Less Is More

     It seems as we grow we just accumulate more and more things. We come into this world with nothing, but we find a world of things already waiting for us. As we age we amass even more things, and start adding things we've made to what we have. Enter teenage years where, in this day and age, more things mean a better life. As we enter into adulthood, we take a lot of those things we've accumulated with us, and then accumulate more. We go out on our own, forage our own path in life, all the while amassing more stuff. It almost seems like life is spent collecting stuff.

     Then comes the moment, in my life at least, where I look around and feel like I am drowning in things. More possessions than I can use, and most of which I really don't need. How did it come to be like this? Ah yes, the consumerism overload. Everywhere I go, everything I see, I am trying to be convinced to purchase something. I am told that to be a better woman I need 50 make-up products, another 10 anti-aging products, another 10 hair products, and at least 100 articles of clothing not including shoes. To be a better mother I am told I need at least 10 books, 50 DVD's, 100 different toys, an entire wardrobe of cutesy brand name clothing, all the latest equipment and child care gadgets, at least 5 child geared electronics, and a ton of accessories. It's almost as though my child has some how morphed into a Barbie doll and in order for both her and I to feel complete, I must attain all of her many accessories and add on packages. The same goes for being a better student, better athlete, better friend, better daughter, better artist, better writer, etc. For us to be better at whatever we are or do, we are told we need more things.

     I don't want to be controlled by things. I spend my days purging my home of everything I possibly can. I went from a huge desk with a large hutch and enough room to house a good 30 rabbits, down to two TV tables side by side for a desk. And they work great! The smaller space also helps me keep down on junk and clutter on my desk pretty well. I sell whatever I can, donate the rest and be done with it. I've now come to hate stuff. If I don't need it, I want it gone, and as soon as possible. I feel smothered when I have too much stuff. I am currently going room to room, taking everything out and only putting back in what I need. It's liberating. The only problem is I can't seem to sell stuff as quickly as I bought it. I sell online locally and nationally to help get it gone as quickly as possible, but it is not always a quick process. A lot of times I am stuck with a bunch of stuff I have no choice but to donate. I end up with receipts work hundred of dollars for tax right offs next year. While it doesn't bring me immediate cash, it does help knowing I will get something back for all that I spent. What it's really taught me is to SPEND LESS and SPEND MORE CAREFULLY. I take the time to evaluate a purchase before I make it. Do I really need it? Can I live without it? Am I going to be happy having it in my home for the next 10 years? I try to think long term.

     When I do buy something I try to buy second hand or used whenever possible. It's better to give something a new life and reuse than to buy a new product. Less waste. And whenever I purchase something I need, I sell something I don't. If something comes into my home, something else has to go out. This way I don't have an influx of items piling up in my home. It gives me an excuse to get rid of an item or two. It keeps a balance and gives me a little money back. I've been able to use the money from selling items to pay for the occasional dinner out, as well as fun activities. It's been great having the extra spending money while getting rid of clutter. We really don't need all the things we think we do. I try hard to spend as little as possible and sell as much as possible. I think it's important to look at all we have and decide if we actually need all we own. Do we really need 20 knick knacks that collect dust and don't do anything? Do we really need all those movies we didn't really like much? Do we really need a closet full of clothes that never get worn? I wear all the clothes I have now. And I can use the closet space I've emptied for storage. I look at things and ask myself, "Has it been used in the last month? In the last 3 months?" If it hasn't then most likely it is not needed. It's important to use what you have and get rid of what you don't use. It's made my life so much easier getting rid of the clutter and stuff!

Quick Snack or Lunch Whole Wheat Tortilla with Cabbage and Cheese

    One of my yummy quick meals is a whole wheat tortilla with melted vegan cheese and cabbage. You can substitute with dairy cheese if you want. Take one whole wheat tortilla, slice enough pieces of cheese to cover the tortilla, you can either add cabbage freshly sliced and washed or cook it first. You can either steam it or boil it, then place it on top after straining and drying it. Put in the oven at 350 degrees for up to 10 minutes. I keep an eye on mine to watch for the cheese evenly melted but not browning. You can use a toaster oven as well. It's quick, easy, and filling for a snack or light lunch. You can pair it with fresh veggie or fruit slices for a healthy and easy meal! :0)

