W is for Waste

Waste. Or rather, waste not.

What triggered me to write this post was because of something my roommate did:
throwing away perfectly good food.
A few months ago, I found a bundle of spring onions in the trash, still covered in plastic.
I asked my roommates(with who I share the kitchen) who threw away the onions.
He said he wouldn't be home for a few days and thought the onions would go bad, so he threw them away.
Alright, that makes sense. But when I picked up the onions from the trash and examined them, I couldn't find anything that let me believe it turned bad or anything.
I actually ate them: I couldn't just let good food go to waste. I suggested that if he planned on going away for to long to eat any of the produce he bought, he could tell us so we could make use of them.

Today, the same thing happened: I found three bellpeppers in the trash. Covered in plastic.
I picked them up, washed them, and they'll go into a delicious tortilla casserole tomorrow.

I don't pay close attention to expiration dates. Except when it's dairy or meat. Nature has given you something to check wether food is good or bad: your sense of smell and taste.

The best thing would be to avoid having to throw food away in the first place.
Regularly check your cupboards, fridge and freezer to see if there is anything that needs to be used up before it expires. Letting things go bad is bad for many reasons.
You're not only wasting your money but also a farmers hard work. Not to mention the plant or animal that had to grow to give you the product you wanted.

Invest in things with a long shelf life(but not food with a buttload of conservatives!), like dried legumes. They are very versatile and you have to plan ahead your dinner, since you need to soak them overnight, which also helps to avoid any last minutes food splurges.
And the they're really affordable.

N is for Nice..

..to meet you.

My name is Esmée and I am an illustration student from the Netherlands.
I have been thinking about how I consume a lot (for over a year now) and I want to document my steps into the world of minimalism and how I shape and pick things in that world that appeal to me.

Last year my boyfriend and I spend the whole summer playing the Minimalist game: a 30 day course of picking stuff you no longer need. On day one, you pick one thing to discard, on day two you pick two things, day three, three things and so on.
We managed to sell and donate a reasonable amount of belongings we had no longer use for.
But when you go through the stuff you own, you see how much things you actually have you didn't even know you had in the first place. "When was the last time I wore this? Why did I buy so much make up?"

This year I want to surround myself ONLY with the things I truly love. For example, if I haven't worn a jacket for more than half a year, it has got to go.
I'm also going to take in account if I can repair or restore certain things, or if I can make some myself.
For a couple of years I have been working with wishlists but this year I'm going to be more strict: I can only buy the things that are on my wishlist(remind me I should also do this while grocery shopping).

This blog will not only be about physical things.
A lot of minimalists I follow on the web talk about letting go. Physically and mentally.
After a lot of years of stress I can finally say I'm ready for that.

Feel free to follow me while I look into the matter of minimalism.
This journey will not be without obstacles, but it will be worth it.
I'm sure of it.

-Esmée