Simplifying Life

ceridwen

Hester

Have checked out what vegetarian websites I have made a note of:

- obviously - first point of call is our own Gingham Ribbons's seasonal vegetarian recipe threads

ALSO:

www.savvyvegetarian.com/

www.vegsoc.org

www.VegWeb.com

www.veg-world.com/

ceridwen

I see there seem to be quite a lot of new people "on board" this Forum. Welcome.

I'm pleased to see this thread seems to have struck quite a chord with people - please keep the ideas coming... I'm picking up new ones too.

Websites and blogs of interest come and go - as some fall by the wayside and new ones come on stream. So - my current definitive list of ones I go into regularly to see whats new at present (many of them familiar to longstanding OS'ers - but one or two additions even so! - and to save the newbies searching around our Forum):

http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/

http://www.elementsintime.com/Blog.html

www.bean-sprouts.blogspot.com/

www.downsizer.net/

www.selfsufficientish.com/

www.greatturningtimes.org/

www.justfortheloveofit.org/

www.motherearthnews.com/

www.pathtofreedom.com/

http://transitionculture.org/

http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/

http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/

www.hillbillyhousewife.com/index.htm

http://downshiftingpath.blogspot.com/

Its okay Hester - you've noted many of these already! - but there are some that may be new even to you.

These are all ones that are along the lines of simple living.

Happy Holiday reading.

Keeping_Motivated

teacup wrote: »

Hi great thread . I love the start of a new year. My simplify life & resolutions are

1. De-Clutter entire house cupboards, wardrobe, kids rooms, drawers , etc etc , in the hope of becoming organised and not spending my time searching for things

2. Sort out household filing and go through all bills and try and get things cheaper ie virgin media etc etc.Swith lights etc off

3. Always do a shopping list when I go shopping and have meal plans and basic store cupboard ingredients

4. Use all my perfumes, body sprays etc etc that I have in my drawer see how far I can get into 2008 without having to buy any whatsoever!

5. Keep a spending diary

6. when I first came to this site I was a real spendy sort of person but now I dont spend much on clothes or magazines. So want to keep that up.

7. Save some money where possible as have no emergency fund whatsoever not a penny .

8. Lose a stone in weight

9. Look after myself go, for a lovely walk everyday

10. Dont worry about what people think so much ,

11. have some fun family days out and a few more treats

12. not be overdrawn everymonth

13. be lovely and never moan!

14. Count my blessings everyday and appreciate my family for who they are. Stop worrying about what I havent got appreciate what I do have. Be positive opposed to a bit negative sometimes . Find a positive spark when things arent going how I want them too.

15. Do a random act of kindness when and where I can.make someone feel nice amd me too!

Nice post and I think number 10 would make a lot of peoples lives simpler including my own

OddjobKIA

I would love to simplify my life

First i would get rid of the 4 kids ( only joking)

I only buy books from the charity shops. My local salvation army puts them aside for me to look through first I then pay £1.00 for 5 books. My older children (9+5) love looking through the natural world booksand old encyclopedia's.

We threw away the video player and all the videos ( about 90) most were ruined, bust or just so worn they wwweeeeeeeennnntttt like this. This freed up so much time. Same as cooking proper meals from scratch cause i is in the kitchen for longer its tidyer as while I wait for things to cook i wash up mop clean surfaces.

Also i did remeber once on a thread i aint even going to bother to find One lady said when a program came on the telly she really wanted to watch she sat down and watched with a coffe, When the adverts came on she got up and carried on houseworking.

As for declutrering well the landfill is a bit full at the moment so you know on the simpsons they have that burning tower of tyres well look this way in the new year.

ceridwen

I liked teacup's list as well - my favourite point is no. 15 - the one about doing random acts of kindness.

On that front I found some websites on "random acts of kindness" - so I give one of them

www.noogenesis.com/malama/kindness/index.html

Jolaaled

This 'random acts of kindness' thing has really got to me, after i checked out your links, Cerid. Thank you.

It's such a great idea...i'm thinkin about what i can do myself, in my small (and penniless!) way, as quite a lot of the ideas from the linked site are about giving money of paying for things....

i need ideas for kindness acts that are also MSE but am feeling inadequate, as havn't got many ideas.

jannyannie

Hi again

Just thinking about it, when I first became a vegetarian I found the Vegetarian Society very helpful in getting my meal choices right eg. eating pulses with carbohydrate so you got a complete protein. Although I eat meat now, I buy it locally from the butcher. There is also a great butcher's on a farm near my Mum's. We eat a lot of game in season as it is so cheap and they shoot it for us (sorry to upset anyone).

I also do think it's about a state of mind. I try not to get the "wants". I went through one a year ago thinking I needed a new car. Fortunately my lovely mechanic was good enough to point out that there was nothing wrong with the one I've got!:D

ceridwen

Jolaaled wrote: »

This 'random acts of kindness' thing has really got to me, after i checked out your links, Cerid. Thank you.

It's such a great idea...i'm thinkin about what i can do myself, in my small (and penniless!) way, as quite a lot of the ideas from the linked site are about giving money of paying for things....

i need ideas for kindness acts that are also MSE but am feeling inadequate, as havn't got many ideas.

No need whatsoever to feel "inadequate". If you keep your eyes open and stay "open" to the idea of being willing to do this - opportunities will just happen (perhaps seeing a disabled person struggle to do some small thing when you are passing and it will take a minute or two of your time to smile and "lend a hand"/perhaps seeing an animal being mistreated and stepping in to stop it/who knows). It doesnt need to take money.

I've googled again and found a website with some "acts" on it that didnt cost money:

www.actsofkindness.org/people/whats_new/index.asp

One thing that I recall for instance was buying some fresh food in a shop - it was too much for me and the residue couldnt be frozen - the excess bit would obviously have been wasted by "going off" before I could eat it - so I turned round and gave it to the OAP in the queue behind me. Cost me nothing - and she made a point of telling me how much she was going to enjoy it. Think thats what they call a "win win situation". She got some food, I got to feel I'd "done my bit", the environment didnt get a little of its resources wasted.

JenniO

RE: random acts of kindness. My 'thing' on this issue is to give people compliments. Real, heartfelt, compliments on the colour top they chose or their hairstyle or that their face looks glowy. Just something they have definitely done to themselves to improve. And to compliment them shows not only that you cared to notice but that you think they've done a good job and well done! People really do care about what others think of them deep down even if they don't want to admit it.

Also, being kind to other road users and 'letting people in' or 'letting people out' in these hectic xmas shopping centres can't be a bad thing either. Why does everyone turn so selfish behind the wheel of a car? :rotfl:

Great thread by the way!

ceridwen

....and after another little wander around the Web:

www.karmatube.org/search.php?op=tag&key=EverydayHero