Live LARGE on Little

"Our body has a defect that the more it is provided care and comforts, the more needs and desires it finds."
St. Teresa of Avila

Perhaps this is not a new trend and has been going on for years and I have just become more sensitive to it but I notice more and more that often people don't care for the possessions they own. You see bikes left out in the rain, cars that are used as traveling closets and garbage cans, expensive electronic devices carelessly lost or left in precarious locations. The list is endless.

Granted I work around and have lived with several teenagers but it makes me wonder what messages our culture is giving the young and the rest of us, that it's okay to not take care of your stuff. As many of our possessions seem to be nearly programmed to be disposable the other not particularly disposable items are being treated in the same fashion.

Is it because we have too much stuff and neither the time nor inclination to take care of what we do have? Perhaps. Have we moved so far beyond being grateful for all we possess? Are we spoiled, oblivious, self centered? Maybe.

As I've aged I have become more of a minimalist. Desiring fewer and fewer possessions and divesting myself of more and more. Is it my age or my disposition at this age that wants less quantity, more quality.

This phenomenon even goes so far as the relationships we have and give up on so easily. Are people becoming disposable also? Are we not taking the time to take care of the relationships we do have? Are we opting out when it gets uncomfortable and going out and acquiring a new one to replace the older, less shiny model? Like a scuffed pair of shoes do we let them sit idle in the back of the closet or toss them in the trash? Or do we pull them out dust them off and give them a good shine.

I have a bone to pick with all of us who, first of all have too much stuff and secondly, if we're going to have all this stuff... we need to take care of it. Don't let it go into disrepair, gather dust, become unused, uncared for. Same goes for the people in our lives.

My rant for the day. Thanks for reading!

MY "DUH" MOMENT 04/22/2012

"Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers."
William Wordsworth

This thought hit me recently. Not unlike Oprah's Ah Ha Moment this was, however, my "Duh Moment". When I leave home I spend $$$...the market, gas station, drug store, post office, doctor's office and that's not counting when I leave home actually planning to spend money, when I go out to a restaurant, movie, concert or for some intentional shopping.

Wait for it.....I have a plan....let's never leave our houses again! Nah...of course, that's not practical. What is practical though is to look at our spending from a different perspective. There is the necessary spending...food, gas, health care, clothing (in moderation)...you get the picture. And there is the optional spending...the things that are fun but not actually necessities. Like the latte' you stop for on the way to work or the umpteenth black turtle neck you just had to have (speaking to myself here).

Never leaving the house doesn't solve the problem of shopping online or tuning in to the shopping channel. You're on your own there but just remember...perspective...is it necessary or is it not? Stay away from the Unnecessaries. (the computer thinks this is not a word...if it wasn't before....it is now!)

Now I want to introduce us to some options we have when we really want to get out of the house but don't want to spend $$$.

-visit the library
-visit a friend
-visit a family member
-go to free concerts and art exhibits
-take a walk or hike
-go to the park
***walk to the park with a friend or family member and read a book you got at the library, they may be having a free concert

Good Luck!!

RAD GRAD GIFTS 04/06/2012

"You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go."
Dr. Seuss

As the graduate goes out into the world give them something to take with them that has meaning or inspires them. And if you can't come up with a great idea there's always CASH! Because I work from a pretty tight budget I am always looking for creative and thoughtful ideas that don't require a lot of $$ when a gift is in order.

Love this gift that a friend made for her son when he graduated from high school and was off to college, far away from home. Over the course of a couple of years she squirreled away several of her son's favorite and well worn t-shirts. She's an excellent seamstress and was able to turn the tattered tees into a smashing, soft quilt that would continually be a reminder of past memories and Home. If you're not a sewer (that's sew-er, not sewer as in waste water) yourself I'm sure you could find someone to convert cast offs into an heirloom.

I made a scrap book of my son's high school years for his graduation. It held not only photos but invitations, programs from plays and anything else I could find that would stir memories for him. I guess it did. He's been out of high school for over a decade and I noticed, not too long ago, that it sits on a shelf in his "Man Cave".

A video history for the graduate would be great too. Piecing together all the video of the high school years or their whole life would be a keepsake they would treasure.

