I need to exercise more, more steps in my day, more use of muscles that are or have turned to jello, like those on the underside of my upper arm. I know I need all this and yet, year after year, birthday after birthday...I haven't changed my habits much. Scheesh!
Over time I have made concessions with myself that have made me feel a little better about things. Where possible, I do take the stairs over the elevator. Of course, there aren't either in my day-to-day world, so that one is kinda wimpy...
I do walk...while I talk on the phone. I have a path I walk inside my house that traverses the entire length of my house. To change it up some, I walk circles around the coffee table and/or kitchen island a few times every so often. Just to have an idea of how much walking I was getting in, I kept a written record on random days. It ranged from 30 minutes on a slow day to nearly 2 1/2 hrs another. That's a good average! And this is not some ambling stroll I'm talking about here, oh no! I walk at a clip, doesn't really help much if I don't. I can look my cardiologist in the eye and say in all honesty..."Yes, sir, I walk every day!"
Being at the computer for long stretches at a time has taken it's toll on most of my body. I find I need to stretch more often, especially my shoulders and back. Sometimes I take 'computer breaks' and get in some 'walking time'...wink, wink...to catch up with my friends. Still, I've noticed that is no longer taking care of the needs of either working out or resting my shoulders. I realized I was pulling my arms behind my back or stretching them up and down behind my head with my hands clasped.
One day while washing up in the bathroom room I stood in the mirror and stretched like that and I decided I needed to add some weight in my hands for a more effective stretch. Looking around, I grabbed the large & almost full bottle of mouthwash and held it behind my head as I did the up & down thing with my arms. It was wonderful. It helped and was free!!! I'm not going to pay good money to buy some marketed gadget I probably wouldn't use much anyway, but the mouthwash bottle is just enough extra weight to be helpful and always handy. I made a game of it for my inner child and now I take the time to do 25 repetitions every time I go the to bathroom! On a hunch, I looked under the sink in the 'other' bathroom and sure enough, there was an almost empty bottle the same size. I filled it with water and 'presto' my exercise equipment was ready to go!
Living a Simple Life is all about getting back to the basics and freeing up our time and money. Recycling and re-purposing the mouthwash bottle keeps the plastic out of the landfill, too...a bonus! The shape of this bottle is just right for my small hands to wrap around without strain, so you might think about that next time you're buying mouthwash and your underarm jiggles as you reach up to the top shelf. LOL
Showing posts with label Re-purpose items. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Re-purpose items. Show all posts
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Day 166! Time Flies
WOW, this is day 166 since we we launched Simple Life on Hacienda Hill and our resolve to live a more relaxed life, less cluttered with consumerism and moving toward a 'greener' lifestyle. We have made many changes and have many more to go. There are still old thinking and habits we need to eliminate and/or replace with greener, more efficient ways of doing things.
I am still in love with hanging the clothes on the line rather than using the electric dryer. Only one day, so far, have I not enjoyed the ritual. It was freezing, literally, and I had a load of my Honey's work clothes that needed to be hung out. Cold air dries clothes, too. It also makes your hands turn into red stumps of agony. We don't have many bitter cold days in this part of the world, so I do not perceive that to be an ongoing issue. We did have a recent stretch of foggy, misty days that threw a kink in my laundry schedule but we lived to tell about it without any major life altering issues. I just considered how the families of days gone by would have dealt with the same issue, and persevered in my determination to stick to my guns and commitment. I can honestly say it has only required planning ahead and more careful attention to the weather forecasts. All in all, it was a positive change to my routines and our lower energy bill. I have no plans plans to abandon this life change.
I have a few areas of less than productive results. My raised garden bed has all but been forgotten. It has gone to pot...no, not the brain cell killing, cash crop of pot (LOL) but as in neglected and weed infested. It will be but a few blinks of an eye before it is time to get the spring garden planted. I am not prepared! Nor is my sad, pitiful garden bed.
There is still a ton of 'stuff' of which to rid our lives and home. I'm sad to admit that a cabinet I previously cleared out and de-junked is full again! That's NOT the way to go about things. On a positive note, we've done some reassigning of space allocation. My Honey's studio has become my new office and is smack in the middle of redecorating, as in painting & wallpaper. Working on the book has occupied the bulk of my time and attention, as did the mission trip to Costa Rica. There are only so many hours in a day and I need to re-assess the way I am using them. We all have the same 24 hours a day, many people utilize them efficiently, many more don't. Some days I do, some days I don't. I need to find a consistent rhyme and rhythm that works every day for me. I'm not THERE yet.
