Don't take away our guilty pleasures, say women with a secret wardrobe

Don't take away our guilty pleasures, say women with a secret wardrobe:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/portal/2007/08/07/nosplit/ftwomen107.xml

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The effort some people will go to for a pair of Jimmy Choos...One of these women actually walks round shops with a red pen so that she can make it look like she bought items on discount when her husband asks.

Yeesh.

Going 'Large'

No new shoes began through a conversation between Anna and myself, after we read about Judith Levine not shopping for a year. It kinda blossomed from there.

It was fun - lots of people were interested and some even left comments on our blog.

But now.... Methodist Conference thinks it's a good idea for ALL, yes, ALL Methodists in Britain to give up shopping for luxuries during Lent 08.

Little things get bigger. That's how we change the world.

Soon we'll think of a way for people to sign up and pledge to reduce their carbon footprint by dropping shopping during Lent next year. So do watch this space, as we gear up to gearing down for Lent 08.

Hey - and if you're not a Methodist, we don't mind - join in anyway.

Methodists to drop shopping for Lent 2008 - hurrah!

Ok, it's a bit late cos I'm on holiday, but exciting none the less...

NEWS RELEASE

12 July, 2007

Methodists to drop shopping for Lent 2008

The Methodist Conference is calling on Methodists all over Britain to mark Lent 2008 by only shopping for essential items. They will seek to reduce their carbon footprint and instead focus on the essentials of life, raising awareness of the demands of consumerism on the planet and on daily life.

Lent, the forty days before Easter, is a time when many Christians fast and spend time thinking about the impact of their lifestyles on other people and on creation. During Lent 2007, members of the Church’s Connexional Team marked Lent by shopping for essential items only. They charted their progress, thoughts and temptations on a special blog: www.nonewshoes.blogspot.com, which attracted attention from all over the world.

Michaela Youngson, Secretary for Pastoral Care and Spirituality, says; “The no new shoes project is just one example of how people can use Lent to reduce their carbon footprint and focus on spiritual priorities. It’s about thinking about how each one of us can make a difference in the world and in our own lives. We can’t wait to hear about all the different ways people use Lent 2008 to honour this commitment. Watch this space!”

Supporting this initiative, the Methodist Relief and Development Fund Lent study pack will offer thought-provoking information and suggestions for possible actions for change. For more information, visit www.mrdf.org.uk.

self-indulgence

It's been rather a long time since I last posted here, but I've had such a fantastic weekend, I thought I'd log on again. We had 10 people for dinner on Saturday (yes, we were very hungry - ha ha) and after a long lie-in on Sunday went for a nice long walk in the park, cream teas and lazing in the sunshine with friends. Absolute bliss and with the most wonderful company.

I've largely been trying to stick to the no new shoes lifestyle as much as possible lately. Mainly, I confess, because of a distinct lack of funds (in one month I had a triple whammy of Car tax, insurance and MOT) rather than a new-found love of asceticism. That said, much stocking-up had to be done for the weekend, on all the best kinds of things - soft-drinks, wine, snacks and all the necessary ingredients for a decent paella. It wasn't particularly expensive, but not exactly in line with the moderate lifestyle encouraged by no new shoes. But worth every penny. It's not so much the food and drink, but the fact that it provided the setting to enjoy each other's company and share time together, which can be fairly rare.

One great thing about the no new shoes project is that it has helped me to think more about what is actually worth spending money on. Those things that can seem dreadfully self-indulgent (and often have that happy side-effect) are sometimes really worth while. (Of course, often, they're not. I suppose the trick is to know the difference - one I haven't quite mastered yet!).

Novelty

After getting back the items I bought in New York (and hidden away during Lent so I didn't indulge in them), I feel like I've been suddenly given lots (well, a few) lovely pressies. It feels like the (two) new pairs of boots, the bracelet & the CDs are brand new and give me that lovely post-shopping glow.

This got me wondering whether it's actually the things themselves we desire or the novelty of them. I've heard that some parents keep their children's toys on a 'rotation' so that some are put away for a while and then brought out after a few weeks. The child feels like it's been given a whole load of new toys to play with and the old ones go away to be brought out again later. aside from being super-organised, this seems to demonstrate the desire we have for "new stuff".

Is this simply greed? The constant desire for things I don't yet have. But unless we get rid of the old stuff we just amass a mountain of junk. I am particularly prone to this.

I'm using The Secret to get Brad Pitt

Well, not actually me - the woman who wrote this article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?xml=/portal/2007/05/08/nosplit/ftsecret108.xml

I don't know whether it's symptomatic of our society or whether it's always been the case, but I can't seem to get away from this Loreal-type "you're worth it" culture. It's scary that some make their own lust for 'things', 'success' and 'achievements' such a high priority in their lives. As the author of this article says:

"like most secrets, this one is a bit of a let-down; greed dressed up as spirituality. It assumes that we all deserve to have whatever we want. We don't. I suspect that the biggest secret to happiness is realising that and then getting on with life, whatever it throws at you."

Podcasts and debt

The April Methodist Podcast is now online!! "Hurrah!" I hear you cry. Even better, it features the beautiful dulcet tones of our very own Michaela and Toby, discussing the highs and lows of retail deprivation. Check it out at

http://www.methodist.org.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.webradio

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There's an interesting debate going on over at The Interface about Fair Trade products and whether they really make a difference. I'm inclined to say yes, but some disagree...
http://www.theinterface.org.uk/?q=node/110
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US debtors turn to Bible to make ends meet
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/01/wdebt01.xml

This article is rather interesting. It's good that people are getting support from churches when they face financial difficulty. But am I the only one to feel rather uncomfortable about churches charging up to $90 for the service?