Owner: FInding Simplicity URL:http://finding-simplicity.blogspot.com Join Date: Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:34:59 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: One woman's quest to leave consumerism behind and return to a more simple, green and sustainable lifestyle. Site statistics:Click here
Garden Plants to Use in Salads 2008-05-16 10:35:00 Photo: jcivBored with the same old salad? Why not take a look in the garden and see if there’s anything there you can add to make it a bit more interesting? Here’s a list of stuff that you can use: Chickweed: Grow profusely in most gardens, especially if the soil’s moist. The leaves are tasty and definitely add interest to the salad. Chives: Sew some seeds in a pot an Read more:Garden
, Plants
Missing My Baby 2008-05-20 03:48:00 Paul when he was little... cute, eh?I haven’t seen my son now for about 18 months and I’m really starting to miss him. He’s been staying with my mum as she needs somebody to help her with Dad who has dementia, no bowel or bladder control, emphysema and mobility problems. He gives her practical help but above all, he keeps her company; stops her from going round the bend, as she says. Paul Read more:Missing
Growing Up 2008-05-23 02:43:00 Photo: Danny McLI often think that my childhood and teenage years has helped me live a simple, frugal lifestyle.There wasn’t much money around when I was young and most of what we had available Dad spent on beer. I know it isn't nice to speak badly of one's own family but he was an alcoholic (he's now very ill and senile) and very selfish with it. Mum was given a pittance for housekeeping and ou Read more:Growing
Freeganism 2008-05-26 01:09:00 Photo: coreyuKikimonkey over at Monkey See, Monkey Do recently posted about an Oprah show she’d been watching, where freeganism was highlighted. The post really grabbed my attention, not because I’m a fan of Oprah or intend to become a Freegan but because the philosophy behind the Freegan movement really made me sit and think. It’s not that I didn’t already know that we’re living in
12 Laundry Tips to Help Free Up Your Time 2008-05-30 03:19:00 Photo: KirrelyRobertSimplifying life means finding ways to make life as easy for ourselves as possible and that, of course, includes household tasks. By simplifying our housework not only do we free up more time to spend on other, more enjoyable pursuits, we can also make housework less of a chore. One area that’s actually very easy to simplify is the laundry. If you’re like I once was a Read more:Laundry
Alternative Vases 2008-06-02 02:56:00 Photo: TengTanWhile I’m not ungrateful when somebody buys me a huge bouquet, it’s generally the small bunches of wild flowers or perhaps a few stems picked from the jungle of weeds garden that bring me the most pleasure. I generally have at least one bunch in the house during summer, if not more, and use all sorts of things as ‘vases’. I use Empty jars. Some are pretty in their o Read more:Alternative
Thoughts on Littering 2008-06-04 02:01:00 Photo: blueberrymomWhen we first moved back to England my children didn’t drop litter. Anything we’d taken out with us always came home with us. Sadly, the town we were living in at the time – Partington – was very littered. One day, while walking the younger of my daughters home from school, she nonchalantly dropped an empty crisp bag on the pavement. “Err… why did you do that?”
