Confronting the Truth

“I don’t believe in the concept of hell, but if I did I would think of it as filled with people who were cruel to animals.” -Gary Larson

This week's Podclub podcast (Here if you missed it) was only one episode of many I listened to this week from Our Hen House. This is definitely a new favorite for me as a Vegan and lover of animals.  I feel like I have so much to learn and what better way to find out the truth than by listening to the witty banter and in depth interviews conducted by the lovely duo of Jasmine Singer and Mariann Sullivan. I feel like I know them after listening to them chat about their wedding day in New York. In this episode they interviewed Dylan Powell, an animal activist who is working hard to end the animal cruelty taking place at Marineland in Niagara.  

It's easier not to think about what's going on. It really is. It's easier to pay the entrance fee to the zoo or aquarium and enjoy your day looking at the animals without worrying about how they got there, where they are going or how they're being treated. I found myself in this position a few months ago. I had an L.A. Zoo pass and I knew how to use it! It only took one day to change my view entirely. 

We had ridden our bikes to the zoo with the intention of finding a nice bench and relaxing in front of one of our favorite exhibits before riding home. On that day, the elephants were finally within viewing range and we were so thrilled. The male elephant was hanging out by himself over in a corner near some chairs so we sat down to enjoy the view. What a magnificent animal! We sat there for at least a half hour wondering why he was taking a few steps forward and then a few steps back. He'd stop only to bob his head up and down repeatedly. I even joked that he was dancing for us. When we got back home I checked the Google to see why elephants bob their heads.  

Billy The Elephant
Help Billy.Org

The second my search results popped up, I knew I had two choices. I could close that window and retain my ignorance or I could dig in and start reading. I dug in. By the end of the evening I knew head bobbing is not normal and how Billy the elephant has a whole slew of people trying to get him transported to an animal sanctuary. Billy isn't the only one either. I continued reading about mistreatment of animals, elderly animals being "retired" in very inhumane ways, how no exhibit in a zoo can come close to allowing an animal to live as it would in the wild and even though we are keeping some species going, they could never survive in their natural habitat if taken there and released.

I never went back to the zoo.

This is the path I've chosen. I want to know what's happening no matter how painful. I'm aware that learning the truth means I have to make decisions I don't want to make. I have to give up things I don't want to give up. The same thing happened when I started learning about the food I was eating or the products I was using on my body. Once I knew they had a hand in harming animals or that they contained toxins that were bad for me, I had to replace them with something else.  

I'm so thankful for resources like Our Hen House and I hope you listen and learn a few things too.

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That was a very mind expanding podcast for this week's Podclub meetup. Podclub is a weekly meeting of adorable ears and the smart brains between those ears. Just Jill and Soft Spiral have a lot of amazing words for you to read about this podcast as well. You should visit their blogs now and on other days too. 

Who are You?

Two articles I read in the last week converged in mind and got me thinking about what I do and what that makes me.  I encourage you to read these two posts and ask yourself a few questions about the titles we give ourselves. 

The Minimalists : Life's Most Dangerous Question

Confessions of an Imperfect Life : I am a Writer

The Minimalists urge readers away from defining yourself as what you do while Confessions bravely says that because she writes, she is a writer. If we aren't making a living at what we do, does that mean we can't claim that title? It's brilliant and empowering to say "I am a writer", "I am a dancer", "I am a musician", "I am an artist". If we allow ourselves these labels and say them with pride, our self worth can only go up.

Anything that encourages us to be more compassionate and loving toward ourselves is a good thing. So who are you? What are you passionate about? 

Imagine Happy

Yesterday I found myself talking about the same thing most of us are talking about this week. Guns. As the discussion came to a close, my eyes filled with tears.  I felt lost in a world where killing and war are the only way we know. For a moment, I felt like I must be the only one in the universe who imagines a world where weapons don't exist, where war is not the answer. 

Then my heart opened up and I knew that I am far from alone. I know we are the majority...we are the dreamers of the dreams. 

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

- John Lennon

After Effects

I spent a ridiculous amount of time fiddling with this picture in a new favorite camera app on my phone. I saturated, focused, centered, dramatified, cropped, bordered and shaded until my eyes were happier with what they saw. The picture is of one of the only pretty spots I saw in Texas (sorry Texas I just didn't make it out of a few mile radius). The result is so much more exciting isn't it? 

