"We sought not merely to improve the world, but to remake it." The Water Dancer was a good read. I tried not to listen too closely to this interview with Ta-Nehisi Coates before reading it + enjoyed it again afterwards.  :) 

​Self-built.
Yes, there is something we can do.
We're actually paying more to store our stuff than we are to store ourselves.
I'm much more grateful for the items I own.
There were no safety features.
Person of the year.

Enjoy the weekend, friends!
Much love,
Jane

When joy is a habit,
love is a reflex.
~Bob Goff

In addition to a few other methods of zero-waste gift wrapping, this year we are adding one more.

My plan (for a few years) has been to naturally dye some cotton bandanas to use as gift wrap. I'm not sure I will get around to dyeing them before Christmas this year...but that won't stop me from using them as is. I bought some 27 inch bandanas (larger than usual) in order to have the option of wrapping a larger variety of gifts. They are cotton, so that they will take dye. 

We'll label our gifts by punching a hole in some scrap paper cut into various shapes + decorated as desired. I have a number of small safety pins that will attach tag to gift. The tags can be kept + reused or recycled. Pins + bandanas can be used again + again.

These bandanas can be used to wrap gifts in so many ways. They could also be useful throughout the year as generous napkins or to bring unwrapped bread home from the bakery. I like the patterns on bandanas, but floursack towels or scarves or pieces of vintage tablecloth or cloth napkins would work well for wrapping as well. A piece of fabric from the fabric store or the good parts of an old sheet could be ripped into large squares.

In any case, it gives me a thrill to gather up the detritus of a good celebration + not to have to take anything out to the trash or the recycling.

Love,
​Jane

A few simple actions have given me some outsized mood boosts this week. This is something that can feel particularly good in the midst of this busy season. Crossing something off of a mounting mental to-do list seems to always offer a little bolt of satisfaction...the trick is to stop long enough to notice...to take a breath + indulge in a smile. 

I thought I'd share a few of the things that have been making me feel somewhat accomplished...in case they might spark inspiration for a little mood boost for you too.  :)

-checking something big off of my nagging to-do list (the garage door works again!) + scheduling a few other projects into my calendar for the months to come (to space out budget concerns + eliminate the mental clutter)

-cleaning the bathroom...works every time  :)

-getting the whole lotion thing covered (now I have to remember to use it)

-keeping up with my vitamins

-getting out the rechargeable battery operated candles 

-deciding to be with finished holiday shopping 

None of this is to toot my own horn. As I write this...I should be vacuuming. I'm recording this in part so that tomorrow or the next day...when I start to feel a bit junky again...I can remind myself that it doesn't have to take much to recognize that I'm not doing so bad...I mean, I (probably) took my vitamins.  :)

Love,
​Jane

This is a good one, friends! The Endery uses deadstock alpaca yarn to create beautiful, colorful knitwear. This yarn is already out there left over from other projects + waiting to be useful. Often these materials are simply discarded as waste...so here we have zero-waste sweaters + hats + scarves! And...they are certified fair-trade! These skilled knitters can often work from home, allowing them to be close to their families. The Endery puts it like this, "Instead of creating more things, we look to create jobs using what we already have." Fantastic!

I think that there are a lot of stressors in life that require release,
+ I categorize ways you can get that into 'light' + 'dark'. 
Dark ways are smoking, alcohol, drugs, etc.
Dark release ways lead to more of the same; they are a temporary source of release.
Light ways are exercise, yoga, meditation, nature;
light ways of release lead to more light.
​~Emma Allen

There are enough gift lists out there (there are even a few here listed under simple holidays). There is plentiful holiday advice to be found as well. January is the month for setting new intentions + habits. December is the thick of the holidays...full of hustle + bustle...or heavy with something a little less full. I thought this month I would set out to find a good stuff to sprinkle in the midst.

We'll start out with this...friendship, laughter + value. So inspiring.

Love,
​Jane

In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give,
and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.
​~Deitrich Bonhoeffer

Gratitude is such a vital part of embracing simplicity...recognizing "enough"...and finding contentment. It is through gratitude that we can start to focus in on what we already have rather than being distracted by what we still want.

Gratitude is grounding + centering + allows us to be truly present. My faith paints that for which I am grateful as "gift". There is nothing I can do to earn a rainbow or a sunset or all that is encapsulated in a grapefruit. These are evidence of love.

It's not difficult to come up with an endless stream of gratitude once I get started. The light of the moon, the sound of laughter, a warm hug, seasons, excitement in the eyes of a daughter, a new leaf on a houseplant, friendship freely offered, drinking water, shadows, seeds, a warm shower...

I am here + there is good here.

Grateful for you too, friend,
Jane