The pictures that say more than a million words...

What a difference gluten free living has made!! I'd like to share my "mystery illness" photo with you, for anyone who might think gluten intolerance only manifests in digestive issues. I felt and looked like a different person with swollen eye lids and sockets, and the rash making my nose swell. I was loosing clumps of hair. I was covered in a flaky rash, had swollen joints, peripheral neuropathy, mood swings, vision issues, cognitive decline, EXTREME fatigue, and was dealing with a big weight gain due to medications and not being able to move. I was using a walker and found simple tasks such as the dishes... took all day. I was terrified and constantly anxious because I was pretty sure I'd be dead by now.

I don't know how to edit photos, so YES, this is real

Our Simplicity Plan Part 6: Choose your own destiny.

"Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”E. BURKE

Destiny. des-tin-e
n pl -nies
1. the future destined for a person or thing; fate; fortune; lot
2. the predetermined or inevitable course of events
3. (Philosophy) the ultimate power or agency that predetermines the course of events
[from Old French destinee, from destiner to destine]


I like to think of destiny as a series of choices, that lead to an inevitable course of events. I feel that life is a sum of all parts, and in flux, constantly changing as we and are perceptions do. Making changes that count, move you closer to your goals in life be they simplicity, clutter control, green living, a new habit or to let go of another, a new career, love, or weight loss. We need to set the course in motion though. We need to not just say, but do. Not just plan, but to help make those plans happen.

I was once a professional caterer. I did it on my own, then had a partner. The woman had no catering experience but was a party planner. She was great at planning...but doing the work to bring the plan together escaped her. "That's what staff is for." Honey, there is no staff in a 2 person business. You both wear all 'the hats' from the party planning to the trash guy. Life is like that, too. We wear all the hats. We must make the plan happen, with effort. We can plan the perfect life down to the wedding details, future children, and neighborhood. We can spend a lifetime waiting for that sparkly ring and the Guy. But, if we don't ourselves, put the plan in action by getting out and meeting 100 different men, you'll never find your Guy (or girl). Doesn't matter if you buy the dress and have your future real estate agent on call. YOU still must set the stage for destiny to occur.

In a series of choices and resulting events over the past 38.10 years, I have become who I am. I am turning 40 next year. The final half of life is going to be different. I am going to walk and talk even more boldly. I am going to make some more waves. Be heard AND seen. I have spent half a lifetime saying "I should have done..." "I could have done it this way." "Maybe." "Someday." "When we...?" "Then." "I wish I..." NO MORE. I am choosing to live out loud and in the PRESENT MOMENT. The Now...this gift of the present. In this moment, I seek balance and simplicity. I just know this is the direction of my destiny. I can't explain how I know this, that this is what I need to be doing; focusing my energy on further physical, emotional, and spiritual growth rather than accumulating stuff and belongings. I feel I am about to crest a mountain peak and before me stands all of the different paths and destinies... possibilities. Breathing in and asking my true self what I want for the first time, without a child to consider (The Kid is an adult), the deepest feeling that keeps crashing in waves in my heart and mind is that,  I seek a streamlined life that has unlimited room for joy and my path to it is simplicity.

Choose what resonates in you, and only you. Make small changes in the ways in which you are comfortable. A little discomfort is good for the mind, body, and soul too. It makes your thinking sharp and focused, and opens you up to possibilities you have never had room to imagine before. And, yes. I am a freaky hippy that frequently uses words such as choice, path, destiny, and energy in my every day life. I am fully me and I have been for most of my life. I don't see that changing. You may not be me and that's awesome because it means you are YOU!! We are making changes and doing things that matter to us. Do what matters to YOU. Make changes at your own speed. If all you do this month is start to ask yourself about your shopping habits, or change 2 light-bulbs over to CF and hang up a plant...you've made progress! You can not buy a new lifestyle at Whole Foods. It has to happen in your own way and in your own time.

We are living boldly. Redefining our priorities to include the things that feel right to us, and sometimes, only us. How 'crazy' of an idea is that? Not doing things for other's expectations? Not using paper towels is a choice, as is using them. A kitchen does not need to smell of Lysol or bleach to be clean, no matter what your Mom thinks. Baking soda cleans and deodorizes carpets without the chemical fragrance sprinkle. Won't think of trying cloth feminine pads? OK. Just eliminate products with plastic applicators this year. It's OK, to do it your way. This is your life. Just be sure to do something, someday, to reduce your impact here. Standing up for your convictions in life... is another way to stand up for YOU.

For us, cultivating a deep spiritual practice, growing our own food, playing and laughing, and being active in matters of social justice and community makes us feel good and whole...without a gym, drug, or dollar spent. So does music. Seeking out live music is a good thing for all involved. Find YOUR JOY. Take a dance class. Paint. Find a boxing Fight Club. Learn how to knit. Serve food at the homeless shelter. Foster a litter of kittens. Learn to play an instrument. Garden, grow a spider plant, or turn your trash back in to earth. My closest cousin, left a white collar job in her late 20's to become a make up artist. It takes courage to find joy. I never really thought about it in that way. Most of us are programed to find the wrongs in life...not the rights or the joy. I realized many of us humans are still seeking school programed approval and raising our hands to speak. There is no wrong or right way to live...only the way you choose to. The only grade you will will receive as an adult, is a feeling of satisfaction in your life.

As my dear Michael Franti says,  It's is never too late to start over. And over, and over...until you get it 'right' for you. There is no greater external marker of internal growth than the ability to laugh at yourself and adapt to an ever changing environment.

There is something in every one of you that waits and listens for the sound of the genuine in yourself.  It is the only true guide you will ever have. And if you cannot hear it, you will all of your life spend your days on the ends of strings that someone else pulls. Howard Thurman.


This is actually by a band called Fried Funk and is off of Acid Jazz, Volume #5; Living in the land of hi fi. Find joy, indeed.

A Monday Message...

Never too late  --  Michael Franti and Spearhead

Our Simplicity Plan, Part 5: Kermit was wrong.