Or is it...I wonder if we might be losing the ability to see the perfect beauty of life as it is. Simply the portrait the universe centers for us every day. Instead, we look at a sunset and imagine how it would look after a spin through Instagram. Maybe we're slowly setting our visual standards too high, not only for nature, but for people and for ourselves. 

Don't forget to see the exquisite perfectness that is you without any fancy adjustments. No makeup, no accessories or special lighting...just you. 

Just your life as it is.

Let's try not to change things so much all the time. Now that I look again, I think I find the original picture more appealing. It tells the truth.

Have Your Own Back

My Back

I've gotten to the point in my life where I realize nobody is going to save me. It does no good to be a victim and expect to be bailed out by a friend, family member, therapist or spouse. Even if your spouse is a therapist or your family member is a friend, they aren't in this world to save you from yourself. I'm not saying it's not great and wonderful to have a helpful circle of people you can rely on for encouragement and support, what I believe is that you must take care of yourself first. I would guess that we all have our pity party moments of hoping someone will notice our problem and offer to make it all better. It's okay to feel that way sometimes, but it's even better to just get up and help yourself. If you do need extra help from a person you trust, go ahead and ask for help without expecting them to fix you. The amazing thing is that you have the innate ability to take care of yourself. Nobody else knows you like you do. We can be our own best friends and allies in times of trouble. Once in a while we have to look at our own faces in the mirror and say "Hey, don't worry I've got your back".  

Wanting to Want

An interesting idea has been introduced into my world and I can't stop considering what it means. As humans, we want things. We crave things. We are trained to want by our society. I admit, I want the new iPhone 5. Why do I want it? My "antique" 3GS works just fine. But hearing about the new version and seeing pictures and hearing about my friends and family already having one have shaped this craving in my mind. Do I need it? No.

So we have an object or situation that we want. We know from an early age that when we get what we want we achieve a sense of pleasure. We believe that pleasure is happiness. This leads to the broken record of wanting, getting what we want, finding something new to want so that we can fulfill that desire and feel the pleasure again. We want to want. The only way our brains know to be happy is to continually have things in line to want so that we can get them and feel soothed. Wanting to want is our path to happiness.

What if we could get out of the broken cycle of wanting to want? I would imagine we'd feel much more peaceful. Maybe we'd find pleasure in what we already have, where we already are right now. It's important to note that "wanting" and "aspiration" are different and also that this doesn't mean we should ultimately sit around and smile and say no matter what everything is grand. Nope, it means we note the wanting, we pay attention to our emotions around it and we let the wanting pass. Paying attention to how you react to it and the ability to let go of it will help you move forward and take actions toward being truly fulfilled.

I did an experiment with this. I was doing a short meditation the other night. My head began to itch and since I have been thinking about this idea of not immediately trying to fulfill the "want" I didn't scratch it. I sat there in discomfort just thinking about what it felt like to want to scratch the itch. I focused back on breathing in and out. I still didn't scratch it. After a minute of what felt like torture, guess what happened? The itch slowly went away. I'm not making this up.

Dissatisfaction with the current state of our lives can very often be traced to wanting what we don't have. What if we could simply let go of that craving? Could we find a better state of pleasure and happiness just in the letting go? It couldn't hurt to find out!

Standing Lenticular

rosie hardy

When I was young, I had an aversion to my feet leaving the ground. I wouldn't cartwheel. No sommersaults in the fresh cut grass for me. Jumping off of things, even not too far from the ground, was not something you'd catch me at. If an adult asked "if so-and-so jumped off a bridge, would you follow them?" I just rolled my eyes and huffed that of course I wouldn't jump off a bridge. I couldn't even force myself to jump out of the swing at its apex just to feel that giddy flying feeling my friends were laughing about.  My feet stayed where I thought they belonged...on the ground.  Sensible.

As a teenager this sorely inhibited my skills as a dancer. The leaps and twirls and tricks I so wanted to master were not only difficult but frightening. My teacher patiently coaxed me to let go little by little over the years, but by the time I was in college I still was not where I could have been. "Relax and let go...Rachael shoulders DOWN".

