Compacting Mommas? - Page 13

[snowbunny]

Tomorrow, we'll be two weeks into compacting officially though it's been a while longer since we've bought anything new. We never were really big shoppers, but we also never hesitated to buy something new if we knew we needed it.

Compacting is really changing my perspective, and if it's changing my perspective this much and I've only been doing it for two weeks, I can't imagine where I'll be in a year!

It's making us be very proactive about our purchases--looking hard at finding what we need (winter clothes etc) used. Buying used is a lot harder than I thought it would be.

[chasmyn]

Originally Posted by kellid

I just got back from the thrift store. When I wrote that it was to the tune of "neener-neener-neeeeee-neeeeeer". I don't know if it's good or not, but I feel a new freedom to shop. I love thrift stores and I need clothes. 4 months post pardom. I've been withholding, because of $ and now that I'm doing the compact, I'm getting things I need and things are very durable, that I need. I got 3 sweaters and a hat for ds and a ceramic strainer. No I didn't need the strainer, we have a plastice one, but it was $5 and I don't want to buy another plastic on when it's kaput.

Anyway, I'm bragging and that's not very nice.

If you hadn't said you were bragging, I just would have read it as you sharing your groovy thrifty finds with us.

Want to post photos of your finds to the Flickr group?

[witch's mom]

I need a Vitamix blender. Any ideas?

[chasmyn]

Originally Posted by witch's mom

I need a Vitamix blender. Any ideas?

Craigslist first, because it's local.

[kellid]

Originally Posted by chasmyn

If you hadn't said you were bragging, I just would have read it as you sharing your groovy thrifty finds with us.

Want to post photos of your finds to the Flickr group?

Why yes I do. I'm trying to figure out how to do that, as we.....type.

Ok, here they are.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/thriftycompactfinds/

[bendmom]

I had an okay day today, but near the end I started having the "I'm on my period, I'm going to lock the children in their rooms if they don't stop being loud and bothering me, or maybe I'll just freak out and cry". You know, one of those days where you realize that you are hormonaly imbalanced and you can see it but there is nothing you can do to stop it. I took out a dollar and started to head out he door for a chocolate bar, but dh kept asking me if the Hershey's was made locally, bla, bla, bla. So here I sit with my cup of Vanilla Hazelnut tea, and unwind the hormone rush. But what I wouldn't give for that chocolate!

[Delight]

I posted my thrift store finds on the Flickr group...check it out (and add your own!)

[beanma]

oh, bendmom, chocolate is totally groceries! shame on dh for guilting you out of it. you deserve that, mama. i do eschew the hershey's, however, in favor of the more expensive habit of fair trade organic dark chocolate from the local coop. it's the gooooooooooood stuff. bananas aren't local either, you know, but i buy them, too.

speaking of eating locally, though have you heard of the hundred mile diet -- http://www.100milediet.org/ ? i'm not there yet, but more power to 'em. chocolate doesn't grow around these parts, though...

[Delight]

Originally Posted by beanma

speaking of eating locally, though have you heard of the hundred mile diet -- http://www.100milediet.org/ ? i'm not there yet, but more power to 'em. chocolate doesn't grow around these parts, though...

I love that site...it's inspiring. But....wow. 100 miles? That's seriously local. No mangos, no avocados? No pineapple? No apples in the winter? I know, I know. Eat seasonally and locally...it's harder than it sounds!

[kellid]

Originally Posted by Delight

I posted my thrift store finds on the Flickr group...check it out (and add your own!)

Thank you so much for helping me with flickr! I got my pics up. I'm C&CBabyFactory (I saw your comments). I looooove the photomobile. And the hangy thingy by your door with the scarfs on it. Where did you find that. We need something simple like that. Of course, used.

Who is EFIW? I feel so far, we might all have the same taste in sweaters. I went to your blog too, sooo inspirational. Makes me want to know myself as well as you know you.

[Delight]

Originally Posted by kellid

Thank you so much for helping me with flickr! I got my pics up. I'm C&CBabyFactory (I saw your comments). I looooove the photomobile. And the hangy thingy by your door with the scarfs on it. Where did you find that. We need something simple like that. Of course, used.

Who is EFIW? I feel so far, we might all have the same taste in sweaters. I went to your blog too, sooo inspirational. Makes me want to know myself as well as you know you.

The key hanger is from Target a loooong time ago. Like 6 years ago. EFIW is a friend of mine from Flickr...she's not on MDC.

[snowbunny]

Originally Posted by beanma

speaking of eating locally, though have you heard of the hundred mile diet -- http://www.100milediet.org/ ? i'm not there yet, but more power to 'em. chocolate doesn't grow around these parts, though...

I'm all for eating locally, but 100 miles is tough! I'd venture to say that most of our produce is grown within 100 miles, but certain things are just very difficult to find in this area: rice, legumes, bananas ... chocolate. I know that a few of our meals each week fall within the 100 miles, but not all of them.

[chasmyn]

Originally Posted by bendmom

I had an okay day today, but near the end I started having the "I'm on my period, I'm going to lock the children in their rooms if they don't stop being loud and bothering me, or maybe I'll just freak out and cry". You know, one of those days where you realize that you are hormonaly imbalanced and you can see it but there is nothing you can do to stop it. I took out a dollar and started to head out he door for a chocolate bar, but dh kept asking me if the Hershey's was made locally, bla, bla, bla. So here I sit with my cup of Vanilla Hazelnut tea, and unwind the hormone rush. But what I wouldn't give for that chocolate!

