Challenge Archives - JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE

Decluttering is a Challenge in 2021

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Tue, 13 Apr 2021 18:30:09 +0000

When I was fond of accumulating, I did not have much to accumulate. Now that I am hoarding things, I am constantly looking for ways to declutter. This year, I realized that decluttering is a major Challenge.

I wanted to be accountable to myself when I worked on each one of my decluttering challenges. Writing has always made me feel accountable. Hence, I am listing everything about my project here.

When I started with just one decluttering challenge at the beginning of this year, my mind was swirling. I had to stick to just one MAJOR question,

Could I survive without this?

Then popped another question. How on earth did I start to accumulate so many things? I am learning how I started holding onto things and why I do it.

Going Way Back in Time

During school (almost 17 years now), all I ever had was one shelf space to arrange my books. Then another shelf space to arrange my clothes we wear at home. Finally, the last shelf space to arrange the dresses we wear when we go out. The school uniforms always had its space in my father’s wardrobe along with his pressed clothes. Everything had its place and it was simple.

By high school, I was given a separate room to handle my studies and my storage. I was gifted a new wardrobe by my aunty for one of my birthdays. All the ceramics(popular in the 90’s) finally found its place there along with the books and one part of my dad’s library. During college, I used to shop for clothes in bulk, stitch them in bulk and wear them on a random basis.

There were so many gifts back then from friends and family. A card sent for every occasion, a cute gift that was friends brought home when they came home. I was overwhelmed and thankful for everything I received and still am because they all stand there in my wardrobe. I was not fond of sharing any of this with anyone else and still don’t. That’s where my collection started.

Imagine living for 22 years in the same house and how much it will hold. The best part was my father lived for almost 50 years there before we had finally shifted.

When I joined work, I had the ability to purchase anything I wanted. I tried to give back in some way or the other, but it never felt enough when it came to giving back to people we love. I also purchased a lot of books. Until college, I borrowed books from the nearby library and used a little from my father’s big collection.

As a Couple

Facebook replaced the humble Orkut and Amazon replaced my innumerable trips to many nearby shops and the shopping experience . It was easier to shop online and saved the hassle of running around in the weekend to buy these stuff.

Weekends then became the time to rest at home. Bathing my pet, spending time with family and majorly spending time over the phone occupied my weekend. Being constantly targeted by sales people for acne products and services was one of the prime reasons I stopped visiting malls, supermarkets and many shops.

The life after marriage was a good accumulating period. Since I already started the accumulating process, it was a surprise to see my husband’s wardrobe. Oh, yes, he had so many things that I could not even count, but everything was in its place. I couldn’t differentiate between two shirts of his which is mostly the same colour to me, but to him its a matter of texture and comfort.

By marriage, I was no longer working, so buying dresses or accessories seemed unnecessary to me. However, the husband loved to gift all of this and some books. Since I did not buy much dresses or accessories, I invested all of them in buying books. Hence, the TBR list grew. We had different interests and we collected things in our own way.

From Children’s Books to My Reads

Now that I am in a different country, the first thing I did after booking the tickets were packing most of the books in newspapers and placing them in the loft. The rest stays neatly arranged on one shelf in the bedroom. I miss all my books and my stationary accessories that I couldn’t bring when I travelled here.

When you are staying in a different country for a period of time, you have this subconscious mind constantly reminding you about the things you buy. Will I be able to take this back home? Do you really need this? We can always donate a few things, sell a few and leave the rest depending on who’s going to occupy after us.

PC: Julia Joppien on Unsplash” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Unsplash

I am trying my best not to buy a lot here, still buying happens. Since libraries were closed due to Lockdown, I had to buy books. There was a whole collection at my husband’s office library which came at a small total.

I asked him to bring about 15 books from that collection. Now, that’s my reading list for this year. I will be sharing my progress of reading this year in my Instagram stories because I have planned only 10-12 books this year.

The biggest challenge with books is the wish to keep it with me after I finish reading them. Now, I am going to learn to give back and make a note of the ones that really touched me. Maybe I would keep a book for quotes that I loved reading.

We’ve been buying 1 or 2 books a month so far for my daughter, but after school opened they sent a book a week and all were interesting reads. So, I am now buying children’s collection because we want to build a good collection and of course I will take it back home.

Digital Decluttering is a Big Challenge

When it comes to phone, I prefer to use single SIM phones. That makes it too many. When there’s too many there’s too much clutter too. I have collection of photos of almost 3-4 years now in my phone along with the non-stop WhatsApp photos and videos(some). Since the daughter has started to explore photography with my phone, it gets quickly filled up with burst shots.

