#108 days : week 10 completed!

Week 10 is over...  and I am late writing this post...  it was "due" on Friday I know but when I got home from work Friday I was too tired... and then Saturday was thrown upside down by different events and then we lost in internet connection in the evening!  Plus Saturday night is movie night....  not negotiable! Today I worked....   and here I am now....  thinking about the past week...

What I did notice is the I have been much much lest present on the social media... and you know what?  Life still goes on! And actually even better because I get more time for MY life... which is also why this post is late... because I made myself a priority... not writing this... even though I really love writing this blog, sometimes it can be time consumming... and when I am too tired or too busy it can become too much (depending on how I look at it)... and it is not as much fun! 

Although I still will write every Tuesday and Friday, I will not beat myself up if I am late for whatever reason.... I know you guys will understand!

My Facebook page and Twitter account are now officially closed! I only have to take care of my personnal FB page (which you are welcome to follow), Pinterest and Google+.  This does free up so much time...

Also, iPhone is not used anymore.., not even as an iPod as a quick connection to all the social media anytime of the day (which I kept on doing even though it was not a phone anymore)...  I have to actually sit and open the computer... I can only do this twice a day... on good days!

As a result of less presence on the internet, I have more time to read actual book which I really do enjoy! I also can see that my creativity is up the roof!  I get really creative idea for drawing, crafts at home (to decorate with what I already own), dress up (recombining my clothes to create new outfits)... and also in the kitchen... I came up with a few recipes of my own and they are excellent!  I never did that before.

The other added benefit to being less present on the internet is that I have time to do my yoga Monday to Friday for at least 20 minutes!  This is important to me... and it does wonder for my health and sanity... but if I got caught up on my iPhone in the morning, I would sometimes no longer have time to do it... and it made me feel bad!

I also realise this week after reading one of my favorite blogger ( Tasmanian Minimalist), that I have just recently realise the minimalism is NOT a punishment...  it is not deprivation... I am not obliged to do it... I do it because I want to...  because I really deeply believe that this can make a difference in my stress... and financial life!  And it does.... I can now do work I love... and I am much less stress because I know I do not need as much money as I used too... and I owe less money...  and I actually have savings... never did this happen to me before!

It is also really cool to be able to clean up your whole home in about 45 minutes! Including bathroom! Can you imagine all the free time this gives me???  To do stuff I love???

These were all what came clear to me this week...  It was a week of self realisation.... and I often found myself smiling for no reason...  and with no one around...  with this internal feeling of being happy and at the right place...  this is AWESOME!

And it came with an overall sense of peace... and I love it!

Now on my plate for the upcoming week, is back to school for my son... in a new school, new system and new province! Also finding him a few extra curricular activities.....  and registering myself to a yoga school to actually practice with other and get to know people! Also this will bring about reworking the schedule for the whole family.... as I will also be working more hours... did I say I love my job?!? Also working on my pickling!!!  Got a few more recipes to try...

what about  you?  what did you realise about yourself recently?  do you need to make any changes to your own life? how will you do it?

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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Minimalism - in your diet

Here is week 2 of my series of post on Minimalism and it's aspect in different sphere of your life...

I know many of you struggle with what to eat...  menu planning... time spent in the kitchen...  or at the grocery store... It is not easy to feed a family the healthy way on a budget without spending all your time in the kitchen...

This is why I wrote the book above which is available on Amazon for 0.99$ here. It gives you the basis of good nutrition and healthy eating as well as easy recipes which can often times be done in one pot in less then 30 minutes prep time... Of course those recipes are vegan... because I am and I firmly believe that this is the healthiest way to eat AND the cheapest and simplest!

Well, let's go on to Minimalism in your diet.  First off, I would like to say that I am using the word "diet" as it should be used - i.e. a way of feeding yourself, not as a restrictive way to eat and deprive yourself to loose weight.

A plant based diet is simple and cheap since the basis of it are whole graines and legumes - the 2 least expensive items in any grocery store.  You add in herbs and spices... nuts and seeds as well as fresh fruits and veggies and you got yourself an easy way to cook a healthy complete meal in no time.  Having to stuck up on only those types of items does save you money...  you can avoid the expensive meat and dairy section.... and almost eveything that is pre-package and loaded with chemical and ingredients you can't even pronounce... unless you are a scientist! And those packaged items can be expensive!  

A plant based diet is also an investment...  for your old age... it may seem more expensive at first but you'll soon realise that once you gotten use to it, you can eat much less in quantity because of the quality.  Also you save, short term, on off the counter medications like pain killer and cold medicine.... as well as prescription drugs like antibiotics as you will be never (or almost never) be sick and need such medication (in seven years I haven't taken any medicine...and before becoming vegetarian I was on the verge having to take cholesterol drugs at the young age of 34 and not even being overweight!).  In the long run, you decrease you risk of having to take blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes medicine... which can be quite expensive!!! Think about that money wise... 
Look at how much you spend at the groceries...  and pharmacy! Look at what proportion is spent on meat... cheese... eggs and milk....
After having asked around and relooking at my weekly budget over the last few months, I can tell you that my weekly food budget averages around 140$ per week.  I previously had a budget of 200$ but that was boosted because I included Starbucks...  oups...  yes I did spent that much on it! Before I started working there!

It breaks off like so, more or less...
70$ every 3-4 weeks on nuts and seeds from the Bulk Barn
30$ every 3-4 weeks on legumes and whole grains from the Bulk Barn
10$ per week on beverages - like Orangina and San Pellegrino flavoured water as well as "milk"
70$ per week on fruits and veggies
there there are breads, breakfast items...  fake meat on some rare occasions... flour, sugar and the like to bake....  and treats occasionnally.... because yes I still like to eat... and still like to treat myself on some occasions... 

