Survival of the Kindest — AlterNet
Lakshmi Pratury on Letter-Writing — TED Ideas Worth Spreading (Video)
Change Over Time — To the Best of Our Knowledge (Audio)
Can We Design Cities for Happiness? — Shareable.net
Brett Dennen on the Healing Power of Music — YES! Magazine
Where We Are Now — Slow Family Living
Archive for the ‘Simple Living’ Category
Hopeful Weekend Links
Posted in New Urban Habitat, Simple Living, tagged Hopeful Weekend Links on March 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Simplify Your Personal Care
Posted in Health, Herbs, Household, Simple Living, tagged Cosmetics, Herbs, Personal care on February 18, 2010 | 8 Comments »
Do you have cleansers, creams, lotions, serums, sprays, perfumes, deodorants, and cosmetics packed in your bathroom drawers and cabinets? If so, you’re not alone. A 2004 Environmental Working Group (EWG) survey found that the average adult uses nine personal care products, containing 126 unique chemical ingredients, each day.
These products are expensive. More alarmingly, according to [...]
Resolving to do nothing
Posted in New Urban Habitat, Simple Living, tagged Meditation, Resolutions on February 4, 2010 | 4 Comments »
I wrote a lot about resolutions in January. What I didn’t mention is that I don’t usually make New Year’s Resolutions.
This year I decided to though.
I’ve read and heard a lot about the benefits of meditation over the years, most recently in this fascinating interview with Jill Bolte Taylor, author of Stroke of Insight. Taylor [...]
Is boredom good for us?
Posted in Simple Living, tagged boredom, Creativity, imagination, leisure time on February 1, 2010 | 7 Comments »
In an essay in the New York Times Book Review, Jennifer Schuessler argues that boredom is an “important source of creativity, well-being and our very sense of self.”
She points to research indicating that when we’re stuck in a boring situation, like lying in an M.R.I machine, certain areas of our brains register greater activity than [...]
Frugal isn’t cheap
Posted in Simple Living, tagged Frugality, Great Recession, Simple Living, The New Frugality on January 19, 2010 | 10 Comments »
My husband and I allocate $10 to $20 of free money to ourselves each week. We call it “walking around money”. But I rarely see anything I need, so most weeks, mine ends up tucked away to be saved for later. I want to spend my money on something I’ll really value.
But I’ve always been [...]
Season Tickets
Posted in Family life, Nature, Simple Living, tagged Nature, Neighborhood, Winter on January 19, 2010 | 8 Comments »
This fall, my neighbor, an avid grower of corn, fertilized his backyard garden and pinned black plastic over it. A couple of days later, a few ducks showed up and stayed for the night. He surmised that from above they may have mistook it for a pond.
The next evening more came. And then more. One [...]
Resolve to Save Money in 2010
Posted in Simple Living, tagged Budgeting, Cooking from scratch, Meal Planning, New Year's, Resolutions, Saving Money on January 4, 2010 | 2 Comments »
I’m dedicating the next two weeks to New Year’s Resolutions.
I’ve heard that most of us forget our resolutions sometime before Martin Luther King Day. But maybe we’re just making it too difficult? Living better often comes down to slowing down and keeping things simple. In that spirit, I’ll tackle a few common resolutions.
My goal is [...]
Making Resolutions
Posted in Simple Living, tagged New Year's, Resolutions, Self Help on December 29, 2009 | 2 Comments »
It’s almost a new year, which means many of us are engaging in a favorite American occupation – self help.
As the promise of a fresh year approaches, we shop for new calendars and resolve to be better – to quit smoking, drink less, get organized, save money, start an exercise routine, eat more vegetables, etc. [...]
Winter Stargazing: 7 reasons to observe the night sky
Posted in Family life, Nature, Simple Living, tagged Astronomy, Constellations, Nature, Stargazing, Winter on December 7, 2009 | 2 Comments »
My husband was a devoted viewer of Jack Horkheimer’s Star Hustler (now Stargazer) when he was growing up back in the Eighties. And my husband still knows his way around the night sky. Whenever we’re out after dark, he points out stars and planets and entertains me with stories about the constellations. I always enjoy [...]
Last days of Fall
Posted in Nature, Simple Living, tagged Autumn, Fall, First day of Winter, Nature, Seasonal celebrations, Seasons, Winter Solstice on December 4, 2009 | 2 Comments »
The first day of winter is December 21. Look for a post next week on ways to celebrate!
Right now, I’m savoring these last fleeting days of fall….
