Genbrug eller ej? - Reuse or Not?

Som I ved, er jeg ikke den største fan af genbrug - mest fordi jeg synes, at man kun skal købe ting, som man selv bruger op!
Lige nu investerer jeg ikke i noget, fordi min lejlighed skal renoveres og får et helt andet lay-out om ca. et års tid. Mere om det senere på året, når jeg ved mere.
Men jeg trængte til en ganske enkel lampe over min seng. Jeg har aldrig læst i min seng om aftenen, men man kan få nye vaner, og det gør jeg så nu.
Så jeg gik i en genbrugsforretning og fandt en lampe til 12 kr.! Hvis jeg ikke får brug for den senere, kommer den tilbage, hvor jeg fandt den, men lige nu løser den mit problem.
Der er flere grunde til, at jeg ikke er så vild med genbrug. To af dem kommer her:
1. Jeg ser alle de ting, som jeg selv har afhændet!
2. Den 'hengemte' lugt der er ved mange af tingene, som er så svær at komme af med!

As you know, I am not the biggest fan of 2nd hand things - mainly because I think, that you should only buy things, which you use until end of life for the thing.
Right now I don't make any investments, because my flat is going to be renovated and get a totally different lay-out in about a year. But more about that, when I know more.
But I needed a very simple lamp over my bed. I didn't use to read in bed before bedtime, but it is one of my new habits.
So I went to a 2nd hand store, and I found a lamp for 1,80$/1,6 Euro! So if I later will have no use for it, it goes back, where I found it, but right now it solves my problem.
There is several reasons, why I am not that crazy about reuse. Two of them are here:
1. I find all the stuff, which I have disposed of myself!
2. The 'old, stuffy' smell in many of the things, which is so difficult to remove!

Unplugged!

Fire dejlige dage - unplugged! Eller næsten! Måtte jo lige følge med i nyhederne, men ellers blev der læst bøger, sludret, sovet middagslur, spist (dejlig mad!), gået tur, været på stranden - tiden er fløjet afsted.
Lidt træt efter turen hjem har jeg sat mig ved skrivebordet for en kort bemærkning. Resten af dagen i dag skal bare være udpakning, vask og tilbagevenden til hverdagen.
Og det er heller ikke så ringe!

Når voksne leger - When adults play

Four wonderful days - unplugged. Almost! We just had to follow the news, but otherwise we read books, talked, took naps, ate (very well!), went for walks, been at the beach - time just flew!
A little tired from the trip home I am now at my desk for at minute. The rest of the day is unpacking, washing and returning back to the everyday-world.
And that ain't all that bad!

På Fyn, i midten af det hele - In Funen, In the Middle of Everything

På mini-ferie med mine favoritpersoner! Intet er bedre!
I Bogense på nordkysten af Fyn. Der er byfest, og midt i regnen var vi heldige at finde den bedste lille cafe, Cafe Solo med fantastisk betjening. De kunne sagtens lave bruch, så det passede til mindste favorit-person og gjorde det med et smil. Der var legetøj at få tiden til at gå med, så alle voksne kunne spise deres mad i fred og ro, og der var gratis bleer ved puslepladsen i badeværelset!
Kommer I der nogen sinde, så gå ind og oplev stemningen og de søde mennesker, der arbejder der.
Jeg er ikke sponseret til at skrive det her!

Det ser ikke ud af meget, men det er det!

It doesn't look much, but it is!

I am on a mini holiday with my favorite persons! Then it doesn't get any better.
We are in a city called Bogense on the North coast of Funen, which lies in the middle of Denmark right by the coast. It is a very idyllic place, and there is a city festival going on this weekend. When it started to rain, we were lucky to find a café, Café Solo, with the greatest service. They changed the brunch to suit the smallest favorite person and did it with a smile. There were toys, so grown ups could eat and relax, and there were free diapers in the bathroom.
If you ever come here, visit Café Solo, experience the mood and meet the sweet people working there.
P.s. I am not sponsored!

