The Year of Less: October 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The November & December Challenge: A Buy Nothing Christmas

This monthly challenge is a big one. So big that we're going to spend 2 months on it. For November and December we are going to gear up for a Buy Nothing Christmas. Will you join us?

Before you call me a Grinch and run away screaming, please watch this video.

I think we all get a little disillusioned with Christmas sometimes. We know it's not about the stuff. We know that even if we strip away the gifts and the wrapping paper and the decorations that we can't strip away the meaning and the joy of the season.

But we don't shop as if we believe that, do we?

And so many of us have tried before to have a simpler Christmas, but somehow we get off track and end up giving in to the pressure to give the perfect gift or to have everything just right so that our kids can really soak up the magic of the season. As if all the right stuff will create that warm fuzzy feeling we get at the end of It's A Wonderful Life.

So this year I am daring us all to rethink Christmas. And to do something that is very radical in our culture: to opt out of the empty,commercialized, stuff-based version of Christmas by choosing not to buy more stuff for people who are already drowning in too much. To not cheapen our love for other people by giving it in the form of a made-in-china trinket. To practice an environmentally and socially sustainable Christmas by not buying, giving, and hoping for things we don't need.

The best thing about a Buy Nothing Christmas? You make the rules. You can choose not to buy anything except the materials for homemade gifts, or choose not to buy any gifts except for second hand items in good repair (it is absolutely okay to give someone a thrifted gift!) Or to only buy local, or to really truly buy nothing at all except the bare necessities and give all the money you save to the poor. You decide how deep you will dive in.

For our family, this is what our Buy Nothing Christmas will look like:

What we will buy:

Materials for homemade gifts.
Second hand items for upcycled gifts.
Local, natural elements like a live potted Christmas tree (more on that to come).
And actual necessities, like food and soap.

What we won't buy:

Gift wrap.
Cards.
Christmas gifts.
Any new consumer goods that aren't a) actual necessities or b) materials with which to make handmade gifts.
Fancy new Christmas outfits for the kids.
Baubles/Tinsel/Mugs with little snowflakes on them.
Clutter.

I've made a button you can share on your own blog if you are joining in on the challenge. Just copy and paste the code below:

Check out BuyNothingChristmas.org for some ideas on alternative ways to celebrate Christmas. And stay tuned to the blog because I plan to share some ideas for homemade gifts (even if you aren't particularly crafty) and some ways to enjoy a simpler, greener, more intentional Christmas this year.

How was Sermon On the Mount Month?

If you are new here, we do a small monthly challenge every month and October's challenge was to read The Sermon on the Mount every single day.

I confess that I missed a few days,and that there were definitely some days where I was reading it more out of obligation than to really seek the face of an almighty God. But I was definitely blessed by this challenge.

A few of the days I switched things up by listening to it as an audio file on BibleGateway.com. That was a nice change and I found that every time I listened to the audio version I would get chills at the very end when the narrator reads the part about how the people were astonished because Jesus taught as one who had authority. Sometimes I needed to be reminded that the scriptures aren't just nice heavenly advice.

What struck me over and over again was how much folly there is in my desire to fit in and be normal and look like a super holy soccer mom who has it all together. God wants so much more for us than that. God's call on our lives is a radical one.

If you did the challenge, how was it? What did you learn? Did you miss a few days, or give up mid month? Did God show you something you hadn't noticed before, shake your heart up a little, tenderly lead your life in a new direction?

What's that? You want to know what the November Challenge will be? Well...normally I announce the monthly challenge a few days early, but I am so excited (and nervous...) about this one that I want to wait until November 1st to announce it. So you'll have to come back tomorrow to find out what it is!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Day 100: Eight Towels

The Task: To have only one bath towel per family member, and give away the rest.

The How: We kept eight because our sixth baby is due in December and she'll need a towel too.

Mostly we got rid of baby towels and hooded kids towels and instead kept the more versatile regular bath towels. The nicest of the extra towels were given away to people expecting babies, a few became rags.

The Verdict: We really don't miss the extra bath towels at all. I'm not sure why we ever had more towels than people. It's just another example to us of how not intentional we were being about the things we brought into our home. We want to be more mindful of what we need and not hoard things in our home that other people could be using!

And when we have overnight guests we can use beach towels as extras!

