Three strategies for a greener, simpler, happier holiday

Revisiting a bustling mall makes me think about the environmental impact of holiday shopping but it also makes me think about human resources that are eaten up by excessive shopping. (And I say “excessive” because I am in no way an extremist, as you all know.) On this blog, a message I hear repeatedly from my readers is how important friends, families and pets are to our happiness and well-being.  Spending time with the people we care about is obviously a crucial component to our happiness and, without a doubt, the best frugal luxury there is.  In a busy world, time with others, and time alone, has become a valuable commodity. Wouldn’t it make more sense to spend less time shopping and more time just being?

In Amber’s post, she asks, “What green holiday traditions are you adopting?” Well, I have a few strategies to reduce environmental and financial costs, and make the holidays more meaningful and special to me:

1. Doin’ it DIY. I love making homemade gifts and homemade cards. There is nothing quite like crafting something that is tailor-made and perfectly suited to the recipient.  Seeing them actually use or consume the gift offers a particular thrill.

*homemade treats*

2. Innovative Packaging. Gifts become instantly more environmentally friendly when you package them yourself, especially when you use what you’ve already got around the house - think reusable glass mason jars, wire or wicker baskets, vintage tins, or - my favourite - “repurposed junk”. (Remember the tea box I made? You can find a tutorial I wrote on how to do it at Organizing Junkie.)

*once a tea box, now a gift box*

2. Thrift. I must admit, I owe a lot to Shopping GoLightly at The Thrifty Chicks.  This woman has opened my eyes to a whole new world.  And although I know that I’m preaching to the converted, I must just reiterate that thrift stores are not just full of fondue sets, massaging foot baths and harlequin romance novels.  You can find great vintage pieces for collectors, one-of-a-kind items and plenty of brand spanking new in-the-box items, sometimes with the tags still on.  You get to decide whether your favourite part of thrifting is that it is environmentally friendly, saving you gobs of money, supporting local charities, or providing you with the thrill of the hunt.

*a vintage find for my table - pretty, embroidered napkins*

Shopping GoLightly also reminds us that to be known and understood is the true gift - in this post, Ms. GoLightly responds to a comment I made on her blog, and reminds me (and all of us) that a gift, whether homemade, thrifted, or bought retail, means the most when it is meant to enhance a person’s authentic self:

The act of taking time to truly listen to me, observe me and truly know me is, in essence the gift, not necessarily the object. That’s the part that sets tears in my eyes. To feel, in this wide world, there is someone who has taken the time to truly know me and wants me to continue on as myself and not be swayed.

*life in the beach, last December; expectations for a different kind of year ahead*

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all of my readers who happen to celebrate this holiday.  I was inspired to read the post, Thank You on Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s blog today. I’ve always believed that being grateful for what you have and being cognizant of all the little ways in which we are blessed, are important steps to having a happy life.  And while I’ve often mentioned that being mindful and grateful is important for those living on a budget (because it’s too easy to feel deprived by focusing on what you don’t have,) it’s just as important for those who have everything.  After all, it’s easy for all of us to forget about how lucky we are, go on auto-pilot, and focus on everything that seems to be going wrong in our lives.

Making time to take pleasure in simple moments and focus on the abundance around us is a wonderful practice, one that has been my main focus since my break-up with my partner.  But it’s easy to diverge from this plan, the more busy we get. It’s obvious to me now that there are triggers that cause me to fall off track from being grateful and mindful.  Comparing myself to others, focusing on what other people have, and thinking about where I thought I would be (as opposed to where I am) can quickly divert my focus and change my mood.  Conversely, practicing mindfulness and gratitude make me feel present, empowered and fulfilled.  The key, I think, is not to wait until we feel that life has given us exactly what we want.  The key is to seek out beauty, kindness and moments of peace even amidst chaos, and practice gratitude for tiny instances which ordinarily go unnoticed, like our breath, the air, the fact that the sun rose and the sky didn’t fall.  A cup of coffee, a green traffic light, the sound of a friend’s voice: big or small, these little moments make up our lives.  In fact, when you start paying attention, it seems that there hundreds or even thousands of little miracles that happen every day, which may be worth some quiet celebration.

What are you grateful for today?

Fields of gold

Nothing, I believe, captures the essence of life’s beauty, wisdom and enchantment, quite like nature. When I was a little girl, I spent quite a bit of time on my nana’s farm, traipsing through the woods, building forts and rafts and playing in the gully with my sister and my cousin.  In the fall, my favourite time to explore, I loved the hearing the crunch of the harvested soybean fields under my feet, climbing on top of hay bails, and admiring the colours of the surrounding trees. Spending time in the country at an early age meant that as an adult, I’ve been able to respect and appreciate the secrets that can be found in a fall day, a field or forest. It’s a great gift.