I am currently trying to find a good balance and division of time to better meet all the needs I have IF I am to get the book ready for submission, my office cleared out of everything but the necessities of my writing profession and make it esthetically pleasing to my sensibilities and juggle the demands of life in general: meals to prepare, bills to pay, laundry to be done, dust bunnies to chase, clutter to clear, etc. It's difficult to remember that living a simple life is about ridding ourselves of excess so we can manage that which requires managing to maintain a peaceful, less stressful life when you're tripping over paint cans, boxes to sort through and stacks of papers you'd rather just chunk in the trash. There is practical work that must be accomplished if we are to attain that peaceful place. This is where I struggle...finding that balance.
All in all, I'd say Day 166 finds us in fairly good place toward our goal. I am thankful for the positive changes made and am eagerly awaiting the changes to come. Twitching my nose won't get us there, so I must push on.
Let me know about the progress you've made, areas of struggle and ideas to share. I could use some good tips!
I am still in love with hanging the clothes on the line rather than using the electric dryer. Only one day, so far, have I not enjoyed the ritual. It was freezing, literally, and I had a load of my Honey's work clothes that needed to be hung out. Cold air dries clothes, too. It also makes your hands turn into red stumps of agony. We don't have many bitter cold days in this part of the world, so I do not perceive that to be an ongoing issue. We did have a recent stretch of foggy, misty days that threw a kink in my laundry schedule but we lived to tell about it without any major life altering issues. I just considered how the families of days gone by would have dealt with the same issue, and persevered in my determination to stick to my guns and commitment. I can honestly say it has only required planning ahead and more careful attention to the weather forecasts. All in all, it was a positive change to my routines and our lower energy bill. I have no plans plans to abandon this life change.
I have a few areas of less than productive results. My raised garden bed has all but been forgotten. It has gone to pot...no, not the brain cell killing, cash crop of pot (LOL) but as in neglected and weed infested. It will be but a few blinks of an eye before it is time to get the spring garden planted. I am not prepared! Nor is my sad, pitiful garden bed.
There is still a ton of 'stuff' of which to rid our lives and home. I'm sad to admit that a cabinet I previously cleared out and de-junked is full again! That's NOT the way to go about things. On a positive note, we've done some reassigning of space allocation. My Honey's studio has become my new office and is smack in the middle of redecorating, as in painting & wallpaper. Working on the book has occupied the bulk of my time and attention, as did the mission trip to Costa Rica. There are only so many hours in a day and I need to re-assess the way I am using them. We all have the same 24 hours a day, many people utilize them efficiently, many more don't. Some days I do, some days I don't. I need to find a consistent rhyme and rhythm that works every day for me. I'm not THERE yet.
I am currently trying to find a good balance and division of time to better meet all the needs I have IF I am to get the book ready for submission, my office cleared out of everything but the necessities of my writing profession and make it esthetically pleasing to my sensibilities and juggle the demands of life in general: meals to prepare, bills to pay, laundry to be done, dust bunnies to chase, clutter to clear, etc. It's difficult to remember that living a simple life is about ridding ourselves of excess so we can manage that which requires managing to maintain a peaceful, less stressful life when you're tripping over paint cans, boxes to sort through and stacks of papers you'd rather just chunk in the trash. There is practical work that must be accomplished if we are to attain that peaceful place. This is where I struggle...finding that balance.
All in all, I'd say Day 166 finds us in fairly good place toward our goal. I am thankful for the positive changes made and am eagerly awaiting the changes to come. Twitching my nose won't get us there, so I must push on.
Let me know about the progress you've made, areas of struggle and ideas to share. I could use some good tips!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Day 111 - Wow!
Today is Day 111 of our journey to living a more simple life on Hacienda Hill. Times flies, doesn't it? I started writing about our adventure on August 6, 2010.
Just a quick note to say there is nothing quite as handy as a calendar with any and everything written on it for future reference! I still have calendars from a few years back. They have come in handy many times. Really.
It also contributes to living a more simple life because I know once I commit an upcoming event to the calendar, I don't have to worry or think about it again till it comes up. If it is something that needs prep work a week in advance, I log that on the calendar, too. Takes away the stress of hoping I don't forget. Every December, I sit down and transfer all important dates, birthday's etc on the calendar for the coming year.
