irishlife

{Challenge}: De-clutter your wardrobe

March 31, 2017 by Meg 24 Comments

The best time to de-clutter your wardrobe is usually when you move houses (or in our case, when you move countries). I usually do a bit of a sort through my cupboard at the start of winter or summer. With the change of season coming up; it is a good reason to take stock of what you have, what you have worn and what you know with all certainty you will never wear again.

When we left SA last year, I had two full cupboards of clothes. I got rid of 6 large, black bags of clothes! At the time, I was ashamed of such waste, and I was happy to just get rid of it all, but my mum pointed out that some stuff I still had tags on – I had bought things online, and loved the look of but in the end it didn’t fit me or I just never had a place to wear it. I had various reasons, the biggest one was that I wanted to lose weight before I wore half of my clothes in my wardrobe. I was hanging onto clothes that made me sad when I saw them looking back at me from in my cupboard.

Even though I did this mass de-clutter exercise, I still came over to Ireland with 2 large suitcases (over 40 kg’s of stuff). Here is everything all laid out on our double bed (in Ireland), just to give you the scale of clothes I still managed to bring over with me.

A few months ago, I came across the idea of having a capsule wardrobe, and project 333, which is a challenge that says you need to cut your wardrobe down to 33 items for 3 months (this includes accessories, shoes, work and leisure wear, but does not include workout gear, underwear items, pj’s and house-wear like dressing gowns etc). I tried to cut my own wardrobe down, and came pretty close, actually I am technically under 33 items in the picture below – but if you count my coats, shoes and hats/scarves/gloves (which she says you need to do) – I am over 33 items, but still, I am substantially less that what I started with. And I guess we all got to start somewhere. Here is what I put back in my wardrobe after I did the challenge:

While I was re-branding my blog and taking stock of what truly matter to me, I realised that I think a lot of us have this unhealthy obsession with clothes. I am the first to admit, I loved Spree and regularly bought clothes online. I bought and stored tons of clothes, half of which I never even wore. And some of it, I wore, and it got holes or started to stretch and fade – and still I held onto it. The real question you need to ask yourself is: Do you own your clothes or do they own you?

Do you own your clothes or do they own you? Take the #thisisusliving challenge and find out how to de-clutter your wardrobe! Click To Tweet

Here is how you can get rid of more than half of your wardrobe:

Get all your clothes out of the cupboard and in front of you. Take stock of what you have. Sort into 3 piles:
1. Love and wear all the time
2. Haven’t worn in 6 months
3. Don’t like, don’t fit, looks shit
Pile 3 is easy – you need to get rid of this stuff. Sort this pile into donate, chuck or sell. But get rid of it. Don’t hold onto stuff that makes you feel or look terrible. I personally had a pair of jeans I hadn’t worn in years, it was several sizes too small and I lugged them half way across the world, thinking one day I would fit into them. As a side note, they were outdated, and out of style and I knew deep down, even if I could fit into them, I probably wouldn’t wear them. Let it go.
Now look at pile 1 (love stuff) – really look at it critically. How many grey jerseys do you really need? I had 9 black long-sleeved tops. Nine? Like, really, why?? Cut things down to the essentials, the must keeps, the will definitely wear, the love to wear. Pack away the stuff you know you won’t wear until the weather is warmer or cooler.
Pile 2 gets a bit tricky. In this pile will probably be things you are holding onto for sentimental reasons. That comfy hoodie with all the holes, but reminds you of your varsity days. The outfit you bought at a ridiculous price for a friend’s wedding, you have worn it once but haven’t had another place to wear because it’s “too fancy”. Take stock of how the items in this pile make you feel. Prepare yourself – it can be emotional. For some things, I got kinda angry about rationalizing why I needed to keep them. I wanted to keep it but I couldn’t justify my reason, and it frustrated me. You can further sort out this pile of clothes into piles:
1. Like but not love
2. Won’t wear, but want to keep for some reason
3. No need for any more
Chuck the stuff you know you won’t wear, or don’t need anymore.
Look at the stuff you won’t wear but want to keep – really be ruthless here. Throw out the stuff that has holes in it, the stuff you won’t ever wear in public because it is too worn or maybe doesn’t fit right. Get rid of those pants you are saving for when you finally lose the weight.
For the stuff that is left over, the like but not love pile too – put all of this together with the seasonal pieces you won’t wear right now. Box up, or put in bags and store it somewhere that is hard to reach – top of your cupboard or under your bed. The idea here is to re-look this pile with fresh eyes in a few months. The stuff you forgot about or totally never thought about or never needed, you can far easier get rid of in a few months. But learn to let it all go. It’s unhealthy to have this need for things. Let it go and see how much clearer your mind feels without all that stuff in your cupboard.
Pack the things you are keeping and the things you love back into your cupboard and really take stock of all the space you have created. Now you should clearly see all the items you really love.