This week I decided to attempt getting these responsible feet off the ground. I dabble in Yoga.  I do it for strengthening and stretching but find it has the added benefit of calming my thoughts and giving me confidence in my abilities.  Supported headstand...surely I could at least do it with my body relying on the wall.  Last Monday I gave it my first try. I won't bore you with the preparatory steps (plenty online if you're curious). Let's just say I assumed the position, head down, hands clasped and then did a little hop up to the wall. Feet over head. For all of about ten seconds I was incredulous that I was completely upside down. It didn't take long for the discomfort to set in and I lowered (okay toppled) down to the ground again.  Every day since, I have tried it again. The first few times I had to let my heels stay in contact with the wall no matter how hard I tried to balance away from it. A few days ago I pulled both away and was self supported for all of two seconds before teetering over. Wow, what a feeling! Two seconds! Okay so cut to yesterday and you'd find me not only self supported standing on my head but able to hold my own body that way as I counted to 45.  I felt like I could stay there forever but I remind myself often that just because I can do something doesn't mean I should.

Maybe it's all the blood in my brain, but I can't help thinking about how the scary things we face in life are just like this. We might think we would never be able to do it, wouldn't even attempt it! Probably we wouldn't even like it so why should we try? The first time it will be uncomfortable. The second time it will still be difficult but maybe just a hint less.  The third and fourth time you might lose some of your fear and start to find the sweet spot. It might take hundreds of starts and stops before you finally get there. Wouldn't it be worth it? I know one thing for sure, you won't know if you never try.

Fear of Happiness

Are we afraid to be happy? 

Rolling around like a lost pinball, this thought has been refusing to go away. I don't have any answers yet and I doubt I ever will, but I have my suspicions. Being a happy person comes with a certain sense of responsibility to remain happy. If a generally happy individual admits to being in a bad mood aren't we (the sad and envious) a little disappointed? Dare I say angry? If someone asks you how you are, and you respond that you're doing "great!" do you have a tinge of fear that they will expect more of you? They might expect you to cheer them up or to have a sunny outlook all the time. A bad day isn't allowed. 

What if every morning you say to yourself "I choose happiness" and find that by mid-afternoon you have hidden under the covers and decided to sleep through the rest of the day rather than deal with crippling depression? Fear of failure, even just in your own eyes, can be immobilizing. 

I have only just begun down this trail of choosing happiness. I've spent so many days of this life blanketed by fear. It's only now that I realize I've been afraid of happiness and all it could mean for me. Depression is not something I'll make light of. I don't even want to delve into it in this post except to say that I do NOT believe you can just choose one day to snap your fingers and wave goodbye to depression. What I do believe is that everyone deserves to be happy and without being scared that they won't be allowed to be sad ever again. We should feel safe asking for help on the path to happiness without fear of letting down others or ourselves. 

I'm starting to think some are afraid to be happy because of our culture's idea of what's "cool".  Let's face it, the cool kids wear black, scowl a lot and listen to music you havn't even heard of. They drip with moods that are dark and considered deeper than the cheerful folks. If someone in marketing wants to sell a product based on it's "hip" factor, I doubt they show a smiling monk or a bubbly child in their advertisement. Does our society view happiness as a clear sign that one is unintelligent and boring? I suspect so. 

If you have a lifetime built up around a certain identity it can be terrifying to let that identity go even if that mask is one you hate. It's still how you identify yourself and who would you be otherwise? That may be the most terrifying thing of all: loss of self even if it is a loathed one.  

For me, the biggest fear of this quest for happier life is that I fully believe I will always struggle with depression and I may face entire decades where happiness eludes me completely. Someday I hope I don't believe this anymore. For now, I'm choosing to start small and admit that I'm happy at this moment. Aside from all of the worries I have today, I can still choose to be positive right now. Now is all I have.

Crocodile Meditation

Have you ever had one of those weeks you wish you could do over? A few too many sighs and mis-steps. Maybe, like me, you wake up on Monday morning with a few unexplainable bruises. Words were spoken out of frustration, out of fear, taken out of context, taken as criticism. Interactions refused to stay on the conversational path they set out on but instead careened off into the bramble where only the darker ideas live and multiply. Thoughts were mini daggers behind the curtain of your eyelids held in only by lashes closed tight in frustration. A certain point is reached where it's forgotten that peace is just right there waiting for you. One day turns into four turns into smack in the middle of day seven and you still struggling to keep a nose above water.

