Living Simply

[September 30, 2012]  This notion of 'living simply' is something that I have been mulling over for the better part of this year.  I have found that as I graduated from college and James and I decided to move in together and start a new chapter in our lives - I found that what was perfectly fine for my home in college was no longer acceptable to me.  Since then, we have made the mistake of making purchases for new couches, dining room tables, and cars -- in pursuit of the 'american dream' I suppose.  Well, since then, I have had the dream furniture, new shiny car, etc and I've found that it's all just STUFF.  In fact, this new shiny stuff doesn't always stay new and shiny.  For example, my cream colored modern couch loses its luster after 3 straight moves, I have a one inch ding in our solid wood bedroom dresser, and the fancy new car....well I traded it in for a used one in an effort to lower my payments. 

 

This was an excerpt from a blogger than I have followed, and she shares some interesting and oh so true perspectives on really living simply....

When we got married we had very little, and it was weird to see our hand-me-down/thrift furnishings mixed with brand new wedding gifts. What was good enough for college didn’t seem so nice anymore.
 

Doug and I didn’t like each other’s stuff as we tried to combine it all. My old couch was older than me, but it held my memories of sitting on it while watching Family Ties and the Cosby show, feeling sick with chicken pox, and making forts with the cushions. Doug thought it was too small, and it was. We got rid of that one and kept his couch which had been in someone’s garage before he owned it. It was shabby, not shabby-chic. I think we kept it a year before we decided that having no couch at all was better than owning that one; it was dreadful.
 

Doug’s twenty-year-old washing machine ate a hole in my brand new white sheets the first week.

The really nice thing we had was a soft new mattress and bedding, plus new kitchen stuff that wouldn’t fit into our tiny rental kitchen.
 

That first year we were married, we paid off all our debt. We went gung-ho about it, not stopping to buy a throw pillow or a lamp, but I did buy $21 worth of curtains. It was a couple of years into our marriage before we added nicer furniture and decorations, and we did so a little at a time. Anyone can buy a room full of matching furniture all at once down to the matching lamps, but I don’t think that would have solved anything for us.
 

It takes time to develop the lived-in character of a home that feels comfortable and suits both people.

Yes, we put up with an ugly couch, but that was temporary. Paying off debt soon in our marriage had a deep impact, and it set the standard for how we make our decisions. By waiting we realized something more important…we don’t really want a house full of furniture after all. I’m not sure what we want, exactly. We’re still deciding. But I could care less about granite countertops.

The last thing I want new couples to be saddled with are big monthly payments for new cars and furniture. Don’t limit your options that way, especially if your cash is limited from buying a home. It’s much easier to add extras later if you want them.

I think that these statements suit James and I to a tee.  Even though I true life's dreams, desires, and goals have nothing to do with household items, or even owning our own home at this point - and everything to do with travel, culture, family and friends.  And yet, I continue to habitually clutter my life with material things (a new throw pillow here, nifty garlic press there...) that only further cloud the path to financial freedom - which will ultimately allow for the TRAVEL, culture, and simple PEACE of MIND! THESE are the things that we want for ourselves more than anything.  So why do I continue to subconciously deny myself these amazing goals that we have in place for ourselves?  Is it that I'm a sucker for marketing/consumer ploys?  Do I have this underlying belief that we'll never reach the true end-goal - so I might at well fill my life with uselessness?  What gives?  Well enough is enough.  No more random Target trips when I'm feeling bored.  Next bordom bang!? -- Go for a hike, bike the trails, go to yoga....do what makes me really happy and fullfilled. I'm happy to report that James and I are the right path to being debt (i.e. student loan) free in the next few years -- we just have to stick to the plan and keep our eyes on the prize!  So, with the New Year upon us I'm making a vow to keep things in great perspective this year -- and to KEEP IT SIMPLE, HAPPY, AND HEALTHY! 

Cheers,
jen

What's with Wheatgrass!?

Ok so we've heard all about this little grassy supercalafragalistic expealidocious food, right?!  So what gives?  I mean I've been one to take wheatgrass shots every time I enter Whole Foods or the local farmers market, and swear I can 'feel' the effects start to take place immediately...but what does it REALLY do for me?  Secondly, my amazing husband has graced me with the much coveted juicer for Christmas - which I am completely obsessed with!  So now I want to juice just about anything but I can find in the kitchen vicinity - seriously!  Of course you can't juice wheatgrass with a regular juicer - but I wanted to see what it would take to juice this grassy gem myself...so I did some research.  Here's some great info from another blog "Wild Roots":

So, what is it?Wheatgrass is the young grass of a wheat plant. It’s typically harvested 8-10 days after sprouting & can be purchased as fresh grass, a juice, or a concentrated powder. Since it is a grass, the fibers must be separated before human consumption because our bodies cannot digest them.


What does it do?

Wheatgrass is a powerful detoxifier. The enzymes & amino acids found in it can protect us from carcinogens like no other food or medicine. It will detoxify your liver & bloodstream, strengthen your cells, chemically neutralize environmental pollutants & it cleanses the gastrointestinal tract of debris.

Wheatgrass also stimulates metabolism & aids in reducing blood pressure by dilating the blood pathways. Plus it helps restore fertility & promotes youthfulness.

It can eliminate itching almost immediately when applied externally to the skin, and is soothing & healing for cuts, burns, rashes, scrapes, athlete’s foot, insect bites, poison ivy, boils, sores, open ulcers, & tumors. It will also sooth sunburned skin & act as a disinfectant.

Rub it into your scalp before a shower & it will help mend damaged hair & alleviate itchy, scaly, scalp conditions.

Wheatgrass can also help you sleep! Place a tray of living wheatgrass near the head of your bed (you can order the seeds online and find trays & soil at a local nursery.) It will enhance the oxygen in the air & generate healthful negative ions to help you sleep more soundly.


Gargle with wheatgrass juice to sweeten your breath & firm up your gums.

If you’re daring enough to try it as an enema, wheatgrass will help cleanse & nourish your lower bowel.

 

How to drink it:
Personally I like to take my wheatgrass as a shot. If you don’t like the taste much you can chase it with a little sparkling water & a bite of citrus.

You can always add wheatgrass to another juice or smoothie as well. Adding it to any Naked juice will give you an easy extra boost, or make a homemade juice.

No juicer? No problem… if you have a blender & a french press or aeropress, that is. Blend your fruits & veggies in your blender with a little water to get things moving. Once everything is well blended, pour the mixture into your french press/aeropress & push the fibers to the bottom. If you have a dehydrator you can use the leftover fruit & veggie fibers to make chips. Always make wheatgrass shots separately & do not use the leftover wheatgrass fibers. Our bodies cannot digest them.

This method works really well for juicing since it’s slower than a normal juicer. The slower your food gets broken down, the less damage is done to the cells, and the more nutrition it holds. But a normal juicer works great too. Really, juice is just awesome. Drink it. Everyday. Seriously.

You can’t drink too much of this stuff and once you start feeling the benefits you won’t want to stop.

Make sure you use the blender/french press method or a specific wheatgrass juicer when working with wheatgrass. That way you can separate the fibers. A normal juicer will NOT work with wheatgrass.