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COP21 Climate Talks in Paris

11/30/2015

 
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today is the second day of the two week long climate talks in Paris.  COP21 is a meeting of the nations (196 of them) to discuss climate change and to come to a universal agreement on the way forward.  this agreement will hopefully include actions, limits and targets such as decreased emission levels, increased renewable energy implementation, and commitments to help poorer countries deal with the climate issues they are already facing.  

as a daily practice, we can focus on individual action.  we can and should decrease our negative impact on the planet by consuming less, decreasing our waste, decreasing our use of fossil fuels by driving and flying less and using less plastic, eating organic and less meat, and talking to others about these issues.

in the bigger picture, however, these individual actions…while important…will not affect our planet in ways that will drastically impact the causes of rising temperatures.  a shift away from the use of fossil fuels altogether and toward totally sustainable energy is necessary.  we have to let our leaders know what we want.  we have to let them know that voting for a cleaner planet will get them re-elected…not the opposite.  this is not an issue that should divide political parties.  this is an issue that should unite the world…the one world that we all share.

the issue itself, here.  so important.  so good.

the above book, but will the planet notice? by gernot wagner, is an interesting look at some of the policies and actions we could implement that could truly impact change.  it took some mental gymnastics at some points, but i love to be challenged…especially on this topic.  wagner is a harvard and stanford graduate, an economist at the environmental defense fund, and also teaches at columbia (not just some dude with opinions).  we need some big ideas, and this book offers some options.  (check it out at your local library.)

if you'd like a closer look at some target issues, here.  

my eyes are on COP21.  my prayers are for a surprisingly positive outcome.

love,
​jane

multifunctional in the kitchen: 03

11/30/2015

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these might be the most obvious multifunctional items, but i couldn't leave them out. glass jars are workhorses in the zero-waste kitchen.  i am constantly amazed at the many jobs glass jars can accommodate.  i love having them in all different sizes.  

we use them for:
~drinking glasses- big, medium, and small
~butter dish
~canning jars- i mostly freeze tomato sauce or cooked beans in them
~leftover storage- soups, grated cheese
~lunch transport- soup, pasta, salad
~snack transport- granola bars, fruit, hummus + carrots or apples, etc., trail mix, cookies, etc.
~drink transport- add a lid and go, or use for take-away at the coffee shop
~flower vases
~homemade pickles or applesauce
~gifting bulk candy or treats, homemade spiced nuts, dipped apricots, pickles, etc.
~starting new plants from cuttings
​~clay and face powder in the bathroom
~storing herbs, asparagus 
~growing basil
​~bulk spice storage
~holding open a heavy window

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chives from the garden
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countertop basil
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larger jars are useful for:
~bulk items
~yogurt
~larger amounts of leftovers
~cookie dough
~cold water in the fridge- we keep two of the returnable glass milk containers and use them for keeping water cold- no wasted water while waiting for it to turn cold at the faucet
~displaying seashells and other natural items
~terrariums

​others in this series :: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09
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love,
​jane
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black friday

11/27/2015

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this day more than any other reminds me that businesses are in business.  whether they are trying to make a case for opting outside or buying transparently for good, there is a strategy to reach their target customer.  this is not always a bad thing.  we all get to make our own judgements…we get to live by our own values…we get to make our own choices.  we are blessed to have the privilege of enormous choice.  we can make the conscious choice to use businesses to meet our needs and the needs of those who depend on them for employment…not the other way around.  so whether we choose to take advantage of a sale, or to opt out…it's our choice.  

i'd love to know how to want very little, and it might be especially helpful today.

but above all, let's be sure to get them what they really want. (this is the link to click, if you skipped the others!)  :)

love,
jane

p.s. and remember you can always return it!  ;)
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grateful

11/26/2015

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i have so much to be thankful for!  here are just a few:

