Less then a month to go...

Well, well, well... time flies!!!  There is less then a month to go for my shopping ban that started last year! You can read about it here.

Next black Friday in November 25th...  please BUY NOTHING!!! I know I won't!!!

During this year, I have learned that no matter how much you THINK you NEED something... wait it out and it will pass...  almost always...  with a few exceptions! I mean, it is reasonable to assume that eventually all our clothes will worn out...  and especially socks, underwear and footwear... even more so when you don't have a car!  In your home, what you have now is OK... you don't need more... and probably could do with less...  only buy to replace something that no longer is usable.

Use it up. Wear it our. Make it do. Do without.

It has been my mantra for the last year and will remain so for the rest of my life...

My biggest issue, just like most women, was clothes...  and I realized that clothes are really just covering your body (Sweet November movie)... of course they should make you feel good... but play around with what you have... modify your clothes to your liking ( scissors are my best friend)...  get second-hand and make them fit your lifestyle and style!  Be creative... life should be FUN! And getting dress too! It's easy to hem something or just cut it without hemming...  add patches to elbows... or change the buttons... you can also dye something you like but no longer care for the color...  Look into the men's section of your favorite thrift store...

Next biggest spending would be kitchen... who needs 25 pots and pans? A set of dishes for every occasion? A set of dishes and silverware for guests? No one really... sorry to break it to you! Every day is a special occasion...  everyone eating at your table is a guest... plus older dish wear were actually sturdier and last longer...  I have dishes that date back to the 50`s and 60's found in an antique store... and they don't even match because when you buy random items that are not a "set" it is MUCH cheaper!  Plus it gives you the chance to select the plate for each guest to your table!  As for pots and pans, just refine the way you eat, re-organize your cooking schedule and you'll be able to do with much much less!!! And you'll spend less time in the kitchen and more with you family and/or guests!  It's a win-win!

As for music, film and books, you can legally (and this really matters to me - everyone deserves to be paid for their work and creativity) download, borrow from a friend or the library, or buy used and sell back after...

And it goes on and on... there is so much second-hand stuff available that you really do not need to buy anything new anymore... or hardly!

Think about it... and if you still choose to buy new, and I know I do sometimes, make sure you'll use it up or wear it out.

Thanks for boycotting this coming Black Friday.

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

Grocery shopping list

When I started this series of post labeled "what to eat", I mentioned that the second post would include a grocery shopping list and some tips and tricks to minimize your time in the kitchen while still eating a WFPB diet most of the time...

Well here it is...  my shopping list... this is what I make sure I have plenty off all of the time... you will see that it is not that bad... and once you get a rotation going on, grocery shopping becomes easy and quite inexpensive!
This list, however, does not include baking goods as this is not the main focus on this series of post (although you can see some baking goods in the picture)... provided, the posts are popular enough and I see there is an interest in the baking aspect of it, I will include baking grocery list and favorite recipes.

Shopping list:

Grains:

Oatmeal (quick cooking oat works... but none of the "pouch" stuff loaded with sugar and preservatives)
Brown rice
White rice (I like jasmine and sticky rice mixed 50:50)
Pearl barley
Whole wheat paste
Soup noodle
Rice vermicelli
Rice paper
Seaweed
Multigrain tortillas
White potatoes
Sweet potatoes

On some instances I will also keep some ancient grains like quinoa, couscous, kamut, farro.

Legumes (dry - because it is much cheaper):

Chick peas
Black beans
White navy beans
Pinto beans
Red lentils
Brown lentils
Green lentils

Others:

canned diced tomatoes
canned puree tomatoes
rice vinegar
Worcestershire sauce (vegan)
sambal oelek
canola oil
agave syrup
herbs and spice to our liking

Fridge:

Nutritional yeast
Almonds (raw)
Walnuts (raw)
Pecans (raw)
Ground flax seeds (ground at home, a week's supply or so)
Organic, natural peanut butter
Organic natural almond butter
Jam - homemade, local, bought at the farmer's market
Organic tofu firm
Unsweetened organic soy milk

Homemade "cheese" sauce
Homemade spicy peanut sauce

And store bought: vegan teryiaki sauce, sweet and sour sauce, fat free Italian dressing, salsa, soy sauce, vegan margarine

Freezer:

Corn, peas, spinach
Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas
Bread from the farmer's market
Whole flax seeds

and some cooked beans, homemade bean dips, left over stews or soups...

and a variety of homemade muffins, scones, brownies, cookie dough, pancakes...

Maybe I don't have to mention this but sill...  I also have at all time, carrots, celery, cucumber, bell pepper (all colors), cabbage (preferably purple), beets, onions, garlic, apples, oranges, bananas, and some other fruit depending what is affordable and in season...

This is it what you need.

The other thing you "need" is organization...  no one, even if you really like it (like me,)wants to spend all their time cooking and/or baking! No one can either afford it time wise!

So here is how I do it...

Every week, I have a routine...

I take a 2-3h  on Fridays to cook a batch of beans (rotate from one another depending what I am short on in my freezer) that I will use for the week and freeze in mason jars the extras for the other weeks.  I also, from the freshly cook beans, make a dip.  As I am doing this, I can work on muffins and cookies...  the muffins take about 5 min to prep... and while they are baking I work on the cookie dough that I freeze in balls ready to bake. And really, once you get use to this, 2h is really way more then what you need...

My second 2-3h on Sundays is use to cook a batch of brown rice with green and brown lentils - they cook together in the same pot for the same time - and I have my basis for lunches!  Alternatively, you can use quinoa, farro, kamut to do that too. While this is cooking I prep some white potatoes and sweet potatoes (cubed and seasoned without oil) that I oven bake each on their tray for 40 min at 420F - they will be use for snacking or warmed up for supper. While potatoes are cooking, I make a soup for the week and cook some mushroom (for lunches or wraps). After that, before I go to bed on Sunday I prep a stew that will cook in my slow cooker all night.

And this is it... most likely, all that will be left to do during the week is perhaps make one supper that is not covered, use a frozen left over... also make some spicy peanut sauce or "cheese" sauce when needed...

Quite frankly, beside those 4-6h split in 2 days, I spend maybe another 1h or 2h in the kitchen - that includes making lunches for work and school... and we eat a WFPB diet... 90% made home or sometimes more!

I always have food in the freezer if someone stops by or if I don't feel like making anything...

It is simple, efficient and inexpensive...  You can also do that as a family effort or with friends (then you get to share the results - which works well for single people if you do not like to eat the same thing for 2 weeks! You can also do this while drinking tea and looking at a cooking book, preparing you next grocery shopping list or making your next week's menu... because yes that too is necessary:  a grocery shopping list AND a menu.  Especially if you are new at this and/or have very little planning skills or memory!

Any questions yet?

