I can often be heard telling people that most of my favourite items of clothing are pre-loved, either from charity shops, clothes swaps or from ebay.

Over the years I've found some lovely pieces, here are my top five.

This is one of my very first charity shop finds, bought it back in July 2012. I had to dye it last summer to bring the colour back to life, but this yellow maxi is set to be around for a while yet. Not bad for £2.99 eh? The jacket and t-shirt I'm wearing in this outfit are also pre-loved, jacket from ebay, t-shirt from a clothes swap.


This Monsoon skirt is gorgeous. I picked it up in 2015 for £4.49. I've only worn this a few times but I can't see it leaving my wardrobe anytime soon. It's so lovely to wear, it swishes and sways and makes me feel incredibly feminine. The beaded evening bag is a charity shop purchase, and the necklace too.


I won this ASOS rose print dress in an ebay auction in July 2016, paying £18.00. I wore it for a wedding and hope to find many more reasons to wear it.


I used to steer clear of denim jackets, although I have no idea why. But then I decided that one would actually make a pretty good addition to my wardrobe, the first one I bought can be seen in the first image. But having not had one for years, I decided I needed two and my second one needed to have full length sleeves. I found exactly what I was looking for in January 2017 on ebay and paid the Buy It Now price of £6.99. I reached for it many times over the course of the year. It's been put away for winter but I'm looking forward to getting it out again in the spring.


I picked up these Oasis jeans in August 2017 on a whim, paying just £2.00. They looked brand new and although I don't normally go for wide leg jeans these have been worn so much! They're in my current capsule wardrobe and have been worn 12 times since the beginning of January (yes, I'm keeping a tally). The green jumper is also a charity shop purchase.

All of this is my round about way of saying - look what fantastic things await you in your local charity shops!! It's a fantastic thrifty and eco-friendly way to fill your wardrobe with great clothes.

Do you shop secondhand? What's your favourite pre-loved purchase?

For the third year running I'm taking part in A Buyer's Archive inspired by Elise, to keep track of my spending on clothes and accessories.

This crept up on me, I can not believe we're about to enter the second month of the year!

I purchased a few things this month and - spreadsheet nerds will like this - I added a column to my spreadsheet to state the reason for purchase.

Pack of 3 pants, needed, £14.00
Black long sleeve t-shirt, needed to replace an old one, £3.50
Vest top x 2, needed to replace old ones, buy one get on half price, £7.50
Blue night shirt, wanted it because it's a lovely material and looked really comfy, £8.00

Red floral skirt, my only January sale purchase. I wanted it because of it's prettiness. It was reduced to £18.00 from £40.00. I would not have paid full price for it. I knew I could slot it into my current capsule with ease, and I've worn it three times already.

Green Coast dress, my only charity shop purchase of the month, £4.49, and I bought it because I wanted it, it's such a lovely colour, and I'm still being drawn to colourful garments. It has a lovely waffle texture to the fabric and could only be improved with the addition of pockets.

So my need vs want purchases are about even this month. But if I'm going to buy more pre-loved than new this year I need to stay away from online shopping and get out into the charity shops instead. That said, I wouldn't normally buy nightwear second hand, and I'd never buy underwear second hand, so I can see why my new purchases are higher this month.


LAST YEAR

I bought myself a cardigan in the Sainsbury's sale, half price at £14.00. This gets worn most evenings at the moment. I pop it on over whatever I'm wearing for warmth - we don't turn the heating up in this house, we put on another layer instead.


The bra from Next (£22.00) was the first non wired bra I've owned since my teenage years and it's unbelievably comfy to wear. Unfortunately it's not easy to get on and off, it's an over-the-head affair and having wide shoulders makes it a bit of a wrestle to get it on and off. I've been known to sleep in it because I was too tired to put up that much of a fight. I noticed Next have something similar in their new range with a back fastening, so I might donate my current one and treat myself to this.

I also purchased a cute polka dot neckerchief from ebay for £4.99. I wore this a couple of times but I wasn't digging it so sold it at a carboot sale in the summer. I think I got £1 for it.

