Decluttering 100 things in a week

As the end of the Easter holidays approached, I began to think about getting the house back in order. We were at home a lot, so there were plenty of half-finished projects scattered about, and we also shopped for new items which needed homes.

It was the wrong time of the month to play the #minsgame, so I decided to set my own challenge, and remove 100 items from the house over the last week.

I'm the only one in our house that does any kind of decluttering, so normally when I do challenges like this I often count items that belong to other people are part of my total. But I decided to be a bit stricter with myself this time.

These things didn't count:

* Things belonging to other people, I could only count my own possessions or household items that are exclusively for my use and that no-one else knows exist. I still decluttered and tidied other things at the same time, I just didn't count them.

* Things that I'd be throwing away anyway, like junk mail.

* Consumables that were used up during the week, like toiletries or food.

I must admit that I found the challenge very difficult! I declutter regularly and am often sorting through my things so there weren't many obvious things to remove. But here's what went:

Study - 3 packs of glue, 1 pack pencils, 2 sets of sticky dots, broken magnetic notepad, blunt scissors,
book, old squishy, pen, 2 USB sticks, 5 Ikea pencils, Lego cards, silly putty, craft kit, old map, patterned paper, tissue paper, foam sheets (25)

Bedroom - 4 jumpers, 2 pairs pyjamas, 1 pair of jeans, 6 tops, 1 lonely sock, 1 bra, 3 bits of fabric, 2 expired cards, low factor sun cream, razor stand, sewing kit, ear plugs, 4 pairs headphones, 1 box (29)

Bathroom - 3 expired bottles of medicine, 2 medicine spoons, 2 inter dental brushes (7)

Living room - 2 Ikea catalogues (2)

Kitchen - 8 colouring/activity books, shoe polish, wristband, shopping bag, sponge, ice cube tray, 4 shoelaces, filled up notebook, tube of dried up paint, plastic trays, tea towel, 2 cleaning cloths, pencil pot, 9 pens, plastic mat, science kit leftovers, big pile of dried up felt pens, broken pencil sharpener (37)

= 100 items!

Lots of these things were small, so you'd think that it wouldn't have made much of a difference, but I can definitely tell that things are looking tidier. Especially in the drawers where I keep my clothes - I've made some space and rearranged things so that I can see them more easily.

Doing a challenge like this is definitely a good way for me to keep on top of the little extra things that end up in the house!

Photo credit - Khai Sze Ong via Unsplash

Reasons that I've bought a book recently

Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore? - Henry Ward Beecher

 Here are some of the reasons that I've bought a book recently...

* It was very cheap. I can't resist books at school book sales, the sale shelf at the library, or any kind of multiple purchase deal even if I'm only after one book. I've also recently discovered Amazon Marketplace where you can buy books in really good condition, sometimes very cheaply.

* I was going on holiday and wanted something new to read. Although I always take my Kindle, sometimes there's no substitute for a physical book, especially if you are planning to read on the beach or by the pool and don't the Kindle to be stolen or damaged.

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I have a long flight coming up which makes me nervous, but I'm looking forward to getting stuck into my new books, just need to decide which one to start with! #airport #books #holiday #holidayreading

A post shared by jenniferjain (@jenniferjain) on Mar 28, 2019 at 2:54am PDT

* It was for the children. I'm quite strict with the number of toys that they own, but I feel that they can't have too many books, and I'd rather buy them a book than a magazine if I'm dragging them around the shops. At the moment they are both fixated on particular authors (Rick Riordan for Harry and Jacqueline Wilson for Mia) and so it's tempting to try and collect all the books in a set.

* For nostalgic reasons. I suddenly remember a book that I remember loving as a child and it makes me want to re-read it or it share it with my children. This was the case for Goodnight Mr Tom that I found at the school book sale.

* I follow the author on Twitter or other social media and they seem nice. For example this influenced my purchase of Let me Lie by Claire Mackintosh.

* I've read reviews of the book from other bloggers or have heard it being talked about by others. Far too many to mention here, but often someone will say 'you must read this book, only 99p on Amazon' and I'll pop straight over. I don't always buy it of course but there have been many occasions when I have!

* I'm inspired by a Twitter thread like this one:

It was obviously another book that made a big impression...and now I've just gone and ordered myself a second hand copy!

— Jennifer Jain - Jennifer's Little World blog (@JenniferJain) April 24, 2019

What are some of the reasons that you've bought a book recently?

Going back to Coombe Abbey

Twelve years ago, Coombe Abbey in Warwickshire was a very important place to me. It's where we got married on the beautiful and sunny Saturday before Easter Sunday, and I have many happy memories of our drinks reception on the terrace and photos in the gardens.