Don't get me wrong. I do love me some Kermit. His rendition of Rainbow Connection is one of my favorite songs. What I have learned in over 20 years of bright green living, is that it's actually, with thought and planning, easier to be green than you think. The way I like to think of it as a paint pallet with every shade of green available to us all. Depending on your individual reality, circumstances, and living arrangement, you can be anywhere from pale celery just beginning to make changes green, to deep forest tree protecting green. They are all beautiful colors and all OK. It's about forward motion to lessen our personal impact on this one planet we share, increasing the sustainability of your future, and to allow room for simplicity in your life.

What do being green and living in simplicity have in common? Good question. When you live simply within your means and de-cluttler your life; you shop less, eat more local foods, use less chemicals on/in both your body and living space, use less packaging, create less trash, and are way more apt to reuse, repair, and recycle more, so you are deepening your hue of green just by the way you live. The more simply you live the more aware you become of excess both in your life and around you, and making green changes becomes second nature. And honestly, you do not have to smell like patchouli or wear Birkenstocks to be an eco- conscious person. You can be who YOU are already. Me? I'm me already.

I live green and have been eco- conscious for most of my life. I am both Native American and real old Celtic (ok, so I am prone to worshiping trees). My spirituality includes caring for the earth to the best of my ability. I have been a gardener for most of my life, and another part of my connection to nature comes from a childhood of wandering the woods of central MA and picking wild foods and herbs. I have been studying herbs since I was 16 and now... 23 years of studies, apprenticeships, field work in 4 bio-regions, and a lifetime of wild-crafting later, I will STILL not acknowledge myself as an Herbalist. I am no way a medical practitioner nor do I play one. I simply create herbal products according to requests by well informed people. The Guy, responds to herbs and homeopathic very well and so does the dog. I respond to herbs and supplements very well, but only a few homepathic remedies. The Kid, does well with flower essences. I make everything but the homepathics. To me, this my life, not a trend. If I can't make it, then and only then, will I buy it.

That's me, my reality. Basic steps to start with?

A. A single compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. We received a rebate from our electric company for drastically reducing our electric usage over the past year. Every socket in and on the house has one, and I have not changed a bulb in over a year. Not the heavy use on off bulbs like the hall light or bathroom. Not even the on from 7pm-7am porch light. I also am diligent, being the night owl of the house, to shut off all indoor lights, and being sure the non essential small appliances are unplugged. That leaves a porch light, a 'fridge, and a charging phone and computer. It's made a drastic difference.


B. Green household and personal needs do not have to cost allot of money. I make a basic first aid salve out of antimicrobial desert herbs, an arthritis/fibro soak, cough syrups and throat drops, lip balms, lotions of all sorts, talc free dusting and foot powders, flu remedies, soap, face scrubs and pectin fruit peel masks. There are so many basic needs that can be met in a more simple and green way. I've read about 100 household uses for vinegar alone. I've shared my laundry detergent recipe, and soon there will be more natural beauty and green household care posts. The money saved by the small initial investments for supplies is countless. You lessen your need to depend on the store for a cut or scrape, and the box and tube the Neosporin comes in. There is also an amazing feeling of accomplishment that comes over you when you see and use your handy work. I've refilled that laundry jug 2x so far with my detergent. Every time I open that bucket lid, I smile.

C. C is for compost. Before we got the Wonder Dog, we used to say we compost anything that can't run away. And we did. Everything not meat or oil based, from coffee ground, to tea bags, egg shells, young coconut shells, nut shells, every last bit of produce waste, and every weed free piece of yard waste. The dog likes to eat trash...because he's a dog. We have had to eliminate the egg shell because they make him gag, and the onion or garlic bits because they can make him really sick. I save all of my onion and garlic bits in my stock bag in my freezer, and grind up the egg shells to feed my hibiscus and houseplants. It's important to me to know our food waste is being returned to the earth, not gift wrapped in plastic and trapped for eternity.


While I was sick and not gardening, we slacked on the compost. 4 bags of garbage were leaving this house (of 3-4 people at the time) per week. We are back to worm farming, 2 people, and ONE garbage bag per week. Self contained kits are extremely useful for the novice composter. You just put some yard and produce waste in it daily and tumble it everyday until you have rich composted material. Here in the desert, I use an open round cage of chicken wire. The sun really accelerates the decomposing of plant matter. I need to spray it with a hose 2x weekly to be sure there is enough moisture. People not in Zone 9, probably won't need to do so as often. When we move, I am buying a bag of worms and worm casting to 'seed' my new pile. (And yes, I will be bringing any fully composted material with me as well as a truck load of my (finally perfected) desert garden soil)


I understand that some people just do not have the space or garden to do this. One alternative option is to contact your local community garden and ask if you can dump your compost bucket there. Another, if you live near a farmed area, is to ask local farmers (or petting zoos or rescues) to accept your produce waste for their compost or as animal food. We have a potbellied pig rescue here that loves broken melons, wilted produce, or spotty apples to be dropped off. Some progressive cities are starting compost pick up on trash day. Help make that a reality everywhere by spreading awareness that we ALL need to do something progressive with our food waste.


D. I am rabid supporter of Farmer's Markets, Community Supported Agriculture,  and Co-op's. Local food supports local people! It allows you higher quality food that is produced within 50-100 miles of your house, is fresher, has little packaging, and requires less fuel to bring it to you. Co-op's often offer a large bulk food and household needs departments. I can refill my gallon of castile soap for less money than a new gallon AND reuse the same gallon for years. The same honey jar over and over. The same Bragg's bottle, the same olive oil can. I've been reusing the same containers to refill my grain, seed, nuts, and herb jars for at least 2 years. An old bread bag works great too. And this leads me to...


E. Bring your own shopping bags, every time! I have finally learned to leave my cloth bags in my car so I have NO excuses left. If I by some odd chance forget the bags in the laundry or I have walked, I ask for a box for my groceries. The cashier may look at me funny sometimes, but oh well. This is MY commitment. The box then gets broken down and placed in the recycling within 10 minutes of my bringing it home. It helps remind me I don't want to support a disposable lifestyle and to stay focused on my goals.


