibly the best walk in London. Shakespeare's Globe, St Paul's Cathedral, the Golden Hines ship, the Tate Modern, Southwark Cathedral...

But my favourite bit is definitely the river. I always knew the Thames was tidal, but never quite realised that meant you can hear the wash of the tides lapping against sand, the croak of seagulls... Guys, it's like walking by the beach. But, y'know, not.

Eat well for less

When starting to think about eating more frugally and simplify food shopping, I think most of us discover just how freeing it can be to plan meals and create a shopping list, and how much we can save by cooking from scratch. Such a simple change but it massively helps bring down food spending and food waste, and cuts out last-minute trips to the shops to get "something for dinner". 

Now these pearls of wisdom are being brought to a new audience with a fantastic new programme from the BBC called "Eat well for less". A tv chef and grocer help a different family every week to cut their food bills and eat better. They invade the family's kitchen and replace their normal food shopping with unbranded food. Some is swapped for cheaper food, such as dried pasta instead of fresh, or supermarket own-brand products. Some is their normal food without the packaging. Some is even more expensive but better quality.

We watch them nervously try the various foods and try to guess what is swapped and what is the same, and then there is the big reveal, we learn the identities of the products and the savings on each item. It amounts to thousands of pounds saved over the year. And most entertainingly, the families often like least those items which weren't swapped - once the packaging is removed, turns out they don't really it!

They also have a dietician looking at the amount of sugar in different brands of pasta sauce, and comparing the nutritional value of different tins of baked beans. They do blind tastings of yoghurt, tea and orange juice (among others) in the general public and see whether the most expensive is also the most popular.

It's made us look again at our own spending, and we've started trying some cheaper brands to compare price/quality. We've also switched from buying bags of pre-prepared salad to preparing our own from a head of lettuce and a punnet of rocket. 

It's a really interesting programme, and for those outside the UK, the episodes are available on youtube. 

Saving energy, saving money

We recently received our annual summary of the communal charges for the building. This includes our annual heating and water bill. We pay a monthly sum to the building managers, and at the end of the year they read the meters and send an invoice to settle the bill.

This year, we're due to get almost €1000 back.

It's a good feeling when you open that envelope. We were similarly delighted last year when our electricity supplier cut our monthly bill by two thirds because we were consuming less than they had expected.

Saving energy and water is good for the planet and good for the pocket. The annual heating and water bills have prompted me to think again about how much we use - partly because I'm genuinely surprised about how we've saved so much, and partly because I think we could probably do even better.

I've noticed recently that we've got into the habit of having only one light on in the flat. When we curl up on the sofa in the evenings, one uplighter is enough, and we don't even turn on the main light for the room. I'm not sure when we started doing this, really. I suspect my dad ("Were you born in a power station?") and my boyfriend ("Are you sleeping with the owner of Gazprom?") are finally getting through and I now turn lights off when I leave the room. And they're energy-efficient bulbs. Booya.

All the appliances we've bought have been energy (and in the case of the washing machine, water) efficient. I think the easiest trick is not to own as many. I've been reading tips on saving water and energy online, and am boggled by some of the tips. Get rid of the second fridge? Who are these people?

We don't own a dishwasher or tumble drier. Or a second fridge. I'm not giving up the washing machine, though. Don't even think it.

For heating, we use the fabulous insulating power of curtains, which insulate the room brilliantly. We have full-length wall to wall curtains on both external walls with two layers (blackout lining for the bedrooms, a separate net curtain for privacy for the living room. We also use 'passive solar' - I open the curtains for the east-facing window each morning and allow the sun to warm the room, and then close the curtains when I get back after work. 

 

Since our curtains have gone up last spring, we have only turned on the heating three times - when we had visitors. We turned on the radiator in the spare room for a few hours each time - and were told the room was too hot. The rear wall has just had another few inches of insulation stuck on the back of it too, so I don't think we'll be turning the heating on at all this winter. Sometimes it gets a bit chilly but that makes it all the nicer to snuggle up under a blanket with a hot cocoa. My top tip if you're cold is to go for a run or walk outside - the apartment will feel lovely and warm when you get back.

