Why does it seem to take something big to move us to put life into proper perspective. An accident or a death seem to be common events that spur folks to start thinking hard about choices, options, and decisions. Suddenly, little things like acne remedies don’t seem quite so monumental anymore. Of course, anyone who suffers from serious acne should obviously try to solve this problem…but still…you know what I mean!
Don’t wait for something big and bad to happen before you take stock and do some hard thinking about choices and options. Strive to live fully and live purposefully every day and make your life be what you want it to be. The rewards will be instantaneous and huge…I promise.
I seem to find myself on a continual quest for organization. I am always tweaking my systems and trying to make them better. Always going through things and trying to cull the clutter. Always looking at possessions with a keen eye for how they might be used or whether or not they should be gotten rid of. It seems like a well-ordered home can never be allowed to rest on its laurels. This is largely due to the fact that there always seems to be a continual stream of new items coming through the door that must be managed. Eventually, if older items don’t make way for newer items the place becomes overrun.
I am a particular fan of the sturdy high-quality discount moving boxes that can be purchased. These boxes are not the flimsy ones you can pick up from the grocery or liquor store. These boxes often have lids and are designed for safe and long term storage. If you have items that need longer term storage (like in a basement or attic) I would recommend using boxes like this.
Transportation, that is…
Yup…how is this for a diet pill that works. I’m talking about walking and biking to get us where we need to go. Instead of cars how hard would it be for us to start choosing human power to get us to at least some of our destinations? I am striving to use human power more this summer. When I have errands around town, I now put a backpack on my back and take off on my brand new bike. The bike was a way of motivating myself to use it more and it’s working. besides…I realized I hadn’t had a new bike for 18 years so I was due for a new one.
Anyway, the benefits are many. Calories burned, exercise, save money on gas, reduce your carbon output….plus it will just plain make you feel good. I promise!
Soap is one of those things we cannot do without. This doesn’t mean you have to buy either the substandard stuff or the expensive stuff at the store, though. I have begun exploring the realm of soap-making lately and I am getting excited about the possibilities. Making your own all-natural soap at home just seems to be the best way to go instead of purchasing the wildly expensive natural soap in stores.
A few days ago, armed with my new The Soapmaker’s Companion, by Susan Miller Cavitch, I made my first batch of cold-process soap. After reading about it extensively, choosing a recipe to start with, ordering and gathering my materials (various oils, a scale that weighs in grams, lye, a soap mold) I was ready to go. Complete with rubber gloves and safety goggles, I geared up and I’m excited to report that the whole process took only about an hour, there were no accidents (whew!) and we now have about four pounds of natural soap curing and waiting to be used in about a month.
Here is the recipe I used:
Coconut Oil 270 gr.
Olive Oil 360 gr.
Palm Oil 270 gr.
Distilled Water 326.07 gr.
Lye 125.632 gr.
Here is the process I followed: Cold Process Soap Making Method
So…any takers? Think you’d like to try it? Do you already make your own soap? Please share!
You know what you need to do and you know why it has to be done. You might even know how to do it and how long it will take. The problem? You just can’t seem to get started. It happens to most of us at one time or another. Perhaps you are a regular procrastinator or maybe this is a special situation that is overwhelming for some reason. Whatever the reason, letting the days go by without activity will only compound the problem. Here are some suggestions for getting started.
Five Minute Focus: Make yourself work on the job for only five minutes. Sometimes just getting started is all it takes.
Decide What to do Next: Don’t be intimidated by the job. Map it out and break it down into small jobs.
Tackle the hard ones first: Almost everyone has more energy and attention at the beginning of their workday than at the end, unless you’re taking diet pills perhaps.
Get Help: Tell someone what you’re going to accomplish, mention a date, and ask them to check in on you.
Make a Deal: Bribe yourself to get going. Make a promise to yourself that when you get busy on the action, you get a reward.
I picked my first zucchini from the garden yesterday. It is a beautiful testimony to hard work and tender loving care. Yes…I love my garden!
In honor of this luscious little veggie…that I am so hoping and praying my family does not tire of any time soon (there are lots more coming!), I wanted to share a recipe for what we had for breakfast this morning.
Zucchini Fry Cakes
2 medium zucchini (shredded)
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1 egg
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oil
Plain yogurt
Salt the zucchini with 1 teaspoon of salt. Remove the excess moisture from the zucchini by squeezing the liquid out with paper towels.
Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Add the zucchini, flour, scallions, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix well.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the fry cakes in two batches. Drop 2 tablespoon mounds into the skillet. Flatten slightly. Cook, turning once, until browned (approximately 4-6 minutes on each side). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat to use all the batter.
Serve immediately, with yogurt on the side.
Because of the nature of my family’s circumstances, both my husband and I find ourselves receiving offers for a variety of home basesd business opportunities several times each week. It can be difficult to wade through the offers to see if there are legitimate ones that merit a closer look. My husband is in the middle of a transition right now and so he is actively seeking a change that he will be able to make profitable. Care and caution must be exercised to make sure that any business opportunities you decide to investigate are legitimate, safe, and honorable.
Always moving…always going…always thinking…always planning…
Have we lost the ability to find the calmness…the serenity…the peace…that comes with calm?
Make it a point to inject calm into your days. Make yourself stop from time to time to just contemplate for a few moments and feel the place where you are. Notice it…remember it…make a point to be in it.
Embrace the slowness and let it tempt you into a different pace.