You might find after doing this exercise (if you were ruthless enough) that there are things that you may need to replace. The key word here is: Replace. Not add. You might come to find (like I did) that you need to get rid of all your pants (they don’t fit, they have holes, they make you feel yuck). The art of de-clutter and living with less is not so that we live with scraps, and cheap clothing. You should have good quality pieces in your cupboard – things that look and feel good to wear. Replace the stuff that doesn’t work if you need to. But the key is to keep your cupboard free, and not to add more to it. If you want to add anything, ask yourself – what can I let go to make space for this?

Sign up below and receive a FREE printable that will help you declutter your own wardrobe. De-clutter your wardrobe, then tell me how it makes you feel?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

p.s. If social media is your thing (snap! It’s my fave too!), you should totally follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or join my exclusive Facebook Group. And because I seriously am an open book, if you ever want to bounce ideas off me, or just chat and connect send me an email (I really love chatting!).

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How we moved to Ireland

March 28, 2017 by Meg 26 Comments

***Update: We have lived in Dublin for nearly a year now, and this is by far my most popular post – I thought it might be handy to link up some of my more recent posts that flesh out some of the key things you need to consider when moving to a new country, particularly Ireland. In each of the below sections, I have shared the link to the relevant post to help you find exactly what you might be looking for. As with anything on this blog, it is written purely from our point of view and from our own experiences. If you are looking to chat more about how you can move to Ireland, feel free to contact me, and if its technical info you need about your own situation, Citizen Information can also be a great resource.

I thought I would share how we moved countries, and what we thought about BEFORE we made the decision to move overseas. I tried my best to layout all the things you should consider if you are also looking to make the move. Firstly, I have to just say, this is what we did. There is not right or wrong way. Perhaps some of this won’t apply to you, but maybe it will give you some ideas and perhaps it will help you in some small way.

Here is a step by step account on how we moved countries:

Check your reasons – stand by them – you will get asked a million times.

We get this question a lot – How did you move countries? What made you choose Ireland? Why are you leaving us? We even had some people really shock us by saying the reasons we are moving must be because we were white and there is nothing left in South Africa for “us” – that was truly the worst. It breaks my heart that I have friends who think like this.

To answer this question for the million-th time: we did not move away because we have lost hope in South Africa. Quite the opposite. We love South Africa, but we also love to travel. So moving to a new country, wherever in the world we ended up, meant we could explore more and travel more. Simply put, we moved for the adventure – it was not to run or escape anything.

***Update: Read this post about the things no-one talks about when you move to a new country for a reality check, because let’s be real expat life ain’t all glam and roses.

Pick a country.

Truthfully, Ireland was on a list of about six other places. We drew up a list that would suit the skills that Rob has (he works in Tax). So we focused on countries where a lot of tax structuring happens (Rob’s lingo, not mine). Since I work in digital marketing, my job could be any where really – at a push, I could freelance online. Some of the countries on a our list were: Ireland, Canada, UK, some parts of Europe namely; Amsterdam, Switzerland & Luxemburg.

Find a job.

At our ages, and in our careers, we were not keen on taking a huge risk of going over and finding a job. We also were very flexible on where in the world we would live – so it meant we could throw the net wider in the job search. We made the decision that Rob would get the job first, and then depending on the rest of the criteria (Jack, cost of living, and the job market for me) we would make a final call on if that worked for us.

We updated our Linkedin profiles, and searched for international job opportunities. Truthfully, we had limited interest. What made it all possible in the end was when Rob put his CV out on a job portal specific to his job function (www.etaxjobs.com). He actually applied for a job in Luxemburg, and the recruiter job contacted him. They chatted about what jobs Rob was looking for, and that is when he was told about the job here in Dublin.