~my God who loves, provides, and guides
~my incredible tribe with whom i get to wander through life
~a warm, cozy home
~food on the table
~cars in the garage
~employment for mr. tribe that provides for our needs
~employment for jo that provides college tuition
~a country that provides freedom of religion to all
~purpose
~clean water
~leaves that change glorious colors
~ever-changing clouds
~sunsets
~oceans
~soil
~apples
~succulents
~chai tea
~tamarind + orange candles
~zines + cellos
~bastille + vance joy
~fairy lights
~wool socks
~gilmore girls
~washing machine
~education
~warm bed
~health
~books
~this blog community- thank you!!!

happy thanksgiving, friends!  :)

love,
jane
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the holidays are coming

11/25/2015

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so it begins…the holidays.  

advertisers tell us that thanksgiving has turned into "thanksgetting", and black friday continues it's insatiable creep into that brief day of gratitude.  consumerism attempts to render quiet wonder in front of the manger extraneous.  even if jesus is not the focus of their celebration, i doubt anyone would say that they want the source of joy in the season to come from more and more and more purchasing.    

what feelings come to mind with thoughts of the holidays?  panic, dread, exhaustion, joyful lightness?  my shoulders tense and i recognize my need for focus at the beginning of this season.  i need a recalibration of expectation and then a plan.

here's an assignment for myself…feel free to play along, if you like.  take a break and sit down with pen, paper and a cup of something warm.  

~write down what you'd like the holidays to feel like.  what feels warm, happy and luxurious to you as you think about the next month.  would it feel great to just sink into bed with a movie and hot chocolate?  would you like to sit around a big table with your closest friends to eat, chat and laugh?  do you want to see wonder on the faces of your little ones?  do you want to make cookies together or hug your mom or take a long nap?  what sounds just heavenly to you?

~what feelings do you want to have?  relaxing, laughing, warmth, love, togetherness, connection, quiet, awe, gratitude?
~what feelings do you want your loved ones to have?

~how can you achieve those results within your values, budget, time, comfort?  what can you not do this year?

~what would you like the days following christmas to bring?  or not to bring?  i doubt it includes debt, piles of wadded up wrapping paper, or forgotten toys to clean up.

if we'd like our holidays to not feel hectic, stressful, bank account draining, and disappointing, let's make changes.  we can create joy and wonder, togetherness and connection, quiet and relaxation.  we can change expectation in ourselves and our children.  we can honor family and tradition in new ways.  

there are many ideas around the web, but i encourage you (and me) to come up with a plan that feels right for you.  i'll try to bring some stories together here to remind us that we are not alone…but for now, i will try to remember that this month can fit with my values.  my actions are my own.  i have the power to shift the focus of the holidays.  these are gonna be good ones!  :)

love,
​jane


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a favorite place to wander

11/24/2015

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i love this place and feel so grateful to have it close by.  i am even more blessed to have companions who love to wander with me!  there is always something new to visit…and our familiar favorites never disappoint.  

hope you find some inspiring places to wander this week as well!

love,
j + j + j
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sheets

11/23/2015

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this cute little patch has made me smile as i get into bed for maybe a year now…the giant torn places i found at the foot of our fitted sheet a couple weeks ago did not.  :(

we need a new fitted sheet.  the top sheet is not pristine, but i've been able to cut off the top wide hem where it was tearing off…and fold and sew a new top hem…same for the side and bottom hems.  it still looks good, so i don't want a whole new sheet set.

it is apparently difficult to buy sheets separately…especially ethical ones.  i'm always apprehensive to tackle finding something new on this ethical journey…so i thought i'd take you along.  :)  i want to consume less, so i only want a fitted sheet.  i would like for it to be made from organic cotton and to be made under fair conditions.  i found that there are many certifications for bedding, but that maybe the most common is GOTS.

here is how one company explained GOTS:

This product is certified to meet the Global Organic Textile Standard [GOTS], the toughest organic-textile standard in the world. To obtain the GOTS "organic" label, a product:
  • Must contain at least 95% organic fiber.
  • Must not be treated with bleach, formaldehyde or any other toxic substances.
  • Must be colored with non-toxic dyes.
  • Must be produced in mills that enforce strict social and environmental standards, treating their employees and the earth with deep respect.
GOTS certification means that this product meets the very highest standards from the field to the factory to your home.

