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How to live life simply and more intentionally

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In order to meet our goals we had to cut back on the frills, and through that, we found that life is great when we live life simply, and more intentionally.

When Rob and I decided to move to Ireland we were adamant to make the move to really getting comfortable with our budget, what our focus in life should be and how we were going to get out of debt to be able to live the way we wanted to live. It sounds super hippy, but we wanted to really know ourselves and really follow our own path. Too often in life we focus on things that appear to be a big deal, we focus on showing off our success by the cars we drive, the money we spend and the life that appears to be just perfect. But life is’t perfect, and trying to compare your life to that of others is setting you up to fail before you even start. You cannot compare your journey to anyone else. But you can figure out what you want and what makes you happy, and then steer yourself towards that goal. For us the huge focus has been on getting out of debt completely, to save, and to travel. In order to meet those goals we cut back on a lot of the frills, and really through that decluttering process we realised that life can be pretty sweet if we live it more simply, and more intentionally. Less is often more. I know I sound like I am just listing off a bunch of motivational quotes but this is truly what we believe.

To meet our goals we had to cut back, and found that life is great when we live life simply. Click To Tweet

Like with anything, learning to live with less is often first about becoming aware of our own internal dialogue. Sometimes I catch myself saying we need this, we should buy that, but upon further inspection – these are often fears of not fitting in, fears of not measuring up, and this feeling like we need instant gratification of buying something we actually don’t really need, and in some cases, don’t even want.

The big thing that we have learnt is to think through a big purchase. Sometimes it is due to the fact that we simply could not afford to buy it right then, but choosing to delay the purchase till the end of the month often makes you much more aware if you really needed it in the first place.

Using less means there is less wastage. Because we are so conscious of how much we have, and where our money goes. We have stopped buying food in bulk. We now stick to a weekly shop, and really work out what we plan to eat, and buy just what we need. It means that we don’t waste as much. We try eat up the food we have before we go and buy any more. What I have learnt is that if we keep to a meal plan, and allow pizza on Friday, we actually don’t ever feel like we are restricted, it is a bit like a flexible diet – although, not all together super healthy!

We don’t hold on to things just in case, it means that everything we have in our house, we use and love. I use to save beauty masks, and keep candles for special occasions. Now that we have cleared all the extra clutter, we now take time to light the candles, have spa days, and actually enjoy the simple things we have in our home. We don’t keep it stored in a cupboard, we don’t hide the things we love – we use them, or we let them go.

We have also learnt to say no when we really don’t want to do something. Not only if we don’t have the cash to afford an expensive meal out – if it doesn’t spark joy for us, we try not to waste money and time on it. So we have really learnt to un-busy ourselves. I like to keep at least one day a weekend completely free and unplanned. It leaves room in our diary, time to breathe, reset and focus on self care. I find having a day a week that is calm and uncluttered, helps improve my mood and clears my head.

Be aware how you spend your time and money. I did an exercise on my Facebook group a few weeks ago where I asked my community to share the last 5 purchases they made. When you start listing off coffees, and take out, and gifts, and impulse buy of a magazine, a cheeky top you got for half price. You can see quite quickly where your money is going, but also it gives you chance to evaluate that if given the chance – would you make the same purchase again? You should have no regrets when you spend your money. When you learn to live life more simply you will find that you will be a lot more cautious on your priorities and how you spend your money, but also how you spend your energy and time.

HOW DO YOU LIVE LIFE SIMPLY?

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.

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In order to meet our goals we had to cut back on the frills, and through that, we found that life is great when we live life simply, and more intentionally.

How to build a capsule wardrobe (plus the guidelines I use)

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Read this post to find out exactly what is currently in my wardrobe, and the guidelines I use to have a capsule wardrobe.In April this year I set out to declutter my wardrobe, and wrote about how I got rid of all the clothing items that didn’t fit, I wasn’t going to wear, or just didn’t bring me joy. Since then, it has become a bit a talking point around friends as to how on earth I have continued to live with only 30 items of clothing in my wardrobe. So I thought I would lay out what is currently in my wardrobe, and the guidelines I use to have a capsule wardrobe.