What are your first impressions?

p.s. proof that works?  well tonight for supper I only have to reheat the huge veggie soup I made (with brown lentils and pasta) as well as peel some beets I cooked yesterday.  Also, because yesterday was a rock and roll day, I need to cook a batch or sweet potatoes... but that basically goes on by itself while I make tomorrow's lunches! Maybe I need 30-45 min in the kitchen today... Peeling the beets will be the worst part!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

10 down... 2 to go....

I am almost done with my shopping ban...  or am I?  After everything that happened this year, I am pretty sure the shopping ban will be a permanent lifestyle change!!! But more on that at the actual end of my shopping ban.

Right now, I would like to go into details about one of the rules I had set for myself in this shopping ban... the one rule that was really difficult for me to follow...

The one about buying 2nd hand first!

Where I come from... I was, unfortunately, thought that 2nd hand clothes.... or 2nd hand anything were for poor people....  it was not really hygienic to wear second hand clothes... and that stayed in my head for the longest time!!!! I am ashamed to say it today... but as I am always honest with you guy, I must admit it...

Later, much later in life, I met this awesome, always very well dress, and quite wealthy woman who confined in me that most of her clothes were second hand... and that revelation changed the way I saw things...  she was doing it to avoid using "new resources" from the earth and THAT I loved!

At that point, I tried going into thrift stores... but I could not bring myself to buy anything...  but at least, I would walk into them....  that was a start. As I have a tendency to not give up, I continued going into them...  but always by myself with my pre-conceived notion in the back of my head...  Eventually, I moved to Moncton and this other woman I met told me that ALL her clothes (OK maybe 98% of them) came from the thrift stores or were hand-me-down... because she did not wanted to spend money on clothes... and she could not "afford" it only because her priorities were travelling! That was another eye-opener to me...

I knew I took a HUGE pay cut working in a coffee shop part-time compared to a big full time corporate job...  I also knew I was MUCH happier and at peace living this life...and I enjoy having free time maybe even more so then shopping excessively... but I LOVE clothes...  no matter how much I try telling myself that it was an addiction and everything, I realize that it is more of a passion then an addiction... I can stop whenever I want (would it be a true addiction, I could not)... as I proved over the years by several shopping bans...  BUT, I don't want to... I love buying clothes... and I love wearing them... What changed over the years it that I now know what I really love and I have refined my style. I no longer follow trends and that is a huge money savior! I am willing to save money by living in a smaller apartment, not owning too much furniture (and it is ALL second hand - except for the rocking chair I got when my son was born), I save money by not buying music or books... or expensive jewelry... or a crazy amount of foot wear... but the clothes have to stay...

Once I realized all that, and watched "The true cost" I asked my friend to bring me with her... and with all I had been thinking about... and the beginning of this shopping ban, I went into a thrift store and made my first buy...  and it felt OK... not great!  I am not going to lie... but as I was wearing my findings and people were complimenting, it helped... and the more people I met here in Moncton, the more woman I met with awesome style that were doing the thrift store thing!  So I kept on doing it...  I did make a few rookie mistakes... I bought stained pyjamas, a pair of short that thorn a few wear later...  but I am learning and now I take more time to actually examine the clothes before I buy them.  Here is what I currently own, that is second hand in my wardrobe on top of the bag at the beginning of the post.

I do wear all those clothes.... quite a lot... As you can see they are mostly skirts... 2 jackets, a big bulky men sweater and a scarf... I have only one top!  My next objective is to go beyond the fact there was "arm-pit contact" and start looking into buying more tops! Hahaha! I'll get to it...

Now I would like to know what you think about 2nd hand shopping.  Do you do it? Where do you go?  What are your tips and tricks?

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

what to eat - what it will be about

As fall sets in, I now have more time to start working on a project some of my friends asked me about. I use to have an ebook on nutrition available on Amazon, and it had some of my favorite recipes in it, however, I took it off-line because since I publish this book in January 2014, I have dramatically changed the way I eat...  I went from vegan to whole-food plant-based (WFPB)...  90% of the time (working my way up to 95%)... the remaining 10% allows me to eat "process- package - not homemade food"...  it is my savior for when I don't feel like cooking or when I just want to treat myself to something that will please my taste buds! Although, to be completely honest, as I got to 90% WFPB, I must admit that my taste buds are less and less satified by process food and most of the time it is simply a deception.  What my friends were asking me is to update my book and put it back on-line!  But, I currently do not have the appropriate software to do so or the intention to write a book... then I realized Icould use this blog...  in several different posts under one label, for ease of finding!

The label will be " what to eat" and the posts will be as follow:

1 - Introduction - actually the post you are reading now
2 - Grocery shopping list - what you should have at all time in your cupboards
3 - What to eat for breakfast
4 -  What to eat for lunch
5 - What to eat for supper

Of course, I will not be sharing ALL my recipes... this would be too long, but rather how I put things together to come up with a meal in an easy manner... I will also share maybe 2-3 recipes per meal... and give you tips and tricks to make it simple...
I will also try, although I am not a food blogger, to share one or two recipes a month... but this never really succeeded before!  Maybe this time I will stick to it.

But first off, what is the difference between vegan and whole food plant based (WFPB)?  And why changing?

Well, technically, the way to eat is essentially the same... it includes no animal products what so ever. The difference is mostly in the way of preparing food and a WFPB is much more strict in that respect.  Ideally, you buy no process food at all...  this it what you tend to:  you make your own cookies, bread, sauce, stock, some condiments by yourself... at home... starting with whole food. IF you buy something already package, you have to make sure it contains no animal product (just like vegans) but also that it is low in added sugar, fat and salt. For example, I never buy anything that as a g fat/portion higher then 6... and try to stay as much as I can at 3 or under (this goes for everything including chips and dressings).  Trust me, that is much easier said then done. At least at first... The only exception I tolerate for myself is vegan margarine for baking cookies on some occasion and canola oil for my popcorn machine but it requires so very little.  I never cook with oil - none! And most of my baked goods are fat free also -except for the cookies and sometimes scones.   When I buy cereals, very seldomly, I ensure first ingredients is whole grain and that is had no or very very little sugar added. If I do the "fake meat" thing, I also stay under 5g fat/ portion and tend to stick to Yves or Gardein as they contain less crap in them then other fake meat available where I live. And between you and me, I just can't do the "fake cheese" anymore -way to fatty in my mouth! Problem solved for that.

The only fat tolerated are in nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and natural nut butter...
The only sugar tolerated is raw sugar...  but ideally you get your sugar directly from fruits and veggies.

You do not need process fat (shortening, margarine, oil) or white sugar... Even less so all the "fake chemical 0 calories sugars - these are killing you!  Your body much rather have the whole thing then an extracted part of something!

The "fat you eat is the fat you wear" according to Dr McDougall. Eat as little of it as you can. Especially if you want to loose weight.

