The KISS Journals

DIY

2009-08-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

(I thought I'd cross-post this here--it's also on my blog, Milk and Ink. My husband, whom I am still teaching the fine art of email (for over 6 years...), sometimes get struck with the urge to do a blog. Anyone who knows my blog, or Blake himself, knows his style: direct, to the point, with a twist of dry humor. He recently attended a chicken butchering class and it spurred this post. Without further ado, here is Papa Nomad's second-ever blog:)

Poppa Nomad Speaks:

DIY--That Shit Don't Grow on Trees!

Since moving to Portland over two years ago, escaping the imploding Death Star of Bend, and since the economy has gone to shit, our family has engaged in a profound paradigm shift: a (our) new model of urban sustainability. More specifically, our redefinition of essential life practices and values. In our disposable, instant-gratification McCulture, a culture of consumption without actual necessity, we’ve all but forgotten what it means to “Do It Yourself”. I refer primarily to the life sustaining act of eating. Sure we all have material wants (even the more Zen among us), and all consume and use up resources...but can we breeders rekindle the fires of the ancients AND sustain ourselves and our families? With three kids can we be in it, but not of it? (A question I have posed to various monks, sages and other Buddhist-oriented teachers). Our family is blessed with a small urban farm that is our model for future sustainability; a living, changing daily mantra that we and our three children “meditate over” on a daily basis. For us and our little tribe, knowing where our food comes from is an integral part of that mindfulness.

We are a race of modern humans who purchase our boxed and frozen cubes of processed, modified, manipulated, and irradiated food from big box stores. We are scarcely aware of the process of growing and cultivating; farming. Victims of progress, we are frighteningly disassociated from the seasonal cycles. Really, I have not been Mr. Righteous my whole life, but our belief that the kids are greatly enriched by participating in the process that puts food in front of their mouths is an edict I now stand firmly by. Let it be said that I have a profound appreciation for Leah who daily prepares multiple organic, gourmet meals for our family. Meals that take into account personal taste, nutrition, our respective allergies...her awareness of the seasonal and sustainable is profound. As the once-in-a-while Chef in our house, I would like to note the extreme satisfaction associated with preparing food to sustain the lives of one’s family. I can only imagine how it must be for Leah, as she has been doing exactly that for what will soon be a decade for our growing family. She is quite the gourmet chef now.

As husband and wife we are fairly traditional: I hunt and gather, and she tends family and hearth. More recently we both have poured our blood and sweat , literally, into our garden. Those of you who know me know I am an “All or Nothing” personality type. In that spirit, my most recent experience of killing and consuming the food we raised was that reconnection the the ancient I spoke of. As an omnivore, I am mindful of how our ability to hunt compels protein and master fire enabled humans to evolve; as a species, we would have perished long ago if it were not for meat (and agriculture). I’ll spare the readers with my diatribe on “Freegans and Hippiecrite” practices, as it does come down to personal choice, but most of us, if faced with starvation would put aside our PC affiliations and consume meat to avoid death. Few political choices are stronger than the will to live. Personally, I grew up in a “gourmet” home....I love food and meat (and get debilitating headaches without my complete proteins)...my mother was a good cook...she was friends with James Beard and Julia Child. James Beard, in fact single-handedly defined the modern American palate. Both made being a chef cool for millions; everybody could do it, we just had to enjoy food. In James and Julia’s day, the advent of technology for the nuclear family of the 50’s and 60’s made for an uphill battle: canned and freeze dried, instant and (later) microwavable. Teaching the modern housewife that fresh was better, would take some time to realize.

Hunting, gathering and farming are the quintessential archetypes for tribal survival. Consumption of complete proteins (not found in plants) play an essential role for the development of synaptic pathways of young human brains. That being said, my recent butchering class with my brother-in-law Michael tested my resolve in a new way: looking into the eyes of your dinner before killing it. (It should be noted that the birds we slaughtered came from our farm: we knew them; we raised them, we named them.) It was overcast and raining. Our class, filled with people of various levels of personal conviction was conducted by a mindful farmer who instructed us to "thank the chicken for giving it’s life”. Like any new practice, some were more adept than others. I found myself annoyed at the “timid butchers” among us; there is much to be said for doing it humanely; quickly and efficiently. “Don’t torture the poor beast”, I thought, “Just Do It”! We learned the finer points of bird preparation, after the deed was done....careful excision of the anal cavity, so as not to rupture intestines...gutting and removal of the internals (which were equipped with eggs in various stages of development, like that frog back in seventh-grade science class). A hot-dip and feather removal, cutting off of the head, and legs at the knees, and appropriate gland removal, so as not to leak bile or other toxins into the bird and spoil the meat were some of the procedural highlights. On the drive home, Michael and I were quiet with our two birds on ice. I was not in the mood for a chicken dinner that night, and for several days saw my beloved family members as piles of guts; an existentialist twist on a factual condition. Leah complimented me on my work as we cooked Obama, remarking how she looked just like as if we had gone to the store and bought a chicken for dinner. Its the in-between process that most of us are disassociated from. That was the big enlightener here.

20+ years ago, I lived on a sailboat (commuted to work as a sailing instructor on my rowboat) and fished daily for my meals for some two years. I slept on the sea and ate from it. Yet, fishing and slaughtering a higher life form (that you raised, fed and interacted with on a daily basis) seem quite “different animals” to me. Hunting or fishing to survive is something few of have ever had to do, yet it is the reason why all of us are here today. It is my belief that this skill is something all modern humans should again nurture. Few understand the difficulty and complexities of cultivating even simple rice and beans; making tofu. Fewer still could do it even if it was a matter or survival.

Urban Farming is the new cool thing to do (especially in PDX). Just listen to NPR and pay attention to media. For me, it’s more than a PC trend; I want to practice what I preach, as it were. I’d be a total “Hippiecrite” if I wasn’t willing to kill, then pull the still-pulsating guts from the abdominal cavity of a chicken (or any other farm animal I keep) in order to feed our family. Truly, being a butcher is a fine art, and I have renewed respect for those who prepare our meat. Presently our survival is not based on my hunting and slaughtering skills, but it may one day be. This felt very different from the catch of the day provided by the ocean so many years ago.

Last year, I cooked eggs from our chickens with potatoes that we grew on our wood burning stove with wood from our property that I cut and split myself...oh yeah, and the stove heated our house, too. This meal had a profoundly different feeling associated with it. DIY never felt so good. Caveman DNA runs deep. Thank you eternally to my wonderful wife for her hard work, constant growth and nurturing of our family. I never wanted children until I met Leah, and now fatherhood is the greatest gift three times over on top of our marriage. The daily practice and ritual of farming and gardening engenders discipline for children as well as adults; mindfulness of the cycles of life and death; growth and change. Self sufficiency: something that you can’t buy at the supermarket. That shit don’t grow on trees!

~Poppa Nomad

Living Light~With Less

2009-08-28T09:05:00.001-07:00

Not sure why I haven't documented this here yet, but wanted to share our latest journey. We have come a long way since I wrote

this post for the local BG Green blog. And while we still have a long way to go, we at least feel as if we are on the right path.

We are in the beginning of making the transition towards living lighter through buying less. What that looks like for us may be different from what it looks like for you, but we feel like it is a necessary change. The Compact was one of the original groups to actually challenge lasting change. Here is a quote from their site.

1) TO GO BEYOND RECYCLING IN TRYING TO COUNTERACT THE NEGATIVE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACTS OF U.S. CONSUMER CULTURE, TO RESIST GLOBAL CORPORATISM, AND TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES, FARMS, ETC; 2) TO REDUCE CLUTTER AND WASTE IN OUR HOMES (AS IN TRASH COMPACT-ER); 3) TO SIMPLIFY OUR LIVES (AS IN CALM-PACT)

What started as thriftiness has evolved into stewardship.

STUFF

After reading this book I began to question where my stuff came from, who made it, why I bought it and if I really needed it to begin with.

The first step for me has been to bypass Target and head over to local or handmade vendors like you may find at SKY Farmers Market, ETSY, and the Kentucky Guild.

The library is a great way to borrow things and then give them back.

FOOD

Re-thinking our food is another way to live lighter (possibly literally). Not only is a large amount of the food we purchase wasted and even thrown in the trash but it is often covered in tons of paper and plastic. Then we wrap it in more paper and plastic to take it home.

Buy Local-when you purchase food directly from local farmers and producers you most often take home just food without the trash. Or they will most likely be packaged in recycled materials.

Buy Fresh-The more processed a food item is the more waste goes into producing and packaging that item.

Upcycle-You can do this yourself by creating something new from your trash (the kids and I are working on a large play house made from recycled items) or visit Terracycle for ways others can re-use your trash.

Re-usable Bags-you can get these everywhere now and they make a huge difference.

THRIFTING

Clothing-Repets Thrift and Lil' Angels Attic are a few of my favorites because their mission is bigger than just offering STUFF.

Gifts-See if you can find others to trade with you (it may be easier than you think), learn a craft and make something rather than buying something new.

Cloth Diapers-There are so many reasons to use cloth diapers. Besides the multitude of envionmental reasons you can also trade or sell your diapers for other things.

GIVE

There is so much stuff out there that we are hoping to trade or give away.

As you begin to evaluate your stuff you realize how much you have and how much others need. You begin to realize what is really important in life: family, friends, our world.

I am posting more about this HERE.

What's in Your Backyard?

2009-08-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

It is a wonderful time of year to be a gardener. So many things are growing and producing right now. All of the hardwork we have done preparing beds, planting seeds, and weeding are now rewarding us with feasts for our tastebuds as well as our eyes. So tell me, what is in your backyard?

Preservation

2009-07-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

The summer time in our home is our busiest time of year. We are usually found out in the garden or in a u-pick field somewhere. Then its home and into the kitchen to preserve or bake with all the goodness we've harvested. Peaches, pears, cherries, apples, tomatoes....the list can go on and on. What are some of your favorite things you preserve? Do you have any family recipes or tried and true tips you'd like to share?

Here are a few family recipes and tip we have in our family...

First, when canning things to be picked. We use 2-4 freshly picked grape leaves at the bottom of the jar in the place of alum. It helps keep the pickled crunchier.

