Too Much Stuff and Homemade Laundry Powder

We went for a long drive together, hubby and I. We had quotes to do and thankfully won some more work for the coming week. We had one thing after another to be thankful for all day. I won't list them here as they are so small to everyone else but all add up to making our lives more secure, peaceful and enjoyable.

I have recently commented on a few other blogs in the past day or two and a topic that came up again was a serious lack of understanding in any way, shape or form to simply purchasing TOO MUCH STUFF. Not from the blogs I read. These just underlined this issue even further and made me think about my own habits and the consumer habits of those I know. (and don't know)

This one story which is not to try and bag this person out but just go to show how confused and out of balance some people are. I have a friend. She is an extremely hard working person. Now for as long as I have known her she has worked for the same company and given them so much of her life. I nearly followed in her footsteps but thankfully saw that the ladder was on the wrong wall and didn't climb all the way to the top. I know I would have fallen of it if I had made it up there. I do admire her ethics and she is one of the fairest bosses you could ever ask for. But...

She simply works all of the time. She now has a partner and a child. I am so happy for her and when we caught up last time it was fantastic. The only thing was that between three couples it took booking a weekend three months in advance to make this catch up possible.

While sitting around and talking she showed us the plans for there extension on there house. The extension is simply to have an ensuite, a walk in closet and a bigger bedroom. One child and a huge house that is within walking distance to every shop you can imagine and also pristine beachs and parklands. WOW. Then she asked me if I thought $7000 was a ood price to have all of her window frames powder coated a new colour. She now wants black to match the new window that will be on the extension (at the back of the house where only they will see it). Now a big patio and deck and living areas I can understand but I was litterally gob smacked. I was just not the right person to ask. Our lives are like chalk and cheese and I have no problem with that usually but this one just got to me. What a waste of money. I asked how many hours she had to work for the company she is sick of working for to have those black frames on her windows? I asked her WHY? Usually I try very hard not to be over the top with people and just lead by example but seriously there comes a time when I find I just have to say what I think. And that was the fact that she shouldn't ask me because I am not going to give her the answer she wants. She talks about wanting to stay at home and then she gets confused because after all of these years as a carrerr womon she is not sure that she could handle it. She hates going to work most days and for all the time in the wrold she has given them they do not respond in kind. She can own her home in a very few years and step back to partime work. She could choose to be retired as such and live of one income within one year I expect. But... there is the extension, the patio, maybe the pool.

The thing is these things never end. I was talking to my daughter the other day. She and her family are just starting of on the family life and she was saying that there is always something she would like and her partner would like but they realise that they simply can't have it all so they settle for a little at a time of what they can have. I have NEVER met such a young responsible family EVER. I agreed with what she said and complimented her and her partner on learning this lesson very early in life.

THE FACT IS - THERE IS ALWAYS A LIST OF THINGS PEOPLE WANT. YOU CAN WRITE THIS LIST AND CROSS THINGS OF ONE AT A TIME. BUT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE END OF THE LIST YOU ARE NOW ADDING OTHER THINGS TO THE LIST.

Like my friend I see so many people that are caught in this spiral and don't know it or ar so confused that they don't know where to stop. But that's the answer. STOP. Just stop and think and stay away from the media, the shops and the lists. It is not hard in the end and the excuse that it is too hard does not cut with me. Thousands of people, probably millions of people are doing this daily. STOP CONSUMING.

I have read a few books on this topic and highly recommend them if you have not already read them. The first is YOUR MONEY OR YOUR LIFE by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. The second one is ENOUGH by John Naish.

I am going to post these books to my friend with the offer to read them. I will ask her not to throw them in the bin. LOL. Maybe just maybe she will have an AH HA MOMENT and the lightbulbs go of and she will be on her way to being freer than she thought was possible. Gotta try.

QUESTION - how many hours of labour in your work do you have to exchange for that thing - that item that you want? Is it worth it? Sometimes it is and you should enjoy it. But most times it does not bring you any lasting pleasure and it is short lived and the next thing on the list is purchased and then discarded over and over again.

I would love to hear your comments.

Okay below is my recipe for Washing Powder for my washing machine. I have a Front Loader but it works in a Top Loader as well. I am sur you can find this recipe on many other websites. I don't even know where I got the final idea from. I tried a few different ways and this is what works for me. As I said last post I would let you know of things I now make myself and how I do it. It is there for the taking or it may put you on the track to search out your own ideas. But the bottom line is you have to do something and start somewhere. The less products I buy from the grocery store the better. The less dependant I am on them and the better of the environment is. I get excited when my garbage bin has very little rubbish in it.

WASHING POWDER

I use all natural cleaning products in my home – I buy no chemical packaged shop bought cleaners in my home – I have discovered the best ever washing powder you can make at home for your laundry. Now I use a front loader machine and you do not need any more than a heaped tablespoon of this mix to do your washing. (it is tempting to use more but you just simply do not have to) I do not use fabric softener as the washing soda acts as a fabric conditioner . My husband gets itchy from the shop bought stuff and I sneeze like crazy because of the scents that are added to them. This is scent free, it works and it is bloody cheap and easy to make. My whites are white and my colours are bright. LOL. Oh and you can wash your woolens in this as well. Try this recipe. I make up the below recipe in lots of 10 and then store in a big sealed bucket in my laundry. Takes a half hour to make with a food processor grating the soap and lasts for months and months.