First, yes, I still have 30 clothing items in my wardrobe, here is a full list of what they include:

  • 4 formal outfits/ clothes I wear for special occasions ( 2 dresses, 1 suit jacket, 1 jumpsuit)
  • 5 pants
  • 1 shorts
  • 2 skirts
  • 2 tights
  • 1 dress
  • 4 tunic tops
  • 5 casual tops
  • 4 blouses
  • 2 jerseys

There are things I still want to get rid of:

  • 1 formal dress – I want to replace this with a dress I can wear for work
  • 2 casual tops – the ones I own are a bit tatty, so I would like to replace these

And there are things I want to buy:

  • 2 smart work tops (short sleeve)
  • 1 smart work top (long)

What are my guidelines for building my capsule wardrobe?

  • I am not to hooked up on a particular number in my wardrobe, but I like that I own 33 clothing items from the above list
  • I consider the above list, a list of everyday clothing items, things I wear either to work or casual or to a special occasion (like a wedding).
  • I keep a few seasonal items in a storage container under my bed. Things like: winter jerseys, long tops I wear in winter, winter pj’s, a South African soccer shirt, 3 summer formal dresses, a house hoodie, and a small selection of clutch handbags, including some clutch handbags I got from my mum that I wear only for special occasions.

  • My capsule wardrobe excludes certain items (listed below):
    • Shoes (4 boots, 3 heels, 3 takkies, 2 slops, 1 slippers, 1 pumps, and 1 gumboots)
    • Accessories (scarves, belt, necklaces etc) and handbag (I only have 1 handbag)
    • Pj’s (3 summer, 2 winter) and dressing gown (1 summer,, 1 winter)
    • Workout gear (bras, tights, tops, jackets)
    • House wear ( 1 shorts, 1 track pants, 1 top, 1 hoodie)
    • Bras, underwear, stockings and socks
    • Outer wear (1 coat, 1 trench, 1 puffy jacket, 1 rain coat)
    • Items I have in storage
Read this post to find out how to build a capsule wardrobe. Click To Tweet

There are still things I keep in my wardrobe that I need to work through.

  • I would like to sort out my accessories, but I seem to hang on to these “just in case” – I don’r own a lot of scarves but I seem to favour one or two, but own about 8 in total.
  • I don’t really wear jewelry that much, but I know when I start work I will wear a few items, so I am holding onto these until I start working to see what I wear and what I can get rid of.
  • I know I need to sort out my workout gear. But honestly, this pile has been carefully accumulated to a number that is realistic if you run more than 3 times a week. At the peak of my training, I was running 5 days a week, and it saves on washing if I own enough outfits that I can run that frequently.

workout gear

  • I have 12 pairs of running tights – this is because some are duplicates. If you are a runner you will know that when you find tights that don’t slip when you run, you buy duplicates because that is a rare find. But honestly, some of these tights are very light weight/ more summer gear, so it is not really helpful living in a country that I know I would probably not wear them, and rather stick to wearing the longer tights in my wardrobe. Still I find it hard to get rid of them because every pair of tights I own fit and work perfectly for me.
  • I have 5 sport bras, but only 3 actually fit well. The thinking is that I have enough that I can run at least 3 times a week with only one wash cycle. But 2 of them fit terribly. Actually writing this has made me realise how stupid that sounds, so I am chucking the 2 sports bras that don’t fit right now.
  • I know I should probably get rid of 2 pairs of heels. because I know that I will never wear them, and perhaps I can then replace  them with 1 comfy pair of smart shoes I can wear at work. I don’t need to replace both.

shoes

  • I know I only own one handbag, and it is a teal leather type handbag. But I really would prefer to own brown leather handbag, own that goes with a bit more of my outfits, as I sometimes feel the teal colour clashes with certain outfits in my wardrobe.