While we have installed low-flow tap heads in the bathroom and reduced the water level in the toilet tank to reduce our water usage, there are plenty more savings to be made here. I never remember to turn the tap off while I brush my teeth, I enjoy long showers, I wash dishes with the tap running and I never think to re-use water from washing or cooking vegetables on the plants. 

As a side note, I have seen analyses that suggest that dishwashers are more efficient in water usage than handwashing, but when you take into consideration the electricity used by the machine, and particularly the energy and resources tied up in its manufacture and disposal, I plump for handwashing. Plus that gives me more space in the kitchen.

There's some really good tips for those who are interested in saving energy and water over at the Energy Saving Trust. 

How about you? Where do you save energy, and where do you want to do more?

Frugal brewing

Making things yourself saves you money - some of the time. To be honest, if you buy a pattern and good quality fabric to make a dress, it ends up being more expensive than something from a cheap shop. Better quality, and better value for money, but more expensive upfront.

When we started brewing our own beer, I thought it would be the same. A fun activity that gets us off the sofa, a new skill, and one that would over time save us money but would be more expensive for the first years.

Not so. We have just bottled our second batch of beer, and my boyfriend has kept rigorous records of everything we have bought - ingredients, equipment, bottles... Our beer currently works out at €2,25 per 33cl bottle. Which is already cheaper than craft beer in the stops. I am very pleasantly surprise to find that our homemade beer so, well, frugal.

We are finding more ways to make homebrewing more frugal. Re-using the bottles from beer we drink, rather than buying bottles. Did you know you can 'wash' yeast after a brew and re-use it for a total of up to ten batches? And now I find myself with a bowl full of hops - with the most delicious smell. I can't bear to just chuck them in the bin, they smell amazing. Reuses for hops, anyone? I'm thinking to try them out and make a sleep-inducing herb pillow or pot pourri for the bedroom.

The cost of a thing

There's a great Emerson quote often cited in simple living blogs, to the effect that the cost of a thing is the amount of life you exchange for it. I've been reflecting on this profound principle in the rather banal context of bed sheets.

When we bought our bed last year, we also bought bed sheets as it is bigger than beds we have previously used. We got cotton sheets (my request) in shades if grey and white (my boyfriend's). We have a duvet that is so good at insulating that it is too hot for most of the year, and except for the very coldest months we sleep under the empty duvet cover with assorted blankets on top.

It's in this context that I am making my first quilt. I'm aiming for something warm and breathable which we can use during spring, autumn and cooler summer nights (like this August). But I've also been thinking about those sheets.

You see, what I didn't take into consideration when we bought them was laundry. We have two sets if bedsheets, each eith a light grey duvet cover, grey and white pillow cases, and a dark grey fitted sheet . Unfortunately these cannot be washed together because the dark grey runs, making the white and light grey linens murky. So I now have a situation where, in order to change the bed every week, I have to do two small loads of laundry each week. A whole laundry load for a single sheet? It's almost painful. The energy, water, wear on the machine and extra work for me is frustrating.

I've worked out, though, that if we make the beds with plain white sheets in the way my mother grew up with, I could cut out three quarters of all bed linen laundry. I would need four white sheets and three sets of white pillow cases. I'm thinking this might be my next project after the quilt is done- it would save me a helluva lot if time, and a not insignificant amount of money. I could change the bedsheets every week, and do one load of laundry every fortnight, cutting out three loads of laundry. This is not an insignificant saving and would simplify my bed linen cupboard, laundry routine and bed-making each morning.

