Goal Check...Seven Months Gone...

Some of you may know that every once in a while I like to reflect on my goals (or intentions) throughout the year. Resolutions are easy to make but hard to stick to and earlier this year I noticed people making a conscious effort to move away from making (or calling them) resolutions. I don't know if this is supposed to be a way of being nicer to one's self by not adding the pressure of a "promise to fulfill" or something to live up or setting one's self up for failure since many resolutions do fail but I guess I am stuck in my ways...so I still set goals and make resolutions.

The main goals I wrote about on Dec. 31, 2011 were to live more simply (decluttering), paying off all debt and working on reducing my carbon footprint. Here's where I stand seven months later:

1- Simplify. Back in March the hubby and I moved out of our house and into a 32 foot RV...permanently. We held several yard sales, netting a few thousand dollars, and donated the rest of our clothing and household items to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We each have 5 {very} small dresser drawers and about 18" of closet space for all of our clothes. Storage is extremely limited so a side benefit is that we have not been able to make many purchases without having to get rid of something else to make room. It has been liberating (except when we get invited out and I feel like I have nothing to wear...and this time it's true).

2- Pay off all debt. Almost done with this one! With reduced expenses like no huge mortgage or utilities, not shopping as a hobby, cutting out all subscriptions (living on the road means cutting back on mail delivery), switching to a Virgin Mobile cell phone(pay as you go) and no big vacations we've been able to pay off a significant portion of our debt. Granted our original debt was just a few credit cards...both of our vehicles are paid off (and older models)...but it feels good watching the balances go down each month.

3-Continue to reduce my carbon foot-print. I'm proud to say that I remember my reusable grocery bags 99% of the time...my husband (a pretend non-greenie) reminds me 0.5% and the other .05% we both forget and end up with a bunch of bags great for cleaning the litter box. Oh, and we've practically eliminated the use of bottled water opting for our Pur Water Pitcher and reusable bottles.

In addition to "the bags", I now make my own household cleaners, air freshener, carpet deodorizer, facial cleanser and moisturizer. I will be using this 'recipe' for laundry detergent just as soon as I use up what I already have. I have gone back to a glycerin based shampoo and deep conditioner but now only wash my hair maybe 2 or 3 times a week.

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My other intentions for the year included climbing Mt. Shasta, which doesn't look like it will happen. With all of the changes going on it just wasn't working out. As far as meditation...well, that's something I am working on and hope to really put some effort into now that I'm reading Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living by Pema Chodron for a book club on Elephant Journal.

Speaking of Elephant Journal...I finally did it. I submitted a short story and actually got it published on their wonderful site!! It was terrifying and exhilarating. I wrote about my father and was able to include a few excerpts from his writing as well. I am even more inspired now to continue writing and maybe even submit future stories. The most important thing is that I was able to include my dad's writing, which I really want to continue in the future.

As far as my Anti-Resolution...to not focus on weight-loss...well, I'd have to say I've been fairly successful. When I made this declaration in no way did I intended it to mean I would start eating donuts and ice cream and disregard my health. I still eat very well and, since I'm training for a full marathon in September, I am still exercising and running almost every day. But, I'm not freaking out about calories, I'm not weighing myself, I'm not skipping meals or chastising myself for eating a handful of chips (and paying a penance later). And guess what??? My clothes fit better and I feel more relaxed.

With just five more months left in the year (and two months until we hit the road) we will continue to simplfy and declutter to lighten up the load (and gas needs) in the RV. Once I completely (for as long as I can that is) stop working I will be launching our Full-time RV travel blog and writing every day (blog posts or articles/stories to submit or just for the sake of writing).

For those of you who made resolutions/intentions or set goals (or whatever you call them) how has your year been so far?

Facebook & Farm Tours...when Social Media takes you outdoors...



A nice spot to rest on a hot summer's day.