This weekend we were blessed with some of the early-fall weather one hopes for on labour day weekend.  Warm sun, low humidity.  Gentle breezes. Evenings cool enough to demand a sweater and a pair of jeans, days warm enough to do, well, just about anything you feel like.

My nana’s farm has just been sold, and this weekend I went out one last time to explore. I was accompanied by both my parents. We spent our time collecting wild elderberries for a pie, and my mom helped me pull together a nice collection of wild flowers, which I will experiment with, by drying.

We collected enough elderberries for at least 2 pies, which we will make for Thanksgiving. To preserve them, we picked off all the berries from the stems, placed them in an air-tight plastic bag along with a paper towel to absorb any moisture, and froze them.

This weekend we were also blessed with the opportunity to see some wildlife.  While we were eating dinner one evening, we looked out the window and saw a beautiful hawk, sitting at the feeder.  He wasn’t feasting on bird seed, but was eyeing a much more satisfying treat - the plump, naughty chipmunks who like to gorge themselves on, well, everything in the feeder.  

Earlier that day, as my Mom and I sat outside, reading magazines in the sun, a hummingbird buzzed between us, circling around my Mom’s head. I’d never seen a hummingbird that close-up before, and hearing its little wings whirr like a piece of machinery was a true treat.

At the farm, I also discovered a black and yellow garden spider, an orbweaver apparently common to this part of Ontario and frequently found around this time of year. It loves goldenrod, and a big patch of goldenrod is exactly where I found it.  Normally, I am deathly afraid of spiders, but somehow this majestic insect captured my attention in an awe-inspiring, rather than panic-inducing, way. Its colours, interesting web, and unique shape and size, are actually quite beautiful and fascinating.

What many of us are seeking in our lives can really be found quite easily, quite simply.  It’s easy to always want something more - a luxury vacation, new clothes, more stuff. But truly, we make life more difficult than it really needs to be. A lot of peace and fulfillment can be found in a field of goldenrod, an elderberry bush, and even, if our hearts are open enough, a spider web.

Random Acts of Kindness: The best kind of frugal luxury

It’s a post I’ve been meaning to write for a while now. A recent blog post at The Thrifty Chicks (one of my favourite blogs) called Ever Been Claimed made me feel inspired to finally write it. 

Living on a frugal budget means looking beyond material possessions in order to find fulfillment, inspiration and joy.  The frugal life requires more attention to “natural highs” that come from natural beauty and the many joyous experiences found in simple moments.  When I read in Tracey McBride’s book, Frugal Luxuries (Tracey also writes a blog called Frugal Luxuries by the Season) that random acts of kindness could be considered a frugal luxury, it inspired me to look out for such inspiring, heart-warming moments, and savour them as if they were precious gifts.

It has also made me pause with gratitude to think of the random acts of kindness I’ve been a recipient of.  There have been a few spectacular ones, but only one that really had a major impact on my life.

It happened in January, 2008.  Josh and I had been hoping to get a kitten for months, but hadn’t found the right opportunity.  We’d found some kittens we loved at a vet clinic in the summer, but were too far down on the waiting list, and the kittens were taken by someone else.  Finally, though, Josh came home one evening with great excitement: he’d found us a kitten, and she was beautiful.  It was through a local adoption, facilitated by a pet store.  The next night, after work, we decided to go and get her.  Unfortunately, the pet store was quite far north of where we lived in the city, and the weather was terrible.  The alleyway, where we parked our car, was full of snow and ice.  We had to dig our way out, and defrost the car.  The driving was terrible.  After only going a few blocks we knew we wouldn’t make it in time before they closed, so we vowed to go the next day.

We did make it to the pet store the next day. I walked in, took one look at the adorable kitten, and was sold.  She was perfect.  Her colours were gorgeous, and Josh had already told me that the pet store owners had said she had a lovely temperament. I knew I wanted her.

But this was all from the sidelines, watching as she was cradled in another woman’s arms. I couldn’t wait for my chance to hold her. That is, until I heard the woman say, “I’ll take her.”

I couldn’t believe it! If only we’d left earlier the night before! If only the weather had been better! If only we had covered parking! If only…

My eyes filled with tears and I walked swiftly out of the pet store, not wanting to cry in public.

The woman chased me out of the pet store a few minutes later, still holding the kitten, saying,”If you want her, you can take her. I have an English bull dog at home anyway.”  If I really wanted her, she was mine.  