F. Set a goal to reduce your use and purchase of paper coffee cups, small water bottles, to-go containers, and other disposable lifestyle products. Some stores, like Whole Food's, now offer degradable corn based containers and picnic ware. Go for it. And don't be shy about bring your own containers with you to work or even a casual dinner out for the left-overs. I started doing this 2 years ago and I've never once been made to feel silly. People always say, "What a good idea!", not, "No, you stinky tree hugger." We buy distilled drinking water in bulk and have a myriad of water vessels of all shapes and sizes. If we run out of water and have to buy a liter to last till I get more, I feel bad. I'm just trained to use a reusable container. I don't like to drink hot drinks out of plastic and refused a reusable coffee mug until I bought a steel lined mug. There's no plastic seasoned bean beverage and no paper or plastic cup if it's my latte treat day.


G. G, could stand for garden and I hope it does for whomever has a strip of earth they can plant seeds in. For ANYONE, though, G, CAN at least stand for GROW. Caring for plants of any kind has many benefits. Your simple houseplant cleans the air your breathe in your house. They also like your music and energy. We've seen Frank Zappa make the ferns sway and the garden responds to my husband's morning watering chatter. If you can grow a tomato plant on a window ledge in NYC, then you are part of the cycle of the Seasons. That simple plant makes people feel more grounded and in rhythm with the natural world. Once the rhythm starts, it becomes a way of life. You feel part of the greater picture. You anticipate the Seasonal changes in diet and exercise. You start thinking about plants all over the world and how important they are to us. I don't want to get too Avatar, but...we really are connected to the natural world around us. Once you see and feel the connection...it gets really easy to be green all the time.


H. H, is for HUMAN. I have a paper towel addiction. It comes from following years of sanitary codes in a life of kitchen work. Crumbled balls of paper towels follow my path. The Kid, is taking my holder and the rest of my rolls from me in the spirit of intervention. (I own cloth feminine products but have 6 rolls of paper towels?) I cut up a huge king size flannel sheet into dozens of absorbent, cotton, reusable kitchen rags and everyday table napkins. The 12 most evenly cut will be set aside to sew to lace scraps I've been collecting for a special set of holiday napkins (using my textile addiction purge to halt my paper towel addiction is smart, I think). By using a neutral yet colorful cloth, they will work with any holiday table. With king sheet sets costing hundreds of dollars, why would I cut one? Do we have a king bed? No. Not since 2004. I am choosing to change what I know I need to. My destiny lies in my own hands, as do my choices.

Summary: Being green and eco conscious is PART of living simply. With some basic steps to start with, anyone, everyone, can make a small difference. Those small, individual differences add up to big changes. You may have to work at it, or it may come more naturally to you. It may be weird at first and you may meet some resistance from people that don't understand. I realized the most vocal opposition came from those less informed in general. They'd rather shoot down the ideas rather than admit they don't get it. Remember this is you life, your choice, your destiny. Make changes at your own pace, for your own reasons. Part 6: Choose your own destiny.

The Kid And The Adobe.

The Kid and I spent the day at the new place cleaning. I brought a few personal things to start making it feel like ours and she set them up in the temporary spots. It made her feel like she was adding her energy to the new place. There will be more pictures soon, but for those of you that haven't seen an adobe, this window shot should help. It is a molded mud house. The walls are 3 feet thick and everything is softly rounded. It's awesome and feels alive.

The Kid, showcasing her window decorating with our family's Quan Yin. Even in her grubby post oven cleaning-floor scrubbing mode, you can clearly see her fun energy she carries with her everywhere. She's working towards a degree in mental health and I have had the pleasure of watching her in action with clients. She is simply amazing and in the perfect field for her heart and mind. She and her girlfriend, will be adopting our elderly cat when we move. She told me today that she's buying a stroller for him. I laughed... but she made it pretty clear that by giving my beloved cat to them, I was indeed making the best possible choice for the cat's final years of life. He's referred to as, "Little old man baby" now. They have a cat bed for him. This Kid, cracks me up and makes me proud. She's my joy and living proof I made a good person.

So that's The Kid and a preview of our little mud house. Onward.

May The Four Winds Blow You Safely Home

My friend Azstrel is quite possibly one of the most genuine human beings I have met and he has the best laugh, ever. We were coworkers at a natural food store; he ran the organic produce department, I, the supplement department. We're about the same age, had similar heavy metal teen memories, and sick senses of humor. We just clicked and I enjoyed working with him. We stopped working at the store at the same time and he and his girlfriend moved to Hawaii. In the year or so he's been back, we got back in touch on FB and have just continued a casual friendship. I enjoy his energy, positivity, and forward thinking.

He and his (now) fiance, Kristen (also sweet and genuine), are setting off on a grand adventure. They converted a van into a livable space and they are blogging their way around the country for a year with their (yep, also sweet) dog, in search of all of the beauty and wonder in America. I had fun and was honored to make tortillas for their potluck Bon Voyage party, and to meet their families and friends. I've met few other couples that live in love with each other yet still retain their own sense of self, individual intentions, and purpose. They make you feel good just being near them. While I will miss their presence here, I am excited and very happy for them. You can follow their travels too www.vanvagabonds.com  I recommend checking out their website, reading what they have to say, listening to their v-blogs, and knowing that they are who they are, fully. They walk their talk. Their love is a dance. They are beautiful.

It seems there is a wave of people changing their own realities and exploring simplistic living. I know that while the economy has something to with it, in all honesty, my friends, and my husband and I...were ready to go for it anyway. We were making plans, they were making plans. Their ability to manifest their version of a simplistic reality, was very encouraging. Like us, they made a spontaneous decision that proved to be more of a calling. They seem to be asking the same questions The Guy and I are wrestling with. Who are we? What means most to us? What do we really need to be happy? What and where is home? Who can we be if we open ourselves to the wonder of the Four Winds? Who else is out on this voyage to our own future? That there is no time better than right now. Waiting for when or then, is not how they or we, want to spend the the future. We want to be present, in the gift of NOW.

