Article: How to Stick With Minimalism During the Holiday Shopping Season

Some years ago I went crystal mining with friends who found a great pocket on a riverbank. After a few hours they said, "ok, this is good, we have some really nice stuff, it's time to go." And this crazy part of me in mud up to my eyebrows was just, "No Way! This is the best pocket Ever! There's lots more here!!!" Now what I wanted with an extra bucket of crystals, of little actual monetary value, is a mystery, but I was getting such fierce joy out of extracting them... obsessive. I'm ok with a buffet because of the viceral signal to stop. Without that, I'm a loose cannon, whether it's gathering more or removing "excess".

ETA: funny, it's not exactly hoarding. I didn't keep more than one or two crystals, I was just consumed with the compulsion to GET them.

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Originally Posted by kib

Some years ago I went crystal mining with friends who found a great pocket on a riverbank. After a few hours they said, "ok, this is good, we have some really nice stuff, it's time to go." And this crazy part of me in mud up to my eyebrows was just, "No Way! This is the best pocket Ever! There's lots more here!!!" Now what I wanted with an extra bucket of crystals, of little actual monetary value, is a mystery, but I was getting such fierce joy out of extracting them... obsessive. I'm ok with a buffet because of the viceral signal to stop. Without that, I'm a loose cannon, whether it's gathering more or removing "excess".

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I wish I had the visceral signal stop. But I really don't. I have to do in consciously -- which is hard around Indian food and pizza.

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Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler

There is a little voice in my head when I go fishing. It tells me after a certain number of fish (usually less than the legal limit): "Okay, amigo. You've got enough. Paddle on home."

But sit me down at an Indian buffet and that voice is nowhere to be found! lol

So I quit buffets 7 or 8 months ago.

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I am working on making my own Indian buffet. When I get these dishes down, I will invite my friends who like Asian food.

So far I have mastered Chicken Korma and samosas and the cooling cucumber/yougurt dish.

I need to continue work on Beef Biriyana, I am just not getting it right.

Then, I then need to learn a hot spicy meat-only dish for the dieters in the group who don't want any carbs.

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Originally Posted by iris lilies

I am working on making my own Indian buffet. When I get these dishes down, I will invite my friends who like Asian food.

So far I have mastered Chicken Korma and samosas and the cooling cucumber/yougurt dish.

I need to continue work on Beef Biriyana, I am just not getting it right.

Then, I then need to learn a hot spicy meat-only dish for the dieters in the group who don't want any carbs.

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Awesome!

Pizza just doesn't count. It goes in and disappears, only to reappear on my thighs the next morning.


mmmmm, iris, care to post any of the recipes? my attempts at Indian food from internet recipes are always a spice catastrophe. Pickle juice in the vindaloo? that can't be right. Check, Karen, it wasn't right. gak.

Wouldn't butter chicken do for the meat eaters? It does have some tomato, but I never pass it by. :~) And of course there's always tandoori chicken.

I'm OK with Indian buffets, too--for the same reason. I wish there was a good Indian restaurant closer than two towns over. Though I've never had really bad Indian food.

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Originally Posted by JaneV2.0

I'm OK with Indian buffets, too--for the same reason. I wish there was a good Indian restaurant closer than two towns over. Though I've never had really bad Indian food.

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Thanks to the demographics of Central Jersey I'm in Indian buffet heaven with several in the area and a few can walk to.

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I am working on making my own Indian buffet. When I get these dishes down, I will invite my friends who like Asian food.

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I'm very impressed!

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Originally Posted by JaneV2.0

I like to buy myself something I actually want, buy friends things that I hope they want, and enjoy good food and companionship this time of year. I doubt anyone I know would want a hypothetical goat or a zip-lining "adventure."

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my mother is all about the goat and worked her way up to getting a cow some years and she really is happy with that. I still give her something small to open but it's a thoughtful gift that I try to match up to her unique taste. My brother named a star after her once, she thought that was the stupidest thing ever and wanted the cow.

Bellevue has a strong Indian contingent--lots of Microsoft employees live in the area--so that's where I usually go. There's an intriguing Indian market there, too. I'm sure when I visit it, I'll come home with more poppadoms and pickle than I can eat in a year.

Iris Lily, do you use a cookbook, or any particular website? Will there be pakora and poppadoms at your dinner?

I'm thinking about devising a LC recipe for kheer. Maybe using ricotta or mascarpone. The important thing there is the combination of flavors.

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Originally Posted by catherine

I had an awesome philosophy professor in college, and this was back during the early 70s hippie days--she definitely leaned in that direction (In my mind, proof of that was in her unshaven armpits). But even so, she used to take off on John Lennon's line, "Imagine no possessions. It's easy if you're rich."

