Blog Posts

The Power to Change Your Life (& Health): Self Improvement IS Free

11/2/2014

I recently read an article by a woman who implored others to be more forgiving and less judgmental towards "the poor," who have little resources and therefore have a difficult time bettering their lot in life. This woman listed a litany of unfortunate things that had befallen her, as well as a number of reasons why her lack of money prevented her from having the opportunities that those who are better off have access to - such as physical and mental health care.

The first thing that struck me about this article was actually my negative reaction to it. Despite the many Facebook comments commiserating with the woman, I found myself quite indignant at some of her assumptions. (Upon further reflection, I found this rather interesting, considering that I was in a position not that much different from her just a few years ago, and I realized just how much my mindset has changed in that short time period!)

If you are in a similar position to this woman, I hope you will take these observations to heart, and realize that YOU have the power to change your circumstances if you don't like where you're at!

Here are several assumptions that may be keeping you stuck feeling like you're one of the "have-nots" - and what you can do about it:

6 Comments

Homesteading Update: Raspberries & Frugality

10/26/2014

1 Comment

Salvaged brick flowerbed border.

This weekend being one of the most beautiful weekends this beautiful autumn has provided, my husband and I decided to knock out some outdoor projects on our little homestead. Progress has been limited by our lack of funds so far, until we sell the other house, so unfortunately we have been unable to install our geothermal system this fall as planned, and we will have to suck it up and make it through a long Ohio winter with a 30-year-old fuel oil furnace, and a propane fireplace. (We intend to replace the fireplace with a wood-burning stove, but this will be a rather involved project which will include cutting a large hole through the wall, which we would prefer not to undertake so close to winter.) So, our winter may be chilly, but we are still newly-weds, so we will cuddle up and make do! :-)

So we are learning what all new homesteaders have to learn early on: how to get creative and use existing resources to accomplish our goals while spending little money. My two outdoor projects this weekend were a perfect case-in-point. As we are hosting a Halloween party next weekend, my main goal this week is to get some things cleaned up outside. The previous owner left quite a few piles of junk in the yard, mostly covered with leaves and overgrown with weeds. Most of it is turning out to be broken furniture, wood, and tree branches, along with a few tires, wooden pallets, etc. But among the trash, a frugal mind can often find treasure, and so we did.

1 Comment

Why Americans Have It All Wrong When It Comes To Saving vs. Investing

10/19/2014

2 Comments

A recent study shows that for the majority of Americans, a mere $400 unexpected expense would force them to have to either go into debt, or sell something just to cover it. The same report found that while just over half of Americans are saving at least some portion of their income, a full 1/5 were spending more than they earned. (Source: Federal Reserve Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2013.)

Meanwhile, another Federal Reserve report, the 2013 Survey of Consumer Finances, showed that the combined retirement accounts per household nearing retirement averaged only $111,000, which would equate to approximately $500/month in retirement income. How well do you think you and your spouse could live on $500/month?

2 Comments

The Great GMO Experiment

10/12/2014

5 Comments

One of the fiercest debates raging in the food community these days (or maybe ever), is the debate about genetically modified organisms - and particularly, foods. In truth, the debate is more about politics than it is about health, but health is where we need to start. The pro-GMO camp swears that GM foods are totally safe, while the other side counters with a range of arguments, from the seemingly reasonable contention that GM foods should be labeled as such, to the extreme position that GMOs could be the end of life on this planet.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably can guess that I fall somewhere in the middle. But I still think it's an important topic to address, especially considering how much of our food now contains genetically modified ingredients.

For one thing, the contentions that GMOs are "safe" for humans to eat really don't have a lot of long-term evidence to back them up.

5 Comments

Our Homesteading Adventure: Part 1

10/5/2014

0 Comments

Our new home on 5 acres.

I didn't have much time to work on a big blog post for you today, but I thought it might be fun this week to share some pictures of our new home, and some of our plans for the future! Ever since my childhood on a farm in the Ozark mountains, a part of me has always longed for my farm-girl roots. No matter how large a city I have lived in (Houston, TX), or how nice a suburb (Dublin, OH), and how long I stayed there, it just never quite felt like home.

That's why I'm so excited to finally have a house and land of my own! My husband and I recently purchased an old home on 5 acres of beautiful farmland, and now comes the challenging part: figuring out what we want to do with it!

