May declutter, day 26: 26 items (351)

Sarah's clothes again - more things which aren't worn or don't fit. 

Book 41: A Room Full of Chocolate by Jane Elson

Another one I was trying out for my class's book corner. I didn't like this as much as some of the others - nothing wrong with it, but it read much younger, and I'm not sure that's just to do with the target audience. Still, I can see it appealing to girls of a certain age. 

Book 40: Ghostwritten by David Mitchell (re-read)

I read this ages ago, and had been thinking about it recently so decided to re-read it. Verdict: it's good, but not as good as Cloud Atlas. 

May declutter, day 25: 25 items (325 total)

Still in Sarah's room, moving on to clothes now. Various things which either don't fit or are no longer worn. Most bound for the charity shop (though I don't send pants to the charity shop - can't imagine anyone buying second hand pants). 

Asian Stir Fry with Cashews (Vegan in 7)

We had this before and really enjoyed it - time for a repeat. We particularly love the cashews, and in fact, I made some more just to nibble on, later.

May declutter, day 24: 24 items (300 total)

Still working through Sarah's room - various bits and pieces, some for the bin, some for the charity shop; one item (the holepunch) going to school with me. 

May declutter, day 23: 23 items (276 total)

More things from Sarah's room - makeup which is either too old or she doesn't use for other reasons, some socks she doesn't wear, etc, etc. Most of this stuff is going in the bin, with a few objects suitable for rehoming.

Dinner, 23/5/18: Spiced Broccoli with Paneer

I can't make up my mind about this. I didn't dislike it, but neither was it very inspiring. 

Dinner, 22/5/18: Courgette & Mint Soup

May declutter, day 22: 22 items (253 total)

This stuff is all from Sarah's room - various knick knacks, books, posters, etc which she no longer needs. And a pair of socks with holes in.

May declutter, day 21: 21 items (231 total)

And another assortment of stuff from various places around the house: some insulated mugs we don't use (to work), a couple of old bikes and scooters which have been cluttering up the bike shed (gone to new homes via local FB group), old notebooks, half full (bin), some old bits of clothing leftover from Olivia upcycling and  a paper pattern (bin), some posters (recycling), a few books from Sarah's room (charity shop), an old pair of gym trousers with a huge rip (bin). 

Dinner, 21/5/18: Chickpea and Carrot Tagine

Thought this was very nice. We had something similar a while back, which lacked flavour; flavour on this much better. 

May declutter, day 20: 20 items (210 total)

Some unusued pillowcases and placemats (charity shop), broken headphones (bin), spare mugs (work) and old water bottles (recycling), a very heavy duvet we don't like (tip - it's not really suitable for the charity shop), my old swimsuit (just got a new one; this one is losing its elasticity), some extra pillow stuffing from old pillows (bin). 

May declutter, day 19: 19 items (190 total)

This is just pants. Literally. There are 19 pairs of pants here, some in a size 13-14 YO and some in a men's small - all of which are too small for Mr I Just Don't Ever Seem to Stop Growing Taller. Obviously, he doesn't clear out his dresser quite frequently enough.

Dinner, 19/5/18: New Potato, Mozzarella, Spring Onion Tart

Book in

This is the second in a series of which I recently read the first...

May declutter, day 18: 18 items (171 total)

Today's selection of items comes from all over the house - a few things from the loft cupboards - some old CD racks, a scarf, another region 1 DVD (charity shop), a few old posters, some dried up glue (bin), and a handful of highlighters and clips, which are going to school. 

