Here we are, the day after Thanksgiving. The busiest shopping day of the year.
I woke up to find this article on my news-feed on the computer. I don't know what to say.
3 years ago
Friday, November 28, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Pod People
I imagine by now, no one is reading this anymore. I know it's been 2 months (2 months!?) since I've posted anything, but it seems like things suddenly got so....busy. So if you have checked back to see if I've posted, I'm sorry about the long delay. Time got away from me. Again.
The biggest time-sucker, by far, is that our hot water heater blew up and flooded our basement, requiring us to remove every single item in our basement. We had to rent a POD for storage of all the stuff. We haven't missed a single stinkin' thing. (Well, actually, there are numerous books I wish I could get to. But other than books, I don't miss a thing.)
How things come full-circle.
It was two years ago, at about this time of year, that we were unboxing from a POD. We had tried to sell our house, couldn't find one we liked as much as the one we have, didn't get any offers on our place, and decided in the end to stay put. During our Massive Stuff Reintroduction program, we got to talking about how much Stuff we had, and how we didn't really miss a single thing during the three months it was all crammed into a POD. Sadly, we knew we couldnt keep the POD so we proceeded to return all the odds and ends into our home. Which suddenly started to feel very full indeed. Shortly thereafter, we heard a story on The Compact on NPR, and the rest is history.
Now here we are, almost 11 months along into the Compact, and we're packing our sh*t into a POD again, and not missing a darn thing. Dominic is single-handedly re-doing sheetrock in the basement, painting, fixing the trim and the floor and re-paneling his woodshop. (all while the kids and I sleep, bless his heart) Sometime soon, we'll re-paint the office downstairs and the new carpet will be installed. Then, it'll be time to move back into the basement. Time for another Massive Stuff Reintroduction program. To say I dread that day is an understatement.
How is it that we can go a whole year without purchasing anything new (with some exceptions of course) and yet still, even after culling, donating, having a Mega Sale, and culling again, we still have enough stuff to fill a POD? And why, oh, why are we putting it back in our house when we haven't missed anything, save the (massive in its own right) book collection?
The biggest time-sucker, by far, is that our hot water heater blew up and flooded our basement, requiring us to remove every single item in our basement. We had to rent a POD for storage of all the stuff. We haven't missed a single stinkin' thing. (Well, actually, there are numerous books I wish I could get to. But other than books, I don't miss a thing.)
How things come full-circle.
It was two years ago, at about this time of year, that we were unboxing from a POD. We had tried to sell our house, couldn't find one we liked as much as the one we have, didn't get any offers on our place, and decided in the end to stay put. During our Massive Stuff Reintroduction program, we got to talking about how much Stuff we had, and how we didn't really miss a single thing during the three months it was all crammed into a POD. Sadly, we knew we couldnt keep the POD so we proceeded to return all the odds and ends into our home. Which suddenly started to feel very full indeed. Shortly thereafter, we heard a story on The Compact on NPR, and the rest is history.
Now here we are, almost 11 months along into the Compact, and we're packing our sh*t into a POD again, and not missing a darn thing. Dominic is single-handedly re-doing sheetrock in the basement, painting, fixing the trim and the floor and re-paneling his woodshop. (all while the kids and I sleep, bless his heart) Sometime soon, we'll re-paint the office downstairs and the new carpet will be installed. Then, it'll be time to move back into the basement. Time for another Massive Stuff Reintroduction program. To say I dread that day is an understatement.
How is it that we can go a whole year without purchasing anything new (with some exceptions of course) and yet still, even after culling, donating, having a Mega Sale, and culling again, we still have enough stuff to fill a POD? And why, oh, why are we putting it back in our house when we haven't missed anything, save the (massive in its own right) book collection?
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
A Time to Cull
We need another major purging of goods over here! How is it that some days I feel very lacking in "stuff" (see previous post!) and other days, I feel like I can not escape the mountains of stuff everywhere in this house. Mainly, it's just that there are so many toys. We have bins and bins of things that Julian has outgrown and Lucy has no interest in. Or, no need for. I am a firm believer in the "less is more" mentality (but you knew that, right?) and think that a few really cool, well-loved toys are worth far more than heaps of them in every room of the house. What drives me the most insane are the random scattered bits everywhere-pieces and parts of bigger toy "sets" that have somehow become separated from each other. A puzzle piece here, a doll's jacket there. Argh.
Some mornings, I sit in the playroom with the kids, and I can't help but "sort" the toys. Keepers go on the shelf. "Giveaways" go into a bin. Random bits go into a separate basket, for a Toy Reunion I hope to someday host. My kids rarely notice or care, but every once in a while, Lucy will pull something out of the bin and say, with furrowed brow, "Are we keeping this?"
This afternoon when she woke up from her nap she came down and snuggled with me for the longest time in the living room. She wadded up her blanky in her fists, turning it around and wadding it up, over and over. Finally she sighed and said, "Mommy, I love my blanky. I don't want to get rid of it." Yikes.
Some mornings, I sit in the playroom with the kids, and I can't help but "sort" the toys. Keepers go on the shelf. "Giveaways" go into a bin. Random bits go into a separate basket, for a Toy Reunion I hope to someday host. My kids rarely notice or care, but every once in a while, Lucy will pull something out of the bin and say, with furrowed brow, "Are we keeping this?"
This afternoon when she woke up from her nap she came down and snuggled with me for the longest time in the living room. She wadded up her blanky in her fists, turning it around and wadding it up, over and over. Finally she sighed and said, "Mommy, I love my blanky. I don't want to get rid of it." Yikes.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
If you see any of these items used, call me!
We are past the halfway point of doing the Compact. Overall, it's gone pretty well. Most things, we've found, we can live without, buy used, or repair. I think we'd both agree that by far, the most difficult thing is finding clothes for ourselves (patty and dom). It's time-comsuming and often much more challenging than either of us is up for.
But, there are other things. Things that are just plain hard to deal with in a "compact-friendly" way. It's next to impossible to find some things used. I have a little list of household things that we need, and when I'm shopping at the thrift stores, I pull it out in the hopes of finding some of them. But in some cases, that's a tall order. And, these aren't the things one can assume a thrift store will have. It takes time, time, time, to go to a few places in search of this or that random item. And time is something we just don't have a lot of these days.
These are the things that leave us scratching our heads and frankly, wondering how to proceed. Violate the Compact? Live without for the rest of the year? Cobble together a temporary solution?
Examples:
But, there are other things. Things that are just plain hard to deal with in a "compact-friendly" way. It's next to impossible to find some things used. I have a little list of household things that we need, and when I'm shopping at the thrift stores, I pull it out in the hopes of finding some of them. But in some cases, that's a tall order. And, these aren't the things one can assume a thrift store will have. It takes time, time, time, to go to a few places in search of this or that random item. And time is something we just don't have a lot of these days.
These are the things that leave us scratching our heads and frankly, wondering how to proceed. Violate the Compact? Live without for the rest of the year? Cobble together a temporary solution?
Examples:
- sippy cup replacement valves
- bathroom rugs
- broom
- a flagpole holder-upper for my porch
- dog leash(when she is at the groomer, I have 2 kids in tow, and the groomer has lost her leash)
- shower curtain liner
- wooden cooking utensils that are not freaky-dirty/cracked/flaking apart
- welcome mat in decent shape
- random, assorted tupperware lids
- tiny nail clippers, suitable for the delicate nails of the wigglingest baby ever
OK, so really now. If you see any of these items used, I want to hear from you! (Although you can take the dog leash off the list. I managed to talk the groomer in to sending me home with one as a "free gift")
Honestly, I'm scratching my head over these things.
It's a zoo.
Lucy is currently obsessed with this book about penguins. The Mommy goes away fishing and the little baby penguin is hunkered down with Daddy until Mommy returns, safe and sound. This is the book that we read, oh, about a hundred times a day when she and I were sick. Why? Is she missing me a lot for some reason? Is she bonding in a new way with her Daddy? Not sure what the deep significance is for her, and frankly it's written so poorly that I wince every time she pulls it off the shelf and asks, "read me this booky"--but I digress.
Anyway. She is obsessed with penguins. Several times in recent weeks, she has asked if we can go and look at penguins at the zoo. "Do you think the mommies will be there too?" She has been dying to see a penguin in real life. So, we trekked off to the free zoo on the Other Side of the River and spent a little time watching the penguins. Their "habitat" paled in comparison to what she was expecting, I think. No deep ocean blue, no sea lions and killer whales frolicking in the surf among the penguins. Just a few thin, rather low-energy penguins hangin' out on a fake iceberg. But she loved it. She asked me which ones were the mommies, and where the babies were. I told her (honestly) that I didn't know, and we looked for a zookeeper, but found no one to ask. She wanted to watch them swim, but they weren't getting off their rock for anything. So we watched them and watched them and she quoted lines from her favorite book, "we huddle together in the inner circle....you close your eyes to the blinding sleet, while here I sit, balancing on your feet." She loved it. I had to suppress the urge to run.
Before I had kids, I swore I'd never take my children to the zoo. I've always had rather mixed feelings about zoos in general. Yes yes, I know, there are some zoos that are doing a lot for wild habitat preservation, and the importance of captive breeding programs for endangered species (which often take place in, and are funded by zoos) can not be understated. But still. They bother me. No matter how hard zoos try to fake it, or make it appear otherwise, zoo animals are still captive animals in cages. Taken out of the wild (in most cases) and put in a box far, far from home. They are still basically prisoners, put on display for our amusement. Something about it feels inhumane. Then there's the secondary issue of the people that I've encountered at zoos. Laughing, jeering, taunting the animals. Throwing trash. I've seen dads growling at lions through the glass, kids calling monkeys obscene names, and all manner of pointing, laughing and cajoling to try to get a reaction out of the animals. It's awful. It never fails to make me want to grab these imbeciles and shake them, screaming, what is wrong with you?! How could people treat animals like this? And what kind of example are you setting for your children? Can't we try to be a little more respectful?