Fat in the above mentionned foods also contains proteins, glucides,  fiber, vitamins and minerals... it is complete and you body knows how to process it and extract all it needs and discard what it doesn't.  Same goes for fruits, they naturally contain water, glucides, vitamins, minerals and yes even some protein!

Now, most of my diet consist of whole grains or starch as they are called:  brown rice, kamut, oat, barley, whole wheat flour, brown rice flour, white potatoes, sweet potatoes... this is the bulk of every meal!  Also, least process possible, no fat, no sugar added wole grain bread - like our granmothers use to make them!  I get mine at the farmer's market because, really, at the grocery store, there is almost no such thing at a decent price that tastes like bread. I also eat some white rice... after all Asian have been eating it for ever and they were (not so much anymore with the avent of SAD in their countries) the healthiest people on this planet.

On the side of that starch, plenty of legumes (beans, lentils, peas) and veggies!

And there you have it!  This is what to eat! It is simple, affordable, requires very little prep and can be very versatile... without ever being boring! Wait until I share more recipes and you'll see...

You can turn these in stew, soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps...

Now why did I switch?  Because the word "vegan" has a negative connotation... no need to explain this one. Also because I am doing this for health reason and I am pretty sure that lifestyle wise I am NOT 100% vegan... and nor do I care for it to be honest.  What really interest me is the diet side of it... Although, I cannot agree with any type of animal abuse (and it drives me insane and makes me really sad), this is not my battle ( just being honest with myself and you guys)... I fight for health.  Another reason it there are way to many unhealthy vegans...  people who eat little to no fruits and veggies... no legumes.... but lots of white bread, sugary cereals and fake meet and cheese... to avoid animal product without learning how to eat properly.  It is practically impossible to be unhealthy on a WFPB diet.

p.s. and if you eat like this, you probably won't even need supplements...  except for B12 vitamin which is becoming more and more rare in nature as it is a bacteria that is destroyed when we chemically process the soil for agriculture! It is more and more believed that even meat eater should take a B12 supplement!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

My reading marathon

Beginning of 2016, I had given myself a challenge: read 42 books in a year.  This, was A LOT for me... I was not such an avid reader... I was always kind of an on-and-off reader. I could read 3 books in a row and then nothing for months...  If I wanted to read 42 books in a year, I could not afford to do that...

I had set a few rules/directions for myself

1) I could read in English or French
2) I could read anything... as long as it interested me... novel, science, psychology, biographies...
3) Books that were more then 500 pages were equivalent to 2 books, more then 600 pages, 3 books and more then 900 pages 4 books.  I have only read 2 books that fitted in those categories, they were respectively 530 pages and 639 pages...
4) I'd have to read books that are currently in my home - whether they belong to my son, husband or myself  - or get them from the library or borrow from a friend (After all, I am right in the middle of my 367 days shopping ban, I did not wanted to use this as an excuse to buy stuff).
5) No need to keep track of the actual list of books I read... only the number. (I wanted to see what would stick to my mind naturally)

I had no idea on how I would find those 42 books.. which ones would I read and why... I had no list of books I wanted to read before hand - Now, I have a list of 60 books!!!

So here's what I did: I started with a book taken from the library... I honestly can't remember which one but I am pretty sure it was from Alexandre Jardin.  Then, I let my reading, and trips to the library, guide me to more books! I would write down books from an author I was reading, I would take note of authors or titles mentionned in a book I was reading (not listed as "in the same collection" or "by the same author" but actual books the characters were referring too in a novel - that THEY were reading)... I would note down the title of a book someone was reading in a coffee shop if they seemed "similar" to me... In the library, I would always check the section "New books" and "Books you may have forgotten" ... If I discovered a new author, I would note another book title they wrote... And last but not least, I would take down suggestions friends made to me. I also noted down a few books that inspired movies or TV shows.

Therefore, one thing to another, I ended up with always more then enough books to read.... way more!

Why would I do that challenge?  Not sure...  but I remember, Jan 2014, I wanted to train to run a marathon - an actual one.  My body, which is in pretty good shape overall, does not like me getting to "warm" - it has to do with MS.  This really disappointed me...  and for some reason, this year, I had already been reading 5-6 books by the end of January, I decided to do a reading marathon...  Which, I was sure then, would be challenging enough... in another manner but challenging.

I had not idea what to expect... but here's what happened...

And you might think I am crazy for that...  but it is REALLY what happened...

With no pre-established list of books to read... and with the method I had to select books, believe it or not... it seemed like one book would flow into the next...  And I am not sure I can explain this well here...  but it seemed as though each book would prepare me for the next one AND each book would find a way to answers "questions" and/or "concerns" I had at the time of reading it... I would read really anything... in NO specific orders... sometimes a classic followed by a very recent novel and then a philosophical assay and then a more scientific one and somehow they would "melt" into one bigger thing in my brain! Links would create themselves from one book to another... I would see things more clearly... Life seemed more "understandable" - if it can be.

I think this will be a lasting effect... my life will never be the same...  after reading some 10k pages (assuming books averaged 250 pages) in only 9 months, it is as though I have become another version of myself...  They say you remember on average 10% of what you read... This means, that somehow, I have created my own 1000 page book... in my mind... it cannot not have an effect on one's life.

It also made me realize what type of books I like to read... I like to read things about psychology, sociology, anthropology, some personal development stuff, nutritions (but with a science base), novels (but not any type - I am now better at knowing that books I will love or not) and some biographies (but then again not systematically all of them).

And this is why, I will take up another challenge a friend of mine gave me:  to keep on reading, in the same manner, at the same pace, with the same "rules" another 108 books - apparently, once you get to 150 books something happens...  I am up for it!  I have already seen such a huge difference in my life those 42 books have made, I can't wait to see what another 108 added to that will do! It's a good thing I have a list now... but I am afraid that list will keep on growing... because the more I read, the more references I see, the more new authors I discover, the more I'll go to the library and leave with books that were not on my list to read and the more people will give me suggestions...  Is this ever gona end? It doesn't really matter... I have many more years to enjoy reading... now that I can afford to work part-time!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

My view on.... my son's birth... 16 years later!

My son was born 16 years ago on September 8th...  this is acutally tomorrow but I really wanted to write about it today!

For those of you who would not be aware yet, his birth almost cost me my life.... and he almost did not make it himself...  it was, some would say, a horrible day...  but in the end, with years passing by... I see it more and more as a blessing! I am really grateful that we both make it of course... but I am even more grateful he turned out to be such a lovely young men and I that I got a second chance... And would this day had been more "regular" nothing of what happened after would have happened exactly the same way and our lives today would be completely different!  That I am convinced of!