It's at this moment I highly recommend Crocodile Meditation (not to be confused with Crocodile Rock). Crocodile Meditation takes place in water, the bathtub. Crocodiles love lavender scented bubble bath. Fill the tub with the perfect temperature water and bubbles enough to hide under. Either devoid of clothing or in your favorite swim gear, slip into the water and submerge your body almost completely. Only your head from the nose up should remain above bubble level. Make sure to tilt your head back so that your ears can hear nothing but the underwater sound of your own breathing. Close your eyes or stare into the bubbly clouds and breathe slowly and peacefully through your nose. That is all. Stay there until your fingers are all pruny and you can finally hear that small voice in your head. The one that's always there telling you everything will be alright. That's the voice so easily lost in the noise of daily life but it's the only one you should be listening to.

Oh, and we do get a do over! Every day, every week is a new opportunity. Don't waste any more time in regret.  The truth is that every minute is new. Nothing ever stays the same, the good or the bad. The trick is to realize this in the middle of it all.

The Thought

Photoshop is evil. It should be killed but it won't be. The "media" is pointing a sticky finger at itself for manipulating images of people causing all of us living 3D human beings to feel like we should look flat and smooth (and only a few inches tall AT MOST).   We tell ourselves that the images aren't real and yet we still look in the bathroom mirror in the morning and cringe in horror.  The usual reaction is to go as quickly as possible to the store to buy things that will aid in our goal of looking flat and smooth. Well played "media"... well played.

A thought popped into my brain tonight as I was nearly (oh wait is that a drop of...) drooling over fabulous shots of faraway places. This thought almost knocked over all the other thoughts on it's way to the front of the line. Many thoughts were maimed and one in particular remains in a state of shock, but don't worry, that thought is especially sensitive.  It happened when a gorgeous shot of Washington State came into view. I grew up in Washington. Most of it is quite beautiful. Some of it is not. This picture somehow made one of the ugly areas look like a place I'd want to build a house and retire and yet I know it looks nothing like that in person! The Thought tapped the back of my eyeballs and said "hey you're being duped about everything you don't see for yourself!".  The Thought was being slightly preachy and condescending but who am I to argue with my own thoughts? 

It was a big moment for me. I'm used to reminding myself that people in pictures are made to appear perfect, but had never considered that my own backyard might have more in common than I realize with the backyard I'm lusting after online. The only way to know for sure is to explore not only those far away places, but to go outside right here where I live in search of the beauty that lies just outside the front door.

I will not be building a house and retiring in Washington. Sorry Dad.

pictures and lies: big sur

This is going to be a very random post. You've been warned. It's full of jumbled thoughts I've been tossing around today and I guess I'll let them tumble out here in this safe little corner of mine.

Last week my love and I went to camp on the Big Sur coast. We've been there a few times and had our eye on one particular campground: Kirk Creek.  This campground is small but it is right on a bluff overlooking the ocean. I've never seen another place like it and I wonder if I ever will. It appears to be heaven on earth for campers. Appearance is the theme of my messy mind... 

So we arrived early at the campground and it was full of course. We waited and drove around and finally nabbed a spot that was mislabeled as reserved. Campsite #10 looked perfect. Without trees but lots of lush brush around and a nice soft spot for the tent. The view was astounding and the restroom was close but not too close. Appearances...

People spend a lot of time online these days. A lot. I'm obviously one of them. Facebook has taken over our social lives and is causing them harm in my opinion. People's "wall" is how you perceive their lives. You may see them happily laying in the park with their family or at an awesome concert or show and see them post updates about fabulous things they are thinking and doing or even just witty notes on life. What you don't see is the dirty stuff. You don't see that they are depressed most of the day and struggle to get to the park at all. You don't see that they have a serious addiction to alcohol or drugs or porn or that they have other disorders of the mind or body. No, you see you're "friend" that you keep lightly in touch with and assume they have the best life and never know how much they need more than just the obligatory happy birthday post or that you "like" their newest picture or quote. 

It's the same for blogs and mine is no exception. 

Back to my Big Sur trip. Yes it was gorgeous and I had so many moments of awe and wonder at mother nature and that these places still exist.  So, normally I'd just post these pictures and let you think that I had yet another perfect camping trip with my husband...

hiking the bluffs

limekiln state park beach

striking what i call my "senior class picture" pose

we love big sur!

nature taking back the forest in limekiln state park

our own pocket of heaven

heck yes nature!