Since I left my old phone back in India, which had moments right from daughter’s birth, I do not want to lose more. So, I’m moving my photos on a monthly basis to laptop or a pen drive. Best of all, I am printing some of them and making an album. After all, old ways are the best anytime. My parents had spent a fortune on albums, but it is worth it. We used to view them when cousins come over or during family get togethers.

My mailboxes are nothing but almost close to a elite bin. So many advertisements and promotions that if I want to find something, it takes me forever. I will be doing a deep cleaning this year and unsubscribe from most places and maybe delete a couple of mail ID’s too. Oh, yes, I have one for each work I do! 😐

Somehow, my interest in many social media channels is slowly reducing. I am looking forward to deleting a lot of content from most channels, at the moment, it is Twitter and Facebook Pages. These are my digital cleansing projects.

Home Decluttering Challenge

I’ve always wanted to have a home of my own. We don’t own one yet, but to get the feeling of being on our own is also a big experience for me. I’ve come to enjoy staying on our own and it is comforting in many ways.

Setting up a Montessori shelf has been one of my interests since my Montessori course. Though we manage to tidy up the toys, I wanted to have a theme for each week and learn to interlink it with all subjects. So, this is one of my top priorities in the kid’s section.

Kitchen decluttering is one major challenge project that I am looking forward to this year. This will help me get into weekly meal planning (yes, still not fully into it) and more of taking up a sustainable living project.

Growing plants has always been on the list, but somehow never happened. I have problems with keeping a plant alive and the other is my daughter knocks the whole thing down. My first plant here is a Peace Lily which has survived for almost 6 months now and my daughter has keenly watered it. So, this would be an interesting thing to do this year.

PC: Jessica Kessler on Unsplash" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Unsplash

The main reason to focus on the decluttering challenges this year is to make homemade stuff as much as possible. To reduce my food waste, to move to a sustainable space and make it our way of life from here on.

As of now, these are my major decluttering challenges of 2021. I know that if I decode this here, I will be able to keep up with it wherever I am.

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#WednesdayVerses: Wings on Fire

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 07:24:00 +0000

This is where I walk to,

When I have so much to do,

But I am left with no clue,

On how to take things through.

Life is very demanding,

It takes a lot of understanding,

To live it astounding,

I must keep expanding.

As I lie down and question why,

I see the bright stars shining in the sky,

Colors add beauty I cannot buy,

Gave me a feel that it is all worth another try.

The swing under this big tree,

Lets my thoughts flow free,

As I fly higher, my doubts clear,

Setting my wings again on fire!

The chill breeze tingling my face,

Reminds me that I must embrace,

All that I am and all that I will be,

Just to set my spirits free.

A renewed energy finds its way inside me,

Letting dubious thoughts flee,

A free spirited me,

Finally opens this heavy lock with a key!

Joining Vinay and Reema for #WednesdayVerses.

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#WednesdayVerses: Shadow of our Love

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Fri, 16 Feb 2018 11:29:00 +0000

Image Courtesy

Life today isn’t what it was

Before a couple of years,

With pain engulfing me,

Not knowing what the next turn is about to bring.

From being the confused soul

To becoming the firm believer,

I have been through it all,

To understand I belong with you!

We stayed away,

To know what it really means,

We walked away because

We didn’t want to hurt each other.

Though we knew it from the beginning,

We are meant to be,

We had been through enough,

To believe in this sweet ecstasy.

When we let things be,

And broke our walls,

We found each other,

And laughed at our choice.

We married with blessings from all,

A splendid surprise after a long haul,

As Man and Wife our journey began,

Enjoying each moment as much as we can.

Even as Life twists and turns,

And even now some words burn,

You and I walk together,

Making this is our package altogether.

The arrival of our bundle of joy,

Has made us laugh more and enjoy,

All her giggles and snuggles,

Is more than enough to make her our new Valentine.

Watching the shadow play in our room,

Moving forward and backward,

I am swaying to a song in my mind,

Thinking about our Love and our dance together!

Prompt: Shadow

Joining Vinay and Reema for #WednesdayVerses.

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#WednesdayVerses: That Calming Effect

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 14:23:00 +0000

Image Courtesy

It isn’t easy to stay silent,

Amidst chaos,

Inside as well as out,

But, I have no choice.

