Update

It’s been a lOOOng time. I’m reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. One of her first steps is decluttering, which I’m happy to say is done in my life, at least for now. She also makes lists of things that are important to her. While I think that this is useful, there are so many things that I want to do that I find it difficult to include everything, in spite of narrowing this down to a list. It’s sometimes hard to let go of things that have been on “my list” for so long, even when they’re probably no longer relevant. I had to let go of the idea of reading Husserl and Heidegger. Once I did, I was relieved, but it was a struggle to get there.

Life inventory

So, my interest in minimalism has lead me to the idea of the “100 thing challenge.” I’m not especially gung-ho about getting my life down to just 100 things, but thinking about this process does make me realize just how much stuff I have (and most people could tell that I’m minimalist just by looking at my apartment). But, more than just pondering the amount of stuff I have, I thought it might be a worthwhile investment of time to catalogue my things. The Insurance Information Institute has a website called Know Your Stuff that allows you to do just that–even by room, and also estimate the value for reimbursement purposes. It’s kind of fun to check out, but seems like it will take a while for me to actually record everything. Hmm, just another motivator to have less stuff.

Fear.less

I’ve just found a new blog with its own online magazine called Fear.less about different people’s stories of dealing with their fears. Very great idea and content. Looking forward to reading more in the future.

Camera-less.

Unfortunately, my Olympia camera finally bit the dust…not bad since it’s from 2002. I’ve bought a new Samsung model but am still figuring out if I can use it with my current media software. Hopefully, once I work this out, I’ll be able to add photos of things that I’ve been doing, like some gardening. Until then, lots of luck and good vibes. Tish

Fallen off the wagon :(

Hey. I’m off the no-poo wagon, but hopefully not forever. My hair started getting really filmy and always felt like it was dirty. I have long, straight, very fine hair and some mild dandruff. I also found out recently that I’d been exposed to lice and became rather obsessive about the cleanliness of my hair. However, on a less disappointing note, I’ve recently seen the No Impact Man movie and started reading the book. It’s inspiring me to find more ways to reduce my environmental impact. My husband and I have already taken many steps, but after a while it becomes difficult to find a more radical approach. Enter, Colin Beavan. Hoping for more inspiration from this.

Tish

No poo project

So, I’ve been avoiding shampoo for a little while now. First off–WHY? I really don’t want to be a slave to marketed projects. I’m also concerned about water contamination from personal care products, and the amount of plastic involved in making these products. I’ve been using vegetable based soap and baking soda. The soap seems to get rid of the grease, the baking soda gets rid of the residue from the soap. I miss the “luster” of shampoo, (my hair’s not exactly glossy or bouncy right now) but think that this may be from the shampoo making the hair so dry. I also notice my dandruff a little more but think that is just because I’m focused on the cleanliness of my hair right now. I guess, so far, so good.

Baking soda head

I’m taking the plunge and trying baking soda to wash my hair with. I have an old sugar dispenser that I’m planning to use in the shower. I’ll let you know what happens.