How to build a capsule wardrobe:

  1. Lay everything out and review all your clothes in one go. Pull it out of your wardrobe and pick up every item one at a time. Do you wear this? Does it fit? Do you like it? Would you buy it again?
  2. Work out the outfits you can create with the items you own. Match bottoms with various tops, or tops with various bottoms – do they all work together?
  3. Stick to styles that work for your body type. Don’t worry about matching exactly what I have, some things might not work for you. Perhaps you are not a fan of tights, or hardly wear dresses. Keep what works for you.
  4. Replace, don’t add. This is key, once you get rid of a lot of items in your wardrobe, your first instinct will be to go out and buy more to fill the void.
  5. Try living with less for a while. At the start, it will feel like you have nothing to wear, it will cause panic and anxiety. You will feel like you wear the same thing every day. Push through, because let’s be real, we all have our faves we always wear even with a wardrobe full of clothes!
  6. You don’t need to stick to black, white and grey. Often people think you have to stick with the same palette. I disagree, I love adding colours to my wardrobe – do what works for you!
  7. If you love an item of clothing, you will make it work for you in your capsule wardrobe. I think the key is that the separate items I have in my wardrobe can be mixed and matched, and create various outfits – regardless of colour.
  8. Think before you buy – do you need it? how will it work with the other items in your wardrobe? does it fit your style?
  9. Fold your clothes, and pack away in your wardrobe, so that everything can be see by just a quick glance.

With everything in life, I know my closet is not perfect. There are items I know I need to still sort through, but right now, I am actually not sure if I need them. Perhaps I will use them in the future? So I have decided to keep what I have until November. That will mean that I would have had these items for one whole year, so then I can review again and get rid of the clothing I never wore in a year. The best part of having a capsule wardrobe is that I can really see what I have in my wardrobe, and I know exactly what I wear and what I don’t ever wear but simply doing a quick scan. It makes it easier to manage. Nothing is hiding behind piles and piles of clothes. Everything has been accounted for and weighed up before I put it into my wardrobe, I love the order a capsule wardrobe brings.

HAVE YOU TRIED THE DECLUTTER CHALLENGE?

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.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

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Read this post to find out exactly what is currently in my wardrobe, and the guidelines I use to have a capsule wardrobe.

my capsule wardrobe, how i built a minimalist closet that works for me. plus the guidelines/ rules I follow to achieve my tiny wardrobe.

How to get a taste of Northern Ireland in 1 day

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Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Visit Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge, Northern Ireland. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Visit Dunluce Caste, Northern Ireland. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Visit Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland - a UNESCO heritage sight. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Check out the street art in Belfast City. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.Game of Thrones fan? Visit the Dark Hedges in Northern Ireland. Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.

Take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day: stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful views and coastlines.The great thing about travelling in Ireland is that it is easy to travel around the country. In fact, it only takes 2 hours to get from Dublin to Belfast. So with a 2 hour drive, you are technically in another country, even if you never leave the island of Ireland. The problem comes in when you don’t own a car. Some of the best spots along the coastline, are not easily accessible if you don’t have wheels to get there. While I am not against hiking, or walking, sometimes it is just easier to drive to your destination. It also means that you can see more than one place in a day.

We found a great Groupon deal to take a bus tour up to Northern Ireland from Dublin. In one day, you get to stop at several stops, learn a bit of Irish history and see beautiful coastlines as you sit comfortably in a bus.

I wasn’t sure if we were going to enjoy the bus trip. As you all know, we are not conventional tourist type, in fact, I make it my mission to avoid crowds and tourist traps wherever we go. But this day trip was a great way to get out town over the long weekend – and get a taste for Northern Ireland. At best I thought we would snap a few pics, and have a fun day out. I have to say that the tour guide we had on the bus was super informative, she made it feel like she wasn’t just reading a script – she cracked a few jokes, told us some interesting facts, and pointed out things we would have missed had we driven there by ourselves. All in all, I have to say that if you are looking to see parts of Ireland that require a car, then taking a bus tour should be your first choice – and I highly recommend taking Finn McCools bus tour – since it is affordable and well worth it (also out for Groupon deals to make even more budget friendly!).

Tips on how to make the most out of your @Finn_tours of Northern Ireland. #discoverireland Click To Tweet

The day starts out quite early. We had to be at the pick up spot at 6:45am. Because it was too early to take public transport, we walked to a bike station, rented bikes and cycled up to the pick up spot just off O’Connell street.

