The Green Minimalist

8 reasons why we never use coupons.

2013-05-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

I like to save money like every other person. But one thing I never really use or worry about, is
coupons.

I know people, that swear by the power of coupons and I also have seen one single episode of Extreme Couponing. It saved people tons of money. But in our household, we almost never use them.

Don't take me wrong. We are not extremely rich people that don't care about money nor we are big spenders. On the contrary, I am very interested in our household's financials and am not scared of talking about money. Saving money makes me happy. What I have been noticing is that the coupons simply don't serve us with our lifestyle.

Here is why.

1. We eat fresh. It is almost impossible to find coupons for fresh produce. They are usually just on sale and don't need coupons. We mostly buy our fresh produce at Farmers market and they don't need coupons. When we miss the market and have to go to stores, we just buy mostly organic fresh produce. They also almost never have coupons.

2. We eat local and seasonal. We focus on eating local. I never understand why we have to buy food that have been traveling around the world. We are fortunate enough to have enough of everything produced here in our own country and state. I feel that my family will be just fine if they don't eat the Tilapia fish produced in, let's say Taiwan. We can just eat the fish that has been caught wild in Pacific Ocean. Nobody ever died or deeply suffered from the lack of Tilapia.

3. We don't eat processed food. This one is a big one as far as coupons go. I would say possibly 99% of the coupons are from the big corporations and are almost always for processed, wrapped and boxed food. We make almost everything from scratch and don't need all those boxed, processed and old food.

4. We (almost) don't produce waste. Everything with coupons is packed and wrapped. We buy in bulk and always bring our own produce bags. Again, there is no coupon for bulk and produce food.

5. We don't buy anything we don't need. That means we don't buy bottled water, paper towels, juices, sodas, candies, snacks and junk food,.... these are usually the items which the coupons are used for. I make home made regular or sweet potato fries instead of packaged chips. We make strawberry and banana smoothies and i freeze them for home-made Popsicles. We make home made cookies with my kids instead of watching TV on weekends. It is a fun and healthy activity. We love the quality time and the cookies are delicious made with organic sugar.

6. We almost only eat organic meat. They are from local farms and don't belong to the big meat factories with big names and brands. Again, no coupons. We eat tons of vegetable and eat meat maybe two to three times a week. We eat lots of organic eggs and fish during the week.

7. We don't buy frozen food. Since we eat local and seasonal, we don't need to buy anything frozen. I do freeze our leftovers. But living in a country that stores are in every corner and even some are open 24/7, I don't feel the need to pack our refrigerator and freezer with tons of food. (We don't own a second "garage refrigerator" like most suburban families do).

8. We shop once a week and buy only for that week. We don't buy something, unless it is finished. On the other words, we don't buy anything that we still have more of. We don't have forgotten food and expired goods. In fact, what we buy doesn't have expiration dates since they are not packaged. Since we buy only for one week or so, we never worry about expiration dates and freshness of our produces. It is always fresh.

Looking at our grocery habits, you will know why we never really need coupons. Eating almost all organic meat and healthy food with lots of bulk nuts and fresh fruit and vegetable, you might think we must spend a fortune on food.

I track our spending closely on Mint.com and our spending on grocery shopping is not out of ordinary. We like to eat out sometimes and do eat out around ten times a month.We also enjoy having friends over.

How much in average are we spending on grocery shopping and food in a month? Around $600-$700 for a family of four. That includes our eating out and our coffee treats in coffee shop. This is our family's base grocery spending. It could vary depending on circumstances.

This also does not include the extra spending on gatherings with friends which i consider it to be by far our best investment. The spending on inviting friends is a great investment in a better life enriched with wonderful friends and family. That is when we spend with pleasure.

But still one thing I never have to worry and think about is clipping coupons.

6 ideas on how to de-clutter your home.

2013-05-09T21:40:00.000-07:00

1. Don't overwhelm your self.

Organized Kitchen drawer

Make sure you don't tackle everything in the same time. Clutter by itself is overwhelming and sometimes even thinking about it can be a massive energy draining task before we even start the actual de-cluttering. Before you start, you need to calm down and take it easy.

2. Categorize.

Try not to focus on too many things at the same time. The best way is to categorize the clutter based on the item. For example gather all the books in one spot, all the toys in another , etc...

3. Tackle one category at a time.

Focus only on the category you are working on and nothing else. Go through the items. Discard, donate, repair and organize before you move to the next category. For example go trough all of the clothing items, belonging to one of your children. then go to the second child, then go trough the toys of each kid only one person and one category at a time.

4. Reduce and Minimize.

One of the most important parts of de-cluttering is reducing. Before you go out and buy all kinds of containers and organization tools, reduce the amount of your stuff first. The chances are that you never even needed that extra storage to start with. All you needed to do was letting go of some stuff that you never use.

5. Dedicate spaces.

Make sure you dedicate an area to each category. For example Instead of having a book case in each room, have one central location for all the books in your home, regardless of whom they belong to. This will make the de-cluttering a lot easier.

6. Have fun and enjoy.

The De-cluttering process has to be fun . Focus on the final result and try to enjoy it. don't let it overwhelm and stress you. If you do one category at a time, you can enjoy the fruit of your labor a lot faster. Every category you finish, the reward will be noticeable and enjoyed.

Have you started de-cluttering yet?

Don't give up on them.

2013-05-01T11:16:00.001-07:00

Hotel soap.

A while ago, I saw a post on Pinterest about how to whiten and wash you pillows. On that person's blog post, i read the comments and was very surprised to find out that there are many people that don't wash their pillows. they just throw them away, because they are getting yellowed!!!

Coincidentally around the same time, I saw someone throwing away six perfectly good, but lightly yellowed pillows. I was shocked!!! thinking about all the material and effort wasted.( I acted upon those pillows and saved them. More on that later)

I started imagining and thinking about the oil that has been extracted from under the ground, Factories that has been built, paperwork that has been done, regulations that has been set up to process that oil, Cotton plants that have been planted and harvested, animals that have been killed for their down and feathers to be used...
Just imagine all the work, time, money and effort going in to making those pillows! And then they have to be transported across the world by massive ships full of containers to finally get to our stores and bought by us. So we can throw them away, because we didn't want to wash them???!!!

This makes my head spin.

When we travel and stay in Hotel rooms, one small thing that has been bothering me was the soap that we use once or twice and would end up in the trash can. i always bring them back with me and keep using them till they are finished. Not because i am cheap. Because i value the effort and hard work that went in to making that soap and it shouldn't be only for one time use. I prefer to take our own soap, so we don't have to unwrap and discard the wraps ( Mostly plastic) the hotel soaps come in. But some times i forget and have to use their soap. That is when they always come back home with me and get used till gone.

Another day, I was at a drugstore and noticed they have many dying live plants. I asked if i could water them, they said "no, they are dying and it is time for them to go either way". I offered to take them home and take care of them. Then bring them back, thinking about all the plastic containers that will end up in landfill if they are thrown away. It bothered me that just because a teenager in the store forgot to water those otherwise perfectly good plants, they will all end up dead and their containers in landfills. But they said it is against their policy. So I ended up buying as many as I could for a discount. They are now happily seating in my home, well fed, green and fresh.

This made me think;
Why we give up on something so easily?
Why don't we work to improve things?
Why are we so scared of hard work?
What is up with this national laziness epidemic?
Why are we so scared of inconvenience?
Why are we taking things and our conveniences for granted?

Our life has never been more convenient as humans and we are still unhappy and are looking for easier life and even more conveniences.

Why nobody repairs things any more?
Why we don't care any more?

If your children get sick, would you treat them? If your home, your shelter needs repair, would you repair it? If your car needs repair, would you do it? Why not doing this for everything in our life?

Lets seat back for a moment and look around us and think about our addiction to newness. We have been brainwashed by the marketing companies to think," Why bother with something old, if you can have a new one for dirt cheap." The problem is, none of us know, or are told the high price that is paid for our dirt cheap conveniences.

I don't know if you have seen the animation movie " Robots". The whole movie is based on the mind set of corporations telling people ( in this case robots) to buy new upgrades instead of repairing their old bodies. Even in this movie the scrap metals are getting recycled. In our real life, nothing that ends up in the landfills gets recycled. Have you ever recycled a pillow?