On the other hand. When I was a child, my parents took me to zoos and aquariums often. I loved going. I loved animals. I wrote letters to the dolphin trainers at Sea World. My "behind the scenes at the zoo" birthday party is one of my absolute best memories. I knew so much about so many animals, I was a walking "Wildlife Treasury" Set. For the longest time, I wanted to be a vet when I grew up. Then a marine biologist. I wound up a naturalist, spending my days educating others about habitat preservation and wildlife conservation. I am sure this is in no small part due to my frequent, positive exposure to animals, lots of animals, when I was young. My parents, both thoughtful, compassionate people, both love animals, always have. I don't remember either of them being the dark cloud of negativity that I can be, muttering under my breath about how it sucks to be that there zebra, being the only zebra in the whole zoo. Pretty sorry lot for a herd animal. So I'm not the most fun person to bring to the zoo. Dominic is a saint, as usual, and doesn't push me in to the seal pool or anything, despite my dour attitude.
But my kids? They love the zoo. They love to see animals up close. Lucy shuddered the first time she actually heard a lion roar. Julian nearly wiggled out of his skin when the sea lion slooshed around in its tank, right in front of us.
I'm working on lightening up a little bit. (and don't think the irony there is lost on me!)
Anyway. She is obsessed with penguins. Several times in recent weeks, she has asked if we can go and look at penguins at the zoo. "Do you think the mommies will be there too?" She has been dying to see a penguin in real life. So, we trekked off to the free zoo on the Other Side of the River and spent a little time watching the penguins. Their "habitat" paled in comparison to what she was expecting, I think. No deep ocean blue, no sea lions and killer whales frolicking in the surf among the penguins. Just a few thin, rather low-energy penguins hangin' out on a fake iceberg. But she loved it. She asked me which ones were the mommies, and where the babies were. I told her (honestly) that I didn't know, and we looked for a zookeeper, but found no one to ask. She wanted to watch them swim, but they weren't getting off their rock for anything. So we watched them and watched them and she quoted lines from her favorite book, "we huddle together in the inner circle....you close your eyes to the blinding sleet, while here I sit, balancing on your feet." She loved it. I had to suppress the urge to run.
Before I had kids, I swore I'd never take my children to the zoo. I've always had rather mixed feelings about zoos in general. Yes yes, I know, there are some zoos that are doing a lot for wild habitat preservation, and the importance of captive breeding programs for endangered species (which often take place in, and are funded by zoos) can not be understated. But still. They bother me. No matter how hard zoos try to fake it, or make it appear otherwise, zoo animals are still captive animals in cages. Taken out of the wild (in most cases) and put in a box far, far from home. They are still basically prisoners, put on display for our amusement. Something about it feels inhumane. Then there's the secondary issue of the people that I've encountered at zoos. Laughing, jeering, taunting the animals. Throwing trash. I've seen dads growling at lions through the glass, kids calling monkeys obscene names, and all manner of pointing, laughing and cajoling to try to get a reaction out of the animals. It's awful. It never fails to make me want to grab these imbeciles and shake them, screaming, what is wrong with you?! How could people treat animals like this? And what kind of example are you setting for your children? Can't we try to be a little more respectful?
On the other hand. When I was a child, my parents took me to zoos and aquariums often. I loved going. I loved animals. I wrote letters to the dolphin trainers at Sea World. My "behind the scenes at the zoo" birthday party is one of my absolute best memories. I knew so much about so many animals, I was a walking "Wildlife Treasury" Set. For the longest time, I wanted to be a vet when I grew up. Then a marine biologist. I wound up a naturalist, spending my days educating others about habitat preservation and wildlife conservation. I am sure this is in no small part due to my frequent, positive exposure to animals, lots of animals, when I was young. My parents, both thoughtful, compassionate people, both love animals, always have. I don't remember either of them being the dark cloud of negativity that I can be, muttering under my breath about how it sucks to be that there zebra, being the only zebra in the whole zoo. Pretty sorry lot for a herd animal. So I'm not the most fun person to bring to the zoo. Dominic is a saint, as usual, and doesn't push me in to the seal pool or anything, despite my dour attitude.
But my kids? They love the zoo. They love to see animals up close. Lucy shuddered the first time she actually heard a lion roar. Julian nearly wiggled out of his skin when the sea lion slooshed around in its tank, right in front of us.
I'm working on lightening up a little bit. (and don't think the irony there is lost on me!)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Back on our feet!
We are all pretty much healthy now and things are beginning to feel somewhat "normal" around here. Lucy is officially 3 now! Her birthday was just yesterday. We went to the Malt Shop where she had her all-time favorite meal: macaroni and cheese followed by strawberry ice cream.
Lucky us, we only live about 10 blocks from the restaurant, and she wanted to walk home. Having just consumed a humongous hot-fudge-banana malt (my all-time favorite meal), I was happy to indulge her. D drove home with J, and she and I proceeded to have a lovely evening walk, just the two of us. We looked at flowers, said hello to bumblebees, walked up and down steps, searched for kitties, hugged trees, and just generally had a nice time together.
When we were sick, she and I spent hours each day, lying in bed, "doing stickers," reading stories, cuddling, and napping. Now that we are better and life's usual pace has swept us up again, we're missing each other a bit, so this was a nice chance to reconnect and just have some time together. And so much more fun than lying in bed, convalescing together!
Lucky us, we only live about 10 blocks from the restaurant, and she wanted to walk home. Having just consumed a humongous hot-fudge-banana malt (my all-time favorite meal), I was happy to indulge her. D drove home with J, and she and I proceeded to have a lovely evening walk, just the two of us. We looked at flowers, said hello to bumblebees, walked up and down steps, searched for kitties, hugged trees, and just generally had a nice time together.
When we were sick, she and I spent hours each day, lying in bed, "doing stickers," reading stories, cuddling, and napping. Now that we are better and life's usual pace has swept us up again, we're missing each other a bit, so this was a nice chance to reconnect and just have some time together. And so much more fun than lying in bed, convalescing together!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
The thing that ate my family
So, the day Julian's high fever broke, Lucy woke up with a moderately high fever, which quickly got higher and higher. You know where this is going. Fools that we were!We had just been breathing a sigh of relief that no one else in the family got the bug from Hell that took down my baby boy for a week.
So, of course, the Bug from Hell took me down, and Lucy too. Until last week, I didn't know an adult could sustain a fever of 103 for days on end. I was shivering, sweating, crying and basically just trying to get through. Couldn't eat due to the bleeding sores in the back of my throat. Couldn't see due to my mysteriously burning, burning eyes. Lucy's fever and tummy ache lasted a full week, the fever and other monstrous symptoms hung on to me for only about four days. But let me tell you, the past two weeks have been awful. The three of us have been sicker than we have ever been in our lives. I would not wish this on anyone, not anyone. D has so far been spared this miserable thing, and its a good thing too, this house would have fallen completely apart without him to take care of us these past couple weeks.
I'm contining my quest for medical practitioners, of every ilk, (eastern/western/traditional/alterative) to help me figure out what I need to do to make this The Year of Good Health for my family. So much sickness last year nearly sent me over the edge, and besides, I like to think that we are a healthy lot, overall. We eat well, practice good hygeine, so what gives? There must be something bigger going on here, that we all keep getting sick. I just want to get to the bottom of it, and get us all healthy.
I'll write more when I am coherent. We are on day 2 of recovery from this thing and we had a B-day party for Lucy today. It was a fun party, and so great to see the family, but she and I are both pretty wiped out from it all. Julian is happy and lovin' life, and Dom is still holding steady.
So, of course, the Bug from Hell took me down, and Lucy too. Until last week, I didn't know an adult could sustain a fever of 103 for days on end. I was shivering, sweating, crying and basically just trying to get through. Couldn't eat due to the bleeding sores in the back of my throat. Couldn't see due to my mysteriously burning, burning eyes. Lucy's fever and tummy ache lasted a full week, the fever and other monstrous symptoms hung on to me for only about four days. But let me tell you, the past two weeks have been awful. The three of us have been sicker than we have ever been in our lives. I would not wish this on anyone, not anyone. D has so far been spared this miserable thing, and its a good thing too, this house would have fallen completely apart without him to take care of us these past couple weeks.
I'm contining my quest for medical practitioners, of every ilk, (eastern/western/traditional/alterative) to help me figure out what I need to do to make this The Year of Good Health for my family. So much sickness last year nearly sent me over the edge, and besides, I like to think that we are a healthy lot, overall. We eat well, practice good hygeine, so what gives? There must be something bigger going on here, that we all keep getting sick. I just want to get to the bottom of it, and get us all healthy.
I'll write more when I am coherent. We are on day 2 of recovery from this thing and we had a B-day party for Lucy today. It was a fun party, and so great to see the family, but she and I are both pretty wiped out from it all. Julian is happy and lovin' life, and Dom is still holding steady.
Friday, July 18, 2008
hello again
OK, It's been a veryveryvery long time since I posted anything here. Sorry about that. Recovering from our chronic condition of trying to do too much. We had a rather busy few weeks there, with a trip to northern WI for a vacation with Dominic's family at a northwoods cabin, shortly followed by a glorious and long trip to the Colorado Rockies. We've been home from Colorado for a week now, but J has been sick with an extremely high fever which just broke yesterday.
So, trying to settle back into a routine is tough. But we're getting there. If anyone is actually still reading this, I'll post more often from now on.
As for the Compact, there's not much to say, other than things are stil going just fine and although I am still so weary of the whole clothing issue, everything is going well. The kids' birthdays are both this month and luckily last Christmas when D and I made the decision to undertake a year of no-buying, we set aside a few Christmas presents for this very occasion. J's birthday was last weekend, but the poor little dude had a fever of 103 so wasn't much in the partying mood. We're headed to my mothers this weekend for a belated birthday celebration, and hopefully everyone will be in good spirits.
