JOYS OF AN EDITED & ORGANIZED CLOSET

I remember a time - not so long ago - when shopping for clothes meant going downtown or to the mall with any excuse of "needing" some clothing item, or having no excuse at all. It involved hours of endeavor - all morning or afternoon - going in and out of stores, trying on clothes. And often as not leaving the stores with several items, even though I’d gone there looking for something in particular.

 

Ah, and those were also the days when our credit cards had room for a few more purchases – not minding the ever-growing balance of debt that accumulated. Shopping was supposed to be sheer pleasure. On that basis, we bought a lot of stuff. Our closets overflowed.

Today, things have changed for many of us. Shopping for clothes isn’t at all what it was.  We’ve rejected crass consumerism. We'd feel embarrassed to flaunt our exit from the stores carrying so many bags. We also know that we should carry a personal, reusable shopping bag, or at the very least, leave the stores with as few disposable bags - paper over plastic - as possible. 

 

Also, of late we’ve embraced the concept of minimalism – for the home and for the closet. We no longer like to see our closets spilling over with outfits. We’ve found that some well chosen clothes – maybe just 20 or 30 items often work very well. And we allow ourselves something new only when we’re willing to give away a corresponding item. 

My winter wardrobe of 25 ítems

 

Closet minimalism is a good way to go. I recommend it. And why worry about limited closet space when what you really need takes up just a small space? If you like the idea, start editing your closet right away. It’s easier than you might think.

 

Start editing

Take all your clothes out of the closet and inventory them. You'll see that you have more clothes than you thought. There are probably several items that you used to love, but have gotten shoved to the back of the clothes rack. Some clothes no longer fit, others show wear, and some need zippers or buttons.

To begin your inventory, make five piles of clothes on the bed or floor.

The first pile is for “keepers” - those that fit and that you absolutely love and wear at least once a month.  

The second pile is for those things that fit but require dry cleaning or some minor repair. If you plan to keep them, take care of these needs right away.

The third pile is separated out for donation, selling or giving away. It includes clothes that no longer fit, are out-dated, or those you just don’t like anymore.

Pile four is made up of torn or stained clothes that nobody is likely to want. (I never recommend throwing out clothes. You can wear them around the house or to bed, or cut them into rags (for cleaning or craft projects.)

Pile five is for seasonal clothes or exceptionally good special occasion outfits. Store them in a box or clothing bag elsewhere in the house. You’ll get them out when you need them.



 All the shoes in my winter closet. (Boots are in boxes.)

Hang the "keeper" clothes back in your closet by groups of items -- such as coats, outer wear, dresses, skirts, blouses, dress pants, exercise wear -- or in some other order that makes sense to you. You may also need to sort through and edit the rest of your clothes - underwear, shoes, and accessories - before returning them to their places. 

Then, if you think that you still have too many "keeper" clothes, here are some further editing options.

Extreme wardrobe reductionism.  

You can further reduce your need for closet space and stop wasting time wondering what to wear. Do this by simplifying your clothing needs to 6, 8, or 10 well-coordinated outfits. Keep clothes that are simple in design and of the same color scheme, so you can mix and match.  Since you are going to have fewer items, you want to choose totally comfortable items.  Get rid of the rest. You never again have to dig deep in your closet to see if there’s stuff in there that you want to wear.

You won’t need many items at all, if you adopt a personal uniform style – everything is usable, by definition. Your uniform should be one of your choosing – a look that represents your inner self or, at least, that part of yourself you want to share with the outside world. Eliminate absolutely everything else. For example, there are women who always wear a suit to work. They have 4 or 5 suits that are simple in style and neutral in color. The individual pieces of the suits can be mixed and matched to create their entire professional wardrobe. Another sort of uniform, for women who are homemakers or casual-dress workers, would be 3 pairs of khaki pants (or nice jeans) and 5 blouses or shirts in similar style but varying colors. This kind of uniform can be worn year-round. 

Don't accumulate useless stuff again
Regardless of your editing criteria, once you've reduced your wardrobe, don’t allow yourself to accumulate a lot of stuff again. Remember, your best wardrobe is one that is full of clothes that you love and wear often.

When you decide that you really need to shop, don't buy several items, when you only need one. Also, think about alternatives to going downtown or to the mall. You don’t have to buy new clothes. Nice, gently used clothes are easily found. Visit yard sales. Go to thrift shops or vintage stores. You’ll probably find something that you like at a great price.

 
Check your closets and drawers every few weeks to see if they are still in the best possible order. You’ll find that your edited and organized closet will be a long-term source of personal satisfaction and confidence.

Note
Due to "popular request" and to my compulsive need to document most everything, here is a list of the 25 clothing items and shoes in my winter wardrobe. Gym/yoga clothes and at home grunges are not included.

2 black skirts/different textures
1 blue jean skirt
1 dress pants/black
2 blue jeans
1 "dressy" dress - LBD
2 cardigans/black & grey
2 pullovers/grey & black
3 jackets/black zip-up, black snap-up & blue jean
1 blazer (still need to buy)
1 parka/black
1 trench coat/medium blue
1 hooded sweat shirt/dark grey
4 short sleeve shirts/assorted colors
3-3/4 sleeve shirts/assorted colors

2 tennis/walking and running
2 heels/ closed with tie and closed with strap
2 boots/hiking and snow
flats with straps
chunky pull-on flats (still need to buy)

Related posts. http://grandmasusansalmanac.blogspot.com/2012/09/things-to-downsize-right-away-case-1.html http://grandmasusansalmanac.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-consumerism-still-tries-to-fool-us.html

TOP SHEETS BEGONE: A ZERO-ENERGY WIN/WIN

You know you really don't need them. And, despite the fact that your mom and grandma used them... and even though sets come with them, that doesn’t mean you have to use them. It's a European custom that's time has come. SO, OUT WITH THE TOP SHEETS. You can sleep just as well or better without them. And it can save on energy, too.

