I absolutely love the opportunity that the beginning of a new year presents. Fresh! New! Balance! Moderation! As such, the 1st of January seems like an excellent time to talk about resolving to balance life.
Packing for the beach, KonMari style
I was looking through the photos on my phone the other day and realised that even on the last day of May, my son was still in his winter coat and leggings, albeit eating an ice cream. Now it’s entirely possible that he refused to leave the house without his…
Repairing loved items using Sashiko
For a fairly small group of islands, Malta has a really excellent diversity of craftspeople, carpenters, dressmakers, cobblers, and electrical specialists. Repairing and reusing is definitely a realistic option, and one that I increasingly try to turn to myself.
Why should I leave photos until last?
If you’ve watched Marie Kondo’s uplifting Netflix show, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, you’ll know that she recommends not decluttering photos until all other KonMari categories have been worked through. So PUT DOWN THE WEDDING ALBUM! Work through the categories as she suggests – clothing first, followed by books, paperwork…
Mental Organisation: How not to forget birthdays
Confession: Despite having a pretty well organised home, mental organisation has been an area where I’m still more of a work in progress. Remembering (and acknowledging) birthdays, anniversaries and so on has always been a weaker point of mine. Every Christmas or new year I buy a new diary and…
Are you ready for Keichitsu season?
Here in Malta we have distinct seasons – a beautifully long summer, a short, humid winter and a gentle Spring and Autumn. Japan also recognises these four seasons, though because it’s such a ‘long’ country from north to south, they arrive at different times and last for varying periods.…
Caring for clothes on hangers
How many of us have lain in bed planning an outfit, only to get to the wardrobe and find a) the favourite shirt has a stain in clear sight, right at the front, b) the favourite pair of jeans are missing, to be found NOWHERE, and therefore must have been…
My Advent Declutter – part 1
I’m well aware that I’m a little late to the Advent party, but in my defence I’ve been working on a couple of other projects recently. The intention is to use the run up to Christmas to get a few key micro categories decluttered. Because I’ve already completed the KonMari…
Workshop Review: Getting back into the groove with the KonMari art of tidying up
It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the tidying world. To celebrate the end of our Long Hot Summer and the lengthening nights, I worked with Malta Creative Collective and the brilliant Lily Agius to hold Malta’s first tidying workshop. Held on a warm Wednesday night at Lily’s striking…
‘I can’t just throw it away’
I’ve been reading about minimalism this week. I’m not a minimalist, or a maximalist, though I recognise that one’s position on this continuum is not static. Instead it can change as a result of life events, emotions, and even world events. That’s right! The amount of possessions we’re hanging on…