Friday Faves, January 18th

It’s Friday, I think 2013 is speeding by just as fast as 2012 did.   I have a little of almost every thing this week for you.

On Living Life

• Bethany reflects here on how her young family made choices due to outside pressures that weren’t right for them. Do you see yourself in her story?
• Have you ever looked around your home and truly tried to describe your home honestly to yourself? Lou Ann takes us through one room in her home.  If ever someone made their home fit their needs it’s this family.
• Lili shares a story from her childhood, working next to her mother.
• This particular article stopped me and has me reconsidering the way I share, at least online.  I feel ancient some days when I am confronted with the technology which can change our lives.  If you have children and like to share their pictures you may want to read this.
• Do you have a special food that brings memories of your childhood and the people you loved?  This post is a touching reminder of what is really important.
• Have you ever known someone who has gone through a deep depression?  Jackie shared a most intimate time with us in this post, it’s not doom and gloom, it’s about the view of life after depression.
• I have been having an ongoing conversation with a good friend about moving beyond the past. This conversation turned last night to trying to be the best person we can be.  Being the best is a goal we should all strive for, but do we cross over to perfectionism? None of us are perfect, nor will we ever be, imo, this post states this feeling much better than I ever could.
• Do you ever wonder how the rest of the world lives?  I’m not talking about the third world, but what about another first country.  Do they shop the same as we do, eat like us… I do all the time.  Thankfully, this week a discussion started about the differences between Germany and Ireland in the comment section of one of my posts.  Later, P took it further by writing this post about shopping habits in Germany.  Thanks P, I enjoyed the peek into your life.

Frugal Home

• Are you longing for a new piece of art for a particular spot in your home?  Don’t think you are creative enough to create your own art?  You don’t have to be an artist to create this and it can be created with zero dollars.
• Think you can’t make a dessert because you don’t have the right pan?  We are so used to following the directions we forget to think outside the box.  Check out one way to make a dessert without the “proper” tools.
• In life there are always trade-offs.  We try to make the best choices with what we have.  So faced with a fridge that was an eye sore, what to do?  Do you sell it and buy a new one, or maybe you make it over like this.  I actually did something similar 25 years ago, but mine didn’t look nearly as nice.
• Back in July I showed you the kitchen makeover I gave my son and daughter-in-law as an early Christmas present (you can see it here), we re-purposed everything in the kitchen creating no waste.  I love to find people who work with what they have to create the kitchen of their dreams and create no waste along the way.  You can see the before and after here.
• I love the smell of essential oils, and would love to add them to my vinegar cleaner, but they are so costly.  Lili shares a way to use what you already have to infuse your vinegar with natural citrus scents.  If you know anyone who refuses to clean with vinegar because they hate the smell this is for them.
• Frugal hacks is a great resource for ideas on saving money around your home. This week I found this article with links to homemade recipes for coffee creamer, and even 100 frugal lunches to name just two.
• If you are in the  middle of summer now, you may be having excessive heat.  Australia is in the midst of such a period right now.  Here is an inexpensive way to save your gardens.
• Everyone could save a little more money than we do.  What if I told you it could be as easy as changing what you drink?  Why not help out your pocketbook and your health at the same time.

For The Little Ones

• Whether your children are in school and need a packed lunch or your family is on the go, such as visiting playgrounds and you would like to pack a healthy meal for them, you may want to check out this post, from Little Eco Footprints. Not only will you find links to reusable containers (that aren’t plastic) but a checklist to help you easily make sure their meal is balanced.
• Of course you don’t need to buy reusable sandwich bags for your lunches, you can make your own for much less.  All you need are three things and one you already have if you have a kitchen.

Environmental concerns

• I’m going to start with that fridge that wastes energy, or is broken and can’t be repaired.  While here in the US we are told to stick it in the trash some countries are doing much better.  See how a German invention is saving the environment from these old fridges.
• How do you react when you hear that extreme weather is near your home?  For Linda, who lives in Australia this is how she responds.
• Alex at Liberated Way has a thought provoking post on wasting nothing I thought you might enjoy.
• What can we learn from nature? We are facing depleted resources and yet many still believe a solution will come out of the magicians hat before it’s too late.  This article talks about what we can do now from Yes Magazine.
• So you are going through your clutter, and you are now at the point of asking yourself what do you do with those used CDs you no longer want, especially if they have private information on them? You can recycle them and here’s how.
• This may be a little late, or early, for this year depends on your point of view. But to be serious, what are you going to do with your Christmas tree if you have a real one?  Why not use it to feed the wildlife before disposing of it?

And Finally….Humor

• Do you ever think you could find the idea of a species going extinct funny?  I didn’t until I read this.  No I haven’t lost  my mind, but some living things I have trouble finding a use for.  After reading this, if you can tell me how we will be harmed by losing this one living thing please tell me I really have been questioning that ever since reading the article.

There you have my favorites of the week.  What have I missed reading this week?

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