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
No Spring Chicken 2008-03-09 08:40:00 Graphic: CarolitaJohnsonI woke this morning at about 6.30 to a deep blue sky, tinted golden in the east as the sun rose across the roof of the railway works that’s Crewe's only real claim to fame. Not the most picturesque view, granted, but watching the sky turn to a dazzling blue as the sun rose higher as I listened to the birds sing from the branches of the trees in the street brought a smile to my face. No matter where you are, if you look for it, nature has given us beauty to be enjoyed. Sadly, the weather soon started to change as thick grey clouds rolled in from the north, laying themselves like an old feather duvet over the gardens and rooftops. A cold breeze picked up and crept in through the open window; I pulled my own feather duvet tighter around me. I was snug as a bug in a Read more:Chicken
, Spring
I’m Thrifty But I’m Not a Cheapskate 2008-03-09 00:21:00 Photo: SilverspriteI’ve noticed that a good few people tend to think that being thrifty means spending the least possible amount of money but that isn’t strictly true. What it means is getting the best value for your money. For example, when our shopping arrived recently there were two large jars of powdered milk, half a dozen tins of mushroom soup, four bottles of shampoo and an organic fillet steak. “I thought you were supposed to be saving money”, DD2 said, pointing to these things. “Yes”, I replied, “I am indeed saving money. That’s why I bought them.” The first three items were all on offer, either 25% off by buying two or they were on ‘buy one get one free’. By ordering more than we immediately needed, I was saving money because I know that these Read more:Thrifty
Why Do I Cost You This Much? 2008-03-07 09:37:00 Photo: Big_Chocolate_MonsterThe only reason I’m able to write this today is because I’m kept alive through an artificial form of nutrition known as Total Parenteral Nutrition, or TPN for short. In early 2003 a massive blood clot led to me losing the majority of my bowel and as you no doubt know, without a bowel the body simply can’t absorb nutrition and without nutrition it's over and out. TPN is fed to me intravenously through a line in my chest that goes directly into my subclavian vein. I need to feed seven nights a week and each bag costs around £120. On top of that are various vitamin and mineral additives that need to be injected into the bags along with heparin to stop the fluid from clogging in either the line or my veins, the syringes needed to do so, giving sets, i
Bargains - Be Warned! 2008-03-06 20:39:00 Photo: WelshwitchI love a good bargain and if you’re a thrifty kind of person, I’ll bet my Sunday hat that you do too. Scouring charity shops, boot markets, eBay, closing down sales, collectors fairs and antiques shops is something I get a whole lot more pleasure from than browsing the rails in designer outlets or even lazing on the beach in some exotic, far off location. Yepp, that's true. And even when I am away on holiday I find myself looking for equivalent places there, too!But all this bargain hunting can have a downside, especially if you’re just starting out on your journey towards a simpler way of living. It can become an addiction. I know, because it happened to me. Thankfully, I’ve learned my lesson. Suddenly you find yourself buying stuff just because it’s cheap
I’ll Have Mine Medium Rare, Please - Sod The Greenhouse Gases! 2008-03-06 03:44:00 Photo: paige-elizI love a good steak. For me, tucking into a medium rare fillet steak is one of the great pleasures in life. It’s not that I don’t like cows and think they ought to be slaughtered and end up on my plate, it’s just that when they're chopped up and pieces of them are fried, they taste so damned good. Especially with dauphinoise potatoes, or rice and béarnaise sauce. Oh cripes, I’m starting to salivate just thinking about it and it's only 8 am! BUT… and here comes the voice of the little guy who sits on my shoulder and reminds me of the bad things I’m doing… aside from the question of whether or not it’s cruel to keep animals that a bred purely for slaughter and whether or not they’re transported and slaughtered in a humane way, there’s the fact that meat Read more:Medium
, Please
Tightening the Belt - 12 Ways To Save Money 2008-03-05 05:10:00 [photo: Bashed]I’m in debt.Until I started sorting my life out, I had bills coming out of my ears and no idea how I was going to handle them all. What with the maxed out credit cards, store cards, bank loan and catalogue payments and a drastically reduced income, I found myself struggling to keep my head above what felt like very stormy water. I had to tighten the belt, of that there was no doubt.I knew I’d let my lifestyle get out of hand and by simplifying things I was sure I could get a better grip on my finances. When it came to spending, my main priorities had to be to get rid of the debt and to get my kitchen remodelled and decorated (the latter's a practical need... my kitchen really isn't functional enough for me).Things I’m finding are really helping me save money are:1. Kee Read more:Money