Beds in several European countries - if not all - have a duvet, a bottom sheet, but no top sheet. While the European duvet, is a bit thicker and warmer than a top sheet, it’s still usable most of the year. And, it's about the same as making a bed with a spread, light blanket or comforter. So, unless the bedroom is around 90 degrees in summer, a spread or light blanket - preferably cotton or bamboo - or a lightweight comforter is what's called for, anyway.

I know I always need a light blanket because my husband insists on air conditioning in the night. He sweats a lot, even in a room that I find comfortably cool - or cool enough - and says the sweat wakes him up. Anyway, the top sheet almost always could be found kicked down to the very bottom of the mattress or slid totally off the bed - all this making for more clutter and confusion in the early morning.

 

Beyond that, my husband is an above-the-sheets and on-top-of-covers sleeper. He’s that way both summer and winter. As for me, I do my best to stay covered up all night but often find myself half awake, tugging to get back some control of my bed real estate. That’s because my husband, free from all bedclothes restrictions and sleeping soundly, usually traps me in a small space on my side of the bed and with almost all the bed linen pulled under his body. So, sans top sheet, I may still have to contend energetically for bed space and cover but, at least, there’s one thing less to fight over.



Beds without top sheets look just as good.

My awakening to this brighter future happened – in a flash - this past week when I ripped off the top sheet and made the bed without it.  Before, it was a real chore and I did it grudgingly.  I find it easier to make the bed and it looks just as good in less than half the time. Now, I've sworn to always make the bed this way.

So, I've just revived this clutter-busting custom that I did years ago when I lived alone. That leaves me with one less chore in the morning. It's ever so much easier to throw a light comforter or spread over the bed than to actually make it - top sheet and all.

And having less total sheets means more room in my closet. And I do appreciate the extra space. That, since I don't actually have a linen closet but make do with a couple of plastic bins in the master closet. So, I’ve cheerfully given my top sheets to the thrift store to be recycled by someone – who still likes top sheets or even better yet wants to make bottom, fitted sheets out of them or convert them into curtains.

Also, without the added top sheet, more dirty clothes fit into the washer along with the coverlet and pillowcases. And that means water and detergent savings. It also means that you have one item less to fold up before storing it somewhere.

The top-sheet disappearance is a part of my zero-energy campaign – that being, both using less outside energy and also less housekeeping energy. So, to me, at least, living without top sheets is a definite win/win.

 

ANYONE CAN MAKE THESE TIE-QUILTED, FLEECE COVERLETS

I am always on the look out for thoughtful homemade gifts for special occasions. Tie-fleece blankets seemed to be a good idea that could serve for all age groups. And I remembered that I had seen several  styles for these blankets on the Internet when I made tie-fleece pillows for my grandchildren. A neighbor of mine was in happy anticipation of the birth of her first grandchild, and I decided to make something for the baby. I wanted a quick coverlet design for the baby - one that wouldn't take as much time as a knitted one (up to 30 hours to complete). Confident that the tie-fleece idea would work again for me, I went to the store and bought fleece yardage, one a solid green and the other, a lilac geometric pattern.

You'll get raves on these easily made coverlets.

Finding instructions for making fleece blankets wasn't hard at all. It seemed that every craftsy blog had posted or videoed on how to make this kind of covers. And the results that I saw were very attractive and cuddly.

It seemed that there was nothing complicated about it at all, and that all the makers have been so proud to design and give them as gifts. Even kids, of ages about 10 years and older, apparently have  learned to make them. 

The version I came up with was made entirely by hand without a sewing machine. It was fairly simple to make even on the first try. On the other hand, and now with the experience of my first one, I found that there are some common mistakes left out of most instructions. I'll go over some of these later. The best news is that this kind of blanket is very forgiving to minor mistakes.

Choose your fleece fabric
One blanket uses two pieces of fleece fabric - one for each side. You can use any fleece color/pattern combination you like.  The two pieces should be the same except for the pattern. So, be sure about that when you're selecting the thicknesses and textures.  

Fleece fabric is mostly economical. I've even seen it on sale for $3 or $4 a yard, and that's a real bargain since it tends to be about 45" - 48" wide.The rule of thumb for baby blankets is a width of about 30" and length of around 50". The coverlet I made was to be a crib spread and it was 36" by 45". To be on the safe side buy one and a half yards, each, of the print and the coordinating solid.  So, for $12 to $20 dollars you can make an attractive and useful gift for a baby. 

You can ask the attendant to cut the two pieces of fabric to the size that you want. That way you'll save yourself some time and not have to deal with leftovers.  But remember that the outer ties are going to take about 7 inches from each side of the blanket.

Purchase anti-pill fleece so that the blankets can be washed and dried with the regular laundry without becoming ugly. If the fabric doesn't say it's non-shrinkable,consider it to be so and wash and dry the material before starting.

In my search, I found that there are some environmental concerns with fleece (made of polyethylene terephthalate, polyester plastic, PET). So I decided to use  the polyester fabric I found on sale for a crib coverlet/spread with rather than for a blanket that would have direct contact with the baby. This PET type of fabric would also be great for a car seat coverlet. For those who want an all-purpose baby blanket, it would be best to search about for bamboo or cotton fleece, as those natural materials are better for babies. The cost of natural fabric is likely to be greater.