Når man vokser - When you grow

Mindste favoritperson er blevet en stor dreng, og hjemme er badeværelset blevet stor-drenge indrettet. Så her har jeg gjort det samme, for at gøre det lettere for ham.
Det har fået mig til at tænke på, at når vi skal lære noget nyt, er det godt at forberede sig fysisk og mentalt. Give mulighed for at trives med det, og det gælder nye rutiner af enhver art. Vi skal gøre det attraktivt. Ikke kun fokusere på resultatet, men også på processen. For al lærdom er en proces. En rejse - og hvis rejsen er ubekvem, bliver det ikke en god oplevelse, og så 'rejser' man ikke mere.
I min kalender står der i øjeblikket 'Øve vanen' hen over mange uger. Det skyldes, at jeg er begyndt på et online motionsforløb, og nu på 9. uge bliver jeg bare mere og mere glad for det. Fordi jeg har forberedt mig. Jeg har afsat tid, og jeg har gjort det nemt for mig selv ved at indrette en plads, så det ikke skal laves en masse forberedelser for at gå i action.
Hvad er det man siger? Gør noget i 66 dage, så er det blevet en vane. Det tror jeg nu ikke på, for det føles stadig nyt (og spændende), men forhåbentlig sætter det sig så meget på rygmarven, når det ikke er spændende mere, at jeg kan se resultaterne, som så kan få mig til at fortsætte.
Præcis som mindste favoritperson!
Rigtig god weekend!

Smallest favorite person has become a big boy, and at home the bathroom has been altered for his sake and needs. So I have done the same thing here to make everything easier for him.
That has made me think, that when we learn something new, it is good to prepare physically and mentally. Create the possibility to thrive with something new. That counts for any new routines. We have to make it attractive. Not only the result, but also the process. Because learning is a process. A journey you might say - and if the journey is uncomfortable, you are not going to 'travel' anymore.
In my calendar I have written 'Practicing the habit' over several weeks. Because I have started an online exercise program, and now 9 weeks into it, I become more and more comfortable with it. Because I prepared myself. I have made a time slot in the calendar, and I have made it easy on myself by 'furnishing' a space, so I don't have to do a lot of arranging before going into action.
Isn't it 66 days that makes a habit? I don't believe that, because this still feels new (and exciting), but hopefully it will become so much a habit to me, that when I don't think that is exciting anymore, I can see the results, that it will make me go on.
Exactly like the smallest favorite person!
Have a great weekend!

Arbejde og ferie - Work and Holidays

Kender I følelsen af at man har en masse arbejde liggende, som man egentlig gerne vil lave, og så er man i gang med at forberede noget andet?

Jeg ville have lavet en ganske fornuftig blog i dag, men jeg holder en mini-ferie i slutningen af ugen, og det fylder hele mit hoved.

Så jeg har lavet en masse praktisk, men ikke noget af det planlagte. 

Håber, at det bliver bedre i morgen.

Do you know the feeling, that you have lots of work lying waiting, which you actually want to do, and then you start preparing something else?

I would have written a quite sensible blog today, but I am also planning a mini-holiday at the end of this week, and it takes up all space in my head.

I have been doing a lot of practical work, but as said nothing from my agenda. Hopes that it becomes better tomorrow.

Erstatning - Replacement

Shoppingdag! Jeg har faktisk shoppet - helt overlagt.

Mit skærebræt led en underlig død forleden. Der gik hul i det. Det var helt porøst! Selvom det er træ. Det skal dog siges, at det er ca. 25 år gammel - jeg er ikke den første ejer - og er blevet slebet og olieret jeg ved ikke, hvor mange gange. Så det har udtjent sin værnepligt.

Nu har jeg købt et nyt, og så må vi se, om det står distancen!

 

Se hullet i det gamle skærebræt - See the hole in the old cutting board

Shopping day. I have actually been shopping - totally deliberately.

My cutting board 'died' a strange death the other day. Suddenly there was a hole in it. It was totally porous. I have to mention, that it is more than 25 years old - I am not the first owner - and has been sanded and oiled countless times. So it has served it's time.

Now I have bought a new one, and then I will have to see, if it can go the same distance!

Ingefær-kagedåse - Ginger Biscuit Tin

Jeg elsker ingefærsmåkager, og mine yndlingskager bliver solgt i en meget smuk metaldåse med plasticlåg. Meget dekorativ, i mine yndlingsfarver (gul og grøn), perfekt i køkkenet. Men perfekt til hvad?

Jeg har endnu ikke fundet den funktion eller det indhold, der berettiger til, at jeg beholder den, og så bliver det bare ophobning. Pæn, brugbar og yndig er ikke nogen grund, hvis den bare står op fylder op, indtil man en skønne dag finder en årsag til at beholde den. For der er ikke nogen dag, der hedder 'en skønne dag'.

Og hvem har overhovedet brug for 143 ingefær-kagedåser?! 

I love ginger biscuits, and my favorite ones are sold in a very beautiful metal tin with a plastic lid. Very decorative, in my favorite colors (yellow and green), perfect in the kitchen. But perfect for what?