Second, our favorite salsa recipe that has been handed down over the years:

5lbs tomatoes
3 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped hot peppers (use whichever variety for the level hot heat you like)
1 cup cider vinegar
3 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large bunch of cilantro

Combine all ingredients except the cilantro and boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30+ minutes. Add cilantro and ladle into hot pint jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Put lid and ring on and process in hot water bath for 15 minutes.

We love this recipe so much! Its great on homemade tortilla chips too!!

And another yummy recipe is for any variety of berry buckle:
1/2 cup butter or shortening
3/4 cup sugar or sweetner
1 egg
2 cups flour (both white and ww work great!)
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk or alternative

2 cups fresh or frozen berries
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white flour
cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Thoroughly cream butter/shortening and sugar; add egg and beat until light and fluffy. Sift together 2 cups flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternating with milk. Spread in greased 11x7x2 pan; top with berries. Mix remaining sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumblu and sprinkle over berries. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Great with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

Enjoy!!

A Lighter Load: A Lotta Links

2009-06-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

In an effort to live lighter I am getting rid of a lot of things in my house. If I don't use it, need it or desperately want it then it's out of here! So it just occured to me that I have way too many bookmarks on my computer and they need to go too. But many of them are great links to simple living so I thought I would pass them along.

Learning at Home

Rocks in my Dryer shares a lotta links on educational sites for kiddos listed by age groups.

Homeschooling Today has great information. Including homesteading, simple living, the list goes on and on...a really great magazine.

Kindergarten Homepage has great information on for those pre-schooler's or those starting Kindergarten.

The Little Experience has fresh and fun ideas for kiddos. I especially love their recycling ideas!

Faith

Rachel gives a great testimony as she prepares herself for dying. She makes faith simple. Know God, Know Yourself, Know the Gospel and Know your Purpose.

Sarah at Walk Slowly, Live Wildly shares a lot of ideas on Following Jesus. Her thoughts on Excess are great!

This is a great article that discusses a movement towards family worship. Spending more time at home and less time dividing and conquering!

The Shorter Catechism is a great place to start with your children on learning biblical truth.

A great online Bible tool with translation parallel's.

Raising Godly Tomatoes has great inspiration.

Blog Tools

The Blog Frog is a great way to organize "friends" in the blog world.

Large Families

Need to upgrade or condense to one super large vehicle to fit the entire family? Here is a great option.

A blog for large families.

Natural Childbirth

Hypnobabies was a great birthing tool during my last birth. You can read my birth story HERE.

My favorite natural childbirth blog is Bellies and Babies!

Visit Silent Voices for hard to find information on Natural Family Planning.

Frugal Living

P & G eSaver download coupons to your grocery card.

Swaddlebee's Outlet Store is a great place to buy seconds and discontinued cloth diapers.

Super Easy and Cheap Recipes!

Simple Entertaining

You can always skim through my {Fresh Floral Art} blog for tons of organic, veriflora, natural floral ideas.

Blumebox's are perfect for simple entertaining. They are easy to use, fold down flat and you can recycle them!

Eco Chic Weddings

Order Organic flowers that are more beautiful than you can imagine!

A floral designer who grows all of her flowers herself-all while homeschooling her children.

Random

A huge amount of site links all on one page.

DIRT by Amy Stewart. All the dirty secrets of the florist industry that you have always wanted to know.

I will be back to post more later.

Michelle @ {Life Is Good}

p.s. listen to the first song at my blog-i think you all will like it!

The Summer Party {Mama Nomad}

2009-05-27T11:51:00.000-07:00

My two girls both have their birthdays in the summer, one month and one week apart. Since little, little kids are not aware of the birthday expectation yet, and Mayan's birthday comes first (our oldest) there were a few years there where we'd have a party for her, and then end up doing something simple for her younger sister a month later. The year Mayan turned four, I spent months planning an all-out Wizard of Oz party (her favorite movie)--we had handmade paper poppies, melted witch punch, a throw-the-apple-beanbag-at-the-tree game, even a fallen "house" with whithered witches legs underneath.

(Grandpa helps lay the yellow brick road while a lollipop guild munchkin explores)

It was SO much fun! We asked our guests to dress up as well, but of course there could only be one Dorothy....and Mayan played the part perfectly in her dress, ruby slippers, and basket with Toto I had found on eBay. At the end of the hot July day we were surprised by a double rainbow in the sky! That is the type of birthday magic that you cannot buy anywhere....

(Blake was an Emerald City Guard and I was Aunt Em)

By the time Isadore's birthday came around a few weeks later, I was exhausted of planning and we didn't do much, but she was two and was happy with a cake and a new dress.

The year after that we had just settled in Portland and it was the first year we decided to combine the parties. I know, I know they say this scars children for life, right? They will spend years in therapy talking of how all they ever wanted was a party of their own....especially Isadore, living in the shadow of the epic Wizard of Oz bash of 2006.

Somehow I don't think that is the case for two reasons: one is that the summer party is FUN! The girls talk about it all year long, and the focus is really not about birthdays at all, but family and friends, freedom and food, games and laughter--celebrating summer and life. The other is that the girls get to choose what they do on their own special days--where we go (beach, zoo, a play....) and where we eat. We rarely eat at restaurants, so the birthday dinner is an exciting choice. They can eat anywhere they wish OR I can make them any dinner they wish. Its a tough call and they also begin discussing their thought processes at least 6 month in advance.

So this will be our third Summer Bash and we have our special traditions down already. The greatest appeal to me is the "old time" games. We have a nice big backyard--the inspiration for the party in the first place--and the kids do the classics: egg-on-a-spoon race (cost: one dozen eggs, you provide the spoons), potato sack races (sacks available for a $1 a piece at your local feed store!), three-legged race (silk scarves or bandanas work well), a pinata (filled with treats of choice--they can be as healthy as you choose) and last year, the big hit, a treasure hunt.

(This was one exciting, neck-and-neck race!)

(Blake explains the rules of the egg-on-a-spoon race to some eager participants)

My brothers and sisters used to do treasure hunts for me when I was little: hand me a clue which led me to another clue, then another until I found my "treasure" (we were very poor so this would usually be my sippy cup.) For last years party, I laminated cards with rhymes on them (these were so much fun to write!) and sent the group of kids, ranging from age 2 to 10, all around the property from the garden, through the house, out the front and eventually to the hidden far side of the house where everyone had an "X" marked bag with their name on it, containing books I had spent weeks gathering from thrift stores (picked for each child specifically), stickers, and a sweet. It was so much fun to watch them, and the kids took turns reading the cards to each other.

Here is an example of the clues I left:

"The place to wash away your troubles...
Do you like rubber ducks or bubbles?"
(this of course led them to the bathub)

The final clue:

"Alright, Crew, this clue's your last
The treasure is within your grasp!
Out the door and down the steps
To the side of the house that faces West"

(a guest just happened to have a compass on her and helped the kids find west--impromptu navigation lesson!)

("X" marks the spot!)

Summertime food is another great feature of the summer bash; the best part being it can be very easy. If its afternoon, we don't have to feed our guests lunch so an array of popcorn, pretzles, peanuts, and watermelon is just fine. The highlight the first year was turning our giant kitchen counter into a make-your-own-sundae buffet. I collected ice cream dishes from thrift stores a few weeks before, for about $1-2 a piece, and they gave the sundaes an old school touch. I added the scoop of cold ice cream and let the kids add bananas, nuts, chocolate chips, or berries. To mix it up last year we had root beer floats (optional: chocolate stout floats for the grownups, too)--it was a perfect (and inexpensive) summer treat.

(Time to make sundaes!)

I like to give our house a simple, festive feel as well. Nothing says birthday party like a bunch of balloons. One year I hit a great party shop near the waterfront and had them make me four big helium-filled balloon clusters in simple colors, some had polka dots--each bunch had about 8 balloons in it...and I only lost one to the great big beyond when I was unloading them from the Suburban when I got home. Oops. The party guest kids got to pick one out before they left. I also hung simple paper party balls along our back patio, sprinkled paper dots on the countertops, and had fresh cut flowers from our yard on every table. I gave some chalk to my sister-in-law to decorate the cement pillars out back with some of her lovely flower drawings. No cartoon characters, no "themes," no princesses or dump trucks--but very charming. A little Beatles music in the backround pleased guests, yound and old.

(The house is ready to recieve guests--lots of seating indoor and out for the grownups, and I also used brown grocery bags to cover the tables along with tins of crayons for guests to leave their mark)

This year our new garden takes up about half of the lawn, but I purposefully left enough space for a sack race. Maybe we will do something new like Twister or a slip and slide....how about a bubble gum blowing contest...(growups will have to participate too!) The best part about the summer bash is how flexible we can be and how we can work with whatever we've got and still have as much fun as ever.

Summer Activities

2009-05-24T19:59:00.000-07:00

Since we unschool our summers really do not look much different than the other seasons. Its a bit warmer and we bring out the pool more. lol

Some of the summer specific things I do look forward to are:

The MDC summer picnic/BBQ. This will be the 3rd (2nd??) year we have gotten together for a BBQ including the dads too. Normally its just the moms and kids playing together and I really enjoy our potluck get togethers.

The kids held a pool party last year for their friends and have decided they want to do this every year.

Yardsales I know its not a get together or anything but yardsales!!!

Going to the beach is also a favorite summer past time of our family. Joe and I honeymooned on the Oregon coast so we really enjoy going back now that we live closer to it.

We are looking forward to camping this year as well.

This year some close friends are coming down for the Fourth of July. We are all really looking forward to this visit.

Thats a few of our summer specific activites.

Tell us about your Summer Parties

2009-05-17T08:39:00.000-07:00

Do you have big bashes during the summer months? Gather up the neighborhood for block parties? Invite some close friends for a summer solstice celebration? Attend family reunions? Give the kids a birthday bash?

Let's hear it!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

We're starting our "summer" party season with a sort of party/conference for unschooling families, the LIFE is Good NW Unschooling Conference next weekend. There's a family concert, a talent show, a barefoot boogie and a picnic in the park to wrap up a fun weekend.

