Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr! It's been hitting the single digits here for the past week, and everywhere I look, there's ice.
That means two things:
1. I'm walking around outdoors like I'm about 50 years older than I am, hobbling ever so sloooooowly along, so I don't wipe out. (I've done that, and it's no fun.)
2. I'm taking more pictures than ever. (I can't help it--I'm a sucker for things that sparkle!)
Confession time: I took the shot above while lying down on my stomach in the driveway (it's a photo of the ice on it). Yep, that's right, I'm crazy like that when it comes to getting the shot I want! Wet clothes can be changed whenever I come back indoors, but there are only a few precious minutes to get the right shot before the daylight changes. (Note to my photography students: Recognize the bokeh effect in the shot above?)
All of this glittery, sparkling wonderment outdoors is helping me notice things indoors that are catching the light in lovely ways, too.
Perhaps with some people, they'd just see a piece of toast and a pair of glasses, but really, it all depends on how you look at it, don't you think?
I put a vote on Facebook for my photographer friends: Should we be called "photoptomists" or "optimographers"--we of the breed who are making the best out of winter with our cameras? The vote was nearly unanimous: Photoptomists we are!
Sure, I wouldn't mind if it were a good forty degrees warmer. But right now, I'm seeing the world through very sparkly, frost-covered glasses.
How 'bout you? Are you making the best out of winter, or are you just barely muddling through? I'd love to hear!
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My goodness, the long stretch from Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve is a slippery slope of sinfully scrumptious food, isn't it? (That's one of my favorite desserts EVER, pictured above: my mother-in-law's pumpkin flan.) With the holidays potentially piling on the pounds, I thought this might be just the right time for another round-up of healthy food recipes. Well, not all of them are technically "100% healthy", but they're all healthier versions of holiday treats. Ready for some good food for good times? Dig in!
Here's one of my favorite ways to spend a lazy weekend morning: Making a creative, slightly crazy breakfast with the kids. (They're in full-on "Chef Mode" lately, thanks to "Master Chef Junior.") What's the dish they concocted, above? It's challah french toast, sprinkled with powdered sugar, chocolate chips, pomegranate seeds, and maple syrup, of course! It won't win any awards for good health (although the pomegranate helped me feel slightly less guilty), but it was good fun to spend Saturday morning whipping up something wild and wacky with my two little chefs-in-training. After making sure they stay safe in the kitchen, my most important kitchen rule for them is "be creative!"
And my most important rule for the weekend is this: Let the kids relax, rest, imagine, play, create, and generally do their own thing (within reason!), without hustling them off to activity after activity. I'm a huge believer in underscheduling children. How 'bout you?
Well, I'm feeling quite thankful--and just plain full!--so I want to get right to this weekend's joyful reads. They're an inspiring bunch, I must say. They've all given me some delicious food for thought about gratitude, the holidays, and love.
From Tricia at Little Eco Footprints: 'Tis the Season to be Creative (because I absolutely love her reasoning for giving just two Christmas gifts to her daughter).
From Carlynn at jjbegonia:So I Found This Quote... (because sometimes, you just have to look at your "problems" from a different angle).
From Carol at Ahh the Simple Life:Better Ways to Give (because the title says it all).
From Claire at Just a Little Less:Gratitude Not Grudge (because gratitude really is just waiting for you to find it).
From Katia at I am the Milk:If I Had to Write Your Obituary (because it's the most heartfelt "thank-you note" I've read in a very long time).
Start off the new year with a new skill: My photography e-course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You" will be running again this January! Save $15 with the Early Bird Discount if you enroll before Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at 11:59 pm EST. (If giving the course as a gift, please let me know the name and email of the student in the PayPal comment section at checkout.)Click here for details and registration.
Is there anything more visually delish than food photography? (I guess you could rattle off the names of a few movie stars, but that's not what I meant!) When I was scoping out the blogosphere for posts about healthy food for the weekend (to piggyback on my Wednesday post about saying no to palm oil), I discovered some of the most delectable foodie blogs for healthy recipes, with outstanding photography to match!