If you've been reading our Green Living blog lately, we've been doing a series on homesteading, and I guess that is as good a word to describe it as any. We aren't trying to be large-scale farmers. I don't know that we will ever even try in any way to make a living off the land.

0 Comments

Connecting With The Dirt

9/28/2014

1 Comment

"You know you came from it...and someday you'll return to it."
"Dirt" -- Florida Georgia Line

In our overly sanitized, sterilized, anti-bacterial-focused modern world, it seems that one of the things humans most fear is dirt. And it is no wonder, as for many years of early civilization, diseases were closely linked to hygiene, and cleanliness (or the lack thereof) was often to blame for the spread of many dangerous illnesses. So indeed, we have come a long way. But we must not forget that dirt is also a necessary part of life. and in fact, none of us would be alive today without the life-giving properties of good soil.

Growing up on a farm, this is something that is pretty obvious to me, but for those who did not have the close connection that I had with the earth beneath my feet, it may not be your first thought when you think of food. But whether you are vegan, omnivorous, or some other label you give yourself - no matter what your diet is like - everything that you eat at one time, in some form, came from the soil.

1 Comment

Good Trans Fats vs. Bad Trans Fats (Guest Post)

9/14/2014

1 Comment

We're back!! I'm so sorry for the long absence! My husband and I moved into our new house a couple of weeks ago, and I had a guest post all lined up for you while we were moving, but we had some issues getting our internet set up, so I wasn't even able to post that unfortunately. It's great to be back in action, although we have a lot of work to do on the new house, and still a lot of unpacking to get done! While we're getting settled in, here's a great guest post for you from one of my favorite health and nutrition "gurus." He agreed to share some valuable and eye-opening information about one of the most misunderstood nutrients of our time - of course I'm talking about fat! And even more surprisingly, trans-fats....

You've probably heard of trans-fats, and most likely, what you've heard is that you should avoid them. But did you know that, as with most fats, there are good and bad kinds of trans fats? This week's post will attempt to clear up some of the confusion around trans fats, and expose the truth about which types of fat you really should be avoiding.

1 Comment

Why Convenience Costs You More Than Just Money

8/17/2014

0 Comments

I read an interesting article the other day about how much the "convenience premium" really costs you when buying convenience foods. Most people don't think about the fact that they pay a premium for foods that are partially prepared for them. When considering the things you can do to save money, buying whole foods and preparing them yourself is quite a bit cheaper. Is it really worth it to buy pre-cut vegetables, when you can easily chop them yourself in just a few minutes?

As the author points out, you might save 2 minutes by not chopping your own onions, but you also had to work extra to pay for the convenience of having the onions pre-chopped - which means more time at work, and less time with your family, friends, or just relaxing and taking care of yourself. So how much did you really save?
While it may just seem like a few dollars here and there, it certainly adds up over time - especially with the amount of "convenience" foods that so many families buy on a regular basis.

0 Comments

3 Ways to Conquer Cravings & Eat Healthier

8/10/2014

4 Comments

We all know it's no fun to be hungry, but even more than that, hunger can derail even the best intentions to eat healthy. When you're hungry is when the cravings arise, and the next thing you know, you're face down in a bag of Doritos, with a box of Oreos on the side.

If you crave foods that aren't so good for you, it can seem a daily struggle to eat healthier. But there are ways to change your eating habits - without giving up all of the foods you love.

Here are three tips to curb those bothersome cravings, and keep yourself on track with your healthy eating goals.

4 Comments

Hope For Alzheimer's?

8/3/2014

2 Comments

A few of our readers have asked us to post more articles on specific diseases and natural remedies, so I will try to throw a few of these in from time to time! This week we're talking about one of the most dreaded diseases - and one of the most common to affect our aging population: Alzheimer's disease. This progressive degenerative (and fatal) brain disease affects an estimated one in three seniors in America, and is the fifth leading cause of death in those 65 or older, according to www.alz.org.

Families of those with Alzheimer's disease are also affected, as they watch their loved ones slip away before their eyes, forgetting everything that made them who they were, and becoming someone else entirely. It is a frightening thing - both for those afflicted with the disease, and for those who care for them. And the incidence of Alzheimer's only continues to rise.

Is there any hope for a cure? Will this dreadful disease eventually afflict us all as we age? While no one can know for sure, in fact there are some signs of hope - if not for a cure, then at least for preventative measures that we can all take today to ensure our future health and longevity.

2 Comments