Now that we got money covered... let's look at time saving...
Here are my trick to save time in the kitchen.

Menu planning.  This will save you time... as you can plan your meal ahead of time and prepare some of them on days where you have more time.  I use to keep 3 hours on Sunday to cook and bake... and that would cover 3-4 days! Well organise, you can make two meals, and bake muffins and banana bread in no time! It will also save you money as you can prepare your meal around a theme and not waste food... wasted food is money down the drain!  It will also help you plan ahead groceries and minimise the time spent there wondering what to eat!  You plan your meal, make your list and head to groceries!

For example, where I live, we get paid on Fridays...  so I make my menu and grocery list on Thursday and go grocery shopping Friday night after work and Sunday morning! Also, on Tuesday, they have what they call "better food tuesday" where if you spend 10$ on fresh produce, you get 10$ off you next 20$ or more grocery bill during the following week end! Therefore I reserve a 25$ for fresh produce to be spent on Tuesday...  I pay in 2 bills and it gives me two 10$ discounts on my week end bills - which I split between Friday and Sunday.  This allows me to always have fresh produce and save 20$ on my bills!

To save time, you can also cook in batches...  that does wonder! You cook a full pot of one of my recipes in Minimalist Veganism and you can feed a family of 3-4 at least 2 meals!  You can even freeze half of it and keep it for a more busy day!   You can also do the same for muffins and cookies! Bake them in batches and freeze...  always handy to have!

Another thing I would encourage is eating the same few recipes that you master really well very frequently... it may seem boring but is saves so many headaches... trying to figure out what to do!  For example, I have 4-5 recipes that I rotate monthly...  each of those are cooked once per month and they are 2 meals equivalent... so one portion is eaten on the week it is cook and the other is kept for another week.  This way, I know that by cooking one meal per week, I have two meals per week always covered - one is fresh and one is from the freezer from the previous week! 

Also, I often go back to one of my easily changing recipes.... depending on what I have on hand...  whole grain, legumes and fresh veggies with herbs and spices. For example, brown rice with black beans, bell pepper, corn and tomatoes makes up for a great mexican rice with the proper spices! Serve with nachos and guacamole and you got yourself a meal in no time!

In order to do that, I make sure I always have a variety of grains and legumes cooked and frozen...  very handy and more nutritious but less expensive then canned legumes! Therefore on my Sundays, I include a pot of legume to be cooked! Depending on what I am running low on!

One thing we tend to forget is that it takes very little and very simple food for our body to be nourished!  A pot of veggie soup with whole bread and hummus bring you a long way!  Hummus is simple and cheap to make... and so is veggie soup!  You can even freeze that too!

Once you get use to eat simple, healthy and nutritious meal, you can even get away with a bunch of raw veggies and fruits, some nuts and bread...  it makes a really nice table to have all that food and color on it and you can eat for a long time while sipping tea and discussing the world!

Being minimalist in the kitchen sure is easy... but you have to trust me... and yourself that you can do this!  We are so used to making huge meals, having full plates and feeling stuff at the end of a meal that otherwise we feel cheated!  But we shouldn't!  Eating is not about feeling stuffed.... it's about giving your body the nutrients it needs... and yes it can be fun too!  And savoury!  Just give it a try!

Before I leave you, don't forget that by the end of this week, my facebook page MinimalistVeganNath will be closed.... and so will be my twitter account. If you wish to follow me, you can do so by suscribing to email, using Google+ or my personnal facebook profile or pinterest accounts - link are provided below.

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days: week 9 is over.... day 63!!!!

There goes another week...  63 days of my 108 are over...  and despite the fact that I have let go of a lot of the rules, I am still discovering a lot about me... surprisingly enough perhaps more then with the rules!  It's amazing what comes out when you give yourself the gift of liberty!

What I did discover is that:

1) I feel much better when I eat very little at a time....  lots of fruits and nuts...  nuts can bring me a long way!  I am better off with soups and stews then mostly anything else. 

2) Despite the fact that I still crave "candies", every time I allow myself to have some, I feel really bad after.  Why crave something that makes you feel bad???  Will I ever understand? Is sugar really so addictive??

3) I am better off with a regular 15-20 minutes yoga practice then an hour long 3-4 times a week.... 

4) I love to bike to places more then to walk. I am planning to use my bike as much as I can and as long as there are not enough snow to prevent me from using it

5) The week end walks I had mention might not be so rigid!  I bike to work and most places... when I can't, I walk...  I stand up at work 8h a day... I think I may rest on the week ends...  and not "force" a walk each morning...

6) I am more solitary then I first thought I was...  I love my peace and quiet... I love being in Moncton and far away from my hometown...  This may sound selfish but it is not.... I do miss some people but I can keep busy and give myself time to do things I love without expectations from anyone...  and for now, at almost 42, it is what I needed. I needed to be "alone" and finish figuring things out...  and this is exactly what I am doing now.

7) I am surprised by human nature...  I started loosing faith in it but it is coming back... working in the public makes me see that most people are actually really nice...  many are just shy...  very little are taking out there bad days on the first person they can and very very very little are just mean and frustrated! Perhaps people here are much less stress and it helps...  Perhaps I am much less stress and it helps in the sense that people react better to me...  who knows?  There are no way to find out for sure...  but I like it here, people are nice to me... and my "accent" make French and English people smile...  they both think I talk in a bizarre way! 