Believe it or not, I know of some Facebook hold-outs...seriously. These are fairly educated, professional people with friends and family in other states and countries who (I think) could benefit from connecting on FB. People who, regardless of their claim to 'keep in touch the old fashioned way' (and then don't), complain about not knowing what I'm up to, which is pretty funny considering all of the comments I get from acquaintances who claim they always know what I'm up to (thanks to FB). And while I can acknowledge the time sap the internet provides many of us, I see these same people spending countless hours playing games on their cell phones or watching trashy reality TV...I mean, if you had any talent you could Facebook while watching Mob Wives and never miss a beat!

But this post isn't about those friends who refuse to embrace what clearly isn't going away. It's about a local Farm Tour that I went on thanks to a post on, you guessed it,  Facebook (see...this is how people find out about things to do these days, it isn't all about hooking up with old flames!!).

Slow Foods Solano hosted a tour of the local farms in our little city of Vacaville. I was excited that fellow blogger and friend, Lauren, wanted to go so I tagged along with her and her 2 friends, Melissa and Dave. One of my favorites, Soul Food Farm, was the jump off point for the tour.

The hens are always around greeting their customers.

I don't eat eggs often but when I do this is where I buy them. Knowing that the chickens are free to roam around and do the things chickens do means I am getting the best nutrition out of each and every egg without all of the guilt that comes with buying the factory farmed variety. And just for the record, buying "Free Range" may make you feel better but it means nothing to the poor hens who really never get to enjoy their short lives.



Mmmm, lavender!

The next stop was Morningsun Herb Farm, a local nursery that also hosts classes on things like gardening, essential oils, soap casting, candle making, aromatherapy and medicine making (or what my husband likes to refer to as "Hippie Classes"). This is where I buy all of my starter vegetables, especially tomatoes. The farm hosts several events throughout the year where you can sample foods and drinks made with the herbs grown on the premises. It really is amazing how much better iced tea can be when made with lemon verbena or how the subtle flavor of rose geranium can make a second slice of cake almost impossible to turn away.

Future Cabernet vines.

Our next stop was Mercier Grapevines. Any one who is interested in wine should take a tour of this facility. Mercier takes root stock and grafts the varietals onto the stock to create disease resistant grapevines. The process is really fascinating and our host, Sebastian, walked us through every step.

Root Stock

Sebastian showing us how the grafting machine works.

The varietal (light colored) grafted onto the root stock.

The grafted root stock is then placed in a sterile growing medium and placed in a humid room to form a 'callous'.

The greenhouse...wall to wall baby grapevines.

Sebastian and his wife hosted a wine tasting with at least 5 different wines...and they were very generous with their pours.

Now that we had a pretty good buzz going, we headed over to the much anticipated Be Love Farm. Owned by Matthew and Terces Engelhart, Be Love was started to supply as much as 50% of the fresh produce for the couple's California based organic, raw and vegan restaurants Cafe Gratitude.



Veggies growing at Be Love Farm.

Sunflower sprouts

The 21 acre farm includes a large greenhouse for raising wheat grass and sunflower sprouts, 7 acres of nut trees, and several fields of vegetables. My husband might have actually had a cow here because this is an uber-hippie, commune type set up...although I was completely intrigued. The couple lives on the premises which has 2 yurts (one for them and one for guests), an outdoor kitchen (which is the only kitchen), and outdoor pizza/flatbread oven, composting toilets (which smell better than any outhouse I've ever been in...and even better than a few indoor modern bathrooms), a fresh water pool, sauna and bathhouse.



Matt (in black) speaking to our tour group in front of the outdoor kitchen. In the foreground is a fabulous pumpkin seed brittle fresh from the oven.

Matt and Terces' yurt.

Regardless of your level of hippiness, Be Love has a lot to offer for someone looking to decrease their carbon-footprint and/or raise their own food (even the back yard gardener can benefit). Matt and Terces show a real appreciation and connection to the land that feeds them and to slowing down and enjoying each moment. It was a reminder that with all of the luxuries most of us are afforded, sometimes unplugging from the computer, turning off the TV, leaving the comfort of the air conditioning and going outside to feel the sun on your back and the soil between your toes is what really connects us to the Earth and to each other.