I still haven't found the function or the contents to put into it, which will justify keeping it. And it is exactly one of these things, which leads to clutter. Nice, useful and cute is no good reason, if it just is taking up space, until I some day find a use for is. Because there is no day called 'some day'.

And who needs 143 ginger biscuit tins anyway?

Ny livsstil til salg - New Life Style for Sale

Ny livsstil til salg! Nu kan du købe en ny livsstil og leve som Celine Dion, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow og Reece Witherspoon gør. For åbenbart er din egen livsstil ikke helt god nok.

Jeg bliver så træt af den slags markedsføring. Ikke at den er ny. Slet ikke. Mange har forsøgt sig som designere eller lagt navn til. Ideen er: Køb et par sweatpants og bliv Jenny from the Block! Hallo venner! Hvor mange udgaver kan sweatpants laves i. To ben og en linning!

Men det virker sikkert. Ellers ville der garanteret ikke blive investeret i de kendtes navne, og vi ved jo godt, at det er ikke sangerne, modellerne og skuespillerne, der sidder og knokler med tegninger og stofprøver. Det knokler en hel bunke anonyme mennesker med, og derefter bliver det Made in China.

Lad dog være med at købe disse produkter! Hop af illusionsvognen, der hævder, at nye ting vil ændre dit liv, gøre dig smukkere og mere attraktiv. Ingen, der vil dig det godt, holder mindre af dig, fordi dine jeans ikke er det sidste ny, eller din øjenskygge er gårsdagens hit.

Invester i stedet din tid med præcis de mennesker, som er ligeglade med, hvordan dit hjem ser ud, eller hvordan du pakker din krop ind.

Der findes en meget værdifuld verden udenfor forbrug og nye stjerne-produkter.

En side fra Alt for Damerne, som ikke har noget med emnet her at gøre

A page from a Danish Magazine, which has nothing to do with the subject here

New lifestyle for sale! Now you can buy a new lifestyle and live like Celine Dion, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow and Reece Witherspoon. Because apparently your own lifestyle isn't good enough.

I get so tired of that kind of marketing. Not that it is new. Not at all. Many have tried out designing or at least borrowed somebody their name. The idea is: Buy a pair of sweatpants and become Jenny from the Block! Hello Friends! How many versions can a pair of sweatpants be made in. Two legs and a waistband!

But it probably works. Otherwise nobody would invest in the names of the stars, and we know very well, that it is not the singers, models or the actors, who are sitting working hard with drawings and swatches. It is a bunch of anonymous people slaving the job, and then it all is Made in China.

Don't buy these products! Jump off the wagon of illusions, which tells you, that new things will change your life, make you more beautiful and more attractive. Nobody, who wants the best for you, will love you less, because your jeans is last year's trend, or that your eye shadow is yesterday's news.

Invest you time with the persons, who don't care about, what you home looks like, or how you 'wrap' you body.

There is a much more valuable world outside consumerism and new star-product.

Tingenes værdi - The Value of Things

Hvornår er en vare pengene værd? Det er godt spørgsmål, der er stillet mange gange, og besvaret med mange ordsprog og ordspil. Det sidste jeg har hørt er:

Betalt meget og græd en gang. Betal lidt og græd to gange.

Jeg synes, at det dækker rigtig godt, hvad jeg har erfaret. Ja, man kan da godt være heldig at købe en billig t-shirt, som holder i flere sæsoner. Men det er sjældent. Normalt får vi, hvad vi betaler for, selvom det kan være svært at overskue, når der i det meste står 'Made in China'.

Vi kender alle sammen firmaer, der altid har leveret kvalitet, firmaer der leverer svingende kvalitet, og firmaer der sælger billige varer, hvor vi ikke forventer så meget. Men lad erfaringen tale ved alle nye indkøb.

Jeg har en sort jægertaske af et gammelt velrenommeret mærke og indrømmet, den har kendt bedre dage nu, men den har været brugt i 36 år. Den er ikke bare en taske. Den er en god ven :-)

When is something worth the price? It is a good question asked a lot of times, and it has been answered with a lot of sayings. The last one I have heard is:

Pay a lot, cry once - Pay a little, cry twice.

I think, that it very well covers, what I have experienced. Yes, you can be lucky to buy a cheap t-shirt, which will last several seasons. But it is rare. Normally we get, what we pay for, even though it can be difficult to see clearly, when most items are labelled 'Made in China'.