8) I am really, really happy when I am home...  finally!  No longer running away from something...  of after something!  Not sure which one I was doing... perhaps, a little of both!

And now as for this week more specifically:

1) I spent more time with my son and we went, amongst other things, to visit his new school which seems awesome!  He is really exited about it!

2) I have officially started my work at Starbucks as a real barista no longer on training.

3) I have found more recipes for pickling I want to try.  Some from a book and some from my mom.

4) I started working on one more craft projects that is not done yet...

5) Watch a few Dr Who with my son... we are almost done and now looking for another show we would both love... any suggestions?

6) Starting to let go of more social medias and blogs....  I kept only 4 blogs I really really love... here they are:

http://busywomanstripycat.blogspot.ca/
http://tasmanianminimalist.blogspot.ca/
http://theproject333.com/about/
http://www.becomingminimalist.com/
for now, these are the only one I can afford to follow time wise....  however, I still kept all the FB pages so I will know if something interesting comes up on one of the 12 or so blogs I was following...

Also, on that note, I will be phasing out my own Facebook page and possibly my Twitter account...  in the very near future...  If you wish to keep on following me, you can always do so by suscribing to emails, sending me a friend request on my personnal FB, following me on Google+ (directly from this blog) or Pinterest. Links to FB page and Pinterest profile are down below in signature.

I am actually loving less time on social media and more time with my husband, son and myself.  I even leave my phone home when we all go somewhere together!  Never would I have done that before!

Well, this is it...  enough for tonight... I had a rough week and now I need to relax and perhaps take a hot bath! :-)

7) Got a new ebook project in the furnace... on minimalism...   that is all I can say for now.


thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!

love&peace,
nath
xox
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Minimalism - in your home

Over the next few weeks, I would like to go over all the aspect of minimalism in all spheres of your lives...  Some of you might be following me for a long time now but it it still always good to get "reminders" when you're on the path less travel...  I know there are a few blogs that I have been following for years and that actually remind me of some less well understood or forgotten notions every now and then... minimalism is a lifestyle... not a destination.

This week I wish to adress minimalism in your home...  because in a way, this is where it all started for me and many more minimalist that I know.  At one point, I was forced into moving from a house with 3 bedrooms, living room, kitchen and dining area and a complete basement with television, gym, play area.... and every little corner packed with something all over the house... It was roughly a 2000sqft home...  and had to downsize to 900 sq ft apartement! Did I get to keep everything?  Absolutely not!  Did I keep too much stuff at first?  Of course! I eleminated stuff I had no choice...  but I had a really hard time knowing what I liked or not in our house... I couldn't get rid of anything that was attached to a souvenir with the kids or my husband...  It was very painfull! For no reason really... I want to make this process less painful for you!

After beeing install in our apartement for roughly 3 months, I got unemeployed and started suffocating in my home...  I had no room to move around...  Right at this time I started yoga and also reading on mimimalism as for me, those were going hand-in-hand.  I also looked at Feng Shui principles...  Now you may or may not believe all those energy related stuff...  the prana and the chi and the karma... but I do.  And as soon as I started using some of those principles in my life, stuff was easier to let go of and I felt I could breathe more easily!  Well that was easy you might think... let's get 3 books:  one on yoga, one on Feng Shui and one on minimalism and I'll be all set!

Not so fast... what really happened is that for a while, for years actually, it was like a waltz...  stuff leaving and stuff coming back in...  so yes it was less crowded then initially but still always too much in my opinion...  It took a while for me to turn my house into my home.  And THAT is really what minimalism is all about. 

I had a nice decorated house... it looked like an Ikea catalogue... I love Ikea because it is from Europe and made for small living...  however, the purpose is not to get the whole catalogue into one single house!

It took me years to get a HOME because  I had no idea what a HOME was for ME.   A home is a place of refuge.... a place you feel well in... a place you can't wait to go too... and this has nothing to do with the size or look of the walls and roof... or if there is a basement or not... or how many bedroom can be found in it.  It has nothing to do with having a magasine like decor... but rather it should reflect YOURSELF!

I had a well decorated house but it was empty of what mattered most... laughter, love, peace and compassion.  It was loaded with stress and "don't do that" and "don't touch this"... It was loaded with intentions to keep the thing "picture perfect" in case someone would stop by... It was the last place I would go to... And I'd only go there to sleep, if everything else was close and no one around...  Isn't that sad? I avoided my own house because it did not feel like home.

Lucky for me, this is not the case right now.  I have a HOME!  A place I look forward to be in when I am outside... A place I love so much that I will sometime avoid going out or make it a short trip to be sure I get back to my refuge as soon as possible...

How did that happen?  With time... and most certainly trial and errors...  I have let go of so many things to only get them back and donate again...  but it was part of the process... it was part of my process.

Maybe I can help you save some time and money with what I have learn...

First, in order to clean your house to make it a home, you have to know what you really like in your house and why... here are the rules I use to figure this out from now on... because no it is not over... it is never over because we change all the time and so do our needs, likes and dislikes.

1) How often do you use it?
     Regularly? It's a keep.
     On occasion?  Could something else you use more often fill in for that object...
     When I have visitors to impress?  Out it goes - you really should not have to impress anyone
     
2) Is it still in good working condition?
    yes - it stays
    no - will I fix it tomorrow?
            yes - it stays
            no - it goes

3) Do I have double, triple, quadruple of it?
    yes - extras may go - this of course does not apply to dishes, glasses, silverware...

