Drip, Drip, Drip...

Suddenly, it's time for the last blog I need to write for the Ikea liveLAGOM project - hasn't time flown!  I've been sat here thinking about how the project has affected me and trying desperately to think of some great headline saving or major life-altering flash-bang-wallop moment, but it occurred to me there isn't one.  Have I failed at what this was all about?  Should I have taken on something a bit more worthy than creating a sewing space??!  *Calm down Claire*  When I stopped trying to find the one 'big bang', I started to see how many small things have changed in how I live and how I think about things.  And, all these little things are starting to add up - like a dripping tap, at first it seems like nothing but then you put a glass under it and it fills that, then a saucepan, then a bucket, then you realise it could fill the ocean, eventually...a bit dramatic perhaps, but drip, drip, drip...

Although my project was about decluttering and creating my sewing room to give me the space and time to connect and remember what's important in life, the ethos of Lagom has touched so many different parts of my life.  It's encouraged me to make small changes and being part of the great Ikea Reading group, hearing what others are doing, has given me the confidence to take action rather than just think about things.  I'll try and list out a few of the 'drips' that I don't think I would have actually done without this project - however much I may have thought about them in the past, it's been this project that has made the step to action.

Waste on my mind!

You may have thought the photo of a couple of milk bottles was a little random, but it's one of the drips.  We changed to glass bottles from a milkman only about 6 weeks ago, but since then we have saved over 18 4-pint plastic bottles being made and recycled, over a year that's 156 bottles!  We've noticed the difference, our fortnightly recycling has hardly any plastic in it now and we can use a box a third of the size that we used to use. drip

Before we stopped using the plastic bottles, I started thinking about how we could reuse them.  I had a craft day with my daughter and we made bird feeders from some of the bottles and a threading toy out of the lids. drip

I've started buying toilet roll online *oh so exciting, I hear you cry* - big cardboard box delivered full of brightly paper wrapped, recycled toilet paper - no plastic waste, recycled product and saving money, whoop! drip

Every time I go food shopping, I'm thinking about the packaging and what choices I can make for less waste. drip

Making not buying

For presents, I've tried to think about what I could make for my family rather than what I could buy - so far only a few things made but more in the pipeline *visions of Blue Peter style toilet roll tubes and sticky back plastic made into anything conceivable, ha ha!*  A beanbag seat for my niece and clay hand bowls for Mother's Day were pretty successful, but planning something for my every-so-slightly fussy mum, so watch this space!! DRIP

Finally got going on sewing clothes for my daughter - very proudly I've made:

• a simple play skirt
• a sun hat
• two pairs of dungarees
• a pair of shorts
• a dress 

All of which I made either from material I already had laying around, or from old clothes that I've started taking out of my wardrobe and recycling into new things.  I've never sewn a new from old piece of clothing before, so feeling very pleased with myself that I'm starting to a) clear out all the old pre-child clothes that no longer fit and b) put them to good use rather than binning them! *smug face*  I've also started sewing some things for me too!  I've not bought any new clothes for the toddler or me and my goal is to give her an entire homemade Summer wardrobe! DRIP

Random!

I've been getting more organised - sorting and labelling everything I need in the sewing room so I can make something in the shortest time possible, without all the searching for hours on end I used to have to do to find everything I needed.  Even getting help from the toddler - who knew sorting coloured buttons could be so much fun!! DRIP

The sewing room itself, can only be described as exactly what I needed!  It's my space, to do my own thing and to give me a little well-needed balance some days *selfish but so worth it*.  Believe me, this would not have happened without the push and encouragement of liveLAGOM!! DRIP

I'm growing my own herbs and recycling little pots to grow them in - used the first of my homegrown basil in a cous cous salad the other day *get me!*.  I've also planned out my veg plot ready to get everything going in the next week - I've mainly brought seeds this year for the first time, inspired by the Lagom growing workshop and knowing it can be done :) DRIP

At the moment, my glass is full!

So the drips are starting to add up, and it makes me just a little bit happier knowing that I'm doing things that make a difference to me, my family and ultimately the wider world, even if it is just drip by drip - it's all got to help, right?  So I'm carrying on, planning on some more drips and hoping some will just happen naturally as we go on.  Who knows where we'll be this time next year or what will have changed, but you never know - I might have filled a bath by then!!  It all goes to show really - you don't need to go for the big 'wow' change, anyone can make small changes that make a difference, you just need a bit of support and some like-minded people to chat to along the way.  The drip, drip, drip is infectious and it's surprising how the momentum grows from drip to drip.

I'm planning on carrying on my blog for now, so feel free to drop by and see how things are going over the coming months, but in the meantime....
KEEEEEP DRIPPING!!!