After we left Be Love, our quartet decided to head back to Morningsun Herb Farm to enjoy the picnic. A lovely late afternoon chat over hummus and rice crackers under a giant shade tree was the ultimate way to top the day.


The perfect shade tree for a summer picnic.


On a final note, the one thing that really surprised our little group was that we were the only ones from Vacaville (remember this tour was held in Vacaville). While our city seems more like a small town, it is just shy of 100,000 people...and 4 of us showed up. The remaining attendees came from places 40 or more minutes away. Perhaps the citizens of Vacaville already know what is available to them in their own backyard? Perhaps, like much of the U.S. the conveniences of corporate America over-rides the desire to help support, or even get to know the, local farmers (several of my friends at least attend the Farmer's Market in town)? Perhaps they were too busy with Facebook, tending to their own Farmvilles to experience the real thing?
Sometimes I find myself struggling to find that balance between my cyber life and real life so it's nice when these world collide. You can find the beauty of social media when it encourages you to do something new, explore, act. I read an article on Elephant Journal yesterday that pointed out this need to not just 're-post' things (inspirational quotes being all the rage right now) but to embrace the words and what they mean, to go out and live. Trust me, the keyboard will wait patiently for your return.


Morningsun Herb Farm

Be Love Farm



Puttin' the Cotton Pony out to pasture...

This was like my Bible as a young girl.

Sometimes I look back on my pre-teen days...that innocent time when life was so carefree and it never really crossed my mind that boys and girls were really any different until Judy Bloom was introduced to me in the form of "Are You There God, It's Me Margaret" and I started to hope and wish for, of all things, my period...and then I wonder what the hell I was thinking. Honestly, I thought it would be magical...some kind of passage into womanhood in which I would instantly transform from a goofy, bi-focal wearing tomboy into a glamorous, long haired, long legged undiscovered supermodel.



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This isn't me but, being a gymnast back in the day, it might as well be. Not knowing how to handle my periods without pads (which seems to be this girl's problem as well) was the main reason I quit.

Boy was I in for a surprise. At age 12 I got my wish and, being terrified of tampons, I suffered pure and utter embarrassment in Junior High as I had 'accidents' so frequently that part of my 'fashion style' was walking around with my Member's Only jacket tied around my waist. In a short span of time I felt I had gone from diapers to...well, 'woman' diapers, since back in the early 80's maxi pads were just that...MAXI. We didn't have the luxury of space-aged absorbent material and 'wings' that are available today, making even the most absorbent pads as thin as a panty-liner. No, ours were only slightly smaller then Pampers, unless you used 'overnights' which I believe had to be delivered by a semi-truck.

At age 41, I have spent the last 29 years....348 monthly trips to the Cotton Festival...or roughly 2436 days with a wad of cotton (and synthetic materials) shoved in to or on my crotch. I managed to graduate to tampons but never felt confident enough to wear them sans pads most of the time. So, the old budget suffered as much as my bottom, which I admit, was prone to the occasional  'diaper' rash. If you don't know let me tell you, the whole tampon/maxi pad/panty liner business is a HUGE pain in my...er...ass?


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So, when Tina P of For the Love of the Run was looking for blogger volunteers to participate in the Instead Softcup Challenge I applied for a spot just as quickly as my fat fingers would type.

The Instead Softcup is an alternative to tampons with no know risk of TSS (toxic shock syndrome<--that's some bad stuff there). For someone like me...a lazy athlete with a heavy flow, this was the most appealing part of trying the Softcup. It never fails...at a big race (preferably and half or full marathon) I will inevitably start my period just in time for said event (see San Diego Marathon, Tough Mudder Norcal and Rock N Reno Half Marathon...so far).

As I have gotten older, my flow has gotten heavier and I've even experienced a few 'accidents' in the past year. Now, like pre-adolescent me...40+ year old me is hoping and wishing for menopause!! I generally have 2 days where I pretty much feel like I can't go anywhere because I need to have access to a bathroom immediately, just in case.