My final purchase was a denim jacket for £6.99. I'd been keeping a look out for one and this was perfect. I wore it a lot in the cooler months, it's a keeper, I love it.

Total for January £55.49

Total so far for 2018: £55.49

Total at this time last year: £47.98

Left of £600.00 budget: £544.51

What have you been buying this month?

Look out for the #buyersarchive hashtag to see others taking part.

It was my wish at the beginning of the year to avoid that Sunday night feeling of a weekend wasted. My goal was to have a plan in place for the coming weekend by each Friday evening.

This weekend my plan went out the window by 8am on Saturday morning but I still had a great weekend, so mission accomplished.
I started Saturday looking out at the beautiful early morning sky, making a Malteser Cheesecake to take to my brother's for supper. I then spent a lot of time just sorting things out, and doing odd jobs, before settling down for a few hours of reading.

I hadn't seen my brother and his family since Christmas Eve so it was lovely to catch up. My nephews finish their GCSEs and A Levels this year, which I can't quite believe. The eldest is job hunting, and learning to drive. Where did the time go??

Sunday was also a lovely day. I was awake early and spent an hour reading before making my way over to my best friend's house for a cuppa. I hadn't seen her since before Christmas and it was lovely to catch up, drink tea, and enjoy doing some colouring while we chatted. I cherish the relaxed, easy companionship I share with my friend, I don't have to speak to her every week to know she's there, but she is, always, as I am for her.

I was home in time for lunch with Andy, and then we went to see his parents, again I hadn't seen them since Christmas. We popped in to the shed hoping to find a mirror among it's many treasures, to go above our fireplace. We didn't find one but it was fun having a good ole rummage. Now I can begin searching for one in local shops. I know a few great places that offer good quality used furniture, some restored, others still in original condition. I enjoy the hunt.

Later on Andy cooked a roast while I read my book, The Power, and we ended the evening watching more of The West Wing boxset.

It felt like a really sociable weekend. Spending time in good company is always good for the soul. I feel nourished.

I've been hibernating somewhat during January. Work is moving at a steady pace, I'm reading a lot, and spending time with Andy, and I've started counselling.

I was referred by the bereavement midwife for six sessions following the loss of our baby in November. I'd felt really numb to it all but now emotions have surfaced, the reality is starting to dawn on me. Counselling is helping me to deal with what's happened, and prepare me for what's still to come. I have a few more sessions booked, and even though I wasn't keen on the idea to begin with I already feel it's been immensely helpful.

I promised myself that 2018 was going to be a great year. So far, so good...

How was your weekend?

It was my wish at the beginning of the year to avoid that Sunday night feeling of a weekend wasted. My goal was to have a plan in place for the coming weekend by each Friday evening. My plans weren't very exciting this weekend, I just wanted to get as much ticked off my to-do list as I could, and spend some time with Andy.

Saturday was #PhotoAnHour and although my plans were very ordinary I took part anyway. I took part on Instagram throughout the day but I promised myself I'd write them up this year. I like the ordinary details of life, and I always enjoy looking back over these posts. I remember more than the photos reveal but they're details that I'd forget if I hadn't documented the day in this way. Can you imagine looking back over these posts in ten, 20 or 30 years?

Anyway, 8am, the day started as it usually does, with my boy cat declaring it was time for me to get up and feed him by standing over me purring, and dribbling a bit. When that doesn't work he likes to dig his claws into my scalp, or sit on my bedside table and knock everything on to the floor, one by one. He's is the most effective alarm clock I've ever had.


9am. Once the cats hunger had been sated I went back to bed with my first cuppa of the day (Twinings Cherry Bakewell Green Tea) and my current read. I finished it, making it my third read of the year. My brother lent it to me, which isn't something he does very often, probably because he reads about 4 books in a year. It was an interesting, easy read, it only took me a few days to get through it.


10am. I was up and dressed. These socks are one of a pack of five I was given for Christmas. In the past I've been very dull on the sock front, only wearing black socks, but these really brighten my day, they make me smile. You gotta enjoy the little things, right?