Okay so you see we had a couple days of hiking on bluffs overlooking pristine coastline and talking and joking and we had a few serious gut busting laughter outbursts that were much needed. But what these pictures won't show you is the bathroom at the campground was basically not functioning and we weren't near any other toilets or even big trees to hide behind. The campground was so isolated that there was actually not much to do right there so we ended up driving up and down the coast a lot...searching for bathrooms most of the time. This led to bickering and anxiety and stomach pain on my part. We had at least 4-8 squirrels attacking our campsite at all times. They were merciless. It was almost worse than bear camping because at least bears aren't all up in your business nonstop. All of our hikes were made difficult by copious amounts of poison oak which looks so much like tons of other plants (to me) that I had to be reminded constantly which ones were and weren't poisonous so I was mostly gingerly sidestepping everything on every trail and not able to look around me to soak in all the views.

It sounds like I'm complaining but i'm not. I'm saying we had a great trip that we ended a day early because I couldn't do it anymore. I admit I gave up and decided I wanted my bathroom and my bed and we left. I'm telling you the little ugly parts because EVERYBODY has them. Nothing is ever perfect. No trip will ever be completely without new challenges. Life isn't wonderful all the time! The trick is remembering that it's not just you with the issues and with the daily struggles that sometimes render you devastated and feeling alone.

I gave myself a break from Facebook a while ago figuring that it would only be a matter of time before I went back. So far I don't miss it and sometimes forget it's even there.  In no way AT ALL am I saying anyone should leave Facebook, I'm just asking that you remember that what you see when you click on your friend, sister, brother, co-worker is just a Wall. Walls are not people.

And i'll be back to Big Sur many MANY times. I'll just be bringing my own portable toilet and hiking pants so I can tromp through the poison underbrush.

I have no solution yet for the squirrels but sometimes you have to just pull up your tent stakes and call it a day.

sprout

a little random thought/realization/epiphany came over me yesterday.  i spend quite a bit of time feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. i want to experience so many things. i want to see the world. i want to live in the country and have a garden. i want to live in the city and be part of the crazed madness that is New York or L.A. or Paris. i want to sing. i want to dance. i want to hike until my legs won't take another step. i want to relax on a tropical island and read for days in the sun. i want to be a gypsy. i want to wear high heels and makeup.i want to go without makeup for months. i want to learn. i want to forget....

overwhelmed.

yesterday i was pondering my life so far after spending some time on the phone with my best friend wishing her a happy birthday. my thoughts were tracing the lines of her life and mine. what we've done and where we've been. suddenly i realized that i am actually living the life i want just not all at once. i'm living it the way life is supposed to be lived. i can't be everything all at once. i can't see the whole world in one trip. i can't live in multiple cities simultaneously. until yesterday that thought has sent me into a spiral of madness that ends typically with my head in my hands as i slowly give up in the frustration.

but here i am. almost 33 years into my life and i can start to look behind me as well as in front of me. i havn't seen the whole world but i'm slowly seeing pieces of it. i've lived in a small town and had something close to a garden. i now live in a crazy big city, maybe the biggest and most surely one of the craziest. it's not New York or Paris but i love Los Angeles and i still can't figure out why. i've been a singer and i have the the album to prove it. i've danced and i have the bad joints to prove it. i've been on so many hikes i'm losing track and planning more. i've worn heels and makeup and dressed fancy almost every day for months in a row.  at the moment i put makeup on maybe once a week. i'm always learning.

and i'm slowly realizing i don't want to forget.

R

Making Love Out of Nothing At All

"And I Know the Roads to Riches"

You know that saying about building up your treasures in Heaven? Well, what if you're not quite sure you believe in Heaven? What if you think Hell was invented to get small children to obey their parents? Or maybe you believe we return over and over again in some other form. Where then should we be building up these treasures of goodness? It couldn't hurt to build them up in the souls around us. Love doesn't have to be expensive. You might send an email overflowing with encouragement to a friend you know is having a difficult time. You may offer to help someone move their furniture into a new home. Maybe you simply say the words "I love who you are". 

The best things in life are free. I'll say this a lot so get used to it. If I were forced to make a list of these freebies, love would be at the top. Love will always be free. Real love, romantic or otherwise, will never be up for sale. No department stores with a Love Boutique, no Love Restaurants...it all depends on you. 

What I would encourage is this, begin to shift your view of "riches" to one of internal fullness rather than financial security. Remind yourself everyday that the things that truly matter won't cost you anything. And love. Love above all else.  Love your partner, your family, your pet, the people you pass by daily without a thought. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Love is free and free is cheap.

P.S.