With two kids' birthdays just weeks apart, I see the point in having one big family get-together to celebrate both. On the other hand, I am a bit leery of "watering down" each party-birthdays are so special, and I want each of my children to feel their day is a celebration of his/her uniqueness and arrival on this big ol' hunk of dirt. If we start combining parties, will that be ost somehow?
So, trying to settle back into a routine is tough. But we're getting there. If anyone is actually still reading this, I'll post more often from now on.
As for the Compact, there's not much to say, other than things are stil going just fine and although I am still so weary of the whole clothing issue, everything is going well. The kids' birthdays are both this month and luckily last Christmas when D and I made the decision to undertake a year of no-buying, we set aside a few Christmas presents for this very occasion. J's birthday was last weekend, but the poor little dude had a fever of 103 so wasn't much in the partying mood. We're headed to my mothers this weekend for a belated birthday celebration, and hopefully everyone will be in good spirits.
With two kids' birthdays just weeks apart, I see the point in having one big family get-together to celebrate both. On the other hand, I am a bit leery of "watering down" each party-birthdays are so special, and I want each of my children to feel their day is a celebration of his/her uniqueness and arrival on this big ol' hunk of dirt. If we start combining parties, will that be ost somehow?
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Another exception
This morning I had to take L in to the doctor's office for a shot. This was actually akin to torture. She was terrified and screaming, biting my shoulder, crying, it was just awful. This primal need that I have to protect my daughter from any pain or discomfort in this world? I bumped up against it big time today and it laughed in my face.
Anyway.
So, to soften the blow of this scary experience (for both of us) I told Lucy we would go to the toy store and pick something special out. (What? Where does this come from? Am I teaching her to assuage her pain and fear with material goods? Am I bribing her? Am I teaching her some terribly flawed lesson about "earning" toys based on her behavior?--I don't care what the hidden messages are today, people. I just wanted my baby to feel better!) I knew I was going to violate the Compact for this, and I figured, why not? She's gotta get a shot and this is going to suck. Take her to the toy store, get her a kitty, she'll feel better. To heck with the Compact. This is an acceptable exception.
Well, we got to the toy store and the thing she wanted most of all, more than anything else, was a little doll stroller. Mind you, she already has a doll stroller, which is about 2 years old. It is rickety and has been duct-taped together more than any other thing we own (except possibly for Julian's CD player, long story)--it still works but is really in rough shape. She found a pretty little number, purple with pink ballet slippers on it. She found a stuffed kitty to push around and generally had a blast at the toy store. (We probably could have left at that point, as the horror of the shot was all but forgotten by this point anyway.)
L: "I want this stroller."
me: "But you already have one of these honey, let's look for something else that might be fun for you to play with"
L: "But I want this stroller."
Me:"Look here honey, look at this high chair. Do you think your kitties might like to sit in this high chair and eat their kitty treats?"
L: "But you said I could get anything."
Me: "Yes but you already have a stroller, let's find something that you don't have. Look at this pretty high chair."
We left the store with a frigging doll high chair. My chirpy sales pitch worked. She got a little excited about the high chair and I swooped on that enthusiasm to get her the toy I thought would be the best choice. But she had picked out the toy she wanted the most, just like I promised her she could, and what did I do? I ignored her choice. I didn't want to get something we already had. I am curious how long the current stroller will last. I figure it still works OK, so why get a new one? Why not get something she doesn't have?
I was kicking myself the whole entire way home from the store. Why am I such a jerk? Why couldn't I just get her the thing that she really wanted? Why did I talk her out of it, and basically make myself a liar by not letting her get "anything" she wanted? The rare occasion we violate the terms of the Compact for a toy, and she doesn't even really get the one she wants.
Not only that, but the doll high chair sucks. It is stupid. We got home, got it out of the box, and it is way too short, so she has to kneel down to use it, plus, her kitties are too big to sit in it properly, and the tray doesn't come off. It's too hard for her to use the way she wants to. So I feel even worse about the whole damn day.
Yes, I realize I am most definitely overthinking this one, but I feel rotten. I feel like an awful wretch of a mother.
Anyway.
So, to soften the blow of this scary experience (for both of us) I told Lucy we would go to the toy store and pick something special out. (What? Where does this come from? Am I teaching her to assuage her pain and fear with material goods? Am I bribing her? Am I teaching her some terribly flawed lesson about "earning" toys based on her behavior?--I don't care what the hidden messages are today, people. I just wanted my baby to feel better!) I knew I was going to violate the Compact for this, and I figured, why not? She's gotta get a shot and this is going to suck. Take her to the toy store, get her a kitty, she'll feel better. To heck with the Compact. This is an acceptable exception.
Well, we got to the toy store and the thing she wanted most of all, more than anything else, was a little doll stroller. Mind you, she already has a doll stroller, which is about 2 years old. It is rickety and has been duct-taped together more than any other thing we own (except possibly for Julian's CD player, long story)--it still works but is really in rough shape. She found a pretty little number, purple with pink ballet slippers on it. She found a stuffed kitty to push around and generally had a blast at the toy store. (We probably could have left at that point, as the horror of the shot was all but forgotten by this point anyway.)
L: "I want this stroller."
me: "But you already have one of these honey, let's look for something else that might be fun for you to play with"
L: "But I want this stroller."
Me:"Look here honey, look at this high chair. Do you think your kitties might like to sit in this high chair and eat their kitty treats?"
L: "But you said I could get anything."
Me: "Yes but you already have a stroller, let's find something that you don't have. Look at this pretty high chair."
We left the store with a frigging doll high chair. My chirpy sales pitch worked. She got a little excited about the high chair and I swooped on that enthusiasm to get her the toy I thought would be the best choice. But she had picked out the toy she wanted the most, just like I promised her she could, and what did I do? I ignored her choice. I didn't want to get something we already had. I am curious how long the current stroller will last. I figure it still works OK, so why get a new one? Why not get something she doesn't have?
I was kicking myself the whole entire way home from the store. Why am I such a jerk? Why couldn't I just get her the thing that she really wanted? Why did I talk her out of it, and basically make myself a liar by not letting her get "anything" she wanted? The rare occasion we violate the terms of the Compact for a toy, and she doesn't even really get the one she wants.
Not only that, but the doll high chair sucks. It is stupid. We got home, got it out of the box, and it is way too short, so she has to kneel down to use it, plus, her kitties are too big to sit in it properly, and the tray doesn't come off. It's too hard for her to use the way she wants to. So I feel even worse about the whole damn day.
Yes, I realize I am most definitely overthinking this one, but I feel rotten. I feel like an awful wretch of a mother.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
The Mother of all Garage Sales.
We are finally having a garage sale! We were originally just planning to "bring a few things over" to my dad's garage sale last weekend, but then Julian got sick (just a cold, but he had a high fever and a rash for a few days) and Dom decided to paint the outside of the house, where the addition was put on last year. (a busy weekend) so, true to form, we left that small pile of "a few things" to rot in our basement.
Coincidentally, this weekend, my neighborhood association (of which I am a proud board member, I might add) is hosting a neighborhood-wide Sale-o-Rama, so Dom and I sprung into action this week, rummaged through the closets, the boxes, the piles of clutter everywhere, and came up with a pretty sizeable pile of stuff to sell. We don't intend to get rich (unless someone does in fact buy the violin, the bed, the mountain bike, and the kayak)-but what a fun way to meet the neighbors, chat with folks, and enjoy a summer Saturday in Minnesota. Plus, maybe we can get rid of some of this STUFF that's been plaguing us. By noon I'll be giving stuff away, I am sure. I just want it out of here.
I can't believe Dom agreed to do it--he hates garage sales. When we're in the car and we drive past one, or better yet, a flea market, I have to beg and plead to get him to stop. On the rare occasion that he actually does stop, he grumbles so much about it that it's really not even that fun. (Sorry, Dom, but you know it's true!) He sees no point in "paying money for stuff other people are throwing away" and wasting time wandering around looking at crap....I call it browsing around in search of random goodies and treasures unknown! And I thoroughly enjoy it!
So, if you're in the area this Saturday, mosey on over. You can indulge your secret desire to become a violin player,or a collector of random pieces of childrens play equipment.
Coincidentally, this weekend, my neighborhood association (of which I am a proud board member, I might add) is hosting a neighborhood-wide Sale-o-Rama, so Dom and I sprung into action this week, rummaged through the closets, the boxes, the piles of clutter everywhere, and came up with a pretty sizeable pile of stuff to sell. We don't intend to get rich (unless someone does in fact buy the violin, the bed, the mountain bike, and the kayak)-but what a fun way to meet the neighbors, chat with folks, and enjoy a summer Saturday in Minnesota. Plus, maybe we can get rid of some of this STUFF that's been plaguing us. By noon I'll be giving stuff away, I am sure. I just want it out of here.
I can't believe Dom agreed to do it--he hates garage sales. When we're in the car and we drive past one, or better yet, a flea market, I have to beg and plead to get him to stop. On the rare occasion that he actually does stop, he grumbles so much about it that it's really not even that fun. (Sorry, Dom, but you know it's true!) He sees no point in "paying money for stuff other people are throwing away" and wasting time wandering around looking at crap....I call it browsing around in search of random goodies and treasures unknown! And I thoroughly enjoy it!
So, if you're in the area this Saturday, mosey on over. You can indulge your secret desire to become a violin player,or a collector of random pieces of childrens play equipment.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
fashionally challenged
Here's what a total dork I am. Last week, when it seemed spring had finally arrived (oh, blessed spring! How I have missed you!) and I had the luxury of a kidless couple of hours, I went to run some errands. My wardrobe is pitiful. It's not as if the errands were anything exciting, say, a Kentucky Derby party or a lunch meeting with Obama....just a trip to the grocery store and the car wash. (exciting life I lead, no?)