11am. I'd noticed that the birds had gobbled up most of the food I'd put out for them so my first task of the day was to make some more fat balls for them. I use a super simple recipe combining vegetable suet with twice the amount of mixed bird seed. They can be a faff to get them to stay in balls (you're meant to put the mixture into old yogurt pots but I rarely buy yogurt...) but I find it quite relaxing, and I love seeing the birds tucking in. I put these in the fridge to harden and I didn't put them outside until Sunday but not long after I had I saw seven tiny birds on one feeder. I'm not sure what they were but it was lovely to see.


12pm. Wanting to cross something off the list that has been there for an age, I finished sewing up this toy monkey. He's been waiting for his head and arms for months, probably close to a year. It took no time at all, I'm so pleased that he is now finished.


1pm. Lunch. I knew when I started to make my omelette that today would be one of those days when it just didn't go well. I was right. It looked awful, having fallen apart when I lifted it onto my plate. But it was delicious - spring onion, smoked salmon and a little cheese. However, no clever camera angle, or pretty filter could hide it's presentation issue but I didn't care. So what if my omelette wasn't really Instagram worthy?


2pm. Sewing up my monkey spurred me on to knit more of a rabbit I started in the summer. It had a body, and now it has all the necessary parts ready to be stuffed and sewn together. I'll pop a pic on Instagram when she's finished.


3pm. Time for another cuppa. I took these flowers through to the kitchen to throw them away but even though they are obviously passed their best I still think they look rather nice. In truth they're still sitting on the draining board as I type this, I want to get out my proper camera and take some photos, just because.


4pm. I put the knitting down for a while and turned my attention to my to-be-read shelves. Last year I read in colour order but I have a few books that I'm really excited to read so I think the colour coding will go out of the window this year. I chose The Power, given to me by my best friend for Christmas. She's rarely wrong when she says I'll enjoy a book.


5pm. Time to feed the cats. Earlier than usual but they both started following me around and meowing at me. I was so pleased to see them both tuck in. They go through stages where they go off their usual food and refuse to eat it. Then I have the fun of finding something that they will eat. Today was the day I found one they are happy to eat - Thank you Felix.


6pm. I'd been faffing and pottering for a while and I'd just sat down to start my book, Tinker had settled on my lap, and then Andy came home. The book as put down, Tinker encouraged to leave my lap, and I cooked our evening meal (fish fingers, chips and veg - v. sophisticated), and we sat down to start watching The West Wing boxset all over again, which is where I stayed until gone 10pm.

Sunday was a mix of chores, knitting, The West Wing, and time spent with Andy. After lunch we went to the workshop and I helped him on his renovation project. He has his Grandfather's Fordson Major that has been standing idle for twenty years, he's slowly working on getting it back it it's former glory. I helped by filling the injector pump with oil (at least I think that's what he called it). I also held things, found spanners, and was generally helpful.


I also added a little sparkle to the workshop. After we'd planted our small Christmas tree in the wood a few weeks ago I put the star in my coat pocket which dislodged some of it's glitter. So, when I pulled my gloves out of my pocket in the workshop I did my best Tinker Bell impression and sprinkled a little sparkle. I'd love to be there when his Dad notices it. As Andy pointed out - a workshop is no place for glitter. I disagree.

Thanks to Jane for hosting, it's always good fun taking part.

How was your weekend?

OK, so the title of this post might be a little bit of an huge exaggeration. My efforts alone will not save the earth, but I am a great believer in lots of little acts making a difference, so I'm trying to do my bit.

I made a few positive changes last year, albeit small ones, that are all very easy to stick to.

I switched my usual supermarket own brand cotton buds for fairtrade ones from M&S. They have cardboard sticks, putting an end to anymore plastic sticks going to landfill from our household.

I switched to using a face wash and a face cloth instead of a cleanser and a cotton pad, which means I'm using fewer cotton pads (that come wrapped in plastic), and although the cleanser does still come in a plastic tube, it lasts much longer than a liquid cleanser, so I'm using fewer plastic items overall.