once i knew what terms to google, it became easier to find what i was looking for.  ultimately, i decided to go with this fitted sheet.  buying the pieces one at a time allows me to get the full use out of each piece and then to spend a bit more on each piece, if necessary, since the cost is spread out over time.  

while we are on the subject of sheets… i only have one set of sheets per bed in our house.  it works well for us to wash the sheets and then put them right back onto the bed.  i never have to fold fitted sheets.  :)  i was enticed by some organic cotton sheets i saw in nashville, but i know i like boring white sheets best.  they are simple, minimal and fresh.  they are easy to clean, because they can be bleached, if necessary.  white sheets can adapt to different pillowcases, accent pillows or throws, if you like.  i just never get sick of them.  

​thanks for being my shopping buddy!

love,
jane
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organizing

11/20/2015

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i dropped julia off and had an hour and a half to wait.  after cursing myself for not thinking ahead and wearing athletic shoes rather than flip-flops (so i could take a walk)…and not bringing a book (it was early!), i found that the only place open at that hour was the container store.  i used to like that place…and hadn't been in one for years…so in i went.  it didn't take long before the whole place just seemed ludicrous to me.  row upon row of items meant to make us feel good about all the crap we have…and enticing enough to buy more (the bins, boxes, and baskets)…so that we can buy even more (stuff).
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when furnishing this home from scratch, i remember numerous times having to tell myself not to buy storage containers (they're pretty!).  i had read that if one had to buy organizational items, maybe one had too much stuff.  :)  i successfully resisted all those times and only bought a few bins when i had specific needs (like organizing my shopping kit and finding an indoor recycling collection bin).  i also bought a couple see-through bins for the girls to keep in their tiny closets, so that the contents would be visible from the outside.  hidden = forgotten = unnecessary (for the most part).  we have a few other baskets scattered here and there, but only a few…with specific, useful purposes.
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i love this quote from the minimalists, "ultimately, 'organizing' is nothing more than well-planned hoarding." eek!  this kind of severe thinking is what keeps me from unnecessary purchases.  use as needed.  :)

love,
jane

​p.s. i loved this month of minimalism.
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us.

11/19/2015

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for me, it started with the news on npr.  snippets here and there yanked at my heartstrings.  war ripping families apart, refugees drowning in boats, opportunists taking advantage at every turn, desperation oozing and blanketing.  i don't watch tv and i don't open my web browser to buzz feed, but one day i saw a picture of a family ducking under barbed wire, each young parent clutching a child.  the children's faces were stricken with fear, but it was the parents' faces that stopped me cold.  i stared.  i felt that these parents could muster no calming platitudes to their precious children, because their faces betrayed their insides overcome with terror.

and then a cherished babe washed up and borders closed and tear gas poured and terror came to parisian restaurants and concerts and governors said hell no and we all felt a little pinch of the terror of holding our babies close and wondering what comes next.

we feel a pinch.

they are drowning in it.

we can't be sure about them.

they can't be sure of anything…of where their children will lay their heads tonight…of if they will watch them die of starvation or cold or disease…of whether their children will ever again have a home…or a future.

we want to be safe.  

but my fear cannot preclude love.  fear must not be allowed to breed hate.  hate in us will breed hate in them...and then where will we be?  only when "us" includes "them"…only when "we" take on some of "their" fear…only when love takes the place of some of that fear...only when we love our neighbor as ourselves...only then will we feel we have done something that truly makes a difference.

they are us.  i want all of us to be safe.

clearly this is an incredibly tough issue.  we need to be wise…and loving.  i truly believe that these two work beautifully in tandem.  wisdom is not true wisdom apart from love.

compassion starts with knowledge.  
basics of the syrian refugee crisis 
insight into why individuals are willing to risk it all
a view of the perilous journey to europe  (these 3 via)
a picture of unity
are we tough enough for ordinary love
and glorious anthems of surrender + hope

take this heart and let it break.