Our reality is dictating that we move sooner than we had planned. Though I'm not sure how it's going to happen, I'm taking it all as a sign we are headed in the right direction. Life feels accelerated. Days are screaming by, the garden is producing right on time, I've cleaned and de-cluttered, and the yard is almost ready for our friend's goats to come mow it down for us. The Kid, is processing the loss of her teenage home and ground control center. I knew her initial reaction was going to be painful, and it was. She has since openly offered to help in any way possible, to make this happen for us. At the potluck, when I shared the news of the move, I was given the contact name for the person who helps run the organic community garden and events in the new neighborhood. In yet another serendipitous 'road sign' that The Four Winds are blowing us towards our future...he's our new neighbor.

Our Simplicity Plan Part 4: Useful Quantities VS Bulk Purchases

There's really no eloquent way to say this. If it rots before you eat it or just simply creates more clutter...then it may be a bulk purchase. By bulk, I mean by the case, multiple pounds, commercial or oversized amounts; not by the ounce or pound in your bulk food section at the grocery store. Cases of toilet paper, 20 pound jars of peanut butter, 36 cans of soup, 5000 BandAids...that sort of thing. Co-op's, Amazon, Costco, BJ's, and Sam's...oh my!

There are benefits for some products and some people, but not for all. A deal must be fully useful or able to be safely stored out of the way or it's not a deal at all. Another issue that I'll spend more time on in Part 5, is all the packaging that sometimes come with these things. I know the customer leaves with their stuff in boxes and that's good. What's not good is the carton that holds a box that holds 24 boxes, like some bulk juice boxes and bulk snacks. Some items do reduce wasted packaging, like rice and beans. Buying them in 20lb paper bags and storing them in jars or buckets, eliminates 20 plastic bags per recyclable paper bag.

Some examples...

A. The Kid, is actually an adult and very self sufficient. Her food budget is less than minimal, most of which is spent on quick foods that fit into her schedule or for her open house dinners, where she cooks for up to 20 people on as many dollars. She grew up a semi-veggie but somewhere between leaving home and college kid poverty, she now eats things I would never, can't ever, but, she plans her useful quantities purchases on her limited budget and shops accordingly. 5 lb's of. bulk size bags of cereal, cases of ramen noodles, frozen foods, soups, pre-made turkey burger patties, day old bagels to freeze, reduced 'Manager's Special' meats to grill, produce, and bulk milk deals are what she looks for.  Those are her useful every day needs. Even though she won't admit that she learned to shop like that from me, I'm still proud to watch her turn $40.00 into many meals. She has limited space for dry storage however, so even though she'd love that closet full of toilet paper and canned goods, she likes to keep her clothes in it more. For her, a case of toilet paper would be a bulk purchase, not a useful quantity.

B. The Guy and I, have different needs. While we live in Reality Land and need to buy by the roll, pound, bottle, jar, or can quite often recently, we have figured out that certains things (like toilet paper) in bulk are useful. They save money and time when you only need to buy them once every 6 months. Other useful quantities in our house include: masa, rice noodles, rice, quinoa, beans, distilled water, herbs, olive oil, some flours, yeast, agave nectar, maple syrup, sea salt, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, Frank's Red Hot sauce, coffee beans, organic roasted tomatoes,  Thai coconut milk, green chilies, castile soap, epsom salts, Simple Green, borax, baking soda, baking powder, and vinegars.
These are our basic must have and can live off of needs, our basic pantry. It makes everything else more affordable and appreciated. We will find the room to store them, even if it means storing the case O' T.P. in the storage unit. For us, a 4 gallon milk deal would spoil unless we are making cheese or yogurt. Our freezer needs to hold all of the nuts, some of the grains, and flours here in the desert, so for us, that turkey burger patty deal would be a bulk purchase.

C. A 5 pound bag of spinach decomposes at the same rate as 1 pound bag, as does all other produce, dairy and meat in quanitiy. Even bulk pet foods are not too helpful for us. We found the cats and dog stopped eating the 50lb bags at about -25 to -30 lbs. They want fresh tasting food as much as we do.
Another issue of buying in bulk is when you don't or can't try the product first, and more than once. My first Bob's pizza crust was one of the few edible pizzas I had eaten in months, but, if I had made it again, I would had confirmed I don't like garfava flour...which is odd because I like both beans, as beans. My case of gross pizza crust still lingers in my pantry and I'm going to have to donate it.
I am aware of how lucky I am to live in a holistic minded community and to have access to a dozen or more health food stores. Now, I try the product 3 or more times, then buy my discounted Co-op or Amazon case. I am also aware that our family of two is not at all average (in any way). I understand why large families buy in bulk more than we do...but I've also tripped over my share of boxes of things and stuff in homes and wondered how much of the bulk life...is a possessions or cluttery issue rather than actually about the savings.

Summary: Bulk spending is only helpful if you use ALL of the purchase in a short amount of time or you can safely store it out of the way for months. Useful quantities are the things that you/r (family) can use before they spoil and do not fill your space and life with it's presence. For me, not filling the landfills is as important as not filling my home. I have a deep sense of commitment to care for this planet and the children we are leaving it to. Which leads me to Part 5: Kermit was wrong. It's easy being green.

Our Simplicity Plan, Part 3: Your clutter or your life.

 Clutter...clutters up your entire life. As a former pack rat and pile person, I am speaking from a very real place here. I am far from a professional organizer and have a spatial disability that makes it hard for me to see my way out of a mess. I wish that was a well thought out excuse but it's not. An ex of mine sent me a letter after our hard break-up, listing the 100 things he missed about me. Number 5 was: Digging through the piles to find clean socks. Number 6: Digging through the piles to find ANYTHING. On top of my desk now is 2 piles of books, a pile of must pay bills, 6 bags of bulk herbs, and a roll of bubble wrap. I know what's on it and in it at all times. If someone needs a pen? 2nd drawer. Stamp? Mail slot inside. I've never been able to say that.

