Two Down...

...Ten to go!

So far, so good! No...Great! I am loving this, Ali! Sometimes, I just get this feeling, this sense, that I would have been a great pioneer woman! Or, even an adequate Amish woman!

Then...

Yesterday, as I was making (for the very first time) homemade laundry detergent, my Cuisinart (yes, my Cuisinart) was acting up. Because of a chip in the plastic, I had to use both hands to hold it, to make it work. I kept thinking/saying, "Oh, crap!"

Maybe not so pioneerish or Amish of me...

Next task...homemade body lotion! I'll just go on line, order all the supplies, maybe use my Cuisinart. Very pioneerish, right, Ali?!

Funny Thing

When we women get together, I have noticed this "thing" that happens...

Standing around in a circle, one woman will comment to another woman, "Oh, I love your necklace! Where did you get it?"

Or, "That is the cutest sweater! Anthro?!"

Or, "LOVE the shoes!!! When did you get those?"

Note to me: For the next year, I will NOT be the woman who is singled out to receive the compliment, as I will be wearing nothing new.

Reality check: I have hardly EVER been the one singled out, new or not. But...now I'll have no (secret, embarrassing to admit, "pick me, pick me") expectations. :-)

FREEDOM!!!

(Funny thing with you, my dear one...No matter what you are wearing...new, old, fancy, casual...you get singled out! May have something to do with your stunning "I love Jesus and He lives inside of me" beauty, inside and out! Who knows?)

A Story

So, there's this girl.

She told us she was going to go a whole year without eating chocolate...A whole year!

"You're crazy," we told her.

"There's no way we could do that!"

We continued, "Sometimes you just have to have chocolate. And, it can be good for you!"

She's made it for a month and a half so far.

Recently she admitted to me that she hates chocolate.

Going a year without chocolate? Wow...Big deal.

Final Straw

As I mentioned earlier, this idea popped into my head in December.

I tried to ignore it.

No shopping for a year?

No way.

That's silly.

Not realistic.

Then, a moment of inspiration!!! I was reading an article in People (SO not proud) about the Bachelor (so VERY not proud...actually quite embarrassed...really not knowing why I'm admitting to this...could have brushed right over this without anyone ever knowing...sigh...). The following article was about a family of four, in Mill Valley, CA. A photo of them with a year's worth of their trash not even filling up a plastic (plastic? maybe it was glass) jar. A YEAR'S WORTH OF TRASH!

As I take our trash out to the curb every Tuesday evening, my conscience is just a bit agitated at the full bin of trash our family produces. So much talk of our world's overpopulation. What if that really isn't the problem. What if our wastefulness, our consumerism is the issue??

Just a thought...

Exceptions

1) Walking shoes (I go through a pair a month)

2) Jog bras (Gotta support)

3) Swimsuit (Kind of live in those in the summer)

4) Wedding gifts (Can't think of anything I could make that I'd be proud of for years to come)

5) Baby gifts (Want to keep supporting Lori's business)

6) Candles, mason jars (Can't just give sea shells as gifts)

7) Frozen yogurt (No need to explain)

Birthday Gift Shopping

Just wanted to thank you, Sweetie, for going shopping for birthday gifts with me!

I have loved our long walks on the beach at low tide!

Love the variety of shells we have collected!

Now...can you look on Pinterest and see what we can make with shells?! Maybe a mason jar...with a candle...surrounded by Solana Beach, Cardiff and Encinitas sea shells?! Let me know what you find!

And, what fun it has been solving all of the worlds problems as we shop!

Let's do it again next week!

Love you, my sweet one!~oxo

More Freedoms?

Made it one month! All confidence and smiles! Considering more freedom...

"news-free" year? (Then I wouldn't feel so foolish when I can't really remember who our governor is. I'll just say, "I'm having a 'news-free' year. Maybe next year I'll know all those kinds of things.")

"petition-signing-free" year? (Then I could just explain to all of those folks in front of Trader Joe's and Target, "I'm sorry I'm can't sign your petition. I'm having a 'petition-signing-free' year.")

"negative-thought-free" year? (When my mind wants to criticize, judge, I'll just tell myself, "You'll have to wait until next year to have those yucky thoughts, because you're having a 'negative-thought-free' year! Remember?")

"coffee-free" year?...No way. That wouldn't do anyone any good.

Different Glasses

So strange...I walked downstairs this morning thinking, " I LOVE my house! I love the bright light that pours in! I love how uncluttered (undecorated some would say) it is! I love how all of the windows in the back of our home face our beautiful, private canyon!"

In the past, I have walked downstairs thinking, "This carpet is gross. That fogged window needs replacing. When are we going to have the strings on our blinds fixed so they work? When can we redo our 26 year old kitchen?"

Same house...Different perspective.

I like this freedom I'm experiencing in seeing my house as it is...loving it as it is...not always thinking about what I'd like to change! Yes, today I am really thankful for the idea of a "shop-free" year (or month)!