We all know companies, which always deliver quality, companies which deliver quality of various quality, and companies which sell cheap items, and from which we don't expect much. But let experience talk.

I have a black hunters bag from an old brand, and admitted - it has known better days now, but it has been in use for 36 years. It is not just a bag. It is a good friend.

Ind- og udlisten - The In- and Out-list

Også denne måned er der ting, der kommer ind og ud.

Hjembragt til huset:
Hovedpude til mig
Børnehovedpude - til mindste favoritperson
Børne sengetøj - til mindste favoritperson
De to sidste ting er anskaffet, fordi mindste favoritperson er begyndt at overnatte, og så er det rart ikke at skulle slæbe sengetøj frem og tilbage.

Ud af huset er tingene udelukkende gået til en genbrugsshop:
Satin jakke - brugte den ikke mere
Strandkjole - kommer aldrig i den
Top med smalle stropper - for lang til mig
DVD
2 hvide ringbind - mindre papir
2 lange skeer
Læderarmbånd - er blevet for smalt
Hovedpude - udskiftning, se ovenfor. Den er vasket og givet væk.

Og så normalt noget, som jeg aldrig ville forære væk, fordi det er så intimt:
En sort, en blå og en hvid blonde BH. De er kun brugt ganske få gange og er blevet anskaffet på et tidspunkt, hvor jeg var større, men de er af god kvalitet, og jeg synes, at det er synd at smide dem ud.

Satinjakken og strandkjolen - og en kasket med dødningehoveder, som ikke er givet væk!

The satin jacket and the beach dresse - and a cap with sculls, which isn't going anywhee!

Also this month things have gone in and out of the house.

Into the house:
A pillow for me
A pillow for the smallest favorite person
Bed linen for the smallest favorite person.
The reason is, that we now have sleepovers, and then it is easier not to have to carry duvets and pillows.

Out of the house things have all gone to the second hand shop:
A satin jacket - didn't use it anymore
Beach dress - never going to use it
Top - too long for me
DVD
2 white binders - less paperr
2 long spoons
A leather bracelet - has become too narrow
A pillow - my old one, which has been washed and given away.

And then something which I normally never would give away, because it is quite intimate. Three bras, a black one, a blue one, and a white lace one. They have only been used a few times, because they were bought once I was a bit bigger, but they are quite nice and very good quality, so it is a pity to let them go any other way.

Månedsregnskab - Monthly Budget

Jeg er blevet spurgt, hvordan jeg laver mit regnskab, og det er faktisk ganske let.

Jeg samler alle kvitteringer for en måned og lægger dem i et excell-ark, som jeg har opdelt det således:

1. Kost - herunder også alt, hvad der hører til vask og rengøring. 
2. Tøj - tøj, sko, rensning af tøj, sko-reparationer m.v.
3. Personlig pleje - make-up, frisør, fodpleje, hårshampoo o.s.v.
4. Helse - medicin, vitaminer, tandlæge
5. Kurser og fornøjelser - Foredrag, udstillinger, middage og frokoster ude
6. Gaver
7. Transport
8. Ferie - henlæggelser og forbrug 
9. Diverse - som skal være meget lav. Ellers skal man lave en ny kategori.
10. En dagstotal og en total over alle indkøbene indtil dato i en måned.

Det er mine variable udgifter. Dem jeg kan styre, hvis der er noget, som jeg vil spare op til. De faste kan man jo ikke rigtig rykke rundt på. Huslejen skal jo betales!

Til start skal man selvfølgelig sætte en skabelon op, som man kan arbejde med. Jeg har lavet min egen, men mon ikke der findes nogle på nettet, som man kan tilpasse.

Det giver en fantastisk følelse af, at man har kontrol. At det er mig, der bestemmer over mine penge, og så kan jeg hurtigt spotte, hvis jeg er ved at oparbejde en dårlig vane med at købe kaffe i tide og især i utide.

Når alt er sat smukt op i 'kolonner'

When everything is set nicely in 'columns'

I have been asked, how I do my budget. It is quite easy. I collect all my receipts in put them in an Excel file, and it looks like this:

Groceries - food, including everything for cleaning and washing.
Clothes - clothes, shoes, dry cleaning, shoe repairs etc.
Personal care - hair dresser, pedicures, make-up, hair shampoo etc.
Health - medicine, vitamins, dentist
Pleasures and training - Dining out, exhibitions, events, fun
Gifts
Transport
Holidays - accruals and holidays expenses
Miscellaneous - which has to be small, otherwise you should make a new column
The day total and the month total.