Playing Tetris, helped. I know this sounds weird but it helped train my mind to see how things can fit together. Another thing that really helped was looking at my piles from the perspective of a friend or stranger. Personally, if I saw the level of clutter we were dealing with before The Purge in a friends house, I would ask them what's wrong. The Guy's desk would be a good example of that. Every-time I look at his desk, I get a ping of feeling bad for all the hours he works. I then start feeling bad for us, me, guilty about my illness and the whole damn mess compounds itself. I tried cleaning it for him and was met with great resistance. I now pick through to throw away wrappers, tissues and bottle caps only. I put a coffee can on it for his change and another for his work bits and pieces that come in with him. The rest is his to process as was mine.

I streamed a few episodes of *Hoarders...that really helped too. I could see myself surrounded by piles of clothes, books and paperwork in the future if we didn't consciously change life long habits. Staying de-cluttered will take real work until it becomes the new habit... like my never before heard of 10 day run of making my bed. The new place has no bedroom door to close to hide secrets and guests will have to pass through it to use our bathroom. This small thing is one of my long term goals. 8 days ago it was still a novelty. 4 days ago, I had to leave a note to remind myself to make it. 2 days ago, I remembered on my own. Today, I got out of bed and made it before I left the room, in about 3 seconds, without even thinking about it. Progress.

A. Clutter crosses both Part 1 and 2's lines. People stack clutter for many reasons. Deal with it, before it takes over. And it will. Clutter can be part of a learning or physical disability, due to a 60 hour work week, a new baby, a collection gone viral, lack of space, etc., and sometimes, emotions. We recognized years ago that the amount of clutter in our life directly correlated to the level of dysfunction in our life.  We just never did anything about ut. Our clutter came from both my spatial issue and our avoidance. Stacking or stashing our bills and mail was another way of saying, 'Up shit's creek'. Not dealing with the laundry piles was another way of saying, 'If she has clothes, she's still alive'. Time management issues, is often another way to say...no time to look at my life. Maybe some people are just unmotivated but I've only met cluttery people who don't want to be, are ashamed to have people in their homes, and have a very hard time breaking the cycle without support.

B. A well organized home is easier to manage, feels better, and encourages clearer thinking. Think simple. Think Zen. Think 'a place for everything and everything in it's place'. Yep. Your kindergarden teacher was right! Since the Great Purge of 2010, I keep my bedroom door wide open. I wake up feeling better than I have in years. I open my eyes to the sun streaming in through the asparagus ferns and scarves hanging from my curtain rods. Dressing and finding clothing is a joy. Everthing has a place. I feel like I've bought a new wardrobe after finding my old pre-illness- prednisone inspired 70 lb weight gain clothes and every accessory I've ever bought or have been gifted. My entire outlook feels different as I start my day no matter what kind of day is ahead of me. I feel good despite physical pain.  This is the direct result of de-cluttering my bedroom. 
Another major trouble spot for us and many others was the top of the 'fridge. Our Wonder Dog has an all things cat issue. He loves cat food but he too is gluten intolerant. I know. What are the freaking chances of that? Anyway. We were feeding the cats on a secluded part of the kitchen counter to keep the food away from him. Even though we didn't use that side of the kitchen to prepare food, I still was grossed out by it. It also encouraged our cats to walk the counters quite boldly. They have a small cat escape hatch window that opens on top of our 'fridge, so I re-homed the cookbooks, purged piles of recipes, and made the top of the 'fridge the cat feeding station. Works great, easy to clean and no more stacks of books and papers in the kitchen.

C. A clean organized home makes your guests feel more welcome. Sitting in someone else's clutter can make you feel overwhelmed, depressed, or out of touch with your friend. You start to feel bad for them and important lines get blurred. A simple, 'Want some help cleaning?'...really could end a friendship. Avoidance will start and before you know it,  the mess compounds itself.

For example; Due to the strange configuration in our house, you walk directly into the kitchen and in front of the kitchen's large tiled counter. It became the catch all. Keys, mail, cell phones, tools, bags, wallet, water bottles...all right there, as soon as you walked in. No matter how warm, inviting and tidy the rest of the house was the first impression of it... was of chaos and disorder. I know people felt it. I reconfigured the layout of our essential appliances and used my juicer to block this space and put hooks on the baking rack near the door for keys and bags. I gave the Guy a charging caddy for his desk and I moved my charger to my desk. Anything the counter now, teeters on the edge of falling and is quickly moved. It feels better when you walk in, honestly. People who have been here a hundred times now compliment the same house. They can't put their finger on it. Did we paint? Get new furniture? New windows? Depending on the guest, I explain what I did, or just accept the compliment. There are more guests since the Purge. Not a coincidence, I believe. And no one asks to do the dishes for me.

Summary: We recognized the need to de-clutter our lives. We thought clutter was just stuff. Turns out for us it was a symptom of our dysfunction, fears, money and personal issues, and general feelings of being overwhelmed. We are working on de-cluttering our house BEFORE we pack it up. We also gave each other a huge high 5 for realizing we were dysfunctional and for admitting it. We're getting rid of it all and adopting a cutter free life. We can't wait to see what the streamline life fully feels like.  Join me for Part 4: Useful Quantities VS Bulk Purchases

I found this online and I am using it as a de-cluttering guideline. I'd really like to meet the woman that
wrote this. She has moxie, as my Grandma would say.


A PLAN OF ATTACK
Start with the area of your life that causes you the greatest pain
Create a list of the areas you want to work on in order of priority
Include a deadline for completing each project
Try to tackle one small area at a time -- drawer, cabinet, shelf, etc.
Set aside some time each week to work on a different area
Move systematically throughout your home
Completely finish one area before beginning another
Find the organizing style and pace that suit you
Recruit some organizing "assistants" -- friends, family, neighbors
if no volunteers, consider hiring a professional organizer to help

ASKING THE HARD QUESTIONS
When was the last time you used it?
When will you (realistically) need it again?
Why would you need it again?
Who might ask for it?
What would you need it for?
Is it easily replaceable?
What's the worst thing that would happen if you got rid of it?
Is it beautiful, useful, or loved?