I am going to mention again my "Go To" gift solution...Quotes in a Box. It's fun to choose 12 quotations for the high school grad, more for the college graduate. One quote for each year of school. You will, of course, choose the quotes that you know will hold the most meaning or be inspirational to the recipient. Find a great box at a discount home store or antique/second-hand store to hold the hand-picked quotes. (Feel free to refer to the quote page here on this site.)

If you do give $$$ do so creatively. How about buying a pizza crust in the box and covering it with $$$ and layer in a few coins as the topping. Perhaps this is an out moded expression but I heard it many times growing up..."Money doesn't grow on trees." Well, maybe just this one time. Roll up bills and attach them with colorful ribbon to a small potted tree.

This last idea is more extravagant and incredibly thoughtful. My sister and brother-in-law don't have their own children but are very close with their nieces and nephews. They gave my son and his cousin, who graduated from high school the same year, a trip to Washington D.C. with them. They went right after graduation and stayed for a week. There are stories still being told about that memory making trip. Oh, the adventures they had in our nation's capitol! Everything from plumbing disasters and record heat to theater, food, museums, monuments, boat rides on the Potomac, getting lost and eventually found. My sister kept quite an extensive journal of the trip and had it bound for them when they returned home. What a great celebration of a milestone in a young person's life combined with the joy of family.

Congratulations to all the grads out there....best wishes for your future.

THRIFTY IS AS THRIFTY DOES 04/01/2012

"Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship."
Benjamin Franklin

Just a reminder to all of us, myself included to be aware of the many small ways we can make a difference in our environment and our wallets.

Magazines: Over the years my magazine consumption has come round to this....I receive the New Yorker from a friend as a Christmas gift...I pass it on to my mother...My mother subscribes to Time...She passes it to me...My son receives Newsweek and Sports Illustrated as gifts...He passes them to me. I have people in my home for appointments so on the coffee table are copies of The New Yorker, Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated and I haven't spend any $$$. In the past when I am done with the magazines I have given them to a medical clinic for low income folks. I got out of the habit. Reminder to self: Start that up again. It's much nicer for the patients to read relatively current magazines rather than a June 2007 copy of Field and Stream or a dilapidated Family Circle that's missing most of its pages.

Beverages: If you prefer bottled water over tap water get a water filter pitcher. It will pay for itself in no time. Squeeze a bit of lemon or lime into your water to make it more "special". Drink water instead of soda or wine. Brew your own coffee and tea instead of buying the fancy stuff.

Walk Don't Drive: Whenever possible walk your errands. It's so much better for your health and the environment. If you do have to drive plan your errands so you drive the fewest number of miles.

Baby Food: After all baby food is just a bland blended version of the food the rest of us eat. Take a bit out before seasoning and blend it for baby.

Music: I love music but have never been a buyer of music and dare I reveal this....I don't own an IPOD! Shocking I know. What I do enjoy is Pandora Radio. When cooking, cleaning or entertaining hook up your computer to speakers and Pandora will choose a playlist for you based on your favorites.

Most of these suggestions are ideas we're all familiar with. This is merely a gentle reminder to remain vigilant in regard to Mother Earth and our budgets.

SPRING CLEANING 03/29/2012

"This mess is a place!"
Unknown

Honest....Spring Cleaning can be fun! My sister has "fond" memories of she and I cleaning out the toy box. It was my "Big Idea" and I guess I got bored and she was left to finish the job. Of course, she wasn't very happy about the outcome but it's turned into fodder for a good family story and a way for her to give me hard time decades later.
Now really....

This is traditionally the time of year for Spring Cleaning. Going through our homes and getting rid of things that are no longer useful to us. It could be clothing, toys, household items, anything that clutters our space. Keeping items that we no longer need not only takes over our living space but it can be emotionally messy as well. I know how good I feel when I have decluttered and restored order to my home. It's like a breath of fresh Spring air and a lift to my spirit.

I have a two story house with a storage basement so I begin my Spring Cleaning at the top and work down. Along with the actual cleaning I use plastic bags or boxes to separate items I'm getting rid of into four categories.

Throw Away: Anything that is truly garbage, of no use to anyone. Make sure it is really garbage. Remember: "One man's trash is another man's treasure."

Give Away (friends and family): Often I come across items, especially clothing that would be of use to friends and family. (Just the good stuff. You don't want to offend anyone.)