That was a big nudge for us to start looking more intensely at Dublin. We were super critical, and I have to say, thorough in our planning. We wanted to make sure our life would be the same or better if we moved. A big question to ask yourself is; what do you want and what do you want to avoid? Understand that everything comes with a compromise, things will always be different somewhere new. But know the things that you won’t bend on. It makes it easier to scrap ideas that don’t fit with what you want.

*Update: Rob had a job and a work permit before coming over here, and that truly made things a bit easier to handle because what we didn’t know was that it would take me over 8 months to find a job and then go through 9 weeks of work permit application processing. Yes, I am eligible for a spousal dependent work permit, and I work in marketing, but I don’t think either of us realised how hard it would be and how long it would take for me to find a job.

Visas and work permits.

A big thing to working in a foreign country is understanding what the visa restrictions are. Rob has a SA passport, and I have a Canadian one. Ireland has no visa restrictions for both our passports, meaning you can come into the country for 90 days. This really made things a lot more cost effective for us. We have had friends who needed to pay up to R50k to apply for visas just to enter the country.

Work permits are a whole separate hurdle you have to jump through. And trust me, they can be super complicated. Especially because we are non-EU nationals. If you have an EU passport, I think coming into Ireland is relatively easy for you. But in our case, both Rob and I require work permits.

*Update: Read this post on getting a work permit and how to find a job in Ireland.

Your pets.

A no brainer for us was that Jack was moving with us. It didn’t matter what it would cost, we were not going to break up the family. It absolutely kills me when I hear people say they put their pets down to move, or they gave them over to SPCA. For us, Jack is a family member. He is like our baby.

Having said that, do your checks on how easy it will be to get your pet over with you – check all the facts before you make the final call. For us, we wanted a country that had no quarantine period. Jack sleeps in our bed, under the duvet, with his head resting on my pillow with me. He would not have done well in quarantine. and neither would we.

FYI: All the countries we looked at have no quarantine requirements.

***Update: Read this post on how to move your pet to Ireland. Also, read how a pet improves your life as an expat, because they really do.

Draft a budget (and expect to spend more).

Rob is pretty thorough when it comes to budgets. We did a lot of research online about what cost of living was going to be like in Ireland. We also had a few contacts who were over there already who were incredibly honest about what it cost them, and costs we could expect. A friend of Rob’s really broke it down, line by line for us (he works in Tax too, which explains a lot).

Be blunt, and ask questions. Ask as many as you can think of and be prepared to listen to everything. Some of it will apply to you, some of it may not. Some of it you will think won’t apply to you, and later you will learn it actually does. Figure out the big costs, like how much it will cost you to move over, monthly expenses in the new country, average salary you could be making. We even went so far as to build in what it would cost Rob to get his hair cut, getting my nails done (#priorities), and even looked at how much races were going to cost us. Everything had a line item, and we also catered for various circumstances; Plan A: Rob and I both have jobs, Plan B: I don’t have a job, Plan C: we have tenants in our house back home – every plan was accounted for.

Even with all of the planning and prep work we did, there were still hidden and unexpected costs. Plus, you are in a new country, and you want to explore. And you want to make friends, and do things. We have been very lucky in that my job back in SA set up a fixed contract where I continued to work for them while I moved over, that ends this Friday. Thankfully we have been able to save a lot. So, while we wait for confirmation on my Irish job statuses (I have recently been on quite a few interviews), we are OK financially. That was key for us – we did not want to get into any more debt moving over to a new country.

***Update: Read this post on the cost of living between Dublin and Johannesburg. Also I wrote a post about how to live on one salary – because life sometimes doesn’t work out how you planned. And if you are moving over with your pets, how to find a pet friendly rental in Dublin might come in handy too.

There you have it that is how we moved countries! Have you ever moved countries? What is your one piece of valuable advice to someone looking to make the move?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

This is Us… Living

March 23, 2017 by Meg 8 Comments

First official post on the new blog! Can I get a woop woop! *waves hands in the air, like I just don’t care*

OK, but seriously, I am SO excited! I have been working on this blog re-brand with a new look for a few weeks. And, I haven’t shared it with ANYONE (not even hubby) until today!

You know when that light bulb flicks on and you are like, YES! YES! YES! That is what I want!! Well, we had that light bulb moment first when we were on honeymoon back in 2015. I think it was when we were both so relaxed and just in a space to really let our minds wonder. What did we want most out of life? Since then, its been building up, this niggle at the back of my mind, this deep concern that I needed to be true to myself, and that to be true to myself meant a lot of soul searching, and a lot of vulnerability. It is exciting, and terrifying to stand up and say “Ya, you know what, I actually don’t want to keep doing this. It’s not working out for me. I want something different”.