Cross Cabbages 2008-03-04 17:28:00 Just a quickie that I thought might be useful for the veggie gardeners amongst you. If you grow cabbages, make a cross in the stalk that’s left in the ground and new, small cabbages will spring up from it. I don’t grow them myself but my mum said my granddad always did that when he grew his own vegetables during the war, and the little cabbages were often better than the big one. It must be worth a try, at least. Sharon J ~~+~~ Read more:Cross
Energy Saving Light Bulbs – A Conundrum 2008-03-04 08:23:00 I have a problem. Like most, I’ve long since switched to CFLs (compact flourescent lightbulbs) – the energy saving light bulbs that we’re all told we should be using these days. The trouble is, I’ve no idea how I’m supposed to dispose of the used ones. I’ve phoned the council to ask whether they have any special recycling facilities but apparently they don’t (I say apparently because the person you speak to doesn’t always know the answer, they often just think they do) and I can’t see what other options are open. I’d heard that US branches of IKEA take back these light bulbs for recycling so I checked with my nearest branch but no, the service isn’t available in the UK. The person I spoke to seemed to be surprised that I’d even asked about such a thing and had n Read more:Bulbs
, Conundrum
, Energy
, Saving
A Teacup 2008-03-03 21:14:00 I saw this beautiful cup and saucer on eBay last week and fell instantly in love with them. They’ll look just right in my kitchen when it’s finished and I can already see the cup filled with a bunch of tiny flowers from the garden or perhaps holding a little candle. If I wanted, I could even use it in my bedroom, filled with some gorgeous scented pot pourri or I might even grow a small plant in it, like a pink African Violet or a baby spider plant. From a practical point of view, I didn’t need it; it isn’t something that will make my life easier in any way so some would say that if I’m serious about simple living, I shouldn’t have wasted my money on ‘knick knacks’. But aesthetics are important to me. If my surroundings aren’t beautiful then I soon feel depressed, so I Read more:Teacup
Clog Popping 2008-03-03 02:01:00 I was talking to my mum last night. She wanted to discuss what would happen should she “pop her clogs” as she put it. She only 71 but as she said, nobody knows when it’s going to happen and these things need to be discussed. She also asked what I wanted to happen should I be the one to go first. Not a nice subject by any means but it’s better everybody knows what each of us wants so there’s no disputing it when we’re no longer here to have our say. Personally I want to be buried in a wood, in a cardboard coffin, preferably with a tree planted on top of me, although that isn't always possible. Mum said she’d honour my wishes although she felt the cardboard box bit seemed a bit mean and would have liked a proper gravestone but understood that I don’t have the same views a Read more:Popping
Social Bag Making 2008-03-02 12:49:00 Fed up with plastic carrier bags?Why not get together with some friends and make some 'morsbags'?The idea is to create a 'pod' of people, or join an existing one, who all sew these simple shopping bags and, when they have enough, distribute them free to shoppers in the hope that fewer will use plastic.Ideally they should be made from recycled fabric - old duvet covers, sheets, curtains, fabric from charity shops, etc.I won't be organising a pod because I can never really make arrangements in advance for things. I just never know what my energy will be like on any given day. I would like to make a few myself to give to friends and family though, so I shall be saving any suitable fabric I find. Apparently they only take about half an hour to make.Now, if only I could figure out how to use th Read more:Social
Mothering Sunday 2008-03-02 04:09:00 Today is MotheringSunday
, or Mother’s Day as it’s more commonly known these days, and the sun is shining from a clear blue sky. Always celebrated on the fourth Sunday in Lent since the 16th century, Mothering Sunday has long been the day where we give thanks to our mothers for everything they’ve done for us during the year. Back in the days of big houses with servants, the lady of the house would often allow the maids to take a cake, a basket of eggs or a bunch of flowers from the garden home to their mothers. Eventually, flowers became the traditional gift to give on Mother’s Day. Daffodils were the favourites because even when Mother’s Day came earlier, as it has this year, there was still a good chance they’d be in bloom. It was also customary to bake a Simnel Cake altho