Granted, most of my "spring wardrobe" has been boxed up and sitting in the crawlspace for the better part of three years (in the past three spring/summer seasons I was pregnant/postpartum or too busy chasing a one-year old and too freaked out about everything to care what I was wearing...and then pregnant/postpartum again)
So I found myself sauntering through the parking lot on the most beautiful spring day...blue sky, puffy white clouds, sunshine so bright you could smell it (well, I could anyway) and leaves practically exploding from the branches. I was a stunning vision of...brown. And not the brown that is the new black either. I'm talking about faded brown cords, and a long-sleeved brown maternity shirt that still passes as a loose fitting shirt. Yeah. I was lookin' good, people.
So began my quest for decent, well fitting clothes. For me. I've had some minimal issues with finding kids clothes (see this post) but nothing I can't deal with, given enough time and laundry detergent. It was time to exhume my spring wardrobe from the bowels of my house. A few hours after my lovelies were asleep, I found myself knee-deep in clothes I have had for years, some old favorites, and many, many "what was I thinking?" pieces. So I did a ton of laundry that night and realized that I am in deep doo-doo.
My cute summer shorts, which fit me great four years ago, don't particularly, shall we say, get along with my two time-post-postpartum body. My cute summer shirts, which used to fit, now aren't particularly thrilled to stretch across my rather-ahem-ample baby-feeding system.
So, at the very next kid-free opportunity, I hit the consignment stores hard. Three hours later I had a somewhat sizeable collection of passable clothes. I am not going to stop any cars with my incredible fashion sense, but at least I'm not wearing corduroy anymore!
Of course, the grand irony here is that it's back down to 50 degrees and rain. So I believe the fashion editors of the world might forgive my corduroy, should it emerge from my closet again...
Granted, most of my "spring wardrobe" has been boxed up and sitting in the crawlspace for the better part of three years (in the past three spring/summer seasons I was pregnant/postpartum or too busy chasing a one-year old and too freaked out about everything to care what I was wearing...and then pregnant/postpartum again)
So I found myself sauntering through the parking lot on the most beautiful spring day...blue sky, puffy white clouds, sunshine so bright you could smell it (well, I could anyway) and leaves practically exploding from the branches. I was a stunning vision of...brown. And not the brown that is the new black either. I'm talking about faded brown cords, and a long-sleeved brown maternity shirt that still passes as a loose fitting shirt. Yeah. I was lookin' good, people.
So began my quest for decent, well fitting clothes. For me. I've had some minimal issues with finding kids clothes (see this post) but nothing I can't deal with, given enough time and laundry detergent. It was time to exhume my spring wardrobe from the bowels of my house. A few hours after my lovelies were asleep, I found myself knee-deep in clothes I have had for years, some old favorites, and many, many "what was I thinking?" pieces. So I did a ton of laundry that night and realized that I am in deep doo-doo.
My cute summer shorts, which fit me great four years ago, don't particularly, shall we say, get along with my two time-post-postpartum body. My cute summer shirts, which used to fit, now aren't particularly thrilled to stretch across my rather-ahem-ample baby-feeding system.
So, at the very next kid-free opportunity, I hit the consignment stores hard. Three hours later I had a somewhat sizeable collection of passable clothes. I am not going to stop any cars with my incredible fashion sense, but at least I'm not wearing corduroy anymore!
Of course, the grand irony here is that it's back down to 50 degrees and rain. So I believe the fashion editors of the world might forgive my corduroy, should it emerge from my closet again...
Monday, May 5, 2008
Our First Cheat
So, I went out and bought something recently without a second thought. I fell off the wagon of non-consumerism. And I have no regrets at all. None. What was the ultra-tempting item that got me to turn away from my values, to ignore this challenge we've taken on, to shun our quest for simplicity? A new car? Some great clothes?
Light-blocking fabric.
Those of you who have seen me recently probably don't have to try very hard to recall my pitted eyes, sallow complexion and complete lack of energy these past few months. What many of you know is that our dear baby boy was trying for the world record of sleepless days and nights. He was making a pretty good run of it, too. 9 months without a nap. (no, I'm not exaggerating) No single stretch of sleep at night lasting more than three hours. Nine months of this was really taking its toll on me. I was physically and mentally exhausted, completely drained, and, frankly, starting to lose my grip. I was short on patience (aka an UberHag of a mother and wife), I was short on ideas. We have tried everything to get this kid to sleep. And I do mean, everything. Health experts from every end of the spectrum weighed in on his difficulty. Friends were generous with advice and suggestions. I have sung every lullaby ever written to this child.
Finally, a friend (bless you S) menti0ned how well her son started to sleep after she taped black poster board up on the windows, to block out the light. Why didn't I think of this before? I raced to the fabric store the next morning, wondering how on earth I could have overlooked this one. But of course. He has wood shades, but they aren't great at blocking the light.
I spent twenty minutes velcroing the fabric up in J's room, and that afternoon, miracle of miracles, he took a nap. And not just any nap, friends, he took a three hour nap. Since then, he has napped every day, for about an hour and a half. And the nights? His current average is to wake up two or three times. This is down from the 5 to 10 times per night I was getting up with him before.
To say I am restored is an understatement.
So, yeah, we broke the terms of the Compact this time. But like I said, it is so worth it. No regrets here. I am re-joining the living, and it is good.
Light-blocking fabric.
Those of you who have seen me recently probably don't have to try very hard to recall my pitted eyes, sallow complexion and complete lack of energy these past few months. What many of you know is that our dear baby boy was trying for the world record of sleepless days and nights. He was making a pretty good run of it, too. 9 months without a nap. (no, I'm not exaggerating) No single stretch of sleep at night lasting more than three hours. Nine months of this was really taking its toll on me. I was physically and mentally exhausted, completely drained, and, frankly, starting to lose my grip. I was short on patience (aka an UberHag of a mother and wife), I was short on ideas. We have tried everything to get this kid to sleep. And I do mean, everything. Health experts from every end of the spectrum weighed in on his difficulty. Friends were generous with advice and suggestions. I have sung every lullaby ever written to this child.
Finally, a friend (bless you S) menti0ned how well her son started to sleep after she taped black poster board up on the windows, to block out the light. Why didn't I think of this before? I raced to the fabric store the next morning, wondering how on earth I could have overlooked this one. But of course. He has wood shades, but they aren't great at blocking the light.
I spent twenty minutes velcroing the fabric up in J's room, and that afternoon, miracle of miracles, he took a nap. And not just any nap, friends, he took a three hour nap. Since then, he has napped every day, for about an hour and a half. And the nights? His current average is to wake up two or three times. This is down from the 5 to 10 times per night I was getting up with him before.
To say I am restored is an understatement.
So, yeah, we broke the terms of the Compact this time. But like I said, it is so worth it. No regrets here. I am re-joining the living, and it is good.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
How hair extensions can save America
Yesterday, I was at the MOA (long story). On the way there, I heard GW on the radio talking up the rebate checks going out to Americans. He's hoping Americans will use the money to "boost the economy" and that it will "provide some relief at the gas pumps." (here's a link to an article about this speech) Ummmm, OK. Granted, we're in a recession. I'm no economist, but I couldn't help but wonder about this. As I wandered through the mall, assaulted by stimuli, surrounded by people toting huge shopping bags, I saw plenty of opportunities to "boost the economy." Cell phone covers! Clip-on hair extensions! Hermit crabs! But really now, is it my obligation as an American to spend money? Will that really be the best thing for the country, if we all go out and pour money into The Economy, by purchasing goods? I believe our President thinks it would be.
And then I got to thinking, what would it be like if, instead of just spending all this money falling from the sky, instead of just buying "stuff" because The Big Guy told us to, the good citizens invested it in things that might really improve the quality of life around here: livable wages, care for the elderly, better support for mothers and children, a decent health care system. What would happen to the economy? What would life be like then?
I just don't think "stuff" is the answer. What would it be like if everyone in this country had financial security? Is it even possible? What would that do to the economy?
And then I got to thinking, what would it be like if, instead of just spending all this money falling from the sky, instead of just buying "stuff" because The Big Guy told us to, the good citizens invested it in things that might really improve the quality of life around here: livable wages, care for the elderly, better support for mothers and children, a decent health care system. What would happen to the economy? What would life be like then?
I just don't think "stuff" is the answer. What would it be like if everyone in this country had financial security? Is it even possible? What would that do to the economy?
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Six secondhand scented spring shirts
I had two hours of kid-free time today. I spent one hour having a wonderful lunch and reading the paper (an indulgence I haven't enjoyed in I don't know how long). The next hour was spent poring over the racks at my local secondhand kids clothing store. The store was crammed full of stuff, but I managed to find very little in the way of clothes for my kids. I found a few things, but frankly, it's proving to be darn hard. What I need are pants, shirts, shorts. Just basic stuff. And I didn't find much. I'm really not picky when it comes to clothing for my kids. I want cute stuff, sure, and stuff they'll wear. But after an hour, I had only a couple shirts for Julian (who actually really needs pants more than anything) and a couple shirts for Lucy (ditto on the pants thing). So I am not sure how productive this outing actually was. 6 items of clothing will not get my children through the next season.
I'd find myself holding up an item now and then and thinking, "Hmm. well, this isn't all that cute, and I'm not sure what she can wear it with, but it is her size..." so I wound up buying several things that I don't think I really needed to buy. Or didn't even like. And of course, this particular store allows no returns. So when I got things home and realized the foolish choices I had made, arrgh. And the amount of time I spent shopping, compared with the result?? Phooey. This seems so inefficient. I would rather waste money than time. The opportunities I have to go out shopping sans kids are so rare, I hate to spend an entire hour and have so little to show for it.
