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I've been gone months and while I haven't been here spilling my thoughts, I have been somewhere.
Over the last two years I've lost a lot of STUFF. Let me explain that I've had a problem with STUFF, not like hoarding, but coming from that same place, for about twenty years.
One more cute thing from a flea market or dollar shop couldn't hurt, right?
While I'd been pondering that-and I knew that the impulse comes from unresolved life issues-other STUFF happened. I had slowly workd my way into administrative work in the 15 years since my factory job went away. I liked it well enough, really liked my co-workers, it paid okay and then the economy went pffft.
During a stressful few years I lost another job (different venue) due to cut backs and every time this happened, my income was down another several hundred dollars a month. Eventually we had to downsize. And in 12 months eight people in my life (half of them close) passed away, some suddenly.
Stress will give you big problems and after 18 months of trying to hold it in, I developed a five month bout of kidney trouble (never really knew why) that was the predesessor of several potenially chronic health problems. I won't go into it as I am not here to complain, I am just saying that this is how one goes from pretty good health to constant complaints. For months I suffered from what I think was "referred pain" in my shoulders. I was REALLY painful and I worked hard to manage it with reiki and meditation.
During this time I almost fiinished my college degree-except for the internship-with a grant, and had to figure out what we'd do to survive in an economy where the cost of living is going up and up and reliable cash is way down. We had to downsize our lives and I donated or threw out about half of what was in the house so we could fit ourselves into a space that was over 300 square feet smaller and required less $$$ outlay and much less physical work for people heading into the autumn of life.
Now some folks would see this as failure. and initially I thought so, because we are trained to think so but as time went on I realized that I had been wanting to move into "voluntary simplicity" as a lifestyle and spend more time with family, in particular, my grandchildren. We also "adopted" two kittens that weighed less than a pound, born under my parents' shed, a real decision on my part, because of the added costs and my limited ability to chase them, but it was either let them pass away or give them to a shelter and I wouldn't do either. A local shelter helped us with inexpensive healthcare and they are sweet additions to our lives now, affectionate and a little wild at 7 months! And I had previously thought I'd never have an animal again. So all-in-all at times prayer is answered in strange ways!
Now-although our space is all electric, our carbon footprint is smaller because we are using less space, resources, and own less, so we have less to maintain. And although my husband is not really getting it yet, we are using much less electric than similar households because I am working at it! More about that next issue. Yes, there are ways to reduce your usage in winter!
NEXT issue: I will give some tips for less expensive meals that still are extra nutritious AND less expensive ways to cook them! Below-make your own laundry soap...from the Duggar's recipes and given to them by a friend...although these recipes have been around for ages. you make 10 gallons of soap and if you need fragrance add some essential oils, purchasable at healthfood stores or online. During the "cooking" portion of the recipe you must stay with it and stir so it doesn't boil over and the "storage containers" can be bought cheaply at Home Depot (2 paint buckets, 5 gallon) or reuse a clean cat litter container!
Home Made Liquid Laundry Soap-front or top loading
4 cups hot tap water
1 bar Fels Naptha Soap (purchase in cleaning aisle) or use a bar of Ivory Soap
1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda * (see note)
1/2 Cup Borax
-Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until completely dissoveled into the water.
-Fill a five gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot tap water . Add melted soap, wshing soda and borax. stir well, cover and let sit overnight. (It thickens)
-fill an empty laundry soap bottle half full of solution and fillthe rest with water. shake well before each use.
**(I suggest that the bucket is kept locked up if you have small kid so busy pets and use the usual care with the laundry bottle!)
-
Optional-add 10-15 drops of essential oil to each two gallons and suggeste dis rosemary, lavendar or tea tree oil
**My Note: research before you do this, as some oils are not recommended for: pregnant women, small children , diabetics, those with hypertention, the elderly or ill, etc. for instance, Oil of Bergamot: not recommended for pregnant women or those with Hypertention. (*per Valerie Worwood's books on essential oils)
Per the Duggars' site, this makes 10 gallons and does 160 toploads or 640 front loads!
they say the A&H Super Washing soda can be bought at Meijer.com. This is NOT baking soda, it must contain sodium carbonate to work.
DISCLAIMER: I haven't made it yet, it's my next step. Use all reasonable care when making and using this! It should be okay for the sensitive, but I would make a smaller batch and try that first...