So far, so good. I am happy to invest in some plain white sheets and pillow cases in order to cut running costs - and I could even make them myself, far less work than the patchwork quilt. But but but. I checked out prices of white cotton at my favourite fabric shop, and it would cost me three times more than a shop-bought fitted sheet. But I can't do apple-pie style beds with fitted sheets. However, you may recall that I do have a large amount of cotton large enough to back the patchwork quilt which I bought for about €6 if memory serves - one tenth of what it would cost if bought in the main shop. Therefore I could keep haunting the 'puces' (fleas) or odds-and-sods-room of the fabric shop until I find enough lengths of white cotton. But that is unfortunately dress-making cotton, rather thinner than I would like... Hmmm. Could I convert a bought fitted sheet into a plain sheet?

Free slippers

It's been a grim August. It's grey and rainy, and because they can't figure out how to turn off the air conditioning at work, we're all sitting in front of our computers wrapped up in jumpers, jackets and even blankets against the cold. So just the weather for making a pair of slippers!

You may remember I found a HUGE number of old worn pairs of jeans in one of my boxes in the basement? I've been googling ideas for things to make with all that denim, and one of the projects I came across was a tutorial for making a pair of slippers out of old jeans and cardboard. Unfortunately I now can't find the link for the one I used but there are plenty more around t'internet!

It involved drawing around flip flops on cardboard, cutting them out and covering them with denim, then stitching them into the back pockets.

They are super comfy, super soft and super warm, which shouldn't really surprise me as they are made from lovely worn denim cotton, but it did surprise me nonetheless. I'm not sure how well they will wear, but I'm only intending to wear them around the house, they were totally free and they are 100% compostable. And I've got plenty of denim left to try making a second, stronger pair when these wear out!

I really enjoyed making these. In each effort to simplify life, I encounter complication after complication. (The latest is trying to make or find plain white cotton bedsheets. It would cost three times more to make them than to just buy fitted sheets, but that's really not what I'm looking for, but I can't justify paying three times the price...) 

This project is so simple. Easily completed in an evening after work from things that would otherwise go in the bin, this is satisfyingly frugal, green and creative all at the same time. A little thing making me disproportionately happy.

Free plant containers

So as you may know, I've been frustrated in my container gardening aspirations by my refusal to spend silly sums of money on gardening centre pots, and my difficulty finding any cheap alternatives.

However, recently I've started seeing free pots. Everwhere. I don't know if it's because everyone's chucking them out or because I've started looking at random plastic tubs differently. I picked up a couple of slightly cracked storage boxes which had been dumped by the roadside (we have a problem with flytipping round here but on this occasion it worked in my favour). I pushed a few holes in the bottom, glued the cracks shut and voila.

I took advantage of the gorgeous weather this week to sow lettuce, radishes and sunflowers in one pot. The other one (in the middle) is only waiting for me to get some more potting compost - it will hold rocket, sorrel and spring onions. I took this opportunity to interplant some lamb's lettuce with the beetroot, and sow some herbs in some small pots that were cluttering up the balcony. 

It's certainly looking a bit more like a balcony garden, no? I picked up the watering can for €2,50 from the second-hand shop, I think it will make watering easier than using a measuring jug.

Around the World Blog Hop

This is my first blog hop and I'm feeling very chuffed that Eleanor over at Seeds and Stitches has invited me to join in.

Taking part next week are:

Kaylie over at Kindred Like Me who blogs about books and theatre, her own writing, and her broader journey to shape and direct her life. Kaylie wrote me a poem for a Christmas present once that is still one of the best presents I have ever received.

Cheryl at Time to Craft, sharing beautiful pictures, thought-provoking reflections and super simple tutorials for crafting at home, particularly with kids, and slowing down to savour everyday moments. Spinning and patchwork, garden and chooks, and rescuing bats all feature.

What am I working on?