And then there's the whole "bionic nose" thing. Have I mentioned this? I have a sense of smell that is, well, acute. I can practically tell you what brand of laundry soap the guy jogging past me on the sidewalk uses. I can smell the blueberry muffin being eaten by the person in the car next to me at a stoplight. With the windows closed. Secondhand stores present an entire landscape of smells for me to navigate through. It can be overwhelming at times. Today I left with a headache that is still hanging on, hours after I returned home. Obviously I will wash the clothes I bought, but I've found that when I buy secondhand clothes, I always have to wash them 4 or 5 times because I can smell the detergent/pets/residual perfume/etc the clothes have been in contact with.
Of course, I'll get better at this. I'll eventually find the right stores that I can tolerate shopping in, and I'll figure out how to better choose what to bring home. There must be an easier way. Maybe I am going to the wrong places? Anybody know of any good secondhand kids clothes stores?
I'd find myself holding up an item now and then and thinking, "Hmm. well, this isn't all that cute, and I'm not sure what she can wear it with, but it is her size..." so I wound up buying several things that I don't think I really needed to buy. Or didn't even like. And of course, this particular store allows no returns. So when I got things home and realized the foolish choices I had made, arrgh. And the amount of time I spent shopping, compared with the result?? Phooey. This seems so inefficient. I would rather waste money than time. The opportunities I have to go out shopping sans kids are so rare, I hate to spend an entire hour and have so little to show for it.
And then there's the whole "bionic nose" thing. Have I mentioned this? I have a sense of smell that is, well, acute. I can practically tell you what brand of laundry soap the guy jogging past me on the sidewalk uses. I can smell the blueberry muffin being eaten by the person in the car next to me at a stoplight. With the windows closed. Secondhand stores present an entire landscape of smells for me to navigate through. It can be overwhelming at times. Today I left with a headache that is still hanging on, hours after I returned home. Obviously I will wash the clothes I bought, but I've found that when I buy secondhand clothes, I always have to wash them 4 or 5 times because I can smell the detergent/pets/residual perfume/etc the clothes have been in contact with.
Of course, I'll get better at this. I'll eventually find the right stores that I can tolerate shopping in, and I'll figure out how to better choose what to bring home. There must be an easier way. Maybe I am going to the wrong places? Anybody know of any good secondhand kids clothes stores?
Monday, March 31, 2008
The effort of wanting
Lots of friends have been asking about the Compact lately, how it's going "not buying anything"--and so far, really, it's going pretty well. Surprisingly well, actually. most of the time I don't miss shopping. Of course, I've had my moments, like that trip to Target I wrote about, or the burning desire for a new washing machine. But overall, this is actually really fun.
D and I were just reflecting on it just the other day. Rather than make us feel deprived or bringing to light all the things we "just can't live without," doing the Compact has mostly made us aware of what we have already. And what we have is enough. There is yet to be a moment where we feel anything is really lacking in our lives. Honestly, there just isn't much we need. We're so fortunate to have a great house we love, a wonderful car that works well, insurance, and pretty much all the possessions a normal family could want or need.
So, is there stuff we want? Sure, of course there's stuff we want, but since we know we aren't going to buy that stuff, we're finding, it's just not worth the effort of wanting. Last week we took the kids to the Midtown Global Market (which is, oh, the coolest place ever) and as we were going in, I stopped to have a look at these gorgeous hand-panted tiles and bowls. They were beautiful. For a fleeting moment, I thought, "oh, I wish I could buy one of these!" but then, very quickly I felt something like relief. Nope- no tiles, no bowls, no need to decide which one to buy, no need to take one home, no need to figure out where to put it or clean it or worry about breaking it. I just had this moment where I stood there, feeling this freedom from attachment to it, I'm not sure how else to describe it. It felt good.
I spent another few seconds admiring the stuff and then moved on to catch up with my family, who were already ahead of me, enjoying the music, the people, and the atmosphere.
D and I were just reflecting on it just the other day. Rather than make us feel deprived or bringing to light all the things we "just can't live without," doing the Compact has mostly made us aware of what we have already. And what we have is enough. There is yet to be a moment where we feel anything is really lacking in our lives. Honestly, there just isn't much we need. We're so fortunate to have a great house we love, a wonderful car that works well, insurance, and pretty much all the possessions a normal family could want or need.
So, is there stuff we want? Sure, of course there's stuff we want, but since we know we aren't going to buy that stuff, we're finding, it's just not worth the effort of wanting. Last week we took the kids to the Midtown Global Market (which is, oh, the coolest place ever) and as we were going in, I stopped to have a look at these gorgeous hand-panted tiles and bowls. They were beautiful. For a fleeting moment, I thought, "oh, I wish I could buy one of these!" but then, very quickly I felt something like relief. Nope- no tiles, no bowls, no need to decide which one to buy, no need to take one home, no need to figure out where to put it or clean it or worry about breaking it. I just had this moment where I stood there, feeling this freedom from attachment to it, I'm not sure how else to describe it. It felt good.
I spent another few seconds admiring the stuff and then moved on to catch up with my family, who were already ahead of me, enjoying the music, the people, and the atmosphere.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Alive she cries!
For the most part, sanity and good health have returned to our happy home. We managed to clean or fix everything without going out and buying anything new, tempted though I was. I still hate our washing machine, but that's just a thinly veiled excuse for wanting one of those cool-looking and super-efficient new ones. Maybe next year. Though this old junker will definitely make my upcoming foray into cloth diapering a bit more challenging...
Thank you so much to our friends who helped care for us by bringing food and doing some much needed errands for us when the going got tough.
Thank you so much to our friends who helped care for us by bringing food and doing some much needed errands for us when the going got tough.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
third time's a charm
Introducing Crud 3.0, which features new, improved projectile vomiting! And butter-colored diarrhea!
This house is a cesspool of vomit and other unpleasant bodily spewage. As if a third round of this bug weren't enough, you aren't going to believe this, but our washing machine broke. Yes, on day one of this latest bug, just after I stuffed it full of barf-soaked bedding, the washer just simply...stopped. Our friendly Home Service Plus Appliance technician can't be here until Tuesday.
If it weren't for my mother, I would have lost my mind this past week. Seriously. She hauled the laundry (5 sets of bedding, countless pairs of jammies, onesies, pants) to her house, washed and dried it, and brought it back to us- sorry, flu-stricken things that we were. My mother is truly the most amazing woman alive.
And today, quite frankly, I am hating the Compact. I want to rid this house of anything even remotely connected to this bug. I just want to replace everything. Instead, I spent the day cleaning things.
I want to go buy a new washing machine. I don't want to clean or fix the old stupid grungy washer that was here when we bought the house and has disgusting congealements all over the inside of the lid. I want to just go out and buy new garbage cans, rather than wash out the current ones with disinfectant. I want to burn all of the kids' sippy cups and pacifiers and bottles, bacteria collectors all...and replace them with new, clean, shiny happy ones. I want to get rid of the stained laundry and buy new jammies and new bedding and just get every trace of this stupid virus out of our house and out of our lives.
This house is a cesspool of vomit and other unpleasant bodily spewage. As if a third round of this bug weren't enough, you aren't going to believe this, but our washing machine broke. Yes, on day one of this latest bug, just after I stuffed it full of barf-soaked bedding, the washer just simply...stopped. Our friendly Home Service Plus Appliance technician can't be here until Tuesday.
If it weren't for my mother, I would have lost my mind this past week. Seriously. She hauled the laundry (5 sets of bedding, countless pairs of jammies, onesies, pants) to her house, washed and dried it, and brought it back to us- sorry, flu-stricken things that we were. My mother is truly the most amazing woman alive.
And today, quite frankly, I am hating the Compact. I want to rid this house of anything even remotely connected to this bug. I just want to replace everything. Instead, I spent the day cleaning things.
I want to go buy a new washing machine. I don't want to clean or fix the old stupid grungy washer that was here when we bought the house and has disgusting congealements all over the inside of the lid. I want to just go out and buy new garbage cans, rather than wash out the current ones with disinfectant. I want to burn all of the kids' sippy cups and pacifiers and bottles, bacteria collectors all...and replace them with new, clean, shiny happy ones. I want to get rid of the stained laundry and buy new jammies and new bedding and just get every trace of this stupid virus out of our house and out of our lives.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
it's been a while
OK, so I realize it's been a loooong time since I've posted anything to this blog. (but is anyone actually reading it, anyway? no one ever comments, so I truly don't know.....) For the past month we've been battling The Crud, which has made its rounds through our house twice, causing fevers, massive quantities of snot and some very unhappy kids and parents. Only the dog has managed to escape this one.
Apart from that, which has kept us pretty busy, we've been continuing our quest to cull our stuff. Just this morning we were in what used to be known as our basement, and which lately has been "the place where we put stuff we don't know what to do with but we can't throw away". A massive, massive pile of stuff has expanded to fill not one but two rooms. A pile of kids toys/clothes/gear that is taller than me has taken up residence in Dominic's shop. How does this happen?
We regularly make donations of old clothes and household items, we post stuff on Craigslist or the Twin Cities Freemarket and during the spring and summer, there is rarely a month that passes without me putting an assortment of stuff out on Lyndale with a "free" sign on it... but still, the mountain is there. Looming. Creating anxiety. So, rather than spend this sunny, almost-springlike morning outside with the now-healthy kids, we spent our time in the basement, sorting and culling. Oh yeah, and sniping at each other. We have grown so stressed out and overwhelmed by all this stuff that we can barely even work together to sort through it. We disagree on what to do with stuff, which storage bin to put it in, and even-I kid you not, when to move it upstairs/to the garage/to the shop. Now, or in an hour?
