To Celebrate the Authentic Mama Blog…..
Simplify your life challenge- win free gifts!
Spring is a traditional time for ’spring cleaning’ in the US. Why not live this way year round? Living completely sustainably and simply may seem somewhat of a challenge. Don’t worry, you don’t need to set up a chicken coup ~today~ you can accomplish simple sustainable living in baby steps.
This is why I am starting this challenge! I am a self confessed book addict! I have books I have not used in months that others could benefit from. I will be giving my books away during this challenge (and there are some great ones)! Since I started this on a complete whim- this first challenge will go through midnight March 5th (tomorrow)- from there it will be a daily giveaway! This is my first blog giveaway so I can’t promise it will go perfectly (but who needs to be perfect right!!) Just leave an inspiring comment of over 50 words about your plans to complete the challenge or your results from doing so. The ‘challenge’ will be simple steps you can do right now to simplify your life- I encourage you to really participate! Hopefully your reward will be getting one step closer to fulfillment!
Before you comment here are the rules:
- No double posting- try and make sure you get all that you need to say into your comment before you press send- if you make a mistake don’t worry about it (don’t clarify it in another post).
- No spam, try to leave a well thought out post that is over 50 words about that days challenge (relating to the topic of that post).
- Leave your comment before midnight the day the post is dated- any comments after that time will not be eligible (you can still leave a comment about what you think, it just won’t be entered in to the contest to win the item that is featured). Watch for new posts sometime before 11 am PST.
- The winners will be picked at random the next day (sometime in the morning PST) after the previous days post- the winner will be announced on this blog (so check back) if you are the winner email me at mysacredforest at aol.com with your snail mail address and the nick name, website or screen name you use when you post.
- Allow a few weeks for delivery.
- The contest will go on at least until march 21st 2009- who knows maybe longer!
Today’s gift will be Natural Beauty for All Seasons- 250 simple Recipes and gift-giving ideas for year-round beauty. My books are gently used but in great condition- some have been gifts to me and some I have purchased. There may be a few surprise gifts thrown in as well- keep checking back!
Today’s challenge. Clean out your fridge and cupboards- if an item is expired or you think you want to change your diet to a more natural alternative than box food (another great goal) give it to your local food bank or throw it out if needed. As you are throwing things away (and giving them away) I invite you to add up (approximately)how much each items costs ( when we realize our pocket books have been effected, it tends to make an even bigger impact). Look at expiration dates, really pay attention to what you use and what you don’t. Ask yourself why you bought the item- were you shopping consciously, do you make a list? Make a vow to support your local farmer/ grocer this year and make time to do a weekly stop at your local farmers market. Start using re-usable shopping bags.
I was really inspired by Kristen Martini’s story. I told a friend about this story and her first reaction was “ya but we don’t have the money to run out and move to out- in-the-middle-of-nowhere”. The point of the story was not that you need sell your house and move somewhere away from civilization like Swiss Family Robinson, it is that you can simplify your life wherever you are right now!
What struck me about Kristen is the overall sense of fulfillment she had with living with less. I saw the before picture (when she was a ‘country club’ member) and her speaking now- she had such a great energy about her, a sense of happiness and peace that you seldom see in today’s on-the-go society. This is really what Authentic Mama is all about! It is not just about saving money (you will) it is about becoming whole.
Check out vagabonsteve’s video for more great insights.
Check out The Simple Living Institute
{ 3 trackbacks }
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
I just did this this weekend, coincidently! I have one small cupboard that I let my husband have his junkfood in, and I never open it, lol. The rest of the kitchen is well organized with healthy foods. We do use a list, and we perimeter shop, that’s where all the fresh stuff is, on the perimeter of the store.
In the growing season, we grow as much of our own foods as possible as well as wildcraft medicines and plants for food, canning it for the winters. I recently decided to go with a CSA farm this year to share in their crops and frequent the local farmers market where I live, most of the vendors even know my son by name! My family goes in with another family member on co-op foods such as rice, flour and grains. We divide it up in glass mason jars for storage. It saves money and allows us to eat more organic foods, something that has limited availability where we live.
We also recently started frequenting the local Menonite and Amish communities nearby to purchase our spices and cheese. I like supporting that culture, and they certianly leave a smaller carbon footprint on our Mother Earth, so for the things I myself cannot grow or make, we turn to them.
I have used cloth bags since before it was the “fad”. I am so happy to see grocery stores carrying them for purchase! In the day that I got mine, I had to order them online, or make them. Still going strong though!
I think it’s important to teach our children in general the difference between needs and wants. This economic hardship can be looked at as a good thing, if we so choose, we are being forced to analyze our lives and our living conditions and decide which things we can really live without. That’s not a bad thing in my opinion.
I also pledge, that if I am chosen to receive this book, I will pass on one of mine to someone else, as Lord knows I have more of them than I use as well!
Blessings~
Kate
I actually ended up doing this to my kitchen cupboards today. My youngest son is having some severe digestive troubles and we are going gluten free with him and we keep accidently having little slip ups…so instead of keeping the foods around that can be slipped up on, we’ve now made the house safe for him. A bit more costly and inconvenient without being able to use boxed foods, but my sons health is worth it. I cannot wait until the summer when we are able to eat all of the yummy veggies and fruit straight out of the garden! Unfortunately we don’t have a farmers market here, but we buy fresh farm eggs for $2.00/dozen and mennonite chicken for $2.49/lb (SO much tastier). My DH also hunts so we have a freezer filled with elk and deer.