BEFORE YOU START
Know what you want from your storage before beginning
Maximize space? see everything you own? cut down on cleaning?
make sure each storage decision meets these goals
Collect up everything that needs a home before starting organizing

LETTING GO OF CLUTTER EXCUSES
"It was expensive and I can't stand to see it go to waste."
if you don't use it, it's still being wasted -- even if you keep it
"I might be need it someday."
if you haven't used it in a year, will you use it in the next?
"It was a gift."
once you receive a gift, it's yours to do with as you see fit

SORTING THROUGH IT ALL
Set up several boxes as you go through each storage area
"keep" (items you know you love and use)
Sort "keeps" into different boxes for each area of the house
"get rid of" (items you know you don't use and don't want)
Throw items that can't be repaired or used by others in the trash
put serviceable items in a "give away" box to be donated
put valuable items into a "sell" box to consign
"not sure" (don't know if you want it and aren't ready to let go)
Tape up the "not sure" box and label with the date and contents
put in the garage or basement
make a note in your calendar to check back in 6-12 months
if you haven't needed anything in the box in that time, get rid of it
"need to buy" (is missing parts or accessories)
"need to repair" (requires some work before it can be used)
"to return" (doesn't belong to you and needs to go back)

STORAGE SOLUTIONS
Create a set home for everything you own -- no halfway spots
Have a good reason for storing and item in a certain place
Store like items together according to purpose
Don't forget accessories and related items
ex: store travel alarm, A/C adapter, and toiletry bag with luggage
Store items nearest the point where you use them
Store items you use most often in more accessible spaces
Store items you use less in harder-to-reach areas
Keep climate in mind -- heat, moisture, and insects
Don't store things in an attic or garage if they will be damaged
Leave 15% of your space free for future additions
Plan to go through your spaces to "purge" once a year

THE RIGHT STORAGE PARAPHERNALIA
Use see-through containers whenever possible
Label every container so you know what's in it without opening
Use drawer dividers, baskets, shelves to subdivide larger spaces
Make use of hanging space with hooks and racks
Make use of low space with under-bed boxes
Choose modular components that can adjust as your needs change

Copyright 2000-2009 Ramona Creel -- you are welcome to reprint any article, but you MUST include this resource box. "Ramona Creel is a modern Renaissance woman and guru of simplicity -- traveling the country as a full-time RVer, sharing her story of radically downsizing, and inspiring others to regain control of their own lives. As a Professional Organizer and Accountability Coach, Ramona will help you create the time and space to focus on your true priorities -- clearing away the clutter other obstacles and standing in the way of that life you've always wanted to be living. As a Professional Photographer, Ramona captures powerful images of places and people as she travels. And as a travel writer, social commentator, and blogger, she shares her experiences and insights about the world as we know it. You can see all these sides of Ramona -- read her articles, browse through her photographs, and even hire her to help get your life in order -- at www.RamonaCreel.com. And be sure to follow her on Twitter and on Facebook."
Content provided by OnlineOrganizing.com -- offering "a world of organizing solutions!" Visit www.onlineorganizing.com for organizing products, free tips, a speakers bureau, get a referral for a Professional Organizer near you, or get some help starting and running your own organizing business.

* Clutter is different from hoarding. If you are just feeling overwhelmed by your stuff and can't figure out what to do with it, enlist help from family, friends or a professional organizer. If the very thought of getting rid of your clutter makes you feel sick or anxious, or, you can't stop cleaning and organizing, please consult a health professional. Life doesn't have to hurt :)

And away we go!

We got the keys to our 325 square feet of simplicity. I'd only seen the house at night. All I saw was a patio with a small dirt strip I was planning on planting my 3 Sister's Garden in. While the house is tiny...there is a yard 4x the size of the house behind the patio! Not only is there a fire pit and plenty of room for the dog and patio set... but there is an already dug and framed for Winter ~ GARDEN~. At 12'x6', it's bigger than my current garden AND in a better location. I am beyond happy and relieved. There is a waiting list for plots in the community garden. I wasn't really thrilled about not having one large enough to produce food in at home year round, like the one we are leaving. I was being a big girl about it and just going with the flow of what I thought we had. Whoo-hoo! I'm going over to work in the yard tomorrow. I think that will help me start to fall in love over there and have an easier time when we leave here.


The house may be tiny but it's beautiful in it's own way. It's an adobe house with 3 feet thick walls. With no AC or cooler on, it was still 20 degrees cooler in the house than it was outside yesterday. The main room is narrow. It will be a really minimally furnished place. We can fit an arm chair, our futon couch, 1 bookcase and our record player in it. The kitchen is off to the left side. There is a gas stove that's got to be 60 years old. I love it. There is a big 'fridge...also fairly 'vintage'. One kitchen counter/bar style eating area, one open/no doors kitchen cabinet, one under the counter storage area. We are closely watching the free boards on community web pages for another cabinet frame. We haven't had doors on our kitchen cabinets for years. Why start now? Also looking for shelving material. This all poses a new challenge. Adobe doesn't like nails. We should have lots of fun hanging anything.


The other room is a fairly large bedroom with a 3/4 bath and big closet. We can fit both of our dressers and the one desk we are taking in the closet, store all of our newly thinned out Summer wardrobe, linen, and seasonal use storage. By removing ALL of our clutter and only bringing useful objects with a designated purpose into the house, I think we will just fit what we really need and use. Due to the back door being in the bedroom, the layout is weird. Our bed will only fit right near the arched doorway that has no door. But hey, It's OK because it's just us. There is a handmade bed frame in the bedroom from a friend. It's high as it was used as a trundle bed. We won't be trundling anyone but it makes the perfect size storage space for records. There is a part of me that loves this challenge of small space living. I'm looking at the world in a different way just by planing this space out. We'll have no choice but to keep it neat and organized if we want room to walk in it.