Materials
pair of good, sharp scissors

2 contrasting color pieces of fleece material

table for working (or be ready to sprawl everything out on the floor)

yardstick

2 shades of worsted-weight yarn (can be, like mine, from your leftover stash)

cardboard template, 7 inches long - with half inch holes

upholstery needle

large safety pins

How to make the coverlet
Step 1- setting up the pieces of fleece

Trim the selvages of the two pieces, if there are any, and straighten out the ends. The selvage is the rough edge along two sides where the weave is a bit different. Selvages aren't usually used. Try for a perfect rectangle. That may not be so easy because the material tends to be wiggly. Don't stretch or pull it. Just smooth it out. Fleece gives a lot and can be seriously stretched out of shape. Don't be over concerned about a few wrinkles. By the time the fringes are tied, it won't be noticeable if the pieces are a little off square. 

Make sure the wrong sides face each other - that's with the more polished sides out and the duller sides inside, just as you'll want it when its tied together. Use 12 or more safety pins to hold the pieces where you want them. Pinning the fleece together helps to keep the two pieces in place while you do the yarn decoration and make the cuts.

Step 2 -  the cuts for fringe

Place the patterned fleece on the bottom, and the solid piece on the top, so you won't be distracted by the pattern. Cut 1” wide slits around the entire edge, 7 “ long with a 7” square cut out of each corner. The fringe strips are cut parallel with each side of the rectangle. Lay the yardstick on the edge of the fleece and put a tiny dot with a washable marker just where you want to make the cuts. Cut both fleece thicknesses at the same time. Sharp scissors are a must. Don't worry about each cut being exactly one inch apart. Slight differences won't be noticeable once it's tied. Lay the template at a 90 degree angle with the side to know how far deep to make each cut. 

Step 3 - yarn decoration & inner ties

Use your template to mark the dots at 1/2" apart and running about 3/4" below the tie fringe cuts.  With the upholstery needle and a double yarn, make the decorative rectangle, passing through top  and bottom. Then, do the inner quilting ties at equal intervals, making sure to go through both layers and having about a 1/4" between the entry from the top side and the exit from the bottom side. Having a repeating geometric pattern will help you determine just where to put these ties without doing a lot of measuring.

Step 4 - the outer ties

Tie the two fabrics together at the edges. The knots should be made between pieces of fringe directly one above the other. Pay attention to how you tie so you won't miss one and then have to go back, untie and tie again. Do two opposing sides first and then the other sides. That way you can keep the rectangle in better shape. Be careful with the ties on the corners because they can be tricky, as you need to keep the right angles. Ties can be done using square knots or with a simple double knot - like the ones shown. Also it's easier if you tie every other fringe, then flip the blanket over to tie the remaining strips. That gives it a cleaner look.  

As you tie, the material may bunch if you are using really tight knots. Just stretch the blanket edge as you go to remove any curling or wrinkles. Try to make the knots loose at first and tighten them up later, as needed.

The results
Luckily for me, I received raves on the results of my first try. Time involved?  It took me about eight concentrated hours of work, given that I made a few mistakes that had to be corrected.  And, now that I've learned from my initial mistakes and hoping not to make additional ones, I'm confident that I can do the next coverlet even faster. So, I may really up the ante and make bed-sized coverlets for each of my three grandchildren.

Simpler versions of the crib coverlet - without the yarn decoration - should take four hours or less, depending on the overall size of the blanket. The results are quite acceptable and the blankets are soft, warm and cuddly. And don't worry about these coverlets being perfect. People appreciate the loving work in handmade items and don’t expect them to look like their commercial counterparts.

Related Posts
LEARN TO MAKE SMART, THRIFTY AND EVER SO USEFUL TIE QUILTS
IT’S BABY BLANKET KNITTING TIME AGAIN 
MAKING HEART-SHAPED PILLOWS FOR LITTLE GIRLS

CREATE A PERSONALIZED, EMBROIDERED PICTURE FOR A CHILD
A RIBBON DECKED, TIE QUILTED PILLOWCASE AND A PILLOW HEADBOARD

YOUR NEXT SHOES SHOULD BE CANVAS.

Canvas is a course cloth material made from the hemp plant. It is used in sails, tents, paint boards, and shoes. Shoes made from canvas are casual and constructed very simply with a cloth upper and a rubber sole. Many adults and most children, when allowed to choose, prefer canvas shoes over leather for comfort and looks.

And this post poses a question to you? Do your feet really need those animal skin shoes or would you be happier with a nice pair of canvas shoes? In case you haven’t thought a lot about it, read this and decide for yourself.

GrandmaS wants you to know that she doesn’t sell canvas shoes nor does she, knowingly, have any advertisers that do so. But GrandmaS has been thinking a lot about this topic and, now, is trying to only buy non-animal shoes. She has successfully purchased three pairs of leather-free shoes - the only ones she bought this year. The investment was modest. They were rubber flip-flops - $1, canvas boat shoes -$10, and canvas sneakers - $7.

Canvas shoes are convenient and fun

So, why are canvas shoes highly recommended? First, they're lighter in weight than most other kinds of shoes and mold easier to the shape of the foot. And they're comfortable because they are porous. That means the feet "breathe" better. They also dry out fast, if they get wet.  Looking for more canvas shoe virtues? Here are a few. The rubber soles of canvas shoes don’t tend to stick to the floor and cause missteps on wet surfaces like leather shoes do. They are also casual, versatile, and economical. The cost for a decent pair is usually from ten to twenty dollars - sometimes even less.

You can choose from hundreds of styles of non-leather shoes, clothing, and accessories. And, best of all, no animal needs to be killed to make them. We, humans are causing a major extinction of animals. With the incredible world population of 7 billion with almost standardized customs of animal meat heavy diets and animal skin clothing and shoes, there is a veritable man-made war on animals. We raise millions of animals to kill (in an entirely inhumane manner), skin, and eat them. And we're doing this more and more. Besides that, leather industry is a huge ecological problem. Along with the immense water use and direct pollution of the meat farms, the toxins used in animal hide tanning cause further environmental destruction.

