Counting, Cleaning & Other Surprises

This week has been full of pleasant surprises. So just to give you a little insight into my life, I haven't owned a television for many of my adult years.  I realized in college... we now have access to over 900 stations and nothing is on. When I turned off the tv, I turned on my inner awareness and really began to find out about myself.

Of course, over the years life changes. I now have a seven year old little boy and we live out of town on three acres (surrounded by 300 acres) and in the winter when its snowing sometimes you just want to snuggle up and watch a movie. So last May, I was cruising around on Craigslist and I found a five year old flat screen tv for $30.00~ Score! So we now have a television, a dvd player, lots of movies and a library card that gives us FREE access to even more movies  (I LOVE the library, but we'll get to that in a later blog).

So why the back story? As a mother I have made a conscious decision not to over expose my child to tv. The news is negative and rarely accurate, the ads just prey on peoples insecurities and if there is a show that is so enriching that I have see it there is always Hulu. Don't misunderstand we are not total renunciates living off the grid like the Amish (although I admire their lifestyle minus the dogma). My son has his own ipad (thanks to his dad) and obviously I have a computer so we know whats going on, in small doses, and in a controlled manner without being bombarded. But I digress, the point that I am trying to make is this... my son is not constantly saying, "I want that!" because he saw a commercial of the latest and greatest toy on tv.

However, having access to his ipad does expose him to new 'things' and this week while looking up How to make Oragami Cranes on youtube he came across a video on something completely different. It was a Parrot AR Drone Heliocopter that is controlled by an app on your ipad/iphone. Did I mention that he is a RC heliocopter aficionado and this is like the Holy Grail? So we watched a few videos and I have to admit this thing is cool! It has 4 propellors, a camera, it hovers and lands beautifully and you can fly it around your house (inside or out) and you don't have to be in the same vicinity, you can hang out in the backyard while you fly it to the frontyard. Super Cool!

And here we are in the Year of Nothing New! Bummer? Maybe. Being as cool as this this thing is, it also comes with a hefty price tag for a seven year old boy...$299.00 and thats before tax. After asking me to remind him why we aren't buying anything new this year and then fruitlessly trying to persuade me to  let him buy just this ONE thing!  We came up with a plan.  My son is not completely broke he has a collection of piggy banks all filled with change we have collected over the years. We made a deal that I will help him count his money and he will spend the rest of this year saving the remainder.

The other evening after dinner he really wanted me to help him count his change and I really wanted to clean the kitchen. I suggested that he could seperate all of the coins into their individual piles and I would come in and help count it all when I was finished but he came up with a better idea, "how about I help you clean the kitchen and you help me count my money." Fair enough.  My son has a few chores to help around the house, he usually puts the silverware away when I unload the dishwasher and he puts his clothes away when I do laundry and usually we will clean his room together.

And even though I think its important to instill a sense of  connection, participation and cooperation, there are many times that I don't ask him to help just because I'm in a hurry and I think I can do it faster... but after the other night I have learned the error of my ways! My son didn't want to put the silverware away, so I did. I also put the larger heavier dishes away, but he put everything else away! He got a dish towel, eagerly threw it over his shoulder and began drying the coffee cups, bowls, tupperware and putting it all away, using our step stool when necessary. Much to my surprise not only did he participate, he engaged, we connected and he learned the system that I use in the kitchen. All the while he kept saying, "this is fun!"  I proceded to wipe down the counters and sweep the floor and believe it or not he actually mopped when I was done. It was beyond awesome! It reminded me that he is so capable and that its up to me to show him how capable he truly is, our time together just cleaning up the kitchen was precious. And it didn't end there we went on to count the money in his piggy banks totalling $142.88.

He now has a goal to save $156.12 over the next 11 months which comes to $14.19 per month. At his request, we put all of his change ino a jug, went down to the local bank and opened a savings account in his name. And we are coming up with ideas of how he can earn that money each month. He is so proud of having his own account and I am so proud of having a son who isn't whining and crying about having something right NOW, instead he chose to problem solve and strategize as he works towards his goal. And I bet when the time comes, we will probably be able to find this Parrot AR Drone second hand online.

Here's to a New Year & an Old Humidifier

Well it's January 5th 2013 and it looks like we all have another year to get it right on planet Earth. I'm not quite through week one of my year of nothing new and I have already had my first experience of mindlessly thinking, "I'll just stop by Walgreen's and pick up a new humidifier..."

We were on our way home from our New Years Adventure in Silverton, CO and my son wasn't feeling well due to the extreme dry and cold weather. Anyhow, I had tried our humidifier at home a few days earlier and it wasn't producing any steam. So what's $30 for a new one considering my son wasn't feeling well and would truly benefit from it... That was my automatic pilot response until I remembered...oh shit this is actually day ONE of my 'year of nothing new' and I can't break down now...that would be so lame.

I am happy to share that we headed home without stopping at Walgreens. My old broke down humidifier was still out from my previous failed attempt at using it, so I brought it into the kitchen for a closer look. After checking it out I realized that the vaporizer only had two screws keeping it all together... How hard could it be to take it apart and check out the problem? What's the worst that could happen... it already didn't work. I have to admit, even though I wasn't dismantling a bomb I started to feel like MacGyver. (Give me a piece of gum and a shoestring and I can fix anything!)  Following my friend Amanda's advice, once I took it apart I soaked the vaporizer in some water and vinegar solution for a few hours, put it back together and you know what? It worked! Go me!

No, I am not a genius and yes, this was a small victory but what really happened for me was more profound... I am awake and aware of my consumption, I was forced to be more resourceful and best of all I didn't contribute to more plastic in a landfill.

Many people ask me why I am doing this and I've narrowed it down to three main reasons 1. It is simply not sustainable to continue consuming with a throw away mentatlity (Did you know that there is an island of trash twice the size of Texas floating around in the Pacific Ocean...if you don't believe me Google it)  2. It is a practice in mindfulness. I am keeping myself in check. What do I have, do I really need it, where is it coming from, who is it supporting... it is quite challenging to be a conscious consumer in this day and age so this is my personal solution. 3. I want my son to have a deep understanding, appreciation and gratitude for all that  he already has in his life instead of falling into the trap of always wanting more.

Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade! Always wanting more... it is such a trap and it breeds a society of people who are never quite satisfied. (I'm sure there's a pill for that too) But the jokes on us, with the rapid pace that technology is advancing there will always be the latest and greatest car, cell phone, computer, gadget, clothing, jewelry, home you name it, that is just out of reach and as soon as you get it, its already obsolete.

 I am choosing to live consciously for one year practicing sustainability, mindfulness & gratitude.

So here's to a New Year and an old humidifier!