Anger rising slowly,

As I hold it all in that deep breath,

Waiting to let it go,

But all I do is push it aside.

Words can be wronged,

It’s the same with feelings,

When you let them out to those who don’t understand,

It does not hold any value.

Tears make more sense,

Those who don’t understand today,

Will know someday,

That I don’t have anything more to say!

It’s better to let it go,

Than to make others see your point,

Which some never understand,

Until they bother to listen.

As I realize this,

A sense of calm enters me,

Tells me that I have me,

The best company!

Prompt: Calm

Joining Vinay and Reema for #WednesdayVerses.

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#WednesdayVerses: My Blessing In Disguise

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Thu, 25 Jan 2018 18:42:00 +0000

Though times have changed,

The memories we created remain unchanged,

We have learnt to be together,

Even during the bad weather.

As we sipped our cup of tea,

Our memories started floating free,

Laughter slowly filled the hall,

As we started sharing it all.

We learned to be with each other,

We always have one another,

To share our little secrets,

As well as our life’s regrets.

Just upon your arrival,

I thought you were my rival,

You changed me with your love,

For which I am thankful to the lord above.

We fought so much

We never thought we’d even stay in touch,

The day I was transferred to another state,

I learnt you are my soul mate.

My First Little Girl, My Inspiration,

My First Daughter, My Sweet Pride,

My Second mother at times,

My Best Friend Forever.

Our lives are so different,

Yet we have so much to talk,

A day isn’t enough,

To get all our stuff out.

We are best friends now,

We laugh at our days before,

In each other we will always confide,

For we have nothing at all to hide.

The best gift my parents ever gave me,

Is this bundle of joy,

I call as my sister,

A blessing in disguise that I never want to miss her.

Joining Vinay and Reema for #WednesdayVerses.

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How Vitamin E Changed Me from Being Simply Pimply?

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 12:32:00 +0000

I am excited to write this blog post for #Evion via #Indiblogger. It definitely took me back to memories. This post will help people who have tasted life at its worst with acne. I share how Vitamin E helped cure my acne problem when so many other treatments failed. If one had to describe me to some other person, the first thing to notice would be my acne and the scars. This journey helped in rediscovering me.

How it All Started?

Right from my high school days, I suffered from severe acne. My parents had spent half their earnings in treating my acne. Before a decade and a half, a visit to a dermatologist was a costly affair. I took my father’s Genes at least when it came to skin problems. My father and my aunt had severe acne with very little treatment leading to acne scars. However, when I had the same, my father suggested I visit a dermatologist and get it treated sooner.

I had visited many dermatologists and took medications as suggested for a couple of years. I faced severe stomach problems due to the prescribed medications. My actual problem wasn’t really resolved. Most of them suggested I use the prescribed soaps, creams and tablets for the rest of my life to keep my acne in control. Simply put, they had no idea what was causing it, but only provided medications to suppress. After a bout of severe stomach issues, I let go of the idea of visiting doctors for my acne. I never bothered about my acne either. Every once in a while when I get a severe breakout, I would worry immensely about it and console myself that I must learn to live with it.

When I joined college, I felt embarrassed about my acne. Though I felt low on confidence when it comes to looks, I never compromised on my studies. I managed to keep a low profile. I never felt confident. Wherever I went, people always questioned me about my acne. I hated visiting shops as the store girls always approached me with creams to treat my acne. I had tried every traditional treatment. Turmeric, Neem, Tulsi or Chickpeas powder. Nothing helped.

How The Internet Helped Me Resolve My Problem?

Thanks to YouTube and many Lifestyle and fashion bloggers. There were remedies flooding the Internet that I didn’t know what to choose initially. The two simple yet most important steps that changed my outlook on acne and life.

Finding My Super Foods:

Yes, I had to find them. I consumed foods liberally. Oily, spicy and junk were my top preferences always. I never really bothered about other options that existed. When I decided to work on myself, I really had to change my entire lifestyle. The first change was the most difficult ever, Leaving my comfort food.

Firstly, I had to include foods rich in Vitamin E. They were rich in antioxidants and the first ray of hope to reduce my skin inflammation. Applying the oil helped soothe my highly irritated skin.

Almond made its way to the top of my list. Wherever I went, I always carried a small box of almonds with me. I have 5 almonds every day. I followed the same routine throughout my pregnancy and now after delivery too. It is almost a decade since I follow this and I can vouch for the changes in the texture of my skin.