Friends can I be honest here? I am tired of the expectations, I am tired of the FOMO, I am tired of the thinking that to be happy you need to earn money to spend money. That you need to show only the best side of yourself, the one with that sparkling new something with the big giant label – you know, because only then everyone will know you have made it. Life is not about the stuff we collect. You can’t take that to the grave wit you (unless you want to be buried in a pyramid with all your worldly belongings – but who has the money to afford that long term rental?!). And be truthful, are you really happier having the best stuff, or could you just as easily be happier having the best life? Life is about building relationships, creating memories and going on adventures. Well, that’s my opinion at least. And I am happy to say, Rob is on the same page too.

Here is a little back story for those of you new to the blog; which is taken from the about page.

In 2016 we made the big decision to move from South Africa to Ireland. The main objective of the move was so that we could travel more and explore more of the world. We absolutely love travelling and exploring new places. And, we intentionally try to see places from a unique outlook –often avoiding the obvious tourist hotspots. We especially love to find local gems, and hidden secrets in big cities.

Back in South Africa, we had a house filled with things we had collected over the years; things we loved and worked hard to get it. But even with all the things, we were not really happy with our life. You see, we wanted to travel more than anything. But frankly, we couldn’t afford to maintain the things we “had to” own, and still travel.

It was the reality check we needed. We needed to get our priorities straight. What did we want most out of life? Things or experiences? We decided to scale down; and in the process we sold most of our treasures, sold our cars and looked at the move to Ireland as the fresh start that it was. A new start, with a completely new outlook on life.

The biggest lesson we learnt, was that we had to get comfortable with saying NO to things that did not help us live a life we wanted. Click To Tweet

Now that we have successfully moved over, we are more determined than ever to get it right. We have figured out what matters most to us; now we just need to work towards ensuring we get it.

It is our goal to further declutter our living space, look to experience real life – in real time, and inspire others to do the same. We have happily traded in a life filled with labels and must haves, to a life that is intentional, positive and filled with adventure. We don’t believe that to have less means that you are continually saving, and never doing anything. In fact, the opposite! We believe that money is better spent on living a life that is filled with memories and adventures, not possessions.

At the end of the day, we seek to unlock the simple life, where having less, means we are living more.

SO, THIS IS US… LIVING.

Here are some tips on how to navigate this blog:

How we do it: This is where you get real insight into our life; how we moved countries, simplified our home; cut down on expenses and started living a life filled with travel!
Challenges: Check out Challenges page if you are looking to commit to making some changes of your own.
Travel Inspiration: If you are looking to be inspired, and want to see where we have traveled to and what we suggest you do/see – then you definitely need to check out our Travel Inspiration.
Contact: Looking to get in touch with me? Sweet, I love getting mail. Email me.

Let me know in the comments below: What you think of this blog rebrand?

Unlock the simple life,

~Meg~

5 Tourist Things to do in Dublin

March 3, 2017 by Meg 5 Comments

Rob and I are not the conventional tourist types. In fact if it screams obvious, we generally avoid at all costs. But when your good friends decide to come through for a visit, you make a plan and you go full cheesy tourist with them. It was a great excuse to go and tick off the things you have to see when in Dublin, but it also made me realise that I can’t wait till they come and visit again – so that we can share the local flavour, the hidden insider tips and tricks, on places to go and see (that isn’t an overpriced, tourist fest!).

For the most part, I actually enjoyed our weekend trips, and in hindsight, although I sound super nonchalant about it – I would recommend going to these places if you are ever in Dublin. But I also do have some tips to share that will help you get the most for bang for your buck!

1. Guinness Storehouse:

This is an obvious Irish must see if you are ever in Dublin. The home of the black stuff, or if you go to the Storehouse you will learn, its actually ruby red.

Some tips to consider:

Entrance fee is €20.
Book your ticket online – saves you from having to wait in line to buy at the storehouse.
Weekday is different to weekends (for example; on the weekend we first went they had a promo where you could use your ticket to sample 3 beers; but during the week this was not available).
Know the facts about the voucher: you can use your voucher in a few places throughout the museum:

1. As a tasting board of 3 beers (only available on weekends)
2. Learn to pour your own pint
3. At the 360 viewing bar on the top floor

*we used one voucher for the tasting board; and the other for a pint at the bar with a view; which meant we got the best of both worlds. The pouring your pint section is a fun idea, but we both knew how to do that already, and there is no view to drink your beloved pint afterwards.