China, the main producer of our dirt cheap plastic goodies is in horrible shape. The pollution in their water and air is unbelievable. Despite their economic growth, people don't look happier. I read that even in one of their factories, they had to install a net to prevent their workers from suicide attempts. This is the price that is paid for our disposable NEW plastic stuff we are addicted to buying.

Think twice before you throw something away and buy a new one. Can it be washed? can it be repaired? can it be used longer? can it be taken care of? loved? or upgraded or up cycled?

Stop and think and see if you can paint, reupholster, hem, repair, wash, glue, clean, sew, treat and even simply water something, before you throw it away and think about buying a new one. And guess what, the financial savings from the money you otherwise would throw away are a welcomed side effect too.

What have you cared for and revitalized lately?

Minimalist Bank accounts.

2013-04-01T11:57:00.003-07:00

Bank accounts are a must in our lives these days. We sometimes tend to open too many accounts and some of us even have some accounts left from the old days. The result could be too many papers, too many statements, too many bank fees and too much forgotten funds in different accounts.

Life is complicated enough by itself. There is not need to make it more complicated.

Here are some tips about how to minimize, simplify and organise Bank accounts.

1. Gather all the paperwork and all the bank accounts you have in different banks.

2. Gather all your statements.

3. If you are signed up with on line banking, create a folder in your computer with sub folders for each bank and download all your statements as far as you can go.

4. Scan and load all your paper statements in their appropriate folders based on the bank name and the year and then shred them all( Make sure you have a back up from those folders)

5. Decide which Bank you only want to work with and then close all the unused bank accounts in different banks. Sometimes we have accounts that we opened many years ago and they are just seating there unused with some money in them. Close all the extra ones and gather the balances in one bank.

6. Now that you have only one bank you use, close all the extra accounts in the same bank and stick with the minimum. In my case, One checking and one saving account is enough. If you feel you are not disciplined enough with your bills, you can create another checking account just for your bills.

7. Scan all the bank contracts and paperwork in your bank folder and shred the papers. You can easily set up a folder in your computer with two sub folders holding account numbers and information for each account. At this point you can discard all the contracts and papers from other accounts that you have closed.

8. Set up On-Line banking for your accounts, so you can access everything on line with one User ID and one Password.

9. Go Paperless. Set up for e-statements and e-alerts. Most bank have an alert system that if your balance goes under a certain number, you can get a text and/ or e-mail to inform you.

10. Back up all the information in your computer.( VERY IMPORTANT)

This simplifying should ease up a big load from your paperwork. In my own families case, we have one checking account that has a check book and two Debit cards. We also have a savings account.

I will write later about our system more in dept in my future posts and show you why one checking and one saving is enough for us.

How many bank account do you have?

For here cup !!! Coffee.

2013-03-19T11:49:00.004-07:00

In our house, we love coffee. Drinking coffee is not the greenest thing to do. Imagine there are some people around the world that are cutting the Amazon trees and rain forests down to plant coffee for us. Then they are taking care of and harvesting them. Then we have the big corporations with all their paperwork and team of professionals roasting and preparing and transporting them here for us to drink out latte in the morning.

But what can i say. We just really love coffee. For our home, we buy Shade grown Organic bulk coffee to have a much better tasting drink with lower impact on our environment. See my post regarding that here.

But when we are going out for coffee, we usually bring our own cups. Our reusable cups have been our friends for a long time and we are used to them.

When we forget our cups, we try to just seat down and have our coffee there in the Cafe. Most of them have porcelain cups that you can request. In Starbucks, they call it "For here cups" They are beautiful and the coffee or tea or any other beverages tastes great in them. One we are done, we just bring them back to the counter and thank them. very easy.

It is very frustrating to see people order a drink and get a to go plastic cup and then seat there and drink it. At the end, that one drink produces a none recycled waste. With the volume of beverages these coffee shops are serving and selling, the amount of waste is a stunningly high numbers of none recycled cups, lids, straws,...

So Please, when you go for that nice drink with a friend and you want to seat down to drink it, either bring your own coffee cup, or just ask for their for here cups. You coffee will taste better and you will drink it with a cleaner conscious.

What type of cup have you used to have your drink in it lately?

Paris

Simple 15 Min. Shoe repair.

2013-03-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

Ripped only after few months.

Simple 15 Min. Shoe repair.

Yesterday, i noticed my beloved husband's Gym shoes. The sponge on the back side was completely gone. I asked him about the shoes.
"It is time for them to go. I need a new pair" Was the answer my husband gave.Of course, I couldn't agree more, at first.

In my mind:

My inner Economist Housewife said:" Oh boy. Didn't we just buy those few month ago? They suppose to be the best kind that is good for the back support. But he is right. The whole back is gone and they have no support. We will need to spend lots of money again to buy another decent pair.

My inner Green Diva said: "We will donate or recycle them. So someone else will use them."

My inner Economist Housewife said: "Or we can take them to the neighborhood Shoe repair store (Cobbler) and have them repaired. It hopefully will cost less.

My inner Green Diva agreed: " We could do that.What a waste if all these plastic pieces end up in landfills.

My inner Homestead said: "I might be able to repair them. All i need is some shoe glue and some foam. A quick trip to a craft store will solve that."

My inner Green Diva didn't like the idea of driving to store( Gas and pollution) for a small task. She also didn't like to buy packaged glue and foam. All plastics and all waste and clutter creators.

Well. I combined my inner Economist Housewife, my Green Diva and my inner Homestead and came up with a solution.

I said" I am going to try to repair it only with what i have in the house. So here i went.

The foam was completely gone. But the fabric was still there rolled down.

I searched for something in our home to be used to replace the foam. Some soft and puffy yarn and a crochet stick were my solutions. You can also use your dryer lint to replace the foam. I also thought about using an old folded sock to replace the piece which could replace the fabric as well, if it was missing. But in this case, the fabric was there.

It took less than 3 minutes to crochet the pieces. I measures the holes on both shoes and made two of these.

Then just placed them in the shoe.Unrolled the fabric and cover the pieces. Sewing them was a little bit of a healthy and fun challenge considering the position of the piece.

Here is the final result. Like new. They also feel very comfortable and resilient.My husband loves it and he said they have never been so comfortable before.

What have you repaired lately? Please live a comment and let me know. I love reading your comments.

Paris

Quest to finding the perfect purse.

2013-03-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

Quest to finding the perfect purse.

Purses are one of the most vital parts of a woman's life. They carry all our stuff, along with our children's stuff. Not to mention carrying our husband's keys and valet and sun glasses for them.

"Honey, can you please put my key in your purse? I don't know where to put them." Is a familiar phrase in our home.

Many years ago, i bought a red purse that i used once in a while. I just loved the color. Back when i started to reduce and minimise, this one was a purse that i just couldn't let go of. So i kept it.

Now i only have three purses. One is for summer, One is a gift from my lovely sister in-law that i Cherish and love and one is my red purse. Once the cold weather started, i started carrying the red one around and loved it. It was making me happy. My only problem was that since it was a big purse, i tend to over fill it. But i was OK with it. Unfortunately, being an inexpensive purse, the wear and tear started showing right away. Before i knew it, i started not enjoying it as much. The little threads started showing and only after couple of short months use, it already looked old.

The look started bothering me and it was time for another purse. Here is my quest for a perfect purse.

Since i am not buying anything any more unless i really need and love it, i took this quest very seriously. First i looked on line to see what i really wanted.

What was i looking for?
. Something versatile to be matched with any kind of clothing.
. Made with natural material. No plastic please.
. Minimalist look.
. Classic and timeless look,
. Not too expensive, but the price was something i was willing to pay for a purse that lasts few years.
. Preferably red. I still loved the color of that red purse of mine.
. Preferably a consignment piece since i love to reduce, and reuse. It is good for the nature.

My quest started with online searches. Everything i loved were very expensive designer pieces. Then i looked in the Mall. The same problem. The style i liked were mostly either made of plastic, or very expensive.Then i started looking in the consignment stores in our town. The styles that i liked, were almost all made by "Dooney and Bourke" brand. They are just all beautiful, but too heavy. I remember when i used to have few of their purses and they were hurting my shoulders. The prices in consignment stores were reasonable compare to the original price. But my comfort was not something i was ready to sacrifice for beauty.