These are my variable expenses. The ones I can control, if there is anything I will save for. The fixed ones are not really negotiable. The rent has to be paid!

Of course you have to start with a form, which works for you. I have made my own, but I am sure, that you can find some on the net, which you can fit into your needs.

It gives a great feeling of being in control. The feeling that I am in the driver's seat. I can easily spot, if I am developing a bad habit with buying coffee all the time. One more benefit is that it stops me from buying on impulse.

Købe-'stop' for maj - Shopping 'Ban'' for May

Denne måneds udgifter er nu gjort op og sammenlignet med samme måned 2015.
Det er rigtig sjovt, det her!

Mine kost- og rengøringsudgifter blev 1000 kr. højere end sidste år. Jeg startede måneden med at købe en masse ting, som jeg var løbet tør for, og så har jeg haft en del gæster. Det er fint nok. Pengene må godt gå til godt samvær, er værd en krone værd.

Til gengæld har jeg brugt 3.800 mindre på tøj og anskaffelserne til hjemmet end sidste år! Det må man jo sige, er en forskel, men jeg har jo også sat mig for, at tøj og ting er præcis noget af det, jeg ikke vil bruge ret mange penge på i år, så jeg er glad.

Alle andre udgiftsposter er næsten identiske. Det har økonomisk set været en god måned.

Overflod af den bedre slags!

Excess of the better kind!

This month's expenses are now done and compared with May 2015.
This is so much fun!

My grocery and cleaning product expenses are 150 US$/134 Euro bigger than last year. I started the month buying a lot of things, which I was running out of, and then I have had a lot of guests. That is fine. Money spent on being together with friends and family is worth every penny.

But then I have spent 570 US$/510 Euro less on clothes and stuff for the house than last year! You have to admit, that it is quite a difference, but then I had decided that clothes and stuff are exactly, what I will spend very little on this year. So I am happy.

All other variable expenses are almost identical. It has been a financial good month.

Blå æg! - Blue Eggs!

I mit køleskab kan man altid finde nogle bestemte ting. Mælk, et surmælksprodukt (det varierer), nogle grøntsager, ost og æg. Æggene skal være økologiske, og hønsene skal have ordentlige forhold. For et par dage side købte jeg en ny bakke æg, og et af dem var smukt lyseblåt!

Der var en seddel lagt ved æggene, der fortalte, hvor de kommer fra, og da jeg gik ind på websiten for at se mere, læste jeg, at æg kan være mange flere farver end brune og hvide, hvilket jeg ikke vidste. 

Det var sjov læsning, og næste gang jeg køber æg derfra, bliver det spændende at se, hvilke farve der nu ligger i bakken.

Check lige den website. Det er mennesker, der kan lide deres arbejde - og deres høns.

In my fridge you can always find milk, yogurt (of something like it) cheese, some kind of vegetables and eggs. The eggs have to be organic, and the chickens should have the right conditions. A couple of days ago I bought a tray of eggs, and in it was a beautifully pale blue egg!

There was a note in the tray, which told, where the eggs came from, and when I went to the website, unfortunately in Danish only to see more, and I read, that eggs can be lots of colors other than white and brown, which I didn't know. It was fun reading, and the next time I buy eggs from this place, it is going to be exciting to see, which colors the eggs will have.

Go check out the website and see the photos. These people care about their work - and their chickens.

Design Giganter - Design Gigants

I morges var der en artikel i Berlingske Business om en stor designvirksomhed, der startede med at designe selv i 1980erne. De har nu købt en hel masse kendte brands op, og artiklen handler om, at de holder øje med yderligere nogle firmaer, som de også godt kunne tænke sig at købe. Årsagen til de mange opkøb er, at de ønsker at skabe nye design-klassikere.

Men hvordan skaber man en design-klassiker? Er det op til et firma at bestemme, hvad der er en klassiker? Eller er det, når varen er af så god kvalitet og funktionalitet, at den bliver en klassiker?

Det er jo her, det går galt, og det er præcis en af mange grunde til, hvorfor vi kun skal købe, hvad vi har brug for og ikke, hvad der bliver proppet ind i vores hoveder via smart markedsføring. Det er ikke producenterne, der skal bestemme, hvad vi har brug for, og hvad der er en klassiker.

Det er os, kunderne!

Cobra stage, Georg Jensen

The Cobra candle holder from Georg Jensen Silver

This morning there is an article i Berlingske (a Danish newspaper) business section about a big design company, which started designing some time during the 1980's. The company has now bought a lot of well known brands, and the article is about, how they keep an eye on other companies, which they also want to buy. The reason is, that they want to design new design classics.