I'm in the beginning stages of organizing a wine tasting at the Man Cabin for locally produced inexpensive wine sometime in June or July.

We aren't usually big party hosts, but now that the house remodeling is creating a more welcome space, I'm thinking of having more people over.

Other than that, we usually attend or host a party sometime throughout the summer at Lewisville Park, and beautiful riverside forested park popular for gatherings and celebrations.

We are also big fans of the summer concert in the park series in late summer. The whole family goes and enjoys the sights and smells and sounds. It's super fun.

When our yard gets in better shape (remodeling 2.0 - 2010 maybe?), we're going to have outdoor movie nights and I'm really looking forward to that.

What about you? How do you party in the summertime?

Introduction Aimee {HippieHousewife}

2009-05-08T12:37:00.000-07:00

Growing up I lived with a mom, a dad and three sisters on a 7 acre chunk of property out in the middle of nowhere. I hated it, it was way too far out from any of my friends and I always thought it'd take me days to walk into town. It probably would have only been a few hours... When my parents bought the property it was up to date (at that time, 20 years ago) with solar panels on the roof and most of the appliances were run off of that. I always wondered what that weird "hippie" contraption on the roof was and did for our house. We never had any animals besides dogs (reason unknown) but we always had a large garden. My mom had a produce stand that she sold her harvest at. So we were always in great abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits. Growing up I didn't know any other life. Home cooked meals and running around barefoot outside until the sunset was a normal life for me. When I got into high school I couldn't wait to get out of there and move into town. And I did, the day I turned 18. I didn't look back until after I'd had my first son at 19 and was pregnant with my second boy at 21. When suddenly that way of life appealed to me again. And I could see why my parents did whatever they could to give that to us. We lived on a small corner lot at the time and had a few garden boxes and the neighbors pear tree that hung over into our yard that provided us with more pears then we could ever eat. Both my husband and I worked a lot and rarely had time to do much else besides come home and spend a few hours together before we had to begin the same thing over and over again. We purchased our second home on .26 acres but I still yearned for the simple country life I had growing up. When something kicked in one day and I thought, what is stopping me from doing it on our .26 acre lot? There is more then enough room to do almost all I wanted. We started making our large garden and planting fruit trees and having a few chickens and hopefully rabbits soon too. I'm thankful my mom still lives on her property so I'm able to have the animals I wish I could have on our property, out there. Besides the milk cow.... We raise meat and egg chickens in large abundance as well as turkeys, pigs and cows for meat. Between our two properties we are able to live almost purely off the land. And I'm thankful my boys are able to see where their food comes from as well as being a part of raising the animals. From the birth and babies all the way to the butchering. Its something I think way too many kids these days don't understand and take for granted. Living simply and naturally isn't a "fad" as I've heard it labeled before, its a way of life. We try to tread lightly so that our grand kids and future generations can experience life as we have.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm Aimee, HippieHousewife, and proud momma to three amazing and energetic boys, wife to one man who loves me for all my quirkiness and new ideas I'm always bringing to the table. You can follow us on our life long journey of chaos, bliss and learning at http://www.hippiehousewife.com/

my first k.i.s.s post {Mama Nomad}

2009-05-05T15:53:00.000-07:00

In America, practically every necessity, and a whole lot more, is at our fingertips--the turn of a knob, the flick of a switch, the touch of a button. Water, electricity, gas, even cable television is piped or wired into every home, and is the bottom-line standard. Even our poorest population is much wealthier than the average citizens of other developing countries. If there were homes within a city's boundaries with a outdoor restroom, a water pump, wood cook stove, and lights-by-candle, the occupants would be pitied and the landlord would be prosecuted. If we wanted to, even on the most minimum income, we could drive to a store or fast food restaurant for every meal and never have to cook.

If their is one word to describe what we've become, its this: soft.

The only thing we really have to work for is the money to provide us with what are mostly luxuries. I am not anti-luxury, don't get me wrong! I am by nature a pretty sedentary person who thrives on a daily dose of Seinfeld. Our family enjoys sailing, traveling, gourmet foods and wine, boutique shopping (well, at least, that is my weakness)...and not 5 years ago these were things we indulged in weekly, if not daily. But as the economy has degraded and retail business has taken a dive, we have been scaling back, scaling back, and scaling back some more. Honestly, I feel grateful for this turn of events; I am proud of what our family has accomplished and know that maybe the only way for Americans to be able to release the sweaty grip on their remote controls and credit cards its to be forced into it. Lately, I feel...less soft.

We aren't looking for a completely different life, like...today. I enjoy and appreciate modern conveniences. I just want to know that if the electricity goes out, I can cook our meals and heat our home. If food became unavailable, I would have enough stored away to feed my family--and not just canned beans and power bars, but good, wholesome meals, of grains and legumes, lacto-fermented veggies, and fresh produce, eggs and chickens from our backyard. If water didn't flow freely from our pipes, we could harvest it from other sources. If oil became scarce, we could find alternative ways to fuel our vehicle, or learn to not use it at all. If outside entertainment were to disappear, we would have enough books and knitting skills to keep our minds and hands occupied. If retail became a thing of the past, I could clothe my family. If I got pregnant, and their was no health care systems in place, I could with a reasonable amount of confidence, give birth to my child at home. If society went bananas, my family would be protected. If, if, if...!

I don't believe these scenarios are inevitable; the future unfolds itself in many unpredictable ways. But thinking about them reminds me of how far we've come from...in good ways, yes, but many not-so-good ones. I want to make the gap between self-sufficiency and American-economic dependance smaller every day. I want to be prepared, and better myself as person at the same time, by identifying my strengths and examining my weaknesses. Our softened lives do not demand we look at ourselves in the mirror, we are too distracted by all the other shiny things; if nothing else at all, we should at least make that choice to really take a good look at our habits and their (buzzword of the year alert!) sustainability.

A life of self-sufficiency is hard work, so what makes it simple? Nothing seems more simple than only having to press that button, turn that knob, and flick that switch to satisfy your needs and wants, right? Alas, that is a short-sighted thought process. In reality every switch is wired to a massive system, that requires multiple levels of authority to produce and maintain. When I think of "living simply", I think of the energy that my family and I put forth, and having that effort benefit us in the most direct way, minus any unnecessary middleman. For example, we build a garden, we plant the seeds, we tend the soil and pick the weeds, and finally the food is laid on the table and we eat--without the mass operation, without the shipping and receiving, the labeling and packaging, stocking and checking. To branch out, I can share my efforts with my neighbor, and my neighbor can share their efforts with me. The process from start to finish, concentrates our efforts and is the simplest thing of all. And doesn't that make the food, and life, taste that much sweeter?

*******
So, my name is Leah, and others may know me as Mama Nomad--I like to do very housewife-y things like cook, decorate, garden, home-school my kids, and watch the Price Is Right. I live on a 1/2 acre in SE Portland with Papa Nomad, who owns Nomad Piercing Studio and Tribal Art Museum. Our three kids are Mayan, the 6 1/2 year-old artist and entrepreneur; Isadore, the 4 1/2 year-old fashionista, egg-gatherer, and part-time kitty-ninja; and Baby George, the one-year-old pile of sweetness and blond curls. You can request access to my blog, Milk and Ink: From the Lap of Mama Nomad, by emailing me through thekissbloggers@gmail.com.

What inspires me ~Heather Anne~

2009-05-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

When I saw the post from Amy asking us to write about what inspires us all I was excited. I thought of all the books and websites that I read all the time. Then it hit me I know exactly what inspires me.

So here I present you the list

First on the list is my children. Everyday I am challenged by them to be not just a good mother but a great mother. Having six children can, and at times has been a maddening experience. Six different personalities spanning all different ages. From my teenage artist to my 3 year old peace maker, each one has made me a better mother through the opportunity to be their mother. Every day the inspire me to do better than the day before.

Second is my mates. They inspire me every day to be the woman not only that they deserve but the woman I want to be. They have been the wings for every dream I have had throughout our marriage. I am continually blessed by their commitment to our marriage and to our family.

After that I will say that there are a few places that have helped me along my road to simplicity and so here they are

Little Homestead in the City Following this family on their own Path to Freedom helped inspired me and my own family to find our own way as well.

Homegrown Evolution This couple is also a great inspiration for slowing down and being more self sufficient. Their book The Urban Homestead helped me learn that I could make my own cleaner, soap etc.

One of my biggest inspirations for living a more simple life has come from my friend Ed. He has been a pioneer for living simply and treading lightly on the Earth for over 30 years. He is not only my friend but also my hero.

Square Foot Gardening. This book is great for those trying to grow their own food in small places.

The internet. Mostly Google. I can look up anything I am interested in from soap and cheese making to weaving and raising chickens. It really keeps me learning and moving more towards a simpler life for my family.

Last but not least is the women who write for the KISS Blog. I read what each and every one of them is doing and I learn, laugh and am always inspired to do more with less.

Much Love

Introduction: Michelle @ {Life Is Good}

2009-05-02T09:19:00.000-07:00

It has often been said that I was born in the wrong century. And after watching the entire series of Anne of Green Gables this last weekend I would have to agree. Having always loved that series I was surprised to realize that I was more interested in the lifestyle of that period in time than I was Anne’s life. Our recent fascination with the complete series of Little House on the Prairie is another good example. Even more I dream of what it must have been like for Adam and Eve to life in the garden of Eden before the fall of man. Keeping to their crops until the cool of the evening when God would join them for a time of worship. Being on this side of the resurrection reminds me that we are all longing for that way of life. The simple life at it’s best. We are closer to that time than ever before. And for me it is a conscious choice to take my family there as often as possible, even when society makes it hard to do so.

I would have to say that the simple life found me rather than me searching for a simpler life. My life circumstances combined with my personality have made me very, very frugal. I never make purchases without doing adequate research and taking my time to ponder if the purchase is necessary. I hardly every purchase anything new and almost always sell or give items away that we are not using.

And here is my simple bio:

About Me: Follower of Jesus Christ, wife to a fruit and vegetable farmer, mom to three wonderful kids, eco-floral designer, landscape designer, and improving keeper of my home.