I have heard my mother and grandmother advising me to soak them overnight. I do them every once in a while when I remember. Otherwise, my best evening snack with tea is a cup of almonds roasted in ghee, nice and crisp.

Some friends suggested I take almond milk. Soak the almonds overnight, peel the skin (or you can leave it as it is), grind it in the Mixer and drain the milk. If I remember right, I tried it only a couple of times. That was a little tedious for me, so I always include almond paste in my cuisines.

I did my research and found that Vitamin E was present in some of the foods I preferred. I love peanuts, hazelnuts and sweet potatoes. I was introduced to Avocados at work. I preferred the smoothie. I take a bowl of spinach at least 3 to 4 times a week.

How Evion 400 Helped Cure my Acne?

A family friend suggested Evion 400 capsules. Initially, I wasn’t ready to take them orally. I was worried if they would cause any side-effects. I used them in my face masks, hair masks and body massages. The only time I did not use the capsules are during my pregnancy. Instead I used its alternatives. Olive oil massages to cope up with my dry skin and scalp.

Here’s a list of my home made remedies with #Evion Capsules:

1. Hair Mask:

Open three capsule(long hair) and pour the oil in a bowl. Add Coconut / Olive oil for regular massages before hair wash. Double boil the contents before use. You can either use a cotton ball and massage the oil on your hair or just use your finger tips to gently massage the oil into your hair. If you prefer to use Almond or castor oil, the choice is yours. It works best with these four oils.

It helps cure dandruff.
It is the simplest and the easiest method to glowing and bouncy hair.
It helps calm frizzy hair
It works best on dull hair and gives it a glow on regular use.
It helps remove split ends.

2. Face Mask:

I don’t use makeup since most brands irritate my skin. They aggravate it and cause breakouts. However, I had to visit a couple of parlors for a trial makeup before my wedding reception. During those times, I used Vitamin E Capsules as a cleanser along with Almond oil. Dab this combination on a piece of cotton and slowly remove the grime. It did not irritate my skin and did its job perfectly.

For Acne Scars:

Wash your face before applying any mask. I use few drops of Vitamin E oil with Raktachandhan (Red Sandalwood powder) powder and make it into a paste. Just rub the paste on the scars. Let it sit there for half an hour to an hour before washing it with cold water.

For Pimples:

A pinch of Sandalwood powder + Turmeric Powder + Few drops of Vitamin E oil. Apply this combination on the pimples. Let it sit there for 10 to 15 minutes before you splash the water on your face.

3. Massage it

One of the best ways to save the skin during drying winters is by applying Vitamin E + Coconut oil after bath. Using it as a natural moisturizer helps prevent excessive dryness.

The Actual Cause of My Acne

Slowly, with changes, I also identified the causes for my acne. The top most reason was my fluctuating hormone levels. My skin is sensitive as well as oily. Most doctors suggested drying out my skin and moisturizing it externally. This over dried my skin thereby hitting high on the sensitivity scale and also secreting more oil than usual to compromise the loss. My facial skin used to turn pink when I walked under the sun. The excess oil blocked my pores and lead to breakouts.

By now, you must have got an idea of how Vitamin E helps nourish our skin. You can also try Evion Supplements for your recipes. If you love to try any recipes mentioned here, please feel free to use them. However, check if you are allergic to Vitamin E oil before using it. Please feel free to share your experiences with Vitamin E oil with me. I would love to follow new remedies.

How will Vitamin E masks help your skin? Let me know.

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This post is written for the Evion – My Vitamin E Mantra contest on Indiblogger. Please feel free to share your views here.

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Why We Must Attempt New Things Every Now and Then?

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 06:10:00 +0000

I love patterns. Be it as doodles or in saris. I am not a good artist. My Engineering graphics 3D assignments are the only ones I can proudly call as my experimentation with drawing. The casual art stops with flowers. I would rate my culinary skills better than my rangolis. Somehow, I am fond of patterns. I could admire paintings for hours for its beauty, but cannot do one myself. Since I never draw much, I don’t have anything to color. During pregnancy, I read about how coloring relaxes the mind. I love Mandala art and doodling patterns. The base of any art is a black pen. I love black color. The only reason that existed for me to go ahead and try.

One fine day, I wanted to doodle. I tried to push it away, but the urge was very strong. Recreating art was not my idea. So I skipped seeing Images in Google and directly opened YouTube. I searched for ways to doodle easily. More than 1000 videos popped as a result of my search. When I previewed one of the videos, the original poster started it from a random art. I watched the video with so much eagerness. I felt nice after watching it. I felt I could do that. I started without any expectations. By the end of it, I was only glad I did it. Mine was not the best art, but it just made me feel better. This is my first doodle.

