I'm going through my toiletries today + like being reminded (by my own little collection) that skin + body care can be simple. I've been using most of the same things for years, because they work. They clean, moisturize, detangle + give my eyes a little definition. I occasionally try something new, but not often. 

I've shared lots of zero-waste bathroom swaps over the years, but the best tool in my less-waste toolkit is keeping it simple. Needing less, wanting less + buying less are the things that reliably lead to less waste. Having a few less bottles to recycle is better than any recyclable material out there. It just makes sense to me.

Most of the skincare content I see online is trying to sell us something new. I understand that lots of people like having lots of products + experimenting with new products, and I'm all for doing what feels like self-care. My heart's desire is for it to truly + enduringly feel like self-care though, rather than feeling like an endless, expensive pursuit that perpetuates feelings of falling short.

I have daughters, so beauty marketing can feel thorny on multiple levels. I don't want my daughters being told they need monthly treatments for countless things they didn't recognize as issues five years ago. I don't want any of us to feel like we need to be chasing something that will likely always feel just out of reach.

A few loving + caring reminders to self:

• fine lines + wrinkles are the signs of a life well-lived - I've laughed, sung, kissed, smiled, cried + listened with my whole face - lovely
• marketing can't decide whether I need to reduce puffiness or add filler
• the one telling me there is a problem to correct is usually the same one trying to sell me the solution
• older people are happy, fun, adventurous, in love, vibrant + beautiful too 

Off to deepen my fine lines with some laughter + living!

Love,
Jane

I don't draw a card from the deck on my bedside table every morning, but sometimes it feels like a good idea. Lately, it's been coming up "monkey" every time. It makes me laugh, because it's true. My tangled, busy, monkey mind is too often running the show. Transformation is on my to-do list, and I've been noticing the practices that help.

Riding my bike:

• feels like a physical representation of moving forward + leaving things behind
• makes me focus on the present moment 
• gets me into nature under the trees, under the sky, feeling the breeze
• is zooming, coasting play 
• feels cooler moving through the air on these hot days
• is a fun way of getting somewhere like a coffee shop at the other side of the park
• is a slow way of doing things like picking up dish soap + a cookie after dinner
• makes me spread my arms with unbridled joy
• connects my partner + I because we both love it
• lets me notice the comings + goings of the dragonflies, the snakes, the milkweed
• gives me space to think + to not think
• allows me to push hard + expel negative energy
• lets me stop + listen to birds + water lapping the shore softly

Riding my bike for enjoyment + connection, for movement + wellness...well, it makes me smile every time.  :)

Love,
Jane

I'm learning so much lately about letting go...loosening my grip...accepting that I am not in control.

Minimalism is often described as letting go of what isn't important, so we can make space for what is important. The practice of minimalism has enabled me to (along with my partner) raise my girls on a single, low income and to move overseas (twice). I've become very good at letting go of things in order to gain something else.

Lately, however, the letting go seems to have more to do with a lack of choice. It is more about accepting other's choices that affect me in impactful ways. I'm experiencing this both in my personal relationships, and in the greater societal context. I doubt I'm unique in that.

Today I read that nihilism (the belief that existence is pointless) is currently pervasive in the US. This from a nation that had 90% of people identifying as Christians in the early 1990's. The arguments that nothing has changed + everything has changed each have their validity. Personally, I'm just tired of being endlessly indignant. I'm not sure, but that feels adjacent to acceptance somehow. I don't like that either.

Years ago, I planted mint in our garden. It did well + looked great...until it started to come up in the middle of every plant around it. A few years after I planted it, I decided it had to go. It is just too invasive. Even now, every time I go out into the garden, I spot stray mint in the middle of one plant or another. I can't control it. So I pull it + make mint tea.

I have to admit that I'm trying to find the lesson as I write this. Hmmm. Let it be? Live + let live? Sure, but that doesn't really offer any promise of any good coming from the unchosen. I don't want to be a nihilist, so I want to find the good.

I'm reminded of The Overstory by Richard Powers. We understand the breadth of the forest's story by understanding how many human lifetimes come + go during its lifespan. If we humans are nature, and nature's story is so much bigger + longer than each one of us...then maybe we are just here to participate in the good that is...the good that goes on + on...and to make a little mint tea along the way. I think I can live with that.  

Much love,
​Jane

In the evenings, my priorities are connection, whole foods + movement. 

• connection :: We've noticed that the regular, "How was your day?" puts us back into our workdays, and, for some reason, leads us to recount all the challenging parts of our days. I'd like to find a way to both share our days and to move into our current shared time. We decided that asking, "Harmony?" would be a way to focus ourselves back in on what we feel is our mission. What we're asking is, "Did you contribute to a harmonious milleau today?" "Did you contribute to the excellent harmonies of this world (soil, plants, sun, moon, waterways, animals, human interconnectedness) today?"
• whole foods :: We eat our main meal for lunch + are keeping supper simple. A few of our regulars at the moment are eggs, lettuce roll-ups, tofu/cabbage skillets + an orange for dessert. Cutting out snacking is a focus here.
• movement :: 5-10 minutes of stretching every evening.