In other news: Today is day 100! For one hundred days now we've been purging, decluttering, simplifying and making greener choices. We've given away van loads of stuff, everything from knick-knacks and vases to furniture, kitchenwares, toys, books and clothes. Our home is so much more functional, comfortable, organized and easier to keep clean. But more importantly, we are more content than ever with what we have. Consistently giving away our possessions has brought us to a place where we can really see the difference between something we need and more clutter. We almost never need to shop, we aren't looking to the stuff in our home to provide us with a sense of comfort and security and community, and we're spending less and living more! Hooray! I am loving this year of less!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

13 Reasons to Live with Less

1. Because time is too precious and short to spend it looking for, organizing, sorting, cleaning, buying, desiring and managing our stuff.

2. Because to somebody, we are the Joneses. Somebody is watching you and I and trying to keep up with our lifestyles. By living and thriving with less we help to create a new status quo.

3. Because the world simply cannot afford the American dream.

4. Because everything we bring home must eventually be disposed of.

5. Because being the hands and feet of Jesus to a starving world costs something, and having less leaves us with so much more to give.

6. Because nobody has ever found joy by acquiring more trinkets.

7. Because the appropriate response to our own gratitude is generosity. If we are truly thankful for all that we have, we will give it away.

8. Because wanting to buy as much as we can for as little as we can drives an economy that loves money at the expensive of people.

9. Because all of the most beautiful things in life are simple, often intangible, and almost always nearly free.

10. Because less stuff means more room for people and life. More room for epic board game battles and monster Lego creations and impromptu tickle fights on the living room floor.

11. Because someday somebody we love is going to have to sort through every item we chose to hang on to.

12. Because it becomes increasingly difficult to see the difference between our needs and our wants when we are surrounded by so much more than we need.

13. Because we have the choice. And with choice becomes responsibility. Much of the world cannot choose to live with just enough because they don't have enough to begin with. We must choose to live simply so that others can simply live.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Day 93: Cloth Baby Wipes and Homemade Wipe Solution

The Task: To switch from disposable baby wipes to cloth ones.

The Why: It's cheaper, it's better for the environment, and it isn't wiping my kids butt with god-knows-what. Besides, once we made the switch to cloth diapers, disposable wipes kinda become a real annoyance. Wipes that can get tossed in the wet bag with the diapers make way more sense than little poopy cloths than need to be carted to the outdoor garbage can.

The How: I'm using some old receiving blankets cut into squares and some inexpensive baby wash cloths. You can buy cloth wipes from most cloth diaper companies, but this seems to be working fine for us. I make my own wipe solution and keep it in a spray bottle. I labelled it "bum spray" but really we spritz it on the cloth before using it, not directly on the baby. Used wipes just go in the wet bag and get washed with the diapers.

Homemade Bum Spray (a.k.a Baby Wipes Solution)

The ratios are approximate, I just eyeball it. In a small spray bottle combine:

1 part Dr. Bronner's Castile soap
1 part olive oil
3 parts water
a few drops of lavender essential oil

(The oil and water will separate. Just give it a gentle shake before using it)

The Verdict: I like this so much better than disposable wipes. It works better, smells great, and avoids the whole wasted-pack-of-disposable-wipes-because-they-were-left-open-and-dried-out problem. The fact that it saves money and is better for the environment is pretty awesome too.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Day 88: Kicking the Water Bottle Habit

I have a confession to make: We drink bottled water.

Or at least we did, until a friend (politely) called us on it this weekend.

Until recently, our well water was not potable. We couldn't even use it to brush our teeth. Thanks to a battery cage egg "farm" that spreads it's massive amount of waste on a small plot of land across the road from us, our well water is dangerous to drink. (Go ahead...ask me how I feel about factory farm eggs. I dare you....)

We were eventually able to put in a UV filtration system, which makes our well water safe. But we were still in the habit of drinking bottled water.

When our friend brought the topic up while at our house on the weekend I decided to look into it a little bit. Up until now I've been convincing myself that bottled water is okay as long as we are careful to recycle all of the bottles. Not so.

Check out this video by Annie Leonard of The Story of Stuff:

So we are done with the bottled water (except for a case or two of it in the basement just in case the UV light on our filter dies or the power goes out) and I am learning to love our tap water.

The toughest part is to remember to always fill up our stainless steel water bottle on the way out the door instead of picking up a bottled water at a convenience store when thirst strikes while we're away from home. But I think we'll manage.