30 JANUARY 2017 – HELLO HELLO doodling! I’m ❤in it! #firstdoodle #fms_hello #fmsphotochallenge #fatmumslim #hiyapapayaphotoaday #nothingisordinary #cherishinglifemoments #fmsphotoaday #fmspad #365_today #lovecolors #adoodleaday2017

A post shared by Jayanthy G (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Jan 30, 2017 at 9:28am PST

A thing of beauty is a joy forever – John Keats

Such a lovely gift from a family friend.. ? you guys. #pregnancydiaries #pregnantlife

A post shared by Jayanthy G (@jayanthygovindarajan) on May 11, 2017 at 3:20am PDT

A family friend surprised me by gifting me a pregnancy meditation coloring book. I must say, I love coloring in it. It has those lovely words inscribed on the art about mamma and baby. Sometimes we must just try certain things without much thought. This poem is my Day 30 poem of 100 Days of Poetry, the freedom to try new things without setting expectations.

One Pen, different write-ups,

One person, many dimensions,

When an opportunity presents itself,

We are first filled with doubts and fears,

We ask questions that never existed before,

However, once we calm down and think about it,

It all melts away slowly and we gear up and begin,

We become what we always wanted to become.

Do you like this?

Write, Just Write

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Problogger October 2017 Blogging Challenge

#writebravely #writetribeproblogger

Join us at WriteTribe

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Day 3 of 100 Days of Poetry

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 15:31:00 +0000

The post Day 3 of 100 Days of Poetry appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

Monthly Challenge #2: WORKOUT THIS APRIL

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Sun, 03 Apr 2016 16:03:00 +0000

I finally finished my first 30-day challenge and I admit it feels amazing. There has not been one challenge in my past which I bothered to take up. This year is slowly becoming special to me in many ways. My very first 30-day challenge was a March Savings Challenge and this post is almost like polishing my skills to lead a better life.

Now, I am moving towards the next important phase of my life. I have ample time to make my life better! The next task that tops my list after marriage plans is FITNESS(Yes, all in caps, because I postponed it as much as I could and finally agreed to give up my excuses and start working out). I am finally gearing up to work on myself. My stamina is slowly improving and I feel lighter than before just after 2 weeks.

My challenge for this month is 30-day Plank Challenge.

30 Day Plank Challenge!

The various versions are as below:

Basic Plank

Modified Plank – Jumping Jacks

Reverse Plank

I am going to rock with this challenge! 🙂

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Monthly Challenge #1: MARCH

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 11:47:00 +0000

This post is part of my self-improvement monthly challenge routine.
I practice one good habit and incorporate it. I eliminate one bad habit and leave it for sometime/forever – one step at a time towards mindful living.

Good habit : Investing Everyday
Bad habit: Addiction to browsing/gaming

Investing Everyday:

I have always felt March to be the month of Money!

MARCH = MONEY

I mostly make money decisions in the month of March. My mother is an Insurance Consultant in the LIC of India. This month is the financial closure month for her. I have observed her decisions over the past few years and finally come up with a monthly saving idea.

The idea is simple and that’s why I am following it! 😉

STEP 1: Put Rs.1 in your piggy bank on day 1.
STEP 2: Put Rs.2 on day 2.
Add money according to the days till you reach Rs.30 on day 30.

Follow this chart.

You can use this chart with varied amount per your convenience.

By the end of the month you will have Rs.465, if you follow my method.

Most likely you will have the change in the piggy bank itself. Happy saving!

Addiction TO browsing:

I browse without being aware that I am wasting my time on the Internet. I have cribbed a lot due to this in the past one month. I feel my attention is on the phone even when my family is interacting with me.

This has caused me headaches and severe deadline crunches in the past one month. Above everything, I have lost my sleep and my sleeping pattern is becoming pathetic. It’s very important to have a good night’s rest to have a good day ahead. It’s very tiring in the day when i miss my sleep and I play games on my phone non-stop to prevent moving out of bed. This has lead to enough stress and I have started to binge on food and snacks more in the past one month. I guess it’s time to change!

All the best to me! 🙂

I challenge myself and push me out of the comfort zone before someone else can do that to me.

I want to live life to the fullest at every opportunity!

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