4) Am I using it out of guilt?  because it was a gift... or expensive?
    yes - out it goes

And if that doesn't work... you can go with this, I use it all the time... If your house was to catch fire tomorrow, what would you save if you were able too?  And what would you buy again if you could not save it?   But think about this seriously....  you are given a white board to recreate the HOME you long for...  what would you put in it if you did not have to justify getting rid of anything to anyone??? After all fire did it... not your fault!

Let me ask you a few questions that you can use:

Do you really need that many couches/sofas/love seat?  How many people do you need to sit on a regular basis? Of course if you have regular visitors weekly or a few times in a month, that does count....  But if you're in a home with 2 other people and very rarely if ever entertain, do you need to be able to sit 8 people at all time?  Similar idea with dinning table, dishes, glasses, silverware... 

How many books have your read in your library and will defenitely read again or go back to on a regular basis?  How many CDs? DVDs? Do you really listen to all the music and movies?  Will you ever again or keep it to increase your "count" and plug that number in a discussion?

All those objects that are lying around in your house...  from such and such a place...  a souvenir... a gift... do you really enjoy them all?  at all time?  are they more of a pain when it's time to clean the house then the joy you get from them?  what if this was to go?  would you really miss it? would you forget the person who gave it to you?  the trip where you got it?

These are questions you can ask yourself when you go thru your house...  and slowly but surely, you will screen stuff out... you will keep what is really dear to your hearth and let go of what is not...

Minimalism is not about a number of items you are allowed to keep... so that I cannot tell you that... it's rather about making choices...  make your house a home by having in it what really truly resonnate with you... when someone comes to visit, they should feel like they are at your place, not in a catalogue or part of a movie...

Minimalism is not about a specific style... you can be modern, or hippie, or boho... or whatever works for you...  I like my home to reflect my hippie side... my yoga...  it is fill with insence and candles... white tiny christmas light all year round, some plants... cushions... old furnitures...  The newest piece of furniture is my bed (it is 5 years old and metal frame so it will last forever) and the other newest is my rocking chair (14 years old,  got it when my son was born).  Everything else is at least 35 years old... but that is what I like...  Every piece of furniture is used daily... Nothing matches but everything does in a way... 

This is how you do it....  you look at everything on a regular basis and ask yourself it that thing still has a room in your house.... and once everything that is there does have a room and a use and makes you happy, THAT is when you'll know you now have a HOME!


thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days: week 8 check!

Hey guys!

how are you???  I am doing GREAT!!!

Let's start with the bad news...
1) First plant I bought die....  watered it too much!

2) I still have issues with money - in the sense that I am always scare to not have enough.  This is a major stress factor for me that dates WAY WAY back... and I have my ups and down...  made big progress on the subject but I have my bad days...  Technically our budget works out fine! But I am always worrying never the less... Will work on that until the end of my 108 days.

3) Fell off my bike yesterday and hurt myself...  not too bad... but just enough to be sore...  for a few days I guess!

Good news:

1) My son is back!!!!  I am soooooo happy about that...  and really proud of the young man he is becoming! I know, I say that often...

2) I have figured out a short 15-20 minutes yoga practice that I can do on busy days and helps with my legs, stress and heath in general. I can easily include it in my morning routine if I know that is all I will get to do.

3) I love my job!  It is really nice to make people smile by providing them with their caffeine fix!

4) I have figured out that doing work I love is worth the decrease in salary, stress and happiness wise.

5) I started pickling:  did some beets and cauliflower! It is so simple and saves money in the long run. Also it insures that veggies are always available in my home.  OK, some might say that they are not the best veggies nutrition wise but they are still better than none for some days...

6) Second plant is still alive and doing well.  I will NOT water this one too much!!!

7) My diet is well under control.  Did a little process stuff ( cookies and chips)...  but not too much and actually much much less then I use too so I am on a good roll for that.  I am sticking with the fruits only after 7pm and that does wonder on my sleep.

8) I am trying to be more social. I get to see a lot of people now and people here like to have a chat.  Coming from Montreal, I am not use to that... but I am starting to enjoy it...  it feels good to actually acknowledge people around you - those passing by, sitting by you at a restaurant, working at the grocery store....  etc... they are people... with lives and stuff just like you!  And sometimes they need to share...

9) Tried to veganize a new cake recipe and it turned out amazing!  Maybe I'll share the recipe sometimes next week...

10) Actually decrease my commute budget and increased my level of physical activities by riding my bike everywhere (or mostly) rain or shine...  In Moncton, nothing is never really far... I only need to get some rain pants... for those crazy heavy rain pours we get. Good investment.

11) We celebrated our wedding anniversary the savvy way.  Before we would have bought each other something- that would have eventually, in the near future, end up in the donation bin...  and then spend more money on restaurant...  and maybe a movie... after all it's a big one:  10 years!  And when we got married we had actually said we'd go down south to renew our vows for our 10 wedding anniversary!  Talk about expensive!  Instead, it cost us 23$ to have an orange rose to dress our table, a meal we like, kombucha, desert (homemade spice cakes) and some chips - my husband favorite! And meal, cake and chips have left over for another night!

This was this week...  I really enjoyed myself... Still discovering a few things about me... which was the whole idea about this #108 days project.

For example, when someone says something, I REALLY do think about it... and depending who said it, I can really hurt me...  but I know it shouldn't...  and that my life is my life... and I shouldn't live it according to anyone's expectations...  be it my parents, my teachers, my friends, my family, a random person...  If I end up with a crapy life because I did not live to my expectations but to theirs, it's entirely my fault... they only really wanted to help by guiding me towards the life THEY wish they had... doesn't have to be mine.