You know, we didn't start this project to become environmentalists. Until this year, I've always just sorta kinda cared about the planet, with little passion to let it actually guide my lifestyle. But what I am learning is how intrinsically the well being of the planet is wrapped up with simple living, social justice, and loving one's neighbour as oneself. We can't love our neighbour while throwing our trash in his backyard or polluting his children's drinking water or poisoning the air he breathes. These seemingly little decisions you and I make really do matter, and really do effect the world around us.

"Let all that you do be done with love."

{1 Corinthians 16:14}

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Day 87: Better than Disposable Dishware

Last weekend we hosted a potluck for nearly 45 people and it was great fun! Lacking enough dishware to serve everyone, we had to decide what to do. Ordinary disposable dishes are wasteful. Eco-friendlier options, like dishes made from recycled products or compostable dishware are better than their originals, but still aren't great. And they are pricey!

Luke had an idea that solved our problem and fit well with our goals and priorities (and budget!): Go to the local thrift store where dishes are sold super cheap and stock up on white plates and bowls and mugs. And, here's the best part: when we were all done, we just washed the dishes and returned them to the thrift store. Yay!

I loved this solution!

It was cheap. At 10 to 15 cents a dish, I paid a total of 6.50 for all the plates, bowls and mugs we needed to accommodate our large potluck. That is cheaper than disposables!
It's environmentally friendly. Nothing to end up in a landfill!
It supports a good cause. The thrift store we bought them from funds great community services.
It's nicer (and easier!) to eat off of a real plate than a paper one.
It adds no extra clutter to our house. Everything has been taken back to the thrift store to be sold again and well used.

The guy behind me and my cart full of dinnerware at the second-hand store clearly thought I was insane. His child even turned to him and said "That is a lot of dishes..." But when I turned around and politely explained what I was doing I think he decided I wasn't completely insane. I hope.

P.S. While typing this up I remembered this infographic and giggled to myself a little bit.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Day 82: Making the Switch to Cloth Diapers

The Task: To switch from disposable diapers to cloth diapers.

The Why: When we started having kids we used cloth diapers. Cheap, leaky, crummy, flannel cloth diapers. They were the only cloth diapers available in my local stores at the time, and because I didn't have internet at the time, I didn't know about the bounty of wonderful cloth diapering options out there. When I was pregnant with our third child I was thrilled to discard our thread bare fitted cloth diapers and torn and stained plastic pants and switch to disposables. I think I did a happy dance and everything.

But then all my posh friends started having kids. And I started seeing the cute, functional, absorbent diapers they were choosing for their kids. And I browsed online and my eyes were opened to the possiblities. Cloth diapering doesn't have to be a miserable, horrible, what-smells-like-pee, oh-it's-the-rug sort of experience!

So we're making the switch back to cloth. And this time around, I am loving it!

The Benefits of Cloth diapering:

Cloth diapering reduces the amount of trash going to our local landfill.
It also reduces the amount of manufacturing waste involved in making paper products.
There are some serious concerns about toxins present in disposable diapers.
It can be a lot cheaper.
It can result in less diaper rash
Plus, little babies with their colourful cloth diaper bubble butts are pretty much the cutest thing ever!

The How: We are using organic cotton prefolds and cute little diaper wraps from this fabulous etsy shop. Although it means that there is some assembly required at diaper changes, I couldn't be happier with this system. I also have an assortment of All-In-Ones and pocket diapers that we like to use at night time and for outings. I plan to try my hand at making some wool diaper covers as well.

I have a couple cute waterproof wetbags that I hang on the bathroom door and stash all of the dirty diapers in until it's time to wash them. So much cuter than the big yellow pail I used last time we cloth diapered!

The Verdict: Because our three year old son is still in diapers at nighttime, our twins are 15 months and we are expecting our new baby in just 7 weeks (yikes!) we are going to soon have 4 children in diapers! So spending a couple hundred bucks to start our cloth diaper stash seems like a mighty good investment.

The truth is that we were never really comfortable with our choice to use disposables. It just seemed so wasteful, another symptom of our throw-away-and-don't-think-about-the-consequences culture. We just didn't know the awesome options available to us. I love cloth diapering!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Day 81: Computer-y Clutter

The Task: To finally sort through drivers, adapters and power cords that do who-knows-what and get rid of the things we don't need.

The Why: Some of the tasks we've done have been deep heart-matters sort of stuff. Not this. I just want to have less useless junk in my house. Period.