A few words about him:  he is a kind, sensitive and thoughful boy...  he hates school (even though his average is around 80% without ever opening a book at home!!!) but love the cadets, discipline and anything that is very demanding. He's a loner...  but makes friends so easily...  of course, intravert... BIG TIME!   Very unpopular at school but one of the most popular ones at the cadets!
He's vegetarian and loves police TV shows as well as any videogame with a mission and guns (police, army, fantastic...)!  He can't wait to drive and buy his first car and already started saving for it... and looking on line for prices!  He swears he will never smoke, drink or touch drugs! And he started his process to get enrolled in the army - he wants to protect the canadian citizen and help in different countries when possible by reconstructing schools, hospitals and help finding survivor of natural disasters!

Is it exactly how I pictured him sixteen years ago?  Of course not...  Is he living the life I would if I was his age?  Certainly not....  but how are you suppose to know how your kids will turn out? Well... YOU DON'T and this is the beauty of it...  They are their own person! I loved this boy from the day he was born without even knowing who he was... it was completely selfless, unconditional love!!!  And I am trying to give him all the tools he needs to become his best self!  Not the person I imagined or wish he would be...  that would not be fair!  As a parent my first responsability is to get to know this guy:  his dreams, desires and secret projects and give him the tools he needs to realize them! All of them...  it's HIS life! Not mine.

And guess what?  I was not always that good at it... because he scared me... his dreams and goals where so far away from mine in a way... I did not and could not understand them. But the more we talked and the more we opened up to each other, we learned to respect and appreciate the differences and it scares me less now... and makes me see that ultimately, his goal is not so far from mine...  but uses different tools and means.

We both want to change the world...  me from diseases by improving diet and lifestyle... and him by reducing suffering, helping with school, hospitals and rescuing people who have seen their whole world turned upside down! I am using my brains and mouth (hahaha) but he'll be using his arms and physical strenght!  We use different tools because we have different abilities...  but somehow, this is bringing us closer together then I ever imagined possible... when he told me two years ago that he wanted to join the army, I cried... because I was loosing him - and sure I would loose him for good... but now, his decision, which we talked about time and time again, has actually brought us closer and I now know, that there is no way I will ever loose this boy! We have a unique bond... born in love AND respect!

Love might have been unconditionnal from the time he was born...  respect was born over time...  by sharing thoughts, talking about stuff... and mostly listening to each other!!!

So there you go Cedric!  I hope you have a lovely birthday and a nice year coming up!  It will be a challenging one but I know you'll make it through even more awesome then you are today!!!  You will grow and change... mature and learn...  and this is what really matter!!!

Follow your dreams...
And even if they are not mine, I will assist you as much as I can...

p.s. a little thing about my second chance:  not every one get them, and I am grateful for it...  being born again at the same time as him, has allow me to redirect my life where I wanted it to be when I was a kid... and this is the best thing that ever happened to me!  I have less moeny then ever... but more time then any adult could dream of to enjoy my son and life!  This will always be the best gift he gave me:  life!!! In a way, we mutually "gave birth" to each other!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

Less then 3 months left to my shopping ban!

As you might know, last November I started a 367 days shopping ban... and you can read more by looking for the "367 days shopping ban" label.

I thought it would be much harder then it actually was...
Did I respect ALL the rules ALL the time?  Of course not... but a challenge is not necessarily about respecting rules...  in the sense that all I really wanted to do is CHALLENGE my shopping habit and I did!!!

I did update you on a few occasions about where I was going with this... I think that, as this is getting close to an end, I can make an extra effort on following my established rules AND update you on what happen in the last month or so...

Last update I made, was after 7 months and I have now completed 9...  Therefore during the course of the summer, here's what I got:

1) a bike - but I did not spend a penny for it!!!  Someone surprised me with it...  they were cleaning out their place and remembered mine got stolen and gave me their extra one!  And it's purple!!!

2) a summer dress - OK I did not need that one... but it was not from a "regular" store and it is made in India - supposedly fair trade!

3)  went to the Salvation Army because a friend of mine had a 10$ off a 25$ purchase coupon...  we split the discount and for 15$, I go 2 skirts that can easily be worn year round, fit with many things I already own and are really "ME" skirts... and I also got a men's knitted grey sweater - I have been wanting THAT for a long time!!!

4) got a pair of Converse shoes - mine are falling apart - therefore, it is a one in/one out type thing

5) a a peace Lilly - a plant I have been wanting for a few years now (as pictured above)


Now, for the 3 months remaining, I am reminding myself of the rules I had first set up when I started this shopping ban...  here they are:


1)  I can only buy personal stuff if I need to replace something. One-in-one-out kind of!

   Try to find locally, second hand or fair trade items...

I have actually not been too bad at this...  but I must say that some stores are still quite a challenge and fall will be difficult as I love fall season for clothing...  perhaps I should stay clear of stores but it is not always possible... and how would I know how I am doing with my addiction if I don't tempt myself?

2) I will accept gifts...  but strongly suggest to people wanting to offer me something that it'd be something that I can use up (food, tea, candles, incense...), something that is local... or second hand. Or a plant!

Just like the bike I got!!!

3) If I want to give something to someone, I will gravitate toward the same thing as in 2)...  or something I made! And do not thing this is me being cheap... I need to do this for a year!  You will survive if I can!

4) If I run out of books.... or want to read something different... there is always the public library!

I have actually been very good with the public library!  It is now one of my best friend! I did not buy one book since that challenge started!  This is great new for me as book were usually my "go to" when I would do such a shopping ban - I never included them in shopping bans before knowing I could buy that it hte urge came!

5) Obviously, magazine are out the window...  because their only purpose really is just to make you wanna buy stuff... The only exceptions would be a National Geographic or Scientific America type magazine... and then again, only if there is something in there really interesting me.

Here again, no magazine at all - not even Scientific ones...
I now even think they are basically a waste of paper also... and they repeat themselves all the time!

Conclusion:

As I am getting close to the end of this shopping ban, I realize that it has been easier then I thought it would be.  I am assuming that this as to do with my reading marathon (goal is to read 42 books before the end of the year) which is keeping me busy and away from temptation...  I also think that my increased mediation/yoga practise of the last couple of months has something to do with it...

I know I am not completely out of the woods with fall coming up...

But I am now certain that this shopping ban will have change for ever the way I shop or not!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

Peace... finally...

This morning I felt like writing... but not quite sure what to write about...

I realized that I write a lot more when I am tormented by something, when I want to create to new goals or objectives, when I need to clarify what is in my head... not so much when all is good...

It has been years that  I am working toward feeling like I feel today...  It took time and was not easy... you can look into that by reading my pasts blog posts... I do not feel like repeating myself again! 

I know they say that happiness is not a destination but a journey...  but really, at some points in my life, I felt like that was a big fat lie!!!   I was not completely unhappy but there was always something not quite right... and I was working toward achieving a certain state of peacefulness in my life and felt like there was always something not quite right or something missing... After years of working on myself and my surrounding, I finally am where I wish I could be... and that feeling is awesome! 

