New beginings

This is my first blog post, ever. I've barely even followed blogs until recently, much less posted one myself. But, as with everything else that has been changing this year, I have realized that I've learned more and discovered more from reading other people's personal/public (If I may say that) journals than from any institutional or corporate website. So, here it goes.

My most recent fetish or more like obsession has been how to minimize our lifestyle. I'm on a constant mission to either sell or throw away all the "stuff" we don't need or use. The great thing for me is that my awesome husband feels the same way so there is no tug-of-war in our house when it comes to purging useless clutter. The exciting thing is that with Craigslist and Amazon I can actually make money while at the same time making order out of chaos. Just today I got rid of three bottles of cleaner I never used, sold two exercise dvds and recieved inquirys about two other items I have listed. Victory! Small I know, but success nonetheless.

My second obsession, which is in many ways linked to the first, is how to cut our grocery bill while at the same increasing our consumption of whole, organic foods and mouth-watering recipes. Tall order, for sure. But, I am determined. I have already cut our bill in half from what it was several years ago, but it still needs to be trimmed again. My latest solution for meals is to make big pots of stews and soups that are full of veggies and beans and hearty broths and that will last for a day or two and then can also be frozen for later consumption. I've found some pretty great recipes and am constantly on the hunt for more.

My final preoccupation, although there are ever so many more, is homeschooling (with a lot of unschooling thrown in) my precocious five year old daughter. At first I was sure that this was going to be a lot harder than I thought, but I'm discovering that its a lot like many other things that require momentum to get going. Now that we've gotten the ball rolling things are much easier. In fact, I still hesitate to say it, but I think she is well on her way to becoming a full-fledged reader. Oh the bliss of ignorance, I'm sure.


So, with all of that in mind, I intend to use this as a way to pass along the little nuggets I discover on my journey. A journey that seems be taking on an ever increasing pace so that one day is over and another has begun before I've even figured out what the agenda was for the day before. When I had my first baby everybody kept telling me "don't blink or you'll miss it." How true that statement is. Life moves fast and there is so much information available that its impossible to digest it all. Sorting through it all is the challenge and hanging on for dear life is the reality. So embrace it all and absorb as much as you can because every minute is precious...Don't blink!