I couldn’t believe it! The woman actually gave up a potential addition to her family, just to make me, a total stranger, happy.  I happily accepted the kitten, thanked the woman, and from that moment on, had someone new and special become a part of my life.

Butternut and I have a very special bond.  She purrs when I get home, licks my face, sleeps next to me at night, and reserves all of these special treatments just for me - no one else is shown quite so much love.  (Weelll, occassionally my sister, but we are twins, so Butternut probably just gets confused!)

Butternut loves participating in my crafts, watching me while I cook, and snuggling at night.  She is incredibly affectionate, very playful and gets into everything.  She’s not aloof like cats can be - she shows me a great deal of attention and love. She’s certainly been important to me during the difficult experiences I’ve had in the last 1.5 years, such as unemployment, illness, and most recently, a break up. (I got full custody.) She makes me smile everyday. It’s like she was meant to be my cat!

I sure wish I could thank that woman who gave me one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given!

Please share - what is the greatest random act of kindness that you’ve ever received, witnessed, or given to someone else?

Reflections on abundance

After a wonderful trip to Newfoundland, I returned to my apartment with a heavy heart. Unsurprisingly, I am profoundly aware that someone is missing, and I would be lying if I pretended that I am not full of sadness over this loss.  I’ve also realized, though, that a lot of people are going through challenges right now.  The recession has meant that people who have worked long and hard, who have made sensible financial decisions and have attempted to mitigate risk well, are still in troubling circumstances.  And tough economic times strain our relationships, too.  I know I’m not the only one who is facing a difficult time and who is rethinking the future, or questioning the past. The best we can do is to accept that life is not straight-forward; there is no clear cut path to so-called success.  We can do our best to work hard and make good decisions, but rarely does the future appear just as we’ve planned. This is, it seems, both a hard lesson to learn and a fact of life.

I try to stay focused on the present as best I can, and recognize the impermanence of this moment. Life is changing - it changes constantly.  Things we take for granted become but memories, and angst we feel disappears into something new.

I am not trying to stop myself from feeling sadness, but rather I am seeking an opportunity to simultaneously discover abundance. Abundance means, to me, appreciating the brilliance and wonder of our surroundings. Smells, sights, textures, tastes.  Kindness, innocence, forgiveness, authenticity. Diversity, opportunity, freedom, surprise. I think the quest to seek abundance in our lives is a good one to have, particularly during difficult financial times. Instead of seeking a new car, TV or wardrobe to make us feel successful, sexy, or happy, we may come to realize that we are quite capable of experiencing life’s riches without spending a dime.

My trip to Newfoundland was a perfect exploration of all these things. Newfoundland is a place where people epitomize genuineness and random acts of kindness are performed on a daily, if not hourly basis.  A sense of community can be found anywhere, and is extended to outsiders throughout a willingness to share and be open. Most people treated us as though we’d long been best friends.

The land is vast, wild and free.  It’s so wild and raw in some parts it borders on awe-inspiring, almost frightening, untamed wildness.  And yet it produces such a strange juxtoposition of gentle beauty, its wild flowers growing with determination out of a rocky, unforgiving land.  The weather is full of surprises; an early morning of rain and bone-chilling winds quickly turn into a warm and hospitable summer day.  Moose, bald eagles, jelly fish and friendly whales crop up without warning, revealing too the unpredictability of nature, frequently repaying those who pay it respect with the currency of patience.  

The rugged land has charged its inhabitants with years of incomprehensible sacrifice, pain and hard work - drudgery - in return for survival. The pain that its early inhabitants endured only serves to remind me that suffering has always been a part of the universal human condition; that countless people before me have invested much, much more into stakes that never came to fruition, that disappointment and loneliness have accompanied every soul that has ever lived.

And so, a few pictures to share (some of my favourites)

Wild Iris, covered in dew drops on the coast of Cape Spear

Black Horse beer, consumed in St. John’s.

Old fishing shed on the water at Trinity.

Lilacs and a white picket fence at a home in Trinity. (Can’t you just smell them?)

Baby beluga whale near Princeton. I took this picture from the side of the boat as he frolicked and played with us.

Wild flowers on Walker’s Trail in Tickle Cove.

Dock in Trinity

Basement window of a home in Trinity

Puffins, seemingly having a bit of a chat, at the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve

Lobster traps in Trinity

Buttercups against the peeling paint of a house in Trinity

I have many more favourites that will be making their appearance on flickr soon.

Enjoy whatever abundance is in your life today!