This past cycle, which made it's surprise appearance on the morning of my last half marathon, was the testing grounds for my new Instead Softcups. Now, these may look a little intimidating because you will think 'wow, these are kinda big...how in earth will the fit inside of me?'...well, do not fear, you just squeeze the ring together and wa-la, they are no bigger then a tampon.

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Getting them into the right position takes some practice (it took me 4 tries, which actually became quite comical, especially since I was so excited to try these that I told my husband all about how they work and he was waiting for the verdict). I confess, I DID wear a pad the first 2 days I used the Softcup because #1 I didn't trust myself to have placed it correctly and #2 as I've stated, my flow can be very heavy and I was afraid that NOTHING could hold it back. Let me tell you, once placed correctly, not only do they keep fluids in the right place (i.e. NOT in your pants) but you can't even feel them! I don't know about you but I've had tampons dry my innards up so much that removing them was more painful then having a tooth drilled on without Novocaine!

Okay, so that leads me to the removal. It's easy. There is nothing to be afraid of...your body won't 'eat' your Softcup, nor will it require a trip to the E.R. to have the jaws of life help remove it. Just bear down a little so you can feel the little rim. Pull gently and there you have it...a little cupful of you own blood. Right, so, that part is a little odd because you might be sitting there on the pot thinking...'ummmkay...now what'?!? Dump it out, wrap it in toilet paper, put it in the wrapper of your next Softcup and then go wash your hands.

Here's my honest opinion on the Instead Softcup based on my experience:

Pros

1- Easier to use then tampons. Once you learn how to insert them it's a piece of cake.
2- Ability to wear for extended periods of time. Instead Softcups can be worn for up to 12 hours at a time (for heavier flow you may need to change them more frequently but I seemed to do fine at 10-12 hours). This is great for someone like me, who often has to change tampons every 2 hours...which is not so convenient when running or hiking for 4 or more hours at a time. Also, there appears to be no danger of wearing them longer should you forget to change it.
3- Cleaner feeling, which probably comes from the blood being 'sealed' in the body and not sitting on a pad exposed to air. Also, there is no string hanging out of your body letting things go up or come down all willy-nilly.

4- Comfortable. In all areas the Softcup wins hands-down. From insertion to removal to walking around or sleeping...running, biking, shopping...it's like you aren't wearing anything. I've had experiences with tampons where they have managed to work their way down (or perhaps expanded) to the point that sitting on a bicycle seat made me feel violated.
5- Economical. You can get the Instead Softcup for about $5 per 14 count box. On the surface that may seem like a lot but remember, you can wear these for 12 hours. So depending on your own body you may only need 8 of them per cycle. Compare that to what I was doing prior-pads and tampons at the same time, especially if you are using the 'healthier' all cotton, unbleached tampons which are even more expensive then the average brand-and I'm practically making money!!


Cons

1- Can be inconvenient if you need to change while you are out. No lie, these can be a bit messy. There are ways to eliminate the mess (like changing prior to leaving your house for an event or stashing latex gloves in your purse and just turning them inside out once you pull the Softcup out) but you ARE going to be inserting your fingers into your hoohah which may then leave them covered in blood. You need to have access to a sink to clean up and you need to be careful when tossing the used cup as a little accidental drip on your friend's white rug under the toilet will be noticeable.
Pro/Con

There is still plastic waste. Trying to live green is a constant battle. It's hard enough sometimes to find tampons with cardboard applicators or to opt for non-applicator ones if you want to avoid the mess but you know that every month you are adding more waste to the landfills. Between the boxes or bags, the outer wrapper, the applicator or peel off panels on pads, and then disposing of all the above, there is a lot of waste. There are some hard core greenies out there that have reusable pads (which are washable) but I am not ready to take that big of a step, after all I live in an RV with no washer or dryer so no,  I won't be hanging my reusable cotton maxi-pads on the awning to dry. On the plus side...you use less of the Softcups then you would tampons and/or pads, therefore you can at least make your footprint smaller.
Note: Instead Softcup does offer a reusable cup which can be used for one entire cycle. That might be an option for those greenies looking for the least wasteful way to tame the flow. The company claims up to a 95% reduction in menstrual waste when using the Instead Softcup reusable cup, and that is pretty awesome.