March 2008-03-01 02:18:00 I can’t believe it’s 1st of March
already! Doesn’t time fly by? It seems only yesterday that it was Christmas! Yes, I know I’m starting to sound like my grandmother but time does appear to pass more quickly as you get older, there’s no doubt about that. Even DD2, who’s just 19, mentioned that fact a few days ago. She told me that a week’s holiday in our tent used to feel like forever when she was little whereas now a week away is gone before you’ve got there almost. I always think March is a good month. Spring starts to show her face around this time of the year and although the daffodils, periwinkles and primulas have been blooming in my garden for a couple of weeks already, other plants will start springing into life throughout the month. Birds will start looking for nes
Boiling Frogs 2008-02-29 04:57:00 Apparently, if you put a frog in boiling water it’ll frantically try to escape, but if you put it into a pan of tepid water it’ll feel comfortable and as the water heats up, will fall into a tranquil state, gradually allowing itself to be boiled to death without even noticing. We humans, as intelligent as we may be, are acting like frogs! When we first arrived (evolved) on this planet it was nice and lukewarm; a good, comfortable place to be. Everything we needed was provided for us. It seems to me that as we developed our intelligence so our ‘wants’ developed too; we were no longer satisfied to just cover our ‘needs’. We chopped down forests and woodland and killed more animals than we actually needed for food in order to satisfy our gluttonous demands and, perhaps worse, a Read more:Frogs
Home Schooling in England 2008-02-28 04:41:00 Because we’ve moved around a lot – by choice I may add, not by necessity – my daughters have been to a number of schools. Some people have inferred that I’m a bad mother for dragging my kids “from pillar to post” but when asked, they’ll tell you that they’ve lived an adventurous life with lots of experiences they otherwise wouldn’t have had, met lots of people and had a whole lot of fun. Sometimes, preconceptions of how things ought to be aren’t always right. People – families – we’re all different. Sadly, after moving back to England
, both girls were badly bullied at school. No doubt because they were Scandinavian and therefore different and we all know it doesn’t take make to stand out from the crowd and become a victim. That the lads were drawn to them didn Read more:Home Schooling
, Schooling
Worms 2008-02-27 08:38:00 Picture courtesy Stoke Worms
No, I haven’t gone and contracted a bout of worms, I’ve bought a wormery. So now I’m going to start vermicomposting.Basically, a wormery is made up of a base unit on which several deep trays sit, topped with a lid. You start filling the first tray with peelings, old fruit and veg, left over cooked food (but not meat or anything spicy or salty), old tissues and kitchen roll, shredded newspaper, bits of moistened cardboard, tea bags, coffee grounds, pasta, cereal, bread, cake, biscuits, hair (both human and animal) and even the contents of your vacuum cleaner bag. The only things you can’t put in (and we’re talking organic matter here, obviously) are citrus fruit and peelings, onions and anything that’s spicy, salty or has vinegar on. Oh, and poo, unle
Global Warming? I Don’t Think So! 2008-02-27 00:04:00 During the early hours of this morning, at about 1am, we had an earthquake. Apparently the epicentre was in Market Rasen in Lincolnshire but we felt it pretty violently here in South Cheshire. The house felt as thought it was shaking from side to side, the ceiling lamps were swinging and even the dog started barking. The wild birds all woke up and have been singing their hearts out since. Poor things probably fell off of their branches! I was upstairs at the time and at first I thought something had exploded downstairs. The boiler perhaps. I rushed down only to find everything was as it should be and realised that it must have been an earthquake. I’ve felt a few before but never one of that magnitude. According to the BBC, it was on a scale of 5.3 making it the biggest earthquake in the Read more:Global
, Global Warming
Mountain Life 2008-02-26 03:06:00 Did you know that I once lived up a mountain? I don’t know how high up the house was but the road certainly didn’t go any further and it was possible to walk from our place to the top without too much trouble. We weren’t there long, but it was an experience I wouldn’t be without. The house itself was a bit of a shack – you could look between the floorboards from the second floor and watch what was going on downstairs, the only heating was a wood burner in the living room, and when the wind blew it felt as if it would fall down. No wonder we found the midnight thunder storm exciting! It did have hot water and a shower though which helped a lot.The house we lived in It’s more redeeming feature was, without a shadow of doubt, the view. From the living room and patio it looked ou Read more:Mountain