After many searches and stubbornness, i finally was ready to give up, just go to the outlet mall and get the expensive , but almost perfect brown purse i saw there. I truly wanted something that lasts a lot more than few months for me.

One day, when i was dropping some stuff at the "Snowline hospice store" for donations, I just suddenly decided to have a look there.

BINGO.

There it was, waiting for me, the exact purse i was looking for with the tag still on , brand new with the beautiful price of $4.75. Yes I am not joking. It was four dollars and seventy five cents. It was made by Wilson leathers and was red. It was even smaller than my old red purse thus the perfect size for me. It looked like it was custom made for me.

Yes. That is when my quest for the perfect purse ended with a very happy ending.

Lessons learnt. Always take your time and research and don't under estimate the second hand donation centers. Always check there for hidden treasures. After all, the place might not look as nice or clean or fancy as other stores, but you never know when you might hit the jackpot.

I am set for a long time now.

Have you looked for your perfect purse yet?

How to regrow green onions and leeks.

2013-02-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

After one week in the water.

It is easy to have fun and always have some green onions and leeks handy by regrowing from your kitchen scraps.

Here is how i regrow green onions and leeks in the water.

The green onion was cut pretty short and this is after a week of growth in the water. I have been cutting parts and pieces and have been using them in my food already.

By planting my kitchen scraps, i am also teaching my children that they don't need to run to the store for the smallest thing. They can plant things and it could grow. Not every thing has to be bought.

I forgot to take a photo at the day one. But here is another photo two weeks and some cuts later.

If you choose to plant them, make sure they are watered regularly. But you don't have to plant them. They grow nicely in the water.

Try it and let me know your result.

Paris

Ver

Just saved big by living green.

2013-02-19T13:01:00.003-08:00

Our huge ten years old TV.

We don't watch too much TV. We have bought our TV over ten years ago. It is a wonderful TV, but once every few years it needs a lamp replacement. The first two times, we ordered the lamp from the manufacturer and had to pay around $200 for the lamp.

A couple of weeks ago, the lamp on our TV just stopped working and it was time for it to be replaced. Our first instinct was, that it is a ten years old TV and we have spend so much on the lamp. It is not worth it. It is better to just get rid of it and buy a new one that is LED system and does not need replacement. The new Televisions are getting a lot cheaper these days . (We bought it for thousands of dollars with financing, back then).

All the friends that we talked to, thought the same. But something in me was very uneasy about the convenient and easy road. The guilt was bugging me. I felt very stubborn about finding an alternative solution. I personally was doing very good without a Television and if i needed to watch something, my computer was perfect. But my family likes the Television and they felt something was missing.

Our options were, We could do what everybody else would do and instead of dumping it in the dumpster, recycle it. But i am not a big fan of recycling either and i do it only in cases of the lack of better alternative.

In general, any kind of none biodegradable waste, makes me uncomfortable.
(since our electronics most probably would be shipped to India by a huge cargo ship to be broken in pieces). Then i felt bad about recycling a huge TV that all it needs is a lamp. It has been a great TV and the quality has been wonderful.

Then I thought what if we just buy a lamp and replace it, then if we still want the new TV, we can sell this one for the price of the lamp. This way, it is not going to turn in to garbage and someone else could use it.

Couple of night ago, we had some wonderful friends over and they mentioned that their TV is needing lamps too and they have been buying it from Amazon.com.

My lovely husband checked there and surprise!!! He found it for $40. Yes. Only $40 will give us another few years of wonderful quality TV.

So my point is, always check to see if something is repairable before replacing it. If we were not living a green life and were not worried about waste creation, we would have discard the TV, create a huge amount of waste, spend lots of time locating and choosing a TV and would have probably spend tons of money to buy a new one.

So, what we saved in this process was:
. The environment.
. Lots of time.
. Lots of money
and the most important thing is the life lesson our kids are learning from this decision.

We still have to take a trip to the electrical recycling center, but it would be for the Mercury containing lamp, not the whole Television.

What have you repaired lately?

Home made Soy Milk. Zero waste.

2013-02-07T14:24:00.000-08:00

I love milk. But i am also lactose intolerant. This has been a problem for me when i want to enjoy my beloved cereal in the mornings.

Unfortunately, Soy, Almond or Coconut milk do not come in returnable glass bottles like milk does. I don't want to buy them in none recyclable cardboard either. So I make my own.

It is too simple to not do it.

Here is how.

Dry Soy beans soaked over night.

1. Soak 1 cup of dry soy beans in the water over night.( preferably organic soy beans. I buy them in bulk).

2. Juice the soy along with four cups of water. We have a squeeze juicer that works excellent.

Pass the soy beans through a juicer.

3. Clip a cheese cloth to a pot and pour your juice through it. I like to squeeze it so all the juice comes out. You can also do this after boiling to get more juice extracted from the pulps.

4. Boil the juice for ten minutes. You can add vanilla extract and sugar to it at this time if you prefer.

5. Pour it in a clean sterilized glass. I use my milk glasses from Strauss family. The pulp goes in to my compost, or garden under the dirt.

6.Use it within a week.

Enjoy.

12 tips on raising natural Children

2013-01-31T02:25:00.000-08:00

Loving outdoors

Natural children,

When it comes to our children, it seams that there is an ongoing battle between us the parents and the technology. Our kids are becoming attracted and addicted to over stimulation and the result is, are kids to become board very easily.

Another down side is also the addiction to instant gratification and lack of patience and persistence. The loud noise, the ever changing images, the strong scent of their belongings and lack of physical activities are becoming very tough competitions for the nature of human being.

By the term natural i mean less affected by technology and media. Once out kids are too exposed to the media, their minds are on hyper drive and they get disconnected to nature.

Here are 12 tips on raising natural children.

No TV or any kinds of screen during the week.
Set limit on TV or other screen times during the weekend.
Spend minimum of one hour per day out doors.
Set Sundays as family day and choose an out door family activity.
Plant a vegetable garden with your kids.
Remove as much plastic as you can from their toys and surrounding.
Remove markers from your home and ask them to use Pencils.
Sign your kids up in physical activity classes if possible.
Own a pet if possible.
Choose a natural environment over a pre-designed play area.
Have them help you with cooking from scratch.
Take them to farmers market and farms.

How natural is your kid?

Paris

Minimalist closet.

2013-01-31T01:51:00.000-08:00

What is a minimalist closet?

The less clothes we have in our closet, the easier it is to make daily decisions. If you are like me, you usually end up in front of a full closet, staring, thinking "I have nothing to wear".

A simplified minimalistic closet, is the key to stress-less easy decision making. One of the best ways to simplify your wardrobe is setting a fix number for every item. For example, you know you will only need four pairs of pants or six shirts. This will help you to know exactly what you have and stop buying unnecessary items with the hope of solving the dilemma of having nothing to wear.

Here is a sample of a minimalist closet. For some reason, number 4 appeals to me. But you can choose any number under 10 to have a decluttered closet.

Bottoms

- 4 Skirts ( Ladies, 2 summer, 2 winter)
- 4 Short pants ( 3 daily, 1 dressy)
- 4 Pants (2 Jeans, 2 dress pants)

Tops

- 4 short sleeves or sleeveless shirts ( Summer)
- 4 long sleeve mid season tops.
- 4 Combine, Winter sweaters or Jackets ( Thickness depending on the area you live at)
- 4 Party Tops.( If needed depending on your social life)
- 4 Work shirts and blouse.

Misc.

- 4 Party and summer dresses.
- 2 Sleeping wear sets.
- 2 Work suites
- 2 Sets of work out clothes

Shoes
- 1 Sport shoe
- 2 Party heels or shoes ( Black and your favorite color)
- 2 Summer Sandals (One flat and One wedge for ladies)
- 2 covered toe shoes(For cool weather)
- 1 Boot.

Purses
- 2 Purses

This might sound extreme, but it will make your life a lot easier.

The benefits:
. Less room needed
. Easier to do laundry
. Decluttered, manageable and organized closet
. Easier mixing and matching wardrobe
. Less expense since you will stop buying too many things
. Helping the society by donating your un wanted and not needed items
. Less time needed to take care of your wardrobe
. Owning only the items you love and wear
. Can pay guiltless for the best qualities since you reduced the quantities.

Don't forget to mix and match, Layer and accessorise.

How many items do you have in your closet?