But how do you create a design classic? Does a company get to 'decide', what becomes a classic? Or is it, when an item is of such good quality and functionality, that it becomes a classic?

It is exactly here, things go wrong, and it is exactly one of many reasons, why we only should buy thing, we need, and not stuff being forced upon us through smart marketing. It is not the companies, who should decide, what we need, and what becomes a classic.

It is us, the customers!

Genbrug og grådighed - Recycle and Greed

Jeg havde en mærkevare-taske, som jeg gerne ville sælge. Prisen var meget rimelig. En kunde ringede på annoncen, og jeg gav et afslag i prisen. Hun kom med det samme, kiggede på tasken, kiggede i sin pung sagde: "Åh nej, jeg har kun xx antal kr. med! ... pause... Kan du gå ned i pris?". Det var helt oplagt, at hun prøvede at presse mig til at sælge billigere end allerede aftalt. Det gjorde jeg ikke!

Efter at have tænkt lidt over det gav jeg tasken til en Røde Kors forretning inde i byen, der har forstand på kvalitetsting. Så kan man kun håbe, at folk ikke pranger, når beløbet går til et godt formål! En handel skal være noget, som både køber og sælger er tilfredse med.

Hellere give ting væk, end at give efter for grådighed.

Et fredeligt billede til en mindre fredelig blog!

A peaceful photo to a less peaceful blog!

I owned a brand bag, which I wanted to sell. The price was really reasonable. A buyer call, and I gave a reduction in price. She came shortly after, looked at the bag, and looked in her purse and said. "Oh no, I only have xx amount of money! ... pausing... Will you sell it at that price?". It was obvious, that she was trying to put pressure on me to sell cheaper than already agreed. I didn't.

After having thought about it, I gave the bag to a charity shop in the city, which has knowledge about good quality. Hopefully people will not haggle, when the money goes to a good purpose.  A deal should be to the satisfaction for both seller and buyer.

Rather give things away, than give in for greed.

Vær nysgerrig, lær noget nyt - Be Curious, Learn Something New

At være et lille barn er en konstant udfordring. Alt skal undersøges, alt skal forstås, og det sker uden nogen form for tilbageholdenhed. Børn lærer nye ting hver dag! Mange ting!

Som voksen kræver det en hel del mere end nysgerrighed at kaste sig ud i nye projekter eller at skulle lære noget nyt, fordi man gerne ville kunne det lige med det samme. Det er jo lidt fjollet, at der er noget, man ikke kan. Fordi man er voksen!

Jeg har længe haft planer om at ville lære spansk, og jeg har været på skolebænken, men jeg føler ikke, at jeg kommer ud af stedet. Jeg ved, at jeg mister motivationen, fordi det går så langsomt, for "så tungnem plejer jeg altså ikke at være!". Men det skal altså læres, og så må jeg tage den tid, der skal til.

Min sidste lærer sagde noget klogt: Begynd som en baby. Gør det enkelt. Lad være med at tro, at fordi du er voksen, at du så bare kan tage det hele ind. Faktisk har du store barrierer at kæmpe imod, som et barn ikke har. Fordi barnet ikke opfatter sig selv som langsomt opfattende.

Det kan man lære noget af! Gør som en baby, kast dig ud i det - og så vær vedholdende!... og en ting til: Vær ligeglad med, hvad andre tænker!

Hvad vil du kaste dig ud i?

To be a small child is a constant challenge. Everything must be examined, everything has to be understood, and that happens without any kind of restraint. Kids learn new things every day. Many things.

As an adult it demands a bit more than curiosity to jump into new projects or to learn something new, because you want to master it immediately. It is a bit silly, that there is something, which you cannot do. Because you are an adult!

I have had plans about learning Spanish for a long time, and I have been taking classes, but I don't feel, that I am getting anywhere. I know, that I loose the motivation, because my progress is so slow, because 'I am normally not that dense'! But I am going to learn to speak Spanish, so I have to take the time to make that happen.

My last teacher said something smart: Start like a baby. Make it simple. Don't think that because you are an adult, that you just can take it all in. In fact you have big barriers to fight, which a child doesn't have. Because the child doesn't see itself as 'dense'.

Wise words! So make like a baby and take the leap - and be persistent! ... and one thing more: Don't pay attention to what other people think!

What's the leap you are going to take?

