30 day minimalism challenge - no more

So I quit the challenge. The challenge asked me to "go bare-faced".

Re-set what you consider essential by following a bare-bones beauty routine just for today (no make up and minimal skin care). You may well discover that many of the products you thought you need are really optional and can then streamline your regular routine a little.

Are you kidding me? I'm a beauty consultant and, for God's sake,the last thing I would do is to show my bare face in public.

Another day it asked me to downsize my beauty collection:

 Tackle your beauty products today! Write a list of everything you use on a regular basis from the top of your head (without checking your beauty cabinets). Throw out or give away everything else.

All right, I made a list - there was NOTHING to throw out or give away. On the contrary - my list was longer that what I had in my cabinets. I must go shopping! 

I was working on two projects lately, the Madonna and Stitch in Time. Here is my progress on both:

So long my friends,
Evalina

I wonder why...

Defence ministers from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Australia and the Netherlands will join U.S. Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter tomorrow in Paris to discuss the future of the fight against the extremist group.

Six months ago Canada hosted the same anti-ISIS meeting and now our invitation to Paris 'got lost in the mail', no longer we are a trusted partner... I wonder, why?  Below is our new Minister of National Defence. Why ministers from other countries excluded Canada from important conversations? Somebody, please, help me to understand!

I did not vote for this guy or this government, cross my heart!

So long my friends,
Evalina

30 day minimalism challenge - Day 14: Journal for twenty minutes

Writing helps you organize your thoughts and de-stresses. Sit down for twenty minutes today to write about anything that comes to mind. If you like it, consider incorporating a quick daily writing session into your regular routine.

Interesting... I try to journal or writing diary but never with good results. I usually quit after a few days. I have never tried to write about anything that comes to mind - I can try it now.

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-day minimalism challenge - Day 13: Create a relaxing bedtime routine

Improve your sleep quality and energy levels by taking the time to properly wind down at the end of each day. Do some writing, read a good book, have a cup of tea, get everything ready for the next day, etc. Try it today!

That sound like a wonderful idea!

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-day minimalism challenge - day 12: Identify your stress triggers

The first step towards reducing everyday stress is to pinpoint your personal triggers. Try this: Take notes of your stress levels and your activities at regular intervals throughout a weekday. Once you have identified your stress triggers, figure out how you could prevent or counteract them in the future.

That's a good one! I know that not having a plan is a stress trigger for me or if I postpone some thing to do later and then it stresses me that they are not done. Today I will pay close attention to see what other stress triggers I may have.

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-day minimalism challenge - Day 11: Practice gratitude

Becoming a minimalist is above all about being mindful and appreciating the little (and big) things that are already a part of your life. Assignment for today: Write a long list of everything (and everyone) you are grateful for in life.

I had to pick something easy for today and something that I can work on while stitching. A stitch in Time was published yesterday so today I'm gathering all the threads and getting fabric ready and by tonight there will be another new start. Then Madonna will go on a rotation with ASiT.

It is a big project, 725 stitches by 518 which gives in total 375,550 stitches. There is a lot of confetti so I'm assuming that I would be able to stitch about 300 stitches a day. The whole project will take three and half years to finish... Wow, that's a relationship!

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-day minimalism challenge - day 10: Leave a whole day unplanned

In our culture, we are so used to making the most out of every free minute of the day, it can be almost scary to not have any plans for once. Be brave today and see where it takes you.

I was brave and did not make any plans for today. The result: a disaster! I have accomplished nothing. For hours I was listening to David Bowie and watched three movies... Tonight I'm writing my six most important things to do for tomorrow.

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-day minimalism challenge - day 9: Don’t buy anything for 24 hours

Break through an unhealthy cycle of emotional spending by going on a one-day shopping fast. Don’t buy anything, not even food or essentials, for 24 hours (make sure you prep in advance). Then see how you feel!

This is so easy - I do not shop everyday anyway!



My biggest problem is that I have to many WIPs and can't resist new starts. I'm pretty good this year. I have finished Double Delight and was working peacefully on   Divine Grace until... a friend send me a chart... Madonna Dolorosa was on my wish list for a long time. She looks so beautiful and since I'm still waiting for release of  'A Stitch in Time' (ASiT) and then it will take a while to kit the project up - I decided to quickly start stitching Madonna and, who knows, maybe I can finish her before I'm ready for ASiT.