Paris

How to simplify and organize your Tupperwares.

2013-01-24T23:47:00.000-08:00

Add caption

Tupperware drawer or cabinet has become one of the biggest challenges in organising one's kitchen.

The lost tops and miss matched bottoms are a mystery yet to be solved. I remember the commercial about a brand saying "Don't get mad, Get glad". It was for a disposable Tupperware. Made of plastic that you could lend to a friend and just let it go.

I remember buying tons of them in various sizes and every time, deciding that this was it. I will throw away all the old ones and start fresh. This set is going to stay perfectly organize and will not have the same destiny as the old one. Boy was i wrong. Within few months, the cabinet would get overflown by different tops and bottoms that for some weird reason never matched.

Only when i was ready for a big change, the solution to that big problem became very clear. Now, it has been years since i organized or bought any Tupperware and don't even want to remember how frustrating and expensive it was.

Here is how to do it.

1. Decide on one or two sizes only. You don't need to have twelve different sizes.

2. Set a budget aside, or buy gradually as i did.(Winco in Folsom had the best deal)

3. Dump the plastic and go for Pyrex Glass containers.

4. Decide how many you need and buy as you go. I suggest to start small and add as needed. Don't go buying twenty four pieces while ten will do it for you.

5. Buy the same size and color tops to keep your life organized and uncluttered. Don't buy a set with different sizes and colors.

6. Use it for refrigerators, Freezers, snacks ...

7. Donate all your old Tupperware.

8. Get used to never ever organizing and buying another plastic Tupperware.

Perks and tips are:

Since it is glass, people will always return it to you.
For cookies and other dry stuff for others, i simply use brown paper bags and don't worry about someone returning it.
The glass and the top are very easy to clean and are machine washable.
You can Microwave the food in the glass container without worrying about toxins.
Every top matches every bottom.
No more freezer burn on your food.
Your refrigerator and freezer will look a lot more organize.
Food lasts longer since it is sealed nicely and glass is cleaner with less germs.
Last but not least, the food taste better warmed and stored in glass and you will never get the freezer or refrigerator smell in your food since it is sealed nicely.

When was the last time you organized your Tupperware cabinet?

Paris

No New Year resolution.

2013-01-11T13:51:00.003-08:00

No New Year resolution.

Stop making New Year resolutions.

The reason?

The New year, the new month and the new Monday have been coming and going, and the chances that you actually lost that extra weight, or became perfectly organized , or exercised and got in perfect shape for the rest of the year have been very slim. Every year, we make the same resolutions and at the end, it might make us feeling worst and even feeling like a failure.

The new year resolution, is just another way to reset our clocks and tell our inner child;
" Ready, Set, Start."
But in reality, it is just another day and It never really feels different than any other day.

To get your desired result and succeed, the best way is, Setting deadlines. This was the best thing for me and it worked wonderfully.

Here is how it works:

1. Set a deadline and decide that before the first of the year, you will loose that extra weight or you will finish that nagging, never ending paperwork...

2. Don't wait for the start. Just get started now and work on finishing things before your deadline.

3. Re set your deadline at the end of each day,week, month or even year if your task requires.

4. Take small steps and do not jump in big goals. For example, decide that by the end of this week, you will loose half an inch from your waist and two pond. Then the next week make another deadline and set another goal. When you decide that by the end of this year, i will loose 50 pound, it is a goal that possibly with scare you and fade away like every other year.

The reality is, there are a lot more people doing things at the last minutes than people that are prepared and finishing everything long before they are due. So instead of fighting it and make yourself miserable, set deadlines. The artificial deadlines are a wonderful way to actually do the things you need to do.

Have you ever noticed that before a trip, you want to do and finish everything? That is that artificial deadline i am talking about. To be proactive and prepared, you could adjust your deadline. For example, finishing taxes by the end of February, or pack for your move and set the deadline for the packing to be finished one week before the actual moving date.

This system makes you have enough time and a time cushion if you need to. It also takes the stress away from doing things you need to do and helps you to got the job done.

What are your resolution/deadlines this year?

Simple Christmas Ornaments..

2012-12-19T12:17:00.001-08:00

A simple paperclip could be a great Ornament hanger.

Here are some tips for Simple, Natural, Clutter free and Plastic free Christmas decorations.

1. Separate and Remove all the plastic Ornaments that you are not in love with and are made of plastic.

2. Donate them and let someone else use them instead of buying new.

3. Bring the nature in your home by making natural ornaments.

4. Some good old paper clips make great ornament hangers.

A natural stone and a simple elastic band. Create an ornament.

5. Try to get a smaller tree this year. They use a lot less resources to grow and do the job perfectly.

6. Stay away from plastic trees. Plastic is not healthy and they are really bad for the environment.

7. A natural tree has been planted in farms for this occasion and is not going to harm the nature.

Found at the Christmas tree store(free). A perfect ornament.

8. Reduce and minimize the amount of decorations. You will love it when you need to take them down and store them at the end.

9. Saves lots of money by not spending any more on ornaments.

10. Our tree has never been so beautifully simple.

Did you reduce your ornaments yet?

Minimalist clothes shopping

2012-12-13T11:44:00.004-08:00

Minimalistic wardrobe shopping.

I have a feeling I am not the only one, who doesn't know what to wear, or more precisely, has nothing to wear, standing in front of a closet full of clothes, every single time.

When we feel we have nothing to wear, we usually go shopping. But for some reason, it never changes the fact that we still have nothing wear at the end.

Here are some tips to minimize and simplify your clothes shopping experience,

Make a list. This is by far, the most important part of any shopping experience. When you have a list, you know exactly what you need. You have a target for your shopping and you will not waste time browsing aimlessly in between tons of stores and clothes.

Respect your list. Look for and Buy only Items that are on your list. It is very easy to get side tracked. But be careful and try to focus on your list only. This way you will go home with exactly what you need and not forget something.

Classic look. Look for classic looks rather than latest styles. Styles come and go. They actually come and go pretty fast. But classic looks never get out of style. If you enjoy wearing the latest style, get one single piece and mix and match with you classic wardrobe. For example one pair of skinny jeans can be matched with almost every top. Classic clothes are always beautiful and never out of style.

Best quality. Can't even tell you how many times i found my dream piece of clothing and fell in love with it and after the first wash, it was all ruined and looked really bad. Look for the best qualities . Preferably natural fabrics. Good quality clothing last and looks good all the time. After all, you can not look polished and classy in something that looks faded and stretched.

Natural Fabrics. Natural fabrics feel good, breath better, carry less chemicals, are biodegradable at the end of their lives and cause less allergies and eczema. As the buyers, we have a lot of power to make a difference. By buying natural fabrics, we make a choice to reduce our society's attachment to petroleum and plastics.

Mono color. Try to stay with mono color fabrics. They match everything. Single color clothing could be easily mixed, matched and upgraded with accessories. They are very versatile. They also look good, pleasant and classy.

Comfort. Make sure you buy items that are also very comfortable. Don't buy something just because it looks good. Always make sure you try the item on before buying. If an item is not comfortable, there is a very high chance that you will wear it maybe once and then it is going to seat in your closet for years to come.

Versatile. Look for items that can be used and paired with other items in your closet.Mixing and matching will be a life saver when you are staring at your closet having nothing to wear. You can get a new look each time by simply exchanging tops and bottoms.

Accessorize. In a simple and classic wardrobe, items can be easily upgraded with accessories. Stay away from over the top bling accessories. Instead, get some unique and nice pieces that can accentuate a classic wardrobe.

Love it. You have to absolutely love an item before you buy it. If you are not 100% in love, do not buy the item just because it is on sale. Keep looking. If you don't love an item, it is not worth the time, money and space you dedicate to it. Chances are, you are not going to wear it as much. No matter how inexpensive it is.

Age appropriate. Make sure you buy age appropriate items. Don't forget to grow up. Do not look in junior department if you are let's say 48 years old. There are plenty of beautiful classy looking items that are youthful and modern. Wearing teenage clothing does not make you become one if you are not.

Minimal trending. As i mentioned before, you don't need a whole new wardrobe every season just to be trendy. Buy 1 or 2 items to follow the latest trend, if you like to follow trends. Make sure you don't invest too much on them, you can match them with your classic items in your closet. Don't forget that they might go out of style before you get a return on investment from them.