Therefore, this  "ambition" thing from last Friday's post really did hurt me... and worked on me a lot... and almost make me feel like wanting to quit a job a like to be more ambitious...  but then I realise that I do have some ambitions... not like what might be expected of me but ambitions that do make me happy... I have to stick to that.  This is what this week has been mostly about.  Being at peace with the "new" me and my own "ambition"...  and I think I got this resolve...  We'll see in a few weeks if this seems to be an issue still. If it is, for sure you'll hear about it.

This is it for now....
Time for me to go make supper...

Please do not hesitate to send me your comments!  I always appreciate it!

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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Last update on no television service!

Last April I shut down my television service and took a Netflix membership...  On June 10th I backtracked to see how I was feeling about this decision...  you can read about it here...  But basically I had decided I would stay like that...   It's now been 4 months and I am defenitely not going back!

I haven't even open Netflix in over 35 days!  And I seriously do not miss any of it... 
I do not miss all the drama, all the commercials, all the suffering and the feeling that I am missing on something...or might need something new to do something I should be doing... the feeling that I am not enough because some actor/reality person SEEMS like they are so much better then me!

I do like to watch a show now and then... and movies when wheather sucks! But I no longer need to do it!  This is where lies the difference...  I am no longer addicted to watching TV!
I am all into Dr.Who and Being Erica right now. And documentaries.  If time/weather permits.  If I feel like it.  Which most time I do not!

Back in June, I told you I wished the television was not even in our house...  which is still the case but still not realistic right now because my teenage boy likes it and needs it to play video games which are important to him and I respect that.  However, like I mentionned, I do believe that as a parent, limits must be established and I do that.  However, I found that with the habits of setting limits and proposing alternate things to do, my son, on his own does watch less and less and plays less videogames as he finds other ways to spend his time. Is it possible that we are so numbed by televison that we can't think of something else to do?

Good news is television is no longer in the living room but in my son's room.  I know... I hesitated a long time for this one.. but we do live in a small space and if television is in our living room, my husband and I have no options when my son has friends over... to play videogames or watch a movie.  I organised it in such a way that sleeping and "playing" areas are divided... and there is no way he can watch TV or play games from his bed! His room is quite big and it allows for that. We gave him the master bed room in oder to do this and this way we have a small room but all the living room too: for tea, yoga, board games,drawing, listening to music, writing, reading...

I still firmly believe that many people spend their life living someone's else life through television.... series, reality TV, movies and what not... and THAT did not change!  I also know people who have more interactions with fake twitter actor/reality TV account then real life people... and that saddens me a LOT!  But I have learn that this is their choice... saddly...  not much one can do about that!

I still do believe that most people spend way to much time staring at that image box in their living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom... and that there are too many "boxes" in today's home!  Did you know that most homes in America actually have more television screens then the number of people living in it? That includes computer and other devices used to watch movies or Netflix... 

Conclusion of those 4 months:

1) I do not miss my usual shows - actually better off
2) I am more relax not watching police stuff - sleep better and regaining faith in Human beings
3) I do not miss it at all anymore and do not even think about it - unlike 2 months ago
4) firmly belive that it kept me from living my own life
5) I watch almost nothing anymore....  nothing for 35 and some days...
6) I found many more gratifying things to do then watch TV
7) I do believe that television watching prevents you from living the life you deserve

What do you guys think about television in general?  and your relationship to it?
What else would you like to do and feel like you do not have enough time to do it?

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108days: week 7 down! Already???

Wow time flies...  at least now it does... 

I will be honest with you... after 3-4 weeks, I wanted to give up....  Cuz I had define too many rules and it was all getting too complicated!  Remember when I first announced this project is was 108 days to a new life! Because I was moving far and wanted to create a new life for myself!!!

Not a life of pain... not a life of restriction...

But a life of freedom and happiness...

The rules were in the way of that...

I had to find what happiness and freedom meant to me...  and I did!

I am a very independent person...
Who loves to share and talk...  I know seems like opposite... but it is not...

I like to do my things my way.... and talk about stuff I am passionate about... 

I like to be free...
I like to be happy....

and this to me is what was important...

I have refined the way I live and the way I dress a lot over the years....
I have refined the way I make and spend money...

I am now able to do work I love and this is bringing me happiness...

Why?  Because I am a minimalist....

Now for those of you who do not know yet, I work at Starbucks... as a Barista!  Entry level job.  And I just LOVE it!!!!  I feel like every time I have an interaction with a customer it is to bring them happiness... a smile on their face... their caffeine fix for the day... 

I feel useful... and in the right place!  Finally!

Some people told me that I should be more ambitious with my background... to that I would say that I am ambitious...  maybe not in the "general" sense this word is use... but I do have my OWN ambitions:

1) Be healthy
2) Be happy
3) Be free
4) Bring happiness around me
5) Show my son that life can be what ever you want it to be - there are no rules
6) Be a leader/example in showing people that you can ALWAYS re-invent yourself
7) Give people hope

Maybe my ambitions are not in terms of salary making... or job title..  maybe my ambitions are not in terms of the size of my home... or number of vehicle I own....  nor are they in number of countries travelled to...or the size of my closet...  but they are there!

And my new life is actually allowing me to live them.

How did I manage to get to that point?

