Fwd: Simple Times - 03/05/08 - Voluntary simplicity; homemaking notebook

[Guest guest]

Great article on voluntary simplicity! And lots of good tips in the list/binder section. I love lists and binders! LOL.

 

CyndiIt's Tax Time! Get tips, forms and advice on AOL Money Finance.

 

 

Simple Times

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Vol. 10, No. 5 -- March 5th, 2008

http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

debi

Copyright 2008 Deborah Taylor-Hough

ISSN: 1527-1269

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Celebrating 10+ years of saving your time, money and sanity!

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IN THIS ISSUE:

-- " Dear Readers "

-- Simple Living Quote

-- Homemaking Notebook

-- Voluntary Simplicity

-- Letters to the Editor / Reader Tips

-- Assorted Information (archives, etc.)

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< < < O.U.R S.P.O.N.S.O.R > > >

 

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girls out of our 2-bedroom apartment. It worked! It's now 9

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--Katrina S. in Houston, TX

 

What the heck ... Give DebtIntoWealth a try, today!

 

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Dear Readers,

 

The link to The Gluten-Free Zone that I included in the last

issue of Simple Times didn't function properly for a number of

readers. If you tried to access the site but it didn't work, try

this link instead:

 

The Gluten-Free Zone

http://astore.amazon.com/glutenfreezone-20

 

 

I also have a new resource specifically geared toward readers

of Simple Times. You'll find books by regular contributors to this

email newsletter and on popular topics such as homemaking,

simplicity, frugality, gardening, cooking, and family fun.

 

The Simple Times Bookstore

http://astore.amazon.com/simpletimes-20

 

More items and categories will be added regularly.

 

And on a more personal note, last week I got some really

big news ... my local church is going to hire me part-time

as their Director of Neighborhood Outreach Programs.

 

The thought of actually being paid for the types of things

I usually just volunteer to do at church is rather amazing

to me. Exciting, too. :-)

 

Prayers appreciated as I start this new season of my life.

And don't worry ... I'll continued to publish Simple Times

twice-a-month.

 

Simply Yours,

 

Debi

(Deborah Taylor-Hough)

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

--Author of the popular 'Frozen Assets' series; 'A Simple Choice: A

practical guide for saving your time, money & sanity'; and 'Frugal

Living for Dummies®

--Editor, Simple Times, Solo Parents, and Bright-Kids email newsletters

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Visit my new site!

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SIMPLE LIVING QUOTE

 

" Abandon the urge to simplify everything, to look for formulas

and easy answers, and to begin to think multi-dimensionally, to

glory in the mystery and paradoxes of life, not to be dismayed

by the multitude of causes and consequences that are inherent

in each experience -- to appreciate the fact that life is complex. "

 

--M. Scott Peck

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HOMEMAKING NOTEBOOK

Copyright Jessica Gerald

Used with permission from EzineArticles.com.

All rights reserved.

 

 

Binders and notebooks are so popular right now, and with

good reason. They are a perfect way to keep everything

organized in one place. I would like to share what I have in

my notebook. Maybe some of the suggestions will be helpful.

 

First of all, I want to stress that you must do what works for

you. Listen to the advice of different people in the articles you

read, then adapt those ideas to yourself. If not, you may just

end up being disorganized and frustrated.

 

Here is some of the content of my homemaking notebook.

I say some, because as I go along, I might change some

things. That's the secret -- to make it your own, even if you

have to go by trial and error for awhile.

 

 

1) A Weekly List

 

Most of us are extremely busy with work, home, family and

activities. I have to make a master list for the week, or I'll

forget something important. This could be appointments,

sport or music events, or something that has a deadline.

 

You might also want to include a housework list, such as

laundry, meal planning, grocery shopping, gardening, or

special projects. Then divide that list into the days that

you want to complete them.

 

 

2) A Daily List

 

Even though this list is basically the same each day, I still

like to write it out. I love the feeling of checking it off and

knowing that chore is accomplished. At the end of the day,

you realize you've done a lot more that you thought.

 

This list always starts with my personal devotions, then

making beds, tidying up the house, taking out garbage,

dishes, and so on. After that, I put down anything else

that has to be done that day, or that I want to complete

that day. If I don't get it finished, I cross it out and write

it on the next day's list. Sometimes, I'll put a star by

things that have to be done that day.

 

 

3) A Master Cleaning Project List

 

To keep from being overwhelmed, I take baby steps here.

When I'm doing my spring cleaning, I write down each

room and everything that needs done in that room. I may

not finish one room a day. I might only get the walls washed

down and leave the woodwork and windows for the next day.

The third day could be cleaning furniture, and the fourth day

scrubbing the carpet.

 

 

4) A Diet Journal

 

I made a simple diet journal from tables on my computer

program. I can tally the daily food groups and calories that

I consume. I also have a space to put time spent exercising.