One or two are enough.You don't need many of the same items. If you have a good black belt or a nice black dress, you don't need another one. Just accessorize the one black dress based on the circumstances. Try to get used to having one or two of something. Two pairs of good looking, nice fitting jeans are better than a closet full of them when you only wear the two that are your favorites.

No sales racks. Stay away from the sales racks. Try to find something you really need, not just browse and choose. If you know you will not get distracted and too excited, sales racks can be a good place for nice bargains. But you have to make sure you are not going to buy many items just because they are on sale.

Set a budget. Before going shopping, make sure you have a set budget. It is better if you have an allowance and put money aside monthly in an envelope for clothing. This will reduce the chances of over spending and also make you feel comfortable buying things you need without any worries about the money.

Layer.Try to buy items that you can layer. If you own let's say 5 extra heavy and warm sweaters and live in California, this can not be your only winter wardrobe. Try to buy more items that belong to the in between seasons of Fall and spring. You can always layer with jackets and tops. It will look good and it could be altered base on the temperature needs.

Shopping diet. Once you have a nice closet and are satisfied with it, go on a shopping diet for a whole year. The first time I did it for a whole year, I loved it. It helps you to value what you have. Also you use your wardrobe to the max. It is easy to find items and saves you tons of money. Try it.

Purge. Always purge at the end of each season. Check this for tips on how to do it. After your purge, do not buy any more. Wait till next year, when you reorganize that season's clothing, you will know what you really need. Make a list and buy then.

Happy clothes shopping :)
Paris

Creative beauty. Stop buying.

2012-12-01T15:32:00.001-08:00

Source: moonlightrainbow.tumblr.com via Parastoo on Pinterest

Beauty does not have to cost a lot.

Life is full of inexpensive creative ways to be enjoyed without the expense.

Also with some natural and biodegradable parts, a very beautiful art can be created and enjoyed.

Stop buying plastic pieces and start creating simple little pleasures in your life.

Think twice before you buy anything. Think, is it worth it? Is it worth the time we spend? the expense and the space we dedicate and pay for?

Just think twice before you buy it. We have the tendency to just buy because something is on sale. But in reality, the time we spent earning the money we are spending is the true cost of the item we are buying. If you buy something that you could live without, it might not be worth it.

Always, always ask yourself this, before buying,

" Can i live without it? Do I need it? "
These are important questions to ask yourself.

21 "More" benefits of decluttering.

2012-11-28T12:17:00.000-08:00

Clutter has been one of the biggest causes of stress in our lives. When we clutter our lives physically and mentally, it drains our energy. We got in to the habit of organizing and reorganizing over and over again. If we truly want to have an organized life, we need to de-clutter first. Clutter is very stubborn. It sneaks right back to our lives very easily.

Here you can see the 20 "Less" benefits of de-cluttering.

Now i will post the 21 "More " benefits of de-cluttering.

1. More time.

One of the most important benefits of decluttering, is gaining more time for ourselves. The time we would have spent organizing and maintaining all our unnecessary stuff, will be free to be used for something else. Something we love and prefer doing. Imagine a life with less to clean and organize!!!

2. More money.

Many of the items that are cluttering our house, can be valuable to someone else. An item seating in the garage for many years, taking room and cluttering our mind and house, could be sold on E-bay or Craigslist. Some times a good sum of money can be made. Let those stuff go and try to sell them. This way, you make money and someone else that could use this item, will have a chance to enjoy it. It is a win, win situation. Some people have one garage sale per year and get stuff out of their house along with making some money. Not to mention the money you will not spend buying more stuff. Once you declutter, you will enjoy your space too much to clutter it again with bringing stuff in again.

3. More pleasant visual view.

One of the biggerst stressors in our life, is visual clutter. When things look nice, clean and organize, the view is calming and pleasant. But when your home looks crowded with clutter, the stress of unfinished things needing to be done, sneaks in your subconscious mind and can cause a very uncomfortable and stressful feeling. The more neat and organize your view is, the more calm and happy you will become.

4. More discipline.

When we have de-cluttered homes, we can focus more on things needing to be done. We don't feel overwhelmed any more and can have a lot more discipline in our daily schedule. With decluttering, the distractions and visual over simulations go away and we can focus on organizing our days and do more. It is a lot easier to have a nice and organized system when you have less to worry about.

5. More time.

This one is one of the best perks of decluttering. Imagine to have a lot less to clean. Less to store. Less to buy. Less to sell or get rid of. If you have less stuff and less to do, you will automatically gain more time. Time the the most valuable possessions we all have. Don't replace it with stuff. Don't waste it. Life is short.

6. More space.

Many times we feel like we don't have enough room. It just feels too crowded in our homes. We feel like we need to move to a bigger house, so we can fit in all our stuff. But here is a simpler solution. Have less stuff. Reduce your belongings and you will see how much more space you end up with. Go through your drawers and cabinets and get rid of things you have not used for the past year. Let them go and enjoy the empty spaces.

7. More mental room for progress.

Clutter and stuff, clutters our minds. When we have to deal with a lot of stuff, we have busy minds. With a lot of stuff to think and worry about, we don't dare to start a new project or new idea. The clutter drains our mental energy. When we de-clutter, our minds become more free and we have more time and mental energy to think and plan about future progresses.

8. More control over your life.

De-cluttering makes our tasks a lot more manageable and easier to deal with. The less stuff we have, the easier to control every thing in our life. Clutter makes our mind loose control. An organize and clutter free home gives us a lot more control over the situations and decisions in our life.

9. More responsible kids.

In our own home, this has been proven. Our kids have changed a lot since we became minimalists. Less stuff gives you more time to spend with your children. They also get use to valuing money and our belongings. They are getting used to not buying something they don't need. It is a lot easier for them to clean as well. So you can give them more responsibilities to help around the house.

10. More energy.

In Chinese Feng Shui, the flow of the energy is an important matter. The believe is that the more space the energy has, to flow, the healthier a home will be. But also in our lives, with less stuff, we don't have to spend our energy and time taking care of stuff. We have a lot more energy for doing what we love which reminds me, i don't think i know anybody that loves taking care of and dealing with stuff.

11. More sense of accomplishment.

Have you ever had those nights when you go to bed after finishing a big task and you just feel good and accomplished? Did you sleep better that night? When we have less stuff to deal with, we can accomplish more. This wonderful heavenly sense of accomplishment will become a part of our lives with less stuff to worry about.

12. More helping others.

The stuff we accumulate and feel bad getting rid of, could look like junk in our garages and attics. But they could also be treasures for people that need them. Just donate those items and set them free. Let others that truly need them, use them. If feels so good to donate and help others.

13. More socialization.

Years ago, many times, when my kids wanted to have someone over, the situation in our home was hopeless and it was unimaginable to have someone in this clutter. Cluttered homes can become unmanageable and it is hard to invite company in a home that is full of stuff. Reduce your stuff and make more room and time for good friends.

14. More productive.

With less stuff and clutter, we can have a better focus on what we do. Minimalism can help you achieve a laser sharp focus on the matter on hand without any distractions. Your productivity will raise with higher energy and more focus. The final sense of accomplishment is priceless.

15. More Romance.

Imagine a romantic candle light dinner with bunch of stuff all around you. It is hard to imagine it. isn't it? Now imagine a very clean and decluttered dining or bedroom. No toys, no unnecessary stuff, no papers and books and clothes everywhere. A nice and neat room is making the candle light quality time, a lot more romantic.

16. Finding long lost memories. More valuable stuff in your life.

Many times you will be surprised about what you find under neat that clutter. The usual things you hear during decluttering is" Oh. I didn't know this is here! Wow. I thought i'd lost it....". With decluttering and minimising, you make room for only what you truly value and love. When something is very valuable to you, the last place you want it to be is under piles of stuff.

17. More freedom.

Without many stuff to worry about, you can have the freedom to move easily, to travel easily and have the financial freedom as well. Stuff bound us to our environment. To have the freedom to reduce your work hours( if you choose to)is the best freedom one can have. Minimalist can help you achieve that.

