Less stuff

Since deciding to move to Sydney again end of 2014, I started de-cluttering at home.
The plan was to make sure that when we move into a new flat in Sydney (and later return to Stockholm to live in a new home) it will be a home that is clear from stuff. Stuff that just ways you down.

My dream is to live in a clean, de-cluttered home where everything has its own place - which will be easy to find and out of sight when not used.

This has been a dream of mine for a while, but it has been difficult for me to keep this - and sort things out to be able to live like that. It also takes some organisation and spaces to keep things, which has not been easy as we have moved around alot in different rental properties.

Though this should not be a reason for not living like I want to.
Therefore, I am looking forward to this journey of living in Sydney again - where the plan is to be able to incorporate my wish.

I have a friend who is impeccable at keeping her house in a great order, and when she designed her home, it was done in a way that I would love to have, with plenty of clever storage ideas and cupboards.

Just recently I was sent a book by my daughter: "The Life-Changing Magic of Tydying Up" by Marie Kondo.
Having read through half of it now, it encompasses what I have been thinking - and with the Lean Improvement I learnt about last year - fits me very well.

I am looking forward to the transformation - which I have started by doing Olivers clothes draw.

Living simply - without clutter

I have been meaning to live a life without clutter for some time - having been somewhat of a squirrel and keeping/holding on to stuff for most of my life - and tidying up not beeing something I did regularly, rather left stuff on the floor, desk, etc - I have been making an effort to get better.

Throughout my adult life, we have been moving regularly, three times in Stockholm and then twice in London, where we lived for 5 years. And staying in Sydney for 7 years saw us move five times. (well the last time we moved 2 kids  (students) and our stuff to a flat and we moved to Stockholm).

When moving to Stockholm, to a furnished flat, and the plan to stay for 1 year, we did not bring that much. Or at least that is what we thought then. 7 suitcases with 23 kg each, plus 4 a few months later and then probably 2-3 suitcases worth of stuff during trips back to Sydney.

The sorting and going through stuff to keep/take/store I did before moving from Sydney was planned to be much more organised, but things had it that there was not time left in the end.
Things we took to Sweden was probably not all needed - and some things were not even used when we lived there for 2 years.

Accumulation of stuff when there also happened, mainly things I inherited from my grandparents when their homes where shifted as we lived there.

In October 2014, we made the decision to move back to Sydney for a couple of years - and also decided to only take with us what we could fit in our luggage on the flight - 30 kgs each plus a small carry-on luggage.

My inital thoughts where that this is crazy, how can I do this, but then I thought it was a great challenge.

The result:
Lots of decluttering, storing things in Stockholm (ended up with aprox 30 boxes/pieces stored) and we managed to travel with 91 kgs for the 3 of us.

We have an almost full home in Sydney, if not in the flat where the children live, it is in storage.

The plan is to move into a new flat within a couple of months, start from afresh and only incorporate stuff and things that are a necessity.
More on this later.

Another week passed

Another week has passed and we have been busy looking for work and having school holidays with the youngest.

Today we started looking at flats to rent in the area where we have moved in with the kids who have lived here a few years whilst we have been in Sweden.

It was a hot and humid summersday and we did many walks to different flats - saw one lovely one but a little close to the train station - but with a great view.
No rush yet.

Before - a tired chair

The rest of the afternoon we cleaned the flat and started decluttering and sorting things out.

One thing we got stuck into was to redecorate our dining chairs, they look nice with the table now.

During renovations - Team work

After - the original look for now

Car

This time in Sydney, as well as the past two years in Stockholm, we have decided not to have a car (at least to start with - this will be depending on where we find work). As we live close to the city and only minutes from the train station, which is then only a couple of stops to central Sydney CBD, there is really no point in owning a car.

Instead we use a car pool scheme - GoGet, which works very well. There are 3 cars located within 5 minutes to our home and they are very rarely all booked up.

Our favourite car is called Maakie and is a little Yaris.

A great run about car.

Lunch boxes

So - here in Australia, it is required, and common, for kids to have lunch boxes with them to school, holiday camps etc. Which after 2-years in Sweden, I have gotten used to be without - it was not my favourite pasttime to make lunch boxes - as this requires alot of thinking to make them healthy and something that "the child" would actually eat.
In the past, here in Sydney, I have tried with all sorts of different varieties to avoid the pre-packed, pre-made stuff.
The result = "the child" will not eat at all (and be very grumpy at time of pick-up) and then I will only include things that I know "it" will eat. Which for me is easy, but bothers me that there is no variety in the food intake. (not that children mind that).