For you:

http://www.all-oregon.com/food/chocolate.htm

[celestialdreamer]

I just sat down to finish updating my blog and then blogger shut down right as I was trying to save : I had just finished uploading pics too! So I'll say hello here instead

Any ideas on what I can give my DH for his birthday this weekend? Both kids are contagious with the chicken pox so I can't go anywhere and I can't just send someone out to "buy" something for him. I'd like to at least give him a small little gift since he has to work out of town on his birthday and his family cancelled his normal b-day party anyway to avoid my sick kids. I'm planning on making a cake and nice dinner, out of whatever I have on hand since I can't really even go to the grocery store. Am I getting too caught up into the "needing" to buy something for him? I'd make him something but I'm pretty much out of time and we've had 2 weeks of colds and now the CP. He's already hard to buy for and now with doing the Compact, I am pretty stumped on what to do without going anywhere or buying anything new. Assistance needed pretty puh-lease! :

ETA: Blogger seems to be working now. YAY!

[kathirynne]

Help!

Why can't I log onto the yahoo group? (I have a yahoo account...)

Please help me figure this out, so that I can join you on yahoo.

[chasmyn]

Originally Posted by celestialdreamer

I just sat down to finish updating my blog and then blogger shut down right as I was trying to save : I had just finished uploading pics too! So I'll say hello here instead

Any ideas on what I can give my DH for his birthday this weekend? Both kids are contagious with the chicken pox so I can't go anywhere and I can't just send someone out to "buy" something for him. I'd like to at least give him a small little gift since he has to work out of town on his birthday and his family cancelled his normal b-day party anyway to avoid my sick kids. I'm planning on making a cake and nice dinner, out of whatever I have on hand since I can't really even go to the grocery store. Am I getting too caught up into the "needing" to buy something for him? I'd make him something but I'm pretty much out of time and we've had 2 weeks of colds and now the CP. He's already hard to buy for and now with doing the Compact, I am pretty stumped on what to do without going anywhere or buying anything new. Assistance needed pretty puh-lease! :

ETA: Blogger seems to be working now. YAY!

How about a professional massage?

[celestialdreamer]

Originally Posted by snowbunny

I'm all for eating locally, but 100 miles is tough! I'd venture to say that most of our produce is grown within 100 miles, but certain things are just very difficult to find in this area: rice, legumes, bananas ... chocolate. I know that a few of our meals each week fall within the 100 miles, but not all of them.

I had really considered doing the 100 mile diet. We do eat mostly local produce (dd still goes through a bunch of bananas and I buy mangoes, etc occasionally) and our meat is almost all local organic also. But there would be no real source for rice, beans, etc and we couldn't afford to eat without them! So I changed my goal to eating mostly local but all organic. We only buy our meat from a local family meat shop (everything is organic, most local) and our produce (besides the bananas, etc) all come from our CSA share. If I had local options for organic beans, rice, etc I would definitely buy them. Since we are already on a very restricted dairy free, soy free, gluten free diet, I am trying not to be any harder on myself then I already am! In a perfect world I'd probably be a ovo-vegetarian, eating only local foods, including eggs from my own chickens and mostly my own produce. Not ready for that yet!

[celestialdreamer]

Originally Posted by chasmyn

How about a professional massage?

Hmmm, my friend is a massage therapist. He has always slightly freaked out about the idea of being touched by someone besides me I wonder if he would be okay with it since he knows her (she is a friend of mine and was our doula at ds's birth and accidently caught ds when the MW didn't show up in time). I suppose I could ask him if he'd like that, since he has been working alot and very stressed. I also just had the idea of framing a set of black & white photos of him with the kids. I do have a nice frame down in the basement that would work for 3 pics. I'd have to ask my mom to take the photos to be printed as I think I'm out of time to do it online and my photo printer is not working. I'll have to think on this a little more. Or maybe a subscription to Mother Earth News? He has been doing a ton of research into solar power, green building, etc for when we buy property in 3 years. Of course then I wouldn't have anything to give him in person.

Anymore suggestions?

[bendmom]

Well, I have a can of Ghirideli powdered choc. in the cupboard. I think his main point was not buying junk, but using the chocolate I already had.

I have really wanted a new rug in our bedroom. I had bought an 5x7 beige and cream cotton rug from IKEA years back, and it got pretty dirty so I put it outside behind the house till I figured out what to do with it. So now that I can't buy a rug, because I refuse to have someone else's dirty rug in my house too, I found a laundrymat that had industrial sized washers and washed it out. I put it back in the room and it looks great! It had become so dirty and dusty I just figured I would toss it and get a new one. I also went to the Humane Society's second hand store today and found a really beautiful purple and sage green satin euro sham for $2. I didn't buy it because it would mean I would have to buy the euro pillow new since I'm not going to use someone's used pillow. I was kinda sad about letting it go, but it was just a thing that would require the purchase of a new thing.

[Delight]

Originally Posted by bendmom

I found a laundrymat that had industrial sized washers and washed it out. I put it back in the room and it looks great!

Way to go This has been the biggest difference for me. I used to be a "just get a new one" kind of gal. Now I try everything I can to clean and re-use what I have. It is amazing what washing, ironing, dusting, scrubbing, etc. can do for an item...and how you FEEL about that item. A novel concept. A lesson I am so glad to learn early in life!