Photo credit - Alan Starkey

So it's very surprising that despite regular visits to family that live nearby we haven't returned since that day. So on this past Easter weekend while staying in the area we decided to pay it a visit once again, this time with the children. The hotel is set in the grounds of Coombe Country Park, and remembering how busy it was on that weekend all those years ago we made sure to arrive early to secure a parking space.

We had a quick walk through the hotel, then went out through to the terrace at the back, pointing out the places where we had various photos taken to the children. Then we walked down through the gardens into the Country Park itself, stopping along the way to take a few photos. The gardens are still beautiful, although I think we were much luckier with the flowers on our wedding day!

I love Harry's new hat which we bought the day before when we braved the world's biggest Primark in Birmingham - he chose it himself and I think he looks very grown up and far trendier than I usually do! In fact both children are a bit of an advert for Primark in these photos - when I was packing for our few days away I didn't believe the weather forecast and packed them trousers and jumpers, so they had to break out their newly purchased summer wardrobe.

We also spent some time exploring the country park which is lovely and well worth the visit, I'm determined that it won't be so long before we visit again!

How my reading habits have changed thanks to the internet

I have always been an avid reader, but the way that I choose and read books has changed a lot over the years. The other day I was thinking about how much my reading habits have changed since the internet because a regular part of my life.

One of the first book related websites that I discoveredwas Bookcrossing. You register books that you want to pass on, then you leave them out 'in the wild' for other people to find, hoping that they will enter the unique code into the website and you can see where they have ended up. I released lots of books, and although only a couple were ever registered I hope that whoever found them appreciated them! I also spent quite a bit of time reading the discussion forums and it introduced me to lots of new books that I had never heard of. The website doesn't seem to be as active as it used to be which is surprising as almost everyone has internet access these days and is less suspicious of entering their details into random websites. Perhaps everyone reads books digitally instead...

...Which brings me onto the next big change in my reading habits - my Kindle! I wasn't keen on having a Kindle at first but I do love it now. I like that all the classic books are available for free so there is always plenty to read without having to spend anything, and if you keep an eye out for the sales you can often purchase popular books very cheaply. There are also lots of free Kindle books from current authors, although you have to be careful as they are sometimes sample books or the first one in a series.

Photo credit the Bialons via Unsplash

I still enjoy reading physical books, especially to take out and about with me or on holiday. Amazon is brilliant for buying books, and I've recently started buying second hand books that work out much cheaper. I also like to browse through and see the recommendations, find other books by the same author, or look through the best seller lists.

I still borrow books from the library too, and I love being able to use the app which lets me see which books are due back and allows me to renew online. I can also easily request books that I want to borrow.

Social media is a great way to find book recommendations. A few years ago I was taking part in the Day Zero Project, and one of my items was to read 20 books recommended by others. I received a long list of books recommended by friends, and lots of them are still memorable to me today. Recently I was about to take a long haul flight, and so I turned to Twitter for some book recommendations.

Twitter, I'm looking for a book recommendation to keep me entertained and occupied on an upcoming 12 hour flight. Have you read anything recently you can recommend? I like 'literary fiction', a long and detailed plot with a twist at the end and something to leave me thinking.

— Jennifer Jain - Jennifer's Little World blog (@JenniferJain) March 21, 2019

Also over on Twitter I follow lots of authors, and like to keep up to date with the books that people are chatting about. I've also enjoyed discussing my reading over on Instagram, and I love how my post about which book to read next got far more interaction than my pictures usually do!

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I have a long flight coming up which makes me nervous, but I'm looking forward to getting stuck into my new books, just need to decide which one to start with! #airport #books #holiday #holidayreading

A post shared by jenniferjain (@jenniferjain) on Mar 28, 2019 at 2:54am PDT

It's also great to read book recommendations from other bloggers, and I've often chosen a book to read that I've seen being talked about on social media. Sarah  for example writes regularly about books that she's enjoyed and she enjoys similar books to ones that I do, so if she's written a glowing review I can be pretty sure that I'll enjoy it too. I've definitely picked up books in the library that I remember reading about in a blog.

I love how the internet and social media has widened my horizons and introduced me to lots of books that I never would have discovered just by browsing library and shop shelves!

The benefits of having children that love to read

While Harry has been interested in books since he was just a few weeks old, it took Mia a lot longer to become interested in reading for pleasure. But over the last year or so I've been looking on proudly as she has blossomed into an avid reader, currently working her way through the Harry Potter books as well as picking up a few easier books on the side. I love watching my children read, and it's inspired me to make reading more of a habit for myself as well. So I thought I'd share some of the benefits I've found of having children that love to read, and I'm sure many other parents can relate to them!

* Having a child that enjoys reading makes waiting around for things much easier - the waiting room at the doctor or the dentist, hanging around while one child is doing an activity or while waiting at the station or airport.