Organ Donation - The Ultimate in Reusing 2008-06-05 23:30:00 Photo: mtsofan Did you know that about five and a half thousand people are currently on the organ waiting list, desperate for a transplant that could save their lives? Kidneys are in highest demand although livers, lungs and hearts are all urgently needed. Unfortunately, because there simply aren’t enough donars, many of those people will die before they come even close to their chance of a t Read more:Donation
, Ultimate
Evolution 2008-06-05 02:19:00 Photo: Random Cliché According to some science buffs, Darwin may well have got it wrong. Human evolution, they believe, may well have happened because of climate change. So, the question is, will our present state of climate change, which we’ve undoubedly accelerated if not entirely brought about ourselves this time, mean we’ll start evolving again? There are two arguments to this. One is Read more:Evolution
Fattening Up 2008-06-06 09:59:00 Photo: jovikeWell it finally looks as if I’m heading in the right direction, health wise, again. After five months of feeling as if every last micron of energy had been sucked out of me, rapid weight loss to the point where there was absolutely no fat left on me, I’ve started to pick up some strength and have put on 4 kilos this in about the same number of weeks. Now I know that’s not a lo
Pointless Save-a-Flush 2008-06-07 09:55:00 Photo: Iain AlexanderToday our water supplier delivered a freebie to the door. It’s a plastic bag type thing with tiny holes in it that’s filled with absorbent polymer and silica sand. We’re supposed to put it in the toilet cistern so that it uses less water when it flushes. It’s called a Save-a-Flush. What a daft idea! What on earth is the point in manufacturing more plastic goods in or Read more:Pointless
A Super Sunday 2008-06-08 15:56:00 Photo: Jeffrey SimpsonWhat a beautiful day it’s been. The sun’s been shining from a clear blue sky, and the day has been good to me, health wise. It started bad – I woke with my heart pounding and tears running down my cheeks after the most horrendous nightmare I’ve ever had. It’s still clear in my mind but I keep pushing it away. It’s just too awful to think about. That was at about Read more:Super
, Sunday
Eliminating Niggles 2008-06-11 02:30:00 Photo: minxlj My house used to really get me down sometimes. It was full of little ‘problems’ that would niggle away at me, little things that needed fixing, but that nobody ever got around to doing. These things were a source of constant irritation; they never really allowing me to relax and just enjoy a feeling of contentment at being here. Don’t get me wrong, there are still lots of
Baby Cows – Should We Eat Them? 2008-06-10 04:01:00 Photo: CryptonautVeal has, for a very long time, been avoided at all costs by those with any kind of compassion and concern for animal welfare. Until 1990, male calves born to dairy herds were crated so that movement was restricted and atrophy of the muscles occurred. Why? In order to produce the white meat that’s still popular on the continent. Luckily, this method of raising veal calves was il
Just What is Selfishness? 2008-06-11 19:20:00 Photo: Thomas HawkOn Tuesday evening I went to my friend Christopher’s house. I originally met him through a writers’ group that we were members of and have since become very good friends – he’s a man who never fails to interest and inspire me. Last night he held a meeting entitled “Finding Your Highest Self” where one of the subjects explored was the concept of ‘selfishness’ and Read more:Selfishness
Yes, I Still Smoke! 2008-06-13 02:47:00 _____Since Richard made it clear in yesterday’s comments that I still smoke and how he feels about it, I thought I’d take this opportunity to give you all an update on my progress, or lack thereof.I hate smoking. I really do. Sometimes I lay in bed despising myself for picking up the habit again and allowing myself to become addicted. Sometimes I cry with frustration and decide that I’m not Read more:Smoke
Wormery Update 2008-06-14 01:28:00 Way back in February I wrote about my new wormery and promised to let you know how things went. Well I’m pleased to report that after an initial set back, the worms are now fat, happy and munching their way through my kitchen waste. Unfortunately, the first lot of worms died. I think that was due to a combination of factors. One was that it was cold and they just didn’t have enough compost to Read more:Update
Why Can't I Make Up My Mind? 2008-06-15 00:20:00 ____Those of you who’ve followed my blog for a while will know that I’m currently saving up for a new kitchen. Those of you who didn’t know, do now.I’m about halfway there at the moment and have come to the point where I need to start planning it properly, especially as I’m going to be doing it in parts. But I can’t make my mind up!My original plan was to have cream units with wood eff
Three Point One Planet Earths 2008-06-16 02:01:00 Photo: WoodleywonderworksI’ve just tried this carbon calculator for kids. It’s easier to use than the adult versions because you don’t need to know exact figures but I suppose, for that reason, it isn’t as accurate either. It does give a pretty good picture of where you stand on doing your bit for the environment though.What I found interesting - assuming the figures can be trusted - is th Read more:Three
50 Money Saving Tips 2008-06-17 09:26:00 Photo: Douglas Mcintosh Most of us, unless we’re rolling in it, are noticing the rise in prices these days and having to tighten the belt somewhat, like it or not.One way of dealing with it is to see the situation as a challenge rather than a problem. With the right plan of attack, it’s possible to cut down expenditure considerably and still enjoy a relatively high standard of living.As I’ve Read more:Money
, Saving
Scans, Birthdays, Fish and Kittens 2008-06-17 23:15:00 Lise, being all poutyToday is a special day. It's my older daughter's 22nd birthday and the day I get to meet my new kitten for the first time.It's hard to believe it's so long since my first baby girl was born. It's funny how every detail of the moment we first meet our babies sticks with us forever, isn't it? I can remember it as if it were just last week. She looked pretty much like she does no Read more:Birthdays
Riches That Really Matter 2008-06-26 03:01:00
Photo: Fatty Tuna
In his essay ‘The Soul of Man under Socialism’, Oscar Wilde wrote the following: "Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you." Televisions, laptops, jewellery, mobile phones, iPods, in fact anything a consumer can acquire for money, can all be stolen. Some things – the most precious thin
Meditation 2008-06-25 09:58:00
“Be Still Like a Mountain and Flow Like a Great River” ~ Lao Tse
I think I’ve probably meditated for most of my life, albeit in an uncontrolled form to start with. My mums says she can remember that even as a toddler I’d sometimes be ‘gone with the fairies’, impossible to get through to. She’d have to click her fingers several times in front of me before I’d ‘come back’.