Finely Grate 1 cake of pure sunlight soap – laundry section of the supermarket (or you can use a cup of Lux flakes)

Add 1 cup washing soda – powder form not cyrstal – from laundry section

Add 1 500gr packet of Bi-Carb soda – homebrand packet – cheapest one you can find

Add 1 cup borax (now I get this from my local feed store in bulk lots – it is cheaper that getting a small container from Bunnings.

Now mix it all together and use a tablespoon each load of washing.

let me know if you like it.

Below is link to a wonderful thought provoking post. It is uplifting amongst all the doom and gloom (justified or not) and shows how we can all be part of a huge revolution and start to take our lives back. Live our lives for ourselves. Please take the time to read it. And you might also like to read BLESSED UNREST by Paul Hawken.

Revolution in the air


Cheers,
Wendy

I Hate Consumerism With A Passion and other things to chat about...

The photos posted here are from an email being sent around. Next time the kids complain about the bus to school get them to take a look at this.

Hi to all

I have been doing a little reassemssment as to my life with regard to my one word for the year - WORTHWHILE. Half way through the year and time for assessment - yes so far this year has been productive and WORTHWHILE. I am getting there. I feel that I am on the track to being very happy with the end result at the end of this year 2010

I feel like it is - it is working - I am moving forward - I am getting somehwere - I will be someplace new at the end of this year - not stuck in the same rut. Half way through the year I would have to say that we are moving ahead slowly but surely in our goals  - I am far more contented than the beginning of the year - I am learning fast about myself this year - about how to speak my truth in such a way as others understand what I am saying - I am watching my children grow and their lives are taking on their own directionand grdually becoming independant individuals. I won't be here for ever hey - they gotta stand on their two feet and live the life they want to live.

I have thought often recently of my overwhelming desire to just stay home. Just be in my home and no where else. I don't even have the travel bug at the moment. I think and talk about doing other things outside the home but I haven't - I have been pondering my procrsatination.

Maybe I am jealously guarding my freedom and quiet life that I am holding back on adding anything else to my days in fear of losing what is so precious. Yes I think this is true. I have realised that my life currently is what I had been aching and dreaming of for sooooo long. It is not complete and there are always things to accomplish but the point is - they are - each day is so enjoyable - not perfect - but enjoyable.

Why do I blog?????Why Do You It ?

I recently read this on another blog (sorry I can't remember for the life of me where) and this question along with some time thinking about what I want to write on this blog have bought me to some conclusions.

It is such a Good Question.

So I have tried to write an answer to myself with regard to this question. Firstly it is great to practice communication skills. I am learning how to say what I want to say and make it clear and understandable to others.

Blogging helps me to clarify my thoughts as wiritng has always done for me. I am just writing now on a public space instead of my journals.

I love the feedback.

It helps me not feel alone.

It helps me feel understood.

Next time you complain about a flat tyre or having to shove that extra thing into the car to take somewhere for someone else - take another look at this photo

So on that note I am going to be writing about what matters to me. What I feel is of the utmost importance in this world. I will share other posts and blogs with you that move me and describe what I am feeling and what I am believing.

I hate consumerism with a passion. Yes I have to be vigilent everyday not to get sucked into things without even realising what I have been conned into. To do this I have no television. I watch DVD's choosen by me to match the mood I am in at the time. I read the news on the net to stay updated and of course I read blogs and I read copious amounts of books. I don't buy magazines in general. I do buy Grass Roots every month and I love puzzles (not the articles) so I buy That's Life and do the puzzles as a way to keep my mind centred on something else and not on all the things on my to do list.

I buy second hand goods and cloths. Most times I just wait if I think I want or need something and the want goes away and I am left with the true needs. I try within my budget to buy well made and ethical products. And something I am doing more and more is make my own goods and products. I have listed at the side of this blog all the things as I think of them that I want to make myself. Somethings will still have a manufacturer of some sort in there as some items I need to make my own still have to be purchased but the way I see it I can reduce the amount of itms manufactured - I can reduce the amount of packaging in my home and I can know for sure what is in something I have made.

I read a post recently and have put the link below. It really got me thinking and reminded me of something I say often to myself and others. "The more you have (own/collect) the more you have to worry about." Over these past 8 years I have reduced what I own and what I want to such a small amount compared to where I was before. I am proud of the fact that I am open to discussion and that I like to learn new things and how to do them. This article I am putting the link to is a very extreme case and obviously not for eveyone but it is another point of view. What I do like though is her answer to why she lives the way she lives. and that is,
"We live this way for a very simple reason: It’s easier to learn to do without some of the things that money can buy than to earn the money to buy them."  Dolly Freed - Possum Living

Well this puts another spin on going for a bike ride !!!

So on that note I will say goodnight and talk again tomorrow,

Cheers,

Wendy