by Jackie Brooks | Mar 20, 2017 | Featured, GloWellness
If you are anything like me, you will be really reluctant to let go of certain items in your cupboards and wardrobe. But everything changed for me when I visited a friend, originally a hoarder who had discovered a new book and way of being by Marie Kondo.
I was still hanging onto a jacket I bought in Paris 13 years ago that is completely out of date, but because it was a one off birthday treat and was really expensive, I didn’t have the heart to throw it out. The same with two little black dresses that were about to become Vintage items, together with several coats, not to mention the T-shirts, tops and shoes I hadn’t worn for a long time.
Rule of thumb from another close friend is, if you haven’t worn an item for over a year, then chuck it out. But even more exciting for me was to follow the advice of this incredibly informed declutter expert called Marie Kondo who really does own the T-shirt where tidying is concerned.
Marie Kondo’s amazing KonMari method of tidying really is life changing and her first book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up has become an international best seller. The author views her approach with a psychology normally reserved for more intellectual pursuits.
I have been trying out the method ever since my discovery of the Kondo phenomenon and although I started with the wardrobe and more than 20 black bin liners later, have just moved onto the kitchen and drawers throughout the house.
I started the process by talking to each item as she advises, and quickly got the idea as the emotional recall attached to each one came flooding back, with flashbacks of past and present, some with old memories that had been locked away for decades. I soon got the relevance of Kondo’s revelation, and can honestly say that it is quite powerful in helping me to move forward and in some cases let go of the past.
I wanted to try it out myself before imparting the knowledge to all of you Glotime viewers, and can report that it is life changing as Ms Kondo purports it to be and will even go as far as to say that it does bring joy and happiness into the home.
Well it creates space and minimalism which is in line with clarity, and it is not rocket science to work out that this in turn sparks joy in your environment.
The beauty of Marie Kondo’s philosophy is in its simplicity, and gave me the spurt I needed to clean up my act and my home.
Praise for Marie Kondo and The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up:
“Ms. Kondo delivers her tidy manifesto like a kind of Zen nanny, both hortatory and animistic.” — The New York Times
“. . . a literal how-to-heave-ho, and I recommend it for anyone who struggles with the material excess of living in a privileged society. (Thanks to Ms. Kondo, I kiss my old socks goodbye.) … To show you how serious my respect for Ms. Kondo is: if I ever get a tattoo, it will say, Spark Joy!” — Jamie Lee Curtis, TIME
“This book is a cult. A totally reasonable, scary cult that works, doesn’t kill people (a bonus), but does drastically change your life. In this case — for the better.” — Buzzfeed
“The most organized woman in the world.” — PureWow
“. . . her voice . . . is by turns stern and enchanted, like a fairy godmother for socks.” — The Wall Street Journal
“Reading it, you glimpse a glittering mental freedom from the unread/uncrafted/unworn, buyer’s remorse, the nervous eyeing of real estate listings. Life’s overwhelm, conquered.” — The Atlantic
“I can only describe the way I felt afterward as an organizational high. I had a sense of being more in control of my life than I ever had before, which inspired me to maintain the order in the months that followed. Not bad for a Sunday afternoon.” — In Style
“All hail the new decluttering queen Marie Kondo, whose mess-busting bestseller has prompted a craze for tidying in homes across the world . . . one proper clear out is all you need for the rest of your life.” — Good Housekeeping (UK)
“Kondo’s method really can change your life — if you let it.” — TODAY.com
“Kondo challenges you to ask yourself whether each object you have is achieving a purpose. Is it propelling you forward or holding you in the past?” — USA Today
“Its strength is its simplicity.” — The London Times
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by Jackie Brooks | Feb 28, 2017 | Featured, GloWellness
Dating websites are now becoming the most popular way of meeting a partner. Gone are the days when your eyes would meet up with someone over a crowded room at a party or social gathering, and then stumble awkwardly over your words whilst checking out the other with symbolic body language and banter.