I'm re-reading a great book, "The Power of Play" by David Elkind, and it's making me really think about the toys in this house. He makes a strong argument for developmentally-appropriate playthings, in limited quantities. (Do we really need 10 puzzles?) He says kids should be allowed time to just be, and make their own fun, their own toys. Kids can be overwhelmed by too many toys, that 'abundance breeds contempt' and reduces the number of toys that are truly special to kids: with so many to choose from, why choose a favorite? There are too many toys that just do things for them...Push a button and one thing happens. Put the card here and this is the result. There are so many toys with "just one way to play' and kids need more open-ended toys, toys that encourage freedom of thought, freedom of movement, and freedom of imagination. I couldn't agree more. I want to keep the toys that bring my children joy, that are fun for more than just a day or two. I want to keep the toys that engage their senses, encourage their imagination. And, of course, eco-geek that I am, I want to phase the plastic toys out of this house (more on that in another post, for now check out this link.)
I'll let you know how it goes. And I'll be sure and tell you when the garage sale is.
Apart from that, which has kept us pretty busy, we've been continuing our quest to cull our stuff. Just this morning we were in what used to be known as our basement, and which lately has been "the place where we put stuff we don't know what to do with but we can't throw away". A massive, massive pile of stuff has expanded to fill not one but two rooms. A pile of kids toys/clothes/gear that is taller than me has taken up residence in Dominic's shop. How does this happen?
We regularly make donations of old clothes and household items, we post stuff on Craigslist or the Twin Cities Freemarket and during the spring and summer, there is rarely a month that passes without me putting an assortment of stuff out on Lyndale with a "free" sign on it... but still, the mountain is there. Looming. Creating anxiety. So, rather than spend this sunny, almost-springlike morning outside with the now-healthy kids, we spent our time in the basement, sorting and culling. Oh yeah, and sniping at each other. We have grown so stressed out and overwhelmed by all this stuff that we can barely even work together to sort through it. We disagree on what to do with stuff, which storage bin to put it in, and even-I kid you not, when to move it upstairs/to the garage/to the shop. Now, or in an hour?
I'm re-reading a great book, "The Power of Play" by David Elkind, and it's making me really think about the toys in this house. He makes a strong argument for developmentally-appropriate playthings, in limited quantities. (Do we really need 10 puzzles?) He says kids should be allowed time to just be, and make their own fun, their own toys. Kids can be overwhelmed by too many toys, that 'abundance breeds contempt' and reduces the number of toys that are truly special to kids: with so many to choose from, why choose a favorite? There are too many toys that just do things for them...Push a button and one thing happens. Put the card here and this is the result. There are so many toys with "just one way to play' and kids need more open-ended toys, toys that encourage freedom of thought, freedom of movement, and freedom of imagination. I couldn't agree more. I want to keep the toys that bring my children joy, that are fun for more than just a day or two. I want to keep the toys that engage their senses, encourage their imagination. And, of course, eco-geek that I am, I want to phase the plastic toys out of this house (more on that in another post, for now check out this link.)
I'll let you know how it goes. And I'll be sure and tell you when the garage sale is.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
How to ruin a perfectly good mood
After getting the kids to bed and the dishwasher started, I dashed off to that mecca of consumerism, Target. It was my first trip to target in a while and I clenched my short list in my fist the whole time, trying to ground myself and stay focused. I was a deer in headlights. The store is gargantuan, just huge, and I felt lost and totally overwhelmed. I know, pathetic, aren't I??
Well, it took me an hour to get the 5 things on my list, and I made many side trips down this or that random aisle in search of things. Target is arranged in a way that makes no sense to me. What should have been a simple, straightforward errand was a huge time-sucker and an instant headache. I couldn't find what I needed. There was too much else to look at. I didn't know where anything was, and I kept getting distracted. Plus, there was just too much ground to cover. I had to trek through the entirety of the store and through the grocery area, to get to the pharmacy for a box of friggin' band-aids.
In addition to the aggravation brought on by the sheer size of the store, -and this, I think, is why I got so crabby--I got totally frustrated with myself at the "wants" that kept popping up. If I were a cartoon character, there would have been a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, nudging me along as I shopped. "Did you see that cute swimsuit?" "Look at the kid-sized wheelbarrow! We NEED that!" No, no, no, I kept telling myself. We really don't need brightly colored plastic gardening toys or another cute sunhat for Lucy or a swimsuit for me....um, no. It seemed, down every aisle was something I wanted to buy, something I had to work to talk myself out of. It was absurd. Some were items I would have bought in a heartbeat "before" we started the compact, and others are things I wouldn't have looked twice at. A new, shiny aluminum green coffee cup! An adorable lamp that would fit perfectly in the bedroom! Rustic storage baskets for the kids toys! Stickers! It surprised and aggravated me that there were so many things I wanted to buy. I seriously felt like I was going to scream if I couldn't just buy....something. I wanted stuff, man.
Here I thought I could just go in, get the stuff, and get out, but instead I found myself totally consumed (no pun intended) by this mentally exhausting exercise in self-restraint. Happily, I didn't cave. It took me until today to shake the creepy feeling of -what is it? Desire for unnecessary stuff? I don't know what to call it. But it was totally unexpected, and it freaked me out a little bit.
Well, it took me an hour to get the 5 things on my list, and I made many side trips down this or that random aisle in search of things. Target is arranged in a way that makes no sense to me. What should have been a simple, straightforward errand was a huge time-sucker and an instant headache. I couldn't find what I needed. There was too much else to look at. I didn't know where anything was, and I kept getting distracted. Plus, there was just too much ground to cover. I had to trek through the entirety of the store and through the grocery area, to get to the pharmacy for a box of friggin' band-aids.
In addition to the aggravation brought on by the sheer size of the store, -and this, I think, is why I got so crabby--I got totally frustrated with myself at the "wants" that kept popping up. If I were a cartoon character, there would have been a devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other, nudging me along as I shopped. "Did you see that cute swimsuit?" "Look at the kid-sized wheelbarrow! We NEED that!" No, no, no, I kept telling myself. We really don't need brightly colored plastic gardening toys or another cute sunhat for Lucy or a swimsuit for me....um, no. It seemed, down every aisle was something I wanted to buy, something I had to work to talk myself out of. It was absurd. Some were items I would have bought in a heartbeat "before" we started the compact, and others are things I wouldn't have looked twice at. A new, shiny aluminum green coffee cup! An adorable lamp that would fit perfectly in the bedroom! Rustic storage baskets for the kids toys! Stickers! It surprised and aggravated me that there were so many things I wanted to buy. I seriously felt like I was going to scream if I couldn't just buy....something. I wanted stuff, man.
Here I thought I could just go in, get the stuff, and get out, but instead I found myself totally consumed (no pun intended) by this mentally exhausting exercise in self-restraint. Happily, I didn't cave. It took me until today to shake the creepy feeling of -what is it? Desire for unnecessary stuff? I don't know what to call it. But it was totally unexpected, and it freaked me out a little bit.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Free time
Since we are no longer spending our free time "running errands" (read: shopping) we suddenly have the luxury of spending our time doing really fun, necessary or at the very least, interesting things. No time-sucking trip to target, homey d, or any other store to "pick up a few things." Many of the following activities are ones we would have struggled to find time for, prior to freeing up our weekends and evenings by committing to do the Compact:
- travelled to the Mall of America as a family to ride the merry-go-round. And again, and again. and again. (and no, we didn't buy anything)
- attended a chocolate tasting class
- hung out at the central library--a few times
- eaten--and really appreciated new varieties of dark chocolate (this counts, doesn't it?)
- cleaned the bedroom, finally
- sorted and donated the kids clothes that are too small
- re-did our family budget
- attended a cat show (yes, a cat show. If you know Lucy, you understand the magnitude of this experience)
- visited the children's museum
- spent time writing, reading, and sleeping
- started to "re-task" a couple of rooms in the house (again)
OK, so most of these activities aren't life-changing (except maybe the chocolate), but it's really nice to have time together on the weekends to just...hang out. Do stuff. Be a family.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Virtual oranges
Right around the time we took the plunge into doing the Compact, I discovered that one of my favorite grocery stores has an online shopping feature and that they deliver. With two little kids, one of whom has until only recently been colicky as hell, and the other of whom is not entirely patient all the time, getting to the grocery store has been more than a little challenging...either I go and run the risk of the kids having meltdowns while I'm pushing a cartful of food, or I wait until the weekend and leave the kiddos with Dom while I shop. But who wants to spend the weekend hours at the grocery store? Although I generally love food, there are many, much more interesting things I'd rather do on the weekends. Especially on the rare occasion i get an hour or so to myself. So, the discovery of an online shopping feature was a bit exciting for me. Great, I thought. I'll just write up a list with the week's meals, go online and order it up, and kabam, we're done!
Each week, I've been navigating their (very difficult and not-at-all-user-friendly) website to fill my virtual shopping cart with food. This experience has been both good and bad for me. It's nice to be able to get the week's groceries purchased whenever the kids are finally asleep, not to mention having it all hand delivered and carried into my kitchen...but there are definitely trade offs. I have found that even with a meticulously planned list, it's really hard for me to do my grocery shopping online.I blame the website, partially. It's not well-organized and it's hard to get through. I can't seem to do this "shopping" without feeling a little overwhelmed and frustrated.