So, yes, there can be smugness in waving the simple living/minimalist flag. My MIL was a model simple liver but that was just how she lived--she didn't wear it like a brand.

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the minimalist woman in the article that took her whole family to London, with the church singing and all that crap. That must cost a fortune, how is that really minimalist? Just because it's an experience or a bonding time with family, it's minimalist? I don't agree. She's a pick and choose minimalist in my book. It's like what Jane said about poor people living minimalist. Yup, it's easy if you're rich....

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Originally Posted by Williamsmith

They are probably making life more complicated than before by digitally hoarding. Show me a minimalist without an iPad or a computer and I will show you a true minimalist. All others are merely imposters or hypocrits.

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we all have a bazillion photos still, they are just stored in a smaller space, probably we have more photos now than society ever has. My photos, paper and digital give me angst because there are too many to deal with. And I know I'm not a minimalist but it does bug me, the pictures feel like a burden.

[QUOTE=freshstart;222386]my mother is all about the goat and worked her way up to getting a cow some years and she really is happy with that. I still give her something small to open but it's a thoughtful gift that I try to match up to her unique taste. My brother named a star after her once, she thought that was the stupidest thing ever and wanted the cow.[/QUOTEhttp://www.simplelivingforum.net/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=222386]

I think paying attention to what the person admires, enjoys, needs, or wants is the critical element. I wouldn't mind a goat particularly...But I'd rather have someone sponsor a cat at Cat House on the Kings for me.

Having read the whole thread:

If anyone wants to send me a couple hundred bucks, I'll buy another goat in honor of your loved one.

Also Ultralightangler, if you get a smart phone you can get rid of the laptop, the alarm clock, and the tuner!

Humor aside, i finally sent my christmas list to my mil. Two rubber buckets, a dozen cloth napkins, and a really nice veterinary stethescope. She can personalize the stethoscope if she wants. It comes with an option to engrave initials or stamp the tubing.

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Originally Posted by freshstart

we all have a bazillion photos still, they are just stored in a smaller space, probably we have more photos now than society ever has. My photos, paper and digital give me angst because there are too many to deal with. And I know I'm not a minimalist but it does bug me, the pictures feel like a burden.

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I'm a digital hoarder and proud of it. I probably have 10,000 shots of inspiring arty things. And I have backup, so that makes 20,000. Some art school might find them helpful. If not, it's a shoebox sized trove of plastic discs that can either be erased or melted down. I wish I could put them all in albums, but that's out of the question. I look at them regularly.

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Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler

I prefer the original lyric:

But I am not a fan of John Lennon's music really, or that of The Beatles. I am more a Wings guy, myself.

Give me an example of two of people who wear simple living as a brand.

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Gwyneth Paltrow (she only counts as 1/2 since you can count her ribs when she's wearing a cable knit sweater). She has that lifestyle site Goop or something similar, preaches clean living and food/products that cost a fortune. She tried the diet thing you just did and failed. Her "conscious uncoupling" from Chris Martin. Gag.

Wings over John?

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Originally Posted by kib

ETA: I do put myself in the camp of "unreasonably obsessed". I probably have 50 pairs of socks. They fit just fine in the drawer, and I have no trouble finding the socks I want to wear. Still, I look at that drawer and feel anxious, annoyed, disappointed with myself, dissatisfied with my life. I need six pairs of socks. Must declutter, must declutter ... it's idiocy. It's socks, for crying out loud. But my anxiety about wanting to get rid of them reminds me of some of the things Chicken Lady has said about her anxiety about Keeping things.

I totally agree with "take what you need and leave the rest" ... except for this reptilian part of my brain that says no, go to extremes!!

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I am like this, I just did my socks, vowed I have enough for a lifetime, they fit in the bin, no need to think about them anymore. But I do, today when I got a pair, I felt guilty for having so many. Same thing with other "stuff". I'll keep the socks because who would want them but I returned a bunch of clothes today that I had bought cheaply for my non-working new life. I had over bought clothes no one who cares will see because they were cheap so must buy 2 instead of one.