Favorite Things: Mason Jars, Empty Spaces (counter tops, closets, garages), Vintage Baby Clothes, Natural Parenting (including fertility, birth, feeding and child rearing)

Greener Life: Eat Local, Buy Used (including our cloth diapers)

Simpler Lifestyle: Homeschool, Stay at Home (as much as possible), Debt Free (including our home and car), Grow our own Foods

My Blogs: {Fresh Floral Art} and {Life is Good}

Books {Jessica Huber Butler}

2009-05-01T12:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share some of the simplicity/ organizing books that have been very helpful to me over the last several years. Some of these books are specifically geared toward living a more simple life, some focus on organizing and decluttering our lives, mainly in the physical realm, as in our stuff. Most are adept at getting us to look more closely at our mental {and emotional!} realm{s}, as in where did all this stuff come from, how do I spend my time and what do I want to surround myself with. I put a * next to my favorites.

**Thirty Days to a Simpler Life by Chris Evatt and Connie Cox
*Not Buying It by Judith Levine
The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn
**Simple Living- One Couple's Search for a Better Life by Frank Levering and Wanda Urbanska
Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs
Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin
You Can Afford to Stay Home with Your Kids by Wyckoff and Snyder
Frugal Environmentalist (a once published newsletter)
Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robins
*Making Peace with the Things in Your Life by Cindy Glovinsky
Confessions of an Organized Homemaker by Deniese Schofield
Paper or Plastic by Daniel Imhoff
Unplug the Christmas Machine by Jo Robinson
Live Your Life for Half the Price by Mary Hunt
Two Income Trap by E. Warren
*All Your Worth by Elizabeth Warren, etc.
Handmade Life by William Coperthwaite
*Let Go of Clutter by H. Schechter
Extreme Simplicity by Nyerges
One Thing at a Time by Cindy Glovinsky
**This Organic Life by Joan Gussow

Of course there are always more books and resources. In fact when I was checking around for some of the above titles I ran across two more and put them on reserve at the library. I will let you know if they are worth the time...

The Way of the Small- Why Less is Truly More by Michael Gellert
Zen Style- Balance and Simplicity for Your Home by Jane Tidbury

Share Your Inspiration!

2009-04-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a crazy couple weeks it's been! We're doing mad reorganizing/simplifying around the house, thus my complete absence from cyberland.

Allison, thanks for sharing your resources with us! I'm going to work on getting those up on the side bar this week.

In the meantime, I'm extending the challenge for you all to share your resources and inspiration with us until next Tuesday (and of course, anytime after!).

Let's hear it! :D
Thanks
Amy

Weekly Challange (TV Free)

2009-04-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

A few years back I decided to take a big step and go TV free. We started slowly, just cutting back on the amount of time we watched and then limiting it to just videos/DVDs. My children were young and happy to engage in other activities, especially if they involved me. Slowly we just phased it completely out. Now I have a TV sitting in my living room, covered by a quilt, and I don't know the last time we actually watched the darn thing. I keep waiting for it to finally die (it has to be over 15 years old) so that I can get rid of it. But unlike most products in our country this one seems built to last.

So there it sits. On a shelf that could be used for so many other things....(like all those books I have stored in a closet that I keep hoping I'll be able to find a bookshelf for someday).. And I wonder about why I haven't just gotten rid of it. What is causing me to hold on to it? I'll admit, I use it every now and then. I consider myself TV free, but yes, every now and then we watch a movie. Once a month or so. However I do have a fabulous computer and a 24" monitor... we could just as easily watch movies on it. (Which is exactly what we had to do the last time we watched a DVD we picked up at the library (The Parent Trap- the original version-I just love that show!) as it wouldn't play on the television anyway! ) So what is it that is causing me to hesitate in the removal of it from my home?

As TV Turn off week approached I contemplated just getting rid of it. But something keept me from embracing this idea fully. I'm still pondering what this hesitation is about.

What is it about the idea of having NO television our home that makes me pause?

Is it concern over my children being a bit too different from their friends? Having school age children is so very different from having toddlers or preschoolers. At that age it was so much easier... they had so much less awareness of how others live or that urge to fit in. Now I'm experiencing first hand that struggle children go through to be liked, to be normal, to find out who they are and how they fit into the world. We also attend public school. I love our school. It's so full of opportunity, offers such diversity, and in general I'm very pleased with our experience there. But our family is different from so many of my childrens friends families. As important as my "green" values are I also must weigh each choice I make. I must balance out my beliefs and the lifestyle I am choosing for us to live with making sure that I don't inadvertently do harm to my children. While being unique and different and standing behind values are wonderful attributes and learning opportunities for my children, I also recognize that it can make life difficult for them. To be seen as too different or weird by their peers could in the end cause more damage emotionally than the harm done by watching a few hours of television a week. And not having a TV at all... well, that's a bit unusual around here. I have to be careful not to make my childrens lives so different from their peers that it's not enjoyable to others. I want their friends to spend time with us, and if the playdates are at my place then monitoring their media intake is a whole lot easier :).

Or is this hesitation due to my lingering attachment to it? Is it the idea that if I get rid of it there is no going back? Right now there's this knowledge in the back of my mind that if we ever needed or wanted it we can have it. But if it's gone... then what? Perhaps it's attached to that bigger fear of letting go. Of saying good-bye to something that his always been part of your life.

And maybe it's also a bit of pride. Right now it's a choice. We have it available but choose to not use it. We read, play, draw, etc instead of turning on the tube. But if it's gone, well, then so is the choice. Granted it will be a choice to get rid of it, but once it's gone it's like saying we have to do those other things. So maybe I like the idea of being able to say no to it instead of having to say no to it.

When I first started this post it was with the intention of a goal of actually removing it from our home altogether. But as I've written and pondered this the past few days, I'm now reconsidering that decision.

I'm finding that living a simpler lifesyle is not always a simple matter. It often involves change, a bit of discomfort while you adjust to something different or new, sometimes serious contemplation and definitely an ability to weather unwanted input and feedback from others. Learning to swim against the tide of our American culture is no easy task!

I'd love to hear from you about how you have handled similar situations, be it with regards to your children and simplifying your lives or with internal struggles you may have had in trying to make some change.

Hard work as simple living. {Heather Anne}

2009-04-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday I spent the afternoon at a friend's house enjoying some time with my spinning wheel. It was quiet there just she and I. We chatted, as friends do and she started asking me about my daily routine. I explained to her that everyday is about the same. I make at least 2 loaves of bread, sometimes more depending on what is for dinner. I tend our crops, clean the house, feed the worms, teach the children etc.

She asked me if I cook everything from scratch and I replied that in fact I did. She seemed surprised and said that it was too much hard work for her liking, that it was just easier to buy bread, pancake mix etc.

Perhaps she is right, it just might be easier, but not simpler. I could perhaps line my pantry with ready made mixes and boxes of instant food, to me however that just seems like a waste. While it is true that making everything from scratch, much like everything in my everyday routine is hard work, to our family it is simpler. It is more economical to buy the components and make the food ourselves. Our children receive a better education at home than they would attending public school. We are kinder to the planet (and again to our wallets) by growing our own food to eat. If I spin my own yarn I know where the fiber has come from and can choose local suppliers that I know treat their animals with love and care.

Working hard never bothered me, and once our family reaches our goal the work will get that much harder, but simpler at the same time. To some extent it is my humble opinion that modern conveniences have robbed us of our ability to enjoy and appreciate hard work. The world seems to want everything so fast, their food , their TV, internet access all have to be on demand. There is a joy in watching something slowly bloom, rise, or evolve. The "hard work" is rewarding when you see the out come.

To me what I do everyday is not hard work, but merely acts of simplicity that helps slow down my families pace of life. We take time to be grateful and rejoice in what we are doing in the moment and don't feel a need to rush to the next.

That is the reward for us, removing ourselves from that outside world crashing in telling us to rush rush rush.

What do you think? Has your hard work made your life simpler as it has ours? How has your lives been changed by living simply?

Beginnings {Amy}

2009-04-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

We picked up the tractor last night to dig up the garden. Pop had no sooner unloaded it from the trailer than he had it plunging it's tines into the dirt. He is hooked.

This morning we went to give it a second and third pass but something snapped and we spent the rest of the morning waiting for the repairman to come out. In the meantime, we sent the kids into the field pulling up rocks and talking to neighbors who passed by asking us about deer control and things like that.

We have some options for deer control:

Motion activated sprinklers
Fencing
Natural odor repellents
Planting a small perimeter crop that we're willing to sacrifice to the deer

So we'll just have to see how it goes.

Here's some pics from the morning! Any other ideas????

Introduction, Finally! ~Lisa~

2009-04-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I should get an introduction written before this decade ends! We have been having sleep issues around our house lately, so I just can't seem to get focused time on the computer, but that is a lesson in simplicity in itself, isn't it?

I am Lisa, mama to Sarah, who is 20 and lives in Los Angeles, Orion, who is 4 and lives in a an almost constant state of motion, and Akasha, who is 10 months and lives mostly in my arms. My husband is Ron, self described geek and an odd mixture of woowoo and poopoo, depending on the subject. We currently make our home in the NW burby part of Portland. Sometimes I long for the urban hipness of the other side of town, but being out here near so much open space and farmland continues to win out for me.

Our dream is to be part of a cohousing group someday, or find that perfect piece of land where I can do some serious gardening and possibly realize my dream of goats and chickens and bees (oh my!) One of my goals is to learn about permaculture and use that knowledge in setting up my living space. We are also hoping to eventually have vehicles which run on waste vegetable oil, or possibly another renewable energy source. Ron enjoys keeping up on all the possibilities in that realm and is interested in incorporating solar and wind power if (when!) we get that little homestead.

The concept of simplicity is not so simple for me, but I will share some of my thoughts. From the time I was young, I was drawn to making things from scratch, whether it was food or crafts. I have no idea why, but it seems to be a deep part of me. I feel giddy at the thought of my favorite mole recipe, which takes three days to make, and that poster showing plants next to their corresponding dye colors makes my heart sing. (I tried to find a picture online but was unsuccessful). So this has really given me some food for thought as I have pondered the concept of simplicity. When I see the word simple, my first thought is the opposite of complex. If I make a homemade recipe that takes 37 steps, how is that simple? (They call it slow food for a reason.) Or if I look at the concept of time, how is baking my own pie more simple than buying one at the store? (And sometimes I do!)