Trees as Gifts 2008-02-25 02:13:00 Apparently, it was once popular in the United States to commemorate the birth of a child by planting a tree. It was a tradition derived from the Native Americans who believed that as the child grew the tree would also grow, representing maturity and responsibility. They also believed that as trees live for many years, a tree for a baby would ensure the child a long, healthy life.That was many moons ago though and these days, as we all know, it’s popular in just about any Western culture to spend as much money as possible on something mass produced. I’m not saying that baby blankets, little sleep suits, or even silver plated boxes in which to keep babies first tooth aren’t useful gifts but with the lack of trees in this country, planting a tree sounds like a very good idea to me, no Read more:Gifts
, Trees
Worried 2008-02-24 04:48:00 I’m concerned about my health. When I came out of hospital three weeks ago I was feeling much stronger and even DD2 remarked that I seemed to be far more active than I’d been for a long time. Unfortunately, it didn’t last long.I’ve now lost weight again and just putting one foot in front of the other is leaving me feeling exhausted. In fact, I think I’m worse than I’ve ever been. When I say that I’m now merely a skeleton covered in skin, I’m honestly not exaggerating. You know those pictures you’ve seen of serious anorexics? Well that’s me. There’s no fat left anywhere and very little muscle. 49 kilos (about 7 1/2 stones) at 5' 9" and big boned! Is it surprising I have no energy to do anything?For those who don’t know, I’m an intravenous feeder – my nutrition is
Dog Gone! 2008-02-23 13:44:00 “A Dog is For Life, Not Just for Christmas” We’ve all heard that familiar phrase, coined, I believe, by the Dogs’ Trust. While I agree that nobody should buy a pup (or adult dog, for that matter) as a Christmas present without carefully thinking it through beforehand, I have to contest the idea that a dog must ALWAYS be for life. After all, there are times when owning a dog just isn’t suitable anymore. This has recently happened to me. I’ve had my own dog since my 9th birthday when my parents bought me a gorgeous black Poodle. With the exception of a few years where dog ownership wasn’t suitable, I’ve since had at least one dog in my life. My dogs have always been properly trained in that they haven’t defecated in the house, haven’t stolen food, wait nicely w
Just Another Day 2008-02-22 03:23:00 Yesterday was a pretty non-productive day. I was tired, felt weak and didn’t do very much at all. I finished reading a book, watched some TV and took in the fortnightly grocery delivery. After putting that lot away, with help from DD2, I put on a wash and then sat down with some sewing. Hand sewing relaxes me so although I’m doing it's as a housekeeping task it's something I really enjoy and certainly isn't a chore. Before going to bed I hung the washing on the clothes horse so that it would be dry by morning. Only it wasn't. Well, the tea clothes and dish clothes were but not the towels, they need a bit longer.I’ve almost finished the side panels of the curtains now so I'll soon be starting on the ruffled bit that will go at the top. I’ve made them from a duvet cover that I bought
Water Saving Tips 2008-02-21 10:06:00 Two babes saving water! The one at the front is my son who's now 30!! The little girl's identity shall remain a mystery (must preserve her dignity)With only 1% of the earth’s total water supply being available for drinking and other household use, water is one of the most precious commodities we have and yet every day we waste gallons upon gallons of it. We also waste money when we let it run straight down the plughole without first being used for something worthwhile. If you can keep an eye on your water meter, once you start making a conscious effort to save water you'll soon see just how much water you've wasted in the past. Unfortunately I can't easily get to mine, but I know I've saved loads recently so if my water bill isn't adjusted accordingly, I shall be wanting to know why. Read more:Saving
Home, Not Just a House 2008-02-21 05:27:00 I’m currently in the process of redesigning my kitchen and as a result, a few people have asked me why I would bother investing time and money in a property that I do not own. The answer is simple: this is my home. I’ve lived in 18 different houses/flats (that apartments for those of you in the US that aren’t up to speed on UK terms) since leaving the family home and several of them I’ve owned (well, the bank owned them – I paid the mortgage). One, our family built ourselves. But while they were a place where we could find shelter, feel safe and be ourselves, until they were made into a home they were still just properties regardless of whether I owned them or not. I don’t see a home as something you necessarily have to own in order to want it to fulfil your requirements and f Read more:House