Back to Christmas, thinking nothing would be crowded today early, I did my returns of these cheap clothes. The line at Kohls was not BF bad, but pretty bad, a good half hour+ wait. Same elsewhere. My body gave me the solution to stop buying this crap online by finally giving up the ghost in the last store and landed me on my bum in full view of the line. I vowed I am not going back into a store or the mall til maybe never. My kids had a deadline to tell me what they want, they didn't so I'm sure it's cash they want, too late, I ordered them stuff they need and there might be room for an Amazon gift card if I get any shred of the Xmas spirit back. I hate BF, I hate Christmas shopping in generic malls, stuff, stuff, it's all about the stuff. Ironically, the lines were ginormous for everything but Santa. There's the spirit! At least we don't line up to pose with the baby Jesus.

my family is not kumbaya at all but we have cut far back, we do eat that big breakfast and everyone takes a nap, lol. Then boardgames with the kids and my brother and a nice dinner. However, there is the high chance someone in there gets there knickers in a twist and the day is as far from kumbaya imaginable. Often someone (my brother or my son) bails sometime over the two days in a stupid fight. But when it is good, it is really good. And it's not because of anything I opened or gave.

I want to live simpler, but I do enjoy a lot of my stuff, so I may never reach minimalism but that doesn't really bother me. I purge but I don't feel the need to count my possessions, try to convert others even just by talking about it unless they are of the same vein or give up my netflix because I "should". Baby steps and figuring out how to define it for myself.

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Originally Posted by kib

Pizza just doesn't count. It goes in and disappears, only to reappear on my thighs the next morning.

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It goes straight to my ever-expanding belly. :doh:

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Originally Posted by Chicken lady

Having read the whole thread:

If anyone wants to send me a couple hundred bucks, I'll buy another goat in honor of your loved one.

Also Ultralightangler, if you get a smart phone you can get rid of the laptop, the alarm clock, and the tuner!

Humor aside, i finally sent my christmas list to my mil. Two rubber buckets, a dozen cloth napkins, and a really nice veterinary stethescope. She can personalize the stethoscope if she wants. It comes with an option to engrave initials or stamp the tubing.

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I know... I know. I did that for a while. Problem is I did not have the daily or minutely (is that a word in this context?) to turn it off or ignore the buzzing. I used to have two iPhones (a 4 for personal and a 5 for work).

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Originally Posted by JaneV2.0

Wouldn't butter chicken do for the meat eaters? It does have some tomato, but I never pass it by. :~) And of course there's always tandoori chicken.

I'm OK with Indian buffets, too--for the same reason. I wish there was a good Indian restaurant closer than two towns over. Though I've never had really bad Indian food.

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i have not had butter chicken. When I looked it up, it seems to be the main thing served by Indian restaurants,hmmm. But it won't work for my third dish, I want something that's not served on rice. Tandoori chicken is the one
I'm thinking of Tandoei chicken, that's it! surely I can make a mock version without a Tandori oven.

i won't give recipes, there are just too many out there on the web to try and you may not like mine.

One thing I've learned about samosas from a cooking class is that you can use La Mission flour tortillas for the outside. Thats easier than phyllo dough for me.

An Indian buffet is not done for me without paleek paneer (spinach with homemade cheese). Chicken can substitute for the paneer or be in addition. In a pinch, the Trader Joe one is totally wonderful. It spices up any meal!!!

I live in "Little India." I can ride my bike to like 8 or 9 different Indian restaurants and a few Indian grocery stores too. There are also Indian fashion/clothing stores around. When I bought my car the dealer gave me a gift certificate for $100 to the Indian restaurant nearest my house! I went to the buffet ten days in a row!

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Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler

I live in "Little India." I can ride my bike to like 8 or 9 different Indian restaurants and a few Indian grocery stores too. There are also Indian fashion/clothing stores around. When I bought my car the dealer gave me a gift certificate for $100 to the Indian restaurant nearest my house! I went to the buffet ten days in a row!

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Okay, that is officially the coolest new car incentive ever. Why don't more car dealers do that??

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Originally Posted by iris lilies

i have not had butter chicken. When I looked it up, it seems to be the main thing served by Indian restaurants,hmmm. But it won't work for my third dish, I want something that's not served on rice. Tandoori chicken is the one
I'm thinking of Tandoei chicken, that's it! surely I can make a mock version without a Tandori oven.

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Could you create a tandoori -themed shish-ka-bab? Yum!

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Originally Posted by kib

Could you create a tandoori -themed shish-ka-bab? Yum!

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That's a very good idea. I can see that working to provide a dish for those who want to mostly veg and protein.

Do you ever make pakora?

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Originally Posted by UltraliteAngler

Do you ever make pakora?

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nope, don't know what it is.

Off to google it.

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Originally Posted by iris lilies

nope, don't know what it is.

Off to google it.

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Its bad for ya! But so yummy. :)

I lived near an Indian grocer in college and they sold some pre-made pakora mix that was pretty good! So I used to make it several times a week back in the day.

Hint: You need a deep fryer!