I've tried all kind of calendar systems over the years to find what works best for me. I've set up the calendars online where you can choose the people that can see what is coming up thinking our grown kids would contribute and be more a part of each others worlds. HA! I think one daughter posted something, once, maybe. No one else contributed and, frankly, I think they found it annoying. They really didn't care to know.
When the grandkids lived here I had a giant Family Calendar. Everyone's stuff visible at a glance and separated out by person. It was handy. Don't need anything that elaborate anymore.
I tried to have separate calendars for personal family business like paying bills, etc and one for public viewing I could leave out. That was too much trouble! Sometimes I actually did forget things because I wasn't looking at the right calendar. Scratch that plan. I've tried the desk pad type calendar, but that was distracting and ugly. I don't like ugly.
I'm more a hands on kinda girl, a bit technology challenged and prefer a paper calendar I can write on as opposed to an electronic one that fits in the palm of my hand. I've learned never to say 'never' but I don't see that system attracting me any time soon. I like the simple life, don't you know.
I've simplified my system to the one calendar for bills, birthdays, Dr appointments and all. It's a tiny bit larger than a piece of notebook paper and has a spiral binder I've learned I do not want to live without. I've grown picky about my calendars because they are so vital in the day-today management of life here on Hacienda Hill. Chances are, if it's not on the calendar, it isn't going to happen! I rely on it for order and peace of mind.
You cannot live a simple life without order and peace of mind!
I cannot yet say my home, life and world are in the place I want them to be where order and peace of mind are concerned. It's a journey, takes one step at a time. I first had to change my thinking and straighten out my priorities. That part has been done. Now it is a matter of aligning my surroundings, my possessions and my habits to fit the simple life mentality. It is impossible to live the way you've always lived and have things be different than they always were. Change comes from the inside out. The outside can change the way the inside functions. It's a circle of cooperative change making life sweeter, more simple and less stressful. Here's to the next 111 days!
Just a quick note to say there is nothing quite as handy as a calendar with any and everything written on it for future reference! I still have calendars from a few years back. They have come in handy many times. Really.
It also contributes to living a more simple life because I know once I commit an upcoming event to the calendar, I don't have to worry or think about it again till it comes up. If it is something that needs prep work a week in advance, I log that on the calendar, too. Takes away the stress of hoping I don't forget. Every December, I sit down and transfer all important dates, birthday's etc on the calendar for the coming year.
I've tried all kind of calendar systems over the years to find what works best for me. I've set up the calendars online where you can choose the people that can see what is coming up thinking our grown kids would contribute and be more a part of each others worlds. HA! I think one daughter posted something, once, maybe. No one else contributed and, frankly, I think they found it annoying. They really didn't care to know.
When the grandkids lived here I had a giant Family Calendar. Everyone's stuff visible at a glance and separated out by person. It was handy. Don't need anything that elaborate anymore.
I tried to have separate calendars for personal family business like paying bills, etc and one for public viewing I could leave out. That was too much trouble! Sometimes I actually did forget things because I wasn't looking at the right calendar. Scratch that plan. I've tried the desk pad type calendar, but that was distracting and ugly. I don't like ugly.
I'm more a hands on kinda girl, a bit technology challenged and prefer a paper calendar I can write on as opposed to an electronic one that fits in the palm of my hand. I've learned never to say 'never' but I don't see that system attracting me any time soon. I like the simple life, don't you know.
I've simplified my system to the one calendar for bills, birthdays, Dr appointments and all. It's a tiny bit larger than a piece of notebook paper and has a spiral binder I've learned I do not want to live without. I've grown picky about my calendars because they are so vital in the day-today management of life here on Hacienda Hill. Chances are, if it's not on the calendar, it isn't going to happen! I rely on it for order and peace of mind.
You cannot live a simple life without order and peace of mind!
I cannot yet say my home, life and world are in the place I want them to be where order and peace of mind are concerned. It's a journey, takes one step at a time. I first had to change my thinking and straighten out my priorities. That part has been done. Now it is a matter of aligning my surroundings, my possessions and my habits to fit the simple life mentality. It is impossible to live the way you've always lived and have things be different than they always were. Change comes from the inside out. The outside can change the way the inside functions. It's a circle of cooperative change making life sweeter, more simple and less stressful. Here's to the next 111 days!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Day 40 - Something New from Somthing Old
Life back here at home rolled on without me over the weekend while I was out of town for a family funeral. My Honey was able to be home with the newest and youngest family member, Nina, the 12 week old (according to vet) Chihuahua puppy he rescued from the creek and highway last Thursday. It was good for both of them. Her starved little body is filling out and you can barely see her ribs and joints now. Her eyes are clear and she no longer looks incredibly sad. The ant bites are healing and soon she shall be her pretty little self without the ravages of life on her own taking it's toll. As I write this she is in a warm doggy bed right beside my desk chair playing with her toy pink wiener dog. She is like a little shadow that makes every move I make. As long as she can be by me, she is fine and content but the time she spent in the wilderness alone has taken a toll; she was out alone during the time Hurricane Hermine came blowing through here. As her memories of that fearful time fade, I'm sure she will grown in confidence.