I could take the easy road and say it is just a matter of semantics, but I delved a bit deeper (having had plenty of time to think about this in my tardiness) . Sure I can go buy a frozen dinner instead of making one, and that simplifies my schedule for sure, but this is where simplicity and sustainability start to intersect for me. Just how simple is that meal? How much processing was involved in it? What are the ingredients, and how long did they take to make? How much shipping was involved in getting the ingredients to where it was processed? And how much shipping to get the finished product to the store? And then there is the packaging. I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

The same argument applies to cloth diapering. I am sure I spend more time washing and folding diapers than I would going to the store and buying disposables, but wow, just thinking about how "complicated" sposies are is mind blowing. And when you see those impact analyses taking the water and energy to wash diapers into account, they never bother with all those extra sposie details, like the making of the packaging and the gas it takes to ship them to the store. If I look at how time consuming and process oriented a product is from a universal standpoint, I get a whole new perspective.

But... that being said... the time thing. It is still important to *me*, dangit. I think a big part of my simplicity journey has to do with letting things go. I have a tendency to get overbooked because just about everything sounds interesting and fun to me. I have gotten much better at saying "no" over the years, but for all those things I have turned my back on, it seems like two more have popped up to take their place! I adore living in Portland, but sometimes I do feel a bit overwhelmed at the amazing variety of things available to take part in. But being the parent of two small children means taking a hard look at what is actually enriching my life. This is a constant work in progress for me....

Another huge part of simplicity in my life is the paring down of STUFF. And this is also my biggest challenge. I am a packrat, pure and simple, or maybe a decorator crab would fit my Cancerian nature better. But to make it worse, I am a fairly organized person by nature. You wouldn't know it if you came to my house, because there always seems to be clutter everywhere. Trust me, being an organization minded packrat is one of the worst combinations to get stuck with! This is my major area of focus for right now. We recently moved into a smaller home, and I feel like I have a long way to go before I get things down to a manageable level!

I am excited to be a part of this blog because I think it will help keep me motivated to follow through with the projects I have started or want to start. But all in their own time..... When I read Jessica's post, I immediately connected with that sense of overwhelm. It seems to sneak into my life on a regular basis, and I get correspondingly grouchy about it. I am trying to pick one or two priorities at a time and work on them without sacrificing other things in my life. "Trying" being the operative word in that sentence.

If you are interested, I have a chronically behind blog at http://mama-neomia.blogspot.com/

Introduction (Crisse)

2009-04-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

I began my journey in simple living 5 years ago when life afforded me a 2nd chance to find out who I was. In some respects living a more simple life was thrust upon me, but I found that this lifestyle (living more intentionally and with less) aligned so comfortable with my values that I readily embraced it. At first my simple living journey was more financially motivated, buying less, shopping re-sale, reusing, making do. Finding ways to cut costs was my motivating factor.

In the past few years though, my view has shifted. I've gone from living "frugally" to trying to live more sustainably. For me living a simple lifestyle is also living a lifestyle that supports and nurtures the environment and the individuals within that environment. Making choices based not on the cost of an item but on the environmental impact of that item and reconnecting my body and mind with the natural world. To me there is a strong tie between spending time in nature and my feelings of being connected to it. The more time I spend outdoors, and especially in more natural settings, the more I become aware of what an impact we are having on the world we live in and the impact our culture is having on our feelings and emotions.

There's so much to think about; green spaces, media, de-forestation, recycling, consumerism, advertising, air pollution, education, medical and psychological issues, and all the rest To me they are inextricably tied together with our American culture. So to me living a more simple (sustainable) life is about questioning and awareness. Questioning the choices I make and becoming more aware of the impact those choices will have.

So what do I do to live this lifestyle? Well a large part of it is choosing voluntary simplicity. Living with less and spending less. I try to be a mindful consumer, making the best choices I can given my budget, time, and the availability of products. I have a streak of environmental activism in me and am a strong proponent of ecopsychology (the relationship between the environment and our mental health and well being). I live TV free and work hard to help myself and my children connect with nature and the natural world as much as possible. I think overall, I'm just like most of us on this blog, trying to become more mindful of the choices I make and how they will affect myself, my family and our planet. I'm not perfect and I often find myself making choices that don't align with my values... but I like to think of myself as a work in progress ;-)

The other part of simple living is learning to care for me... thinking about personal sustainability. Caring for myself in such a way that allows me to care for my family and my world. It took me a long time to realize nurturing myself was also part of living a simpler life. Learning to let go of things out of my control, allowing myself to enjoy things I truly find pleasure in and making time for those things, putting myself and my needs as a priority sometimes. Some may say that sounds a bit selfish, but finding time to restore my spirit; my soul, allows me to keep giving in ways that I want to. Doing things that nurture myself run the gamut from hiking and exploring to just letting go of all the pressure and "shoulds" that can weigh down my day. You know those things... "I should get the laundry done today", "I should be more patient", "I should be able to do more", etc. All those things that fill me with guilt and make me feel as though I should be doing better, working harder, making a bigger difference. Sometimes just accepting where I am in my world and what I am capable of right now can make all the difference. So yes, caring for myself has become part of my simple living lifestyle.

So that's me, single mom, working and going to grad school, raising two fun kids, trying to enjoy life and always thinking about my choices. I'm looking forward to sharing some of my journey here on KISS and learning from all the other wonderful bloggers!

~Crisse

Introduction (Heather Anne)

2009-04-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

I would like to preface this introduction by saying I have never been good at writing introductions. With that being said I hope you bear with me as I tell you a little about myself.

My name is Heather Anne. I am a 32 yr old woman living simple in the Big City of Los Angeles. I live in an apartment with my 6 children, mates, and mother in law. During a normal day you will catch me baking our daily two loaves of bread, teaching the oldest four children, tending our farm, and/or knitting.

You will notice that in the above paragraph I said two seemingly contradictory things, that I have a farm and that I live in an apartment. I think that maybe a few years ago those two things could not coexist, now however, because of drive and a determination to lead a better but simpler life those two things can.

Our family quite simply are Urban Homesteaders. We farm our front porch, utilize farmers markets, and we are starting a time bank in our community to help strengthen it. Our daughters and I are learning how to can and preserve extra food we harvest and make almost everything we eat from scratch.

Well I think I have talked, or written rather your ears off. I look forward to being a contributor to this site as well as getting to know and growing with all of you.

Much Love

Inspiration {Allison}

2009-04-15T11:36:00.001-07:00

As an internet junkie I find a lot of the information I need through blogs and websites. I also have a few books I go to for information regularly. There are many magazines I love and wish to someday have a subscription and several I read online.

Blogs and Websites

I should inform you that I prefer to read blogs written more personally. Posts intermixed together with topics ranging from homeschooling and their kids, to gardening and chickens. I enjoy being able to sit down with a cup of cocoa (or umm a pepsi) and feel like I am catching up with an old friend even though I may have never met them.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day This is also a book.

Down to Earth

Graceful Parenting Her description says its a parenting blog but I find a lot of other good stuff in here too.

Hippie Housewife

Homegrown Harpoles

Living off Grid at Eclectic Culture Farm

Nurtured by Love

This Blessed Life

Urban Hippie Farm My kids have been following the impregnating of her goats with great interest. lol

Books, Magazines, and Websites

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

Backyard Chickens

Ball Blue Book of Canning

Natural Life Magazine

Mothering Magazine (also Mothering website and forums)

Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening Good reference book

Sewing Mamas

Small Town Living Magazine Can be read online

To the Garden! {Amy}

2009-04-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

My challenge for the next 30 days is all about getting my larger than life (anything but simple) garden in.

Last year we bought a share in a local CSA. As much as I loved the idea of it, and all the things I was supporting by doing it, I didn't feel that we as a family benefited as much as I thought we would. Mostly because we aren't HUGE vegetable eaters. And the vegetables that we do eat, weren't always the vegetables that we ended up getting. Like red chard and tomatillos. And sometimes we weren't prepared for yet another huge head of cabbage because we still had a huge head of cabbage in the fridge and we were all sick of cole slaw. Just things like that...

This past summer my folks moved out of their house, bought a rv, and moved up to our land. While they both have the greenest thumbs you've ever seen, they aren't very experienced in raising a vegetable garden, so we're all learning as we go.

That said, we're all totally stoked to get started and plant stuff that we love, and then together as a family, harvest, consume and preserve the food. My mom loves to come down to the house and help me with projects I have going on, and my dad loves to get out and dig in the dirt, so it's a win win situation, because I'm the first to admit I need all the help I can get, and having a village of people around me is really going to make the difference.

We've had a preliminary garden planning meeting and this weekend are renting a tractor with a rototiller attachment to get started! Mom and Dad are taking off next week back east for 10 days, and when they get back, we should be ready for our first starts!

I'll post pictures and updates as they come in! :D

Trashy Diva! {Hot Belly Mama}

2009-04-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my first post on here that my husband and I are trying to reduce waste in our home. We intentionally set it up with our waste company so that we only get garbage service once a month with only one can. Last Sunday, we tried this exercise for the first time as it was our night to set out the trash for the Monday morning pickup.

First, let me explain our set-up. I actually have about five garbage cans set up by our garage. Four of them are for recycling (cans, glass, plastic and plastic milk jugs) and one is for garbage. Because I've been pretty diligent about recycling - it's usually those cans that fill up quicker. Every 2 or 3 months, we make a day trip to the transfer center and drop off the recyclables for free. It's actually a fun family event for my husband and I because we get a very big feeling of "yes, we care for the earth, we are green." You might be wondering why we don't recycle paper. I do have a special pile for recycling catalogs and magazines, but for the most part I have been adding the paper to the compost pile. I usually spend one morning a week shredding all the paper (by hand into strips) and then dumping it into the compost. With newspaper, I set it aside to be used with our wood stove.

