An Introduction

I have been reading other blogs for a few months now, admiring the cleverness and creativity of the contributors. I did not intend to start writing my own blog. I didn't think I had the imagination or expertise to write anything that would be of interest to anyone. So why the change of heart? Well, I guess it started last year when my husband and I realised we had been sucked into society's consumerism cycle...so many new products, new brands, and advertisements that try to tell us that our lives would somehow be better if we buy, buy, buy! We were fed up with the quality of products (nothing seems to be built to last these days), exorbitant prices and untested/unlabeled ingredients (e.g. nanoparticles and GM foods). We therefore decided upon our own personal protest against consumerism and the disposable nature of today's society...we took up the challenge to buy nothing brand new for a year. We have now finished the challenge and I can honestly say that it has changed my life. Firstly, as I could not simply purchase gifts for friends and family, I had to come up with handmade gift ideas. This positively unleashed my creative side and I feel energised as a result! I have always loved craft, but have been unable to find time to devote to it. In the last year, my crafty projects needed to take a much higher priority, as a non-handmade alternative was no longer an option.

The challenge also prompted me to look at other ways to simply my life, to go back to basics. We started our own vegetable garden and learned how to make our own cleaning products - it is so much nicer to use cleaning products when you know exactly what is in it (and what is NOT in it...chemicals).

This blog is therefore an opportunity for me to share what I have learned and hopefully inspire some others to try and simplify their own lives as well.

You are always welcome to visit me on Simplicity Street…have a cuppa and together we can discover and celebrate the simple pleasures in life :)