Help save the animals
Animals need human allies who strive to eat no meat or, at least, much less meat and turn away from the wearing of animal based shoes - whenever possible. Of course, having a pair of leather boots for snow and ice is (currently considered) acceptable but, certainly, not the lunacy of many regular people who hoard 20 or more pairs of leather shoes and boots in their closets. It doesn't make any sense at all - except, perhaps, to the industrial shoe makers - who encourage us to indulge in such idiocy through their constant commercial advertising. Their bid is to get all the people with some kind of money, extra or not, to buy a pair of shoes every month of their lives - or more often, if possible.

And, yes, taking a stance against the senseless killing of animals - any animals, horses, wolves, cows or dogs - is being an animal rights activist. But animal right activism is not some kind of terrorist act as is often indicated by the mass media. Concerned people from all political persuasions are trying to lprevent needless animal suffering. Those who are in favor of more humane treatment of animals strive to communicate with everyone on these issues, hoping to expand our moral circle to encompass all kinds of animals - domestic and wild. Wearing canvas shoes is one way to begin your personal animal rights campaign.

We don't need to go on harming so many innocent animals in order to feed and clothe ourselves. And that means we have to be more vigilant in our choice of personal things. Of course, this is best a process instead of an ultimatum, and it’s not necessary to throw out all animal related items for our closets in just one weekend. But a start can be made with that next pair of shoes.

(Now, reducing meat consumption is another matter. Food is something that we can replace fairly quickly. There are not so many acceptable excuses in that area.)

Canvas shoe care

Once you've bought your canvas shoes, you'll want to take care of them. While tough, they’re not indestructible, and you can extend their life by taking some precautions.

- Apply a cloth care spray or starch to the shoes for weather protection. Do this in a ventilated area and wear and wear vinyl protective gloves.

- Wear clean, absorbent socks when you exercise to help keep the insides of your shoes clean and dry.

- Remove your shoes with your hands and not with your other foot, so as not to stretch the canvas and cause the rubber sole to separate from the canvas.

-Remove any loose dirt with a small hard-bristle brush.

- Don’t put them in the washing machine (unless they are really grubby and, if you do, be sure to use the gentle cycle). It’s always best to wash them with dish soap with a clean sponge or toothbrush.

- Wipe away any soap remaining on the shoes with a cloth.

- Dry them by blotting the cloth upper with a hand towel. Put them toe-side up, vertically, against a wall to drain off any water.

- Put them outside in the air overnight or place them in front of a fan.

Related posts
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CLOSETS NEEDING DECLUTTERING? TRY WARDROBING.

THINGS TO DOWNSIZE RIGHT AWAY: CASE #1 – LARGE, FLUFFY BATH TOWELS

Even if you haven’t gone through some major economic emergency that has forced you to reduce your former household size, you probably have some kind of plan to downsize and/or take the clutter out of your house. You know - in your heart of hearts - that having all those possessions is getting to be a burden and your soul longs for a lighter material life.

Downsizing seems to be about people's stuff, but it's really about their attitudes and values. And nobody says the process is easy. In fact, many people report a lot of emotional baggage around letting go. We, understandably, tend to identify with our possessions, so downsizing, for any reason, means a confrontation with who we think we are – our very identity. For example, many people with shelves and shelves (and walls) of books say that all those books mean something to them. Can that possibly be true? Of course, not. But their own identity is tied up with trying to be that person who would read all that (and more). You have to let go of that fantasy self and find a new one who says: “I’m only going to live so many more years, and the chances I read or need to look up something in all of these books is close to zero."

It’s the person that has to change. And, beside books, here's a list of other "sticky" possessions that most people find it hard to part with:

Collections of photos, mementos, and family "treasures"

Antiques and favored furniture

Clothing and other “creature comforts”

Stuff they thought they’d use in the future

On the brighter side, and if I’m reading correctly a lot of blog posts, many people report both happiness and relief when they get rid of clutter and downsize. Here's the nitty-gritty  - we all know that it isn’t good to hold on so much to the past, and things are a lot of our past. Too much energy is involved in maintaining all that baggage. And, properly done, we can let go of what we no longer need and create a better future for ourselves. So, I'm challenging you to take that step and make a healthy commitment to look ahead – instead of behind.

At any rate, it isn’t necessary to begin downsizing and reducing clutter with our very most treasured possessions. We can begin elsewhere. There’s a lot to choose from. In this post, I propose just one change that you can do today to declutter and downsize. And it doesn’t have to affect your identity or your creature comfort.

Case # 1 - The Large, Fluffy Bath Towel

Here, I talk about a creature comfort – the bath towel – and how I changed my attitude toward it over the years.

When I was a child, we didn’t have “nice” towels in the bathroom at our house. Well, most of what we had to dry ourselves with after bathing were called bath towels but, clearly, they were leftover items from years of use. My Mom, true to her past in the Great Depression and WWI, was thrifty and didn’t throw towels away until they were literally rags. Then, she used them for rags.

Tending to be small – just big enough for the purpose that they were intended for - our towels were thoroughly wet when you got through drying. That was a fact of life, and, as far as I could tell, no one seemed to worry themselves about it.  The towel, one for each of us, was hung up in the bathroom and used for a week – drying out in the approximate 24 hours between baths. We didn’t have a shower back then. When hair was washed, a second towel, often the dirty one from the week before that was still in the hamper, was brought into action.

Back in those days, regular people - those who weren’t "rich" - made no effort to put out matching towels and wash cloths. Maybe, in the living room or the bedroom, but the idea of bathroom décor just wasn’t heard of.