First, there is a loss of the sensory experience that is kind of weird.I don't know, buying oranges and onions online just feels wrong to me. I can't look at them, can't feel the weight of them in my hands, can't enjoy their glorious colors. I can't smell the fruit, or the herbs, or the potatoes for that matter. I tried getting everything BUT the produce, but then that just means I have to make a trip to the store anyway, so why put myself through the stress of the online experience if I'm just going to have to go shopping anyway? Then, there's the issue of the "virtual" grocery store. it sinply does not work for me. if I can't see it all in front of me, my brain can't track what I have in my cart ,what I need, and the random "whatever" that I happen to see in the store that might look enticing. Oddly enough, the online shopping experience is much more difficult and stressful than just making a trip to the store. For me, grocery shopping is a kinesthetic experience: walking down the aisles of breads and crackers and soups, looking at the packages, the boxes, the shapes and sizes and colors. Wandering up and down through rows of jams and jellies, peanut butter, barbeque sauce. Walking slowly through the coffee and tea aisle to savor the scents. Selecting this or that, trying a new kind of bread or pickle or rice. I can't believe I am saying this, but I kind of miss it!
We are in a food rut to the extreme. Our weekly menu is boring and redundant. If I eat one more veggie burger any time soon, I will scream. Lucy will not eat anything these days. I suspect she's as bored with her culinary horizons as I am. Maybe some in-person impulse buying at the grocery store would be good for the whole family. I'll let you know.
Each week, I've been navigating their (very difficult and not-at-all-user-friendly) website to fill my virtual shopping cart with food. This experience has been both good and bad for me. It's nice to be able to get the week's groceries purchased whenever the kids are finally asleep, not to mention having it all hand delivered and carried into my kitchen...but there are definitely trade offs. I have found that even with a meticulously planned list, it's really hard for me to do my grocery shopping online.I blame the website, partially. It's not well-organized and it's hard to get through. I can't seem to do this "shopping" without feeling a little overwhelmed and frustrated.
First, there is a loss of the sensory experience that is kind of weird.I don't know, buying oranges and onions online just feels wrong to me. I can't look at them, can't feel the weight of them in my hands, can't enjoy their glorious colors. I can't smell the fruit, or the herbs, or the potatoes for that matter. I tried getting everything BUT the produce, but then that just means I have to make a trip to the store anyway, so why put myself through the stress of the online experience if I'm just going to have to go shopping anyway? Then, there's the issue of the "virtual" grocery store. it sinply does not work for me. if I can't see it all in front of me, my brain can't track what I have in my cart ,what I need, and the random "whatever" that I happen to see in the store that might look enticing. Oddly enough, the online shopping experience is much more difficult and stressful than just making a trip to the store. For me, grocery shopping is a kinesthetic experience: walking down the aisles of breads and crackers and soups, looking at the packages, the boxes, the shapes and sizes and colors. Wandering up and down through rows of jams and jellies, peanut butter, barbeque sauce. Walking slowly through the coffee and tea aisle to savor the scents. Selecting this or that, trying a new kind of bread or pickle or rice. I can't believe I am saying this, but I kind of miss it!
We are in a food rut to the extreme. Our weekly menu is boring and redundant. If I eat one more veggie burger any time soon, I will scream. Lucy will not eat anything these days. I suspect she's as bored with her culinary horizons as I am. Maybe some in-person impulse buying at the grocery store would be good for the whole family. I'll let you know.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
another reason to love paying taxes
One of the biggest sources of anxiety for me about doing this "no buy" thing has been knowing that I would not be able to go out and buy a book any time the whim seizes me. Seriously, I was really worried about it. For years I've been haunted by embarrasingly huge overdue fines which have kept me ashamed to show my face at any of our public libraries. I was dubious of my own ability to scout out specific titles at used book stores. So I was really worried that doing the Compact would mean my reading life would suffer big-time.
Books have always been, for me, a great source of joy. I love reading, always have, and books figure into my best memories, one way or another. Our book collection is immense. Last year, in an effort to make space in our house, we started culling our books (a first! We cull everything else, sometimes with reckless abandon, but up until last year, books were off-limits. We kept every book we've ever owned. We're kinda weird about books in this house). But we were desperate for space, so we went through our library, book by book. After a long while we had a pretty hefty stack of books that we could bring ourselves to part with, without feeling all twitchy and depressed.
Dominic and I lovingly boxed up the books, old friends that they were, hoping that they would bring joy, stimulation and information to someone, somewhere....we just weren't sure who. We didn't feel right simply hauling them off to the half price bookstores...it seemed so impersonal. Plus, who can put a price on them? Dominic then had the brilliant idea to donate them to the Stillwater prison. What better place for all of our books to go? We loved the idea of sharing our library with folks who might not be exposed to some of the titles anywhere else, and people who might be inspired to think or act in new ways as a result of reading some of them. He carted off 30 boxes of books for the prison librarian, who giddily received them and assured us they'd be put to good use.
Now that we have kids, books factor into our lives even more than before. Lucy loves reading and Julian is so interested in books, so now seemed like the perfect time for me to face the music. I am happy to report that I now have a new library card, which is free and clear of all debts or overdue fines! And the good people at the fines desk didn't mock me or throw stones at me or anything! One of our new favorite places is the Minneapolis Central Library. When I took the kids there a couple weeks ago, I'm not sure whose eyes were bigger, mine or Lucy's. So many books! (I kid you not...it's been a really long time since I've been to a library...)Their kids area is truly one of the best places in town, with fun interactive exhibits and great colors and textures. Plus, the book collection rocks. Oh, and there's a coffee shop. The mix of people at the library is wonderfully diverse, too. I can't believe it's been so long since I've been to a library. B+N has got nothing on this place. I feel like a whole new world has been opened up.
We checked out 12 books for the kids, and we have read each one about a hundred times since getting home. I explained to Lucy how a library works, and now every time she picks up a book, any book, she asks me, "Are we keeping this one?"
Books have always been, for me, a great source of joy. I love reading, always have, and books figure into my best memories, one way or another. Our book collection is immense. Last year, in an effort to make space in our house, we started culling our books (a first! We cull everything else, sometimes with reckless abandon, but up until last year, books were off-limits. We kept every book we've ever owned. We're kinda weird about books in this house). But we were desperate for space, so we went through our library, book by book. After a long while we had a pretty hefty stack of books that we could bring ourselves to part with, without feeling all twitchy and depressed.
Dominic and I lovingly boxed up the books, old friends that they were, hoping that they would bring joy, stimulation and information to someone, somewhere....we just weren't sure who. We didn't feel right simply hauling them off to the half price bookstores...it seemed so impersonal. Plus, who can put a price on them? Dominic then had the brilliant idea to donate them to the Stillwater prison. What better place for all of our books to go? We loved the idea of sharing our library with folks who might not be exposed to some of the titles anywhere else, and people who might be inspired to think or act in new ways as a result of reading some of them. He carted off 30 boxes of books for the prison librarian, who giddily received them and assured us they'd be put to good use.
Now that we have kids, books factor into our lives even more than before. Lucy loves reading and Julian is so interested in books, so now seemed like the perfect time for me to face the music. I am happy to report that I now have a new library card, which is free and clear of all debts or overdue fines! And the good people at the fines desk didn't mock me or throw stones at me or anything! One of our new favorite places is the Minneapolis Central Library. When I took the kids there a couple weeks ago, I'm not sure whose eyes were bigger, mine or Lucy's. So many books! (I kid you not...it's been a really long time since I've been to a library...)Their kids area is truly one of the best places in town, with fun interactive exhibits and great colors and textures. Plus, the book collection rocks. Oh, and there's a coffee shop. The mix of people at the library is wonderfully diverse, too. I can't believe it's been so long since I've been to a library. B+N has got nothing on this place. I feel like a whole new world has been opened up.
We checked out 12 books for the kids, and we have read each one about a hundred times since getting home. I explained to Lucy how a library works, and now every time she picks up a book, any book, she asks me, "Are we keeping this one?"
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Conserving energy
In the spirit of the whole "conserving resources" thing, we thought it would be a good idea to look at our family's energy resources and consumption habits. Aren't we such geeks?
So, last week we had an energy audit. We figured it would be useful to know where our house is losing heat --and what a perfect weekend for it! The auditor spent about 2 hours at the house, during which time Lucy was utterly captivated by the huge fan he set up in the back door, to start a draft and get the hot air moving out the openings in the house. Auditor went thru the house with an infrared sensor, and could see all the places our house is leaking air. Yikes. I was shocked to learn how many air leaks we have in the house.
Leaky spots: Power outlets, light fixtures, windows, trim around windows, attic access panel, and even the ceiling in our bedroom, which has no insulation! (the room used to be a porch.)
Insulation materials aren't on our original list of exceptions, but...now that we know we're losing so much heat and wasting so much energy, it seemed a little irresponsible if not downright silly NOT to do the things he suggested to insulate the house better. We wondered very briefly about getting used window plastic and weatherizing tape....uh...yeah...then it was off to Homey D...the total amount Dominic spent on insulating goodies was $98.00...as luck would have it he had in his wallet a $100 gift card. So even though we had a surprise shopping trip, at least it didn't cost us anything.
I signed on to the Minnesota Energy Challenge, this week too...pretty cool initiative. You fill out a quick questionnaire, and the site determines (roughly of course) the carbon footprint of your household (according to this site, the Selly household is emitting 40,385 pounds of co2 per year....whew.) The best thing about this program is the next step. there are scads of ideas and suggestions for reducing your carbon footprint, everything from using cf lightbulbs to biking to work to shortening your time in the shower. Each action has a corresponding energy savings. Based on the choices I committed to, we are set to reduce our co2 output by 20% this year.
That, plus the energy audit, gave us some really tangible stuff to do to make a difference in our energy use, a huge improvement in our conservation efforts.
So, last week we had an energy audit. We figured it would be useful to know where our house is losing heat --and what a perfect weekend for it! The auditor spent about 2 hours at the house, during which time Lucy was utterly captivated by the huge fan he set up in the back door, to start a draft and get the hot air moving out the openings in the house. Auditor went thru the house with an infrared sensor, and could see all the places our house is leaking air. Yikes. I was shocked to learn how many air leaks we have in the house.