So I found a little piece of fabric (nothing fancy, just 14 ct Aida that was laying around for ages), DMC what was left over from other projects, bought couple skeins of DMC and voilà, here is my new start  (started January 6th)

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-day minimalism challenge - day 8: Stay offline for one day

Social media, endless news streams and articles all drain our energy and keep us in a constant distracted state. So today: Log off and enjoy the calmness of staying disconnected.

OK, so I did it - I stayed disconnected for a whole day today and I did not experience any extra calmness. I like to be connected!

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-day minimalism challenge - day 7: Practice single-tasking

Nothing drains energy faster than constantly switching between multiple tasks. Practice truly focusing on one thing at a time using a timer like this one. Stick to short bursts of concentrated work with regular breaks in-between.

I'm not very good at multi-tasking, sounds like I will enjoy this challenge very much.

So long my friends,
Evalina.

30-day minimalism challenge - day 6: Declutter your digital life

Take care of your digital clutter today: Spring-clean your desktop, delete any files you don’t need anymore and set up a simple, no-fuss folder structure.

That's a big project for me and for sure I can't do it in one day but it's a good start. Today I'm cleaning up my desktop.

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-day minimalism challenge - Day 5: Define your goals for this year

Setting goals keeps you from living in a reactive, passive way and helps you align your daily actions with your true priorities. Today, set aside at least thirty minutes to select 1-3 big, exciting goals for this year.

I think I did good this year - fewer goals but more doable:

Health: be healthy and fit. Really I'm trying to slim down.
Career: expand my Mary Kay business and move to management
Hobby: Finish at least sixteen stitchy projects, read 60 books, discover one new hiking trail a month.

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-day minimalism challenge - Day 4: No email or social media until lunch

Use your most productive hours of the day to get shit done and resist checking your feeds until lunch time. Then celebrate how much more you accomplished!

I love today's challenge! I usually get up early in the morning, stitch some, check email, facebook and the blog, and before I know it is almost supper time! For some reason I have less and less time to work. Unfortunately I can't retire yet, I think I will have to work forever... unless I put my shit together, work now harder and play more later.

So long my friends,
Evalina

PS. Before I go I wan to share with you an amazing chart that I'm drooling to put my hands on. It will be released this week...

 

30-Day Minimalism Challenge - Day 3: No-complaint day

Complaining is never productive and a catalyst for negative thought patterns. Challenge yourself to not complain about small stuff today. Either accept the situation and move on, or find a solution.

I really like this one and, cross my heart, I will not complain today.

After finishing the rose it took me a while to decide what to do next - I have so many WIPs... Divine Grace was calling my name the loudest so it is back on the frame.

So long friends,
Evalina

30-Day Minimalism Challenge - Day 2: Go for a walk and practice mindfulness

Walks are a great opportunity to practice mindfulness. Pick a familiar route and pay full attention to your surroundings with all senses. You’ll be surprised how many new things you’ll notice and how refreshed you’ll feel after.

I have finish my Double Delight and it is a great day to go for a walk.

So long my friends,
Evalina

30-Day Minimalism Challenge - Day 1: Meditate for fifteen minutes

I have big plans for 2016 and since I'm in the mood for change I decided to do 30-Day Minimalism Challenge. What is minimalism? According to Into Mind:

"The key idea of minimalism is this: Remove what isn’t adding value to your life, to make room for stuff that is.

LESS
clutter, time commitments, negative thought patterns and toxic relationships

MORE
time, space and energy for things that really matter to you"

That's exactly what I'm looking for! And since I'm starting on the 2nd of January it will take to January 31 to accomplish the challenge. I'll share with you my experiences every day.

Today's challenge is an easy one: meditate for fifteen minutes. It's easy because I love meditation and I do it on a daily bases anyway.My favorite meditation for change is Meditation on Am Dwat and this is the intro to the meditation: The Am Dwat.

So long my friends,
Evalina