I am a convert and I encourage all women who still menstruate to give these a try, especially those who are active or feel they need extra protection due to heavy flows. The website (and other reviewers) have mentioned being comfortable while swimming, gymnastics (if only these were around when I was little!!), and even during sex.  I wore mine with no problems for running, core exercises (including about a gazillion crunches), strength training and during my heaviest flow days.

I believe that over time, these will become easier for me to use and any inconveniences can be overcome...after all, even tampons and pads can be inconvenient (ever been at some one's house and had to change your pad only to discover that their French Bulldog LOVES to rummage through the garbage and eat maxi pads like a they haven't been fed in a week while you're trying to look like you have no idea how THAT got into the garbage?...No? Um, me neither).

So when the Cotton Festival comes to your town, check out the Instead Softcup and see how it measures up for yourself. I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised!!



 I received one or more of the products mentioned in this blog for free to review. Regardless, these opinions are 100% mine.

No, I'm not a Whack Job...

At the beginning of the year I spoke of a few intentions that I hoped would set me on a more productive, yet less stressful year. It has always been important to me to move towards a more mindful lifestyle which has included recycling, using my reusable shopping bags and reducing my dependance on material things (i.e. shopping).

I also mentioned that I wanted to simplify and save money. So, over the past month I have been using up half used bottles of shampoos and conditioners, as well as items in my pantry that I bought for some recipe or another but never used.  My hair hasn't fallen out and I've enjoyed some really great breakfasts following this rule.

But now, I've taken things one step further. Since it's always been a struggle to buy quality beauty products that are not only environmentally friendly, not tested on animals, work with my hair/skin type and are still affordable I decided to go back to basics. Yes, I am making some of my own products.

It actually started off when my friend and fellow blogger, Sheri, over at Motivation For Health and Fitness posted her sister-in-law's Esty shop on Facebook. That's where I picked up my Shampoo Bar and a body soap. I then went online and compiled a few recipes for a facial toner and hair rinse. After a week of using these items I am happy to report that my hair and skin look and feel great. I plan on updating my results later this year after I've had some time to really see how these work in the long run.

Shampoo Bar ~ JillsNaturalSoaps

via JillsNaturalSoaps

Homemade Hair Conditioner
1-4 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup water
Mix and apply to hair. Let sit for 1 minute and rinse. Vinegar smell disappears as hair dries.


Facial Cleanser
Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (use sparingly)
Warm wash cloth
that's it...


Homemade Toner
1/2 ounce apple cider
3 ounces mineral water
5 plain (uncoated) aspirin, crushed

Mix all ingredients and use sparingly. Keeps for 1 month in refidgerator.

Reusable Shopping Bags
Most of you know I am a firm believer in reusable shopping bags. This is mainly because I'm lazy and always forget to take those pesky plastic bags back to the grocery store for recycling. After 2 years I've been able to train myself to have my shopping bags ready and available for 99% of my grocery store trips (I also take them to Target, Costco and pretty much anywhere I plan on making a purchase).

As an added benefit I noted this on my receipt after a recent trip to Raleys:

Using my bags is helping our public parks and wilderness programs...Win-Win!

In addition, I've been experimenting with homemade cleaning products via Elephant Journal and The Good Human. I'll let you know how that goes in a future post.

Why "weight-loss" is not part of my resolutions...

For so many years I've made New Years Resolutions which always included weight loss goals or ways to improve my body. This year, I want to shift my focus more on living my life. Don't get me wrong...I'd still love to have a perfect beach body and I'm certainly not throwing in the towel {completely} on my diet and exercise...but I no longer want to be imprisoned by these types of goals. I've been finding myself using such an immense amount of energy (mentally and physically) focusing almost solely on how much I weight or what size pants I wear only to find that at the end of the year not much has changed. 