In light of these thoughts, we listed some experiments to do in the next few weeks along with some questions we'd like to answer as we move through them:

• 5-10 minutes of stretching at the start + end of each day :: how does it change us?
• light dinner + orange (no other snacks) :: how do our bodies feel? do our pants fit better? do we save money? (motivation is good!)  :)
• always have bananas :: does this alleviate the need for emergency snacks? do we save money? (I know bananas come from a long way away...but they don't have packaging, are filling, nutritious, cheap + easy) 

Phew- this has gotten long, so I'll leave a few questions here in case they might be helpful. :)

A few questions I find useful:

• What are some words I want to embody or move toward?
• What do I want out of my mornings/evenings?
• What can I do to put those desires into action?
• What experiments can I do find out if these habits are sustainable + worthy of sustaining?
• What is the duration of my experiment?
• What do I want to find out? 

I'm looking forward to having some answers + some new, lovely, sustainable habits that move me toward wholeness + harmony!

Love,
Jane

I have to admit that I've felt a little lost about how to maintain + grow hope in myself + those closest to me lately. The consuming tidal wave of disregard for humanity feels so hopeless, and despair offers nothing to counter that devouring force. Small actions seem almost irrelevant, but even as I think that...I know they have value to the ones who receive them + to me too. 

It is true that we, the ones with access to food + clean water + bombless sleep, have a responsibility to hope. In the spirit of Meg McElwee's hope-making bucket list (in her latest email newsletter), I began creating my own. I felt like I owed it to all of us.

Very quickly, I began to think of recent experiences that could be viewed through that same hope stirring lens...ways that I've experienced (known!) hope recently! I mean- exciting! I'm sharing both lists in hopes that the practice can spark more + more lists + imagining + hope.

Things that have stirred hope recently:

• Going to a Mumford + Sons concert in the pouring rain - a communal experience
• Standing by the glassy Atlantic, listening to the water lap the shore softly - gentle grandeur
• Conversations with people I don't know very well - finding common ground
• Eating Julia's delicious cooking experiments - tasting a blooming interest
• Spotting humming birds in the garden - shifting lawn to a thriving ecosystem
• Attending a sprawling event Jo took part in organizing - witnessing embodied vision
• Cheering for a friend's dream coming true - borrowing joy
• Participating in the heaviness of aging + decline - knowing love
• Dreaming about bringing a new purpose to life - imagining possibility

My hope stirring to-do list:

• Knowing that there is room for love in every situation + proving it
• Eating at our local, Palestinian restaurant
• Leaving stretches of unscheduled, spacious time 
• Showing up for my mom + dad in ways that are meaningful to them
• Making a piece of clothing that I'd normally purchase readymade
• Experimenting with ways to decrease my "needs"
• Painting + painting + painting
• Stretching + moving in ways that feel good
• Leading with acceptance in some current circumstances 
• Riding my bike with a smile on my face

I've come away from this exercise realizing that hope can be sparked in so many ways: collective experience, tuning in to nature, eye contact, unscheduled time, imagining new ways + putting these new ways into practice to name a few. I vow to put myself in these situations as much as I possibly can. See you there!

Love,
Jane

For me freedom is wealth.

What if you just shook up the formula + thought of doing it in a different way, 
a smaller way?
~Jesse Kamm
​

I came across this again today + it felt like a beckoning. Wanna play along? Here's my version:

Embrace the soft pants. 
Find a style or two to love + wear the heck out of them. I'm loving pairs from Sokoi + these from Imogene + Willie. They take me from my yoga mat to a coffee hang to work to a night out. This summer I'm wearing them with tank tops. In the colder months they cozy up with little sweatshirts + big pullovers.

Whatever your age is, enjoy living.
The age that I am is rarely exactly how I thought it would be. When I was younger, I thought that people who were the age I am now knew who they were + weren't easily made to doubt it. These years have involved some tangles for me in that department. I have a list of things I want to be, and I try to revisit it daily. I recognize myself in this list + I'm reminded that this self is beautiful.

Skip, if it feels right.
One day my partner + I held hands as we left Target + skipped out into the parking lot. We were just happy + laughing + when we got to our car a man told us that seeing that did his heart good. It was just such an unselfconscious, playful moment. It did our hearts good too.

Splurging can mean different things.
There have been moments in my life when a shared slurpie on a 95F degree day or a shared donut on a random afternoon have been true splurges. I remember those moments decades later, because they really did feel so splurgy + extra sweet. 

Find a pair (or two) of signature shoes. 
My partner + I both believe that the classics (our classics) are the best shoes. He's always worn Vans. We were 19 when we met, and his Vans were purple. Today, I own three pairs of Birks + wear a pair every day.