It is of course very difficult to clamp eyes on someone whilst you or they are checking out the latest news or emails on their iphone.
So where has the spontaneity of dating gone? We all know the answer to that, as it is the dating website of course.
Tinder was recently described to me by a fellow worker as a ‘shag fest’, as he unashamedly told me he had become obsessed with meeting women through the website, and most meetings had culminated in a one or two night stand at best, mostly instigated by him.
With a bit more exploration and questioning he then revealed that he had recently met two or three ladies who had ticked all the boxes but that he now had the freedom to check out more and so hadn’t settled for one – yet! Well at least he had an ultimate goal – although it didn’t seem to be in a hurry to find ‘the one’. Spoilt for choice springs to mind!
Another female friend met her life partner through the Guardian dating website, and said it would have been hard to find someone with the same interests in this day and age. She is mid forties, a writer and a reader, living in South London. She enjoys walks and trips to the theatre, a bit of an intellectual and not really a social butterfly so found this to be a great way of linking up with someone. She had met her partner on a third date.
Many same sex partnerships have also been formed in this way of course, and it eliminates the painful process of meeting up in vulnerable venues if they require a more private approach.
I personally respect the ethos of online dating, but feel that there is nothing like the spine tingling, tummy churning excitement of connecting with someone for the first time in the flesh, and the ultimate challenge of taking the attraction to the next stage.
If you are still considering trying out a dating website then check out our top 5 dating websites.
Flirtbox
Simple, straightforward and free UK personals site – hugely popular.
www.flirtbox.co.uk
Dating Vegetarian
If you are looking for a kindred spirit and fellow veggie.
www.datingvegetarian.co.uk
Love Arts
Matching singles who love theatre, museums and art galleries.
www.lovearts.com
Dating For Parents
Where you are free to share topics like schools and science grades without boring the other to death.
www.datingforparents.com
Green Singles
With interests in environmental, vegetarian and animal-rights and people who value the outdoor life.
www.greensingles.com
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by Jackie Brooks | Dec 15, 2016 | Featured, GloWellness
My friend Katie has always had a lot more dosh than me. Her parents were from old money which was evident when we were at school together and she went on to a high powered and highly paid career in advertising and ended up marrying an extremely wealthy man.
So what has this to do with Christmas you are asking. Well, over the years Katie and I have exchanged Christmas gifts, and I was always struggling to keep up with her fabulous presents of Tiffany bracelets or extravagant hampers, and had to start saving all year to get anywhere close to her gifts.
But it is only in recent years that we decided to come clean and stop the pressure all round, as she was running out of ideas for me as a creative struggling writer, and I out of cash to buy someone who had everything.
We took a tip from the Archbishop of Canterbury, although Katie is definitely not religious, and decided to donate any present money to a charity of our choice instead of indulging each other, and got a lot more fun and satisfaction as a result.
We discovered there are a number of charities who have gift cards for the festive season, and as charity is not just for Christmas, we went on to make a donation all year round. Perhaps this could also help you to decide which Charity is close to your heart for you to make an ongoing donation however small.
If you are on a super saver budget this year, there are some last minute tips and ideas for you to save money.
This is the last week for online ordering if you don’t want to pay over the odds for delivery, as this can add a lot onto your bill. There are also a number of super saver delivery websites which search for ways of getting you free or low payment orders and deliveries.
Check out www.moneysavingexpert.com which is a great website to check out offers across the board, and Martin Lewis of breakfast TV offers some sound advice on saving money in all areas of spending.
If you have left it late to buy your Christmas decorations House of Fraser are offering all of theirs half price, so you have made a good decision to delay this purchase. One thing for sure, this is money well spent as you can use them year after year.
Some stores have already begun their half price Christmas sale, for instance ASOS, Kurt Geiger and Miss Selfridge are a good place to begin looking for those early bargains and you will miss the Christmas rush as a result, both online and in the shops.
So give yourself a break and pull back on your spending, so that the New Year can really get off to a great start, and you may even be able to treat yourself with the money you have saved.