So, as a child and teenager, I had made comparisons and felt somewhat left out, seeing that our better-off relatives and friends had newer looking and comfier towels. Later, I saw sets of large towels with matching wash cloths in magazines and on the TV. They were ever so large and fluffy. That spelled out luxury to me.  I vowed that, someday, I would have sets of plush  towels and wash cloths that would grace my (dreamed of) large linen closet. And that they would be the heavy, fluffy type. I guess I bought in, big-time, to the media hype of having the "boutique hotel experience."

So, what happened over the years? Well, my husband and I finally got good paying jobs and the cost of cotton items got cheaper, due to foreign trade. Yes, and, for a long time, I prided myself on buying and using large, fluffy bath towels.

Years, later, came a life-changing set of crises – children then on their own, thankfully. At the end of all that, my husband and I were forced to move across country and downsize our living quarters. In the condo that we gave up – the one that I thought would be our retirement home for the rest of our lives - there was a sizeable linen closet and nice bath. So, bathroom decor, including nice towels, was, if not a priority, at least a possibility.

But, from there, my husband and I went to live in just one room in the house of a friend - along with a shared bathroom. So, a lot of downsizing went on. No furniture was taken with us, and only clothing and some personal items made it that far. Of course, I hadn't gotten rid of all of my beloved “creature comforts.” Yes, I had traveled cross-country with four of my largest and most plush bath towels along with matching wash cloths.

Also, at about that time, I began to adopt greener alternatives and started blogging about Earth-friendliness. So, a lot of things came under scrutiny. Those included washing procedures – energy-related things - like always filling up the machine to capacity, using cold water, choosing less harmful detergents, etc. I also found out that cotton, although the products are available to us fairly cheap, have a huge impact on water use and that the people who collect cotton and make the towels do so under terrible working conditions with wages that don’t even feed them well.

That’s about the time I began to look at my fluffy bath towels differently. They took up a lot of space in the closet. They took up too much room in the washer. They didn’t dry as fast as other clothes in the dryer. Also, I had, over the years, lost a lot of my former interest in matching towel sets. Bathroom décor no longer was a priority in my life.

That’s when I decided to change out my old bath towels for smaller, light-weight ones and give my old ones to a local charity. I found a couple of "downsized" towels at the thrift store and purchased another two - half the length and one-quarter the the weight of the older ones. To my surprise the new ones worked fine, and I’m happy enough using them - no regrets. So, now, I’ve solved one volume–related, material problem surrounding bath towels use. And, oh, I'm still working on some of the social and ecological ones.

By the way, I’ve yet to convince my husband. He still has his old towels. Anyway, he’s not likely to buy himself any new towels, and so eventually his towels will be lighter by wear, if not by intent. My pledge is that I’m not buying any larger, fluffy towels for me or for him.

So, this is my take on bath towels. You can get along very well without all those large, fluffy towels. Get rid of them and buy smaller, lighter versions. If you balk at buying more stuff when you already have towels, here’s an idea. Cut those big towels in half and make a pretty crochet edging around the “new” towels. I’ve wanted to that with my husbands’ towels and made my intentions known.  So far, he hasn’t let me do that.

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THINGS TO DO WITH LEFTOVER CANDLE WAX

Earth-friendly folk, like most of us aspire to be, are always looking for recycling projects. We know that  there's a lot of waste in our homes and that, with a little imagination, we can find new uses for things that, previously, we threw out.

A tin can can be a candle holder.

So, here’s another reuse wonder – making useful things with leftover candle wax. If you burn candles frequently, like I do, you’ve seen how candlewicks tend to be used up first, leaving a lot of extra wax at the bottom. What 's left of the candle is not trash.  It’s a potential treasure.  So start collecting that extra wax that remains in the container. It can be easily made into several recyclable projects for your home. 

Recycled candles

Save extra candle wax, sorted by colors or by scents. Use these leftovers as candle supplies to make new candles. Make sure you have good, clean wax leftovers in a quantity that makes it worth your while. If you have too little wax in the container or if it has got too much soot and other ugly stuff, it’s best to toss it.

(I buy only white or cream colored candles with very little scent, that way I can use all my extra wax without bothering to sort it.)

- Heat the wax in a double boiler until it liquefies. Use a pan that will only be used for this purpose in the future (and never again for cooking). Having the wax over boiling water is a safety measure. Wax can change color and smoke at a temperature of about 250 degrees, and hotter than that and it can catch fire.

- Use your rinsed-out tin cans as the molds. The small vegetable cans are just the right size for votive candles. (Taller cans can be given a fancier look when holes are punctured around the top, according to some design.

- For the wicks, buy braided wick or pre-dip twine or heavy cotton string in the melted wax. Place your wicks on a flat surface so they remain straight.

- Make 2 small cardboard circles for each can, one slightly smaller than the bottom, and another a bit larger than the top; punch a hole in the middle of each circle. Grease the cans so that you can take out the bottom cardboard circles before burning the candles and, that way, the same cans are reusable over and over.

- Insert the wick in the bottom circle, with an inch or so below, and hold the wick up while you fill up the can with melted wax up to 1 or 2 inches from the top.

- Place the top circle on top of the melted wax with the wick pulled through the middle hole. Let the wick hang over the side of the can.

- The candle will set quickly in the air at room temperature or it can be placed in refrigerator to speed up the process.

- When the wax has set, trim the wick to a length of 3/4 inch, and your candle is ready for burning.


Wax ornaments

You can use leftover melted candles to make decorations that can be hung on a Christmas tree or elsewhere in the home.

