58: Happy Friday Links and a Chat

I love this time of year and May is just flying by. It's a month to savour the wonder of nature. Those bright blue skies, the much needed heavy downpours of rain, the feel of sun on your face even though there's a biting cold wind, shops full of summer plants, eating seasonal asparagus and walking past trees brimming with delicate blossom. I have friends with May birthdays and it's also my niece's birthday later this month and I'm seriously envious. My niece was born in the middle of a May heatwave and the sensation of sunshine combined with joy as I held her for the first time and then celebrated her birth in a country pub afterwards with my brother is a cherished memory. It was 24 years ago but I remember like it was yesterday. 

I hope you've had a good week. I feel like the bank holiday has slowed me down and I've not been very productive but I've made plans for next week to get back on track. An appointment for the dentists and an eye test are booked and I'm going to start a much needed redecoration of our bedroom. I still have plans for changing our tiny garden but the bench we've ordered is going to take a few weeks to arrive so that job can wait. 

As I mentioned yesterday I've completed my 30 day alcohol detox and will be celebrating tonight with a mock gin and tonic and some home made vegan brownies. The alcohol detox continues for another 30 days and then it will be reviewed again.

I've found some enjoyable links this week to inspire simplicity and peace. Minimalism is by no means dead and it's wonderful to keep discovering new minimalist channels on YouTube. New minimalist blogs are harder to find but I think that's because a lot of the new minimalists are young people who favour YouTube as a media. 

Minimalism, for me, is a quest; it's not a quick and easy process and although I've been trying out minimalism for almost 10 years now it's not easy to stick to and I've had many setbacks. Every setback so far results in overwhelm and that's when I reach for my minimalist toolkit to repair the damage. I'll let you know in future posts how my minimalist reset is going. 

How to stop jealousy and comparison - a monk's approach by Nick Keomahavong. I'm going to work on Nick's wise words, "... become your own refuge."

The truth about a minimalist wardrobe by the ever so wise, stylish and entertaining Emily Wheatley.

Manifesting your post covid life now by Jessica Rose. This is food for thought. After months of hunkering down, what do you want to add into your life as we take baby steps out of lockdown? Jessica Rose also has a YouTube channel. 

What real (not greenwashing) circulatory in fashion looks like by Verena at My Green Closet. A very thorough read about lightening the fashion industry's footprint.

The three circles of energy - a special insight into mentorship skills by Patsy Rodenburg via moving-ahead org. This looks like a heavy read but it's worth it and it's short! I hope you find your 'second circle'.

Have a lovely weekend and we'll catch up soon x x x