Leaky spots: Power outlets, light fixtures, windows, trim around windows, attic access panel, and even the ceiling in our bedroom, which has no insulation! (the room used to be a porch.)
Insulation materials aren't on our original list of exceptions, but...now that we know we're losing so much heat and wasting so much energy, it seemed a little irresponsible if not downright silly NOT to do the things he suggested to insulate the house better. We wondered very briefly about getting used window plastic and weatherizing tape....uh...yeah...then it was off to Homey D...the total amount Dominic spent on insulating goodies was $98.00...as luck would have it he had in his wallet a $100 gift card. So even though we had a surprise shopping trip, at least it didn't cost us anything.
I signed on to the Minnesota Energy Challenge, this week too...pretty cool initiative. You fill out a quick questionnaire, and the site determines (roughly of course) the carbon footprint of your household (according to this site, the Selly household is emitting 40,385 pounds of co2 per year....whew.) The best thing about this program is the next step. there are scads of ideas and suggestions for reducing your carbon footprint, everything from using cf lightbulbs to biking to work to shortening your time in the shower. Each action has a corresponding energy savings. Based on the choices I committed to, we are set to reduce our co2 output by 20% this year.
That, plus the energy audit, gave us some really tangible stuff to do to make a difference in our energy use, a huge improvement in our conservation efforts.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
So Far, So Good
Another weekend has gone by and here we sit, bemoaning the fact that we can't buy anything. What were we thinking?? We're waiting for this miserable year to end.
Just kidding.
Believe it or not, Dom actually emptied out a vacuum cleaner bag and reused it today. He wasn't even trying to be totally hard core (although, wasn't it??) but did it because neither one of us was up for schlepping out in search of the obscure type of vacuum cleaner bag we need. (it's funny that this is just the thing Joe Soucheray asked me about last week!) We had too much else to do.
Just kidding.
Believe it or not, Dom actually emptied out a vacuum cleaner bag and reused it today. He wasn't even trying to be totally hard core (although, wasn't it??) but did it because neither one of us was up for schlepping out in search of the obscure type of vacuum cleaner bag we need. (it's funny that this is just the thing Joe Soucheray asked me about last week!) We had too much else to do.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The Article
This past Tuesday, the Star Tribune ran an article about the Compact, and there was a sidebar mention of our family gearing up to do this for a year. I've gotten some great feedback from people who saw the article, including a handful of emails from folks I wouldn't have expected to give two cents about something like this. Most people are pretty supportive and intrigued. Although, some people think it's a crazy idea, maybe even a bit stupid? I've had no fewer than 5 people ask me if we are "allowed" to buy toilet paper. Or they'll try to throw me a curve ball and ask if we're "allowed" to buy other random stuff (vacuum cleaner bags, underwear, etc.)
So, what are we really doing here? As Dom put it in his post, we aren't trying to change the world. We just want to reduce the impact of one family, be more mindful of our behavior. We aren't trying to cram this down anyone's throat.
Buuuut, in case you're wondering about the impact of your choices or lifestyle on the environment and the world's resources, there are a number of great tools on the Internet for calculating one's Ecological Footprint. Here is one such quiz. Currently, my Ecological Footprint is "16" which means that it takes about 16 productive acres of land to support my habits. If everyone on the planet had my consumption habits, it would take 3.5 Earths to sustain the population. Yikes. There are lots of these calculators floating around out there. I once took a great class on this very topic, where we tried out a number of them and compared results. Pretty interesting stuff.
So, what are we really doing here? As Dom put it in his post, we aren't trying to change the world. We just want to reduce the impact of one family, be more mindful of our behavior. We aren't trying to cram this down anyone's throat.
Buuuut, in case you're wondering about the impact of your choices or lifestyle on the environment and the world's resources, there are a number of great tools on the Internet for calculating one's Ecological Footprint. Here is one such quiz. Currently, my Ecological Footprint is "16" which means that it takes about 16 productive acres of land to support my habits. If everyone on the planet had my consumption habits, it would take 3.5 Earths to sustain the population. Yikes. There are lots of these calculators floating around out there. I once took a great class on this very topic, where we tried out a number of them and compared results. Pretty interesting stuff.
Joe Suchnsuch
Garage Logic gave Patty a call at home yesterday. It went out live on Joe Soucheray's radio show. He took her to task for giving up purchasing goods while still holding investments (the implication being that we're hypocrites because we've sworn off buying new things this year but still hold stock in companies who make money because people buy their things).
I've heard flavors of this argument before. We get it sometimes because we don't have a television, and yet we still watch DVDs on the computer. A number of people have tried to point that out as hypocritical, because we don't swear off movies entirely. And they're right. We definitely should put a television in every room of the house, leave them on constantly, and get a dish to pipe 500 channels of crap to them 24/7. The fact is, by not having cable or a television receiver, we choose what we want to watch when we want to watch it. And we're not subjected to the advertising (although we usually do scarf down most of a bag of popcorn by the time the previews are through... but those aren't really 'ads', are they?).
It's like finding out someone only puts their baby to sleep on their back because it decreases incents of SIDs and saying "oh yeah? well you still put the baby in a car seat, don't you? Some babies die in car accidents every year. That's hypocritical to put it to sleep on its back because you're not doing everything you can to avoid the untimely death of your infant!" It makes no sense.
And this is the crux of the argument, I think. If you can't do everything, then you're a hypocrite to do anything at all. This argument is not only fallacious, it's also a cop-out. It's supposed to serve as some justification for doing nothing, but I don't think it does.
The fact is, we're not trying to save the world. We're trying to reduce the amount of material goods we consume in this year. There are a number of reasons for that, and they're not all because we're do-gooders trying to save the planet. In the process of doing this, however, we will consume less resources than we would if we were not doing this, and that is good.
It's like Bill McKibben says, we could all have a "bubble" that follows us around representing the amount of resources we consume in a year. The average American's bubble would be 10x the size of bubbles from most other nations. We're making our bubbles smaller this year. We're not trying to pop them. It's not possible.
I've heard flavors of this argument before. We get it sometimes because we don't have a television, and yet we still watch DVDs on the computer. A number of people have tried to point that out as hypocritical, because we don't swear off movies entirely. And they're right. We definitely should put a television in every room of the house, leave them on constantly, and get a dish to pipe 500 channels of crap to them 24/7. The fact is, by not having cable or a television receiver, we choose what we want to watch when we want to watch it. And we're not subjected to the advertising (although we usually do scarf down most of a bag of popcorn by the time the previews are through... but those aren't really 'ads', are they?).
It's like finding out someone only puts their baby to sleep on their back because it decreases incents of SIDs and saying "oh yeah? well you still put the baby in a car seat, don't you? Some babies die in car accidents every year. That's hypocritical to put it to sleep on its back because you're not doing everything you can to avoid the untimely death of your infant!" It makes no sense.
And this is the crux of the argument, I think. If you can't do everything, then you're a hypocrite to do anything at all. This argument is not only fallacious, it's also a cop-out. It's supposed to serve as some justification for doing nothing, but I don't think it does.
The fact is, we're not trying to save the world. We're trying to reduce the amount of material goods we consume in this year. There are a number of reasons for that, and they're not all because we're do-gooders trying to save the planet. In the process of doing this, however, we will consume less resources than we would if we were not doing this, and that is good.
It's like Bill McKibben says, we could all have a "bubble" that follows us around representing the amount of resources we consume in a year. The average American's bubble would be 10x the size of bubbles from most other nations. We're making our bubbles smaller this year. We're not trying to pop them. It's not possible.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Nothing New
I must admit, when Patty asked if I wanted to put a moratorium on buying "new things" in 2008 I said yes almost immediately. I had no idea what the "compact" was, but it sounded like a great idea to me. In my thinking, anything we can do to stave off the steady stream of items coming through the door is a good thing.
For two years now Patty and I have been "culling". Sort, pitch, donate, repeat. We gave 600 books away. We've given scores of boxes of goods to ARC. And yet our 2400 sq ft home is still full. So "shutting off the inputs" has to help.
I think it will be interesting to see which areas challenge us in this. Neither of us have hardly noticed at all, but we're not even two weeks into the thing. I think we'll learn a lot about the difference between what we need and what we want. It will also be interesting to see more of what's on the second-hand market. Between ebay, craig's list, and the used books on Amazon, we might not even have to go to many second-hand stores. I guess we'll see.
I'm interested also to see the difference it makes in our finances. As our financial counselor, Ruth Hayden, says: It's not what you make it's what you keep that counts. We saved about 20% of our income this year. It'll be interesting to see how much more we'll be able to do with this moratorium in place.
It'll be interesting to see what exceptions we end making, if any. My guess is that at some point we'll really need something and have to get it. We tried to anticipate as many of the have-to-haves on our exclusion list, but I'm sure there's things we didn't think of.
We also plan to continue culling.
For two years now Patty and I have been "culling". Sort, pitch, donate, repeat. We gave 600 books away. We've given scores of boxes of goods to ARC. And yet our 2400 sq ft home is still full. So "shutting off the inputs" has to help.
I think it will be interesting to see which areas challenge us in this. Neither of us have hardly noticed at all, but we're not even two weeks into the thing. I think we'll learn a lot about the difference between what we need and what we want. It will also be interesting to see more of what's on the second-hand market. Between ebay, craig's list, and the used books on Amazon, we might not even have to go to many second-hand stores. I guess we'll see.
I'm interested also to see the difference it makes in our finances. As our financial counselor, Ruth Hayden, says: It's not what you make it's what you keep that counts. We saved about 20% of our income this year. It'll be interesting to see how much more we'll be able to do with this moratorium in place.
It'll be interesting to see what exceptions we end making, if any. My guess is that at some point we'll really need something and have to get it. We tried to anticipate as many of the have-to-haves on our exclusion list, but I'm sure there's things we didn't think of.
We also plan to continue culling.
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