* Books make easy gift ideas for birthday and Christmas, or just as a treat or a reward.

* Reading is a great way to calm down before bed, and I now leave my reading children to put themselves to sleep after I've said goodnight (with an eye on the time - they'd read all night if I let them!)

* I get more time to read myself as we can spend time reading together.

* Books inspire places to visit and means that they gain more from it - for example we had a brilliant visit to the Getty Villa in Los Angeles as there was a Percy Jackson themed audio tour - my son's current favourite series.

* Busy and potentially overwhelming situations, like large family gatherings, are much easier for a child to manage if they can disappear into a corner with a book.

* Books are a way for children to learn about the world, not just geography and history but also about relationships with others and how the adult world works.

* Reading is a great way to develop and improve vocabularly, and I love hearing children mispronounce a word and knowing that it's one they learned by reading.

* Sharing the excitement of a new book released by a favourite author.

* Seeing a child's creative writing style developing and seeing how it's influenced by what they've read whether that's the storyline or language used.

* Reading is a great way to learn more about subjects that a child is interested in.

* I love it when my child tells me a fact about something that I don't know which they've learned from a book.

* Reading opens the mind to different perspectives and different ways of seeing the world.

I love watching my children's faces when they are completely absorbed in a book, the giggles that escape when they read something funny and the concentration as they reach a tricky part. I'm so glad that they've both turned out to be total bookworms!

Photo credit - Annie Spratt via Unsplash

Title image credit Ben White via Unsplash.

Review - Games on the Go from Lonely Planet Kids

I received these cards in exchange for a review.

We travel a lot with our children and I'm always looking for things that we can take along to keep them occupied during the journey. With a long car journey coming up this Easter holiday I was delighted to receive Games on the Go from Lonely Planet to review - a set of wipe clean activity cards packed neatly into a sturdy box, complete with an erasable pen.

The pack contains 40 cards which cover a range of activities including wordsearches, bingo, drawing and doodle prompts and puzzles. Each card is the perfect size - large enough for a child to work on but small enough to pack away neatly. Some of the activities are ones that have right or wrong answers and others are more open ended.

There are a few games which two children can play together, for example the Road Trip Bingo game where you are provided with two cards or the wordsearches and quizzes. Others are better used as an individual activity, for example drawing the contents of a suitcase or sketching clouds.

There is plenty of variety in the cards with something to appeal to every mood of every child, and because of the wipe clean design then can be reused over and over again. I'll definitely be keeping them in the glove box of the car to pull out at those moments when a distraction is needed!

How social media has changed holiday photos

I bet if you go through your family photo albums from when you were growing up you'll find lots of photos like this. A recognisable landmark in the background (this is Epcot in 1997) with everyone lined up grinning at the camera. There's probably only one photo at this location, and there will be someone not looking at the camera, pulling a grumpy face, or squinting into the sun.

Recently we had a wonderful holiday in Dubai, surrounded by beautiful things to see, and as I looked at the people around us I noticed how much holiday photos have changed. We spent quite a bit of time in the aquarium that was a part of our hotel, and we loved standing in front of the tanks with the children watching the fish swim by. So I started to get really annoyed when people asked me to move the children out of the way so that they could take a better picture of themselves in front of the tank for an arty photo like this:

Photo credit Silas Hao via Unsplash

But I did find it funny seeing people posing for photographs that were clearly only being taken for social media. I was swimming in the gorgeous hotel swimming pool and was very amused to watch one lady tip toeing through the water to the far side of the pool, staying as dry as she could, then hoisting herself up onto the side, posing to show off her low cut swimming costume and flipping her hair about so that her boyfriend cold take a series of photos with the hotel in the background, then gingerly making her way back through the water to rejoin him and look through the photos. She didn't show any enjoyment at all from actually being in the pool!

And it's funny watching people line up to take photos in the same picture perfect spot, or contorting themselves into different shapes to best show off their body and clothes, yet never looking directly at the camera.

Photo credit Jakob Owens via Unsplash

I found it so noticeable, that after seeing several people posing in front of this large screen depicting waves on a beach I made Harry recreate their poses, with his foot kicked back, arm out, and gazing off into the distance!

I love that now you can take a photo and see it instantly, so that you can retake a bad photo and choose your favourites. But I think it's a bit of a shame that sometimes taking the perfect picture can be more important than experiencing the moment, and I must admit that sometimes I'm guilty of this. I want to have real holiday memories, not fake ones that are set up only to show off to others.

It's a bit why I've gone off Instagram lately. I love taking photos when I visit somewhere, and I do try to think about the composition, the background, the lighting and so on. But I only want to spend a few seconds taking a snap, I don't want to waste my holiday spending hours on a photo just for the social media likes.

Have you noticed this when you've been visiting Instagrammable spots?