Frugal weekend activities

This weekend I enjoyed many frugal luxuries. A good friend came to visit for the weekend, which was truly great.  We enjoyed a number of many fun, frugal activities that included snacking on homemade treats like guacamole and hummus with fresh pitas, and playing video games.  We look a long walk by the river, played board games, and calmed ourselves in a lovely Sunday evening yoga & meditation session.  

We enjoyed a hearty bowl of my homemade cabbage soup with perogies on Sunday night. I will share the recipe shortly; it’s a real gem. Then Josh made these yummy chocolate chip cookies before joining us in playing video games.  It doesn’t much more relaxing than that!

Before my friend arrived, I got up early to go to a rummage sale at a church basement.  You never know what goodies you’ll find.  I have a big list of kitchen needs that I’m hoping to thrift.  Unfortunately, the rummage sale consisted entirely of junk.  I did, however, have much more luck at my favourite little antique store in Guelph, The Corner Store.  During this visit I picked up a table runner and some cute placemats.  Everything in this store is very reasonably priced.  I got the table runner and five placemats for $13.50 after tax.

The table runner

The placemats

In addition to the fresh homemade pitas that Josh whipped up, we finished off the best batch of homemade bread ever.  Josh made this one with flax, wheat germ and a blend of whole wheat & white flours.  A truly healthy homemade bread!  This fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth bread stayed soft and moist and was perfect for sandwiches, even once it was a week old.  I’ll get the recipe out of him soon and share with everyone, because you all need to have this one!

It occurred to me, after my friend left, that we weren’t being frugal necessarily intentionally, that it was a happy coincidence that drinking tea and chatting is an incredibly affordable thing to do.  We didn’t do it because it was free, we did it because it felt healing and rejuvenating to spend time at home, in nature and at a yoga studio.  Of course, there were a few minutes spent at The Beer Store too, which the warm Saturday afternoon required!

What are your favourite weekend frugal activities?

The public library: a new look

Exploring a public library without a purpose can be a really wondrous experience.  I use the library on a regular basis, but it is usually with a goal in mind.  I know what book I want, I order it or find it on the shelves, pick it up and leave.  Rarely do I stop to browse the shelves.  Last week as I found myself with some spare time and an injured foot in the public library.  I decided just to grab a few interesting books from the display and have a seat, since hobbling around the library was causing me immense pain and I just wanted to sit down.  The result led me to open some fascinating books that I most likely would never have thought to read, including the three shown below.

Exploring a public library with an open-mind, and venturing into new subject matters that we haven’t considered before, means that we embrace opportunities for learning that we might have previously dismissed.  We might accidentally discover new passions or ideas, or find our new favourite author.  And if it’s nonfiction you’re reading, you might simply enjoy learning for learning’s sake.  

In fact, it can be really intellectually nourishing to learn about a new subject that might not immediately benefit our career or other goals. Sometimes we need to nourish our minds and hearts with intellectual or creative stimulation that may not be “productive” in ways other than simply adding to the quality of our lives through imaginative and thoughtful exploration.

Being in a library without a set purpose made me feel a little bit like being a child, given permission to read, just for fun.  It’s a treat most of us rarely rewards ourselves with, and for that reason, an open-ended visit to the public library can be considered a very frugal luxury.

Do you use the public library on a regular basis? Do you visit with a purpose, or just to explore?

Frugal weekend bread making

On the weekend, Josh made pita bread.  Correction, he made the best pita bread in the world.  This was his very first try and I can’t believe how perfect it came out.  It really made me wonder why we’d ever buy store bought pita bread again, when it tastes this good fresh, and is so easy and cheap to make.  Rather than posting the recipe here, I will simply direct you to The Fresh Loaf - they have detailed instructions along with really beautiful pictures.

Josh also baked a whole wheat loaf - well, 20% whole wheat, anyway - and it was spectacular.  Really moist and fluffy on in the inside and nice and crusty on the outside.  He also made the best grilled cheese sandwiches with this bread and some old cheddar. It’s really a far cry from our first try back in October.

Meanwhile, Butternut enjoyed her own frugal luxury - namely, the paper that came with the spice package on Friday. Apparently, paper is the best toy in the world, and also the comfiest place to nap.  

What frugal activities did you do this weekend?

More frugal luxuries

I’m taking notice of all the frugal luxuries in my life this week.  Yesterday one of my frugal luxuries was a surprise private session with my yoga instructor.  I was the only one to turn out at my therapeutic yoga class yesterday, and while everyone who takes the class is great, it was very special to have some one-on-one time with my favourite instructor.  It gave us time to move slowly, consciously, and talk.  I was able to share with her my biggest frugal luxury that I’ve been enjoying for about 6 weeks now - the fact that I’ve seen a 90% reduction in pain.  Living with chronic pain affects all areas of your life, including how you feel about yourself. I’ve carried a lot of guilt, frustration and embarrassment about the pain that I’ve been harbouring.  And now, I wake up in the morning feeling normal.  My body feels free, it feels light.  I hope that I can maintain this lightness, and I hope that I can help others who are struggling as well.