I've also reduced our consumption of paper by only buying the newspaper once or twice a week (just so I can get coupons and ads). I went online and used the opt-out forms to reduce the amount of junk mail we get. It can take a few weeks for companies to register that you are no longer in the system - but it is well worth it! I carry far less items into our home now than I did before. I also have all of my billing statements sent to an email address that I set up solely for that purpose. This includes my cell phone bill and bank statement, both of which have always been a mile long. I also pay all my bills online through my bank for free and have been doing this successfully for over a year. The last time I bought a stamp was in February.

So how did we do on our first month? Luckily, it was a beautiful and warm day so it was kind of fun for my husband and I. We had been working outside most of the day when I remembered, "honey! It's garbage night!" We both went over the garbage can and looked inside. It was only half full. I said, "wait, let's find more stuff to throw away!" So I went inside the house to empty out any other garbage cans that had stuff in them. My husband looked around outside. We barely added much more to it. So my husband decided to scoop a bunch of ash (full of nails) that was in the driveway from one of our burnpiles into an empty chicken feed bag and that brought the can up to full status. After that, we threw the garbage can in the back of the truck and I drove it up the end of the driveway where all the other garbage cans were waiting. My husband tossed it into it's rightful place by the others and we were done! *Bows humbly*

Honestly, I didn't think we would do that well! Anybody else trying to reduce waste? I would love to hear about it.

Here's a few tidbits from an Idaho Recycling Company:
~ The average American is responsible for throwing away almost 5 pounds of garbage a day.
~ It takes 17 average-sized trees to make one ton of paper.
~ Americans use 2 ½ million plastic bottles every hour.
~ Over half of our trash can be composted.

Intro and Easter musings

2009-04-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hello all just a quick introduction...my name is Joi (pronounced joey for those uninitiated). I have an often neglected blog called The River Grey. I never thought it was a blog about living a more simple life. To me, it is just kind of a stream of thought dumping ground of emotion that a few of my close friends stumble through and hope not to get hurt. I knew that I wanted my life to be on the more simple side while living in Vegas.

Vegas?? you say? Yes. I did the sexdrugsrocknroll thing, don't get me wrong, but when I came home to my greatful dead following room mates they nursed my hangovers with yummy vegetarian food from this crazy hippie store called Wild Oats. They fed my black leather and spiked soul after all night gigs with home made smoothies and fair trade chocolate. That is when I learned that good food can come from the store that reeks of patchouli.

After my daughter was born (and after some SERIOUS drama involving death) I decided that I needed to move to a town that wasn't set on killing me. It came down to Seattle or Portland and Portland won by sheer luck that this was the town my exhusband was from and he would help me slpit the cost of living. After I got here I trolled MDC for some like minded mamas and began to reshape myself into the psuedo earth mama punk you all know now. Now my goal is to start my own little vegan/allergy friendly custom bake shop and to raise my kids in the best manner that I know how.

Which brings me to easter. Our easter is never a big thing.... no holidays really are because we are Atheists. Did you know that in this country Atheists are the least trusted group of people? Just some trivia. I try to get past my hang ups about god in america but some days are harder than others. Being an Atheist in America means you have to either be angry a lot (it is on our money, in our schools, and dominates even the grocery store at least twice a year) or look the other way often. So, there is that.

I think I have wasted you fine ladies time enough for one evening. Thanks for including me in your KISS journals and I hope to bring a little black leather and spiked perspective to the party.

Easter {Nicole}

2009-04-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

For us, Easter is about connecting with family. We color eggs to our hearts are content, our fingers are several shades of the rainbow, and there is a trail of dye leading down the drain of the sink. After the kids find their treats in the morning, we'll have family over for a nice ham dinner. The kids will dye eggs with their cousins. Later, I'm sure grandma and grandpa will have a special hunt for eggs with all the kiddos.

I'm looking forward to a calm day, enjoying a nice, simple meal with family. And watching our children enjoy being children. What more could a momma ask for.

Easter {Jessica Butler}

2009-04-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

Easter is primarily a celebration of Spring for my family and has become for me an extension of the Vernal Equinox. We have traditionally gathered together for a meal and some time together on Easter Sunday. Frequently I spend time planting flowers and working in the garden. We do color eggs and my children enjoy Easter egg hunts and searching for their Easter baskets on Easter morning. In fact they love the searching aspect so much that this tradition of hiding surprises has extended to their birthdays as well. Both of them now request that their birthday gifts be hidden, sometimes with treasure maps and sometimes without.

While my Easter celebrations now have many similarities to those from my childhood, I have scaled back considerably from what my parents did for Easter. Things are more manageable, the meal is simpler, the time and activities are less hectic, the mood is more relaxed. More eggs are hidden but less candy is involved.

The second part of Easter that has meaning for my family is that my grandmother was born on Easter and while I was growing up, whether it fell on her birthday or not, the celebration was very much about my grandmother. She loved Spring and enjoyed singing Easter songs to us. She spent time in the garden and in the kitchen helping my mother make Easter dinner. There was always potato salad. There was always my grandmother. Although she has passed on, her presence is still very much a part of Easter for me. I can still remember her showing up at our house on Easter morning, excited, glowing, singing out, "Happy Easter!" Spring is here! A time for new beginnings...

Easter & Challenge (Amoreena)

2009-04-10T15:49:00.000-07:00

We don't have very strong feelings about Easter. We go to a liberal, non-dogmatic church and don't really claim association to any specific religion. I do love Spring and am always excited to get outside to enjoy nature and start working on the garden. I think of our celebrations as more of a "spring" celebration.

Lilly loves hiding and hunting for eggs (or other treats), though I'm not a big fan of the big egg hunts. For the last 3 years we've had brunch together with another family that we are close to. Adults sit around talk, eat. Kids play and we do a little egg hunt, get some pictures taken in their pretty clothes (though not too fancy). It feels just about right to us.

As for the challenge, I need to find some good condiment recipes! I try and try to make mayo, ketchup, etc. from scratch and I just cant get the hubby and the kiddo (s) to eat them (sigh). So my goal, is to post to some message boards and poke around the internet and try out some different recipes. I really want to try the lacto-fermented recipe in Nourishing Traditions.

How this pertains to simple, sustainable living: Saves $, which allows us to have more time together as a family instead of working to make more $, cuts back on waste (no more storage containers from the store), also saves on gas traveling to the store, also doesn't give $ to big corporations (though I usually buy the organic, Trader Joe's variety) also gives me a sense of accomplishment--I love making my own things!

The other thing I need to work on is finishing my household food items inventory, which is a list of all the food items that I like to have on hand. This will help us with replenishing/adding to our food storage and is an important step to cutting out trips to the grocery store.

Introduction {~Maria~}

2009-04-09T11:37:00.001-07:00

January 10th, 2008 was the day we took a huge step on our road toward simplicity. We didn't know it at the time; we were driving a car loaded full of our belongings up the West Coast from Southern California, destination: the promised land of Portland, Oregon.

After serving our country for ten years, my husband, Nathan, decided it was time for a change. We had met and married while both in the military and stationed in Japan. He didn't like where things had headed politically, and his long absences were taking a toll on our relationship as well as the relationship with our son, Seth. He was also doing something he was good at, but was not his passion.

We were scared to death of this step. We had a bit money, a load of debt, and no job or house lined up. Fortunately, I have a cousin who was willing to put up with us for a few weeks while we figured all that out. After three weeks, we had a well-paying job and an apartment. Fortune favors the brave, indeed.

It was during this time that I attended a workshop through a meetup group. It was about living sustainably on a budget (Monique, the instructor, has gained quite of bit of notoriety since!). I had little idea about sustainability, and even less about what it meant to live on a budget. You'd think I'd know, given the paltry military pay, however, we never paid rent or utilities. And, of course, we were very unconscious about our financial situation.

So I started a blog. A blog about being frugal, getting out of debt, living sustainably, and in the end, as it turns out, living simply. "Living [Frugally] Well" is an attempt to experiment with extreme frugality, but maintaining a feeling of well-being as well. It also chronicles our journey out of the debt hole we were in (and still are). Some experiments failed, like my attempt to use baking soda for shampoo that left my head irritated and with several sores. Others were successful, like our small patio garden that yielded enough tomatoes to make spaghetti.

Our most recent experiment is one with simplicity: a 747 sq. ft. one-bedroom apartment, squeezing in two adults and a rapidly growing three-year-old. The biggest lesson so far has been letting go of my attachment to "stuff", the rush I get when I see that the new used book I ordered from Amazon has arrived, the desire to add more yarn to my stash so I can start yet another knitting project.

I'm excited about being a part of these journals, I know that I can only learn more, and be encouraged more.

Maria

Easter and Weekly Challenge {Allison}

2009-04-08T16:37:00.001-07:00

Most people think it is odd since we are Christian that we do not celebrate Easter. We celebrate Ressurection Sunday, celebrate Jesus, and all that he gave up for us. Easter is not a Christian holiday and never was. If you do a google search all kinds of interesting information comes up about how a lot of holidays were turned Christian. Its roots are Pagan and the buying of Easter candy, gifts, and toys is just commercialism at its finest. We will go to church on Sunday (we attend here ) and enjoy a day together in the sun (I hope). I will cook the ham we have in the fridge and then plan the next weeks worth of meals that involve leftover ham. lol

My weekly challenge is budgeting related. We go through phases in our budgeting. From right on to umm overdraft fees. We have tried so many different versions and are working really hard on communicating with each other on what is going on in the account. We did a recent overhaul of our budget and created a zero dollar budget. We are also actually using the categories and such in Quicken to track things better. Our goal is to have an $1000 emergency fund and 3 months of living expenses saved should something drastic happen. We are also using this calculator to snowball our debt. I sometimes wonder if we will ever see the end of the student loans. I guess I should actually post a goal huh? Okay goal is this: To actually reconcile the account this week so that we can transfer the extra to our savings adding to the emergency fund. What tends to happen is we "forget" to transfer and hit Starbucks one too many times.