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson *

EDIT: THERE IS SOME CONTROVERSY OVER WHETHER MR. MORTENSON EMBELLISHED ACCOUNTS OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED AND SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACCOUNTING AT CAI. I have researched BOTH sides, and while I feel neither one can fully back up their arguments, I feel it is important to use CAUTION here. Feel free to read the book and let it motivate you to do great things in your community! But please be leery of donating to this organization CAI, it's safer to donate to a group that shows you how they spend your money and has not had any questioning about the truth of their stories. And feel free to research these claims yourself and come your own decisions! ALSO, PLEASE CHECK OUT SOME OTHER WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU CAN DONATE TO IF YOU WANT TO HELP OTHERS DOING WONDERFUL THINGS:

Next Generation Nepal

Cheetah Conservation Fund

Show Hope

Feed My Starving Children

      Three Cups of Tea is a book I HIGHLY recommend reading! This is a book about a man who started off attempting to reach the summit of the world's 2nd tallest mountain, and ended up creating an organization to build schools and other needed buildings in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I am sure that there are those who are anti both places, but you needn't be lumping the whole of these people into one group of terrorists. They are not all out to kill and destroy us. Most of the people there are peace minded, which shows in the book. Through this book you not only get the amazing story of how this organization came to be and has helped so many, or completely motivated to help however you can. You also get to see a different view of the people in these countries, one many times we do not think of learning about. These are impoverished people who want nothing more than the best for their villages and their children. These are people who desperately want schools, and whole heartedly believe that education can change their worlds. I have to agree - schooling and education can make a huge difference in the lives of children. It's a perspective many people don't see, or don't choose to see, and it's incredibly humbling.

      Greg Mortenson is the author, and we get to follow his journey in building schools, providing ways to water and food, homes and medical buildings for so many villages. Through him we can learn about other countries in need, and why it's so important for us to help. Americans are extremely spoiled, wasteful, materialistic and selfish. I know I have been most of my life! Reading Three Cups of Tea gives you a chance to be different, and to see what putting others first can do. It's amazing how a man with no money and no means of building a school in this foreign country, beat the obstacles to do just that - and go on to do so much more! This book can provide us much needed motivation to start impacting the lives of others however we can. You can let this book motivate you to find ways to make an impact yourself. You can raise money for organizations that are important to you, or even create your own! Let this book spur you on to change the lives of others in need for the good, and to stop living a useless life of materialism and waste. Instead of buying expensive coffee drinks, a new lipstick, new shoes, a new game system, a new blender, or some ridiculous vacation, consider giving to people who need it more than you do! And trust me, you do not need those items as much as these people need medical assistance and schools! These are very poor people by our living standards. Even the poorest in our country is richer than them by tenfold. So please keep that in mind when you are about to purchase some item you really don't need. It is so much more important to help others than it is to buy a drink, another pair of shoes or sunglasses, or buy a game system. "To know that even one life breathed easier because you have lived - that is to have succeeded." — Ralph Waldo Emerson This should be the moto of each of us, as we strive to be help at least one other life breathe easier!

      For those of you, like me, who feel the importance if inspiring our children to be better and do greater, there is a young readers version of this book available here: Three Cups of Tea (Young Readers Edition). With this version you get an interview with the daughter of the author, and she shares insight that most adults I've met don't have! One of my favorite quotes of hers is, "Here (America), it's like we live to eat, and there it's like they eat to live." I couldn't think of anything more true! We have made eating here go beyond just sustenance, or eating to live. We eat just for the heck of it while people all over the world have so little to eat. It makes you think twice about wasting food and about money wasted on food in ways it doesn't need to be. For those who teach children or who have kids who'd love to do a fundraiser for a good cause, look into local fundraising ideas you can do with your kids. My daughter created a donation box necklace she takes with her to raise money for saving cheetah's. You can have a bake sale and make animal shaped cookies, do a car wash, and more! It's a great way to get kids involved in helping others! :0)

      Please take the time to check out the books! Get inspired to change lives! :0)