Just finished cleaning out the fridge. Lately we’ve been making most things from scratch. We’ve completely eliminated canned foods, anything with high fructose corn syrup and anything with “Enriched” anything in it also with hydrogenated anything. I make meals from scratch. We never eat out unless we are invited out for some special occassion. The only things I threw out where condiments that had been neglected in the fridge that we no longer use but I didn’t have the heart the throw out. However they are long since expired! I’m thinking of buying a hand crank grain mill to make my own flour! Then I can buy bulk grains and make my own. There is such great fulfillment in making healthy (and tastier!!) food for my family. It’s no longer a chore but something fun as we sit down and figure out weekly menus and involve the kids in cooking. I’d like to go raw vegan but I’m waiting til spring when it’ll be less expensive to start up!
I used to live simply when I was younger, partially from necessity as we weren’t rich, but mostly as a way of life. It helped keep the important things clear and brought such satisfaction and deep contentment and joy.
I still lived this way when I was on my own, but after I got married and my sister moved in with us my life took a decided turn for the opposite.
Many difficult years passed in between then and now, and we are finally buying our own home. I believe simplifying would make us happier still. My goal is not to just move our lives from point A to point B but instead I am going room by room, methodically getting rid of things, keeping only what is used and loved regularly. I feel that it’s the next logical step in trying to live green.
I have always had to live a very monastic life. We moved so much when I was a child I never got a chance to accumulate items. The I got older and started college, still I moved a lot and didn’t collect anything except books. All my furniture I could take apart and move in a two door vehicle. My dresser was a stack of milk crates. It all made moving easy. Then I had a kid and I dug a rut and started accumulating like a mad hermit stockpiling for the world’s end. And now my guy of 9 years and I have finally decided to combine households and move our family into one residence. For every item I give up a pile he has to give something up. I started by tossing my 20 yo college text books. He gave up the baseball card collection. My next move is to get rid of all of our 7 yo son’s old clothes. He’s always going to be an only child but its been hard to part with all the cute little outfits. All the newborn to 1yo went to a co-worker, the 3T to an ex-coworker who’s house burned down. The 5T clothes are going to the autism school so they have spare clothes when the kids have accidents. I am expecting my guy to dump several boxes of his old KISS VHS collection. We are working our way through the mess to get to just our basics and our truly happy items. But after the old clothes I am not sure what I will be willing to part with. I think we will be doing an item by item comparison of kitchen stuff.
As a student living at home, it can sometimes be a great challenge to live a simpler, greener life–because the rest of the family tends to think I’m a kook!
Luckily, I’ve been given a stipend to do much of the family grocery shopping. I’m also the one who does a lot of the cooking. Before this weekend is over, I want to make a meal plan for the next three weeks, clean out our cupboards and fridge, and use my aunt’s work at cost comparison’s to help me make out a safer grocery list for us to shop from.
I really like Kate’s comment about the one cabinet the junk food is in, that she doesn’t open. I’m going to try to see if I can implement that in my kitchen, too!
This summer, I’m joining forces with my aunt to grow as much of our food as we can. I’ve kept a garden for the past two summers, but it was really small and didn’t produce as much as I wanted (because of it’s size). I’m really excited about the expansion this year!
Our family is trying to move to Arizona this summer. We are not sure when.I want to be ready when it is time to go.So after looking at ALL the things we have to move, I have decided there is so much here that we don’t need and NEVER even touch! Too much clutter.I try to live simply in every other aspect of my life, I am going to simplify my house. Simplifying my house will make things easier all the way
around. Too mcuh clutter is not for anyone’s state of mind.
I am doing the cleaning cupbords this week too. The things I am giving away will go to a teen store for making money to help support their group. Everybody is in a win/win situation there. I am preparing my gardens for planting for the Spring. Seeds are starting in my little greenhouse and some tinctures are making on the kitchen counter. I can not wait to see the first herbs coming up to make some new infusions and new green salads with fresh tomatoes. The rain has stopped andit is time to go and check the rst of the yard. Have a great start of Spring and may His Glory reflect on us all.
IVE NEVER LEFT A COMENT BEFORE.WHAT CAN I SAY.I TRY TO KEEP MY LIFE SIMPLE.IM 73 YO AND HAVE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS TO MAKE DO WITH LESS
Hello, I stumbled across your wonderful blog this morning. Thanks for the mention and your kind words regarding my transition and the story in Oprah Magazine. In reading your friends response to the article I wanted clarify that in my decision to live with less i did so from the start. When I left my then husband and our big life, i did so with less than $3,000 in my bank account and no job. I was fortunate to have a beautiful, inexpensive rental home to cradle us, but that was it. I found a job as an elder care taker and started selling my belongings. “Jump and the net will appear”. I relied on my faith and myself and the knowledge that living with less would allow me to live my own life. What a blessing it has been.
Hi Kristen, thank you so much for stopping by! You are an inspiration! I love that you trusted yourself and jumped! Your faith is amazing, I appreciate so much that you stopped by and took the time to comment.
Blessings!