Begin by melting the leftover wax. Add a candle scent if you like. Then, pour the wax into molds (the kind with both a top and a bottom). Before the wax hardens, cut off pieces of satin ribbon and attach loops in the tops of each ornament. When the wax is completely dry, pop the ornaments out of the molds. A set of these ornaments make nice gifts.

Great fire starters

Any leftover wax - even the sooty kind with ugly bits - is reusable for this project.

Take a large cardboard egg carton and place sawdust or tiny bits of newspaper in the egg part of the carton. Fill it up about halfway.

Pour melted wax over the sawdust or bits of newspaper to the top and allow to set.

Cut the carton into individual egg parts, and use one egg part at a time to start a fire.

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TAKE GRANDMA'S 100 THING CHALLENGE

Despite the materialistic hype that's pounding at us every day, having overflowing basements, closets, garages, and drawers doesn’t make us better or more attractive people. And, it won't make us miraculously happy either - quite possibly the opposite. I think a lot of us feel that in our bones, but where do we start? A book and blog have been written about this dilemma. It’s about the 100 Thing Challenge, and it tells us how one person pared down his worldly possessions to an amazing, minimalist 100 things. He says that he’s been convinced by his experience. Here's what he recommends to reach such a goal: "Reduce (get rid of some of your stuff); Refuse (to get more new stuff); and  Rejigger (your priorities)."

I bet you'll feel joyful and spiritually uplifted, too, if you take on your own minimalist challenge. This is, of course, a tough choice to make. Many, if not most, US households have so many extra things. So, paring back to 100 – even a 1000 - things may seem like a monumental task. It’s clearly a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly – especially when there are other family members who may not want to sign on to such an ordeal.

Grandma's 100 Thing Challenge

It’s a smaller challenge, by far, than living with only 100 things but I believe it’s something we all can do and feel good about. It makes minimalism a work in progress. So, start out slow and do a little at a time. That way, it won't be so much of a burden. You’ll know that you can halt the process if suddenly you see (or feel) the need. My challenge to you is to give up one thing - duplicated in function or unused in several months - in your home every day for 100 days. Then, if you like the results you can continue giving up some more things for another 100 days, and so on. Maybe, then, you'll find just the right number of things for you - 100, 200, 300, etc.

Whatever the number of things you can get rid of, you'll be living without that much household disorganization and have more time to do meaningful things for yourself and others. Like many others, the very clutter and dust-accumulation around may be so depressing that you go out to shop for new things or plan more vacation trips - just to get out of the house.

I believe that people find grace through balance, and we can only achieve this when we take control of our own lives (not having our belongings own us) and pursue what's really important. Possessions, beyond a bare minimum, just get in the way. Having a suburban McMansion, despite the TV and movie hype, isn't “living the good life”. When we endlessly acquire more things, including duplicating stuff in our homes, we never settle in and enjoy what we've got.

Over and over, we’ve mistakenly told ourselves that life wouldn’t be complete without this "special" thing we are buying. But just as soon as this thing is brought home and tucked away, we start out the next day to the mall or the big box store to look for the next "special" thing - in what ends up being a never ending process. We mindlessly seek that momentary reward of finding that next thing - whatever it is and whether we need it or not. With this kind of consumerism, we are the dog chasing our own tail. You can just stop that cycle.

This is what the 100 Thing Challenge is about. If you try for a certain period - say, two or three months - to not buy anything beyond your basic needs, while recycling and repurposing all you can, you'll have a great sense of liberation. You will find that very few things make the new purchase cut - a useful tool, a book, a good wine, a small gift for someone who needs cheering. And, hey, you don't have to ditch family photos and heirlooms. The very best can be incorporated, into your new, organized lifestyle or given to a loved one who promises to cherish them.

Grandma's take on this challenge
If you remember, I already recommended the wardrobe editing challenge. For me, personally, wardrobe editing meant paring back to a total of 50 items. I continue to practice the wardrobe discipline - just buying a new item - usually the thrift store variety - when I really don't like something I have or have worn it out.

I give back the no-longer wanted items to charity or tear them apart, to use as fabric strips (or yarn, in the case of sweaters) to make needlework and other craft projects. I must say that I've seldom regretted giving something away or had a hard time replacing an item that later I found I needed. My personal goal is to have only enough needed for daily life and make absolutely no frivolous purchases. That means taking home nothing that hasn't been considered for at least a week. I’ll cheerfully give up just about anything with only a few exceptions. My rule is: If I haven't used it in three months, I can probably live perfectly well without it.

So, here’s where I’ve started with my own paring down process. Everything is fair game right now, except:
- Stuff that’s my husband’s
- Some few books
- Good quality and super useful tools for crafts and for fixing things.
- Collections count as one item. If everything goes in one small case, I count it as one item. But I can and will edit objects from any collection that I have.

I’ll know I’m well on my way to winning this challenge when all my personal things, including clothing, fit comfortably into a tiny room room or one small commercial storage locker.

Steps to begin your 100 Things Challenge
Put one item in the Challenge Box every day for 100 days.
Things that are "just trash" need to go out and not be included in this box.
Start out with duplicated items. Then move on to things that haven’t been used in 3 or more months
Make a list of what goes in the Challenge Box and add boxes as needed.
Take a picture of each box as it fills up, if you want a visual record.

After 100 days, you'll have accomplished these things
- Big “give-away” pile for charity
- Plans and organization to have a garage sale. To make sure that most stuff goes, try labeling a majority of items with "Make me an offer." (You might try selling the really valuable things on EBay.)
- Happier for having a lot less to store and/or dust.
- A bit more money in your pocket or savings account because you are thoroughly aware of what it means to buy and hold on to so many useless things.

