Seeking Simplicity

RSS Feed Homepage

It's Reusable Bag Month!
2008-01-11 00:15:00
Did you know that simply by using a reusable bag you can cut your ecological footprint? You?ll also begin to make a dent in the waste and pollution that sees 12 million barrels of oil and 14 million trees wasted each year to make plastic and paper bags. Most plastic bags are made from polyethylene, which is made from crude oil and natural gas, nonrenewable resources. This increases our dependency on foreign suppliers. Additionally, prospecting and drilling for these resources contributes to the destruction of fragile habitats and ecosystems around the world.This is such a simple step that will really make a difference?just Bring Your Own Bag when you go shopping. You can usually find tons of canvas or other sturdy bags at thrift stores. Who cares if they have some company logos on them! Many stores also give you a few cents off for each cloth bag you use. If you feel like you must buy new bags, you can take the Carbon Conscious Consumer pledge, and you'll also get a 20% discount to...
More About: Month , Mont , Reusable

The Story of STUFF
2007-12-31 04:08:00
I was thinking about the new year coming up and my compact pledge. I have kept to it for the most part, with the exception of some books that I should not have purchased. I am going to be more diligent in 2008.For those contemplating doing something similar or are simply interested in where our stuff comes from and where it goes, there is an interesting video that talks about this.The Story of Stuff From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.
More About: Waste

Its Time to Junk the Junk Mail!
2007-08-04 07:20:00
One of my evil adversaries in the decluttering war is .... PAPER! I cannot believe how much paper comes into my little apartment. Combine that with my total lack of organizational skills and the bad habit of just setting mail down wherever, it becomes quickly overwhelming. So, I am going through the paper, one stack at a time. I've got three boxes next to me:One for recyclingOne for shreddingOne for things that need to be filed (of course I need to figure out exactly what needs to be kept and I need a good filing system. PLEASE give me ideas) I cannot believe how much junk comes in through my mailbox. Sitting here looking at all of this cr*p, I almost feel violated. There are tons of those credit card application things, flyers, catalogs, requests for money from charities, and on and on.I am determined to shrink the amount of mail that comes into my home. Here are some things that you can do to tame this "paper monster":Stop junk mail from entering your home in the first p...
More About: Mail , Activism , Conservation , Time , Junk

Downshift Your Driving -- Go Car Free One Day a Week
2007-08-03 05:59:00
It takes total carbon dioxide emissions from most countries worldwide combined to equal just vehicle emissions in the United States, and as we consume more and more gas, pressure builds to drill in fragile and conflict-ridden areas. Yet a quarter of the trips Americans make are within walking distance, and each American driver could keep nearly a thousand pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air by taking the Carbon Conscious Consumer pledge to find an alternative to driving only one day each week. With gas prices so high, now is a great time to start reducing our reliance on cars. Each month from July to December, Carbon Conscious Consumer will highlight a new, simple way each individual can make an impact, plus show the difference each person makes both individually and along with the people they?ve influenced; prizes go to participants who influence the most new pledges. This August, keep the car in the driveway one day each week. Each gallon of gas that goes unused k...
More About: Driving , Activism , Free , Week , Shift

How long has it been since you've taken a vacatio...
2007-07-31 22:47:00
How long has it been since you've taken a vacation? I don't mean using your vacation days when your children are sick because your own sick days have been all used up. I mean when have you taken a couple of weeks off to reconnect with your children, your spouse, or even yourself? Do you even have the what-used-to-be-standard 2 or 3 weeks per year of vacation time? Many employees find that they do not even get that benefit anymore. Of those that do, many are afraid to actually use that time...afraid that they will get too far behind at work or even that it will be seen as a sign of weakness and could put their job into jeopardy. Did you know that in Australia and Europe, 4-5 weeks of vacation time per year is mandated by law? Employees in Canada and Japan have 2 weeks by law. In the United States, there is no mandated minimum. It is estimated that in the U.S. vacation time is an average of 4 days per year. Is it any wonder that Americans seem to be chronically stressed?A few months...
More About: Activism , Long , Been , Since