18. More organized

There is a whole industry around organization. There are personal organizers and there are stores dedicated to storage and organizations. Our houses are packed with plastic bins and closet organizers. The truth is, before we buy more stuff to put our stuff in them, we need to reduce our stuff at the first place. It is so much easier to organize 10 items than 60 items. I know someone that had over 100 shoes and decided to organize them by buying 100 plastic individual shoe storage. Isn't it easier to reduce your shoes, to lets say, 20 and you won't even need those plastic shoe organizers? Not to mention the savings.

19. Safer home

One of the problems always mentioned in the show hoarders is a safety issue. When we have de-cluttered houses, we have a lot less to clean and thus we will have less dust, less barriers and dangerous stuff on the floor that someone could trip and fall. De cluttering reduces the dust collection and it is so much easier to reach all those hidden areas to clean when there are not too many stuff around the house.

20. More appreciation for belongings.

Owning less stuff makes us appreciate and value what you have. When you have one, of something, you take care of it a lot more than when you have many of the same item. Decluttering makes you take care of your belongings.

21. A clearer and calmer mind

It is so much easier to feel calm and serene when our homes are clean and organize. De-cluttering could really change our lives. With the wonderful feeling of freedom and accomplishment with the appreciation for our belongings and our money, our minds will be calmer and clearer.

Have you started decluttering yet?

85 Simple little pleasures.

2012-11-25T13:46:00.000-08:00

What makes us happy? Why at we always in pursue of happiness? What happened when we find it?

People set goals and look forward to become happier. It is a wonderful thing to do. Setting goals and working hard towards them by itself brings us happiness. But how about all the little things in our daily life that counts? How about simple little pleasures?

Here are the list of the simple little pleasures that one can enjoy simply by paying attention and valuing them.

Watching a child sleep.
Falling asleep while cuddling in a rainy day.
Holding hands
Sun
Blue sky
Rain
Cloud
Music
Dancing to a live band
Smell of coffee
Smell of flowers
Smell of fresh rain
Smell of fresh cut grass
Lady bugs
Waking up early
Walking bare food in the grass
A hot bubble bath in the cold weather
Candles
Running through the autumn leaves
Smell of burn fire in the morning in a village
The colors of Autumn
Memories of the first kiss
Fire place
Baby smell
Coloring
Watermelon
Fog
Finishing a long, hard job on your to do list.
Stretching in the morning
A Smile from a stranger
Looking at flowers
A friend's hug
A warm cup of coffee in the snow.
Trying to catch snow in my mouth
Running in the rain
Making snow angles
Jazz music
Dancing
Afternoon nap
Birds chirping in the early mornings
Good memories
Full moon
Laughing hard
Evening breeze on a warm night
Talking to old friends.
Watching a good movie again
Hot chocolate
Cackling firewood
Summer rains
Ice creams
Water
Love
Kiss
Hugs
Family
Coloring
Butterflies
Petting a cat's cozy fur
Apology
Reading
Sunrise
Finding seashells.
A beautiful view
Fresh tomatoes
Farmer's market
Thunderstorm
Rainbow
Sneeze
Yawn
Sleeping
Quiet times
Good food
A glass of vine
Freedom
Holiday music
Floating on the water
Walking barefoot on the sand
Little acts of kindness
Waking up fresh
Someone truly being happy to see you
A good dream
Listening to kids play by themselves
Smell of toast in the morning
Weekends
An honest compliment
...

Decluttering your Closet.

2012-11-25T12:08:00.000-08:00

How to declutter and creat a minimalistic closet.

Our closts are one of the easiest places to get cluttered and disoraganize. We invest so much money and time to build, fill, upgrade, update, organize, dry clean, take care, and iron our worderobe and yet at the end we usually have nothing to wear.

A decluttered minimalistic closet makes our life simpler. When we only own a number of items that we love, wear, look good in and cherish, we are happier. We spend less time to organize our warderobe and it is so much easier to choose something to wear.

Decluttering Tips:

Stop buying.The very first step you need to take is to stop buying. many of us start with buying more clothes with the hope of replacing the old ones and starting fresh.Many of us also start with buying organization boxes and storage units, but this will only add to your load of stuff and make it harder to declutter.

Start Purging.To creat a functional and minimalistic closet, there are different ways of tackling it. The one important thing is to reduce your load and start purging. the less items you have, the easier to clean and organize. You have to have no marcy as far as purging goes.

Let things go. In order to get organize and reduce, you have to start letting things go. This could be one of the hardest parts to deal with. Many people hoard items, because they think that by keeping that item, they might be able to give it a second life. This causing for the item to seat there in their closet, never being worn and just adding to your level of stress. But by donating this item, there will be other people that will buy and enjoy and actually wear this item.

Separation anxiety. Sometimes it is very hard to separate from an item of clothing that you have memories with. Could it be from the time you used to be very slim and felt good? Could it be from when you had the best time of your life? At this point you need to really make a decision. Don't force yourself to seperate if this item has a special meaning to you. Have a Bin or a box for your memories and place it in there. But take it out of your closet. It does not belong there any more. It belongs to your memory box. Live the closet for the clothing you will wear, only.

Start removing. Have no mercy.remove every thing you haven't worn in the past year and the chance of you wearing it is very slim.Unless it is an item for very special ocasions.(For example maternity clothes and you are planing to get pregnant again. I honestly would give them away and keep maybe just a few items in a box away from my daily clothes).Remove everything that does not fit. Too long, too short, too tight, too old, too loose, too small, too out dated, too colorful, too boring, worn too many times, too uncomfortable, too stained. Ripped. Shrunk. Itchy sweaters.Duplicates.or you do not love.

Repurpose. Now from this pile, separate any favorite that you absolutely love and could be back in system by some alteration. Place these items in a bag and preferably put it in the car, or next to your purse to be able take care of it as soon as possible.

Consign. Place all of the removed items in a box, or bag and get ready to drop them at a consignment store as soon as possible.There are more and more consignment stores opening these days due to the economy.If you can make some money in the process of your decluttering, why not doing it.Make sure you let them know that you want everything donated if they can not sell any item.If you have expensive brand name items and do not want to donate, just inform the consignment store and they will return them to you af it does not get sold. You can place them on Craigslist or e-bay by yourself.

Donate. Every thing they do not accept, bring to the donation center immediately.Do not bring them back home.You can get a receipt and get a nice tax credit. It also makes you feel good.

Box them. If you have items that you are not sure about, place them in a box with the date on it. If six months from now, you still havn't open this box, take it straight ( without opening) to the consginment store and then donation.

Congratulations. Seat back and relax and enjoy your new emptier closet. But still this does not mean that you can go out and shop till you drop just because you have more room in your closet.

Simplified Holiday gifts. 14 tips.

2012-11-23T22:40:00.000-08:00

Holidays are around the corner.

These wonderful days are, by far, my favorite time of the year. The fire place, the cold weather, smell of fire and cinnamon. Hot chocolate. Christmas songs. Holiday decorations. Reading Rudolph book for my kids, the beautiful music everywhere " Chestnuts roasting on the open fire"

How come with all these beauties, it became one of the most stressful times of the year? It suppose to be filled with joy and happiness. What happened? Why?

Shopping happened.

Yes. when it is holiday season, all people think about, is how much shoping they have to do, how much money they have to spend, how to make time for all the shopping. Last minutes shopping has become one of the greatest source of stress. Not to mention the Credit Card bills that will follow in January. So what is the solution? How can we have a wonderful holiday like good old day without going broke?

Here are some tips.

The first thing you need to do is , change your mindset about holidays. Don't look at it as a chore needing to be done and over with. Think about how wonderful and beautiful it is. Look at it as a beautiful and joyful experience, not a source of stress.

If you have time, buy ahead of time. When you see something on sale, or something that you know for sure would make someone happy, buy and save it ahead of time.

Reduce your expectation and teach you family member to reduce theirs. You don't have to buy the biggest and the most expensive gifts. Get used to giving small meaningful gifts in stead of huge and expensive purchased gifts.

When you give a simple, yet meaningful gift, the other person will appreciate, not feeling obligated to go out and shop for an expensive gift for your the next year.

Give gifts of services or experiences, instead of unnecessary stuff. We all have closets, garages, pantries, cabinets and rooms packed with stuff. When you give a gift of service ( Massage, restaurant's gift certificate...) the person can truly enjoy it without adding to their clutter.