Several projects - a skirt made from a pair of my boyfriend's old trousers, an embroidered table cloth and my first patchwork quilt. I also have several 'in-progress' projects tucked into various cupboards which are a bit stalled.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Probably the greatest difference is my tendancy to run before I can walk, and taken on epically huge projects. This embroidered tablecloth is such overkill and will take me months to finish, my first attempt at making a skirt is done without a pattern, just adapting as I go, and my first piece of patchwork is not something small but bigger than two square metres.

Why do I create/do what I do?

I get enormous satisfaction from making something tangible. A lot of what I do in the day does deliver progress but you can't see it, touch it, use it. Looking around me and thinking 'I made that' gives me a warm feeling on the coldest winter day.

The process of crafting is often therapeutic in itself, knitting, crochet and embroidery help me to slow down and take my focus away from a tv or computer screen.

I also like making practical, useful things that are good value for money. I made all the curtains in the flat for slightly over €300 - custom-made, heavy, lined curtains would have cost me considerably more than that. The most satisfying creations are those using scraps, odds and ends - essentially free. These show me that I can fulfil some part of my homemaking dream even while working a busy job - whether that's making dishcloths or a pair of pajamas.

How does my creating process work?

Inspiration comes from blogs and pinterest, and from my imagination. I know I should restrain my ambition but where's the fun in that? I plot out what I'm planning to do very loosely - develop an easily repeated embroidery pattern based on more complex examples, calculate the number of square patches for the quilt - but rarely develop a precise and clear plan. This is both a strength and a weakness - I enjoy being able to adapt my plans as new ideas come, but sometimes I can't decide or end up duplicating stages because my ideas change part-way through. Not really a sophisticated process but it works for me.

Jam jam jam

It's that time of year again - fresh fruit perfectly ripe on market stalls at silly prices. Jam time!

If you don't make jam, please please please give it a try. We've met people who think it's a huge, time-consuming, complex undertaking. Making jam is very straightforward and as long as you sterilise things, pretty safe. And there are three big advantages of homemade jam over shop-bought.

You can make it the way you like it. As with bread, pizza or any other food product, making it yourself means you can make it your way. You can try wacky flavour combinations, add nuts or spices, mix different fruits and go for exactly the sweetness level you want. We got so sick of shop jams with no pieces of actual fruit in, and now really enjoy making jam with big whole strawberries and chunks of peach floating around.

You know exactly what's in it. Homemade jam is fruit and sugar, and you control how much sugar you use. (We also add some lemon juice to help the set.)  There's no colourings, flavourings or preservatives, and if you want to, you could make it organic.

It's cheaper. This kind of surprised me, I figured that commercially-made jam would benefit from economies of scale and would work out cheaper than homemade, but no. It varies from fruit to fruit, of course, but our jams come in around €3-10 per kilo. That's with fruit from the market or the supermarket, I imagine it could be even cheaper with homegrown fruit.

Jam-making is a perfect Sunday afternoon activity, and we'll enjoy the sweet fruity taste of summer in the colder months.

Of birds and stones, or crafty decluttering

Hello and welcome to everyone visiting from Stitches and Seeds. I'll be joining the Around the World blog hop next week, but in the meantime if you haven't already seen Eleanor's beautiful Persian sweetie shop blanket, then get hopping!

I've been tackling my craft-related clutter recently. I've been pondering this, and particularly Rhonda's thoughts on a stash of yarn or fabric as another kind of stockpiling. My stash is just clutter - I don't know what to do with it, a lot is poor quality, none of it goes together and I still have to go out to buy new fabric or yarn for a new project.

There's one exception. I'm cutting up off-cuts and torn clothes into patches for my first attempt at a quilt for our bed (partly because I want to try quilting, partly because we don't have anything between heavy duvet and light sheets, and parly to use up the huge pile of fabric odds and ends I have accumulated). Wondering what to use for backing fabric, I came across a vast quantity (about 3m by 2.5m) of plain white cotton which I bought on the basis that white cotton would always come in handy. I bought it from 'les puces' - the fleas - at my favourite fabric shop, Le Chien Vert (the green dog). It's all the ends of rolls that have been moved to the back storeroom to save space and they are super cheap - my 3m of white cotton was €5.