Chinese-produced fresh ginger is recalled
2007-07-31 16:25:00
WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning Monday for consumers to avoid eating fresh ginger imported from China.See link for more information
More About: Chinese , Ginger , Fresh , Prod , Recalled

I'm excited!
2007-07-31 07:04:00
There is something that I've really been wanting to get. But I don't want to and simply cannot afford to buy new. There is a possibility that I might be able to get it used and hopefully be able to afford it! I will update once I find out for sure.
More About: Excite

From within
2007-07-30 01:04:00
In the process of simplifying and renewing, perhaps one of the most important aspects is that of purifying our bodies and souls. I am wondering if maybe that is where I went wrong a few months ago. I was so focused on the outer, on getting a clean house, on reducing the amount of "stuff" we have, that I didn't pay attention to what was going on within myself.This week, I am trying something new. For one week, I am going to eat only those fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that can be eaten raw. With the kids away at camp, this is the perfect time to embark on something like this. Yesterday and today, I have eaten mainly fresh fruit, along with some vegetables in huge green leafy salads. Today I'm feeling a little tired, but otherwise I feel great. My mind seems a littler sharper and I'm feeling more hopeful and optimistic. Definitely not as "down" as I've been for so long now. I have no idea if this is related only to the food I'm eating, but I'm sure that has contrib...

Starting over
2007-07-28 18:57:00
Last year I began a journey that proved more difficult than I had imagined. I wanted to step off of the consumerism highway. I wanted to explore new and untraveled paths. I wanted to reduce our footprint on this planet. Alas, my journey was not successful. And now, months later, I look around me and see that I am not happier. If anything, I feel more bogged down, more cluttered, and more stressed than ever.I am returning to the journey. I am beginning again. I am so tired of being weighed down by "stuff". I am tired of my stuff owing me. I am also returning to compacting.I thought about starting a brand new blog. A clean slate. No embarrassing failures right in print for all to see.But then I decided not to do that. You see, I've actually been on the journey all along. I'm not where I'd hoped to be by this time. But I've learned and grown and now it is time to simply keep moving. Return to the goals that I had, maybe form some new ones. Make new friends, learn n...

A visit to Cindy's Porch
2006-10-28 02:22:00
How often do we go out and buy something, then later realize that we either don't really need it or already have the same (or similar) item at home?I've found a great website whose principles totally fit into the Compacting lifestyle. At Cindy's Porch, the three cardinal rules for "rediscovering" your money are: DO instead of BUY If you can open your mind to how you can DO something, instead of BUY something, you will be opening the door to treasures you never knew existed. You will rediscover the joys of family time, quiet time, nature, your pets, and yourself.SHOP at home FIRST OK, you have tried to apply the first rule. And you have concluded that you can't simply DO it and will actually have to BUY something. Time for the second rule: SHOP at home FIRST. Take a look in your cupboards, your freezer, your fridge, your cleaning supply stash, the basement, and the garage. I bet you already have whatever it is you want to buy (that's how we all end up with too many candles, ke...
More About: Visit

Just a little whining today...
2006-10-26 19:51:00
I'm sorry I haven't posted in a few days...just been going through a difficult time recently. One bright spot though...when you don't have enough money to even pay the electricity bill or buy fresh food, you have no trouble at all sicking to The Compact! :)Here's looking forward to brighter days!
More About: Today , Litt

Life is Good
2006-10-23 14:54:00
Yesterday, I had such a nice day. I dropped the kids off at Sunday school and wasn't sure what to do with my 3 hours I had free. I thought about going to the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, but didn't want to spend the money. Besides, it was a beautiful day. I thought about walking around, looking at the beautiful old houses uptown, but my ankle is still healing and I don't want to push it. So, I ended up at our central park and decided to sit and read. As I parked and walked across the park, I noticed the koi pond. So I stopped and watched the fish for awhile. The only people there were a couple of older gentleman enjoying the morning. I found a bench in the sun and just sat for awhile. There was a slight breeze, the sky was bright blue, some church bells were ringing in the distance.My mom called and I told her where I was. A little later, she showed up to join me. We sat for a while, talked a little, read a little. When it was time for me to leave and pick up the kids...
More About: Life , Good