I think I'd like to make this a regular feature here at Joyfully Green--maybe the first Friday of every month, the "Joyful Reads for the Weekend" will be about healthy food choices--the fringe benefit being that healthier food = a healthier planet. Does that sound like a yummy idea to you? For now, here's a first taste, with all of the following posts focusing on making your own food from simple ingredients instead of buying highly processed, store-bought food with who-knows-what ingredients:
When I was in my early 20's (sheesh, back in the Stone Age!), I was on vacation in Antwerp (a lovely Old World city), and my Belgian boyfriend introduced me to Nutella. I could be mistaken, but I think I heard a choir of angels singing--the taste was beyond heavenly. A chocolate-hazelnut spread! On toast, topped with fresh fruit! That was my version of ambrosia, the food of the gods.
Well, my relationship with Nutella lasted a LOT longer than the one with my Belgian boyfriend. When I got back to New York, I found Nutella in the ultra-high-priced Upper East Side gourmet markets (and only there). I've been enjoying it for years since then--although it's gotten decidely cheaper, now that it's widely available in supermarkets, and pretty close to everybody in America has eaten it straight out of the jar by the spoonful. (Especially my kids.)
So, why did I give up something that I LOVE to eat? Because I found out that Nutella--along with the generic supermarket versions of it and the knock-offs from Jif and Hershey--is made using palm oil. And palm oil is a deal-breaker for me.
The palm oil industry has so many ugly problems, it's hard to know where to begin, but here's a start:
According to the World Wildlife Fund, an area the equivalent size of 300 football fields of rainforest is cleared (burned) each hour to make way for palm oil production.
Rainforest animals "get in the way" of the palm oil industry, and animal cruelty and killing is rampant.
Many species are being pushed to the brink of extinction, including Orangutans and Sumatran tigers.
The extent of the problem is HUGE, because palm oil is used in...oh, let's see...almost everything?! Here's a list from the World Wildlife Fund to illustrate that point. Check those ingredient labels!
Believe it or not, there's something good to report: Six months ago, Ferrero, the makers of Nutella, switched over to 100% sustainable palm oil. Hopefully, they'll update their label with that fact, and soon. But not all companies use sustainable palm oil, so if the label doesn't say it, check the product website or call them to ask.
FYI: There are several all-natural or organic chocolate hazelnut spreads made without palm oil. Check out this list called "Move Over, Nutella! We've already tried two of them at our house: Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter (too salty for me, but the kids liked it), and Nocciolata Organic Hazelnut Spread (that one's a winner!).
Tonight, feeling nostalgic for my Nutella days, I melted down some semi-sweet chocolate chips, mixed in some toasted almonds (no hazelnuts in the pantry!), and added a pinch of sea salt. It's pictured at the top, with sliced apples. Didn't taste a thing like Nutella, but I think I heard two angels singing. Or maybe that was just my kids...they loved it.
How 'bout you? Have you ever given up a product for ethical reasons? Do tell in the comment section below!
The photograph above shows you what just might happen if you have a 7-year-old daughter who loves strawberries, and she's in the general vicinity of a fruit "still life" you're in the process of shooting for your blog. Caught in the act, Strawberry Thief!
My blogging friend Bethany from Our Journey to Ithaca interviewed me today about minimalism, but if you could see my house (not small) and the things in it (much more than a few), you would hardly call me a minimalist. As I told Bethany, I'm more of a non-consumerist: I've grown to really dislike shopping, mainly because...
My sister and I had to clean out our parents' home to prepare it for sale after they died. Decades of accumulated STUFF to sort, clean, sell, recycle, or (sadly) throw out. It was as if the saying "you can't take it with you" had appeared in neon flashing lights before our very eyes.
I want to lessen my environmental footprint. Buying more stuff isn't green (all of the manufacturing, packaging, and shipping!), and as you might have guessed from this blog, green is a thing I aspire to be.
I have enough. More than enough. And I want to have less of it.
I've found a sense of peace and happiness with my life, just as it is. So, I'm not looking for happiness on a sale rack at the mall.
Which led me to wondering: What are all the reasons we go shopping, anyway? Do any of these sound familiar to you?
1) Do you go shopping for "fun"? Can you switch it out for bicycling, beach-combing, tennis lessons, piano-playing, reading, painting, gardening, swimming, cooking, writing a novel, or my personal favorite--photography? Remember, there are only so many afternoons in your life. Why spend them shopping for capri pants at The Gap?
2) Do you shop when you're feeling blue? Call a really good friend who loves you just as you are. (I suggest Colin Firth.)