I love you

Go Green to Save Green

We all want to save money and most of us want to save our planet (you there, the one that doesn't care about our lovely little Earth? go away).  The great news is that almost all of the things I've done to be kinder to my home are also things that save me money.  If ever there was a total win-win situation, I think this is it.  So on this greenest of all green days (you there, the one who doesn't look at the calendar, it's St. Patrick's Day. go put on something green).  

Here's a little list of things I've done recently or maybe have in the works (the works being my brain so no guarantees):

• Ride a bike to your destination instead of driving or just for fun and exercise.  This week I've done both. I've ridden to the store for groceries and I've ridden out into the country for entertainment.  Pedaling as fast as I could down the sidewalk with the wind in my face and a giant field off to my right was the most alive I've felt in a long time.  
• Eat vegetarian or even vegan if you think you're up to it.  You may wonder how this saves the planet but the amount of energy and water put into raising animals for consumption is over the top.  Just sayin.  
• Re-purpose old clothes for new uses.  I'm making a few things out of old t-shirts that will be posts of their own soon.  One of the easiest is making re-useable shopping bags out of them by sewing the bottom shut, chopping off the sleeves and a bit of the neck.  Wait I'll just get you the tutorial link...hold on....                http://www.marthastewart.com/article/good-thing-t-shirt-bag  There you go!
• Old towels that have seen their last shower can be cut up and used as cleaning rags.  Instead of going through a billion paper towels when It came time to clean my old apartment before moving out, I just tore up a few towels and used those instead.
• Buy more "un-prepared" "un-packaged" foods.  I try to buy everything in bulk even if it means a half hour of cleaning and chopping at home.  Some things I do buy pre-packed but if I can do it myself for less, I opt for that.  

These are just a few random things I've done in the last few weeks but there are so many! Have any of you done anything lately that saved you money and was good for the planet? Please comment and share with the rest of the class.  

If you aren't wearing green, pinch yourself.  I'm too tired after all the vegetable chopping. The only thing I have the energy for is pinching pennies.

Pinching is free and free is cheap.

a penny saved

Have you ever seen a penny on the ground and just thought to yourself "oh hey a penny" and then walked on by leaving it there all lonely and useless? Poor penny.  What about a nickel? A dime?  A Quarter?  At what point did pocket change become worthless? When I was a kid my Grandpa Larry would always have change in his pocket to dole out to the grandkids.  We thought we'd struck it rich when he'd hand us a few quarters and tell us it was strictly candy money (my parents mailed the dentist's bills directly to him).  I realize that the dollar is not worth what it used to be but something has brainwashed us into believing that spending only a dollar on something isn't much at all.  Dollars still add up last time I checked (yep I just counted a few and they still added up to more than one).  How often do you shop the dollar section of Target? Do you load up a cart at the 99 cent store thinking you're basically saving tons of money? Don't get me wrong, as a scrimper I love a good deal, but i'm not stupid.  These stores are making a TON of money.  How? Is it by making sure you're getting a screaming deal? Nope. So please start saving your pennies, your quarters and your dollars.  Let them add up until you can buy something you will truly use and value.  Pick up that shiny penny and put it away for a rainy day.  Don't buy a handful of things you'll never use in the dollar section. Save the $25 you are sure to hand over at your local 99 cent store. It's all about choosing where every penny of your money goes.  Heck, throw one on the ground for someone else to find if it makes you happy but don't waste it on something just because it's only a dollar.  Dig through your junk drawer if you need a reminder of where all that stuff goes.  I keep a big container for loose change as a reminder to myself to save it all.  The last time I took my full jar to the change machine, I walked away with nearly $80.  So pick up that penny.  It's good luck. 

Luck is free and free is cheap.

The World is Your Treadmill

I was recently asked saving money on gym memberships.  The answer is simple: don't have one.   If you have a "cheap" membership at a place like 24 Hr. Fitness, you may be paying around 20-30 dollars a month.  You could save around $300 this year by calling up and cancelling that membership today.  Now let's pretend you've been paying to go to a fancier gym and being ripped off to the tune of $50+ monthly.  Would you like to save $600 this year? I have the answer.  I've had memberships to both types of gyms before and I know it's convenient and easy.  What a joy to spend all day at a desk, followed by running in place and watching a t.v. for an hour, going home to cook up some dinner and unwind in front of the t.v. and then crashing into bed for the night.  As you drift off, your last thought is that you wish you had more time in the day for the things you really want to do.  You do.  You want an extra hour of time with your boyfriend/girlfriend/best friend/dog/kids/self??  Instead of paying an ungodly amount of money to let strangers watch you sweat, I suggest the following:


Put on some shoes. 
Grab someone you want to spend some time with.
Go Outside.
Start Walking.