love,
jane
2 Comments

selling online

11/18/2015

 
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many of us are exploring simplifying and living with less clutter around us.  once we've simplified our closets, kitchen cupboards or garages…well, there is still a pile of stuff to figure out what to do with.  when i wrote about turning stuff into cash, i received a request to write a beginners' post about how to navigate selling.  thanks so much for the suggestion!  i hope i can write something that will be helpful here.  :)

goodwill can be great for dropping off lots of stuff at once and just being done with it.  i'm sure they appreciate most of it…and it creates jobs for those who need them.  a pick-up service can also be good for this purpose, but beware.  a lot of those organizations with the trucks don't actually have a store where they sell your cast-offs.  many of them sell the stuff by the pound…and it gets transported overseas or to rag makers.  the value of your items is mostly lost in these kinds of transactions…and dumping it overseas destroys their economies of making and supplying items for themselves.

stuff has a price up front which is more than meets the eye.  there are resources, farming, mining, weaving, dying, transportation, and labor conditions to consider.  and there are costs involved with letting something go.  a good clear out is good…but we want to make sure that each item gets into the hands of someone who will appreciate and use that item. how do we find those hands?  ...and maybe can we make a little money out of the process?

here are a few of my favorite methods of connecting my stuff with people who want it:
~craigslist
~ebay
~etsy
~amazon
​~thredup
~yardsale
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a little more in depth…for those of you who would like it…
--craigslist is great for connecting locally with people who are looking for what you've got. this works well for big items, like furniture, outdoor play sets, bicycles, ceiling fans, cars, and yard items…and for less expensive things like baby items, toddler toys, bigger kid toys, curtains, and games.  we have bought and/or sold all of these items on craigslist.

to sell on craigslist, you simply google craigslist and your city…go to the website and click the "post to classifieds" link.  follow the steps one by one, and…
-name it accurately and with all the variations someone could search, for example, if you are posting a bookshelf, list is as wood wooden bookshelf book shelf bookshelves bookcase...
-post attractive, well-lit pictures with neutral background
-price it to sell- remember it was making you no money going unused.  don't get greedy now…the goal is to get it out!  some money is better than none.  the buyer is moving it on out for you and giving you space!
-measure it- it will save you lots of emailing…or someone coming out and not buying it
-note flaws, so there aren't surprises- or say- perfectly chippy paint, or something, to let them know it's a design element :)
-let them know if it's coming from a smoke-free, pet-free environment
-post- cash only
-once you click publish, make sure to go to your email and click through the email they send you to actually post it on craigslist. 
-(there are no fees to pay craigslist)

there are some horror stories about craigslist, so be safe and smart.  when people inquire about coming for the item, i make sure to nail down the time before giving out my address. i don't tell them when i won't be home.  if something feels off, just stop communicating and wait for the next person.  i also move the item outside, so that they don't have to come into my house. if you are single and need help moving that couch outside- get someone to come help you move it out and stay with you for the exchange.  i respond to the emails saying, "we will be here…."  i wait until my husband can come to pick things up with me.  it's just smart.

be ready for some low ball offers.  i do want to sell, but i get to decide what i'm willing to accept.  remember that when someone gives you an offer, you are bargaining.  you can counteroffer!  :)
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--ebay and etsy expand the reach of your sales far beyond your local area.  ebay is for almost anything- clothing, vintage items, collectors items, etc, etc.  i sell brand name clothing + purses, homeschool book sets, and small toys mostly on ebay.  you will need to ship your item, so bigger items may not be worth it.  the buyer pays for shipping, but may be deterred by the amount necessary to ship bulky or heavy items.  etsy is only for handmade items, vintage items or supplies for making things.  i sell vintage clothing, craft supplies and handmade items on etsy.  your item needs to get search hits, so search your chosen title and make sure people are looking for that. research your item so you can label and price it well.