More talk later,
Valerie ; )
Over the last two years I've lost a lot of STUFF. Let me explain that I've had a problem with STUFF, not like hoarding, but coming from that same place, for about twenty years.
One more cute thing from a flea market or dollar shop couldn't hurt, right?
While I'd been pondering that-and I knew that the impulse comes from unresolved life issues-other STUFF happened. I had slowly workd my way into administrative work in the 15 years since my factory job went away. I liked it well enough, really liked my co-workers, it paid okay and then the economy went pffft.
During a stressful few years I lost another job (different venue) due to cut backs and every time this happened, my income was down another several hundred dollars a month. Eventually we had to downsize. And in 12 months eight people in my life (half of them close) passed away, some suddenly.
Stress will give you big problems and after 18 months of trying to hold it in, I developed a five month bout of kidney trouble (never really knew why) that was the predesessor of several potenially chronic health problems. I won't go into it as I am not here to complain, I am just saying that this is how one goes from pretty good health to constant complaints. For months I suffered from what I think was "referred pain" in my shoulders. I was REALLY painful and I worked hard to manage it with reiki and meditation.
During this time I almost fiinished my college degree-except for the internship-with a grant, and had to figure out what we'd do to survive in an economy where the cost of living is going up and up and reliable cash is way down. We had to downsize our lives and I donated or threw out about half of what was in the house so we could fit ourselves into a space that was over 300 square feet smaller and required less $$$ outlay and much less physical work for people heading into the autumn of life.
Now some folks would see this as failure. and initially I thought so, because we are trained to think so but as time went on I realized that I had been wanting to move into "voluntary simplicity" as a lifestyle and spend more time with family, in particular, my grandchildren. We also "adopted" two kittens that weighed less than a pound, born under my parents' shed, a real decision on my part, because of the added costs and my limited ability to chase them, but it was either let them pass away or give them to a shelter and I wouldn't do either. A local shelter helped us with inexpensive healthcare and they are sweet additions to our lives now, affectionate and a little wild at 7 months! And I had previously thought I'd never have an animal again. So all-in-all at times prayer is answered in strange ways!
Now-although our space is all electric, our carbon footprint is smaller because we are using less space, resources, and own less, so we have less to maintain. And although my husband is not really getting it yet, we are using much less electric than similar households because I am working at it! More about that next issue. Yes, there are ways to reduce your usage in winter!
NEXT issue: I will give some tips for less expensive meals that still are extra nutritious AND less expensive ways to cook them! Below-make your own laundry soap...from the Duggar's recipes and given to them by a friend...although these recipes have been around for ages. you make 10 gallons of soap and if you need fragrance add some essential oils, purchasable at healthfood stores or online. During the "cooking" portion of the recipe you must stay with it and stir so it doesn't boil over and the "storage containers" can be bought cheaply at Home Depot (2 paint buckets, 5 gallon) or reuse a clean cat litter container!
Home Made Liquid Laundry Soap-front or top loading
4 cups hot tap water
1 bar Fels Naptha Soap (purchase in cleaning aisle) or use a bar of Ivory Soap
1 cup Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda * (see note)
1/2 Cup Borax
-Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until completely dissoveled into the water.
-Fill a five gallon bucket 1/2 full with hot tap water . Add melted soap, wshing soda and borax. stir well, cover and let sit overnight. (It thickens)
-fill an empty laundry soap bottle half full of solution and fillthe rest with water. shake well before each use.
**(I suggest that the bucket is kept locked up if you have small kid so busy pets and use the usual care with the laundry bottle!)
-
Optional-add 10-15 drops of essential oil to each two gallons and suggeste dis rosemary, lavendar or tea tree oil
**My Note: research before you do this, as some oils are not recommended for: pregnant women, small children , diabetics, those with hypertention, the elderly or ill, etc. for instance, Oil of Bergamot: not recommended for pregnant women or those with Hypertention. (*per Valerie Worwood's books on essential oils)
Per the Duggars' site, this makes 10 gallons and does 160 toploads or 640 front loads!
they say the A&H Super Washing soda can be bought at Meijer.com. This is NOT baking soda, it must contain sodium carbonate to work.
DISCLAIMER: I haven't made it yet, it's my next step. Use all reasonable care when making and using this! It should be okay for the sensitive, but I would make a smaller batch and try that first...
More talk later,
Valerie ; )
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