Yes, I've suffered through some horrible, tasteless meals, spent a small fortune on 'diet' foods, literally starved myself and opted out of some incredible experiences in order to stay true to my diet and in the end, even if I've lost weight and/or gained muscle, I'm still not satisfied with my results. In the face of this reality I must confess that I may never be satisfied with my weight or size so why...why would I continue to use up my valuable resources (my mind, energy, emotional well-being, my health) for the pursuit of a goal I may never attain. I'm at a healthy weight, I know this intellectually, and I enjoy great health...but my mind (body dysmorphia) will not allow me to be "done" with the constant need for improvement. So, this year, my intention is to let go and focus on the larger picture.



My intentions for 2012:


Live simply:


A- Simplify. We will soon be moving out of our house and into the R.V. This will necessitate some major downsizing. It will be hard, those decisions that involve sentimental items and things with 'value' that we will never be able to recoupe the costs by selling. But it will also be liberating.


B- Pay off all debt...there is no choice here...it must be accomplished before December 2012 (retirement D-day).

C- Continue to reduce my carbon-footprint. Last year (2011) I vowed to use my Pur water filter and stainless steel reusable water bottles along with my reusable grocery bags. Although I forgot several times, I was fairly consistant with both promises. This year I plan on using homemade cleaning supplies (which will also be useful and frugal once we are in the RV) and ride my bike more. Currently, it would be possible for me to ride to work (8 miles one way) but it depends on where and when we move if I can continue to do this...otherwise I hope to be able to ride it while running errands.

Empower myself by actively pursuing my dreams:


A- Write. Okay, more precisely, submit some articles and guest posts...even if it scares the crap out of me to do so. {Bucket List Item}


B- Climb Mt. Shasta. I've put it off long enough. If I save $100 a month, by July I will have more than enough to cover expenses, plus that is generally the best time to attempt to summit. I will also be diverting funds I might normally use to enter running races into my climb...so fewer races so that I may reach a bigger and more important goal. {Bucket List Item}


3- Meditate...everyday...even if only for a few minutes. Build up constancy.

Mt. Shasta

Mid-year footprint...

One of my goals for this year (and all future years) is to decrease my carbon footprint.   I started this year by digging out my Gaiam reusable water bottles and eliminating the need for countless plastic one-time-use bottle waters (I drink a LOT of water).  I already own a Pur Pitcher water filter system and our city water actually tests pretty decent.  Also, on top of being environmentally friendly, I am saving money to boot!

High quality, low cost, environmentally friendly!

During a recent grocery shopping escapade, I realized that I had a trunk full of plastic shopping bags.  I had previously been justifying using them because having 2 cats I was recycling these bags whenever I scooped the litter boxes.  BUT, the ends don't always justify the means...and having a huge stash of them in my trunk wasn't doing me, or the planet, any favors.

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I took ALL of my plastic bags to the grocery store and recycled them and then proceeded to use my miss-matched collection of reusable grocery bags at both Target and Safeway.  Even though some of my bags held competitor's names, they not only used my bags but I also got a 5 cent credit per bag!  Score!

One of the things that has bothered me regarding waste has been bagging my produce.  I have often resorted to putting loose produce in my cart, rather then adding to my bag collection, but it's kind of a pain in the a$$, especially when they are rolling all over the conveyor belt or off of the scale much to the cashier's chagrin.  Then I received an email notification from Care 2 Daily Deals...38% off of Reusable Recycled Produce Bags from Bag the Habit.  (Unfortunately, the sale is over but these are still a great deal...or just Google 'reusable produce bags' to find other brands.)

While this may not seem like a major movement, every small step in the right direction counts.  If we all made small moves to reduce our own carbon footprint it would certainly add up to something major.  There really is very little inconvenience in using your own canvas bags while grocery shopping and it will make you feel good to do it!!