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?