to sell on ebay or etsy is a bit more involved…but worth the set up, in my opinion.  (maybe not, if you are only wanting to sell a couple items…but if you want to sell a couple items now…and a couple more next month…and…then, yes.)  you will need to open a paypal account (it is the mode of transferring money) in addition to your ebay or etsy account. simply go to the appropriate sites (ebay has country specific sites) and follow the instructions for sign-up.  you will need to input your bank account or debit card numbers.

ebay, etsy, and paypal charge small fees for using their services.  paypal's fees (only for incoming money- not for transferring that money to your bank or for paying for things) come out automatically, but ebay and etsy bill monthly.  read their policies carefully to figure out amounts.  when listing on these sites, use the tips above for craigslist listings...list size numbers, woman's, boy's, etc. in the title...be sure to note flaws and take pictures of them to clarify.  i've learned not to say things like "new condition" or "no holes", because people can argue these statements.  i like 7 day auctions, because it is the end of an auction that often triggers urgency and purchasing.  starting the bidding price low will help the item get noticed and watched, but don't price it lower than you would be happy selling it for…there may be only one person interested.  (again, some money is better than none.)  you could also post a "buy it now" price to entice someone to buy it on the spot instead of forgetting to (or deciding not to) bid on it later.  (updated 2019: now I like buy-it-now listings best, because it offers that instant gratification for the buyer + instant payment for me.)  :) you can check the status of your item along the way, and an email will let you know when something has sold. send an invoice, wait for payment (if the item was sold through a buy-it-now listing, it will already be paid for), pack it up nicely in recycled packaging, and ship promptly.
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--amazon is for books but also for some other items.  no pictures are required and the process is super quick once your accounts are set.  i've sold many books through amazon.

to sell on amazon, you can search for your item and find the spot where it says "have one to sell" in the description page or once you've clicked onto the "used" page for that book.  click there and follow the instructions.  you will need a seller's account…and to link that to a bank account/debit card.  amazon takes out a small fee, but discloses the exact amount on the pricing page.  look at the price of other used books in similar condition.  i like to price mine as the lowest price, in order to sell.  i've found that if the book is going to be priced lower than about $7, i feel it's not worth selling there (considering fees, packaging, and drive to post office).  i donate those books to the library book sale or take them to half priced books.  books in great condition are also great to regift, if they are something someone you know would love.  an email will let you know when you've sold a book on amazon.  log into your seller's account, get the address, mark as shipped, ship it in recycled packaging, and your deposit will go into your account in a week or so.
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--thredup is a site for selling used women's and kids clothing.  personally, i would try to sell name brand clothing on ebay myself first, because i think i'd make more money there. however, if you'd like someone else to take on the hassle of taking pictures, listing, and mailing each separate package…that's sounds nice too.  you can use your sales money to buy more clothing from them, but remember we're trying to get rid of things.  :) honestly, i've never sold on thredup, but i have bought from them for julia.

-to sell with thredup, you can order a free mailer bag.  they want defect-free, name brand, on-trend clothing.  put it into the mailer bag and mail it off- postage paid by thredup.  they will determine what items they want on their site (typically about 50% of what they receive) and also the price you will get for them (remember they need to get paid as well). you will need a paypal account (as well as a thredup account), if you'd like to be paid for your items.
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--and then i have to mention the good old-fashioned yard sale.  if you've got quite a bit of stuff to get rid of at once, this could be the way to go.  to make it even more fun, grab a friend or two to have it with.  it will make it more of a spectacle for shoppers too.  let the kids sell some brownies or cookies…and everyone's happy.  people want good deals at yard sales, so price right…but remember you can counteroffer!  :)  decide right from the beginning not to let anything that went outside come back inside!  arrange for a salvation army truck to come by at a certain time, close shop and load it all in, when it shows up…or load it all in the car and drive to goodwill right when you are through with sales…or keep it in the garage and craigslist the more manageable pile that's left.  

phew….that's a doozy of a post!  hope there was something helpful there.  let me know if there are any more questions…and i'll try to help, if i can!

happy clearing out!  enjoy the space you've created!  now don't go filling it up again, right?!  :)

love,
jane

p.s.  a little more on pricing shipping in the comments.  :)

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