Where to from there
So, I hope you start out your minimalism challenge by choosing to get rid of 100 things. You'll find it's true that the less you have, the less you have to worry about. You’ll amaze yourself at how free you feel - no longer burdened by the need to organize, store and maintain all that stuff. Just keep on paring down and you’ll feel even better. And that relief can be extended to other areas - if you're both convinced and brave. (You might try a week-long camping trip to see if 100 (or even less) items are enough to live with on the short term.) Besides your belongings, you could then move on to other minimalistic challenges that can cover other areas that tend to complicate our existence and contribute to the carbon burden of the Earth, such as:
- New digital gadgetry
- Media consumption
- Costly dietary items
- Non-essential energy and water use
- Long-distance and long-commute travel

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ROUND IN CIRCLES AGAIN: THE CROCHETED ROUND RUG REVISITED

More than two years ago, I wrote a post on crocheting the round rug - also called the circle rug. That post was a celebration for  having finished my first round rug. (See related post below.) Having made what I thought was a good effort and spent time in what seemed to be endless hours of rounds of crocheted and pulled out stitches, my first rug was quite nice. Since then, somewhat embarrassed to say, I’ve not made any more rugs like that. There are some reasons for that. The first is the fact that I’m much more of a knitter than a crocheter. The second is the rather unfortunate conclusion that my stash of leftover yarn, none of which was wool rug yarn, produced an initially nice-looking rug but one that captured every speck of dirt and lint on the floor and didn’t wear well under foot steps either. I removed it from the floor and later repositioned it on the back of the bench that sits at my dining room table. It looks pretty there. On the other hand, there are two benches at my table, so one is cheerfully decorated with a rug and the other one isn’t.


A round rug will look good any where in your home.

It was the unadorned bench that inspired me to make another circle rug and it’s also the theme of this post. Having spent too much time stressing on knitting better mittens, I was in the mood to do a simple crochet project, so I decided to make a round rug out of a several hunks of leftover yarn. Basically, I didn't follow any written pattern, I just used my K hook, and half-double crocheted in rounds until I had a rug the same size as the other one that’s in our dining room. I’ve learned a few things about crochet over the past months and, happily, my experience with crocheting the current rug is different. So, I wanted to share some ideas that have come to me in the process of making my new rug.

These rustic-looking rugs hold some secrets
What goes around and around (like the rows of this kind of rug) comes around. That’s the story of the circle rug. Ever since the US colonies (and before no doubt), almost every home had one or more round or oval rugs, made from wool yarn or rags, depending on the financial situation of the household. I remember back in the fifties, that the round rug was a popular floor covering for what were the first family rooms – back then we called them “rec-rooms".

Since that time, the handmade round rug has dwindled in popularity and is more associated with grandmas than with the younger generations. Still sometimes they are found as an element of down-home style in a bedroom or sitting room. And there are still plenty of modern-type craftspeople that produce all kinds of crocheted rugs –both room-size, floor rugs and mini-rugs that serve as hot-mats and table covers. The mini-versions make well-appreciated gifts and sell well at craft fairs. Also, many of these round rugs are made from rags or repurposed/leftover yarn, and as such represent the true spirit of trash-to-treasure projects.

Beyond all that and on a more mystical note, it’s said that the old handmade circle rug was symbolic of a never-ending journey and, for the meditative types, the crocheting of each succesive row could be part of a prayer daisy chain (mandala-effect).

Why round rugs are, at first, bothersome to make
A lot of people think that crocheting rugs is a real chore that takes too many hours and calls for expert hooking skills. Well, yes, and no. There are a few common problems that are seen with these projects. First, be prepared to spend a lot of hours learning how to make even looking stitches. Second, sometimes, in the middle of making the rows (really concentric circles), a kind of ripple forms at the outer edges. If that happens, you've used too much yardage. You’ll need to unravel some rows until the rug lies flat and re-do the stitches. You can do one of two things to prevent this situation – usually after the first “disaster” - make fewer extra stitches as you increase or use a tighter tension in all the stitches. Third, if you see a sort of big bubble forming somewhere, then your outer rows have too little yardage. You’ll need to correct the problem by ripping out some rows and then using a looser tension or making additional stitches. All in all, you don’t have to see exact circles or absolute flatness as you crochet your rug. You can overcome minor variations from “perfection” by washing the finished item and letting it dry flat.

Having experience all of the above bothersome moments, I offer here a simple patterns and some hints about what I’ve learned while making two crocheted round rugs. Here's the pattern for this rug. You'll see that this one varies a bit from the one described in a previous post.

Pattern for a 39″ crocheted round rug
Materials
Size 10.5 or K crochet hook
About 8 large skeins of rug yarn or the equivalent in a variety of leftover, worsted weight yarns
Darning needle
Measuring tape (a gauge for width of concentric circles and to let you know when you've finished)
Scissors

Instructions
Use a double strand of yarn throughout. It’s easier if you take the trouble to wind both strands of yarn into balls. This helps in maintaining even tension in your stitches.

- To make the center ring, attach the strands of yarn to the hook with a slipstitch and chain five stitches. Join the chain to create a circle. Pull tight into something of a knot.

- For the second row, insert the hook into the stitches of the center ring instead of into the outer part of the stitches and single crochet.

- Make half double crochet stitches with a few increases at equal distance in successive rows and chain one stitch (upwards) to start new rows.

- Keep adding rows until your rug reaches 39 inches or the width you decide to make it.

- For the final row, single crochet all stitches for a tighter edge. When the last row is complete join the yarn to the first stitch in the next to last row with a slipstitch. Cut off about 5 inches of remaining yarn and fasten off by pulling the yarn through the last loops on the hook. Finish off the rug by pulling all loose threads toward the back. Use the darning needle to weave the ends into the stitches.