Go down a street you've never walked down before.
Go up a hill you with an incredible view from the top.


Look for flowers.

Beware of Pirates.

Talk.
Laugh.
Live.

Walking is free and free is cheap.

Vice Advice

Vices. We all have them (don't look me straight in the face and tell me you don't)(it's called lying and will land you in Sunday School).  My own personal addictions are Coffee and Wine.  The French Press is the most used item in my kitchen and most of my days aren't complete without a delightful glass of wine to round them out.  It only makes matters worse that I can't drink bad coffee or bad wine because it would be cheaper but I just can't do it! I would rather save money in another area of my life to be able to afford a better bottle of Vino.  The problem for most of us penny-pinchers is that these two vices are not cheap and yet nearly impossible to give up.  How do we continue to call ourselves "scrimpers" while still living in sin?  We find ways to save at least a little bit here and there without giving them up completely.  Maybe you stop drinking wine a few nights a week (gasp!what did she just say?oh the horror) so that you can afford to drink better wine on the nights you DO partake.  Maybe you try to use a teensy bit fewer coffee beans in the morning.  Let me highlight a few little things that could save you at least a few pennies every day.  Those pennies add up.

Coffee:

• Bulk: I buy my coffee beans a little at a time every week from the bulk area.  Usually this is cheaper than the fancy packaged stuff and it tastes fresher if I grind the beans myself every day. 
• If you already make your coffee at home, try using a little bit less and see if you can really taste the difference.  Some of us dump those grounds in based on what someone else says, that someone else wants you to run out of coffee sooner so that you go buy another bag.
• If you don't finish the pot of coffee in the morning, put the remainder in a container in the refrigerator for a home-made iced coffee later in the day or week.
• Don't buy your coffee drinks at Starbucks ect. I know its fun and way easier but if you go every day to the tune of at least $3... well do I need to do the math for you?  Let's just say you probably spend a good $80-$100 bucks monthy.  That could add up to over A THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR!! 

Wine:

• Develop a good relationship with your local wine retailer.  I'm not talking about BevMo here I'm talking about fabulous stores such as The Wine Loft or Dandelion Wine, where the owners themselves or trusted staff are always on hand to give you honest advice on wine.  They will tell you which of the value wines are really delicious.  If you don't have a store like this and must rely on a grocery store, at least do a little online research of wines they sell to see what sort of reviews they have.  There's nothing worse than dumping a bottle down the drain after you've spent hard earned money on it.
• If you don't finish the bottle of wine, use some sort of wine preserver and stick it in the fridge for drinking in the next day or two.  Just let red wine come to room temp and it should still taste fine. If it's not up to par for drinking, cook with it at least!
• Consider buying a 6-12 bottles of wine at a time at your local wine shop.  Most places offer a discount of at least 10% on a case.  

These are just a few things I've found to help me save money.  What do you do? 

libraries rock

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Was it this scene from The Music Man that made me fall in love with libraries at an early age? Perhaps, but I did have to drag my nose out of a book just to watch the movie so I'm pretty sure I already loved free books.   If I paid full price for books, music, movies and magazines at the rate I go through them, I'd be over my head in debt.   Lucky for me the library system is alive and well and there's one in every town i've ever spent time in (including Skagway, Alaska so don't tell me you don't have a library).  One of the biggest favors you can do your wallet is to put a library card in it.   You can check out books, movies and even music (yes i check them out and upload them into my itunes what?) for free.  Free is cheap.   My local library has an amazing volunteer bookstore where I can buy these things for a dollar or two as well.  So, if its a book, c.d. or even d.v.d. you want to read, listen to or watch over and over again you might as well see if you can buy it for a buck before laying down full price for it...and the money goes back into the library so basically you're giving money to yourself by keeping this great service going.  


My challenge to you all is to see how long you can go without paying full price for a book, movie or c.d. I know it's fun to hang out in a great bookstore and you can still do that if you think you can not buy anything but if the temptation is too much just stay away and hang out in the library instead...I still dream that one day everyone will break out in song and dance and I'll be there to join in...


p.s. if you havn't seen The Music Man, do yourself a favor and visit your local library today to check it out for free.