My Ecological Footprint
2006-10-19 06:00:00
Thanks to Jessica for pointing me to Earthday.net's Foot print Quiz.According to the site, there are 4.5 biologically productive acres for each person on the planet and they offer a quiz to find out what your particular footprint is. I found from the quiz that I am using 7 acres. A large part of that is in the transportation area, which I wrote about earlier. I know that I need to do something about this aspect of our lives....I'm just stuck on what to do at the moment.So, if everyone lived like me, we would need 1. 5 planets. I suppose my 7 acres is better than the average in the U.S. of 24 acres per person(!!!!), but it is something that I still need improve so I can get down to at least my share of 4.5 acres.Some of Earth Day's suggestions on how to improve your footprint:Eat less meat: A plant-based diet generally requires less land, energy, and other resources. Crop-based food requires an average of 0.78 global hectare...
More About: Logic , Logical , Logi

The humble, powerful table
2006-10-18 15:12:00
For the longest time, its grieved me that so many families eat dinner on the run. It seems that most people I know do not sit down at the table for dinner as a family, much less for breakfast or lunch. In fact, according to research, only 40% of American families eat together even 2 or 3 times per week! Dinner is something to eat as you drive through somewhere on the way to somewhere else, or else is some convenience food that you warm up at home and then eat in front of the computer or TV or scattered in various rooms. Even before I decided to really simplify my life, this is one thing that was so important to me. Dinner is the time for the family to get together, enjoy good food and good conversation, and just be together.So imagine how delighted I was to read about just this thing in a book called Morning Sun on a White Piano by Dr. Robin R. Meyers. Here is an excerpt:For most of human history, people have scattered to make a living, and then huddled around a table to have...
More About: Table , Humble

"You'd lose your head if it weren't attached"
2006-10-15 20:35:00
I am constantly being told that. I am also constantly losing things. Now, I think that part of it is due simply to the amount of clutter in our apartment. 5 people in a little 2 bedroom apartment, along with a clutter problem, is a recipe for losing things.But I think my problem is much more than that. Because I also lose things at work and other areas. My problem has more to do with the fact that, for years, I've gone through life on auto-pilot. Days and weeks pass by and seem to be a blur. I get up, do morning stuff, drive the kids to their schools, go to work, do errands, etc. But I don't really do any of it in a mindful, deliberate way. When I cook, I am also thinking about what I need to do the next day or trying to fix or clean something at the same time. When I am carrying something, I get distracted by something else, then set down the item and forget all about it (until I need it and have no idea where I left it). My mind is never on what I'm doing at the moment. I reali...
More About: Head , Attach , Atta

The Compact
2006-10-14 17:13:00
If you haven't yet heard of The Compa ct , you may want to check into it. It was started by a group of people in San Francisco whose aims were:1) to go beyond recycling in trying to counteract the negative global environmental and socioeconomic impacts of U.S. consumer culture, to resist global corporatism, and to support local businesses, farms, etc. -- a step, we hope, inherits the revolutionary impulse of the Mayflower Compact 2) to reduce clutter and waste in our homes (as in trash Compact-er) 3) to simplify our lives (as in Calm-pact)The main rules are:First principle - don't buy new products of any kind (from stores, web sites, etc.) Second principle - borrow or buy used. A few exceptions - using the "fair and reasonable person" standard -- i.e., you'll know in your heart when you're rationalizing a violation: food, drink, and necessary medicine (no elective treatments like Viagra or Botox) necessary cleaning products, but not equipment (don't go out and bu...

More than enough
2006-10-14 16:24:00
There is very little that we actually need. That kind of sounds funny to me because just a couple of months ago, you could always hear me saying "I need to buy this" or "we need this for the kitchen" or "I need to get the kids some new clothes". I've definitely gone through a change these past few weeks.So, as of today, I will officially begin the compacting journey. DH and I talked about it and he has agreed to commit himself as well.Here is what we'll be doing:Buy only what is truly neededBuy nothing new, except for health & safety itemsBorrow or barter before buying usedPrepare healthy, simple meals at home every dayWill completely eliminate processed foods and white sugar, white flour, etcWill eat foods in their proper season and buy locally as much as possibleUse only cloth for napkins, "paper" towels, toilet tissue and feminine needsGet rid of all clutter in our home and keep only what we truly need or find beautiful, always giving away whatever no longer brings us enjoy...