Sell: Garage/Yard Sale, Consignment Store, Ebay etc. I have a storage space in my basement where I keep the things I consider good enough to sell at a yard sale, which I have every couple of years or when I have enough stuff to make it worthwhile. If you are so inclined it's a great way to get rid of stuff but also recoup a little of the cash you spent on it originally. Whatever is left after the sale is over I either arrange for a charitable organization come for a pick-up if I have large items or I drop the items off. Which brings us to the fourth option. (See later blog for Yard Sale tips)

Give Away (Charity): We all have organizations in our communities that would be happy to take our good, usable items off our hands. And don't forget to get a receipt so you can deduct the donation from your income tax.

I have a double punch, one and two year, rule about clothing. When I go through my clothing and realize I haven't worn something in a year but I'm not ready to give it up I put it away in a box in the basement. If I haven't missed it in another year's time it gets sold at a yard sale or given away. If you have the one year leeway it's not so hard to get it out of your closet. You know it's not gone forever and you can retrieve it if you want. But if it's gone unnoticed for two years you probably don't need it and someone else could benefit from it.

This type of cleaning is easy to put off and always seems worse in theory than it actually is in implementation. It certainly is not Big Fun but the results are worth it. You feel a weight is lifted when you clear out and simplify your living space. It's a wonderful way to celebrate Spring when we're anxious to get outdoors again but often the weather isn't cooperative. There's nothing better than staying in and cleaning the toy box. Just ask my sister....

BREAKING THE RULES....RULES! 03/04/2012

"A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperment."
Oscar Wilde

While thinking about how to be sustainable, save $$$ and also be creative I began looking around my house for repurposed items, hoping for a bit of inspiration. It turns out many of the things in my home are not being used for their original purpose.

It seems I may be averse to using items for their intended purpose. Quite the rebel! Taking something beautiful, interesting or merely useful and re-working or re-using it in a new or unusual way is a great way to exercise your imagination and creativity and often save a bit of $$$.

From where I am sitting in my home I can see several items that I've re-purposed. There's a lovely gold and black ying/yang Chinese umbrella that I've hung over the TV as piece of art. The same with a vintage floral kimono that years ago I used as a beach cover-up. And, now, as I never go out in public in "beachwear" it hangs on a dowel over my couch, filling up a large space with another piece of three dimensional art.

In the above photo is a piece I picked up for $1.50 at a thrift store, gave it a coat of black paint, found the letters at a retail display store and continue to have fun with friends and family making up crazy menus based on famous people's names. It hangs in my kitchen.

Another piece in my kitchen is a retro Gourmet magazine from the month and year of my birth. I also made one for each of my sisters birthdays. In the bargain basement of a large old book store I found stacks of vintage magazines in amazing condition. I picked up several with dates that corresponded to the birth dates of friends and family. For the magazines that became gifts I found clear frames that encase them between two layers of lucite held together with magnets. They make thoughtful birthday gifts that are also beautiful conversation pieces for very little $$$.

Several years ago I found a very large and beautifully simple picture frame in a thrift store that was under $10. My brother is a master carpenter so I commissioned him to fill the frame with magnetized chalk board paint. He did a beautiful job and actually gave it back to me as a gift (no charge...Yay!). Now I can put all that "stuff" that clutters the refrigerator....photos, cards, invitations and reminders inside that frame and keep it under some semblance of control and have space to write notes. (It not a great idea to write on the refrigerator.)

While we're waiting for Spring to arrive, here are just a few ideas to brighten up your space with re-purposed items that are easy on the budget. Art is whatever we find interesting, entertaining or beautiful and we need not follow any rules in our own home. Go nuts!

GIFTS ON THE GROUND 02/26/2012

"The nature of God is a circle of which the center is everywhere and the circumference is nowhere."
Empedocles

A few weeks ago I wrote about choosing a symbol that would act as a reminder for me to stay open to the world around me. I chose the STAR. I shared my thoughts on synchronicity and talked about how the STAR had appeared to me in the course of my everyday endeavors and had added a bit of meaning to the post holiday blahs.

Because winter has never really arrived or hasn't yet, here in the Intermountain West, I have been able to take more walks than I usually would this time of year. I've become a little obsessed looking for STARS. So much so that I miss crosswalk go lights, oncoming traffic and my own street because I'm looking down at the ground.