By Read more:Meditation
Tesco, Asda & The Others 2008-06-24 12:36:00 Photo: Route79
I’ve just finished doing my online shopping with Tesco
and once again I felt a bit saddened as I pressed the ‘order’ button. I really don’t like shopping with them, or any of the other supermarket giants for that matter, but needs must. I’m just not able to get around the shops easily enough to do my shopping at the market and in local, independent stores so Tesco it is. Read more:Others
Flying 2008-06-24 03:24:00
Photo: Davipt
How comes, while we’re being told to fly less so as to reduce the effects of global warming, our airports are being extended? As if Heathrow’s Terminal Five wasn’t enough, they’re now planning to ‘improve’ Birmingham airport so that it can take larger aircraft used on long-haul flights.
Why?
Surely, if we’re really expected to fly less, airports should be decreasin Read more:Flying
Plenty More Fish in the Sea? 2008-06-23 03:54:00
Photo: f10n4
We’re partial to a portion of fish n’ chips in our house but about a month ago, Richard went off to get what was once our weekly treat only to come home with haddock instead of cod. Cod, he’d been told, had become increasingly difficult to get hold of leading to prices sky rocketing so our local chippie was no longer using it.
What? No more cod and chips? What’s going on? Read more:Plenty
Rising Prices 2008-06-22 01:50:00
Photo: Iocto
I’ve had enough!
I’m sick of hearing people whinge about the rising cost of fuel, food and a variety of other products and then laying the blame on the government, expecting them to do something. As much as some like to believe it, the truth is, in this case anyway, the government do not have us by the bollocks.
In fact, more than anybody else, the blame belong with us.
We Read more:Rising
, Prices
Long Live Freecycle 2008-06-20 23:37:00
Our local Freecycle members have been good to me recently.
A few months back my gas cooker decided to bite the dust. The oven wasn’t heating to the correct temperature (or anywhere even close), one of the rings would only work on very high and would go out as soon as I tried to turn it down, one ring wouldn’t light at all and a third ring seemed to adjust itself willy nilly. It was as if gr
Favourite Posts 2008-06-20 01:01:00 ____
Today I thought I’d do as some of my fellow bloggers have been doing recently and round up the week with an overview of my favourite posts.
Here goes:
Cultivating a Simple Life - a guest post on Emily’s ‘Remodelling This Life’ where the author, Sara from ‘On Simplicity’ uses as garden as analogy for a simple life. A beautiful post that says a lot.
50 Reasons to Read More by An Read more:Favourite
I Won't Be Beaten! 2008-06-19 01:06:00 _____
[Warning: looooooong post. If you can‘t be bothered to read it, I won‘t be offended if you decide to poodle off now]
Yesterday I went for a bone scan. The actual procedure was dead simple although I had to have my hip scanned twice as the machine didn’t read it properly the first time round. It’s just as well it was repeated because it turns out I have osteoporosis in it. Luckily
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