I created a life for myself, with the help of my son and husband who have been, during those years, the only two constants.  Everything else was a variable... projects, goals, objective, jobs relationships... they all came and go but those two were always there for me! I owe them a lot... a lot more then I could ever repay them probably!!! And I love them to the moon and back... a million times over!!! 

However, at this point, I can say that we are now officially debt free... one of our biggest concern! 

We are both working at jobs we love...  I mean really... waking up Monday morning is nothing special!!! 

My shopping addiction is well under control and I only buy what I really care for when I have the money...
I have established a more regular yoga/meditation practise...
And refine my home so that it is my temple...
I have re-discovered the joy of reading...
And found a new passion in nature, hiking and camping...
My health is perfect despite MS - as well control by diet and lifestyle

If you'd ask me today, there is seriously not one thing I would change in my life and I can honestly say that I was never at this point before - not even close!!!

I am pretty sure that my following posts will be quite different from the ones before...
In a sense, I think there is much less to say, or write about, but at the same time, I feel like I must continue sharing to help as many people as I can...  and I actually love doing it!!! I feel like this new episode that is starting will be an amazing adventure where you will get to see who I have become after years of fighting for it...

Could I have done it faster? better? differently?  Perhaps.... but it was my way and it gave me the results that I was looking for... isn't that all that really matter?

Well, this will be it for today... a short but, I think, important one to  write as it sets new grounds for what is coming!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

Wedding anniversary

My husband and I 12 years ago

My husband and I 2 weeks ago

I think I am pretty lucky to have met my soul mate... and have had the chance to marry my best friend!!! And what is even more awesome is that it's the same guy!!!

On Aug 14th, 12 years ago I married who I knew at the time was the love of my life...

I am not going to lie... it has not always been easy...  the 12 first years of our marriage include having to deal with a recompose family...  a physical sickness, a mental illness, job losses (yes more then one), a major move to another province and severe financial problems including bankruptcy...

Then we look deeply within, both went, separately, to find help and started reading on self healing and personal development... we discovered yoga, meditation and Reiki... while sharing, and sometimes arguing, about what we discovered, we were committed to make this work because we loved each other more deeply then anything you could send our way!

Our rule #1 was to never go to bed upset... so sometimes we did ended up talking things through most of the night but it always worked out!

And that's it.... 1 rule... lots of love and respect for each other...  and lots of sharing.... discussing and listening... Marriage is hard work... but so well worth it when love is involved!

Now, as I look back, I know we had our share of hard times - you can't be 12 years with someone and not fight... that would be a lie! But, what remains vivid in my head and in my heart, are all the lovely memories we have and the awesome life we created for ourselves!

My husband is my BEST friend and he knows it...
I tell him everything....
He is, along with my son, my priority #1!!! (I know this sounds old fashion, but I truly believe that for a couple to withstand the test of time, you NEED to be first priority to each other)

We took a 180 degrees turn together...
We came out of darkness...
We got to become better people...
We are stronger now then ever before...

And happier now then we even thought would be possible...

I love him to the moon and back...
To many, many, many more years with the love of my life, my soul mate and my best friend...
Happy anniversary to us!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

A new found love...

Last Friday I left for a four days week end camping!

It was the first time I was attempting this in almost 20 years...  and it had been not such a good experience!
It was not the type of vacation I usually look forward too.
I was a little scare about it to be honest...
But my husband was really looking forward to it and had done so much overtime for us to be able to afford the minimum equipment we needed...  I had to try my best!!!

Let me give you a little background about my experience with nature... you'll see, it won't be very long!

I was born and raised in the city...  Montreal.  A big one...  Growing up, nature to me meant my backyard...  or the near by park which had an area consisting of roughly 200 trees.... to me, this was a forest! And there even was a little hill! Hahaha! There was also a Botanical garden... Then, during summer, my parents would bring me to the beach in different places in the USA. There, there was the ocean, sands, and a shit load of tourists, with all their umbrellas and coolers, toasting in the sun. This was nature to me. Occasionally, my parents would bring me on a road trip where I could see fields of corn and cows...

Honestly, my closest experience with nature was on the few occasions when we went to one of my parents country house... there was a lake and a real forest... this WAS nature... but we'd stay overnight and then leave...  it was really short and I was always under 12 years old.... and it really happened maybe only 3-4 times.


I mean, I real city girl!!!

In my adult life, I gravitated towards cities in my trips...  and I would not go somewhere unless there was a four stars hotel and a Starbucks nearby...

Even when I moved to Moncton, to get into a quieter life, I chose a city that was smaller then Montreal, but big enough to have a Starbucks... and a mall! I never expected that in two years I would change so much that I would dread going to the mall and start avoiding Starbucks...

Then, last spring, my husband, whom I love very much, expressed to me his need to reconnect with nature... but I was doubtful I would even tolerate it...  He promise me he'd work really hard (he meant extra hours) so we'd have all the minimum and a little extra so that I would enjoy it... at least not hate it.  I agreed to it... but deep down, I was sure this was a waste of money and that after this summer, this trip would be over.

Surprise, surprise!!!!

I love it!!!  REALLY!!!

Perhaps even more then he did!!!

I fell in love all over again... It was a revelation... I did not wanted to come back... And I am counting the days till our next four days trip:  there are 20 left!

We are also coming up with a plan to visit Fundy quite a lot next summer...  meaning a nine days trip and a few extra long week ends!

Why Fundy?  Well, there is the Bay of Fundy, a gigantic forest... and it is a really nice place with hiking trails for everyone...  there are tons of lovely views where you can just relax...  red squirrels, hares and tons of birds...  and a million stars in the sky at night!  A nice added bonus was the village of Alma which is 5 minutes away right at the exit of the park where there is a General Store (for what you may have forgotten...) and the Octopus coffee shop with an outside sitting area by a stream with the sound of water and birds... and Alma also has a beach!!!
Fundy is just a little over and hour drive from my home!!!

We barely touched the surface of that National Park which is also a UNESCO World Heritage site!!!
This is why I want to go back...
I REALLY want to go back...  OFTEN!!!
I want to llok into all it has to offer... there is so much!!!

I miss it already... and the only thing that is holding me together is working to save money to go back!!!

I knew this guy, years ago, who would work all year (with a quite decent salary), live really frugally and save all his extra money to travel... At the time, I did not understand... now I do.  My money, all I can put aside, is now going towards camping trips in Fundy National Park...  and then eventually, we'll try the other National Parks...  I need to be in nature... I need to step away from the city and the noise... and the people...

Maybe I'll never live completely in the woods... but who knows?!?  I will let that new found love bring me where I should be... and see what happens!!!