3) Do you shop to replace stuff that's broken? Can you fix it yourself? Can it be repaired by someone else? It's kinder to the planet than tossing something broken-but-fixable into the trash.
7) Did you just break up with somebody? Instead of retail therapy, immerse yourself in learning a new language, and pick up a skill you'll use for life. (I used to do this back in my dating years. When I told my friend Chris that I learned a new language every time I broke up with a guy, he said, "Why aren't you up to Sanskrit by now?" What a jokester...)
8) Did you just see an ad for something sexy and beautiful? Don't get sucked in by the empty promises of ads featuring models and actors.
9) Did you just win the lottery? Congrats! Take a trip around the world instead of a trip to the mall. (Experiences over things!)
10)Need an outfit for a big event? When was the last time you cleaned out your closet? Are you sure there's nothing in there that will do?
11) Do you really need that new necklace? Wait a month and see if you still remember it.
12) Is it impossible to control yourself financially with a wallet full of credit cards? Pay with cash. It's amazing how things don't seem like such bargains when you're paying with paper money instead of plastic.
13) Are you shopping for "hobby stuff", such as scrapbooking or sewing materials? Do you honestly have the money, space, dedication, patience, skills, and free time for that hobby?
15) Do you shop to show people that you love them and are thinking about them? Instead of trinkets, would they rather have some dedicated, one-on-one time with you instead? (And if not, why not?)
So, before you head out for some recreational shopping, just ask yourself one question: "Why?"
Your turn: Why do you shop? Let's hear it in the comments section below--I'm all ears!
This week was all about entertaining and enjoying our friends, and the weather (mostly) cooperated beautifully! We dined al fresco as much as possible, taking full advantage of summertime. The wine above is called Sofia, as in Coppola, from her father's famous vineyards. The bottle is stylish and beautiful--I'm repurposing it as a vase!--and the delicious contents were gratefully consumed after a badminton mega-marathon. (Summer = badminton!)
Is there anything more idyllic than breakfast outdoors with good friends on a summer morning in the "country" (well, the suburbs...)? Just look at these fresh strawberries! I bet you can practically taste them, right?
One of the best perks of having a good friend from Paris as a houseguest: homemade crepes! Isn't this stack of deliciousness a work of art? Naturally, I wouldn't let anybody touch them until I took some pix! That's the rub when you're friends with a photographer and/or blogger--"photos before forks!" (I just made that up, but I can tell I'm going to be using it. A lot!)
The picture below, although not delicious like the previous three, also represented the week for me. Recognizing the extraordinary beauty of the entirely ordinary, like morning sunshine hitting a silver doorknob to make it glitter and gleam.
And finally, I'll close with my favorite "office view." From late spring to mid-fall (but especially in the summer), I love to work outside after breakfast, on our deck, with a view to the woods. Ideas seem to flow better with fresh air and sunshine, don't you think?
Wishing you a weekend that's full of wonderful summertime pleasures!
Notice I didn't say "25 Ways to Simplify Your Life." Why is that? Because even if we crave simplicity, the truth of the matter is that many of the things we put on our daily to-do lists are just making our lives more complicated, busier for the sake of being busy, and less meaningful. Why, in our efforts to streamline, do we so often find ourselves in a tangle? Here are 25 things to consider. Think of it as a simplicity check, a reality check, or just a sanity check!
1) Don't make any appointments during morning or evening rush hours, or during lunch hours. You will be late, frustrated, and idling in traffic. Not a good mix.
2) Stop buying houseplants that are difficult to grow. I've given up on orchids (as pretty as they are), and anything that sheds leaves all over the house. (I'm looking at you, Ficus!) Peace Lilies are the way to go if you don't have a green thumb--they "faint" when they need water and then they bounce right back. Troopers!
3) No citrus trees, unless you live in California, Florida, or southern Europe. Thanks to an issue of O magazine, I thought it would be fun to raise a dwarf lemon tree, lime tree, and mandarin orange tree in our sunny foyer. In the three years since I bought them, we've gotten one meager lemon, two tiny limes, hundreds of sticky bugs called scale insects (gross!), two dead citrus trees, and one tree on the brink of death on our deck. Definitely not fun.