Having been to the Storehouse twice in two weeks, I would say its worth a trip – but once is enough. I am sure we will have to go again when more friends or family visit, which is cool – as long as it is not soon.

2. Temple Bar Food Market:

This is such a gem of a find, it is a small version of Neighbourgoods Market back home but has a heap of potential. Plus, you can get a cheap (yet super tasty) breakfast at a fraction of the cost of some of the restaurants around. I know Temple Bar district is where you go for a pint or ten; and party the night away. For me, it screams overpriced and a total jock fest – which is so not our vibe at all. But the food market is not so commercialized and I really had a great brekkie roll and the best coffee, so I will definitely be keen to make this a regular place we visit.

Tip: Although most places accept cards, bring cash if you want a breakfast roll!

3. Dublinia & Christ Church Cathedral

Dublinia is such a cool interactive museum, which tells the story of Dublin through the ages. Really fascinating, its a great place for adults or kids, and I really enjoyed it. Make sure you walk up to the tower and take a look at the view too! I found this place when I was walking (trying to get my fitbit steps up) and I especially love the architecture.

You can also pop into the garden and surrounds to view Christ Church Cathedral, which is just over the road from Dublinia.

Entrance fee: Dublinia costs €9.50 for adults; €6 for kids under 12years; and €8.50 for students and pensioners.

4. The Brazen Head

I wasn’t going to mention this, because I think every person and their mother has been to Brazen Head (atleast the one in Johannesburg). But then I realised that I have insider info. You see, the Brazen Head in Dublin, claims to be the oldest pub in Ireland, so naturally the tourists flock to it. But I have been to Sean’s Bar in Athlone, which also claims to be the oldest pub in Ireland. So now, who is telling the truth? Both have a letter from Guinness world of records. the difference is done to the dates.

Brazen Head was established in 1198, whereas Sean’s Bar was built in 900A.D. Interestingly enough, Sean’s Bar has a piece of the original wall framed inside the pub, made with wattling sticks and mud. So you see, as a tourist coming to Ireland, you probably would be forgiven for thinking there was only one pub with this claim, but you are only truly a local if you can say you have been to both.

Either way, Brazen Head, is pretty rad. They have Irish music playing in the evenings, nice areas where you can drink and chat, and the food is not too bad.

Tip: Get there early if you want a table. But know that it is just a tourist trap for tourists, and most certainly, not the best pub we have been to since we have been here. There are plenty of pubs to go around in Dublin, so I suggest you try a few out!

5. Irish Whiskey Museum

The Irish whiskey museum is the perfect place to start, if you are interest in learning about the history of Irish Whiskey making. The great thing about the Irish Whiskey Museum, is that you learn all about Irish Whiskey, but you also get to sample different Irish Whiskey brands, along with different types of Whiskey.

Tip: You could pay €26 for the blending experience (gets you 4 whiskeys and you can blend them into one 30ml bottle you can take home) but the best value for money is the premium tour for €19, (4 whiskeys, no little bottle).

Other Whiskey spots to try out:

The Jameson Distillery. Currently the one is Dublin is closed for renovations. But if you head to Cork, you could visit the Old Midleton Jameson Distillery.
Teeling Distillery. An independent Irish Whiskey Company in the heart of Dublin.

I have other little gems of things to do and see in Dublin, and as we go – I am sure this list will grow. So stay tuned for more travel must-sees and things to do in Dublin!

What would recommend is a must-see in Dublin for tourists?

~ Meg ~

{Challenge}: De-clutter your wardrobe

How we moved to Ireland

This is Us… Living

SO, THIS IS US… LIVING.

5 Tourist Things to do in Dublin

1. Guinness Storehouse:

2. Temple Bar Food Market:

3. Dublinia & Christ Church Cathedral

4. The Brazen Head

5. Irish Whiskey Museum

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SO, THIS IS US… LIVING.

1. Guinness Storehouse:

2. Temple Bar Food Market:

3. Dublinia & Christ Church Cathedral

4. The Brazen Head

5. Irish Whiskey Museum

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