This is what I do now... I let life (the Universe) guide me with the help of my yoga practice... and it makes everything so much easier... I just know what I need and it comes to me naturally...

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

My list of books....

In one of my latest post, I was mentioning that I owned 37 books.... and one of you guys asked me what they were.... so here they are!  The 37 books that I keep because I go back to them again and again...  Being an avid reader, would I have kept every book I ever read, my living room would be full of books but that would not make sense right? Just since the beginning of January, you could add 30 books to that list!

Le petit livre des chakras

A new Earth - Awakening to your life's purpose

The path of the yoga sutras

Savvy chic  - the art of more for less

The paradox of choice - why less is more

Wild

Into the wild

Vivre en paix

Apres la pluie le beau temps

Au nom de tous les miens

Je vivais seul dans les bois

Le petit prince

Sur le bord de la riviere Piedra je me suis assise et j'ai pleure

Plaidoyer pour le bonheur

A toi qui n'es pas encore ne

Ou tu vas, tu es

Sacre montagne de fou

The new good life

How not to die

The China study

No steak

Healthy at 100

Whole

The food revolution

Sapiens

The pocket book of stones

petits

National Parks of Canada

Guide des oiseaux de l'est de l'Amerique du nord

Vegan's daily companion

L'alchimiste

How to go further

Guide total survie foret

Total yoga

Yoga for real life

Hatha yoga illustrated

Wanderlust

Hopefully, this is what you were looking for... If you have any more questions, please let me know... always a pleasure to answer...

Now you may ask "Will there ever be more book to that list?"  Maybe... but I only buy books now according to some specific criteria... and keep them for even more specific ones! So this list may grow eventually but not that much...

Oh and yes, I do have a copy of my own book Life Happens Living a healthy life despite a chronic illness that you can get here!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

So long Starbucks...

I have been going to Starbucks every single day, minimum once a day, for the last 13 years... or just about...
I have very rarely missed... rain or shine....  snowstorm or heat wave...  feeling good or sick...
It was my go-to place, my home away from home to talk about life with my love, son or friends...

It was then, only logical, that once I moved to Moncton and wanted to work in a coffee shop, that I ended there... After all, it was giving my free drinks while working and 30% discount all other times! Plus, I spent so much money there, I thought it was time they gave back!

However, last week, I announced that I had given my resignation... and this, which I assumed would cause a storm within my circle, actually was the opposite...  people were very understanding and NOT SURPRISED! Most of them claimed that leaving Starbucks was actually more in-line with the rest of my lifestyle! Even my boss mentioned that, even though she was sad to loose me, she wondered for almost two years what I was doing there...

I ended up being surprise that no one mentioned it to me earlier... such a discrepancy in my life.... and I am ashamed I did not see it earlier!

For some reason, since I moved here, two years ago, I have been on a path to furthermore simplify my life... and shop less... and think before I spend any dollars!  For that reason, I started my 367 days shopping ban last November. Now this challenge as somehow changed me... and following the rules I set for myself has sometimes been easy and sometimes not so much...  I wrote about an update last week which you can read here.  I do not want to repeat myself.

I think that all that reading I have been doing (reading marathon) and all that thinking about my money spent has open my eyes on something I was refusing to see before... One of the thing I have set myself up, as part of this challenge, is to buy more local stuff...  and for some reason, it hit me somewhere beginning of March, that I was actually working in a business that was not at all local!  Nothing is local about big corporations...  and if I tried avoiding them as much as I could (not possible to always do so where I live as there are not many other options for some stuff), why was I working in one? And why was I spending all my free time in it too? Well, spending my free time there only made sense as I had a considerable discount...  but I suddenly realize that I could no longer work there... and every shift from then on made me really unhappy... I then started to look for another job... but stuff like "but you have the perfect schedule" , "you get 30% off", "your boss is amazing", "it's walking distance from home" were holding me there... Stillness is so easy and comfortable. But I know myself now... once a seed is planted, it will grow... give it time! And the time came...  and something really nice presented itself to me...  and I jumped on it!  Not because I am not terrified by change...  because I still am!!!  But because I learned to trust life...  when you plant a seed in the Universe, it will grow and find it's way...  If you do not look so hard, the right things/opportunities/people find you... and this is what happened! Therefore, in order to be honest to myself, I have to try this...

And no long after I gave my resignation, it started sinking in that I could no longer go there as a customer either... that would be AWFUL! Imagine working in a local coffee shop and spending your money on a big corporation who does not need it? There is no way I could do that... so I decided that I would go as long as my discount applied or as long as I had not started working in my new job - which ever came first! Well, the discount thing is off as of today - and I am starting work on Thursday in my new coffee shop  ( Cafe c'est la vie )... therefore I took my last free soy chai and stepped out... knowing that I would not be back anytime soon!

Some may think that I am silly to write a post about this... but Starbucks has been a HUGE part of my life...  back in my hometown and here, where I basically met everyone I know in Moncton. It is a 13 years old habit that I have to break...  and habits are habits... never easy to get rid off!  I know I can do this... but I also know that I need to write about it... because writing about stuff helps me... and sometimes helps you too!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

7 months down... 5 to go...

It's been 7 months already...

This post is less about what I bought or not...  Although I have to admit that I did buy a few tops - new and in regular stores...  :-(
but I could not find what I needed in thrift stores or in any "sweat shop free stores"...
made me realize that we do not have very many options...  here, where I live anyway... and no longer having a credit card poses a problem to buying on-line...  I was told that I should look into getting a pre-paid credit card for on-line shopping...  maybe I'll look into that before I buy something next time...

besides that, I have been doing good...  I really do not feel like shopping...  maybe the fact that there really isn't that much close to me that I love helps... but still...  it's progress...

as I mentioned before I have rediscover the joy of reading and I am now up to 27 completed books in my reading marathon! halfway through the year and I already have more then half my objective of 42 books completed...

I still need to work on more yoga and meditation... my problem is that I have a hard time finding a consistent time of the day to do it...  my schedule changes too much from day to day... but I will get there...

what I really wanted this post to be about is what those last few months made me discover about myself... what matters more to me but also what matters less...

1) where I live is important - rather pay more on rent and live in a clean well maintained apartment

2) what is in my apartment matters much much less... as a matter of fact, I sold my couch and put my bed frame up for sale... love to sit on the floor and can put my mattress directly on the floor which makes my tiny bedroom look more decent in size - actually, anyone would come in here and would assume young adults just starting off in life are living here! and I don't care!!!

3) my kitchen table is too big - will put it for sale soon and get a smaller round one...

4) following my whole food plant based diet is the most important thing BUT what I eat is not... I can very well eat the same thing all week and be fine with it! I realize that even though I love eating this way, more then I ever loved eating in my life before, food is not that important to me.. it's a mean to end... the end being staying alive and healthy

5) while I am on the food subject... I love to cook...  BUT love it more when it can be all done in a day or so for the week...  I mean I love doing it because it provides me and my family with real food but if I can, I'd rather be reading, having tea, walking outside or doing some yoga...