Washing Day 2008-02-20 07:27:00 Like me, my mum’s been using commercial washing detergent and fabric softener for donkey’s years. It does the job so why not? Well, for one, it’s far more expensive than the alternative and secondly, and perhaps most importantly, it’s harmful to the environment. As a consumer, and I’ll admit, one that for too long didn’t give enough thought to the impact my spending habits were having on the environment, I used to buy commercial washing powders. Anything that was on special offer would do. The same applied to fabric softener. Then I started thinking about the effect this was having on the waterways, and with water being a precious commodity, I decided it was time to think differently about the way I do our laundry. The main problem is that we’re not properly informed about t
Walking in a Winter Wonderland 2008-03-13 03:12:00 Photo: MonkeyImagesStrange things are happening in the winter wonderlands of Scandinavia and they aren’t good. Having spent 18 years of my adult life in what I consider to be the most beautiful country in the world, Norway, I can’t help but feel saddened by the fact that the amazingly snow-filled winters appear to be fast disappearing. Not only in Norway, of course, but over the entire Scandinavian peninsula. I experienced my first Norwegian winter during 1979/80 and fell totally and utterly in love. After the miserable, wet, grey winters I’d experienced in London, what faced me every morning out there was everything I’d imagined a winter paradise would be. Crisp, deep, pure white snow covered the ground, tree branches and roof tops and turned every other conceivable object Read more:Walking
, Winter Wonderland
, Wonderland
Chicken Out 2008-03-12 08:10:00 Are you one of the good guys and gals that only eat free range chicken and eggs? If you are, well done because you're amongst the still very small minority.Believe it or not, 92% of all chicken products bought in the UK are still intensively farmed! Isn't that shameful? I mean, it's not as if we can't hide behind lack of knowledge because unless you've been living on another planet (there is one? You mean we don't have to save the world, after all?), you'll know exactly what goes on in the lives of those poor chooks.Tesco are currently selling whole chickens at £1.99 per bird and, quite honestly, anybody buying them really ought to question their values. Are we really happy to treat other living creatures to a lifetime - albeit a short one - of misery for the sake of saving a few pounds? Read more:Chicken
Would You Miss The Buzz? 2008-03-12 03:12:00 Photo: AndreasAlbert Einstein is rumoured to have once said:"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."Whether or not he actually did say it, we don’t know. The jury’s still out. Now I can’t be absolutely certain that it would only take four years as I’m neither a bee, nor or bee-keeper, nor a person who’s studied bees. I have, however, always known that we’re dependent on them to pollinate our crops. That’s our fruit, veg, corn etc. Yes, science is making lots of progress when it comes to self-pollinating crops, but is that really the answer? Wouldn’t we miss the gentle buzz of bees during summer? What was that you said? You hate th
Free Yeast 2008-03-11 14:12:00 Photo: Queen Roly Just a quickie. I picked up this tip from The Old Style Forum over at MoneySavingExpert and thought it worth sharing. Apparently, shops aren’t allowed to sell ‘live’ foods so if you need fresh yeast, just pop into any supermarket that has a bakery and ask whether they have any. Usually they’ll just give you some. Some people were saying that they were given quite big blocks that they froze so it’s worth trying. I’m definitely going to ask next time I find myself in a suitable supermarket. Sharon J ~~+~~ Read more:Yeast
Grocery Shopping - 20 Money Saving Tips 2008-03-11 03:51:00 Photo: thegourmetroSince deciding that enough was enough and that I really had to pull in the purse strings, I’ve managed to cut the amount I spend on groceries by half, and what’s more, I know I can cut it back even further. If you’re in the same boat as I was, generally finding yourself left with too much month at the end of the money, the following tips for saving money on grocery shopping may just help. Use a list. As obvious as this may seem, take a look next time you’re at the supermarket and you’ll see just how few people actually use one. Keep a list handy and write down the things you need as and when they occur to you. By doing this you’ll find your weekly grocery shop will not only be cheaper, but easier too.Check your stock. Check what you Read more:Grocery
, Money
, Saving
, Shopping
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