Meg fell down the stairs on Tuesday. I emotionally decided that I needed a stairgate NOW. I could have got one on eBay, but I decided it didn’t to be sorted NOW. So I went into Ashford. Slightly in my favour, I bought it from an independent baby shop, but I did buy it. And I felt a lot better. Sorry, true.
Never underestimate emotions and consumption. In fact I have been buying food as ‘treats’ rather than stuff – not great for diets. Ho hum. And I still go on eBay to get shopping ya-yas. So the question is: Have I slipped back into consumption patterns from before the project? I will write another post about plans for after Mid-Winter some other time. The point is, this is just the beginning, not a 6 month break from spending. I feel I have so far to go, that cannot be addressed in the time of this project.
Now I was composing this email in my head whilst driving today. The main point being:
ECO-DRIVING IS BORING!!!!!!
Gug! I managed to eco-drive for an hour and a half to South Croydon, but my bladder and lack of patience made me put my foot down on the way back. Sorry folks, just being honest.
So what was my mission in jolly South Croydon? Picking up a bike I had bought on eBay. Gorgeous and light weight, the plan is this will help me bike to see a friend and get to the shops. It has a front puncture, which is not great, but nevermind we can sort that.
Just got back from a great ’shop’ in town. Discovered a new charity shop further up the high street and was pleasantly suprised: came away with three hard-board books (Meg eats anything else) and three ties for Sir. Very happy. Megan has adopted “Whose tail?” and thinks the lion at the end is funny.
This helps ease the pain of discovering that my beloved Oxfam shop is closing for a month ….. nooooooooooo!!!!!!! It is moving, so they are busy selling off the dodgy pieces of stock that no-one wants …. must have that pastel china dolly… yum……
Thank god for eBay, the fine sellers of every piece of tat known to man and beast. Sean’s trousers ripped last night (unfortunately not in a classic comedy way, but across the knee, which is rather dull) and the poor boy had to brave eBay. After having stuck in one search term, he declared that ‘nothing was out there’. Such an amateur! “Dear, try “stone” or “cream” or “beige” not just “chino”. You have to show determination and patience”. I went to bed and about an hour later, up comes an eBay victorious hubby with trousers bidded -on-and-on-the-way.
Well the eBay habit really is in my veins now. The postman is weighed down with packages, but has told me ‘I am keeping the Post Office alive’ – crikey, has my eBay habit gotten that BIG???? Anyway, for light relief, I leave you with the all-time-classic eBay song:
It was Megan’s first birthday last weekend, and I would like to report that we are fairly unscathed.
Her main present from us was a large Rocking Snail – think a big, friendly, fuzzy version of a rocking horse, and you would be almost there. Needless to say it was an e-bay bargain. We did buy her a handmade cake, but I have always considered food to be an OK thing to buy under this ‘project’.
What was different is that people were much more careful what they bought her. Relatives were keen to know actual “need” rather than random tut, and I have to say her presents were lovely. It has really made me appreciate what we were given and I dont feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff, as we haven’t been adding to it. Having said that, my ‘top buy’ was 20p for a bag of stickle bricks at a local fair, which she totally loves.
I have to admit that I went on a baby clothes spending spree on eBay lately. Meg was wearing a lot of hand-me-downs and any ’style’ that was hers was beginning to disappear into other people’s tastes. So three smock tops and a pair of leggings have arrived, and they are truly lovely.
Back onto the topic of birthdays-its mine in a week or so, and I haven’t been this excited for ages! NEW STUFF!!!!! Shiny heaven!!!! Again, people have been asking me what I need. The strange thing is, I don’t truly need anything right now. Anything I need I am able to source on eBay. But the fun, shiny, gorgeous stuff…..that is different. Honestly, i am sitting here with a grin on my face just thinking about it. Birthdays haven’t been this much fun since I was little
1. My “selling” total on E-Bay is now larger than my “buying” total! The buying is all second hand…..but its getting smaller…..it is like being slowly weaned off an addiction – it takes time, has some pain, but ultimately the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
2. Just made my own raw chocolate from Choc-a-lotta-love who pounced on me with much exhibitionist joy at the Kent Show. I loved them, Megan was scared of the funny hats (she doesn’t understand Chocolate yet, and if I have my way, won’t for quite a while) and their chocolate was out of this world. So, I now have my first batch of raw chocolate with organic blueberries (my addition), cooling in the fridge. Licking out a bowl hasn’t been this much fun in years.
On Saturday I went to Wyecycle’s monthly swap day. Kind of like a physical Freecycle. So I bought a bag of things we no longer needed (three rolls of bin bags that dont fit our bin, free samples of stuff, cuttery draw and many other totally fascinating things) put them on the floor and then had a look at all the other things people had also put on the floor.
I don’t know if it is because I have been made aware of what is normal, but things seem to be breaking! My trowel snapped, then the peg basket got wet yesterday and broke. Then we need a freezer lock as the door keeps bouncing open and defrosting everything (electricity and food waste). Then a key broke off my phone. Humm – I guess this is just a taste of things to come.
I found a basket to replace peg basket in the shed, and jumped on E-bay to get a trowel (although I keep typing ‘towel!). Note to E-Bay though – if a post is a whole pile of garden tools, photographed on the ground, chances are they came from some poor soul’s garden shed. I hope I have avoided the ‘hot’ ones! Freezer lock is a little hard, as they are mostly new listed on E-Bay. Generally, if it is available in multiple units, that is a ’shop’, not a person getting rid of surpluses things about the house, and is disqualified from this ‘project’.
As far as the phone is concerned, it is insured. But they want £25 excess fee (I don’t remember them mentioning that? Damn the gods of fine print) and will give me a new phone. I don’t want a new phone! Just a new key…. again, E-Bay to the rescue – I am buying a de-funct phone, taking the key off, fitting it on mine, then sending it to be recycled. Fingers crossed this works.