Today I am ready to get back to my mission of minimizing the material things that seem to have taken over our home and life. I'd like to take this time to say again that reducing clutter and possessions does not mean you get rid of everything near and dear to you. It simply means you get rid of everything that is not near and dear to you or that you do not really use in day-to-day life. Here's the criteria I use...if it does not bring a smile to my face when I look at it, I do not love it and/or I have not used it within the last year, it is gone! If I have more of any one thing than I can reasonable use, I pare down to the essentials. Who needs 7 spatulas when they only have 2 hands anyway? I finally threw away the old rusty metal spatula I have had longer than my sons...they are 30 now! 'Nuff said.
Re-purposing items can bring back life and functionality, as well. For instance, I had an antique 'gentleman's' chest of drawers that has resided in what is now 'my room' AKA the guest room for years. This is the room where I display all my treasures from various mission trips and it has something of an exotic feel to it. I have mosquito netting hung from the ceiling over the bed, the colors are warm and earthy. The room just flat out makes me feel good when in I am in there. It has a memory foam mattress on the bed that is good for my achy joints, thus the claim of 'my room'. A good friend recently gave me an antique wardrobe, which would make its home in that room. I had a couple of pieces too many to bring in the new piece so I had to make choices and decisions per the rule: Bring something new in, something old has to go! I gave the old wardrobe in the room with which I was not emotionally attached to a friend that needed it for storage. She was happy to get it! I took that gentleman's chest and cut it in half, making two night stands out of it. One for the master bedroom and one for 'my room'. Having re-purposed the chest, I now have furniture that serves us well from one that no longer met our needs. Love it more now that it is better utilized. And, the new wardrobe is making itself useful while adding to the wonderful atmosphere of the room. That is what motivates me, making the most of what I have and love while eliminating that which no longer brings joy. (Things I love ((minus -)) things I don't love) + less clutter to clean (you cannot organize clutter) = Simple Life on Hacienda Hill. Ahhhh.....
Today I am ready to get back to my mission of minimizing the material things that seem to have taken over our home and life. I'd like to take this time to say again that reducing clutter and possessions does not mean you get rid of everything near and dear to you. It simply means you get rid of everything that is not near and dear to you or that you do not really use in day-to-day life. Here's the criteria I use...if it does not bring a smile to my face when I look at it, I do not love it and/or I have not used it within the last year, it is gone! If I have more of any one thing than I can reasonable use, I pare down to the essentials. Who needs 7 spatulas when they only have 2 hands anyway? I finally threw away the old rusty metal spatula I have had longer than my sons...they are 30 now! 'Nuff said.
Re-purposing items can bring back life and functionality, as well. For instance, I had an antique 'gentleman's' chest of drawers that has resided in what is now 'my room' AKA the guest room for years. This is the room where I display all my treasures from various mission trips and it has something of an exotic feel to it. I have mosquito netting hung from the ceiling over the bed, the colors are warm and earthy. The room just flat out makes me feel good when in I am in there. It has a memory foam mattress on the bed that is good for my achy joints, thus the claim of 'my room'. A good friend recently gave me an antique wardrobe, which would make its home in that room. I had a couple of pieces too many to bring in the new piece so I had to make choices and decisions per the rule: Bring something new in, something old has to go! I gave the old wardrobe in the room with which I was not emotionally attached to a friend that needed it for storage. She was happy to get it! I took that gentleman's chest and cut it in half, making two night stands out of it. One for the master bedroom and one for 'my room'. Having re-purposed the chest, I now have furniture that serves us well from one that no longer met our needs. Love it more now that it is better utilized. And, the new wardrobe is making itself useful while adding to the wonderful atmosphere of the room. That is what motivates me, making the most of what I have and love while eliminating that which no longer brings joy. (Things I love ((minus -)) things I don't love) + less clutter to clean (you cannot organize clutter) = Simple Life on Hacienda Hill. Ahhhh.....
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