6) books, music, movies, etc... I don't care for them... I have a grand total of 7 CD of music... and 37 books...  and I am not planning on getting anymore anytime soon...and I do not own any movies/tv series... I listen to music on youtube, take books from the public library and this way I save ton of money and clutter in my home! movies? tv series?  Netflix...  much cheaper then cable!

7) I care about clothes... at one point in my life it was an addiction.... I had to buy them... whether I had the money or not... and most time I did not have the money because I'd spend it all... well, on my clothes.... lol
therefore I used credit... and got into some pretty serious trouble...  that I am still paying for today - but in 12 months I'll be all right.
today, I still love clothes... and just as I realize, at the beginning of my minimalist journey, that having tea in a coffee shop is something I will never let go off, buying clothes is something I will never let go off either.. not because I can't!  because I don't want to!!! I will be smarter about it...  I pay cash now...  no more credit... I try to go into thrift shops...  and locally own store or local seamstress... I will buy fair trade as much as I can...  and I have develop my own style so I am no longer a victim to trends that come and go every month or so... I now know what I love and wear my clothes until they "die" on me but I will keep on buying them...  after all I keep saying minimalism is not about deprivation but choice... well I choose to have less in my home (less furniture, less books, less music, etc) but more in my wardrobe...  just because...  I can choose!!! I just want to be smarter about it now!

all in all... those months have made me realize that I can be very happy with very little stuff as long as I have a nice wardrobe, cheap healthy food, my yoga practice and a public library close by...

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

But what do you eat???

This is a question I get all the time when I mention I am following a plant-based diet... with no added oil and very little process food!

Usually goes something like that...

x:  so you can't have eggs?
me:  nope... no eggs, no dairy, no meat, no poultry, no fish or seafood...
x: ...
me: and I also do not do oil and pretty much no process food that comes in a package...  with a list of ingredients longer then 5 items...
Oh... and I try to do local as much as possible!
x: ...
me:  are you OK?
x:  but... what DO you eat?
me:  everything else!!!  And there are LOTS!!!  A lot more then you can think of!

So, I thought I would do this post to "explain" what DO I eat?!?

I have studied in many details the ways of Dr. McDougall and Dr. Greger and came up with an eating plan that actually works best for me at this point in my life... I am not going to go into details about each of their respective plans as you have the link to their website...  but basically, they both advocate a whole food plant-based diet with no refined oil...  They pretty much agree that starch (although they named them differently) should be the center of your diet:  potatoes, squash, whole grains, brown rice, legumes... etc. They also each have some specifics and technicalities but I have come up with what is an nice, convenient, affordable in-between-both-plans way of eating that can work with me to provide me with vibrant health, lots of energy and a great body... because who are we kidding?  It does matter what we look like...

First of, here's a short list of things I do not do:

Eat out more than once a week - and if I do, it is most likely in Asian places to get either some sushi or a bowl of noodles with veggies!

Eat prepared food form the grocery store - I buy ingredients, produce, real food and come up with my own meals so I am in total control of what is in it! Exceptions are low-fat Italian dressing, condiments like mustard, whole wheat pasta and occasionally some "vegan" cookies

Now all that said...  what do I eat?  Well here is a 2 days meal plan that  I will stick to mostly all summer!  Now, this may seem like boring as it looks like I am always eating the same thing but each meal has so much variety and a few twist you can bring them that you don't get bored!!!

Day 1:

Breakfast
Oatmeal (1/2) with 1/4 cup berries, 1 tsp ground flax seeds, 1/8 cup mash white navy beans*, and a splash of soy milk.  Every now and then, I will add 1/8 cup chopped nuts
* the goal is to include legumes in ALL your meals in one way or another!

Snack:  Homemade banana muffins:  1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce and 1/2 cup pure cane sugar creamed together.  To which, you add 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup oats, 1 tbsp ground flax seeds, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2-3 ripe bananas mashed, 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, least process possible, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup vegan choco chip for a treat (I don't always put them as they add fat and process food) Bake at 350F for roughly 20min

Lunch: sweet potatoes baked with garlic and cayenne, 1/4 cup hummus* on half a multigrain bagel and veggies (red cabbage, carrots, green bell pepper, corn...)
*You have to make your own hummus as store bought versions all have oils in them...  I make mine using chick peas, tahini, lemon juice, water (instead of oil), salt, garlic powder and sometimes cayenne for a spicy version

Supper:  Big salad with brown rice, cooked beans, green leaves, bunch of assorted veggies, cooked mushrooms, ground flax seeds with an fat-free Italian dressing or homemade tahini dressing or homemade peanut butte dressing - but they have more fat so not too much! For an extra special supper, I would add a few olives and perhaps some roasted red bell peppers! You you think this will not be enough, you can have a side of baked diced potatoes with mustard!

Snack:  air popped popcorn with nacho flavoring: 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne powder - sprinkle over popcorn and bake at 275F for about 30 minutes! LOVELY!  After the popcorn, I usually have an apple!

If you need an afternoon snack, do not hesitate and you can pick between those lovely options:
Veggies with hummus
10 almonds and a fruit
Pretzel stick
Brown rice rice crackers- caramel is my personal favorite
Baked potatoes whether they are purple, regular or sweet at room temperature they are great too!

Day 2:

Breakfast: 2 slice of rye bread with pinto bean dip (pinto bean, water and little salt) and a banana of grapefruit

Snack:  same muffin as above with a fruit

Lunch:  barley, mushroom and tomato soup with a side of red cabbage and/or broccoli on some greens with shredded carrots/beets, cucumber and celery...  you can sprinkle with ground flax seeds and some fat free Italian dressing.  Another great side would be a corn of the cob... since I can no longer dip it in vegan margarine, I cut it up, add a minute amount of vegan margarine (1/8 tsp for 3-4 cobs) as a treat and sprinkle some of that nacho stuff I use on my popcorn!  This is even great the next day at room temperature as a snack!

Supper: multigrain tortilla with beans, greens, cooked mushrooms, purple potatoes, hummus and other available veggies... you can add avocado if you wish too and some sort of dressing (the permitted ones only)...  had a long day.. add olives and roasted red bell peppers... or why not sun dried tomatoes??? If one is not enough, have a second...  as long as you stay with whole food, plant-based and low fat stuff, you can eat as long as you are hungry!!!

Now...  this is my way to eat...  it is simple, cheap and effective!  You get all your body needs and you never feel hungry!  Craving will also go away in time! Trust me!

I had already shared my barley, mushroom, tomato soup recipe here.  Look it up if you missed it...