Why we haven't done this until now: Even before this journey, I would consider myself a pretty avid declutterer. I like to get rid of things, to organize and sort and streamline. But I am almost always doing these things while the hubby is at work, and I am never confident enough that I actually know what a computer-y item does to discard it. So I hang on to it, just in case....

The How: Luke was home with the flu today, so I cornered the poor guy with a stack of computer drivers, power cords and CD roms. I asked him about ever item in the stack, and got the affirmation I needed to throw almost all of it out.

The funniest items we still had: I swear I'm not a hoarder. At least, I don't think I am. But for some reason I still had the driver to a dial-up modem we had years ago. And the charger for a cell phone we got rid of last year.

The Verdict: It was kind of fun to laugh at computer games we used to play and joke about how slow dial-up Internet was. And now we have one less basket of junk in our house. Sometimes minimalizing is easy.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Day 80: Borrowing Instead of Owning

One of the ways we've been able to radically reduce our possessions (and it's a big journey, it still feels like we have so much stuff!) is by choosing to borrow rarely used items instead of owning them. Here are some of the things we've discovered we'd rather borrow than own.

Large Kitchen Items: We've given rarely used items such as a second roasting pan and a large chafing dish to my sister-in-law who caters weddings. This way, these things are being used many times throughout the year instead of the once or twice we may need it. And when we need those items for a big shindig, we are welcome to borrow them back (along with anything else we may need!)

Movies and Television Series' on DVD: Let's face it, we probably won't watch every single episode of Corner Gas ever again (it would, after all, be the forth or fifth time...) but if we ever decide to watch them again, there is a good chance that we can borrow them back from the library we are donating them to. I wouldn't suggest donating anything to your local library that you know you will need again, it may end up getting sold in a book sale or damaged. But for items you may-sorta-kinda want to refer to again someday, this is a great solution....because it's actually getting used in the mean time!

Camping Supplies: Unless you regularly go camping with everybody you know, there is really no reason for every household to own every possible camping item. We can avoid buying some things by borrowing them from friends and family who weren't going to be using them that weekend anyways.

Serving Utensils: When hosting a potluck or large holiday dinner where everybody has committed to bring something I can just remind people to bring the serving utensil needed for the dish they are bringing. That way I only need to own one ladle, one pie server, and one slotted spoon. This keeps my kitchen drawers more manageable for all those days when we don't have 3 different pies to serve.

Some benefits of borrowing (and lending) instead of owning:

It saves money.
It builds and encourages community.
It allows our things to be used, instead of collecting dust, when we don't need them.
It means we don't need to devote space to storing infrequently used items.
It reduces rampant consumerism. Which means less stuff being manufactured, less stuff being transported, and less stuff being disposed of in a society where the richest 16 percent of the world (if you are reading this, that number almost certainly includes you) consumes 80% of the worlds natural resources.
Stuff begets stuff. I'm not sure I can explain why this is, but the more stuff we have/want/buy the more we think we still need. In some backwards way that I can't quite articulate yet, having less = wanting less.

I think this is an important principle of minimalism, but also of being a conscious consumer, building community and living with a global perspective. We are looking around our home for more ways to put this idea into practice. And we get all excited when a friend asks to borrow a tool from Luke's necessarily large tool stash instead of buying one they will rarely use!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Day 74: Rethinking the Christmas Budget

The Confession: When Luke and I first started talking about a project like this, about reevaluating our status quo and seeking to let our lives better reflect our priorities, the first thing that grabbed my heart and filled me with panic was "but...but...but...what about Christmas?"

It's like part of me was saying "Okay God. You can turn our lives upside down. Change our hearts. Convict us of our apathy. Break our hearts with what breaks yours. Show us your way, your truth, your life in a way we've never encountered before. Just don't touch Christmas, capeesh?

Because, honestly, Lord, I kinda like celebrating Christmas my way."

But God is changing our hearts.

The Task: This year we are committing to give away to those in need, dollar for dollar, just as much as we spend on Christmas.

And since we aren't loaded stinkin' rich or using our credit cards, practically speaking that means that we have half as much as normal to spend on Christmas this year.

The Why: Where do I start? Sometimes you need to do something because the very thought of it makes your mind and heart go to war.

Like when you're standing in the bathroom mirror, fiddling with your dreadlocks, saying "Half? Really? Could we do it? I mean...will we have enough? For presents? And a tree? And a turkey?"

"...but presents are already a good charitable thing, right? Surely Jesus doesn't want me to cut back on those."

"And the cute photo cards like last year. Those are a must...aren't they?"