Well first of all, it did not happen overnight!  Over the last 7 years, I have lowered my cost of living by 60%...  yes!  THAT much!!!!
I did it slowly...  smaller home....  less and then no car....  bus pass for the whole family then only one for my husband who works further away... no smart phone...  only one cell phone... changed the way we eat...  eat in more and out less... spend less on useless stuff...  buy less clothes... no cable TV...
Decrease debt payment which will soon be 0$...

All this with the ultimate goal to be able to work at something we love instead of something we hate to pay bills... 
Another goal was a stress free life... 

We are getting there... 

I am healthier then ever...  during those 108 days I am not suppose to eat processed snacks...  and I am pretty good on that...  I would say that I cheated a couple of times but in general, 95% of the time I did not have process cookies or chips or the like... I also am sticking to nothing else but fruits after 7pm 98% of the time.
I now have to find a way to integrate my fruits and veggies days...  It is more difficult since my work requires a lot of standing and moving around... I may have to find another way to do that.  Once I figure it out I will let you know.
Another factor contributing to my health is my yoga/meditation practice - which I need to now integrate to my new work schedule.  Also, all the walking and biking everywhere does help... we do it even more than in Montreal where public transit was more readily accessible.

My finances are getting better by the day.  Not spending really does wonder on  one's budget!  Who would have thought???  :-)  Another objective of my 108 days was to not spend money on useless things...  I am doing good... not as good as with the diet but I am a recovering shopaholic!  I bought a bike and some clothes for work - this was an essential! I also spend roughly 50$ on 3 scarves, 2 tank tops and a boho blouse - these were just moments of weaknesses...  and I am actually wearing these ALL the time! And a vintage velvet dress for 20$...  velvet is an essential for me! ;-)  Nonetheless, even though we have also decreased our income by about 60% over the last 7 years, we can still save money and pay back debt... this is wonderful!

And the TV thing?  Awesome!  In the end, 35 days without even opening it!  And I really don't miss it... I do like to watch a show with my son...  and I can see how when rain and snow comes in, it might be useful to have Netflix to watch a movie or something... but cable?  NO!  Not going back there... Really, it is very expensive to be brainwashed as to what we need and what we should look like (which makes you spend even more money)!  Not sure I would dress the way I do or keep my hair silver if I did watch TV... But this is just my own opinion... I am not talking for anyone else here.

As for work on myself, I am really figuring out what I want in life... what kind of future I see for myself...  I am meeting great people here in Moncton and I am still happy about the move. I am working on a few project which I will get to share with you in due time.

Next challenges are the 1h walk for 21 days and the 21 recipes to try...  will get back to you on these because when I decided the challenges, I was unemployed and had more free time...
What I am looking at is starting next Saturday (not tomorrow) and do the walk thing over the week end and yoga during the week before work... will try and convince my son to do the walks with me around the lake.  As for the recipe, there are a few recipes I wish to try - but time wise, it is unreasonable to expect to try 21 recipes over 21 days... and I really want to give a shot at "pickled" veggies...  in mason jars. If any of you are doing that, any tips or tricks?  or books on preserving food in mason jar?  blog? website? I would really appreciate it!

Once again I am loving my new life for now... and it will only get better during the 8th week when my son returns from Montreal and we finally get to live as a family! As I mentioned before, this will require some adjustment as we never really spent more then 3 weeks together all 3 of us... so I guess this is another challenge between now and Oct 6th when 108 days are over!

This is it for this week...

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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things to let go of... update 2

In January and May I made blog posts about things I wanted to let go of before my next birthday in November...  I am now roughly 3 1/2 months away from my birthday and I want to share with you where I stand...  Before I look at the actual items, let me tell you that this #108daystoanewlife project is making me move forward in many ways....  all the time spent "inside" of me is paying off so I am expecting some progress on the list from May 6th that you can read here...

Here are the 10 items  (in bold) with updates and thoughts for each one of them.

1. Let go of what isn't helping my soul to smile and grow.  Basically anything that makes me sad is out...  if I am not smiling, I am not growing... if I am not growing I am dying...

In May, I wrote that: Not sure what to say about this one...  I can't remember what frame of mind I was in precisely when I wrote that but I can honestly say that I do not think I am doing anything, right now, that isn't helping my soul smile and grow.  Not sure why I would have selected this one... clearly something was bothering me at the time. I know I was working on a few projects that ended up not working and I am assuming they were a burden at the time...  in any case, this is DONE! Completed! Yay!

Now, I can say that I know what I needed to let go to actually complete this one...  I was trying to hard...  too much is just like not enough...  I was trying to hard to succeed at something that will take time... I was not giving myself room to breathe...  and was slowly loosing my smile...  and chocking! I did gained it back now (my smile)... still working on my ultimate objective but not directing ALL of my minutes and seconds of every day towards it...  letting the Universe help me and watching out for signs coming my way!
Now this point is completed....  REALLY!!! 

2. Let go of the baggage I know I need to leave behind.  Yes it can be stuff... but I am not too bad at letting stuff behind...  I should be pretty much OK with that by June... But it can also be memories...  souvenirs...  good ones and bad ones...  I am not saying forget about them completely... but maybe not think about them so often.... I have one or two souvenirs, rather painful, that I keep going over and over about... It's time I stop that!

 Moving was really easy because by June I really didn't have much more stuff...  and once I got to Moncton, I had to play around with my wardrobe because I've gone back to my natural hair color which is more silver then anything else...  but that's OK!  I am also able to finally assume who I am in terms of dressing up...  a bohemian/hippie more than anything else...  this is how I feel good about myself! :-)

 As for my painful memories, there was some huge progress on that front...  I am learning more and more to leave souvenirs where they belong: in the past and live where I belong: in the present!