As for my in-the-kitchen routine...  I try and stick to Sunday late afternoon and Monday morning...  during those times I make the soup (this one or another one for the week).  I make one batch of muffin and while to oven is already at 350F, I crank it up at 420F to bake all my potatoes  (40 min) for the week at the same time to save on electricity!  All my potatoes are diced, and sprinkle with a little salt, garlic power and either Italian herbs or paprika (for white potatoes), cayenne (sweet potatoes) or nothing else for purple potatoes.
While all the baking is happening I typically cook a huge batch of brown rice and mushrooms in a little water and a lot of Italian herbs... On the Monday, I can do 1 or 2 batches of beans/lentils and perhaps another batch of muffin.  I will keep what ever beans I need for the week and freeze the rest - by cooking a different type each week I always have some frozen ready to use! I will also bake some tofu cubes that marinated in soy sauce (350F for 30 min).  If need be, I will also make another meal that I can reheat during the week for a warm supper - something like a tomato pasta sauce or sweet potato Tunisian stew... This goes to show that with a little organization you need to spend very little time in the kitchen during the nice summer days! And all year long for that matter!

See???  who needs oil???  I never use any in my cooking, baking, roasting...  and everything is just lovely! For all I know, I never really liked eating before I started eating this way and now, for the first time in years, I am looking forward to my next meal or snack... I am never let myself go hungry cuz I'm afraid I'll gain weight (I know... I know.. slightly anorexic some would say... hahaha)...  I eat all I want until I am full... and I feel great and look pretty much OK for my age!

I eat plenty of food and I did not even list everything here... there are many more options...

If you have ANY questions or comment do not hesitate...I will be happy to answer you!!!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

Getting to 6 months and still feeling fantastic!!!

Time for yet another update on that wonderful adventure I embark on on Nov 29th 2015...

Remember by 367 days shopping ban? You can read about it here...

And the latest update was almost 3 months ago!

As we are now April 22nd, I can say that I am almost half way... or am I??? This has been so much easier then I thought... I don't think I will ever go back to my old ways!!! I don't even feel good being in a regular store anymore!!! All I can see is the misery this is causing... and it makes me want to cry!

Lately I have gotten for summer:

1) a skirt locally made by an artist who uses only upcycled fabrics - I loved the idea more then I needed the skirt and I also wanted to encourage her! Plus it is super cute and I'll wear it for years to come!

2) a pair of pants that I turned into short from Value Village - these are the result of me throwing away a pair of short that was to big for me now as I had it for years and wore it with a belt...

3) a skirt from Value Village that can actually be 4 seasons - these are the result of having a pair of short that is now to small for me as I have gained weight over the last winter

These items actually follow the rules... maybe not 1) per say as I did not really needed it but I can live with it since it is not using new fabric and it is locally made by an amazing woman!

I may have to look into a few tops now - thinking one red and one brown... but it can wait.... and I need to still follow my rules!

I also bought a pair of hiking shoes brand new of course.... as my husband and I are planning on taking up this activity (I mentioned it 3 months ago)... I needed some good footwear not to hurt myself. And actually my husband bought them for me so I did not spend the money... technically! I said I would accept gift and this was a lovely one!

Aside from those new shoes I am doing pretty good...at not buying anything new and for myself when I don't need it! I actually do not even "desire" stuff anymore! Who would have thought I would say that one day???

I have completed 6 months and didn't really buy anything from "real store" aside from a shirt as I had received a gift card from American Eagle... and underwear - There is not way I am buying this used!

I keep getting my books at the library... or used book store where I can resell them later...

I honestly thought I would struggle more with this then I do... but it feels good not to! Because I have so much time on my hand now I started a reading marathon! My objective is to have read 42 books in 2016! I am now up to 17!!! The public library is now my favorite place!

I also picked up my yoga/meditation practice... and I am starting to work out for those hiking trips my husband and I are planning on!

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,

chloe

xox

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Meaning and Purpose...

This post came to me while I was doing today's yoga practise...

For years, I have been looking for a meaning to my life... for a purpose...  thinking there MUST be more... there HAS to be more than this...

And my husband and I strongly disagreed on the subject... one of the only one...  but I must admit today, he may have been right... He use to tell me that there is no meaning to life... none of it makes sense... and we have no real purpose aside from living...  doing the best we can with what we have... all based on loving kindness...

Well what if life has no meaning?  What if none of it makes sense really?  And the "older" I get, the more I seem to realize that nothing makes much sense...  nothing is really explainable... and I am not saying that in a way that makes you completely out of control of your life...  I still think that the decisions we made in our past makes us who we are today and dictates the conditions of our lives...  and so it goes for our future which is design based on what we do today! But in the big picture, nothing REALLY makes sense... you can't scientifically come up with rules or equations that explain life... and that, may, in the end, be the beauty of it.  There is not direct consistent action-reaction relationship. A complete stranger and I can make the same decision today and five months from now it will have brought us in two completely different places... What if the meaning of life was just for us to be alive and part of something bigger?  Do any other animals inquire about their meaning on this planet?  In this Universe?  They simply live... that is their meaning.   Maybe ours is just that too. Maybe we are wasting time trying to find meaning to something that doesn't have any and it robs us of our precious time here on this planet.  For time is infinite for the Universe but quite finite for us. This is why, in today's practise, I came with this huge urge to just live my life and stop looking for meaning... And this is what I will do from now on. No more searching. Just living.

And what if each and every one of us do not really have a specific purpose?  What if our purpose is just to do the best we can with what we have... always based on love?  What if the purpose was simply love? I am not saying that you or I don't matter....  I strongly believe that we do matters and everything we do/think matters...  but there probably is no written purpose anywhere for every human stepping foot on the face of this planet...  If our purpose is just love in all aspect of our lives everything seems so simple...  just love your life!  Love yourself... Love your friends and family... Love where you live... Love your home...  Love your "just enough" material possessions... Love your work...  Love your free time...  Love your leisure activities... Love the fact that ALL of it will come and go... nothing last forever... but there is always someone else or something else to love... Love the fact that there will be good times and bad times... for without the bad times we would not appreciate the good ones...  and without the good ones we'd have nothing to hope for when the bad times are there...

And again, I spent so much time trying to find a bigger purpose to my life...  but WHY?  I love my son and husband...  I love cooking for them... I love my job...  I love my very few friends....  I love what I can do with my free time... and that is a great PURPOSE in life:  LOVE!   I believe that if everyone would love their life as much as I do, this world would be a better place as no one would be looking/searching for something else all the time... people would be less stress...  lest anxious...  There would be no need for over consumption, addictions, and all those "modern illness" caused by the fact that we think there is something bigger and we must attain it! And then at this point, it will all makes sense...

Nothing makes sense
There is no bigger purpose then love
And yes you do matter

Be who you are... DREAM your life... LIVE your dream...
namaste

love&peace,
chloe
xox
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