A Different Direction

If you have been one of the few people to read this blog… thank you.  But as mentioned before, I think this blog is heading in the wrong direction.  I am very passionate about living a green lifestyle…stepping lightly on this earth and conserving resources.  But there are only so many earth-friendly tips to learn and then it’s all about maintaining.  There are tons of websites, such as Planet Green that help you “green” your life.  I can’t top that.

Part of conserving is consuming less.  Some people call this minimalism, others call it simplicity.  I could never be a true minimalist; could never live with only 100 things.  But I do believe there is a lot of merit in consuming less (buying less stuff) and not letting stuff be the focus of your life. 

I want to live a more simple life… to clear out the excess stuff, to make room for what is important, to have experiences and not just things.  This is what I want to blog about… to share this journey and help others do the same.  I will probably not be adding new posts to this blog.  Follow me to Crafting a Simple Life.  There’s not much on it yet, so check back.

Where am I going… The Past

My last post was about being MIA on this blog… and I’ve done it again.  What is my problem?  It’s not because I  don’t have anything to say.  Ask my husband… I’ve got plenty to say.  I think I have some magical idea in my head that I’m supposed to write something… and have instant success.  I know it doesn’t work like that.  I need to figure out where I’m going and so far I’ve hit a roadblock.  Let’s start with where I’ve been…

Who I Was… about 5-6 years ago.  I was a very material person.  My husband not so much, but he was along for the ride.  Don’t get me wrong… he was a spender too.  Having stuff was important to me; the names on my stuff was important to me.  It didn’t matter if I needed it, I WANTED it and I bought it.  IT being any little thing that struck my fancy.  We used credit cards; too many, and didn’t manage our money well.  We didn’t save or plan for the future.  We got in too deep… deep in debt.

I worked full-time at a job I didn’t enjoy and was finishing my undergrad degree in social work.  I didn’t think outside my self, my own little world.  I didn’t recycle; didn’t have much concern for the environment.  I didn’t vote or really care who was in office.  I was not always grateful for the blessings I had and didn’t give to others less fortunate than me.  That stuff was all too big; meaning bigger than me; stuff I didn’t feel I had much control over or could change.  I focused on making myself happy, but looking back… was I really happy??

Next Post:  Where am I going… The Present

Can I make a difference?

I have been MIA on this blog for awhile now.  I had a good start, was really excited… then fear set in.  I’m putting my ideas, thoughts, and feelings out into blogland… what if I don’t have anything to say?  Or more importantly, will what I say have any value.  Can I make a difference? 

The blogging idea came about after reading Everett Bogue’s Minimalist Business.   He writes about his life as a minimalist.  And while I don’t think I will ever be a hard core minimalist, He has inspired me to work on simplifying my life and focusing on things that matter.  You may be wondering what all this has to do with being green.  I mean, you’re not reading this blog to be a minimalist, right?  However there is a lot to be learned from a man who quit his day job, sold most of his possessions, moved across the country,  and now supports himself as a successful writer.  You can check out his other ebook here:  The Art of Being Minimalist.  I mention this only because his writing has had a  positive impact on my life.

I’m getting back into blog-mode, so check back or sign up to receive updates via email.

Thoughts on the Gulf Oil Spill

I saw 2 great documentaries on Planet Green last Saturday.  One was about what BP is doing to get this disaster under control.  Prior to watching it, I wasn’t convinced they were doing a whole lot.  However I now believe they are.  It is of little benefit to them not to fix the problem.  They are not making any money on all the oil lost in the gulf.  And they are paying out millions to try to fix it. 

The second program looked at the long-term effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.  Over twenty years later families are emotionally  broken and still struggling to make a living.  The impact on wildlife and the environment will continue for decades. 

As the program ended I felt a deep sadness, frustration, and anger.  I wanted to do something… right then and there, well after midnight.  I wanted to help, but felt powerless as I am just one person.  At the moment, I can write about it… share my thoughts and feelings and encourage others to do the same. 

In the wake of this disaster, America as a nation has a great opportunity.  An opportunity to embrace and expand our use of clean energy (wind and solar power) and reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources like oil and coal. 

As individual Americans, we have an opportunity to reexamine our way of living, of consuming, and wasting.  Everything we do, big and small, has some impact on the environment.  You may not see it, you may not think about it, and some of you may not even care.  I’m asking you to take a few moments, say a prayer for the families affected by this disaster, and think about ways you can lighten your impact on this earth.  Remember, big and small, it does make a difference. 

Check out Planet Green’s program lineup as they often air their shows more than once.

What is “green”

With so many different definitions of “green”, how do you know which one is correct?  The beauty of it is that “being green” or “living green” means lots of things to lots of people.  And no one definition is the only way to be green.  For some, it means recycling. Others, it may mean growing your own food and living “off the grid”.  One is not necessarily better than the other; everyone must decide for themselves what living green looks like to them.  In my opinion, anyone (individuals, companies, organizations, etc) who is making an effort to live a more earth-friendly, sustainable lifestyle can be called green.  Remember the 3 R’s… REDUCE your comsumption; buy only what you need and will use.  REUSE or prolong the life of everyday items such as using the back sides of paper or using an old item in a new way.  RECYCLE as much as possible and keep useful items out of landfills.  Your trash is someone elses treasure.  What does green mean to you?

Help Dawn save Wildlife

With thousands of gallons of oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico every day, you may feel there is little you can do to help.  You CAN make a difference; and it’s easy.  Dawn dish soap has been helping to save wildlife affected by oil spills for over 30 years.  For every bottle of Dawn dish soap purchased, $1 will be donated to wildlife conservation efforts.  Join the campaign… go to your favorite grocery store and buy a bottle of Dawn dish soap. Then go to their website www.dawnsaveswildlife.com and register your purchase.  Their goal is to raise $500,000.   Even the smallest efforts can make a huge difference.

Is a sale always a good thing?

Everybody loves a good sale; I know I do. There’s the satisfaction of saving a few bucks, getting two for the price of one, and let’s not forget the Clearance section. But after getting your new goodies home, is there a little voice asking… Did I really need that? Do I really need 10 of this? I try to justify some of my purchases with the “it was on sale” line. Most of the time it works; sometimes not so much. I try to remember this phrase  (although I cannot remember where I read it)… “Buy Not, Buy Less, Buy Green.” If you don’t really need it, don’t buy it. If you need it, buy only what is necessary. If at all possible, buy a green product. Sounds easy enough, right?

A great quote!

What a great quote…

I was looking through a scrapbook catalog the other day… the company is making efforts to go green by using FSC-certified trees for their paper source and printing with soy-based inks. I was impressed. Anyway, they included the following quote which I found so inspiring…

“Kill nothing but time; leave nothing but footprints; take nothing but pictures.” –John Kay

What else is there to say.

Just Getting Started

I am totally new to this blogging thing, but am so excited to begin.  This blog is an effort to share my journey to a simpler, greener lifestyle. I’ve been a recycler for several years but have just recently began learning about all the other things I can do to help the environment. This is my journey; hopefully it will inspire others to do the same.