This is a good way to see if you are balancing out your

nutrients, or getting too much or too little of certain foods.

 

 

5) My Reading List

 

I love to read and have so many books stacked on shelves

calling to me. So I decided to make a list of about ten books

I want to finish by the end of summer. I will check them off

as I read them. Then, I'll make a new list.

 

 

6) Family History Stories

 

My passion is family history. I list several memories of my

own or those of my mother. That way I don't forget about

them. Then, when I have time, I go down the list and write

out that story. I keep these stories in a separate binder.

 

 

7) Articles

 

There are so many good articles on the internet about

organizing, homemaking, and scheduling. When I see

helpful reading material like this, I print it out and put it

in my binder. Sometimes all I need is a little inspiration

from these articles.

 

 

8) Calendar

 

Print out a calendar for the month, and 3-hole punch it.

Then you have all appointments and activities at your

fingertips.

 

 

9) Weekly Menus

 

I make out a general meal plan for the week. Actually, I

only write the dinner menus, because we mostly eat the

same things for breakfast and lunch. On the back of the

menu plan, you could list the ingredients you need for

those meals. Keep these in your binder. After four

weeks of these menus, you will have a month of different

meals.

 

Make sure these meals are practical. I try to stick to basics

and not all the fancy foods. That gets so expensive buying

all the unusual ingredients. One idea could be to pick one

day a week or month to try something new and different.

 

 

10) Grocery List

 

Years ago, I made up a master grocery list. It includes food

and also cleaning and personal items. It saves so much time

and money for me. When I need to shop, I just pull out the

list, quickly scan it, and write down what I need to buy. It

prevents a lot of impulse buying at the store.

 

 

I would like to add that I have a separate notebook for my

devotions and prayer. I also have a separate binder for the

family history as I mentioned above.

 

I hope you find some of these suggestions helpful. Have fun

with your homemaking notebook. It is there to serve you, not

the other way around!

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

--Jessica Gerald is founder of http://www.oldfashionedhomemaking.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jessica_Gerald

 

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VOLUNTARY SIMPLICITY

Copyright Gwen N. Stewart

Used with permission from EzineArticles.com.

All rights reserved.

 

 

There's a relatively new phenomenon in North America

called " voluntary simplicity. " The term voluntary simplicity

is used to describe a process whereby people opt out of

the harried life of modern day living, and chose to live a life

of frugality. Frugality in this sense doesn't mean poverty ...

rather, it means, enjoying the virtue of getting good value for

every minute of your life energy and from everything you have

the use of. Frugal is characterised by or reflective of economy

in the expenditure of resources.

 

Simplicity means making time for yourself in a hectic world.

You clear out what is superfluous and make room for a life

of passion, depth, and joy. As people become more and more

stressed out from the pace of modern life and as we become

increasingly concerned about the price of our over-consumption

of the planet's resources, the movement to living in a state of

" mindfulness " has increasing interest as a chosen life-style.

To be mindful means to dwell deeply in the present moment

knowing there is only one opportunity and it will never come

again.

 

Voluntary simplicity comes from within. It's a social movement

of a more sustainable, gratifying, and spiritually connected

existence. Voluntary simplicity is a matter of personal

responsibility and conscious awareness of how we live on the

planet. It means identifying the difference between our needs

and our wants. Needs are those things that are necessary for

our survival -- food, clothing and shelter. Wants are all the

other things we desire and to a large extent are driven by media

advertising. Simplicity as a lifestyle is the identifiable difference

between needs and wants, and the awareness of the cost in

terms of our life force energy and our willingness to pay the

price.

 

 

Pursuing a Life of Simplicity

 

The Chinese pictograph for the word " busy " is composed of two

characters: " heart " and " killing " .

 

When I first read this, I thought of the many people who are

" too busy " to make that phone call to someone they love and

then one day it's too late; the many children who get gifts and/or

money instead of their parents' time and then one day they leave

home and it's too late; the many times we have an opportunity to

touch someone's life with kindness but we are 'too busy' and the

moment never comes again and it's too late.

 

As we search for meaning in our lives, we start to become

aware of the emptiness and shallowness of a life based on

materialism and consumerism. We become aware of the

tremendous expenditure of our 'life force energy' to just keep

up with the daily 'rat race.' We start the search for a life of

deeper meaning and ask ourselves 'what gives us joy?' We

realize we don't know and can't answer the question but we

feel a yearning in our hearts for a sense of connection, a sense

of purpose, and the sense that our life matters. The question

demands an answer. We discover that all the myths such as:

get a job, get married, have children, buy a mortgage with a

two-car garage, and you will be happy, makes us wonder what's

the matter with us when we feel the increasing futility of it

all.

 

The emphasis on externally meeting our needs leaves a

" hole in our soul " as we consume more and more and feel

less and less satisfied. Consume by definition means to

do away with completely; destroy -- to spend wastefully;

and squander -- use up. Is being consumed by our meaning-

less and frenzied consumerism a description that all too

closely resembles most our lives?