The bus left on time, and we headed out of the city on the motorway. They stop at a petrol station just outside Northern Ireland, as a last chance to buy any snacks or beverages for the day.

*Tip: Rob and I made sandwiches and packed a picnic of snacks we brought from home. Bringing your own will save you money, as buying snacks at the petrol station, or at the tourists spots is bound to be overpriced. 

The first official stop is in Belfast City. We arrived in Belfast at 9am, on a Sunday, which meant it was pretty quiet. Most of the shops only open at 1pm on a Sunday! You get a little over an hour to walk around. The nice part was that it was quiet, so we got to take pics, without tons of crowds. We took the time to draw some money, and walked around city hall.

*Tip: Keep in mind that Northern Ireland does not work in EURO’s, so you would need to have pounds to spend at any of the stops. This stop is also the only chance you get to draw some pounds, which you could need if you want to do any of the add-ons during the trip. 

Northern Ireland bus tour: Belfast City Hall, great stop and chance to explore the city, as well as some cool street art. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

The next stop is at the Dark Hedges. This is one for the Game of Thrones fans. It is a strip of road that has these unique trees on either side. It was used in a scene in GoT, but obviously looks a bit different without all the special effects. To be honest this stop is overcrowded, there are people and cars/buses trying to access this road (as it is not cut off from the public, people still try use this road to drive through), so it is difficult to get a “perfect” pic.

Tip: You only get 10 minutes or so, so get out the bus quick and try get ahead of the crowd to take a pic before it gets too crowded. 

Northern Ireland bus tour: The Dark Hedges. A scene from Game of Thrones. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

A quick stop to take a pic of Dunluce Castle is the next stop. It was pretty windy, and because the castle is a little farther away, my cellphone pic just didn’t do it justice.

Northern Ireland bus tour: Dunluce Castle. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

The main stop for the day is Giant’s Causeway. Our tour guide, Tara, gave us the “full Irish story” of this UNESCO world heritage site, and 8th wonder of the world as we were driving there. I won’t give too much away, but I will say that it involves a giant named Finn McCool. We stopped here for a good hour and half, and had our picnic lunch with a view of Giant’s Causeway.

Tip: It is a unique spot, but I recommend if you have time to walk down towards it, and then loop back going up the stairs and walking along the cliffs. It gives you a nice view of the Causeway from above.

Northern Ireland bus tour: Giant's Causeway. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

 The next stop is at the Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. You have a little over an hour to explore, and if you would like, you can walk across the rope bridge for £7. Unfortunately, the rope bridge was closed when we went, due to extremely high winds. It is however, a beautiful stop – we walked along the cliffs on both sides of the car park, and really will have to go back to brave the rope bridge!

Tip: Finn McCool’s offers a discount if you buy your rope bridge ticket from the bus driver – but you need to pay in cash, and they only accept pounds!

Northern Ireland bus tour: Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

From here, we drove to Cushendun, and did a quick stop here to see another famous GoT scene, as well as Ireland’s most famous goat! On a clear day, you can get sight of Scotland, but we didn’t get to see it on the day we went. Still, it is a quaint little village, with beautiful views.

Northern Ireland bus tour: Cushendun. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

On the way, back to our last stop, our tour bus had to detour due to a car crash that diverted traffic. In usual circumstances, you would expect the bus driver and tour guide to get a bit flustered, however this did not slow them down one bit. They cracked a few jokes about getting us lost in the Glens, and we ended up seeing a bit more than we thought we would. Even with the detour we still got home in time, and I loved how well it was handled.

The last stop is back in Belfast. This time we managed to walk down a few side allies and find some great street art while we were there. I definitely think it gives you a nice flavour for the city, but not nearly enough time to properly explore Belfast – so we are keen to head back and really stay a few days. I see that Finn McCools have added a new tour that gives you more time to explore Belfast, so perhaps that may be a good option for us too.
Northern Ireland bus tour: Belfast Street Art. Check out the post for tips on why you should take a bus tour to explore Northern Ireland. #discoverireland

Let me know in the comments: Have you done a bus tour? How did you find it? 