Figure out what works for your skin.
I'll sing the praises of Everyday Oil until the day I die. I use it morning + night, never use soap on my face (unless I go for a really sweaty bike ride or something). Since I started using Everyday Oil, acne flares + flaky skin are no longer issues. It costs less than so many other products, and its packaging is beautiful, reusable + recyclable.

And then (pretty much) skip the make up.
Lip balm + mascara + done. I only ever wore makeup to cover acne. I was always envious of the fresh faced girls in junior high + high school. Lipstick was fun, but kissing my babies without leaving a mark was even more fun.

Whether it's creating a home or your style, do it yourself.
We never had much money, but I always thought that the homiest, coziest, most nourishing spaces were simplest ones. When we moved into a new place (+ we did plenty of that), I'd remove the window coverings, add a lick of white paint + tape the girls' artwork to the walls. Catalog pages would become paper chains for birthdays. Furniture rescued from the side of the road would get recovered with scrap fabric or painted it with leftover paint. Shorts were made out of thrifted skirts + a tops were made out of sweat-stained, button down shirts. Candles are lit, pancakes are made, music is turned up + we dance...still.

Trim all the excess fat.
Once I started reading about environmentalism, minimalism + the working conditions of garment workers, I realized that our monetary limitations could be reinterpreted in my mind as personal choice. This felt quite empowering. I'd always loved thrifting + making + camping + old houses. Now they have an even deeper purpose + meaning. I can't change all that is wrong in the world, but I can change my actions.

That was fun. It feels like I can see myself a little bit more clearly now, and it gives me motivation to embrace all that is simple + good in this life of mine. Wishing you the same!

Much love,
Jane

I'm the type of gardener who plants things + mostly waits to see what nature does with it. There's no round-up to bend things to my will. There are squirrels that dig + rabbits that multiply. Chipmunks + skinks scurry. Bees buzz. 

I do not want to do battle with nature. We weed...some. We water...some. Things that were planted last year or the year before emerge. I don't remember all the names that humans gave them. They are beautiful.

One day, I exclaimed at the bright purple blossoms that appeared. It rained for days + the purple blossoms disappeared. And then, an evening visit to the garden revealed why this purple seems to appear + disappear. They close at night! Of course! 

The recognition felt like a message:

• the drawing in is where the power lies
• the drawing in enables the resilience of the beauty
• the drawing in is at least as beautiful as the outward facing beauty

Love,
​Jane

How are you feeling? I wish I could listen to your reply.

I'm horrified. I'm sad. I'm bewildered. I feel like we've been living in a state of defeat for years. I've been feeling like less words are necessary. I'm less interested in reading things that end up where I already know I am. 

We know that we need to dig in right where we are. When I feel like that's not helping, I try to remember the light experienced:

• having a short conversation made me feel connected...they probably felt that too
• going to a county dems meeting reminded me that there are others who think similarly, have already been hard at work, are paying attention, are fired up + ready to go...my presence probably did the same for them
• receiving a response from my representative reminded me that I can communicate + be heard...she may have received a bit of encouragement + strength from those words
• digging trenches for potatoes + settling each mass into the soil felt like hope for the future...this act was participation in the regenerative abilities already in each potato

We are here to participate in our mutual flourishing. Yours matters to me.

Much love,
Jane

Simple has become one of my favorite words. Making my clothing simple, my home simple, my skincare simple...each one of these endeavors has influenced my thinking beyond the scope of the project itself. As things become more simple, fog lifts, priorities shift + values come into focus. Over time this can offer a sort of settling to the mind. I long for simplicity to inject all aspects of my life with this sense of peace.

And yet, I find that much of what feels unsettled within has to do with two opposing forces pushing + pulling. There is goodness to the practice of slowing down + focusing in on small moments that bring us joy. A tiny, new leaf in spring or a smile from a stranger can flood our spirits with elation. At the same time, there is goodness in zooming out enough to understand our smallness. A giant cumulus cloud or bright light near the moon (that must be a planet!) can jolt our gloom into perspective.

I like using my creative skills + passion at work. It makes me feel like I'm creating beauty, contributing to a team + have purpose. And I need blocks of gentle, spacious time to refuel + to use my creative skills + passion in different directions. In order to find wellbeing, I need to stay engaged with thoughts toward where + how I am spending my energy.

I've been coming to realizations like this over + over again. There is no simplifying to the point of settling some (maybe most) things in this life. Being alive involves almost constant readjusting, rebalancing + rethinking. Knowing my simple, overall objective (love!) certainly helps move me toward peace, but I cannot simplify myself into complete stillness + rest. Life is engagement with things like:

• zooming in + zooming out
• focused work + gentle, spacious time
• movement + rest
• effort + acceptance

Ram Dass wrote, "You can do it like it's a great weight on you, or you can do it like it's part of the dance." I guess I'm also trying to remember that the dance is not optional.

Love,
​Jane