You don't need to buy too many gifts for your kids. One nice present ( Something they need) and some mini stocking stuffer should be enough. Help your kids write a letter to Santa ahead of time and let them know that Santa can only bring 1-2 presents, so they need to choose their favorite and make it easier for Santa.

Don't fill the stocking with cheap plastics. Place some edible, or educational gifts. Candy or cookie along with an old fashion,wooden or knitted ornament or toys are something kids will be looking forward to. One quality ornament per year, created a tradition in our home. It is easy to buy, inexpensive, makes my kids happy and it will not end in the landfills or trash can or clutter our home. They deeply value and always keep these ornaments.

Make Do-It-Yourself gifts if you have time. Holiday cookies, Home made soaps and some other home made products are wonderful gifts with some personal touch.

Make a list of all the people you want to thank, tip, or give gifts to, ahead of time. Start with writing their Holiday cards ahead of time to reduce the season's stress.

For tips for your mail person or gardener..., it is better to write their names on an envelope ahead of time with a nice card, then plan ahead and fill the envelopes with the cash needed. This way, you wouldn't have the last minute stress. You can paper clip them to your calendar, so you would not forget about it.

Buy only for people that you are close to. You don't need to go too far with gift giving. A small gift, like a plant or home made Wine or fruit basket with Farmers Market fruit, would make an awesome gift for business related presents.

For your family member, keep an eye on what they need first. Don't go out and buy your husband anothe massager or golf related item , just to buy something, while he does not even play golf.

Make sure you give them local gifts that helps the small businesses around you as well. It is rewarding too.

Keep the wrapping to minimal. If you can use reusable gift wraps or bags, that would save you money and also is not creating waste.

Keep it simple and pleasant, so you can enjoy your holidays as well as your other family members. Happy gift giving.

Paris.

This thanksgiving, what are you thankful about ?

2012-11-19T23:07:00.002-08:00

Giving thanks.
Life is full of joy and happiness. Full of things, people and moments to enjoy and be thankful for.

But here are some things that we forget about and forget to be thankful for. Some things in life that we take for granted and are some of the most important things in our existance.

. The air we breath.

Air pollution.

Yes, the air we breath. After living in one of the most polluted cities in the world for many years, the air we are breathing has become very valuable. The pollution in many countries is unbelievable and the air is simply un-breathable. I remember when visited Tehran, the capitol of Iran. my eyes and my troth was burning from the car smoke and pollution. My white clothes turned black in just less than an hour. So yes, the air I am breathing today is one important thing for me to be thankful for.

Water pollution

. The water we drink.
I one saw this funny picture of a child looking surprised and saying " You are telling me you have so much clean water that you go putty in it?" . This is actually the interesting truth. There are so many people around the world that are missing drinking water. I remember that my dad was telling me stories about when he went to a very far away village in Iran to evaluate the situation for building a road ( He is an engineer). The villagers were very happy to see him and with lots of respect, they brought him water to drink. He said that, he saw dirt and small worms at the bottom of the glass. Now many years later, thinking about that, makes me appreciate every drop of clean, fresh water that i drink. I am deeply thankful.

. The comfort of having a shelter.
No matter how big or small our homes are, they are still our homes and they are a shelter for us to rest in. At this time, where we live, we have wild deers and turkies in our backyard all the time. few days ago, we had a big rain and i caught myself feeling worried for those deers. Then i remembered that all the animals in nature are living outdoors. Only us, humans are the ones that build shelters. We even have the luxury kinds too. This though gave me a deep satisfaction and thankfulness regarding my life and the simple fact , that my family and I, are having a shelter in the cold of the winter and in the heat of the summer. I am just so thankful.

. health.
Not long ago i was watching a very sad movie about a family that had AIDS. That night i slept very thankful. I realised the best news in the world for that family, at any given moment, would be someone telling them that they don't have AIDS any more. That night i though about it long and deep and i was so thankful that my family and I, live a life that could be the best news for someone. I am so thankful for every thing in my life. For having a somewhat healthy brain, a relatively healthy body and healthy family.

. Being born as a human.
I am not jocking. This one might sound very weired. But think about it. We could have been a fish or a lizard. But we happen to be a human being. The most intelligent creature on earth. We can build things and live a comfortable life. We are indeed very lucky to be human. The wisdom and knowledge of humanity serve us enormously and improve the quality of our lives.

. Having food to eat.
This one goes back to being human. imagine if we had to hunt our own food and there was no agriculture, farms or meat production. We are just lucky and need to be thankful. Be able to go to store or farmers market and buy our food is a huge blessing. Others worked hard to provide this food for us. I never forget what my daughter's 8 years old friend once said. She grabbed a grain of rice and said " We should not waste anything. It took a whole year for this rice to grow, so we can eat it". What a nice way to look at our food.

What are you thankful for today?

Don't need to be an excessive environmentalist.

2012-11-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

It is easy to live a sustainable life.

To love and respect nature, you don't need to live a difficult life, or sacrifice your family's comfort. There are many easy ways to live a happy and fulfilling life and still live green.

I have seen and read so many stories about people that spend hours, to peel the paper of a can to be able to recycle it, or don't use toilet paper, so they can save trees.

Living green should not sacrifieses your comfort and your familie's well being. Here are some easy changes that have a nominal effect on your life, but make a big difference in environmental health.

These tips are simple to apply and mostly focuses on the matter of choosing the greener version of everything we use. ?

Here are some easy tips about making a better world without compromising our happiness.

- When you go to Starbucks for a drink, ask for their "For here cup" or bring your own cup. Just decide that you will stop using disposable cups.

- If you have the desire and the financial option to buy a Electric or Hybrid car, consider it . You will save tons of money on gas too.

- Just learn and teach your family to turn unused lights off.

- Don't be wasteful. Try to reuse things and if something can be repaired, repair it instead of trowing it away and buying a new one.

- Try to go paperless in your kitchen. It is very easy and it saves a lot of money.

- Consider a smaller house if you have the option and the desire. Smaller house consumes a lot less resources and is much easier to care for.

- Buy only when you need something. Don't just buy, because, for a second, you think it is nice to own something or because it looks like a deal.

- Try to buy as natural as possible. For example, when buying any clothing, try to look for all cotton instead of all the synthetic materials. Cotton is from nature and goes back to nature, Polyester is plastic and will never go back to nature.

- Invest in a water filter. Stop buying bottled water. It makes a huge difference environmentally and financially.

- Try to buy recycled paper, or toilet paper wrapped in paper instead of non recycled one wrapped in plastic.

- Isolate your home and always turn off your heater and AC when not needed.

- When ready to buy cleaning supplies, try to buy the Eco friendly kinds. You still clean nicely without of the huge impact on the environment.

- Stop buying books and use the library.

- Recycle as much as you can.

- Shop from your Farmer's Market. This one makes a big difference.

- When buying something, like cosmetics and toys, always look for the natural choices first. A naturally made cosmetic made in your own country, or a wooden toy, still gives you what you wanted with a lot less impact.

Do you do any of the above?
Paris

20 benefits of buying from Farmers Market.

2012-11-04T14:42:00.000-08:00

Got Vegetables?

Here is a photo of my weekly farmers market purchases.

Why it is important to buy from your local Farmers Market?

1. More fruit and vegetable. You will get excite to buy and eating a lot more fruit and vegetable, since you will be more exposed to them.

2. Fresh produce.The produces are local. It means they were not brought from other countries. Thus they are a lot fresher. They were not ripened by the chemical gasses. They were ripened by the power of the sun.

3. Less Chemicals. Since they do not need to be transported too far, they need less chemicals to ripen them ( Ethylene gas See here) and to maintain them.

4. Less Packaging, Less natural resources, less waste. All the produces you see in my picture produced ZERO waste. The egg cartons are brought back to my egg lady the next week and it makes her very happy. For the rest off the produces, i brought my own bags. You can shop zero waste as well. Just bring your own bags.

5. Less Transportation, less Pollution. The produces in the farmers market were not brought from a different continent, just to be sold to us. Thus very minimal transportation is needed. The less transportation is used, the less Oil or Gas is used. This means less dependency on foreign oil, less pollution in the environment, less maintenance, less refrigeration, less paperwork and less big corporation are involved.

6. More diversity. I leaned a lot more about different vegetable, and my kids are trying all kinds of interesting fruit and vegetable that we have never seen or been exposed to before. Diversity means more types of vitamins and minerals and not getting stuck eating the same old same.