A few other frugal luxuries:

My friend from university came and stayed with me on Monday and Tuesday. She brought me these orchids. I’ve never had orchids before but I absolutely love them.  They have them at my yoga studio and I love meditating in front of them.  I love the tiny little clip that gently helps to guide and support the orchid as it grows.

This morning I sat my plants in front the window to catch the sun before it disappeared.  Then I decided I needed a little sun myself, so I sat and drank my coffee on my floor pillow, next to my plants. (Butternut joined me as well, of course.)  If that’s not a frugal luxury, I don’t know what is!

I hope you can enjoy some frugal luxuries today and take note of all the finer things in your life.

Frugal luxuries

With all the bad news out there, it’s easy to feel like the world is coming to an end.  More and more news about suicides, shootings, and lay-offs.

If we’re going to survive this recession, then we need to find ways of being happy.

As I’ve mentioned before in other posts, I believe that it is possible to live a fulfilling live while living frugally.  Actually, it’s not just possible.  I believe that frugality is deeply bound to concepts like gratitude, mindfulness and joy.  By living simply and frugally, we find, sometimes to our surprise, that happiness is already within our reach. Instead of looking to the next new thing - a new pair of shoes, a new toy, more money - to make us happy, we find pleasure and fulfillment with what we already have.  We appreciate everything we own, we learn new skills, we find confidence in our self-sufficiency and resourcefulness, and spend more time doing the things that truly add value to our lives.

For anyone making the transition to a frugal life - tightening the budget, or perhaps budgeting for the first time - especially out of necessity, or fear, I feel that it’s important to integrate things that make you happy into your every day life.  After all, we don’t just want to “get by.”  We want to live!  We want to be happy and experience all the fruits this world has to offer.  And, in contrast to the critic’s view that frugality equals deprivation, I believe that we can seek out joy this very minute, regardless of income.

 If you’re used to looking outwards for a boost after a bad day, this can be tough.  At first glance it may seem like you have nothing to be thankful for or happy about.  But so much goes unnoticed.  We waste precious solitude or moments of peace by thinking, planning, or worrying incessantly.  We ignore the beauty that is around us by hurrying on to the next place we’re supposed to be.  We save our best linens, fine china, and nicest clothes for special occassions, tucked in drawers and forgotten about. We dismiss our own creativity and ability to learn, assuming that someone else will sew, cook, or paint better than we ever could.  But in fact, we have so many resources, both internal and external, for fun and fulfillment.

In “Frugal Luxuries,” Tracy McBride says:

Many people confuse luxury iwth opulence. To understand luxury you must look at the true sense of the word… something conducive to pleasure and comfort.  So to indulge in luxury, you need only to focus on what brings you pleasure and comfort.  Does luxury have to mean diamonds and servants? Or can it be a plump down comforter on a cold night or a bowl of wild blueberries picked at the peak of that fruit’s brief season?  Too many people forget to enjoy these simple pleasures on a regular basis.  They seem to wait for the Shangri-la of someday rather than adjust their attitudes and sample the small indulgences found in ordinary events.

I want to live frugally, but I also want to enjoy myself.  I want a live that is rich with friendship, satisfaction, curiosity, and uninhibited fun.  So I thought I would share a few things with that make me happy, a few of my own “frugal luxuries”.  This week I’m going to concentrate on highlighting the frugal luxuries I find throughout the week and share them with you.

I love my lavender products, especially my linen spray, massage oil and handmade soap from Becker Vineyards in Texas.  I find lavender one of the most soothing things in the world.  I love it in any form.

You can make a lavender spray yourself, by adding a few drops of lavender essential oils to water in a squirt bottle.  

Out of all my antiques, this cup and saucer set are among my favourites.  This set, passed down from my Nana, sit on my tea trolley on an handmade doily I found at a garage sale.

I love Ombra bubble bath - it’s the best. It’s PH neutral and has the most lovely variety of scents.  Of course I love the lavender one, but recently I tried the Citrus-sage.  It’s so refreshing and fragrant and feels very reminiscent of spring.  I picked this up during one of Rexall’s buy-one-get-one-free sales.

Throughout the week I will be posting more of my favourite “frugal luxuries” in order to become more attentive to the simple pleasures that exist in my life. 

What are the frugal luxuries that you’ve enjoyed today?