I can see that with a little more understanding of the kind of things I do make, I could accumulate a small stockpile of quality, versatile, low-cost fabric which would come in useful when the crafting bug bites on a Sunday and nothing is open, and help keep the costs of that down when I'm tempted by €12/metre fabric. It's like stockpiling food - only do it with things that will keep and you know you will use. Most of what I have really falls under the heading of 'wishful thinking.'

So this has convinced me. I'm no longer going to try to go no-stash, but I do want to clear out what I have and start to think about building a small but versatile stockpile. I'm trying to find ways to clear the decks without either buying more stuff or just chucking it out, and I have had one small area of success.

Killing two birds with one stone, I have used all the leftover odds and ends from other projects involving cotton yarn to make some lovely new washcloths. I was running low and thinking of getting some nice pretty cotton for nice pretty washcloths and then decided I can do that when I've used up all my cotton stash. These washcloths are noticeably better than my first attempts - looser knit, bigger and a better pattern/texture for washing. Plus I enjoyed getting my needles out again, and the feeling of frugal smugness when knitting washcloths in leftover yarn.

Have you got any top tips for stash-busting?

The sewing machine has been a-whirring...

I've been taking full advantage of the shorter working hours this week as client work slows down for the holiday season. It helps that my boss is on holiday (at least in theory - she still works, but less than in a normal week) so the rate of task accumulation is much less, allowing me to clear my decks and tackle the 'rainy day' (or rather slow day) jobs like filing old emails.

I've been listening to a lot of background music this week, and my new discovery is Bella Harper. Thank you Deezer for your 'Hear This' section, I'm discovering some artists I really like through these recommendations. Check out her song 'Good Man's Wife' which you can listen to free and legally online here. (At least in Belgium - not sure how this works overseas...)

In addition to discovering new artists, I've been on a major sewing spree the last week or so. I've made a pair of pajama bottoms, from fabric I originally bought for a dress and then decided wasn't very... dress-like. I've got as much fabric again, and I'm toying between making a skirt for work which I can wear with blue and pink and purple jumpers this autumn (it's quite autumn-y isn't it?) and making another pair of pj bottoms for my sister, because the fabric reminds me so much of her somehow.

I finally got the pleats and darts right on the skirt I'm making from a pair of my boyfriend's wornout trousers. I'm now taking apart an old shirt of my boyfriend's which I salvaged from his last donation to the charity shop, and I'm going to make a skirt lining from the fabric. For those interested, the tutorial I am loosely following is on youtube here.

Remaining tasks after I make an inner skirt from the lining fabric are to attach the waistband, finally decide on the length, and decide what I'm going to do on the bottom hem. Ruffle? Plain? Lace? We shall see. I do feel ultra frugal with this skirt though - a custom-made skirt for work made from cast-offs? Even the thread I'm using to sew with is left over from the grey bedroom curtains. So far, the only cost is my time and the electricity to run the sewing machine.

What's working its way through your machine yet? Any projects you are planning? For me, I've got a very small and a very big project in mind... Any guesses?

Frugality vs minimalism

Every time I set myself to some decluttering, I end up facing the same dilemma.

We all struggle to let go of clutter with sentimental baggage attached - we might not need, want or use it any more but we still struggle to let it go. That's totally normal, and in fact I am feeling as though with some items it's only a matter of giving myself time to build up to it, or even better, finding a better 'tribute' to that person or experience.

However, a huge proportion of the clutter in my life is not sentimental baggage, but practical things. Stationery, for example - half-used pads of paper, slowly drying pens, battered ring binders, dividers with the ghost of previous uses and crumpled document wallets. The leftovers of various packs of notepaper and cards, usually intended for thank you letters and now collecting dust.