The Business of Being Born DVD Review

     The Business of Being Born is a great movie that gives you a look into births in America. This movie shows you a lot about hospital births many of us do not know. In many ways it seems our country is so behind compared to most other countries. We have an extremely high rate of cesarean sections and infant deaths compared to other developed countries and non-developed countries. With this movie, you get to see what home birth is really like, and you learn it's not the dirty experience many doctors make it out to be. It's amazing to watch women go through labor like we did for so many years with beautiful outcomes. Hospital births just do not seem to compare in that aspect sadly. I do feel that there are time when they are definitely needed, but not 90% of the time. Until hospitals change their practices and their way of treating pregnant women, they will never be actually needed for most births. They are so quick to rush labor and give drugs, which is not the healthiest way to give birth. I hope that by watching this movie, while it does have some bias as all movies do, you can begin to understand more about the positive aspects of home birth. This is an area that desperately needs more publicity so that people can see the benefits and the options other than a hospital they have. We need to take a deeper look at what we are told we need to do and what is the "norm" when it comes to our own bodies, experiences, and our children. 

So Sexy So Soon by Diane E. Levin Ph.D. & Jean Kilbourne Ed.D.

    This book, So Sexy So Soonwas an eye opener and a good book to read. I learned a lot that I felt was vital for me as a parent to know. We now live in a time where our children are sexualized earlier than ever before. Toddlers are made up to look like 20 year old women, our pre-teens are half dressed and "hooking up," and out teens are living lives of porn stars. This is not comforting for those of us who are parents. This book helps you take a look at this over-sexualization of children, and gives you ways you can fight back. This book has a lot of great information and tips, and it really gets you looking more deeply at childhood in this day and age. I say things in this book that I could see having affected my own childhood, and they are even greater now for our children. It's important for parents to educate themselves so that they know what is going on in our culture and how to help our children through it. The book is well written, in an easy to read and understandable format, with clear writing. I definitely recommend reading this book if you are a parent!

I Am A Vegetarian, But My Dog Isn't

     For those in the hardcore vegan/vegetarian community this might be upsetting. I am okay with that, because science and nature back up my decisions on what to feed my dog. Dogs are carnivores. They cannot digest grains, and are not meant to digest plant matter. Is it okay to occasionally give your dog a fruit or veggie? I think so. My dog will eat an apple slice or gnaw on a carrot every now and then. I don't feel it's hurting her, I've never seen the evidence in her heath or her stool. That being said, I would not try to feed her exclusively with vegetables and fruits. Nor would I feed her any of the vegetables or fruits that dogs cannot because they will make them sick. Do I think it's fair to subject an animal to a diet their bodies are not created for, nor is good for their health? No I do not. I think animals are wonderful, and I try to do my best for any I see.

     I personally get a great deal of unease when it comes to eating meat now. I get high feelings of anxiety, anxiousness, tenseness, unease, and stress when I go to the meat counter at a market. Bear in mind this happens when I go look at all ORGANIC meat, the very best kind, that was also raised and treated the best. So even the highest level of standards for meat put my at unease when thinking about eating them. I've seen Food Inc., I won't eat conventional meat. But when I look at my dog I see a little furry carnivore, cute and tiny, but a meat eater with no doubt. If I stood before my dog holding a piece of meat or a veggie (and I've done this before) my dog goes straight for the meat every time. Like I said previously, she eats the occasional small piece of veggie or fruit. But her diet mainly consists of meat. Not just meat though, but bones of different animals as well as the guts/innards or different animals. And she loves it! She is a happy, thriving dog when she is on this raw meat diet. When I tried switching her back to kibble and canned dog food to see what would happen, she refused to eat the kibble and she had massive diarrhea on the canned dog food. My dog hates dog food, and I can understand why! It is mostly grains and corn processed dog food are made of. Dogs cannot digest grains at all. Let me repeat DOGS CANNOT DIGEST GRAINS. So if you are feeding your dog grains please stop for the sake of your dog. They are not built to digest grains and it affects their health. Do the research online and in books, those who truly know a lot about dogs tell you they cannot digest grains.

     I have purchased the most fancy, expensive processed dog kibble I could find. It's still dog kibble. My dog won't eat it. She is smart, and knows what is good for her and what is not. Sadly some dogs do not and they eat kibble their whole lives because they don't get a chance to taste what is better for them. Feeding a dog a raw meat diet is not very expensive if you put some effort into it. Hit up big sale days at the grocery store and load up on cheap meat, which you can freeze. Call butcher shops in your area asking if they have pieces of meat that they normally don't sell, or even leftover pieces, that you can buy lost cost for your dog. You can go to a Farmer's Market and ask someone there selling meat the same thing - if they have any leftover meats they can sell you at low cost. Please make the effort for the sake of your dog.