The Organic Myth?
2006-10-10 23:49:00
Pastoral ideals are getting trampled as organic food goes mass marketWow! I have been trying to switch over to organic for as much food as I'm able to get. But this article is certainly eye-opening and not at all how I pictured the organic scene. I suppose that the answer is to buy local, from people you can get to know and trust. But what if you don't find organic produce locally? This is all so frustrating!
More About: Organic , Myth , The O , Organ

There's got to be a way...
2006-10-10 19:22:00
I read posts and blog entries about people living in a small space and making it beautiful, comfy, cozy. I get inspired, then, when I look at our apartment, I literally start to cry.We are two adults and three children (13, 11, 8) in a small two bedroom apartment. All the kids are in one room and we are in the other. And all our stuff is just....there. I can't figure out how to make it pretty. I'm in the process of decluttering, which definitely helps, but I still can't figure out cute and functional ways to store the remaining stuff. I have no creativity in this area and its just getting me down. Is it just something you're either born with or you're not (the ability to make some living space into a simple, lovely home)?There's got to be a way to do this, but I can't seem to figure out how!

Consumerism and traffic
2006-10-07 02:51:00
Today as I drove to pick up the kids from school, I did some thinking in traffic on the freeway. I was completely surrounded by tractor-trailers. They are always there, but usually I only peripherally notice them. Today they had my full attention. I felt the rumble as one would drive past me. I watched the black smoke come out as they drove. I slowed down as one would merge in front of me, then change lanes because I did not want my little car in between two of those big semis.I was thinking about what those trucks haul. I'm sure a huge majority is just cargo to take to the stuff-marts, waiting for people to show up, buy junk they don't need, take it to their overstuffed homes, then perhaps one day end up at the landfill. What a waste! All the way around! And I have been more than guilty of participating in this cycle. But now, thinking about how nice it would be if everyone could be satisfied with just a little less. If only people would put less importance on their "...
More About: Traffic , Consumerism , Cons

The Library is just waaaay too expensive for me!
2006-10-06 00:08:00
Over the summer, I let the kids take out a bunch of books, and I took out quite a few as well. I guess we got lazy about returning them (and keeping them in one spot). So, back in July or August, we gathered up all the books (or so we thought) and returned them. There was one DVD (Great National Parks of America) that we couldn't find. Since I'm a wuss when it comes to talking to people I wrote a letter stating that we had lost it and that I would be more than happy to buy a new one. We dropped the books off and I figured I'd pay the late fee another time. So now that I'm getting into simplicity and more natural living, I decided to pay the fee and check some books out (since I'm trying not to purchase anything that I don't absolutely need).Boy, was I surprised to see that my fine right now is $264.35!!! I am being charged $70.00 for one DVD that was returned and only costs maybe $20.00 new. And I am being charged $100.00 for the National Parks DVD!!!! Then, there are 3 books ...
More About: Library , The Library , Libra

Here goes...
2006-10-05 22:23:00
Am I even brave enough to do this?I'll give this blogging thing a shot.I've been thinking a lot the past few days about 'simplicity'. My mind and soul are craving a more 'simple' existence. I'm so fed up with my years of materialism and consumerism...buying junk I don't need and ending up with a lot of waste and feeling suffocated in my own home.I am committed to not buying (or aquiring in other means) junk like I've been doing. But right now, I have to figure out what to do with what I've already got. Our apartment has stuff everywhere. And I want a clean, modern looking home, one in which I can feel relaxed, uncluttered, and productive.Last night I started reading a book about clutter by Don Aslett. I've only read a few pages, but what I read really inspired me and made me realize how much I am a slave to my junk and that it really doesn't bring me any pleasure. I will keep reading and hopefully I'll get up the will do get it out of our apartment (and my mind).
More About: Goes