This kind of thing just takes space. HUGE amounts of space. But I struggle to let go of it because it seems wasteful - surely the frugal thing is to hang on to these, and use them? The very rare occasions when I need something and dig it out of my pile rather than go out and buy something seem to reinforce this, even though the frequency pales in comparison to the way my heart sinks every time I open the cupboard door and see this:

And then what do I do with it if I can let it go? Chuck it in the bin and consign it to landfill? Most of this isn't recyclable, but also isn't any where near good enough condition to be sold. I could donate if I knew anyone who would use it, but how on earth to I identify a charity in need of basic stationery?

I think this is probably a fairly typical dilemma faced with decluttering. In an ideal world, I just wouldn't have accumulated this stuff, but I have and I need to face up to that and work out how to move forward.

The most ridiculous thing about all this is that I'm wasting so much time and energy worrying about something so unimportant. Maybe the easiest thing is to just chuck the whole pile out and be careful what I keep or buy in future - but that just feels so wasteful!

(Nearly) Free pumpkin seeds

So you know pumpkin seeds? Go for HUGE (well, more than most seeds) sums of money? They're yummy in many things including homemade cereal but also quite pricey.

We've been eating pumpkin a lot recently, and I was looking at the scooped-out flesh, full of seeds, thinking: pumpkin. Seeds in a pumpkin. You can see where I'm going with this, right?

So we've been washing and drying the seeds, then prising open the pod-type things to remove the seed inside. It's a bit of a pain, really - takes a while and you don't get many seeds at the end of it (or as my boyfriend said as we sat up removing seeds at 11 last night - "you can see why they cost so much!") but why throw away something as yummy as pumpkin seeds? When we already paid for them when we bought the pumpkin?

The method, so far as there is one, is wash mostly clean, dry on some paper towel on a rack, then when totally dry prise open with a sharp knife and remove the seed. There is a knack to getting them out whole, rather than in fragments, but I'm not entirely sure what it is. It's still a bit hit and miss, to be honest. Can I call this learning a new skill? I wonder if my grandmother knew how to depod pumpkin seeds?

Nine tips for cheap(ish) city holidays

Back from ten days' holiday to beautiful, grey, rainy Belgium. We went to Sweden which you'd have thought would be quite expensive, but we found many ways to save money and have wonderful trip. So I thought I'd share our top tips for not blowing your holiday budget on day 1. (Mostly city-based).

1. Book in advance. Duh.

2. Stay in a hostel. Or, if your budget is more generous and you're staying for long enough, a self-catering place. I prefer staying in hostels to hotels for several reasons: free wifi and computers in pretty much every hostel; a kitchen for self-catering; and a chance to chat with the staff and get some tips on where to go, what to do. Most hostels have private double/twin rooms these days, although you usually still share a bathroom (but not always). Check out HostelBookers.com for reviews and prices. (Check the facilities - sometimes you pay extra to hire towels.)

3. Check travel costs from the airport. For travel from airport to city centre, check out public transport links - but don't always assume it's the cheapest rate. If you're a group, one taxi may be cheaper than four train tickets. Compare train and bus - Stockholm central to Arlanda by train is twice the price of the bus - but only four minutes faster.

4. Avoid eating out. A major advantage of staying in a hostel is access to communal kitchens. Most hostels I have stayed in have provided excellent and modern facilities, with cooking implements, and will often also provide basics like salt, or tea and coffee. Ask hostel staff about the local budget supermarket, and take yourself on down there to stock up. The local specialties, which are often only available in tourist trap restaurants, are also often cheapest in the supermarket. If your budget stretches to it, find a local bakery and treat yourself to fresh bread or the local flavour bun/pastry for breakfast. For lunch, prepare sandwiches to eat on the go, bring fruit, and fill up your own water bottles. For supper, revisit student days (or A Girl Called Jack's website) for quick and easy recipes. (Tip: check the kitchen implements first, so you don't find yourself without a tin opener.)