May declutter, day 17: 17 items (153 total)

Some more stuff (mostly) from the loft storage - an old sleeping bag which no one uses - we have a couple of better ones, and we don't camp, so there's not a huge need for sleeping bags in our house anyway.  A ton of boxes - mostly shoes boxes with flip lips (rather than separate lids) and a few other things. The kids have broken these down and they'll go to the tip. I did keep a good handful (6 or 7) shoeboxes with lids and a couple of small mailing boxes. Three duvet sets, which will go to the charity shop. The kids' beds still have 2 or 3 sets each, and I still have a couple of spares in case I need some to send to uni with Olivia next year. And the Aristocats is a region 1 DVD, which we can't readily play. It's going to the charity shop (with a note) and we'll replace it with a region 2 DVD, because even teenagers need Aristocats from time to time...

Book 39: The Girl Savage by Katherine Rundell

This is another one which I bought intending to share with my class - picked it up in the bookshop the other week without realising (despite it actually saying on the cover) that the author also wrote Rooftoppers, which I read earlier this year.  I enjoyed this one - another good, imaginative story from a great writer.

Dinner, 16/5/18: Spaghetti with Courgette & Lemon

A nice simple, summery pasta dish - you don't even cook the courgette in advance, just grate it and when you mix it into the hot pasta, it wilts just enough.

May declutter, day 16: 16 items (136 total)

Sarah and I cleared out a couple of cupboards in her room (which is in the loft, so has all the extra storage in it) and found lots of things which we don't need anymore. The bookmarks are actually going to school - we have tons and these can go in books in my book corner. The two ready beds both leak, so aren't very practical (they are also very old) - they are going to the tip. The two baskets can go to the charity shop as they've been in the cupboard for years. The green canister was a Christmas present container, but we'll never use it. The backpacks - two are going to the charity shop, and one, which is really in bad shape, in the bin. The gym bag in the same picture is ripped, so also - bin.  The toaster box has the old toaster in it, which sort of works, but tends to burn things even on low (which is why we got a new toaster) - again, it's going to the tip. And the red plastic box (which is actually a set of stacking boxes), we just never use, so no need to keep it.

Book 38: Holes by Louis Sachar

Picked this up in school today, when I had two long periods of clock watching, where I wasn't able to do much of anything, while children sat exams they weren't allowed any help with.  I thought I'd read it before, but it's possible I only saw the film - anyway, it's brilliant, which I knew. 

May declutter, day 15: 15 items (120 total)

A kind of random assortment of items today - some stuff from the bathroom - the bath gel and fizzer sets are going to the raffle prize bag and the other stuff in that photo going in the bin. The bookmarks are ones which are either broken or which we don't ever use because we don't like them in books. The USB cord only half works and we have loads, so it's going in the bin. The magazine is pretty much used (recycling bin) and the book isn't something we'll use  (charity shop).

Book 37: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

First in a trilogy; fantasy set in a future where a significant percentage of the population has psychic powers of one sort or another, but those people are being systematically wiped out & persecuted. Nice premise, some interesting revelations about the world within the book - all is not as it first appears, and great characters.  Looking forward to the next one.

Dinner, 14/5/18: Sausages, Mash, Green Beans

May declutter, day 14: 14 items (105 total)

A few more items from the hallway - some gloves, a bag strap, a hat Sarah doesn't wear, a pair of Superman converse which the girls bought in a charity shop, which I love, but they are a size too big, so it really doesn't work. then some stuff from upstairs - some old watches, a canister of film which is probably 15 years old, Alex's old calendar, and some puzzles which we'll never put together again.  We still need to clear out the rest of the bookcase where the puzzles live, but I'm waiting for one of the kids to be free to help me.

May declutter, Day 13: 13 items (91 total)

These items are mostly from the set of drawers in the hallway which had all the hair bands in it - gloves, hats, all that. Here are some handwarmers, some gloves which no one wears, Alex's panda hat (which I was kind of sorry to see go - he LOVED that hat, but even if it still fit him, which it doesn't, I can't imagine him wearing it any more). A couple of extra bags for life and the last item, from the kitchen, a free sample of glucotabs, which no one uses. It's been there for years.