Lykken er henne om hjørnet - Happiness is around the Corner

Vi er altid på vej til noget. Vi har altid noget, vi lige skal have gjort. Noget, vi lige skal have overstået. Noget, vi lige skal købe. Noget, vi lige skal opnå... og så bliver vi lykkelige.

Undeligt nok ved vi godt, at det ikke hænger sådan sammen, og alligevel gør vi ikke noget for at ændre det. Jeg siger ikke, at vi skal kvitte jobbet og leve i skoven, men måske kunne vi omprioritere?

For eksempel en lille ting som ikke at checke mails fra chefen om aftenen, men i stedet være sammen med familien og venner. Ikke kun fysisk, men også psykisk. Men vi kører i det spor, som forventes af os, selvom det ikke er urimeligt at stille krav til vores professionelle liv, som det stiller krav til os. Som Cathie Black, tidl. chairman af Hearst Magazines, skriver i sin bog: "You can love your job, but it doesn't love you back".

Så hold styr på prioriteterne - hvilket er sprogligt forkert. Prioritet iflg. den danske ordbog betyder forrang, og der kan kun være en, der har forrang, så derfor kommer alt andet ind på de efterfølgende pladser.

Det er nu, der gælder. Intet bliver bedre, selvom vi har fået/opnået/gjort, det vi havde planlagt. Livet er så perfekt, som det kan blive - lige nu. Gør det bedste ud af det. Start med at ændre én ting. Det er en god ny begyndelse.

We are always on our way to something. We always have something, that we just have to do. Something, that just has to be overcome. Something, we have to buy. Something, we have to achieve... and then we will be happy.

It is strange, but even though that we know, that it doesn't work that way, we don't do anything to change it. I don't say, that you should quit your job and go live in the forest, but maybe your priorities could be changed.

For instance a small thing like not checking mails from the boss at night, but instead be with your family and friends. Not only physically, but also mentally. But we keep on the track expected of us, even though that it is quite reasonable to make demands to our professional life, as it makes demands to us. As Cathie Black, previously chairman of Hearst Magazines, writes in her book: "You can love your job, but it doesn't love you back".

So keep your priorities right - which is a wrong term. Priority means precedence, and only one 'thing' can have precedence, so everything else comes after.

It is the now, which counts. Nothing becomes better, even when we have had/achieved/done the things planned. Life is as perfect, as it can be - right now. Make the best of it. Start changing one thing. That's a great new beginning.

Minimalisme og nips - Minimalism and Knick-Knacks

Der, hvor minimalismen ikke helt tager over for mig, er, at jeg har ganske få stykker nips, som jeg er meget glad for.

Jeg har længe tænkt på, hvordan jeg kan få dem 'frem i lyset', for ting skal ikke ligge gemt væk, hvis de betyder noget. De fortjener bedre. Og de skal heller ikke være spredt rundt omkring i huset. Nu tror jeg, at jeg har fundet løsningen.

Jeg har et gammelt tobaksskab, der tidligere har indeholdt mine CD'er, som jeg ikke har mere, da jeg lytter til musik på anden vis, så derfor skal det nu blive til mit 'udstillingsskab'.

Så nu skal jeg til glarmesteren og høre, om det kan lade sig gøre at få en glasdør sat i. (Det forventer jeg han kan!)

Senere vil jeg vise, hvilke småting, der er, som jeg er så 'blød' for.

The one point, minimalism doesn't take over for me, is, that I have a few pieces of knick-knacks, which means a lot to me.

For a long time I have thought about, how I could get them 'out in the open', because items, which means something, shouldn't be hidden away. And they shouldn't be spread all over the house either. They deserve better. Now I think, that I have found the solution.

I have an old tobacco cabinet, which earlier held my CDs, which I don't have any more, as I listen to music in another way, and therefore this will become my display cabinet.

So now I will go to the glazier to hear, if he can put a glass door in it. (Which I expect that he can!)

Later I will show you the items, which I am so soft about.

Minimalist orden 2. udgave - Minimalist Order 2nd Edition

I fortsættelse af mit blogindlæg i mandags bliver jeg nødt til at sige, at vi ikke alle kan eller skal være ejere af så få ting, at det kan være i et par kufferter, hvilket nogle minimalister trives glimrende med for at leve et enkelt liv.


Jeg respekterer det fuldt ud og er imponeret over, at nogen kan gøre det, men jeg  vil indrømme, at jeg ikke er dedikeret i den grad. Jeg må dog også erkende, at det har givet mig et nyt liv ikke at eje mere end de ting, jeg bruger.