Introduction (Adina)

2009-04-08T15:51:00.000-07:00

I am Adina, mama to Brigit, wife to Gary. We moved to Portland in 2005 and had our daughter in 2006. Before that my husband and I lived in Boulder, Colorado. The change to Oregon has brought us to a place that is more in tune with our ideals and goals as a family. We miss the mountains in Colorado, but love the community we have found here.

Keeping it simple was most decidedly not something I have "always" been into. For a long time I was very much subscribed to the bigger, better, more philosophy of life. As I grew older though, I found I hated moving the crap of decades around, and was even more sick of dusting most of it. I discovered that I gravitated toward pictures of rooms which were simple, clean and spacious. So, for me that is where it began.

I have always had trouble paying for something that I can make myself. And with the amount of crafts I have accumulated over the years, that is a lot of things. Soon that ethic turned to food. If I could make the jam, canned peaches, spaghetti sauce, bread, yogurt, etc. - then why would I buy it.

All of this has wrapped up together with the birth of my daughter in 2006 and made me even more interested in keeping things simple. I feel there is less stress in your day to day when you choose simple living. I also feel that it reminds and teaches us appreciation for simple things.

In addition to the challenges we already face, our family has an additional challenge. Where we live. While we own our own home, we live in a townhouse. We don't have a yard, we don't have control over the outside of our home. Growing a garden is chancy here, as our landscape company is not always gentle, nor organic in their tending. We still have a garden, and are planning on expanding, but while we are here, it will not be the sole source of summer produce. We live in a very urban part of town, and there is a lot we can't really control, such as trash pickup, or disconnecting our downspouts, or the people jumping our back fence when drunk and peeing in our backyard. ;-)

Recently, my husband's hours at work were cut to 80% time. So, now in addition to the voluntary simplicity we seek, there is an added pressure to simplify to save money.

I hope that as we continue on this journey, we can teach our daughter the right things about living simply, and that we can learn to let go of the driving American industry of buying stuff.

Our journey is certainly not anywhere close to complete, and we fight every day to remove the clutter from our home. We are very much still learning this as a family, how to have enough, to be satisfied with what we have and only purchase what we need. It isn't always easy. And sometimes, it isn't fun. ;-)

You can read more about us and our journey at Simply, Happily Living.

What does Simple Living Mean?

2009-04-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

from Wikipedia:

Simple living (voluntary simplicity) is a lifestyle characterized by minimizing the 'more-is-better' pursuit of wealth and consumption. Adherents may choose simple living for a variety of personal reasons, such as spirituality, health, increase in 'quality time' for family and friends, stress reduction, personal taste or frugality.

Others cite socio-political goals aligned with the anti-consumerist movement, including conservation, social justice and sustainable development. According to Duane Elgin, "we can describe voluntary simplicity as a manner of living that is outwardly more simple and inwardly more rich, a way of being in which our most authentic and alive self is brought into direct and conscious contact with living."^[1]

from The Simple Living Network:

Simple living — aka voluntary simplicity — has just about as many definitions as there are individuals who practice it. Simple living is not about living in poverty or self-inflicted deprivation. Rather, it is about living an examined life — one in which you have determined what is important, or "enough," for you, discarding the rest.

To me, living simply means first and foremost, being creative and purposeful. Thinking outside of the box to get what my family needs, and providing also what it wants, without accumulating more "stuff" or spending needlessly. Living purposefully through family rituals, planning grocery store trips thoughtfully, nurturing relationships, and exploiting my talents, skills and abilities instead of being victimized by a complete lack of preparation, leading to emergency drive thru McDonald's visits, triple digit grocery store reciepts, rotten veggies in the fridge and suddenly realizing that though there are clothes covering the floor, nothing....fits....anyone.....

It means chucking a consumerist, disposable, dependent lifestyle, and focusing on maximizing the life and use of what I currently have, and everything that comes through my hands.

Of course there is a balance, there are exceptions. There still are only 24 hours in a day, and my time is the most precious commodity I have or will ever have. So in those 24 hours, I may choose not cloth diaper in order to focus on other more dear things to me. I may choose to keep bleach on hand for the really nasty messes. I may decide not to attend a function so that I can spend couple time with my partner, or simply stay in by myself and have some "me" time. To me, simple living doesn't mean living as a martyr for some lofty, sacrificial, spiritual principle. On the contrary. It is anything I can do which brings relief to the chaotic world around me, brings my inner peace, and feeds my relationships with others. It is not a lifestyle of deprivation. It is a lifestyle of abundance.

To me, there is no one "right" way to live simply. The beauty in it, is that there are no rules. There does seem to be a common thread though, a lingering connection between having less and doing more, and buying less and giving more. Beyond that, it's up to interpretation.

Readers! I would love to hear your interpretation and what simple living means to you!

Introduction (Jessica Butler)

2009-04-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

Keeping it simple for me has turned out to be about following my heart. Several years ago I remember feeling chronically overwhelmed and realized that everywhere I looked there was an unfinished idea, a book to read, a task or project to be started or completed. I was sick- again. I was tired. I was overloaded. I took it very seriously and started the process of simplifying both my space and my time in earnest. Up to that point I had been a simplicity dabbler- one who read simplicity books and implemented strategies here and there, not really thinking about the overall picture I was trying to create but definitely intrigued by both the freedom and peace simplicity seemed to offer. I had already gotten rid of several boxes of books, given away knickknacks, unused clothing, duplicate dishes... I wanted at the very least for our *stuff* to fit into our home.

When I began simplifying in earnest I started looking at my time as well as my space. I took out everything extraneous in an attempt to get back to the basics. I cut out nail painting, earrings, bird feeding, extra houseplants suffering from drought in the corner, to name a few. I cut out fiction. I toted boxes and boxes of books to the bookstore to sell, to the library to donate, to the thrift store- to come take it away for me! My clothing dwindled to only clothes I felt good in. My mantra was- there is always more stuff and I can handle what happens if I regret giving this up. As for my time? I can always add it back in if I miss it!

I gave up things I loved. Really loved. I stopped planting flowers. I ripped out unfinished knitting projects. I quit making jam one summer. Anything. Everything that became too much to do, whose flavor was overwhelm rather than inspire, was out. Nothing was too sacred. I was brutal. I was also feeling more spacious.

This blog comes to me at a time when I have begun to feel the slightest bit of overwhelm creeping back into my life. Perhaps it is springtime, a time for new ideas, a time to make room for fresh inspiration. I have been at this process long enough now to know that something probably needs to go. Shake things up. I will start where I always start- my closet, the garage, the bathroom drawers... I trust the de-cluttering process will lead me deeper into my life, pointing out other areas that need loosening up, clearing out. My challenge for April is to find at least one thing that I have been spending my time or my thoughts on that I am doing out of obligation or habit and either find a way to do it joyfully or drop it. Keep it simple. Keep it light.

I look forward to being a part of this community at KISS, following the flow that simplicity takes in each of our lives. You can see what else I am up to at http://musingsofapracticingmomma.blogspot.com/.

Introduction (Amoreena)

2009-04-07T20:12:00.001-07:00

I'm Amoreena, homeschooling mama of 2. I've always been concerned with Environmental issues and was clued into a lot of them by taking Environmental Science in College (somewhere around my sophomore year). Unfortunately I was a busy college student, working full time (2 jobs in the summer) and I didn't do much in the way of sustainable living beyond recycling and reading up on the issues. I always felt a great deal of frustration at the disconnect between how I wanted to live and how I actually lived--felt like I wasn't really living my values. It seemed like we were so busy just trying to keep up with everyday life that it was hard to change,.

When my oldest was about 16 mos, I found myself taking the first real break I'd ever had. I was working inEducation (ESL teacher) and I was off for the summer--it was the first time in my adult life that I was able to slow down. It was pretty amazing. I began reading books again, I taught myself to knit and I really enjoyed spending time with my daughter. I even did a little gardening and started a compost bin.

Although I returned to work in the fall, it was only a part-time position and I started to seriously consider becoming a SAHM and homeschooling my daughter. That year was a very transformative time for us. I took the NWEI class "Healthy Children, Healthy Planet," and started learning about Simple Living. John and I read several books together (Living Simply with Children, The Adult Liberation Handbook, Your Money or Your Life, Radical Simplicity, etc.) and did a lot of talking about what we really wanted in life. We weren't sure that we could afford to be a one-income family, but we thought that simple living might help us move in that direction.

A year later, I was able to quit my job and devote myself to full-time Mommyhood. We had to make some tough choices. We've had only 1 car for most of our marriage (no car payment!) and I got used to using public transportation now and then. We don't have a home telephone line, we don't have cable (which is ok because we gave up the TV years ago), we rarely buy new clothes, we cut back our garbage pick up, we eat a lot of beans and I'm learning to garden and cook from scratch to save money on food, we're still renting but hoping to buy a house soon. We've had to give up a lot of things that most American's take for granted but in return I've been able to stay home with my kids and homeschool them. We have more family time and I feel like I'm finally "living my values" and that is worth more than any second income could ever be.

Along the way most of the "greening" we've done to our lives revolve around domestic issues. The gardening, preserving food, cooking from scratch, cleaning with homemade cleaners, etc. We've got chickens and a worm bin. I've started making all my own bread products and some cheese. We still have a long way to go. Some of my current goals include: avoiding the grocery store all together and any big-box stores for that matter (we try to buy second hand as much as possible), I'd like to learn to sew, weave, etc. and I'd like to cut back our garbage pick-up to once/month. I love to garden but need to get better at composting.

For me, Simple, Sustainable Living is about more than just choosing the "organic" or environmentally friendly alternative at the grocery store. It's about really thinking about how we operate in the world and which systems we choose to support. The excess that we use as Americans leads to shortages elsewhere in the world, many of our purchases support multi-national-coorpoations that continue to abuse the environment and undermine the human spirit at home and abroad. Even our income tax money goes to fund unjust wars and make weapons of mass destruction.

Simple, Sustainable Living is about choosing a lifestyle that is in keeping with all of my values. Living in a way that is fair and just and sustainable. A way that supports responsible Environmental Stewardship to protect the Earth and promotes Peace and Justice for all of her inahbitants.

I've got a long way to go before I feel like we're really "there" but projects like these help keep me focused and on-track! Thanks Amy :) I look forward to learning from all you wonderful ladies and offering any pearls of wisdom that I have uncovered on my journey.