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.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!

How a pet improves your life as an expat

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Moving countries is hard. It is genuinely the hardest thing we have ever done. But I think it would have been so much harder if we didn't have our beloved pet. Only since we have moved over have I realized how much a pet can improve your life as an expat. #livingabroad #expatlife #puglife

Moving countries is hard. It is genuinely the hardest thing we have ever done. But I think it would have been so much harder if we didn't have our beloved pet. Only since we have moved over have I realized how much a pet can improve your life as an expat.#livingabroad #expatlife #puglifeWe always knew we would take Jack (our pug) where ever we went (Read how to bring your pet into Ireland). He is part of our family and we love him dearly. In truth, I love him more than most people. He has always brought us so many laughs and love in the 3 short years we have had him. But I never really knew how much we needed him until we moved to a new country.

Moving countries is hard. It is genuinely the hardest thing we have ever done. But I think it would have been so much harder if we didn’t have our beloved pet. Only since we have moved over have I realized how much a pet can improve your life as an expat.

Jack the pug

When everything is said and done, only people who have gone through a move to a new country, or are going through a move like this, can really empathize with what you are going through. People get busy, and when you are not around them, they move on and life happens. But a pet will always be there no matter what. Jack genuinely just loves us. I think he loves his little life with us, and having him around has lifted our spirits when we have felt despair and loneliness. The truth is, we have had an emotional year so far. As much as we have grown stronger as a couple, having Jack has improved our lives greatly too.

I have been unemployed for over two months now, and it has been a hard adjustment for all of us. You have this idea of how things will go: move over, get a job, start traveling, life is grand. But life doesn’t always stick to a plan you have designed in your head. We have had to work out a budget using only one salary. We have had to learn how to figure out this new dynamic of me being home all day, and Rob going off to work. Rob has had to figure out the new work culture here, and when I start work, things will change again. But every morning we start the same as we did back home, and every night when we go to bed, the same as we did back home. We do it with Jack. We do it all three of us together.

Jack the pug loves the beach. #beachpug

Jack gets up when Rob gets up in the mornings, and he sits with him while Rob eats his breakfast (hoping for treats, I am sure). Then when Rob hops into the shower, Jack jumps back into bed with me, for a snuggle. When I get up, we play with the sheets (I try to make the bed, Jack tries to sleep some more). We mission down the stairs and start our day. Jack follows me everywhere. He comes out and watches me load the washing machine, while I make coffee, while I iron and clean the house (except when the vacuum cleaner comes out because then he hides away). When I sit to blog, check mail, make calls, scan social media – he sits on my lap and snoozes. He loves to be where I am. And I love that he loves me so much. The best part of my day is when we go for our walk. The way that he runs and sniffs everything. I think I see him smiling. He is always so excited to get outside. To meet other dogs and get treats from other people. I could be having the worst, loneliest, saddest day but the minute we are in the park and Jack is off his lead, I can’t help but smile and love him even more. He lifts my spirits.  I think more people need to live life like Jack: care-free and with an open heart.

let sleeping pugs lie #puglife

When Rob comes home, often as he is turning the key, Jack is running to the door. He is the first one to greet Rob when he comes home. And it makes Rob so happy. I see it in Rob’s face – the love he has for both of us. Jack just makes our hearts happy. Rob goes up to get out of his work gear, and the two of them play while I cook dinner. Sometimes the three of us walk together; or we sit and watch series; or talk about our day. After dinner, we all get ready for bed. He is the first one to snuggle up in between us and usually starts snoring before we turn the lights off. We kiss each other good night, all three of us together. One happy little family.A family of reindeer for Christmas

I have heard all the benefits on owning a pet, and how a pet improves your life. But I can’t stress it enough, how much our pet has improved our lives as expats. When everything is foreign, and new – he remains the same, and loves us just the same.

If you are on Instagram, check out my stories, Jack features in a lot of them!

Let me know in the comments: Do you own a pet? How has your life improved since owning a pet?

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.

p.p.s. I try post varied content once or twice a month, to be sure you don’t miss out on the new post you should sign up and get all the news straight in your inbox – Sign up now!