4) Stop running for the telephone whenever it rings. This is why answering machines were invented. Answer calls when it's convenient for you, not just for the caller. That includes cell phone calls. Let it go to voicemail if you're in the middle of something important (and that includes meditating, napping, or eating your lunch).
5) Grow your own cherry tomatoes and basil in summertime. They're effortless and you can add them to lots of easy dishes--salads, pizzas, pastas. (Or just enjoy them on their own, perhaps with a little mozzarella.)
6) Get a dry-erase board and use it daily instead of Post-It notes. It feels good to have a clean slate at the end of the day.
7) Keep your pantry organized by clearly dividing up the soups, pastas, sauces, beans, spices, condiments, and baking items. If you always keep the same things in the same places, you'll be able to take a quick glance to see what's missing when you make your weekly shopping list and avoid winding up with five bags of bread flour that go stale before you can use them.
8) Get your kids to eat the same meals that you're eating. Your house is not a restaurant and you are not a short-order cook. (If you need help here, read Bringing Up Bebe.)
9) Set up online banking for all of your monthly bills. Each Monday, make a note on your calendar to check what's due that week. You'll save on stamps and panicked runs to the post office.
10) Stop subscribing to newspapers. You'll never read all of those bulky sections, and all of those piles of paper just clutter up the house (never mind the tree issue, and the fact that paper recycling takes a LOT of water and energy resources). Get your news online instead, or read the paper at the library.
11) Recycle the junk mail as soon as you get it. Don't dare put it down on a flat surface. It will grow roots there.
12) Don't even open a mail-order catalog. Although the stores will try to convince you otherwise, you don't need anything that they're selling. (You've managed to survive this far without a double-ended spatula, haven't you?)
13) Carry a book with you wherever you go. You'll be less frustrated waiting in long lines and you'll finally get around to reading the books you've been meaning to read. J. K. Rowling once said in an interview that she never believed it when people said they didn't have any time to read, and gave this exact tip.
14) Consolidate your trips. Is the post office on the way to a friend's house? Is the library on the way to the grocery store? Don't make multiple trips in the same direction. Gas is expensive enough as it is.
15) You don't need a souvenir from every place you visit. (Chances are good that the gift shop trinkets were all made in China anyway.) Take pictures instead, or let the memories be the reward. You'll have less stuff to dust.
16) Stop saying "yes" to things that weigh heavily on you. No, you don't need to chair another school committee or run a bake sale this year. Make this "The Year of Saying 'No.'" Tell anyone who asks you to run something, "I'm sorry, but I just won't have the time this year to give it the attention it deserves." (And don't feel guilty about it!)
17) Go through your clothes (and your family's clothes) at the start of each season and clear out the closet. Anything out of season should get donated or stored. You shouldn't have to wade through your winter sweaters to get to a T-shirt when it's 90 degrees outside. When you can see what you already have, you'll stop buying clothes that you really don't need.
18) Limit your time on Facebook to 5-10 minutes in the morning and evening, tops, and don't play Facebook games. I'm just guessing, but on your deathbed, you probably will wish you hadn't played Candy Crush for hours upon hours upon hours upon hours...
19) Don't buy more storage bins. It's like throwing your stuff into a black hole. If your stuff is overflowing, it's time to declutter, donate, and have a yard sale, instead of buying more things to "organize" your stuff.
20) Figure out the bare minimum of makeup you need to feel good--for example, just concealer and eyeliner--and keep one extra set in your car or purse.
22) Keep the hobbies in check. Do you really have the time, room, and patience for scrapbooking?
23) Your kids do not need to have lessons for every sport and every musical instrument known to man. Make sure they have more free time than scheduled activities.
24) Buy plants for your garden and yard that are proven to do well in your regional area and in your particular yard.Bleeding Hearts grow great in the shady parts of our yard. Rhododendons do not.
25) Make space for silence. You don't need wall-to-wall sound throughout your day. Sometimes you just need to hear yourself think. Turn off the background music if it's just white noise, and turn off the TV that's just background noise.
Your turn:How many of these things are you already doing? What else simplifies your life? Let's hear it in the comment section!
Less than two more weeks to sign up for my summer photography online course, "How to Take Better Photos of Nature and the World Around You." This is the last time I'll be offering this e-course until next year.
All digital cameras welcome (any type, including smart phones).
Even if you have a full-time job, you'll be able to take this course at your own pace.