 

What we don't realize is that we are spiritual beings, in a

physical body, having a human experience, and when we

don't connect the internal (spiritual) and the external

(physical), our lives increasingly lose a sense of balance

or harmony. There's literally no distinction between the

outer and the inner when our lives are in balance, and as

we seek this stability, where do we start?

 

We start by examining our expectations and assumptions

including the belief systems that drive us to live our lives

" zombie-like " without determining whether or not we want to

play this game. We move towards consciously asking the

questions about how much of our " life force energy " we're

prepared to exchange for the material goods we consume.

This expenditure of " life force energy " includes the storing,

cleaning, insurance costs, maintaining, etc. all the stuff

that clutters our lives.

 

Practical Steps to Simplifying Your Life

 

1) Reuse paper bags, envelopes, newspapers, etc. News-

papers and shredded paper make excellent mulch in the

garden. The mulch will break down over a period of time

and add humus to the soil. (Don't use colored flyers.)

 

2) Have a Buy Nothing Day.

 

3) Carve some space for " mindful living " so that you have

time for " beingness " rather than " doingness. "

 

4) Find friends who know the glass is half-full, or in other

words, find friends who share the same value system as

you do.

 

5) Grow your own food or buy as much as possible from

local growers.

 

6) Use non-toxic products such as borax, vinegar, baking

soda, lemon, and salt in your home, yard, and garden.

 

7) Before you buy something, write the item down on a

note and if you still want it after a month, purchase it then.

 

8) Decide what is really working in your life and let go of

that which no longer serves you.

 

9) Surround yourself with what you really need and love.

 

10) Go Organic. Organic gardening isn't only about the

avoidance of chemicals, but in the larger picture, it is

organic living using Nature's laws.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

--Gwen Nyhus Stewart, B.S.W., M.G., H.T., is an educator,

freelance writer, garden consultant, and author of the book

" The Healing Garden: A Place of Peace -- Gardening for the

Soil, Gardening for the Soul. " She owns the website Gwen’s

Healing Garden where you will find lots of free information

about gardening for the soil and gardening for the soul. To

find out more about the book and to her free

Newsletter visit http://www.gwenshealinggarden.ca

 

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gwen_Stewart

 

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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR / READER TIPS

We'd love to hear YOUR tips and ideas for simplifying daily life.

Send your simple living comments/tips to: DSimple

 

 

== Fun & Simple Wintertime Family Learning Activities ==

 

I don't know whether this was much of a learning activity, but

it was so beautiful. We put a piece of black fabric in the freezer.

We then took it outside and let snowflakes fall on it. They didn't

melt because the fabric was at freezing temperature, so we could

observe them as long as we wanted. We used a magnifying

glass which helped us see more details.

 

We also had fun one day when temperatures were very, very cold

and we blew soap bubbles outside. They froze almost immediately

and shattered like glass when they broke.

 

For wintertime nature study: 1) Snow makes for excellent animal

tracking. 2) Some constellations are visible only in winter. 3) When

the leaves are off the trees, you can find bird nests that you can't

see during the summer. It's amazing how many different styles of

nests there are. 4) When the ground is covered with snow, it is

more difficult for birds to find food. Providing feed and water for birds

will bring them right up to your kitchen window. If you start feeding

early in the fall and continue through spring, you will see a very

large variety of birds during migratory periods. Birds that don't stay

in your area still have to pass through on their way to wherever they

are going, and they will stop by for a meal and some fresh water.

 

This is a year-round activity. Draw a sketch of both the eastern and

western horizons from where you live. Make 52 copies. About once

a week, draw where the sun rises and sets, and where the moon

rises and sets. It helps to show the children those aspects of the

changes in the seasons.

 

--Mary Beth

 

 

Do you have a tip or idea for simplifying daily life or simple

and fun things to do with friends or family? Send your ideas

to Debi at: DSimple

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SIMPLE TIMES RECOMMENDED BOOKS

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As always, a special " Thank you! " goes out to Gary Foreman

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== http://www.stretcher.com/ ==

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Feel free to forward this newsletter to your family and friends. :-)

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EDITOR'S BOOKS AND AUDIO RESOURCES:

Books and resources by Deborah Taylor-Hough

Editor, Simple Times Email Newsletter

http://snurl.com/debisbooks

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DEBI'S ON-LINE RESOURCES:

Personal Blog: http://dsimple.wordpress.com/

Frugality/Simplicity: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com

Cooking Ahead: http://frozenassets.wordpress.com/

Bright-Kids: http://brightkids.wordpress.com

Tupperware®: http://snurl.com/DebiTupperware

Kids' Books: http://snurl.com/books4kids

Gluten-Free Zone: http://astore.amazon.com/glutenfreezone-20

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