But I can't continue spending my life praying words like "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven." and then ignoring his call to actually be His hands and feet, to bring His justice, His reconciliation, and His economy of love to a community in need. I can't have one foot in God's radical backwards kingdom where the least is most and the poor is rich and the blind will see while having the other foot firmly planted at the local stuff-mart.

Scripturally, if we have more than we need it belongs to the poor. John the baptist instructed people who have two shirts to give one to the poor. (Luke 3:11) and Jesus tells a Pharisee to hold feasts, not for his friends and family, but for the poor and maimed who cannot repay his kindness. (Luke 14:12-14). We're also told to give to anybody who asks us (Matthew 5:42) and to love our neighbour as ourselves. (Mathew 22:39)

I'm not going to pretend to have these verses all figured out. It is no easy calling. But it seems pretty clear to me that Jesus wants bigger things for his people than shiny trinkets and obligatory sweater gifts.

The Verdict: So we are saving for Christmas like we always do around this time of year. From each paycheck, we add a few bucks to an envelope. Only this year we do it knowing that half of it is going to our local homeless shelter. And I have become really excited about this decision.

The Dare: Normally I tell people that this is our journey to simplicity and that we have no expectations that others will do what we do. We are sharing our lives, not asking you to change yours. We don't expect you to get dreadlocks, or give up paper towels or to put your bed on the floor. But tonight, if it's okay, I would like to dare some of you to make a similar commitment. I trust you'll know if God is drawing your heart to that same place, even if part of you is running away screaming inside.

In the words of Basil the great. “When someone steals another's clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor.”

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Day 73: Not Killing the Herbs

The Task: To successfully (hopefully!) overwinter some herbs so that I can stop buying new ones every year.

The Confession: My husband is the aspiring green thumb in the family. He does all the real gardening. I am responsible for the flower gardens (a.k.a overgrown weed beds), the culinary herbs, and the occasional houseplant that is given to us and inevitably dies from neglect. I like to blame it on the fact that I am perpetually pregnant, tired and distracted...

The Why: Okay...so here's the thing. So much of the problem in our crazy, hyper consumptive, would-need-five-planets-if-everyone-lived-like-a-North-American culture is that we don't have any, um....skills.

I mean, I'm a pretty domestic type gal. I know how to make bread and raise chickens and sew. But I don't know how to darn socks or spin wool or make candles or not kill a rosemary plant over the winter. I just buy a new rosemary plant in the spring. And sometimes half way through the summer....

But part of this challenge is to become producers as much as we are consumers. And to raise our children to have skills so that they can consume less in a consumer world.

The How: I was listening to a gardening show on the radio in the van the other day. (As in, Luke was listening and I was trying not to die of boredom) and the host mentioned herbs. I immediately became interested, because I had just been thinking the other day that I should stop, you know, killing the herbs. The radio show host told me three things I didn't know:

Put the herbs in clay pots. I can do that! Clay pots are cute!
Put them in a sunny window. Not on a table near the sunny window, but actually on the window sill. So I can't just move them around my kitchen to wherever I think they look nice that day and hope for the best? Good to know.
And finally, don't water them until they are dry. In the past my instinct has been to water them pretty much every time I remembered they existed, which, as they started to look dead was more and more often. Now I know I've been over watering!

The Verdict: So far so good. I haven't committed plant murder yet, although it's still too early to tell. I'm determined to make it through the winter with a live rosemary plant ready to go back in the soil come spring. Wish me luck?

Monday, October 1, 2012

Day 72: Sermon on the Mount Month!

It is the first day of October, and the first day of the October monthly challenge: Sermon on the Mount month! Are you in?

The Task: Read Matthew chapters 5,6 & 7 every single day for a month.

The Why: I shared the why of this challenge when I announced it last week. Basically, I believe that the Sermon on the Mount is radical and challenging, that God's economy of love and redistribution and reconciliation is powerful and relevant and...beautiful. I want the red letter words of Christ to shape me and change me.

The How: I'm not a super disciplined person, so I need to make little rules for myself in order to make God's word the priority it ought to be. Like not allowing myself to use facebook in the morning until after I've read the scripture passage.

Many of you have expressed that you will be joining the challenge. Yay! Please feel free to come back to this post throughout the month and share how the challenge is going, what you are noticing in God's word that you've always seemed to miss in the past, what you are struggling with or convicted of or inspired by. May the Spirit of God move boldly in each of us this month!