Det har givet mig tid og ro, fordi det overfløde, det dårlige, det der tyngede, og det der ikke passede, er væk. Ikke flere opbevaringsmasser at flytte rundt med.


Jeg har fået tid til at koncentrere mig om det, jeg vil arbejde med. Tid til at passe de ting, jeg har beholdt, så de er i god stand, og ro fordi mit hjem på ingen måde stresser mig.


I forbindelse med en artikel, som Hjemmet lavede med mig sidste år, synes fotografen, at jeg havde et hyggeligt hjem. Underforstået, at han havde troet, at min hjem ville være helt skarpt med masser af bare flader.

Jeg ved, at når med rydder ud i det, jeg nævnte ovenfor, så føler man sig lettere. Fysisk og psykisk. Og jeg ved også, at når man er kommet så langt som mig, må man spørge: Og hvad nu?


Svaret er, at så må man begynde på det, man altid har ønsket at gøre. Det, som man har skubbet foran sig med undskyldning om, at man ikke havde tid, fordi man bare lige skulle dét - og dét - og dét - og dét!


Det er det, man skal gøre! Måske er det at være mere sammen med familien, lære et nyt sprog, tage en ny uddannelse, rejse, opdage noget nyt. Kort sagt - skifte selvpåførte pligter ud med oplevelser.

In continuation of my blog last Monday I have to say, that we don't have to be the owners of two suitcases of items only, which some minimalists thrives with, to live a simple life.


I totally respect it, and I am impressed, that anyone can do it, but I have to admit, that I am not dedicated to that extent. But I also have to admit, that it has given me a new life not to own more than the stuff, which I actually use.


It has given me time and calm, because the excess, the bad stuff, the things weighing me down, and the things which didn't fit, have been removed. No storage boxes to move around with.


It has given me time to concentrate about the thing, I want to work with. Time to take care of the things I have kept, and calm because my home doesn't stress me out at all.


In connection with an article about me in a magazine last year, the photographer said, that I had a really nice home. He implied, that he had thought, that my home would be all 'sharp' with naked surfaces. I have naked surfaces, but not empty rooms.


But I do know, that when you de-clutter, you feel lighter. Physically as well as mentally. I also know, that when you get to the point, where I am now, you have to ask yourself: What's next?


The answer is, that you have to start doing, what you always have wanted to do. The thing that you pushed in front of you with the excuse, that you didn't have the time, because you just had to do this - and this - and this first!


That's the thing you are going to do! Maybe spend more time with your family, learn a new language, travel, study for a new education, discover new things. Change the self inflicted duties with new experiences.

Minimalist Orden - Minimalist Order

Hvordan holder minimalister orden?

Det gør de ikke! Fordi der er så lidt at holde orden i, at ting automatisk har deres plads, og det er det!

Minimalister lejer ikke opbevaringsrum hos et lagerfirma. Minimalister køber ikke pæne plastic opbevaringsbokse. Fordi der ikke er grund til det! At rydde sine ting i plastickasser er ikke at holde orden. Det er at holde orden i ting, som aldrig kommer til at blive brugt.

Statistikken siger, at amerikanske hjem i gennemsnit indeholder over trehundredetusind ting!

300.000 ting!

Det lyder af rigtig meget, men jeg er sikkert på, at rigtig mange danske hjem sagtens kan 'leve op' til det.

Prøv at tænke på, hvor uendeligt mange penge alle disse ting har kostet, og sammenlign det med hvor længe man føler sig glad for noget, man har købt. Hvor længe bruger man den nye juice-maskine/is-maskine? Den store røremaskine? Har man virkelig glæde af de nye lysestager? Hvor længe er man henrykt for sin nye telefon?

Tænk på, hvad der bringer varig glæde. Det er i hvert fald ikke tusindvis af ting.

How do minimalists keep order?

They don't! Because they have so few things, that every item has a place, and that's it!

Minimalists don't rent storage units. Minimalists don't buy nice plastic storage boxes. Because there is no reason to do so.

To put your things in plastic boxes for storage is not to keep things in order. It is keeping things, which never will be used, in order. Statistics say, that an American home as an average contains more than three hundred thousands things!

300.000 things!

It sounds like a lot, but I am quite sure, that a lot of Danish homes easily can match that.

Try to think about, what an alarmingly big amount of money all these things have cost, and compare it to how long you feel happy about a new purchase. How long do you actually use the new juice machine/ice machine? The big kitchen machine? The new candle holders? How long do you really appreciate you new phone?

Think about what really brings lasting joy. It is definitely not things.