Decluttering isn’t easy. If you don’t know where to start, it can feel like a huge challenge that no one really wants to start.
The goal of decluttering is to only surround yourself with items that bring you happiness or provide a service to your life.
If you find your life is full of chaos and clutter, then it might be time for a declutter.
So, ask yourself these questions while you free your life from clutter.
Continue readingReading the classics is something that I’ve always wanted to do but I didn’t know where to start. I didn’t feel smart enough and I wasn’t really sure I’d even enjoy them.
That was until I decided to bite the bullet and give the classics a try.
Back in 2021, I decided to start reading one classic book per year. I actually didn’t end up sticking to that as I enjoyed them so much that I read much more than just the one.
I know that it can be intimidating to start reading the classics so I wanted to share a few little tips that helped me.
1. Read slowly. There’s no rush to finish the books. By reading slower, you are able to fully take in all the information and parts of the story.
2. Start with children’s classics. These are often easier to read and will help you get used to the language used in more classic books.
3. Listen to the audiobook while you read. Sometimes my issue with classic books is that I have no idea how to pronounce some of the words. By listening to an audiobook as I read, I feel like I am able to process the story a lot easier.
There are so many incredible classics out there that I haven’t read yet, but here are the classic books that I have enjoyed the most and think that you will enjoy too.
1. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. This is my favourite book of all time. It’s cosy, whimsical, and makes me appreciate all the little things in life. This is one of the first classics I read and I didn’t find the language too difficult to understand.
2. The Call of the Wild by Jack London. I read this book after watching the film that was released in 2020. The film was absolutely beautiful so I knew that I had to try to read the book. It was a pretty enjoyable read but I do wish that I listened to the audiobook alongside reading it as some of the wording was a little tricky which meant it took me a while to read.
Continue readingDecluttering has become quite the discussed topic here on my blog but something that I don’t talk about as much is decluttering your mind. In my opinion, decluttering your mind and your mental space is just as important as decluttering the physical items in your life.
One of the best ways to declutter your mind is by doing a brain dump.
In its simplest form, a brain dump is simply taking all the thoughts from your mind and writing them down. It’s a quick way to declutter your thoughts and help you focus on what’s important.
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“The year is 1793 and Herbert Powyss is set on making his name as a scientist. Determined to study the effects of prolonged solitude on another human being, he advertises for someone willing to live in his cellar for seven years in return for a generous financial reward. The only man to apply is John Warlow, a semi-literate farm labourer with a wife and six children to support. Cut off from nature, Warlow soon begins losing his grip on sanity while above ground, Powyss rapidly becomes obsessed with Warlow’s wife, Hannah.
The experiment, a classic Enlightenment exercise gone more than a little mad, will have unforeseen consequences for all included. In this seductive tale of self-delusion and obsession, Alix Nathan has created an utterly transporting historical novel which is both elegant and unforgettably sinister.”
I had this book on my Amazon wishlist for months and when I spotted it on a shelf at my local library, I knew I had to grab it.
Continue readingHave you ever noticed how putting down one item on a flat surface rapidly leads to a pile of items that you don’t know how they accumulated? That’s because clutter attracts clutter.
I’ll give you an example that I noticed in my own life recently. Next to a chair in my bedroom is a little table that I use when writing or blogging. Recently I pushed the table against the wall and left a few pieces of paper and some pens on it. Over the course of two days, that table managed to collect books, water bottles, crochet hooks and so much other junk. I have no idea how it manages to happen but it does.
But what are we supposed to do to stop this? Here are a few simple steps that should help you break that clutter cycle.
Continue readingAutumn is by far my favourite season of the year. It’s a time to be filled with blankets, hot chocolates, and our favourite books.
Reading is my all-time favourite Autumn activity. Nothing can beat reading under a blanket on a windy day.
If you’re looking to add some books to your tbr piles for Autumn, then here are a few of my recommendations.
1. If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura. How do you decide what makes life worth living? This book follows the story of a man who only has months left to live. He isn’t ready to die so when the devil appears and offers him a deal, he has to decide how far he will go in order to live.
2. The Haunting of Aveline Jones by Phil Hickes. A middle-grade paranormal mystery is perfect for Autumn. This book follows Aveline Jones who finds a spooky, old book that once belonged to Primrose Penberthy who mysteriously vanished. Aveline decides to investigate Primrose’s disappearance.
3. Agatha by Anne cathrine Bomann. This book is a pretty short, fast-paced read. It’s set in 1940s Paris and follows the story of a psychiatrist who is counting his days until retirement. That is until Agatha visits him and makes him reconsider everything.
Continue readingI want to start this post by saying there’s nothing wrong with buying things. If you want something and you feel it will improve your life, then go and buy it.
However, these days, we seem to have forgotten that the thing we want might be easier and cheaper to obtain by borrowing.
There are so many reasons to borrow something rather than buy it these days and I thought it would be nice to talk about a few of those reasons.
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“Snow and Rose didn’t know they were in a fairy tale. People never do….
Once, they lived in a big house with spectacular gardens and an army of servants.
Once, they had a father and mother who loved them more than the sun and moon.
But that was before their father disappeared into the woods and their mother disappeared into sorrow.
This is the story of two sisters and the enchanted woods that have been waiting for them to break a set of terrible spells.”
Snow and Rose is an endearing retelling of the Grimms’ “Snow White and Rose Red”. It focuses on the theme of family which feels like a good choice considering this is middle grade fiction.
Continue readingIn a world with Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime and everything else, it’s easy to find yourself binge-watching another show. I remember when you’d only watch a handful of shows and you’d have to wait for them to come on tv at a certain time. Now it’s all available to us whenever we want it. Oh how quickly life changes.
These days, we have multiple shows we are in the middle of and a watchlist that is too long. But what if we want to watch tv but do something else at the same time?
Here are some things that you can do while watching tv.
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Positively Eleanor 