Archive for the ‘Simple Living’ Category

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This guest article is written by a man promoting biodegradable party supplies and shipping materials. A good reminder that we can select green products in every aspect of our lives.  I will stick with using my regular dishes and washing them afterwards, but that’s me. I respect that each of us will make different choices. — Zana Read the rest of this entry »

Do you make your own cosmetics? It’s an enjoyable way to save some money and to try out different formulations in small batches to see what really suits you.

This is an area where you can be as conventional or as purist about ingredients as you wish. Some recipes that you will see do  use petroleum-based oils, some don’t. Some use dairy products, some don’t.

Here is a book at Amazon that includes a lot of easy formulations to make your own cosmetics: Organic Body Care Recipes. I looked at quite a few books before choosing this one to feature. It has some of the best ratings, yet there is also criticism of it. People will always disagree, I know, and opinions run strong on the topics of what is natural and suitable! I also looked around at some of the top websites listed for this subject, but none of them really jumped out at me.

These recipes are evidently pretty easy. To find out more, click on the book cover:

It’s true, I am going to live less sustainably, starting this spring. I’m really excited about it.

So is my husband. He is admittedly a bit less excited about it but we are in agreement about our plans. Read the rest of this entry »

Ever since I went to a presentation on top bar bee keeping and blogged about it, I have been paying more attention to bees, their importance in our world, and some hopeful signs for their survival. This guest article will tell you more about bees and bee keeping. — Zana

Be Mindful of Bees

By Ruth Hadikin

Do you know we rely on Honey Bees for a third of our food supply? Among that are some of the foods we love most: vegetables, fruit, nuts, juice, smoothies and… ice-cream! (One ice-Cream manufacturer is so concerned that they have launched a campaign)

Whenever we see a bee we should fall on our knees in deep gratitude and flow oceans of love. Most of us are unaware that our food supply depends on bees, and so we fail to acknowledge their importance in our lives, and we even mistreat them. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re heading into the cold months now, and staying warm becomes at times a challenge and even  at times a preoccupation. Here are some tips for staying warmer, first in by what you wear and then by what you do around your home.

Warm Clothing

The concept of wearing layers is well-known.

On top, wearing an undershirt or camisole, then a long-sleeved t-shirt or turtleneck, then a sweatshirt or heavy wool shirt should do a good job of keeping you warm indoors. I sometimes throw a large sweater over all of that, or a warm bathrobe.

Cotton or silk long johns under jeans make a good difference too.

Be sure your feet are warmly covered, with warm socks and shoes.

If you go outside, be sure to put a cap on to keep your head covered. If it’s really cold, layering can apply to caps as well.  A band to keep your ears warm combines well with a cap.  A good coat is well worth the expense.

Around Your Home Read the rest of this entry »

In my last article, I said that I might sometime use something from the excellent website Zen Habits, as the content there is all copyright-free and available for use. So here is his article full of tips on frugal living. — Zana

Post written by Leo Babauta. Follow him on Twitter.

Confession time: I’m a cheapskate. Some would say frugal, which sounds much more positive, but in reality I can be a real cheapskate.

I am fairly frugal (though not always), but sometimes I take it too far: I have T-shirts with holes in them, I never buy new clothes, we’re shopping for a new couch because our current one has holes in it, and I ran my current pair of running shoes until the soles fell off.

However, I have gradually learned to be frugal in many ways that I would recommend to others. I don’t think you should have holes in your couch, and you should definitely replace your running shoes more often than I do, but there are many ways to cut back on spending and live a more frugal lifestyle.

Why live frugally? First, because it allows you to spend less than you earn, and use the difference to pay off debt, save or invest. Or all three. Second, because the less you spend, the less you need to earn. And that means you can choose to work less, or work more but retire early. Or take mini retirements. You have more options with a frugal lifestyle. Read the rest of this entry »