The drive out of the neighborhood had us grinning from ear to ear. The organic community garden was overflowing with Dry Hot veggie bounty. There is a large alternative housing collective across the street from the garden that holds classes, parties, and workshops. A bicycle community center has bike maintenance classes, a used bike part shop where nothing is over $5.00, a use all the tools and use the repair shop for $4.00 program and has free Bike-In Movie nights in their courtyard. They won't repair your bike for you; they show you how to do it yourself. The park across the way had lots of space and and a walking path. It won't be long until I really fall in love with the house and the neighborhood and start calling it home.


Wait a second. Yes! I am in love with it already. And away we go!

Our Simplicity Plan, Part 2: Ask yourself what your possessions mean to you.

Having identified our money guzzling habits and owning up to a fair amount of slacking, we then tackled this (very touchy) huge question. Ask yourself what your possessions mean to you? Honestly. Do you identify by WHAT you own or by WHO you are? Were you a poor kid who compensates by a shopping addiction now? A store it because we may need it? A more things means I am worth more? I'm bored, let's shop? We need the latest and best? They have it, we want it? It will fit again someday? What does all this stuff mean to us? Why did we buy when we don't need? What are we going to do with all of this stuff? What emotions lie between us and simplicity?

In preparation for the big move, I dumped all 3 clothes closets and one storage room of miscellaneous clothing into a colossal pile in my dining room. For a couple of fairly minimalist hippies, we have allot of clothes. I have never been one to part with clothing easily because I have spent 25 years sifting through the racks in the thrift shops for a wardrobe entirely made of cotton, silk, linen, flax, hemp and wool. I collect scarfs, hats, event tee-shirts, hand crafted batiks and dresses from my travels. I like textiles in general. I can admit it. Imagine my surprise at the end of my day to discover... 4 large mixed Guy and I winter storage bags, 6 large donation bags, 2 bags of the Kid's clothes, 3 bags of Most Precious Niece clothes, 1 box of Favorite Cousin clothes and 1 neatly organized closet, 2 empty closets and 2 dressers of folded clothes that fit and reflect the sun... in the colossal pile's place. I can barely express my feeling of deep relief that's it's done, gone.

I started the large linen closet. The Kid is the new owner of needed towels, sheets, and blankets. She's not one to complain about not having. She's the kind of resourceful woman that will wash her clothes in her tub when needed. It felt good giving her a stack of our best towels, a bath mat, a spare cloth shower curtain, sheets, blankets and a plethora of herbal bath products. The more I put in the go away pile, the better I felt and another wave of calm would wash over me. I also donated a full bag of linens to the woman's shelter. I kept 2 sets of cotton sheets and one set of thick flannel sheets to store with the down comforter for Winter and made a guest pack with sheets, 2 plush towels and face-cloths and 2 blankets. I didn't touch the Halloween/Day Of The Dead section. I also still have 7 years of my wild-crafted herbal apocathary to dig through in there. That should fun. I'll have to make kits of different herbs and products to store accordingly and seasonally in the storage unit. In November we'll trade the khaki, whites, camp gear and Summer herbal needs for the Winter herbal and downy, wooly things.

The Kid also went away with the fancy coffee pot and made plans to adopt our elderly cat with dementia when we move to make it easier on him. We figure since he's stayed there for her to watch him while we've been away, it will be less traumatic for him to move to her dog free place, than to into a small unfamiliar place with big dogs on both sides of us. I was exhausted yet euphoric. We still have an awful amount of hard work left but I feel lighter, better, calmer and as though we are moving forward. An unusual sense of peace filled my sun filled bedroom the next morning when I awoke to a pile-less bedroom and a closet that actually closed. I made my bed as soon as I climbed out of it and I felt renewed, not overwhelmed from the second my feet hit the pile... I mean... floor. And you can laugh if you want... but we had forgotten how beautiful our area rug was in there since we hadn't seen it in over 2 years. 

So, what does all this shit mean to us??

A. I realized I was overspending on food and household items to compensate for my unprocessed guilt during The Kid and I's single parent days, when we existed off of food stamps and low wages. Mind you, that was well over a decade ago, but every shopping trip still felt like it may be the only one for that month. Some form of guilt or anxiety would pop up whenever I went grocery shopping. I would also over-shop and drop all the food and toilet paper off to The Kid's apartment... then try to hide the spending in my budget. I sat and talked it out with her. It's funny how her memories are of what we had, not of what we didn't. I've spent 50% less in the last 2 months since we talked and she is no longer growing a closet full of canned goods, boxed food and Fruit Loops.

B. The Guy had been compensating shopping for being the youngest child in his family and always having hand me downs. He likes NEW clothes, his own stereo and sports equipment and making his own decisions on what and how to buy. He also was having trouble letting go of planning Summer  travel and concerts. After the initial freak out, the denial and bargaining... he is accepting that we do not have the money for new clothing or hiking boots, records, monitors, a Wii, new golfing disks or concert tickets. We don't have any 'disposable income'. We really are going to miss both the Roger Waters show AND Gogol Bordello touring with freaking Primus. Our Summer vacation will be the move and a few weekend camping trips to national or state parks (if there are any left in this state by then). Touchy subject, but it was needed. Since he identified with the emotions behind his wants and spending...it's becoming normal and logical to him now. Save now. Spend when we have no more debt. Period.

C. Peer group identification normally continues into adulthood. My peers all wear cotton/natural fiber clothes, Birkenstocks, and handmade jewelry. The Guy's peers all wear the same pants, Chaco sandals and hiking boots for work boots. Now identified as a normal activity, it's only been fueled by 2nd hand stores, exchange parties or as well thought out, money saved purchases. No matter how strong our sense of individuality may be...the sense of wanting to belong is stronger. It's very human.