And last week we had Robot Camp, and this week a 4-day sailing camp - both involving lunch boxes. I have not got into the hang of this again, but have now (after 4-days of this) decided to make an effort and get good at this. (and practice this before I start work and before school starts).

Therefore - today, I went to Pinterest and found a few great websites with healthy kids lunch box ideas - and now I just have to get "the Childs" buy-in on this and then we are on.

First thing was to bake my own bread this morning - all ready for tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I will probably make picklets for his lunch box,  with bananas for a start (they can be frozen which is great). Will post information on how that went.

The plan is to have savoury muffins, pizzabuns, pizza scrolls, muffins and banan bread in the freezer, and also make different bars etc for him to have in his lunch box. Then add fruit of various kind for different days and keep fingers crossed he will eat it.
Seem to remember he did eat pasta in his lunch box- than might work again. He also likes salami slices  and cheese - could be something.

//Susanna

Thoughts that go through my mind after one week here in Sydney (well almost, it is 19.00 now and we arrived a week ago at 22.30) are many. It feels like we have been here alot longer - which in itself I guess is good. Have we done the right thing - and the answer is Yes - we needed to reunite the family and we have.

It is interesting that time feels as if it has gone faster than it has, the norm is otherwise that it goes so much faster all the time.

When we made the decision to move back to Sydney, I made an effort to live in the here and now - had many things booked for in the future that I was looking forward to - but I felt it was important to live in the moment - and looking back, I managed to do just that. To the extent that it got alittle to stressful with the packing, but on the other hand I got to spend precious time with very good friends and the family. Times that I will treasure until I get to see them again.

Summer is here in Sydney and we are enjoying time together.

Storing stuff around the Globe

This moving around has its advantages and disadvantages.

Seeing new places, new challenges and meeting new friends is a great advantage as well as giving the children a possibility to become fluent in many languages as well as being citizens in different parts of the world.

Meeting fantastic friends and then leave them on the other side of the world - not the best thing to do - but they will always be there and as we catch up with longer time in between - stronger relationships are formed. And with modern technology it is easy to stay in touch. At least this is my aim this time around.

Storing things here and there has its ups and downs.
When we left Sydney in 2012, we left our belongings, apart from 7 suitcases that we packed to take to Sweden for the year (the plan was to stay 1 year), stored in the garage of the flat where our older children live (they stayed for University).

When we now left Stockholm we have left things stored there - plan is to be away for 2-years this time - and only flown down with 30 kgs each.
Even though 30 kgs felt little at the time och packing (or deciding what to pack and not to pack) when unpacking, it feels there are alot of things - but not perhaps what we need now.
The good thing is most of the stuff is still in storage in Stockholm, and we will pick it up in July.

Also, now going through the stuff stored here in Sydney, it is nice to discover what we have left behind and finding the things we used to use on a daily basis.  Now looking forward to settling into our own flat and unpacking and going through everything stored.

Looking to have a more simple life, with less things and more space and comfort. Time and money should not be spend on accumulating stuff but to be able to spend time with loved ones (and live a comfortable life at the same time). Comfortable and spending lots on stuff is not the same.

Last days in Stockholm - Packing up

UTFLYTT

Veckan innan vi avreste kom vi på att vi skulle avregistrera oss från Sverige - så vi skickade in blanketten och hoppas att det går igenom hyfsat fort. Vi skrev från 1/1 så det borde gått in.

Sista dagarna gick mest i ett stressigt töcken. Packa ner, rensa saker, packa om och bestämma vad som inte får komma med.

Vi körde ca 22 flyttkartonger, ett antal plastlådor, resväskor och kläder till förråd hos svågern - 2 våningar och 40 trappsteg upp - det tog på krafterna.

Sen blev det iallafall ca 7-8 kollin kvar som föräldrarna får ta hand om och köra till förrådet. 

Nyårsafton spenderade vi hemma och packade. Nyårsdrink hos goda vänner på em innan vi gick hem och åt lite middag, satt framför brasan och hann med att avsluta pappersarbeten.