5. Start with a free walking tour. Most cities I have visited in the last four years or so have a free walking tour. (Another advantage of staying in a hostel is that tour guides often stop by the hostel before the tour starts to collect anyone who wants to join.) Free walking tours are exactly what they say - usually once a day during tourist season, and sometimes lasting up to three hours, local guides walk you around the city giving details of the city's history and current culture. You often see unusual parts of the city not covered by professional tours, you can ask for recommendations of places to go, you quickly get a sense of how the city fits together, and - of course - it's free. The tour guides are usually volunteers who are not paid, so at the end of the tour they will ask for tips. Essentially, you pay what you can or what you feel the tour was worth.

6. Look for free entry to exhibits/activities. In many cities, museums and art galleries will be free entry at some point. In the UK, national museums are always free but in many other European countries, museums will be free one day (or one evening) a week. Ask at the local tourist office - they might even have a map of all the museums with entry times and admission detailed on the back. Otherwise, take a little time with the free hostel internet to check them out. In Stockholm, we found no less than nine museums with free entry during our stay.

7. Explore on foot. One of my favourite things to do is just walk around the city, checking out side streets, browsing through antique shops and checking out the local parks. Holidays should be relaxing, and stopping in a beautiful park hidden off the beaten track, or finding a bench alongside a river or lake, is about as relaxing as it gets. We are avid readers and often bring books or just sit and soak up the atmosphere. Treat journeys between activities as opportunities to explore a new area of the city, and shun the local public transport system whenever possible. (Hint: bring comfortable shoes and a jumper for cool evenings.)

8. For souvenirs or gifts, shop at the flea market. Flea markets are AWESOME and you can find some really lovely things. Keep your camera in your bag - many stallholders do not like to be photographed - and keep an eye out for pickpocketing. Alternatively, bring back a sample of the local tipple from the supermarket. 

9. Seek out small, simple pleasures. One of the highlights of my holiday in Stockholm was sitting in the centre of the old town, wrapped up in a blanket, sipping hot chocolate as the light faded and the candles twinkled. Closely followed by a glass of mead served by barstaff dressed as Vikings in an underground bar, seated on wooden benches and animal pelts, by candlelight.

The dilemma of decluttering

I love reading about de-cluttering. I love the idea of getting rid of all the stuff that's clogging up my space and my energies. But I also love the idea of being ultra-frugal, of avoiding waste and getting as much use as possible out of something before passing it on or disposing of it. And these two often come into conflict. Add into the mix that I am by nature a MASSIVE hoarder, and struggle to let go of the most mundane, useless, impersonal things (say, a packet of noodles that's several years past it's use-by date), and you have a constant inner battle over what to do.

A classic example of this is my craft pile. Consisting of half-finished projects, fabric and wool bought for things I've not yet made, and numerous scraps and old clothes which I am holding on to in case I ever take up quilt making, this pile spreads through three cupboards, the wardrobe, under the bed and most recently, a growing pile on the sofa. Hardly ideal!

So I'm slowly trying to work my way through my project pile and my stash, as this is the only answer for both frugality and decluttering. My latest achievement: an oven glove! This project was started quite recently (I ran into issues with insulation) but is pretty frugal - the main part is made from a tea towel I picked up in a flea market in Finland (isn't it gorgeous?!) for a tiny sum, and the mits are cut from odds and ends of previous projects. I did buy the binding and the insulation, but there's plenty of insulation left for me to make further oven gloves as gifts. (Although one way of looking at this is: I have added more to my stash than I used up in this project...)

Honesty compels me to admit that I did get the main panel on the other side (hidden in the photo) the wrong way round but after four and a half hours, I couldn't face unpicking everything. The stitching is also a little messy as I had to sew over the bias binding several times to catch all the edges, but this is the first time I've used bias binding so I'm pretty happy with the way it came out. And it works!!