Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Simple Living

Thinking alot lately about simple living. Reading many books, researching many blogs and websites. Trying one day at a time to reach that goal. Some items already in progress:
Chickens for egg production - won't start laying till spring
No more paper napkins or paper plates for the last 6-8 mths.
Baking bread - need to learn to do buns, etc.
Creating Christmas Gifts - saving money
Leaving the air conditioner set on 79 or 80 most days

Items that still need to be implemented:
Ban on buying - especially clothes, toys, etc.
decluttering
Purchasing products that have little to no packaging
Using what you have and not purchasing anything new
decrease debt
decrease monthly grocery bills
Composting
Next spring grown own veggies elsewhere - no sun here to grow

Will keep everyone posted on progress.

7 comments:

Deb said...

Diane, I am so with you on this. Lately, I have been feeling so...surrounded by too much stuff, too many bills, too many things that are about surviving and not really living...

I too, crave a simpler life. We are trying to figure out how to make it happen. I see that many of my goals are the same as yours (well, except maybe the chickens). I look forward to reading about how you do it.

l said...

I am with you too. I have read a lot of books too, right now reading the Voluntary Simplicity. I really liked the Living Simply with Children.
I wish we could have chickens! I have been decluttering again, I usually go through all our stuff a couple of times a year and donate what we don't use/need. We also have a ban on buying.
This year, for Christmas, I have been thinking instead of handmade, that we would get "experiences" type gifts, like movie theatre/museum tickets, or tuition for a class..etc..
I need to get confortable with baking bread! Do you have a bread machine? or do it in the regular oven?

Unknown said...

I have tried a couple of times using the bread machine but the bread comes out hard and small.I found a recipe that I do in the oven that comes out nicely. It took me a while to get comfortable with it. We also make our own pizza dough. I need to start trying to make hot dog and hamburger buns.
Blessings
Diane

Frances said...

I look forward to reading about your progress.

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God Bless You
~Ron

l said...

Diane: could you share your oven bread recipe that worked? I would love to try it out!
Thanks :)

Deb said...

Diane - you can have your bread machine do the mixing and kneading, then just take it out and bake it in a regular loaf pan where it will have more room to expand. Give it a try and see what you think.