D. Again with the human thing. It's normal to want. It's normal to indulge in "shop therapy" once in awhile. We did come from hunter-gatherer's; it's just the game and gather that's changed. Use those human impulses to shop wise and only when needed. Stalk the white sale. Gather up 1/2 off day at the thrift store. Search out local foods at the oldest form of retail on the planet: Farmer's Markets. Another human impulse is to share. Host a Closet Exchange! Have everyone bring their clean old clothes over. Hang them up and everyone 'shops' the racks in your living room! Our friends do this 4 times a year with their kid's home-school group and then 2 times a year just for the adults. They also trade toys and books. New to you or your child...is still new. For thrift shop phobics, at least you know who wore the clothes and that they are well cared for and clean. The fun and savings can't even be computed.

E. Deep emotional ties to your things is hard to process. I know I feel physically attached to some of my books and meaningful things and I honestly think there will be a 1/4 of a storage unit used just for the Guy's electrical-stereo component- computer part collection. However, we identify as people again, not as people who have this or that or are going here or there. To us, it is way more important to be good people than to to be people with lot's of good stuff. Both of us were stuck on our things during an uncertain time in our life. We piled up stuff to make the possibility of death seem less possible. We've also lost over 50lbs each over the past year. We were holding on to clothes in several sizes. We realized that we were feeling insecure in our new bodies and by holding on to the x- large's, we were setting ourselves up to fit back into those clothes.

Summary: We identified our emotions behind the need of buying and having. We pushed the topic until we were uncomfortable, but we will need to further work on parting with some more. We realized that chances are, that itch to buy and fill your surroundings with stuff, is your you, looking for more substance in your life, not stuff. Donating your weird, guilty, over-processed, overwhelmed feelings in form of your used clothing and household items to people who actually need them... is an act of love, peace, charity and hope...for all involved. You also start to remove the deadly clutter in your life. Join me for Part 3: Your clutter or your life.

Our Simplicity Plan, part 1 of 6. A detailed look at money.

This post is part of a 6 part series about a re- focus on a lifetime of green living. I am the proud owner of a life, that I can choose to flow with or fight against. I'm for the flow. These are some of the steps we are making or have made, to change our reality, to better go with that flow. Your changes may be different, though some should ring true of all people. We are challenging ourselves to take inventory of our existence, both inner and outer. We find ourselves longing for simple, less, and more meaning to our actions, purchases and our quality of life. 


So much of who I am and who I once was, got lost during the mystery illness years. We honestly thought I was going to die. My husband did his best to keep things afloat while I spent a year in bed. We slacked, we let things and emotions land where they may and pile up. Totally normal reaction to possible death, I think. I wasn't very concerned with sustainability, saving money, or staying organized. I was focused on writing out family recipes and years of journals for my daughter, organizing photos and getting my affairs in order for an untimely death. Oops, NOT YET. So, now we have a mess.


Here in reality land, things have gotten VERY realistic. We MUST adapt and renew our idea of normal, as we ourselves and the world around us changes. I very seriously walk my talk. Conscious, simplistic living is not a new idea, but, you can't buy this life or rent it on DVD. You must live it with all of your heart. 


This is what we've been working on.

1. Detailed, in-depth look at the budget and the expenses. What can we eliminate, what are we willing to give up, where do we need to spend more? Our answers?


A. Lattes. We were spending allot of money on lattes; even with our 3 coffee pots and an espresso maker. Once a week lattes are now a treat and we found the money in the budget for the work truck payment...almost to the dollar. That's a' latte...


B. Eating out. We had been know to do so up to 3x a week. We just don't, unless it is a very special occasion. Besides being safer for me, we have saved countless dollars a month. Would we have been able to do this, as cold turkey as we did, if I was still eating gluten? Honestly? Probably not, I'm a foodie. Like I said, I'm grateful to be gluten free...in so many ways!


C. EATING THE FOOD WE BUY. Plan your weekly menus. Leftovers are perfectly fine. Add a fresh green salad and, presto, dinner. I know there are people who feel food dies and leftovers are 'trash'. Slow cooked food made with intention and calm energy, lasts. Many fall prey to being food elitists. They usually have lots of disposable income and must have never made a soup or chili, many of which taste better in the 2-3 days after they are made. With a few key useful quantity purchases for basics, I shop more frequently at the Farmer's Market which eliminates overspending on impulse grocery items and increases focusing on eating the food we by, at a higher quality, in less quantity.

D. Just say no to plastic. As in credit cards. If we can't save and pay for it, then we don't need it now. I do miss the feeling of, "I can get new tires and fly to London next week and not pay for it for a year.", but I do NOT miss the bills, APR issues, interest...etc. Cutting them up was almost liberating. Paying off the debt, will be liberating.


E. Are you house poor, too? DOWNSIZE. Trading in a house and very large yard for a few hundred square feet with a patio... is going to liberate us in ways renting this large, lovely, sunny place never can.

F. Netflix. $18.29 a month VS $200.00 a month in rental and late fees? We still support our locally owned video store 2-4x a month for movies we can't wait for on Netflix. Netflix also provides us with TV series sans commercials and THOUSANDS of on demand movies. Bub-bye cable.


G. Making our own household cleaners and some basic body care products, is going to save us almost $3,000.00 a year. Part 5.B, Kermit Was Wrong, will have some more information. Fun, thrifty, and all natural. How can that be bad?


H. For us, dropping the $120.00 a month health club membership was not even an issue. Using the public pools, walking, gardening, dancing, yoga, biking, hiking, and frisbee golf as exercise has worked much better. We do miss night swimming, so when reality turns, who knows? But we will get a pool only membership this time, knowing that is the only amenity we miss and includes the sauna and hot tub.


I. Identify WANT VS NEED. We need to meet expenses. Period. Yes. I want a stand mixer and a grain mill attachment for my juicer, but, I need new pants. Yes. We want to fix the other record player for mixing, but, we need a new needle for the one that works first. And pants and record needles...are nowhere near our need list right now. Eating, keeping housed, feeding our animals, and keeping the work truck on the road, legal, and fueled...are at the top.


In summary, we identified the main money stressors in our life. We realized allot of money was being used on convenience, ease, and impulse. We talked it though honestly, without raising our voices. There was no you did, I did...we did. We ended up laughing at ourselves, loving each other even more, feeling focused and ready to face our future... and Part 2: Asking what your possessions mean to you.