Easter has come and gone and with it, the conclusion of my 40 days and 40 nights of decreased wants. I'm been thinking a lot about what I learned by doing this - other than that it's a lot harder than one would expect. I have a new found respect for those trying to live a sustainable lifestyle. I'm not sure I could give up some of the things that make life 'easier' 24/7 and certainly my month long contribution was small compared to most.
I did enjoy making come things from scratch - the vanilla, granola, coffee creamer and kids snacks to name a few. And I found I didn't miss buying these things from the store - nor did my family. It truly is amazing how much we rely on store bought items that only a few decades ago we could do without. I'm still sticking to some of the above but I did break down this week and buy a box of Fruit Loops. Small steps...
Dealing with the kids was a little easier than I thought it would be. We ate out once and when my littlest got a belly ache after it was enough to sway him to the "eating at home" philosophy. Regular bowel movements are a great addition to any household! Don't get me wrong, my kids are like any other American Child and when a toy/crappy store item is wanted then it's WANTED and no amount of cajoling will turn their little heads. I'm a pretty forceful mother however (neither a positive or a negative in my mind) and when those moments happen they are often followed by some deep moments of reflections and conversation.... Yah, right.
In order to save money on things - like groceries - you have to search the
flyer's, your cupboards and the coupons and plan ahead. The menu planning was great; especially for those evenings when you just don't know what to make. Try to have a back-up in case you run out of time for whatever you had planned. For instance, a grilled cheese sandwich, steamed
broccoli and corn though not highly nutritious, is still better than a cheeseburger from
McD's - so is a bowl of cereal for that matter.
And you have to think outside the box... try reusing things for something other than their intended purpose, make your own where possible (and time efficient), and search around - I have great friends and neighbours that are willing to share and split up stuff with me (you might too). Worthington is going to have a
Precycle Day on April 21-22. It's a great way to use things that might otherwise end up in a landfill because the original owners couldn't use it anymore. Try that in your own neighbourhood - people are cheap and love a good deal, never mind FREE!
What else did I learn? Not everyone gets it. Why can't you buy a coffee? What do you mean you make your own vanilla/coffee creamer? What are you using that for? I can't plan ahead like you do... *sigh* Like I said, I have a new found respect for those that do so much more than I did. Thanks to those of you that backed me up.
This was the kitchen with the wallpaper but after we took off the cupboards. I'm thinking that was last fall (notice the zucchini and all the tomatoes?).
I took this picture of the kitchen when we came to look at the hosue in June 2008. We've changed the flooring, removed those cupboards on the left and taken off the wallpaper. Nothing too dramatic - dramatic is just not in the budget. But a can of paint and a new floor makes a big difference (let me believe that okay?).
Here's the 'Voila' part. White walls 'cause I'm so original and yes, that's a chalkboard you see there on the bottom cupboard. Oh, another bandwagon I got on! (Yes, I could have put the dishes away but I wanted to add a touch of realism to the picture - go with it...)
All the holes are gone in the ceiling (where the cupboard was removed) and I think the white combined with the floor actually make the space a little bigger. I'd like to eventually get a couple of stools for the counter. That's it. All done. What a big bunch of hoopla. I'm tired now... time for a beer.
Or wine? 