- You can stop there with what’s sure to be a nice-looking rug or adorn it more by adding a fringe made up of strands of all the colors in your rug or only with the color of the last rows. Or you can make a looped edge (single crochet paired with two chains) to finish off your rug.

Notes
If at the end you discover something of a loose hole in the exact middle of your rug, you can chain stitch an even smaller circle (with just a few stitches) and “plug up’ the hole by sewing the smaller one inside the larger.

When yarn rugs get dusty, just take them outside and beat them. When really dirty, small rugs can be cleaned in the washing machine on gentle cycle and line dried. Larger rugs should be sent to the dry cleaners.

I never use a stitch marker and continue row on row making my color changes visible. This gives the rug a bit of a spiral look instead of exact circles. I also don’t worry about differences in number of rows with each color since one of my goals is to use up my yarn stash. I like these little variations because they give the product a more ‘artistic” or folksy look. You can be careful with these details if you wish. If you do, your rug will look more “traditional” than mine.

Note:
While I said (above) that you would need only 2 strands of worsted weight, I might have been wrong. As I continued crocheting my rug, I found that some of the yarn that was supposed to be worsted weight was lighter than what I started with and ended up using 3 strands in order to make it match in thickness. So, if you're using different weight yarns, like I was, you'll probably need to make the same kind of adjustments.

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FENG SHUI CAN HELP ENERGIZE YOUR FRONT DOOR AND ENTRYWAY

Winter is not too far away now, and already the days are getting cooler and shorter. If you’re like most of us, the fall season causes your mood to droop a little. And, our energy-levels can slide even further during the cold winter months when there's not much sun and the green trees, flowers, and grass are long gone. Those are the times we seek the shelter and comfort in our own homes. And, an upbeat home will help keep our spirits up during the long winter.

Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of chi or universal energy flow. Feng Shui involves the placing of objects and the use of space to enhance our lives, and we can use these principles to energize our homes in the months to come. The theme of this post is how to use Feng Shui rules at the entrance of the house to increase the positive energy throughout the home.

According to Feng Shui, the main door and the front entryway are very important parts of the home because that’s where most of the positive universal energy, or chi, comes in. That’s also the space that you, your family and friends see first when entering the house. Your choice of decoration at the front door and entryway show something about you and contribute to your attitude toward life. If you feel bad energy entering your home, it will have a negative effect on your psychology.

While other parts of the house may be used by just a few people, all members of the family and visitors alike enter through the main door. So, you’ll want the entrance to your home to be inviting and filled with good energy. Now your main entry to the house may be a side door, through a garage, or a hallway door, if you live in a building. If that’s your main entryway then the energy flow principles that apply to a front door are the same for your entrance. So, start now to analyze what Feng Shui solutions can help you energize the entryway to your home.

Main door
In the outdoors, chi moves mostly uninterrupted in gentle curves – straight lines are human artifacts and often are unfortunate when it comes to energy flow. The outdoor chi flows relatively freely, like water or vapor, coming in through the main door, drifting through the house, and finally exits out of windows and any other doors.

According to Feng Shui, the main door should be a solid construction. It is the “mouth” of the house, taking in nourishing chi. Glass panels in the door and windows that are too close to the door on either side can pull the good energy back out of the house right after it enters. A green potted plant on the windowsill or a hanging decoration on the window help keep the energy from escaping.

You want the “fresh” energy that comes through your door to wander around the rooms unhurriedly before exiting. That is why you don't want to see an exiting door from your entryway. The worst possible position for the back door is in a straight line (shot-gun style) from the front door. Potted plants or folding screens that “bend” the energy to one side can help this problem - that way not all the flow will be in one door and out the other. Crystals, wind chimes, screens, curtains, and water displays can also be used to the stop rapid energy loss through an exit door.

Foyer or front hallway
The entrance area, traditionally called the foyer, is the transition from the outside to the inside personal space. It’s important that energy that comes into the front of your home isn't obstructed. Your entryway should be open and easy to move around in, allowing you free access to the rest of the home. The main door should open into an uncluttered, clean front room or hallway. A wall that’s too close to the front door blocks the flow of energy into the home.

Lighting is important in the entry, so use an overhead lamp that’s attractive and gives off sufficient light. Make sure that the walls are painted a light or bright color in the front area. The first things you see when you enter your home should be friendly to the eye and bring peace and joy to your heart. You'll feel much more at ease and comforted when the entryway is an attractive part of the home.

A hanging mirror opposite the door is not such a good idea because it will “reflect” the energy back out of the house. Instead, let the eye see an attractive painting or wall hanging, preferably a landscape, facing the doorway. Mirrors can be used on the walls to the side of the main door, where they reflect the light and make the entrance feel larger.

Clutter stops energy from flowing. Remove anything that is blocking the flow of chi in your entryway. Keep your entrance hall clean and organized by including only a few essentials, such as an umbrella stand, a console table, or a coat rack. The entrance hall should never be a storage room. Don't leave items, such as shoes, clothing or any other unnecessary items lying around. Decorate the area with just a few beautiful objects, plants or flowers. Crystals, devotional figures, good luck pieces, and ceramic eggs are also commonly used in Feng Shui as a means of amplifying the energy in the home.

There is a particular problem when the front door opens directly into a living room or kitchen. While we usually can’t redesign the layout of our homes, Feng Shui remedies can still be of help. If possible, try to differentiate the entryway by hanging curtains or placing a divider or a tall plant near the front door, thereby creating a visual stopping point between the door and the rest of the living space. The addition of rug that’s in proportion to the entrance can help create the feeling of a separate entry space. The most appropriate rugs for the entryway have simple designs - suggesting stable, grounding energy that creates positive energy for the transition from outdoor to indoor space.