     While I cannot eat meat at this point, I will not subject a carnivore animal to eat the same as me. My dog has no qualms about eating meat; it is what is natural and best for her. I do not think it is humane to force a dog to eat something their bodies are not meant to eat. Raw meat, bones and animals innards are the best thing to feed a dog - not a vegan/veggie diet. Please understand that it does not make you less of  a vegetarian or vegan because your animal eats meat. They are supposed to, and as an animal lover, you are doing what is the best for your animal. I cannot eat meat but I have no issues keeping it in my freezer and fridge for my dog, because I know it is what is natural and good for her to eat. And she loves it! If she hated meat I would think twice, but there is no hesitation on her part. Give her meat and it's gone in a matter of minutes, or with the bigger bones she gnaws on them all day. This is the big sign that my dog is supposed to eat meat. :0)

Our Dog Gracie Enjoying Her Meat! :0)

     Here is a link to a website that dispels myths about raw meat diets for dogs: Myths About Raw Feeding

Packaging Girlhood by Sharon Lamb, Ed.D. & Lyn Mikel Brown, Ed.D.

     This is a book, Packaging Girlhood,I definitely recommend mother's of girls read. It is not always easy to read, as it gives you a look at things that are hard for any mother to imagine. However, this is information we as mother's need to know. We need to see what's going on beyond the surface and what marketers are really selling to our daughters. The world of pink and glitter from head to toe, being cute and flirty, wearing sexy clothes, doing everything to get a boys attention - those are things that our society is now teaching our children through TV, movies, magazines and celebrities. These things are limiting our girls. Each girl is so diverse, so unique, with so many facets to her personality. We need to embrace that and let her shine for all her unique and amazing qualities. Not tell her she's unique but then force her to choose between princess, diva, rockstar, punk, goth, or tomboy. Labels are not healthy in that form. I remember growing up feeling like I didn't fit into just one label, but feeling like I had to limit myself to one. Was I a cutie? An angel? Miss attitude? A bad girl? It seemed I could only be just one.

     Now I am the parent, and I am a lot more involved than my parents were. They basically took a nap during my growing up, which did a lot of harm to me. So I am determined to do much better with my daughter. Since starting the book, I've begun to look at things in her world a lot deeper. We don't watch TV (that's a whole other post!), so I don't have to worry about TV shows or commercials getting to her. Unfortunately they are often in the previews of DVD's though, and some DVD's don't let you skip to the main menu. You have to sit there and fast forward through all the previews. It's worth the extra hassle for me, to keep my daughter from seeing things telling her that her life quest should be to impress a cute boy. How silly! And yet so many mother's unwittingly are letting them teach their daughters just that. Marketers are sneaky and they will sneak those things in whenever they can. They want your daughter to think have glittery jewelry, cute shoes and the latest cute clothes is the most important thing. They don't encourage her to get up and go join a soccer team, or ride horses, or go hiking. They don't offer positive examples of girls who do those things - just examples of the girlie, boy crazy, glittered out girl.

     Here is a couple excerpts from the book that I think are pretty mind blowing: "Disney girls are women with Barbie doll bodies. And, like Barbie, one small size fits all. The form-fitting clothing of these heroines proves it. They have all the exotic made-up faces of women and the gowns and midriff-baring bikini tops of women. No real women of course - they're too perfect - but the male fantasy version." Is this what we want to teach our girls? To be some man's fantasy version of a woman? No! More from the book: "They arch their backs (did they use the same template for the Victoria's Secret bra ad as they did for The Little Mermaid and Pocahontas bursting out of the water scenes?), toss their hair, smile sweetly, and speak softley. They're pretty when they're angry. ..... Disney girls cannot resist a mirror. ..... Disney girls are not complete without a man. ..... A girl can't have her own story or live a life of bravery unless, in the end, she assumes her rightful place. She is not a Disney girl unless she marries."

     Wow! But all that is found in the Disney movies. Most of the time we just haven't really noticed it. Or you already have, and congrats on that! Packaging Girlhoodis a must read for all mother's of girls. We need to learn about what the marketers are trying to turn our girls into, and how to help them. For more information on the book, click one of the links above. You can check for it in your local library, pick it up at your local bookstore, or order a copy online.