May declutter, Day 12: 12 items (78 total)

Some of this is hair stuff from the same drawer (notice I've counted that enormous pile of mismatched clips as one item!), and some of it is from different drawers in the same unit - a broken umbrella, some umbrella sleeves for umbrellas we no longer have; a pair of goggles which no one likes because they leak, an old pair of ear muffs.  Most of it is going in the bin, but a few things goign to the charity shop.

Dinner, 11/5/18: Filled pasta with tomato sauce

A very simple weeknight supper after a long week, with a busy weekend ahead.

May declutter, Day 11: 11 items (66 total)

Same drawer as yesterday's haul - and again - hair things which would never be used these days.

May Declutter, Day 10: 10 items (55 total)

In our drawers in the hallway, there was a drawer with hair stuff in it - it's been there for years, since the girls were small enough to need last minute hair treatments before heading out to school.  It really needed a clear out. So here are 10 various hairbands which definitely would never be used these days.

Dinner, 9/5/18: Lentil Salad with salsa verde & cornbread

Another dinner which got pushed back due to barbecues - luckily, it was something which saved well!

May declutter, day 9: 9 items (45 total)

Still working on the drawers in the kitchen - some of these things are from the general junk drawer, like the old AA cards and the extra keyring rings (I saved about 6 of them). The earbuds are from Alex's drawer - headphones always come with extra ear buds in different sizes - who knows why we tend to keep the sizes we don't use!  But Alex seemed to have the national collection of spare ear buds in his drawer.  All of this stuff went in the bin.

Dinner, 8/5/18: Courgette & Mushroom Tart

with a green salad.This meal was originally set for Sunday, but two different neighbours invited us to barbecues over the bank holiday weekend, so it kept getting pushed back. Finally!

May declutter, day 8: 8 items (36 total)

More things from Alex's drawer - some broken or used up things, a spare oyster card case (he got a new one a while back, which is more to his current taste), various other bits and pieces. Most of them bound for the bin, the oyster case to the charity shop.

May declutter, day 7: 7 items (28 total)

Today's items are a result of helping Alex clear out his drawer in the kitchen - the Tardis shaped box with key is going to the charity shop, the other things are either empty or broken, so they are going in the bin.

May declutter, day 6: 6 items (21 total)

OK, here we have an empty handcream (nearly) and one which came as part of a set, but it's really runny and I don't like it. An unused lipgloss, a nail clipper which isn't really sharp anymore (it will get replaced), a couple of free samples of eye cream (I don't use it) and one of those little knitted hats which you get on Innocent smoothie bottles in the winter to raise money for a charity - it was on the lid of the mousse I got rid of yesterday. All going in the bin. (And we've moved on to the kitchen drawer...)

Dinner, 5/5/18: Jerk Chicken (Hairy Bikers), Sweet potato wedges, courgettes

May declutter, day 5: 5 items (15 total)

Some lipbalms which are either a bit dried up or which I don't like. A hair mousse I was given as a gift and which I never use; a body lotion which is nearly empty, and which has a really strong scent I always remember I don't like that much after I use it... (again, it was a gift). All going in the bin. 

Book 36: Boy 87 by Ele Fountain

Another possible book for my class - I was worried this might be too old for them, but actually, it's fine. It's not an easy read and it deals with some tough issues, but there's nothing too old for them, really. We read Elizabeth Laird's The Garbage King as a class book (which this has some similarities to, being set at least partly in Ethiopia or an unnamed country a bit like Ethiopia) and I felt that was a bit old for them in some of it's issues. This is a bit gentler in its approach to very tough issues and a hard life, but it's a lovely piece of writing. A super addition for my recommendation basket.

I did try (and then discard) an adult fiction book between these two children's books, but children's books are really exciting me at the moment. There's just so much good stuff out there!

Dinner, 4/5/18: Jacket Potatoes with toppings

May declutter, day 4: 4 items (10 total)

The rubber band ball is going to work; the two pencils are tiny, the pen is a freebie from something and is horrible and the sharpie doesn't work (I'm counting the pencils as one item).