"Here and now" is my mantra for now.

 As Buddha says, "there is only 2 days in  the year when you cannot do anything:  one is yesterday and the other tomorrow. Today is all you have"

3. Let go of worrying about everyone else opinion on my life. Quite frankly, why do I care so much about what other's think?  Why do I need their approval so much?  Especially when I know I won't have it....  It's my life... I am old enough to make my own choices... and as long as my  son and husband are on board, everything is fine!

In May: Let's skip this one!  Really not there yet!  I find this is the hardest one!  I have ALWAYS looked for other's approval!  It's been 41 years! I won't stop overnight. Enough said.
I should really start working on this if I want to master it for my birthday.

Now: Way to go!!!  Pretty much done with that!  Adding a physical distance to some people and getting to know new people is helping me with that.  I find it's easier for me to be who I want to be with new people then changing in the eyes of some people I knew...  I feel like for people who have known me a long time, I was putting them in a weird situation where they have to like or not like the new me...  and maybe pull away...  By creating that distance, I am not putting them up to that decision so much... and new people are getting to know the new me.  They do not know otherwise!

 4. Let go of thinking there is a perfect time. There never was a perfect time.  There never will be.  Time is as perfect now as it will ever get!  Stop using that excuse to stay still and not move forward...

 I moved 1000km away from home... and people I knew all my life... to start a new life....  this is what I was referring too!  When I selected that item to let go of back in January, I was still unsure I would go all the way to the end of it...  but I did!  I am proud of that!

 5. Let go of the need to always feel comfortable. Ah.... comfort... so comfortable...  but the number one excuse I make not to try something new... I do not know many people who like to be out of their comfort zone... but the few ones I do know are people I really admire... they are living their dreams... they are going after what they want...  what they were meant to be...  and this is what I want for myself!!! Comfort really is just another sorry excuse to not move forward!

 There is no comfort where I am now... everything is new...  I do not know anyone... I have to start a job I never did before...  I am  trying a new yoga style...  working out different schedules... reinventing my daily life!  But I love it!!!  It is true that when you let go of comfort, new things will show up to you...  Things that you would not see or try before because you did not wanted to give up your comfort!  I really think that the greatest adventures and opportunity for growth can be found in discomfort!  You should give it a try!

6. Let go of wanting stuff I don't need.  This goes for material stuff... like clothes for example....  but it also goes for other stuff... like a raise, a promotion... a better place to live...  a bigger vacation...  why do we (and this time I say "we" because most of us are affected by this) always want more...  it is believed that the richer people are not those who have more but those who want less...  I am going to work hard on this...  most days I am good...  but as soon as I get out of my comfort zone, my mind tricks me into thinking that I want something and I'd better get back to what I know to get it faster... Faster is most often not better! And really, when you're honest with yourself, what do we REALLY need in life???

I have made a lot more progress on this one since May...  once again, my yoga practice/meditation/mindfulness are a big part of that progress.  I actually try to (and on most days succeed at) appreciate what I already have.  Gratitude is an amazing principle. When you are grateful for what you have, you do not want something else!

Coming to Moncton made me realise that when you love your life, you do not need a vacation from it! When you love the place you live, it becomes your refuge, you home, your vacation place away from everything else...  When you love the work you do, same goes...

I heard a song recently that I had never heard before and I do not even know who was signing but I remember those words:  "...you do not need a vacation when you're not running away from anything..." and it resonates with me so much!!!  Thanks Trish to have shared this song with me.


7. Let go of trying to change others.  Now this may sound weird coming from me... because after all, I really do hope that all I write about help people change... or should I say become better versions of themselves...  but how #7 particularly affects me is by the fact I write because  like it... because I need it.... and because I feel like I can help others.... I should not be attached to the results... I should not be attached to the number  of person I am changing....  I should just concentrate on what I like to do, that is write and share, and do it better and better...

In May: Well, I am not giving up trying to change people yet....  Well by now, I kind of did...  because I realise that you cannot "change" people...  I am no longer trying.... I am sharing... I am still writing but a little less...  and hoping that what I write about with initiate some thinking in some of you...  but that is all I can do...  share and answer your questions/concerns.  The rest is up to you.. if you want to! After all Gandhi said it so well: "...  be the change you want to see in the world." 

This is what I am doing... I am living a life I love...  and hoping to be an example for those of you who wish to do the same. Someone else, I can't remember who also said: "You have to lead by example".
 
8. Let go of one sided relationship.  You should never have to beg for attention... if I constantly have to be the one calling or reaching out...  this is not a relationship...  and it is just draining all my energy...  it has to be ended...

Back in May I wrote: Made huge progress on this one...  At first I was resentful...  and upset...  I felt betrayed...  But you know what?  This is just life... people  take different paths... and that's OK!  Do I wish some friends had kept the same path as me?  Of course, first answer to come to my mind is YES! It would have been easier...  less painful... But when I think of it more deeply, things are just perfect as they are. People go in and out...  and actually when some go out, it makes room for new acquaintances that are on the same path as you at the time. I consider this one completed too!  YAY!

Got nothing to add to this one...  unless maybe that what I wrote in May is actually theoretically true... but sometimes living it is not THAT easy...  healing takes time.  But time does wonder and I am healing...  I'll be fine.  I know I will.


 9. Let go of the things people say about me.  It really doesn't matter what people say...  if they're saying nice things...  good...it's positive energy coming my way!  But if they're saying not so nice things, it's belongs to them... it's creating negative energy around them... this is the thing with thoughts and words...  negative ones affect the person emitting it...  whereas positive ones affects everyone... why should I care? Why should I let negative people affect me?  I have not right to do that to myself...