I now use cleansing balm to remove my waterproof eye makeup, which comes in a metal container instead of eye make up remover that comes in a plastic bottle. It washes off with water, so no more cotton pads required here either.

I use loose washing powder that comes in a cardboard box instead of liquitabs that come in all sorts of plastic wrappers and containers. I get a 2.6kg box and it lasts for several months. The box says 40 washes but that's ludicrous, I use half the amount they say and my clothes are always clean and fresh. It's another benefit to loose powder - you get to choose how much you use.

In the same vein I found some pasta, and some dishwasher tablets that come in cardboard boxes too. I keep my eyes peeled for more products like this.

I buy my books from the bookshop rather than the online giants. It helps the high street, and saves on packaging. I buy most of my books from charity shops, so it helps a good cause too. I don't plan to buy many books for myself this year, but still, it's something to remember for books I give as gifts.

Cooking from scratch. Trying to make as many meals as I can each week from scratch cuts down on packaging. I looked at the recipes I make most often and a lot of them are from scratch (look at my halo shine!), but there are still more things I can do. For example, I make Hummus Pasta at least once a week. The hummus, and spinach come in plastic, so I'd like to look at making my own hummus, and buying spinach unpackaged. Or perhaps I could grow my own? Could I grow enough? Only one way to find out.

I found a lot of these ideas over at Second Hand Susie, she regularly posts ideas on small changes that can be made, and recently she shared some more ideas, including some links to great eco friendly alternatives to glitter, something I feel every self respecting Aunt (aka me) should know about!

One thing I will absolutely do this year is buy myself a water bottle and use it! I like the look of these Chillys Bottles. You'd think after being on this earth for over 40 years I'd remember to take a drink out and about with me...

Do you have any other ingenious ideas I can add to this list?

Image source: Montage of Chilly's Bottles

It was my wish at the beginning of the year to avoid that Sunday night feeling of a weekend wasted. My goal was to have a plan in place for the coming weekend by each Friday evening.

Talk about falling at the first second hurdle.

I did very little this weekend. I was feeling really unwell and spent most of my time either in bed or horizontal on the sofa. And I got annoyed - as I always do when I'm ill - at sitting around doing nothing, despite the fact I had the energy to do very little.

We'd planned to have supper with my brother and his family on Saturday night, and then get back into the wood on Sunday to chop some more wood. Neither of these things happened.

In an effort to assuage my annoyance I decided to make a list of all the things I'm looking forward to in the year ahead. You know I like a list, and as I've declared that 2018 will be a positive and lovely year, the list will help me to see how it will come to pass.

2018 will be a lovely year because;

Andy and I will have an early break at The Victoria, Holkham. Andy's parents gave this to us as a Christmas gift and I couldn't be more excited. Of all the things I want in life the most important is more time with my husband.

We'll also go on holiday to Guernsey, not that it's booked but it is happening.

I'll have a spa day with my best friend in February.

We'll make our monthly lunch club happen at intervals that actually resemble monthly!

I'll take part in all of the #PhotoADay days for the year and actually blog about them.

I'll read in the sunshine, I'll read under a blanket with a cat on my lap.

I'll have a full year of 1 Second Everyday clips.

I'll make progress on DIY projects. I've made a list of what I'll do in order. I'm raring to go... as soon as I feel better.

I'll make more time to spend with family and friends.

When Andy disappears into harvest I'll plan days out either wandering a beach alone, or going to fayres and festivals with friends. I'll eat out, have breakfast in bed, and drink hot tea outside with a warm breeze on my skin.

I'll learn how to make pasta from scratch.

And I'll complete everything on my seasonal to-do lists, and tick off everything on my resolutions list. Because my word of 2018 is Thrive.

Thrive.

To grow or develop well or vigorously.

To continue to examine and refine, to make little changes to live a better life. To not waste a day, a thought, or a single ounce of energy on the things I can't control.

To see the positives, enjoy the little things, live for today, plan for tomorrow, and be as happy and content as I can be.

Yup, 2018 is going to be awesome.

What would your word be? Did you have a good weekend?