7. Helping our local farmers. It is a pleasure to hand the money directly to the grower of my food. I think about all the hard work they put in growing and taking care of our food and then they have to sell them dirt cheap to the big corporations. The corporations are taking over the food market.

8. Better Nutritional facts. When the produce ripens naturally and is consumed right after harvesting, it has the highest amount of nutrients in it. The conventional produces that are brought from far way, are harvested weeks before they are ripened. This way, they maintain their texture. Then after weeks of refrigeration and transportation, when it is time for them to be sold, they are ripened artificially with Ethylene gas. Less sun means less nutrition.

9. Seasonal. Eating seasonal is just wonderful. The recipes, the smell of the season, the colors are pure pleasure. It is not fun to eat pumpkin in spring. Also, eating seasonal means, they have been produced locally, not on the other earth's hemisphere. The taste, the nutrition and the season's spirit is a lot better. The effect on the environment is a lot less too. It just makes sense.

10. Family quality time. Going to farmer's market is one of our favorite activities. My kids get to choose the fruits. They usually are rewarded by a sweet and nice person, by giving them that extra cucumber, or strawberry. They love it.

11. Making new friends. When i am saying thank you and good by to the nice farmers, we all say" See you next week" . When i didn't get the chance to go there for couple of weeks, they were concerned and asked me where i was. Also I know this wonderful older lady that has back aches and i am looking forward to see her and chat with her. She has the nices smile. It is such a pleasure to know these wonderful people.

12. A happier community. Farmers Market brings happiness to our community. The music, the liveliness, the flowers, the nice person selling Organic herbs, the noises, the smell of freshness, all these just creates a happier place.

13. Fresh and natural out door air. I used to be always cold in the stores. All those artificial lights and refrigerators, make me get the chills. The farmers market is a natural, out door, fresh air experience and is good for all of us.

14. Light exercises. It made me laugh to write this. But the truth is that walking around, carrying bags filled with produce, in the fresh out door air, is a lot healthier that jumping in the car 20 times per week and buying one thing at a time, from a 24 hours Safe Way. This used to the old me. The convenience of having a big grocery store open 24 hours a day very close to our house caused me to not plan anything and just buy when i needed something NOW.

15. Better taste food. Just think about it. A produce that has been in the sun, without any chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides..., loved and cared for till it ripens without any artificial gases. Then sold and cooked the same day, taste better OR the produce that has been brought up in a soil that has no nutrition left and artificial lights, is packed with fertilizers, pesticides... then picked and refrigerated weeks before it is ripened, then it is transported half way acrossed the globe, then it is ripened with Ethylene gas, Then it is seating in the grocery stores for a long time before it make it in your basket. Which one tastes better.

16. Reduce consumerism. When we buy from Farmers Market, we break our dependency to the big corporations. We buy less processed and packaged food that are advertised to us. We buy less junk food and less unnecessary stuff.

17. Access to less expensive organic produce. Since there is no middle men, the organic food can be found less expensive. Also Organic produces need a faster turnaround, otherwise they go bad. They lack the chemical preservatives. So the whole process would be a lot more expensive if the food is brought from far away.

18. No temptation for buying junk food. When we are going to grocery stores, we get exposed to so many unhealthy junk food. It is so hard to keep saying "No" to your kids when they want something they see. But in Farmers Market, whatever they ask for, it is a healthy food.

19. Not processed. Most food get processed and altered, so they look a certain way, or they taste a certain way and the most important part is, the amount of preservatives added to them is huge. In the Farmers market, the food you buy, actually goes bad after a while. This is always a good sign.

20. Learning about the food we eat. It is so wonderful to try the new recipes and new produces we buy in farmers market. We also ask about how the plant grows and how each produce is made. My kids learn so much from the knowledgeable people there.

Have you been to your local Farmer's Market yet?

Paris

Stop over-cleaning.

2012-11-02T23:27:00.000-07:00

Are we over cleaning?

The cleaning process has become one of the most toxic processes in our life. Here in US we are becoming obsessed with cleaning. We are becoming so Germophobic that a huge isle in the grocery stores is dedicated to cleaning and disinfection. We hear horror stories about the germs and have become truly preoccupied with killing every single germ in our home. The price we are paying for this cleaning process is huge and we don't even know about it. Here are some of the negative sides of too much cleaning.

. Destroying The Good Germs.

Hopefully, we all remember studying about "The Good Germs and The Bad Germs". The good germs are our friends. They are necessary for our health. They are the defend wall that keeps Fungus and some other aggressive germs away and help to protect our body. If they are destroyed, the so called " Opportunistic germs" replace them and could cause diseases. We need the good germs. We should stop killing them with all our Antibachterial agents.

. Inexperience Immune system.

Immune system's mechanism works like the memory . That is how vaccines work. When our white blood cells, that are our defence system, encounters germs, they learn to recognize these kinds of germs and learn to defend themselves. When we inject our bodies with weakened germs( Vaccination) the germs are not strong enough to take over our bodies, but it is still enough for our body's defence mechanism to learn about them and build a defence system. This way, the next time this strand of germ attacks our body, our white cells recognize and destroy it.
When we are removing all the germs around us, the immune system becomes relaxed and too comfortable, thus the first attack of germs, could become successful and causes sickness. We are constantly exposed to all kinds of germs. Our strong immune system is the reason we are not sick all the time. Having a strong immune system is a lot more crucial to our health than having a germ free environment.

. Resistant germs.

Like any other cell and microorganism, germs can change and adapt themselves. It is called Mutation. Microbes and Viruses are smart organisms and can recognize our attacks. They can become stronger and resist Antibiotics, or other germicides. A resistant germ is very dangerous. Unfortunately, there are more and more new strands of germs that can resist our Antibiotics and other treatments. These new strand can survive easily and cause for our treatment to become inefficient. The battle with those germs are extremely hard. The more we attack them, the stronger they become.

. Chemical exposure.

Our bodies are a part of nature. We are from nature and need the nature. Over the past several years, we have been overwhelming our bodies with tons of chemicals, not thinking that they are just not natural and our bodies are not made to deal with them. The effect of chemicals on our body is a very controversial subject. Many researchers say that it is very unhealthy for us to be exposed to so many chemicals. On the other hands we are bombarded with commercials telling us, how safe and secure we will feel, if our kitchen floor is cleaned with the chemical they are selling. I personally believe, the best way is, to go back to our origins and back to nature. Stay away from chemicals as much as possible. Sometimes it appears to me, that the germ fighting chemicals, are more dangerous than the actual germs.

Based on Organic Consumers Association's report.
some cleaners are among the most toxic products found in the homes. In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home.

. Expense.

Buying all sorts of cleaning agents can quickly add up and put a dent in our monthly budget. There are many HUGE global companies that generate a huge amount of profit and their only product, is chemicals used for cleaning our houses. Just think about it. It is and has been a big business. This is the money people spend with the hope for healthier and cleaner life. In reality, We don't need all those gadgets to have a clean home. There are many fast, inexpensive ways to clean our homes. We can actually Save tons of money, only if we switch to the natural home made cleaners.

. Bad for the environment.

The effect our household cleaners have on our environment is devastating. The household cleaners are very toxic and are designed to kill organism. The problem is that, it affects all kinds of live organism. Many researches have been conducted regarding the effect of our household cleaners on the water and the soil in our planet. These chemicals mostly end in the oceans and poison the see animals. The same chemicals residue in the fatty tissue of the fish we are eating and it comes back to us as food. We should simply care about our planet and all the living creatures, specially knowing that one of those living creatures is us, humans and we are not safe from our own harm.

Now, I know the value of sterilization and disinfecting. Believe me, One of the most important things you need to know to become a dentist, is how to kill germs. Owning a Dental office for many years, caused me to become an obsessed germophobic. But the germs in a dental office are very different than the germs in our homes. What i am trying to say here, is that i am not against destroying germs. I am against destroying our own immune system, our oceans, our ecosystem and our future generations chance of a healthy planet, just to remove germs. I truly believe that the most effective ways to kill germs is naturally and without all the harsh chemicals.

What should one do to keep clean, yet consider all the above? The key is Moderation. Like every thing else in life, moderation is the best way.

I will soon have a post about how to clean naturally and with moderation!

Paris