~Amoreena

Introduction {Nicole}

2009-04-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Simple living...I've been pondering this now for over a week. For me, the thought of living simple began with the pregnancy of my first child, who will turn 10 this year. I wanted to do everything I could to be the mom who sewed the clothes, made food from scratch, and used cloth diapers. Truth be told, I was pretty successful in those goals. However, cloth diapering was unsuccessful. As the years flew by, I lost that simple way of life. After the birth of my third child, I felt drawn to a more natural lifestyle. I was lost in the hustle and bustle, and felt the pull toward a more simple lifestyle, as did my children. Slowly we've made changes in our life that I am really proud of.

Our goals are to get the box garden thriving with fresh veggies. This is our first year really attempting gardening. We rent, and were fortunate enough our landlords didn't mind us having a garden. Hopefully, I will be able to preserve more food this year. I think for us, small steps are what works. We have started using homemade laundry soap, stainless steel water bottles, reusable grocery bags...And finally have had success cloth diapering. We do our best, and are moving forward on this journey.

Our challenges, *sigh* organization is huge for me. I am terribly unorganized. I'm have dreams about having a tidy house, where all the corners are clear of clutter. Or where you open up a cupboard and five things don't fall out and hit you in the head. But that spills over to planning and preparation. So, this is something that I could really focus some energy into.

I am Nicole, momma to four, wife to Ben. I'm a stay at home mom, moving towards my passion of becoming a photographer, and enjoy knitting, sewing and community. I look forward to learning more from all of you and getting to know you better. Thanks Amy for the invite!

Beginnings

Introduction- Allison

2009-04-02T21:44:00.001-07:00

As a child my mother read Little House on the Prairie to me. I re-read that book so many times thinking how wonderful it would be to live like that. Not so much the outhouses and winters with wind whipping through the house while you rolled straw to burn in the fire. More along the lines of baking bread, growing your own food, being overjoyed with a rag doll, a button string, or a single orange. That did not exist to me and it was a novelty. People did not really do these things anymore. We go to the grocery store and own every new gadget imaginable. Right? When Amy sent me the invitation for this blog I accepted and then later on was re-thinking it. I kept wondering to myself what is simple living? I have never labeled what we do that way.

About 4 years ago I started down the path to simple living without really knowing I was heading there. Honestly, it started with doula training and the amazing group of women I met there. Several of them showed me that people do actually live this way and it is possible in the hustle and bustle of our hectic lives to slow down. From there it just progressed on, if birth can be that simple and straightforward then why not the rest of life.

Currently, I live in the city with my husband and our four kids. We rent our home but that has not stopped us from doing what we can to live simply. We have chickens and a garden. I love to can and freeze food for the rest of the year. We recycle everything we can and are trying to limit what does come into the house. We have a worm bin and composters for all of our kitchen scraps that the chickens don't eat. Baking bread is a daily part of our life. We also try to buy used when we can. I love to sew and create things for my family rather than buy them. I try to add things one at a time so my husband does not get too freaked out by all the change. I'm going for small baby steps, as it is a never ending journey.

Our dream is to one day buy a piece of land that we can call our own. We would love more chickens (we currently have 13) and maybe a cow or goat. I want more garden space and possibly room to raise animals for meat. I enjoy thinking about this dream but also living in the now and doing everything I can with where we are at.

You can see more of our family here at Our Journey Through Life and more about me at Lally.

The Urban Hippie Life {UrbanHippieMama}

2009-04-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

My journey towards simplicity began consciously 5 years ago, when I purchased my first home as a single mama with a 2 and a half year old daughter. During that time on my journey I began examining everything in my life from the unhealthy and unsatisfying relationship I had just left, to the cleaning products I would choose to use in my new house. I shaved my head. I got out of debt. I opened my home for a weekly Voluntary Simplicity study group and potluck. I worked to get in touch with who I was at the core.

I have always identified with the "Hippie" subculture. Growing up I loved looking at my mom's old photos where everyone had long flowing hair and was sitting in parks contemplating life (or at least that's what she told me they were doing...). Anti-war sentiments, communal living, and women's rights are all things that have always made sense to me.

I'm now in my 30's, have 3 kids and a husband, live in an urban city, and have come to a place in my journey towards simplicity that feels right, but never complete. It is definitely a journey and not a destination.

Simple living, to me, means living in harmony with nature and it's rhythms. It is eating whole foods, food I've grown myself, choosing reusable, second-hand and sustainable goods, buying local, learning to do more myself with what I already have, and being part of a tribe.

The most challenging aspect for me is also one of the aspects that I love the most: it is questioning everything. There are so many layers in our modern lives that add such complexity and mystery to everything. I am learning to stop, tune into the voice of Mother Culture, and question Her.

I am so excited about The KISS Journals and thrilled to be a part of it. I look forward to getting to know you amazing women and learn about each of your unique journeys. I welcome the challenges we set for ourselves and each other, and am grateful for the support we will offer along the way.

You can read more about the UrbanHippie Family at: UrbanHippieMama.com, and see the UrbanHippie Farm at: UrbanHippieFarm.blogspot.com

Green & Simple {Hot Belly Mama}

2009-04-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

I started my "green and simple" journey about a decade ago. I didn't know what I was doing or what was the right thing to do. Ten years later, I know more but I still don't really know what I should be doing. I can tell you that this will be a lifelong process and it gets more interesting as time goes one. Three years ago, I became much more serious: My husband and I were living in a suburban apartment and I was determined to live as green as possible. I recycled, reused grocery bags, switched to all CFLs, starting buying consignment, bought food at the local farmers market and more. I had no idea at the time that this decision would eventually take us out to 8 acres in the middle of the country. I went from being a sophisticated city girl with cute clothes and shoes to a barefoot pregnant mama chasing chickens in a matter of a few years. And I love every moment of it.

What does living simple mean to me? There are several components. I think the first one and it's the biggest is: buying less stuff. By buying less, you are bringing less waste and packaging into your home. You are also saving money and finding ways to use the items you already have. It is far too easy to stop at the store every night on your way home and buy things you really don't need. I should know, I still do this. One area I struggled in for a long time was jeans. I would find the perfect pair of jeans and they would fit great for about a month. Then they would get too loose in the waist and I'd throw them in the dryer hoping they would magically shrink just the right way. That, of course never happened. But I discovered a better way. Instead of shrinking my jeans and buying more out of frustration, I started taking them in to the seamstress. Frankly, I can't believe I didn't discover this sooner! For less than $12 (far cheaper than a new pair of jeans), I could now have them taken in to custom fit my waist and they never fit better! Really, why didn't someone tell me about this sooner?

The second component: is buying locally. When I lived in suburbia, almost every weekend, my best friend Claire and I would take our reusable bags to the farmers market and give money locally while buying the freshest foods available. Plus, the time we spent together talking about more ways to save money and living simple was invaluable. During the winter months, I tried to only buy produce grown in the U.S.A. and switch to eating more nuts and locally grown beef, eggs and milk. Now, my husband and I are raising chickens and plan to have a garden by next summer. We also hope to eventually raise our own beef. I can't even begin to summarize the importance of buying locally. So, I recommend a great book that can you read for inspiration on the subject: Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.

The last component and the most important: is to always challenge yourself. There are thousands of ways to live more simple. The trick is finding them and being willing to try them. Not everything will always work for you, but never give up. Move on and try something else. It is important that you never think that you must live in a certain place or make a certain amount of money to live more green and simple. It also important that you give yourself allowances. My husband will always buy coffee from overseas and I will always buy rich pure chocolate without a care as to where it came from. These are our small sins of indulgences and we enjoy them thoroughly.

My own personal challenge for April. When we lived in our apartment, we somehow managed to take a 32 gallon bag down to the dumpster every five days. Clearly, we were producing far too much waste for two people. Since moving to the country, we recycle, reuse and compost as much as possible. I give almost all of our food scraps to the chickens as we don't have a sink incinerator. Because of this, we produce less waste. Our challenge for the month of April and for the rest of the year is to stick with using garbage service only one time a month with one can. *Gasp* I get the feeling that when our first baby is born in June or July - this will become much more challenging. Up to this point, we've made one trip to the dump with our waste and recyclables but starting next Monday - we will be setting out our trash can for the first time. We will not have another pick up again until May.

I'd like to challenge others with this. If you currently get garbage pickup once a week with two cans - change it to one can. Or maybe change your garbage pickup schedule to twice a month. This will challenge you to think twice before buying and bringing waste into your home. It will also challenge you to think about what else you can do with waste. Recycle, reuse, compost or maybe even give it away. But don't send it to the landfill anymore. I'd love to hear feedback on this and ways that you discovered to throw away less waste. I could use all the tricks available!

I am really exicted to be writing for this blog. I am more excited about meeting the other women that live within 25 miles of me that will be writing as well. I can't wait to hear about their own journeys and learn from them. Most of them have babies and children (I have one on the way) and I know the insight they provide will be most valuable. Thank you Amy for inviting me to be a part of this experience!

For more on my own personal blog on simple living in the country: check out my blog at: Hot Belly Mama.

Sincerely, Janelle

Why KISS? {Amy}

2009-03-30T10:19:00.000-07:00

For as long as I have been an adult, I've been attracted to a more simple way of life. I'm not sure if it started with my first baby when I realized all of his toys contained batteries, or if it is more deeply rooted in my rustic Alaskan upbringing, but I knew I wanted to live differently than how my life had become.

The kicker for me is that I love nature. I love mountains and forests and rivers and wildflowers and the serenity in sensing it all around me. I love the idea of a small self sufficient cabin in the woods. The beauty and satisfaction of growing your own food, chopping your own wood, preparing your own meals, caring for your family naturally and organically.

In reality, I pile my five kids into the minivan, turn on the tv, and drive straight to Starbucks before handing over $200 at the grocery store and driving thru Mickey D's for lunch.

There is a disconnect from my ideals and what my life is today. This blog is about closing that gap (for me).

My name is Amy and I am a momma to five kids, partner to Reggie, and photographer.

The Homestead