lovelyoutliers

Musings on the happy marriage of minimalism & zero(ish) waste: Challenge check-ins

September 4, 2016

How am I doing with my Shopping ban & minimalism (2-month check-in) + my zero(ish)* waste (1-week check-in) challenges? While I had started both of these projects separately, it has become clear that these two philosophies dove-tail so perfectly, that I thought I would reflect on how re-doubling my minimalist efforts through my shopping ban then embarking … More Musings on the happy marriage of minimalism & zero(ish) waste: Challenge check-ins

Zero(ish)-waste life: Next 3-month challenge

August 24, 2016

Because it is not enough to be hopping over to another country for a few months whilst trying to power through some research for my PhD, I have decided to add another challenge to the mix. Over a year ago, my sister threw down a challenge for me to try to live garbage free for … More Zero(ish)-waste life: Next 3-month challenge

Bikes & wine: Nice edition

August 22, 2016

A few years ago, my sister and I had the best day in Argentina, biking between wineries, sampling olive oil and wine. Those blissful moments are still some of the best – the combination of biking with someone you like on a hot, sunny day, stopping to sip some of the best wines of the … More Bikes & wine: Nice edition

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Experiences not things: My 6-month shopping ban

August 21, 2016

I have been an avid follower of Cait Flanders’s blog for several years, where she shares brutally honest and clear discussions about money and our relationships with things. Started as Blonde on a Budget, she described how she was able to go from being weighed down with debt to simplifying her life. One of the … More Experiences not things: My 6-month shopping ban

3 countries in 1 day? Why naaaht!: France, Monaco, Italy

August 19, 2016

France We woke up to yet another beautiful morning in France (I am pretty sure that they only have beautiful days in the south of France). After a quick swim and a coffee, we wandered through the winding streets of the old city toward the port. We caught the local bus (bus 100) and headed to … More 3 countries in 1 day? Why naaaht!: France, Monaco, Italy

Oh how Nice!

August 18, 2016

A few years ago, if you had told me that I would be vacationing in the south of France with a crew of Dykxhoorns, I would have been convinced you were slightly delusional.The marvelous thing about Nice is that you are expected, nay REQUIRED, to relax and transition to a slower, sweeter life. The best … More Oh how Nice!

The classiest folk at Versailles

August 17, 2016

After leaving the charming town of Bayeux, we made our way back to Paris to catch our flight to Nice. On the way, we stopped by Versailles to stroke golden gates and marvel at the symmetry of the French gardens. Unfortunately, for the keen learners in the crew who have not seen the inside of … More The classiest folk at Versailles

Magical moments at Mont Saint-Michel

August 16, 2016

One of the highlights of our time in Normandy was the time we spent on the charming island of Mont Saint-Michel, which has been the home of a monastery since the 8th century! While Mont Saint-Michel is a little bit out of the way (but we had a rented car and got to enjoy the … More Magical moments at Mont Saint-Michel

Normandy landings of D-day: Juno beach, Omaha beach, Utah beach

August 14, 2016

During our time in Normandy, we stopped by several of the places where D-Day operations had taken place in June 6, 1944. The Normandy landings were the beginning of the operation to liberate Europe from Nazi control. On this day, 24,000 Canadian, American, and British groups landed on the coach of france, spanning 80 … More Normandy landings of D-day: Juno beach, Omaha beach, Utah beach

We will always have Paris

August 13, 2016

This was not my first visit to the City of Light, but it was possibly the most memorable trip (perhaps because I wasn’t 20 and inebriated, which tends to degrade the memory). In fact, globbing onto my uncle’s vacation (with his partner and my cousin), I got to enjoy a much more civilised, luxurious version … More We will always have Paris

for all the lovely outliers, a few beautiful standard deviations off the norm