Yesterday was my sister's 60th birthday. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY CA) And for reasons that suit her at this time in her life and my relationship with her I planned to honor her with the symbology of the CIRCLE. So in addition to looking for STARS I also had my eyes peeled for CIRCLES. CIRCLES are everywhere, I found, but not usually in the form you can pick up and bring home with you. For instance the nice, colorful CIRCLES discarded gum makes on the sidewalk or pop tops in the gutter. And you won't see me prying up the round metal cover on a water meter and dragging it home.

My treasures from yesterday are in the photo above if you hadn't figured that out yet. Pretty pitiful, you may be thinking, but I was thrilled with my finds. Walking and looking, even if you're looking down is "grounding". Pun absolutely intended! It reminds me of walking on the beach or in the forest....there's always so much to see at ground level. Urban walking is certainly not the same and most of what you find would, by most standards, be considered garbage. Trash or treasure differs only if you choose to imbue something with meaning.

Two pennies...always love finding money. I feel it's auspicious and hey....these days 2 cents is 2 more cents than I previously had. The earring, someone is surely missing and I would be happy to return it to it's owner if by some chance, just short of a miracle, they read this blog.

I recognize the red CIRCLES, in a CIRCLE and there were many littering a cross walk. I've seen them before but I can't recall where. I have a vague idea that it has to do with a child's weapon. Any ideas?

The rest of the CIRCLES are bottle caps...one with an interesting name on it....Chasing Tail (which connotes a running around in a CIRCLE) and lids for bottles or plastic doo-hickies for who knows what. But they are CIRCLES and they were relatively abundant. The best CIRCLE I observed, another I couldn't take home with me, was the sun. It was shining brightly in a clear, crisp blue sky.

By far the finest thing that comes from this little excursion is it gets me out to exercise and yesterday it gave me the opportunity to connect with my sister who I am not able to be with physically on her special day.

With thoughts of my sister and her 60th year I did a bit of online research about the CIRCLE. Below is a site that gives us great information about the symbolism of the CIRCLE.

http://www.whats-your-sign.com/circle-symbol-meaning.html

And to come full CIRCLE...my last find of the day came as I got out of my car to visit my parents and between my feet was the most perfect little STAR inside...Ta-Da...a CIRCLE!

"You know if you hang around this earth long enough you really see how things come full circle."
Patti Davis

TONE DOWN V-DAY 02/05/2012

I've been putting this particular blog off but I guess it's time to write about V-day, as we've seen V-day merchandise in the stores since the day after Christmas. It's been around for so long it seems like it should be over by now, but regrettably no.

Do I sound like I have an attitude about V-day? I guess I probably do have a problem with how this holiday, along with every other one that has morphed into something so blown out of proportion it's hard to recognize it anymore. One thing I'm not going to do is try to give you any ideas for gifts. One only has to step outside one's door, open your email or newspaper or turn on the TV to be bombarded with everything under the sun that's Valentines.

V-Day makes me nostalgic for the simplicity of the way things were when I was a kid. Making Valentines and the box in which to receive them. And there was the "most beautiful" thing I had ever seen up to that point in my life....the gigantic red satin heart-shaped box of chocolates my father always gave my mother. Marshmallow hearts encased in cheap chocolate and red hots that stuck to everything were enjoyed while you pondered the cryptic message of a Valentine given to you by that "certain someone".

Now that V-day has become overly commercialized and highjacked by retailers it too often is about the "stuff" and often the true meaning gets trampled by weeks of hype and tons of red and pink crap that no one needs or wants. I am not picking on retail business, everyone has to make a living and I have been a retailer myself but, jeez it's gotten so over the top. Valentine's wreaths and toilet paper with hearts??

Let's make it simpler this year, turn down the expectations and turn up the love. Love, of all things, cannot be measured by the $$$ you spend but by the energy and thought that goes into a gift or card and most of all the quality of the time spent with loved ones.

And if you're single give yourself a break from feeling that you are one of the few out there with no Valentine. Ignore this day (if at all possible)...tell yourself it's a silly holiday concocted by card companies and florists. To a great extend that's true.

Love is something to be experienced everyday not just on February 14.
And love is not just for "Lovers", it's for everyone.
Love yourself. Love of self is where all other love begins.

No matter how we choose to celebrate this V-day (or not) it's all about the.....