May declutter, day 3: 3 items (6 total)

Some little bags which I don't use for anything. Off to the charity shop.

Book 35: Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne

John Boyne is probably most famous for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. This one is not as serious and heavy as that one (what is?) though it does deal with some quite serious issues. I read it to check suitability for my class and it's definitely going in the Mrs North Recommends basket. A lovely story.

Dinner, 2/5/18: Chorizo and Chickpeas braised in cider (John Whaite)

We didn't think you could really taste the cider here, though we liked the dish well enough. I probably needed to cook it a little longer to reduce the liquid but we were in a hurry, as usual. It would also be really nice with a crusty loaf, if you had one floating around...

May declutter, day 2: 2 items (3 total)

Usually when I start the declutter, I do it in the kitchen with the junk drawer and move around the house, ending upstairs, but this year I started in my bedroom, with my dresser and dresser drawer - not the clothes, though. I'll do those later. So this is a half-used hand cream that I don't really like that much and a pump lotion which is ok, but not my favourite. The one is going in the bin; the other will go to work for the sink there - pump lotions are nice by the sink and there's nothing wrong with it...

Dinner, 1/5/18: Spaghetti with Lemon & Olives

A quick pasta dish for a weeknight supper. It also has chili flakes and pine nuts in addition to the lemons and olives in the title. And grated cheese. If you were vegan, you could leave off the grated cheese and it would be almost as nice!

May declutter, day 1: 1 item (1 total)

For the past couple of years, I've done a spring decluttering in the house, using a technique I saw on the internet somewhere, which appealed to me - the idea is you choose a month, then get rid of one item the first day, two the second, three the third, and so on, until the end of the month. The total is pretty substantial at the end of the month. I'm not a hoarder by any means, but things do tend to get cluttered if you don't take the time to go through things and get rid of those things which no longer fit or aren't needed or whatever. So, to kick off this year, it's a wallet - it's new - nothing wrong with it except that after I bought it I decided it was too large for the person I wanted to give it to. It wasn't expensive, so I kept it in case I could think of someone else to give it to, but in the end, I think it will do better going into the bag for raffle prizes/tombolas next time I'm asked to donate something.

April Round Up

WHAT WAS  FOR DINNER, APRIL 2018

• 30th: Mexican Bake
• 29th: Thai Style mince with fragrant rice
• 28th: Vegetable Biryani
• 27th: Teriyaki Salmon Noodles
• 26th: Fend for yourself Thursday
• 25th: Celery Soup with biscuits
• 24th: Potato & Lentil Salad, Green bean Salad
• 23rd: Spaghetti with pea and mint pesto
• 22nd: Paella style rice with chicken and black olives
• 21st: Courgette, refried bean and goat's cheese quesadillas
• 20th: Brussels sprout & blue cheese pizza
• 19th: Baked Aubergine, fennel & Chickpeas
• 18th: Santorini style spaghetti
• 17th: Cauliflower & Cheddar Soup
• 16th: Suriname style curry
• 15th: Chicken & Potato Stew
• 14th: Cauliflower "steaks" with chimichurri sauce
• 13th: Courgette & Feta Pancakes
• 12th: Chili (leftovers from freezer)
• 11th: Bombay Potato Frittata
• 10th: Chili Chicken Stir Fry
• 9th: Spicy sweet potato wraps
• 8th: Filled pasta bake (Alex)
• 7th: Carrot, potato & parsnip fritters (A&O - K&G away)
• 6th: Chicken escalopes, broccoli, potatoes (kids - K&G away)
• 5th: Jacket potatoes (kids - K&G away)
• 4th: Pasta carbonara (Alex - K&G away)
• 3rd: Roasted beans & chickpeas with tamarind (Olivia - K&G away)
• 2nd: Moroccan chicken wings, couscous
• 1st: Roast rack of lamb, potatoes, carrots