Since I gave up on trying to change people, it makes it much easier to not care what people think.  I know there will always be people criticizing me. I know there will always be people who love what I do and write about.  To bad for the first ones... and good for the others...  but you know what, as long as I am happy with my life I shouldn't care... I think that the comments affect me more when I am unsure of where I am going because it makes me question my acts... but when I am sure, it really doesn't matter.  As I become more aware of my own likes and dislikes... of my own priorities... or my own way of life I become less aware of what others think.  Really.

 10. Let go of the idea that it's to late to start over.  As human beings, we like to create boundaries around us...  I am no different... and another great excuse to not try something new is age...  How often have I heard that such and such are too old to do that... to old to go there... to old to think this way...  REALLY?  who decides who is to old and at what age?  why do we have to be so set into age...  age is a number...  it's not a feeling... only I know if I am to old for something or not...  If I feel like doing it, trying it... why not??? As long as you're alive, you're not too old... Compare to the bigger scheme of things, we are here for a really short time... why not make the most out of it???

Well at almost 42, I've gone back to an entry level job... in something I think I will really love! I have changed the way I dress slightly to reflect how I feel inside even though it may not look like a 42 year old women... I have dreams and projects that may seem unreasonable for an "adult my age" but that are mine.  I will share them in due time trust me...

It is never too late to start a new relationship, move far away, back pack travel, sell all your stuff and leave for a year, start a new career, take a year off, learn a new hobby, try a new sport...
I dare you!!!!

 Let's summarize this:

Completed:  pretty much all of them...

However, I still need to work on "here and now", let go of people who are no longer in my life (in the sense that I should not let that hurt me at any point) and last but not least, reaffirm what I want in my life and ignore what people say.

It's just some fine tuning... but still there were always my weaknesses and I may need the 3 1/2 month left before my next birthday...

thanks for reading!
and please share if you like this blog!!!


love&peace,
nath
xox
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#108 days: week 6 done!!! Finally going somewhere...

Exactly what I have been working on this week (and over the past few years!)!!!  And it does give amazing results!

When I set up this project, I wanted to challenge myself... I wanted to create a life I love... a life I want... I life for ME.

At first, all the rules and restrictions and challenges were too demanding and in keeping up with them I was loosing myself... loosing the actual purpose of doing this! It didn't make sense.

I readjusted myself (changed a few rules) like I wrote before and it is now making much more sense... to me.  And really, that is all that matter in life... that your own life purpose/objectives makes sense to you...

I do feel like I want to feel: FREE!
I even surprised myself yesterday overly smiling for no apparent reasons other then I loved my life!

I have an amazing teenage boy.
The best husband ever.
I am about to start work I love.
I live in a quiet, nice town.
I have an amazing apartment with a view.
I can go about on my wonderful bicycle.
I have learned to dress with less n a way I love and that agrees with who I am.
I have made my apartment my home, the way I love...  no television, plants, flowers, cushions to sit on, all vintage/pre-owned furniture and starting with the pre-owned clothes and dishes.

I have, like the picture I chose for today,  made room for these things to happen.

I had to give up on work that does not suit me.
I had to give up on people that no longer belonged in my life.
I had to let go of a city I loved for so long but was no longer loving me.
I had to give up on what most people call the American dream - because it was not my dream.

Now I only wish that the people that have been there by my side over the last few months and assisted me in the last bit of my transformation were there to see me...  there to have tea with me... to see the amazing results the encouraged... the happiness that I now have...  a sense of calm/peace that I never experienced before...  I am talking about you Niki, Rosemary, Saranya...  and a few more who were less present physically but very supportive in a quiet and to the point way: Sophie, Jenny, Melanie and Nancy... Thanks to all of you... and I will always have tea and homemade cookies ready for you!

Now let's look at week 6 in pictures...

New velvet vintage dress that I bought for 20$. I know I was suppose to buy nothing... but couldn't resist velvet! 

Also got 3 tea cups, that were really 2$ each,  who reminded my of Niki and Saranya... 

I also got another plant...  because a boheme home needs lots of them... and quite frankly, they no longer scare me... I can do this!

and sunflowers...  because, well you know...

On another note... I also worked on an sewing project...  turned some cushions I had into better one for my decors using my old bedroom curtains.  here it is:

And last but not least, I have given up my iPhone...  and it was really hard for 24h... I felt lost and useless...  those things are addictive!!!!  But then I realised that I had more freedom not taking every single thing in picture...  not checking social media every hour... not checking weather and other apps just in case they changed....  It has given me much more time to do other things... like those cushions...  and reading...

And later on today I am trying a new yoga type:  Kripalu.  Never did that before... I did Hatha, Ashtanga, Yin and Kundalini...  curious to try another type...  What I am actually looking for is something right in between Ashtanga and Kundalini...  hope this will be it! My yoga type finally!

On that note, I will go on a bike ride for now.... enjoying my last few days as unemployed!!!

oups... the rules...  diet is OK! buying nothing.... well that you already saw...  yoga is good! no TV is amazing!!!  Up to 28 days!

Was suppose to start the 7 days fruits and veggies tomorrow... however with my new job on Monday, I will delay it because this job requires lots of standing and walking...  not sure it's the perfect time to eat less...  will readjust that and get back to you soon.

Have a lovely week end my friends!

thanks for reading!
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love&peace,
nath
xox
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